A Better Bag of Groceries

Summer Fitness Goal #1: Run a 5K

Monday, August 15, 2011 at 07:22 AM

OK.  So, I have had two fitness goals this summer.

1. Run my first competitive 5K.
2. Learn to play tennis again.

More to come on my tennis goal in another blog post.  (It has been so much fun!) 

Let’s talk about my first fitness goal.

For all my talk about running here at A Better Bag of Groceries, I have never run a competitive race.

Well, actually I have.  And the result was not so good.  Which might explain why I tend to shy away from competitive running.  I ran in the YMCA Fun Run in Pawtucket, RI when I was 8 or 9.  If I remember correctly, the course was one mile.  I came in dead last.  I was crushed. 

So maybe I should modify that first goal:  Run in my first competitive 5K and NOT come in dead last.

I won’t rehash my fitness history here.  You can read the “About” section for a brief synopsis.  But suffice it to say, that I do run a bit now, although I don’t try to break any records.  Typically, I run on a treadmill at the gym with my running friends.  You’ve seen some of our running profiles  here on the blog.  The nice thing about running as a group on treadmills is that you can all run at different paces and yet still stay together.  I also do run outdoors and you’ve all seen my posts about that, such as how to run on a lunch break  and my Ipod running playlist.  My goals with running have been to get an efficient workout and to stay injury-free.

The registration forms for this 5K have been hanging on our bulletin board as a reminder that the Big Day is coming.  Time to get our registration in.  My husband is running too.  And even our kids.  There is a kids’ race.  One time around the high-school track.  I need to bring them over to practice.  I don’t want them to come in dead last!

Oh my gosh!  The race is end of next week!  I’ll be OK.  I’ve been running three times a week faithfully, increasing my mileage and (trying) to increase my pace. 

This 5K is to benefit The Jamie Fund.  It’s a very special organization that educates typically developing children about the acceptance of the special needs children in their communities. 

So, wish me luck in my first 5K.  I live in a town full of competitive runners, so again, I’m just trying to Not come in Dead Last.  And then I will feel good.

Question of the Day

Runners, any advice as I embark on my first race?

Today I am the Guest Blogger over at Fit and Forty Something. Click on over to see my post and some interesting LaraBar scores!

Posted by: Melissa 10 comments

Posted in: running

Tags: 5K, running, running profiles, treadmill running

Friday Run: 30 Minute Hill Workout

Friday, June 24, 2011 at 07:27 AM

A week ago Monday, I whined told you all about my lower back injury that had me laid up back in March.  And I told you all about my early-morning workout group that inspires me each day to drag get my body out of bed, into my car and across town to the gym.  Seriously, I do not know what I would do without these girls.  There are a few boys too, but they are mostly girls. 

Lesley is one of the ring-leaders when it comes to finding good running profiles.  She is always training for something – 5-Ks, half-marathons, Warrior Dash- and she scours the Internet and blogs to find us some fun workouts to try on the treadmills.

I love this 30-minute hill workout.  It has been the best profile for me as I get my QL (quadratus lumborum) muscles strong again.  The hills get intense, but they are short.  And when you finish, you feel like you are flying!  Really – you feel invincible.

Now, Lesley tells me that she did get this Hill Workout from another blog – but she can’t remember which one.  So, thank you to the mystery blogger who has provided our little running group with this profile.  And if you are a reader, please identify yourself!

Question of the Day

Are you a group fitness person?  Or do you prefer to go solo?

Posted by: Melissa 10 comments

Posted in: running

Tags: running profiles

Getting Over An Injury – After 40

Monday, June 13, 2011 at 07:24 AM

Back in March, I woke up on a Saturday morning and something in my back did not feel right.  I’ve dealt with low-back pain off and on – and typically I can exercise my way through it – so I tried my typical Saturday routine of a 3 mile run followed by some strength training.  That was a bad idea.  On Sunday, I couldn’t cough, laugh, sneeze, stand up, lie down or sit without excruciating pain.  I was in big trouble.

Between several visits to my doctor, my chiropractor and a physical therapist, we found out that I had strained my lower back acutely, had a possible herniated disc, a muscle spasm in my Quadratus lumborum, a very tight IT band, and a very tight psoas.  In other words, I was in big trouble. 

Well, yesterday (June 12th) was the 3-month “anniversary” of the injury.  And I will tell you that it has taken me all of that time to truly get better.  Three.  Whole.  Months. 

I am not a doctor, but I do believe that if I were 31 years old instead of 41, maybe perhaps it would not have taken so long.  I remember spraining ankles and things back then and it just didn’t take as long! 

