Put your Social Media on a Diet

If you are like me, despite all its faults (yes I’ve seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix), you still want to be connected to the world through social media. I love the benefits of keeping me in community, learning about local events, and keeping in touch with friends and family we’ve never before had such opportunities to do so. But it also negatively impacts my sleep and prevents me from taking time for self-reflection, among other things. So I’ve really worked to make some positive changes in my social media consumption and hope to pass on a few to you!

Does looking at people’s “picture perfect” lives on Facebook and Instagram leave you feeling depressed, bad about yourself, or even lonelier? Do cousin Jimmy’s political posts leaving you angry? Does your grade school BFF constantly post frustrating conspiracy theories without fact checking?

You may already be having a bad day, anxiety about whats going on in the world, or feeling like you’ve got too much on your plate. No need to feed that negative energy with more negative feelings: jealousy, sadness, loneliness, and the dreaded FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s time to clean up your feeds and replace the negative with some positive, encouraging vibes!

While social media can support healthy relationships and our connectivity to our communities, let’s put it on a diet and make what we’re consuming helpful for building us up instead of tearing us down.

Favor just one.
First, cut down the number of social platforms you use. Pick the one or two that you enjoy the most. If you love real-time updates, Tweet and Snapchat. If you love beautiful imagery, Instagram is your happy place. If you like both news and personal updates, Facebook is a good spot. You can also remove the apps from your phone so you can only check your social media sites on a tablet or computer.

Turn off alerts.
Turning off notifications can help you regain control of your time and focus. Pick select times during the day to check in and get updates and then turn it off again. There are apps that can automatically limit when you’re able to access your phone.

Clean up the negative.
Focus on quality, not quantity. While it may seem great to stay in touch with all your grade school classmates, high school teammates, and college exes, if you are likely only to see these people at your 25 year reunions, there is no need to see the details of their lives day in and day out…

Facebook

• Unfollow personal or group accounts that you don’t need to see on a regular basis. You can still check in on the personal accounts when needed and the group pages will still show on your group tabs.
• Prioritize the accounts you don’t want to miss. Whether it’s a best friend, cousin, or a crush, or a favorite inspirational account, you might just want to put them to the top of your News Feed. You can do this by going into your News Feed Preferences, tapping Prioritize Who To See First, and then tapping accounts you want to add to this setting.
• Hide ads, individual posts or all posts from someone (that maybe you aren’t friends with but commonly shows up in your feed based on your friend’s interactions with).
• My favorite feature is Snooze…You can choose to hide someone’s posts for 30 days at at time. Need a break during political season or while you are dealing with grief? Give yourself a temporary pause from a specific account.
• Don’t forget your stories! To mute a story, just tap a story from the person, page or group you’d like to mute, tap more in the top right of their story, and tap Mute [Username], then tap Mute to confirm.

Rest assured, Facebook users don’t get notified that they’ve been muted, unfollowed or snoozed and you can always “reconnect” if needed. If you aren’t familiar how to execute these functions, here is a great tutorial.

Instagram

Instagram also has some great built-in tools to help put your feed and stories on a diet too!

• A built in timer and reminder. Check out Your Activity page in the menu of your Profile. You’ll se the average time you’ve spent on Instagram over the past week. You can also set a daily reminder function to cut back on your usage.
• Unfollow accounts you don’t interact with. Tap the Profile icon in the bottom-right then, tap Following to see a list of everyone you follow. You’ll see Least Interacted With and Most Shown in Feed. Take action!
• Mute stories OR posts! To mute content from an account, visit their profile. Tap the Following box and select Mute from the list that comes up. Use the sliders to mute Posts and/or Stories.

Here is a practical guide with tips on how to clean up your IG account.

Act on the positive.

After a good tidying, start to comment, interact with, and like those you want to see more of in your feed. Like, comment and share stories you like. It seems obvious, but most people don’t take action on content they do want to see more of. But that’s exactly how social sites know what to serve you more of.

Instead, there are plenty of encouraging, uplifting and funny accounts to follow including people you actually want to get updates on. Have you ever heard the quote: you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time around so choose wisely? Same applies here.

What are the people you “surround” yourself with on social media doing, how are they behaving, how do they treat and talk about others, what are their goals and ambitions? When we’re done with today’s tidying, make sure those you see and interact with regularly on your feed are: inspired, motivating, grateful, passionate, and open minded.

