World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

Ellyn Ritterskamp

Today is dedicated (by some) to world peace and healing the planet. Maybe not by raccoons - they are just troublemakers.

Who knew? Google's How-to of the Day did.

I used to love qi gong. I followed David Carradine on a videotape for 30 minutes, for years. And then, well, you know. He died. Kinda weirdly.

But it seems like a good day to find a free podcast and do some realigning of the old qi. We can always use more world peace.

Onward.

At last, an easy habit to break!

Lawrence Toppman

Unfortunately, it's exercise. Despite pathetically feeble good intentions, I haven't walked on my treadmill since returning from Las Vegas.

I have no shortage of excuses, all lame: I still feel like I'm on vacation, it's hot in my house (we keep the temperature at 76 to save on air conditioning), gloomy skies encourage me to stay in bed and hit the snooze alarm over and over, I'm working late every night rehearsing "H.M.S. Pinafore" and can't get to bed at my usual time. (Thus, I sleep in.)

Friends who love to run/walk/swim have told me exercise will become a joy, once I do enough of it. Either they're deranged, or I am never going to do enough of it to take pleasure in it. Even when I was walking 2.5 miles up an incline every weekday morning, I never enjoyed myself. (Though I did feel better physically.)

Of course, now that I've stopped, I feel guilty every morning when I walk past the machine without turning it on. The combined shame supplied by my conscience and my scale will probably get me back on track Monday, if not tomorrow.

Probably.

It's just breathing

Ellyn Ritterskamp

Breathe in through my nose, a count of 8. Hold for 4. Out through my mouth for a count of 7.

Funny thing, breathing. We have all these automatic systems in our bodies, that we don't control - they just happen. And then we have other systems that we influence by thinking about them. breathing is where these two kinds of things intersect. When we get a nice slow breath going, the pulse and blood pressure come down. And they stay down longer.

In 8, hold 4, out 7. It's the hold, just a tick longer than I think I can, that seems to make the difference.

Do that five or six times, and I can get through anything. I learned it from Dr. Andrew Weil maybe ten years ago, and passed it along to my ethics classes this past week. Several students wrote in their journals that they are learning to do this when they get in the car, and now they don't get so upset at other drivers, or at waiting in line, or at everything else.

Win. For all of us.

I'm looking for a new routine

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

Now that my half marathon training is behind me, I'm working on finding a new routine.

I am definitely going to continue running. Now that I've trained my legs to go long distances, I'd like to keep it that way in case I decide to run another race later in the year. I also have come to really enjoy running. I'd miss it, if I just stopped.

But, when I started this project, I wanted to do more than train for a half marathon, which is all I've had time for so far.

I'd like to add some strength training and to try out some different sports and activities. I'd also like to develop a new routine, since I tend to do my best work when I'm accountable to a schedule.

I'm not exactly sure what this new routine is going to look like. I don't know a lot about strength training, so if you have any tips - especially for strength training for women - I'm all ears.

For now, I'm running, trying out a few classes at my gym and finding my way.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...

Lawrence Toppman

...and much of it stays on visitors' hips. I guess the Las Vegas motif of unrestrained consumption inspires folks to eat and drink on binges. Every hotel on the Strip has an all-you-can-eat buffet, though few are bargain-priced any more. Maybe paying $25 a head REALLY makes you want to gobble your money's worth, but I have never seen so many overweight, underdressed, unruly people cramming one sidewalk in my life.

I guess those hotels also have exercise rooms, but I didn't hit any. Instead, my wife and I drove out of the city into Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire State Park, where we took modest hikes. (The desert's at its prettiest in spring, and the cacti were blooming.) But even though we stayed away from the cheesecake tables -- and the gaming tables -- we still got away from our healthy Charlotte routines. Hey, when Battista's Italian Restaurant offers all the wine you can drink and all the garlic bread you can eat....

Net result: Miraculously, I gained only half a pound in six days, so I'm still six pounds to the good since January 1. I pretended I was still on vacation this morning and averted my eyes from the treadmill, but we'll get reacquainted tomorrow.

What a day for a daydream

Ellyn Ritterskamp

What gorgeous weather!

