See Jess Run: Volume 1

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A couple months ago, I told you all about my complicated status with running. And while I’m still not breaking down the door to go for a run, I have managed to dig up some inspiration. Or rather, I’ve dug up an old resolution. 2014 is the new 2013!

So, here it is for all the world to see: in August of this year, I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon. Yep. It’s happening. It’s going to happen. 13.1 miles + me = one true pairing.

I am gritting my teeth as I write this, because I am a nervous wreck. I’m starting to sweat. My armpits are damp. The thought of running 13.1 miles seems so impossible at this moment that it’s almost laughable. It’s certainly sweat-able and teeth-grind-able. How am I going to do this? I have no idea. I know there’s training involved and I’m working on getting my training program in place, but mentally all I can think is, “holy shit, man. I’m going to run a half marathon.” And the jerk part of me is thinking, “don’t worry, you’ll think of an excuse not to do it.”

Guess what, Jerk Jess? No excuses, because not only will Meridith not allow that (we’re running it together), I’ve solidified this resolution by making a playlist.

That’s right, a playlist. In my world, when I create a playlist for an event, it becomes completely legit. Music is how I get ready: for meetings, nights out, exercise, life. I love the pulse of it, how certain songs strung together can create a feeling or emotion that lasts for as long as the playlist does. Finding songs that describe in beat and melody and lyrics what I’m feeling – or when it comes to this playlist, what I want to feel – is what gets me going. Music is my jam.

Despite my trepidation, I’m excited to share this with all of you. And I’m also super excited to share my half marathon playlist! I’ll be listening to it as I start the training process and maybe even on the big day. Yes, definitely then. It will be a reminder of the starting line as I’m hopefully crossing the finish. The music will take me back to this feeling of anxiety, hugeness, of “can I really do it?”, and I can tell myself, “you just did.”

[8tracks width=”300″ height=”250″ playops=”” url=”http://8tracks.com/mixes/3162090″]

What are your running/fitness goals for 2014? Are there any songs I should add to my playlist? 

Recipe Box: Snow Ice Cream

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Flakes, flurries, snow.

If you haven’t lived with snow the last few days, you certainly heard about it from your frostbitten friends.

It’s been a frigid few days with heaps of snow in the northeast. More than a foot of snow blanketed my town last week, which meant shoveling my driveway three times in less than a day. And let’s not even talk about how the temps dropped to single digits with wind chills around -15. (Word on the street is that it will be even COLDER today with FEET of snow to cover parts of western NY. I’m in denial. Join me there, please.)

In all, we got about 15-16 inches in my yard last week. And that meant lots of fresh snow to make a tasty snack…. Snow ice cream!

20140104-194330.jpgThat’s right. It’s ice cream made of snow. SNOW!

The recipe was shared by a friend and former colleague Marketta, who writes a column for the Democrat and Chronicle and writes her own blog, Simply Faithful. Last year, during a big snowfall, she shared her family recipe for snow ice cream.

Snow ice cream?

I’d never heard of such a thing before. My boss assured me it was real Midwestern treat. He also relished stories about how he enjoyed homemade snow ice cream as a child.

I printed out Marketta’s recipe and waited for some snow.

Winter ended without another huge snowfall and I forgot all about it until last week. And let me tell you, snow ice cream completely lived up to the hype. Marketta generously encouraged me to share her family’s recipe.

Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

Marketta’s snow ice cream
– 1 gallon of fresh snow
– 1 cup sugar
– 1 can condensed milk
– 1 tsp. vanilla

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I collected snow from my backyard, away from trees or other debris.

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Using the same stock pot I’d taken into the snow, I combined all of the ingredients and stirred them together.

Keep stirring until mixture has consistency of ice cream. Add milk if it seems too dry.

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I know this looks a bit like mashed potatoes, but trust me. It’s fantastic!

Eat as much as your can stand on the first go-round. I froze what was left with plans to eat the rest the next day and it became a big sweet block of ice. But not to worry, it was still edible. It just needed to thaw for about 15 minutes before I could serve it up.

Have your ever heard of snow ice cream? Have you tried it? Would you?

