Where's the Beach?

It's hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away. While Thanksgiving is a day about giving thanks, it also tends to be a holiday all about indulging. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say, don't touch that pie and skip the rolls or avoid the fried turkey, but I am going to share a few tips to get you through the holiday without the post-feast guilt. Tips for a Guiltless Thanksgiving  Break fast. Don't skip breakfast or even your typical mid-morning snack trying to bank some calories. That'll only leave you hungry and more likely to mindlessly fill your plate. Tackle a race.  Participate in a Turkey Trot fun run/walk. It doesn't have to be a speedy 5K, it can be a family, fun event. Be active. Go for a walk at some point during the day with family or friends. It's a great way to visit and catch up. Skip "any day" foods. If your Aunt Sue makes some amazingly scrumptious dish this one and only time of the year, ...

It's 5:15 am, still dark, bed is comfy, but you know you should be getting up to get in your workout. If you don't do it now, there's a chance it won't happen. But the pull of the bed is just too much to resist. Sound familiar? I know that there are some lucky people who just bound out of bed before the alarm. Eager beavers happy and chipper. Then, there's the rest of us. Now, most of you probably realize that I get up early to run, so you're thinking that I must be a morning person right? Nope, not so much. I'll do it. It's become a habit. Once I'm up and out the door, I'm happy that I did get up. That I did get my run done. Running or cycling on the trainer I can handle in the wee hours. Weights? No way. Not going to happen (safely). So, how does a non-morning person become a morning exerciser ? And should you bother trying? I think there are some great reasons for getting up and getting it done. For one thing, it's done for the...

I know it's winter, and winter is cold. I get that logic. However, I live in the south where winters are typically mild. We have only a handful of days that dip below freezing. We rarely see any good snow, you know, the kind that actually sticks. Usually we get ice, gray, dangerous ice. We worry more about power outages from ice storms and being stranded because the roads are too slick far more than we worry about any need to shovel our driveways. Our weather is notorious for crazy temperature swings. As an example, I ran on Sunday in shorts and a tank. Yesterday and today it was 2 layers on top and bottom with ear warmer (headband thing), hat, gloves with mittens over the top and my neck warmer. This morning was 14 degrees. I realize that for some, that's a mild heat wave. For us, it's almost unheard of. In fact, it's so rare to have these temps (and so many days of them) that I only have 1 pair of fairly thick running tights. I did purchase a new pair this year ...