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

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).

A is for Achievements, and Achievement!

A large part of today's population has jumped on the fitness-tracker craze in attempt to get healthier, and it seems everyone has something strapped to their wrist that tracks their steps, among other things. Striving to achieve that step goal every day is getting people off the couch and more conscious of how increased activity can have many benefits - weight loss, lowering cholesterol, managing diabetes and high blood pressure among them.  For me, the biggest benefit to walking and running is mental health.

Do you have a Fitbit, Garmin, or other tracking device that counts your daily steps?  Apps like MapMyRun/Walk/Fitness?  MyFitnessPal?  Strava?  Did you know that you can get paid to use them? 

I've been a member of Achievement for a couple of years and have cashed out several times.  It's a no-brainer.  You simply sign up, choose which step tracker you want it to grab data from, and the system does the rest.  You don't have to log in every day to do anything at all, you just sign up and forget about it (unless you want to check your points occasionally, and then of course you have to request to cash out when you have earned enough points to do so).

You get points for your daily steps, and additional points for tracking your exercise.  You even get points if you weigh yourself.  Have you ever been paid to sleep?  If your Fitbit or other device tracks it, you get points for sleeping too!

Achievement isn't going to make you rich.  Even as active as I am, it takes me several months to cash out $10, but it's basically free money.  You honestly don't have to do another thing once you've added your tracking device to sync with Achievement.

Click on any of the links above to get 100 points just for signing up today (I'll get 100 point bonus too), and let me know if you need help setting up your account. 

You're tracking your steps every day anyway; why not let someone hand you some cash to do it?

~ 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!

Running Skirts - Yea or Nay? Sparkle Skirt is a Big Yes!

News flash - I'm not a small woman.  Even when I weighed a buck and a quarter in another lifetime, I still had a big butt.  I've always been self-conscious about it, and getting back on the fitness train at my current size makes me more of a target, at least in my own mind.  No one has commented on how silly I look when out running, but I'm my own worst critic.  I don't let it stop me, though.  I know I'm working towards a better me inside, no matter what I look like on the surface.

Still, I have trouble finding workout tops that are wide enough to cover my hips, and long enough to really cover my butt and allow me to feel comfortable out on the road.  Then I remembered running skirts.  Would that work for me?  I did some snooping and was surprised at the choices available out there.

Lots of runners wear tutus (skirts made from layers of tulle), especially in themed races, but I thought the layers would draw even more attention to an area that I'm trying to downplay.  That's definitely not my goal.  Then I found Sparkle Skirts, and fell in love.

Sparkle Skirts are very simple skirts, with lightweight elastic waistbands, and sewn  in a drop-waist style that is flattering on almost every body type.  I was concerned whether the XL (the largest size they make) would be big enough for me without fitting too snug, but I checked the size chart and took a chance.  I think it fits me perfectly, and might even be able to go down a size.

Before ordering, I was also concerned about added weight or bulkiness, knowing that I'd probably only be wearing the skirt when running a race, where every little thing matters.  I have mild sensory issues, and if even the slightest thing is out of whack, it'll drive me crazy.  Cross that concern off the list, because this running skirt is very lightweight and wasn't in the way of my arms or hands at all, or flapping annoyingly in the breeze.  Because it weighs next to nothing, I didn't even remember that I had it on when I gave it a 2 mile trial run this morning.

I bought the basic Sparkle Skirt in Gunmetal Gray, but now that I have this one, I want more, maybe in brighter and happier colors.  I have my first 5K race in a long time next Saturday, so I think I'll set a goal time and treat myself if I beat it.

There are lots of other colors and styles available - even polka dots and unicorns - so I'm sure you'll find something that will 'spark' your fancy.  You can buy them directly from Sparkle Athletic and also find Sparkle Skirts on Amazon.

~ 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 More and Cash Out With AchieveMint

I finally made it! It took a while, but earning points for cash is easy with AchieveMint.   You're already working out, so once you have your Fitbit or other fitness tracker synced with the site, you're all set.  Earning enough points to cash out with AchieveMint doesn't happen overnight, but it doesn't take any extra effort to do, so just let those points accumulate every day and get a nice surprise when you see you've reached enough to cash in for your $50 gift card.

