100 Mile Fitness Challenge 2 Sign-Ups (Sticky)

Hi, I'm Trish. I'm a 28 year old gal from Dallas, Texas, and I need some motivation working out.

In October 2009 I proposed an online fitness challenge and had over 85 people officially sign up and now I’m proposing that YOU join the 100 mile challenge with us as we move into Round 2.

Here’s how it works:
In order to complete this Challenge, you will need to “travel” 100 miles from January 1st through March 31st.

Here's how you calculate your mileage:
*Running or walking 1 mile outside or on a treadmill equals 1 mile.

*15 minutes of other workouts equals 1 mile (elliptical, swimming, weight lifting, workout video, workout classes, etc.).

A few "workout" stipulations:
“Workouts” only include activities specifically done for the purpose of exercise. Shopping, house cleaning, walking to and from the parking lot, and other day to day activities should not be included.

Partial miles travelled on different days cannot be combined. For example, if you run 1.25 miles on one day, and .75 mile on another day, that does not equal 2 miles. It counts as 1 mile.

Minutes accumulated on two different days cannot be combined. For example, if you workout 10 minutes one day and 5 minutes the next day, that does not combine to equal a mile.

1 mile on the bike or elliptical does not equal 1 mile, etc. Only walking/running is mile for mile.

Hey Trish!
How do I report my miles to you? On Fridays I will put up a Progress Report. Once you report, then I will put your name in the sidebar and update your miles for you each time you report. Ultimately it is your responsibility to keep track of your total mileage. (I like the putting stickers on a grid method...)

Hey Trish!
I just found your challenge and it’s already February, but I still want to join! Well, then join! Talk to me about how you can prorate your 100 miles.

Hey Trish!
Why can't partial miles or minutes be counted? Well, among other [maybe better] reasons, when rules start bending then there's no stopping them from breaking. You'll thank me in the end. :)

Sign Up Below--No Wallflowers Allowed! (You do not need a blog to participate--just put this blog's URL the URL field if you don't have a blog):

Wanna Help Motivate?
If you are interested in being a contributor to this blog--maybe workout tips, recipes, or other ideas, please let me know via email at trishsreadingnook at gmail dot com.

A few disclaimers:
1. I did not make up this challenge, and I don’t know where it originated from. This will be my ninth month of doing the challege, though, and I find it a great way to stay motivated.
2. I do not guarantee that you will lose weight or win your marathon if you do this challenge.
3. As with any new exercise program, check with your doctor to make sure it's okay you participate.
4. I do hope you’ll have fun and maybe get/provide some moral support by participating.
5. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask at any time!

Progress Report: December 18-25

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right.

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week:
None



Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend and a very Merry Christmas.

Friday December 31st will be the last progress report. January 1st starts a new round!

Progress Report: December 11-17

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are. :)

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week:
None - If you would like to guest post, please let me know via email!

Have an awesome week! Only two weeks left in the challenge--you can do it!



**I'm going to get ready to put up the sign-ups soon. I'd love to hear suggestions for improvement. If you'd rather email me, that works too.

Progress Report: December 4-10

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are. :)

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week:
None - If you would like to guest post, please let me know via email! Life is all of a sudden very busy, so I'd love the help!

Have an awesome week!



**Also--only 20 days left in the challenge. Show of hands how many people are interested in Round 2? I can only promise one more round, but I'm willing to go to the end of March if you are! Let me know.

Progress Report: Nov 27 - Dec 3

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are. :)

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week:
None - If you would like to guest post, please let me know via email! Life is all of a sudden very busy, so I'd love the help!

Have a great week!

Progress Report: November 20-26

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are. :)

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week:

Elliptical Machines

If you would like to guest post, please let me know via email! Life is all of a sudden very busy for me, so I'd love the help!

We're quickly approaching the end of November (can you believe it?). To be on track you should try to shoot for 66 miles by the 30th.

Have a great week!

