2:37:55!

I want to give props to the dude dancing on his car in a tiger suit blasting this song for us runners to laugh at! You rock tiger suit man!

Anyway, that was my time...I guess that's a time to be proud of :) I wanted to finish in 2:30 but at least I finished between 2:30 and 2:40 ;) Note to self for the future...don't train a certain way and then throw that all out the window and try to push yourself through the race...I guess that's why my pace was off...oh well it's over and my legs are VERY VERY thankful for that! I'm also very thankful that I was able to raise a little money for cancer research. Thank you to everyone who donated!!


My mom snapped a pic of me somewhere after mile twelve thanks for cheering me on Momma! It gave me an extra little boost when my legs really needed it! Believe me when the finish line was actually in view it was a dead sprint for me to the end!

Eye of the TIGER!!!!

Thank you all who have been so supportive of me during my training. I'm so glad I finished!

And now it's time for me to crash!

Where Has the Time Gone?!

See that little counter widget on the side of my page?? It says only 10 DAYS TIL RACE DAY!?!... I'm not freaking out nope, not gonna freak out....even though I'm quietly screaming on the inside...I'm not gonna freak out. I'm ok... I'm cool. I swear.

Why am I kinda sorta not really freaking out? Because even though I haven't been blogging I've still been working hard at my fitness levels to make sure I own this race!...If owning that means I finish in 2hrs and 30 minutes (which is almost a 12 minute mile and compared to some that makes me a slow poke) WHAT the freak EVER!! I'm going to OWN it!

My furthest training run has been 12 miles, which I completed last weekend in about 2hr and 15mins (oh and yes it was ALL hills baby), this weekend I ran 9 miles and then took a much needed yoga class to work on some of my muscle tightness. I went to bootcamp 4 times last week and played soccer last week and this week as well. I kinda haven't been doing my shorter runs but I know between the bootcamp and soccer and the training runs that I have the endurance to finish.

Plus I know the 2nd half of the course, I ran it last year in the team relays. Everyone keeps trying to scare me and say the first half is hilly as shit, but guess what, all i've been doing for the past month on my training runs is hills. I'll get past them. The second half is pretty much flat ground. Guess who loves running on flat ground? This chick. So yeah, I'd say I'm pretty well prepared for the race at this point :)

This weekend I will be running a charity 5k for children with learning disabilities, and then I have to tack a few more miles on top of that and it will be my final training run!

I am also still trying to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society for their Light the Night Events so PLEASE if you can, donate to my page so I reach my goal of raising $655 ($50 per mile I run in the half marathon). I am $430.00 away from reaching my goal. So if you're reading please donate if you can... if you can't please help me spread the word!!





Also in the middle of all this I've decided I really needed to push to lose those extra pounds to reach 100lbs of total loss. I'm anywhere from 3-5lbs away depending on when I weigh myself (I know I'm only supposed to do it first thing in the morning I will from here on out). It's been rough trying to kick start my metabolism again. For two weeks I eliminated (almost completely there were some weddings thrown in there that I enjoyed myself and the open bar at a little too much) but anyway, for two weeks in early September I completely cut out sugar (including fruit), salt, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and dairy from my diet. I was on 1100 calories / 6 meals a day. Yes, I finally went to a nutritionist (after 2.5 years of doing it myself) to seek this advice.

I know what you're thinking 1100 calories a day that's impossible to live off of that... it's not trust me, if you limit your diet to only the good foods, whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veges you'd be amazed at the amount of food you can eat. I felt like I was force feeding myself at the end of the day...I just couldn't eat that much food.

I've practically perfected every type of egg white and vege omelet I could think of.

Try this out for a relatively quick, filling and delish breakfast:

(my portions are 4 egg whites and about 150g or more of the veges this number could be more or less for you)

egg whites
mushrooms
red and yellow peppers
Mrs. Dash (salt free) grilling spice

saute the veges with a spritz or two of olive oil and the Mrs. Dash seasoning, then add to the eggs.

PLAIN instant oatmeal. (my portion recommendation is 2pks)

The oat meal can be cooked with water, or try Original Almond Breeze milk if you want some added creaminess and a little sugar 7g in a cup, or go with the Unsweetened version for NO added sugar, just a creamy texture for your oatmeal. Add a ton of cinnamon and enjoy!

I promise you will be FULL and you will be full for a LONG time!

After two weeks i lost 4lbs of body fat and increased my lean muscle mass. Two lbs a week of loss is healthy. Since then I've lost 6 total. I took a week off from being so strict but now I'm back on.

Here's an idea for a lunch you can cook completely in the microwave! Perfect for gals on the go, slackers like myself that hate taking the time to pack a lunch, or those of us stuck in the office.

This product has been a life saver for my diet:


No, I don't own stock in their company, and I'm not being paid to promote this product. They cook food quickly and the food is healthy!!

So here's my idea for a lunch:

Buy individually wrapped frozen tilapia (white fish) fillets.
Add two slices of lemon and squeeze a little bit of juice to the bag
Add salt free seasoning to taste, my recommendation: Mrs. Dash

Frozen broccoli (can be steamed in the bag, but you might want to use a separate one than the one you cook fish in to avoid a fishy taste)
1/2 sweet potato (also can be cooked in a microwave, pierce with a fork several times - I haven't tried cooking these in the bag) sweet potatoes are naturally sweet but also rich with complex carbs, dietary fiber, and Vitamins A, C and B6, add cinnamon for more delicious flavor...cinnamon is also very high in antioxidants!

You will have a complete meal with lean protein, veges and a carbohydrate in less than 10 minutes.... I'm all about quick and easy. (Ash if you're reading this DON'T even go there! Hooka! ;))

So yea that about sums up my life since my last post... I'm still here, I'm still running, still going to bootcamp, still playing soccer and still focused on my diet.

Once race day gets here though I will be SO happy to have my Saturday mornings back...AND once I lose that 100lbs I think I'll crack open an expensive bottle of wine and go to the Indian buffet... maybe not in that order but I can't WAIT! Then I need to refocus and lose another 5lbs because I know I'll gain it back through the holidays because I will enjoy a few cookies and slices of pumpkin pie, then I need to lose that after the holidays. It's a life time commitment, but SO worth it especially when you see that little dress in a shop window and you go to try it on and it looks FAB-U-LOUS on you... or when you reach a new running goal/weight loss goal and you have that extreme sense of accomplishment. It's worth it just to try for that feeling alone!

