Last Pregnancy Update

Happy Global Running Day! I'll be spending it walking on my treadmill on this rainy day, but I hope you get out for a run and thoroughly enjoy it! Besides the obvious reason of being super pregnant, read on to find out why I'm not making a run happen today.

There's a good chance that this will be the last post for a while. I don't see a whole lot changing in my fitness level or routine at this point with what amounts to just weeks to go! This is just an update on the developments recently and a reflection on my journey up to this point.

Because this is my first pregnancy, I just sort of assume that pain is part of pregnancy, and sometimes it is, but there are other times when it's not. I have a low pain tolerance, which paradoxically causes me to often suffer through pain for an extended period of time when I should speak up to a medical professional because I'm afraid that I'm just being a baby. For example, I was in extreme pain for two years before finally having my gall bladder removed when I was only 19 years old. As it turns out, my family has a history of gall bladder disease, and I should have found out what was wrong much sooner.

The thing now is that around a month ago, I was playing fetch with Lucy, so I was squatting over and over to pick up the ball. All of a sudden, I felt an extreme pain that is hard to explain, but I was in pain the rest of the night sitting, walking, standing up, sitting down. The pain basically never went away, and I started researching what could be going on, and the best I could guess was that I was having some kind of pubic bone pain. It progressed over time beyond the pain where the pubic bone connects, to a soreness in my upper inner thighs, which transformed into a searing pain in my upper inner thighs, hips, and front of my pubic bone. It was painful all the time, but especially when I attempt to roll over in bed, get in or out of the car, and going up and down steps. Putting on underwear or pants? Oh man. Putting on pants brings tears to my eyes. Each and every step is painful, but some activities are even worse than other, like putting on pants. It turns out that on top of sciatica, I also have Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). The pubic bone started relaxing early, and it becomes off balance, and it is extremely painful. I'm getting chiropractic care, doing some targeted exercises, and wearing a support belt, but the pain is still there, and hopefully I will be able to rehab it pretty quickly postpartum.

I always hoped that when my husband and I eventually decided to have kids, that I would be able to run throughout pregnancy. I met many women who did when I worked in a running store, and I hoped I would be one of those women. It was hard once we started telling family and close friends because I was spending literally all day throwing up anything and everything, so running just wasn't an option, but many people would ask if I was still running. I even had a person or two, who have never been pregnant mind you, tell me to just go run. Do it anyway. You'll feel better. They had no idea what they were talking about. I eventually got medication and stopped throwing up, but I was knocked out all the time. Once I was able to stay awake and not throw up, I eased back into running slowly for short distances. Then my sciatica really flared up, and running had to be pulled back again. I learned VERY slowly over time that it's ok to adjust my hopes and goals for running during pregnancy because it's more important to pay attention to what my body is going through right now and listen to what it says I can and can't do right now. I'm more concerned with a healthy and happy baby in the end. I will say that I officially ran in all three trimesters, but the run I got in during the third trimester was probably a very bad idea just because of the SPD. The run itself felt similar to the pain levels of walking, but I was in excruciating pain that night and for several days afterward. I loved the feeling of running while I was doing it, and I am happy to say I ran during all three trimesters even if the third trimester was only one run just one mile long, but I know that walking when I can handle it with the SPD will be all I do from this point on.

Wow! I am getting BIG! Are you done growing yet, Baby?

Now it's time for me to focus on the last weeks of growing this human and recovering after he arrives. When I feel up to it, I will begin blogging my postpartum journey.

March of the Pregnant Lady...similar to a penguin, but much less adorable.

