tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42140200912475329562024-02-19T00:40:23.354-08:00Run MuffinAmy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-38257827387715294392014-04-08T06:54:00.001-07:002014-04-08T06:54:38.025-07:00About My Body -- The One That Won't Lose Weight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm Amy. I'm 33 years old and I live in Maine. I have a husband, two kids, and a big brown dog. I own a business, I drive a mom car, and I'm thoroughly convinced my quality of life with triple if I could just lose five pounds. </div>
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And hooo boy, then there's that ten pound fantasy. Honestly--and I'm embarrassed to admit this out loud--if I could choose, I'd pick the spontaneous loss of ten pounds over an all expense paid trip to the Tahitian Islands.<br /><br />So far, there's nothing about me--even that dark little ten pound secret up there--that isn't normal or socially acceptable. I'm an average American girl (who cannot bear to write the word 'woman' or 'lady' because ick, old).</div>
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Now I'll expose myself a little bit more.<br /><br />So that's me on the right, running my mom in at a half marathon:</div>
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And that's me on the left, getting ready to run a marathon with a bunch of friends:</div>
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That's a picture of me making a Popeye face (maybe I should invest in some sunglasses):<br />
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And that's me holding a men's bodybuilding trophy from 1988 and wearing someone else's medals at a Thanksgiving Day 5k:<br /><br />
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<br /><br />This is the point where you think to yourself, "What?! You're CRAZY. You DO NOT NEED TO LOSE FIVE POUNDS. I'M the one who needs to lose five pounds, not you!"<br /><br />Or maybe, "Shut up you stupid, skinny girl. You run marathons?! And you'd give up a trip to Tahiti to lose ten pounds?! That's insane. If I looked like you and ran marathons, I wouldn't have a damn thing to complain about."<br /><br />Or maybe you think, "Awww, you look cute! Stop being so hard on yourself!"<br /><br />Even I look at those pictures and think, "Looking good, self....but still, lose five pounds."<br /><br />Whatever your reaction might be, I'd like you to use it to help you realize that as women in America, we are ALL trained to want to lose five pounds. Or ten. Or three. Or fifty. Show me a woman--any woman--and I'll show you a person who thinks about losing some weight at least three times, every single day.<br /><br />It does't matter how old we are, how tall we are, how big or small we are, how fit we are, how funny we are -- we are all programmed to believe that we need to drop a few to feel peace in our hearts. And people, it's absolutely crazy making.<br />
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<br />At my job, I end up weighing all different people a couple of times a day -- I'm a trainer. So many times, a lady will come bopping in with a giant smile, having a great day. She was complimented at work, she's having an awesome hair day, her grandson won the spelling bee, she got a sweet purse on clearance at TJ Maxx, and then *POOF.* <i>"What? I gained a pound? How did I gain a pound? I thought I had a good week. I swear I had a good week. Why'd I gain a pound? What did I do wrong?"</i><br /><br />Day. Ruined.<br /><br />Or, on the flip side, someone might be telling me the sad, sordid tale of their son. The one who ended up in prison and who's going to trial for robbery next week. He used to be such a great kid, and then *BOOM.* <i>"Wait what? I lost two pounds!? I wasn't expecting that! I had three cookies this week, what a great surprise! Wow! I...I just wasn't thinking this could happen!"</i><br /><br />Day. Perfected.<br /><br />Or then there's my favorite, because you know we've all done it -- the scale shifter. They step up, they wait, they grimace because they don't like the number that just popped up. They step down. They step up diagonally, and wait, and shrug when the number pops up the same. They step down, they move the scale, on an angle, to the uneven part of the floor. They step up one more time and they lightly pump their fist in success. They just made that scale read eight tenths of a pound lower.<br /><br />Mission. Accomplished.<br /><br />As a female insider, I understand all three, boy do I ever. As an outsider, I think, "Wait. Hold on. You're still the same person who just walked in here. How on earth can a number change your whole day like that? This is crazy...." Because it kind of is.<br /><br />The bottom line is this: Weight trumps all. Good feelings, bad feelings, intelligent logic. The number on the scale can take each of those things and dump 'em right on their heads.<br /><br />And what's even weirder? This is perhaps the most mighty unifying force we have as women. Old, young, liberal, conservative, gay, straight, East, West, pregnant, menopausal, working, stay-at-home, radical feminist, traditionalist -- we care, we get it, we understand the madness. I can't think of a single topic that we all (even if we don't like to admit it) agree upon more.<br /><br />Why have we let this happen?<br />
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As a trainer, I see a lot of numbers that are classic health and fitness indicators: weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat, inches, age, max reps, miles times, and so on and so forth. I do believe that they're all important, yes, even weight.<br /><br />What I find baffling is our reaction to the numbers. When we find out our blood pressure is high, we've generally gotten to that place with the same exact habits that lead us to gain weight: a little too much laziness, to many treats, not enough vegetables, stress, a dash of genetics. Same with unbalanced cholesterol. But generally speaking, our reactions are so much different:<br /><br />DOCTOR: Your blood pressure is high. It's really important to make some changes, even if it's hard.<br />US: You're right, what can I change?<br /><br />versus<br /><br />DOCTOR: Your weight is creeping up. It's really important to make some changes, even if it's hard.<br />US [lip quivering, on the verge of tears, trying to look composed, will melt into a puddle once we get into the car]: Um, okay. Sure. Yup. I want to die.<br /><br />Or then there's someone like me. This past year I maxed out at fifty push ups, learned to do pull ups for the first time, benched a hundred pounds (a lot for me), PR'd in the half marathon, PR'd in the full marathon, and dropped five percent body fat. I'm SUPER genetically predisposed to high blood pressure, and I managed to get that from borderline high, to a healthy range.<br /><br />Am I happy about all of that? I really really am. Really, I am. Buuuuuuuuuuut, how much faster could I have run those races if I was at 145 instead of 150? THAT is on of the first questions that pops into my head.<br /><br />Madness.<br /><br />So where do we go from here? Do we smash our scales and refuse to be weighed at the doctor? Do we announce our weights loud and proud to try to muscle ourselves into becoming okay with it? (LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TODAY I WEIGH 154 WITH A BMI OF 23.4!!!! YOU ARE WELCOME).<br />
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I have no idea, because being at a healthy weight truly is important, so don't trash the scale just yet. Because seriously, thelast time I tucked my scale away for a few months, I gained seven pounds. Not the awesomest thing to have happen.<br /><br />Now don't get me wrong, it's not wrong to want to lose a few pounds by any stretch of the imagination, I guess I wish we could turn down the amplified emotions we have that are connected to weight. Take it as another piece of data, just like we do with blood pressure and cholesterol, push up reps, and circumference measurements. Not have the Queen of the World or Please Bury Me in a Hole reactions that we tend to have to that digital number. To be able to stop connecting that number to our goodness and worth.<br /><br />
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<br />Lately, at work, I'm trying really hard to help people set fitness goals rather than weight loss goal. To stop posting a picture of their ideal Pinterest body on their fridge, and start posting a picture of the mountain they're planning to hike. Instead of a goal of 185, set a goal to do a mud run. Instead of a goal to make it to 199, make it a goal to run 199 miles in three months.<br /><br />For now, it seems to be working at<a href="http://www.kennebecvalleycoaching.com/" target="_blank"> my little place of business</a>. Because training for a hike, or a race, or to see a certain blood pressure reading gives us all a sense of accomplishment over something that we should really actually feel accomplished over. We don't need pictures of us posing on a scale, we need pictures of us rock climbing, or swimming across a lake, or playing soccer with our kids without keeling over.<br /><br />So. Let's try to move weight down on the important list and focus on accomplishing some super empowering fitness goals instead.<br /><br />My fitness goal?<br />
