Team RWB March Madness Round 2 - March 7, 2021

Sunday, 7 March brings us to Round 2 of Team RWB's March Madness Challenge.  The brackets are set up by state (with a team for overseas participants too), and my team (NC) had a poor showing last week so is already out of the running for the bracket challenge.  There's still an open category, so I'm going to continue get my max points every week in hopes that we can finish with some level of respect.

There are three different events on challenge Sundays, worth 1, 2, and 3 points, and if you complete and check in on all three events, you can grab six points for your team.  I ran over 6 miles last Sunday so got them all, but I  mixed things up a little this morning.  

I started off with 26 pushups for the free-throw (had to do the one extra for Chesty Puller, ya know), then a 3+ mi run on the treadmill before breakfast for the 3-pointer.  Around noontime I grabbed my pack and went out for a 2-mi ruck in my neighborhood, capturing that 2-point layup before fixing lunch and settling in for a relaxing afternoon.

I think that'll be it for me today in the workout department, but since it's nice out I'll probably spend some time in the yard with the dogs, in between binge-watching sessions while parked on the couch. I don't want to overdo it as I still hope to walk that 11+ mile route on base sometime this week, in preparation for running the Marine Corps 17.75K.

What're you up to today? Whatever else you're doing, make time to get up and move!

~ Marie Anne

Putting Taji 100 to bed, planning for Marine Corps 17.75K

February was intense for sure. I was doing the Taji 100 again (run/walk 100 miles in the month of February), and most of my team wasn't logging their miles, so I no idea where we stood from day to day, so even though I pushed and got my miles in a full week early, I kept going to get the extra miles to get the team over, and didn't take any rest days. I overdid it, several times doing two- and three-a-days, but I was determined if we didn't make it, it wasn't going to be because I didn't give it everything I had! I ended up with 150.18 mi for the month, a crazy amount for me.

Of course we DID make it as several members had been running but didn't log their miles until the last day, so we were well over the finish line, making the extra miles I did be for naught. I wasn't a happy camper as I really did put myself at risk for injury for the team, and I should have known better. Definitely will be attacking things a bit differently next year.

Coming off that, I'm taking it a little easier this month. I do have a 11.03mi (Marine Corps 17.75K) virtual race to do between tomorrow and the 20th, but not looking to set any records there, just want to finish without injury. I'm not sure yet what day I'll do it, but will definitely be allowing some rest and easy run/walk days leading up to it. I only walked a couple miles Mon and Tues, ran about 6.4 on Wed, and did a 2+ mi power walk yesterday, so I'm already on track with that loose plan. I still can't decide where to do the 11-miler; last year I just ran around my own and a surrounding neighborhood, but there's a place on base where I can do it as an out-and-back and not have to worry about so many turns.

The downside to that is that I'll be alone, and even though it's along the main road, a good stretch of it is fenced off and not accessible except by foot at either end of the trail, so if I had an issue and had to call in help, it wouldn't be as easy to get to me (not really hard, just take a few minutes longer). Being an old lady, I have to take lots of things into consideration that spring chickens might not even think about. That trail also has a few hills. Not a game-changer, but a flat course would be nice,.

Since I have a couple of weeks to get this run done, I was thinking about walking that trail the entire distance first. About a week ago I started at one end and ran just over 3 mi and turned around to get at least 10K in, then the next day I power-walked starting at the other end, logging just over 5K ... not enough to meet up to the place that I turned around the day before. I'd like to experience the whole thing so there won't be any surprises the day I run it. It will also help me figure out fuel/water requirements, since that will be a longer distance for me than normal. Will have to check upcoming weather to see what day might be best to do that.

So that's an update of at least the last month or so, and my short-term plans/goals. I'm going to try to update this blog more regularly to journal my activities.

What's up with you?

~ Marie Anne

Weight loss ---> -38 lbs

Unplanned debut marathon

So, Saturday I did a thing.  Totally unplanned, totally unprepared, but totally amazing.

I completed a 26.2 mi marathon.

Yep.  At 63 yrs old, overweight, with osteoporosis and at risk for fracture, a propensity for injury (both from overuse and plain ol' clumsiness), pre-diabetes, very high cholesterol, moderate arterial blockage, and never having done even a half-marathon distance before (even walking), I completed a marathon.  Oh, and I did it fueled only by a hard-boiled egg a couple hours before start, a handful of mixed nuts at about halfway, wearing $15 Walmart shoes with almost zero padding and support (and I even took out the insoles), and working on about 4 hours sleep. (Much more on the 'whys' of the nutrition and footwear another time).

So just how did this all come about?  Let me tell you the story ...

A few of us from Team RWB were going to get together to do a couple mile walk/slow run Saturday morning.  A fellow team member mentioned the night before that he might see us on the trail somewhere as he would be doing his virtual Marine Corps Marathon along that route.  He had been doing a half-marathon just about every weekend up until last year (sometimes a full marathon), but the whole COVID thing set him back (emotionally as well as physically), he had put on a few pounds, and hadn't been out and done ANYTHING since March.  Oh, and he had no crew along his route to support and check on him - he was flying solo.

Ummm, no.  Carrie (our Team Captain) and I decided that wasn't acceptable, so at 10pm Fri evening we agreed to meet up with him at zero-dark-thirty to at least start him off and maybe take turns doing a couple miles with him. Again, no real plan, we were flying by the seat of our pants.  I met her at the main gate on Camp Lejeune at 0545 where I left my car, and we drove to the designated starting point in town to meet up with Mac and help him do this thing.  Another member, Terri, jumped in and said she'd crew for us, and planned on driving to various points with snacks and water available should we need them.  (She also had the traditional motivational Eye of the Tiger blasting as we went by each station. She rocks!).  Terri had run the Marine Corps Marathon 50K (just over 31 mi) virtually the previous weekend, alone.  (Yes, she's a bad-a$$!).