I can remember, though likely not quite as strongly as I'd actually like to, what it felt like at mile 25 of a marathon. The two miles I walked, or waddled rather, around my neighborhood today felt akin to those last 2.2 miles of a marathon. I remember the pain in my quads and hips and entire core. And I may have answered my phone at mile 25 to talk to my brother who was calling to find out if I'd finished yet, and I even told him during that exact phone call that if mile 25 of a marathon felt that bad, there was no way I'd ever be able to have kids. He assured me that he has two kids, and it would be fine. My brother thinks he's pretty clever. Let me tell you, the pain was shifted to slightly different places because being a giant pregnant lady changes how the weight is distributed, but my hips and low back were both still aching, so that was the same. Oh joy! It absolutely baffles me how much pregnancy has changed my body and my ability to do things that should be so simple. It can be frustrating at times, but I am in the homestretch, and I am excited to have my baby on the outside for walking and hopefully running in the not too distant future.

So much shadow for one person...good thing

I'm technically two people.

I am still being surprised at how much earlier different symptoms have set in, even though at this point, you'd think I'd have realized that I don't know anything about being pregnant. I have thought I was huge pretty much ever since the first trimester bloating set in, but every single day I hit a new level of, "holy crap....I'm HUGE." I should have accepted it at this point, but I'm still struggling through it. I just can't imagine how I am going to keep getting bigger. It just doesn't seem physically possible, but then I wake up the next day, and there it is...an even bigger version of myself. At 30 weeks I had officially gained 20 lbs, but my doctor has told me over and over ever since the first appointment that she thinks I will probably end up somewhere around a 35 lbs weight gain. The weight gain seems to be slowing a little. It was almost nonexistent during the first trimester and I actually lost a couple pounds at first, and then it exploded during the second, but it seems a little slower, yet still steady during the third. Baby's gotta pack on that fat, and I'd prefer he does so on his bony, sharp little elbows and knees first because these jabs are quite painful at this point!! I keep expecting to find bruising after prolonged concentrated jabs!

I didn't expect my hips to become so uncomfortable this early. I just sort of figured it wouldn't be until the last few weeks that my hips would start feeling like they were ripping away from my body, but it seems that is as well a process that starts much earlier than I had anticipated. I mean, I've had pretty bad sciatica pretty much the entire time, and I have had issues with sciatica pre-pregnancy, but this is a whole new level of being uncomfortable. The low back pain is something I'm pretty used to with the sciatica and all, but the new pains in my legs from my hips and pretty much everything else on my body shifting is not my idea of fun. I know that things will only get worse...much much worse if you count labor and delivery, before they get better, but I am counting down the weeks!!

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram for more frequent updates and lots of pictures of my four-legged running partner, Lucy!

@mdickersonruns

Runner's Rambles: Pregnancy and Winter Woes

I was pretty excited going into my second trimester even though I still had bouts of sickness up until 17 weeks. I was doing run-walk on the treadmill on a pretty regular basis, but then at around 14 weeks, I was hit with a new symptom like a ton of bricks. Really, it felt like a ton of bricks was on my chest at all times. The shortness of breath that I've been experiencing is just crazy. I had no idea there were so many symptoms that go along with pregnancy! There are so many things that nobody talks about.

For the past month, I have really been struggling with staying active. Winter is always a struggle for me because of the short daylight hours and the cold. Plus,the cold makes me want comfort food all the time to warm up. I am not a big fan of treadmills, but I am thankful that my in-laws gave us their old treadmill so that I have access to one if I need it. I am ok with running outside in the winter, but I don't feel safe running or walking through my neighborhood while pregnant during the winter. I am doing my best to get into a good routine with the treadmill anyway while I wait for Spring weather to arrive. Some days are a struggle, but hopefully Spring will be here for good soon because my basement is getting pretty boring!

