“Its your road, and yours alone. others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” ~Rumi

Goal for today when I just want to sleep in and stay where it is warm.

The above attempts at self-motivation didn't quite work.  I did get up at 4:30, ate breakfast, walked the dog for a mile, and then managed to talk myself out of driving the 1/2 hour to a strange place in the dark to run with my training group. I will run here by home later today and save the hour round-trip of driving time....that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Actual benefit of diet vs drugs

Very helpful video.

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-actual-benefit-of-diet-vs-drugs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-actual-benefit-of-diet-vs-drugs&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-actual-benefit-of-diet-vs-drugs&utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=46e26ad6fd-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-46e26ad6fd-23307913

Weight-related research from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

     I found this interesting.

http://www.coloradorunnermag.com/2015/01/28/athletes-kitchen-weight-related-research-american-college-sports-medicine-acsm/

The 12 most awful products made by Monsanto

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/10/07/monsantos-dirty-dozen-the-12-most-awful-products-made-by-monsanto/

Tell the people judging your journey to look down at their feet. Unless they are wearing your shoes - tell them to back off.

     Speaking of journeys....I did one of those silly Facebook quizzes to determine your Hippie name.  Mine was "Journey."  Love it.

     I went to training group last night.  We were divided into 2 groups.  I got put into the faster group and was the slowest by far. Oh well.  Doing my best.

     "Don't judge your running by your speed."      Amby Burfoot

Milk does not do a body good, according to massive new study

     In case you still had doubts. It increases mortality, it increases fracture risk by up to 50%, it increases prostate cancer risk.  These results have been reported in peer-reviewed journals.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/03/milk-does-not-do-a-body-good-massive-new-study-says/

WARNING!

Must remember this.

the only good egg

                                                             shared from Minions Quotes


     I did my long run yesterday.  Our training group had varied assignments depending on experience, and length and time-frame of their upcoming races. Some people ran 25 minutes, some 3 miles, 5 miles, 14 miles, 20 miles. Much of the running was done alone and that canyon was cold with winter wind zipping down!   But we got her done.
     I do miss my normal Saturday run group which, for me, was purely social.  More walking and talking is done than running.  I miss those friends. But this training won't be forever.

You are the only you that you will ever get.

The runner's source for daily inspiration... Gibson's Daily Running Quote January 19, 2015 TOMORROW STARTS TODAY "For better or worse, you are the only you that you will ever get. What you decide to do with you is up to you. Tomorrow you will still be you. The question is whether you will move closer today to who you want to be. If you are patient, if you are persistent, if you are consistent, an amazing transformation will begin to occur. Your wonderfully adaptive body will begin to cooperate. It will happen in your own time and at your own pace, to be sure, but the transformation will take place." John Bingham, The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life ******************************************************************************      I am wondering why I joined the training group.  Why am I up at 430 am to walk the dog and prepare to meet running group at 7am at Waterton Canyon for a long run?  Hopefully, for the above to happen.  Waiting for the transformation to take place. (I even skipped movie night last night to get a good night's sleep).

Destiny waits for no woman, so rise and shine.

                        Some days I need something like this inspirational video to get moving.

Today I broke my personal record for most consecutive days lived.....Good morning.


Run live a crazy person chasing happy.  You just might catch it.

Some interesting articles I've recently read and want to share

In case you have been thinking of making some changes in your life, here are some reasons why:

5 soy free vegan foods containing more protein than beef:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/soy-free-vegan-foods-that-have-more-protein-than-beef/


Only 60 years of farming left the way things are going:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-60-years-of-farming-left-if-soil-degradation-continues/


Earth has been pushed beyond 4 of 9 planetary boundaries:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scientists-human-activity-has-pushed-earth-beyond-four-of-nine-planetary-boundaries/2015/01/15/f52b61b6-9b5e-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html


9 plant based studies published by PCRM last year:
http://www.pcrm.org/nbBlog/index.php/nine-plant-based-studies-we-published-in-2014/

************************************************************************

Temps are single digits this morning.  I have to scoop snow.  But the sun is shining and it will get above freezing today.  Spring really will be coming, right?

The air out smells fantastic after that day of snow....brisk and refreshing.

I learned a new term to share.  This is our Colorado problem, due to the freeze and thaw cycles, and why it is always icy.  I may not live in the mountains but it sure happens here in the foothills....glacial ice.

névé

[ney-vey] 

 

• Word Origin

noun

1.

granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.

