July's Challenge -Hula Hooping!

I have always wanted to be able to Hula Hoop.  No matter how I tried as a child or even as an adult I have never been successful at accomplishing this seemingly simple task.

Why this as a challenge?
Well the point of these challenges is to try new things, and experience new adventures; that and I came across my son's hoop when I was cleaning up the basement playroom and since I really could not think of any other challenge for the month, I figured why not!  30 minutes a day for 30 days, maybe, just maybe I might learn how to finally hula a hoop.  To help with this I have been searching YouTube for how to videos (since YouTube is ripe with how to [insert your curiosity here] videos).



Wish me luck Fellow Challengers!

Day 3 Check in: Making some adjustments

WOW! If you aren't a regular juicer Be WARE! I started with a lot of beet juice mixes and if you have had beet juice or even cut up beets fresh or otherwise you know that they stain everything. And I mean EVERYTHING!

While beets are considered one of the best Liver Cleansing vegetables around, I think I will limit them to one juice a day.  This morning's juice is a Green Goddess of a combination.  I've had green juices in the past but never one with quite so much leafy veg as a part of the recipe.

         Green Grape
           4 kale leaves
           2 handfuls spinach
           2 celery stalks
           1 grapefruit


Upon looking at what came out of my juicer I was tempted to add in an apple as well to sweeten up the deal (the grapefruits I bought are the white kind so not very sweet).  This is a strong drink and will definitely curl your hair if you're not ready.  I think if I make this one again that I will reserve it for dinner or at least later in the day.  It's a bit much for something so early on a Sunday morning.

Ugh! :P

I never really came up with a theme for this month's challenge.  I've mostly been attempting to catch up on things around the house such as weeding the garden -with all the rain we've had that has been difficult, and giving the dog some extra attention since my son left for his grandparents for part of the summer.

Then the strangeness began!
5 bloody noses in the course of 1 week, an absence of my monthly cycle, an exhausting increase in insomnia, and the sudden and strange inability to give blood despite or maybe in spite of staying well hydrated.

Do I panic? Only slightly. Besides contacting my healthcare provider to discuss these sudden changes in my body/hormones/I-don't-know out comes one of my go to books when I feel that my body is undergoing stress -whether I recognize that stress or not- listening to your body is important to catch problems early.

  Dr. Eric Berg's Book is a relatively easy to understand and straightforward read, breaking down a different/yet realistic view of what causes issues in the body.  In other words things like insomnia and a missing menstrual cycle are more hormone based as a symptom of other things such as stress, poor eating, over exertion (i.e. exercise), etc.... Imbalances that can, if left unchecked, lead to additional illness such as obesity, cancer, autoimmune issues, and chronic pain just to name a few.  With all of the training I had been attempting to get in for my 5K, it only makes sense that at some point any additional stress, recognized or not, would tax out my already stressed hormones.  A viscous cycle indeed! 

  Dr. Berg breaks down the causes of most illnesses into the reduced capacity/fatigue of 4 glands/organs that produce hormones which when working properly keep the body healthy.  Adrenal, ovaries (women only), thyroid, and liver; and just like the traditional apple or pear shapes that were touted some time ago for identifying body type these I feel are a bit more spot on.


Since the liver is the body's filter all of his diet fixes start with a two week liver "detox" -though to call it a detox is not really accurate, it's more of a liver vacation!  Similar to my elimination diet challenge last summer, you eliminate those foods and drinks that are causing the over-taxation of not just your liver but the other organs as well.  All sugars and grains are to be kept from the diet for the first two weeks.  All the vegetables you could ever want to eat, but he has a very specific list, a limited number of low sugar fruits -so no bananas but all the apples you can eat without getting sick- small amounts of protein one to two times per day depending on how your body does with out protein and even smaller amounts of dairy every other day.
Since I am a juicing advocate I decided that I will do a combination of both eating and drinking my vegetables.  I will avoid juicing fruits as much as I can as they can cause blood sugar spikes.  As for exercise I certainly wont spend the entire day in the garden as I am still feeling my hamstrings from my 3 day gardening marathon last weekend (muscle pain and inflammation is another symptom of adrenal fatigue).  So this morning I started with this deep ruby concoction: 6 Carrots and 1/2 a beet.  2 ounces of summer sausage (I don't want to waste the meat and there's not much left) and an apple.  Probably not a typical sounding breakfast but it wasn't bad.
While writing this I received a call from my doctor's office and they will be fitting me in for a visit today.  So, while I do like to take my health into my own hands, I do get professional advise too.
Keep watching as I will post some of my other juices and a sample of the types of meals he recommends for the liver vacation.

Stay healthy!

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago I started out on this 30 day trend and with a few minor bumps in the road I feel that I have been rather successful.  I of course will continue with my monthly trips into the unknown as I have found them quite fun and the changes in challenges keeps things interesting.  I will be gladly looking for any ideas from friends and my Facebook fans for the up coming year; as things will start to get interesting since I am going back to school.

I have yet to think of an idea for June's challenge so I will have to get back to that another day.

Keep motivated!  Keep Challenged!

Electric Run!

Run #, T-shirt, EL Wire, and glow bracelet

Umbrella Road

Finally!
What all the work and  training has been for, has come and gone.  The wonderful and brilliantly produced Electric Run! Awesome costumes, interesting effects, and jamming music.  What more could I have asked for on a night run?  With 9000 in attendance, it was hard for me to judge my final time; this being a fun run there wasn't the typical shoe attachment for tracking time and actual millage.

1/2 mark Hydration Station

Cannot wait till next years run.  I'll be inviting some friends and my son along for the excitement.

Rainbow Arches

To find out more or find the Electric Run near you: http://electricrun.com/

1/2 way there

Only 19 more days till my run!  Training has been a bit slow as the weather here is not playing fair.  Lots of rain and temperatures fluctuating worse then a roller coaster ride.  Managed to get in 2 hill runs at the local state park which has a hill of about 100 or so feet long at a 45 degree angle; thought I would keel over after the first run.
This past weekend after a long week of lots of rain, running with my dog and my son, my lovely puppy decides I would make a wonderful human sled and pulled me through some mud.  A twisted ankle and a skinned knee later I feel like I'm a little kid again.  Thankfully the ankle healed quickly, but the knee is still a bother so running is out, but at least there's strength training and yoga!  Grr!
I will succeed! I am determined!

May's Challenge

All I can say is REALLY?!

So this week (really the end of April) started off with beautiful 80 degree weather.  Now May 1st and we're once again back down into the 30's with a forecast of 6-8 inches of snow.  This really puts a cramp in my challenges and my training.  The end of this month will see me running my 2nd (ever) 5K and I really need to amp up and get back on schedule.

My plan for this month was to run 3-4 days a week with cross training and hill training on the non-running days: a mix of yoga, aerobics, and weightlifting to get me into prime shape.  My treadmill doesn't do inclines so I really need the weather to cooperate so I can get outside and do some actual hills.  The last thing I need to do is slip on snow and ice and break something and really mess up any chance of participating.  I have to say I am really looking forward to this run, maybe because it's at night, or just because I have been working so hard over the past few months since I signed up.

No matter what happens with the weather this is my last chance to really pull it all together.  Here's hoping I can knock it out of the ball park!