"It's Saturday and I'm washing my Hair"

Feel like a brand new person today, I do.  Want to know why?

During this time of year I'm hyper concerned about keeping my hair, skin and nails looking and feeling right.  Thanks to the wind and dry air, moisture is depleted at a overwhelming rate.  So how does one keep their body PH balance in check?  Lotion helps when applied after bathing and applied frequently throughout the day to clean hands.

The reason I'm posting this 'Queen of all obvious solutions' today is simply because I've thought about visiting a tanning salon.  I'm not interested in feeling grey and needing to apply filters to every selfie I snap....so why not try to look the part on and off camera?

Coming to a conclusion about folks who overuse the tanning salon isn't a mockery I'm interested in pointing out.  Instead I'm interested in the pretty bottles of lotion.  That got me to thinking...can I make something similar from scratch?

Here's what I did. Obsessed with the Victoria Secret's and Body Works fragrances I bought one along with a bottle of Dark tanning oil and some plain Vaseline brand lotion.  Found an empty product bottle at home small enough to carry in a backpack and a hand pump from a bottle of antibacterial soap.  Next step was simple squeeze equal parts of lotion and a part tanning oil into the container.  Shake vigorously.   Since the new lotion didn't completely mix as planned after shaking I dumped it into a larger container and plugged in the electric beater from the kitchen.  Yepee! After about 90 seconds the combination of oil and lotions turned into something more like what I was aiming for.

First I'm soaking myself by visiting the 'Rec' center to do some laps.  Next the tanning bed and lastly, over to the gym for a 20 minute sweat out in the sauna.  Before bed I believe a pedicure is in order.

  

RockNRollSTL Health Expo Q & A

Form and Posture

Devices: Treadmill

Free Android Running Apps

Free IPhone running Apps

Device upgrades: Headphones

Audiobook or Music?

Devices: Apps/Playlists for running

http://www.pacedj.com

Find playlists for running

IPhone carrying case review

How to choose an armband for your device

Running stroller reviews

Choosing the best Sports Bra

Do I need new running shoes?

Tell me about compression gear

Face shields and hats for running

Tell me how to choose a running shoe

My hands are cold because I'm bicycling, are there better gloves?

Your water bottle was awesome, where do I find one?

Endurance boosting food and Supplements

How do I prevent my hair and face from feeling gross in the winter?

I might have the flu, am I ok to go running?

Questions I wanted to ask
...Why do you run, are you results driven, challenged by someone close, for athletic variety or just because everyone else is?
...How did you find out about the Rock n Roll St Louis?
....What's the farthest you've traveled to be at a special event like this?
......How will you maintain good habits throughout the upcoming holiday season?
......Has anyone close to you recently recovered from a serious sports related injury?
.....What helps you stay motivated on long run days or when you feel like there's something else you'd like to be doing?
......Have your present or past employers ever implemented fitness requirements? How was it received?

My Plate Monday

Food & Fitness Journal Week of August 31st through September 6th 

Nicole Fearns

Thursday
Finally.  I'm figuring out the power of momentum.  Beginning each morning with a brisk walk rain or shine with the dogs gives me an added boost and certain desire to continue doing physical activity that challenges me to consume a good breakfast and focus on something other than feeling like I've wasted daylight.  Check out these motivional quotes from fellow fitness gurus.  I'm adding updates on a daily basis to be published weekly starting today for the vetticallydriven.blogspot.com page and of course earlier this week for walkingdawgs.blogspot.com.  Just for a glance back at some recent activity and to keep myself happy.  I love to write and stay busy turning regular stuff into a fitness focused activity.

Tweets from https://twitter.com/gypsytrks/lists/fitness-authorities

This afternoon I decided to make the short trip to the grocery store via bicycle.  Before leaving I made sure to double check the pantry and refrigerator for the items on my list, making sure not to pick up something already on hand.  As usual, getting to the store by means of bicycle is always fun.  Started the short shopping experience by picking up lunch meat from the deli and the rest was produce.  Checked out, loaded groceries into my backpack and was back at the house in no time.  All is well, I'm unloading groceries anticipating the delicious lunch about to be prepared, only to realize I've forgotten the main ingredient for cucumber dressing..THE CUCUMBERS!  

Friday/Saturday



Saturday morning and I'm trying to remember how I did mealtimes yesterday.  Nothing significant stands out.  This morning I'm doing a continental style breakfast at home.  For exercise yesterday I remember taking the dogs for a walk then giving them a bath in the morning and doing some lawn work in the afternoon.  Apparently I slept in this morning.  Dealing with a couple who regularly give in to the demands of their sweet tooth, the meal this morning was completed with a delicious slice of chococlate pudding pie.  The best part of these store bought pies are the chocolate graham crust.  Very rich and I especially enjoyed the generous whipped topping.  This completed the breakfast that began with boiled eggs, toast, orange juice and complimented the coffee.  Maybe I have a slight problem with carbs.  Now I recall what I had last night and the morning before for breakfast.  Bagels with cream cheese.

Aside from the meals Ive  consumed and exercise I've done, taking a look at myself as a whole also helps to gage the progress I've made over the week.  Mental and physical health are hand in hand.  This morning I feel the part more than I look it.  Wearing cosmetics sparingly and fixing my mane help project an image of happy, health conscious adult woman.      

