Road ID--it is awesome

Hey Everyone,
I just ordered one of the best products ever. It's called a Road ID - perhaps you've heard of it. If you haven't, go to their website and check it out. Road ID is a great product that could save your life someday.
When I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to my friends. Here's the coupon number:
Coupon Number: ThanksSarah9754643
The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order placed by 01/28/2012. To order, simply go to RoadID.com or click the link below:
http://www.RoadID.com/?CID=ThanksSarah9754643
If you prefer, you can call them at 800-345-6336.
You can thank me later,
Sarah
Oh by the way, their website is awesome, the customer service is outstanding, and the owners are very smart and good looking.

Okay--the real me here. Above is a 'form' note from Road ID. And I have no idea what their owners look like. But I will say this really is an awesome product and they really do have outstanding customer service. And even though this is geared toward 'athletes' this is something that is a really good thing to own even if you are just taking a walk through the neighborhood! Take my word for it. And use the coupon!!

The Road to Boston

Today starts my 16 week journey to prepare for the Boston Marathon. On April 16, 2012, I will run my 4th marathon. This is a journey I have taken before. Each one different, but each also the same. The time, the commitment, the pain, the nervousness. 16 weeks to break down the body, build it back up, and be one of thousands, hitting the streets for the time it takes each of us to run 26.2 miles. To finish the journey, sweaty, sore, the scent of gatorade and triumph surrounding all of us. This is my Ness. Today I begin the journey again.



In Pursuit,

Sarah

Letting Go

Big sigh.

Things don't always go according to plan, do they?

Plan: Continue to put in the time at a job that was ok (at least I like the company!) while pursuing a more fufilling career in personal training and nutrition. And because I like the company I work for, and because I don't think I'd be super stoked about working at a gym, come up with all kinds of good ideas on how to incorporate personal training into the corporate world.

Reality: Receive a promotion. In an area in which I have no experience or proper training. Work old job and new while they look for a replacement. Finally get replacement. Start working hard at new job. Realize that using your brain at work is really tiring. Realize that coming home after learning and thinking and doing all day and then studying? Not so much with the happening. Oh yeah, and fit in training for marathon #2 and still try to have a life. And on top of all of this? I like the new job. I find it interesting and stimulating and full of career launching possibilities.

So, I need to let go. I still want to be a trainer. I still want to learn more about nutrition. I still want to bring these into the company I like working for. But right now? Right now I have a new job that I like and need to put some focus on. I let go of my 'certificate by end of summer' timeline. Now I need to let go of time constranits in general and learn when I can.

Plan 2: Start a kick butt blog full of healthy living type tips and advice. Follow a self imposed schedule and topic format. Stick with it.

Reality 2: Same as reality 1. Tired brain does not make a good format for informational blogging. And plus? I'm still learning. As in, I'm not a font of ready information waiting to spill out of my finger tips. But I don't know what direction to take instead.

Time to let go. No one told me to blog 5 times a week about these topics and these topics only. And with the rest of the internet out there and ready to spill it's knowledge to the world, I certainly don't need to be the #1 source of anything. I will blog when I have time and when I have something to say. And maybe a pattern will emerge and maybe something kick butt will come out of this. Or maybe I'll just have a collection of posts representative of my journey to Ness.

If I'm not talking to myself (fully aware that I most likely am) feel free to chime in with what you'd like to see/read about/learn about etc. I'll do my best to please!

But for now? I'm taking a breath, and letting go.

Sugar Challenge Update

Well, it has been a solid two weeks that I've been working on this challenge, and I'm not any less frustrated at the foods that have added sugar! However, I have found that the longer I work toward avoiding sugar, the less I crave it, or the easier I find it to turn it down. But I am still consuming 80 to 100 grams of sugar (including natural) each day.

I really think that once June is over, I'm going to stop tracking sugar, only because it is hard to know what is "bad" versus "good". I know ice cream (which I turned down twice) is not good, neither are my favorites-jelly donut and butterfinger candy bars. But plain yogurt, dried fruit, seeds, bread, etc? Are we really doing our bodies a disservice by consuming these things? Sometimes I envision a life where I could grow everything myself, purchase local what I couldn't grow, keep all food natural, eat plenty of raw...And then I realize that I live in this world.

This world has me living in a climate with a very short growing season and with a budget that doesn't even allow me to purchase organic. This world includes a husband who would be perfectly happy if there were no veggies in our fridge. This world has me working instead of gardening, and has me living in an apartment where I couldn't garden even if I did have the time. This world also has weekends with the in-laws.

This past weekend was one of those. The mentality there is lots of food, lots of treats, no salads. I had my first soda in 2 weeks there because I got back from a long run and had no other quick liquid fuel than a coke. I did have a second soda last night, because I'm not good enough to finish a weekend healthy that started unhealthy. I ate a donut, I had pancakes & waffles with syrup. I tried strawberry fluff (which I had to stop eating because it was so sweet). I had candy. And it was no surprise then that my body started to feel sluggish and off kilter.

I do know that this was in part me succumbing to the elements of my food environment, but also had to do with my emotional state. I continue to work two jobs since they have not found a replacement for me to allow me to finish my promotion transition. While I still only put in 40 hours, the stress and trying to adjust to an earlier schedule is getting to me. I even wanted to skip all of my weekend workouts, after already being 3 miles behind for the week. I took such pride in the fact that I made all of my workouts through the first round of marathon training, and I just am not mentally there right now for this round. I did force myself out the door on Saturday with a "go as far as you want" mentality. I ended up doing 14 miles. I realized on the run that just going because I wanted was a better reset than laying on the couch. But I did take a rest day then on Sunday to give myself a chance to sleep in, and to allow my stomach to settle from the food the day before. Nothing worse than being on a run and needing a bathroom!

I know this had now turned into more of a regular/personal update than a sugar challenge update, but sometimes pursuing happiness means just getting it all out there. I have a long/busy/food filled week ahead of me, and I know that I just need to keep it scheduled, keep bad food portions small, and to just do my best in what I have in front of me.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Sugar Challenge Days 1-3

So far I have completed 3 days of my sugar challenge.  You can see what I ate here, here, & here.
The goal is 20 grams of sugar (outside of natural sources). I have failed miserably. I've had some trouble and frustration figuring out what is "natural" sugar. Removing the sugars in a plain apple is easy, but when I see that a cup of plain nonfat yogurt has 12 grams of sugar--is that all natural? And why on earth do companies have to add sugar to dried fruit?? And how much did they add?? And does sugar in seeds count?

I know this is my own challenge and I can figure it out as I chose, but it is still frustrating to see my numbers so far off goal. Monday I had 85 grams of sugar, 52 of them not 'natural' (It was actually more, but I don't know how much sugar was in my margarita...). 86 grams Tuesday with 52 not natural. Wednesday was better, I had 89 total, but only 30 after taking whole food sugars out.

