Shane's Wish

On May 30 2007, Shane Bernier, of Lancaster, Ontario, will turn eight. His wish is to receive birthday cards, as many as possible.

At the age of four, Shane was diagnosed as having Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). While he did go into early remission, he suffered a relapse in July 2006 and is now undergoing a course of chemotherapy at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) until the end of June 2007, at which time he will be placed on a maintenance program with weaker chemo in 2008.

If the chemo doesn't work, he might have to have a bone marrow transplant. His six-year-old brother, Jacob, is a donor match. According to Shane's mother (Nathalie Bernier) after the latest round of chemotherapy is completed Shane will have an 80% chance of being fine for the rest of his life.

As of the last update (mid February) Shane has received a few thousand cards. He opens every envelope and reads the ones that are written in French. (His mother and grandparents read the English ones to him.) According to a number of media reports Shane delights in receiving these cards, so even if the final tally falls far short of establishing a world record, the more important goal of making an ill child happy will have been met.

While there is no official record for the most birthday cards received in a single year, Craig Shergold is believed to have received in the neighborhood of 250 million get-well cards across the span of his appeal (although Guinness World Records retired that category in 1992 at 33 million).

There is a lot of coverage out there about Shane, so if you are interested please check out some of the following:
Shane's Birthday Card Wish (with video) - A-Channel News Ottowa
shaneswish.com

Team In Training
This brings me back to Team In Training. In addition to my personal goal of completing the 2007 Chicago Marathon, I have an additional goal to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma website,
"The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. The Society's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $483 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers."

Don't forget to send Shane a card so that he receives it by his May 30 birthday! Please note that he is in Canada, and it may take longer for the card to arrive - so plan accordingly!

And don't forget to visit my Team in Training page and make a donation so that we can work together to help find a cure for blood cancers like the one Shane is battling.

Training Log
So today I was supposed to do 45 minutes of cross-training. This wasnt a problem and I just hopped on the elliptical for 45 minutes. The problem was that I ate a huge chocolate-chip cookie and a bag of M&M's today - so I think I probabally worked off some of those extra calories but highly doubt I am any more prepared for a 26.2 mile run :)
I also talked to a friend today who is an experienced Marathon participant (and runner) about gear - and she offered me a few other tips. I think she is more excited than I am about the months that lie ahead and promises me that I am really going to LOVE training. Whether or not I find LOVE may be debatable - I think we might want to wait and see before putting a label on this relationship.

Help Raise Funding - Contact Your Senator!

Urge Your U.S. Senator To Include Critical Funding For Blood Cancer Research In FY 2008

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is seeking increased federal funding for blood cancer research in the next fiscal year. Lend your support by sending an email, letter or fax to your U.S. Senator.

Click here for an easy way to send a quick letter via email!

Background
Since 2001, the DoD cancer research program has funded a chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) project, which has received almost $30 million in federal funding since that time. The DoD research programs have been praised by researchers, advocates and Congress alike, for the outstanding research they have supported and their contribution to a stronger understanding of and improved treatment for a wide range of cancers, including blood-related.

Highlighting the direct relationship between blood cancer research and our nation's defense, the Society and a number of senators and representatives have urged an expansion of DoD's blood cancer research program to include all blood-related cancers with an increase in annual funding level to $10 million.

Call to Action
Call or Email your U.S. Senator TODAY and urge them to add their name to the "Dear Colleague" letter being circulated by Senator Jack Reed in support of an increase in federal funding to $10 million for the blood cancer research program at DoD, as well as an expansion of the program's scope to include all blood-related cancers.

Be A "Part of History"

Nike is attempting to accomplish the goal of having 1 Million runners participate in the Nike+ Human Race on August 31st. There are 25 cities participating, and runners who arent near a participating city are encouraged ro register for the event and run using the Nike+ system. They can then upload their data to become one of the "1 Million".

There are two charity elements to the race: Nike claims money is raised for each mile you run, and you also can do fundraising through the site when you register for the race. I am not too sure how all of that works, and the site info isnt clear. Perhaps when you register you get more info?