2.

a field of such snow.

Also called firn, old snow.

This is my year

     This is my year to improve in exercise and eating.  There are always improvements to be made. So I joined an actual running training group which started last night, meets twice a week, and lasts 3 months.  We have a coach who will draw up individual training plans for each of us.  10-12 people joined so far.  Some are training for 10ks, some for the half, some for the marathon.  Ages range from maybe 30 to 70.  Last night we did a short shake-out run, 2.8 miles total.  Good to know I wasn't last. I'll never be up there with the young guy who is aiming for 50 marathons in 50 states, but I wasn't last.  That's not to say everyone won't soon catch up. I just need to remember to run my own race, and get out of my comfort zone sometimes.
     Interestingly, the majority of the runners there are dog owners.  Runners are good people.

                                                I feel like this a lot!



     I did make an important dietary discovery.  I've been eating a whole-food diet for 3 weeks so haven't had any gluten.  Earlier this week I made seitan  which is an extremely high protein food made from wheat gluten.  I felt so miserable afterwards for 24 hours! Maybe I do have some type of gluten intolerance or sensitivity. I have noticed in the past that I don't feel great after eating bread, pasta, pizza, etc., and that I don't feel as well when I travel and eat these foods.  It usually takes me a few days after returning home and getting back to my usual eating habits, to feel well again.  This is something I will have to track, continuing on with my "experiment of one."


"Life is the great experiment. Each of us is an experiment of one---observer and subject---making choices, living with them, recording the effects."---George Sheehan, M.D.

There are always dogs.

                                                 shared from Hippie Peace Freaks


     I read a blog recently by someone who's grandmother had just moved into a retirement complex.  Her grandmother encountered "mean girls" who wouldn't let her sit at their table at meals....(that seat is saved), and wouldn't let her join in their bridge games (we don't have any openings.)  Some people just never outgrow junior high school, and not in a good way.
     But there are always dogs.
     It is so important to find your tribe....whether it is a group of friends or a virtual group of like minded people.  Social media is wonderful in this regard and gives so much support.

tribe

trīb/

noun

1. 1.

   a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

   "indigenous Indian tribes"

   synonyms:

   ethnic group, people, band, nation; More

Words to live by, by MLK

"Don't judge your running by your speed." - Amby Burfoot

     This applies to all of life, I think.

                                 shared from I <3 to run

Can you hear it?

     Say it over a few times and it sounds onomatopoeic.

Stand up for your health

      Here is an interesting study that shows that exercise changes our DNA.  A summary quote follows:

 But the message of this study is unambiguous. “Through endurance training — a lifestyle change that is easily available for most people and doesn’t cost much money,” Ms. Lindholm said, “we can induce changes that affect how we use our genes and, through that, get healthier and more functional muscles that ultimately improve our quality of life.”


http://well.blogs.nytimes.com//2014/12/17/how-exercise-changes-our-dna/?WT.mc_id=2015-Q1-KEYWEE-AUD_DEV-0101-0331&WT.mc_ev=click&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1420088400&bicmet=1451624400&ad-keywords=KEYWEEAD&kwp_0=7261&kwp_1=119219&kwp_4=54221&_r=0

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     Another interesting article reports on research showing we should "Stand up for our Health."

http://sportsgeezer.com/2015/get-up-stand-up-stand-up-for-your-health/

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     I attended the 2nd of "Fit in '15" meetings yesterday.  It was interesting to hear what different people are doing to improve their health. One woman ran the 5.5 miles to get to the meeting....in the dark.  I am impressed.
     For this next week we are to set our own small goals for the week.  One person wants to drink more water, one wants to eat less bread.  I think I will stand when working at the computer rather than sit.
    We did walk while we talked, but despite the day having been warm, the lakeside trail was very icy in the evening.
     I should mention that this group meets at my local running store, the Boulder Running Company-Littleton, so they are a very active group who want support and motivation to fine-tune or kick-start their health efforts.  We all need that this time of year.

******************************************************************

                                             shared from The Mind Unleashed

Love this

     I just skimmed the book, "What Makes Olga Run?" by Bruce Grierson.  It is the story of 90+ year old track star Olga Kotelko.  She died at age 95, this past year, holding 30 world records in track and field.  She won 750 gold medals in the 90-95 age category in Masters competitions.  She is inspiring and was studied extensively as to what made her such a "super-senior."  She exercised a lot, ate well, had a good routine, but also had great DNA and a happy personality.  She was a wonderful example of a long, healthy life well lived despite personal set-backs along the way.
     I am more than 30 years younger than she was, and cannot even imagine attemping to run hurdles or do the high jump.  She was amazing.