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Kill the Sugarloaf Marathon in May -- no matter how much I weigh.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-18117433195812263852014-01-22T14:59:00.000-08:002014-01-22T15:02:24.271-08:00This Shoe, That Shoe, Your Shoe, My Shoe<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Blue Highway; font-size: small;">(Guess what?! We opened a running shop! The<a href="http://www.railtrailrunshop.com/" target="_blank"> Rail Trail Run Shop</a> in Augusta, Maine!)</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Blue Highway'; font-size: 16pt;">Learn the basics of Biomechanics, the basics of YOUR biomechanics, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Blue Highway'; font-size: 16pt;">and what it all means for your next shoe shopping trip.</span><span style="font-family: 'Another Typewriter'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Another Typewriter'; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Running shoes have changed drastically over the past 20 years. From the barefoot shoe to the ultra-cushioned shoe, there</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">s no shortage when it comes to choices….which means you have a pretty good chance of ending up in the wrong pair for your body type.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">On February 8<sup>th</sup>, we’ll help you unravel the hype, and find the shoe that will keep you running injury free.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /><br />Join us as Dr. Jared Lawson, Maine’s Running Chiropractor and Gait Guru teaches you the basics of biomechanics and walks you through the running shoe spectrum in his complimentary 30 Minute Presentation: <b>This Shoe, That Shoe, Your Shoe, My Shoe</b>. You’ll learn how the ideal foot works, how different shoes support and </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">manipulate the movement of the foot, and most importantly, how to use the right shoe to meet your biomechanical patterns and prevent injuries. He’ll answer questions you have related to stride, gait, efficiency and injury, and he’ll be available for free one-on-one gait analysis and plenty of personal trouble shooting—on the house, of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br />Try on minimal shoes, rocker-bottomed shoes, traditional shoes, and ultra-cushioned shoes; peruse our winter clearance and save 20% off any shoe purchase. Plus, everyone who takes a test run will be entered to win a free pair of new shoes from The Rail Trail Run Shop!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Saturday February 8th at 11am<br />The Rail Trail Run Shop<br />50 Front Street, Augusta -- Across from the gazebo in Waterfront Park<br />www.railtrailrunshop.com</b></span></div>
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Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-70332639281322287112012-07-03T03:37:00.002-07:002012-07-03T03:37:41.463-07:00Running through Life's TroublesKennebec Valley Coaching had a nice little shout out in the Kennebec Journal today--you can read the article <a href="http://www.kjonline.com/sports/friends-continues-to-grow_2012-07-02.html?searchterm=kennebec+valley+coaching" target="_blank">here</a>. Since the article mentions this blog, I thought I should go ahead and post an update. For the first time in a month. I used to be such a super blogger--now I'm more of a super go-to-bed-at-8-o'clocker.<br />
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So. Anyhoo...<br />
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I've had a bad 2 weeks. A baaaaaad 2 weeks. It's been the kind of 2 weeks where gravity feels like it's pulling on your body extra hard--it takes a lot of umph to smile, and a lot more umph to get up and out of bed.<br />
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We all have clumps of weeks like this. It's part of the privledge of being human. We go through ups, downs, highs, lows, great races, and races where you accidentally poop your pants. Thankfully, it's the pants-pooping incidents that make the PR races feel so much greater.<br />
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So what's my point? During times like this, the last thing I even think about doing is going for a run. Beause seriously, how does one run <em>and</em> cry without falling into an open manhole? And more than that, I just want to lay around.<br />
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But guess what? Running is exactly what I <em>should</em> absolutely be doing. Not only does is release all kinds of feel good endorphins in the brain, it also helps with anxiety, it relieves stress, it gives you a feeling of accomplishment, it gives you a change of scenery, a chance to see the world from a different perspective, and listen to the summertime birds. It's good for your physical heart, and it's good for your proverbial heart. <br />
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So. During these past 2 weeks have I been running?<br />
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Yes, I have been, but only because I have the support of the KVC running groups. They expect me to be there, smiling, joking, answering questions, and running with them. During the past 2 weeks, when I've heard someone say, "I'm gonna run after <a href="http://www.kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Lunch-Pump.html" target="_blank">Lunch Pump</a>," I go with them. If someone's having trouble with their motivation, I've been meeting up with them to try to rediscover some mojo. And for the second time in 2 weeks, a whole mess of KVCers will be at a road race, so I signed up. <br />
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If I didn't have KVC, I'd probably be in my basement learning how to play the XBox.<br />
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During the past year of KVC, personal things have happened to plenty of our runners. At this point we have almost 200 on our rosters, so it's bound to happen. There have been deaths, divorces, cancer, family difficulities, miscarriages, unemployment, you get the idea. Pick your own poison and add it to the list.<br />
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Sometimes, people need a break for running, and that's okay. Yet, somehow, despite these knock-you-on-your-you-know-what life events, lots of people have been running longer, stronger, and faster. They keep showing up, and during their times of turmoil, something great is coming to pass in their lives. <br />
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My point? The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. <br />
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I'll try it again without the semi-confusing cliche: People keep running because they have a group to do it with. When you can't stand to get out and run on your own, the group swallows you up in the laughs and conversation, and they carry you along. Even when they have no idea that they're doing it. <br />
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Just like it says in KVC's 2nd of <a href="http://www.kennebecvalleycoaching.com/about.html" target="_blank">5 Philosophies</a>: <br />
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<span class="size12 FranklinGothicMedium12" style="color: black; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium", sans-serif;"><b>There's Power in Groups</b></span></div>
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<span class="size12 FranklinGothicMedium12" style="color: black; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium", sans-serif;">Group exercise training provides community, comaraderie, accountability, and friendly competition.</span></div>
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Whether it's KVC, or a club in Omaha, you owe it to yourself to find a running group. There's a bond that grows on the road, and it's a privledge to be able to experience it. <br />
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So thank you to my fellow KVCers, for giving me the much-needed gentle shove than I've been needed these past 2 weeks. My life is better because I have you all to run with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLDSirM3PRAdgKOzct-8DXKKrg6jH2vRYmW3zlcENvTsR1jgKAfKDygfsmK-riy9EO4GjnuTtpk2P9jUNnC2vuene-b3qFA7IpxN5eBohcXqyJm-M23jgKfpQ12GN1i4Yt1Fgcy8Gesc/s1600/Lynn+O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLDSirM3PRAdgKOzct-8DXKKrg6jH2vRYmW3zlcENvTsR1jgKAfKDygfsmK-riy9EO4GjnuTtpk2P9jUNnC2vuene-b3qFA7IpxN5eBohcXqyJm-M23jgKfpQ12GN1i4Yt1Fgcy8Gesc/s400/Lynn+O.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-90277504357904196172012-06-05T05:14:00.002-07:002012-06-05T05:14:56.070-07:00Does Running Make you Fat? Part 1 <br />
Isn't that a weird question? If you were a random, non-running person on the street, you'd probably laugh if someone asked you that kind of thing, because du-uh, RUNNING MAKES PEOPLE SKINNY.<br />
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Or does it?<br />
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Honestly, I don't think there's a straight and easy answer to this question. And actually, it should probably be phrased more like this: Does Running Make YOU Fat?<br />
<br />But I'll start by saying this. On it's own, no--running doesn't make people fat. But their habits around running? Those might do it.<br />
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Here are a few things to think about...<br />
<br />
1) A lot of people start running because they want to lose a bunch of weight. Either they actually have some weight to lose, or they *think* they have some weight to lose and the totally don't. Either way, this group of people, who make up a huge percentage of the running community, already think they're fat--whether or not it's true. And even when a heavier person loses some weight, guess what? They usually still think they're fat.<br /><br />The truth is, runners can sometime be a twisted up group of people. They tend to be high acheivers, their own worst critics, and always working toward another goal. So before anything else, take an honest look at your sense of self, and how you interpret your own body. Chances are, you're probably just fine.<br />
<br />
2) That said, there are lots of runners our there who I could safely call 'skinny fat.' In other words, they look slender and wear a small size, but have pretty poor muscle tone.When you see Olympic level runners on TV, and their bicep veins are popping out all over the place, I guarantee you that's not from running—those muscles develop in the weight room. <br /><br />Runners are so incredibly infamous for not being able to do a pushup. Think about this: Most people running in a marathon, probably can't do 10, or even 1 single pushup. The ability to run 26.2 miles, but barely carry a bag of groceries? That's a fitness imbalance, and a 100% surefire way to get injured. <br />
<br />
I say it every day--fitness is like a 3-point triangle. Stregnth, Flexibility, and Endurance. If you want an athletic build, you HAVE to focus on all 3.<br />
<br />
3) Running burns a lot of calories, so running--especially longer distances--makes you really, really hungry. If you don't properly plan your food, this type of hunger totally opens you up to the overeating--guilt--running--overeating--guilt--running cycle.<br />
<br />
Think about it this way: Most normal, grown women should eat about 1800 calories per day. Since we're dealing with [crazy] runner, let's pretend they're on a calorie--restricted diet, taking in about 1500 daily. If that runner goes out and does an 8 mile training run, they just burnt about 800 calories. Now their net calorie intake for the day is 700. <br />
<br />
Maybe you're thinking, "Wow, that's awesome. I'd get really skinny."<br />
<br />