Ok, enough philosophizing from me...off to cook up my lunch! (Chicken, broccoli, carrots and a small portion of whole grain pasta! lean protein, veges and a whole grain!)

More Running Adventures: Staying Hydrated and Sports Drinks Myths

Hello friends, sorry it's been so long since I've updated... I'm still scratching my head pondering where all my free time has gone since I came back from vacation...Aside from the running, bootcamp, soccer, miscellaneous real life things....


It's all kinda a blur of pretty really. But it started with seeing those pics and ended in a downward shame spiral of fan fiction...this is why I will never be an adult...I discovered that there are blogs that are only dedicated to reviewing and recommending new stories...this is HIGHLY dangerous. HIGHLY. Because I can all of a sudden have 5 or 6 stories lined up to read...bad news bears for the amount of time I spare for blogging.

But anyway, I'm still here... I'm still running, I'm still watching what I eat (when I don't have a wedding to attend that has an open bar with top shelf liquor...but then again my philosophy has never been to count alcohol yea yea... I know about the sugar, I know about the crashes, but I also know bad music at weddings are much more tolerable and easier to dance too with a few gin and tonics and long island ice teas in my system....I'm sure there have been studies done to prove this.)

That being said... my current diet (when not tossing back beve's at a family wedding) is consisting of no sugar, no salt no dairy for two weeks to get my metabolism running again. I'm eating lots of lean proteins, vegetables and very filling whole grains...but enough about that ON to the runs!

Since I've been back from vacation I've had three training runs:

First run was 10 miles of flat running. I have never run this far before. I was concerned about a few things during this run. Obviously staying hydrated is my biggest concern. I had previously purchased a little hand-held bottle when I was training for the 7 mile relay last summer/fall...

This is the Nathan Quickdraw Elite. Nathan makes a whole line of different hydration products for runners. This particular bottle I recommend this for short runs or for walkers. For a longer run it's not going to hold enough water, and to me it was really annoying holding on to it for a run, I kept switching hands so again...not for the longer runs.

Obviously I needed something that was going to hold more water. Since I've been having problems with my hip I pretty much knew I shouldn't have gotten a belt system, but I decided to try one out anyway. I didn't want to fiddle with little bottles of water so I looked at camelbaks line up of products...

This is the Camelbak montara. Camelbak specializes in hands-free hydration. Very convenient to just grab the hose and take a sip instead of trying to unhook and reattached a water bottle. This particular product though, I only recommend for dudes... because men, unlike us ladies and myself in particular, don't have hips or a shelf-ass. No matter how much I tried to tighten the straps once this was filled with water the water pouch kept smacking against my lower back. If I tightened the straps too much they dug into my hip bones. Unfortunately this had to go back.

So I ultimately ended up with this:



The Camelbak Charm. Isn't is so freakin cute? I didn't want an excessively large pack. This is slim and sleek and doesn't bounce all over the place if you wear it tight enough. Back packs are great because the weight is evenly distributed. The colors are bright which I like for when I'm running on roads. Have to make sure the cars see me! Safty first friends! It holds just enough water for a longer run (1.5liters), the only draw back is that I think I probably should have gone up one more size so that I can carry just a little bit more water especially if it's a hot day. Fortunately, we're heading into the fall so I might not need to think about that until next summer.


Sports Drink Myth Buster!

My other concern was my energy levels. If I'm running 10 miles do I need sports drinks or an energy gel or shot blocks or whatever other latest greatest performance product there is on the market? My research and after speaking with a nutritionist has all signs pointing to NO!

After a certain point in activity the body burns off more than just sweat...but for 90% of us hitting the gym for a 30 minute treadmill exercise or even up to an hour of exercise doesn't justify the need for sports drinks. They add extra calories and sugar that just aren't necessary...if you're eating healthy meals your body should pull enough energy from the calories and nutrients you consume during a regular meal to sustain you through your gym routine. However, if you're doing a strenuous work out (ie. more than an hour of strenuous activity - more than 10miles of running) then the body starts to deplete in electrolytes sodium and potassium.

So my advice ladies is to leave the Gatoraid, poweraid, sobelife water, vitamin water or whatever other sugar/chemical filled GARBAGE at home and just take a big bottle of water with you to the gym. If you do an exercise that only burns 150-200 calories and you add that back in a sports drink you're really not going to burn those excess calories. At one point in my life I did actually think that grabbing a sports drink was a healthy alternative to soda. Now that I know better I've only ever worked out with water in my sports bottle since I started my weight loss.

If you need to replenish your body with potassium try a natural alternative such as coconut water. I'm not going to recommend a brand, I only included a link to a google search so you can do a little reading...but coconut water is all natural and loaded with potassium. Banana's are another good source of potassium.

If you would like, please read this article in the Baltimore Sun, this is the first article I stumbled across while reading the morning paper that made me want to delve a little more into the topic of sports drinks. (It's also interesting to note that Vitamin Water is being sued for misleading that their product actually healthy for you. Guess what it's sugar content makes it more like a soda than a "health" drink...and yup yup back in the day I did also think this product was a healthy alternative to soda.)

Again dear readers... Just Drink Water!!!

Ok, back to the 10 mile run!!!

I was so so happy to reach the five mile marker and turn around. I finished in 1hr. 58mins. I wish I could have gone a little faster for but some strange reason my left hip did not like me on this run...or the two runs previous. I've worked past most of the pain with a few chiropractor visits, but It's still a little tight especially when I'm playing soccer...lots of stretching on the sidelines for me.

2nd run we scaled back and did 7 miles of hills! Hills. ugh...but surprisingly this wasn't so bad! I finished in 1hr 18mins. And even more surprisingly my hip did not bother me. It was a good run on a beautiful morning!! Ahhh... I love fall weather starting to set in!