The body image issues are still very very strong for me at this stage, but I'm not sure that I will ever be ok with my pregnant body. I know that it's not something you're supposed to admit, but I do not enjoy being pregnant. When I do voice my feelings about it, I pretty much always get the same responses about how I should be thankful, and you'll immediately want to do it again after giving birth, and children are worth it all, and you're really going to miss it! Sometimes those things are said by women who have their own children, and sometimes they are people who have never been pregnant. Either way, I only feel more annoyed when people tell me those things. This is going to sound like a strange analogy, but I have similar feelings when it comes to alcohol and pregnancy. I have never been a drinker really. I may have a drink here or there, but being drunk and not being in control of my own body is not something that I have ever really thought seemed like a fun thing. Now I have entered into a 40 week journey of not being in control of my own body. There is nothing I can do about the changes my body is going through, I am tired ALL the time, and there are dietary restrictions along with pregnancy. Then on top of it all, there are so many hormonal changes that cause crazy emotional swings and lots of irritability. None of this is my idea of fun. I know there are women out there who absolutely love pregnancy, and that's great for them, but I am not one of those women. Pregnancy is just a far different experience than I had ever in my wildest dreams anticipated it would be. It's tough, but I am sure parenthood is going to be just as tough, so I guess this is my unfortunate prep work.

Runner's Rambles: Pregnancy and Body Image-- This is real life.

Oh boy. This is one of those things that is rough to share with others. I'm sidelined from running again temporarily due to severe sciatica. Walking, sitting, laying, anything and everything hurts right now, so I've had some time to just think, or overthink rather. Many people, if not all, struggle with body image at least at some point in their lives. I am one of those people. So, let's start from the top.

When I was a teenager, I remember the taunting about being fat. I believed those words because after all, I wore a size 7, and I weighed in at 130 lbs and 5' 5" tall. Um, so that may be hard to picture, but I wasn't fat, I just didn't know that I wasn't fat. I have a small chest, and I'm ok with that, but I was teased about that too. I also have big hips, but I didn't get a whole lot of teasing about that. That is however the feature that I believe people are referring to when they constantly tell me, "but you don't look like a runner." As an adult, I usually weigh in somewhere around 150 lbs, but for the most part, I am generally concerned with the way my body PERFORMS and of course, let's be real, I do still care how I look. I don't put AS MUCH stock in how much I weigh. Usually.

Now I'm pregnant. This is ROUGH. I am fully aware that I am growing a human being, and while I think that part is pretty awesome, it's hard to deal for me personally. I actually lost weight at first because I was sick. Many people know that the first phase is bloating. I have been and still am super bloated. Sooo bloated, and I wasn't a big fan of that stage. It was hard because I felt huge all the time, but I knew that I had lost weight despite the fact that I looked like I had gained weight. It was hard. I am still in that phase where I look chubby instead of pregnant. I'm in that stage where my regular pants don't fit, but I don't need maternity pants because I don't have a "bump." It's a weird place physically and mentally for me. Gaining weight has never been a goal of mine. Losing or maintaining. That's where I'm used to being, and gaining weight is not something I have ever been comfortable with.

The fact that I am bothered by this is bad for two reasons. First, I know that I'm pregnant, and I should just accept the fact that my body is changing because even if other people don't know that I am pregnant, it doesn't change the fact that I am. Also, I know that I am going to get bigger. Much, MUCH bigger. I haven't even started really showing yet, and I am going to get bigger, and I will have to deal with that. There is also a chance that my body will change in ways that I can't even imagine yet. What I am freaking out about, and I know I can't do anything about it, is the way my stomach will stretch. Not just stretch marks that I know so many mothers are proud of, but also the fact that I have surgical scars on my stomach already. I'm not sure what will happen to those scars as my stomach stretches out. I am pretty freaked out about the whole scar thing. I mean, I'm just being real here.

I've already been told by some people that just because I didn't cherish every second of first trimester puking my guts out, that I obviously don't love my child, and that I probably don't deserve to be a mother compared to many other women out there. No joke, Go read a pregnancy forum somewhere on the internet. You will see some crazy stuff. I mean, the thing about social media is that people put up perfect snapshots of their lives, and basically all you see on social media is that pregnancy is amazing and wonderful and every second is beautiful, and that women should love every aspect of their changing body in order to be a good person, a good mother, and a good woman. Well, I guess I'm not any of those things because this has been a rough journey so far that is far from over. And my body will be changed forever, so it truly is far from over. Mostly I worry that I will never get back to running long distances like I'd like to. I know that not just my body will be changing, but so will my whole life. I know that it is possible, and I want to be that person. I am so afraid that I won't be that person though. I'm not sure why, but I feel scared that I won't find a way to make the time. I am a much better person when I run, so I hope that I have the resolve to meet the long terms goals I have for myself of  making my mental and physical health a priority while also being there for my child, but only time will tell if I can balance it all.