No, you probably won't. Either you'll completely overeat during the next 24 hours, or your body will freak out, drop into starvation mode, and hang onto every little fat part on your body.<br /><br />That 8-mile runner up there? They should have refueled with 800 EXTRA calories of good food--not cake, not pizza, not milkshakes. Something like a big old homecooked meal, and an extra mini-meal before bed. <br />
<br />
When you refuel, you're not undoing what you just did during your run. You're PRESERVING what you just did in your run.<br />
<br />I'm gonna go ahead and repeat that one more time. <strong>When you refuel, you're not undoing what you just did during your run. You're PRESERVING what you just did in your run.</strong><br />
<br />
...to be continued.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-61323363554796923222012-05-01T03:29:00.002-07:002012-05-01T03:29:32.693-07:00Next Up...I'm working on a post called, 'Does Running Make You Fat?'<br />
<br />
Because sometimes it does.<br />
<br />
Back later...Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-15086110395539802012-04-10T08:39:00.000-07:002012-04-10T08:39:52.811-07:00Race Report: Race the Runways Half MarathonI kind of hate reading race reports, so I promise I'll keep this really short.<br />
<br />
Did the Airport Challenge on Saturday--a one miler followed by a half marathon.<br />
<br />
Ran the mile in basically a full snowsuit (see post below), because it was cold as frozen balls out there. Decided not to race the mile due to the icy-testicle-like conditions, and opted to run it as a warm-up. Chatted with a girl wearing toe shoes the whole time and ended up coming in around 8:55ish? I think?<br />
<br />
Finished the half marathon in 1:45.38? I think? Came out to be something like 8:03 per mile. Totally happy with it, but totally wish I could have pulled off something more like, oh I don't know, 7:59.9999 per mile. It's not super far off from my best time, and when I think about the fact that I've been putting in about 12 miles per week because of my bastardly knee, I'm really happy.<br />
<br />
The first 11 miles all averaged under 8 minutes per mile--anywhere between 7:45 and 7:52. Mile 11-12 was 8:30ish and the last mile was 9:30ish. My legs were super dead, and it was so freaking windy running down that wide open air strip. Not so fun, but that means I put it all out there.<br />
<br />
I'm really glad it's over!<br />
<br />
Next up? The Sugarloaf 15k. Then I'm moving to the 5k. My next goal is a 19:xx 5k. It's my own version of marrying a girl who's 22 years younger than I am.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-40656249745126448262012-04-07T18:24:00.002-07:002012-04-07T18:58:38.712-07:00My Best Race Pictures EVER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is what intimidation looks like. Don't be jealous.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Half Marathon:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Pm00PBIZ8HCR60qbzJzRgvz1vGlYMEt7cp6lC0e7uj_P-LqHCEXFfTG-Hi3Jb2BRGHgbkrgq1E4OFrzYRFSfKGK3FnpZ6HtwLKuyerwyTyI6ODQ1Mdzdfrn-2GjdM7dq87pEJuKAH4U/s1600/race+the+runways+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Pm00PBIZ8HCR60qbzJzRgvz1vGlYMEt7cp6lC0e7uj_P-LqHCEXFfTG-Hi3Jb2BRGHgbkrgq1E4OFrzYRFSfKGK3FnpZ6HtwLKuyerwyTyI6ODQ1Mdzdfrn-2GjdM7dq87pEJuKAH4U/s400/race+the+runways+pic.JPG" width="328" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the Mile:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVGKqwnGk7M3-oEkLtpj78o0eWR5xgPp-BAsrkMMh0gQdbVmZ_ISh3zK8L7KmU7TRAHSA04cxnT1U1ghwugspekY0Y7LKbewOVtr9-4wGGAIEZBMhyphenhyphenATSvmF3jVw5nLsI87lxhLDwnN4/s1600/mile+race.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVGKqwnGk7M3-oEkLtpj78o0eWR5xgPp-BAsrkMMh0gQdbVmZ_ISh3zK8L7KmU7TRAHSA04cxnT1U1ghwugspekY0Y7LKbewOVtr9-4wGGAIEZBMhyphenhyphenATSvmF3jVw5nLsI87lxhLDwnN4/s640/mile+race.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-54941930837566004902012-04-03T11:38:00.000-07:002012-04-03T11:38:23.141-07:00Racing. Scary as Hell.It's true. Racing can be scary as all hell for so so so many reasons.<br />
<br />
I have a race coming up this Satruday, and I'm straight up terrified. I'm running the Airport Challenge at Race the Runways. That means I'm running a 1 mile race, and following it up with a Half Marathon. I've run a zillion half marathons--this shouldn't be a huge deal.<br />
<br />
But it feels that way.<br />
<br />
I've trained up to 14 miles, and I have lots of 11, 10, 9, and 8 milers under my belt. But you know what? With this #$%^^&%$$# (pick your favorite swear word to fill in the blank) knee injury, my training's been totally spotty.<br />
<br />
That said, my training's been a lot faster than usual, too.<br />
<br />
Here's the bottom line...my race could be surprisingly amazing, horribly terrible, or anywhere in between.<br />
<br />
So that was the bottom line, now here's the kicker...20ish people I know, love and coach will be there running the 5k. That means they'll finish before me and probably witness the whole unpredictable event. Hoo boy. High potential for ugliness, embarrassment, and an overall sense of wanting to die.<br />
<br />
I've weighed my options, and here they are:<br />
<br />
a) Race the mile and do the half marathon as an easy training run.<br />
b) Race the mile and pace my girl Tara during her first half marathon.<br />
c) Run the mile as a warm up and race the half marathon.<br />
d) Tell everyone my knee still hurts (because it kind of does) and forget the whole thing.<br />
e) Race both.<br />
<br />
As much as it's my dead last choice, I've picked option e. (side note: typing that phrase just induced genuine dry heaving).<br />
<br />
If I run like total and complete crap, so what. If I run super well and set a PR, so what. In the grand scheme of things, I'm a life long runner. Every race comes with different circumstances. Some races are ridiculously amazing, and some straight up blow.<br />
<br />
One time, I was the 6th place overall woman in a marathon. Another time, I dropped out at mile 20 and took the quitter bus to the finish line. Really, I survived both and I'm just plain old me. <br />
<br />
So I'll give it my best and see what happens. Either way, I hope I'm a good example to everyone who trains at Kennebec Valley Coaching.<br />
<br />
Some days you have it some days you don't. Either way, you just freaking keep on trying.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-20880547170163393112012-03-29T06:45:00.001-07:002012-03-29T06:49:10.452-07:0010 Reason You Should JUST FREAKING EXERCISEI guess you can say I've always been an exerciser.<br />
<br />
Sports? Absolutely not so much. Sticks, balls, shin guards, scores...oh my word, I have the cold sweats just typing those horrifying words. But regular old exercise? I've always been able to do.<br />
<br />
I'm lucky, I like to work up a sweat and feel all burny. My husband on the other hand? He'd rather grow a boob on his back than skip to the corner and jog back home.<br />
<br />
My point is this: Some people like to exercise and some people hate to exercise, but either way, you should really freaking exercise! Allow me to convince you...<br />
<br />
1) Exercise makes your brain release endorphins and <b>makes you feel all happy</b>. Aside from that, exercise is now recognized as an <b>anti-depressant</b>. For real. <a href="http://www.bu.edu/today/2010/exercise-the-other-antidepressant/" target="_blank">Check out this article</a> by this really smart professor from Boston University. He's cute and I believe him.<br />
<br />
2) <b>Sweating is good for you</b>. Why? Well, a lot of reasons. But think about this...sweating is one of the major mechanisms for your body to get rid of muck, and gunk, and biproducts, and toxins. Really, if you're a regular heavy sweater, you don't have to worry about shopping around so much for colon cleanses and whatnot--you're already doing a pretty good job of sweating your excess crud right out through your pores.<br />
<br />
This is also why you should never lick your treadmill.<br />
<br />
3) If you're an exerciser, you can <b>justify all kinds of adorable purchases</b> from the active section of TJ Maxx. For real, have you been there lately? If you don't have an interest in wearing the world's cutest NorthFace half-zip for only $17.99, then let's just face it, you're a wreck of a person.<br />
<br />
4) Once your find what you're into, <b>exercise is honestly fun</b>. Is it fun every single minute? No. But in general, bike rides, interval walks, dodge ball, ultimate frisbee...fun.<br />
<br />
5) <b>Movement and endurance are basic life skills</b>. A few weeks ago, I saw a little boy dart into the parking lot at Sam's Club, and his mom wasn't able to chase after him. She had a really hard time changing directions, hopping a curb, and generally keeping up. My heart totally sunk for her. Motherhood is so stinkin' exhausting all on it's own--a basic level of fitness makes it more manageable.<br />
<br />
Maybe you don't have a toddler who makes you feel like your hair's about to burst into flames, but you probably do have big bags of flour to lift at the grocery store, a lawn to mow, a fun run to benefit a friend....see where I'm going?<br />
<br />
6) At our core, <b>human beings like to move</b>--and that's why I have a hard time believing it when people say things like, "I have no interest in exercise," or "I really hate moving and sweating." Don't get me wrong, on the surface, people hate these things, but deep down, we all want to be active. Think about it--out all these activities, in your wildest dreams, which ones seem most appealing to you?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hiking around Acadia Park with some friends.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Playing soccer with your kids.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Doing tricks on a trampoline.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Playing video games.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Taking a Dance class.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Facebooking for a few hours.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Water skiing.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Watching TV.</div><br />
Now don't get me wrong here. I looooove TV as much as the next guy, but my wildest dreams only have me watching TV while I sit on Dr. Drew's lap in Southern California.<br />
<br />
6) Any idea what gives people heart problems? Family history, diet, lack of conditioning, and stress. Stress. Stupid, stupid stress makes people sick in so many ways. Now I'm stressed that I'll get sick from stress. But guess what? <b>Exercise is an awesome stress relieve</b>r, and does a good job of helping people move on from disappointing and difficult parts of their days. It's almost like a magical reset button.<br />