My 3rd run was this past Saturday. It was supposed to be 11 miles of hills... I crapped out after 9. Adding those two extra miles of hills in the middle of my run really did me in. I turned off my regular route onto a side street that was ridiculously steep for almost an entire mile straight!!!! Once again, I got a side stitch going down hill but once I hit flat ground I focused on deep breathing and taking my mind of the pain and was able to push past it. My time wasn't so great for the 9 miles, but I know I was also pacing myself more in anticipation of those really steep hills.

P.S. So far I've raised $175 towards my $655 goal for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society!! Thank you very much for your donations!!!

Help Me Raise Money to Fight Blood Cancers!

Help me raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since the first funding in 1954, LLS has awarded more than $680 million in research funding.

Since I'm already signed up to run a race that isn't part of Team in Training, I decided to try and raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through their Light the Night event! Please donate any amount you can spare to this VERY important cause!!

I want to try and raise $50 for every mile that I run. That's $655 and if a few more than 30 people donate about $20 each then I will reach my goal!

< alt="View Donation Page" border="0" />

If Flash image does not work please click the image to Donate! Or click HERE!


p.s. Training runs are still going awesome! Last week I did 10 miles in 1hr 57mins. This week we run 7 miles of hills!! I'm well on my way to being prepared to run the half marathon!

Half Marathon Training: Run 4ish? ...FML Hills.

I'm not quite sure what number I'm on for my training runs. Officially with the group I think this is week 4, but I've done a few short runs in between on my own. I missed last Saturday's run because I was out of town, so I missed our 7 mile run, but not to worry I'll be running 8 miles next week...oh the joy! Mind you it will be flat again, however this week was our first week of hill running and I knew it was going to kick my ass and it sure as hell did.

But even though I missed the 7 mile run last week, I did get to see this instead:

Shenandoah National Park

and then I went hiking and came across this on the trail... a field of ferns

and when we reached the top of the trail there were lots of neat looking rocks to climb around and a pretty stunning view.

But anyway, on to this weeks run...

The run: A shaded country road that lots of runners and bikers flock to. It winds along our water reservoir and there are a lot of hills...big ones. It's closed to cars after 10 am on the weekends so even before that traffic is pretty light. We got out there at 7 am.

Distance: according to this handy little website called mapmyrun.com the run was 5.12 miles minimum elevation was 164ft and max elevation of 423ft and an ascent of 354ft decent of -358ft... guess what I really don't know what all that means for my run....except that it was hard.

My time: 63 minutes... pathetic. Almost ten minutes longer than it takes me to run the same distance on flat ground.

Problemas?: Yeah, I bit the dust on the way back running down hill...well not really but I got side stiches running DOWN hill... that's supposed to be the easy part the breeze to the end, and I got side stiches! ugh!

Anyway after the run I stretched a bit, drank lots o water and made breakfast. I think I have perfected the sunny side up egg... I've been eating a lot of eggs recently since I've been buying the free range ones from the farmers market they just taste better... I have also perfected the transfer of said eggs from the frying pan to my plate with out breaking the yolks... Don't mock me I am normally allergic to the kitchen and all things involving cooking so this takes concentration ;) ...Ta-Da!


Sorry if I have offended my vegan and vegetarian readers... I know there are at least 3-4 of you..but yea I gotta get that protein in there!

Half Marathon Training: Run 1

I have officially signed up for the Baltimore Half so that means on Oct. 16th my ass is running that 13.1 miles because I'm not wasting that entry fee!

This morning I set out for Day 1 of my half marathon training with my boot camp groups starting at 8am. Which means my alarm was going off at 6:50 in the morning on a Saturday. FTW.



We're starting out an hour earlier next week because of the heat so I better get used to it. I was armed with some new running shoes, arch hugging socks and some new shorts I couldn't resist buying....they were on sale and super light weight! (I'm not one of those runners that needs the newest gear even though I sound like it lol, my shoes were a year old and worn to crap, and it's hot as balls out hence needing light weight shorts...good shoes = good support and less chance of injury my friends :))


I can't speak highly enough of my Brooks running shoes... they're like love for my foot. My last three pairs of shoes have been Brooks. No matter what other brands I try on these always work out best for me.



So anyway...

The run: completely flat trail and it was shaded...soooo nice. The second I stepped off the trail into the sunny parking lot to stretch after the run... buckets of sweat, it was sweltering!

Distance: 5 miles, run/walk 4 mins/1min. I think we will be run/walking for the actual race because honesty I would probably keep the same time if I ran straight through.

My time: about 56 minutes which is an 11 minute mile. I kept pace with our leader and one other guy so I felt I did pretty well for our first run. Basically I was the first chick, but I backed off at one point because I heard one of the guys talking about how his kid vomited all over his back. Seriously why do all parents do this... making us non-parents suffer through their stories of their children's bodily fluids. I felt like I was going to puke on the side of the trail. fml. Shoot me if I ever become that kind of mom.

Problemas?: Nope, felt great. Really glad I went out this morning. A little sore in the right hip still from when I pulled it several weeks ago playing soccer but LOOOOOOOTS of stretching afterward.

Motivational Songs: I was kickin' it old school listening to an old mix on my ipod that had some of my favorite songs from highschool and college on it. This mornings songs on the way to the trail were:

Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (there are rules for listening to this song in my car...I must have control of the volume at certain moments for maximum crescendo factor ;))
Lucky Man - The Verve
Words - Doves
High and Dry - Radiohead
Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem. (2006...just after college)
1976 - Smashing Pumpkins (can't ever get over this song... ever.)

Good songs for a nice Saturday morning. Nothing fast paced or dancy for me this am. It was too early for that, and since I killed my shuffle I don't run with music...just the sounds of pounding feet.

p.s. Also... follow this blog! http://halfasstohalfmarathon.blogspot.com fellow fans Fat Girl Slimmed and Muffintopped (LOVE those names) are also training for a half marathon!

Current Status: *Le Sigh* The World Cup comes to an end!

