April Mileage

Run: 42 miles (approx 7-1/2 hours)
Bike: 133.7 miles (approx 10 hours)
Kid Walks: 5 miles (1-1/2 hrs)


Total mileage for April: 180.7.

With the warmer weather, racking up the miles has gotten much easier. For May, I think I'll add a time category. Goal is bumped to 125+ miles; and 24 hours.

Since I hit 19 hours in April, it should only take a few extra trips to store / bank / starbucks to make up the difference. I'll also be bumping my 25-30 mile long ride to 30-35 miles, which will help.

My Easy Run Is Getting Easier

I have a route through my hilly neighborhood which is my short / easy run for either a recovery day or a really busy day. When I was pretty evenly balanced between running and walking, it took 27-30 minutes. As my 2:2 became a 3:1, it got down to about 25 minutes. Still good, since 25 minutes, plus a bit of warm up and cool down stretching.

Today, I passed my driveway at 22:18. Had to keep going past four more houses and back to make my 25 minutes. I'm going to add an extra loop to my easy run, starting Thursday.

iCing Transformation Challenge

Gala's challenge:

I wanted to let you all know about something I’m planning to kick off soon. It’s called the iCiNG Transformation Challenge, it will run for a month & it revolves around us taking control of our lives & our bodies in a concentrated way! It’s like weekly resolutions but amped up in a way that would make even Victoria Beckham exclaim, “MAJOR!”.

The iCiNG Transformation Challenge (iTC) will run from the 21st of April to the 18th of May. It would probably make more sense for it to start at the beginning of a calendar month, but that’s so far away & I am impatient!

I recently decided I wanted to commit to a month of really looking after my body, to see what kind of results I could get. I often find it hard to stick to an exercise routine, just because it feels really aimless & sometimes the thought of exercising every couple of days until the end of my life freaks me out! By giving myself a task that lasts for a month, I find that much less of a mental hurdle & far easier for me to grasp. The idea is that I will realise how great I feel when I put effort into my physical well-being, & will want to keep it up.

The reason I’m announcing it is because I also thought that if we commit to this & do it as a group, we’ll all feel like we have lots of support & love helping us achieve our goals!

27 days. Less than one month. Heck, it's less than four weeks. I can stick with anything for 27 days. I signed on. She's put together a discussion thread for everyone to post their goals, progress, setbacks and encouragement. I've been reading a bit this week, but haven't posted my update yet. There's a great group of people there. I'll be joining the discussion today; it just took me a while to put my goals together. I started the challenge on Monday, but spent the first week honing in on what I was trying to accomplish.

I wanted to make sure they were reachable, while still being a stretch out of my comfort zone. These are all challenges I'd like to continue past the 27 days, so I want this iTC time to be used for the formation of new habits.

Here's my original personal challenges, along with the tweaks I've made throughout this week:

1 - Eat at least one balanced raw food meal each day. (Became 2 full days of raw food)
I already do meet my original goal most days, with either whole fruit and flax or a homemade smoothie for breakfast. I even eat raw for lunch several times a week. To take it to the next level, I'm now eating raw foods for the entire day, two days each week. This will help me learn to plan for my nutritional needs and to fit it into my daily schedule. I'm hoping to add an extra day in another month; this should make it a smoother transition.

So far, it's going really well. By spacing the two days, I was able to make sure I had everything I needed the day before. No panic at meal prep. Since I already had the ingredients in the house, I even had a mostly raw day the day after each of my official raw food day. I could get used to this.

2 - Exercise at least 20 minutes each day. (Became at least 20 minutes of cardio)
I've been an every other day fitness person. Or three days on, two days off. If I want to increase my speed and/or endurance, I need to be more consistent. I picked 20 minutes as my minimum to give myself a kick out the door. Twenty minutes is the time it takes to run to and from the bank, or to ride my bike to the store and back. Or the time it takes to walk the dog and kids around the park. At the very least, I can do one of my regular daily errands on foot or bike for a quick burst of cardio.

This minimum requirement is working great so far. I had a 25 mile ride on Saturday, cut short by the anticipated thunderstorms; and a multi sport day on Thursday where I rode 15 miles, followed by a two mile run. A couple days of 30-minute runs, and one day where I was pressed for time & took the dog on a quick 20-minute, two mile lope (his pace), then hopped on the bike for a quick grocery trip. One of the 30 minute runs was completed while I was waiting for my bike to be serviced at the Silver Comet Depot.

