TIaRT- The Long and Short of It- Hi, J!

This week's sponsor, Joanna of Yummy Running offers readers this question to ponder and respond to:

What is your favorite race?  Do you live for the marathons or crave a 5k?  Would you rather race in the morning, afternoon, or at night?  Do you like big races with tons of people and encouraging crowds or do you prefer the smaller hometown races?

 

First of all… J! Your name is Joanna!!! My whole life has changed, hehe. This is what happens when you get to know people through their blogs.

Now to answer the question…

Well…I used to live for the short races, and now it just doesn’t seem like enough. Maybe that is because I’ve slowed down a little? LOL.

I want to get back to the shorter racing because I just feel like something is missing in my running life and I believe that is it. I’ve really focused on longer distance running ever since deciding to run the Eastern States 20-miler last March. I declared as soon as I crossed that finish line that I WOULD NEVER RUN A MARATHON but I was lying.

Just six months later I ran the Baystate Marathon in Lowell, MA and it wasn’t perhaps the best marathon I’ll ever run in my lifetime but it was the only first marathon I’ll ever run. I remember clouds and rain and puddles; passing people, getting passed, feeling the highs, feeling the lows, thinking I won’t make it, but making it anyway. A lot can happen in a really long run! And there’s something so satisfying about that run where you JUST KEEP GOING.

I’m not sure where I’m going right now. I have not officially decided to run Boston now that I’m qualified. I have to take some time to evaluate my running goals and find that fire. For the first time in a LONG time I don’t HAVE that fire inside to really push myself or break boundaries. I’m kind of coasting. We’ll see. My mom used to always say that and we joked that it meant No. In this case I think it really means we’ll see. Hah.

 

Happy Thursday!

Tuesday: Food, Inc. Review and Some Other Media…

Elliot and I watched the movie Food, Inc. on Sunday morning. I was really surprised when Elliot told me he had ordered this movie On Demand to watch… I had heard about this film awhile back  and I was pretty sure I would see it eventually. I just did not think Elliot would go out of his way to see it.

L: How did you choose this movie? I’m kind of surprised you would pick this.

E: I used Rotten Tomatoes. It got a 97%. <<insert OBVIOUSLY face>>. I try to use Rotten Tomatoes when I can… <<here is where he gets funny, prepare yourselves>> …That’s how I picked you!

HA. HA. HA. He is so funny.

 

So who has seen this movie? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

 

Click HERE to go to the film’s site. Here is their official blurb:

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

My thoughts: Overall, it was what I expected it to be. My logical response is to just continue what I am doing. I don’t eat a lot of meat, I read labels, I buy often at a local farmer’s market, and I try to use my purchasing power positively.

I appreciated seeing Eric Schlosser since I read and enjoyed his book Fast Food Nation. And I MORE than appreciated that there was a huge segment devoted to Gary Hirshberg who hails from New Hampshire and is the dad of one of my brother’s close friends. Yeahhh Stonyfield, reppppresenT.

Elliot and I both liked the farmer in the cowboy hat:

Also known as Joel Salatin.

He fought claims that his meat slaughtered in “open air” was contaminated but when tested against factory meat Salatin’s actually had lower levels of whatever it was they were testing.

Elliot mentioned he liked that guy and what he stood for because he really BELIEVED in what he was doing. It’s a pretty striking comparison to make- this guy out in the sunshine with his pigs and chickens to the hanging carcasses traveling around on metal hooks- the mass produced artificially grown meat you get from behind tightly closed doors. Efficient, but safe? Mass, but moral? I don’t know. I’m not a food production expert, but I can definitely get behind sanitation and safety issues.

 

Elliot writes in with his review…

In the beginning of the 20th century Upton Sinclair wrote a book called The Jungle that accidentally caused wide-scale food industry reform. Food Inc's creators tried to do it again at the beginning of the 21st.  The film is interesting, enjoyable and occasionally moving. But it's not a revolution. Rather, it's a summary of an already existing movement. A sign of the times. 

Those of us who care are well aware that generic brands are mass produced crap whether its processed grains or meat. It's not coincidence that Whole foods has grown 8 times larger into a $4 billion company over the last 2 decades or that Trader Joes has gone from 1 store near me in Boston to 4 since I moved here 7 years ago.  For some time there has been wholesome green environmentally conscious non-processed movement already afoot and folks are buying. A show like Biggest Loser is probably doing more to further it in mainstream American living rooms than this somewhat pretentious film ever will.  But for an interesting and more complete picture of our food production, this is an excellent choice. The films least sensational but perhaps most significant  points come about the effect of farm subsidies on relative costs of healthy foods at the grocery store and the potential effects of Monsanto's patenting of seed.