Headlamps in place, Mac rucking 20+ lbs and carrying Old Glory, Carrie with the Team RWB banner, off we went.   I hadn't been doing more than a mile or two at a time for months, mostly at a walk barefoot, so the basic plan was that I'd stay with Carrie and Mac to the main gate (just over 6 miles), where I'd get my car and drive to the next stop, and maybe jump in with him there for a couple miles, and Carrie could drive my car to the next stop, and we'd leapfrog. Well I got to the gate and decided that as slow as we were going, I could definitely do more.  Terri was available to pick me up if needed, so I felt confident in continuing.

After a couple more miles, I decided that since we were so close, I'd at least stick with it to the halfway point so that I could scratch the half-marathon off my bucket list.  I guess 13.1 mi wasn't enough, so since Mac had slowed down even more, I waved Terri off and we kept going, sometimes at a walk, sometimes a slow trot.  We got back to the main gate (18ish mi) and Carrie needed to leave for other commitments, so Terri drove her back to the start to get her car.  That left me and Mac, and there was no way I was leaving him alone out there, so I shrugged my shoulders and we set off again.  

Mac has a number of previous injuries from his time on active duty, including nerve damage, so because he hadn't been training at all for months, and was carrying some extra poundage, he was hurting pretty bad.  The last 6 mi or so were seemingly at a crawl, and the muscles in my legs were tight and starting to seize up, so for a couple of miles I trotted loops back and forth around him, just to stretch a bit while still keeping him in sight.  I relieved him of Old Glory during that time, doing a hand-off later to allow him to finish with flag waving. 

We did it.  Super-slow and much of it at a walk, in well over the cutoff had we done the in-person event, but we did it (there is no time limit on the virtual).  Could I have done it faster had I not stayed with Mac those last few miles?  I'm sure, but this was his day, his marathon, so it never entered my mind to leave him and do my own thing for a better finish time. 

Neither of us could have done it without Carrie along for support, and of course our super-crew, Terri, cheering us on and providing fuel at numerous points along the route.  They are both active duty Marines who are spread pretty thin already, and they willingly gave up their Saturday to help fellow Marines get 'er done.  (I think there's something wrong with  my eyes right now; they seem to be leaking for some reason).  And I wouldn't have even been out there at all had it not been for Mac's determination to complete his 8th consecutive Marine Corps Marathon.

It's a Marine thing, and also what Team RWB is all about.

So there you have it.  I crossed something off my bucket list that wasn't even ON my bucket list.  

Could I have done it (without feeling hungry or needing fuel for energy) without having made the nutritional changes I've made the last few months?  Nope. 

Could I have done it without injury had I not been doing the barefoot/minimalist footwear thing I've been working on the last few months?  Nope.  

I made those changes, not in preparation for any race (much less a marathon!), but for me.  The fact that they allowed me to go a distance that I never in my wildest dreams thought possible is a testament that you can make changes at any age that will allow you to do great things, and feel great doing them. 

~ Marie Anne

 (Part I of how I unknowingly trained my body for this event here).

Pandemic + Challenges + Stubborn Marine = Mission Accomplished

So, the other day I did a thing.

With all the race cancellations from the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of organizations are turning to virtual races, and the Marine Corps 17.75k originally scheduled for 28 March 2020 was one of them.  Those who had already registered for the race have the option to defer their registration until next year's race, transfer it to another upcoming race in the area, or run it virtually.  In addition to the in-person-race-turned-virtual, the race coordinators opened up another strictly virtual run that's open to  anyone.

So what's a 62-year-old retired Marine who

- is overweight
- is pre-diabetic
- has high cholesterol
- has bad knees
- is still suffering from injuries to two parts of her right foot
- did a face-plant four months ago and still experiences minor issues from the concussion
- had a post-run heart rate situation a month ago that resulted in a possible cardiac incident

do?  She signs up to run that virtual 17.75k, of course!  Had to represent Team RWB.  😀

Oh, have I mentioned I've never run that far before, or even walked 11 miles at one time?

The significance of the 17.75k distance is to honor the Marine Corps' birth in a Philadelphia tavern on 10 November 1775.  Birthdays are a big thing to Marines, and always celebrated in a big way.  How could a retired MSgt not jump at the chance to earn a finisher's medal and t-shirt?

So, that's the 'thing' I did.

Honestly, the morning I set out to do it, I hadn't convinced myself that that would be 'the' day to attempt the mission.  I figured I'd go out and see how I felt, walking that first 3/4 mi or so to get off the potential toe-snagging sidewalk and across a main thoroughfare into the quiet subdivision with smooth asphalt roads.  Once there, I eased into a jog and settled into a slow pace that felt comfortable, and just went with it.  I started out later in the morning than I usually do, and since I was probably going to be out there for a couple of hours and the temp was expected to rise, I made sure to wear my CamelBak for hydration, and tucked a snack into the case as well.

Since I was attempting something that would no doubt be taxing for me, I opted not to go to a halfway point and turn around, but instead just trotted up and down the same several block area so that I would never be more than a mile or so from home (and within a half mile from the library so I could take a potty break if needed.  I should have, but didn't).  My heart rate was pretty steady in the 140s, so I was comfortable shooting for the 11.03 mile that I needed.

I started to feel a bit rough around mile 9.  The temp was indeed rising, and by mile 10, my heart rate had pushed into a dangerous zone for me, so I had to dial it back.  I didn't change my gait, but even though I could have crawled faster than I was trotting at that point, it was a mind thing.  After making it that far, I wasn't going to NOT finish.

And finish I did.  It wasn't fast, but I got 'er done.