However, looking at my food diary, I'm really proud of the choices I've made. Monday was homemade Mexican, and I made sure to keep my 1 taco as healthy as possible. And I kept the chips to a minimum and also only had 1 margarita. Not only that, but I didn't have soda OR popcorn at the movie we went to. It helped that it was a matinee and I had just had lunch, but I was still proud. Tuesday I went out for dinner and even though I don't have the exact nutrition information, I chose an option with a ton of veggies and I again avoided soda and had tea instead (unsweetened, natch). Wednesday found me on a walk with my husband where he decided to stop for ice cream, then buy soda later. I was able to turn down both.

Part of this will power is a desire to make a solid attempt, but part of it is that if I really think-do I want this, the answer so far has been 'no'. And really, if I am going to enjoy something like a margarita, it should be because I really want it, not just because it is there.

We'll see how the rest of the week goes, but so far I am feeling great and am glad that I've cut out a bunch of my processed foods.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Sugar Challenge

I am a firm believer in the "everything in moderation" mentality. However, in the taper leading up to my marathon, and in the two weeks since, I've really relaxed my eating standards and have majorly delved into some sugar cravings. I could explore reasons why I might have both craved sugar (I normally crave salt) and why I caved to the cravings, but the point is I did and I did.

And after cookies, candy, and cupcakes, I discovered something--my body doesn't really like sugar! The heartburn I kicked with healthy eating came back, my stomach started feeling queasy, and to share a tad too much information, I got really gassy. And I know that the high uptake in sugar was the culprit. The rest of my eating habits stayed largely the same.

So now this Monday begins round 2 of marathon training, and I had already vowed to make my diet the focus. I'm going to take that a step further and start out with a 30 day campaign to kick sugar. Now this doesn't mean I'm avoiding the stuff completely. Any natural sugar (fruit/milk) is okay. And the goal will be to stick with the recommended guidelines for consumption which is 5 teaspoons or 20 grams. Which is NOT a lot.

I think that this will start out by cutting the most processed of foods out. I currently have some homemade protein bites in my fridge with dates and almonds...and dark chocolate. I will eat these. I also have some chocolate protein powder that I want to start using as my morning snack with water (never tried this...but I have the powder and want to use it). But no more candy bars, no more cookies. Or at least none that will put me over the daily amount.

Will I be perfect right away? Of course not. And at the end of June I might still be going over 20 grams a day. But we can't make eating changes if we don't try. The one thing I am going to make an effort to eliminate all together is soda and sugary drinks. I almost always drink diet soda (I prefer the taste and the bonus of zero calories is a nice plus). However, I can see myself turning to diet soda or crystal light type drinks in an effort to curb cravings. And while I don't panic about what aspartame may or may not do to you, I don't want to avoid one thing by substituting its fake sister in large quantities.

As a side note, this challenge will be my blog topic for the next month. With summer schedules kicking in and the fact that I am working 2 jobs until they find my replacement really hampers my ability to blog in the rhythm I'd like. So to sum up:

May 30 to June 30~     *Track sugar intake
                                    *Attempt to avoid sugary snacks and drinks
                                    *Work toward staying within the '20g a day' guideline
                                    *No soda or sugary drinks

I'd love it if others of you would join me in the challenge. You can join in the comments section, or as always email me at pursuitofness@gmail.com

In Pursuit,

Sarah

The WHOLE Pursuit May 23rd

Today's whole food--sweet potatoes!

For some reason, people insist on taking these delightful tubers and adding sugar, fat, and marshmallows. I never really knew why I didn't like yams as a child, but it might be because I never got a chance to see how they actually tasted!

Tonight I made some healthy burgers (I'll share the recipe on Wednesday) and I wanted a healthy side to go with them. Sweet potatoes have become a staple in my house, so I thought I'd make up some "chips" as an alternative to french fries. I own a mandolin, so I was able to cut the potatoes quite thin. While this tool is nice, it isn't necessary. You can use a sharp knife to cut thin slices-the thinner the slice, the crispier the final product.

1 medium sweet potato covered two baking pans with a single layer of thin slices

*Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
*Lightly drizzle olive oil over slices
(1 tablespoon of olive oil per pan is sufficient)
*Season to taste--salt and pepper work great
*Bake approximately 5 to 10 min



Your baking time will vary depending on how thick your slices are and how crisp you want them. The most important thing is to keep a VERY close eye on them. I forgot this crucial step and ended up burning quite a few. But I did get a decent serving, and the chips were wonderfully crisp and even better, delicious!

*A complex carbohydrate
*High in Fiber
*High in vitamins A, C, and B6

Diet Dos and Diet Don'ts

First, a tip: For a quick tasty breakfast, take 1 cup milk, 2/3 cup frozen strawberries, and blend! I have an immersion blender with a separate blending cup which worked great! So quick and easy and only 150 calories!

Second, an update: RE: granola bars. I would recommend eating the homemade granola bars within 2 weeks, 3 tops. They don't get stale, but they do start to get overly moist and just lose the nice taste.

Now, for the main event! I'd like to share some diet Dos and Don'ts that have worked well for me. I hope you can find a tip or two that might help you eat better or lose weight!

• Do make a list of goals, both short and long term. Goals can be short and simple (today I will drink 100oz of water) or they can be long and tough (I will lose 50 pounds). Having small goals along the way to a big goal will help prevent you from getting discouraged at the long journey
• Do make 1 or 2 changes at a time. Start by cutting out soda (or something similar). Next add more water. Tackling something small and accomplishing it is helpful to both your body and mind.
• Do have a support system. Look for someone you are comfortable being accountable to. If you will become upset or angry if a spouse suggests NOT eating that third slice of pizza, maybe they won't be your best choice. Find someone that you can vent to, celebrate with, and who gets you and what you need to hear. The rest of your family and friends can help, but designating someone as your "buddy" makes the whole process seem doable.
• Do drink lots of water. Shoot for a minimum of 8x8 (8 8oz glasses). While there is no scientific evidence that 8 glasses of water is the optimal number, it is a good place to start. If you can move to 10 or more, you will be well on your way to keeping yourself well hydrated. This will keep your systems working properly, will help keep you feeling full, will improve your overall health and appearance.
• Do find tricks that work for you. Personally, I find tea (hot or cold, unsweetened), gum, and water to be easy fixes for keeping my mind off of jelly donuts. I keep a few kinds of gum around depending on what I may be in the mood for--sugary taste (berry flavors) or refreshing (cinnamon/mint). While these tricks are not as healthy, sometimes hard candy or diet soda helps too. I feel like I am getting a "treat" without having a 300 calorie candy bar or bag of chips. Find what works for you and keep it handy!
• Do believe in yourself. While statistics show a very low percentage of people actually keep off the weight they lost, it isn't because it can't be done. It can be done and it can be done by you! Regardless of your past success or failures, you need to believe in you today. Your own belief in yourself can push you through the hard times and give you the patience you need to succeed.