There have been so many great comments on the discussion threads over at iCing, and I'm really looking forward to adding mine while catching up on the last day or so from the other participants.

Two Tiny Changes

Following the lead of Steph (Back in Skinny Jeans), here's my two tiny changes for this week, along with a report on Tuesday, the first day of the changes.

1. Replace coffee with tea.

Used to drink coffee through the entire day. Was pretty close to two pots per day. Managed to cut down to less than one cup of coffee per week. Over the last two months, I'd returned to my old habits. Yesterday, I had three mugs of irish breakfast tea and one of jasmine oolong, spaced through the day instead of coffee. No caffeine headaches so far.

2. Make a To Do list each night for the next day.

This morning was pretty smooth. That's not necessarily a list benefit, as the early morning routine of lunch making and breakfast cooking was on par. I was more relaxed than normal though. Having the list means I don't have to worry about what I may be forgetting, even first thing in the morning. It's possible I start off stressed just because I'm churning the afternoon activities in my brain. Who needs to be picked up early? Today is ___, so that means it is which kids day for which activity?

I'll have to see if the calm carries over to the next few days. I'm not putting a lot of pressure on myself to get everything on the list completed every day. There are too many variable in a house with three children to expect everything to go perfectly to plan.

Next up on the list? Work on one section of a restaurant locator map, a cup of jasmine oolong (adagio), and a late morning run.

Setting Goals

Eat healthier.
Exercise more.
Get a handle on finances.
Be more organized.
Get rid of "stuff".

Everyone's big goals. When worded that way, there's no way to fail. Of course, there's also no way to succeed. Nothing to measure. No box for that little gold star.

Making a list of specifics is tough. It can be scary, too. As soon as you write it down, you're accountable.

I've been guilty of the vague goals for years. Not just in that New Year's Resolution sort of way, either. I'm not good with daily checklists. I make a mental list, and get much of it done each day. The kids get to school with packed lunches, I make progress on my mapping projects, and everyone has clean laundry to put away each evening after a home cooked supper. [Almost] Daily practice for weekly music lessons is done. (Drums, guitar and piano, all at once. Each from their own corner of the little house.) We make it to dentist and doctor appointments. My clients get their proofs on time... mostly.

Sounds okay, but it's stressful. I'm always reviewing that mental list, trying to remember if I'm thinking about the right day, and wondering what I forgot. And I do forget things. There are many nights I'm up until midnight, doing that last load of laundry so the red uniform shirt is clean for spirit day. Baking oatmeal muffins for breakfast because I failed to notice the batch of waffles I made over the weekend has run out. Or scrambling to put together the last few layers for a map due the next morning.

I read so much about the difference a list makes, yet I never quite get around to trying it myself. I know specific goals work. It is easier to get myself out the door on foot or bike knowing I have the Spring-5k / Summer-10k/Thanksgiving-half marathon goal. (Yes, I did run/walk a 5k in March. Am signing up for May's Race for the Cure, so I'll have two under my belt.)

I'm going to try expanding the goal setting into my daily routines. Thanks to a few blogging ladies, I don't have to do it alone. I'm going to be reading these three for a bit of inspiration over the rest of April and May:
Gala's iCing Transformation Challenge (April 21-May 18th)
Steph's Two Tiny Changes, a weekly series at Back in Skinny Jeans
Daily Deliberate Changes from Tia at Living Deliberately

I came up with my personal goals for the transformation challenge and my two tiny changes this past weekend. Started on my written checklist yesterday. One of the things I'm working on is prioritizing. As such, it's time for me to start on two weeks' worth of paperwork, filing and invoicing.

Will post my goals and weekly changes this evening.

Flirting With Raw Foods

I've been a regular reader of Gala Darling's iCing blog for about a year now. I love her perspective. She is one of those people who take great joy in life. From her, I've been hooked into Etsy, the online community of artists and craftsman. It's a great place to find the perfect gift for... anyone.