I'm not advocating that anyone take risks with their health, and had I really felt I was in danger, I would have stopped and made a phone call. I constantly check my heart rate when I'm working out, and I made sure that I was never more than a few blocks away from a couple of friends who could come to my rescue.  I always have a whistle attached to me somewhere, and was running in a large housing area where someone would surely see or hear me if I called out or blew an SOS.

My heart rate was a little weird when I finished, but not nearly as bad as it had been the previous time I had concerns. 💓 It did drop down to a moderate level in a reasonable time frame, but each time I got up and walked even a few paces, it would start to spike again (not to a dangerous level, but definitely higher than it should have been). I have no doubt that it wouldn't have been a problem if I'd slowed down earlier and even walked for a bit so as not to exceed my sweet spot. Exceeding max HR for any length of time isn't smart at any age since it can cause damage to the heart, and since there's no glory in that, lesson learned.

Completing a half-marathon is still on my bucket list, 13.1 miles.  Based on recent experiences, I doubt I'd be able to run the whole thing no matter how slow, but since I proved I could do 11.03 miles, I'm pretty sure I could go the slightly longer distance by sticking to intervals, or even walking the whole way.  I don't know if I'll sign up for an official race, but I do plan to go the distance, maybe with a friend or two along for company after quarantine and social distancing are no longer the plan of the day.  😷

Never quit.

~ Marie Anne

2020 Running/Walking/Fitness Challenges - Run the Year 2020

So ... I've mentioned a couple of challenges in passing, and probably should share some of the details.

The first challenge I signed up for this year was the Run the Year 2020 Challenge hosted by Run the Edge.  The goal is to run (or walk, or other equivalent activity) 2,020 miles in the year 2020.  Because of past/current and the potential for future injuries, the majority of my miles will be accumulated by walking.  There are few rules, and you can choose to count all of your daily steps, or just your intentional workout miles.  You can also join a team with up to four other participants.

I signed up for the whole package with some great swag!  It included a t-shirt, finisher's medal, challenge coin, a couple of stickers, and a cool chart where you color in a spot for each mile.  You can sync your Fitbit or sport watch tracker, and also add or edit your mileage manually, and the site tracks all of your stats.

I get a good chunk of steps in daily by dedicated walking around the house, but it's often not enough to bother starting my watch to track it.  Since those really are additional steps, I'm counting all of my daily Fitbit steps towards the main goal of 2,020 miles by December 31 (an average of 5.5 daily miles ... easy peasy, and I'm already well ahead of the game), but I'm also keeping track of my intentional workout miles to see just how far I can go with that (I'm pushing for at least 1,500 miles, which would be an average of just over 4 miles per day, and I've banked some extra there already too).

Another participant gifted me her coloring chart and I'm using that to visually track my dedicated workout miles.

There is a Facebook group for the main RTY2020 challenge, as well as groups for individual demographics such as walkers, marathoners, those doing it for weight loss, etc, and also one for each state so you could even meet up with others in your area if you crave more than virtual motivation.  It's fun and encouraging to interact with and support other crazy like-minded  people who are taking this journey with you.

In additional to the main challenge, you can also sign up for six additional streaker challenges throughout the year, and I'll cover those in another blog post.

RTY2020 might have been the first challenge to spark my interest this year, but it seems to have started a fire.  Follow along to hear about the rest of the goals I'm striving to meet with other challenges.

~ Marie Anne

Are you doing any challenges this year?  Tell me about them!

Taji 100, Local Support, New Boredom Breaker While Walking

I've signed up for several virtual challenges lately, and the one near and dear to me is the Taji 100.  Army Captain Carole DiPardo started it in 2010, challenging troops in Iraq to run 100 miles during the month of February.  That challenge continues today, and it's open to everyone.

I can't run right now, but did sign up to get my 100 miles this month by walking, or crawling if I have to (given my penchant for injuries anymore, that's not outside of the realm of possibility!).  As of the end of the day today, February 5, I have logged over 27 miles, so I'm on track to get my 100 miles and then some (barring injury).  I'm only counting dedicated walking miles, nor all of my steps, as with other challenges.

Yesterday I walked a full 10K (6.2 miles), and today I started out with 4 miles.  There was a slight mist in the air, but not enough to get me wet, which was a good thing because I hadn't grabbed any rain gear before venturing out.  About 2 miles or so in, a car passing me in the same direction slowed down, and a woman rolled down her window and hollered at me to 'keep it up!'.  It was misting just enough for windshield wipers on a low delay setting, so she was likely encouraging me for being out there in less than perfect weather.  The big smile on her face and thumb's up made my day, and who knows, maybe it'll encourage her to get out and do something good for herself too.

I often listen to music or sermons while out and about, but I've decided not to take my headphones with me all the time, and just pay attention to what's out there.  I have very good hearing, and I realized the other day that the light tinkling sound I sometimes hear when out walking is the same sound as my Ring doorbell security device.  My new boredom breaker is to keep an eye out for Ring doorbells and when I spot one, turn towards it with a smile and a wave.  Maybe I'll make someone else's day.

Not long after I got home, my new TV was delivered.  I had taken advantage of the pre-Super Bowl sales and bought a new one so that my old one could go in the garage where my treadmill is.  After I had everything set up, I decided to hit the 'mill and walk for a bit, and ended up with an additional 3.35 miles while watching a short movie.  Oh, that's another thing ... I'm looking for motivational movies or instructional videos that have to do with walking/running/fitness in general, and will be reviewing those here also.  I'll make another short post later about the movie I watched today.  If you have any favorites, please let me know in the comments.

More to follow soon, so make sure to like my Facebook page so you'll see updates (Staying Fit in My 60s), and subscribe to this blog so that you don't miss anything.