In addition to getting points for the steps and miles you accumulate with your Fitbit (or whatever device you're using), you can also get more points every day by:

• Linking your Twitter account (5 pts)
• Tracking your food intake (30 pts x 3 meals)
• Tracking your sleep (20 pts)
• Weighing yourself (10 pts)

That's an extra 125 points every day, which is probably more than you'll get by walking or jogging, so you'll be racking up those points even if you don't work out!

I weigh myself every morning and record it on both the Fitbit site and Walgreens (Here's how you can earn with Walgreens too).

I enter my food intake on MyFitnessPal and have it linked to AchieveMint.  Since I have regular meals saved, it only takes seconds a day to do.  I'm not monitoring calories or anything, but I make sure to make at least three entries a day, which might just be breakfast, a snack, and a drink.  You can add every meal and snack, but you only get credit for three entries at 30 points each, so I'm not a stickler about entering every bite that I put into my mouth.

Once you link your Twitter account, AchieveMint will automatically send one tweet every day, so you don't have to do anything else to that.

I don't know about other fitness trackers, but just push the button to start sleep tracking on your Fitbit when you go to bed, then just push it again when you wake up.  It will automatically send that info to AchieveMint for 20 points every day.

It might take months to make enough to cash out, but it's pretty mindless and takes no extra time at all.  If you link the accounts as I have above, you're pretty much done other than the few seconds it takes to enter your food, but for 90 points to do that daily, I think it's worth it.

I'm averaging about 200 points a day, so if you do the things I mentioned above, it should take about 250 days to earn the 50,000 points to cash out for your $50 gift card.  That seems like a long time, but I treat it as found money and when it comes in, I'll treat myself to something for my efforts.

What will you treat yourself to?

~ 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!

Earn Shop Your Way Rewards Money With FitStudio

Another way to get paid to get fit?  Yep!  FitStudio has linked up with Shop Your Way Rewards, so you can get paid in Shop Your Way dollars by linking your fitness app or device to FitStudio.  If you already have a Shop Your Way Rewards account just sign up with FitStudio and get points for fitness activities like walking and running, and if you set goals, you'll earn points when you achieve those too.  I believe if you set a weekly goal and make it, you earn 5,000 points ... that's five bucks right there!

It's painless. You don't have to do anything at all with FitStudio after signing up and linking your Fitbit or other tracker, or smartphone fitness app , just keep logging those miles with your tracking device and watch the dollars add up in your Shop Your Way account. 

Shop Your Way Rewards dollars can be used both in store and online, and the points/dollars you earn with FitStudio do expire quickly, but it doesn't take long to earn enough for $5-10, and I'll take whatever I can get!  I don't normally shop at KMart or Sears at all, but I'll check my points every week or so to see how much I've accumulated, and if I have points expiring soon, I'll go ahead and pop in to KMart on my next trip to town and pick up something so as not to lose my points.

When spending your points locally, the cashier should be able to bring up your account by your telephone number, but for some reason my phone number is tied to someone else's old account, so I have to show my card with my account number/bar code to get proper credit.   Go ahead and print out your card to keep in your wallet in case something similar happens to you.

I never shop at KMart or Sears except when I get enough points worth stopping in for, but free is free, so why not take advantage of it?  Shop Your Way Rewards will also send you Surprise Points and good deals via email, bonus coupons and sales going on in various departments and the like, and I got a special 50% coupon to use with a $50 purchase this week because it's my birthday.  That's a nice savings if I have $50 worth of things to buy!  

If you shop online, you can also earn loads more points with Shop Your Way Rewards.  Click on 'shop' from the home page and see stores like Old Navy, Gap, DKNY, and others that will reward you with SYWR dollars.

So go ahead and sign up for Shop Your Way Rewards if you don't already have an account, then sign up with FitStudio and set some goals (for extra points), and start fattening your wallet while you get fit!

~ Marie Anne

P.S.  Another way to earn cash money while getting fit is with AchieveMint.  Read about AchieveMint here.  

Earn money with AchieveMint by working out

Some experts say that rewarding yourself for good behavior is one way to stay motivated to continue, like allowing yourself a treat when you lose a certain number of pounds, or if you work out every day, or make your goal of x number of miles per week.  What's even better is earning that treat by working out, but not having to pay for it yourself!  You can actually earn by working out with AchieveMint, a site that pays you for the miles you walk and run.

