25 Days Of A Slimmer Christmas!

The idea behind this is to get you more aware of what you are eating and how much you are being physically active. I know some people don't want to deprive themselves of a certain food but the idea behind this is figure out some alternatives so that you have variety in your diet. Give it a shot you never know what you might discover. So I figured what better time to really focus on staying on track than at the holidays?

Each day you will have something new that you need to follow whether it be a food restriction, adding more exercise, making healthy substitutions etc. 

I thought of this because I need a jump start to get me back on track and get me through the upcoming holiday season. Then I thought why not include my friends and family and make it a fun challenge with prizes and all! 

So here are the guidelines:

 Challenge will begin at 12am on December 1^st and end at 11:59pm on December 25^th (Christmas day).

 There will be three prizes awarded:

1^st – Most points earned

2^nd – Most weight lost

3^rd – Most creative

I am not telling you which prizes are for what that you'll just have to wait to find out. 

Here are the three prizes: 
- Picnic Gift Basket
- Rest and Relaxation Gift Basket 
(made especially to the winners likes) 
-A one year subscription to The Food Network Magazine. 

So hope those are incentive enough for you!

For the entire challenge you must complete these two things - this is the base and it grows from here.

• Must do at least 30 minutes of physical activity 4 times a week (physical activity could be anything. If you are currently not physically active start small)
• Make a restriction to one unhealthy food that you really like or find that you have been over indulging in daily. Meaning you cut back on the amount or you cut it out of your diet completely for the 25 days.

Here are the daily requirements, some of them continue from that day until the challenge ends so please read carefully:

December 1^st – Drink 6-8 glasses of water for the remainder of the challenge

December 2^nd – Eat a healthy breakfast

December 3^rd – Vegetarian day! Every meal must be vegetarian (get creative trying new proteins)

December 4^th – No fast food for the remainder of the challenge

December 5^th – Eat only 100% whole wheat (ie. Pasta, bread, rice, crackers, etc)

December 6^th – No snacking on things like chips, Doritos, pretzels, etc.

December 7^th – Do 15 Minutes of Guided Meditation

December 8^th – Plan and prepare all your meals for the following day

December 9^th – Add 15 minutes to your physical activity

December 10^th - No candy for the remainder of the challenge

December 11^th – Eat 5 servings of fruits or vegetables

December 12^th – No peanut butter for the remainder of the challenge

December 13^th - Limit your caffeine intake

December 14^th - No ice cream for the remainder of the challenge

December 15^th – Eat fruit with breakfast as well as 1 snack

December 16^th – Get a friend or family member to exercise with you that is not part of the challenge

December 17^th – No chocolate for the remainder of the challenge

December 18^th – Replace your dessert with a piece of fruit or yogurt

December 19^th – Complete one random act of kindness (The more creative the better)

December 20^th – No take out for the remainder of the challenge

December 21^st – Do 20 minutes of guided meditation

December 22^nd – Try a new exercise/class or do something that isn't part of your general routine.

December 23^rd – Eat fish (If you are vegetarian or vegan: Try a new protein or one you don’t eat as often)

December 24^th – Try a new vegetable

December 25^th – Use weights or resistance in your physical activity

Here is how you will earn points throughout the challenge:

-If you complete each of the individual daily requirements you will earn 1 point for each one you do .  

-For all the cumulative requirements you will earn an additional point for each day that you continue to follow that requirement.

-If you complete the required 4 times a week of at least 30 minutes of physical activity you will receive 1 point for each week. (week will be from Saturday to Friday).

-You will earn 2 points per week for your personal restriction.
.

-You will also earn 1 point for each additional day that you add in at least 30 minutes of physical activity above the required 4 times a week. 

Here is how to make sure I know about creativity:

I will be providing you with a log. When you complete each day be sure to add as much detail as possible about what you ate, what your physical activity was, something that helped you accomplish that days tasks. The more you give me and the more creative you are the better!

For weight loss:

This will be on your honor. If you would like to be in this part of the challenge be sure when you email me that you include your starting weight and then at the end you will resubmit with your ending weight.

Now let the fun begin!!

If you would like to participate please email alysadventures@gmail.com with your name (include twitter and blog if applicable) as well as what unhealthy food you are making restrictions too and what the restrictions are. If you would like be part of the weight loss challenge please include your starting weight.

 I need to receive your email ASAP so I can send out the logs to everyone.

Once I receive your email I will be emailing you a confirmation that I received your entry and I will also attach an excel log for the challenge. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours then please resend your email.
I will also be creating a facebook group as a support system during our challenge so we can keep each other motivated!!
Please use the log each day as you will need to send it back to me when the challenge is over to be eligible for the prizes. Remember, be as creative as you can. See if you can come up with new workouts, try new recipes, etc.

Also it would great if you tweet and FB your daily sucess by using #25daysslimmer

End of challenge:

Between December 26^th until December 30^th please submit your log. Also include notes of things you liked, didn't like etc. If you are part of the weight loss challenge also include your ending weight. I will send out a reminder to submit your log so you don’t miss out as this is a very busy time of year!

I will announce the winners the beginning of January.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Challenge!

Mountains vs. Molehills

I have been trying to do things that are adventurous that I haven't tried before. This weekend after talking to my friend Jamison we decided to go rock climbing!! I was scared and excited all at the same time, mainly because we were going bouldering which meant we were doing it without ropes.

