Yesterday, I pushed myself and ran 14.5 miles. I have mentally been ready for this run but I was nervous of how I would hold up physically. The 2 previous long runs were just over 11 miles and by mile 6 my knees were killing me. By the end of those runs, I felt like I wasn't even picking my feet up off of the ground. Mentally, I felt like I could run forever. I wasn't tired at all but my knees were really holding me up.
So I was avoiding adding additional miles for fear that I couldn't do it or that it would just be too painful. I have cut my weights back a little bit at the gym, began stretching, and doing PIYO in hopes to stretch  and relax my quads and calves. Saturday morning, while I was running I just committed to it and decided I was doing the long run.
I have learned to count and depend on friends during this training. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be able to take all the time needed to train. I mapped my run out and ran to my friends house who kept my kids overnight. It was great motivation to run there to meet back up with the kids and I was really appreciative of the kids being taken so I could get a super early start.
Overall my run was great! The first 5 miles were very quiet and at a good pace a little under 10 minutes. After mile 5, I started running against a huge bike race. I ran against them for the remainder of my run. It actually kept me distracted but also made me wish I was on a bike. I kept waiting for my knees to start hurting. I got to two hours and and they still felt great! This was very encouraging to me and gave me the boost I needed. At 2 hours and five minutes, I ran by a grocery store and could smell donuts. That made me really hungry. It was also about this point that my left knee started to hurt just a tad and I also felt a bubble on my toes. I knew I was almost down though so I continued to run and felt good. The highlight of my run was at 2 hours and 1 5minutes when I ran by a yard that had it sprinklers on and I ran through them. That just made me feel amazing! And then the end was in sight. Another highlight was seeing 5 smiling faces when I finished and having a great friend feed me juice, eggs, and a smoothie! This run gave me the boost that I needed to continue on with this training. I had a great amount of energy on the entire run too. I was starting to feel a little glum about it and also doubt my decision to do it. I think I am ok now and I look forward to the next one!

How to get the whole family on board with eating healthy and being active

Many people take on the fitness and healthy eating journey solo. We set individual goals and exercise to reach them. We also "diet" or change our eating habits as individuals too. Sometimes it is easier to do it as an individual. But when you think about what your goals are, what you why is, and why the change is necessary, usually the whole family will benefit and should be making the changes with you. There may be some opposition at first but with time it is easy to gradually make changes for the whole family. The significant other will be harder than the kids!

Ways to add more activity for the whole family
-go for family bike rides
-walk after dinner
-Play at the park
-Go to the local school track and race each other, run the stairs, do a family relay
- Go on weekly hikes-keep track of where you hike and mark them on a map
-have a water gun.balloon fight
-play tag or hide and seek
-play just dance
-have a dance party
-log activities and keep track- add up points in basketball over the course of a month and have a family champion. Do the same with baseball, soccer, or football
-go on scavenger hunts in the neighborhood
-sign up for a family fun run
-do season specific activities- sled, swim, rake, build a snowman-do it together

Ways to get your family to eat healthier
-include them in the shopping and cooking
-research and compare healthy alternatives
-change slowly-add or take away one thing at a time
-be creative-don't be afraid to play around and tweak recipes
-eat lots of colors
-stop buying the junk-when it's not around, they can't eat it
-bake from scratch instead of mixes- only use half the sugar. nobody will ever tell the difference
-avoid fast food
-eat meals together as a family and keep a consistent meal schedule
-have themes- make your own pizza night, mexican night, breakfast for dinner
-if you won't eat it, don't feed it to your family
-if you are cutting things out, cut it out for your family

FittKidz: Why do I exercise?

FittKidz: Why do I exercise?: Today I was reading an article that interviewed top trainers across the country. The trainers were asked to tell what they wished they knew ...

Why do I exercise?