AchieveMint can access your running and walking activity through all sorts of trackers - Fitbit, Runkeeper, Map My Fitness, and scores of others.  Simply create an account when you click on AchieveMint and link whatever fitness tracking device you use to and you're off and running!

You'll earn points on AchieveMint for whatever fitness related activities you perform, and also for weighing yourself - it even gives you 20 points every day for sleeping if your device tracks that!  You won't really earn a mint with AchieveMint, but I'm ok with any amount of money an app will give me for doing something I do every day anyway.  You need 50,000 points to earn $50 and it won't happen overnight, but the more miles you log, the more points you will earn, so that's a great incentive to lace up your running shoes and get out there.  Money is a great motivator!

I've been a member of AchieveMint for several months and have earned almost 30,000 points so far, and I'm not stopping now!  I could use a new pair of running shoes and we all know those aren't cheap, so it seems fitting to put my first $50 from AchieveMint towards the price of new shoes.

What will you work towards?

~ Marie Anne


Update 11/16/2015:  I did very little in the way of exercise for a couple of months this summer, but I'm back on track now and earning more every day!  At the rate I'm going, I'll have earned my $50 gift card in probably about three weeks.  I'll be posting separately about how I earn more points every day, so keep an eye on this blog for future updates on this and other programs that pay you to exercise.

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

Tights for the win!

©Marie Anne St. Jean

It's been bitterly cold here lately, and I'm so thankful that I bought the treadmill when I did, because it's kept me moving when weather conditions would have had me sidelined.  I've not been doing any real long or strenuous workouts, usually just a mile or so at a time, sometimes just walking, sometimes warming up with a walk and breaking into a slow jog for part of it, but it beats burying myself on the couch under a blanket.

I wasn't sure I'd do much more today than normal, between Sunday school, church, and having to run out to tend to chickens in cold weather every two hours at a minimum, and those dishes in the sink won't wash themselves, but I climbed aboard and started putting one foot in front of the other to see where it might take me.

Let me back up a minute ... I was angry at myself for not doing laundry the other day because I found I didn't have any clean longjohns to wear today.  Not only is it chilly in here, but my sweatpants fit better with an extra layer underneath because they're all so big and baggy.  Thinking about what I might be able to substitute, I remembered I had some warm tights that I picked up at a bargain price somewhere online - they're sweater tights made by Chinese Laundry.  They're almost like leggings (but they're tights, so have feet) so I said what the heck, let me give them a try.  I put them on and they fit snugly like tights, but they're heavier and warm, so I decided to forego the sweatpants altogether and just wear a long sweatshirt over the tights and call it good.  I wasn't expecting any deliveries on a Sunday, so no worries about the FedEx or UPS driver catching me in something I'd rather not be caught wearing.

They felt good.  I felt good.

I started off at a walk and thought I'd try to get a mile or so in at a minimum, not really wanting to do much more after the big bowl of chili I'd just eaten for lunch.  After the warm-up at a walk, though, I started to feel a little frisky, so kicked into a slow jog.  When I saw the 20 minute mark coming up, I decided to go for 25, then 30 minutes, then 45, and oh why not ... let's see if you can get to 3 miles and a 5K, MA ... and I did!

3.2 miles at a 3.7 mph pace

I stopped at 3.2 miles to try to get a picture of the console, then started back up at a slow walk to cool down properly, and ended up with a full 60 minute workout when all was said and done.

Full hour, including warm-up and cool down

Now my jog is still a slow one - today's jaunt was a 3.7 mph pace after the walking warm-up - but I'm 57 years old, still overweight (but working on that!), and only started working out a couple of months ago after the knee injury more than two years ago.  That I'm doing anything at all is a blessing indeed, and I'm grateful for how far I've come, and every step that I'm able to take.

So I made two milestones today ... I completed the equivalent of a 5K in one workout (although the first half mile or so was at a walk), and I worked out for a full 60 minute stretch.  My next personal challenge will be do the full 5K at a jog, and I'll be doing that in support of the family of a former Marine I served with many years ago (separate blog post coming about that ... and I'll throw down the gauntlet in a challenge to all of you).