 ~ Marie Anne

Challenge tallies to date:

Taji 100:  27.81 miles
RTY2020 dedicated activity:  210.68 miles
RTY2020 total steps:  251.53 miles
Amerithon:  251.53 miles

Today's Fitbit stats:

22,401 steps
10.42 miles

Whole30 Decision Time - I'm Going In!

After finding out about the Whole30 program, the other night, I knew this is what I needed to get my eating under control, as well as some health issues that I'm facing.  Anyone who knows me knows that when I decide I want to do something, I want to do it RIGHT NOW, in pretty much every area of my life.

Whole30 was no different, and once I read a little about it, I wanted to start right then, on January 1, to begin the New Year on the right foot.

After further exploring the program, I knew that it wasn't smart to tackle such a severely limited regimen without some prep work first, so I put my first idea on hold for a bit.  They actually recommend that you put a lot of thought into your start date so that you don't set yourself up for failure, so delaying my decision lined up with that.

But ... I'm ready now!  I'm going to start tomorrow morning, Monday, January 4, 2016.

Today I made my shopping list of foods that are compliant on Whole30 and off I went to Aldi, Sam's Club, and Walmart to pick up enough for at least the first few days of the program.  I don't normally buy much meat so just the big pack of hamburger and country pork ribs just about put me over my food budget for the month, and the $10 jar of almond butter almost made me cry, but all three of those things will last quite a while, so I just chucked it in the cart and moved on.

I already had eggs, oranges, lettuce, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, and chicken at home that are compliant, so the only other things I bought today besides the meat and almond butter was coconut milk, white potatoes, pears, and a cucumber.  The apples and bananas at Walmart sucked and they didn't have any grapes, so I'll pick those up elsewhere this week.

Breakfast tomorrow will be interesting since I don't have any compliant breakfast meats, but I'll make do.  Omelette made with eggs, coconut milk, mushrooms, and broccoli sounds like a good start, and I might throw in a handful of ground beef with it.  I can mix up a sauce of some sort with the coconut milk and drizzle that over the egg to get more fat in, and have a pear or half an orange (I have to watch the citrus since my ph level was pretty high last week).  A splash of coconut milk in my (usually black) tea should complete the meal.

I'm not big on fixing fancy meals, so lunch and dinner will most likely just be a serving of meat with sweet or white potato, and other veggies with a compliant sauce or salad with dump ranch dressing.  I see a lot of repetition in my future, but I do that now anyway, so it's not a big deal.

So, I'm off and running, and ready to do this thing.  I'm determined to do the Whole30!

~ Marie Anne

New Year's Day and I've Already Failed?

I'm putting myself on report.  I just made a resolution yesterday and have already blown it within the first hours of New Year's Day.

Ok, maybe not a failure, but at least a setback.  And to be fair, I do have a valid reason.  A couple of them, actually.  Let me explain.

I blogged yesterday that while I've increased my walking/jogging mileage greatly in the last couple of months, the weight still wasn't coming off, so I was going to make a concerted effort to cut back on the junk food (easier said than done when you're a true carb addict, but I digress).  That part of my resolution still stands.

Later in the day I learned about the Whole30 program, which is much more strict and cuts out just about everything except fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables with no added anything.  Convinced that this is what I need to do, I went on record with a second blog post about Whole30 and was going to start it this morning.

After some voracious reading about the Whole30 plan last night, I realize that starting the full plan today isn't the best idea for me.  I have several foods in my house that I thought were on the Whole30 list of acceptable foods, but I was wrong.  Money is more than tight right now and I can't afford to not eat this food that I already have, at least the stuff that's barely been opened.  I'm still going to get rid of the true junk food (no candy, cookies, etc), but will finish eating the small amount of cheese I have, and the big bag of frozen breakfast sausage patties I just bought a few days ago.  I just can't afford to replace those items right now with something that is on the Whole30 list.

I thought the sausage patties were going to be ok, but the ingredient list does show a small amount of sugar.  The Whole30 plan doesn't allow for ANY cheating whatsoever, no matter how insignificant  you think it might be, so I'm doomed before I even start.  They recommend you plan ahead before starting the program, and get rid of things that aren't acceptable, and stock up on those that are so that you're ready to go on Day 1.  I'm not ready.  Rather than say I'm going to start today and then lie about it (which won't do ME any good, which is the goal here), I'm going to put it off for a few days.

So my new resolution is to avoid the really bad stuff altogether, but finish up some of the stuff that might not be so bad, yet isn't allowed on the Whole30 plan.  I might not wait until the whole bag of sausage and every loaf of bread is gone, but I'll see where it goes.  I won't have any extra money available until later in the month to stock up on the good stuff, but will be able to pick up a few necessary items in the next few days, so I'm going to do a modified plan for now and pick a firm start date when I reevaluate what I have in my cupboard and freezer.

I really want to follow the plan exactly as it's designed for the full 30 days, and if it takes pushing back Day 1 for several days or a week, so be it.  I don't want to set myself up for failure right out of the gate, and I want to be true to the Whole30 program's design.

I did throw away the rest of the chocolates I got yesterday, though.  Go me!
(I won't tell you how many were left, however).

~ Marie Anne

Is Whole30 for me?

I was chatting with friends in my Leap4Life Facebook group about changes we're hoping to make in 2016 to help us get/stay fit and healthy, and one friend mentioned that she's going to do Whole30 in January.  Not being familiar with it, I looked it up, and wow, what a program!  It's similar to a paleo diet, but even more strict and requires that you follow it religiously for a full 30 days, with NO cheating whatsoever, not even the tiniest little bit.

I've done the low-carb thing in the past and lost a lot of weight in a very short period with virtually no added activity, so I know this would work for me, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to tackle something with that many restrictions again.  Still, what I'm doing now (which is really nothing!) isn't working.  As a carb addict, I can't control myself and I have no one here to keep me accountable.  The dogs don't care if I sit and eat a whole package of cookies in one day.   I've increased my activity level considerably in the last few months, but it hasn't helped yet, and won't as long as I'm binging on junk in between walks.  I've got to kick the addiction, and the only way to do that is cold turkey.