Pregnant Lady Running...kind of: First Trimester Recap

I ran a little bit just short runs here and there after the KC half this fall, but then I found out I was pregnant. That in and of itself did not stop me from running. I ran a handful of times with Lucy between finding out and hitting 6ish weeks. I was very tired, so running just wasn't the priority for my free time. Then I got siiiiiiiiiiiiiick. Getting out of bed was hard, and I was puking... a lot. A lot.

So between 6 weeks and 10 weeks, I walked about two to three times a week, but running was off the table completely for me during that time. And when I walked, I could only make it about half a mile before I felt like I wanted to throw up or die. It sucked. I was miserable, and sad, and I didn't feel at all like myself. I also felt like a bit of a failure already. I told a few family and friends during this time, and I got some comments about me not running. Let me tell you, it's easy to judge someone else when you aren't the one throwing up in any sink, toilet, or trashcan you can find. And it made me feel like even more of a failure.

I've never been fast or some amazing runner. I have never claimed to be either. But I do love running, and I will talk about it with almost anyone who will listen. I have a running tattoo. Many people who know me are still shocked that I even got a tattoo in the first place, but I have a visible running tattoo. That tattoo led to an interesting comment from my OB at my first appointment. She told me not to run. Now, she did not say I was high risk, and she did not say there were any worries with the baby, and she didn't ask if I had just run a half marathon less than a month, and only about 10 days before the time period that was likely the conception of this child. She did however tell me not to run because I shouldn't break a sweat because it would, "boil the baby," Her words... seriously. I didn't change doctors after that because her other advice seems fine, but I am just ignoring her don't "boil the baby" remark. I am making sure to regulate my body temperature while I am running though, which is important.

At around 10 weeks I started running again, but very slowly. I am running exclusively on the treadmill for now because I don't want to drive to the trails to run in the cold and snow, and my neighborhood isn't the safest place for running the streets right now. If it were just me, then sure, but it's not now. There are no sidewalks, there are plenty of hills and curves, and people FLY through our neighborhood as if the speed limit isn't 15... which it is. So for now, I have made the choice to stick to the treadmill. I started with run-walk one day when I was feeling ok, and each day I run a little more and walk a little less, but I will take walk breaks whenever I feel like I need to, and I won't be ashamed one bit! I am excited to attend a Running Through Pregnancy Clinic at the end of January at a local running store. For now, I am taking it easy, but I am trying to run-walk at least once a week, but more often when I can and feel up to it. I know there are women who run marathons during pregnancy, and good for them, but that's not going to be me. Not even close, and I am becoming ok with where I am right now with running and not running during pregnancy.

Get Your Streak On!

Best message for day one!

Ok, so it's back again. The Streak! Runner's World always challenges runners to streak from Thanksgiving to New Year's because most people tend to hit the slump at that point in their fitness. Most of us have finished races, it starts getting cold, there are tons of get-togethers with friends and family filling up schedules, and most of us start indulging in those holiday treats! The streak just helps as some motivation to stay active during busy times when it's easy to put running in the background.

It would stand to reason that once the weather is beautiful it would be easier to stay active, but that's not always the case. I have tapered my running after competing my goal of getting into Half Fanatics, and my marathon training doesn't start for about a month. And my chiropractor has had me scale back after the pinched nerve caused me so much trouble at my last half. So I decided to join in the RW Summer Run Streak from Memorial Day to July 4th. You don't even have to streak all the way to Labor day, so it's really not that bad. 40 days is less than the winter streak I did.