In It to Lose It

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Errrr, win it? Well, be the winner. Or the loser. The biggest loser. Which is the winner of money. And the loser of…some weight.

That made sense, right? No?

Today marks the official start of my company’s ‘biggest loser’ style weight loss competition. This is our second year running it and the person who coordinates all of the health and wellness events for the company (*points to self*) has really amped up the contest this year. Team t-shirts. Lots of prizes. Weekly prizes. Team prizes. And one big mother of a top prize.

$1000

I want it. I really do. But with that much money on the line, I’ve got a lot of competition. 36 people signed up and that is out of a company of just over 100 employees. Which, for the success of the program, I’m thrilled. We’re working to implement health and wellness programs, because unhealthy employees have higher health insurance costs, etc etc. So, if I can get a third of the company the shed some pounds, I’m a ROCK STAR.

But man, I’m scared. Last year’s winner lost 16.9%. At my current weight, that would mean losing 63 pounds. Did I mention this is a 12 week competition? Yeahhhhh.

I mean, really, I don’t think I’m scared of not winning. I’m scared of falling into the same pattern I did last year – stay on track for three weeks, go off track for 7 weeks, get back on track for 2 weeks, lose 3%. That was less fun than it sounds. Oh, it doesn’t sound fun? Yeah, it wasn’t. Even if I don’t win, I’m trying to use these 12 weeks to really kick start me into losing weight, getting exercise and living a healthier lifestyle. And if I also win $1000, that’s cool. (I’m so nonchalant, right?)

I signed up for Weight Watchers online to keep me on track with food. I rejoined my gym to get me moving.  I’ve got my husband on board with cutting back on the junk, and my 16 year old daughter asked if she could be my gym buddy. What else do I need?

I’m going to need cheerleaders. Coaches. Volunteers to toss water in my face as I run by. Maybe we can skip that last one. But all kidding aside, I’m asking for help. Which is something I almost never do. But I’m asking. Help a sister out? If you see me on Twitter and I’m tweeting about how I really want to consume mass quantities of gelato, kick my gently in the rear end? Spam me with healthy recipes? Text me at 5:00AM and ask if I’m on my way to the gym? Or outside shoveling, because heyyyyyy New England.

Footnote: Due to the shockingly unshocking Massachusetts weather conditions in winter, we are currently buried in snow. (If you say ‘It’s so pretty!!!’, I might slug you.) So the start of the program actually got moved until Monday.

My Run Streak: By The Numbers

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The streak is complete! I repeat: The streak. Is. Complete. It’s been a doozy of a holiday season. I really need a nap. And a massage. And a pedicure. Can I sleep during the massage and pedicure?

35 days of running and most of it was fun, if not a little exhausting. (or maybe the tiring part was having all of the children home for two and a half weeks?)

I’m not really a numbers girl, except when it comes to running, so let’s break it all down, shall we?

Number of miles run- 100

After finishing my final miles of the streak and Dorothy's and my first miles of the new year! Bring it, 2014.

After finishing my final miles of the streak and Dorothy’s and my first miles of the new year! Bring it, 2014.

Number of times I ran with my entire family- Just once, on Thanksgiving morning. Coincidentally, the coldest day we’ve had all winter.

Number of times I ran on the treadmill- Twice.

Number of times I ran with three kids in tow- Four. My oldest rode her scooter while I pushed the other two in my Bob stroller.

This girl! She might be my new favorite running buddy (sorry, Sara). Her scooter PR is 3 miles.

This girl! She might be my new favorite running buddy (sorry, Sara). Her scooter PR is 3 miles.

Number of times I ran in a new location- Twice.

Number of times I ran with someone other than my regular running partner, Sara- Eight. “Want to go for a run?” became a regular part of my conversation.

Number of times I ran in a dirty sports bra- Three. Maybe my New Year’s resolution should have to do with doing laundry?

Number of times I ran while suffering from stomach flu- Three. Gross.

Number of times I surprised myself- Twice. First, that I could actually run a decent long run more than halfway through the streak. My legs were sore, my body was tired and still, there I was at mile 9, asking my friend Dorothy if she wanted to do more.