Is this something I can stick with long-term?  I don't know, but the idea behind Whole30 is to severely limit the type of foods you eat for the full 30 days so that your body is starting with a clean slate, then you can reintroduce certain foods and see what you can tolerate.  It really does sound like a great plan and I think I've talked myself into trying it.  There are a few things I already know will be really difficult for me to give up (No cheese?  Yikes!), but if I just look at it for the short term, I think I can do it.  What's 30 days, right?

The other thing that I know I'll have trouble with isn't food related at all, but will still bug me - not being able to weigh myself until the 30 day period is over.  I always weigh myself first thing every morning and that will be a real change in my daily routine.  Still, if the program requires that I weigh myself the first day and not again until after 30 days, then I guess I'll just put the scale away.

If you want to see what it's all about, check out the Whole30 website. You can find the accompanying books that outline the plan as well as recipe books by following this link to Whole30 on amazon.

So I guess this blog post puts it on record, and I'm now accountable to all of you to at least try the Whole30 plan.  Wish me luck!

~ Marie Anne

Reflections - Where I was, where I am, where I'm going

Who's ready for the New Year?  Me!  It's New Year's Eve 2015, so time to reflect on where I was, where I am now, and where I'm determined to go.

I don't have any specific goals for 2016 other than to keep doing what I'm doing, and try to curb the junk food.  Looking back at where I was and what I've done, moving forward I'm going to try to focus on the things that have helped me the most.

Looking back

I joined SparkPeople a couple of years ago, and while it did help provide a modicum of motivation/accountability, it wasn't enough.  I got lots of trophies, but didn't find any real gratification in it.  I'm still a member, but don't mess with it much.  I think I've outgrown it, and that's not really a bad thing.

I got my Fitbit in September 2014 and it was great to be able to see how many steps I was getting and push harder to meet a daily goal.  I feel naked without my Fitbit and won't leave home without it (Who am I kidding?  I won't get out of bed without it!).  Regardless of what else I do, Fitbit will be a part of it.

In June 2015, I joined the 1,000 Mile Challenge and that pushed me even more.  Not only was I trying to meet my daily step goal with Fitbit, but now I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other in order to complete 1,000 miles in a year's time.  I was off to a great start in June and the first part of July, then life got in the way and I did almost nothing the remainder of July and August, and slightly more in September.  In October, I jumped back on board and have since done enough that I'm back on track for completing the 1,000 miles on time, and even slightly ahead of schedule. 

Since I've enjoyed this challenge, I've also signed up for the new 1,000 Mile Challenge that starts tomorrow, January 1, 2016.  I'm ready to get that first mile under my belt for the New Year!

While these other things have contributed nicely to keeping me motivated and moving, by far the best incentive for me has been Leap4Life.  I was tempted into joining L4L several months ago by the promise of earning money by walking and running, and while that's still a nice bonus, it's just that - a bonus.  You earn points on L4L by being active on the site, and by joining and completing events (goals) every day.  Leap4Life also has team events, and to me, that is key to keeping the motivation at a high level.  Having a workout partner is a great idea, but knowing that others on my team are counting on me to do my part is usually enough to have me lace up my shoes and get moving, no matter how badly I want to just be a slug on the couch.  Having one accountability partner is good, but four others on a team is even better!

Having said that, I found that the communication and interactive process on the Leap4Life site leaves a lot to be desired, so I created a Facebook group and my friends/teammates and I do our communicating there.  I started with one team of five members, and after word spread, created another, and another ... I just started our fourth team yesterday!  Some were Facebook friends years before L4L came about, and others are new friends I've found through the 1,000 Mile Challenge and Leap4Life.  Regardless of how we found each other, we've all become fast fitness friends, and have a lot of fun while we challenge each other to meet our goals.  And yes, there is the occasional bit of friendly competition, but it's ALL good!

Where I am

While all of these things have helped keep me putting one foot in front of the other and logging those miles, I haven't lost any weight, which puzzles me.  My level of activity has increased greatly, in some cases doubled, but it's not reflecting on the scale (and no, my clothes aren't fitting any differently either).  I know I'm still eating more junk than I should, but not more than I had been, so I don't know why the increased calorie burn isn't showing up somewhere.  I'm walking/jogging an average of 3-7 miles a day, with the occasional burst of 10-15 miles when I need to meet a particular goal.

There hasn't been any significant change in my A1C or cholesterol numbers either.  I'm still battling severe, chronic pain, but saw a rheumatologist this week and hopefully some of the tests he ordered will shed some light on the cause.    I'm remaining positive through it all, and not going to stop moving.  Surprisingly (or maybe not), the only time I'm not in pain is when walking.  Once I sit for 3-4 minutes, I hurt from head to toe when I get up, until I've moved around a bit and loosened up.  Once I push  through the pain for a few minutes, walking doesn't hurt and I can walk pretty much all day without issue - so walk I will!

Where I'm going

Moving forward, I'm going to continue what I'm doing, which is ... moving forward!  I would like to do more of my walking outdoors, but Ohio winters won't always make that possible  I've got the treadmill and now that I have the Kindle and can read while walking, I'm able to get a lot more steps in, but I'm also not getting the fresh air that's much healthier (and although probably a negligible amount, the treadmill DOES use electricity, and I'm trying to scrimp and save every penny).  Unless weather conditions absolutely prohibit it, I'm going to bundle up and try to get in at least a short walk up the road and back every day, and longer if time and weather allow.  I do a lot of walking outside in the warmer months, but not so much in winter, so would like to step that up a bit.  I will still use the treadmill, but figure any amount of steps I do outside is better than none.

