Fitness Archives - Page 3 of 8

Apr 25, 2014

Running Thru Disneyland & What I Learned Along the Way

April 25, 2014 By Christina

One of the experiences I was most excited about when going to Disneyland for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was the two mile Fun Run being planned for some of the conference attendees by the RunDisney team. I had already been trying to get back into running, but seeing the opportunity to run through Disneyland and California Adventures gave me a renewed motivation to train harder.

Of course, this would happen to be the coldest, harshest winter we’ve had in a long time, meaning that the majority of my training was done indoors on my treadmill. I started back at week 1, day 1 for a couch-to-5K training program, finding even the first week difficult. I’d later realize that starting a running program when you have a bad cold, which then turns into sinus and ear infections, makes the path a little more rocky, but hey, I had a deadline to meet, as well as a time: they wanted us to average a 13 minute mile.

In the week before I left, I started to worry that I wasn’t ready. I had yet to get beyond week 3 of the training program, unable to run longer than three minutes without a break, and I couldn’t get my time to anywhere under a 14 minute mile. The weather had FINALLY turned nicer, though, and I decided to switch my running to the outdoors. I also ditched the couch-to-5K program and decided that I’d run until I just started to feel out of breath, then walk for a minute or two, then run again. The combination of finally running outdoors with more than the wall in front of me and running without a timed schedule worked: on my last run before I left for the conference, my two mile time was 25:42, just barely under 13 minutes per mile!

At registration in Anaheim, those of us who were running were asked to go to the end of the hallway, where we were fitted with new shoes, courtesy of New Balance, one of the sponsors. Their team of fit experts made me feel like Cinderella, only instead of a glass slipper they found the perfect running shoe for my foot. I also stopped to admire the limited edition Disney-themed running shoes they had on display. It’s only natural that Cinderella was one of the character-inspired designs.

Photo credit: Josh Hallett @hyku

With new shoes for my feet (thank you, New Balance!), I then visited the runDisney/ESPN table to talk a little more about the runDisney events. I had originally thought they only did marathons and half marathons, but learned last year that there are 5K and 10K events that often go with each of the larger events. (Kids races, too.) Each event looks like so much fun!

The run wasn’t until Sunday morning, which meant I had three days to wear out my feet with all of the walking around Disneyland. Luckily, I had spent a week walking around Walt Disney World not even two weeks prior, so my feet handled the stress without any problem. I was smart and stuck to sensible shoes, too.

We had to be up SUPER early on Sunday morning. Check-in was at 5:30am. I wondered how many people would show up in costume, or show up at all, at that early time. Part of my motivation was wearing something fun and Disney-themed to run in. I dressed as Anna from Frozen, with a little help from my soon-to-be favorite running skirts, SparkleSkirts:

And I found Olaf!

After a pep talk and warm ups, we all gathered at the starting line. They split us into two groups: the runners, and those who would follow a 30 second run/walk pattern. I could run longer than 30 seconds, but knew I couldn’t run all the way without a walk break. So I positioned myself somewhere in the middle, between the two groups. I’d try to stay with the runners as best I could.

I was starting my running music…the Frozen soundtrack, of course

It was amazing to run through the parks! For someone who loves Disney, having the chance to run down Main Street towards the castle, with the street quiet and empty, is simply surreal. As I ran (and walked), I kept thinking, “Is this really happening? Am I actually here, running through the castle, past the statue of Walt and Mickey?”

a sideways shot running out of the castle

Disneyland itself was fairly quiet, but once we left the gates and crossed the lot into California Adventure, we were presented with a different atmosphere. More cast members were on hand, directing us which way to go and cheering us on. You could feel the energy in their smiles. I was tiring out by this point, taking more walk breaks, but it was their enthusiasm that kept me going.

After running around the Paradise Pier area, we made the final turn into Carsland. I could see the balloon arch for the Finish line up ahead, along with the families and the runners who had already finished. I was already breathing hard with a pain in my side, but nearing that crowd made me launch myself into a sprint for the finish. I made it!

Photo credit: Josh Hallett – @hyku

I was tired at the end, but I also felt exhilaration for what I had just done. Two miles isn’t a lot to many people, but two miles in under 26 minutes was a great accomplishment for me. And there are few experiences that compare to running through the Disney parks in the quiet of the morning!

Lightning McQueen is holding me up at this point.

Reflecting on the experience, I picked up a few valuable lessons from this run:

1. “That’s what friends are for. They help you to be more of who you are.” Christopher Robin’s words reinforce the idea that a good community is invaluable. Some of the runners had formed a Facebook group to encourage and support each other as we trained for this event. Some were new to running, others experienced runners, and a lot fell in-between. Just when I felt like giving up before we even arrived, there were community members there to remind me that I could do it, I wanted to do it, and I wasn’t alone.