Second, I met another friend for 4.5 miles late in the streak and was able to hang with him at a 9 minute mile pace. I haven’t run that fast since before Wine and Dine! It felt great and made me realize I need to push myself more often.

Haven't seen these numbers in a while!

Haven’t seen these numbers in a while!

Number of times I ran on a full stomach- Once. Uch.

I logged my run into Daily Mile every day, but never tallied my miles until this past Monday- at which time Meridith received the following panicky text:

“Finally counted up my miles so far. 86.3. I want to shoot for 100 but that is completely unrealistic. Dammit. I wish I’d counted sooner.”

Followed by: “Eff. I am seriously trying to figure out how I can do 14 miles in three days. I shouldn’t have counted.”

I knew Monday had to be short because I had to run with the kids- and my oldest can only ride so far on her scooter- so I quickly found childcare and running buddies for the final two days and decided to go for it. My legs were tired (trainer Jen made me do about 500 squats earlier that morning) but I knew that the closer I finished to 100, the more those missing few miles would bug me.

My friend Danielle met me for a four mile run on Tuesday and towards the end she told me she felt good enough to do 2.7 more, knowing I had plans to meet Dorothy on Wednesday for the final four. I could have cried. (Okay, I admit it. There actually were a few tears shed.)

Running this streak showed me that I can run even if my legs are tired. That I am ready to push myself. That I can do anything if I set my mind to it. And finally, that I have some wonderful friends. Fit friends are the best friends, whether they cheer you on via text message, run with you while on their vacation, or push themselves farther to help you reach your goal.

Maybe next year I will do a streak with the plasma car.

Maybe next year I will do a streak with the plasma car. Who’s with me?

Now I’m ready for the next challenge- The Glass Slipper Challenge, to be specific. But first, I’m going to put my feet up for a couple of days. I’ve earned it.

Streaker roll call! How did it go?

Do you have a good schedule for laundry? I’m asking for a friend.

Putting the Clothes Back On – the Streak Is Over!

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(Oh, it wasn’t THAT kind of streak? My bad!)

First off, happy 2014!

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This morning I set my kiddos up with their newly acquired Wii U. I made sure they were both happy and content. They have zero concept of sleeping in, even if it is New Year’s Day (Dude got the sleeping in privilege today), so this was pretty early. As always, I told them, “If you need me-”

“- You’ll be on the treadmill in the basement. We know, Mom. Go, we’re good!” Pooks cut in.

Little chimed in with his usual farewell of “Don’t do anything dangerous!” as they continued to press the buttons on the controller.

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I knew that this month+ streak was going to be a bit of a challenge, especially with my kids being home for the last week and a half of December. However, I was determined to actually make this 35 day streak happen.

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My streak that I had planned for September for Alex’s Lemonade Stand came to an abrupt end 12 days into the month. I’d participated in the holiday streak before but thought nothing of missing a day here or there if my schedule didn’t allow for it or I was “too busy”.

Not this time though! I was committed to running/walking/crawling at least a mile a day, and I did it! Despite school functions, plantar fasciitis, errands, laundry, kids, weather snafus, and oh yeah, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas… I got it done.

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In other words, it worked for me. Maybe it will help you!

1. I decided not to take myself too seriously. If my mile was a 9:30 mile, that was cool. And if it was a 15:00 mile, that was cool too. There were many days that it was on the slower side, especially with my foot pain. And that was okay. I wasn’t doing this to be fast, I was doing this to endure.

2. Most days, I wasn’t content with a mile and figured I could do at least two. Some days it was three. But never more than that. Since I’m not training for a race right now, I was able to do what I wanted with no distance agendas, other than getting at least a mile done.

This song was my streak anthem.

This song was my streak anthem.

3. I had fantastic support system! Social media, I love you. My awesome Chick Brooke participated in this challenge which truly made a world of difference. We checked in via text. And pictures. And my bossypantsing her around.