But I write today’s post because I work out with several 40-something women (or soon to be 40-something women) and it seems we are all fighting injuries these days.  At today’s writing, we have the following injuries on our Early Morning Workout Roster:

• Knee
• IT Band
• Low Back
• Hip that may require surgery

Oh, and then there is the guy who takes my Pilates class.  He has a Shoulder injury.  Yes, lots of injured people around.

So, let me tell you what my morning is like now that I am “healed”

5:00 am Weather Check

Sneakers on

Water and Fuel (I eat about 3 bites of that banana during the 10-minute drive to the gym)

Meet up with the Morning Crew for our daily run

The nice thing about running on with a group of people on treadmills is that everyone can run at their own speed.  Given our injured states as of late, that has really come up big!

So how did I get from unable to laugh without excruciating pain in March to being able to run a 30-minute hill profile with my running group in June?

Well, it wasn’t easy! 

Psychologically, the injury was very depressing at first.  I remember driving to my chiropractor’s office passing all the spring runners on the roads thinking I would never run again!  I would hear Katy Perry’s “Firework” on the radio and nearly cry because it reminded me of roller-skating with my daughter (another thing that I thought I would never do again).  I had to take things very slow and be very patient with myself.

To get better, I followed all the advice of my doctor, physical therapist and saw my chiropractor too.  Once I was able to get back into the gym, I did the following:

• Warmed up for a good 5-10 minutes before every workout
• Took days off in betweenworkouts
• Stretched for a good 5-10 minutes at the end of every workout
• Did a little less running and spent a  little more time on the elliptical
• Used lighter weights and stayed away from kettlebells for the time being
• Did “old lady” things for exercise (like walking at lunchtime)

Now that I’m about 90% back to my former fitness level, it is tempting to get back into some old habits.  I want to eek every minute out of that morning workout and try to get in a few more minutes of running or spinning.  But I don’t.  I stop so that I have time to stretch my IT band, my hams, my QL, my piriformus, my quads.  Instead, I take a break at lunchtime and get outside for a brisk walk up some hills for extra cardio.  It gets me away from my desk (so important!) and gives me some extra mental energy for a productive afternoon.

I am so happy to be on the mend.  Now, when I hear Katy Perry singing “Firework”, I get excited thinking about how good it feels to ride my bike alongside my kids, play tennis and basketball with my son, run along the bikepath with my husband.  And I am so thankful to my morning gym crew who inspire me to get out of bed every morning to keep my body strong.

Question of the Day

Have you been injured? How hard/easy was your recovery?

Posted by: Melissa 10 comments

Posted in: Fit Friends at Forty, running

Tags: injuries

Two of My Favorite Things: Asics Gel-Kayanos and BondiBands

Monday, January 10, 2011 at 07:31 AM

Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve written a “Two of My Favorite Things” post.  So, it was about time! 

Typically, I get up super-early and hit the gym first thing, but I find that I just can’t maintain that pace five days a week.  Somethings gotta give and a girl’s gotta get her beauty sleep from time to time.  On those days when I sleep through forgo my early morning workout, I sometimes have one more chance at squeezing in a little cardio – the Lunch Time Run.  This is such a treat, actually, because typically at this time of the year in New England it’s nearly impossible to run outside with my work schedule.  It’s too dark before and after work and even on the weekends – well, there’s just snow everywhere!

But near the NuVal office, there is a great residential neighborhood that has low traffic and (drum roll please) lots of hills.  So, if I can pack a quick bag before I leave the house, I can do a Presto Chango, and voila – Lunchtime Run.

I bring Two of My Favorite Things:  My new Asics Gel-Kayanos  and my new BondiBands  hat.

First, my sneakers.

How did this New Balance girl ever end up in an Asics shoe?  Well, I was at the running store, DB Sports, shopping for a new pair of New Balance and I met a long-time runner (a woman probably in her late-50s) who was buying a pair of Asics Gel-Kayanos.  She swore by them.  She promised me less foot pain, less knee pain, more joy in my life.  And I believed her – hook, line and sinker.  I have the world’s flattest feet (truly, it’s a miracle I run at all) so I was up for a change.  I thought I would give them a try.  And you know what?  I LOVE them!  More joy in my running life!  Worth the higher price tag.  You only get one pair of feet and one pair of knees in this life.

Second, my bondiband hat.

This was a Christmas gift from my Awesome Husband.  I must admit, I dropped him a really subtle hint, like a link to the very exact product I wanted embedded in an email.  I was introduced to bondiband by my friend Heather (we’ll call her Pool Club Heather, so as not to be confused with my Fit Friend at 40 Heather).  Anyway, Heather recommended this hat to me, since I am a Runner Girl With a Ponytail.  Love it!