• Find people who share your interests. For example, if you like reading, you could join a book club. If you’re a runner, find yourself a running club. If your child has a certain allergy or learning challenge, find others in the same situation. Because you’ll already have something in common, it will be easier to form an initial connection.
• Join or promote worthwhile causes; raise awareness on important issues.
• Discover (with care) sources of valuable information and learning.

Here are some of my favorite accounts on Facebook and Instagram that encourage my physical, mental, and social wellness. Feel free to leave some of your favs in the comments below!

Fitness & Body Image

1. Advice on Fitness

Bio: Health & Wellness Website
🏋️‍♀️ Daily Health and Fitness Advice
🔥 Helping you to achieve your goals
Instagram Handle: @adviceonfitness
Instagram Followers: 100k

2. Body Image Therapist

Bio: Ashlee Bennett, AThR she/her
Therapist
Art therapist & counsellor
Author of The Art of Body Acceptance
Weight inclusive workshops & online group programs
Art therapy acc: @makeartaboutit
linktr.ee/bodyimage_therapist
Instagram Handle: bodyimage_therapist
Instagram Followers: 128k
Website: https://www.bodyimage-therapist.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bodyimagetherapy

3. Get Mom Strong

Bio: Ashley|Postpartum Core Trainer
Helping moms regain strength & confidence! ⁣
𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 (𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗠)™️
✨Kick-butt fitness program
✨Pre & Postpartum, Diastasis Recti, Prolapse
Instagram Handle: @getmomstrong
Instagram Followers: 221k
Website: https://getmomstrong.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getmomstrong

4. Revelation Wellness

Bio: Redeeming Fitness w/a Radical Savior. | Love God. Get Healthy. Be Whole. Love Others.| Instructor Traininglinktr.ee/revelationwellness
Instagram Handle: @revelationwellness
Instagram Followers: 34.7k
Website: https://www.revelationwellness.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revelationwell

Mental Health & Motivation

1. Mel Robbins

Bio: Author
MY NEW BOOK is here on 9/28/21!
@high5habit 🙌
⬇️ Preorder for FREE gifts from me⬇️
Instagram Handle: @melrobbins
Instagram Followers: 1.4m
Website: high5habit.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins

2. Holistically Grace

Bio: Maria Sosa, MS, MFT, Therapist she/her
💡Tips + tools for your mind, body + relationships
📌Writer, educator, speaker
host @mindmeetsbodypodcast
👇Free ebook 👇
linktr.ee/holisticallygrace
Instagram Handle: @holisticallygrace
Instagram Followers: 271k
Website: https://www.holisticallygrace.com/

3. Wisdom of Anxiety

Bio: Sheryl Paul Counselor
Anxiety is a messenger / MA in Jungian Counseling / She/Her / Oprah guest / Raising two sensitive sons with my devoted husband ❤️ Books and Courses👇🏼linktr.ee/sherylpaul_wisdomofanxiety
Instagram Handle: @wisdomofanxiety
Instagram Followers: 88.7k
Website: https://conscious-transitions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousTransitions

Parenting

1. Big Life Journal

Bio: Shopping & Retail👍Recommended by psychologists & therapists
🧠 Mindset is everything. Teach it early.
👇 Get our FREE Friday printables for ages 4+
lnk.bio/biglifejournal
Instagram Handle: @biglifejournal
Instagram Followers: 491k
Website: https://biglifejournal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biglifejournal

2. The Mom Psychologist

Bio: Dr. Jazmine | Parenting
Psychologist🤎Real + practical parenting info + inspo
👑Founder: @themomsisterhood
👧🏽👧🏽 Mom of 2
👇🏽QUIZ: WHAT’S YOUR PARENTING STYLE?👇🏽www.themompsychologist.com/instagram
Instagram Handle: @themompsychologist
Instagram Followers: 282k
Website: www.themompsychologist.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themompsychologist

3. Seed and Sew

Bio: Community
🧠How to build emotional intelligence from infancy
🤝The Village Membership: shame-free parenting community
🧑‍🏫S.E.E.D. Certified®️Childcare
👇Courseswww.seedandsew.org/links
Instagram Handle: @seed.and.sew
Instagram Followers: 140k
Website: www.seedandsew.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seedandsew.org

