You in Six Words

My O* Magazine this month had a section called "You in Six Words."  You may have heard of this mini-biography trend that's been going on. According to the article I read, it started in 2006, when Larry Smith, a magazine writer inspired by Ernest Hemingway, challenged his readers to write their own biographies in six words.

He got so many responses that he has a published a book with his results.

As a word person and a blogger (the latter meaning I'm naturally predisposed to self promotion/exploration), I was intrigued by the idea and started wondering what I would write as my "Six Word Memoir." When you only have six words, you have to choose them carefully, but I also think it's important to go with your gut reactions to this.

At first I thought mine would have to deal with weight loss. Something like:
Lost. Found. Trying to lose again.
But does that serve as a memoir  for my whole life? or just the last two years?

So I tried again with:
Mediocre at most. Great at laughing.

Now I'm not sure that the point is to write more than one six word biography or to pontificate on them when you do, but this is my blog and I'll do what I like here.  To explain: I've tried my hand at a number of things over the years (piano, dancing, saxophone, singing, cooking, running, etc), and I've never really excelled at any of it.  But I am really great at laughing and helping others laugh too.  So I guess what I'm trying to capture in my memoir, is that while I may not be a stand out in many areas, I'm glad to be good at something important in life.

Here are some pictures from the magazine spread so you can see what Oprah's readers sent in (you can also see them more in the link above).  Click on the pictures to make them bigger.  Then (and here's the interactive part), submit your six word biography in the comments section.  I'd love to read your six-word memoirs!

*O stands for Oprah.

Fit and Fat

I've recently read two articles recently that talked about the difference in being fit and being thin.  I'm sorry I can't point you to the articles, but it was the kind of story that you don't take much notice of, until you see the same idea discussed twice in two different publications.  When I start seeing a recurring theme like that, it makes me pay more attention.

Anyway, it said that lots of people who are really fit, are not necessarily thin, and might even be considered fat.  They went on to say that the key to healthy-ness  isn't losing weight, but getting fit. They did a study of older adults and compared those who were thin and not fit to those who were thin and fit, fat and fit and fat and not fit.  Obviously, those in the thin and fit category were the healthiest, but the second healthiest group was those considered "fat and fit." (Gosh, this blog would be a lot better if I could source this for you!)

This is encouraging to me, because, though I have lost weight in the past, I seemed to get to a point where it was very difficult to lose more.  At this point, I'm still considered overweight, with too high of a BMI.  So although I worked very hard to get fit and lose weight, I was still vulnerable.  I would tell myself that I'm wasn't finished, I still had weight to lose, etc, instead of appreciating how my fitness levels have increased. Heck that was even my standard answer when I got a compliment for losing weight, "I've still got a long way to go!"

This time around, while losing weight is still a priority, I think getting fit should be my focus.  I think triathlons are a great way to do that, because between the three sports, I'm working my whole body. I also think strength training is key.  I've completely slacked off in that regard since the Mud Run last October, and I can tell it in the way I look and feel.

So what about you? Would you rather be thin or fit, if you could choose just one? Thin sounds like it would be nice, but fit sounds like it could kick a little butt and that just seems more my style.

Go BANANAS!

I first discovered this delectable dessert at my friend Meghan's house. Meghan always makes fabulous desserts and says they're easy to make, but somehow I never believe her.  But when she told me that what she served was literally just a frozen banana that spent some time in the food processor and came out looking and tasting like soft serve ice cream, I thought I'd give it a try.  I do have a soft spot for ice cream, after all, and a healthier thing might be just the trick.

Turns out she wasn't lying. This is super easy. The worst part is having to clean the food processor when you're finished. But in case you are hesitant to believe me when I say it's easy, here's a step by step tutorial. 1. Chop up a banana and then freeze it.

These bananas have been chopped and frozen.* 

2. Put it in a food processor/ blender and let it work.

Seriously, just turn it on full blast and walk away. It takes several minutes. It always takes longer than I think.  At some point you may have to stir it up, if the blades have pushed all of the bananas to the edge and it's unable to reach them to chop them any further.