• Don't change everything at once. Deciding to eat only fruits and veggies, avoid all junk food, work out for an hour a day, and drink a gallon of water all on the first day (or even first months) is a sure fire way to fail. When you try too many new things at once it can become overwhelming and discouraging. You settle into the mind set of "why bother". Pick one and work at it (see the Do list)
• Don't make a "forbidden" list. Telling yourself you can't have a certain food can be counter productive and cause you to want more of it. Instead make an "alternatives" list. Want chips? Try air popped popcorn. Want candy? Try watermelon. The changes can be even smaller than that. Want chocolate? Try 1oz of dark chocolate to at least get the added health benefits. You may find that when you eat pizza, you overeat pizza. This might be a food that you decide to keep out of the freezer or throw away the take out menus for. But if you put it on a forbidden list, you will become frantic if a friend invites you out for a slice, or it is the only food option at the next kid's birthday party. And if you can practice self control and keep it to a serving size--enjoy the pizza!
• Don't get caught up in trends. Perhaps fewer carbs and more protein will work well for you. Maybe a low fat diet is best. Maybe you operate well as a vegetarian/vegan/gluten free/paleo/raw foods eater. I firmly believe that these eating patterns are best explored SLOWLY and ONLY after you have formed good habits in your current lifestyle. It may not be your ideal, but the standard food pyramid is a good place to start a healthy eating life. If you find later down the road, and after lots of research that an alternative works better for you, by all means go for it.
• Don't go to extremes. More is not always better. Less is not always better. It is not healthy to eat 1,000 calories a day while working out for 2 hours a day. Find a tool to help you determine the proper amount of calories you need to lose weight and stay close to the recommendation. Some tools will give you an amount to follow whether you exercise or not. Some will give you 'extra' calories to eat if you do exercise. Whichever plan you use, don't over do it and tax your body.
• Don't give up. You might have a bad patch. You might start out great and then falter. You might start slow and then soar later. You will never reach your goals if you give up trying. "The Miracle isn't that I finished, the Miracle is that I had the courage to start" (John Bingham)

In Pursuit,

Sarah

The WHOLE Pursuit May 2

Today I am attempting, for the first time ever, to cook an artichoke. This is a completely new territory for me. I can remember being a kid visiting relatives in Georgia and we had artichoke hearts with melted butter for dinner. I also remember them being delicious! Since then, I've had artichokes in all of their over used forms--pasta dishes, dips, pasta dishes, chicken recipes, pasta dishes...I tend to feel they are overused in pasta. I also know that you can find about 50 jars of artichokes in the canned food aisle, but I don't see them very often in the produce section. Or maybe I didn't know what I was looking at. Here is the artichoke I found for today's experiment:

The goal of the WHOLE pursuit blog is to explore foods that can be enjoyed as close to their natural form as possible, or with no processed ingredients present. Artichokes come from the thistle family, and only require a pot and some water to prepare. For such a simple set up, 1 artichoke provides:

• 7-10 grams of fiber
• 3-4 grams of protein
• Vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, potassium and manganese
• Less than 1 gram of fat
• Only 60 calories
• Properties that help lower cholesterol and clean out the liver

(http://www.livestrong.com/article/5282-need-health-benefits-artichokes/)

I did multiple searches on how to cook these, and found that boiling and steaming were the most popular options. I chose to steam mine. But first, preparing the artichoke:

1. Wash under cool water. Take time doing this. The formation of the leaves creates lots of spots for dirt to hide.
2. Cut off the tips of the leaves, any large tough outer leaves, and the stem. Trim off 1/2 inch to 1 inch off the top of the artichoke. The prepared artichoke should look like this:

1. In a large pot, add 2-3 inches of water. Whenever I steam anything, I always add a little garlic and lemon juice to the steam water. It provides a nice subtle flavor. Place steam basket in pot and add artichokes.
2. Cover and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and let steam for 25-45 minutes or until the outer leaves pull easily away. My artichoke took 35 minutes to steam. When leaves are tender, the artichoke is ready to eat!

How to eat an artichoke:


Pull off each leaf. I chose to have a side of butter with lemon juice

and fresh garlic. The white part of the bottom of the leaf is the edible part.Use your teeth to pull out the inner meat from the leaf, and discard the rest of the leaf. Continue to pull leafs until you get to the center of the
artichoke.

It will look like the picture to the left. The inner fibrous portion is not edible. However, it easily scoops out to reveal the tasty heart inside (picture on right)   While this took a little bit of time, it was incredibly easy, and tasty! Enjoy!



In Pursuit,

Sarah

What's next syndrome

I don't think I am alone in my affliction with 'what's next' syndrome. I hear lots of people lay out their plans weeks & months in advanced. And sometimes when someone is discussing a particular event they are looking forward to, they might finish by saying "but then nothing really after that" almost apologetically. As if they know we all have to have something that is next.

I'm done with my first week of marathon tapering. In two very short weeks, by this time I will be reveling in the soreness resulting from finishing a marathon. I've been working toward this for weeks and am very excited at the prospect of re-entering the marathoning world after such a long hiatus. But with my mileage decreasing, I've had some extra time on my hands and all I can think about is what I will do to make the fall marathon I run even better. I don't know what 'better' will be since I haven't run the first one, but my mind is contemplating which cross training activities or running strategies will make the fall race great. And it doesn't even stop there. I'm also thinking about what I'll do over the winter. I wasn't happy with the mileage I put in before starting training, so what do I need to do to be at a comfortable level this winter?

In September, Matt will be 1 year away from beginning his student teaching. Which means he will be 1 year & 1 semester away from graduating. And after that, we have to find out what he will do for work before he can teach the following fall. And then where will he teach?

And where does all of this fit in with plans to have kids? Buy a house? WHAT'S NEXT???

It's really quite exhausting when you realize how much mental energy goes into planning the future. And so often we get to the point we were waiting for and can't believe how quickly the time flew. Before I know it, we'll be house shopping and looking for baby clothes and I won't be able to believe that it was only x number of years since we were just waiting for...life.

All of this forward thinking can really get in the way of just living our life. If we are only worried about what comes next, we can never enjoy the now. I am constantly wondering what waking up an extra 15 minutes early might allow me to fit in work out wise this summer instead of enjoying the extra sleep I can get now.

This isn't a very helpful blog. I don't have an answer of how to live and enjoy each moment. Because even when I feel like I might be doing just that, I know somewhere in my mind the next thing will always be lurking. Even my title "Pursuit of Ness" calls to mind something that is always out there waiting for us. Maybe that isn't something we can change. After all, anticipation is sometimes greater than the reward. So maybe having something be 'next' is what keeps us moving forward. But today, I think I want to just pursue Now. I want this moment, this evening, this today. We don't have a guarantee for anything else, so let's try to enjoy what is already ours. Now.