I will be walking this afternoon with my mom for the first time in many weeks, and we will get back on track for our sprint triathlon in July.

I feel so lucky to have someone I like so much to walk with, and also to have my mom be one of my best friends. I recommend it.

Maybe you have someone you'd like to reconnect with? Give her or him a call. Let's get out there in the sunshine together. Unless it's pouring rain, in which case, never mind. Maybe the next day.

Onward.

My first half: All that training paid off

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

Over the weekend, I participated in Charlotte RaceFest. It was my first half marathon and I had a lot of fun. It was really cool to see all the work I put in during months of training pay off.

Here's a recap from race day:

Saturday morning I woke up feeling pretty nervous in part because I wasn't sure the race was actually going happen due to bad weather. But by the time I got to the starting line, the rain had stopped and the weather was actually my preferred running conditions: cool, breezy and cloudy.

I spent the first couple of miles just trying to get free of the crowd. I placed myself toward the back of the pack because I didn't want to get in anyone's way, but I think if I do it again I'd start a bit closer to the front because I found wading through all those people made it hard to find my normal pace.

By mile three I had found my pace and was cruising. The light rain that had started just before we got moving had stopped and I'd taken off my light rain jacket.

Miles 4-6 were really steady running for me. This section of the race is down Providence Road and kind of feels like it goes on forever, though I was feeling really comfortable and not at all tired yet.

One thing that really surprised me was how energized I felt just being part of the crowd of runners. I'd heard about race-day energy but hadn't banked on it making much of a difference for me; however, on race day, I couldn't help but feel really excited and cheerful as I made my way through the race course. It also helped to have folks standing along the road cheering for the runners passing by. Even a few of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers who were managing traffic shouted encouraging words as I ran by.

Just after I passed mile 6, I heard a huge clap of thunder and we had our second down pour of the morning. I started the climb up Sharon View Road. I am really proud to report that I made it up the hill without stopping or slowing down too much. In fact, I made it through the whole race without walking, which was my main goal besides finishing the race.

By the time I got to mile 8, the rain had stopped. I turned onto Valencia Terrace and knew that my family would be waiting to cheer me on as I crossed Fairview Road. As I crested a hill just before Fairview, I could see my Dad's bright orange Tennessee jacket in the distance. As I got closer, my family started cheering and I got a little choked up, not because I was hurting or sad but because the whole experience, the culmination of all my hard work during training was overwhelming and I felt so lucky to have such a great group of supporters cheering me to my goal.

I pulled myself together and climbed the short, but steep hill, further down Valencia. At mile 10, my husband was waiting for me. He actually hopped onto the course and ran the next couple of miles with me, which was really fun. Miles 10-12 went by really quickly, my legs having found a second wind.

The last mile was tough. There was a small climb in the last half mile or so that I ran up very, very slowly. My legs were hurting at this point, especially on the outer part of my left leg. Once I had the finish line in sight, I decided to just sprint to the end. Someone in the crowd started shouting, "wait to finish strong!" as I ran past.

It felt awesome not to be running anymore.

I spent the rest of the weekend stretching and resting my legs. I still have a hard time believing that the race is actually behind me, that I really did it.

I am so grateful to have been able to run the race on Saturday, that the weather was nice and that I managed to avoid injuries that would have kept me from running. I am also grateful to all the folks who volunteered, organized and cheered for runners Saturday and to all of the CMPD officers who kept traffic under control. It was a joy to run the course without worrying about traffic and a fun way to see the neighborhoods around SouthPark.

Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement along the way. I couldn't have made it without the accountability I found in this blog and without your advice and support.

I don't have plans to run another half marathon any time soon, but I don't think this will be my last race. It's too much fun.

I made it through my first half marathon

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

I wanted to let you know that I did it!

I made it through my first half marathon this morning, and, despite the rain, it was a great experience.


I can't wait to tell you all about it, but my plan for the rest of the day is to rest my legs.

There's more to come on Tuesday, but I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been reading and sharing encouraging words. It made all the difference.

Happy Saturday!

I'm hoping for good enough race weather

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

Tomorrow is race day and it looks like I may or may not get to run, depending on severe weather that is possible in the region Saturday morning.