A few months ago, she wrote about raw foods way of life, and linked to We Like it Raw. I read a bit of their website once or twice a week. Have tried a few of the recipes. I think 'yea!' and 'yummy!' about 3/4 of the time, and 'ugh' the other. I have learned honey, molasses and maple syrup are not the only alternatives to sugar; and how to make cashew milk. (Cashew milk would be one of the Yummy! items, in case you were wondering.)

For the last two months, I've been working on an entry into this way of eating. More veggies, less meat isn't a big change for me. I eat red meat less than once per week, with maybe one or two servings of chicken or fish. Veggie curries with brown rice and various combos of spinach/mushrooms/tomatoes/yellow squash/onions/broccoli with basil and olive oil are regular evening meals. I know those are better choices than burger and fries, but still not as good for me as it could be. Hence, the desire to eat more straight off the cutting board.

I started with breakfast. Sliced strawberries and bananas with a handful of blueberries and a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed is what I eat most mornings. If I'm up early enough, I'll toss everything in the blender with soy milk and make a yummy smoothie.

Then, this way of eating spread to lunch. Sliced avacado and grape tomatoes (or mango) on mixed greens with sunflower seeds and cilantro, topped with fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil.

And now, I crave big bowls of veggies for dinner. Figured this out in front of the meat counter at Whole Foods last Wednesday. Headed back to produce to grab heirloom tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers and extra avacados. Drained and rinsed black beans, did some chopping. Lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, sea salt and roasted garlic. Mixed it all together for dinner. (Photo stinks, but I'm working on that.)

It was delicious. I was completely satisfied, and didn't feel any of the normal hankering for munchies during my evening mapping. Even when I sat down for a bit of television time. No ice cream. No crackers. Just a cup of tea.

Next day, swapped out mango for the heirloom tomatoes, added cucumber, chickpeas and sunflower seeds.

I'm not comfortable trying out a major diet change for the kids. I can experiment on myself. If I get the protein and vitamins wrong on me, I can adjust. I won't risk their healthy development. Chicken, fish and beef are still going on their plates. What I have been doing though, is expand the side dishes at dinner to include sliced fresh fruit, and to pull vegetables out of the steamer a little earlier in the cooking process. They've always been resistant to some vegetables (zucchini and asparagus are great examples) but have been great about trying [barely] blanched yellow beans, orange cauliflower and broccoflower. The yellow beans and yellow carrots were harder to sell than I expected. I try to have something yummy for dessert in the wings for the nights they willingly try anything new, especially if contains leeks, mushrooms or lima beans.

So far, so good. There have been a couple of times the crunch green bean and baby carrot combo have received a positive reception. There are fewer requests for plain old peas or corn. The grocery helper for last week picked up the yellow carrots and vidalia onion for me to mash into the potatoes. And, I'm getting requests to pick up the purple cauliflower as soon as it's available in the store.

Mileage Update - Mid April

As of my 20 minute run this morning, I'm officially over 100 miles for April. 101.6, to be precise. Every mile from now until April 30 is gravy.

Playtime starts this afternoon, with another family ride on the Silver Comet Trail. Or maybe in 15 minutes, if I can't find the coffee and need to pick up a can at Trader Joes.

Now that Spring is finally here it's so much easier to stay outside.

I have a couple of posts I started earlier this week, which will be going up later today.

Spring Break

This past week was chock full of relaxing. Got in quite a bit of mileage. 10 miles on foot; 52.5 miles of cycling. That 62.5 miles - more than half my goal (100 miles) in one week!

Two of the rides this week were with the whole family. Started at the Silver Comet Depot so we could rent the Trail-a-bike. I couldn't snap a photo of Dottie's favorite part of the journeys. She loves to hold her hands out to the side and pretend she's flying behind me when we get up to wind-whistling-in-the-ears speed. I do have this photo from a water break:
I don't really want to add another set of wheels to the storage area (5 people, 6 bikes), but I'm starting to think seriously about purchasing one of these bike extensions. It's another couple of year before Dottie's ready for more than 3-4 miles on her own, no matter how much she swears she would make it on a longer ride. We have such a good time on our 10-12 mile treks; I think it's probably worth it. Time to start comparing brands. She'll still have chances to ride the shorter distances on her own when I'm taking the dog for a run by the river.

