Stop pinning and start DOING!

I admit: I'm a Pinterest addict like the rest of us. But seriously people....stop pinning and start DOING! Do your Pinterest boards look a little like this?

 

Well, don't be ashamed, because these were taken directly off of my own boards. A lot of people say it's ironic that we all pin workout ideas follwed immediately by a recipe for "oreo cookie dough stuffed brownies." I don't....because life is all about moderation. I workout 5-6 days per week, so on occassion, I will make a fantastic dessert and not feel shy about getting seconds.

HOWEVER:

If you are just pinning great workout ideas (or any ideas for that matter....food, crafts, fashion, etc.) and not doing them, it doesn't count! I think Pinterest gives us this reality world where if we've got it on our board, it basically counts as doing it. You can take pride in how many great things you've pinned...but until you've tried at least 25% of what you pin, you're fooling yourself. I can proudly say that out of my boards, I've tried 6 recipes, copied 5 fashion ideas and made 10 crafts--if you don't believe me, come to my house.

Pinterest should be more than just satisfying our visual fixation. I know...it takes time to do any of it. But if everyone spent as much time exercising as they do pinning workout ideas, motivational phrases and pictures of ripped bodies, we would be one healthy group of people. Food for thought.

A Fall of 5K's

I know....it's been awhile. October 13-14 marked the first weekend since July that I wasn't out of town or insanely busy. So, I'm finally finding time to do more enjoyable things...like blogging.

Not many new things have happened in my world of fitness; I ran two 5K's, which I'll talk about more below, but otherwise have been maintaining my normal workout routine. I was asked to be a pace group leader for NIFS' Mini-Marathon training this winter/spring, so at some point I will need to step up my runs before training kicks off. But for now, I'm just enjoying a season off from any kind of long-distance race. On several occassions, I almost signed up for one of the fall half-marathons, but I just had to be "ok" with sitting this one out. I need the mental break more than the physical one-- having free weekends now that aren't taken up with training feels so good. Fall is by FAR my favorite season anyway, so to be able to slow down, enjoy fall walks with Charlie, and try every pumpkin recipe out there has been so refreshing.

Most of you know that Corporate Challenge is my biggest work event of the year. As the team captain for Dow AgroSciences, I spend the entire months of August and September gearing up for it. This year we had a lot of fun, perfect weather and plenty of new people participating. Our team ranked 14 out of 22 in our division, so we definitely have room for improvement, but it's always a fun day nonetheless. This year, I ran the 5K along with one of my personal training clients. Here's a picture of the sun rising over IUPUI's Carroll Stadium that morning and then a shot of me, my co-worker and our intern after a day that went off without a hitch.

And now...my favorite 5K ever: Wine at the Line. This year for my birthday, I told my husband that the only thing I wanted was for him to train for this 5K and run it with me (it fell on October 6th, just two days after my birthday). If you know Chad, you know running is not his thing. Even if he was being chased, I think he would take his chance and stay and fight rather than run. While he did procrastinate a bit (he started an 8-week training program precisely 8 weeks prior to the race), he successfully completed the Couch to 5K program. This meant that even during our Florida vacation over Labor Day weekend, he was running. I couldn't believe it! He finished the race without stopping to walk at all (I captured his finish on video!), but what I was more excited about was seeing how proud he was of himself. Until his traning, he had never run further than the required mile in gym class--so with each run that he completed, 1.5 miles, 2 miles, 2.5 miles, he was so ecstatic and couldn't stop talking to me about all the details of his run after he got home each time. The fact that we could share a hobby for 8 weeks and that he would do something he hated only because it was important to me was more special than anything he could have bought for my birthday.

Here are some pictures from the race. It was by far the most scenic 5K I've ever run....beatiful farmland in Bargersville, IN. Plus you literally get wine and a commemorative wine glass after you cross the finish line.....score.

All for now!