Resolutions

     So I finalized my new year's resolution list at last.  Have you?  I hope that publishing this list will keep me accountable.

1. Volunteer at a race or races
2.  Register for a special autumn race and actually train for it.
3.  Visit the Wild Animal Sanctuary by Keenesburg, CO.
4.  Go on a few mountain hikes
5.  Try zero added sugar for a month (am doing this now in January)
6.  Travel, (Possibly combining with goal 2)
7.  Continue run streak, today is day 132
8.  Continue plank-a-day streak, today is day 876
9.  Lose some weight, any amount, by my birthday, just start


     I received a Garmin Vivofit for Christmas so I can start tracking my steps.  2000 steps = 1 mile.  I especially like that it lets me know if I have remained motionless (sitting or standing) for too long.  It also tracks my sleep:  how many hours I sleep and how much movement or restlessness occurred.

Great health news

     I love to eat, and it makes me happy when there is great news about the wonderful health effects of foods I love to eat.


News about plant based diets and diabetes:

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/plant-based-diets-and-diabetes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=plant-based-diets-and-diabetes&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=plant-based-diets-and-diabetes&utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=a015d5e14e-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-a015d5e14e-23307913



News about how an avocado a day can keep the cardiologist away:

http://news.psu.edu/story/339842/2015/01/07/research/avocado-day-keeps-cardiologist-away

Funny quote of the day

"Punctuality is the virtue of the bored."

                                 Evelyn Waugh


     I am surprised this quote isn't written by one of my kids about me. I hate being late. It stresses me out.

Must keep in mind

"The universe is a celebration.....Wowee!"

                                                A great video




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     (I did read the book, "A Year of No Sugar" by Eve Schaub.  I was very disappointed in it.  Her concept was good, though.  She meant a year with no fructose.  She bought and baked with gallons of powdered dextrose and also bought glucose syrup.  Her kids could choose to eat whatever they wanted when not at home. She found that 29 of 30 breakfast items offered at her children's elementary school contained fructose and that sweet treats were rampant.  Each person in the family got an exception food, so she drank all the wine she wanted, her kids had all the jam they wanted. Once a month they had regular desserts.  When on vacation for two weeks they had desserts. All in all, they probably ate less fructose, but I was hoping to read about someone's experience with no added sugars. She did say their taste buds changed and regularly sweetened foods no longer tasted good to them. I am going to continue my trial of 30 days with no added sugars.  Today is day 6.  I hope my taste buds change, too, and I no longer crave sweets, other than fruits.)

Reason enough.

"Lifestyle choices can raise or lower the likelihood that you'll have a healthier life and maybe a longer one.  But the only real guarantee in this life is that those of us who build our choices around a vegan ethic will leave the world a better place than we found it."  
                       Ginny Messina, the Vegan RD



    16 million Americans are now vegan or vegetarian and the numbers are growing rapidly.  It is now estimated that by 2050 America may be a "vegan country."
http://news.therawfoodworld.com/16-million-people-us-now-vegan-vegetarian/


     12 percent of Britons are vegan or vegetarian, (20 percent of adults age 16 to 24).
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/517246/Vegetarians-are-on-the-increase-in-Britain


The times they are a changing.



     Last night I went to the first of 15 "Fit in '15" meetings.  It is a group of like-minded people who desire better health, and are seeking motivation and support.  This first meeting was mostly introductions and sharing of back-stories.  It is amazing the similarities we all share despite an age range from 20s to 70s. Some are runners, some are walkers, one is coming back from a closed head injury, one is seriously depressed at turning fifty, one was wearing a walking cast, some just want to better their running speed.
     The group is open-ended.  No particular training plans, or nutrition plans. No diets. Just support, friendship, and common interests. Next week we will walk for an hour while we talk. I like that.....walking the talk.
     What could be better than a meet-up of like-minded people interested in health for themselves and their families!
      A 70 year old woman and her husband will be walking the 500 mile epic El Camino Trail across Spain this summer.  What a goal to put on one's bucket list!  So inspiring. That is what I seek.

