2012 Goals

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Last week I realized that I never wrote down my goals for 2011. I know I had them in my head, and I'm sure there was more than one. However, I can only think of one goal that I set out to accomplish this year. I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, but there is a lot of value in setting (and writing down) goals, no matter what time of year it is.


Here are my goals for 2012:

1. Become a certified personal trainer (taking the exam in January!)

2. Continue to improve my running, clock a sub 12:00 mile

3. Train for and run a half marathon (13.1 miles)

4. Not freak out over my child going to kindergarten

5. Lose another 20 lbs (This has been my yearly average loss for the last two years. At this rate, I'll reach my goal weight in 2015.)

6. Daily Bible reading, an area where I always struggle for consistency
Edited to add: 7. Volunteer for one or more local races.

Now that I have these goals recorded for all the world to see, hopefully I'll remember to check back on them periodically so I can see progress.

By the way, my one goal for 2011 (that I can remember) was to improve my running pace to 12:00/mile. I have run a race and two training runs in the 12:45/mile range, so I'm very close. Well, much closer than I was a year ago when my average pace was 14:00+/mile.

What goals are you setting for 2012?

Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Christmas break has kept us busy, especially now that we all have new toys to play with! My new toy is a Toshiba Thrive tablet (my preference for everything non-Apple), and now I'm trying to learn not only a new gadget but also a new platform. Typing on a mobile device takes a little getting used to. I'm a fast typist when I can feel the keys under my fingers so typing on the touch screen takes some getting used to.

So that's my new trick. Blogging and typing from a mobile device. Let's see how this works...

Tomato Sausage Soup

One of my favorite things about winter is soup! Warm, filling, comforting, and delicious. This is a very versatile soup, full of healthy ingredients. I like to use oregano and garlic to give this soup an Italian flavor, but adding chili powder, cumin, and paprika would make this into a great chili! Play around with the spices and the amounts, according to your personal taste.

I like to make this in the slow cooker. But you could certainly simmer this on the stove for an hour or until the vegetables are tender. And you can use whatever veggies you have available. Totally customizable!

Use whatever kind of sausage you like. I used venison sausage, and it was very tasty.

Healthy Tomato Sausage Soup

Tomato Sausage Soup

1/2 lb crumbled sausage, cooked and drained

1 large can petite diced tomatoes

3 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups non-meat spaghetti sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic

additional water to give soup the consistency you prefer

Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours.

Linked to Healthy Food Friday on Mamavation.com

Seven

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Seven years ago, our world changed. Seven years ago, our first daughter was born from my womb directly into heaven.

Seven. Has it really been that long? It seems like the blink of an eye. Yet it seems like forever ago.

Seven means I can't really call Susie my "baby" anymore.

My prayer is that I live differently because of my loss. Not with an air of grief about me, but that I live life purposefully, with no regrets. This was hammered home two years ago when my dear friend lost her short battle with cancer.


To live life with purpose. To be intentional. To love without question. To serve without asking for anything in return. To be the person that God wants me to be. And to live each day knowing that this world is not my home.

When the petty, bothersome things of life rise up, I want to remember that they are nothing but a vapor in the grand scheme of things. That they pass quickly compared to the eternity that we'll spend with God.

I asked Ladybug (our four year old daughter) how she wanted to celebrate her sister's birthday. She said she wanted to write her sister a note and send it to heaven. So today, we will release a balloon with Ladybug's note attached. Our prayers will rise up with that balloon, prayers that God will help us live with purpose and without regrets.

Remember the story of the woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand? She said at church dinners, someone always says, "Keep your fork." And she knew that meant that something delicious was waiting. Being buried with a fork in her hand was to be a reminder that death means that something better is waiting for us.

I hold onto this hope. The hope for a glorious reunion. Not only with my child, but with my Lord.

Keep your fork; the best is yet to come.

#CreatingaBetterFit: Why I Want to Be a Personal Trainer

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I have a confession: it has been YEARS since I've belonged to a gym. We did contemplate joining the new rec center in town, but it just doesn't fit in the budget or the schedule right now.


Since I started on this getting healthy journey almost two years ago, I knew exercise had to be two things: enjoyable and affordable. Affordable because I'm a stay at home mom without a lot of extra money at my disposal. And enjoyable because I knew I wouldn't stick with it if I didn't like it.

And the thought of going to a gym two years ago was neither of these things for me.

I knew I needed to be smart about exercising, so I did a lot of research. And I learned. And I connected with awesome, knowledgeable folks on Twitter and Facebook.