Relationships & Sex

1. Dr. Tracy D

Bio: Dr. Tracy Dalgleish  she/her
EducationRelationship Expert | Author | Speaker
Podcaster | Mom of 2
Contributor to @ctvottawamorninglive
@mother.ly@huffingtonpost_@bustle@mediumdrtracyd.com/instagram
Instagram Handle: @dr.tracyd
Instagram Followers: 75.2k
Website: https://drtracyd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTracyD

2. My Love Thinks

Bio: DR MORGAN| RELATIONSHIP EXPERT
Practical advice for YOU and your RELATIONSHIPS!
Text #question to 📱 (954) 466-7426
Relationship expert + speaker + author
Links 👇🏼linktr.ee/mylovethinks
Instagram Handle: @mylovethinks
Instagram Followers: 90.4k
Website: https://mylovethinks.com/

3. The Secure Relationship

Bio: Psychotherapist Julie Menanno MA
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Author
Relationship healing, practical skills, scripts linktr.ee/thesecurerelationship
Instagram Handle: @thesecurerelationship
Instagram Followers: 471k
Website: https://www.thesecurerelationship.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecurerelationship

4. The Gottman Institute

Bio: A research-based approach to relationships.
We do not offer individual advice via social media. Find a therapist on the Gottman Referral Network.
linkin.bio/gottmaninstitute
Instagram Handle: @gottmaninstitute
Instagram Followers: 630k
Website: https://www.gottman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GottmanInstitute

General Inspiration & Laughter:

1. Humans of New York

Bio: New York City, one story at a time. Created by Brandon Stanton. Humans of New York is audience supported:
bit.ly/HONYPatreon
Instagram Handle: @humansofNY
Instagram Followers: 11.4m
Website: https://www.patreon.com/humansofnewyork
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork

2. The Holderness Family

Bio: 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 We make goofy videos and lose phone chargers
🎙 Check out our podcast: Holderness Family Podcast
📖 Order our book: Everybody Fights
linktr.ee/theholdernessfamily
Instagram Handle: @theholdernessfamily
Instagram Followers: 643k
Website: https://theholdernessfamily.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHoldernessfamily

3. Stories of a Mediocre Mom

Bio: Amanda Marcotte she/her
BloggerFalmouth, MA 💙
⬇️Watch my Highlight. You won’t be disappointed.
Ramblings seen on @todayparents@huffpost@buzzfeed@buzzfeedparents@scarymommy
lnk.bio/storiesofamediocremom
Instagram Handle: @storiesofamediocremom
Instagram Followers: 39.9k

Face-to-Face can’t be replaced

And last but not least, put down the device. Social wellness depends on healthy, interpersonal relationships. We all need the face-to-face interaction to improve our social health. At its best, social media is a great tool for facilitating real-life connections. Reach out to an online friend or club and arrange a meet up for coffee, exercise, or a hobby. Lots of other people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as you do—so be the one to break the ice. Set aside time each week to interact offline with friends and family. Try to make it a regular get-together where you always keep your phones off! Anyone free Thursday?! 🙂

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My Top Tips for Beginning Runners

Of course, there is a wealth of information on the internet. And I’m far from the expert on all things running. But today I just touch on some of what I found worked for me as I went from couch to 5k and on to a half marathon in just over 1 year. Hopefully you can take away something to add to your routine if you are interested in becoming a runner. Remember, all it takes is one small step at a time!

Take Care of your Body and Health

First off, always consult your doctor and any relevant medical professionals before starting this or any other exercise or diet plan. If running will be too stressful on where your body is, choose a lower intensity form of exercise instead.

If you need to address your diet or supplements, get those in order. For me, in addition to my normal supplements I also started taking an Omega 3 supplement which has been shown to help athletes with exercise-induced asthma.

Types of Runs

Did you know that running was more complex than just shoes to pavement? There isn’t just one way to run or one training schedule you have to follow. Compare a few, try them out and then pick what works for you.

There are so many ways to keep it interesting and pushing your body. Depending on the type of run, you can build strength one day and endurance the next. This graphic does a great job highlighting some of your options.

Types of Runs – Strava.com

Training Plans

I did a quick search on Pinterest and found lots of recommendations depending on distance goal and how many weeks. I’d say the majority are 10-16 week plans. Since I had a much longer period until my planned race, I went old school made an excel spreadsheet with my exact number of weeks and weekly schedule and posted it on my bathroom mirror so I could easily see if I was on track and add notes of anything important that impacted my plan.

But there are also so many apps available such as Couch to 5k or Couch to 10k or a comprehensive mile tracker like RunKeeper (all free), which I did use to track my total miles ran in the year.