<br />
7) Exercise has a good chance of giving you <b>a longer life</b>, and making that life a lot more healthy and enjoyable.<br />
<br />
8) Every time you finish a workout, whether it was your best ever or your worst ever, you just accomplished something hard. That feels good. Tackling hard things helps people a good sense of self. When people start exercising, they often worry that they'll feel inferior, or fat, or silly, or embarrassed. Honestly, 99% of the time I see the opposite effect. <b>Exercise builds self esteem</b>.<br />
<br />
9) Exercise can be a hobby, and <b>it's cool to have hobbie</b>s. Trust me, there's nothing worse than going on a date and when the hot guy's all, "So...what are you into?" You're like, "Ummmm....errrr.....well....Twitter? Shopping? I love to sleep!" Way more awesome to be able to say something like, "Tennis."<br />
<br />
10) And finally, <b>exercise is a great way to make new friends</b>. Join a bowling league, or a spin class, or a soccer team, or a running club. Sweating your balls off, it builds bonds. Commiseration is a foolproof way to make a new friend.<br />
<br />
So. Did I convince you? In the next post, I'll help you learn how to get started!Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-70903136110088327122012-03-22T09:02:00.000-07:002012-03-22T09:02:25.344-07:00NewsletterI just sent this newsletter out to my mailing list. Thought I'd post it here, too.<br />
<br />
But first, my knee is feeling really great and I'm on Twitter...which I have no idea how to work. I'm @KVCoaching. Wish me luck with that one!<br />
<br />
Okay. Newsletter: <br />
<br />
Hi Everyone, and Happy Early Spring! We have so many exciting new things to announce over here at Kennebec Valley Coaching!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><u>UPDATES</u></span><br />
I'm so excited to announce, that since their first session in January,<i><b> The Fifty Pound Club</b></i> has lost a collective 122 pounds! And that's a whole lot of pounds!!! Everyone's looking so fit and strong--every week we're seeing more and more progress! We still have 5 spots available in the group. If you or someone you know might be interested, you can <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/PoundClubs.html" target="_blank">find more information here</a>.<br />
<br />
This week, we're placing an order for <b>KVCoaching Technical T-Shirts</b> (the sweat wicking kind). They'll be really fun to wear for racing and group runs. They'll be $15 each and they run true to size--I'm planning to order a medium. We have mens and womens specific sizes. They're lime green and pretty awesome. Send me an email by tomorrow morning with your size if you're interested! <br />
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We have an awesome new <b>online challenge</b> starting April 15th! <b>The Buddy System Bathing Suit Sixty Day Super Challenge</b> will be so. much. fun. You'll work together with two friends to win $25 gift cards to TJ Maxx to put towards new bathing suits. <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Bathing-Suit-Challenge.html" target="_blank">More details are here</a>. Only $24 for a group of 3!<br />
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Our resident <b>Pilates</b> expert, Michelle, has had a great time teaching this winter. She's planning a spring class, possibly early morning. For more info, you can contact her directly at <a href="mailto:jmdelisle623@hotmail.com" target="_blank">jmdelisle623@hotmail.com</a><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">NEW! NEW! NEW!</span></u><br />
<b>Lunch Pump</b> starts the first week of April! The studio will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11-1:30. Stop in anytime for a 20-30 minute predesigned strength workout over your lunch break. I'll be there to cheer you on, answer any questions, and generally motivate the crap out of you. Mondays will focus on butts and guts, Wednesdays will focus on upper body, and Friday will be about the lower body. The workouts shouldn't be super sweaty, but in case they are, we have a really clean and private shower on site. Also, the <b>Tot Spot</b> will be open and can accommodate up to 3 kids at a time. Lunch Pump will be $29 per month, $29 for a 6-session punch card, or $8 for a drop-in. We also offer special group pricing for offices. But......<b>DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL WE'RE OFFERING 50% OFF A 1-MONTH PASS!!!!</b> That's literally $1.25 per workout. You've got NOTHING to lose! <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Lunch-Pump.html" target="_blank">More details are here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><u>GROUPS AND CLASSES</u></span><br />
Our <i><b>5k for Newbies</b></i> group starts on Friday April 6, at 6pm at the Winthrop Grade School Gym. The class will meet for 9 sessions, and cap off with <a href="http://www.active.com/running/winthrop-me/the-pta-friday-night-5k-2012" target="_blank">The PTA Friday Night 5k</a>--a separate fundraiser for the PTA. So far, we have 38 registrants, and plenty of room for more! The group is only $59 for adults and $39 for K-12 students, and 30% benefits the PTA. That group will also offer a variation for runners who can already complete a 5k, but who are looking to gain some speed. <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/5k-for-Beginners.html" target="_blank">More info is here</a>.<br />
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<b>Halftastic--10k and Half Training </b>group starts on April 14th at 7am at the studio. We'll cap off the group with the Kennebec Rail Trail Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay in late June. Those shooting for the relay should be able to run at least 2 miles when the group starts, and those looking to complete the entire half should be up around 5 or 6. This group will be co-coached by Seth Hasty. <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Halftastic.html" target="_blank">More info is here</a>. Pass it along to your distance-loving friends! (And if you love running with the group, but hate the idea of running so far, come anyway! We'll modify for you!)<br />
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<b>Stroller Rollers</b> starts on April 4th at 9:30. It's super fun, and a crazy plyometrics workout! <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Stroller-Rollers.html" target="_blank">More info is here</a>.<br />
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<b>Before & After Boot Camp</b> is still around and meeting on Wednesday nights at 7 at the studio. During the first week of May, we'll move over to Capitol Park for the summer. Only $29 for a 5-class punch card, or $8 for a drop in. This is a fun one to do with friends.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><u>CUSTOMIZE!</u></span><br />
Personal training has been getting super popular at KVC. There are lots of ways to customize really affordable packages. Honestly, you'll be surprised how affordable personal and small group training can be. Check out the Individuals and Pricing tabs on the website for more information. Don't see a package that fits you? Email me!<br />
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Also, I'm working with a few businesses, running classes for their employees. These classes range in price from $40-$50 and can include up to 10 people from your office. Run it by your boss!<br />
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I hope everyone is well, and has a great spring. Looking forward to seeing you in the studio and out on the road!Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-68013529126101134602012-03-15T15:06:00.001-07:002012-03-15T15:08:01.946-07:00Sugar Update and Stupid Knee PainOkay, sugar. Believe it or not, I'm still on the wagon. I have my daily moments of bottom-lip-biting, but for the most part this whole giving up sugar thing isn't nearly as impossible as I thought it would be. But I'll be honest, I can't wait to have a friggin' piece of pie on Easter.<br />
<br />
In other news, I have a bum right knee.<br />
<br />
For all the running I do, and for as long as I've been doing it, I can count my injuries on one hand. So this feels extra frustrating. Especially since the weather's starting to feel nice. I'm pretty sure it's an IT band flare up--super common in runners.<br />
<br />
The IT band runs from your hip and inserts around and under your knee. See? That yellow thing? That big old bastard? <i>That's</i> the IT band.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qlToQTbbUiAvQLowvbMQGME_9eWXV2GLZdNOGMMCM8aDKUGnNhSatQCHiBA1UfTHGmasGCR09OL6WFnLN1LrHjVIWJXtSwUfPVumq5HP5PQKcq2UuzHaH4oD7ZQ6u0dawtikZRPgPNU/s1600/itband.2.anat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qlToQTbbUiAvQLowvbMQGME_9eWXV2GLZdNOGMMCM8aDKUGnNhSatQCHiBA1UfTHGmasGCR09OL6WFnLN1LrHjVIWJXtSwUfPVumq5HP5PQKcq2UuzHaH4oD7ZQ6u0dawtikZRPgPNU/s320/itband.2.anat.gif" width="256" /></a></div><br />
It's Thursday, and I haven't run since Sunday, and I'm not even exaggerating when I tell you that I feel like every ounce of peace in my life has been sucked right from me, through my anus, with a Hoover. And I'm not even being dramatic.<br />
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This thing's been bugging me for a little over 2ish weeks, which is starting to feel like 47 years. I'm telling you, adherent Mormon or not, I'm just about to submerge my face in a bucket of vodka. Again, totally not dramatic.<br />
<br />
I <i>will </i>say, I do have a new appreciation for people's aches and pains, because this shiz hurts like a sack of testicles being run over by a 10-speed bike. And you know what I'm about to say, right? That WASN'T EVEN DRAMATIC.<br />
<br />
So the point of the post is this. If I actually had to chose, I'd pick running over chocolate cake IKNOWICAN'TEVENFREAKINGBELIEVEIJUSTSAIDTHAT. But it's true. I would. So if the ancient Greek God of Running could fly on over to the ancient Greek God of sweet treats, and let her know what I just wrote, maybe they could work together to lift this ridiculous knee curse.<br />
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Don't you feel so uplifted right now?Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-4435122609708408492012-03-06T07:18:00.001-08:002012-03-06T08:00:34.543-08:00I Kicked My Sugar Addiction with Potato Chips....Seriously.So I honestly think I've kicked the old sugar addiction. It took about 5 years and 4,003 false starts, but this time, I think the success is for real. The only way I can describe the way I feel right now is this: huge relief.<br />
<br />