When it looks like this, with tiny pebbles of banana, you're not done food processing yet. Let it keep blending until it is as smooth as a baby's you-know-what.

4. If you're afraid it will taste too banana-y,** add a little flavor to it by dropping in a tablespoon or two of peanut butter or Nutella and blend it a bit more. Or wait until you're done with the food processing and stir in a handful of chocolate chips..

Voila! The finished product.  Sweet and cold and just as tasty as ice cream, I'd say. 

Enjoy and let me know if you try it!***

*I am not a food blogger and I do not take fancy/artsy photos of food. These are strictly for demonstration purposes.

**I do not think this tastes too banana-y, personally.  The banana flavor isn't overwhelming, especially if you add peanut butter.  Disclaimer, I do like bananas, though, and if you truly hate the flavor of bananas, you should proceed with caution. If you hate the texture of bananas, then don't worry, because it's completely blended into a whole 'nother texture by the time you're finished.

***YOU MUST TRY THIS.

Thankful Thursdays: February 2

It's Thursday, let's get grateful, people!

I'm thankful that I ran 36.63 miles and read four books in the month of January!
Best miles were probably last Thursday night after work.  Best book was "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."

I'm thankful for a weekend road trip!
These lovely ladies, also known as the "fives" because we are each five years apart, are hitting the road this weekend to visit Taylor! She moved a month ago and we've been missing her ever since. I can't wait to see her new life!

I'm thankful for this app that allows me to print and mail cards from my phone.
It's so easy and it makes what I think are pretty cool and unique cards. I have long wanted to be a dedicated snail mail correspondent, writing at least a letter a week, but it just hasn't ever happened.  Maybe with the Cards app, I will be better! If I take a picture that I think you'll like, and I have your address, perhaps I'll send a card your way.  (Disclaimer: I do not know the people in this photo. They are just the sample card that comes with the app.)

I'm thankful for my bed.
It has been so good to me this week that I've had trouble leaving it behind each morning. Doesn't it looks so inviting?

I'm thankful I found this awesome Color Run.
I mean 5ks are great, but fun twists on 5ks like that Moe's Burrito Dash or this Color Run make it exponentially more fun.  You can bet I've got October 27 penciled in on my calendar. I'm already dreaming of the awesome pictures. Who wants to do it with me?

I'm thankful for my rainbow picture.  

My co-worker posted it to the Winthrop Facebook page and that sucker got 120 likes! It's a school record, and that makes me happy. 

What are you thankful for this week?  Tell the world!

Anybody Got a Mood Ring?

I know I am a slack blogger lately.  I never mean to let so many days go by without posts, but it happens before I realize it.  I haven't been particularly inspired this week, but in my down time each day I do spend a bit of time searching my thoughts for viable blog posts.

You know what I realized today?  What and how I'm going to write depends entirely on my current mood. And my current mood changes a lot.

If I had written last night, the post would've had a melancholy tone.  Also, I probably wouldn't have been able to string together three words. I've been exhausted this week, I think because I've had to be extra extroverty with no recharging introvert time at night.

If I'd written this morning, I would've been all, "I can do this! One day at a time! Motivation, motivation, motivation!"

If I'd written tonight when I got home, I would've sounded defeated. (See above explanation about exhaustion and then recall from some previous blog post about a year ago that when I'm exhausted my guard is down, and I eat poorly.)

But then my friend Taylor D. called, and we talked for a long time (See, I can use my phone for something other than a camera and playing Words with Friends!) about her exciting new job and my plans to visit her, and I'm all pepped up again!

Really? Have I really run through such a cycle of emotions in 24 hours? Does all of the down-up-down-up mood swings count as exercise? Cause it should.

You may be wondering if this blog post has a point. Well, yes, I suppose now that I am in once again in what I would consider my rightful happy state, I would say that I need to remember not to let emotions bring me down.  I don't want to let something as fleeting as a mood or emotional state affect how I eat, drink or treat others around me.