We went to Central Rock Gym in Worcester. Basically right up the street from my house! I can't tell you how many times I have driven by this place and NEVER been inside.

We walk in and I of course had to fill out a waiver; you know in case I die. We had to rent shoes too, I started with my normal shoe size 11 and had to go up a half size. Jamison and I wore the same size shoe. That either says something about me or something about him. This is the what the rock walls look like from up where the cardio equipment is...

To the right of the giant wall in the middle is the smaller wall where you do the bouldering. All the climbing trails are labeled starting at V0 going up to V10. 0 being the easiest and 10 being the most difficult. I was only able to successfully complete a V0, I attempted V1, V2 but only got about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up.

Here it the thing I understand that most of year strength comes from your legs. I wasn't really using upper body strength in the sense of pulling myself up or anything. What I was having a problem with was that you have to have a descent grip for the hand holds. I now understand just how much of a workout this is for your forearms! Imagine making a fist and then hold it like that for an hour. As soon as you make the fist you can feel your forearm tense up. While I was climbing my feet hurt slightly but that was more because the foot holds were awkwardly shaped and digging into my feet not due to over use of those muscles. My legs were completely fine. I guess all that biking & running has certainly paid off. By about halfway through the time we spent there my hands and arms were aching.

I watched others climbing all around me and let me tell you they were very impressive. There were several people who would be hanging by their hands, swing their feet to a tiny little foot hold, and then jump to another spot on the wall. I was in awe most of the time watching everyone. For most of them these walls were Molehills but for me they are mountains. I am determined to conquer these mountains!

I will definitely be trying this again and doing some workouts to help strengthen my forearms. It really was a great workout and it is so much fun when you finally get to the top!

Thanks Jamison for coming with me and not making me feel bad for not being able to do it as well as you! I appreciate the support! :)

Beyond The Rainbow 5K

Today was my third race in the Will Run For Beer Series, the Beyond The Rainbow 5k. The 5k was also simultaneously going on with the Great Bay Half Marathon which was interesting. I have been registered for this race for a little while and just recently found out that the 5k got it's name because it supports a program at Exeter Hospital called Beyond The Rainbow Fund. It helps support cancer patients and their faimlies while going through treatment with various things such as transportation, child care, etc. Not only was I thrilled that it is giving back to fellow cancer patients/survivors but one of my nurse practitioners just recently transfered to Exeter Hospital to work in their cancer center. It made me feel as though I was supporting her in a way as well!

So this morning I was hoping that it would be a little warmer than it was yesterday and hopefully less wind too.

As we were driving in I discovered that the parking was actually a good distance away from where the actual race was going to be. So we parked and took a shuttle to the start line. One thing I really liked is while waiting for the shuttle the race people had setup a table with tons of info on it that we really did need to know. It was awesome!

We then bored the bus and headed to the start, or so I thought! The shuttle bus pulled into a culdasac full of condos, stopped and opened the doors. There were several people on the bus that I heard comment how they thought we were picking someone up. Which is what I thought as well, it was a really odd place to be let out. As it turns out we were behind the high school we just needed to cut through a few places. As we were walking we came across the Community center which seemed really nice but my favorite thing was that they had a giant map of the United States painted in the parking lot.

After walking further we finally came to the high school, which again I thought was were the start was. I have to say I really like that all these races thus far in the series have had buildings for people to go into especially with this not being such a warm spring. We walked into the school, mom got in line for the bathroom I went in to get my bib number and t-shirt. I found it interesting that everyone got the same bib number but different t-shirts depending on if your were doing the 5k or the half marathon.

I came back out to find mom still waiting in line which was great because she pretty much held my spot. I have to be able to change cause I have found that I need to run in compression pants but there is no way I can put them on and then drive all that way while wearing them. So I changed and was all set to go. I honestly don't know what I would do if someone that wasn't running the race didn't come with me because they always end up holding my crap stuff, which in today's case happened to be my mother.

Now it was almost race time so I decided to start out towards the start line so that I wouldn't be in the same situation as last time where I get there just in time to start. I left mom so she could start to walk towards the finish which was in an entirely different spot. It was a good thing I started out "early" because the start was actually at the Elementary School down the street. This was the scene as I approached...

Made me nervous to see so many people, then I remembered it was both races together. I made my way towards the back of the pack and waited. Then there was the start gun and we were off. The first part of the race was fairly flat and a nice run or in my case half walk too. The volunteers were fantastic they made sure you knew where you were going and also gave you a nice compliment/motivation as you ran/walked by them. Everything was going great and then I turned the corner and there was the first hill. It ended up being the first of four hills, this was a hilly course. The ONLY thing that got me through was thinking and in some case saying out loud, "what goes up must eventually come down." Not being familiar with the course I just hoped the going down part came up shortly after starting the going up part. It was nice to get some extra speed going down the hills though.

My favorite part was when we got about halfway up the last hill and the volunteers standing at the top to direct us started yelling, "Come on you guys can do it, it's all down hill from here. The hard part is all over." Now hoping that you can trust them (cause sometimes you can't) it gives you that little extra push. I was thrilled to see they told the truth and it was all down hill. I took off and ran until I had crossed the finish line.

And for those of you who know me I always pick a mark of someone I want to finish before. This time I let them get too far ahead of me and he finished just a few seconds before me. I'll catch 'em next time! Although this was not a new PR for me I though I did fairly well with my finish time of 40:20 given the hills and sore hip from over doing the running this weekend.