 

 

 

So! That is that. And now I have some songs to share with you.

 

First song. I actually liked this awhile back but then heard it again as it is on a TV Show Elliot wants to watch, starting tonight. V is the name of the show. Yep… V. Really, like I need anymore television shows on my schedule. LOL. Anyway. I checked out the show’s site and this song played in the preview. NICE. I also like that the main character is one of the girls from Firefly which is the show Elliot and I LOVED but has since been discontinued. Okay, okay, the song already, right? Muse: Uprising.

…We will be victorious!…

Second song. I heard this on the radio and immediately liked it. Timbaland and Nelly Furtado: Morning After Dark.

I can’t find the official video anywhere and the album isn’t actually released until November 23.

Get this, Timbaland wanted the Twilight cast for this song’s video! Read:

To fit with its vampire theme,Timbaland opened up about his desire to have "Twilight" cast starring in a music video for his new single "Morning After Dark". He said in an interview with MTV over the weekend at Justin Timberlake & Friends concert in Las Vegas, "I want the same characters of 'Twilight,' which I've almost got."
Timbaland explained further about the storyline of the video should he get Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart for the leading characters. He stated, "We [Timbaland & SoShy] would protect her while he goes away from the other dude (Jacob) and the other people (the Cullens)."
Saying that "you won't know what we are. You don't know if we're vampires, but we are something," he added, "We was his last hope, he wouldn't want to use us, the whole thing. If [Edward] calls us it would be a big payback - a big price to pay to call my team of people to protect her. It's a whole little story line."
Timbaland also hinted possibility of him writing a sequel for the song. "And I have part two to the single too, so it's like a whole little story line to it," the powerhouse producer/rapper shared.
"Morning After Dark" is the first single taken from Timbaland's forthcoming studio album "Shock Value 2". The track features his newly-signed French artist SoShy and has been debuted by Ryan Seacrest on his radio show last week.
"Shock Value 2" is going to be released in U.S. on November 23. Beside having SoShy, it will also be supported by Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Lady GaGa, Kings of Leon, Paramore, Estelle, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott,The Neptunes, Jonas Brothers, DAUGHTRY, Hollywood Undead, Keri Hilson, Usher and Chris Brown.

Source: http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00028122.html

 

Yes, I will admit that I LOVE Twilight. Those books were … addicting!!

The first movie was kind of disappointing but I didn’t really even care. I am looking forward to the next movie because I was always rooting for Jacob. Heh.

 

Monday Hurts So Good.

I was not at all sore on Sunday from the previous day’s 12-miler. But Monday morning comes around HELLOoooOOo glutes and hammies. I spent a good chunk of Sunday doing a yoga video, part of a Pilates video, and then biking and lifting. I’m guessing some sort of combination of all of that worked my muscles in new ways.

It’s incredible what a total body workout you can get by NOT RUNNING. I’m not even sure what exactly about Sunday’s assorted cross-training put me over the edge of soreness, but I like it. I like that I’m literally just sitting at my work computer and I can FEEL my butt muscles.

 

So here’s the Sunday that brought on the hurt:

Core Workout (section 1) of this Cardio Pilates video-

I might’ve kept going with this video, but it’s a library borrow and after the core section it skips and restarts back at the beginning. LOL.

So I swapped in a yoga video and did Sun Salutations and Standing Postures (section 1 and 2) of this Yoga video-

I love this one!  It is super easy to follow and they all have Australian accents! Heh.

Then I got to the gym just 50 minutes before closing so I hopped on the bike for a solidly sweaty 30 minutes and then raced through some free weights exercises:

• Dumbbell Chest Press- 25lbs 2sets 15reps
• Dumbbell Row- 25lbs 2sets 12 reps
• Bicep Curl-rotate-Shoulder Press- 20 lbs 8 reps, 15 lbs 10 reps
• Bicep Curl- 15 lbs 10 reps
• Shoulder Press- 15 lbs 10 reps
• Tricep Dip- 2 sets 15 reps

And…done.

 

I did NOT want to wake up this morning. I think I could’ve stayed in bed all day. But the sun was shining by the time I talked myself into getting up and I went for a 4-mile run to get my blood circulating. I think this is a good soreness recovery strategy. Nothing strenuous, of course. I told myself to go as slow as I wanted. The sun was practically blinding me, too! The weather is incredible. November 9th and 55 degrees! Wow!