Elliptical Machine

Hi y'all! This is my first post to this blog, and hopefully it's okay, Trish! I just had a really exciting day in exercise and I thought I'd share my experience. :)

I have struggled with my health for years, and in the last two years it's been particularly bad. I've been lethargic and unable to exercise for any long period of time. Even just walking for longer than, say, 15 minutes makes my lower back and hips hurt. I've tried stretching, all sorts of warm-ups, different shoes, different places to walk, and even monthly chiropractic visits, but for the last two years, I've been unable to keep up with exercise.

Two years ago, I bought a treadmill. I really tried using it. I liked the idea of being able to walk or jog in my house, because 3 months of the year I'm too allergic to mountain cedar to go outside, and another 3+ months of the year, the temperature hovers around 100 most of the day (not fun!). Unfortunately, the treadmill never worked for me. It hurt my knees and feet, in addition to my lower back and hips. Argh!

This is really frustrating to me. I used to be an athlete, a competitive swimmer, for years. It frustrates me to no end that just the tiniest bit of exercise now is near-crippling. In the last few weeks, I've hit an even worse block on this 100-mile fitness challenge: one of my feet was injured, so that the tendons can't have a lot of pressure placed on them. I honestly thought I was going to have to drop out of this challenge. Already I am woefully behind. But I thought I'd give it one more shot - my husband suggested we go out and get an exercise bike.

Today, we went out. But instead of an exercise bike, we wandered over to the elliptical machines. I've never used an elliptical, so I thought I should try some out. I got on several, and was surprised how easy they were to use, and how easy on all my joints and my feet. The really expensive ones didn't feel like I was moving at all! Of course, we couldn't afford one of the really expensive ones (I did not get the model pictured above...), but we did decide to invest in an elliptical. We got it home and Jason put it together for me.

Oh my. It's such a strange feeling. I just spent half an hour on there, and I feel good. I feel like I used to feel when I got out of the water as a swimmer. My whole body feels exercised, not just my legs, but at the same time, other than a bit of muscle soreness, I don't hurt. More than that, I feel energized! I feel like later tonight, I might get back on for another half an hour.

Of course, I'm not going too fast or using any resistance for now. I'm just beginning, so I'm trying to build up my strength. But I'm excited. I think this is going to work for me! After years of trying to find something that works for me, I really think this is going to work. Plus, despite being a lower-end model, my elliptical still lets me plug in my iPod and listen to music or an audiobook while exercising. I love it!

Okay, I'll go now, but I just wanted to say if you have access to one of these machines, at a gym or something, and you haven't tried it, you should. It's amazing. Though I have a lot of catching up to do, I hope to see all of you at the 100-mile finish line!

Progress Report: November 13-19

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are so I don't have to figure it out. :) We have several participants with the same name!

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

No Guest Posts this week.

If you would like to guest post, please let me know in the comments or via email! Life is all of a sudden very busy for me, so I'd love the help!

Have a great week! And Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating! If you're going out of town for the holiday, do you have any tips for working out away from home?

Progress Report: November 6-12

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are so I don't have to figure it out. :) We have several participants with the same name!

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week (great tips for changing it up):

10 Minute Speedy Workout

Routines for the Seasoned Weight-Lifter

20 Minute Circuit Workout

If you would like to guest post, please let me know in the comments or via email!

Have a great week! And we are quickly approaching the halfway point. To be on track try to have 50 miles by November 15th!

10 Minute Speedy Workout!

Just Vicky here again for your speedy workout!