Sugar is bad, bad news. Especially when it's a part of your every day diet. Now don't get me wrong, the occasional piece of birthday cake or popcorn and soda at a sappy chick flick is good for the soul--and I don't plan to give that up. But sugary treats as an every day (or multiple times a day) habit? That's an absolute recipe for disaster.<br />
<br />
Heart Disease? Diabetes? Acne? Lethargy? I'll stop. <br />
<br />
Yesterday I saw this picture at <a href="http://whole9life.com/">Whole9</a>'s facebook page, and it literally made me say, "Holy $%^@." Don't worry, my kids are used to that kind of talk.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhex9Ldi2DNqkQXgo40qH9CwbW6P4ot1XifrHGAAZQixJ4_9ZH9RnLP4KksbUZOi8eeyLzHC6kBSTCfjnUenTMe3gEMgFUxr0lf9XhvgR_hvhslPdH5pcGhZaGK5y3HxCa7P0nxd51-aKY/s1600/sugar+hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhex9Ldi2DNqkQXgo40qH9CwbW6P4ot1XifrHGAAZQixJ4_9ZH9RnLP4KksbUZOi8eeyLzHC6kBSTCfjnUenTMe3gEMgFUxr0lf9XhvgR_hvhslPdH5pcGhZaGK5y3HxCa7P0nxd51-aKY/s320/sugar+hand.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The caption said: <span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><i>Under normal circumstances, this is how much sugar is in ALL of your blood. Think what happens when you add 1-2 tsp of sugar/honey to your coffee/tea. Or, God forbid, you drink 2 ounces of soda. #Ouch</i></span><br />
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Whoa my goodness. That just jumped right into my face, and I'm so grateful that I seem to have a handle on this sugar thing. Just to be clear, when I say I had/have a sugar addiction, let me elaborate. On a typical day I was eating 1,000-1,500 calories of good nutritious food, and no joke, 600-1,000 calories of sugary treats.<br />
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I would eat breakfast, then I'd have candy. I would eat lunch, and I'd sneak away from work for a hot chocolate and a gigantic chocolate chip muffin. Then I'd eat dinner, and cap it off with a couple bowls of ice cream. <br />
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I totally appreciate this comment from Stephanie on yesterday's post, because a few weeks ago, I swear I could have written it myself:<br />
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<i>"So far this afternoon I have had five wintogreen lifesavers, six mini candy canes left over from Christmas, and two packets of hot apple cider mix poured straight into my mouth. Bring on the strategy."</i><br />
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Everyone likes sugar. But poor Stephanie ate a whole mess of gross stuff, just to get the sugar buzz. I can so SO relate.<br />
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Okay. Now that I've established the fact that I wasn't just an occasional cake eater--and you really believe that high fructose corn syrup was pumping through my veins--I'll get to my Ah Ha! moment.<br />
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A few weeks ago, Jared and I started watching old episodes of Celebrity Rehab on Netflix. I immediately noticed 2 things. 1) Dr. Drew is a ridiculous babe and has moved to the top spot on the People-I-Would-Do-It-With-Even-Though-I'm-Married list, and 2) Those addicts in treatment smoke the sh!t out of their cigarettes.<br />
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No one walks in to that rehab facility and says, "You know what Dr. Drew? Today I'm gonna quit crack and heroin, <i>and</i> sugar, <i>and</i> cigarettes, <i>and</i> diet coke, <i>and</i> looking at girly magazines. Oh, and maybe I'll give up gluten, too."<br />
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No. They're like, "I'm here to quit heroin and crack, and smoke 1 million cigarettes and drink gallons of diet coke while I do it."<br />
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Clearly cigarettes and diet coke are crappy for your body, but not nearly as horrible as crack and heroin. So why not get rid of the biggies first, and <i>then</i> tackle the secondary issues?<br />
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Honestly, I could relate to this way of thinking so so much. Of all 4,003 times I've failed at giving up sugar, I've simultaneously failed at giving up white flour, processed foods, and keeping my calories under 1,800 each day. <br />
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I think...no, I know I was trying to do too much at once.<br />
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Then I read <a href="http://weightloss.health.com/2012/02/21/control-your-cravings/" style="color: red;" target="_blank">this article</a> by Tina Haupert of <a href="http://www.carrotsncake.com/" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Carrots n' Cake</a>, and my eyes were totally opened.<br />
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I decided to give up <i><b>sugary treats only</b></i>, during lent (February 22nd until April 8th). Why lent? Because it never hurts to have Baby Jesus in your court. Can I get an Amen?<br />
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So basically I gave up baked goods, ice cream, candy...that kind of stuff.<br />
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For the first week I ate anything I wanted...as long as it wasn't a sugary treat. Bacon, potato chips, Subway footlongs....anything. I also exercised a little bit more to make up for the gluttony.<br />
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When I got a sugar craving, I ate a few chips. When I felt like I 'deserved' a treat, I had a meatball sub for lunch instead of a huge slab of cake. Nothing was off limits--except for the sugary treats. I also had a go-to healthy smoothie recipe--a cup of unsweetened almond or coconut milk, 1 or 2 extra ripe bananas, and a scoop of unsweeted baking cocoa (10 calories, no sugar, loaded with iron). That smoothie is so freaking good, and tastes just like a chocolate milk shake. And the only sugar comes from the bananas<br />
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I have to admit that slipped up once that first week. I was on an extremely stressful phone call with a friend, had a RIDICULOUS sugar craving and ate a spoonful of cold hot fudge. But guess what? That was all I had. I've had a few mini moments of weakness since, but nothing I can't overlook.<br />
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I really think I'm free!<br />
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This past week, I've been focusing on cleaning up my eating in other ways--mostly planning out healthy meals so I don't feel tempted to swing through a drive-thru. By the end of Lent, I really think my diet will be where I want it to be.<br />
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Did I get to a super healthy diet cold turkey? No. Not at all. But I'm getting there and making real progress. I can now make it through one day, or five days without sugar, which I <i><b>never</b></i> would have imagined! I can also eat a yogurt as a treat, which is just absurd for a person like me. I also eat potato chips, but I don't OVER eat potato chips.<br />
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I'm so happy. My runs are better, I feel more energetic, and I'm not constantly consumed with thoughts of treats any more.<br />
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This is week 2, here's to hoping it sticks and keeps on improving! <br />
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One million thanks to Dr. Drew and his Hollywood addicts for smoking like chimneys. They helped me see the light of moderation and being reasonable.<br />
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You can do it, too.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-63673705670570085092012-03-05T13:58:00.000-08:002012-03-05T13:58:10.605-08:00It's a Damn Cold Day in a HellHoly crap, I think I kicked my sugar habit. In the last 12 days I've had a gluten free brownie, a few bites of my husband's Ben & Jerry's, and a couple Skittles. 2 weeks ago, that would have been my breakfast dessert. <br />
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No joke, I found my strategy by watching Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.<br />
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More details tonight when I have an actual keyboard to type on.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-12196191027708035762012-03-02T16:58:00.001-08:002012-03-02T16:59:25.322-08:00Win a Free Month of Lunch Pump for Doing Absolutely Nothing!There's so much new stuff happening at Kennebec Valley Coaching! I made a new calendar page to help me keep it all straight. <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Calendar.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">You can check it out here</a>.<br />
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If you want some info on our new pricing and whale-of-a-deal packages, <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/Pricing.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">click on this</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvS9F2eO8F2INSm6f0JUDofoqruqCp8DIlLsrJEctYLeY-ZNPI27ZaQeh3ix70qay8SJk6dqAgXJcWqc0wDGT1V4vDzK1SRyM77c8Rtfxrg_D7gB0JYy7Nqx7Vd4r55pvRpNVfSXNzFM/s1600/Steals+and+Deals+snip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvS9F2eO8F2INSm6f0JUDofoqruqCp8DIlLsrJEctYLeY-ZNPI27ZaQeh3ix70qay8SJk6dqAgXJcWqc0wDGT1V4vDzK1SRyM77c8Rtfxrg_D7gB0JYy7Nqx7Vd4r55pvRpNVfSXNzFM/s320/Steals+and+Deals+snip.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And finally, we're introducing a new daytime program called <a href="http://kennebecvalleycoaching.com/lunch-pump.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Lunch Pump</a>, and if you're local you can win a 1-month pass...we're giving away 10!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZXudooIvg6XZy_jmh7lJr84IORfwv-HlozmgBpS2WE_vPsCPUK1nR3V9pp3ueh5a1CQXULMRVG8w1xBqWPBiQC6UvcZmn2bTE_-S2jMCR-Wlu-I3X6FGMr9jYnyemprIJKUvg7MKa_k/s1600/Lunch+Pump.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZXudooIvg6XZy_jmh7lJr84IORfwv-HlozmgBpS2WE_vPsCPUK1nR3V9pp3ueh5a1CQXULMRVG8w1xBqWPBiQC6UvcZmn2bTE_-S2jMCR-Wlu-I3X6FGMr9jYnyemprIJKUvg7MKa_k/s320/Lunch+Pump.JPG" width="270" /></a></div><br />
Work? Not an excuse.<br />
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Kids? They're not an excuse either.<br />