Examples of Half Marathon Training Schedules -Pinterest

How to Set your Goal Times

Pace, or the number of minutes you can run one mile, depends on a number of factors, including your fitness level and genetics. How fast you run is important in distance running because you may need to conserve energy to finish strong.

A noncompetitive, relatively in-shape runner usually completes one mile in about 9 to 10 minutes. If you’re new to running, you might run one mile in closer to 12 to 15 minutes as you build up endurance.

To find your average pace per mile you can easily reference your fitness tracker #ad or you can calculate it yourself by mapping out a one mile flat surface at a track or around your home and timing yourself running one mile. MapMyRun.com or OnTheGoMap.com can help in measuring your route.

Once you know your pace, you can calculate your estimated finish time for a given distance or race. Below is a quick reference chart. Many races ask for your goal finish time when you register. For in-person races, a pacer, or an experienced runner that runs at a set speed, is provided for various paces. You “keep up” with this person and it keeps your mind off worrying about your pace and finish at your desired time. They help you conserve energy, avoid weaving in and out of other runners, keep a steady pace, and can even motivate you and cheer you on.

Get the Right Gear

Runners aren’t exactly known for their beautiful toes. Blisters, calluses, and even lost toenails or worse…but you can get the right gear to help minimize the ugliness. While you can start out in whatever cross trainers you have, if you are going to dedicate some time to running, your shoes can make a huge difference. Choose ones specifically for running. Running stores can help measure your feet and arches and answer all your questions. I love my Brooks Ghost shoes and am almost ready to get new ones since you also should switch out your running shoes every 300 to 500 miles!

I definitely started getting blisters on the tips of my toes the more miles I put in. I quickly upgraded my socks and on the longest runs would prep my toes (and other likely-to-chafe places) with some body glide. #ad

Speaking of chafe, picking proper running attire is super important as well. I personally love to run in shorts and tanks with sports bras and switch to a lightweight moisture-wicking long sleeve top and legging in the colder temps.

Stretching

Shifting from contracted or shortened muscles to stretched ones quickly increases the risk of injury. So it’s important to stretch before AND after a run. It can also improve the quality of your workout. Historically, a pre-run warmup included static stretches like touching your toes or arms stretched across the chest but new research suggests dynamic stretching, gentle repetitive motions, is much preferred. It replicates the motions of your workouts and gradually increases motion and circulation and includes stretches like arm swings, lunges, or knee swings.

For me personally, when I don’t stretch enough I get “runner’s knee.” I learned how important pre-and post-run stretches are but not just for the knees. A lot of knee pain can be related to weak hip and glute strength so those areas should be exercised and stretched as well.

Recovery is another important component of your training as well. Foam rolling is a form of self-massage that helps loosen muscle tightness. You use a foam roller to roll out tight muscles. #ad

Hydrate and Fuel

Since I already eat a pretty healthy balanced diet I didn’t focus on a specific meal plan during my training but I highly recommend looking into eliminating things that don’t make you feel light and energetic. So I’m going to focus on the top two things that can help everyone regardless of diet: hydrate and fuel. Bring water with you when you run, or run on a route with water available, so you can stay hydrated as you train. Some local running groups provide water along popular routes in our area. I prefer to use a belt and take my own water. It’s also great for holding my phone, etc. #ad

When you don’t eat before a run and don’t fuel during a run, your body has no carb store to draw from and it burns fat.  So, you need to not only carb-load, but also fuel during your race with a sports drink and a gel or chew. You have to practice this during training runs and figure out what kinds of fuel work for you. There are many different ones out there to choose from, and they vary from texture to taste. My favorite ended up being Honey Stingers chews. #ad

Breathing and Posture

The two biggest learnings I had on my journey were about breathing techniques and posture while you run and what I huge impact they have on your success. There are obviously different methods and recommendations out there. I kept it simple and visual and am sharing below what I used:

Let’s sift through all the little tricks to remember and go straight to the American Lung Association as the experts. Remember to use belly breathing and a 5-step pattern: 3 steps as you inhale and 2 steps as you exhale (i.e. As you step: inhale left, right, left; exhale right, left, right; inhale left, right, left; exhale right, left, right). This 3:2 pattern will give you a lower heart rate and help you get more oxygen. As your pace gets faster, keep this balance but aim to take 2 footsteps for each inhale and 1 for each exhale as shown in the graphic below.