What you will need: 1 Jump Rope*, 2 Dumbells**


Your Workout:

1 Minute Jump Rope (count how many times you jump the rope and then divide by 2 for all future iterations... it is a faster workout if you just count revolutions rather than timing each segment.)
Superset 1: 3 x (25 Calf Raises, 10 Over Head Tricep Press)
30 Seconds Jump Rope
Superset 2: 3 x (10 Bench Press***, 10 Chest Flye***)
30 Seconds Jump Rope
Superset 3: 3 x (10 Squats, 6 each side Single Arm Bent Over Row)
30 Seconds Jump Rope
Stretch: 20 Seconds minimum - hamstrings, deltoids, triceps

This workout should take you exactly 10 minutes... want to make sure you get in your 15 minutes of exercise and get a mile? Throughout the day, set a timer for 30 or 45 minutes, get up from your desk (or wherever you are working) and d0 25 wide-stance squats (like a Plie). Unsure about doing this at your desk? I used to use a timer on my computer that would flash, then go to the bathroom and do my squats there (so no one in the office would see me - and if I were in heels, I'd just not go down as deep in the squats). Do this 5 times or more during your day along with the speedy workout and you'll hit your 15 min mark for total exercise.

*No Jump Rope? Mimic the motion of jumping rope or do something else like step ups on your bottom stair at home.

**Don't have dumbells? Look in your cupboards - smaller soup cans can be your "light" weights and big cans can be your "heavy" weights. Do you use milk jugs in your house? You can save these and make varying weights by filling them partway with water or sand - these even have a nice handle to make them easier to pick up.

***No bench at home? Lay on floor and get into bridge position to do your "bench" workouts.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me: shoredebris at live dot com

Routine for the more seasoned weight-lifter

Good Morning! It's Vicky again. Today I will give you two options for quick workouts and am beginning with the one for the more seasoned weight-lifter...

I got this workout when I was in college - I was a walk on for a heavyweight crew team (me, miss clumsy, cannot make any sports team ever in high school, gets letter saying you are the right size - a.k.a. your college application indicates you might be on the chubby side - to be a rower). Anyway, during our spring season, the football team's weightlifting coaches became our weightlifting coaches and this is my favorite workout from that time.

The picture is from this Bootcamp Crossfit Program.

3 sets of 6 of each of the following exercises (no rest during the sets) at 1/3 your body weight**.
Upright Row
High Pulls
Hang Cleans
Front Squat with Overhead Press
Straight Leg Dead Lifts
Bent Over Rows
Bicep Curls

I currently use my olympic bar for these exercises, but in the years before I could afford that, I had the tiny weight set that only goes up to 55 lbs and that works, too - as do kettle bells if you have those.

[**If you have not been pushing weights recently, I recommend dropping down to 1/4 of body weight or less... I've had to do that when getting back on the bandwagon yet again... my cycle of life]

20 Minute Circuit Workout

Good Morning! I'm Vicky and I'm normally playing with shells at Shore Debris.

I have subscriptions to Self, Shape, and Fitness magazines and use them to mix and match exercises and create workouts that work for me and my neighbors. (Yes, I am a good friend, I bring out the workout and big stick to make sure they do it!) Currently, due to my one friend's very, very hectic schedule, I've been making different 10-20 minute workouts that she can try to fit in 4-5 times per week.

This workout involves both strength training and cardio intervals and should take you 20 minutes.

For the cardio sections, I used my elliptical, but I made my neighbor run sprints on our street. You can use a treadmill, bike, step up and down on the stairs in your house, jump rope, jumping jacks, run in place, etc - Just use whatever you have around.

The "Body weight circuit" that is listed in the workout is: 20 reps each with no rest between push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges (20 ea leg), and side leg lifts (20 ea leg).

And here is the workout:

2.5 min cardio warm-up

3 x (body weight circuit, 1 min cardio sprint)

1 x body weight circuit

1 min cardio cool-down

A minimum of 20 sec each (calf stretch, hamstring stretch, butterfly stretch)

I hope this gave you a new idea for what to do with your workouts this week. Have a great mileage week and if you have any questions about what I mean in this workout post, feel free to e-mail me at shoredebris at live dot com.

Progress Report: October 30 - November 5

Please report your miles for the week! Also take a minute to check your total in the sidebar to make sure I've got it right so far. AND, if your blogger name doesn't match what's in the sidebar, I'll love you forever if you give me a hint as to who you are so I don't have to figure it out. :) We have several participants with the same name!