If you live in one of the cities the events take place in, there is an added bonus. The 10K finishes with a concert ... and in Chicago its Fall Out Boy :)

Still Don't Know What To Get Me For Christmas?

Well, The Wealth Report at the wallstreetjournal.com has some ideas. It appears retailers are one-upping themselves trying to think of creative gifts for all of the U.S. billionaires ... and those who like to spend like them.

The newest issue of the Robb Report lists "21 Ultimate Gifts" for 2007. The list includes a 300-carat diamond necklace for $16 million.

I am not too sure if I am a fan of this necklace ... but I have a feeling it would still look pretty good wrapped around my neck ;) Honestly, if you have the cash to burn, I think this single 84.37 carat diamond (reportedly the "largest purest white flawless brilliant-cut diamond ever to appear at auction") is a better bet. Both of them go for about 16 million, but I would rather have one huge diamond than many small ones ... and I think most ladies will agree ;) The problem would be trying to find a matching 84.37 carat diamond in order to make a matching pair of earrings ...

Putting Those Old Kicks To Good Use

Runners generally find themselves buying lots of pairs of shoes - the more miles you put on em, the sooner (and more often) you need a new pair. Eventually those shoes can stack up if you arent finding a good way to get rid of the old ones when you bring home your shiny new ones.

As I try to clean up some of the old stuff around my house, I found about 5 pairs of old running shoes. And as I havent been running ... not a single pair of them has gotten any love in months.

At the beginning of the summer I mentioned that Nike has a program to recycle shoes, but I just got a list of a ton of other sources from Runners World that I thought I would share!

Soles4Souls
Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear both new and used to those in need around the world. Soles4Souls has coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike, netting over 1 Million pairs donated for these disasters.

Hope Runs
Hope Runs is a non-profit group working in Kenya and Tanzania, using athletics, education, and social entrepreneurship to empower AIDS orphans. They accept donations, including running shoes.

Shoe4Africa
Shoe4Africa is a charitable organization whose mission is "empowerment through sports and education, creating unique health initiatives, and promoting Aids awareness."

Nike Reuse-A-Shoe
Grinds your old running shoes into material that makes athletics and playground surfaces.

One World Running
Since 1986, a group of runners in Boulder, Colorado, has collected, washed and sent to Third World countries new and "near-new" athletic shoes along with other athletic equipment.

The Shoe Bank
Founded in 1989, the Shoe Bank provides shoes for twenty thousand people every year - primarily children, both here and abroad.

Heart and Sole
Provides new and gently used shoes to the poorest of the world's people. Since the project began in 1999, more than 6,000 pairs of shoes have been shipped around the world.

Warren Striders Track Club, Inc.
Provides running shoes to local and area low/moderate income families who often are unable to purchase adequate running shoes to their children.

Sole Responsibility
A non-profit organization formed by a group of runners in Ottawa, Canada who donate gently used running and walking shoes overseas.

A Little Late Night Run

It has been a confusing week (as usual) with little free time. I haven't run since Monday and have found excuses every day (despite the new treadmill staring at me). My first free time today wasn't until 8PM. I had a million excuses why I shouldn't/couldn't run, but forced myself to change and hop on the treadmill for a bit.

Since I'm still struggling a lot with the distance, I know I need to push myself more or I will never get the mileage up. Today I tried to pick up some speed. I figure if I run a bit faster, even for the shorter distance, I am hoping it helps me make the longer distance at my slower pace. So today I started off at about a 12 minute pace and increased it each half mile until I got to 2.5 miles. It was a double positive: the longest distance I have run and also more of a speed workout then I have had so far.

And, since I burned some extra calories ... I rewarded myself with a bowl of ice cream. YUM.

Feeling a bit Guilt-Ridden :(

I just decided not to go to Ablaties, and I feel a bit guilty. Its the last class of my 6 week session, and I didnt go last week either. Its not like I couldnt use the ab-work, I am just not in the mood. I have a million excuses why I am not going, but I will spare you the drama. I am just not going. Period.