Additionally, following my blogging buddies during the streak and chatting with them on their posts helped immensely. The Challenge Loop that Cyanne and Karen hosted kept me honest. And in search of dinosaurs.

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So even though I was running every single run in the comfort of my basement, solo style, I was never truly alone.

4. My kids are finally at the stage where they are (mostly) self sufficient for a half hour. When Little was littler, I used his nap time as my time to tackle the miles. However, as a great big 4 year old, there are no longer any naps. If it’s just us in the house, I set him up with a snack and his favorite movie and then ran down the basement steps to the treadmill.

5. The earlier, the better. Rather than putting it off, I’d get my miles in ASAP. No matter what happened the rest of the day, I accomplished something for myself and therefore I was more productive in other areas of my life.

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Setting aside the half hour for myself, whether it be Tuesday, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve helped me to recalibrate every day. During a crazy and hectic month, it grounded me and that was invaluable.

Bring it on 2014! I’m ready for you!

Brooke will be posting tomorrow about her streak, but in the meantime, how did all our streaking friends fare?

A Little More of This, A Little Less of That

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI-ZteQ8JGU&w=853&h=480]

Going off of this awesome idea, I (Mer – waves from behind the Scoot a Doot curtain) asked the Chicks what they’d like to hear more and less of in 2014, either from themselves or others.

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More:

“I’ll do what I can, when I can, with what I’m given.” This is a reminder for work and life. I’m hard on myself when I can’t complete a task on deadline, make a mistake or can’t travel to see a loved one. I need to remember that I can’t do it all.

“I can and I will.” I’ve adopted Meri’s mantra. Fortunately, she likes to share! I repeat it several times a week. But could certainly use it far more. Having a bad day? Need a reminder or an affirmation? It fits the bill all around.

“Please,” “thank you” and “you’re welcome” People don’t say these words enough. Such small words mean so much to so many people.

Less:

“You should have…” Don’t focus on what went wrong, instead focus on what you can do to make a situation better.

“I can’t do it.” You CAN do it. If you believe it, and put on the work, you can do anything. If you tell yourself you can’t, you won’t.

Gangnam style (’nuff said)

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More:

“I volunteer…” (not as tribute, for what it’s worth) aka “How can I help?” I work with a lot of volunteer based organizations and I can say this with much certainty – we always need MORE help. When people readily volunteer, come to the table with ideas, and make things happen it’s always a welcomed and happy event!

“It’s all good!” Pete the Cat says this in my kiddo’s book and my variation on it is “No worries.” Positive attitudes make things so much more pleasant.

Less:

“I have to do laundry now.” Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be saying this less. But maybe I could get on more of a schedule so it doesn’t feel like I’m doing it all the time, every day.

“I can’t…” after someone has committed that they CAN, the last thing that I want to hear is that they can’t. It’s important to know ones limitations but good planning makes the phrase less said (on my part and on others).

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More:

“What can I do to help?” In my house and in my volunteer commitments – and I’d like to be better about accepting help when it’s offered.

“Let’s play!” My kids are growing up, and with half of kindergarten completed by my oldest, I know we will continue to be busier and busier (and busier). Between school, homework, play dates and our scheduled activities like dance class, I want to take more time for unstructured free play with my littles. Every day.

“No, I can’t do that.” Like Meri, I volunteer for quite a bit. This year, I’d like to learn how to say no. That I don’t have to be in charge of everything, every time.

Less:

Yelling. I pray for more patience every day and hope I’m getting stronger. As a parent, I’m still learning how to stop and take a breath before I react- and I need to keep working on that.

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More:

“Here, let me get the door for/do that for/help you.” Any of these combinations is a win. I try to do one nice thing for someone I don’t know per day, whether it’s as simple as holding a door open or buying someone less fortunate a coffee. When we reach out to people like that, we make a connection, however fleeting. That simple gesture might make someone’s day!

“I understand where you’re coming from.” Even if you don’t agree with it, understanding where someone’s coming from goes a long way. Unless that place is somewhere incredibly stupid and close-minded, of course.

“Thank you!” Two words. So simple. Easy to say and extremely valuable.

