Before you click on these video's I want to tell you why I'm posting them. I was on a training run today, just a short 5 miles...and suddenly as I turned a corner I thought of where I'm going to be in exactly 2 months from today. I will be in Boston running in the 2014 Boston Marathon. I suddenly teared up, remembering why I am running. I remember these moments almost 1 year ago. Standing on the train platform as the Amtrak trains arrived in Attleboro from Boston. The first two people I interviewed were runners who crossed the finish line. They, just like me, trained 4 long months. Got up at the crack of dawn to do speed workouts, ran every Saturday for hours at a time...creeping up the miles each weekend, 12, 15, 17, 20. They still had their medals around their necks. Events of this day were still unfolding as they got off the train. We didn't really know what exactly was happening. But what they did know, and I knew for sure was those medals around their necks will not remind them of the 4 months of training...instead, it will inspire them to not give up. It will inspire them to forge ahead and prove that the horrible actions of 2 people will only serve to give us strength to come together...and run again, one step at a time.
I remember turning to my photographer and saying, "I'm going to run Boston next year." I was caught up in the moment..but here I am, nearly one year later, and doing it.
Happy Valentines Day. Honestly, if you're stressed out, don't be. I'm here to make you a stud in your GF's eyes!
What a girl wants doesn't necessarily mean what she says she wants like; 'nothing babe, really!', 'honestly don't give me flowers, they're a waste of money!" or "just a nice card is perfect." They're all lies! Lies Lies Lies!
What a girl wants is simple; flowers, jewelry, a sweet gesture like cooking for her, or taking her out for nice dinner (that does't mean you don't still give her something!) Trust me, we are not being selfish, we just love the gesture that you took the time to shop for us and actually looked like you put thought into it! Even if you didn't, please, just make it look like you did, we'll never know!
Flowers: It's too late to send, but not too late to pick some up at the local grocery store, but for the love of God, please take off the sticker that shows us you bought them at Stop and Shop!
Jewelry: You don't have to go a jeweler and spend a fortune on us (although we wouldn't mind) but we get money is tight. If you go to Target you can find some really pretty jewelry, again, don't tell us where you bought it, we 're kind of snobby like that. You can easily rip off the tags, buy a pretty box and put the jewelry in there. If your GF asks you where you bought it, then she deserves to know where, a nice girl would be just happy you thought of her. Alex and Ani bracelets are another inexpensive but thoughtful gift because you can buy just about any charm that reminds you of her. Most of those run under $35! Girls love them too!
Sweet Gesture: A hand written card. Trust me, this is so sweet and it goes a long way! I'm not talking about buying a Halmark Card. I'm talking about taking a white piece of paper, folding it in half and coloring a cute picture and writing her a few lines of why you love her. This may seem totally dorky, but trust me, it's so cute and you'll get a lot of points from us!
Ok? Feel better? See, even if you haven't gotten your GF anything yet, there's still time! And you can score major guy points without breaking the bank! (Just please look like you did, ok?)
No, no, no...nothing like that! I'm talking about selling your "online" self in a dating profile. In my previous blog For Singles Only I showed you examples of what not to write. If your search for love online has proven unsuccessful it may have more to do with what your profile and not you! That's great news because we can easily change your profile!
WHERE TO START:
Get yourself right out there. Who are you? For example, we know you're single, so don't start with...I'm a single Mom (Dad). I think the assumption is, you are single! If you want to get it right out there that you are a parent, then a better way to begin your profile is, "I'm a Mom of 2 young children" "I'm a Dad of Teens..." "I have 1 great kid..." This allows the person checking you out to know right off the bat that your a parent. If that doesn't bother them they'll keep reading, if they don't want to date someone with kids, they'll move on.
Speaking from Experience:
My online profile ( a couple of years ago) started off by getting right to the point. "I'm a Mom of 3 children under the age of 13, so if this makes you want to run for the hills, be my guest. If this doesn't bother you, then read on." It worked. I got numerous comments from guys who appreciated my forwardness, and they got my sense of humor, btw, feel free to use my line!
So back to getting yourself out there...Who are you? After you've established you are a parent or not, tell me a little bit about you. Here are some great examples I found on an online dating site:
For the Guys: "I am the father of three wonderful children (18, 16, and 16). One in college, one in boarding school and one who splits his time between his mother and me. Their lives and my light work schedule, give me plenty of time for fun. In the summer, I golf, fish and love cookouts..."