Now I love exercising. Well, most days. I know that exercise needs to be a part of my life and my family's life.

My frugal side makes me want to exercise without spending an arm and a leg. And thankfully, I've seen a fair amount of success with a minimal amount of home equipment.

I know there are people out there, especially women, who are tight on time and money, and that might keep them away from the gym. As I've mentioned briefly before, I'm studying to become a certified personal trainer. I am combining my passion of helping people with my new passion of living a healthy lifestyle. I want to help people just like me.

Whether it's discrimination, lack of time or accessibility, or lack of extra funds, these things don't need to keep a person from getting fit and healthy. All the gym owners out there, don't shoot me for this. But a person does not NEED a gym to get in shape. And my goal as a personal trainer is to help people be comfortable enough with exercising that they start to enjoy it enough to make it a part of their lives.

It takes all types of people to make the world go 'round. So exercise isn't a one-size-fits-all endeavor. As a personal trainer, I'll be able to work with clients and meet them where they are.

Nothing should hold a person back from taking control of getting fit. Fit doesn't have a shape or a size. It's more than how a person looks on the outside. Fit is also emotional and mental well-being that comes from being physically active. Physical fitness affects the whole person, and it is something that we all should take seriously.

I have discovered a whole new, healthier me, and I want to help others do the same.

(I am linking this post up with Creating a Better Fit over at Mamavation.)

Rivertown Reindeer 5k Recap

I've been looking forward to this race for a year. I couldn't run it last year because I was side-lined with a hip flexor injury, so it was my "must do" list for 2011. And this fall, I have been able to train on this hilly course because of our recent move. I felt confident going into the race, but was not hoping for a PR because my most recent PR was on a flat course. Most of coastal South Carolina is flat, so most races here are flat and fast.

Rivertown Reindeer 5k souvenirs

Besides being my "hometown" race, I had several friends running. Our church youth director decided to run it and got several of the youth group members to sign up too. Several moms that I know were running as well. And it was a chance to dress festively! (Sorry, I forgot to get pics of my holiday accessories.)

I had my usual pre-race breakfast of a green smoothie: almond milk, 2 bananas, spinach, and flax oil. Race time was 8 am, and it was a cool, crisp morning. It was a small field, only 132 runners.

It was a fast start, and immediately started up a gentle slope. My breathing was really bad, and I don't usually have a problem with that. But I didn't want to drop back too far, so I focused on each breath and the street immediately in front of me.

The GPS on my phone didn't want to start, whether because of the cold or whatever, but I finally got it turned on and planned on using it to monitor my pace. I ran up each hill, gave myself a short walk break once I reached the top, then used the flats and the downhills to make up some time. There weren't a lot of people around me, mostly a few run/walkers.

The course wound through one of my favorite neighborhoods, some historic homes with gorgeous live oaks and Spanish moss. The live oak trees are protected here and the streets go around them. Gorgeous scenery to distract myself.

By the final gentle uphill, I was in a good groove and decided I didn't need any more walk breaks. I don't know whether I was looking pretty pitiful or just red in the face, but at one of the last turns, a few EMTs were standing nearby, and one of them asked if I was okay. Heck yeah! I was great!

After the last turn, it was downhill to the finish line. Now that is smart race planning! I saw Ladybug (our 4 year old) waiting for me. She ran the finish with me at my last race and wanted to do it again. So I grabbed her hand and we ran. One of our youth girls was sprinting up behind me (I had teased her as I passed her earlier that was letting an overweight, middle-aged woman beat her!), but I didn't have anything left in my legs. I was going as fast as they would carry me.

I saw the clock as I finished - 39:47 - a new PR by a full 40 seconds!! Wow! My average pace was 12:47. One of my goals for 2011 has been to break into the 12:00/mile range - woohoo!! And I was spent. I left it all out on the course.

I know compared to others I may not be fast, and I spent part of Saturday beating myself up about it. Races are a great challenge to keep me motivated. But when it comes down to it, I love running. I love the emotional and mental health that I've gained since August 2010. I still have a lot of weight to lose, and I hope that as that goes, my pace will improve too. But even if I never lost another pound, I would still run. And I'll still race.

The moment that made me laugh - I placed 10th out of 11 in my age division. I don't know why that struck me as funny, but it did.

And an inspiring moment from the morning - we stayed for the awards. There were three runners, one woman and two men, over 70 who ran this race. My goal is still be running and enjoying it when I'm 70. And maybe by then I'll place in my age division.