In Pursuit (of now),

Sarah

Friday Factoids April 29

Today's factoid: CALORIES!

We know calories are in food. We know some food that tastes good has lots of calories. We know (or should) that to lose weight, we need fewer calories, and more calories can make us gain weight. But what exactly is a calorie?

calorie

Definition

cal·o·rie

[ kálləree ]

cal·o·ries

Plural

NOUN 

1. 

unit of energy: a unit of energy equal to 4.1855 joules, originally defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure water by 1º C. It has now been superseded by the joule in scientific usage.

2. 

larger unit of energy: a unit of energy equal to the heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of pure water by 1º C

3. 

unit of food energy: a unit of energy-producing potential in food, equal to one large calorie. This energy, if not used, is converted to fat and stored.

[ Mid-19th century. < French < Latin calor "heat" < calere "be warm" ]

Content above provided by

Encarta® World English Dictionary[North American Edition] © & (P) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

The quick and dirty is that calories provide us with energy. The more energy that we expend, the more calories you need. It takes energy to work, cook, clean, take care of kids, workout, pay bills, and do dishes. And that is after your body spends energy pumping your heart, working your brain, digesting, breathing, growing, and basically surviving!

Some additional points to consider:

• The amount of calories you need is different than what others may need. Your calorie need number is based on your age/sex/height/weight/muscle mass. You can google 'calorie counters' to find some websites that can make a good estimation, but it will only be an estimate.
• You need more calories the more you weigh. It takes more energy to run a larger object than it does a smaller one. Given that rationale, as you lose weight, you will need to eat less to continue to lose.
• 3,500 calories is equal to one pound. You can lose 1 pound a week by eating 500 calories less than needed or burning 500 calories more than normal or a combination of the two.
• Our bodies are unique and fickle. It takes time and patience to change them. The more you have of both, the more successful you will be.

Information on calories could cover a months worth of blog posts, so we will keep it simple for today. If you want some more information or guidelines, check out http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/healthieryou/contents.htm

This is a simplistic, yet extensive overview on approaching good health with both information and tools to help you achieve your goals.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

My Story

This was me. At my highest weight, I was 21 pounds over the upper number of my weight category. I clocked in at 171 pounds. I tried to tell myself I wasn't that big. I tried to say that I was active. I tried to say I was happy. Some of those things are partially true. I still fit in any seat. I ran on a semi-regular basis. I'm a generally happy person. But I needed to change. The first time I can remember really trying to lose weight was before my junior year of high school. Partly I really wanted to train hard over the summer to be ready for cross country, and partly I thought I needed to lose weight. I think I weighed 130-140. Oh to go back and shoot a little reality into my head! I did train hard, and I did lose weight, getting down to 119 pounds. I felt awesome. But once cross country was done, I slowly started letting the weight build. It got to the point where I overhead someone say I was fat. I believe I weighed 145 pounds. At least I wasn't the only one who was ridiculous. College came and I no longer had parents planning meals that included all of the basic food groups. My new food groups were "quick" and "tasty". I continued to run, and even finished a marathon in 2006. I know I developed some good muscle, and many thought I had lost a lot of weight, but I know I was around 160 pounds. Life intervened and so did excuses, and I didn't do any serious training after the marathon. I was still running, but I was no longer 'lean'. I believe I may have got my weight down to 150ish in time for my wedding in 2009, but I didn't let the indulgence stop after I got home from the all-inclusive honeymoon. By the end of 2009 I had reached my highest weight and my lowest point. For some reason playing in the 160s was okay, but seeing 171 on the scale made me realize it was time to do this for good. I knew in the past, that my only semi-successful attempts at losing any weight came from counting calories. This approach may not be right for everyone, but I knew it worked for me. I did some searching and found My Fitness Pal. After struggling a bit through the end of December 2009, I made a serious commitment to using the site on January 13th, 2010. My starting weight then was 168 pounds. Not only did I make a vow to watch my food intake, but I let myself love running again, training for several 5ks and a half marathon in 2010. By the end of 2010, I had met my goal and weighed 131 pounds. I was me again.

This is me today. I now fluctuate between 125-128 pounds. I am 16 days away from running a marathon--my first since 2006. I can do 37 push ups. I can hold 'crow' in yoga. All of which I am very proud of, but the thing I'm happiest about? I'm happy. Truly.

So besides being happy, what else has changed? There are superficial things--I like looking in the mirror, I like the compliments, I like shopping for clothes. But the superficial things won't be what motivates me to maintain this weight. My motivation is discovering how much I love to cook. How much I love healthy food. How much I love learning about which foods are good for you and why. My motivation is my new confidence. The confidence to run a marathon. The confidence to decide to be a personal trainer. The confidence to continue to pursue Ness. And my motivation is wanting to encourage and help others in their own journey. Those are the reasons I will stay fit and healthy.

I wish I could say why this effort 'stuck'. But honestly, I don't know. I had the knowledge on how to eat healthy, I already liked the exercise, but what clicked to make them combine successfully? I don't know. It might have been seeing 171 on the scale. It might have been where I was in my life--happily married and in a non stressful job. Whatever bit of luck came my way to enable me to put in the hard work, I'm grateful for it.

For those who may want to start their own journey to Ness, or those who have already started but are still working, and for those who have achieved success--it is inside all of us to take control of our lives and be happy. Find your motivation, find your tools, and pursue Ness with reckless abandon.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Bathroom Breaks

Many of us find ourselves in sedentary jobs. Sitting for 8+ hours a day, fingers getting more of a workout than anything else. It can be frustrating to get in a good workout in the morning only to sit all day long. Or to sit all day long and then try to find the energy to workout afterwards. I have found several exercises that I can do while on a bathroom break that either get the heart rate up, provide some strengthening, or both! Here are just a few suggestions:

• Lunges (take one large step forward, lowering your body so your front knee makes a 90 degree angle and your back knee is an inch or so off the floor. Make sure to keep your front knee behind your toes!)
• Squats (lower body like you were sitting in a chair. Get as close to 90 degrees as possible without letting your knees go past your toes)
• Push Ups (I have a clean individual bathroom so I don't mind getting on the floor for these, but against a wall/stall door works too!)
• Crunches (again, don't mind being on the floor for these, but if your bathroom is gross <or public> try clenching your ab muscles, then releasing. You can even do this at your desk!)
• Air Boxing (crouch into a squat, tighten your abs, and box! Keep it quick and tight)
• Side Lunges (take a wide step to the left and lower body down. Your left knee should be at 90 degrees, your right leg should be in a straight line. Push back to start and repeat on right side)
• Bicep Curls (best done with some type of weight. I found bottles of soap to use!)
• Triceps Extensions (also best with some weight. Raise arms straight up, then bend elbows to lower forearms behind you, go back to start)
• Shoulder Presses (with weights, put your arms out and at 90 degrees like a goal post, press up, then lower)
• Calve Raises (raise up on your toes, then lower, repeat)
• Jumping Jacks (like in gym class!)