I wouldn’t have felt as prepared if it hadn’t been for the advice and encouragement I received from that group. It’s hard to do anything alone, but it’s so much easier when you have friends to remind you to keep going and not give up. It was wonderful to see each of them cross the finish line, too!

2. “Just keep swimming.” I’ve used Dory’s phrase many times since I first saw Finding Nemo, in many different situations. When you’re running, and your lungs are burning as you huff and puff for air, the finish line can seem awfully far away. I remember coming around a corner and seeing Paradise Pier, and then realizing I still had to run alllllll the way around it. But I wasn’t going to quit, right? No way! I had to keep going, reminding myself that I could get through it if I just kept swimming, swimming, just keep swimming…

3. “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Mary Poppins was right – find the fun in any task, and it’s far easier to accomplish. Why did I put together a running costume? Because when you’re running through Disney, it feels more fun to run as a character! For that time, I was Anna, running through the magical world of Disney with the Frozen soundtrack in my head. Running is hard, but that two miles was probably the most fun I’ve ever had while running, which only makes me want to do it again.

This was a big revelation for me: if I want to find more success with running (and anything else in life), I have to find ways to make it more fun for me.

4. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney’s quote is popular for a reason: there’s some solid truth in there. If you told me ten years ago that I could run two miles, I’d have laughed until I cried. I’ve always admired runners, but I was never a runner. Well, now I’m willing to challenge that idea. I want to be a runner, and I’m willing to pursue it. I feel that, with the right motivation, I can keep training and push myself further. I can apply this philosophy to anything I want to pursue in life as well.

It was a magical experience, and I’m so glad I decided to do it and didn’t give up.

Neither Aaron or I have done a runDisney event yet (other than this unofficial one for me), but the announcement of the new Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon at Disneyland was enough inspiration for Aaron – he’s vowed that he will run in that event for his 40th birthday in three years. I’d be happy just to train for and run in the Princess 10K at Walt Disney World – a half-marathon seems far too out of reach for me, but if it’s a runDisney event to motivate me, I think I could be ready to attempt my first-ever 10K by next year.

Photo credit: Josh Hallett – @hyku

Disclosure: Thank you to runDisney and New Balance for sponsoring the Fun Run and our breakfast afterward!

Filed Under: Disney, running

Mar 3, 2014

Keeping Myself Moving

March 3, 2014 By Christina

Since the start of 2014, I’ve been making an effort to exercise more again. I was a bit delayed with that goal due to my shoulder injury, but now that physical therapy has started, there’s no excuse not to get moving.

Last week was my first meeting with the physical therapist. Since having the cortisone shot in my shoulder, I’m not feeling any pain in the shoulder, which is great, but it’s still stiff. She had me try some basic movements and concluded that it doesn’t have nearly the same range of motion as the right shoulder, and is significantly weaker now. So I’ll be going to PT twice a week until my shoulder is stronger and more flexible. I’m hoping the cortisone shot won’t wear off during this time, since exercising pain-free is much better than the alternative.

The first session wasn’t too bad. She had me show her the exercises she asked me to practice at home. It’s funny how something as simple as a shoulder shrug can be difficult when asked to do it thirty times with a weak shoulder. I found myself laughing from the frustration of struggling through what should be easy movements – laughing only so I didn’t show how much it bothered me. I’m not used to having a part of me not working properly. I can already tell I’m going to be unbearable as I grow older.

One positive to come out of physical therapy is that it’s a mandatory upper body workout twice a week, so I can’t complain about that. I tend to not pay enough attention to my upper body when I exercise, so maybe this will start a new habit to spend more time on those muscle groups?

But I have also started running again, too. Back in January it began as walking on the treadmill. (Most of January was covered in snow here, so the treadmill was the safest option unless I wanted to actually ice skate.) While I was only walking in January and still getting out of breath, I gradually got used to it and started the Couch-to-5K program again.

I’ll be honest: it took two weeks to successfully get through week 1. I can partially blame the awful head cold that Mira passed along to me, but the other part was purely being out of practice. The legs were willing, but the lungs were not. It was disappointing to struggle through the most basic week of the program, unable to run all of the eight 1-minute run periods, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

It did get better, though, and on the second try I completed week 1 without any added walking breaks. I’m now on week 3, and I can assure you it’s not getting any easier. I’m up to running three minutes at a time, and I’m remembering how three minutes can feel like FOREVER when running.