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To win a 1-month pass good for the month of April, 'like' Kennebec Valley Coaching on Facebook and leave a comment about Lunch Pump, send me an email, or comment on this post!Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-21443272522144041252012-02-23T09:10:00.000-08:002012-02-23T09:10:16.630-08:00Running While Pregnant: The Last Four TipsHere are your last 4 pregnant running pointers, for a grand total of 10. Your first 6 tips can be found <a href="http://runmuffin.blogspot.com/2012/02/running-while-pregnant-three-tips.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://runmuffin.blogspot.com/2012/02/running-while-pregnant-three-more-tips.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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7) <b>Snacks</b>. I'm not even kidding, if whether it's half a mile or 5 miles, <b>when you're running pregnant, you have to bring a snack</b> along for the ride. We're not talking a turkey dinner here, just enough to save your soul, heart, and sanity, if you get one of those all-of-the-sudden blood sugar drops. A teeny thing of fruit snacks, some hard candies, a $5 footlong. Anything's fine, as long as it's something.<br />
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8) <b>Support</b>. I know it's goofy, but definitely <b>consider wearing a belly support</b> like this one:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rIJd-QNSlOzUpojbNjJz1Nzm-MCGfYstIbRuDEjIFpYZLoYjatHHEsiI3A378zn-Tzq1NwNRZ2gBr1hGcM2FPzR6F0YsJo6TRWKOnVk4_Z5TyUVxNpx0nBZZQq9fkrlbTCLPy2_c1q8/s1600/belly+band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rIJd-QNSlOzUpojbNjJz1Nzm-MCGfYstIbRuDEjIFpYZLoYjatHHEsiI3A378zn-Tzq1NwNRZ2gBr1hGcM2FPzR6F0YsJo6TRWKOnVk4_Z5TyUVxNpx0nBZZQq9fkrlbTCLPy2_c1q8/s200/belly+band.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridiculous? Absolutely.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>I found that one, and the picture, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maternity-Support-in-Nude-S-M/dp/B0001BUK9O/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1330015028&sr=8-7" target="_blank">here</a>. If you wear some support, your lower back will love you for it.<br />
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9) <b>Learn</b>. Running during a pregnancy is a great time to learn the ins and outs of childbirth and parenthood. I downloaded all kinds of <b>podcasts to listen to during my runs</b>. Distracting <i>and</i> informational--win, win, win.<br />
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Before I list a few, remember, if you plan to listen to music while you're running pregnant, turn the volume down low enough that you can hear oncoming traffic, and only wear one earbud.<br />
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Okay, here we go:<br />
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<div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://babiesandmomsradio.com/blog/" target="_blank">Manic Mommies</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://blog.birthstoriesondemand.com/" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Birth Stories on Demand </a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://babiesandmomsradio.com/blog/" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Babies and Moms: Birth and Beyond</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/for-crying-out-loud/id354082588" style="color: red;" target="_blank">For Crying Out Loud</a></span></div><br />
10) <b>Enjoy</b>. If you're running while you're pregnant, <b>just enjoy it</b>. You're doing something awesome for your own health, and for the health of your baby. Slow down, sniff flowers, and pet puppies. This is a time for basking in your own awesomeness--because most pregnant moms are sitting in their closets eating candy. But you? You're running <i>and</i> sitting in your closet eating candy.<br />
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Go get 'em!Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-26402135311351341422012-02-23T07:03:00.000-08:002012-02-23T07:04:21.875-08:00Tips from Vanessa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seriously now. Who<i> doesn't </i>want to be quoted talking about their boobs?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHtfua8hR6nWkgx_OiSlq4g0tEelt9dkeDmt33UR5n_P3vb9WI5queWjmCb1bsolagUHE1_FEilyEIN-tkSD68awQIrI740UBpTIpLLiMgvros-072CueGbrY9eWXDmiIdiyzAr5rbsM/s400/Vanessa+Says+Snip.JPG" width="400" /></div><br />
Also, here's a tip from me: If you're a postpartum mom trying to get back in shape, make sure you wear some sort of a belly slimmer when you exercise. Like<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bally-Slimmer-Belt-With-Zippers/dp/B000F4J8T0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330008922&sr=8-2" style="color: red;" target="_blank">this one</a>, or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Danskin-DA-2709R-Waist-Trimmer-Belt/dp/B000VRML2W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1330008922&sr=8-4" style="color: red;" target="_blank">this one</a>. You can usually pick them up at TJ Maxx for $5-$10.<br />
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Will it make you look all supermodelish like the box says? Probably not. These belly slimmers come equipped with all sorts of promises and gimmicks.<br />
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But I promise it does have some definite benefits. First, it will support your low back, which might be pretty shot from pregnancy. Second, it will make you sweat like a pig, which isn't a bad thing when you're exercising. And third, it will help bring your abs back together after being separated during pregnancy. If you tone your abs with the giant gap in between, the gap will want to stay. But if you pull the abs together, they'll tone up with a more pre-pregnancy shape.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-45855334785723579022012-02-19T09:07:00.000-08:002012-02-19T09:07:59.961-08:00Meet VanessaSince we're on the topic of pregnancy, everyone meet Vanessa. Isn't she cute like a friggen little button?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupY3n9Vt7m2iKyIxE_olNUBhjqVHhUSafNuvsWWAoCAbm0UXziKRHSffPQoNR0ba2uetnHoUlXtQdPG3oqMLB8WDHAUj95xIzU1myqKePdPjCf4mRl8HFPXCrdFvbsB5iJapuDQRfvgA/s1600/Vanessa+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupY3n9Vt7m2iKyIxE_olNUBhjqVHhUSafNuvsWWAoCAbm0UXziKRHSffPQoNR0ba2uetnHoUlXtQdPG3oqMLB8WDHAUj95xIzU1myqKePdPjCf4mRl8HFPXCrdFvbsB5iJapuDQRfvgA/s320/Vanessa+1.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br />
But hold on. As if this girl wasn't adorable enough on her own, she has a perfect little southern accent<i> and</i> this baby:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs75nqfW7_xHJlp6gNPvlh0dB8S4Z-AvJ_-Sy_t6Y77ThTsylykvNLwacxy1Z3FXvp5qA4rgggxyNtMAdADULQfDxO2sONe3mxQN3UsGqkOK2EosP8IvgpEMDFvLO3Ph0c7PMn3oK6QM/s1600/willie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs75nqfW7_xHJlp6gNPvlh0dB8S4Z-AvJ_-Sy_t6Y77ThTsylykvNLwacxy1Z3FXvp5qA4rgggxyNtMAdADULQfDxO2sONe3mxQN3UsGqkOK2EosP8IvgpEMDFvLO3Ph0c7PMn3oK6QM/s320/willie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
That's Willie, and these days he's 8 weeks old. He's a good little sleeper and the kid loves to eat. Like most new moms, Vanessa is feeling anxious to get the old body back, so we're teaming up!<br />
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Here are some pregnant Vanessa pictures:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8S_wgys0UL1jItTK7DbbTPShkb2HlaI2FvDi66CXFERQaAFHMvhwJkA7WUexfGUe9zn2kxgknTV-W_jTft4x0K0Yw2qlwwTvnq9VWYc_yWUhFAPlBAseAjl1WnKpJGebmAxQQBSCtYc/s1600/Vanessa+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8S_wgys0UL1jItTK7DbbTPShkb2HlaI2FvDi66CXFERQaAFHMvhwJkA7WUexfGUe9zn2kxgknTV-W_jTft4x0K0Yw2qlwwTvnq9VWYc_yWUhFAPlBAseAjl1WnKpJGebmAxQQBSCtYc/s200/Vanessa+19.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19 weeks, hiking a mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kYPlYIbaWIM9L3e4pE80xTp2QsuaR3ZG9Sespvn-WZIAXke-kjOQqPsywVX_rksrJRcxd9crF2BKn1qdXvVNgk09FAsnH6YmtZR_NLFegmN_U7HFXnRgXTd7hqFjwAkVqG-RGWnhoyQ/s1600/Vanessa+37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kYPlYIbaWIM9L3e4pE80xTp2QsuaR3ZG9Sespvn-WZIAXke-kjOQqPsywVX_rksrJRcxd9crF2BKn1qdXvVNgk09FAsnH6YmtZR_NLFegmN_U7HFXnRgXTd7hqFjwAkVqG-RGWnhoyQ/s200/Vanessa+37.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">37 weeks, showing off her abs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I8Q9dQUYPk02FFACW5rv4si01IlmMR8tqm69rf47LsrcPjYeUb35IhQebC7aQiGP7eHdRps8mwV5I4W_WhoTEn8N_JaHLKQgSlQ-W6JyIBmpEkApHLXhJGczrCRC70DFz5lQ98UdWuU/s1600/Vanessa+41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I8Q9dQUYPk02FFACW5rv4si01IlmMR8tqm69rf47LsrcPjYeUb35IhQebC7aQiGP7eHdRps8mwV5I4W_WhoTEn8N_JaHLKQgSlQ-W6JyIBmpEkApHLXhJGczrCRC70DFz5lQ98UdWuU/s200/Vanessa+41.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">41 weeks, about to go through 40,000 hours of labor</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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And here she is now. Possibly looking way better than I do, 118 weeks post partum:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aKpYA_G9j9qOqI6rszP3acEGw6PaH0B1GX9AYEQF9hcSkyWtHcS8OSWnEQKKKBk5ABZi_x-iD2Gc7WjMfsCUgKL1HYJ-ojuZhttHFUy7P8pTC1B10Q40jp_eelN_gVlplm5FrC1CO6Q/s1600/IMG_1123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aKpYA_G9j9qOqI6rszP3acEGw6PaH0B1GX9AYEQF9hcSkyWtHcS8OSWnEQKKKBk5ABZi_x-iD2Gc7WjMfsCUgKL1HYJ-ojuZhttHFUy7P8pTC1B10Q40jp_eelN_gVlplm5FrC1CO6Q/s320/IMG_1123.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her very favorite date dress</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxblraxbhfF4ZDU8of0vaVLlhX-5TbckG869HVFWPCgeONR-8VHzvxC5RtS6SZLcPZ0zqTkK8tnXEtWyVqNhaaspjCeiulpnhSveH5xHf15_SA7hSHM5LAKDsm7u5YUQUMmHF4UTxBcHU/s1600/IMG_1122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxblraxbhfF4ZDU8of0vaVLlhX-5TbckG869HVFWPCgeONR-8VHzvxC5RtS6SZLcPZ0zqTkK8tnXEtWyVqNhaaspjCeiulpnhSveH5xHf15_SA7hSHM5LAKDsm7u5YUQUMmHF4UTxBcHU/s320/IMG_1122.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix8Hv4Yoj8luGK9XSZ4mMEoqBLOEgJgYNlVABCzjoQTcV_bSUyr_z4hKG4xCtg_ZUxxghrd_DbGFrFnWnovRDnkGQ2fvyTPXhq5F325CymXbeKYauxSW2JBTBtHwUkrjgtoL33xbkHlc/s1600/IMG_1121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix8Hv4Yoj8luGK9XSZ4mMEoqBLOEgJgYNlVABCzjoQTcV_bSUyr_z4hKG4xCtg_ZUxxghrd_DbGFrFnWnovRDnkGQ2fvyTPXhq5F325CymXbeKYauxSW2JBTBtHwUkrjgtoL33xbkHlc/s320/IMG_1121.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlV7VTbOHeoXPd0lWZeGQt81zVOE8yIa-Oga0VHRer9HDMRQdaMinGm05PZV2fy3Fky0sMqQgvlIN7Dc0s-Z5uBkBj1KHFbdmv93yQq3sm0CfL8UByHGO4za0IDgVVyvUd72OgFV4P0k/s1600/IMG_1119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcXFrCUVKAaxntPaldzjhEzNv_ezwmLNtysMhStqdK47zM_xx7ZZfCOyXqhRlDrne8epr-NgR7Db71jqK-q7l1tF7kXnb0QeHrEhrzCvSJGNUiJppVvuaDCBi6JBTHVZkTkjbo_bABAY/s1600/IMG_1120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcXFrCUVKAaxntPaldzjhEzNv_ezwmLNtysMhStqdK47zM_xx7ZZfCOyXqhRlDrne8epr-NgR7Db71jqK-q7l1tF7kXnb0QeHrEhrzCvSJGNUiJppVvuaDCBi6JBTHVZkTkjbo_bABAY/s320/IMG_1120.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was like, "Here, take a pic of my muffin top!" You know what? That's a mini-muffin top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0xiP90BaZjXR5OWg9AzofwwUv7spVy7siej-4exJkEKbnHqVJPXZC8iYS0p4xtvM1eKcZCMQFh9iXKIaNU4L3PjLlXj6QWQCQIsMzM130vVAptp7AgJcq-EiM25jocWKUZXB5fSRSc0/s1600/IMG_1115.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Vanessa's goal is to zip the dress, button the pants, and tone up the post-baby looseness. We'll track her progress on the blog and keep you posted on her new-mom-friendly workouts. Goooooooooooooo Vanessa!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Sdx7wnmon3EkeMNjExMNWx5L6AlkHP11It9vE7IzJeO6Y55ajxRpp9IPTLIOs8Kc4ZXsoA4krBwfHDXIoc2G0PHYfDZ9NdgtvgfJzhUg2tN4JAP19wUthbXX_uCVL6xYoJcG40nZlBo/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-72995382298521181052012-02-15T07:21:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:21:15.706-08:00Running While Pregnant: Three More Tips4. <b>Calling it Quits</b>. When it comes to pregnant runners, some women, like my OB, pretty much jog into the hospital, time their contractions with a Garmin, and pop out a baby with some Adidas on their feet. Other women, like me, call it quits way before they deliver the baby. I made it to 30 weeks during my pregnancy with Maggie.<br />