I was thrilled to see that not only was my mom waiting for me at the finish but so was my cousin, her boyfriend and my aunt and uncle. They live in New Hampshire and decided to come down and cheer me on. It was great to see them. We stayed to watch the first few people finish the half marathon. the winner of the race and the mens finished in 1:12:26...beating the record he set last year. That is just amazing to me, I say congrats to my fellow 5ker's but also everyone who did the half marathon, you inspire me. Probably not enough to ever do a half marathon but still.

I heard rumors that there was an after race celebration which was being sponsored by Smuttynose Brewing Co. However I have no idea where it was cause it was not where we were. Oh well missing one isn't the end of the world.

This was a good race. I would definitely so this race again! Thank you to everyone involved in creating, directing and arranging everything. And special thanks to all the volunteers, you did a phenomenal job and were just all around pleasant and motivating, certainly can't do these races without you so keep up the good work!

Stayed tuned for the Stonyfield Earth Day 5K in a couple weeks!

My Trials With Cycling

So I have been riding a bike since I was in kindergarten and I distinctly remember the whole process of learning to ride a bike. I was fine with the whole training wheel thing and was not going to have those long. I finally got to the point that they were removed and I was free. And then there was a the falling. I never really got hurt I just remember that I fell a bit but then got the hang of it.

I bring this up because I feel as though I am learning to ride a bike all over again. Only this time it is a lot more frustrating! I am not sure about the rest of you out there but I am new to the cycling thing as far as training. races, exercise thing. I recently got a new bike through a grant from the AKP Foundation which I couldn't be happier about. The bike itself is great, light weight, easy gear changes, hybrid tires, regular handle bars instead of road bike handle bars (which I love about it). However as part of the grant they also got my cycling shoes and clip pedals.

At the time I thought was great because I know that is what most people use while cycling for the reason I will be cycling for.

I got all this stuff in December which is not the ideal time in Massachusetts. But I started using the shoes during spin class so I would be used to them. Boy way that the biggest joke I ever told myself. I was used to having them on my feet however there is no other option of getting used to them then actual riding on the bike out on the open road so to speak.

Last weekend I went on my first bike ride with a friend on mine. Now mind you everyone I know that rides with clip in shoes had already warned me that I WILL fall as if there was no getting around it. Well I like many others live in my little world of denial where nothing like that ever happens to me.

0.02 miles into our trail ride guess what happened? If you guessed that I feel you are the lucky winner! Now this trail is also paved so needless to say I have the scrap/bump/bruise to prove I fell.

It actually looks much better in this picture than it actually was. So I had landed on the wrist/palm and then elbow because my feet were as you guessed still attached to the pedals. It was painful but it was however definitely because I am not used to the shoes and my brain is not trained to remember unless I am thinking about it. At the time I was thinking about the fact that my hydration pack was leaking so badly it was pouring water down my back. I of course did what any other child or person would got back and up and got on the bike. After I dealt with the hydration pack of course. We continued and I did well with thinking about unclipping and being ready for a stop. we came to the first of two major intersections that cross the trail we were on. I had unclipped my left foot and was actually standing on the ground with it. However in an effort to unclip my right foot aparently the motion was too great and you guessed it again I fell over. figured I had to even it out, one on each side. that wasn't as bad probably because I was some what closer to the ground.

Luckily those were the only two falls I endured during my 10+ mile ride that day. However the recovery from the first fall was quite a few days, which although it was my arm interfered with my training because it hurt too much to swim.

So now we fast forward to today. I was feeling much better, not really any more pain, the bruises are starting to fade. I thought I can do my ride outside today. I rode from my house to the Y, about 1.5 miles. It turned out to freezing so I decided I would just ride home after the road race I was doing and hopefully ride later in the day when it was slightly warmer.

After the race I get ready and start out. I had to stop at the end of the parking lot for traffic and again my left foot was unclipped standing on the ground and yet some how my right got stuck, threw my balance off, and my bike tipped which also took me with it because my foot was attached. I managed to bend my ankle & knee in a way which I am sure is not good for them and of course braced the whole thing with my hand. But again I got up and got back on the bike and rode home.

So here I sit on the couch trying to get warm from the cold yet having to ice my hand.

The ice is wrapped in a towel, while I try to keep layers of blankets between my fingers to keep them warm.

Here is the thing when you would fall as a child yes you might of had the same outcome of scraps, bruises and bumps but they didn't seem to effect you the same as they do as an adult. It is frustrating because I know I need to ride more out on the road to really get used to using the shoes and training my brain to do it subconciously. But now I am starting to develop a fear of actually going for a ride because of the falling. I am really torn here. It is much easier to ride with the clip in shoes but with the higher current possibility of getting hurt. I am seriously considering going back to regular pedals but I am unsure.

I would love to hear from other cyclists on their thoughts and how you got through the transition to using the clip in shoes.

For today I am putting off my ride but will get back on the bike again!

HAWMC Day 5: Aspiration

I find this topic inspiring for me think outside the box a tad. If i had unlimited resources really the sky would be the limit!

My goal would be to have a camp for children survivors that they could attend and regain a lot of things they may have lost through their cancer treatments. It would also include things like counseling, art/music therapy, animal therapy, mind body wellness, dealing with anxiety, etc.