I promise this is the last post where I mention the world cup...for 4 years...if I'm still blogging in 4 years lol :) My friend Ashley aka Shoewhore told me that her friend Em reads my blog and likes it (sweet! Thanks Em!), but she doesn't understand a damn thing about soccer... it's ok. I understand. The off sides rule is confusing, and the fact that the reffing in this world cup has been a little...well a lot ridiculous, I can understand why you can't get behind the game. It's cool, maybe we're not all meant to understand. But check out this awesome quote that my cousin's fiance sent me from his friend... maybe now you'll get it:

"Twilight's like soccer, they run around for 2 hours, nobody scores, and its billion fans insist you just don't understand"

LOL!

See you don't have to understand completely, just appreciate the fine muscled specimens...um I mean the athleticism of the game... ;).

on to the post!...

Current Mood: Sorta sad that there's no more good soccer on regular tv (I'm one of those freaks that doesn't have cable!) for the foreseeable future...come on 2014!!

Current Weight: 183 (26lbs of loss since I started the blog - 92lbs of total loss!) I lost 3 pounds last week! :) It amazing what happens when I get strict with my diet..and by strict I don't mean starvation or giving up foods I enjoy, I mean a balance of proteins, fibers and starches and portion control. I've set a new goal to lose 20lbs once I get there I'll re-asses and see how much more I need to lose/tone from that point.

Currently Thinking about: My love/hate relationship with Spain! I hate them because they defeated Germany, I hate them because they played a boring 115 minutes of soccer against the brutal Dutch..who knew they had it in them ey??

Sing it! Everyone was Kung Fu fighting!! Those Kicks were fast as lightening!

But I love them because most of their line up is made of FC Barcelona players or soon to be Barca players...and I like Barcelona...you might as well say that Barca won the world cup.

Currently NOT Thinking about: How I still hate Spain because Germany in my opinion was the more creative team, better at passing, and they scored way more goals through out the tournament...but that yellow card against Mueller, I really think that made a difference in their semi final game against Spain. Mueller ultimately won the golden boot (on more assists) yet he had to sit out that game, Germany could have used him. Spain controlled the ball, they controlled the game, and even though the German defense held them at bay for most of the game it only took one corner to make a difference and I counted at least 7 Spanish men on defense at one point. UGH! I'm not bitter...nope not me... not at all. ;)

Keep your eyes on the one on the left... #13 Thomas Mueller, winner of the Golden boot at only 20 years old... the one on the right though, back off ladies I claimed him in 2006 ;) lol It's a long term celeb-crush...christ, I'm turning into a kickette! anyway, #3 Arne Friedrich, German defender who also scored a goal against Argentina! :)

Also...just for the memories... I wanted to post this video:




So long world cup... see you in 4 years!





Currently looking forward to: Starting half marathon training on Saturday!! Oh did I tell you I've decided to run the Baltimore half...? I haven't signed up yet, guess I should jump on that.


De jong Kung Fu fighting is from the dailymail
pic of the German boys from the dailymail

How Important is Exercise??

So I've been reading a lot of articles lately about the importance (or lack there of) of exercise. It seems that some studies say exercise is very important, others say diet is more important. I think what all researchers agree though is that exercise is necessary but how much and how often is the question.

Remember it used to be suggested 30 minutes a day three times a week that was enough? Well clearly that did not help stop obesity rates from soaring. Now the CDC is suggesting the following for adults:

Adults need at least:

	2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

	1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week and
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

	An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

For "greater" health benefits they suggest 500 minutes a week of exercise! So that number has increased greatly over the years...but lets face it America has a lot of excess calories to burn!



The how and why of weight loss is pretty simple burn more calories than you take in and you're going to lose. So exercise works hand in hand with diet:

The mathematics of weight loss is, in fact, quite simple, involving only subtraction. “Take in fewer calories than you burn, put yourself in negative energy balance, lose weight,” says Braun, who has been studying exercise and weight loss for years. (Source: New York Times)

But the same article says that women's bodies are prone to want to maintain fat stores! Because of... you guessed it, reproduction. Ugh it's always an uphill battle for us isn't it ladies...Essentially, when we exercise we want to eat more! And I know this is true I was just complaining about my appetite when i'm at my most active. In spring and fall when I'm working out 6 days a week playing lots of soccer I'm always hungry!! This must be why:

A study that Braun oversaw and that was published last year by The American Journal of Physiology had a slightly different outcome. In it, 18 overweight men and women walked on treadmills in multiple sessions while either eating enough that day to replace the calories burned during exercise or not. Afterward, the men displayed little or no changes in their energy-regulating hormones or their appetites, much as in the other study. But the women uniformly had increased blood concentrations of acylated ghrelin and decreased concentrations of insulin after the sessions in which they had eaten less than they had burned. Their bodies were directing them to replace the lost calories. In physiological terms, the results “are consistent with the paradigm that mechanisms to maintain body fat are more effective in women,” Braun and his colleagues wrote. In practical terms, the results are scientific proof that life is unfair. Female bodies, inspired almost certainly “by a biological need to maintain energy stores for reproduction,” Braun says, fight hard to hold on to every ounce of fat. Exercise for many women (and for some men) increases the desire to eat.

But this doesn't mean you should throw your hands up in the air and say it's impossible for you to lose weight because your body wants you to be curvy with a little too much junk in the trunk. Just because things are the way they are doesn't mean it's the way they have to be! It will take work but Exercise is STILL incredibly beneficial...it's proven that exercise helps keep the pounds off!

In one representative experiment from last year, 97 healthy, slightly overweight women were put on an 800-calorie diet until they lost an average of about 27 pounds each. Some of the women were then assigned to a walking program, some were put on a weight-training regimen and others were assigned no exercise; all returned to their old eating habits. Those who stuck with either of the exercise programs regained less weight than those who didn’t exercise and, even more striking, did not regain weight around their middles. The women who didn’t exercise regained their weight and preferentially packed on these new pounds around their abdomens. It’s well known that abdominal fat is particularly unhealthful, contributing significantly to metabolic disruptions and heart disease.

Scientists are “not really sure yet” just how and why exercise is so important in maintaining weight loss in people, Braun says.

I hope you're not scratching your head saying well great I have to lose the pounds first before I start working out to maintain the loss.... Not true! You should start a routine as soon as possible... this Harvard study shows that at a molecular level people who exercise show more metabolic evidence that their bodies are burning fat... so essentially if you think dieting alone will help you lose weight think again!