"All around good guy who loves his kids, works hard to make other people's lives better, and enjoy life. Pretty simple really. I'm a busy tech startup founder looking to truly change the world..."
"I am a sitting here having a beer while watching the olympics thinking how I would describe myself and it basically comes down to this. I am a very easy going fun loving guy who enjoys the simple pleasures in life. I love to laugh and can be laughed at... all in good fun of course...
For the Girls:
"I am open minded, thoughtful and always try to do the right thing. I am also disorganized, a procrastinator, and probably too straightforward, but to counter those annoying traits I am reliable, cheerful, and drama averse..."
"In a nutshell, I live a pretty happy and fulfilling life. I do my best to balance work-life, home-life (2 daughters) and play-life, and live life to the fullest. I practice yoga regularly to try and stay young physically and mentally. I spend a lot of time on the shore in the summer..."
"I teach writing (poetry, fiction and expository writing) at a local college. I am a poet/writer, have two kids, am making it through the years in the burbs, though deep down my heart belongs in Cambridge ...or maybe Paris! I'm ideally looking for someone to share my life with..."
What works with these profiles is that they are personal. They didn't just list words like; I'm passionate, creative, fun to be with, happy, caring...Instead they all described how they are passionate and creative without just randomly listing adjectives to describe themselves.
Keep it Short.
No one likes someone who rambles on and on and on. Get to the point.
Be Honest.
If you say you're training for a marathon, you better be training for a marathon. If you say you love the outdoors, be ready to go rock climbing. If you say you love to travel, be ready to tell stories of where you've been, and I don't mean within the state you live. Bottom line (see I even use this myself) if you fib about who you are you will attract the wrong person. If you're honest then there are no surprises.
PICTURE THIS!
That's Me! This was my profile picture, I wanted it to be
different than all the rest...it worked!
What will get their attention to read your profile? A selfie? Please, no! Check in tomorrow for examples of do's and dont's! I used this as my profile...would it get your attention? xo
My Race BFF's! I have been running with these beautiful and strong women every Saturday for the past 4 months. They are my TEAMmates and forever in my heart. xo
Uta Pippig! Uta was our inspirational speaker at our TEAM in Training luncheon Saturday before race day. Uta is the only woman to win the Boston Marathon 3 consecutive years!
Site of the 2nd Boston Bombing.
Boylston Street, Boston, Ma
Boston Marathon Scarf Project: 36,000 scarves made for every runner of the 2014 Boston Marathon. Mine was made by Michelene from Illinois.
Photo Gallary! Friday Expo and Saturday Inspiration Luncheon
Friday April, 18
I find myself wandering around, not really doing much of anything but doing a lot of pacing. Going in one room, into another, picking up a sock here, a towel there...I have so many thoughts racing through my head, mostly about...race day, ok, ALL about race day. After 4 months of training for this moment it's hard to believe it's time. I've waited for this weekend for more than 4 months although I think I've waited for this moment for years actually.
I don't know why, but I think I am supposed to be doing this. I've run a marathon before, I've run more half marathons than I can count...but why do I feel so different about this one? Aside from the obvious, I think it's what I've learned along the way, something about me has changed. More on that later, for now I am off to teach my fitness class! And then off to Boston for the Expo and pick up my race Bib!
I will tweet more later so follow me @MIWBetter and @susanhogantv
Last Run, 8 Miles Saturday April, 12
20 Mile Run, March 29th...
If you ever run the Boston Marathon for a Charity, then you will soon hear all about the "20 miler". This is the day we build up to during our training run for Boston...in fact, if you are training for ANY marathon, you build up to 20 miles then taper (a word we so happily love to hear at this point in our marathon training!)
There are a number of sanctioned charities that are allowed to run in the Boston Marathon, Team in Training (for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) Boston's Children's Hospital, Dana Farber, just to name a few. We all run the 20 miler together on the same day and we all start in Hopkinton, Ma., the official start of the Boston Marathon. We were bused out early in the morning, mind you, we were on the bus for awhile which made us all a little nervous, because it's a long ride out, which means only one thing...it's a longer way back on foot! When we arrived there were thousands of runners, all anxious to get started but also very aware this was NOT Marathon Monday, this was simply a training run to be ready for Marathon Monday. From what I hear, this "practice" run was nothing like it will be on Marathon day. We could easily move around, the porta potty lines weren't hundreds of people deep, police presence was light. There was so much energy in the air, lots of it. I think when you are a runner, especially long distance, you are naturally charged. You embrace the moment and own it. We all know how lucky we are to be able to run.