Today I was reading an article that interviewed top trainers across the country. The trainers were asked to tell what they wished they knew before their first workout. The first thing was defining a why. Why do you want to work out? I think this is a great starting point for anyone. It will help with setting goals and also will determine the type of commitment that you will need to make.
 I have been working out regularly for exactly 3 years now. My why has changed quite a bit since the first time I decided to go to the gym. My original why was to just build a little bit of muscle and tone because I had gotten really skinny after my first two pregnancies and I didn't want the same to happen again. And also so my husband would leave me alone. He always urged me to go to the gym with him.  I would regularly work out a couple of times a week. After about a year of doing this, I realized how much I enjoyed the time I was giving myself. Having three kids and working full time doesn't leave much me time available but this was a way to get it and I was feeling great about myself. After that first year, my why changed. I felt like becoming a little bit competitive. I signed up for the Tough Mudder. This seemed like a very challenging race both physically and mentally. My working out changed to training. After the Tough Mudder, my why changed again. During the Tough Mudder, I had a very difficult time doing the monkey bars. I was determined to get more upper body strength to do the monkey bars. If my kids can do it, I should be able to do it.
This last year, my dedication and commitment to exercise took on an all time high. Instead of it being a hobby to get in shape it became more of a life style. People may look at me and think it is a little too much or wonder why I do what I do. There are so many reasons why! I exercise to spend uninterrupted time with myself. I do it to clear my head and think and plan. I do it to be the best I can be physically. I exercise so I can keep up with my kids.  I exercise to be a role model to my kids. I exercise to share a passion with my husband. I exercise because it makes me feel good and keeps me healthy. I exercise to challenge myself and push myself to my own limits.
Another question the trainers  asked is Why not? Why don't you exercise? We all have obstacles and things holding us back. What are those obstacles and how can we work around them? Time and money can be huge obstacles as well as a fear of how to start. Gyms can be intimidating. There are so many ways to get around these!
I would love to help you establish whys and get over your why nots! It has become my passion and I really want to share it and help others!

http://greatist.com/move/health-fitness-tips-experts

Recipe and Activity

This week we have been forced to slow down a bit. Ella- my busiest and most active broke her clavicle. This injury has had implications on the whole family because there are so many things we normally do that are difficult or impossible with one down with only one arm. We took on a less active role but kept ourselves just as busy. We have been playing a lot of games- Spot It is the family fav. We have spent time in the kitchen experimenting with different recipes and changing classic kid treats into healthy treats that are just as delicious. We have also spent time at the pool. Swimming can still be done with one arm and it is a great way to stay active. I think injuries can be a great excuse to become couch bound and I didn't want that to happen!
Our favorite recipe this week was our coconut water popsicles. They were super easy to make and refreshing. My kids aren't huge fans of coconut water but 2/3 liked the popsicles and we found a version that the third liked. The best part of all, I even let them eat them for dessert after breakfast!
Ingredients- cocnut water, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, popsicle molds or plastic cups with popsicle sticks
We made one batch by filling the popsicle molds 3/4 the way with cocnut water. we then added fresh thinly sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. We then froze them.
For another batch, we blended coconut water with frozen mango. We then filled the popsicle molds and froze them.
VitaCoco makes a kids cocnut water. They have  a fruit punch flavor that tastes just like fruit punch and my kids love it. I think it is better for them than juice. My third batch was made with just this. This is the kind that my pickiest eater enjoyed best of all.
Our activity this week was Spot It. We played this game many times. We have an animal version that the younger ones do better with. In between games, we moved like the animals to get some movement in. It almost made the game more fun!

The finished product

coconut water with fresh fruit

Add caption

MM- love/hate relationship

While running this morning I concluded that I have a love/hate relationship with it right now. During my runs, I think I hate it and question why in the world I am doing this-it takes so long and my body hurts and I have a million other things I am neglecting. Then I get lost in a thought, look up and take in the scenery, or come home to my family and feel completely refreshed and I think of how much I love running. Later on in the day as I am feeling tired and sore, again I question myself and my idea of running a marathon. As I try to plan my week around my husband's schedule, kids activities, and responsibilities, I find it nearly impossible to make time for my runs. But I always find a way to fit them in. I look forward to my runs and mentally feel so much better after I run. I feel guilt for devoting so much time to myself to train. But yet I feel like I am a better wife and mom doing this for myself.
What I have realized is that this is the most challenging thing I have encountered yet- both physically and mentally. To take it seriously, it takes a lot of time, beats the body up, and pushes you to the limit. My body has never been more tired. If I could do it all over again, I probably would sign up even though I question my thought process to begin with. That's what makes me think that this will all be worth it in the end.