These findings suggest that exercise has both “acute and cumulative” effects on your body’s ability to use and burn fat, says Gregory Lewis, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an author of the study. After only 10 minutes of exercise, even the least fit showed evidence that their bodies were burning fat; the more fit, the more metabolic evidence of fat burning.
The researchers then took a number of the metabolites that had been elevated by exercise and infused them into mouse muscle cells in a laboratory dish. Almost immediately, the metabolites, in combination (but not individually) ignited a reaction that resulted in increased expression of a gene involved in cholesterol and blood-sugar regulation. In other words, the metabolites weren’t just marking activity that was happening elsewhere in the body; they also may have been sparking some of that activity directly. (Source: New York Times)

If for no other reason exercise because it makes you feel better!! I guarantee you this is true!! I always feel better about myself after I exercise. If there is a time where I'm feeling down, where I'm doubting myself and starting to feel fat and lazy exercise yanks me right out of that mind set. I always say I NEVER regret exercising...EVER! How many of us can say the same about eating a few cookies??

How Exercise Combats Anxiety and Depression from the MayoClinic:

Exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

Exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits too. It can help you:

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.

Want to read more?? Check out these articles:


A Work Out for Your Blood Stream - New York Times

Weighing the Evidence on Exercise - New York Times

Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms - Mayo Clinic Online


p.s. The world cup is now winding down.  I was pouting and throwing a fit like a two year old when my German Boys lost today...they worked so hard and played so well for so long!! But such is the luck of the game it only take one goal to make a difference...and seven Spanish players playing defense. *grumbles* Now I'm going to go pout again. I'm muttering this under my breath right now:

Stupid Spanish team,Stupid La Liga players...even though I love you FCBarcelona and Charles Puyol I'm a fan of the German team and they deserved to win they proved to have better defense with less men playing back but that fucking undeserved yellow card on Muller made a big difference and I want to see Klose beat the record for most career goals in the world cup...Stupid Spanish!

*end grumble*

¡¡¡¡Gooooooooooooolllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!

Just watch this...listen to the announcers voice! You don't need to understand the language but you'll understand the emotion...



I watched that video, and this one with the actual video like ten times (couldn't find a good quality of the video with this dubbed on youtube)... Every time I watch it I get chills. It's still unreal to me! When it happened, JE ran out of her office wondering if they could take it away from us... my live stream was a little behind hers so when it caught up and I got to see the goal happen and I jumped up and said there's NO WAY they can take that one away from us!!! I swear this team gives me little heart attacks every time I watch them play!

I'm wishing my fighting boys in blue good luck today! I'll be watching from a local bar... finally not stuck depending on univision's live stream in the office! I have my little USA flags ready!

Even RPattz is fired up by the U-S and A!




Germany face Rob's Three Lions tomorrow at 10am est on ESPN...but sorry Robert, as much as I love your pretty face, I'm supporting Die Mannschaft!!

Current Status: My Big Speech is Tonight!

here is yet another segment on this blog where I rant/ramble...especially about the world cup :):

Current Mood: Excited, but nervous!

Current Weight: 186... 23lbs of loss since I started the blog!!! (89lbs of total loss!!! BMI is down again as well!) I didn't meet my goal so I'm giving up sweets for 30 days. UPDATE: I had my measurements taken last night, even though the scale didn't go down much I lost 1/2" in my arms, 1" in my chest, 2 3/4" in my waist, 2" in my hips, 1" in my thigh so i'm still probably building lots of muscle!

Currently Thinking about: My speech tonight, and how I'm kinda sorta, but not really prepared. I have a power point and an outline but I haven't really practiced the talking part, and my braces make me have a tendency to slur a little when I talk so I hope I don't sound like an ass!!

Currently NOT Thinking about: My speech tonight because then I'll get all worked up and even more nervous then I am!

Currently looking online at: FIFA.com! World cup baby! Have you been following?? It's been really unpredictable! I mean, my German boys lost Serbia!!

It's ok Arne, I still think you have mad Defensive skills...
(He may or may not have something to do with my love of the Germans...
but I swear it's only like less than 10%...90% is their playing style, and the other little bit is how awesome it is to say Schweinsteiger's name with an obnoxious German accent lol)

Any-who... back to the news... Spain lost to the Swiss...Argentina giving solid performances, but not much out of my favorite Messi yet... Portugal destroyed North Korea 7-0, Brazil tops Ivory Coast 3-1, France loses to Mexico 0-2, England ties with Algeria leaving them tied for points with us, but behind in actual goals scored! Honestly I was expecting better performances out of them... and Italy proves to be, meh.

The most insane of the groups has been our group...Group C. It's wide open for anyone to advance. And my USA Men have rallied big time and played probably the most exciting game of the tournament so far against Slovenia. We fell behind in the first half but Donovan fired back in the 2nd half keeping hope alive.... You can watch the highlights here.

Michael Bradley's 82nd-minute equaliser!!

Note: These highlights don't show the goal Edu scored in the 86th minute giving us a 3-2 lead but then taken away by and extremely controversial call by the ref. They claim a US player committed a foul...however, I don't think anyone knows what the foul was, or exactly which player committed it.

(read the article in the daily mail)

Two words FIFA: Instant Replay. At the very least challenges should be allowed on some goals. I know you don't like stopping the clock...so review the challenges at the half or at the end of the game. You can't rely on the refs eyes alone sometimes when the game moves so fast. Look what happened to Ireland v. France. With some handy magic from Henry, France is allowed in the world cup, but putting up a piss poor performance so far. I'm sure the Irish would have fought harder. Poor judgment cost us 2 points. We absolutely have to beat Algeria to advance now.

Currently looking forward to: More world cup games!

Currently listening to: US Soccer press conference

I'm going to speak about weight loss!

Just wanted to post a quick update...I just found out this morning after boot camp that I'm going to be speaking about my experiences with weight loss! My bootcamp is doing free fat loss seminars. Last month we talked about food for fat loss, but this month we want to talk about getting started and finding the motivation to stay healthy... and that's where I come in! :)

I don't know exactly what I'll be saying yet but I have two weeks to prepare and an entire blogs worth of material to pull from ;).