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts this week:

Polar F11 Heart Monitor and Running at 56 (you MUST read this post!)

If you would like to guest post, please let me know in the comments or via email!

Have a great week!

How a Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor Turned Me into a Jogger at 56

Hi,
I’m Catherine and I hang out a Words World and Wings most of the time. But I wanted to tell you all about what made me a regular exerciser, and that is a heart rate monitor. I bought a Polar F11, and I can’t say enough good about it. There are probably other heart rate monitors on the market, but because I use the F11, that’s the one I’ll talk about.
I spent most of my life thinking I wasn’t athletic, and that I could never be a jogger. When I saw a woman on our street, who used to jog four miles a day, run by our house, I secretly envied her. She must be a born athlete, I thought. Any time I tried jogging, I’d get out of breath almost immediately. It was pathetic, when all I was trying to do was jog between two telephone poles! I was convinced that I didn’t have it, and never would.

But then, when I was 56 years old, I bought a Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor, and discovered my inner athlete. It not only made me a jogger, it changed the way I view myself. Heck, if I could jog four miles a day, several days a week—and I discovered that I could—then I could do anything.

Here’s how the F11 can make you a jogger (or a walker, or a regular exerciser): You program it with your sex, height, weight, age, and starting level of physical fitness, as measured by a test that determines your cardiovascular fitness. On the day I first tested my fitness, I scored 26, which was low average for my age.

Once you have the key information programmed into your watch, you then select a fitness plan. You can maintain your current fitness, improve, maximize, or go for peak fitness. If you haven’t exercised for a while, you should see your doctor to make sure it’s safe to stress your heart with exercise. Prior to buying my F11, I’d been having chest pains, which sent me to the doctor. A treadmill test showed that I was okay, so he said I could exercise without any restrictions whatsoever.

By the time I’d been exercising regularly for two months, my cardiovascular fitness had jumped to 46, which is elite for my age. (For my age, anything above 33 is elite.) I was feeling fantastic! Kick-butt strong. I could hardly believe it. I was jogging 18-24 miles per week.

Here’s why using a heart rate monitor works: Each time you exercise, your monitor sets a heart rate range that is specific not only to you, but to your energy level that day. It generally gives me a 15-beat range. When I go above the upper limit, it beeps at me to slow down. When that happens, it’s very important to slow down.

It doesn’t mean you’re about to keel over from a heart attack, but it does mean that if you go over the limit for several minutes, and you do that every time you exercise, you will soon burn out. It’s what always happened to me before I had a monitor. I would work too hard, get too tired, and decide I didn’t have what it takes. When you’re tired before you even start out, you lose all motivation to exercise. It feels like hard work, instead of exhilarating fun.

On the other hand, if you’re exercising below your lower limit, the watch beeps at you. That’s very good too! Sometimes I start daydreaming, and forget that I’m supposed to be pushing myself. The F11 is your personal trainer, after all. It won’t let you slack off.

The F11 keeps track of the number of times you exercise over the course of a week. If you fulfilled your Exercise Plan at the rate of 75% or higher, your watch displays a trophy for the following week. The trophy is a visual reminder of how often you stayed with your exercise plan. I might lie to myself, but my F11 doesn’t lie to me. I’ve had my watch now for 15 months, and in the first year I stayed with my program, (which is set to maximize my fitness), 82% of the time, or 42 out of 52 weeks. It is such a great motivator!

In addition, the F11 keeps track of the number of calories you burn during each exercise, plus a weekly total. Once your fitness increases, so does the amount of calories you burn for the exact same exercise. I have to admit that when I see I’ve burned 573 calories on my morning jog, I often go through the day forgetting that I am someone who, despite all, needs to watch my calories. Too often, I eat that bowl of ice cream after dinner. So instead of losing weight over the past year, I’ve gained. But my shape is much sleeker than it would be at this weight if I didn’t exercise at all.