The Lunch Time Run

OK, so most people get time for lunch.  You can work through it.  You can go out to lunch.  You can go shopping.  You can do an errand.  And yes, you can exercise.  Some people say, “Oh no!  I don’t want to get all sweaty.”  True.  I don’t recommend this on a day when you have a big presentation to clients at 2 pm.  And let’s face it, most of us work right through our lunch, right?  But, to prove that it can be done, I timed my lunch time run (from work clothes to workout clothes back to work clothes) and took pictures!  (This is one of those days that I can’t believe I put my life on the blog!)

12:15 pm:  It’s been a busy morning at NuVal.  Time to break away from the desk. 

12:20 After a quick trip to the ladies room, I’m dressed and ready to go.

12:25.  Running – especially in New England in the Winter - requires some gear.  Ipod, Blackberry, Heart-Rate Monitor, BondiBand, Warm Gloves.  Check.

12:25 – 1:00  Run.  Do Hills.

1:00 – 1:05  Stretch.

1:05 – 1:15  Back to the Ladies Room for Presto Chango.  We don’t have showers at NuVal, but we do have running water and I bring soap, washcloth, towel and the all-important deodorant.  I also recommend a hairbrush, and a little cosmetic touch-up.  Let’s just say that I make do.

1:15  Heat up lunch and get back to work!

See!  It can be done.  And I feel so energized.  I have a more productive afternoon.  During my run, I even spent some time planning out some of the activities I would be working on in the afternoon.  A productive day for everyone.

I was talking to my husband about this post, before I wrote it and he said, “You know, the Lunchtime Workout really could be anything – a walk, stairs in your office building, there are many possibilities.”  Good point!

Question of the Day

How do you squeeze exercise into your day?

Posted by: Melissa 11 comments

Posted in: running, Two Favorite Things, Uncategorized

Tags: Asics, bondiband, running, Two Favorite Things, Uncategorized

Greek Diner Salad

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 07:06 AM

Somehow, this has turned into Friends and Family Week on A Better Bag of Groceries!  First, I featured my family and our outdoor dinner party  on Monday.  My dear sorority sister Joan showed up for Trade-Up Tuesday  with her old-fashioned popcorn.  I went to my recipe box and made a favorite from my friend Heather  on Wednesday.  In keeping with that theme, today I introduce you to my Wonderful Friend and Constant Savior, Kit!

Behind every working Mom, there is a Stay-at-Home Mom who saves her life on a regular basis.  When I was growing up, my Mom returned to nursing school and then worked as a registered nurse.  That meant that she had to be out of the house and on her way to work somewhere in the vicinity of 6:30 am.  Lucky for us, there was Odette, a stay-at-home mother of three children who lived upstairs from us.  Every morning, we headed up to Odette’s where she made us our instant oatmeal and watched over us until it was time to walk to school.  I always wondered how I was going to handle working and being a Mom, but somehow I knew that there would be an angel like Odette in my life.  For me, it is Kit.  She is always willing to lend a hand as taxi driver, impromptu babysitter, shoe-lender, and today, food blogger!

Kit and her husband, Greg, have been on a mission to lead a healthy life after a busy couple of years with their two young boys.  Kit will admit to you that she does not have that innate love for the gym that some people (like me) have, but she is doing an amazing job these days of getting there on a daily basis.  I am so proud of her!  After dedicating herself to small group training, TRX classes and cardio workouts, she is looking slimmer and trimmer than ever.

The other day, Kit’s husband put in a request for a light dinner, so Kit found this recipe for Greek Diner Salad on EveryDayHealth.com.  Funny, Kit and I both thought it was a “Dinner” salad, but according to the web-site, it’s a “Diner” salad.  I guess you might find this kind of a salad in a Greek diner.  Who knew?

For exact measurements and instructions, check out the original recipe here.

Fat-free plain yogurt (Dannon Non-Fat Plain, NuVal score: 96)

Reduced Fat mayonnaise (Cain’s Light, NuVal score: 15)

Lemon juice

Mint

Garlic (NuVal score: 91)

Honey (NuVal score: 1)

Salt (NuVal score: 1)

Zucchini (NuVal score:  99)

Red Pepper (NuVal score:  96)

Radishes (NuVal score:  99)

Garbanzo beans (Goya brand, NuVal score: 88)

Boston lettuce leaves (NuVal score: 82)

Kit also added some grilled chicken (NuVal score 39) and sliced avocado (NuVal score: 89).  I stopped by on my way home from work to check out Kit’s concoction and it smelled yuh – mmy!!  She even gave me her extra radishes so that I can make it for my husband too.  What a friend!

Question of The Day

What’s your favorite recipe that you’ve gotten from a friend?

Posted by: Melissa 7 comments

Posted in: running

Tags: Friends, running