So anyway this is just extra motivation to behave myself this weekend and hit the hotel gym while I'm out of town visiting family (cough lurker Rebecca! cough)...but in case we need extra motivation...


So I'll report back soon and let you know what I'm talking about, it should be a lot of fun!

p.s. as if I was going to forget mentioning this today...

WORLD CUP IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

USA v. Limey's England

Tomorrow Jun. 12 at 2:30 est on ABC!

Soccer Sunday: Can you feel it?

My co-ed team lost its final game... our unfortunate win-less season is over but I could care less, I enjoyed every minute on the field, I loved playing with my team, despite the heart breaking losses we gave it our all every game and I don't think anyone gave up on encouraging each other to keep trying. Sadly my soccer seasons are over for a few weeks, but I'm not fretting or going into a panicked state of loss and denial clutching my cleats against my chest crying because there are no more games. In fact I think I'll be ok, more than ok actually, because there's a little bubble of excitement returning that's been dormant for four years...

Can you feel it too? That little twinge of anticipation...The feeling of wanting to jump up on your desk and shout "come on already!"...

I've had that feeling for a while...The anxiousness of following the qualifying matches, the fear or relief when the groups are announced, then the waiting, oh the agonizing wait...but all of a sudden there's little glimmers of hope... magazine covers start talking about it... you're friends want to know your predictions... you spend an evening at the bar with beers chatting about it...afternoons reading your magazines...

Are you confused? Can you not guess what I'm talking about?

I'll give you a hint.

It's not eclipse.
(I'm a blasphemer I know)

Just click play and watch the GREATEST commercial EVER! ;) you know you want to...

fdjakeioafneaio earu39a9!*!&*!&!^^~!!!!!!!!!!

*throws fist in the air!*

Are you still breathing?!?!

Maybe you're just watching it on repeat

And it's STILL 17 Days away!

*bangs head against desk*

Do you understand how many levels of awesome that commercial is?!?

Do you feel what I feel right now??

fanboys and girls...Imagine having to wait 4 years for the next favorite LOTR/comicbook/starwars/startrek film... now do you understand my level of excitement? This is bigger than all of that, this is bigger than anything, ever. Period. For one month the entire world is watching, cheering, crying, rejoicing...

Maybe you don't get it, maybe you're not into the beautiful game like I am...but maybe you should just give it a chance. There's no other sport out there as universal and uniting as soccer. All you need is one ball. So tune in it all starts June 11th, 2010!!

p.s. The video didn't feature one of the greatest players in the world...probably because he's not sponsored by Nike... but I will pay homage...

My hero... Lionel Messi

Watch out for him and the Argentina squad! Very eager to see how they do.

(call me crazy twi-fans but I *might* chose him over Robert Pattinson
if given the choice to meet both but I could only pick one--although I'm sure maybe Rob might want to meet him too and we could just go together, so it would all work out in the end ;))

image from Sports Illustrated

Foods for Fat Loss

So yesterday I went to a seminar on Fat Loss. We learned more about foods for fat loss and charted our weight and measurements and set up a one month goal. The seminar was really helpful for me because I learned more about foods that help aid the body in weight loss and I learned a few motivational things to help me work on reaching that goal.

The nutrition part of the seminar I found the most fascinating... there's SO much I want to learn about nutrition! They went over a list of 10 foods that are very healthy for you and help aid in fat loss... so I'm going to share the list with you! (Note: I include lots of links in these for further reading if you want :))

1. Cold water fish... Salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna etc.
recommended 3 servings a week (from different sources) or supplement with fish oil.
Benefits: Rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Raises good to Bad Fat Ratio...for heart health, brain health, joint pain, healthy skin and weight loss

2. Walnuts
High in Omega 3 fatty acids. The average American diet has an Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio of 15:1. It should be 1:1. Therefore, large amounts of other types of nuts (Omega 6 fats) are not a good thing. For most Americans nuts are not your best choice if you suffer from high blood pressure, excess weight, high cholesterol or diabetes. Omega 6 fats also cause inflammation and are found in a lot of corn based products.

3. Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Coconut Oil (Medium Chain Fatty Acids - MCT)
(TSP Note: remember all things in moderation! coconut oil is used in large quantities in movie theater popcorn which we know packs a lot of calories, BUT small amounts are ok!) Essential Fatty Acids: Overall the best oils for improving heart health, and boosting metabolism. Coconut is quite nutritious (unless your primary source is macaroons). MCT's have many health benefits including raising your body's metabolism and fighting off pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Coconut Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Olive Oil

4. Green Leafy Vegetables/ Dark Vegetables
Leafy veges are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially magnesium; and they provide natural digestive enzymes.

5. Berries/ Pomegrantes
A rich source of anti-oxidants to help in reversing damage from free-radicals, high in fiber, phytochemicals, and bioflavonoids - [TSP Note: My new favorite snack is 6 oz of plain non-fat yogurt with 1 cup of healthy berries].

6. Red Wine/ Resveratrol
Good for improving heart health, reducing inflammation. (TSP Note: Well... they say that women should not have more than 1 glass a day... anything beyond that is not considered healthy... lets just say that when I do enjoy my wine I make up for all the days I don't ;))
Resveratrol is found in red wines.

7. Garlic
Aside from keeping vampires away and making Italian food delicious garlic is really healthy for you.. here's some benefits: Anti-microbial; helps reduce cholesterol levels, fight inflammation and enhance immunity, protects from hypertension and osteoporosis. More on garlic!

8. Lean Protein/ eggs
Lean proteins found in chicken breast, turkey breast, beans and eggs provide energy for cells and help in metabolism of fats. A diet with plenty of high-quality protein may promote weight loss by increasing the amount of leucine, an amino acid, in the diet. In turn, this will help a person reduce body fat and maintain muscle mass during weight loss. If you're trying to lose weight you should increase your intake of protein. Protein is also important for fueling your work outs and recovery!

9. Quinoa
A super duper whole grain! Quinoa is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the essential amino acids our bodies can’t make on their own.