But emotions are strong little buggers. So just realizing that now is not enough.  I need to guard those sneaky mood swings, and I'm open for suggestions.  Any ideas?

Alyce T. Guettler Hunger Run 5k

Maybe it was too soon to sign up for another 5k, but when they're happening in my hometown, I get a little excited.  Plus, it was the cheapest race fee I'd ever seen.  Thus, the reasons Cindy and I ran the Alyce T. Guettler Hunger Run Saturday morning.

It was the least satisfying race of my short career and my slowest 5k time ever (you know, of the four official 5ks I've ever run.)

It didn't start out that way. Our plan was to run 11 minutes/walk 2 for the duration of the race.  Cindy and I tore off down the course in the beginning.  We ran the first mile in 10:29, according to my watch, which is mega fast for us.  We walked for two minutes, which was according to our plan, and then started off again.

My quads started aching, and we didn't have much to talk about (read: distract me from the horribleness that is running), so I didn't run the entire second 11 minute set. I crapped out about half way through.  This happened last Saturday during a training run too.  I just get to the point where I start thinking about how much farther I have to go, and then I just want to give up because it seems too far (hmmm...kind of like a  metaphor for when you need to lose an extreme amount of weight like I have/do).

Pre-race we are very smiley

But Cindy didn't let me quit and berated (read: encouraged) me to keep going. So after a minute or two of unscheduled walking, we picked it up again.  That second mile wasn't really all that slow either.  But on the third run, I walked a much larger portion, probably more than a quarter mile.  Again, Cindy was strong and kept encouraging me, even though I was not too fun to be around (read: whiney) by this point and I kept telling her to go on ahead without me.

When we got to that final kick-in-the-pants uphill, we agreed to run it and finish strong.  As soon as I could see the clock, I kicked up the speed a notch, and we crossed the line together at 36:08, my slowest time ever.

While I'm not satisfied with my performance, I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.  Some days are just sucky running days and sometimes it happens on race day.  Running is probably never going to be easy or natural for me, but I'm proud of myself for continuing to work hard at it.

Do you know what the best part of the race was? As we headed toward the finish line, and I was already upset with myself for walking so much, Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger" played on my ipod.  And I took those words to heart.

Post-race orange slices make things better.
Please note my awesome runner shirt made by David Loy.
And my gigantic and awesome runner's watch (read: Garmin).

Motivation and Rainbows!

It's a good day when it starts with a rainbow sighting on campus!

It stretched from one side of campus to the other and I could see the whole thing! It was beautiful!

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Today my friend Carly re-posted a link to a guest blog a wrote for her a long time ago about motivation. You can read it here, if you want.

Reading it again reinforced something that I've been thinking about all week, which is that you've got to always keep your motivation in front of you.  It is way too easy to go astray with what's fast or tasty.  But if you've determined  WHY you want to lose weight and are committed to that, you have to keep reminding yourself of it.

This week I wrote the reasons why I want to lose weight on my bathroom mirror.  They include things like:
Running will be easier!
My pants don't fit
I want to be happy with pictures taken at my cousin's wedding in April.
I want to fit in the airplane seats to get me to my cousin's wedding in April.
Summer (Thus, less clothing) is coming!
To be the best me that I can be

I'm trying to keep all of that in mind this week and I've done pretty well.  Drinking my water, tracking my calories, eating my veggies/fruits and working out consistently. Whoohoo!

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On the topic of running, tomorrow is my first 5k of 2012!  Cindy and I ran the course together Wednesday night, which was a great idea she had.  It's mostly flatish (flat with little tiny, rolling humps, more than hills), but it ends with what seems like a gigantic uphill (in reality, it's probably not that big, but since it's right at the end, it's a butt kicker.) We're still not ready to run the whole thing, but will be running at least 30 to 33 minutes, which is pretty darn close to the whole thing.  Send good thoughts our way between 9 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. eastern tomorrow morning.

Stay tuned for a race recap later this weekend.

Happy Friday!