Hello again!! It was a difficult Half marathon in some summer heat by the lakefront! Needless to say, I am hangin' up my marathon shoes... 2 Full Marathons and 2 Halfs in this lifetime is quite enough for THIS gal! It seems that no matter how much stronger, leaner and lighter I am... my body does NOT do better in these events(must just be the ever climbing age factor for me in particular) o_O. They win! I am just proud enough to be able to say that I did it... not once but twice each event. =D

And now, to stick to running for fun! I love it!!! Going to be a little sore for a while so the working out thing might take me a bit to get back to. Lol... My heel is a little flared up as is my hip/glute/lower back triangle... the soreness ain't got nothing on me! Just the kinks to let heal.

Hope everyone is off to a great start this week and you all have a plan to stay fit and active through out the week!! As always, let me know if you need a little guidance or extra motivation!!! I'm always here...

Hope this gets you rolling in the right direction:

8 Diet and Exercise Mistakes That Age You

If you pick doughnuts over fruit and never met a yoga class you wanted to try, you could be adding years to your looks

Eating too much sugar certainly isn’t wise for your waistline, but did you know that overindulging in dessert can add years to your face? And even if you do strenuous cardio workouts each week, you’ll be missing out on potential anti-aging body benefits if your schedule doesn’t include yoga, weight training, and rest.

"Good nutrition is a fundamental building block of healthy skin," explains Leslie Baumann, MD, a Miami Beach dermatologist. The natural ingredients in whole foods such as romaine lettuce and strawberries help increase cell turnover, and boost production of collagen fibers to help keep skin smooth and firm. Conversely, foods with little-to-no nutritional benefits, like sugar-packed doughnuts, can actually damage the collagen and elastin that keep skin firm and youthful. These aging effects start at about age 35 and increase rapidly after that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Even if your diet is wholesome, you could be making exercise mistakes that age you as well. For example, if you only do cardio at the expense of other types of exercise, like yoga and strength-training, you could be missing out on skin-protective benefits.

Find out if you're making one of these 8 common aging diet and exercise mistakes, and get smart prevention strategies that can keep you slim and youthful for years to come.

Log on tomorrow for the first 3 common mistakes!! ;)

Ok... no more running until after the 13.1 miles tomorrow.

Today's fueling has been heavier and I'm hoping that all the bananas I'm eating will help for those calf cramps to not be an issue like at the Chicago Marathon!! Also had a pasta dish in the City that should give me those carbs that I need. On advil for the inflammation on my left heel and I'm feeling pretty good... then again, I have been resting it... smh... Little weary about tomorrows outcome but I am looking forward to giving you all the full report on how this 39 year old mother of six crosses that finish line! o_O

How are you doing Dreamer??? Keep me in the loop... ;) Syl... Are you still kicking butt with your activities and getting stronger with your will power to keep eating healthier?! Let me know... I could also use that link to your blog... I never received my email notifications... :(

At lunch today... our beautiful nine year old daughter decided to confide in me that she has been a little jealous about how I am able to stay active and eat right. (It was the sweetest thing ever!) I was puzzled and asked her why? Since she too is active and is really pretty conscious of eating well. She smiled at me and said that she 'just likes the way I live my life and she wants to be like me, healthy and strong.' :') I actually had to hold back from getting choked up!! My little one is proud of me and wants to start going on a few mother-daughter runs during the week...

I can't begin to tell you the satisfaction that I felt in not needing to drill anything into her but to just sit back and watch her grow... hummm... as if THAT was not enough, she proceeded to tell me that when she returns to school in the fall, she is going to start a 'live healthy' club and anyone can join it!!! Just to talk about what they do to stay active and talk about what they eat and don't eat and if they're good choices or not. Ha!!! I couldn't help it, my eyes had to tear up... she's NINE years old!!! And she's already looking to help make a change in little people's lives!!

***** PROUD MOMMA MOMENT INDEED!!!!*****

And so, tomorrow I will share more educational info... Have a great Saturday all!! And thank you for supporting this blog by visiting! =)

Today, I SHOULD be heading out for a little 3/4 miler but my baby is coming home early to kick start our weekend... so I have no idea if I will be getting that done...

Had the Isotonix cocktail and a protein shake for breakfast. No idea what lunch or dinner will be but I am trying to keep in mind that I am VeRy happy with the scale at 1?3/1?4!!! Still have to work at getting it down 4/6 lbs more... That way on a bad day, I won't see over 1?3/1?4... =D

And here is another idea to possibly put in your favorites, happy weekend to all!!