I would then develop something more specific for young adults. I like the idea of young adult but I also feel as though the typical age range although some topics over lap like jobs, fertility, etc there are many that don't due to wide range of 18-40. I would love to develop a local program hopefully affiliated with area hospitals and wellness centers. It would be designed initial on an individual basis where the person can meet one on one with a team. A personal trainer, a social worker type, medical personnel, financial advisor, etc. From there they can decided what that person needs and develop an individual plan for them. As far as the social worker and fincial adviser they would be more to help get them into preexisting programs such as something through the fore mentioned hospitals or a lot of the financial assistance foundations/programs that are already in play. Once their individual plan is devised they would then enter into a group atmosphere I would think similar to that of the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program. However it would much less formal, but still give them the option of being with other survivors, motivating each other as well as getting inspiration from them. I haven't worked out all the bugs but that is the general idea.

Then of course there is the adult age group of cancer survivors 40+. Which I think require an entirely different program. It could be similar to the young adult but I would like to be able to include services for their family/caregivers because often they are more involved then most realize. I also think that there are more other medical conditions going in addition to cancer with some people that would be this age group so they would need more than just cancer survivorship guidance but also help with managing this like arthritis, heart disease, etc.

My first year I would think that I would work on developing the program for young adults since I am a young adult and so that is what I am most comfortable with and then we can build from there. I think this idea would take many more years than 5 and lots of work by not only myself but many other people. Just thinking about it is extremely overwhelming and I applaud those people that have successfully started foundations and program similar to this nature as I can only imagine what it took to get that done.

April Fools 4 Miler!

This was the second race I did as part of the Will Run For Beer race series. The 32nd Annual April Fools 4 miler, which I am happy to say benefits The American Red Cross and The Alzheimer’s Association!

Today was a much better day for a road race than the first one with waves crashing over the course. It basically took place at a place called The Winner's Circle (or so I thought). 

It was nice to have a place to be inside while waiting for the race to start especially with bathrooms, mainly because the hour+ ride there is not something I can do wearing my compression pants so I had to change. 

As you entered the building there were lists in alphabetical order with your bib number. Once you got your bib number you headed up stairs to get your actual bib and your choice between a t-shirt or a hat. I opted for a t-shirt mainly because it is actually a tech shirt which I can always use. Then we just waited for it to all begin.

I decided at about 10:50am that it would be a good time to go out and get ready. That was when I discovered the start was not actually on Elm Street but on Old Elm Street which was a little bit of a walk but when you are not expecting that it throws you off a little bit. I actually got to the back of the pack at the Start line just as the start gun went off. I really couldn't have timed it any more perfrectly. And we were off!

It's funny because most of the runners were talking about how the only thing getting them through the four miles was knowing there was free beer at the finish line for them. First off it's not free you paid for it with your race registration, second drinking alcohol directly after running four miles is probably one of the worst things you could for your body. But I just keep to myself and carry. Ironically enough I am doing a Will Run For Beer 5k series and I don't even drink beer! So I have no idea what got me through the race. Maybe it was the fact that I know I need to at some point in the near future be able to "run" 6.2. I put run in quotations because after my experience today I have a feeling after swimming and biking there will be a very real chance I will be walking the 6.2 miles but we will see what happens.

Anyway back to the race. Everything was very clearly marked, the volunteers were amazing (as they usually seem to be for road races). They all made sure we were on the right track. My favorite thing about this race was that at each mile marker they had not just a sign but also a clock and the volunteer standing there would yell out your time to you at each mile. I run using my Garmin watch so I am always right on top of my pace and time but I observed lots of people that do not run with a watch so this was a very nice added extra bonus and I think probably helped motivate people and keep them on track. 

At the beginning of the race I try and pick a target. Which I know sounds very assassin of me but it helps keep me on track. Usually it takes a few time to actually get a real target. Mine ended up being a women who was speed walking the race. I decided after playing leap frog with her for a little bit that I was going to make sure I crossed the finish line before her. Although I have to say I am not sure I feel about my goal of finishing before a speed walker but I will let you know what happened!

When I did the 5k a couple weeks ago I had set a goal for myself to finish in under 40 minutes which I missed by 4 seconds. There was no way I was going to let that happen this time. At about 2.98 I decided I was going to run my hardest/fastest until I reached 3.1 miles. I reached 3.1 with a time of 39:18 so I successfully set a new personal record for a 5k. However I did this directly after having chugged water at the last water stop. My stomach did not appreciate that! This was the one time that I thought I might actually vomit. The feeling came and went for the remainder of the race but I decided I was not going to let that stop me. I was about 0.4 miles away from the finish line and I just decided to give it my all and go for it. I ended up crossing the finish line with a time of 50 minutes and 38 seconds!

Photo by: My mom, she missed the finish pose and got me stopping my watch instead...oh well!

 I was very happy with that considering I had set my goal to finish in under an hour. And yes I did cross the finish line before my speed walker mark but for that last little bit I wasn't sure it was going to happen.

At the finish line there were a few bagels left with peanut butter, some power gels and water. I was very sad to see that all the fruit was gone (bananas and watermelon) as was the pizza, peanut butter crackers and granola bars. I know these things are hard to plan but I feel like this was a very large over sight. 

We walked back over to The Winner's Circle which of course was packed to the gills because everyone wanted their free beer. I on the other hand just wanted the bathroom. I seriously considered the port-a-potty to avoid the building but then decided against it. I heard several people say that there were more participants and supports than they anticipated but I am telling you the amount of people in the building had to of been a Fire Hazard. It took forever to get in and just as long to get out. Whoever designed the doors to open out and block the staircase was not very smart. At any rate we got the bathroom changed and when you come out all you could see was a sea of people and these everywhere...