My day as a whole was rather unsuccessful. I experienced delays several times on public transit, went to the wrong library, and then almost didnt have enough money on me to get back home. I spent several hours photocopying articles from a magazine from the 1900's as pieces of it disinigrated into thin air.

Don't think it was all bad. I had several highlights today as well!
First, I got a pair of Rock & Republic Jeans at a great price from Nordstrom Rack
Second, I went into a pastry shop, picked out my pastry ... and my wits got the best of me and I walked out without ordering.
Third, I met my hubby for a delicious coffee at Inteligencia
Fourth, I met a friend for dinner at a Mexican restaurant I love
Fifth, my research partner and I completed our survey and launched it (more in a post to follow!)
See...not all bad! But each of these good things was followed by a bad thing, and I am just tired :( I also have lots of work to do and decided to focus on that instead of doing crunches. Yes, I would actually rather do the work then go to the class.

Training Log
Time:  29.38 minutes  Distance:2.88 miles   Pace:  10:18min/mi
Despite the Pilates ditching, I did do a run today (to make up for earlier mishaps during the week though!). I planned a route based on a 10:30 pace, and finished a bit early because I ran faster than expected. Guess I really wanted to get the run over with! It was actually really perfect weather. We have had some hot ones lately, but some storms seem to have brought in some cooler weather - and I am not complaining!
Progress Made

• Got a make-up run in
• Had a successful shopping outing
• Finished one part of a current reserch project

Time To Get Serious!

The Chicago Marathon is a week from tomorrow - and we had our final team training run today. Most of the discussion was on logistics - are we going to the expo together? how/when do we meet up? where do we tell our family/friends to be on the course? how do they find us? how do we find them? I realized that there are some things we need to figure out ... and its a good idea to do it now before the day comes and I start to freak out :) I have just spent some time trying to figure out good places for spectators to watch, tips, etc.

Coming to Cheer?
I am not familiar with the Chicago Marathon. I have never watched it, let alone run it! So I surfed around on some websites and blogs to see what people said about good places to watch. If you go to any of these places and they dont turn out ... please dont blame me :)
Suggested Viewing Places

• Chicago Marathon website lists a bunch of places on the route that have popular landmarks and nice scenery. Note: These spots are likely crowded, but can enable you to combine the "Chicago experience" and spectating into one afternoon!
• Old St. Patrick's Church, just past the halfway mark on Adams Street at Des Plaines.
  Free parking, you can walk one block west and one block south to Jackson and Halsted to see the marathoners again, then only about a 1-mile walk to the finish line.
• Mile 8 - "Boys Town" area - male drag cheerleaders, lots of spectators, fun and exciting environment.
• Mile 22 - Chinatown - spectators drumming, and a dancing Chinese dragon

Less Crowded Areas

• Crowds are really thick during the first half of the race, but less crowded through the second half (heading south).
• Miles 14-17: After the half-marathon point, the loop out and back (towards United Center) before entering Little Italy (also known as University Village because of the colleges in the area) tends to be relatively less crowded.

Some General Spectator Tips

• Mile markers are usually very well marked with a huge timing clock preceded or followed by several tables with water and Gatorade cups and volunteers. Position yourself at least 100 feet in front of or 100 feet after the mile marker, because it is often too crowded for your runner to spot you in the crowd.
• Tell the runner what you will be wearing so he/she can look for you!
• Between 23 and 24 is the "International Mile", designated as a cheering point for local consulates and international visitors. Might not be an ideal spot to go?
• Stay away from the finish line - there are throngs of people! Runners need your support before they finish anyway. See your runner as they approach the finish, and when they really need your support ... along the 25th and 26th miles.
• While the CTA is ideal for getting you from one spot to another, everything I have read says to avoid it. There are 1 million + spectators all trying to hop on and off to see loved ones - if you can avoid it and walk instead ... do it!

Anyone else have some tips? Places to go to spectate? Places not to go?