Polar F11’s cost about $160. If you shop around, you could probably get it for less. My results with the F11 have inspired my husband, my mother-in-law, and three of my friends to buy one. My daughter and daughter-in-law also want to buy one, and my son-in-law would like to try it out. For months after I first got it, my husband went around telling everyone that I'd become a jogger by using the Polar F11. It's that exciting.

Would a F11 be right for you? All I can say is that it did nothing less than change my life and the way I view myself. Who would’ve guessed that I could become athletic at 56? Or that I would feel so great because of exercise? Or that jogging would become so important to me that I can’t not jog? It’s all because of the F11.

Progress Report: October 23-29

Please report your miles for the week! (Also take a minute to check your total in the side bar to make sure I've got it right-I'm having saving issues!).

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

No Guest Posts this week:
If you would like to guest post, please let me know in the comments or via email!

Keep in mind that we are quickly approaching the end of the month. Theoretically you should have 33 miles by the end of the month if you are trying to keep "on track." If you won't have 33 miles, don't fret--there's still plenty of time to make up your workouts. But don't get too behind!!

Have a great week!

Progress Report: October 16-22

Please report your miles for the week!

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Also, you read-a-thoners, I challenge you to go at least one mile tomorrow! Walk, yoga (very relaxing!), run, weights, crunches. Whatever--one mile. Just think of the lovely rest you'll give your eyes.

Guest Posts during this past week to check out:

Because I would Walk 100 Miles
Audiobooks - A Walker's Best Friend
Exercise Blues

If you would like to guest post, please let me know in the comments or via email!

Have a great week!

Exercising Blues

You know those days when you just don't wanna? It's raining or snowing outside? You had a long day at work? The kids have xyz that you need to take them to? There's something great on the tube?

I'm having one of those days right now. Even as I type this post I'm sitting in my workout clothes half talking myself out of putting in the yoga DVD. I know that when I'm done I'll feel GREAT, but right now...I've got every excuse in the book.

What do you do to kick those exercising blues? How do you push through to get the minutes done and move on with your day?

I know I'm not the only one with exercise blues--or having a tough time getting those first few miles in. Share your motivation with us!




I'm putting out a call for guest posters. If you've got an idea of something you'd like to post, please let me know in the comments or via email.

Audio books - A Walker's Best Friend

After years of running, I have made peace with the fact that my knees are shot and am resigned to walking as my exercise of choice. This idea used to cause me emotional grief, until I discovered audio books. Walking has since become almost a guilty pleasure.

If you are an audio book listener, you know what I mean. There are days, when I am engrossed in a story, that I don't want to stop walking. I'll walk in 94 degree heat, I'll walk in the rain. Not only that, but I now even look forward to cleaning my house, going on a road trip (with kids!), or weeding in my yard. Listening to audio books is the ultimate adventure in multi-tasking!

Even though I've only been listening to audio books for about three years, I've run through a few as I always have the iPod on my hip. Here is my list of audios that have rocked my world...each one has been a thrilling experience:

All Harry Potters! (I doubt you need a review of these...)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (review coming out next Tuesday)

The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls

Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford

The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters

The Wordy Shipmates - Sarah Vowell

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Brideshead Revisted - Evelyn Waugh

Everyone is Beautiful - Katherine Center

The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield

The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Annie Barrows/Mary Ann Shaffer

Tell No One - Harlan Coban

Testimony - Anita Shreve

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

The Likeness - Tana French

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith


From my pre-blogging days:

World Without End - Ken Follett
Atomic Lobster - Jim Dorsey
The Water's Lovely - Ruth Rendell

Bad Luck and Trouble - Lee Child

The Hard Way - Lee Child

Nothing to Lose - Lee Child

The Tin Roof Blowdown - James Lee Burke

The Chicago Way - Michael Harvey

Friend of the Devil - Peter Robinson

All the Flowers Are Dying - Lawrence Block

Hope to Die - Lawrence Block

Sum of our Days - Isabel Allende

Lush Life - Richard Price
Careless in Red - Elizabeth George

Love the One You're With - Emily Giffin


OK, I might have gotten carried away. You can tell where my obsessions lie! Anyway, if you are bored with walking, this might be the way to go! Good luck!