I know there was mention of trying to setup and outside space for the beer but that didn't happen. I hope for next year it does because that would have really helped the over population problem. 

All in all this was a good race. The course was a nice flat out and back so you knew what you were in for by the time you reached the second mile. I would definitely do it again but probably stay away from The Winner's Circle post race if there is no outside area for the beer.

Thanks to everyone at WCRC for all your hard work as well as the volunteers. These races couldn't be done without you. I am looking forward to my next race in the series The Beyond The Rainbow 5k next sunday in Newmarket, NH. Even though I heard another runner talking about it being a hilly course. :( 

Still time to register if any of you would like to do it with me!

Tri Mania Expo

I found out about the Tri Mania Expo very late. I got an email from Max Performance because they had a booth at the expo. I had no idea such an expo existed so I looked into it. This was Thursday and the expo was Saturday. I got Sara to go with me so I registered. It was hard to believe there was this whole expo with seminars and it was free!

I did also take a look at the clinics they were offering as well. There was only one that I was interested in called eating to peak. However it started at 8am which meant I would of had to out of the house by 6:30 to get there on time. I decided against that, leaving at 8am was  early enough.

We got there at about 9:15 and headed in to the seminar room. There they were talking about the science of training which turned out to be quite interesting. But the one at 9:45am is what we were
really there for, The triathletes guide to weight loss and weight management by Nancy Clark. It was fantastic!

I already knew that weight loss relies mainly on diet and not exercise. But I know I was one of those people that thought 'I have increased my training so much why am I not loosing more weight.' This reminded me that I need to focus on what I am eat as well as my training.

I loved that Nancy took the time to explain how to cut calories and still have the energy you need to train. 

I also had no idea how to figure out how many calories you burn without additional exercise so this part was also extremely helpful! All in all this was a fantastic seminar and I definitely learned a lot of new things that will help with my training.

After the weight loss and weight management seminar there was another seminar about preparing for a triathlon swim. Sara and I both decided that was something we would be interested in staying for as well. It was lead by Rick Lil. As the seminar got started we quickly learned that it wasn't going to be what we thought it was. I then read the whole description of the seminar and realized that it was dealing with the mental/anxiety part of the swim. Which don't get me wrong is a very big part of it but not what we thought we were going to be hearing about. We thought it was going to be more of play by play on how the swims were going to go. But that is what you get for not reading everything. It was still helpful to learn about how to learn to figure out where your stress or anxiety is coming from and how to deal with it in a way that will help you get through the swim.

After that there was a break and there weren't really any seminars that we wanted to go to until later in the day so we headed down to the expo.

I learned a lot from the seminars but the expo was what I was looking forward to the most. Although I have done one triathlon I am still a newbie and really don't know all that much or have all the appropriate gear so this was the place to be!

We walked in and there was a crowd of people but it wasn't overly crowded which was nice. We were only about three booths in when I spotted the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies Team In Training booth. Since I had been an honored hero for two of their training teams I figured I would take a look at what races they were starting teams for to see if there were any I wanted to do. One the immediately caught my eye was the Tufts 10K For Women. Since I had started this whole "racing" lifestyle everyone I have talked to (well all the women I had talked to) raved about the Tufts 10K. I really wanted to do it BUT it is held on Columbus Day and that is a teacher training day at my school and they don't let you have the day off. So I wasn't going to do it. Sara talked me into it with the argument of the race will always be on Columbus Day so sooner or later I will have to take that day off. So I signed up and then of course played the same trick on her and so now we are signed up together. I think this will be fun!

We then moved onto another booth that was online training/coaching for athletes of all kinds. Sara was interested so she was talking to them. Not that it isn't something I would be interested in but unless someone wants to sponsor my training there is no way I can afford to have coaching. But they sounded great!

I started to think about how I should tweet that we just join TNT and realized I didn't have my phone. Now I have never lost my phone and since this was a huge expo I figured it was long gone. The only saving grace in my head was that I could use find my iphone and at least maybe get it back or delete everything on it (which would suck royally). The only place it could be was in the seminar room so we left and headed back up there; in the middle of them talking to Sara I might add.

As we were walking along the hallway we looked at all the little places we stopped. but of course I noticed this right when a seminar was letting out so we were basically going up stream. As we were walking along a man asked us if we were looking for a cellphone. I of course said yes and he told me that he had told one of the volunteers about it and they should have it. Ironically enough he recognized me from being up there earlier. Sure enough I walked in the they had it sitting on the table. I was so thrilled!! I guess there is still good in this world and not everyone is out to just take things. So now that that little crisis was averted we headed back to the expo and Sara finished with the online coaching.

There was some great things there

We got this calendar that actually has a lot of the races on it for you. The good/bad thing was that once we looked through it we found a bunch more that we wanted to do!

There were also lots of place giving out free samples!

I have never tried either on these. The Aero Shot sounded interesting it is basically just a very fine powder that you suck into your mouth and it dissolves almost instantly. I will definitely let you know how that one works if I use it during one of my races.

Max Performance was also there and they were giving away a wet suit which would have been great to win. Tim one of the race directors was there and we got to chat a little as was Megan one of their swim instructors. I was also able to saving $10 on my registration to the Title 9 Women's Triathlon in Hopkinton this fall which is always a plus cause we all know how expensive this can be. I loved the experience with Max Performance last year so I am looking forward to doing not only the Title 9 but also the Mass State this year!