I happen to be in an open work space, so that is why I'm suggesting these moves to be done in the bathroom instead of at a desk. But if you have the freedom to do them in your office, all the better! I try and do 10 to 20 reps of 2 or three moves so I don't take up the bathroom longer than necessary. But by the end of the day, I could easily end up with 100 reps or more!

While at your desk, you can also do some simple stretches, or flexibility moves. Try flexing then pointing your toes, spell the alphabet with your toes, do ankle circles, twist in your chair to stretch out your back.

If you have the ability, you can take it to the next level by replacing your chair with an exercise ball, or better yet, create a standing work station. Walk around the office if it is big enough, or use stairs if you have them. Some additional ideas can be found here: http://exercise.about.com/cs/exerciseworkouts/l/blofficeworkout.htm

Don't let the office chair hold you back!

In Pursuit,

Sarah

When Life Happens (or Ostrich vs Squirrel)

Life Happens.

That is the lesson for today. It is one I am continually trying to learn. I have a special mix of type A perfectionism/OCD that sometimes makes me less flexible than I'd like to be. This blog being the example du jour. I was working on developing a pattern that partly by chance and partly by design resulted in my blogging every day except Tuesday and Saturday. Monday's were the "WHOLE Pursuit" blogs, Fridays were "Factoids" and Sundays were a weekly wrap up.

This past Sunday was Easter, spent with my family for the whole day. I could have stepped away from everyone to blog, but I didn't want to. I don't get to spend nearly as much time with them as I'd like so I wasn't going to spend the time I did have blogging.

Yesterday was a little busy, and my venture into homemade french fries was a little more time consuming than normal, so I didn't get around to it.

What I wanted to do was put up a quick note here saying that I was busy this week and would resume normal blogging on Sunday. I am busy this week, but my real desire to 'take a break' was because I'd broken routine. I didn't do my Sunday/Monday installments so I couldn't just pick it up mid-week! For those that may have followed my old blog, you know this isn't a new issue for me.

But I/we can learn from this. When life gets in the way we can become an ostrich. Stick our head in the sand and wait for the tough times to pass. We can wait and hope that next time things will be better. We can ignore our own accountability and blame the outside forces.

Or we can be a squirrel. Those suckers just don't give up! They can fall off the same feeder day after day after day. They still come back and try again. And even once they've mastered the system, they might still fall one day. They just go back to start and try again. I don't think any of us can imagine a squirrel saying "I'll wait until next week".

Today I resolve to not let Life get in the way of action. I vow to accomplish as much as I can despite the day of the week or what happened yesterday. Today, I will be a squirrel.



In Pursuit,

Sarah

Friday Factoids April 22

For those who celebrate--Happy Earth Day and Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend all!

This Fridays Factoids are about exercise. The US Department of Health and Human Services released guidelines in 2008 for the first time ever. Can we take a moment to wonder why it took until 2008 for anyone in the government to explore what amount of exercise our obesity riddled nation should shoot for? While it was long overdue, the results are in:
(pulled from http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/factsheetprof.aspx)

Children and Adolescents (aged 6–17)

• Children and adolescents should do 1 hour (60 minutes) or more of physical activity every day.
• Most of the 1 hour or more a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
• As part of their daily physical activity, children and adolescents should do vigorous-intensity activity on at least 3 days per week. They also should do muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activity on at least 3 days per week.

Adults (aged 18–64)

• Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.

Older Adults (aged 65 and older)

• Older adults should follow the adult guidelines. If this is not possible due to limiting chronic conditions, older adults should be as physically active as their abilities allow. They should avoid inactivity. Older adults should do exercises that maintain or improve balance if they are at risk of falling.

Now these guidelines seem (even to me) to be asking a lot of children, especially since funding continues to be cut in physical education programs in schools. However, that mentality is exactly the issue. We need to make time! And if parents were physically active with their children, they would meet their requirements as well! However, according to a study done by Cooking Light magazine and posted on CNN Health (http://articles.cnn.com/2007-01-26/health/cl.healthy.habits_1_exercise-three-drink-lower-fat-milk-high-fat-foods?_s=PM:HEALTH)

• 6 percent of Americans adults get 30 minutes of exercise a day
• 22 percent exercise three to four times per week
• 19 percent walk or bike instead of taking transportation
• 41 percent take the stairs whenever possible
• 33 percent regularly park their cars farther from their destination to get in extra walking

Today-get your 30 minutes in. Leave your car at home in honor of Earth Day. Walk your errands. Get Active! We can change these statistics!

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Tips for Beginning Runners

So you want to run, do you? Great! Running is an excellent way to burn calories, develop endurance, and improve your cardiovascular health. Which ever reason you choose to begin on this journey, you are probably wondering where to start. After all, we can't turn ourselves back into the 5 year olds that ran with abandon and just because. Our bodies need a little more care and attention. And when you begin to run, it can be tough. Follow these tips to try and make it easier so you stick with your program.