I honestly don't think I would have done as much today if I'd been wearing my sweatpants that feel cumbersome flapping around my legs.  The more comfortable I feel, the more motivated I am to do more, and I feel good about myself.  There's another whole blog post in my head on that subject, so I'll leave that for another time, and instead leave you with this:

This is how I felt after completing my workout today.  Enjoy!

~ Marie Anne

It's Not Always About a Number on the Scale

I weigh myself every morning, and I never know what I'm going to see when I step on the scale  because my weight can fluctuate .5 to 1.5 pounds from one day to the next, for no rhyme or reason.  I'll battle that same pound for weeks at a time - up, down - up, down - so that when I do go down that half pound, I'm ecstatic.  It's often short-lived, though,  as I'll be back up a full pound the next day.  Frustrating!

I live in sweatpants and sweatshirts here at home, which is a good thing because I hate shopping for clothes.  No matter how much weight I might lose, I'll always have the big butt, so finding anything to fit even when I was a skinny chick eons ago was always a challenge, and of course it got worse the older I got and more weight I gained.

I did splurge on a new pair of jeans before visiting my son and his family in NC in September, and noticed yesterday that they were a little loose.  Not hanging off me or anything, but definitely not snug like they were when new.  I didn't think too much of it because jeans can sometimes 'give' a little the more you wear them.  

I'm headed to NC again this week to spend an early Christmas with them and wanted a decent-fitting pair of slacks for the trip, so I headed to Kohl's after church today.  After much frustration at not being able to find anything at all in a size 16 that didn't look like it was designed for someone in their 20s, I almost gave up.  I did find one rack that had a pair that I thought would be appropriate for a more matronly figure, so snatched them up.  On a whim, I grabbed a size 14 also and marched off to the dressing room.  Well whatdya know ... the 14 fit better than the 16.  I was jumping for joy!

I had put several pair of jeans in storage bags in the closet some time back, figuring that I'd never get into them again, yet still wasn't quite ready to part with them entirely.  I'd tried them on a month or so ago and couldn't even get my leg in them.  I dug them out tonight and ta-da!  The first pair I grabbed now fits (except they're very long ... rats) - in fact, since they fit so well in the butt, they're actually a bit loose in the waist!  I also found a pair of black semi-dress pants that fit well.  I haven't worn the black slacks probably since I was working 8 years ago or better, and the jeans even before that - probably 10 years!  It's a good thing jeans and basic black slacks don't go out of style.

The long-forgotten size 14 jeans fit great!
©Marie Anne St. Jean

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I hate having my picture taken because I'm not photogenic at all, so the fact that I'm sharing this selfie with you tells you just what a big deal this is for me.

I've not been so good about staying low-carb as I should, and I've had days where I didn't get my daily 10,000 step goal with Fitbit, but I haven't let it stop me.  I get my butt back on the treadmill the next day and do a little more.  Pushing myself up and away from this desk and doing some serious walking every day is definitely paying off.  It hasn't happened overnight, but it IS happening.  The pounds are coming off slowly, but to be able to put on the size 14 jeans that I never thought would grace these hips again is the biggest motivator for me, not a number on the scale.

So, fellow fitness fanatics and weight-loss wonders, don't get discouraged, no matter what your number is.  If you keep walking, jogging, swimming, or whatever your exercise of poison is, you will reap the benefits of better health, and you will look and feel better, and the numbers will catch up when they're ready to.  Don't be tied to that number on the scale, just know that whenever you move, you're doing something good for yourself.  And you're worth it.

~ Marie Anne

Earn While You Burn With Walgreens Step Balance Rewards

Using SparkPeople to earn points for trophies and passing your Fitbit friends as you race to your goals are great incentives, but how about earning something more tangible from working out?  Walgreens will pay you in Balance Rewards that you can use for free products, just for weighing yourself and logging your workout every day.  You won't get rich overnight, but if you're going to work out and watch your weight, you might as well get a little something for doing so.

You can join communities of like-minded people on Steps, and also earn badges as you progress.  If you have FitBit or a similar device, link it to Walgreens Steps to accumulate Balance Rewards points automatically without even having to log in.

If you need an incentive to lace up your sneakers every day, the promise of earning while you burn might be just the motivation that you need.

~ Marie Anne