Also did a bit of slow running with kids a couple of days. Was more fun than I feared it would be. We ran for two mins., walk ed for two mins. for 30 minutes; and follow it up with plain old playtime on the playground. The kidlets get to take turns in charge of either the dog's leash or the stopwatch. Only complaints generally came from the kid who was not in charge of anything. I thought cycling the two jobs through the three kids would work out so someone always had a 'break'. Guess I need to come up with a third job.

Great week last week. Lots of outside time. Lots of video game battles and board games.

Today, I'm enjoying the quiet after everyone is off to school. It's time to get caught up on all the work which piled up while we were out playing.

Racing Butterflies

It's been a busy week. Managed to get in a couple of runs, some errands by bike, and one nice little ride. On Wednesday's run, spring was out in full force. Swatted my first mosquito for the season; crossed into a spider's drag line. Plus, just when I thought I was running at a nice pace, I was passed by a butterfly. Loved every bit of it. Sunshine & 65 degrees. Yea!

On the 12 mile ride, I learned something new. Must keep mouth closed while smiling up at falling cherry blossoms. Petal inhalation is not as pleasant as you might think.

Did a bit more bike commuting than usual. The truck was in for some brake & transmission 'stuff', so Thursday and Friday were two-wheeled days. It's only a few miles, so I made the trips in street clothes. I'm used to having motorists zipping by me without leaving much elbow room. Was amazed how much more clearance I was given in jeans and heels. Had my helmet on, so that wasn't what made the difference.

Two-wheeled Timesaver

I've been riding my hybrid (commuter) bike to and from Trader Joe's for smaller grocery trips for about a year now. The route I take is 2.5 miles, round trip. I have a basket mounted to the front post/handlebars which holds a TJ's shopping bag (reusable) snugly on the the ride home. It takes about 35 mins, including the shopping. When I'm on my road bike, groceries in backpack, about 30 mins.

I didn't think I could make a car trip much faster, so I've been testing. Using the slightly longer route I take in the car, I've been timing the last few trips. I limited myself to the one shopping bag of goods when in the truck, just so I didn't throw the time off by spending more time perusing the aisles of goodies. As of today's trip, I have three to five trips of each transport, so here's the round-up:

3 miles, 1 bag (or backpack) of groceries.
Hybrid: 33-37 mins.*
Road: 30-35 mins.
Truck: 35-42 mins.*
*Longest trip times were Saturdays, when traffic was great, but store/parking lot was packed.

That's right. Taking the truck is slower than bike. It's not the time on the road, since the car is faster than my pedaling. I don't do anything crazy at intersections, either. I wait at the red lights, just like everyone else.

The time saved is the time I do NOT spend engaged in the parking lot shuffle. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both have the typical congestion you'd find at any strip mall. Especially around lunch. On the bike, straight down the aisle, hop off at the sidewalk, walk the bike over to the cart return and chain. Takes a minute or two.
Same thing when I'm on the way home.

I'm really glad to know this. No more excuses about not having time to exercise.

Wait. I just took away my last excuse.

Running Errands

Just ended a phone call with "I'll get back to you on this site plan later this morning; gotta run to the bank."

Funny thing is, I am running to the bank.

Wow. My life has changed.

Tax Season Woes

April 15th is less than a month away, and it's time for me to put my life on hold for a week or two. Time to wade through the annual sea of paperwork, just so the IRS can tell me to write them a check. ANOTHER check, really.

Kept all the receipts, everything filed by category. Plugging the information into TurboTax is the easy part. The killer is figuring out exactly which child a particular camp fee was for. If for the eldest, was it before or after his 13th birthday? Wait! What about the actual birthday week? Do I split that in half?

HSA distributions, deposits, insurance premiums... check, check and recheck. Ooh! Go back. Check again. Did the amount spent on dentists, orthodonists, annual checkups and prescriptions total up to 7.5% of AGI? Darn, we're 0.2% shy of the amount needed to deduct medical expenses. Except... where's the Rx receipts for June/July allergy and asthma meds? Who filed these in the Veterinary Bills folder?

This week, I have projects in the works for clients, books to read to 1st & 3rd graders at school, and two or three days with perfect riding weather. All of these things take a back seat to my preparations for that 1040 (and schedules). I know, an accountant could help. Might be worth it. Might not. An accountant would take care of the information which is input to TurboTax. Like I said earlier, that's the easy part. He/she would not be able to take care of the most time consuming, frustrating part of the process. The 12 months of record keeping, the gathering of the stacks of folders, the sorting.