1. Buy good shoes. The best thing you can do is go to a store that specializes in running shoes. Their employees are trained to ask you the right questions, measure your feet, watch you run (on a treadmill or stretch of hallway), and get you into a pair of shoes that will work for you. The greater Milwaukee area can check out InStep. If you don't have access to a specialty store, at the least, do some research and find a local department store or online store you can purchase from. Runner's World has some great links for you to begin your research. A pair of shoes with the right features is a priceless addition to any training program. Keep your feet happy, your body will be happy too.
2. Find comfortable clothing. Notice I said 'find', not 'buy'. You are more than welcome to shop till your hearts content for tech fabric tops/bottoms/bras/socks/jackets/fuel belts/etc. If your wallet can take it, go for it. You'll look nice and you will be comfortable. But it is not necessary to begin a running program. The most important feature of your clothes is that they fit and they are weather appropriate. Yes, your old high school tshirts and basketball shorts will work. So will your sweatpants. So will your hoodie. Find something that feels comfortable, and get out the door! NOTE: One thing you may hear about, or experience is chafing. This is not fun. And it is not only for beginning runners. But one of my all time favorite running 'tools' is Body Glide. Like a stick of deodorant, you apply it wherever you think you might chafe, or have chafed in the past. (Ladies, think under the band of your sports bra, guys; nipples). Apply and you will be thankful!
3. Go Slow. When you start to run, if it feels like you are going slowly, go slower. This will allow you to not only finish your workout, but will give you a place to improve from. If you have never run before, if it has been ages since you ran, if you are afraid of running; try a walk:run ratio. Jeff Galloway trains people through marathons using a walk:run ratio. And he is a great resource for beginners.
4. 30 minutes. 30 minutes should be the starting point for your workout. Don't do more, don't do less. Get out the door for 30 minutes, starting with 2 or 3 times a week, eventually working up to 4 or 5. Depending on your level of fitness, this 30 minute block may start out 100% walking. This is 100% acceptable. Once you are comfortable walking for 30 minutes, add in some running periods. Try 4 minutes walking, 1 minute running. (or 30 seconds running). Each week, slowly chip away at the time spent walking and increase the time running. Again, Runner's World and Jeff Galloway can break down day by day plans for you.
5. Ask Questions. I have been running for 14 years and I still have questions when it comes to running. Questions about hydration, fuel, gear, injuries, stretching, or general "does this happen to anyone else" are common and normal. Find someone you can ask these questions to. Ask me. You can email me at pursuitofness@gmail.com Or join an online group for runners. Find out if your specialty store has fun runs or events where you can connect with other runners. Ask a buddy who runs. Keep asking and keep learning!
6. Have Patience. You most likely won't be able to run for 30 minutes right out the door. You may get sick one week and have to repeat a week in your program. You may find a week that is particularly tough and will need to repeat it a few times. You may feel that your breathing will never get easier. Every runner goes through this. One of the key steps to becoming a runner is to stick with it. Keep going, and be patient. You will get there.
7. Have Fun. This is the most important tip of all. Running should be fun! You should want to do this. You should enjoy the moment. Not every moment, and not all the time, but if you don't have fun running, you won't stick with it--and you shouldn't. Be patient enough to let the fun come to you.

"Life's a journey, enjoy the run"


In Pursuit,


Sarah

Find Your Happy Place

It is April 20th, 35 degrees outside, cloudy, chance of rain and/or snow, and a forecast that tells me things aren't going to get much better anytime soon. It is time to go to my Happy Place.

This past weekend, the wonderfulness that is Lululemon, sponsored TWO classes at their studio. There was the 9a.m. yoga per usual, but there was also an additional class at 8a.m. taught by Shannon of Squeeze. A few years back, I worked with Shannon while she was opening her first studio. She gave me some great workouts and tips, some of which I credit for my own success in weight loss and fitness. I took the chance to re-connect with her, knowing that she'd be a great resource as I begin my own journey into the trainer world. This is how I found out that she'd be doing a kettlebell class at Lulu, and I knew I would be in for an awesome workout. I was not disappointed.

As Shannon worked us through a circuit of various moves, each more brutal than the last, I kept my eyes on Shannon's fellow Squeeze trainer, Karen. It is always pleasant when you have a reference point close by, especially when trying something new. But the best part about Karen is that she talked me through a particularly tough ab section. As I struggled, wondering when the timer would give out it's blessed beep, she kept on encouraging me to push through, hold on, and do it. But my true moment of clarity was when she said-"Go to your happy place!". Here I am, sweaty, tired, and struggling, and yet when she said "go to your happy place", the first thought that popped in my head was "THIS is my happy place". The shocking realization that I was EXACTLY where I wanted to be, pain and all, got me through the move, and the rest of the class.

This moment has been sticking with me ever since. I know people think that my enjoyment in exercise makes me a little kooky. I know 'pain' isn't fun for most people. But I do think that we all need to be able to find our own Happy Place. Maybe you are lucky enough to already know what it is. Perhaps it will hit you out of the blue, like it did for me.

And maybe you know what you want your happy place to be, but don't think you have it yet. After all, we all believe that if we can just do A, B and C will fall into place and we will finally be who we want to be. We need to stop that mentality. We need to find today's Happy Place. We need a spot, a thought, a technique that we can turn to when the rest of life (or in my situation, Mother Nature) starts to beat us down. We need our touch point to lead us through to the other side.

Start to pay attention to your happy moments. Take notice when you really feel at peace. If it is fixing a car, or drinking some wine by the fire, volunteering, or working out. Identify your happy place, and call it forward the next time it is 35 degrees on April 20th (or fill in your bad moment here).

In Pursuit,

Sarah

The WHOLE Pursuit April 18

Today's WHOLE food experiment--juice!!

This picture isn't a completely accurate one as far as ingredients go, but I was almost done making the juice before I remembered to grab my camera. What I did include was: Spinach (about 2 cups), Frozen berries (thawed), mixed, about 1 1/2 cups, and 2 apples (same size as the picture).

The verdict? So so. I have heard such great things about "green" juice, and homemade juice in general. I was a little disappointed with this experiment. I think a big part of it was my juicer. I spoke with a co worker who has a juicer she said was basically a blender, so she adds lots of water and keeps all of the pulp of the food. Mine has a push tube into a strainer with all of the pulp going in one bowl, and all the juice into another. The frozen berries came with some of their own juice, and they 'juiced' the easiest. 2 cups of spinach only got me a dribble of green, and two apples didn't seem to add that much to the mix either. But my biggest hang up is what I found in the pulp bowl. There was so much un-juiced food, I felt like I was wasting it by dumping it out. Besides the stems of the spinach, there was a lot of berry and apple pulp that I felt could have been broken down more. And without trying to add the pulp in for a second round, I was left with not enough juice and too much garbage. The juice did taste fine, although I mainly tasted the berries. And it was a nice addition to my breakfast this morning.

Anyone that could add input on how to make this better and/or less wasteful, I'd really appreciate it! And I may try the experiment again, but if the results don't change, I think I'd rather stick to smoothies--not a whole food if you add yogurt or juice, but at least I won't waste anything.

Adventures in Goal Setting

This weeks recap is about setting goals. Making the decision to change something or go after something. The great thing about setting a goal is that it can be absolutely anything. Maybe you will wake up tomorrow and set a goal, just for the day, to drink 8 glasses of water. Or make someone smile. Or finally sign up for that class you've been talking about. It is one action for one day. Probably something that is pretty easy to accomplish.

Sometimes your goals will be bigger--lose weight, go back to school, climb Mt. Everest. Goals like this take time and planning. And maybe you don't even view your change as a goal, and instead set an intention. Set an intention to change an attitude. Or ask for help in something you can no longer do on your own.

Whatever goal or intention you set, you make the decision to take a leap into the unknown. Even a daily goal as simple as drinking more water requires faith that you can do it. After all, if it were easy, you wouldn't need to set a goal to do it! Granted, the leap gets bigger the bigger the goal, but a leap is always needed.

Now maybe you have set the same goals multiple times and have yet to achieve them (notice the distinction between the saying of 'yet to achieve' vs 'failure'). And maybe you have even identified some of your obstacles that have stopped your achievement in the past. This might make your next leap easier, but it might not.