10. Avocados
High in essential fatty acids and vitamin C and lets face is guacamole with a quirt of lime, some diced tomatoes and red onion is freakin' delish! Read more about avocado health benefits.

11. Red Pepper/Curcumin/ Cinnamon (Spices)
Capsaicin found in peppers may help curb appetite and hinder the storage of fat; curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory; cinnamon helps boost metabolism, and is an aphrodisiac and helps prevent sugar cravings.

Foods to Avoid!
-High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Hydrogenated Oils
-Soy... I know what you're thinking... I thought soy was healthy for me? Well kind of like corn its another mass produced product that's used as filler in a lot of prepackaged foods, but it could also cause food in-tolerances and hormonal issues.
-Fruits should be limited to 2 a day to keep blood sugar levels even.


Another key thing we touched on was accountability. If you have no one to hold yourself accountable to your actions, chances are you won't stick to your goals. They wanted us each to find a motivated accountability partner and also to tell as many people as possible what your goals are whether is weight loss, toning, training for a marathon...what ever that goal may be tell as many people as possible... Why? so they can harass you and keep track of your progress :) Chances are you're going to stick to your goals if you do this because how many of us are going to want to explain to all your friends and family that we failed? Not me! So I'm telling you all...

My goal is to weigh 183lbs by June 17th (6-8lbs of loss).

If I don't reach my goal I'm not allowing any sweets for 30 days.

If I do reach my goal I'm getting a new bathing suit and pool cover up :).

Look at this super cute cover up from anthro!!


Hope it's still in stock/on sale by June 17th!!

I plan on spending many Saturday afternoons (after running) laying in the sun with my kindle by our community pool. I love my kindle, I just got it for my birthday and I've already downloaded all of Jane Austen's books, ...and some new books for summer reading such as Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, On the Road, and Water for Elephants.

Refined Carbs Aren't Good for You! *Shocker!*

I hope you sense the sarcasm in my title. I was skimming through the health section on the New York Times website and I found a link to an article that stated refined carbohydrates may be worse for you than saturated fats!

America Runs on Dunkin' my ass!

The ScientificAmerican.com states:

Eat less saturated fat: that has been the take-home message from the U.S. government for the past 30 years. But while Americans have dutifully reduced the percentage of daily calories from saturated fat since 1970, the obesity rate during that time has more than doubled, diabetes has tripled, and heart disease is still the country’s biggest killer. Now a spate of new research, including a meta-analysis of nearly two dozen studies, suggests a reason why: investigators may have picked the wrong culprit. Processed carbohydrates, which many Americans eat today in place of fat, may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease more than fat does—a finding that has serious implications for new dietary guidelines expected this year.

Lets take a look at products that are considered "refined" or "processed" carbohydrates:

Any white bread product, including bagels, english muffins, hamburger or hotdog rolls etc.

Cake

Cookies

Donuts (yes even the little munchkins too!)

Muffins

Pastries

Pretzels

Crackers

Biscuits

Pasta

Pizza Crust

White Rice

Pie Crust

Brownies

Any product made with "Enriched Wheat Flour", "Wheat Flour", or "Durum Wheat Flour"...essentially these are not Whole Grain flours. Now after looking at this list a light bulb should go off in your head and you should be thinking "well, duh... I know those foods aren't good for me... they are loaded with sugar and fats."

However, even if you don't eat most of the sweets on that list, you can still be eating poorly if your diet consists of plain white bread or pasta products which can eventually be turned to sugars and fats if not burned off. What happens in the body that turns even something as plain as white bread into sugar? Here's a segment from the book "You are What You Eat" that I posted in my Skinny on Sugar post:

When you eat food, glucose from the digestive breakdown of the food is absorbed into your gut and blood. The body takes what is requires and then produces insulin to lower glucose levels back to normal, converting the excess glucose into a compound called glycogen which is stored by the liver.

On a healthy diet this process works perfectly, but excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates, particularly sugary foods, upsets the balance and everything starts to go haywire. Your body has to produce increasing amounts of insulin to break down the sugars. Eventually you become resistant to the insulin, and instead of converting excess glucose into glycogen, it turns into fat. You are then caught in a vicious cycle where the more unstable your blood sugar levels, the more prone you will be to craving sweets and unrefined carbohydrates like bread.

An imbalance of the hormone insulin can often be the root cause of overweight. Too much sugar causes glucose intolerance in the body, and when you are overweight you break down sugar less effectively. It's a Catch-22 situation.

Now, don't freak out and start thinking that ALL carbohydrates are bad for you.

The truth is, the right kind of carbs are quite good for you.

The right kind of Carbs provide energy, help keep you fuller longer and are loaded with Vitamin B and other essential nutrients! So what are those "right kind of carbs"?

They're whole grains...YUM!!! :)

You need to look on your food label to find out if a product contains whole gains, sometimes an advertisement on the front of the package can be misleading...(and the product often only contains a small percentage of whole grain flours instead of being 100% of the good stuff)

Here's some info from the Whole Grains Council on what to look for on your nutrition labels!

YES-- If your label says any of these names the product contains all parts of the grain, so you're getting all the nutrients of the whole grain.

* whole grain [name of grain]
* whole wheat
* whole [other grain]
* stoneground whole [grain]
* brown rice
* oats, oatmeal (including old-fashioned oatmeal, instant oatmeal)
* wheatberries


MAYBE -- These words are accurate descriptions of the package contents, but because some parts of the grain MAY be missing, you are likely missing the benefits of whole grains.

* wheat flour
* semolina
* durum wheat
* organic flour
* multigrain (may describe several whole grains or several refined grains, or a mix of both)


NO -- These words never describe whole grains.

* enriched flour
* degerminated (on corn meal)
* bran
* wheat germ

Note that words like "wheat," "durum," and "multigrain" can (and do) appear on good whole grain foods, too. None of these words alone guarantees whether a product is whole grain or refined grain, so look for the word "whole" and follow the other advice here.

But don't just limit yourself to wheat products there's an entire world of whole grains out there that you should try!!

Rice (Oryza sativa)

(image from fat free vegan kitchen blog... check out the recipe for that dish!!)