There was no official "gun" to start our run, we all simply walked to the starting line (which was faded from last year and not repainted yet) and then we just starting to ...run!
These 4 wonderful ladies are my running partners. We've run countless hours together, and miles. We've learned about each other's job's, lives, travels, life's ups and down's...Sometimes we can chat for minutes at a time, sometimes we run in silence, lost in our own thoughts, or focused on what pain is jabbing us in our limbs, or trying to time out when we need to take our next "gu". I have always run with music, but on these long runs it's encouraged to run without, and let me tell you, I haven't missed it.
Whitney, Nora, Me and Carol in Hopkinton
This is us after running our 20 miler! Still smiling!
Here we are on the bus to take us back to Wellesley!
This is my TEAM right before our 20 mile run!
And this is PROOF! I did it.
March 25
I almost didn't look at my phone this morning to see what the temperature was...but a difference of 10 degrees when your running at 5:30am is the difference between wearing 2 under armour shirts or one. I wore 2 for the record. My run sucked. My GPS watch was frozen, really! It couldn't locate a satellite so it wasn't registering my intervals. I had to guess at .50 miles and .25 miles over the course of 6 miles! I also wore a Go Pro on my head to record a portion of my run so that was a little top heavy, my earphones didn't work and I somehow lost one of my favorite mittens!
But, a little over halfway into my run the sun started to come up along my favorite road. It was absolutely beautiful! It was at that moment I forgot about the cold, my mitten, my frozen watch and just took it all in. No one said "you have to run" no one is forcing me to run before dawn, this is my choice. I'm healthy, I have legs that are strong enough to run for miles at a time.
Training for Boston isn't about me at all, I'm just the one running it. It's about the thousands of people who I'm raising money for. My run is about raising awareness. Raising money for research to find a cure for blood cancers. It's about the stories I hear every Saturday morning in Wellesley before my long run with my TEAM. Personal stories of survival, stories about a husband AND wife both diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma within years of eachother, now they're training along side me. They're not complaining about the cold, the pain in their joints, they're alive!
I am so blessed that I can get up when my alarm goes off at 5:15. I am so blessed I haven't gotten frostbite, I am so blessed I have another pair of mittens. I am blessed I have a GPS watch that can help me track my runs, I am so blessed I have the resources to document my journey.
I am just blessed.
Thursday, March 20 2014
Love daylight savings time, but I totally misjudged the time on this run!
Tuesday March, 18...it's cold, again.
MARCH 8, 2014
BACK HOME IN BOSTON ...But today, I got to strip down to 1 layer of clothes! 54 Degrees! Bring it! 15 mile run with my Team in Training. Each Saturday we meet for these long runs and each day I feel more and more a part of this TEAM. Love them for life. We all are running for differnet reasons, but in the end we are all connected forever.
FEBRUARY 29,2014
GOODBYE STUPID COLD...HELLO SAN DIEGO! While I was out visiting I still had to get in my runs, including muy 13.1 miler!
Saturday, February 15th.
This was 90% of my run today. Frozen icey roads all along Commonwealth Ave in Newton. 15 miles of treachory! We had a guest speaker who came to chat with Team in Training today who discussed nutrition leading up to a marathon. Bottom line, I can eat what I want, a lot of carbs, a lot of calories, coffee is ok and alcohol is, well, ok as long as I stay hydrated!!
NUTRITION FOR TRAINING
Here are some topics our guest speaker chatted about with us. My Coach Kelly Flynn nicely recapped them for us. I thought I would pass them along to you!
Saturday Recap: We were very fortunate to have Nancy Clark give a nutrition clinic prior to our run. Nancy specializes in the nutrition needs of marathon runners. For those who couldn’t join us here are some tips for healthy eating:
1.Eat a Balanced Diet Each Day. To exercise consistently, you need to provide a good supply of high-quality energy to your working muscles. The easiest way to this is to eat a balanced breakfast and continue eating a variety of high-quality foods throughout the day. Carbohydrates are important. Carbs are the form of glycogen is the fuel that makes exercise possible, so adequate carbs must be eaten each day if you hope to train consistently. Protein and fat also have a place in your diet and should be consumed daily. In general, each meal should contain a varied combination.
