How I PLAN To Overcome Lazy This Week: We're Adding a New Healthy Thanksgiving Tradition

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  I can’t wait to see my family and enjoy the good food. . . and this year, I’m especially looking forward to the 1^st Annual Johnson Family Golden Sneaker Challenge! 

I’m still working on the details but there will be things like a pumpkin relay, a gobbler chase, a 5K turkey trot, an Indian (ahem – native American) hieroglyphic hike… and, of course, some power shopping (possible requirements:  a running pace and jumping jacks while waiting in line).

I did something similar with the Taylor side of my family this summer during our reunion at the beach and it was AWESOME!  It turned out to be one of the highlights of the vacation.

We’ll see how much we can fit in… after all we’re not abandoning the usual traditions, nor do I want to eliminate some luxurious down-time while the kids occupy themselves with unstructured free-play.

I just wish we had a few more hours of daylight this time of year. Curse you, daylight savings… and planet Earth for tilting away from the sun!  It’s winter, but we still wanna play outside!

Have a happy (and healthy) Thanksgiving!

Random Act of Fitness #22: Keeping pace with my 5-year-old

This girl amazes me.

Because of my 5-year-old daughter’s seemingly limitless energy, trying to keep up with her on any given day provides many opportunities for an RAF… if I decide to join her!

Well, this week on one of our walks to school, I did, indeed, keep pace with her!  Once we exit the gate of our neighborhood, she usually jets off down the sidewalk and impatiently waits for me to catch up so she can hop her way across the lines of the cross walks and then resume her little race.

I usually walk briskly to so she stays in sight and isn’t kept waiting too long, but the other day, I matched her running pace and hopped right along with her across the streets and got my heart pumping a little more than usual. 

See you can even do interval training on the walk to school!

How I Overcame Lazy This Week: I Totally Rocked Out!

Music is powerful, magical and can be very motivating!  Lately it has often been a significant factor in enhancing my performance while running.  I know I've picked a good song for my play list when - despite my panting and wheezing - I still feel compelled to sing along out loud!

Often when I'm dragging my feet to even start my workout, I put on some good tunes and am suddenly inspired to change my clothes and get moving! 

I've said it before:  music that motivates is such a personal thing, but I thought I'd share a few songs that are working for me lately:
Angel of Harlem - U2
Beautiful Life - Ace of Base
Bust a Move - Young MC
Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna
Hung Up - Madonna
Kiss - Prince
Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townsend
Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls
Love Shack - B52s
More Than A Feeling - Boston
Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
Poison - Bel Biv Devoe
Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
Uprising - Muse
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
Wild Boys - Duran Duran
Your Love Is My Drug - Ke$ha
Quite the mix-up, I know, but I love all these for various reasons... some old stuff, some new. 

Whatever it is that gets you moving... put some good music on the next time you're dragging!