45 Minute Pre Run "Warm Up"

This morning the baby woke up at 5:30AM, a full hour earlier than usual. I'm not really sure why, I guess he was just excited about it finally being Friday. Im glad he was so excited to start his day, because I certainly was less than enthused about the 5:30 wakeup call. The first thing I thought when I heard him up? "Guess I'll have to skip a run today and take nap during naptime today"

Throughout the day I wavered between a desire to run and a desire to nap. When naptime finally came I decided to run. My legs are so sore from Wednesdays training session, I figured a run might possibly help loosen them up. So, I eagerly put both kids into their room for nap and put my running clothes on. But, of course ...

My son has taken to crying when I leave a room. Its nice that he loves me so much and all, but its making naptime a little challenging. Today he took 45 minutes to fall asleep :( I went in there four times to calm him down, and each time he screamed bloody murder as I walked back out. It seems that maybe I shouldnt go in there, since leaving will simply upset him again ... but he continues to cry when I'm not in there and I cant let him be that miserable. Its a bit of a lose-lose situation I guess.

So during those 45 minutes I waited for him to fall asleep, I basically spent my time watching him on the monitor and running in and out of his room to soothe him. Also, because I spent most of the time in the kitchen (where we keep his monitor), I also polished off a bag of chips. Technically, this was a good thing. Really! Because during those 45 minutes I found a million reasons why I shouldnt/couldnt run once he finally fell asleep (if he was ever going to). But the bag of chips in my belly pushed me over the edge and guilt won in the end. Yay for guilt!

Distance: 3 mi
Time: 30:46

When Desperate Times = Advantagous Situations

As many people begin to panic about the status of our airlines, with the combination of fuel prices, route cancellations, security issues, etc., Jeff and I were thinking about Southwest Airlines. American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways have all announced plans to begin charging for checked bags. United is pulling the plug on its low-fare carrier, TED and is cutting 17% of its domestic seat capacity. US Airways is going to charge $2 for a soda. ATA, an airline my sister and I used for low-cost flight from Chicago to DC, went kaput in April. The network airlines (Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways) reportedly have posted a collective operating loss of more than $1.32 billion in the first quarter of 2008, compared with an operating profit of $559 million in the same quarter of 2007. So its obvious, airlines are tanking ... and we are all screwed.

But What About Southwest Airlines?
Southwest has still managed to be the only profitable airline and is currently ranked as the top U.S. airline in a major customer satisfaction survey. As Jeff and I kept hearing about all of the airlines desperate attempts to stay afloat, we wondered if this kind of environment actually was beneficial to good-old Southwest. Next thing you know I see this in the paper:

As a PhD student in Marketing, this type of stuff interests me. Sometimes negative situations for many create opportunities for others ... and Southwest is like a hawk swooping down on its prey. By pointing out its lack of fees it clearly demonstrates how ridiculous this situation really is and all the other airlines can do is just act like the sitting ducks they are and wait it out.

Happy Birthday Brad & Shane!

Today is my brother-in-law's birthday. Since I am so kind, I gave up my Cubs ticket so that he could go with my husband, and instead I busted my butt at the Wed night team workout. Its all ok though - on the way home I stopped to get cupcakes so that after the game we can all celebrate - and in addition to the three cupcakes (myself, Brad and Jeff) I got one extra for the ride home. Yes, so after a nice workout I am going to eat TWO cupcakes. (I already ate one, and am patiently waitng for them to get home so I can eat one of these:

Fundraising Update
I wanted to do a quick shout-out to all those who have helped me with fundraising so far! So far I have raised $1045 - getting close to the 1/2 way marker of my $2800 goal. Every penny matters and all of this (the training, the fundraising, etc) is for such a worthy cause!

Shane's Wish Update
A while ago I posted about a young boy, Shane, who is currently battling Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Shane's only wish is to receive as many birthday cards as possible - and his birthday is today. I thought I would check to see what the outcome was and deliver anyone who likes to read my blog a quick update!
It looks like Shane has received about 2 MILLION cards from at least 68 different countries. For everyone who sent one - you helped make a little boys wish come true :)
There is an annoying ad first, but if you keep watching there is an interview from today with Shane & his mom here.