You've GOTTA Read This!

Because I would walk one hundred miles...

Because every challenge needs a cheesy motivational song, here's a catchy tune to get you walking (or running...far from this post):

100 Miles (to the tune of 500 Miles, by The Proclaimers)

When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who hops on her treadmill
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who’s not standing still

If I fall down yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who hops right up anew
And if I falter yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who stopped to tie her shoe

‘Cause I would walk 100 miles
And I would walk 100 more
Just to be the girl who walked 100 miles
So you’ll say I’m hard core

When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who's walking on her break
And when the others go out for sushi and tea
I'll walk until every muscle starts to ache

When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who walks back home to you
And if my feet smell I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who stepped in doggy doo

‘Cause I would walk 100 miles
And I would walk 100 more
Just to be the girl who walked 100 miles
So you’ll say I’m hard core

When I'm walking yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the girl who’s walking ‘til I’m through
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time I walked - woo-hoo!

‘Cause I would walk 100 miles
And I would walk 100 more
Just to be the girl who walked 100 miles
So you’ll say I’m hard core

Progress Report: October 9-15

Please report your miles from October 9-15th in the comments section.

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

If you have an update on your own blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Guest Posts during this past week to check out:
Workout Playlists
Turkey Chili and Chicken Green Bean Casserole
Working out With Small Children

Have a great week!

6 ways to exercise with small children

As the parent of young children, one of the hardest challenges to getting in exercise is finding the time to work out. If you're lucky, you belong to a gym that provides childcare for your children (but you still have to find time to get to the gym.) I don't belong to a gym at all, so have find ways to get all my miles/minutes in at home. Here are some suggestions for doing it with children:

• Dance with them. You know those channels that play just music on the tv? Find the techno one, crank it up loud, and dance. (Or use your iPod, if you have one.) There are tons of kids songs out there about getting moving and dancing as well. For example, Yo Gabba Gabba's Get the Sillies Out or I Like to Dance or The Fresh Beat Band's Loco Legs.
• Get out and take a walk. We live about a mile from a small playground and a mile and a half from an elementary school. I can load up the boys in the wagon and walk there, let them play for a while, and come home. There's 2 or 3 miles right there. (Of course this only works if there isn't snow on the ground, but perhaps you live in a warmer climate.)
• Have your children do an exercise video with you. Can't you imagine toddlers doing jumping jacks? How cute! (Of course, this may also start your child on a lifetime of weight obsession, so be careful that you emphasis the health aspect not the weight.)
• Jump rope, bike rides, roller blading, soccer, tennis- all those sports things! This does require good weather and plenty of space, but if you have those things go for it. Your kids can benefit from the activity as much as you do.
  
• Strollertime: A Complete Workout With Baby in Tow. I never did this one, but it looks like a lot of fun. There was a group of women at our favorite park every Saturday doing it.
• And last, use your child AS the exercise. Literally. Lay on the floor and let Junior help you do cruches. Use Baby as a weight while doing lunges or lift him over your head as a free weight. (Use caution and good judgment, please! And if you figure out what to do with those dangly arms and legs let me know, this never worked for me.)
  
  

So there ya go, 6 ways to still get your miles in while living with small children. Do you have any other ideas? What works for you?

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

CHICKEN GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

1 cup chopped fresh green beans, ends trimmed
12.5-oz. can chicken breast, drained
10.75-oz. can 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1⁄2 cup fat-free milk
Nonstick cooking spray

Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans soften. Stir in chicken, soup and milk, and heat through.