Do not go gentle

“The 50-year-old distance runner often relates better to his 16-year-old running partner than to his sedentary age cohort. We're not completely the same, but when it comes to running, our similarities far outweigh our differences,” wrote Beverly. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-columns/do-not-go-gentle-0?adbid=10153000003602090&adbpl=fb&adbpr=23403427089&cid=socRac_20150105_38260607


     I find the above quote interesting.  I've been wondering why all my closer friends are a decade or two younger than I am, but it is because of shared interests.  For example, I've been trying to get a hiking group together and mentioned it to a group of friends who are my age.....there was little interest and a lot of "I'm too old" or "I can't walk up hills."  I hope, and will try, to never make "I'm too old" my motto.
     Age is irrelevant...to everything.

The most important health video to watch this year......

     Here is a link to a long video, 52 minutes, but please, please make the time to watch. It is about preventing and combating chronic disabling diseases with diet. Your body will thank you.
     I would give anything to have known this 50 years ago.

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/from-table-to-able/




     How is your weather and how are you holding up?  Today is worse than yesterday, freezing fog and only 15 degrees,  covering the world with ice.  I skated down the driveway just taking out the recycling and the trash.  I wonder if I could train the dog to run on the treadmill?

Some health miscellany to help start the year right

Madeleine Albright, fitness hero

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/30/madeleine-albright-fitness_n_6395566.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living



Foods to prevent macular degeneration

http://nutritionfacts.org/2015/01/01/foods-for-macular-degeneration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=foods-for-macular-degeneration&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=foods-for-macular-degeneration&utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=f277abf232-RSS_BLOG_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-f277abf232-23307913



An excellent video on research showing that paleo diets may negate the effects of exercise

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/paleo-diets-may-negate-benefits-of-exercise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paleo-diets-may-negate-benefits-of-exercise&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paleo-diets-may-negate-benefits-of-exercise&utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=6e7cac940c-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-6e7cac940c-23307913




The government may soon issue diet guidelines that include sustainability.  At long last.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20150102-new-diet-guidelines-might-reflect-environmental-cost.ece




Ultrarunning, telomere length, and adding 16 years to your life

http://www.atrailrunnersblog.com/2014/01/ultrarunning-may-add-16-years-to-your.html


http://m.runnersworld.com/health/ultrarunners-have-longer-telomeres-which-is-good



On Animal Rights

http://www.popsci.com/should-animals-same-rights-people


(It is treacherous out for pedestrians.  Sidewalks and sidestreets are sheet ice, so we ended up walking on the more main streets dodging cars.  Charleigh is a street-grimy mess, but we made it home in one piece. I hate the treadmill, but am so glad I have one.)

Resolution 4

     I just read this article about one family's year of no added sugar.  At some point I will read the book, as well, when it becomes available at the library.  It sounds like a wonderful experiment.  Year of No Sugar: A Memoir 


http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/my-health-story/year-of-no-sugar-one-family-grand-adventure/


     So starting today, I will do a 30 day trial of no added sugars in my diet....no catsup, no sauces, no prepared anything containing added sugars.  That means no sports drinks or gels or gum either. My neighbor shared some Christmas fudge with me yesterday, it will have to remain in the freezer indefinitely along with a large bag of trail mix which contains some sweetened granola bits.  Wish me luck. I'm excited about this.

     I get my weather from NOAA.gov,  which said it was 39 degrees and sunny this morning.  My cell phone told me it was 21 degrees, windy, and overcast.  I was so disappointed to find out my cell was correct.  No sun, lots of ice and wind.  Sure, it is a lot better than it has been, but it is no sunny 39 degrees.  Poor Charleigh only got a mile walk this morning.

Resolution 3

     I do lose faith in human nature; often.  I resolve to volunteer at a race this year.

(9am, 3 degrees, dog walked and driveway and walk scooped, Sun is shining. Woo Hoo)

Resolution 2

We all place ourselves in danger to one degree or another when we stand up.  But we place our children and grandchildren in even greater danger when we don't.


(On a personal note, took my first tumble for the year tripping on ice chunks in the street.  Glad I got that over and done with.  More snow today.)

Resolution

    Plus.....do something about this. Every winter I let this happen.

"If you ask me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am."---Cyril Cusak

     I am a resolution maker.  Like most people, I'm not necessarily a resolution completer, but my intentions are good.  I'm starting to make my list.

     First on the list, wishing everyone a wonderful 2015 from me and Charleigh Brown.