Training Log
Distance:~3.5 miles   Pace:  varies!
Tonight was another one of those exciting weekday team runs! Today we did 1/2 mile intervals. We were told to run at a faster pace then you run the long runs, in 1/2 mile increments, with a pause in between each 1/2 mile. The goal was to pace the same for each of those 1/2 miles...which I sortof did. The first one was about 4:30, the next 3 were about 4:20 and the last was about 4:10. The reason we do this is because some guy came up with some formula or something that says your marathon time will be 10X your avererage pace for 10 of these 1/2 miles. I only ran 5 of them - but if I had run 10 at the same pace, lets say 4:20 (since that was in the middle) my marathon time would be 4 hours and 20 minutes. There is no way I could have kept that pace up for 5 more intervals - but maybe by the end of training I will! If that is accurate (and I could actually do it for 10 laps) that would put me at 9:55 miles for the marathon - much faster than I am currently assuming I will pace. I guess only time will tell!

Progress Made

• Got a paper accepted into a conference, finished another with a conference submission deadline of tomorrow!
• Ran 3.5 miles, ate 2 cupcakes...but also shoved lots of broccoli and cauliflower down my throat to make up for the cupcakes. (That works, right?)

Lessons Learned

• If I can keep up the work, and keep improving, I might be able to pace at 10 minutes for the marathon, which would be very nice :)

Running & Eating Take Up 1/2 My Day

In the beginning of training season, like a million months ago, we started our runs at 7 am. Due to the change in seasons, the time the sun rises, and the temperature drop - we now run at 8. By the time we finished 12 miles, and had a nice long breakfast (um, lunch?) it was after 1:00 pm. Where did the day go? Yeah, I got in a workout. But now I am exhausted and want to sit on the couch for the rest of the day :) Unfortunately thats not an option. A good friend of mine from high school is getting married today so Jeff and I are off the the burbs dressed to our finest. (Cant wait until I try to squeeze my swollen runner's feet into those heels).

Training Log
Time:  2:09:48 time  Distance:12 miles   Pace:  10:49 min/mi
Its funny, I looked at my first 12-miler ... and the overall pace was the same. (I dont know if thats good or bad!) There is one major difference though - when we first started running I stopped my watch for "breaks", so I can figure out the speed I was actually running at. It turned out that the breaks were pretty lengthy, which I didnt know because I didnt time them. Eventually I changed my practice and now time for the whole thing. There are two reasons I do this: 1) race times include breaks ... they dont stop the clock if you have to use the porta potty! and 2) we take less breaks now, one real benefit of training. While my pacing was the same as my first 12, I took the first 6 very easy. In fact, we hung out a bit here and there and chatted and/or waited for other members of the Vegas Crew. On the way back, Kevin & I picked it up a bit - on the way out were were running about 10:30's and on the way back it was much closer to 9:30's. (You can tell by the actual pace about how lengthy these "breaks" were!)

Training For A Cycling Event? You Need One of These...

A new bike, made by cycle maker Koga Miyata, has been built for Dutch track cyclist Theo Bos in hopes he brings home the gold medal from the Beijing Olympics. Bos just missed the gold middle in the Athens Olympics 4 years ago.

It took 3 1/2 years to develop this bike, which reportedly had an initial budget of $100,000. The final product cost a million dollars and comes without a brake, gears or lights. The bike, called "Kimera", reportedly has the lowest air resistance of any bike in the world.

After the Olympics, Koga plans to produce the bike (or a similar version) for the mass market, at a price of about 10,000 euros. I will start training for a triathlon as soon as I get one of these bikes :) Start saving your spare change and you too could be riding one of these in your next event ... if they dont get banned by then :)

Note: This video may look like it doesnt work, but seems to take a minute to load. If you want to check out this sweet bike, wait a sec to see the video :)

8 Miles is a Piece of Cake

I woke up this morning in bad shape. I didnt sleep very well due to some disturbances outside, had a heavy stomach from dinner the night before, and was nervous about the impending doom eight miles would bring.