I was apprehensive at first because we are getting ready to take a trip out to CO for my friends' wedding, and we are moving as soon as we get back. I figured running on vacation, even if it is only one mile, was pushing it a bit because Matt's not a runner, and I didn't want to clog up our mornings with trying to fit in a short run in a place that I am not familiar with the roads. I mentioned yesterday afternoon that I wasn't going to do it, but then Matt told me that I should! He said, "So what if we are on vacation... hit the treadmill... it's one mile." So I went out for a run yesterday evening, and then enlisted family members with only a little bit of pushing for a couple of them so that I could have some accountability. Let's see how this goes!

Thanks for the accountability from Anna, Joe, Katie, and Grace!!!! Now, go run!

True Beauty

Wow. Life really is amazing. Sometimes all a person needs is a leisurely walk on a beautiful morning to remind them how awesome this life really is. I have had a rocky week following my impromptu half marathon, with my busiest week at work so far this summer and the lingering weariness from a long run, but I knew that when I woke up this morning at 6 without the grumbling internal dialogue, that I was ready to have an amazing day. I took the time to sip my coffee slowly and really enjoy the moment, and I knew that instead of going for my usual long run today, I would benefit much more from a change of pace, literally.

I set out with the intention of going to walk laps around the nearby high school track, but when I got there, the chain was still on the gate. With the sun peaking out from the clouds and the crisp autumnal air awakening my senses, my eyes were opened to the beauty of the world around me. I resolved that 2013 would be my year of thankfulness, and with all the stress and craziness that has been surrounding me lately, I haven't been taking the time to look for the good and blessings in all situations.

I was reminded on my little walk this morning that it is all a matter of focus. I have not been practicing contemplative simplicity in my everyday life. And as much as I have been telling myself every morning to live on purpose, it seems as each day progresses, I let go of the purpose. I know that I am extremely blessed, and I am so thankful for all that I have been given in this life. God has been very good to me through his infinite grace. I am extremely thankful for the beauty of this life I have been granted, and I was reminded on my walk that I am also immensely thankful for the beauty of this earth that I am able to experience. I am thankful for my mobility because I know that not everyone is as fortunate, and I am thankful that I am able to experience all of these things one more day. We are never guaranteed tomorrow, so we need to be thankful in every minute of each new day.

iTrack: How my smartphone stops me from making dumb decisions

Motivation is different for everyone. I write this blog as one tool to keep myself motivated. I have also learned that along with motivation comes honesty. Sometimes it can be hard to stay honest with yourself about how hard you have worked out or how much you have eaten, but with today's technology our phones are all too ready to be real with us if we aren't real with ourselves.

I ordered the UP band made by Jawbone about a month ago, but I am still waiting to start using it because I got the wrong size, and it takes quite a while to get through all the customer service stuff to exchange it, so I have been using the free app Argus by Azumio for the iPhone. It is the only app I have found so far that fits into my daily routine smoothly.

Argus tracks your steps, but it appears to just go by distance traveled. It will sometimes count steps in the car when I am in stop-and-go traffic, but I'm not too concerned about that part because more often than not, I end up setting my phone down at home or work while I am doing plenty of moving. You can also track your water intake, coffee, food, sleep, and workouts. 

I like the food diary that is compiled of pictures taken of the meals you eat throughout the day. I'm not big on counting calories, but just having that picture of a cheeseburger staring at me all day can sometimes be enough to deter me. I think the water and coffee intake trackers are ok, but not something that I necessarily need. If you struggle with getting enough water, then Argus might be good for you because a reminder message pops up if you don't track any water intake after a certain number of hours. I drink plenty of water though, so that isn't extremely useful to me. I'm also not a big fan of the sleep tracker because it has to be manually turned on and off. I never seem to remember to turn it off, and I wish that it would recognize that I'm obviously not sleeping if I am walking around, but I guess there are sleepwalkers! ;-)

The workout tracker is pretty cool as far as the running goes. If you don't already use the mapmyrun app or some other tracking device, then Argus might be for you. I love that it maps out exactly where I ran, and I like that it even turns itself on automatically unlike the sleep tracker. It also continues to count steps during a run. The only thing I dislike about the automatic running tracker is that the timer doesn't always stop right away when I am done, so it can tend to throw off the time a little. It can be turned on manually though, and then you have the option to stop the timer immediately. There are also other workout choices like cycling, weight training, swimming, and others, but all those are tracked manually by entering how long you engaged in the activity, so no cheating yourself by fibbing!

