Today is the day we start our 18 hour car trip to Maine via a stop to pick up #3 in Annapolis, Maryland. Today is that day and it started with a bunch of last minute errands. The bank, the post office, the pharmacy. So I left #4 (Peter) mowing the yard, # 5 and #6 (Annie and Grace) with cleaning tasks. I returned a few hours later to what looked to me like a house that was only slightly cleaner than what I had left. “Grace!!!!” I unloaded. No matter how calm I try to stay when we are getting ready to leave, I inevitably lose it at some point. “Why can’t you kids do a small task while I’m gone?” ” Why does it always end up being me who has to get us ready and the house cleaned?”…”wa wa wa wa”…… While I’m yelling I am thinking that a better mom would keep her cool. [Read more…]
Ruminating About Long Car Rides and Family Vacations….It’s All Good!
Fitting in a Workout Means Sometimes It Isn’t Pretty…
A parking lot run is still better than no run at all!
I ran it today for 5 miles. …the parking lot, that is. Sometimes you just do what you have to do. I am in Greensboro, NC, for a swim meet for #6 (Grace), and her warm ups started at 7 am this morning. With four kids along, it was too difficult to fit an early morning workout in and get her there on time!. Instead I dropped Grace off and #5 (Annie) watched #8 and #9 (C.C. and Sam) while I ran in the nearby paved paradise.
It’s HOT! Nine Fitness Tips for Summer Exercise
When it gets too steamy outside…move your tough workouts inside!
It’s been a rainy summer in North Carolina. I love cooler weather when it comes to fitness, but even I have been longing for hot, sunny days. I realize, though, that I need to be careful what I hope for! I was in New York City last week, where its hot, hot, hot. My daughter has been interning on Capitol Hill this summer and last week it hit 100 degrees more than once. She told me she went for a run and the heat and humidity were stifling. Following are nine tips for keeping up with fitness during the dog days of summer. [Read more…]
Caprese Salad…A Summertime Favorite!
Fresh beefsteak tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil make this a great summer salad that my family loves (almost all of them).
My whole family was together for the Fourth of July! That is a rare thing. Needless to say, there was a lot of cooking going on. Usually it’s November or December when my older children are all home together, and it’s pies, cookies and other comfort foods being prepared in the Hetzel kitchen. Summertime brings different kinds of comfort food! Having been to Italy a few times, Caprese salad is a favorite of mine. Since I don’t fancy myself as a very good cook (I feed people), Caprese salad is one dish I know I can’t really mess up. It is healthy, quick, and really tasty. There are a lot of different ways to make it, but my favorite is with big, thick, ripe tomatoes, thin slices of buffalo mozzarella cheese, and large pieces of fresh basil. A drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of garlic salt to top off…viola, a perfect summer salad!
#1 and #2 in the kitchen on the 4th of July…Good times usually involve good food, too!
What is your favorite summer salad for hot, July days?
Running, Barre Classes, and Strength Workouts Combine to Make a Great Workout Schedule in My Mid-Forties
In my mid-forties strength workouts are one of the keys to fitness
I turned 46 last February. Wow…I am now closer to 50 than to 40 (but I’m ok with this – really)! As I look ahead, I realize that I have settled into a routine that is suitable for my stage in life. Running, barre classes, and an at-home strength routine (often including the Lifecycle) …these are the workouts I love. Of course for a mother of nine the other key to continuing fitness as I get older is strengthening my pelvic floor. [Read more…]
We Are What We Do…
Running is one habit I don’t want to break!
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
If this is true, and I believe it is, then I am an excellent coffee drinker! I couldn’t help but think of all my negative habits when I first read this quote. For all the good habits I have acquired over the years, there are many negative ones too, I am afraid. This thought made me a little too depressed – so I quickly shifted to thinking of the positive habits I have developed over the years (I made a mental note to shift back to the negative ones soon enough…procrastination being at the top of the list). [Read more…]
A Family Run…Priceless!
#5, #8, and #9 after our run at the trail. My husband, #4 and #6 had already headed to Starbucks for post-run treat.
I was supposed to run early last Sunday. Although I have developed a policy of not running on most Sundays, we had decided to go to a late Mass and it was a gorgeous morning. The alarm woke me up, but I was too tired from a recent trip to Italy to actually get out of the bed. I lamely texted my running friend and told her I was a no-show. I kept on sleeping. When I finally did awake, I noticed #8 (C.C.) and #9 (Sam) in the bed with us. I heard a few of the older ones already downstairs making breakfast. It’s always hard for me to head out on a morning run when everyone is home. Typically, I sneak out early before everyone is up.
Sunday, however, it was too late to sneak out. I was just about to hop on my Lifecycle when my husband announced he was going for a run and asked if I wanted to join him. #4 (Peter) was going and so was #5 (Annie). It was tempting…I could leave the younger three with their sister #6 (Grace). Before I could respond, the kids who had invaded my bed started to yell that they wanted to come too. So much for a nice, long, leisurely run. Oh well. [Read more…]
An Amazing, Healthy, and Surprisingly Delicious Quinoa Salad…Just in Time for Summer!
The following recipe is from Dr. Anna Maria Levine, who is a terrific cook, runner, and blogger as well! I met Anna Maria when she was only about 8 or 9 years old…wow, admitting that is humbling and makes me feel way older than I want to be right now. I wanted to tell you how I met her before I shared with you her wonderful recipe and her great blog Recipes Remembered… [Read more…]
Cancer: One Year Later…
Graduation 2012
We are very grateful. One year ago today, my husband James finished chemotherapy and radiation for Stage IV head and neck cancer. The treatment was brutal. Essentially, 7.5 weeks of radiation and the mouth and throat don’t mix. Last Friday, my husband had his PET scan to determine if there were any active cancer cells. Thanks be to God, his scans were clear. As of right now, he continues to be in remission. We are all so very thankful.
What a long year it has been. There were very few surprises for us regarding the treatments. The doctors were very honest and upfront with James about what was going to happen. There was no effort to sugarcoat anything. They told him when things were going to get bad, when they were going to get really bad, and when they were going to approach the unbearable. Unfortunately, their predictions were very accurate. [Read more…]
A Recent Study Confirms the Rule of 70
If you want to get serious about losing weight, get serious about what you eat…then take care of the exercise piece.
I have said on this website before that in terms of weight loss, diet is more important than exercise. A recent study confirms my claim. Before I share results of the study, I want to clarify what the “Rule of 70 “(my term) means. After considering both my personal experience and consulting many sources on the subject (including my good friend and personal trainer Karrie Ryan and sports physical therapist Alan Tyson), I feel quite confident in my assertion that weight loss (and to some degree maintenance) is 70% what we eat and about 30% what we do.
What I am not saying is that exercise is only minimally important. I believe it is hugely important, actually. But that has as much to do with what it offers outside of the scale. If you want to be healthy, you need to exercise. If you want to be strong as you age, you have to exercise. If you want to be happier, try exercise (for the natural endorphin affect-I swear by it). However, if weight loss is your primary goal, look first to what you are eating and then to exercise. [Read more…]
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