I’m going to get through it, though. There are moments when I’m running and feel like I’m in a comfortable spot and suddenly all is right with the world. I can’t make those moments longer without pushing harder beyond them first. Now that spring is almost here (right, March? RIGHT?) I’ll be able to run outside again, too, and the change of scenery might help the training go faster.

And it is training. Because I’ve signed up to do a two mile runDisney Fun Run when I go to the Disney Social Media Moms conference in April. Not only will I be running, but I’ll be doing it in costume. I don’t want to be the one who collapses on the run, or comes in last, or just looks like she might pass out at any moment.

Hey runners – what do you do on the days when you don’t run? Do you do strength training? Another form of cardio? I’m curious what else I should be doing to make running easier for me.

Filed Under: Fitness, me me me

Jan 27, 2014

Time To Get Moving and #GetMotivated

January 27, 2014 By Christina

Thank you to Best Buy for sponsoring today’s post.

This is usually the time of year where I decide I’ve had my fill of the holiday desserts and slacking off on exercise and rededicate myself to healthy living again. I do this every year. Some people have New Year’s Resolutions. For me, I call the period between Halloween and early January my “hibernation” period, when I stop calorie counting and just enjoy the holiday treats, and then get back on track in January.

I usually gain a few pounds over the holidays, but it’s rarely more than five, and I consider that time off a sanity check for myself. I want to take care of myself, but a free period where I can loosen the rules makes keeping on track the rest of the year much easier.

But this year, it’s a little harder for me. First, it’s been cold. I haven’t wanted to switch into workout clothing when it’s chilly downstairs each morning. Staying in warm, fuzzy layers is far more comfortable. And when it’s this cold, I have the urge to eat, especially warm foods.

It’s also been hard due to my shoulder injury. Normally I’d pull out a Jillian Michaels workout or Bar Method DVD, but the limited motion and pain in my left shoulder means no full-body workouts for now.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Sponsored-AF

Apr 18, 2013

My Goal To Be Healthier: Week 1 Results

April 18, 2013 By Christina

At the beginning of the month, I declared that I needed to clean up my diet. I spent most of spring break finishing out as much of the junk food we had in the house. Those Thin Mints were soooooo good. And then on April 7, I said goodbye to my Coke Zero and chocolates (with an especially emotional parting from my Nutella), farewell to bread and snack crackers, and plunged headfirst into eating as clean as possible for the next week or two.

Clean eating, for me, means no soda, no artificial sweeteners, limited sugar, and limited processed foods. Lots of fruit and vegetables, nuts, lean meats and eggs, beans, and smaller amounts of rice and dairy. Along with water to drink, I’m also having one coffee or tea each day. It’s not exactly Paleo, but it seemed like a good idea to help me detox from the foods I’m most addicted to.

So how’s it going so far? I’ve made it a week and half now without any soda, sweets, or heavily processed foods. The most processed thing I’ve eaten so far was the tortilla strips on a McDonald’s salad.

My feelings over the past week and a half have swung back and forth. The first seven days went a little something like this:

Day 1: Hahaha, this is fun! We’re going to be healthy! We’ve got this covered!

Day 2: What the hell do I eat for breakfast? Or lunch for that matter?

Day 3: It’s 8pm, I really, really, really, really, really want something sweet to snack on. An apple, while sweet, does not sound exciting.

Day 4: I fought off the chocolate cravings yesterday! Go me! I’ll celebrate by…baking some eggs.

Day 5: If I have to eat another salad…wait, Chipotle is mostly real food, right?

Day 6: Uh-oh, we’re out of dried fruit and nut mix. Everybody panic! Costco run, stat!

Day 7: I’m barely sleeping at night, and yet I’m feeling OK during the day. That’s odd. Hey, pass the almonds, would ya?

There’s no way I can tell you that it’s been a breeze. If you don’t like to cook from scratch, it can be difficult to find enough food to eat on this plan. We’ve had dinners of grilled chicken and veggies, chicken tikka masala with rice, and grass-fed organic steak one lucky night. Hard boiled eggs (baked, actually – the Pinterest idea really works!) and nuts have been good protein for lunches. Fresh and dried fruit help curb my sweets cravings. Carrots with hummus is a great snack.

These? Are awesome.

But I am getting a little tired of the same foods mixed up and rearranged over and over. And it’s not cheap, either. We buy a lot of our food from Costco, which does help in price, but our food bill has increased over the past week. Nuts are expensive. I’m looking forward to summer when we can count on farmer’s markets for local fruits and veggies.

Overall, I have to admit that I’m feeling pretty good. It’s easier to wake up in the morning, even when I stay up late working. I’m not feeling the wild energy swings throughout the day. (I do still feel the mid-afternoon slump, which is usually when I reach for the coffee or tea.)