We also met a lot of teams and clubs that were around the area which was cool. There were several that sounded like they were fun and also more low key. As in perfect for me because they were more focused on offering training but in a go at your own pace kind of way. I was really interested in Dreamfar Triathlon Club but all their trainings I am already booked and they are in concord so that wasn't overly exciting but they were so nice I would have seriously considered joining them.

I also found a place that I could finally get some stuff that says triathlete etc. So of course I bought this for my car!

I also got a triathlon license plate holder cause why not make the car complete? The best part is that I really don't look like what most people think of when they say triathlete and neither does my husband so we get some funny looks but hey I did it therefore I am a triathlete!

For those of you who know me you know I LOVE the color purple so when the people from Hero Triathlon told us we could take a swim cap I just had to get this one. Who doesn't need an extra swim cap? The why not wear one that says be a hero? I have already worn mine during one of my training swims this week.

I then found something I thought was too good to be true. It is called Choffy! Now when you think about Choffy you might think it is some kind of gourmet coffee or something. I know I certainly did. However I couldn't have been more wrong. It is actually brewed chocolate. Well actually brewed cocoa beans to be exact. I could not wait to try this. They added french vanilla creamer to it which gave just enough sweetness/flavor. It was really good. I am really upset that I didn't buy some while we were there cause now I have to order it to get any because there is no store or distributor here. But I have to say if you ever get a chance to try it go for it because it really is good!

The most upsetting thing that because we registered so late we were not one of the people that got a swag bag. HOWEVER at 1pm if there were any leftover they were giving them on a first come first serve basis. Sara and I were first in line, which aside from being the most likely way to getting a bag we also got to chat with one of the volunteers who as it turns out is also a blood cancer survivor and had done a race with Team In Training. So needless to say we ended up with a swag bag and it was filled with some fun stuff...take a look!

All in all this was a fun experience and I will definitely be going back again. Hopefully as I get more into triathlons and get more comfortable with my own abilities I will be able to get involved with the competition parts as well.

Thanks to everyone at Tri Mania for arranging this. Of course to all the volunteers cause lets face it with everything relates to theses kinds of races, etc they wouldn't be possible without and this certainly wouldn't have been either. and last but certainly not least all the vendors and presenters for the seminars. I learned so much and feel like I am more prepared for my adventures ahead of me!

Smuttynose Palooza 5k Race Report

This is a little later than normal but better late than never!

I believed I was fairly prepared for this race. Aside from the Santa 5k I did in December this was going to be the first time I was running outside. I was interested to see if treadmill running was doing anything for me or if in fact it might be even hurting me. I started my race preparations by constantly checking their website to make sure the race was still going on due to all the snow and such. However they announced that everything was still on. I then discovered that I had an hour and half drive...woohoo! Luckily my husband surprised me by talking the morning off to come with me so I wouldn't have to be alone.

We got there around 8:30am and picked all my race stuff. I picked up a friends as well who couldn't make it. Got myself dressed and ready to hit the road. The great thing about this race was that it was at the Blue Ocean Music Hall which was great cause that meant all the runners and cheerers could wait inside in a warm place before having to run in the cold. Oh yeah and fantastic bathrooms as well (which is always great when you are used to using port-a-potties at most 5k's) the morning was very pleasant. They announced that it was time for the runners to go out to the start.

We all started to head out. As we got to the end of the driveway a giant wave crashed into the street and basically flooded the whole start lane. Luckily I hadn't actually walked into the start lane yet and avoided getting soaked before running. I have to admit waves crashing onto the run course was definitely a whole new experience for me. I went around to other side of the parking lot and stood at the very back in hopes of avoiding any other waves coming our way.

photo curtisey of runwithken.com - trying to avoid the waves/huge puddles

The race started and we all took off...walking. One because there were so many people and it is always difficult to have a running start when your so close together and two because there was so much water and sand everyone was trying their best to avoid it so their feet weren't wet and cold for the run. After we got past that the rest of the course was pretty clear. There were some spots that had black ice but my general rule is to avoid any wet pavement.

The course itself was pretty easy mostly flat, only very small inclines which was a nice treat. I set a goal for myself to finish in under 40 minutes. My last 5k was somewhere around 42 minutes so I thought that was a realistic goal. It was nice to see the aray of people doing this race. There were the "elites" who were finishing when I was just getting to mile marker 1 then there were your average folk and families. I have to say I always love to see families doing this kind of stuff. Based on my own childhood of always being inactive and over weight and working with children on a daily basis I understand all to well how important physical activity is as well as spending time with their parents, siblings, etc. and then there were the walkers which I am always equally excited to see because at least they are doing what they can and getting out there moving. I LOVE IT!

I tried to keep up my normal run route of running half mile, tenth mile break, then quarter mile runs with tenth mile walk. It took a lot more effort and I was exhausted by then end. I actually was thinking how in the world am I going to do 6.5 miles after swimming and running? The triathlon is only four month away, AAAHHH!

I remember realizing that I only had one more left turn and then the finish line was right there. That the most exciting thing ever. I was so thrilled when I crossed that finish line!

I ended up missing my goal by 4 seconds. I crossed the finish with a time for 40:03, trust me when I say those 4 second will be gone next time, I will find a way! I made it all the way through the race without getting soaked which was a huge accomplishment. Lots of others were not so lucky.