My view on my run this morning

My Fitness Journey

I wanted to share my fitness journey so far and explain how I have gotten to the place I am at today. Some people think I am crazy and super strict to eat and exercise the way I do. Or wonder how in the world they can get to a point where you eat so clean and are dedicated to fitness. It is such a journey and it really comes along one step at a time. I haven't always been strict with my diet and used to do absolutely nothing at all physically.
As a child I was a quitter. My parents would put me in activities and I would quit them. I was very shy and felt like I was out of my comfort zone so I would quit. I didn't do any sports until I went to high school. I chose to run cross country and track because I thought I could run but lacked the coordination, foundation, and confidence to try any other sports out. I wasn't a good runner at all but I ran. I even remember always hanging in the back during PE to avoid being in the spotlight and having to work. Growing up, we ate out a lot and I had no boundaries when it came to food. I think I was an over eater when I was a kid and always enjoyed to eat. Diet coke was my drink of choice and I don't remember drinking much else than that.  I wasn't fat but had times when I was heavier than others.
In college, I ate anything and everything. I would leisurely workout if it was a social thing. It was a miracle  that  I made it through with just the freshman 15. My weight fluctuated back and forth.
At this point in my life I realized that I was never really confident in my own skin. I didn't know I could do anything about it and just thought I had to deal with it.
After college, I worked in NYC and justified walking from the train to the office as a workout. I lived on bagels and take out food. I put on some weight and still didn't really know what to do to control myself.
When I moved back to Florida, my best friend asked me to run a half marathon with her. I committed to it not really knowing what I was getting into. My then boyfriend now husband was very supportive of this. In fact, for my first birthday together he bought me running sneakers, a running watch, and clothes. Fitness was very important to him and was his career at that point. Diet and healthy eating still weren't important or a priority. I lived on fast food and chicken fingers. When I met my husband I was 160 pounds which was the heaviest I had even been. Baked goods were a staple in my diet. After running the half marathon, I was down to 130 pounds and I felt better than I had ever felt before and gained a bunch of confidence.
Shortly after I ran the half marathon, I found out I was pregnant. This gave me every excuse to relax and eat whatever I wanted. I gained 40 pounds during my pregnancy. After my first child, my weight just melted off of me. I still didn't have my diet under control and would leisurely run a couple of miles here and there but my weight dropped to 110. I loved it! At this point I think I gave up drinking soda but would still occasionally get it out. I remember eating bisquick biscuit daily for breakfast.
My second pregnancy was about the same. I gained 30 pounds, was a little more active but not much, ate a little bit better but not much. I again lost the weight quickly. It was at this point that I decided I needed to set a goal and do something physically. I committed to another half marathon. My diet got a bit better. My white flour changed to wheat flour and I was more aware of what I ate. I cut out high fructose corn syrup and soda. I was influenced socially.
By the time I got pregnant the third time, I was running through my pregnancy and eating the healthiest I had ever eaten. I began to cut out grains, started to read labels, ate more balanced, and ate organic. I gained the least amount with this pregnancy- 25 pounds.
After my third pregnancy, I had a harder time shedding the weight. It didn't just come off. I had to work for it. After many years of my husband convincing me to lift, I decided it was a good time. When my youngest was 6 months old, I started going to the gym a few times  a week. I would run for 20 minutes on the treadmill and lift a few circuits. I would do this maybe 3 times a week. After just a few weeks, I started to really enjoy it and crave it. Every couple of weeks, I would add  a little bit more. Because I was working so hard, I paid closer attention to what I put in my body and how it made me feel. At first I cut out wheat, then gluten, then most grains. I cut out sugar and used honey or agave, and then very limited sugar at all. I ate a lot more meat, fruit, veggies, and nuts. I ate healthier processed food and slowly got to a point of almost no processed food.
Here I am today, continuing to change, add, or delete to my diet and workout. I feel that I am the healthiest I have ever been and in the best physical shape of my life. However, I know that there are always things to do to better myself and challenge myself. It has been such a  process to get here. I did not wake up one day and decide to do it. It happened very gradually over the years. I know I am still not at a perfect place since there isn't a perfect place. I will continue to challenge myself and enjoy the journey.