I'm also going to make a concerted effort to curb the junk food.  I know cutting it out entirely isn't going to work for me, so I'm not even going there.  I do eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but also more than my share of snacks.  Since money is so tight right now, I'm going to use that to my advantage to help rein in my food budget.  I don't spend a lot on food for just myself, but balk at the price of fresh produce yet will turn around and pick up a bag of candy or cookies.  The plan is to put that back on the shelf and instead buy something that isn't processed.  If I can afford to buy junk, I can afford to buy the extra bunch of broccoli or mushrooms to add to my breakfast omelet.  Sounds good in theory, doesn't it?

What about you?

Do you have a specific plan for 2016 to achieve (or maintain) better health and fitness?  Are you going to continue what you've been doing, or try something new?

If you'd like information about anything I've mentioned here, leave me a comment, or connect with me on Facebook.  You can also find out more information about Leap4Life by looking at the labels at the very bottom of this post and click the one marked "L4L".

I'm going to close out 2015 in style and put on my hoodie, lace up my shoes, and head out the door now.  Won't you join me?

~ Marie Anne

How to Earn Money With Leap4Life and Fitness Trackers

I don't know about you, but if there's a way to earn money from something I'm already (or should be) doing, I'm all for that!  Leap4Life offers us that very thing - you can earn money by exercising every day and tracking your walking and jogging with a fitness tracker like Fitbit.  I've already explained how to sign up and earn with Leap4Life while working out, so this post will be more about how the points you earn actually translate to dollars, and how to get earn bonus points.

With Leap4Life, there are two different point systems -  Status Points and Fitwell Points.  You earn Status Points by just about everything you do on the site - commenting on a group or event page, entering events  etc.  Fitwell points, however, are what you need to accumulate to cash out for money, and they're harder to come by.  Don't scoff at Status Points, though, because when your status increases to higher levels, you will get bonus Fitwell points.

The quickest and easiest way to earn both Status Points and Fitwell points is by entering events.  Not all of them pay out in Fitwell Points, but you can earn quite a chunk of Status Points so make sure you check the events page every morning and sign up for the next one available. There is no penalty for entering an event and not making it, so sign up for all of them, even if some look too difficult to complete.  Most of the individual events that do pay out in Fitwell Points only give 10 points, but there are usually several of those a week, and it all adds up.  You need to earn 2,500 Fitwell points to cash out for $25.  That sounds like a lot, but don't run away just yet, as I'll show you how to earn extra Fitwell points more quickly.

The key to earning more Fitwell Points is to join teams and get in on team events that usually pay out 100 Fitwell Points, but as I said earlier, Status Points also help you earn money indirectly.  The chart below shows the bonus Fitwell Points you will get once you advance in status beyond the basic level.

Bonus Fitwell Points for Status Level

If you join and complete each daily event, it shouldn't take long to reach Bronze Level, and that means for every 100 Fitwell points offered for an event, you would earn 112.5 points (but they round up to 113), and you'd earn 11 Fitwell points for those events that offer 10.  Keep pushing to get to Silver Level and you'd get 125 Fitwell points for the larger events, and 12.5 Fitwell points (but they'll round up and give you 13!) for those that offer 10. The benefits are even greater when you reach Gold and Diamond Levels, so keep pushing!

Teams can have a number of members, but only five team members are allowed on the roster for any particular event.  You can be on more than one team, but only on the roster for an event with one team.  I manage four teams that I enter into every event, and can move members around on the roster to capitalize on individual strengths for that event so that both teams have a good shot at completing the event and getting the points.  I also manage a Facebook group so that team members can communicate and encourage each other daily since the setup on Leap4Life isn't the greatest.

So ... if you want to earn money while exercising, or just need some extra motivation and encouragement (I've got plenty of that to go around!), let me know when you've signed up for Leap4Life and I'll get you headed in that direction.  Leave a comment here or send me a PM on Facebook to let me know that you've joined so that we can connect as friends on L4L (it won't automatically connect us for some reason).

Don't wait until tomorrow.  Make every step count today!

~ Marie Anne

Earn While Walking or Running With Leap4Life

We all like to earn easy money online, but I especially like it when I can make money without any extra effort, by doing things that I'm already doing.  I found Leap4Life the other day and think it's the best and easiest site to earn gift cards for exercising or working out.  The friend who introduced me to the site has already earned two $25 amazon.com gift cards - I'm up for that!

If you have a Fitbit or other fitness tracker, the work is pretty much done for you.  Just link your Fitbit on Leap4Life, enter to participate in events as they come up, and you're done!  There are events every day of the week; some are for walking/jogging a certain number of steps or miles for that day, others where you have to try to attain a certain number of active fitness minutes.  Since your fitness tracking device is linked, it will capture the data at the end of each day, so you don't have to keep track of anything else.

Join my Leap4Life challenge and get started today!  All you need to do is log your first 3,000 steps in 30 days (that's only a little over a mile, so you should nail that the first day!) and you'll be credited with 50 FitWell points to get you off and running towards earning your first gift card.

If you sign up, make sure to send me a friend request.  I don't think Leap4Life connects us automatically 

How it Works

There are two types of points that you can earn on Leap4Life - status points, and FitWell points.  FitWell points are what you redeem for gift cards, but the more status points you earn to get to a higher level, the more opportunities you have to earn FitWell points, so grab everything you can!

You earn status points on Leap4Life by:

Adding friends
Joining groups
Creating your own groups
Completing events
Making a comment on a group or event

You earn FitWell points by:

Completing events

Note:  Not all events give FitWell points; some only give status points, but remember, those points will push you to a higher level more quickly, giving you more opportunities to earn FitWell points, so it's all good!

There is no penalty for signing up for an event and not completing it, so make sure to check  the site every day and join the next challenge that's available.  Even if you know that will be a particularly busy day for you, you never know what might change, so sign up for everything that's out there.