After the race was fun. They had an assortment of things set up for all the runners. There was pizza, yogurt, fruit, water, cereal/granola. The line was slightly long but after going inside to change and coming back it was a lot shorter. They even let my husband eat when in most cases that stuff is just for the runners. Oh yea and who can forget the beer...

When we got back into the music hall I made the mistake of asking my husband if he wanted a beer. That is when he told me while I was running he had already been drinking. I am not sure that was an even compromise. But regardless since I don't drink beer at least I know he got whatever would have been mine. There was also a karaoke contest after the race which we did not stay for but the schedule of singers was full so I am sure everyone had fun with that.

All in all despite the "damage" from the snow storm and the occasion wave coming onto the course this was a really good race. It was well organized, an easy course and the post race was very inviting! I think this is one I will be doing again. Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for all your hard work!

30 from 100

On February 19th I will be turning 30! I know who would believe 3 decades have gone by? I certainly find myself thinking where has the time gone. But I also plan on embracing this lovely number as much as I can because I am a better healthier person at 30 than I was at any other age so why not.

I know I have many people who are friends and family that this will reach and because of that I would like to tell you my plan for turning 30. I got to have an amazing experience last summer where I got to go white water kayaking and spend a fantastic week in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina making some good friends and connecting with fellow young adult cancer survivors. And it was free to me and something I truly needed all thanks to firstdescents.org. Although I am heavily involved with many cancer organization this was the first time it was with young adults. It was something I will not soon forget and will hopefully have the chance to experience again this summer some where new. If you would like to check out my experience click here.

 But down to my plan for 30, I have joined Team FD (First Descents) again this year. I have chosen my challenge to be completing my first ever Olympic triathlon! Last year I completed a sprint triathlon and was able to raise $2,000.00 with the help of very generous people. This year I raised my goal to $3,000.00 and I figured what better way to celebrate turning 30 than asking 100 people to donate $30. Seems like my $3,000.00 goal is a lot more attainable breaking it down that way, doesn't it?

For all of my family and friends I would like to ask that in lieu of any kind of birthday gifts that you be one of the 100 that donates to my Team FD page.

I am hoping that this will get a lot of attention and I will surpass my goal and send even more young adult cancer survivors on the adventure of their new life!

To donate click here. Who will be the first?

25 Days Of A Slimmer Christmas Challenge!

The idea behind this is to get you more aware of what you are eating and how much you are being physically active. I know some people don't want to deprive themselves of a certain food but the idea behind this is figure out some alternatives so that you have variety in your diet. Give it a shot you never know what you might discover. So I figured what better time to really focus on staying on track than at the holidays?

Each day you will have something new that you need to follow whether it be a food restriction, adding more exercise, making healthy substitutions etc. 

I thought of this because I need a jump start to get me back on track and get me through the upcoming holiday season. Then I thought why not include my friends and family and make it a fun challenge with prizes and all! 

So here are the guidelines:

 Challenge will begin at 12am on December 1^st and end at 11:59pm on December 25^th (Christmas day).

 There will be three prizes awarded:

1^st – Most points earned

2^nd – Most weight lost

3^rd – Most creative

I am not telling you which prizes are for what that you'll just have to wait to find out. 

Here are the three prizes: 
- $50 Spa Gift Card
- Rest and Relaxation Gift Basket 
(made especially to the winners likes) 
-A one year subscription to The Food Network Magazine. 

So hope those are incentive enough for you!

For the entire challenge you must complete these two things - this is the base and it grows from here.

• Must do at least 30 minutes of physical activity 4 times a week (physical activity could be anything. If you are currently not physically active start small)
• Make a restriction to one unhealthy food that you really like or find that you have been over indulging in daily. Meaning you cut back on the amount or you cut it out of your diet completely for the 25 days.

Here are the daily requirements some of them continue from that day until the challenge ends so please read carefully:

December 1^st – Drink 6-8 glasses of water for the remainder of the challenge

December 2^nd – Eat a healthy breakfast

December 3^rd – Vegetarian day! Every meal must be vegetarian (get creative trying new proteins)

December 4^th – No fast food for the remainder of the challenge

December 5^th – Eat only 100% whole wheat (ie. Pasta, bread, rice, crackers, etc)

December 6^th – No snacking on things like chips, Doritos, pretzels, etc.

December 7^th – Take a walk either after lunch or after dinner.

December 8^th – Plan and prepare all your meals for the following day

December 9^th – Add 15 minutes to your physical activity

December 10^th - No candy for the remainder of the challenge

December 11^th – Eat 5 servings of fruits or vegetables

December 12^th – No peanut butter for the remainder of the challenge

December 13^th - Limit your caffeine intake

December 14^th - No Chocolate for the remainder of the challenge

December 15^th – Eat fruit with breakfast as well as 1 snack

December 16^th – Get a friend or family member to exercise with you that is not part of the challenge

December 17^th – No ice cream for the remainder of the challenge

December 18^th – Replace your dessert with a piece of fruit or yogurt

December 19^th – Complete one random act of kindness (The more creative the better)

December 20^th – No take out for the remainder of the challenge

December 21^st – 1 alcoholic beverage allowed (If you do not drink alcohol then limit another beverage that you might be over indulging in this time of year)

December 22^nd – Try a new exercise/class or do something that isn't part of your general routine.