2.Several Hours Before You Workout. Make sure you are eating before you workout, this includes in the morning. We’ve heard from many of you that you find it hard to eat in the morning before the long run, but that you are also finding you don’t have enough energy for the long haul. Eating a well balanced meal early in the morning before you run will help tremendously. Give yourself enough time to digest so you don’t feel like your breakfast is sitting in your stomach. Also, eating a small snack 30 minutes before the long run will help. Try brining a banana, energy bar or some pretzels to snack on to the Community Center to top off your tank before heading out to run.
3.During Your Workout. As a rule of thumb, if you are working out or running less than an hour, you shouldn’t need any additional food “fuel” during you run. If you will be working out longer, you will need to replenish lost carbohydrates. Make sure you are taking in fluids every 15-30 minutes and refueling after an hour or so of working out. This can be in the forms of Gus, candy, Honey Stingers, pretzels. Try the different products and candy we have each week and make sure you are finding what is right for you now, so you can carry it with you on Marathon Monday.
4.Hydration After Your Workout. After your workout, the general rule is simple: drink enough water to replace water lost through sweat. The best way to determine this is by weighing yourself before and after exercise. For every pound of body weight lost, you'll need to consume about 3 cups of fluid. Another way to determine how much liquid to consume is to check the color of your urine. Dark, concentrated urine may indicate dehydration. Your urine color should be a light yellow.
5.Eating After Your Workout. Try to have your post exercise meal within a two hours after your long run or an intense workout in order to replenish glycogen stores. Research shows that getting 100-200 grams of carbohydrate within two hours of endurance exercise helps you replenish adequate glycogen stores, but adding a combination of carbohydrate and protein seems to be an even better option. Studies have found that a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein seems of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
As Nancy said your body is like a car. You put fuel in it, and it goes. Treat your body like you would your car and give it the fuel it needs to go. If you have any nutrition questions or need help with your fueling during the long runs, please let us know. We can help you come up with a plan. Lastly, Nancy has two great books on Sports Nutrition that are available for purchase on her website. If you are interested in learning more, you can contact Nancy directly or pick up one of her books at http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/
FEBRUARY 11TH, 2014
Tuesday, February 11th....Alarm went off and I couldn't get out of bed to do my speed workout, ugh. Kind of feeling tired and not great. Did a kick ass cross training Spin class last night for 55 minutes. I need to get in 10x400's today...that means I run fast for .25 miles then slow run for .25 ten times. Treadmill at the gym? Ugh. I really hate the treadmill. Have to teach my fitness class tonight which will be a great cross training session. I've got to get in this training run...when when when???
FEBRUARY 8TH
LOVE PINK! Saturday Morning, February 8th! Running 14 miles today in my new running gear, afterall, isn't all about how you look?? Needless to say, this gear is warm and pretty! Thermal Hat from UnderArmour, Running leggings by Marika Tek (performance athletic wear) I always look for gear that has high tech fabric for moisture wicking, which simply means as you sweat it takes the wetness off your skin so you don't get chilled. Off I go!
JANUARY 14, 2014
UGH. Another early morning run and this is what I am faced with! I've got to do a "track" workout today...this means I am running 8 laps around a track at various speeds, aka a "speed workout." Thankfully I don't have to go far, I run around a circle in my neigbhorhood! Yay me!!! Off I go!
JANUARY 18, 2014 This is going to be a yucky run! It's 7:15am Saturday Morning on my way into Wellsley to run 11 miles...It's cold, snowy, sleet, and just plain ick. Hopefully my warm weather gear will keep me warm and dry!
My training sneakers!! So that green tag on my laces is there for a reason. On our first day of training with Team in Training we were all given this tag, our name and an emergency contact number is on it just in case during our long training runs we get lost, disoriented, passout, hit by a car, die...So far I have avoided all of those!
JANUARY 11, 2014
Ok, so don't judge me!! I am cold and sweaty and I have no makeup on (ok, I lied, I do have mascara on, waterproof of course!) So, today I learned why they call it heartbreak hill...it's not that the hills are all that steep, it's where they are placed, at mile 20. Mile 20 can be the "wall" for many runners. Mile 20 is where you'll either "make it or break it" and to have a series of hills at this point can be a heartbreak...hense, "Heartbreak Hill."
JANUARY 4TH, 2014
8:00am Saturday Morning...Team in Training assembles in Wellsley,MA to get ready for our 9 mile run. It's another cold morning, about 17 degrees!!! I'm pumped and ready!! Heartbreak Hill here I come!
HERE I GO! DAY ONE. DECEMBER 14,2013.
TRAINING FOR BOSTON, MY STORY.