A 3:2 or 2:1 breathing pattern is recommended for running by the American Lung Association – lung.org

Also important to study is your running posture. I love referencing a graphic because it becomes visual for me to replicate with my own body. For me, my natural inclination is head down to “push” ahead, right? (Plus I may be watching for possible snakes if I’m outside!) It’s actually proper to run looking straight ahead and press forward with your pelvis. I also suffer from the “hands too tight” error and have to remind myself to unclench my fists and relax while running. Sometimes I even shake my hands out briefly.

Proper Running Form (Source: http://www.workoutbox.net)

Staying Motivated

Keeping your motivation up is hard if you have a long time to train until your race. Here are a few things that helped me keep going when the going got tough.

• Just sign up! In-person or virtual, having paid the money and penciled the date on my calendar made it real and made me push myself harder. Some of my favorite race offerings with fun medal to collect:
  • Ventures Endurance
  • Virtual Run Events
  • RunSignUp.com
  • YesFit
• Race for a cause! Join a race that supports a cause you really believe in. It’s also a great way to invite friends to run with you.
• Join themed races where you are encouraged to wear costumes like these fun tutus and tanks #ad:

• Earn actual CASH for your efforts with MyAchievement.com – Choose from 20+ popular apps including AppleHealth, FitBit, RunKeeper, and Strava and start earning points for activities such as running, walking, meditating, logging meals, and answering questions about yourself. Earn $10 for every 10,000 points, redeemable via PayPal, direct deposit to your bank account, or by donating your points directly to charity. Rewards are paid within 7 business days.
• Celebrate yourself! Get a bracelet or shirt as a reminder of all you worked for. And I hang all my medals in a prominent spot in my closet to remind myself of all I’ve accomplished. #ad

• Join some online accountability/run groups. Facebook likely has some from your local area. Local running stores can also have their own community group.

Running Through My Mind (Pun Intended!)

My mind is all over the place when I’m running. For me, I either need to distract myself (from the thought that I’m ready to quit lol!) or focus in on what I’m trying to accomplish. Here are a few things I’ve found that help. I rotate through them depending on my mood that day and what type of run I’m doing.

• Repeat a mantra inside your head can keep you focused on those words and not on your fatigue. Also, putting encouraging, motivating words in your head helps you eliminate all negative words. Having a few “running mantras” really helps me push through the miles when I’m feeling like stopping before the distance I’ve set. I just repeat them over and over in my head to the rhythm of my feet on the pavement. Here are some of my favorites:
  • Think strong. Be strong.
  • I own this run. I own this outcome.
  • My legs are stronger than my brain.
  • I don’t stop when I’m tired. I stop when I’m finished.

• Play a mental game with yourself to pass a mark. When you pass that mark, set a new target. This helps keep your mind on the physical target and not on how tired you are. When I feel like I don’t know if I can make it any farther, I pick a landmark (stop sign, bench, etc) and just focus on getting to that point. Other times I start counting to 100…my only goal in that moment is to take 100 steps. It feels manageable and then I just start the next 100 and realize I can go a little farther than I thought I could.
• If you are running indoors on a treadmill or track (or feel you can safely run outdoors with an earbud in #ad -see below safety tips), I highly recommend listing to music, podcasts, or audiobooks.
  • My favorite find: run to a playlist based on beats per minute or BPM for an subconscious way to keep or increase your pace. As a basic guideline, the tempo range is 120 to 125 BPM for a slow run and 140 to 145 BPM for an all-out effort. If you’re aiming for synchronicity (to keep your running at a consistent pace, or if you’re trying to increase your cadence), then the ideal tempo range is 150 to 180 BPM. Search “running” on Spotify to find a long list of playlists based on BPM or choose another playlist from the running genre.
  • I made great use of my year long Audible Christmas gift subscription. There are free running motivation tracks that will give you a pep talk in your ear specific to your mileage goal or go for a good motivational audiobook from strong women like Mel Robbins, Brene Brown, or Glennon Doyle. #ad

Safety Running Outdoors

I would be remiss to not also note that you should always take precautions and be aware of your surroundings when running outdoors.

• Run against traffic and follow all road rules including cross walks.
• Run in well-lit areas and wear reflective gear in the early morning or evening hours.
• Run with a friend, family member or dog if possible. If not, tell someone where you are going. Carry ID and/or phone with you in case of emergency.
• It is recommended that you don’t wear headphones when running on roads so you need to be able to hear traffic around you and remain aware of your surroundings. As long as I’m in a safe area or running with a buddy, I like to put just one earbud in so that I get my music/audiobook (see above) and can still hear my surroundings.
• Wear sunscreen!