December 23^rd – Eat fish (If you are vegetarian or vegan: Try a new protein or one you don’t eat as often)

December 24^th – Try a new vegetable

December 25^th – Use weights or resistance in your physical activity

Here is how you will earn points throughout the challenge:

-If you complete each of the individual daily requirements you will earn 1 point for each one you do .

-For all the cumulative requirements you will earn an additional point for each day that you continue to follow that requirement.

-If you complete the required 4 times a week of at least 30 minutes of physical activity you will receive 1 point for each week. (week will be from Saturday to Friday).

-Since the 25^th is on a Tuesday you will receive 1 point for every day you are physically active for at least 30 minutes from December 22^nd – 25^th.

-You will earn 2 points per week for your personal restriction. (Same rule applies for this as for exercise) 1 point for each day you do this from December 22nd - 25th.

-You will also earn 1 point for each additional day that you add in at least 30 minutes of physical activity above the required 4 times a week. 

Here is how to make sure I know about creativity:

I will be providing you with a log. When you complete each day be sure to add as much detail as possible about what you ate, what your physical activity was, something that helped you accomplish that days tasks. The more you give me and the more creative you are the better!

For weight loss:

This will be on your honor. If you would like to be in this part of the challenge be sure when you email me that you include your starting weight and then at the end you will resubmit with your ending weight.

Now let the fun begin!!

If you would like to participate please email alysadventures@gmail.com with your name (include twitter and blog if applicable) as well as what unhealthy food you are making restrictions too and what the restrictions are. If you would like be part of the weight loss challenge please include your starting weight.

 I need to receive your email by November 30^th at 10pm or you will not be eligible for the prizes.

Once I receive your email I will be emailing you a confirmation that I received your entry and I will also attach an excel log for the challenge. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours then please resend your email.
Please use the log each day as you will need to send it back to me when the challenge is over to be eligible for the prizes. Remember, be as creative as you can. See if you can come up with new workouts, try new recipes, etc.

End of challenge:

Between December 26^th until December 30^th please submit your log. Also include notes of things you liked, didn't like etc. If you are part of the weight loss challenge also include your ending weight. I will send out a reminder to submit your log so you don’t miss out as this is a very busy time of year!

I will announce the winners the beginning of January.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Challenge!

Cider House 5K!

So when I discovered this race I read all the info and it clear stated that this is considered a trail race. I was fine with that. I actually sent my registration in while I was on vacation by snail mail. I know who does that, but it was easier to pay for the stamp than for fee to be able to do it online. I was excited because that meant I also got to go to the apple fest at Wachusett Mountain which I had never been to before.

On Saturday I went to the mountain to pick up my race packet.

I was so excited because I got bib number 1!! I have never had that happen before and I am so excited that it did. Not that I came in number 1 or anything but still. I also got a free ticket for myself as well three 50% off tickets for others to Apple Fest. My favorite thing was that the t-shirt they gave out is long-sleeve. I have almost no long-sleeve shirts so that was a great surprise.

So this morning (Sunday) I got up and got ready to go. When we arrived there were lots of people there but there was still plenty of parking so that was nice. I had planned to wear just my LIVESTRONG shirt but it was quite chilly this morning and I ended up having to wear my jacket. I really should have prepared a little more and worn a long-sleeve shirt under my t-shirt, oh well. I met a very nice women while waiting to start who was telling me all about the Tufts 10K for Women. I think I might have to try that next year everyone who has every told me anything about it have loved it.

We all lined up at the start which was behind the #2 sign for the parking rows. We all took off and headed out of the parking lot. That was the easy part, we briefly went up Mountain Road but then we right back on trail this was the beginning of mountain hell. It started up the mountain and...just...kept...going. There was no running for me during this time. So I took advantage and stopped to take some scenic pictures.

This was all before the rail climb began. I tried to get a picture of the trail but it just didn't work. The remainder of the up mountain was wet, covered in leaves, huge rocks, mud and huge tree roots. There were many spots where the rocks and tree roots were just like stairs. I think when I saw it was a trail race this isn't exactly what I had in mind. This was the only time that I have seriously thought about giving up, turning around and going back the way I came. We hadn't even gotten to mile one when we started this lovely terrain. But I didn't give up and I just kept reminding myself that what goes up must eventually come down, I just had no idea how long it would take.

Finally we reached the "top" and it started to go down mountain. We hit our first water stop which in my opinion was a joke. They were literally handing out little Dixie cups (like the ones you have in your bathroom for brushing your teeth) that were half full. It was one gulp! I'm sorry but after a climb like that I need more water than that I guess that is what I get for not bringing my own.

I quite enjoyed the down mountain. I was able to run most of it even being on the trail with rocks, leaves, mud and tree roots. The down mountain was a little over a mile so that was nice to know that I was almost done. As we got closer I could hear everyone yelling for people as they crossed the finish line. I decided for the moment I heard that I was going to run until I was done. Running the last little bit was a little difficult because it was packed mulch which was very loose and bouncy but I still ran.

Then of course I crossed the finish line at 51:43 which is probably my slowest 5k however considering the terrain and the fact that at one point I was at a 30 minute/mile pace that wasn't that bad.

Then I was done and got to have my cider and doughnut! I was happy to be done I really don't think I have ever felt that exhausted after a 5k. I will definitely consider doing it again next year, it was extremely challenging but in a good way! And the view from up there was amazing with all the changing leaf colors!

Then we got to go enjoy Apple Fest which was fun and something new to try! All in all it was a good morning!