10 before 35 ...

I like to set goals. And I like to work hard to accomplish them. So with my next milestone birthday about a year and two weeks away...it should not be a surprise that I've been thinking about things I'd like to accomplish before then.

While I've been working hard on living in the moment and enjoying what is happening WHEN it is happening, turns out that anticipation is not such a bad thing for my spirit. This article I read in the New York Times discusses just one of many studies that show the anticipation of an event, such as a vacation, leads to an increase in happiness. No wonder I'm Polly Positive...I'm ALWAYS looking forward to SOMETHING!

So what do I want to get done before 35? It's a mix of things I've never done, always wanted to do, and some regrets that I didn't do them sooner. There's so much to say, I'm going to unveil new ones about once a day during the weeks between now and my birthday. So pull up a chair, friend, and enjoy my Top 10:

1. Finish a half marathon. I have been running on and off since 1999, but seriously since summer 2007. I finished my first 5k in spring 2008 (thank you Power in Motion!), my first 10k in 2009 ... and wanted to do this sooner (as well as a full by 35) but injuries forced my plans to change. I have registered for the Houston Half in January 2012 and am on week 4 of training.

2. Watch a Saints game in person. I'm getting this done Saturday! The Saints take on the Texans in preseason play here in Houston. I ultimately want to see them play in the Superdome ... but this will have to go on the before 40 list. Just too much going on with a possible move, and I'm hoping the Cougars will go bowling around the holidays! I am going to see the Cougars play in the 'Dome ... so I'm doing the two parts separate, I suppose. Have to leave something for the next list, right?

3. Finish "the Buddy book." In 2003, when I was working for the Lake Charles American Press (my brief fundraising hiatus), I covered a visit from the Sweet Potato Queen (her ownself), Jill Connor Browne. Her speech inspired me to start writing a book that very night on the lessons I was learning as a dog owner (Buddy, after all, is my first). I wrote four lessons and stopped. I wanted an even dozen, and had ideas for 11 total ... when a few months back, now 11-year-old Buddy inspired idea #12. I'd like to finish this before he turns 12, even if no one else reads it. I love to write, and just reading the chapters I've done will be such a great memento to have when he's gone.

4. Compile photo albums & scrapbooks. I have meticulously collected most newspaper articles I wrote for The Daily Cougar, the Houston Chronicle, and the Press...as well as photos dating back pretty much my whole almost-34 years. These have lived in boxes, or bags. It's time to get them into books to enjoy. Sooner rather than later, thanks to possible move.

5. Write our wills and include planned gifts. Yes, it may be morbid, but I've learned in my line of business, every adult should have a will. Don't you want a say in what happens to your possessions (and for those of you with kids, your people), if the unthinkable happened? Just because we are still fairly young, you just never know. It's the best way to make sure your wishes are met. This is a lengthy process and may not finish by that birthday, but we'll start making plans and of course, I want to be sure to include some favorite charities. As well as my desire for an Irish Wake and a Jazz Funeral ... now you all know I want to go out with a bang!

6. Zip line over land. I regret not doing this when in Kauai for my parents' 30th anniversary in 2007. I zip lined over water at Xel-Ha this summer and it was awesome. I want to get over my fear and do this.

7. Import all my CDs into iTunes. Not exciting, but I want to finally digitize all my music. It's 2011. I need to get with the program, especially now that I own an iPhone.

8. Climb an indoor rock wall ... or go skydiving. I am still undecided here. I've never climbed a wall, and this would be pretty easy to do at the UH Rec Center. But I passed up the chance to skydive in 1998 and now am regretting it. I was features editor at the Cougar ... and was offered to do it for an article. The week of, I chickened out ... Adam went in my place and I shot photos. At the time, I wasn't sorry, but now I am. So I'm leaning towards that. It would be fun to do as a group!

9. Fit back into the "Heart Gala dresses." I have two dresses I only wore once and haven't worn in 5-6 years. I definitely want to get into the black strapless one with red and white flowers I wore to the 2005 Lafayette Heart Gala ... would be a perfect outfit for the UH Alumni Awards Gala in April. Bonus would be to fit in the strapless teal one I wore to the 2006 Northwest Houston Heart Ball.