All in all, I like the Argus app, but I am excited to finally get my UP band whenever that may be. There are plenty of other great apps as well if you are looking to track your intake and output to take steps toward a healthier you!

Be a Do-gooder! 

Want to do good by others and yourself? Consider using the Charity Miles app to track your distance for one of their charity partners! Do a little good for you while also doing a little good for others!

Gearing Up

Since it is getting to be crunch time with the whole upcoming-wedding-business, I have decided that Matt and I are going to do one active/healthy thing together each week on top of our normal exercise routines. The goal is to do something that is fun, but that is still keeping us active when we are just hanging out together. I have also adopted, somewhat unsuccessfully so far, the mantra; cravings are temporary, but wedding photos are forever. I was really thrown off my routine with our trip home, and I am having far more trouble with the bad food detox than I thought I would. I am also having trouble with my previous six meal schedule. Ehhh, c'est la vie.

Today was the first installment of Matt and Michelle's Mandatory Activity Time. We went for a bike ride at a local state park. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE state and national parks? :) It's the first time we've been back to the nearby park for bike riding since the "day I got my bike debacle." And let me tell you, putting a bike rack on your car together for the first time ever is sort of its own form of pre-martial counseling.

After the residual bike-rack-annoyance wore off, I started to finally figure out, with Matt's help, how to properly shift my gears to make things less impossible for myself. There are some seriously killer hills at this place, and my quads were on fire. I finally figured out why there are shifters on both sides! The left one is for the front gears, and the right one is for the back gears. Low gears are not very powerful, but they make going uphill easier. Higher gears are more powerful, and better for downhill and flat ground. Matt helped me get it all sorted out. I think it is difficult for me in the same way that playing a piano is impossible for me. I just can't process that many things at once, but I am getting better!

Runner's Rambles: Running Makes Sense

Sometimes, it's nice to just get lost in a run. Being outside, running, thinking. It's a release from the confines of the chaotic rush of our society. There are days when I blare music to fit whatever mood I'm in, or whatever problem I need to work out. There are times when I run tech-free, and I just get lost in retrospection. Sometimes I let my thoughts run wild, run out of my head. Then there are the times when I want something to really distract me from the thoughts of wanting to quit early in my run, so I listen to NPR podcasts. I love NPR because I love learning new things, and I can easily get lost in their programming. Podcasts and audiobooks are also great for running because there isn't an underlying beat, like when listening to music, so it doesn't throw off the pace of the run.

Today, I decided to listen to a podcast of This American Life as I ran. I listened to episode #488 Harper High School, Part 2. It was about gang violence, and how it affects students at Harper High School in the Englewood area of Chicago. As I ran, I couldn't help but think of kids I work with every day in one of the projects in West Philly. The thought of what so many kids sadly go through is another thing that pushed me on.

It seems odd that the troubles of another person push me on, but when I feel there isn't really any difference I can make in a situation, it is like running is there to give me a bit of a beating. It is something that I can make myself rise to and above the challenge of. I know that running is nothing compared to the struggles they face. I often think of my grandma and how she struggled with the loss of her mobility near the end of her life, and I ran then too. I was thousands of miles away, and what could I have done even if I was there? There was nothing that I could have done to give her back her mobility, and so I ran. I have a pendant on my shoe now that reads, "Running for Grandma." I know I need to push myself now, take advantage of my mobility now because I could lose it at anytime.

In my experience, running makes sense of the senseless, and when it can't, it at least gives me a distraction from the senseless. There are many things I don't understand in this world, but do I have to?