Recipe and Family Activity

Last weekend we bought a bunch of wiffle balls. It has been our best investment yet this summer. We have been having a blast going in the back yard and having family wiffle ball games. This summer I am realizing more and more that it is the simple things that provide the most fun and encourage our kids to get moving. If you have a big enough space, you can use your backyard and switch  positions. Having 5 of us to play, we take turns as pitcher, catcher, hitter, and outfielder. If you don't have enough space, this can easily be brought to a park. As a kid, we used to play all the time and it was easy and fun. At times we have had only 3 of us play at a time and we rotate pitcher, catcher, hitter. Obviously, with this rotation, we can't run the bases in the correct manner so after the batter gets 3 hits they race around the bases as fast as they can. You can also play more of a home run derby style too. The kids have loved it and Morgan and I enjoy playing along!Tate is able to hit off a pitch but a tee can be used for the little ones too.
Today, I spent a bit of time in the kitchen experimenting. I made noodle-less lasagna and peanut butter/banana balls.
For the lasagna, I did a layer of sliced zucchini topped with spinach, a layer of ground buffalo and sweet Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, my own version of tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella on top. For the tomato sauce, I pout 5 tomatoes, basil, garlic, and a tad bit of olive oil in the vitamix. I can't wait to try it.
For dessert, I created frozen peanut butter/banana balls. I put 2 ripe bananas in the vitamix with these belgian no sugar dark chocolate bars that I found at costco. I blended them up. Then I mixed it with 2 cups of natural peanut butter. I rolled them into balls and froze them. I already snuck a try of these and they are delicious!

MM- Finding the balance and rhythm

I have come to the point in my training where I realize that something has to give. I have been strength training for a couple of years now and as much as I would like to continue to do it with my marathon training, I am starting to realize that I can't do both the way I am doing them. They are counterproductive. This is something I have known for awhile but I was trying to hold on to it as long as I could. My long run last week was incredibly slow for me and my legs were dead on it. I have been sore at the gym and finally strained a muscle this week while squatting. My short runs even started to slow down and became less enjoyable because my body was just tired and tight and sore.
I have decided that I am not going to give up lifting because I really enjoy it and love how my body has transformed. I like having muscles and definition.
My running obviously has to be the priority since I am training for something and I don't want to do it just to do it or get hurt during the process. I feel like I have a good grasp of the running training and will continue to run as I have. As far as lifting, I plan on doing much more body weight workouts and more reps with less weight at the gym. I need to check in and see how this approach works with my runs. I am hoping I can make it work by just cutting back and tweaking the weights. The last thing I want in this whole process is to get hurt!