At first I was worried that eating calorie-dense, higher-fat foods would result in gaining weight. Instead, I’m finding my hunger isn’t as strong as it used to be. I don’t even feel like eating large meals now – I prefer to graze throughout the day.

Best of all? I’m down two pounds, and more importantly, my belly looks slimmer.

I’m really proud of myself for sticking to this so far. Yes, it’s been only a week and a half, but that can feel like a long time when it comes to food. I’d like to keep to this strict level of eating clean for at least another week, then gradually expand my diet again, still trying to keep limits on the sugar and processed junk.

Next up is to get back to working out regularly. Yesterday I laced up my new running shoes and broke them in for a 30 minute run/walk (mostly walk, really). I wasn’t excited to work out, and I felt like my heart was going to break out of my chest and run away afterward, but I did it. My dayglo shoes probably played a part to get me moving:

Blinded by the light!

I’m hoping this will all become habit so we can be a healthier family. Aaron is eating the same foods with me, and is far ahead of me in getting back into running. And our ultimate success of the week: Cordy and Mira will both eat grilled chicken and broccoli now.

Anyone else trying to make any healthy changes right now? Please share how it’s going for you, or what you’re planning to do!

Filed Under: Fitness, food, healthy living, running, Uncategorized

Aug 21, 2012

Celebrating With A Run (& A Giveaway!)

August 21, 2012 By Christina

Since walking the runway in the BlogHer fashion show, I’ve been feeling pretty good about myself. I did gain a little bit of weight back while in NYC, but most of it was water weight and returning to the Slim-Fast plan helped it disappear just as fast.

Last week my family had the chance to take a mini-vacation, and so we spent two days at Lake Erie, with one day at Cedar Point and the other at Put-in-Bay. During that time I ate freely and enjoyed all of the fun of carnival food and fine island seafood. And yes, I even wore a bathing suit at one point! It felt great to walk around in a (non-skirted) bathing suit without feeling the need to keep a towel wrapped around me.

On Saturday we were home again (and exhausted!) and my eating habits dropped into lazy teenager: fast food and sweets. I knew it was going to be temporary, though, and by Sunday morning I was ready to jump right back into the Slim-Fast plan again. It’s really true: eating excessive amounts of junk after eating well for a long period of time does make you feel awful.

Sunday was also the day Aaron and I had signed up for the Color Me Rad 5K. If you’ve never done one of these 5K races, allow me to explain. This is a “fun run” and while everyone gets a race bib, it’s not timed and there are no prizes for coming in first. You start the run in a plain white t-shirt, and along the way you get color bombed. There are color stations set up along the route, where volunteers throw brightly dyed cornstarch at you. By the end of the run, you look like you were hit by a rainbow tornado!

It’s been months since I trained for a 5K, but I was still excited to do this run. I knew that I wasn’t going to run the entire distance, but I also knew I was going to try my hardest. This was also the lowest weight I’ve ever been at to run a race, so I expected the pride of my accomplishment to carry me through to the end.

I started the morning off with a Slim-Fast Chocolate Royale to fuel up before the race. It was just enough to give me plenty of energy without sitting heavy in my stomach. As we ran, I thought of how far I’ve come, and how much harder this would have been when I weighed 245 lbs.

Reaching each color station, I laughed and threw my arms in the air as volunteers tossed colored powder on me and I ran through the brightly dyed clouds, knowing there was a time when I may not have even reached those points in the race.

I’m on the left wearing black capris in the front line

And at the end, I was a sweaty mess. A brightly colored, sweaty mess. It was totally worth it.

Did I run the whole thing? Nope. Did I run more than I walked? Yes. Am I proud that I did it? Absolutely. It was another reminder of how far I’ve come, and how even as I hover at my goal weight I can’t stop the fight. One or two days of unrestrained eating probably won’t do a lot of harm, but I have to always be careful that those one or two days don’t become four or five days or more.

I’m sticking with Slim-Fast for now because it’s a tasty way to remind me about portion control and keep my calories in check. The shakes and meal bars are filling, high in protein, and there are SO many different flavors to keep you happy!

Even maintaining a certain weight takes work, and Slim-Fast can help me with that, too. Once I decide I’m done with losing weight, I’ll likely continue to have a Slim-Fast shake in the morning (because it’s an easy breakfast when I’m frantically getting the kids ready and out the door) and then rely on the Slim-Fast snack bars for the occasional on-the-go snack. Having filling, lower-calorie options available to me in the fridge and in my purse will be the best defense against weight creeping back on.

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Disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Slim-Fast® Summer Slim-Down Challenge. Visit www.facebook.com/slimfast to join the conversation.

Filed Under: photographic evidence, running, success Tagged With: contests, slim-fast