MON am Recovery Run

Total Distance: 4 miles

Total Time (get this!): 33:33 (lol)

Average Pace: 8:23 min/mi

Splits: 9:06, 8:19, 8:14, 7:53

Notes: I’m really glad I went. It wasn’t easy and I could’ve skipped the run altogether, but I’m much less sore now and my mood is super sunny.

 

I will leave you with a few photos from Saturday’s shenanigans. I started a Rock Paper Scissors tournament out at the bar and it really caught on! I love it!

In case you are new, I’m the one in the blue!

 

 

Bring on the work week! Happy Monday everyone!

Happy Saturday...

First things first: I do NOT recommend you see Men Who Stare at Goats. But seriously, keep on watching that trailer. Hahaha... the trailer is so good and the movie just was not. Oh, well, it was fun to go anyway.

Second: I'm posting directly from blogger so please excuse any formatting blips.

So what am I doing now? Watching the following music video on repeat... I have this secret fascination with 3oh!3, I guess it's the teeny-bopper in me coming out. Not so secret anymore!






Besides I am happy to just sit here for now since I had an AWESOME 12 mile run earlier this afternoon. I just took an ice bath so I'm all bundled up now listening to music. The only thing I can think to complain about is that my heels are numb. Oh well! Worse things have happened.

I finally found a happy place on my run today. There was a point when I wasn't even thinking about how far I'd gone, how far I had to go, or how I felt. I was just enjoying myself. The sun was out and I ran along Comm Ave, which has this great side-road that runs parallel to the main road. It's a 1-way residential road with sidewalks and I think every single family in the area was out for a walk. It was like a flood of pea-coats. Haha.

SAT LONGer RUN
Total Distance: 12 miles
Total Time: 1hr:31minutes
Average Pace: 7:36 min/mi
Splits: 8:09, 7:42, 7:41, 7:51, 7:30, 7:30, 7:20, 7:34, 7:38, 7:17, 7:37, 7:26
Notes: The first half of this out and back had a TON of uphills. Which means I ran them as downhills on the way back. At first I felt like a slacker but then I told myself: hey, you EARNED these downhills. I crammed in Chestnut Street HILL and Heartbreak HILL in the first half of the run. All in all it was a great day, and a good 12 miles.

Elliot is gone fishing and touring around in Rhode Island somewhere with our friend Andy. So I have the house to myself for now. Alriiiiight Dirty Dancing just came on TV. Hehe. Catch you on the flip side...

More Than a Feeling! IT’S FRIDAY! There’s a beer with your name on it… and how I am a Hebert.

LOL> Watch the preview for this movie I am seeing with Elliot tonight.

It might just be my sense of humor but I think it looks hilarious! And I love the cast. And that song! More than a feeling…

 

Yesterday I pulled out some inner strength and showed up at the gym after work instead of heading home to hide under the covers. I always get tired toward the end of the work day but usually once I’m in motion I can roll right along. I emailed Elliot for some get-going motivation and he wrote back:

ummm well i think you will be disappointed in yourself if you don’t go so it would easier to just go now and avoid feeling bad later

That is pretty sound advice. Thank you Elliot!

Gym it is…

THURS pm Gym

Warm-Up with some Cardio: I biked steadily along while reading a 3-month old In Style Magazine. LOL. Need any fashion advice? I’m probably not the one to ask.

Then I did the following lifting and core workout:

• Dumbbell Bench Press- 2 sets 25lb x15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curl-rotate-Shoulder Press- 1 set 20 lbs x10, 2 sets 15 lbs x12
• Calf Raises- 3 sets 15lbs x40
• Tricep Dips- 3 sets x15
• Step-Ups- 3 sets 8lbs x10
• Dumbbell Row- 3 sets 25lb x12
• Bench Seated Knee Up+Toe Touches 3 sets x20
• Row Boat 2 sets x20
• Pyramid Crunches:
• 10 traditional crunch,10 traditional crunch+knees up,10 simultaneous crunch+knees up,10 traditional crunch+knees up,10 traditional crunch
• Side Oblique Raises 2 sets x20
• Bicycle 1 set x20 each side
• Forearm Planks 3 sets x1-minute

 

I still beat Elliot home (I am lucky to work and workout exactly two miles from home- I joined a gym next door to my work building- I highly recommend this!).

At home I showered and checked my email. Elliot has been working really long hours lately and while he was finishing up at work he sent me this email:

I want stella artois

 

That was the subject of the email and the body was blank. LOL.

So… here’s what I did!

Hehehe… It says Elliot, but I had a hard time getting his whole name in the picture. Just take my word for it!

And so when he got home I told him there was a beer with his name on it in the fridge! Ohhh… goodness. This is what happens when your inner child is of the drinking age.