10. Help build a Habitat house. I have been a fan of Habitat for Humanity since I covered the Houston Superbuild as an intern for the Chron in summer 1998 (I even was called on by President Carter at the press conference to ask him a question!). I have always wanted to work on a house build. Therefore, I plan to organize a group to do so in spring 2012. Leadership Houston Class XXIX, I'm looking at you for help!

Stay tuned to see how much I actually achieve ... just the thought of all the possibilities has me super happy!! :)

Want to help our parks stay healthy? There's an app for that! Check out Htown Bingo!

I know I typically focus on personal health and fitness, but today I'd like to share some information about a way Houstonians can help our parks stay in great shape. It's a fun, game-like app and website called Htown Bingo!

Maybe you are fitness inclined like me, and spend a decent amount of time in your neighborhood park. Maybe you've noticed a light has burned out, there's a dangerous crack in the sidewalk, or maybe the jungle gym is broken. Or maybe nothing is out of repair...but you think "This park would rock if there was a bike rack, so that I could ride over here with my kiddos to play."

So all you have to do is play a little bingo to get the ball moving on any of these suggestions. Htown Bingo is part of a larger effort by SeeClickFix to encourage active citzenship in communities. It's been employed across the country, from bike riders in Tucson reporting unsafe road conditions, to residents in Richmond providing feedback for economic development and planning in their community (you can read about these and more stories here).

How to play? It's as easy as using Facebook or Twitter. You can download the bingo board here, and then Tweet a picture of one of the featured squares with #htownbingo. You can also download the SeeClickFix apps for iPhone, Blackberry or Android to play.

When you have five squares marked off in a row, Tweet "Bingo!" with #htownbingo or post to Htown Bingo's Facebook wall. New squares are revealed about every two weeks by a blogger or organization in Houston (psst...hints here!). The first 10 to get bingo get a prize!

So let's help our community get healthy and have fun playing at the same time! See you at the park.

Half down, half to go ...

I know it sounds cheesy, but it really does seem like only yesterday that I was setting goals for 2011...and we're already halfway through the year. As I did at the end of the first quarter, I thought it would be a good time to take stock of where I am, where I need to go, and what may need adjusting due to changing circumstances:

1. Running: I have run 3 of 8 races for the year. As you may recall, the goal of running 8 races was to ramp up for a spring 2012 half marathon. I'm happy to report that I registered for the Houston half in January. I am running as a "Hero" for Habitat for Humanity. Since I start training on July 23, and my long runs will be on Saturdays, I am not sure how many more races I will complete this year. But since I achieved the greater goal of committing to a half, I'm OK with that.
2. Staying active: As of June 30, I have exercised 5528 minutes this year. Of 26 weeks, I hit the 300 target 8 times (about 30%), and topped 200 minutes (last year's measure) 14 times (about 54%). So my suspicion about raising the bar higher to a 300 minute/week goal was correct in that I would hit more minutes overall. January and June were my best months with more than 1000 minutes...so I need to work to do a better job during the semesters to keep that up.
3. Eating: I have lost and kept off about 3 pounds since Thanksgiving. It's not a lot, and this is probably the area I could continue to improve most. There are still times I struggle to log everything in my Weight Watchers app. There are definitely times I don't make the best choices. And frankly, I enjoy a good social hour with friends. So I need to eat better more of the times to accommodate for these realities of life.
4. Professionally: I have preliminarily passed the CFRE. I should be getting the official certificate and confirmation of my Certified Fundraising Executive sometime this month. It will feel great to put the initials behind my name. This was a lot of studying (which impacts the next goal), and a very challenging exam. What a great way to celebrate a decade in my profession!
5. Personally: I have read 13 books this year (goal was 12). Three of these were for the CFRE exam, so my new goal should be at least 15 by December. I am reading #14 and actually may pick back up a running book started in 2009 and put aside as #15. I have worked to have a good blend of business, leadership, fitness and fun books in the mix. I have found a fantastic site, Goodreads, to track progress, share with friends and it even links to FB and has a phone app.