There's too much time spent by too many people on this *$#!%@~! Something about the US tax system has to change. I'm not sure the "Fair Tax" is the answer. A flat tax seems the simpler option.

The president elected in November won't be able to do a thing to change the current mess. He/she may set the tone, but the actual laws are not made by the executive branch. That's the job of the House & Senate. The people we put into those seats make the real differences in our daily lives, and in the plans we make for our future. Question is, will enough people write/call/email their offices, or the campaigns of those running for office, to put real tax reform on the front burner. I plan to, as soon as I find that missing receipt.

Almost ready for my first 5k

The Atlanta Women's 5k is this Saturday, and I think I'm ready. Ran three times this week, 30-40 minutes each time. If I run at all tomorrow (Fri), will be a short run, without the hills. It's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous, so I'd like to get in a 10-15 mile ride, and take a rest from the running.

I'm going to be seriously cranky Saturday morning. I don't like getting up at 6:00 a.m. during the week, but I do it. I prefer sleeping in until 7:00 (or 8:00) weekends. This Saturday, I'll be up and on the road by 5:50. Yuck.

I suppose it's possible I'll run faster than usual, just to get back to my car for coffee... and back home for a nap.

Color Coordination

How silly is this? I am upgrading to an iPod Nano from the behemoth I've carried for four or so years, and my biggest consideration was not price. It was not size. It was color. Very soon, a lovely iPod like the one you see on right will be the finishing touch on my running & cycling gear. (The color in the photo is actually slightly more intense than the real thing.)

Why was the green important? Because it goes beautifully with my road bike. The minty green paint which accents my Bloo, along with the tape & saddle.

I feel like such a dork.

Anyway, the bright display will be delightful; no more squinting with the b/w contrast at full on my 2g. Lightweight, so I won't have to worry about the waistband on my running skirts slipping. Yea!

I did it!

I finally finished replacing the strings on my guitar! I only have about 30 mins to play when I pick up guitar before either being swarmed by little people, or having my 'to do' list chase me back to work. As a result, it has taken me a week's worth of play time to get the strings swapped out. I still have long bits of the strings sticking out from both ends, though it's not easy to see here with the scratches on the bench.*

Last night, I was able to start tuning. I say start tuning, because strings 6-3 were tuned when I put them on last week; they have since dropped in pitch BIG time. E-1 and B-2 are both tuned up - for now. Today, I'll work on the others. From what I've read online, I'll be tuning a lot more than usual for the next couple of weeks. Sometimes it'll even be in the middle of songs.

Once everything settles down with the strings, I can drop E-6 back down to D, and get back on In Sorrow's Wake. (No, I don't play it anything like that... and I probably never will. But I'm having a blast learning about harmonics.)

*Oh dear. I hadn't noticed how scratched up the piano bench is. Not bugged by it, as it's to be expected from 80+ years of rear ends sliding across it. Might be time for me to try out my novice sewing skills to make a cover for this.

A Tale of Two Skirts

The sun is shining, the temperature is in the high 60s, and my mind has turned to thoughts of... skirts. I'm shopping for something pretty and practical; but mostly pretty. My personal shop at MyShape (I'm an 'M') has been updated with many new options for spring/summer skirts. I narrowed it down to two, and here's the pros/cons:


Lilly Pulitzer's Private Party Pleated Skirt, in Navy.
Pros:
Cotton/silk blend, fully lined (no slip needed!),
and a delightful blue/white pattern
Cons:
Dry clean only (I can live with that), $248

I could do several combos, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost on a price per wear basis.


Charlotte Tarantolas Sloan Print Skirt.
Pros:
Fully Lined (yea!), slant pockets (double yea!). It's white with faded black, gray, pale yellow and a touch of rose. It's good for casual, paired with tees & tanks I already own; could be dressed up a bit with heels and a camisole/cardigan.
Cons:
At $72, it's still a bit on the pricier side for me. Will not likely have the staying power past a summer or two that the navy/white skirt would. I'll need to figure out how flexible the color combos will be, in order to figure out the PPW.