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And now… IT’S FRIDAY!!!! Hooray !!!

This morning I got up and hit the road for four miles. I didn’t even realize until I got back, but I wore my GYM sneakers, that I had brought inside with me from the night before. WHOOPS! I keep my old Nike Air Alaris sneaks in the car so I have them to cross-train and lift at the gym. Buuut, apparently I run in them again, too. They are so last year. Heh.

FRI am RUN

Total Distance: 4 miles

Total Time: 31:54

Average Pace: 7:58 min/mi

Splits: 8:30, 7:57, 7:51, 7:34

Notes: Again my legs were feeling not so speedy. I tried to push through the sluggliness (I just made up that word and it totally describes the feeling! hehe). But instead of getting frustrated over the feeling, I just went with it. Why not? I’m not really worried about performance right now. Just go. Do what you can. What can you do today? That’s sort of my current OP. I BELIEVE that I am on the path to better racing. Where is this confidence coming from? Who knows, but I like it.

 

Tomorrow it is my friend Sara B’s birthday so a big group is getting together to celebrate! We’re going to the Cheesecake Factory at the Prudential. You can bet your booty there is a Mojito with my name on it!!!! Hehe. And then we’ll be going out for some nighttime shenanigans. I am bringing my camera and will for sure take some photos.

 

I already know what I’m getting for food at C.F., too! I always get the same thing because I like it that much!!!!! Want to guess?????

Here’s the menu, and I will even narrow it down for you because I am nice and their menu is out of control extensive: CHEESECAKE FACTORY Salads MMM!

They also have a really great bread basket with this brown oatmeal studded bread that is DEEELISH! I take after my Dad and always ask our waiter/waitress to bring extra bread. It’s freeeee. I am pretty sure every diet in the book tells you to send the bread back first thing, but that is just not the Hebert-Family-Way!!! LOL. It’s funny when you look at the habits you grew up with and the advice you are given as an adult that might contradict everything you are used to.

Specifically this is a small point, but in general BEYOND the bread basket this applies. I know most of the values and principles I STILL hold in my heart come from my parents and growing up in our family. I was lucky to have such great role models and rules to follow. Awwww.

Yes, I have grown and changed, and I certainly have my very own (and sometimes stubborn) ideas about things. But at the core I am a Hebert through and through. Have I yet posted my favorite Hebert-isms? Well here they are anyway:

• Early is on time.
• Get the job done: do what has to be done, when it has to be done, and do it that way every time.
• Nothing good ever happens after midnight.
• Practice, practice, practice.
• If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it.
• No matter how many shots you miss, keep shooting. Shooters have to shoot.
• Write it down.
• Give each problem its own page.
• Always, always, always say thank you.

 

What are some of your heart-of-hearts rules to live by?

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And before I get back to work, here are a few answers to your questions!

 

1. What degree are you going for?

• Boston University Masters Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine
• Antioch University Masters Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Boston College Masters Mental Health Counseling
• Lesley University Masters Counseling Psychology

 

 

2. Do you track calories, protein, carbohydrates, etc.?

I do currently track calories—in my handy –dandy reporter’s notebook! I started this on November 1st. I aim for 1600-1900 per day take-home. So sometimes I am eating upper 2000s if I am working out more. I do not track protein and carbs, but I eat very balanced meals and this isn’t something I am worried about. I make sure to get fruits + veggies with every meal. I eat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs on daily basis, so I am confident I have my protein requirements covered. I don’t cut carbs either, so I’m sure my carb intake is solidly filled- I eat oatmeal as my breakfast base every day, and sandwiches as part of lunch most days. Occasionally I eat beans as part of dinner- I love the Cannelini (white bean) variety.

 

Any other questions? I love getting them, so feel free to ask away. I’m an open book…

Perhaps it should be revised… an open blog???

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

TIaRT – Picking the Gold Standard- Hi, Chelsea! And what I’ve been doing…

Chelsea of Early Runner is this week's sponsor and she offers readers this question to respond to:

You’re on the selection Committee for the Nobel Prize for Running.  Who would you nominate for the winner and why?

It could be an elite or a beginning runner....a courageous ordinary runner in your community who inspires you.... or the local running club leader, race director, or running store owner who gives tirelessly back to running. It could be the senior runner in your community who knows no age limitations.

 

You decide.  Who do you think deserves to be recognized for enriching and advancing the experience of running for others.

 

Hands down I’m going with the one woman whose writing really swept me up in a distance running whirlwind: K.V. Switzer. She was just so determined and she certainly didn’t have an easy path to follow. It’s like when it snows and someone else walks in it first and then you can step where they stepped and you might not get as much snow down your boots.