Audience Participation Requested

Ok, so I know that there has been much debate about the First Lady Michelle Obama's healthy lifestyle campaign called Let's Move because people don't really want to be told how they and their families should live or what they should eat, but The President's Active Lifestyle Award is something that I want to work on.  I mean, what's so terrible about saying that we want the individuals in our society to happy, healthy, active people? I have absolutely no issue with that sentiment. I have decided to sign up to take on the President's Challenge!

On the website, there is a section to log physical activity of all sorts. It isn't just about running or weight training or whatever activity that you may or may not find absolutely torturous. There is a way to log your house work, playing with your kids, or steps from a pedometer if you prefer. The site also has nutrition goals to choose from like drinking more water or choosing whole grains, and you get to pick a different goal each week. Below I will copy the official guidelines to earn the PALA for adults:

            Adults (that’s anyone aged 18 and older), your goals are:

• Physical activity. You need to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (goal: 8,500).

• Healthy eating. Each week, you’ll also focus on a healthy eating goal. There are eight to choose from, and each week you will add a new goal while continuing with your previous goals. By the end of the six weeks, you’ll be giving your body more of the good stuff it needs.

There is also a Presidential Champions Award for people who are already very active or for people who want another challenge after earning the PALA. I am one of those people who really struggles with staying active in the winter, so I have decided to do the 2 month PAL challenge first, and then I will use those first two winter months to push myself to keep active with the Champions Challenge. Besides, who doesn't want to get more awards? I will put the guidelines for the Champion Challenge below:

Here’s how it works:

• The goal is to be more active more often and see how many points you can earn.

• You’ll earn points for every activity you log in our free online activity tracker. Points are based on the amount of energy each activity burns.

• The more points you earn, the sooner you’ll reach the point total required for your desired award: 40,000 points for bronze, 90,000 for silver, 160,000 for gold, and a whopping 1 million for platinum.

Let's get started on earning our awards! First go to the official website to register. Then choose your challenge, and while you are there, make sure to join the Anything For 10 group! I have created a group for us to motivate and challenge each other to meet the individual goals we have set. The group is called Anything For 10, and it is a public group so feel free to invite your friends and family to join even if they don't read my blog. Just go the the groups tab on the website after you have made an account, and then search for the group name, Anything For 10. I have selected a mantra for our group beyond the Anything For 10 mantra of my blog. 

Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can. 

Being active doesn't always mean working out!

I know that I haven't posted in over a week, but I have had so much going on in both my personal and professional life right now that it has been hard to find time for anything. I was so happy to finally have a weekend that I could spend relaxing with my fiance, and we decided that we weren't setting an alarm to make it to spin class today. If we had been up in time, we would have gone, but we got up around the time it was starting. We didn't go to the gym, but living an active lifestyle doesn't always mean hitting the gym or pavement each day.

We spent a lovely afternoon at Valley Forge National Historic Park. I love going to museums and historic sites. I especially love presidential libraries even though I have only been to two so far. The thing about museums, historic sites, and state parks is that you really can get some good exercise! At Valley Forge there is an 8 mile walking/biking path that connects the whole park together. We didn't go the entire distance today, but we are excited to go back and bike the whole thing very soon!

Another great thing about going to a state or national park is lunch! Just because you are taking the kids out for the day, or you are out on a date, doesn't mean you have to grab happy meals or eat an over-portioned meal at a sit-down restaurant! We packed a picnic lunch that was healthy. Plus, I just love picnics! Those who know me well probably wouldn't peg me for a picnic kind of girl, but I love packing up my lunch and hitting a trail.

It was fun to see the artifacts, preserved buildings, and monuments at Valley Forge, but at the same time, it was good for our bodies! Next time you are looking for something to do with friends, kids, significant others, or the whole family, check out the state and national parks in your area! These places are usually free of charge! Some states charge parking fees, but even that would be less expensive than paying for movie tickets for everyone. Most parks and historic sites have websites detailing all the necessary information to make your day planning easier. Having a degree in education, and working in the education field, I find it just as important to work your brain as it is to work your body. Why not do both at once? You might be surprised just how much fun you and your family have!