After all that training and hard work, this is not what I'd hoped for my race day forecast.

I have spent most of my time worrying about the chance of unseasonably hot temperatures, that would make a 13.1-mile run more uncomfortable than necessary, not the chance of severe thunderstorms and wind. Oh my.

For now, I'm hoping for the best. Even if the race is called off, I have accomplished a lot. And it's just the start of the race season, so maybe there is another half marathon out there for me.

For all of you who are planning to participate in RaceFest tomorrow, good luck! I hope to see you out there.

The last temptation of Larry

Lawrence Toppman

So far this year, I have successfully fought off the desire to eat PB&J sandwiches at midnight, to crash sheet-cake parties, to have 37 jelly beans at a time instead of 7, to think of muffins as relatively harmless and to overindulge at free lunches. (I had a salad and fruit at the Mt. Holly Rotary meeting today, where I spoke. Friendly folks.)

Now comes the biggest temptation of all: vacation. I'll be off next week with constant access to goodies and that deadly "Hey, let's have a complete break with daily routine" feeling.

Time off for me -- family gatherings, holidays, trips to places with great new restaurants -- has traditionally been a visit to Indulgence City. For some people with fidelity issues, illicit sex doesn't "count" if it takes place more than 100 miles from home. But the intimacy I fear involves chocolate chip cheesecake, especially when I can do what I want 24 hours a day.

So next week, there'll be no weighing and no schedule and no limits, unless I impose them on myself. I wonder what'll happen.

What was the point of feeding a cold, anyway?

Ellyn Ritterskamp

Why is it that being sick doesn't help us lose a pound or two? I guess it depends on which kind of sick. When it's a cold, I find myself eating the same or more than usual, and of course, not getting any exercise because it's hard enough just to walk around for normal activities. Those parking deck stairs at UNCC last night were tough to climb while I was coughing...

There are other kinds of sick that make you not want to eat very much, but I think in the long run, I'll be grateful not to have them.

Onward.

I'm ready to run my first half marathon

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

It's race week, and I'm feeling a little nervous and a little excited.

It's hard to believe that the half marathon I've been training for since January is finally here. I have not worked this hard in a while - maybe not since I earned a master's degree in 2009 - and I have never worked so hard toward a physical challenge like this before. I'm ready to throw on my running shoes and hit the course.

Over the weekend, I ran the hilliest four miles of the RaceFest course. I wanted to get a feel for the hills and familiarize myself with some landmarks so I'd know how long each climb lasts. Running with fresh legs, I finished the section in a little under my normal pace. The only bummer is on race day, I will have run six miles before I start this section. Ouch.

I'm hoping that by practicing those hills, I'll at least be mentally prepared to get through those miles even if it is physically challenging.

I am looking forward to Saturday morning and to seeing how I do. For my first half, my goal was simply to finish, and I think I'm ready to do just that.

For anyone participating in RaceFest this weekend, how are you preparing? If you've run the course before, do you have any tips?

Eating backwards

Lawrence Toppman:

First, the good news: I'm at 188 today, which means I have lost 6.5 pounds since January 1. I did indeed fit into my wedding suit for the Charlotte Symphony Concerts last weekend without holding my breath for two hours.

Now the bad news: I think I've discovered the best way yet to lose weight, and I don't want to do it.

I've always heard that it's better for our bodies -- not just for weight loss, but for digestive purposes -- to have a substantial meal at midday and something lighter in the evening. Circumstances forced me into that situation for most of the last seven days. Sure enough, it worked. (I lost a pound and a half in a week.) But this flies in the face of 56 years of habit.

My regimen has always been to exercise, shower, buy a sandwich en route to work, eat the sandwich and fruit brought from home, have dinner about 6:30 or 7, have light dessert about 11. Now I'm supposed to reverse that procedure? Well, maybe. At least I'd have an excuse if I fell asleep at my desk again -- too many carbs, boss!

Great-grandma was a liar

Lawrence Toppman: 

When I was 10, my mom's grandmother came to live with us. She was a lovely woman so old that her first sweetheart had gone off to fight in the Spanish-American War, and she was full of 19th-century wisdom -- much of it still valid, but some of it far-fetched. She believed that, if you chewed each bite 50 times, you would eat so slowly that you would feel full and never want to overindulge.