Less:

People glued to their phones. This includes myself. You miss so much when you’re staring at your screen. Put it down, look around, have a conversation!

Also, no more mention of twerking. Please.

camillename

More:

“You’re right.” Admitting when I’m wrong is one of my non-strengths.  While I’ve gotten marginally better at using the phrase “I’m sorry”, “you’re right” seems to elude my vernacular.

“I can’t.” I know what you’re thinking…shouldn’t this be I CAN?  That’s not a typo.  Sometimes saying no is just as important as saying yes.

“I’ll do it now.” I’m the best at procrastinating and I have a terrible memory. When I put things off, I usually forget about them.

Less:

“I hate.” I need to be a bit more careful in proclaiming my hatred of things, especially things that I don’t actually hate or even really care about.

“I’m starving.”  I’ve never actually been starving a day in my life.  There are people in this world who are without and it’s a huge disrespect to stand in my stocked kitchen and think that I am starving.

“Fatass.” This is my favorite way to slam myself.  Negative self-talk is poison.

“I know.” It’s no secret, I’m a know-it-all.  I don’t mean to be, I just listen to a lot of NPR and watch a lot of documentaries. When someone brings up a topic I have some knowledge in, I want to discuss!  And sometimes in an argumentative style.  While I think a respectful argument can be quite thrilling, sometimes it’s just as thrilling to listen.

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More:
“I can/I did.” I may not be able to do everything. I may just NOT do things. But I will focus on what I can do, and what I have done. This is how progress is made.

“You inspire me.” Far to often, the people who inspire us have not idea that they are doing it. A while back, a friend of mine wrote a guest post about how I had inspired her. I was shocked! And touched. So, the people who are my inspirations? Get ready to hear all about it.

“You’re beautiful.” To myself. Because I need to hear it. From me.

Less:

“I can’t/I didn’t” These have been my mantras for far too long. I can’t stick to a diet plan. I didn’t prepare for this race I’m about to run. I can’t be the person I want to be. We have have things we can’t do, things we didn’t do, but these have been my constant state. No more.

“Let’s hang out soon.” This is something I find myself saying a lot, but not acting on nearly often enough. The internet makes it easier to connect with people, even if you don’t see them. But there is a lot to be said for a nice, old-fashioned, sit down conversation. I want more of those. And really, less phone/internet in general is a personal goal for me this year. A favorite author of mine tweeted something a while back. “What if, for my birthday, I gave myself a year off from the internet?” I was both horrified and in love with the idea. So, while NO internet isn’t a reality for me, LESS internet and MORE face to face interaction sounds fabulous. Want to come over?

“Let’s work on being healthier.” This is me, around my house, all the time. Lots of talk about changes to make us healthier as a family. But, it seems to me, the more we talk about it, the less we do about it. It’s time to stop talking about change and start implementing it. I don’t have to say ‘we’re going to have less junk in the house’ to have less junk in the house.

So now it’s your turn! What do you think we should say more of in 2014? Less of?

My Year in Pictures

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To say this year has been an active one for me is a bit of an understatement. My 2012 ended with a newborn baby- my third- and I began 2013 with some pretty specific fitness aspirations.

First, I wanted to fit into my jeans again. (Is that really a fitness goal? Well, I wanted to fit into my running shorts again too. That counts, right?) I wanted run a half marathon before the end of the year and I wanted to train smarter and more broadly- to begin lifting weights and try different kinds of cardio instead of just running.

I’ve done the postpartum return to fitness before, obviously, but never with this much determination. Never with specific goals (Okay, with each babe, I have wanted to fit into my pants again. But it was super easy with the first two kids and really hard work this time around. I’ve been told it’s because I’m over 30 now. Sigh.).

At first, I walked a lot. Once I got the all clear from my doctor (6 weeks post-baby), I eased back into running on the treadmill and began working out with a trainer. I also tried barre workouts, zumba and returned to my favorite hot yoga class. When summer arrived and the baby grew bored of sitting at the gym with me, I began running in the early mornings with Sara- we ran longer and faster; each of us chasing our own goals.