From Muscle and Fitness Magazine


*** I normal serve this over brown rice, but you can definitely eat alone. This is also awesome.

Turkey Chili

TURKEY CHILI

1⁄2 lb. lean ground turkey breast (93% lean)
14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1⁄2 cup tomato paste
1⁄2 cup water
1 cup kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Nonstick cooking spray

Coat the bottom of a stockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add turkey and brown over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to break into small pieces. When fully cooked, drain fat, stir in remaining ingredients and heat through.


From Muscle and Fitness Magazine


*** I also add chili powder to kick up the spice, and I served over half of a baked potato with nothing else on the potato. This is really yummy.

Workout Playlist

I think most (if not all) of us would agree that any workout is much, much better with music that is energizing & makes you feel like you can run/walk forever (or at least just a couple more minutes).

Here is a list of some of my favorite workout songs:
All I Ever Wanted by Basshunter
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness
Sandstorm by Darude
Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World
Love Lockdown by Kanye West
Stronger by Kanye West (the guy's a little crazy, but he makes some good music)
Hot N Cold by Katy Perry
My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson
Beggin' by Madcon
Paper Planes by MIA
Electric Feel by MGMT
That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings
Yeah by Usher

I'm always looking for new, fun music to add to my playlist. And clearly, genre is not an issue.

What about you? What are your favorites?

Progress Report: October 1-8

How did everyone's first week go? Mine was admittedly slow, but hopefully this weekend/next week will be better.

Please report your miles from October 1-8th in the comments section.

Did you have any triumphs this week? Any hurdles to overcome?

What goals do you have for the upcoming week?

Also, I'm not requiring that you post about the challenge on your own blogs, but I know some of you are doing periodic updates. If so, leave us the link in the comments so we can come cheer you on!

Have a great week!

Filling Foods: Quick and Easy Soup

Hello everyone,

My name is Vivienne and you will usually find me over at Serendipidy. I was over the moon when Trish asked me to contribute to this fabulous blog supporting the 100 mile challenge. Now I know that this is mainly about fitness, but personally, I find healthy eating tends to go hand in hand with keeping fit, so I thought I would share some of the wonderful low fat and non fat recipes I like to use to help me keep my weight down.

The one thing I have learnt in the past year since getting into shape is that I need to eat food that will keep me full and that won't make me hungry again in an hour. So I have started to make a lot of my own soups as they always keep me full. I tend to eat them on a lunch time and they normally stave off hunger until tea time. I tend to make them in bulk and keep them in the fridge, so if I do get hungry, I can pop a cupful into the microwave and have a quick filling snack.

One of my favourite recipes is Spicy Tomato Soup,which I am going to share with you today.

Spicy Tomato Soup

Now I am girl who likes to really hot up her food. I would put Tabasco on everything if I was allowed. So this recipe is a little spicy, but you can tone it down by adding less chillies.

Ingredients

2 Red Chillies
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes (400g = 1 cup)
2 tablespoons of sweetener
salt and pepper
1 and 1/2 pints of vegetable stock
4 tablespoons of passata ( sieved tomatoes)
A few drops of Tabasco
A dash of lime

1) Halve and deseed the chillies, then place in a food processor or a blender with all the other ingredients and blend it until it is smooth.

2) Transfer mixture to a saucepan and gently heat through. I normally leave it for about 10 minutes to simmer. That is it. Nice and simple soup. I would say it takes about five minutes to put together and before you know you have a non fat soup ready to drink.

Apparently if you add 4 tablespoons of vodka to it, you will have a Bloody Mary Soup, but I have never tried that.

I hope you enjoy trying the recipe. As the weeks go on, I will try and get some pictures up of the finished dishes, so you can see what they will look like. Good luck with your walking.

Let's Get it Started! (The Plan...ish)

First, WOW! Thanks so much for signing up for the challenge and for helping spread the word. I knew I could probably twist a few arms, especially my loving family members’, but I’m thrilled you guys want to travel 100 miles with me!