Because I belong to a family of pudge-pots, I tested this theory and learned two things: Any bite of food, even one the size of a baby's fist, is reduced to a pulpy and unappealing mass if masticated more than 20 times. And I was just as hungry when I finished as I had been when I ate normally. (On the other hand, I learned that 50 chews was the right number for the ideally wet, disgusting spitball blown through a straw in study hall.)

The truth is, nothing makes me want food less except being full. So the trick is not to achieve some kind of zen state where my desire to overeat dwindles; it's to live with that longing and accept the idea it must go unfulfilled. As Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy said when asked how he could hold his fingers over a lit candle, "The trick is not minding." That's a trick I'm still mastering.

Plain vanilla is cool, too

Ellyn Ritterskamp

Vanilla is good.

I mean vanilla protein powder, mixed with a banana, strawberries, ice and milk, and blended. I have been experimenting with whey protein powder I bought at Carolina Smoothies - my favorite smoothies shop ever. I am still working on the right combination of the ingredients, as the recommended ratio (1/4 cup of powder to 4 oz. of water) just sucks for me. But as long as the scoop of protein powder is in there, the rest of it shouldn't matter too much. Whatever it takes, to make it drinkable.

It is relatively low in sugar, and it does indeed taste pretty good (it's what they use at the smoothies shop), so it's just about finding the right combination.

No problem!

I have just 1.1 more miles to go

Elizabeth Templin McCamic:

Over the weekend, I went for my last long run. Well, the last one until race day, which is less than two weeks away.

I've learned a lot during this process. During my 12-mile run Saturday, I realized how much tougher I am mentally. Back in February, a 12-mile run would have felt impossible. I would have internalized every minute, thinking "when will this be over?"

Now I still have thoughts like that sometimes, but I feel more confident that I can run whatever distance I need to for the week. If I have to go two miles farther than last week, then that's what I'm going to do.

This confidence makes the whole process more peaceful than it once was. Instead of thinking about the work I'm doing and how hard it is, I'm more likely to be listening to birds chirping or thinking about what I might do later in the day.

I also have noticed that my stride is better. It's more efficient and a bit longer than it used to be. My leg muscles are stronger than they were back in January, when I started this process, and I have more than one gear, so if I need to quicken my pace for a few minutes, I can.

These changes should help me get through race day. According to my training schedule, I'm tapering the distance of my runs this week and next week so I'm well-rested for the big day.

I've been studying the course and there are a couple hills I'm a little worried about, so I may be out there practicing on hills this week.

I hope all this hard work pays off.

See 99 percent of me in the flesh!

Lawrence Toppman:

Nothing says "Lose weight, you oaf!" like an event where you have to wear your best clothes. (I'm not talking about my 40th high school reunion, which comes this summer. I'd probably skip that if I looked like a stunt double for Adonis.)

I will host concerts this weekend by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, which will devote Friday and Saturday evenings to the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. (Details are at http://www.charlottesymphony.org/.)

I was asked to wear a tuxedo, but I have no hope of getting into the one I last wore 15 years ago. I DO have some hope of getting into the navy suit I donned when I was married five years ago, but I figure I'm still a couple of pounds away from zipping the pants comfortably. (It would be hard to narrate a concert while holding my breath for 90 minutes.) So it's bran flakes and broccoli for the next four days, to see if I can slide into that suit without feeling like Scarlett O'Hara in a straight-jacketing corset.

The weigh-in today said 190, so it'll be a near thing either way. But it's good to have short-term goals in a weight-loss program as well as long-ones, and my goal for this week is to get that suit on again. Of course, the jacket is cut pretty long. So if I have to leave the top hook of the pants unfastened, who will know?

Pounding again

Ellyn Ritterskamp

I have fallen off the train a bit, but got re-inspired yesterday. In five weeks I will see an old friend I haven't seen in years. The last time he saw me, he said "There's more of you than there used to be," in the sweetest way possible. When we first knew each other, I was maybe a little underweight, and had spent years subconsciously overcompensating.

There's even more of me now than when he said that.

There's nothing like having a target to shake off a few pounds. Just a few.