So what next? In addition to keeping on my 2011 path, I have my eye on a "bucket list" of items I'd like to complete before my milestone birthday next summer. More to come in another post.

So how's your year shaping up? What did you set out to do in January and where are you in the progress?

Crossing over to Fitness

This morning, I took my first CrossFit class. Had I done some serious research into what it involved before buying a Groupon for it, I might have talked myself out of it. Even though I run and have done several races, I've never considered myself very athletic (see recent guest spot blog on this).

But I can't pass up a good deal as a way to try something new ... I figured, it worked well for hot yoga so why not?

Our class is 3 mornings a week, but I had to miss Monday due to Buddy having a dental appointment. I wasn't the only person in the class of 5 that had to miss Monday, which made me feel less nervous. Our instructor, Krista, was super patient and encouraging. It's 3 gals and 2 guys in our class, and we are all at different fitness levels.

The first move we did after warming up was a "sumo dead kettlebell" or something like that...basically, I had to lift a kettlebell from the ground up to my shoulders in a clean jerk, while not rounding my back. I'm pretty sure that's the cause of sore quads about 14 hours later.

Then it was time for the WOD (Workout of the Day): a 250m run around the building, then shoulder presses for the remaining minutes, with 3 minutes rest in between. I did 13 the first time, 14 each of the next 2 sets, for 41 total. I was about in the middle of the pack on reps, but the lightest on weight (25 lbs). I'm sure that will change as the classes progress.

It was over before I knew it...a quick and dirty 45 minute workout. But it made me feel so strong! I was proud of myself for not punking out when it got tough, and can't wait to see what the next class brings, and how my muscles will look when the class is done in 3.5 weeks.

It never hurts to try something new...though my muscles will probably argue that one tomorrow.

Take it easy...

This weekend was my first weekend without plans nearly all month. Since returning from vacation, my days have been more action packed than I thought ... but then, June always is a little busier than one thinks and the real "lazy days" come to light in July, at least in my world.

Sitting at the end of the weekend, I am singing the praises of 48 unplanned hours. It was GLORIOUS. We slept in, worked out...I even read a book for fun. It was a much deserved and needed rest after a month of accomplishments, which culminated in my CFRE exam on Friday. I thought about going into to work to get organized for the week, but a quick peek at my calendar showed I'd have plenty of hours in the week to log paperwork...so I resisted.

Turns out, taking vacations, and even short breaks from our daily routine, is healthy too. Research proves this could be just as important as exercise and a healthy diet.

So since I did promise more Me/We time this summer, you can bet I'm pretty excited that of the 5 weekends in July, we only have one commitment, our nephew's 5th birthday party. We have no other plans, and I'm going to work really hard to keep it that way. I have a busy fall ahead, and if I don't cool it on Saturdays and Sundays now, I'll konk out in the middle. And that would totally ruin my half marathon training (which starts July 23).

So, when's the last time you took it easy?

What's healthy: Me and We time

Adam and I recently returned from our "summer" vacation...we spent 6 days back at the site of our honeymoon 10 years ago, El Dorado Royale in Puerto Morelos, Mexico (appx 30 mins south of Cancun). Though our anniversary is not until July, we have more flexible work schedules now and didn't want to mess with any threats of hurricanes.

It was absolute paradise. Not only did we have gorgeous scenery and great weather, but spending time together without the hustle and bustle of daily chores, work and other activities was such a treat. The three weeks prior to the trip were especially hectic...I am holding down two departments at work due to an unexpected vacancy, plus with trying to wrap everything up for the end of the Junior League year, get ready for the trip, study for my certification...let's just say I'm grateful Adam pitched in a lot at Casa Burns and did not complain.

I spent some time on the trip, and in the days since (I don't return to work until Wednesday) evaluating how I would handle the day to day moving forward to incorporate some aspects of the Me and We time I so enjoyed. Perhaps it was the salty air, or maybe it was after reading The Long Run about the NY fireman who recovered from a horrible bike accident to run marathons again...but something was nudging me to take a step back and think about how life is short and priorities have to be set and enforced by ME.