On September 19th 2013 I got a call that would change my life forever. I was accepted into the 2014 Boston Marathon. I will be running with Team in Training, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Over the next 4 months I will log over 550 miles, not to mention countless hours of cross training.
I am running in memory of my Dad who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and passed away December 14, 2011. My Dad loved to watch me run, he was there to watch me cross the finish line for my first half marathon, and he will no doubt be with me as I cross the finish line in Boston on April 21st, 2014.
Of course, this years' Boston Marathon takes on a whole new meaning for everyone. For some it's to finish what they started last April before the Boston bombings, for other's it's to accomplish a personal goal we may never know. No matter why or for whom these runners are racing for, one thing is certain, it's going to be an incredible experience and challenge and I cannot be more proud to be part of history...Here is my journey...
Hey! You're not single! But that's ok...you're welcome to read on....you never know.
Embrace Your Singleness!
On Friday, couples everywhere will be celebrating their love for one another. That's so sweet, isn't it? (insert that face you're making here) For those of you who won't be sharing an embrace, opening up a gift, showered with flowers, wined, dined and all that comes with it, it's time to make a change, that is, if you're ready.
Be Ready.
Here's the deal. No matter if you're over 40 or under it's about putting the best YOU forward. I was recently asked by a 37 year old woman if I knew of someone I could introduce her to. She claims she's done online dating for a few months and didn't find anyone she liked. She's cute, athletic, divorced, no children...sounds like a catch, right? But then I asked to see her online profile, this is where I realized what went wrong. She was attracting the wrong kind of guy. In fact, she wasn't attracting any!
What NOT to Write.
I decided to do a little spying. I went online and read a lot of online profiles of both men and women. What I realized pretty quickly is that most people have NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY! Here's an example of a recent profile:
(Single Woman)"Iam looking for a good hearted man with a sense of humor.someone who is honest and caring someone who is active and spontaneous a lover of animals the beach I hate couch potatoes lol..."
Ok, first of all, who doesn't want a good hearted, honest, caring man? Right off the bat, this tells a guy what YOU want, not WHO you are. I beg of you, plead with you, if you're writing your online profile please use correct grammer, and remember, you're not texting so lose the "lol's", "omg's' WTF?
Here's another:
(Single Woman) I'm tall, thin with natural long dark red-hair... I modeled for a long time. I believe that's why I look the way I do, always looking my best was instilled in my brain."
Really? I can here the guys clicking "next" as we speak. But ladies, don't worry, the Guys are just as bad. Here you go:
"I'd like to meet someone who has teeth..." I can't make this stuff up.
"There are a lot of criminals looking for partners in this place. I must admit, this, place, is getting rather, numbing - the "obligatory" either/or selection of faces - the over-all discontinuity of this conceptual "dating". Whaaaat?
"I'm big on trust and faithfulnes you take good care of me and il take good care or you i want i girl that is into showing me love and trust wants to be a mom and a good stay at home mom..." Um, does this guy know it's 2014.
WHAT TO WRITE.
Writing an online profile sucks, plain and simple. There's so much pressure to get it right. Let's face it, if someone likes your face the next thing they'll look at is your profile. You want to be witty but not dorky, coy but not cocky, honest but not too honest, but most importantly you should be YOU.
WHERE TO START.
Stay tuned! Log on tomorrow and I'll show you examples of what works. Until then, think about what makes you, you! Don't over think it, don't try to be someone you're not. Girls and Guys can read through your embellished profiles. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. Til tomorrow.XO
Ok, I've reached that point in the winter where I'm done. Done, Done Done! Done with the cold weather, done with feeling white, pasty and dull. So what's the one thing that makes us feel pretty during the summer? Sun kissed skin!
So, I had a thought. Why not do a little self-tanning now? My favorite go-to tanning lotion is Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. I use the medium tone as opposed to the light.
I have tried them all, trust me! This Jergen's formula doesn't smell, in fact when I wear it people always compliment me on my "perfume"...well, now you know my little secret!
No streaking, no staining and within minutes I can get dressed! By the way I never put it on my face, I only use MAC Bronzer.
Ok Ladies, I heard from a lot of you asking about the specific products I mentioned in this video so I've made it really easy for you, including links and prices:
This is the order in which I apply each product:
Finacea Gel (Prescription Needed) $70 co-pay (that's what I pay with my Insurance)
The Cargo Foundation I did not apply but I did mention it in my video. This is what I use at work for extra coverage or on the weekends if I'm going out to someplace special. It provides great coverage, I use a make-up wedge to apply it.
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