Race Day Checklist

Congratulations! You’ve been building up the miles and are ready to conquer! Take the fear out of the unknown and talk to others who’ve raced a similar race before. Here are my final recommendations for a successful race day:

• Lay out your clothes and accessories the night before.
• Eat a good breakfast (one that you’ve eaten before practice runs!).
• Bring throw-away clothes (checkout second hand stores) and peel off layers if you are racing in colder temps.
• Make a plan with your support crew/spectators at checkpoints and finish line meetup.
• Go to the bathroom before your race starts.
• Line up near your estimated finish time pacer.
• Don’t take any fuel from race stations unless you’ve tried it before. But do take water at every station. Better yet, take your own tried and true fuel and water in a running belt. #ad
• Plan for post-race recovery. Drink extra water, have a snack, keep walking/stretching for a while afterwards, and don’t plan anything too strenuous for the next few days.
• Enjoy! Take in the scenery, the spectators, and your fellow runners.

Happy Running!

If you’ve already run a long distance race, what beginner’s tips did I miss?

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/average-mile-time

https://runninforsweets.com/

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-to-stretch-before-run

Couch to Half Marathon during a Pandemic

This morning I was reminiscing on why I didn’t run at all for 20 + years… I have exercise induced asthma….. And I’m also now a half marathon runner!

I am training for awesomeness. I mean I am training for a half marathon. Same thing, really. -someecards

I let the excuse that I developed exercise induced asthma in high school hold me back for years. Every time I would try jogging or a fast dance class or even the jump rope, after any sign that I was getting out of breath I gave up and told myself that it wasn’t meant to be.

Until July 2019….I attended a women’s motivational conference where we were asked to set some audacious goals. I had stumbled into running short distances on a treadmill at the gym a few months before when I was late to a Pilates class and didn’t want to head straight home. I surprised myself that I could actually do some interval running (run a little, walk a little) and not get completely out of breath. Still not even slightly interested in running outdoors despite my husband’s prodding to have a partner, I shocked myself when one of my 10 dreams identified at this conference was to run a 5k. The seed was planted.

Want to know how I ended up running a half marathon just over 14 months later? One step at a time.

I signed up for a Halloween themed 5k fun run with my husband (who is a regular runner) for mid-October. Nothing like a deadline and a financial commitment to seal the deal! Then I started running on a treadmill 2-3 times a week largely because I needed their childcare and lets face it, Texas summers are HOOOOTTT.  I also feel like turning on my favorite Netflix binge on the treadmill’s personal TV helps pass the time quickly so I’m not dwelling on how much farther I have to run.  I slowly added miles to my routine until I had hit the 3.1 mile mark (5k).

Treadmill vs. Outdoor Running

As the race approached, I decided I should try my feet outdoors in preparation for the race. My husband pushed our toddler in a jogging stroller and I trailed behind them. What a disappointment….it was so much harder and I didn’t even make it close to 3 miles.  Those in the know will of course recommend you try using a 0.5% or 1% incline to better mimic the conditions of outdoor running but I hadn’t incorporated this at the time.

Luckily I didn’t quit that day. I just added some outdoor runs to my schedule, even if it meant pushing my little one in the jogging stroller (which is tough pushing that added weight!). I celebrated every accomplishment and shared it on social media for the extra encouragement from my friends and family. 

“Farthest I’ve ever run outside! Ever! Getting closer! #48daystil5k (2.42miles, 11.31 pace)”

The morning of the 5k I was nervous. The temperatures were in the 50s…not great for my exercise-induced asthma. I took my inhaler 30 minutes before the race began and tried to pump myself up by taking in all the energy from the other runners and their costumes.  (By the way, I pieced together our Mario & Luigi costumes myself but I loved browsing sites for other running costumes like goneforarun.com.

Monster Dash 5k was a success! Thank you everyone for your encouragement as I checked this off my goals list! My wish today was to run the whole thing and beat my best time of 33 minutes. I came in at 30:50.6!“

While it may not seem a big deal to some, it was an achievement for me. I’ve never considered myself a runner. Fast forward 3 months from setting a goal and I crossed this one off and moved onto the next goal! At 36, I started claiming the label “I am a runner” and encouraging others that you are never too old to start something new. We can all be dream catchers!