Movement in the clasroom- Evovling Education

http://www.balancedandbarefoot.com/blog/the-real-reason-why-children-fidget

Last August, I took on a new adventure in the teaching world. I started teaching third grade. I happily embraced it not really knowing what it would be like. At the beginning of the school year, I questioned leaving the innocence of kindergarten many times. I was truly being challenged as an individual and professional. My timing seemed to go hand in hand with the educational shift towards more rigorous academics. The demands had been raised for the students and the teachers. Some I agreed with, others I didn't but still had to embrace and support.
After the first week of teaching third grade, I knew I had a diverse and complex group of students. As their teacher, I wanted to reach everyone of them and provide them the support they needed in third grade. Luckily that summer, I took a class on gender differences which taught about the typical classroom being ideal for females and not suitable for males. The class emphasized movement incorporated into the day and showed the science behind it all. Not only does movement help the boys but it also increases test scores and achievement for all students as well as curb behavior problems.
As a school, we implemented whole school movement once a week and incorporated 30 minutes of movement into our instruction while still having 2 recesses a day and specials.
Half way through the year, I was fortunate to participate in a grant program which taught us about high intensity movement in the classroom and how to get the most bang from your buck while using movement to enhance instruction and achievement. I started to begin my days with movement and also put it in before any major instructional time as well as before testing. I found that if I could get my students exhausted from moving, they would focus so much better and engage in the academics.
This year ended up being my most rewarding year of teaching yet. I started the year with so many behavior problems. Many of these problems were issues I didn't think I would ever deal with in third grade. Half of third grade was also below proficiency in reading. The year ended with such an amazing sense of community in third grade, very few behavior issues, and amazing growth in reading with less than 20% below proficiency. Reflecting upon the year, I credit so much of the success to movement. The students began to crave it and also knew when they needed it. As a teacher, it made the day so much more enjoyable for me too. I know I can't sit still for 8 hours straight and listen to same person talk to me. I hope more and more schools start to incorporate movement into their regular days instead of taking recess and PE away!

Happy Father's Day!

I find myself very lucky to have the relationship I do with my father and for my children to have  an amazing father.
I do not quite know what it is like to be a father but I do know that it is different than being a mother. I don't perceive it as easier or more difficult it is just different. As a little girl, I didn't really have a relationship with my father but over the years it has developed and it has blossomed into a relationship built on mutual respect. It is nice to have a father to call to vent to, seek advice from, and share experiences with. I hope that my own kids have the mutual respect and relationship with their father when they are older as I do with mine today.
When getting married, my dad was a big part of the process and supported me every step of the way. Never did I know that my husband would turn into the dad that he has though. At times I envy the relationship that he has with the kids. Each kid has a different relationship with him, one that can be admired! I look forward to the day that each of them realize how lucky and special they are to have such an amazing man in their lives. He is the one they go to to seek comfort, to have talks with about their terrible days, and to run around and do all things sports.  He has an amazing amount of patience with each one of them and can just talk to them in a language with no sugar coating but nurturing at the same time! He is their role model and hero. Ella cherishes story time at night and counseling when I just don't get it. Maya enjoys the freedom to wear as much makeup as she wants and lock the door while friends are over. Tate has a best friend in you and doesn't care what he is doing as long as he is in dad's shadow.
As parents we balance each other out and I am the mom I am because he is the dad he is!
Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there. For both daughters and sons, you set the stage as  role models of how to be treated and how to treat others!

Family Fitness Challenge

This week, my family has decided to take on a fitness challenge. The challenge is to get at least 25 minutes of exercise each day.We will log our activities and if we complete the challenge we will celebrate by doing a big event from the summer bucket list.

As a mom, I have realized two things when it comes to working out. Our kids can be a great excuse to not work out and in order for us to get workouts in, we often throw them in a day care at the gym or give them screen time or busy time so we can get the workouts in. So either we aren't working out because of the kids or they aren't working out and getting their physical activities in because we are.

I used to be really good about including my kids in my workouts. When I ran, they would bike or run with me. Now that I am running much further, it is harder to include them in my runs. It is really important for me to include them in a fit life style. Now that summer is in full swing at our house and sports have settled down, I felt like I needed to make more of a conscious effort to get them moving and working. So we came up with this challenge.

We decided that we will sometimes do our activities together and sometimes we will do them by ourselves. We came up with a fitness menu which includes a variety of activities to choose from. We will log our activities and time. With every 100 minutes, we will get a small reward and at the end of the summer if we have logged at least 125 minutes a week, we will get our big prize.