As an early dinner I was delighted by the take out bbq Jesse had a taste for.  He drove to Pappys while I finished up with some #FieldDayFriday chores around the house.  The order he placed will surely last us through dinner tomorrow night.  They must have huge portions.  I was still in doing chores mode so pictured above is the creation; a little baked beans, some green beans, and smoked meat with a drizzle of their original sauce.  

My Plate Monday

I didn't wear my badges as well last week as I have in previous weeks.  Yes I was slightly more persistent with adding fitness activities into my daily routine and being overall health conscious, but there is always room for improvement.  All of the pieces didnt fit together as intracitaly as hoped for.  Pizza night, coffee cake on more mornings than one, an offbeat sleep schedule, and more than my share of caffeinated beverages are some of the disasters I'm looking back at from this week's diet.  

Hitting a high point on Friday night, I decided to go all in with a mostly from scratch chili.  Instead of ground beef I asked the butcher to chunk two nice pieces of chuck roast.  Prepared the main ingredients first by brazing the beef, adding 3 packets of seasoning along with chunks of onion and green pepper.  All the work got done overnight with the crock pot set on the lowest setting.  Added too much tomato puree, might reduce that to one can instead of 1.5.  2 Roma tomatoes added liquid also.  Did I mention that I chopped half of a large eggplant and added it into the medley along with 2 cans of chicken?  For some odd reason once everything was in the crock the thought crossed my mind that I should have picked up like 5 plain double stacks from Wendys and used their meat instead for this chili.

On Thursday or Friday I woke after falling asleep around 8 or 9 pm the night before just thirsty and ended up doing like 40 minutes on my stationary bike.  Must have been the storm or something that woke me up.  I don't know but I was full of energy.

Pictured below are a couple of the meals I had.  Korean bbq seasoned Chicken with rice and vegetables.  That was a repeat.  One night we had Chinese takeout; my order is usually some combination of steamed dumplings with this amazing clear brown sauce, white rice, lo mein, and/or vegetable egg foo young.  One night we had a coupon for Dominos Pizza or they were running a special.  We ordered parmesan bread bites, wings and a pie. Might have been game night.  One morning we visited a local eatery and enjoyed hot chocolate before the ranch potato and egg breakfast arrived.  That was a huge serving.  I mulled over it until it was cold and had to douse it in hot sauce to finish it off.

Breakfast this week was a joke.  Seriously.  They were more like remnants from the night before.  One day i got it kind of right.  Instead of chugging three cups of coffee on an empty stomach I boiled a few eggs and sliced an apple and banana.  For the most part each morning I woke up there was no need to be awake.  I found myself aimless wandering about the house, trying to decide to leave and take a walk, bathe, do yardwork, or simply go directly back to bed after a medicinal remedy.

Using Runtastic I logged 5 fitness activities.  My faithful partners in crime had something to do with that.  National Dog Day happened at some point this week, must be the reason behind updating their blog.  
 We did some re arranging of furniture and end of summer cleaning so of course the bicycle, treadmill and other fitness gear suddenly looked more usable than ever. Seeing usable stuff as well as getting newsletter updates from GNC, Speedo and subscribing to YouTube channels like American Ninja Warrior, RAAM Cycling Media, The Rockettes, and countless music channels create a sense of ultimatum.  

Grocery store shopping should be a greater priority.  As much as I swear by making lists and having the basics on hand, I really need to plan better for meal times.  I'll make it a point to stop at the store when I'm out of milk, eggs, coffee, a condiment, or bread but those items shouldn't be the only reason I'm going to get groceries.  I should be able to make 3 different meals from home without needing to venture out to the grocery store.

Lastly, planning  meals and snacks for the commuter.  I notice the amount of dishes that need to be cleaned at my house are mostly reusable plastics and travel beverage containers. The kitchen at your residence and mine don't always need to be open.  Is this McDonalds?! My kitchen at home isn't a 24-7 bakery, bbq, or buffet and neither is yours.  Do what you can with what you have.  Maybe not having much on the pantry self at home works better for us than having an abundance of goods that may expire before getting used.      

Create Fun Solo Trail Rides with Fitness App

Just created a neat road cycling route on Runtastic with the help of  +Google Maps .  In reality I might not be able to ride this route out in one continuous trek.  I could however break up the ride into training sessions to achieve the same distance.  My way of keeping a workout interesting.  Stops included in this route include familiar places like the bowling alley, the static display aircraft,  a roller skating rink, eateries and shopping.

For instance this afternoon was perfect to use bicycling as an alternate means of transportation to the market.  Finding easy ways like this to include a workout into your everyday life is very beneficial.

Taking your bicycle or a good pair of running shoes to the office to change into after work or on breaks is also helpful.  I gave myself some fresh air today and enjoyed listening to the +Jillian Michaels &+Air1 on +TuneIn radio.  Sometimes its nicer to listen to dialouge instead of the same 5 or 6 songs playing on repeat through top 40 radio.  Sorry  Ryan Seacrest's of the world, maybe later.    

My time to beat for this afternoon is 58 minutes.  Don't forget to have fun on solo trail rides and runs betches.