I do believe though, that before you take that first step toward any goal, you need to have a reason. Something to turn to when it gets tough. You need passion or reason, or your goal just turns into words. This week, I've spoken with people who are all taking steps in the directions of their own goals. Each has a different purpose, a different approach, and a different end game. But the first leap is always the same. And I wish I could say that you end up on solid ground once the leap has been taken, but if that were true, the leap wouldn't be so scary.

Today I needed to run 12 miles in my training program. The day was cold and windy. I was feeling lazy. I had other things to do with my day. Basically I was feeling whiny and petulant. But my goal is to run a marathon in 4 weeks. My passion is running. My reasons are varied and ever changing. So even though I was mentally stomping around the house while I pulled on my running clothes, my passion and reason got me out the door and got me one step closer to my goal.

Find your passion, list your reasons, and take your leap.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Friday Factoids April 15

Today's factoids come from ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer 

As you in the blogosphere know, I am pursuing my certification from ACSM to become a personal trainer. My materials have arrived, I've looked over what they sent me, and I started reading. Page 4 of the very first chapter told me this:

• "In 2007, only one state (Colorado) had obesity prevalence less than 20%" 1 state! 20%. We line up 100 people from Colorado, 20 of them will be obese! And this isn't even 'overweight'! 20 out of 100 people in Colorado have a BMI over 30. And that is the best we can do.
• "Thirty states had obesity prevalence between 25% and 29% of the population, and three of these states had obesity prevalence greater than 30%"
• "When one includes overweight in addition to obesity, an astonishing 66% of American adults and 32.1% of children are overweight or obese."

Astonishing is right. This is why I want to be a trainer. We can't continue to live in a society that cuts physical education for kids, that continues to just make things bigger instead of making people smaller, and that treats proper nutrition and education on nutrition as a threat to the economy! We all need to do our part in making us healthier. We need to take steps each and every day in this direction. My goal is to become as educated and informed as I can so that I can spread the message. My step today is this blog, and the studying I will do. It is a small step, but we can't get anywhere if we just sit there. Take your step today.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

...and I couldn't stop eating them...

I found myself saying these words today. Words that I'm guessing at least 80% of people have said. For some people, it might just be a reference to how delicious something was. For dieters it is said with a baffled look that seems to say "I was doing so good on my diet until those Pringles came along and sabatoged me!".

Unfortunately I'm going to have to call BS. On me especially. I roll my eyes when I hear all of the excuses that are produced for not eating right or not exercising. No time, don't like veggies, too out of shape; whatever it is can be overcome with a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, and a lot of patience. And part of my eye rolling is because I put in the work, lost the weight, and have kept it off. But I had bad days, weekends, weeks, meals, etc. I wasn't perfect but I continued to pick myself back up and keep plugging on.

Now that the weight goal has been acheived, I still struggle with bad days, weekends, weeks, and meals. I struggle with trying to find out the best way to fuel my body as I put it through a rigourous training program. I struggle to continue to eat clean, whole foods while keeping a budget, life, and picky eater husband in focus. But while I can empathize with these struggles, I know that is still comes down to a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, and a lot of patience. That's why I mentally slapped myself once I realized that I had actually said--out loud to someone--"I couldn't stop eating them". The 'them' being the jelly beans my husband bought last night.

It all started with him having a craving for them. I told him I'd been craving them for weeks but hadn't done anything about it. That was the only push he needed to buy a bag. I started out well and only had a serving for 'dessert'. But somewhere in between dessert and bed time, I proceeded to polish off a good chunk of the bag. I wasn't hungy. I wasn't even really taking the time to enjoy and savor them. And I even had to get up and walk across the room each time I wanted to get another handful! I can talk about the platitudes of "my body needed more calories" or "you give your body sugar, it craves sugar". Maybe, or maybe I lost control.

But it was mine to lose. It is my finger on the trigger, and I pulled it to blow away my good food day. "I couldn't stop eating them" was not true. I chose to continue to eat them. I chose to consume the extra calories, fill my body with junk, and turn off any part of me that might have said "STOP". Those poor defenseless jelly beans had no blame in how I consumed them. The jelly bean makers had no blame. My husband who bought them had no blame. Even my issues with food had no blame. I have it all. I chose. I don't mean to sound overly harsh or brow beating of myself, but only want to point out that maybe if I continued to recognize my power over my decisions, I would make better ones in the future. Maybe if I stop making excuses, I can start taking action toward a better life. Maybe if I realize that this was one time, one day, one slip, I can move on and forget it. Because while we have the power to avoid making the bad decision to begin with, we also have the power to not let the same decision control us.

And with a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, and a lot of patience, we can all get closer to Ness.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Community

I've been thinking a lot lately about the various communities I am a part of. It is really eye opening when you stop to think of all of the ripples that you are responsible for starting...

I started thinking about this while working on ideas for a blog on the happiness of Ness. There are lots of things that make me happy, but two big ones are running--always first in my life, and yoga. I enjoy all forms of exercise, and will try anything I can, but if I had to chose something to do for the rest of my life, running and yoga would be it. And at first I found it interesting that I have gravitated to two activities that are so solitary. I see myself as a fairly outgoing and friendly person, yet I chose to exercise alone. But when I really began thinking about it, I realized that I am anything but alone. I may head out the door at 5a.m. all by my lonesome, but I know which runners will be out there with me to exchange a 'good morning' or a simple head nod. And one of my favorite things about Milwaukee summers is the vast amount of people that are all sweating it out down by the lake, logging in the miles. And for me, there is nothing better than being at a race, surrounded by people who all have the same goal and have worked hard in similar manners to get there. We become one, our own sweaty community of runners.

Yoga is a little different for me. I practice sparingly at home (something I plan to do more of), but I take advantage of the opportunity to participate in a free class each week at Lululemon. This class is usually so full, we are lucky to get an inch of space between our mats. And I love it! When I think of my yoga practice, I turn inward--thinking about my meditation, my ability in poses, my intentions that I bring to the mat. But the energy in the room that is filled with 50 people all doing the same thing is so fulfilling, and, well, energizing!

My point in all of this; in contemplating my happy place, I found something bigger and better than I imagined. We are surrounded by communities. Not just geographically, but in every area of our life. We each belong with friends, family, faith, recreation, work, ideals, and even blogs. And while this can be a wonderful and awe inspiring thing to feel this sense of connectedness, it brings a level of responsibility to our life. What you do, how you act, and the decisions you make are all effecting at least one of your communities.