Here are a few of our fitness ideas:
running in the neighborhood. Run to a mailbox, walk to the next, run to the next and so on
riding bikes in the neighorhood
going to the bikepark
going to the highschool-running  the track or running the bleachers
yoga
kids crossfit
relay races
playing hard at the park
swimming
hiking
wiffle ball in the backyard
hose tag

Longest Run Yet

Today I completed my longest run yet in my training. It wasn't planned at all but turned into a really great and memorable run. It wasn't the ideal time of day to run, but the opportunity presented itself. I made the decision that I was going to give it a go and there was no turning back even though it was mid afternoon, I was already exhausted, didn't really feel great, and a storm was lingering in the foothills. I figured I didn't have much to lose and sometimes a long run is the fix for all of those. Although there were many excuses, a great friend took all of my kids and gave me a few free hours and the temperature was very enjoyable for a run so those reasons trumped my excuses not to go. I committed to the run and took it nice and slow.
On my way out, I was running against a pretty strong wind and had some scary clouds behind me. About a mile into my run, I encountered a problem with crazy birds. This was the most challenging part of my running so far. The birds were sitting on the wires and as I approached them, they started flying right over me and would swoop down super close to my head. I kid you not that I actually had to swat them away. And this didn't happen once. It continued throughout the majority of my run. That was definitely a bit of a distraction!
The rest of the run was pretty smooth. I decided to take it slow and steady. I had no choice starting out because the wind was hard to run against. I had planned to pick it up on the way back but my knees got the best of me on this run.
With an 11 mile run on the books, I am almost half way there for my long runs with a little under 5 months to go. It is a great feeling to make progress and increase these runs.
Since it was late in the day and I wasn't prepared for this run, I was starving and feeling a little dehydrated after. I enjoyed the best smoothie ever for a post run snack/meal. I used coconut water, frozen mixed berries, vega chocolate protein powder and banana.

MM- Appreicate every run

This is my dad's 9th summer visiting us. Since having Ella, he has come out to Colorado to visit every summer. Some of my best time spent with my dad has been during these summers. As I became a parent and he became a grandparent, our relationship has changed and developed.
Before these summer visits, I had never run with my dad before. My dad was a runner for quite some time. I think he even was a decent runner. At least he tells us he was and how he won races. I remember hearing stories about watching him race the Boston Marathon because I got lost in the Prudential Center. I ran cross country in high school and began running again after college and ran a few big races. During this time, I never ran with my dad.
When my dad first came out to visit me, Ella was about 8 months old. We went for our first run together pushing her in her jogging stroller. Every year after, we would run together. The running changed as the single stroller became a double and then we added a bike rider to the mix as the third child joined us. For the last nine summers, my dad has told me you never know when the last run together will come so we need to enjoy the experience. It didn't mean anything to me when he first started saying it. That time was a long time away.
Last year, my dad injured his knee. On his visit last summer. We really didn't run. However, he ran with Ella quite a few times. I cherished this experience even more than my time running with him. I thought it was pretty great for her to run with her grandfather. Ella always reported back the things they talked about and what she learned-like how to blow her snots out while running.
I may have eeked in a run/walk with him last year but I remember coming to the realization that the last run had come. It was difficult for me to realize that. It was also at that time that I realized how great those runs were and how much I cherished them.
Today we had an encore run! I was working in the yard and Ella told me Grandpa was going on a run. I told her she and her sister had to go too. Then Tate was invited to be pushed in the stroller and he accepted. They all took off. As I watched them head down the road, I realized that this was such a nice experience and I wanted to be part of it too. I joined them. While running with them, I realized that this truly may be our last run and I appreciated the experience. This experience and time has morphed so much over the years. All of the kids have been pushed along and today 2 out of 3 were able to run with him. I hope he can hang in for one more year so Tate can run with him too.

FittKidz: National Donut Day

FittKidz: National Donut Day: I ate a donut today! I had to write this post because there are so many people that think I am super human and don't even crave the junk...