This post explains how to earn more points faster on Leap4Life. 

So ... if you're reading this, you likely already have a Fitbit or other device that tracks your walking and jogging, so take the extra step and sign up for Leap4Life and start earning towards that first $25 gift card today!

~ Marie Anne

P.S.  I started several teams on L4L so that we can earn more points with team events.  I run a Facebook group where we motivate and challenge each other every day - it's much more fun to share your workouts with a friend, even if it's just virtually!  We're always looking for more team members, so send me a message on Facebook and let me know that you'd like to join us and I can get you started right away.

Don't let any of this scare you ... I can walk you through everything very easily.  Join me and a bunch of my friends today!

New Challenge - Walk 1,000 Miles in a Year

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a challenge.  I heard about this latest one, the 1000 Mile Challenge,  just last night and debated whether to jump in or not, but knew I'd cave ... and I did.  The challenge starts tomorrow, June 6, 2015 and ends June 5, 2016.  I'm pumped and ready to go!

The challenge is to walk/jog/hike 1,000 miles in one year.  One thousand miles sounds like a lot, right?  But at a full 365 days, that comes out to approximately 2.75 miles each day.  Piece of cake!

There is a business Facebook page for the challenge (you can sign up for the challenge from there) and also an interactive Facebook page  for challenge members, where we can chat about how we're doing, share success stories, etc.  The challenge hasn't even started yet and I already see the group as a great motivator.

There is a fee to join the challenge, but 50% of the cost goes to charity, which you get to choose when you sign up.  Finances are tight for me right now, but that's a small price to pay to keep me moving every day in an effort to take better care of myself.  (I'm still dealing with some health issues, but I'm fighting it all every step of the way!).

You can use any app or tracking system you already have to count your miles, but if you use a Fitbit tracker (which counts ALL your steps every day), they'd prefer that you only log those miles that you actually do consciously, over and above the steps you would walk in a normal day.  You're on the honor system, so if you want to just use your total Fitbit number, no big deal - the challenge police aren't going to come after you.  The idea, though, is to get your butt moving more than you do on a regular day, so set a challenge for yourself other than just walking around the house.

I'm going to look at my Fitbit stats and come up with a number that I think is my average number of steps daily without going for a walk or jog, and deduct that from my daily total and report that number.

There are many apps out there you can use to keep track, but a good app to try is Charity Miles, (available for both android and ios) because not only does it log your mileage, it also donates to a charity of your choice.  There are loads of charities to choose from, and you can choose a different one each time you open the app to log your miles.  I'm going to make a separate post about different fitness apps and the benefits of each.

• Note:  None of the apps or trackers are synced with the challenge in any way, they are just tools to help you track your miles so that you know what to report.  

This challenge will benefit my dogs as much as it will me because it'll be an incentive to make sure I don't slack off on their exercise too.  When walking the dogs, I also use an app that donates to my favorite animal rescue organization, so that's a win-win also.  If I walk all three dogs on our regular route every day, I'll get 2.4 miles right there, so even if I have to fill in on the treadmill on days I don't get out there, I've got this.  1,000 miles in one year?  I'm ready!

Who's with me?

~ Marie Anne

My first official/unofficial 5K race - for Jessie!

Well,  I'm going to do it.  Most of it will be done at a fast walk, and maybe a very slog jog for part of it, but I'm going to hop on the treadmill this afternoon and run my first 5K.  It will be my first official (well, with me officiating) 5K in decades, but since I'll be competing with myself here in my home and not in the actual race, my time will be unofficial by race standards.  No matter ... Just doing it at all and showing support for Jessie and her family is good enough for me.

Jessica Torres was severely injured in an auto accident several years ago, but her family never gave up on her.  I served with Jessie's dad years ago when we were both stationed in South Weymouth, MA, and Tony, his lovely wife Lenore, and their son Derrick are wonderful people who still believe the best is yet to come in Jessie's progress towards healing.  This 5K race for Jessie is one way we can help support them while they support her.  Even if you can't be in Tennessee for the race, you can still help with a donation, and of course prayers are always welcomed.

I'm still having knee trouble (with both knees now!) but have started physical therapy and ohmy, the therapists are working miracles.  Separate posts forthcoming about that, but I'm definitely glad I'm pursuing it.  I'm taped up with kinesiology tape and going to complete this 5K in one sitting if it kills me.  I just need to remember that pushing too hard is what got me into trouble in the first place, and pay attention to my body.  I know I can walk the distance a couple of times over with no trouble, so if I don't kick it into a jog for too much of it, I should be ok.  I want to do my best, but I also don't want to lose ground that I'm finally starting to gain after the knee injury more than two years ago.  It's been a long journey filled with setbacks, and I want to keep moving in the right direction.

So ... I'll be lacing my running shoes and revving up the treadmill at race time, scheduled for 5:00 pm eastern today (4pm Memphis time), May 30 2015.  I'll post my officially unofficial results later, embarrassing or not!

~ Marie Anne

Fitbit 'Beat Your Best Day' Challenge 2015

Well I did it.  Fitbit challenged all users on Saturday, May 16, 2015 to beat their best Fitbit day ever.  I needed to beat 25,585 steps (over 10 miles) and since I haven't even been making my goal of 10-12K very often lately due to some health issues, I didn't think I had a chance.  Still, I wasn't going to give up before trying.

Once I got a couple of miles under my belt, I couldn't stop, not without giving it my best.  I took all three dogs out separately for a walk first, and logged about 2.5 miles.  Then I went out by myself and ended up doing something else I'd never done before - walked all the way down the big hill on my road.  It's about a half mile to the point where the big hill starts, and then it's downhill all the way.  I'd only gone about halfway before and even that only a few times (and that was a year or two ago), but I figured it was as good a day as any to make the attempt, so down I went.