Keeping Track of Progress
In terms of tracking progress, a few of you have asked if there will be a weekly roundup. I wasn’t initially sure how I felt about this as I don’t want to put anyone on the spot, but my mom says I need to hold you lot accountable. Yes, I’m 28 and still listen to my mom. Don’t you? :)

I’ve listed all participants on the right side bar. Each Friday I’ll do a round up post where you can report your miles. Once you report your miles, I'll add them to the right side bar. If you do not want your miles listed there, please let me know either privately or in the comments. Remember that it's ultimately your responsibility to make sure that I have tallied your miles correctly (see the picture below for how I keep track of my miles).


Author Invitations
On a final note, I’ve extended author invitations to a few people who are interested. If you have an idea for posting and would like to be an author, please let me know in the comments. I’ll need your email address to send you the invitation. Some ideas are workout tips, motivation points, healthy eating recipes (although this is not a diet challenge, just fitness), etc. Even if you don’t have any desire to post anything, if you have ideas I’d love to hear them.

Thanks again for signing up. We’ll show all those people who say 100 miles is crazy!

100 Mile Fitness Challenge Introduction/Sign Up

Hi, I'm Trish. I'm a 28 year old gal from Dallas, Texas, and I need some motivation working out.

For the past nine months I have been participating in various workout challenges through work. It’s always more fun to work out when others are working out with you (even if just in a virtual sense). My last challenge ended September 30th and now I’m proposing that YOU join the 100 mile challenge with me.

Here’s how it works:
In order to complete this Challenge, you will need to “travel” 100 miles from October 1st through December 31st.

Here's how you calculate your mileage:
*Running or walking 1 mile outside or on a treadmill equals 1 mile.

*15 minutes of other workouts equals 1 mile (elliptical, swimming, weight lifting, workout video, workout classes, etc.).

A few "workout" stipulations:
“Workouts” only include activities specifically done for the purpose of exercise. Shopping, house cleaning, walking to and from the parking lot, and other day to day activities should not be included.

Partial miles travelled on different days cannot be combined. For example, if you run 1.25 miles on one day, and .75 mile on another day, that does not equal 2 miles. It counts as 1 mile.

Minutes accumulated on two different days cannot be combined. For example, if you workout 10 minutes one day and 5 minutes the next day, that does not combine to equal a mile.

1 mile on the bike does not equal 1 mile, etc. Only walking/running is mile for mile. Otherwise it would be too easy, huh?

Hey Trish!
It’s the 2nd of October! I know. This was an incredibly spontaneous idea. Deal. Work out extra this weekend. :)

Hey Trish!
I just found your challenge and it’s already November, but I still want to join! Well, then join! Talk to me about how you can prorate your 100 miles.

Hey Trish!
How do I keep track of all my miles? You’ll have to do that on your own, but I make a 100 box grid in Excel and buy really cute stickers to mark each mile. Email me if you’d like me to send you my spreadsheet. I love sharing!

Hey Trish!
Why can't partial miles or minutes be counted? Well, among other [maybe better] reasons, when rules start bending then there's no stopping them from breaking. You'll thank me in the end. Maybe.

Sign Up Below--No Wallflowers Allowed! (You do not need a blog to participate--just put this blog's URL the URL field if you don't have a blog):

Wanna Help Motivate?
If you are interested in being a contributor to this blog--maybe workout tips, recipes, or other ideas, please let me know in the comments below. Like I said, this is totally spur of the moment, so I'm still thinking of ways to help you get motivated to move it move it!

A few disclaimers:
1. I did not make up this challenge, and I don’t know where it originated from. I’m not a genius, and I do have to give credit to my coworkers for smoothing out the details.
2. I do not guarantee that you will lose weight or win your marathon if you do this challenge.
3. As with any new exercise program, check with your doctor to make sure it's okay you participate.
4. I do hope you’ll have fun and maybe get/provide some moral support by participating.

**Big Thanks to Softdrink (Jill) for making us a button!