White rice is refined, with the germ and bran removed. Whole-grain rice is usually brown – but, unknown to many, can also be black, purple, red or any of a variety of exotic hues. Around the world, rice thrives in warm, humid climates; almost all of the U.S. rice crop is grown in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.

Converted rice is parboiled before refining, a process which drives some of the B vitamins into the endosperm so that they are not lost when the bran is removed. As a result, converted rice is healthier than regular white rice, but still is lacking many nutrients found in brown rice. Brown rice is lower in fiber than most other whole grains, but rich in many nutrients.

Health bonus: Rice is one of the most easily-digested grains – one reason rice cereal is often recommended as a baby’s first solid. This makes rice ideal for those on a restricted diet or who are gluten-intolerant.

Wild Rice (Zizania spp.)

Wild rice is not technically rice at all, but the seed of an aquatic grass originally grown by indigenous tribes around the Great Lakes. Today some commercial cultivation takes place in California and the Midwest, but much of the crop is still harvested by Native Americans, largely in Minnesota.

The strong flavor and high price of wild rice mean that it is most often consumed in a blend with other rices or other grains. Wild rice has twice the protein and fiber of brown rice, but less iron and calcium.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)(Image from NYTimes <-- click for recipes! I think you'll love this grain it's light and delicious!)

Quinoa (keen-wah) comes to us from the Andes, where it has long been cultivated by the Inca. Botanically a relative of swiss chard and beets rather than a “true” grain, quinoa cooks in about 10-12 minutes, creating a light, fluffy side dish. It can also be incorporated into soups, salads and baked goods. Commercially, quinoa is now appearing in cereal flakes and other processed foods. Though much of our quinoa is still imported from South America, farmers in high-altitude areas near the Rockies are also beginning to cultivate quinoa.

Quinoa is a small, light-colored round grain, similar in appearance to sesame seeds. But quinoa is also available in other colors, including red, purple and black. Most quinoa must be rinsed before cooking, to remove the bitter residue of saponins, a plant-defense that wards off insects. Botanists are now developing saponin-free strains of quinoa, to eliminate this minor annoyance to the enjoyment of quinoa.

Quinoa is the Grain of the Month in March. Learn more about quinoa.

Health bonus: The abundant protein in quinoa is complete protein, which means that it contains all the essential amino acids our bodies can’t make on their own.

Oats (Avena sativa)

Ah oatmeal, remember when mom made you a bowl of piping hot oatmeal on a cold winter day... wasn't it the best!?? Time to rekindle that love!(image from Sherman Heart and Vascular Blog)

Oats have a sweet flavor that makes them a favorite for breakfast cereals. Unique among grains, oats almost never have their bran and germ removed in processing. So if you see oats or oat flour on the label, relax: you're virtually guaranteed to be getting whole grain.

In the U.S., most oats are steamed and flattened to produce "old-fashioned" or regular oats, quick oats, and instant oats. The more oats are flattened and steamed, the quicker they cook – and the softer they become. If you prefer a chewier, nuttier texture, consider steel-cut oats, also sometimes called Irish or Scottish oats. Steel-cut oats consist of the entire oat kernel (similar in look to a grain of rice), sliced once or twice into smaller pieces to help water penetrate and cook the grain. Cooked for about 20 minutes, steel-cut oats create a breakfast porridge that delights many people who didn't realize they love oatmeal!

Oats are the Grain of the Month in January. Click here for more information on oats.

Health bonus: Scientific studies have concluded that like barley, oats contain a special kind of fiber called beta-glucan found to be especially effective in lowering cholesterol. Recent research reports indicate that oats also have a unique antioxidant, avenanthramides, that helps protect blood vessels from the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol.

Bulgur (Triticum ssp.)

(image from fat free vegan kitchen go to their site for the recipe)

When wheat kernels are boiled, dried, cracked, then sorted by size, the result is bulgur. This wheat product is sometimes referred to as “Middle Eastern pasta” for its versatility as a base for all sorts of dishes. Bulgur is most often made from durum wheat, but in fact almost any wheat, hard or soft, red or white, can be made into bulgur.

Because bulgur has been precooked and dried, it needs to be boiled for only about 10 minutes to be ready to eat – about the same time as dry pasta. This makes bulgur an extremely nutritious fast food for quick side dishes, pilafs or salads. Perhaps bulgur’s best-known traditional use is in the minty grain and vegetable salad known as tabbouleh.

Health bonus: Bulgur has more fiber than quinoa, oats, millet, buckwheat or corn. Its quick cooking time and mild flavor make it ideal for those new to whole grain cooking.

Read more about whole grains a to z on the whole grain council website! (The link is also added to my side bar for future use :))

I hope you ladies found this post informative, don't be afraid to introduce a new tasty grain to your dinner table!! Or start out small and switch out that white bread for some whole grain wheat bread... you'll be glad you did! There's so much more flavor (try whole grain bread french toast with the family for breakfast one morning... omg mouthwatering! and so much more filling.)

Soccer Sunday! Finally! We Tied!!

Just a short post today...I just have to say I am SO happy for my co-ed team... we FINALLY FINALLY TIED!!! Our record is 1 tie 6 or 7 losses and no wins... well now we have 2 ties!!! YES! We didn't win but we didn't lose, it was a 0-0 game but who cares, they didn't score against us!!! All of our defenders should be brushing their shoulders off and big props to our center mid who was constantly dropping back or running to the outside to help us out!

There were a few close calls with shots on goal, one guy ran past me when I thought our keeper had the ball and it was like I was watching it all happen in slow motion, ball bounced up off keepers fist, I thought it went out of bounds so I didn't do anything, other teams forward (my mark) starts running towards the ball that was still in play, our keeper is on the ground and me like an idiot was just standing there with a delayed reaction, but fortunately our keeper got up in time to save the ball again... *whew* THAT was a close call!! Another one was from a header from one of our team mates but again the keeper was there to recover...A good keeper is invaluable!

We have 2 games left in the season, our last game is the first round of play offs so if we save all our wins for the play offs ;) then our season will be even longer.

My women's team has it's last game next Saturday... super duper sad face!! BUT Summer session is just around the corner!