5 Cool New Tricks For Healthy Eating

Eating well—and sustainably—gets easier with a new website

Looking for the nearest organic, grass-fed burger? You're in luck. Eating sustainably has never been so easy, thanks to a new website called FarmPlate.

Think of it as the Yelp of healthy eats: The searchable database has more than 40,000 listings of farmers, gourmet-food artisans, CSAs, farmer's markets, and restaurants in every zip code. Founded by Kim Werner, a former cookbook editor who helped revamp Joy of Cooking, the site launched last August as a one-stop shop for foodies seeking sustenance. "For consumers, there's a tremendous breadth of information, if you want to take your family to a pick-your-own orchard on Sunday or mail order cheese from a particular region in Vermont," says Werner.

But can a website really change the way you nosh? We think so. Check out the 5 ways that this one just might.

1. All your bases are covered. Real food is about a return to the simple and unadulterated. With FarmPlate, you can find the best of the best in every imaginable category. Need a top-notch mussel harvester? You're covered. Same for the cheesemaker, butcher, and even a local composter.

2. You can learn the lingo. You're heard of USDA organic, but did you know that food can be subject to more than 30 other official certifications? Food talk can get confusing, but the site's 300-word-strong glossary explains the lingo in the most comprehensive collection we could find.

3. You can be a voyeur in restaurant kitchens. Ask any chef what makes their food great, and they'll credit the ingredients every time. But who's behind the ingredients? "Restaurant Beat" on the FarmPlate blog interviews famous farm-to-table chefs and gets them to spill their secrets of which local producers they use.

4. You'll load up on easy recipes. FarmPlate's blog is brimming with fresh and healthy ideas using—you guessed it—the most sustainable foods out there. It's a sure bet for inventive twists on staples, like their mango breakfast quinoa. They'll even show you the best places to buy the ingredients you need.

5. You'll learn how to save cash. Ditching your grocery store is a real possibility if you live close to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA.) With the site's CSA-finder, you can join other eco-minded health nuts by buying food shares from a nearby farm. The farm delivers your order to a pickup spot, and voila! Affordable dinner is served.

Happy Friday Eve bloggers!!! Today I share a little extra again... sorry that I slacked with the last couple of posts. :/

Had my healthy all natural cocktail in the a.m., breakfast was two beautifully ripened bananas and a water bottle. Lunch is a salad w/vinaigrette dressing and dinner will probably be my left over homemade b-b-que bacon cheeseburgers... They are soooo good!!! No work out today, cause it's cut back week before the big Nike Women's Half Marathon on Sunday!! And I did get to go spend some quality bonding time with little Ms. Sofia that I will be baby sitting starting next month... Yay!!!! She is just an amazing little doll...

Now, back to business... Have you all had a productive week? Did you get to work out at least twice already this week?! Have you been more aware of how you are fueling your body so that it can be at it's best throughout this thing called life?! But most importantly, have you made a conscious effort to make a CHANGE FOR LIFE?! If not... read on, day by day and see if I can't persuade you to want more out of your every day! ;)

Today's health buzz I chose:

Mom's the word...

Family Ties

"Do as I say AND as I do" is a good motto for parents. "It's really important for your child to see you enjoying fitness," says WebMD's Raising Fit Kids expert, Hansa Bhargava, MD. "Kids learn from what you do rather than what you say." Incorporate weekend fitness rituals into your family schedule to introduce new, healthy habits. She suggests playing old-school games such as hopscotch and frisbee, or getting the family outside for a hike.

Give it a shot and before you know it this summer, you'll be doing weekday healthy fun things with your family!! I of all people, tend to just get my health fix in daily and then I go the extra mile to make sure that my kiddos are active on a day to day but now, I'm going to be making the time to do more TOGETHER!! Starting today! Hopscotch it IS!!!

On another HoT day... We actually got out to play some tennis!!! Still the victor!!! My boy has me in speed and agility but I have a bit more consistence... Thank goodness! But not for long... I see my defeat coming soon. :)
Had my Isotonix cocktail in the morning and a couple small waffles with honey for breakfast. Had a bit of trail mix and a banana throughout the day with a whole lot of water!!! I know... Not fueling great but I am working on it. :/ Dinner will be homemade bacon cheeseburgers with fresh lettuce, avocado and tomato!!! Mmmm! Can't wait!!
How are you all coming along?! I do hope that you are always striving to keep bettering your health and your strength!! :)
Happy Hump Day!!