By fall, I had some sweet definition in my arms. My pants fit again too- it took 10 whole months- and I was ready to tackle that half-marathon. Timing is everything, and I was grateful that this year was Vic’s year to run the NYC marathon because that meant she could run with me for Wine and Dine. I could have run it alone, of course, but it made it easier to have a friend cheering me along for those 13.1 miles.

I decided to do the run streak during this holiday season because I thought it would be fun (“Isn’t this fun?” is basically my motto for all things fitness.) and I love a challenge. Some days have been awful. Just yesterday, I sent Meri the following text: “I don’t want to run. I’m so tempted to stay in my jams and drink coffee all day.” Like any good, bossy friend, she told me to just get it done. Most days have been wonderful though, and while I don’t think I could ever be an every day runner, I’m glad I ended the year with all this running.

I’m excited to see what next year holds for me. I have three races on the calendar already- the Glass Slipper challenge and the Nike Women’s half in DC, and there are a few more I really want to run.

I’ve been thinking about my goals a lot lately, but since I’m not quite ready to commit to them here, I thought I would share some of my favorite fitness photos from the past year.

My first post-baby run. My warm-up walk included a nursing session.

My first post-baby run. My warm-up walk included a nursing session.

My view from the treadmill.

My view from the treadmill.

J and I attempted a monthlong wall-sit challenge. Yeah...we didn't complete it. But I got this cute picture!

J and I attempted a monthlong wall-sit challenge. Yeah…we didn’t complete it. But I got this cute picture!

The boy was totally tired of the gym at this stage. This was my last workout with him present. (which meant the beginning of very early mornings)

The boy was totally tired of the gym at this stage. This was my last workout with him present. (which meant the beginning of very early mornings)

Sara and I after hot yoga.

Sara and I after hot yoga.

The Bob got some love during the second half of the year.

The Bob got some love during the second half of the year.

My first postpartum race- the UCF 5 miler and 2 miler (I did both for the bling)

My first postpartum race- the UCF 5 miler and 2 miler (I did both for the bling)

Back at Wine and Dine again, and happy I got to run with my friend.

Back at Wine and Dine again, and happy I got to run with my friend.

Still working out with Trainer Jen. She makes me do all sorts of crazy things.

Still working out with Trainer Jen. She makes me do all sorts of crazy things.

Run streak! A long run last weekend with my friend, Dorothy.

Run streak! A long run last weekend with my friend, Dorothy.

What races do you have scheduled for 2014? Do you set yearly goals? Share your favorite fitness photo from 2013 with us on Twitter or Instagram! #favefitphoto

Remembering West Webster heroes

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One year ago, I covered an unimaginable tragedy.

A 62-year-old Webster, NY man fatally shot his sister, set fire to her car – which then spread to their shared home. When firefighters responded to battle the blaze early on Christmas Eve morning, the same man opened fire. He shot four responding firefighters, killing two of them and seriously wounding the other pair before he shot himself.

One year ago today, Rochester-area residents woke to find the lakeside neighborhood ablaze. The fire, left to burn unchecked for more than four hours, ultimately consumed seven homes on Lake Road and damaged two more. Fire engines were left in place on the road, where they stopped moments before the shots rang out.

The lakeside community was never going to be the same.

I was among the first reporters on the scene, covering the tragedy for my paper the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and USA Today. In today’s paper, I recounted what it was like to cover the ambush on Christmas Eve and it’s fallout over the next few days.

Click here to read the column:

I’ll be honest, I cried as I wrote this column. I cried as I proofed it. I cried as I re-read it this morning. I cried as I thought about what the events meant to the community.

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West Webster Fire Department last Christmas Day

Last week, I watched as a backhoe leveled the remaining debris of the gunman’s home. Tears I had not realized I was holding back welled in my eyes. I stood with a colleague and friend across the road, perhaps not far from where the gunman stood one year ago today.

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The memorial on Lake Road earlier this month.

Today and every day, we think of you Mike and Tomasz. You are true heroes.

Please say a prayer below to the families of Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka. Where were you last Christmas Eve? Do you remember what you were doing when you heard of the ambush?