Dinner was great, but the pasta I ordered was really heavy. I was exhausted when I finished and immediately was worried about how it was going to impact me today. I wanted to make sure I got a good nights sleep, so I got in bed at 9:30 to read a book...and turned the lights off a bit after 10pm. I fell asleep HARD - which is unusual for me. Then, at 2:30 in the morning I was pulled out of my slumber by noise in my alleyway. I live off of a busy street (even though my street is very quiet) and often we get "bar traffic" through the alley at night. Fights, guys tossing dumpsters, drunk kids just screaming for the fun of it - its all the norm. But last night there was this girl crying...not just crying, BAWLING. You could tell she was alone because nobody was talking, nobody was consoling her. She had the most awful sounding cry and you could hear her as she moved through the alley. Needless to say, she was annoying, and I didnt sleep well for the rest of the night. So I wake up, and I am tired. I feel like I weigh a million lbs (I actually stepped on the scale and am up 3lbs just from yesterday...if thats an indication of how much pasta I ate!). Its raining and gloomy and cold. So I am not "feeling it". I hope in the car to drive to the run, and it starts pouring. THEN, I MISS MY EXIT. I drove about an extra mile and had to turn around.

I get to the run, and I am doing bad. I feel lousy. I am tired. I am cranky. I wish I could find that crying girl from last night and smack her silly. The girl, Jodi, that I run with alot doesnt show up. So it keeps getting worse and worse :) I ran with the same girl I did last week, through the whole 8 miles - and felt awesome. At the end I could seriously have kept going. Now is that crazy or what?

Its Memorial Day weekend and the weather is supposed to suck. Right now its gloomy and 55 degrees. I am supposed to go to barbeques today and tomorrow, and thats about the least appealing thing to do when the weather is like this :) This is renting movies, eating popcorn & sitting on the couch wearing your pajamas kind of weather.

Training Log
Time:  87.36 minutes  Distance:8.00 miles   Pace:  10:57min/mi
Like I said, the run was good. It was cold and rainy in the beginning - but the rain stopped shortly into the run. Add on the heat I was putting of just through exertion and it was perfect weather! I was in shorts and a tank for most of the run. During the total time, I stopped once for water and to take off my long sleeve shirt (a few seconds for sure) and then stopped at the end of part of the route as we tried to call to another group that was heading in the wrong direction. (They never heard us and we just kept going). During both of those times I didnt stop my watch and so my pace was actually a bit faster than 10:57. Last week for the 6 mile I paced at 10:48. If I take 1 minute off of todays total time, I paced at about 10:50 - so comparing the two weeks I would say I was about the same. I think thats perfect - I am pacing the same no matter what the distance, and not having any trouble adding the miles. 26.2 HERE I COME!
Progress Made

• Again, longest distance I have ever run in my life - 8 miles!
• Paced about the same as last week - ran with the same girl so I have a feeling she and I are a good match
• Did not eat Sun Chips and chocolate-covered raisins right before the run, so I was feeling pretty good!

Lessons Learned

• I like running with others. I know some dont like it - but my time flies when I am with someone else - 8 miles really didnt feel like a thing

A Runner's Magazine For Women

According to Runner's World, 75% of their subscribers over the past 4 years have been women and 10 million women across the country identify themselves as regular runners. That's a lot of women runners! Thats why Women's Running Magazine seems to make sense. According to the website, "Women's Running covers all aspects of the running lifestyle, from active beauty needs to training plans".

Women's Running debuts in Jan 2009 as a re-branding of "Her Sports + Fitness", a magazine I've never heard of (probably why its getting rebranded). The website says you'll be able to find it at book retailers like Borders and Barnes & Noble. An annual subscription (with 10 issues) is $19.95 ... but I think I'll pick up an issue next time I see one to check it out before I jump on the bandwagon.