My first 5K: Monster Dash 5k 10/26/19

What’s Next?

I took a little break over the winter holidays and didn’t get much running in. In February, at Happy Hour my friend, Corrie, threw out the idea of running a half marathon together in December.  I actually laughed out loud at the idea. Even though I left it open, I had no intention of actually doing it when I left that evening. But after thinking on it for a week or so, decided that maybe with 40-plus weeks to train I could do it. I set a weekly training plan starting March 1st with a goal of finishing the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Yep, talk about audacious! But once you get that high from achieving  a dream you didn’t think was possible, the sky is the limit, so capitalize on it.

Shortly after, the Covid pandemic struck and we came back from a Spring Break camping trip to lockdown. The gym closed. Races were cancelled. My running journey could have stopped there.  But with all the media talk about underlying health conditions having such a huge impact on Covid outcomes, it sparked something strong in me – I was going to be as healthy as I could be if my family was exposed to this virus, especially my lungs. I started running outdoors regularly. It became my me-time (after being stuck in my home with my now-remote husband and my virtually-schooling kiddos), my stress relief, something I could actually control, and my exercise routine.

I started educating myself on how to push myself farther: allergy pills in Spring (lol!), path choice, breathing patterns, stretches, posture, audiobooks, music –and I share some of my top tips my blog post “My Top Tips for Beginning Runners.”

I started signing up for virtual races…

I celebrated every new personal best…

New personal record by over a mile! 5.5! Whoo hoo! #10kbound #virtualrace

March 28, 2020

Completed my 10k virtual race in exactly my goal time 1:05!! And 3 weeks earlier than I was originally planning on doing a live race. This goal has kept me motivated to keep running and strength training during all the current life changes going on and has been great therapy! I’ve logged 56.5 miles in the last 6 weeks! #virtualrace #10krun #goalgetter #strongerthanyouthink

April 10, 2020

Completed my 10k Bunny Hop virtual race

My 5 mile run today put me over another milestone…101.7 miles since March 1st when I made my training plan for a half marathon. I’ve pushed myself farther and faster than I ever thought was possible! Just because you’re a certain age or stage or have 0 experience doesn’t mean you can’t set audacious goals! #iamarunner #100mileclub #mondaymotivation #monslay

May 11, 2020

Well my virtual race medal is running late but I still knocked out my 15k today! #feelingstrong #rainydayrun #gotwet #9point3miles

May 16, 2020

Feeling strong after finishing my 15k Hot Chocolate Run

By early Fall, I felt pumped. I moved my Fitbit cardio fitness score based on VO2max in the “very good” range and lowered my resting heart rate to 59bpm from the mid-60s.

I added extra runs in just for fun like a virtual 5k supporting literacy for Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Success!

Then on October 3^rd, 2020 just over 14 months from my initial 5k dream, at 37, I completed a half-marathon. Yes, my feet ran all 13.1 miles. Alone. No mass of runners to feed off their energy. No side-line cheerleaders. No big finish line balloons and party. Me, myself, and I completed my virtual race (confirmed by my fitness tracker – so no cheating!) I beat my goal and finished in 1 hour and 55 minutes….8 weeks early from the original 40 week plan.

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Completed the Haunted Half Virtual Race

I’m continuing running, but at a slower pace, and have already completed an in-person 5k in 2021 and about to run in a quarter marathon. I’m enjoying running alongside friends at in-person races again and feeling the energy of a crowd. Do I have plans to go for a full marathon? No, not for now. For now, I’m enjoying the confidence, strength and energy I gained from it all.

So I hope that my running journey inspires you to try something bold, something that makes you laugh out loud today, and helps motivate you to push yourself far beyond anything you thought you could do. Just because we may be getting older or in a certain life stage, doesn’t mean we can’t still be learning, growing, and pushing our physical limits!

Here is how I display my medals. #ad
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Water – The Original No Calorie Drink

Have you ever played on of those “Break the Ice” introduction games that have you share a fun fact about yourself? My go-to is that I’ve never had a soda in my life. I love the shock value.

Technically I’ve tasted soda, twice. When I was a kid I had multiple allergies, one of which was corn and its byproducts. Corn syrup sweetens most carbonated beverages including sodas. So they were never offered and I grew up only drinking water, 100% fruit juices, and unsweetened tea. By the time I was old enough to outgrow my allergy and make my own food choices, I just didn’t like the taste.