National Donut Day

I ate a donut today! I had to write this post because there are so many people that think I am super human and don't even crave the junk or ever slip when it comes to diet and fitness. I will admit it is my first donut in a very very long time maybe even years.
It all started this morning when I was made aware of it being National Donut Day. It didn't really phase me then. My actual thought was wow we really have a national day for just about everything.The thought of getting the kids donuts did cross my mind though.
After running, taking El to swim practice, and working out at the gym, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up a couple of things. Of course the girls had to go to the bath room which just so happened to be right next to the bakery. I waited there for them and when they came back they saw me filling up a bag with donuts. They both looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Mom, What are you doing?" My causal response was, Well it is National Donut Day. We were at a healthy grocery store too, so I could justify buying them a  little bit more. As we picked the donuts out for them, their brother, grandfather, and dad, I put an additional donut in the bag. Again I got the crazy look and was questioned if I was getting one for myself. I explained that we had to get an extra to give choices to all the people that weren't there.
We come home and all the donuts get eaten except for that extra one. I declined it and went on my marry way. There is no way I want a donut and even if I did, I wouldn't eat it.
As the day goes on, that lonely donut sits there and I decided to just take a bite. Then I ate  a banana to curb the craving. And about a half an hour later, I found myself eating the rest of the donut. Remember it was from a healthy grocery store and it was small. That's why it was the one not eaten by the rest of the crew! That was by far the sweetest thing I have eaten in a very long time! I did enjoy it! I did not have to eat it. I could have convinced myself not too and I could have made it even easier by not buying an extra one. But I ate it, enjoyed it, and don't regret it.
The moral of my post is that it is ok to slip up every once in awhile and indulge from time to time. For some of us it happens more often than it does for others. My feelings are to stay on track more than you slip off and don't let one indulgence set you off forever. You can argue if the donut was worth it or not but at the end of the day it really doesn't matter. It was consumed and my hard work has not been canceled out. What better day than National Donut Day to eat a donut. I may just do it again next year!

Family Hike

Today we had the opportunity to go on a 4 mile hike as a family. I wasn't so sure how it would work out. We went in the late afternoon when the temperature peaked after a full day of playing. I have learned to not have any expectations when hiking with kids. It can be an absolutely miserable experience. It can also be a great experience. Or a combination with fits and complaints at times and laughter and fun at other times. I call the latter success!
This year our hiking has changed a little bit. It is the first year Tate is too old to go in the backpack so he is forced to walk.  Ella is old enough to walk without complaints and to really start enjoying it. Maya is still in the middle. She doesn't ask to be carried but she can whine through an entire hike and ask to turn around ever 2 seconds until the hike is complete. So you really never know what to expect when venturing out on these hikes.
As we settled into our hike today, I thought what a great family experience it is. We are being physical, enjoying nature, and spending quality-undistributed time together. There aren't too many things we can do as a family that everyone can do and are totally undisturbed.
Here are some tips to make the most out of hiking with little ones.

1. Develop a scavenger hunt and record the findings. Ex.- Find 3 rocks and describe the texture, find 2 different insects, find animal tracks, find a rock/cloud that looks like something, find something of every color of the rainbow.
2. Let kids take turn leading the way or blazing the trail.
3. Run to specific points. Run to the next tree.
4. Stop and appreciate nature and different things seen.
5. Take your time.
6. Bring snacks and water.
7. Keep a journal of all the hikes and animals or nature seen
8. Bring an Audobon book for your area to look things up and learn about them when found.
9. Start small and add slowly.
10. Remember it is an experience and make the best of it. Expect whining and fits but try to work through them. 

MM- I'm a runner

While running this week, I realized I can truly say I am a runner now. Over the last 2 months, every day has included a run. My runs have become journeys for me. Most mornings, I wake up and start my day with a run. My body tells me I am runner with the aches and pains that come with it. My mind agrees as I find the motivation and drive to begin my run, stretch my run, and finish it. My weekly mileage average is between 30 and 40. I am truly a runner.
Up until now, I have sometimes thought of myself as a runner. I would run a couple of miles here and there but I didn't have the dedication and passion I do now. I have even participated in some big races and somewhat trained for them. It wasn't a big deal to cut a run short or miss days here and there though.
This realization is big for me. I feel like I have transformed. I used to run for the cardio to maintain and stay in shape. My running has taken a turn though where I truly am training and running to get better and go further.
To me there is a fine line between running and being a runner. I believe we all can cross that line and can even go back and forth. It's a nice feeling to be able to push myself and take on the physical challenge. The first step out the door used to be the biggest running challenge for me but now it is after mile 9. I look forward to the rest of my running journey and am excited to continue to face my mental and physical challenges!