Use this thought to find your own happiness. Choose the communities you want to be a part of, and plant your own original, wonderful seeds of you! Whether it is big or small, the impact is already there. Embrace it and let it come back to you in your own pursuit of Ness.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

The WHOLE Pursuit April 11

Inspiration for this title again from Erica at Between a Rock & a Hobby

I am planning on another weekly feature on my blog called 'The WHOLE Pusuit', it being a feature on whole foods and how easy and tasty they can be to prepare! Today will be...Brussels sprouts and beets! Doesn't that sound tasty?? For some of you, you are thinking probably not. And actually, my intention for whole food exploration was going to be artichokes, but the local grocery store did not have any. However, they did have some organic beets and Brussels sprouts. I have not had beets nearly as often as I'd like since discovering that I actually like them, and I've never had Brussels sprouts. This should prove to be an interesting experiment! I have a weird hang up about avoiding too many similarities in my meals, so I wanted to make sure the beets and Brussels sprouts were prepared differently enough. I decided to do a salad with the beets, however, the actual preparation of the beets was ridiculously simple.

Heat oven to 450, slice beets, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper, and bake! Baking time will be about 7-10 minutes depending on your desired level of tenderness. If you would like, beets can be served as is, nice and hot. I chose to let the beets cool before adding them into a salad. The salad wasn't anything fancy and took advantage of what I had on hand-spinach, cucumber, tomato, basil, dried dill, and rice vinegar (1 tablespoon). Adding the beets with the residual olive oil gave the perfect coating for the salad and was the perfect combination of flavors! For those that may not like beets, this is a way to try them while incorporating other flavors to hide the delicious earthiness of beets.

So the beets were easy. I got a chance to try something new while using all whole foods making this a healthy and delicious side. But now for the Brussels sprouts. I was a little nervous about trying out a food that has a reputation of being hated by all. But they are so cute, and the recipe I found seemed so easy...

Clean the Brussels sprouts, trim off the stems and cut in half length wise. Lightly coat each Brussels sprout half in olive oil while heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Place Brussels sprouts cut side down in a single layer in the heated pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover. Heat until tender, about 5 minutes. When cooked through, remove cover, sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, turn up heat for a minute or two to brown and crisp the cut side of the sprouts. Do a quick toss of the pan to coat with the cheese and lightly brown the round side of the spout. And enjoy! I couldn't believe how delicious these were! Definite success in trying a new food, and another great recipe to try and incorporate more whole foods into our diet.

Mmmmmm!

Worry or Live?

I have so many ideas about where to take my new adventures in the world of Ness, many of which focus on this blog. I had my husband Matt do an evaluation of the blog and throw some ideas my way and he came up with a 'weekly recap' blog post. Today is the first one! The idea is to talk about what I might have encountered during the week, or what might have been a struggle, or just general thoughts. This weeks recap is about worry.

For 13 weeks I have been training for my marathon. This marathon is important to me for many reasons. It is my 'comeback' marathon after running one in 2006 and not since. It is a good bookend to my journey of the past year. It is a good starting point for the running related goals I have for the future. And it is a chance for me to prove to myself what I'm capable of. In 2006, I ran 26.2 miles in 4 hours and 56 minutes. Now I've been training on pace for at least a 3:45 time.

But all of this means that my workouts are very important to me. In 13 weeks I have not missed a single running workout. I've run through all types of cold and snow and ice. Now this week I was gearing up for my first 20 mile run of the training program. That in itself is stressful enough. 20 miles is really far! But what made this week tough is that today it was supposed to be 80 degrees with severe thunderstorms. In the morning. When I was supposed to be running.

The temperature predictions steadily climbed over the week, from a high of 50 on Monday to a high of 80 by Friday-but always with the storms. And while I knew running for almost 3 hours in the rain wouldn't be pleasant, at least it wouldn't be dangerous. But thunder and lightening? That is another story. So I spent my week worrying and stressing over what I would do if the weather was awful. Could I really bring myself to do 20 miles on the treadmill when I hate treadmills in general? And what would I wear? How soaked will I be willing to let myself get? My worry got so bad, I started to resent anyone who talked about the weather this week. Everyone started planning on BBQs and flip flops and I'm biting my nails just praying for 3 hours of calm so I can get in my run. I went and bought a new coat I hoped would keep a chunk of the rain off of me. I started thinking of back up plans if it was storming at my planned run time of 7a.m. It got so bad that I dreamt of an awful run where I wasn't prepared for ANYTHING. And guess what happened? It didn't rain. Not a drop. I've now been done with my run for 7 hours and it STILL hasn't rained.

Which brings me back to the topic of my post. Should we really spend our time worrying about things that are out of our control, or should we just live? My worry had no effect on Mother Nature what so ever. My stress helped no one. And as I told my friend Erica of Between a Rock & a Hobby "plans are overrated". Or as I've been more prone to say-"God laughs when you make plans". It was probably smart to get a rain jacket. And it was probably smart to have a back up plan as far as timing went, but it wasn't smart to let myself be consumed by worry. It is ineffective and doesn't help. So my goal this week in Pursuing Ness is to let the worry go. Just live life and let what happens happen. In other words, become a walking cliche of happy bubbles. Well, maybe not going that far, but at least let the worry go. I challenge all of you to do the same. Even if you can find one moment where you are letting the worry take over, let it go. Tell yourself that it will all work out. Or try and put it out of your mind all together. We all have the choice. Worry? Or Live?

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Granola Bars!

In a continued effort to improve on the 'well' of ness, I decided to tackle homemade granola bars. It's ridiculous at how easy this was. And I had all of the ingredients already in house! So really, these were free granola bars--and they are better than any store bought ones I've had. Enjoy!

Ingredients:                                                 

* 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats                

* 1 cup whole wheat flour                          

* 2 t vanilla                                                   

* 1 t baking soda                                                  

* 2 1/2 T flaxseed                                        

* 1/4 c honey                                                

* 1/2 c applesauce                                        

* 1/3 c brown sugar                                     

* 3/4 c coconut

Optional:

* 1/2 cup raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit

* 2 scoops protein powder

Directions:

 * Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F

* Lightly grease 9x13 pan

* In large bowl, mix all ingredients except coconut and optional ingredients

* Add in remaining ingredients and mix well

* Lightly press mix into pan and bake for 20min

* Let cool for 15 min, cut into 24 bars

* Cool completely before eating or storing

Tips:

For this attempt, I added raisins and 2 scoops of the chocolate protein powder I had in the house. Once I had everything mixed together, it seemed a little dry so I added 2 T of olive oil. I made a second batch, but I think I was a little short on the applesauce, and I didn't add anything else to compensate so the second batch was a bit more crumbly than the first. I think the next time I make these, I will use 3/4 cup applesauce and no olive oil. Besides cutting down on the fat slightly, I think the extra moisture will help with the 'mixing' of the ingredients. There was a bite or two where one ingredient really stood out instead of a uniform flavor.

**For my friends on MFP, these are in the database under 'Sarah P's Homemade Granola Bars**

*Credit for base of recipe-EHow*

In Pursuit,

Sarah