On a wardrobe staple note, there's this Tadashi silk chiffon skirt for sale ($99). This is separate from the spring skirts, but it fits in well with this shopping expedition.

I know I said $72 was pricey, but this is the type of skirt which I can wear for decades. My grandmother had a similar one which she was able to wear for 30+ years. It was her ultimate 'go-to' semi-formal base - paired with silk blouses, sleeveless satin or cashmere or angora twin sets, depending on the fashion of the time.

February Wrap Up

81 miles. Not the 100 hundred I'd hoped for, but better than 50 miles for January. The last week or so has been a bit hectic, both schedule and weather. Big storms and wild temperature swings, combined with finalizing a city map and school projects, meant shorter rides and runs. I still made it out most days. More than one planned 10-12 mile ride was shortened to a 2.5 mile trip to Trader Joes; a couple of five mile runs were cut to 30 minutes, so I'd have time to read to one of the classes, make a dentist appointment, or to pick up supplies at the fabric store.

Fabric store? Yes. One of the many school projects going this week was putting together a roman and/or greek costume for my 8-year-old's class musical "Dig It!". (Archaeology, with a catchy beat, and a bunch of 3rd graders in costume.) NO, I did not use a sheet to make his toga. I know it's the 'normal' way to do it; we're not normal though. So, four yards of 'really red' broadcloth, a few safety pins, and one silver buckle later:


Anyway, also have a history project in the works for one child, and baked goods for two.

I realized while running this morning, if this had not been February, I'd have made my goal. A run today, and a 90 minute ride tomorrow would have put me well over the 100-mile mark. Oh well. The 20-25 miles I rack up this gorgeous weekend will put me well on my way to hitting the mark for March.

Third time's the charm, right?

I'm a wimp!

I cut my ride a little short on Saturday. It was gray and chilly. 46 degrees and windy. The first 10 miles on the Silver Comet were straight into the wind. I turned around at that point. With the wind at my back, the trip back to the car went a bit faster. Still cold though.

My face didn't thaw until after my fish-n-chips & beer refuel. A hot shower was necessary to get my toes past the numb phase.

I'm really looking forward to spring.

Dottie's Chicken Soup

A few weeks ago, Dottie's class spent some time creating their own soup recipes. She's been very eager to try it out. We've been waiting for the right day to make it. A rainy, icky, don't-want-to-do-anything sort of a day.
Today was that day. It's stormy. She has a cold. We're all feeling a bit tired & cranky.


A few modifications were made to the original. We used chicken stock with minced garlic, onions & parsley (freezer), and a box of pasta stars, instead of noodles. We also added a 1/4 cup of frozen corn, just to make it look happy. I love my little Dottie B.

According to big brother, this soup falls on the "every other week" list for foods he likes to eat. For him, that's fairly high praise.

Government 'Gifts'

Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson called the stimulus package a "gift for the middle class." What kind of a gift is it, though?

If you haven't tried it yet, PBS has a calculator to figure out the amount of your 'gift'.

According to what I've read at CNN and several of the personal finance sites, the 'gift' is based on the 2007 tax year, and your tax return must be filed to be eligible. (Not to mention the other income eligibility requirements.) So, would that mean the money received is an additional refund of taxes paid in 2007? I wouldn't exactly call that a gift. That's more like a mail-in rebate.

This "gift" isn't a rebate though. It's based on 2007, but is actually a pre-bate of money we'll be paying in taxes during 2008. Except, we have to report it in our 2008 tax return, and pay taxes on it. I'm actually a bit fuzzy about whether it's counted as taxable income, or if it will be deducted from any refund amounts / added to taxes due next year. Again, not much of a gift.

The AGI caps for the stimulus checks are $75k for an individual, $150k for a couple, filing jointly. If this is truly a gift, shouldn't it be something for every single person on the tax rolls?

From what I understand, millions of retired and lower income individuals will also be receiving checks as part of the stimulus package, even though they have little or no tax liability at all. I've heard this called relief from payroll taxes. I'm pretty sure that was the reason for the Earned Income Tax Credit, wasn't it?

For the person who has no tax liability to offset, and who will not be required to pay taxes next year, the stimulus package may be called a 'gift'. Or, maybe not. Considering this is an election year, and the politicians adjusted the stimulus package until it included the maximum number of voters, I think the proper term is bribe.