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Moms-to-be hang up their shoes for all kinds of reasons (pants peeing, straight up tiredness, aches and pains, can no longer wiggle into spandex, etc), and any of those reasons are fine. <b>If you feel like stopping, stop</b>. Pregnancy is unpredictable, so telling yourself, "I'll run until I'm 37 weeks!" when you're 6 along weeks is totally unfair to you. Play it by ear. You're not running against anyone else.<br />
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I stopped for 2 reasons. First, I was getting ginormously huge and my shorts were turning into something like a strange scene out of a niche-porn movie. And second, I had a wicked case of<a href="http://pregnancy.about.com/od/symptomsofpregnancy/a/pubicbonepain.htm" target="_blank"> public symphisis diastisis</a> that honestly left me feeling like I was stabbed after every run. Not worth it in my book.<br />
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5. <b>Avoid Injuries</b>. When you're running pregnant, you're a lot more susceptible to sprain and strain injuries. The extra relaxin pumping through your body loosens up the ligaments and leaves you a lot more likely to mess up a joint.<b> Be sure you really watch your footing, run on even surfaces (like well maintained roads, or the treadmill), and avoid gnarly trails all together</b>.<br />
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6. <b>Be Safe</b>. As a pregnant runner, always always <i>always </i>carry a cell phone. I don't care if you're running half a mile out and half a mile back, carry your cell phone. <b>If you're running, have a cell phone on you</b>. Oh, and make sure you carry your cell phone. You never know when you might tweak a joint, or feel a little light headed, or just want to go to McDonalds for one of those hot fudge sundaes<i> immediately</i>. You'll definitely need a cell phone to address any of those situations. So carry your cell phone.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-63327975273786273712012-02-14T11:53:00.000-08:002012-02-14T11:53:38.912-08:00Running While Pregnant: Three TipsI have <a href="http://granolasdodallas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">another blog</a>. It's an old, trusty blog that I barely ever write on any more. I love that thing and I seriously hope to get back to it soon...or someday. But probably someday soon. It's like an old friend I <i>really</i> need to call.<br />
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Believe it or not, that good old friend still gets me a $25ish check every month from BlogHer. Not because I'm updating anything, but mostly because of this post:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://granolasdodallas.blogspot.com/2009/06/running-while-pregnant-truth-revealed.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Running While Pregnant: The Truth Revealed</span></a></div><br />
People seem to google into that post a lot--probably while they're looking for legitimate info on running while pregnant. Clearly, there's a shortage of good information on this topic they're trying to squeeze any amount of info out of <i>that</i> post.<br />
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So today, now that I'm all certified as a coach and a trainer*, I've decided to try to put something a little more useful out there. Over the next few days, I'm giving you Ten Tips for Running While Pregnant. Today, we'll start with the first three:<br />
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1. <b>Heart Rate.</b> If you've looked into this topic at all, then you know the magic number. It's 140. The rule is, don't let your heart rate go above 140 beats per minute when you're doing any kind of knocked-up exercising. I don't disagree with this, but I don't know a whole lot of pregnant women are a) wearing heart rate monitors, or b) stopping to count their heart rate. <br />
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I mean seriously, not stopping to pee or eat a donut or cry at the beauty of a baby bird while you're running pregnant is quite enough to handle. How are you supposed to count your heart rate, too?<br />
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While we all know that counting your heart rate is best, there's a second-best option for monitoring your exertion--and it's pretty good. <b>If you're running while pregnant, you should run at a conversational pace. In other words, you should be able to hold a conversation without much huffing and puffing for the course of your entire run</b>.<br />
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If you run with a friend, great! Chat her ear off to keep tabs on how hard you're pushing it. If you're running solo, sing the alphabet every half-mile or so. You should be able to sing it without gasping for air. If you can't sing or hold a conversation, slow down and rest until you can. Pregnancy is not the time for speed work or tempo runs--pregnancy is the time to keep your body fit and try not to gain 900 pounds. Got it?<br />
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2. <b>Maintenance</b>. Speaking of that, pregnancy isn't the time to try a new fitness regime. If you're not a runner, don't start now. If you're not a cyclist, don't start now. And if you're not already an Olympic level gymnast, now's not the time to follow that dream. Now's the time to grow a baby.<br />
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If you're already a runner, great! But remember, this applies to you, too. This isn't the time to reduce body fat, or run a faster mile, or try for your first half marathon. All you're trying to do is enjoy some exercise, keep your body fit, and not go crazy. <b>Tone your running down by a notch, and keep toning it down every month</b>.<br />
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3. <b>A Plan</b>. And since we're on the topic of toning it down, women usually want to know exactly what I mean by toning it down. Toning it down is different for everyone, but one thing I like to suggest for moms who can already run a 5k, is to take the <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml" target="_blank">Couch to 5k</a> plan and run it in reverse order.<br />
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Start with week 9, and as your pregnancy progresses, work backwards week by week. You don't have to follow the schedule exactly, but drop back a week when you feel like your current workout is getting to be too much.<br />
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With Maggie, I ran week 9 for the first 15ish weeks. Then I started dropping it back until I hung up the shoes at week 30. And speaking of hanging up the shoes....<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">(to be continued)</div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Remember, I'm just a coach and trainer--NOT a doctor. Any exercise you do while you're pregnant, and anything you read on this blog about running pregnant, should be discussed with your doctor or midwife.</span>Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-70037651347071594492012-02-05T18:44:00.000-08:002012-02-05T19:01:15.594-08:00Stop the MadnessWhen it comes to coaching, I'm all about moderation. When it come to my own running, I'm not so good.<br />
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Tonight I popped a caffeine pill, walked away from the Super Bowl, and got on my treadmill with a Coke in my hand. No, seriously, a Coca Cola Classic. On the treadmill. And I flipped on that Sarah Jessica Parker movie about haggard working mothers.<br />
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Come on now, who does that?<br />
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You know who does that? Me. An overextended mom, wife, employee, and business owner who's training for a marathon.<br />
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If I was outside my life looking in, I'd be all, "Ummm, cool it? Because that's too much? And you might have a nervous breakdown?"<br />
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So guess what? I'm cooling it. Before tonight, I had 2 running goals for 2012: set a PR in the marathon (my PR is from 2007), and place in the top 3 in the Mountain Epic (I won last year). Running-wise, both make total and complete sense. But you know what? I'm not in the mood for marathon number 6.<br />
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I think I could do it, and I actually think I could do it well (I've been doing every-other-week 11-13 mile training runs at my target marathon pace), but I think my head could potentially explode from so many big things happening at the same time.<br />
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So here's how it's going down instead: <br />
<ul><li>Between momming, wifeing, working, training, and running Kennebec Valley Coaching, something's on it's way out. And I can assure you that I'm not leaving my kids at the supermarket a la Punky Brewster's mother.</li>
<li>I'm running the Airport Challenge in Brunswick in April--a 1 mile race (my FAVORITE!), and a half marathon in the same morning. Blam, blam, so awesome. </li>