Typically, summer is an easier time, schedule-wise. Campus is quiet, and it tends to be our planning season for the next school year. Volunteer commitments still exist but are minimal compared to the school year due to family vacations. It made me realize if I could work so hard on all these other items, why not take this "bonus time" the next few months and work on Me/Us??

So I have recommitted myself to a fitness plan. In fact, I've already worked out 8 days straight. If I can keep it up at least through July, I'll have a new workout streak record. While on vacation, I worked out in the morning (first thing or right after breakfast) all days but two, and one of those I got an afternoon workout (the other was the day we flew in and travel took the good part of that). So as much as I hate getting up early, I'm committing to morning workouts. Already got the first one tackled today and the clothes out for tomorrow's gym trip.

I've also recommitted myself to healthier eating. Since Sunday, I've been tracking Weight Watchers points again. Right now, I'm trying to get used to writing what I bite again, but we did load up on fruit and veg on Sunday's grocery trip, and I'm doing a better job of having fruit and/or yogurt as a nighttime snack. I came back from vacation up about 4.5 pounds and have shed 1.5 in just 3 days by watching my food and exercising. (I KNEW some was bloat!)

Part of this is more meals at home...and that means cooked at home, not picked up on the way home. This is where some of that WE time comes in. With less nights out for commitments, we can plan a whole week's worth of meals together, take turns cooking them and enjoy them together. I've already cooked 3 times this week...possibly more than the rest of the month combined! And there's nothing like family time enjoying a meal together. (Not to mention...this will make leftovers for healthier lunches!)

I'm also going to cool it but not totally restrict alcohol and sweets as I had PLENTY on vacation. That was actually the point of my challenges...I wanted to go without before so I could enjoy on vacation. But it's time to get those indulgences back to what they should be...treats, not everyday menu items.

So instead of getting in shape FOR summer, I want to be in shape by the end of summer...which happens to be my next birthday. In the long run, the gift of health is the best one I can give to Me/Us. I have a good 13 weeks. Let's see what can happen! So who's with me?

How Sweet It Isn't

It's been 15 days since I've had sweets. I have passed up candy, chocolate, cookies, cupcakes and yes, my beloved orange rolls. I'm exactly halfway through my 30 day challenge.

I will admit, as I suspected, this is harder than giving up alcohol. Sweets are EVERYWHERE. For example, your co-workers don't keep a flask on their desk and invite you to take a swig. Just like the last challenge, the first week or so was spent noticing how often I had access to the offending items.

And much like the last challenge, I've noticed a little substituting. This time, it's more crackers and bread products to replace some of the desire for dessert. I am working to re-implement my fruit as desserts plan to help with this part.

But for the most part, this isn't that bad of a challenge. I know it's short term, and I think we can take on any challenge for a short period of time ... much like my current experience at work, where I am temporarily running both the development and marketing teams in the college due to a vacancy. Sure, it's been extra work when I already have a bit on my plate to catch up this month before summer hits. It's a little stressful. But it won't last.

I am a big believer in challenges making us stronger people. As long as you learn something from the process, it's not a total loss. It's like my injuries ... I end up becoming a stronger athlete through them. Or my allergies ... sure, I've lost some ground on the workout front due to illness and then treatment, but it's work it for the long-term gain. I will say the alcohol challenge has kept me focused to stay at a very healthy 1/day average in the two weeks since completion.

And speaking of exercise, April was my worst month to date this year. I took 10 days off and logged about half as many minutes as January (my best weight loss month of the year). I've decided I need to work on consecutive days again and upping my minutes as my responsibilities lessen over the course of the coming weeks. It's a matter of always observing and fine tuning oneself.

I'm liking these mini-challenges. I think they help build a greater awareness of balance in life. I think when I finish this one, I may take a short sabbatical from social media...maybe just for a week. Would be fun to see what life would be like disconnected, but that's probably as long as I can manage since my work and volunteer lives require some level of usage.