Anyway, I’ve posted about her before, and if you check out my sidebar under Running—> you can see my favorite blurbs from her book.

Read her book if you haven’t:

 

I’ve been forging ahead testing my own limits lately. I haven’t been working particularly HARD, (track workouts and true tempo runs come to mind) but I have been trying to balance my output with my intake, which I am realizing is probably the key to losing weight- especially if you are already in pretty good shape. I think my body likes being 130 pounds and in the first week I saw no changes.

Dangit Biggest Losers for painting an unrealistic picture of weekly weight-loss in my mind!!!

My goals are much less lofty than those of someone who might be overweight. Instead of 20, 30, 40 pounds all I want is a measly 5 to 10. That should be easy, right? Well, it hasn’t been so far. LOL. To that end I am writing down everything I eat which has actually not been as much of a pain in the butt as I thought it might be. I have done this before here and there and hopefully I stick with it long enough to meet my get fit weight loss goals. I have this neat little Reporter’s Notebook and I feel a little bit like Harriet the Spy:

I had been a little under my intake ceiling for a couple of days and last night I reeeeeeally wanted MORE. I had a small bowl of cereal after dinner and wasn’t sure how to handle still wanting to eat more. Then Elliot called to tell me he was getting a smoothie at UFood and did I want one? Well they have great smoothies and I decided that a 400 calorie banana-peanut butter smoothie could fit into my budget. It was a planned treat and I really enjoyed it! I also didn’t feel like I needed to keep snacking after I had this, I was done for the day and still on target for my intake range. Not bad! I don’t need one of these treats every day, but gosh it was delicious last night!

Here are my workouts, and the theme is what can you do today?

TUES My Kind of Tri

• Leg 1: Bike at the gym- 30 minutes- moderate intensity
• Leg 2: Lift at the gym- I added step ups with a knee level bench and I actually got winded doing these with 8lb weights!
• Leg 3: 5-mile run! Because…I had to return two movies and decided to jog them over. Then I was already out and .75 mile deep, so why not just do my usual 4-mile loop?

Total Distance: 5 miles

Total Time: 42:24

Average Pace: 8:28 min/mi

Splits: 9:33, 8:40, 8:05, 7:39, 8:25

And then when I got home I did some core work. WHOA Tuesday! I felt pretty good having done all of that. Oh, and I got the movies returned, too! Check.

 

WEDS Out and Back

Total Distance: 6 miles

Total Time: 46:47

Average Pace: 7:47 min/mi

Splits: 8:30, 7:50, 7:33, 7:36, 7:55, 7:22

Notes: This run was tough. The effort level was high and I had to talk myself into a strong finish.

 

And this morning I got up and ran along my 4-mile loop and decided to head up a hill and found a secret side street that looped back around to my route. So 4 miles turned into 7 miles. Nice. I was starting to get antsy and tired of running around 3 miles, too, so tricking myself into some extra miles really worked!

THURS AM Run

Total Distance: 7 miles

Total Time: 54:39

Average Pace: 7:48 min/mi

Splits: 8:23, 7:48, 7:36, 7:40, 7:45, 7:40, 7:45

Notes: Yep it was hard again. My legs feel a little sluggish. But it’s not the end of the world and I’m logging miles which makes me happy. Eventually I’ll get back into some exciting speed work.

 

Here’s a look at my updated goal lists:

 

Lean Mean Fighting Machine Goals

• Goal A: Lose 5lbs
• Goal A+: Lose 10lbs

Week 1- Sunday 11.1.09- 130

Week 2- Sunday 11.8.09- tba

 

 

Grad Apps Goals

• Write Personal Statement
  • Send to Readers and Make Revisions
• Update and Revise Resume
• Request Transcripts from Midd
• Print and Mail form, with money
• Distribute Recommendation Requests
• Write supplemental statements
• Complete Online Applications
• Request to send GRE and Psych GRE scores
• Find Miller Analogy Test time and location
• Register for MAT
• Practice MAT
• Take MAT and send scores
• Talk to my coordinator at work about continuing work on my projects here while taking classes next year

 

Getaway Going Going Goooone Goals

• Plan Long Weekend Vermont Trip with Elliot
  • Dorset B+B- booked
  • Middlebury- booked
  • Burlington- booked
• Plan New Year’s Trip to Denver with the Girls
• Flights- booked

 

It is almost hilarious how my grad app goal list continues to extend itself even as I continue to cross things off. I am finding more and more things I need to do for each application! Gah! Now it is just a matter of time…

This is my kind of Time!

 

Happy Thursday!!!