<li>Instead of the Sugarloaf Marathon, I'm running the Sugarloaf 15k. I haven't set a time goal yet. </li>
<li>Run a really good time at the 4th of July 5k. </li>
<li>And then I'll run every 5k I feel like running, and train my pants off for the Mountain Epic because holy nuts, I love that race.</li>
</ul>To me, that's a fun racing schedule. I can train hard, I can cross-train hard (because I love plyo as much as I love running), and I can do it all with a whole lot less mileage every week.<br />
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I came up with this plan at mile 3 of my long run tonight. James wandered downstairs in his football pajamas and said, "Hey Mom, I can't sleep. Wanna watch the Super Bowl game with me?"<br />
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You bet I did.<br />
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Treadmill off. Decision made. Shorter races. Sanity restored. Major phew.<br />
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Go Patriots!Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-667363837776515852012-01-29T04:22:00.000-08:002012-01-29T04:22:03.721-08:00Some UpdatesThe floors in the studio were just refinished, and I can't even begin to believe how great they look. They were absolutely beyond trashed, and in my heart, I thought there was no saving them. In my head, I was figuring out how to justify the fact that my kids' rooms have faux-wood linoleum from 1964, but I was scrounging up the cash to put brand new floors in another person's building. Crisis averted, they look like a jillion bucks.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalbprvqkCISKjBG_N1t6vGafW0hlSwNA3YZ4g5FfzNEZQ1b2CsYlqTM3ub16Uedepzc1Qg6_1jWAYKF-ViC4l3pyVLqTJZ1QTfpWWTrq9OEwQhDUx_IXZLDWXkckXG4j-KYhHBv6vK5Q/s1600/IMG_1062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalbprvqkCISKjBG_N1t6vGafW0hlSwNA3YZ4g5FfzNEZQ1b2CsYlqTM3ub16Uedepzc1Qg6_1jWAYKF-ViC4l3pyVLqTJZ1QTfpWWTrq9OEwQhDUx_IXZLDWXkckXG4j-KYhHBv6vK5Q/s320/IMG_1062.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimnvyUn1DhAUNTgWqulfYnWVaKyojUfEL31t63Ic_UHaWS9sZgV3f1CqqlMm9NEpYDwcHRea8aVMZJjsCqVe_V3RdWgbKkRCmenMs-4q2pEOK5cVhNOOWzIzwEGwzc2Iwjk6JSrPbUF8/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimnvyUn1DhAUNTgWqulfYnWVaKyojUfEL31t63Ic_UHaWS9sZgV3f1CqqlMm9NEpYDwcHRea8aVMZJjsCqVe_V3RdWgbKkRCmenMs-4q2pEOK5cVhNOOWzIzwEGwzc2Iwjk6JSrPbUF8/s320/IMG_1065.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Mike was the magician who made this happen. Thanks, Mike. I know I barely know you, but rest assured, I love you passionately.<br />
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But wow, that floor refinishing sure didn't mush up well with a busy (and icy) Saturday morning. I ended up combining the Winter Warriors Running Group with The Fifty Pound Club all in Jared's overloaded office. Oh holy night, it was a zoo. I can see posts on facebook and Daily Mile that people had a good workout. Always a huge, giant <i>phew</i> on my end. <br />
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This week I'm planning on starting two new blog series (or maybe they'll each be single posts, we'll see...).. One will be a series about winter running and one will be a series about my experience of running pregnant under the care of an OB who also ran pregnant. I'm not pregnant, but maybe someone is.<br />
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Oh, and we have prizes for our <a href="http://runmuffin.blogspot.com/2012/01/newest-online-fitness-challenge.html" target="_blank">February Facebook Challenge</a>! They're these cute insulated lunch bags that my friend <a href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/AmyLane/" target="_blank">Amy Lane</a> sells. The idea is that once you win the challenge, you'll want to bring a healthy lunch to work with you and skip the drive-thru all together. Aren't they sweet? I probably bought one for myself, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvopVyO0OkzFZcL0mFMoSYqXwWhg4bZUwu8IL7Yz2aCSmKdPmWYTkZ7o4idYgIZD6l6LR76DEd3d3qa-hguj9mKW1mrCV6bPmhW0rx0d93VYWoGnMhPM-FNKAPpLkIJwAwJDhngqQ4tQ/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvopVyO0OkzFZcL0mFMoSYqXwWhg4bZUwu8IL7Yz2aCSmKdPmWYTkZ7o4idYgIZD6l6LR76DEd3d3qa-hguj9mKW1mrCV6bPmhW0rx0d93VYWoGnMhPM-FNKAPpLkIJwAwJDhngqQ4tQ/s320/IMG_1067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I hope you all have a happy, restful Sunday. I have a long date with my treadmill and a trashy movie tonight. Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-66763703190678651612012-01-25T05:27:00.000-08:002012-01-25T05:27:53.580-08:00The Newest Online Fitness ChallengeIf you're on facebook, and you're looking for a little bit of motivation to improve your diet and exercise situations, check this out:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQutvQfrsUwWdyNSIFDUMbkWrY0FCm6yOaexW_iifbFDAyYxyos_N7USpJWYR-yvwFf4rSOlQqDPnRXloH6u6_wLvHDmJPaO0CttGcZehMJV1Je-GzO7vB89_UXLolqz4ZDA_bB0_zyg/s1600/Chocolate+Challenge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQutvQfrsUwWdyNSIFDUMbkWrY0FCm6yOaexW_iifbFDAyYxyos_N7USpJWYR-yvwFf4rSOlQqDPnRXloH6u6_wLvHDmJPaO0CttGcZehMJV1Je-GzO7vB89_UXLolqz4ZDA_bB0_zyg/s320/Chocolate+Challenge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It's $15, and <a href="http://www.active.com/fitness-training-program/augusta-me/the-chocolate-is-not-a-food-group-super-challenge-2012" target="_blank">you can register here</a>.<br />
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There are 2 different parts to the challenge. You can try for 1, or try for both.<br />
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The 1st option is the diet option. We're shooting to follow the 90/10 rule of eating. 90% pure, unprocessed, single ingredient foods (obviously you can cook and mix single ingredient foods together). And 10% whatever you want.<br />
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The 2nd option is the exercise option. We're aiming for 20 minutes a day, every day in February.<br />
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Everyone will set a motivator to help get them through the month. Maybe buy a cute, new dress that's a leeetle bit tight. Schedule a boudoir photo shoot for yourself. Buy a new belt to keep you motivated. Shoot to run a 5k race. You get the idea.<br />
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At the end, we'll pick a winner from each category.<br />
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The last challenge was super fun. One winner ran over 150 miles between Thanksgiving and January, and the other winner lost 9 pounds.<br />
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That could be you! And all it takes is a little online fitness challenge...Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-71847428332703129982012-01-24T15:42:00.000-08:002012-01-24T15:42:19.823-08:00Progress Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DYgmUzaaLUyZHCvvbKOcbQ2ymn9mJHpKWCeyLu1XtbKV3fYHZjsZ6x3TCQUlCBCHTGPwIqIufpyIJpwpOTTfOkSWzPYnAv3qOMpGd9RB-yIUhyphenhyphentDS9XeVhZhEcHA9aUqmwxkfTaBJIw/s1600/IMG_1051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DYgmUzaaLUyZHCvvbKOcbQ2ymn9mJHpKWCeyLu1XtbKV3fYHZjsZ6x3TCQUlCBCHTGPwIqIufpyIJpwpOTTfOkSWzPYnAv3qOMpGd9RB-yIUhyphenhyphentDS9XeVhZhEcHA9aUqmwxkfTaBJIw/s320/IMG_1051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Today I counted. We've still got about 95 little projects to do before we can call it a wrap (painting trim, outlet covers, organization, you get it), but she's coming along!<br />
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Plus, I hired on 2 new teachers today. I'm so grateful that it's no longer a solo show. Check the <a href="http://www.kennebecvalleycoaching.com/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">site</a> for some details on Alicia and Michelle. They're fab.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-30203351810709622962012-01-15T16:58:00.000-08:002012-01-15T16:59:44.301-08:00Check 'Er Out!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I wish you could see the giant chalkboard in this picture. It's a gem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxZ6pXFXOanD3uOyYbKM8EWN5TTvFy8sGXTw1W9-O-6X2y1KiB-UK93KwrxGT0fwWz3YemDM07v7iUruZ9iqj-VP7xHErTbgvqiCfk5L_CQpk7hm7K7jpcUPr0ChJQ6XYogJHOZCZq4/s1600/Space+in+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxZ6pXFXOanD3uOyYbKM8EWN5TTvFy8sGXTw1W9-O-6X2y1KiB-UK93KwrxGT0fwWz3YemDM07v7iUruZ9iqj-VP7xHErTbgvqiCfk5L_CQpk7hm7K7jpcUPr0ChJQ6XYogJHOZCZq4/s640/Space+in+Progress.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Thanks to some seriously generous Kennebec Valley Coachers, the training studio is totally coming along! I cannot freaking wait for it to be all finished.<br />
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Phew!Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214020091247532956.post-17107141885229081832012-01-13T04:20:00.000-08:002012-01-13T04:20:36.772-08:00Today I'll RunI'm a girl who likes to have a lot of things going on at once.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Why put the baby in daycare when I can bring her to work with me?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I'll just nurse the baby before the marathon and right after. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Why take 15 credits when I can take 21?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He's 5 weeks old, it's time to go back to grad school.</i></div><br />
True story. All of 'em.<br />
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I thrive when I'm busy--it's usually when I excel. So I've never quite gotten it when I've heard people say things like, "I need a few more hours in the day," and "I'm too busy to exercise."<br />
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But guess what.<i> I </i>need more hours in the day, and this week my training's been non-existant. I'm 18 weeks out from a marathon...this is when the training usually ramps up...and I'm too busy to run. Between Kennebec Valley Coaching taking a huge leap in business, renovating the new fitness studio, my kids and my day job, I'm wiped.<br />
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But I feel like running, because I love it.<br />
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So guys, when you come to the first boot camp class on Wednesday and the floor's not perfectly refinished, and the trim's still unpainted, I hope you understand. It's because I've been running.<br />
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The good news is, you can do squats no matter what color the walls are.Amy Lawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05411353971012896671noreply@blogger.com1