The magazine also has its own blog which (at a scan) has some interesting posts. It looks like its topic driven and the posts are irregular with the most recent dated 12/3, but it's another blog to add to the reading list!

Marathoning Will Still Be "Trendy" In 2009

If you are like me and planning on waiting to get back into shape until "next year", perhaps you might want to partake in one of the top 10 fitness trends for 2009? These are supposedly the trends in fitness for 2009 according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE):

Boot Camp-Style Workouts

Budget-Friendly Workouts
Cutting costs to stay in shape - ie less gym memberships & use of personal trainiers and more using existing resources as a gym/equipment.

Specialty Classes
Yoga and Pilates will stay strong, but "dance-based classes will be all the rage in 2009". Isn't that what was trendy in the 80's? Dancersize anyone?

Getting Back to Basics
"Even though many exercises and equipment are becoming more advanced and trendy, trainers will continue to focus on basic movements and techniques with their clients again."

Circuit Training
"Studies have shown that interval training that combines strength training and cardio at different intensities is more time-efficient than doing the traditional aerobic and weight training sessions. As circuit training gets more popular, many gyms are even setting up their own circuits for their members."

Kettlebells
I know I havent been working out, but am I really out of the loop here? What the heck is a kettlebell? Did you have to google "kettlebell" like I did? It looks like the claim is that they're popular in the gym ... are people out there using these?

Boomer Fitness
Fitness for the 50+ audience like AARP’s fitness initiative aimed at providing a wide range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members.

Technology-Based Fitness
"In 2009, look for more interactive video games that have fitness benefits, as well as new inventions to make exercising a more engaging experience." (Think Wii Fit from 2008)

Event or Sport-Specific Exercises
"Even with all the new and trendy workouts, sports or recreational activities will still be a popular way to stay in shape. Playing a friendly game of basketball or volleyball, training for a marathon, or taking a day-long bike ride are just a few examples."

Mixing It Up
"Research shows you’ll get similar if not better results if you mix things up. For example, do low-intensity cardio with intervals on some days, then switch to high-volume, low- intensity weight training with low-volume, high-intensity training on other days.

Reluctant Runner :(

I woke up today and had it in my head that I wasnt going to run. Not only was the high 89 degrees, but my knees were hurting. I was pretty sure I was going to get in for a consultation from a physical therapist, and so this would be a "rest day". I called the therapy center and they cant get me in until Wednesday! By the time I called (they didnt open until 10:30 AM) it was already above 80 degrees...so then I decided it was too hot to run :)
I ran some errands, hit the grocery store, and did some of my fabulous research. Then I ate lots of junk food I bought at the grocery store and decided I really did need to go do some sort of workout - my excuses were no longer enough. I convinced Jeff to go to the gym when he got home from work, so that way I knew I would go.

Training Log
Time:  30:00 time  Distance:2.80 miles   Pace:  10:47min/mi
It was a million degrees in the gym, and my knees are not feeling so great, so I decided that just the fact that I was doing a workout was enough. So I decided that I would do 30 (instead of 40 minutes) at a bit of a slower pace than I normally do for my short runs (10:47 vs 10:30). Now I am home, and my legs are throbbing. I am still not sure doing the workout was the right way to go, but at least I burned off about one of the many cookies I ate.

Golfing For a Good Cause

Golfers at participating locations over Labor Day Weekend can donate money in support of Patriot Golf Day. All funds raised will benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation to provide educational scholarships to families of those who have become disabled or lost their lives in the line of duty. Last year (2007) about 3,200 golf facilities nationwide participated in Patriot Golf Day, raising more than $1 million dollars.

So here is a good reason to actually get out and get some exercise while at the same time having the opportunity to donate to a worthwhile cause! Looks like I might even have to let my husband golf that weekend...without giving him a guilt-trip (of coure, as long as he is at one of the affiliated courses and not just golfing for the heck of it!)

Through the Patriot Golf Day site you can view videos that let you know a little more about the cause, find a participating local course or find out how to make a donation in the event you cant get to a local course that weekend.