Hooo boy, it was rough.  It's a single lane road with drop off on one side and ditch on the other, poorly paved, and the township decided to put crush and run on it a while back, making it precarious to walk on with such a slope.  It was pretty stupid of me to try it since it's a remote area that's a dead end road, and only two houses down there, so if I'd hurt myself, it could have been disastrous.  I've been using my walking time as quiet time with the Lord, and believe me, I did some praying yesterday!

You can't really see the slope here, but it's a steady decline

I made it to the end of the road, enjoying the sounds of nature during my trek.  I got to rub noses with my neighbor's two horses, smile at squirrels scampering about, saw one woodpecker a short distance away and heard another while headed downhill, but didn't see him.  At the bottom of the hill was a very vocal Canada goose that apparently didn't want any strangers in his/her area.  The honeysuckle was in bloom and tickled my nose with delight, just as the things I saw along my path made my eyes smile.

Good morning, boys and girls!

That walk took a lot out of me and only ended up with 2.2 miles for my efforts, but I'm glad I did it.  Will I do it again?  Maybe, maybe not.

I logged the rest of my miles between a few minutes on the treadmill here and there, and two more walks down my road (not down the hill, though).  When I saw how close I was getting to meeting my goal last night, I decided since I was only a few thousand short of the 30,000 step badge, why not go for broke?  I was beat, but I knew I'd never be this close again, so I grabbed my headlamp and flashlight and off I went at 11:00 pm.

I did it.  I busted my previous 'best Fitbit day' out of the water.  I needed to get to 25,585 and I ended up with 30,101 steps by the time I fell into bed.  I also finished up with the equivalent of 59 flights of stairs which topped my previous best too (I think it was 54), and got my skydiving badge for reaching 1000 flights of stairs since I got my Fitbit last September.

Yep, I'm crazy, and paying for it today, but I made it.  I knew I'd  probably never see a day like that again, so grabbed it while it was within reach.

More than 30,000 steps, which is almost 13 miles.  Church activities are about all I have planned for today, and I think I've earned a day off.

Did you accept Fitbit's challenge yesterday to beat your best day ever?  How did you do?

~ Marie Anne

Fitbit Step Challenge on Saturday ... Are You Ready?

My personal best day at 25,585 steps

Are you ready for a challenge?  I am!

I was doing pretty good with keeping up with my walking for a while until some health issues sidelined me for a short time in February/March of this year, but I was given the go-ahead to resume normal activities, so I'm starting to get back at it.  What a great time for the Fitbit folks to issue this amazing challenge!

The challenge is a big one.  In an effort to beat Fitbit's total highest number of steps in one day, on Saturday, May 16, 2015, Fitbit is challenging all users to beat their best day ever.  They've leveled the playing field by asking each of us to beat our own personal best day, rather than set a specific step goal for all.

Mine will be tough to beat.  My best step day recorded since I got my Fitbit One was 25,585 steps on October 22, 2014.  At my stride, that's more than 10 miles!  I haven't even come close to that before or since, and I've only occasionally been meeting my 12,000 step daily goal lately.  I've got new health issues cropping up almost daily, and some of them do affect my walking, so it might not be physically possible to make it, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

I just checked my specific stats for that day and wow, I can't believe I did all that in one day.  I walked up and down the big hill on my street several times that day, enough to log 54 flights of stairs, and almost 11 miles!  Once I got going and did several walks throughout that day, I decided to shoot for the 25K badge.  You can see by the chart that I was a walking machine that day, LOL.

Did I really walk almost 11 miles that day?
(Click to enlarge)

I'm going to try to build up to it by walking a little more each of the three days until goal day on Saturday, and hope I don't burn myself out in the process.  My feet have been swelling horribly lately and we haven't been able to pinpoint why yet, and now other areas of my body are swelling too, so hopefully this push won't do further harm.  I'm not going to give up, but not listening to my body could have serious consequences (remember that knee injury over two years ago?), so I need to be smart and find a balance.

Are you up for the challenge?  What record will you be trying to beat?

~ Marie Anne


Don't have a Fitbit activity tracker yet?  What are you waiting for?

Knowing When to Give Up

I signed up for the A-Z Blogging Challenge this year with one blog -- this one -- but for all the wrong reasons.  I wanted to be able to say I did it.

While it might be enough for some, I had to stop and analyze whether the effort to blog every day was going to be worth it to me and have decided that it's not. I have several blogs, and even though I did the challenge once with four of them, it didn't do much for me except allow me to display a badge on the sidebar.

Maintaining a successful blog takes time and effort, and doesn't happen overnight.  One of the biggest challenges most bloggers face is to post consistently, and the A-Z challenge can certainly help you build good habits in that regard, but that doesn't work for everyone.  I've never been consistent enough with my blogging to make any money at it, and earning a buck is my goal, not a badge.

I write articles for pay and have a hard enough time focusing on the things that bring revenue, and blogging in the A-Z challenge every day is going to take away from that.  I know my limitations, and also know that if I take on the challenge, I'll want to complete it.  I can't afford to do that.

What I AM doing is a little different spin on the original AtoZ Challenge.  I'm going to write and publish an article every day that corresponds to the letter of the day in the original challenge.  It might be for one of my columns on Examiner (Dogs, Crafts, TV, or Christian Entertainment),  or YCN (about anything at all).  I won't get a shiny badge, but I will earn money, and of course have the satisfaction of completing a goal that makes more sense for me to strive for.

So I'm not dropping out of the big picture of the challenge entirely, but I am taking this blog out of the running in the original AtoZ Challenge and not going to feel guilty about it.   I'm not quitting, I'm readjusting. There's no shame in reevaluating goals to fit what's best for you.

~ Marie Anne