So to some extent, I suppose drinking water comes easy to me but drinking enough is a different story.

This blog is about making small changes to your health and I think this is a great one to start with and turn into a habit.

We start hearing in elementary school health class that our body is 60% water and you should drink 8 glasses a day, but that doesn’t mean we do it.

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.

-W. H. Auden

Water intake became more prominent for me when pregnant with baby #2 and I started having some scary symptoms that apparently were caused by dehydration. So I had serious motivation to get my amount of water up quickly.

I was working a 40+ hour/week desk job at the time and the easiest way for me to remember to drink enough was to start out with it at my desk. I started buying SMART water bottles that come in 1L (33.8oz) and 1.5L (50oz) and would refill mid-day. I could easily tell how successful I was in acheiving my goal. I’d reuse my bottles for days at a time but admit this isn’t a very environmentally friendly (much less cost effective) process but it got me to establish the habit quickly while on the go. #ad

Fast forward a year and now I’m a busy SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) consumed with caring for my little ones and often not remembering to fuel myself well.

I started hearing about the benefits of H20 again from the social media influencers I followed and decided I wanted those benefits!

• helps the body function properly
• boosts mood
• gets rid of excess toxins
• reduces wrinkles and helps maintain your skin’s elasticity
• can aid in weight loss when increased prior to meals
• can help to curb overeating when your body confuses hunger and thirst
• aids digestion and prevent constipation
• normalizes blood pressure and stabilize the heartbeat
• cushions joints

You want all those benefits too, right?! As I get older, I definitely want all those skin and heart health improvements. I’ve tried all sorts of eye creams for those under eye bags and dark circles but I’m convinced its the weeks that I drink all my water that I see the most improvement in that area.

Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine”

-Slovakian Proverb

So just how much water do I need to drink?

As a general guide, an adult male needs about 3 liters (101 ounces or 15.5 cups) per day while an adult female needs about 2.2 liters (74 ounces or 11.5 cups) per day, some of which is contained in the food we eat. To calculate how much you personally need for both health and weight loss benefits:

• Take your weight in pounds and multiply by 2/3 (or 67%) to determine how much water to drink daily in ounces.
• If you are exercising, you will want to adjust that number based on how often you work out since you are expelling water when you sweat. You should add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out.

For example:
100 pounds | 67 ounces
150 pounds | 100 ounces
200 pounds | 134 ounces
250 pounds | 168 ounces

What worked for me

Scientists say that if you already feel thirsty, then you are already dehydrated. I needed something to take the guess work out and help me remember. There are apps you can use to log your ounces, including my FitBit, and I tried, but I couldn’t remember exactly how many ounces I had when it was handy to log. Like before, I decided to start out with the full amount in the morning and fell in love with these water bottles that give you a “countdown” with the time of day and some motivational saying like “Almost There.” They are close enough to my calculated goal that I typically just drink one. #ad

My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t like to haul the big jug so he chose a smaller one plus more durable as well as insulated and knows he has to fill it up at least 3 times a day to hit his goal. #ad

Water is the only drink for a wise man.”

-Henry David Thoreau

How to build the habit

Remember it takes 21 days to make a new habit. Will you challenge yourself to drink more water this month?

• Take a day to jot down your current water intake so you know where your starting. You can use a tracking app or pen & paper.
• Start small with one of the many tricks people use to drink more water
  • Keep a water bottle visible (my favorite trick!)
  • Get a filter pitcher and keep refrigerated for a refreshing cold drink available anytime
  • Add a flavor with fresh cucumber, lemon or fruit or buy flavored packets to add in
  • Set a time and make it a routine like drinking a glass of water before that morning cup of joe
  • Don’t forget to pay attention to your body – are you hungry? bored? Drink a glass of water before you eat and you’ll often learn the difference. Thirst is often misinterpreted as hunger.
  • Add a glass after any outdoor activity in the heat

If one of these doesn’t work for you, pick another. Some days I don’t drink all my water and load up on unsweet tea for that caffeine boost. It’s about progress not perfection. Drinking just a few more ounces of water than yesterday is better for your health!

#ad

Sources:

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#

https://www.restoreorthobiologic.com/blog/how-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink-day/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/want-to-stay-hydrated-drink-before-youre-thirsty/art-20390077

https://www.pureluxemedical.com/blog/7-ways-drinking-water-helps-improve-skin

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink