Are you a serving size pro?

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Today I’m going to share a story about myself and the bottomless bowl of pasta.

If this looks like a single serving of pasta to you, you are NOT a serving size pro.

Last year, IBX piloted a series of health fairs at the Philadelphia International Airport. I was there to emcee and to act as a model for whatever our personal training guru wanted to demo for the crowd.

(Never agree to demonstrate “burpees” for a crowd directly after lunch. Trust me.)

One of our non-physical activities was a portion control quiz. It consisted of a series of menu cards describing common meals and a basket of household items that could represent the portions —– like check books, softballs, and those little plastic boxes of dental floss. It was the player’s job to choose the right-sized item to represent a single portion of each menu item.

My colleague Marian offered to give me a practice quiz. Being one hundred percent Italian, naturally I chose “Pasta Dinner.”

Would you pass serving sizes 101? (I didn’t)

“Okay, Peter,” Marian said, “pick out one serving of pasta.”

I fished through the basket of items. Nothing seemed to resemble my typical serving of pasta. I eventually settled on a pair of Whiffle balls. Marian frowned a little, and then read me the next item: “Alfredo sauce.”

I cast about for something that looked like the size of a ladle. I came up short, so went with a third whiffle ball. Marian’s face was now fixed with a grimace. A friendly, helpful, wellness-oriented grimace.

“Is that really your guess for a single serving of pasta and sauce?” she asked.

“Are we talking about a restaurant or dinner with my family? Because my aunts would probably say I was looking a little pale and add another ball of pasta. And that doesn’t count going back for seconds.”

At this juncture, I received a lesson on portions.

Size up your plate of pasta

An example of some common household objects you can picture to gauge a serving size.

I learned a recommended serving of pasta is two ounces dry, which makes about one cup cooked. That should take up about as much room on your plate as a baseball.

That means when you are out to eat and you get a bowl of spaghetti the size of your head that it is way more than a single portion. As for Alfredo – suggested serving size, two tablespoons – about the volume of a ping pong ball. Check out this WebMD slideshow illustrating some of the other common size suggestions (they start at slide 13).

What does it all mean? There is no rule that says you have to limit yourself solely to meals containing exact portion sizes. Sometimes we’re really hungry! However, it pays to know the approximate size of those servings on a plate — especially when it comes to heading out to dinner at a restaurant, eating a big family meal, or selecting food from a buffet.

Take a quick portion sizes quiz

I am now a portion size pro. You can be one, too! Below are some of the other foods from Marian’s quiz. Highlight the text to see the answers.

Steak – deck of cards
Chicken or Fish – deck of cards / check book
Pasta – baseball
Cream Sauce – ping pong ball
Cheese – pair of dice
Green Leafy Vegetables, like spinach – two whiffle balls
Beans or other protein vegetables – hockey puck
Salad Dressing – ping pong ball

Are you a serving size novice or a portioning pro? Does portioning help you better manage your health? What food do you find the hardest to eat just one serving size of?

For me, the answer will always be ice cream … but you should brace yourself before you highlight: serving size of about a tennis ball.

Peter

I am a lead communications representative at IBX. After years of developing materials about healthy steps, I decided it was time to take some of my own. I’m a lifelong Philly resident, pescetarian, gym-newbie, and recent yoga convert. I sing and play guitar in a local rock band, and I love to twist and shout.

Layla & Sarah Walk the Talk on Philly.com

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Layla and Sarah out for a run in downtown Philadelphia.

We’re two days away from the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, America’s largest 10-mile road race!

Not only are our IBX Walk the Talk bloggers Sarah and Layla running together in the race, their unique story was featured this week in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sarah Matthews and Layla Gray went to grade school together in Ambler and were both overweight children. They lost contact after they switched schools. … About two years ago, they ran into each other in the lobby of Independence Blue Cross, where both women, now 34, happen to work.

“The funny thing is, before I even saw her in the lobby, I always wondered about her through the years,” Layla said.

Read more about their inspirational story of rekindled friendship and newfound fitness on Philly.com.

IBX Healthy Steps Team

Making healthy lifestyle changes doesn’t happen all at once, and it doesn’t mean you have to swear off everything you love. Rather, change takes time — and the key to making those changes last is to take small, consistent steps. Healthy Steps from Independence Blue Cross (IBX) is designed to help you make healthy changes that will last a lifetime — one step at a time.

Make every day a walk @ lunch day

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Before getting a job in the city, I used to dream about being able to walk to work.

I’d normally daydream about this while I sat in my car in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Schuylkill (un)Expressway. I hated driving to work. Even my super-secret back roads short cuts from Manayunk to Plymouth Meeting would take 45 minutes.

I am now lucky enough to live within walking distance of work, the grocery store, Clark Park, Fairmount Park, a farmers’ market, and most of the nightlife in the city. However, according to my friends, my definition of “walking distance” is very different from the average person’s definition. You see, I live about 2.5 miles from work. To me, that’s a nice little stroll in the morning.

When I first started to work out and lose weight, my exercise of choice was walking. When the weather was nice, I’d walk around the track at the Ambler Borough Park. Rain, cold, or snow meant walking inside at the YMCA. It just seemed like the easiest way to exercise. There was no expensive equipment required and no special moves to learn. I didn’t have to sign up for a class. I just had to lace up my shoes and hit the pavement.

I have now added running, Zumba, step aerobics, and spinning to my fitness routine. However, walking still remains an important part of my exercise repertoire. I try to add some extra steps to my day by taking a short walk during my lunch break, walking to or from work, or getting off the trolley a stop or two early. It’s an easy way to burn a few extra calories while getting some fresh air.

Tomorrow is National Walk@Lunch Day. Whether you are a fitness fanatic or a gym newbie, lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement on your lunch break. Take 30 minutes out of your day to get some fresh air and burn calories.

In Philadelphia, there will be thousands of people walking around Rittenhouse Square. Don’t work in Center City Philadelphia? There are walks scheduled all over the region and the country. Visit the National Walk@Lunch page to find a walk near you.

You can also just get some coworkers together to go for a stroll. Maybe even start your own walking club. Maybe you too will see that once you get walking, you can’t stop moving.

Sarah

I’m a senior communications specialist at IBX. I’m passionate about weight loss through fitness and healthy eating. I stay active by walking, running, and going to the gym. I also enjoy hiking with my dog along the Wissahickon trails.

Coming out on the wrong end of the numbers game

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Eventually I want to tell you all about what I’m doing now to whip myself into shape. But, you might ask, what made me start?

Frankly, 50 pounds is what gave me a swift kick in the pants. Three years ago that’s what my bathroom scale told me I had gained since college.

Seeing that number – for me the shock of that number, how it snuck up so fast on me, was enough to convince me that I had to do something to turn things around. Beyond that, though, I didn’t really have a clue.

Stumbling out of the gates

Health books with big promises are present-day versions of the classic Charles Atlas ads.

To begin I started wandering into bookstores, making a beeline for the health/wellness sections. I started buying health books, always long on promises, that laid out a road map towards full-body transformations, which sounded to me a lot like a 21st century update of the Charles Atlas ad I used to see in comic books.

Okay, I thought. Nobody was going to kick sand in my face!

Unfortunately, I’d been inspired, and my idea for a total body makeover, which started innocently enough as a poor seed of a plan, blossomed into a full-grown bad idea.

Shooting for the moon

I thought I’d go all in, promising myself that I’d diet and exercise. For motivation I took one of those “before” pictures — you’ve seen them before, probably on late-night infomercials. You know the ones — an unflattering picture of a model who miraculously transforms in six or 12 or 24 weeks into, presto, an “after” picture, with the model now beautiful, muscled, bronzed, and bald.

Smile for the camera

Looking like Lou Ferrigno from TV's The Incredible Hulk is not the most realistic fitness goal for your second week of working out.

So I tried it. Standing in poor light, I puffed out my stomach, slouched my shoulders, flashed an I-can’t-believe-I’m-doing-this grin at the camera, and presto — I had a “before” shot as miserable as you can imagine. Pale, pasty, pouty. I’d hit the trifecta of humiliation.

What I thought would be a motivator became something else entirely. A source of tremendous shame that depressed me, leading me to believe that there was no way to turn things around.

I made it to the gym, lifted a few weights, jogged half-heartedly, curbed my eating a little, then got discouraged when I didn’t turn into Lou Ferrigno within two weeks. (Even repeated viewings of Pumping Iron didn’t do the trick.) Determined to try harder, I went on a radical vegetable diet. (To me the diet sounded great because it promised no calorie counting and I could eat as much as I wanted — provided it was spinach.)

When that diet didn’t work out, I got depressed and gained five more pounds. I gave up on both working out and eating better.

I couldn’t see the point, not when I didn’t look or feel better immediately.

The solution is slow and steady (just like mom said)

Eventually I did lose weight. Trying little changes that didn’t feel like sacrifices made the difference.

First I tried something simple — cutting out bored eating before bed. Restricting myself to fried meals once a day. And you know what? It started making a difference, it really did. Over the course of a few months, I made the dreaded trip to the scale once a week and suddenly it seemed like the scale had come around to my way of thinking, showing me numbers that I liked.

The pounds came off as sneakily as they were packed on. Over the years, I’ve done more nutritional research, found an eating style (not a diet) that’s right for me, and grown addicted to going to the gym after finding some workouts I like.

Fast forward to now

Even though I never have taken an “after” photo, I do feel pretty good about where I’m at, even if I haven’t lost all 50 of those pounds. (And please don’t ask to see the “before” photo either! It’s right in the trash where it belongs.)

So tell me. What about you? Ever made a health resolution that just didn’t stick?

Stephen

I’m a senior copywriter at IBX. For years I’ve been living a bike-centric life, but now I’m looking for new ways to get active that go beyond pedaling to work every day. On the personal side, I enjoy writing, old movies starring John Wayne, and getting lost in unfamiliar cities. Keep checking back as I share my tiny triumphs and small setbacks on the road to better health.

Elect Yourself Mayor of the Gym

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I am very competitive. I love to win. Board games? Ice-cream-eating contest? Limbo competition? I am confident that I can defeat any challenger…

…with one major exception: fitness.

It started in grade school when I was the last kid picked for every team. I’m no better as an adult. I tried to compete the first time I visited the gym. I kept pace with my co-worker Mary Kate on a treadmill for about two minutes before quitting in exhaustion. I tried to be as bendy as fellow blogger Sarah the first time I took yoga, only to fall on my face.

I’ll be honest: it sucked. For someone who likes to win, it seemed like the gym would never offer me a reward. (Yes, I know the reward is being fit, but that’s like telling a football player the reward is being on the field. We both want to WIN something.)

Then one day I became mayor of the gym. It changed everything.

Work hard, play Foursquare

Check-in at your gym on Foursquare and you may elect yourself the mayor!

Foursquare is a social game for your GPS-enabled smart phone. It allows you to check into places to score points and badges. If you have the most check-ins at a location within 60 days you become its mayor. Some places give special discounts to their mayors, but mostly it is an honorary title that comes complete with bragging rights.

Bragging rights were enough for me. I had been checking into my gym out of habit when one day Foursquare informed me, “You are seven days away from being mayor.”

I assumed it was a fluke. I don’t go the gym very often. Foursquare must have added things up wrong. Yet, over my next few visits, Foursquare kept counting down the days to my mayorship. Suddenly, I was trying to find extra time in my day for a quick workout to catch up with the existing mayor.

The day finally came. I left my first boot camp class and checked in on Foursquare, and it proclaimed:

“You just became mayor of the gym!”

It felt amazing – which was a good thing, because the class almost killed me. I had finally won at fitness, even thought I only use 10-pound weights in my boot camp class. Suddenly I found myself locked in a battle for the mayorship with other gym-goers, which just made me visit more. Not only that, but Foursquare kept a tally of my consecutive workout days and weeks, and gave me a “Gym Rat” badge as proof that I am really walking the talk.

Social games for physical fitness

Achieve victory over fitness by tracking your exercises with Fitocracy

Foursquare isn’t unique in adding a gaming element to daily life and fitness.

For a fitness-specific game, check out Fitocracy. Instead of GPS check-ins, Fitocracy asks you to enter your workouts. It assigns points for things like duration, challenge, and frequency, and tracks your score as you compete against friends and people with similar interests. As you accumulate points you level up – like a character in a video game!

Or, just buy a pedometer. Experts suggest you take 10,000 steps every day. One of my friends at work armed himself with a pedometer to track his steps, and discovered he walks almost 100,000 steps every week! I borrowed his pedometer and discovered I walk almost 4,000 each day just in my commute to IBX.

Now my boss and I are having a friendly (and very competitive) step-counting competition. She is kicking my butt (did I mention “competitive”?), which just makes me want to walk more.

Play to win!

When it comes to fitness, it doesn’t matter if you are the first-picked or the fastest. What counts is challenging yourself and having fun. Foursquare helped me stay motivated and form a great gym-going habit, and now I’m trying to get extra steps in every day. Even if I lose my mayorship, I’m still winning at fitness.

What about you? Have you competed against yourself or others to stay fit? What’s the most motivating healthy game you’ve played?

Peter

I am a lead communications representative at IBX. After years of developing materials about healthy steps, I decided it was time to take some of my own. I’m a lifelong Philly resident, pescetarian, gym-newbie, and recent yoga convert. I sing and play guitar in a local rock band, and I love to twist and shout.

Being a social butterfly while sustaining a healthy lifestyle

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In my last post, I mentioned my need for a group workouts. Yes, they are motivational, but even more than that, they’re social.

I absolutely love social events – cocktail parties, art shows, dinners with friends, alumni outings – you name it. Anything to get out, meet new people, and spend time with friends! But attending events like these can sometimes make it difficult to stay on the healthy path.

I recently moved back to Center City, which for me means going out and having something to do pretty much every night. And brunch plans – every weekend.

I maintain a healthy balance with the 80/20 rule.

Let’s face it, Philly is a foodie town. A new restaurant, bar, or food cart is opening all the time, meaning countless opportunities to go out somewhere new and see what’s cooking – literally! Besides all that, one of my close friends is a food blogger who cooks and bakes; I really love being a taste tester…

This is why I aim to stick with the 80/20 rule. Some people may remember hearing about this in a college business class as Pareto’s Principle, back in those college days when healthy living consisted of a veggie pizza from your local pizzeria washed down with light beer. Now, in the “real” world, trying to stay healthy is a whole different story.

The way I look at it, if I spend 80% of my week eating healthy then I can allow myself to indulge 20% of the time. Granted, I might be out and about 80% of the time, but that just means I’m more careful with what I’m choosing to eat and drink. During the day, I aim to stay super healthy so I can have a tasty dish and a glass of wine when I go out in the evening and not feel guilty about it.

There is more than diet and exercise that lead to a healthy lifestyle – going out and spending time with friends is part of keeping a healthy lifestyle, too. Depriving yourself will just leave you angry, so why not try to balance it out a little more and enjoy everything you love?

How do you manage to balance going out and staying healthy?

Anna

I’m a Performance Management Event Analyst at IBX. I love traveling and have explored at least one new country every year for the past 6 years. Follow my posts to see what I’ve learned through the unique workout I participate in and how I continue to strive for an overall healthy, balanced life.

Conquering CrossFit, Pt. 2: You’re going down, burpees

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As I said in my post Monday, it’s really hard to fit everything I want to say about CrossFit Center City in a single post.

The first time I walked into the gym I was really nervous. I always thought of myself as a weak little girl who sometimes can’t even lift my heavy pocketbook. But looking back on the last two weeks, I can’t believe how much I have accomplished. My first reaction when I learn that I have to do something is always “I can’t!,” but this experience changed all that. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could do some of the things I did, but somehow it happened.

Here’s a rundown of my biggest accomplishments for each day of CrossFit Elements:

Day 1

I did a walk-up handstand. It took a couple of tries, but I did eventually walk up that wall, point my toes, and hung there for a minute. I also did about 20 or so pushups. For someone who can barely do two, that’s a huge accomplishment!

Day 2

My air squats had improved so much from the first class, Chris said they were beautiful! I also finished the Metcon second in the class. We had to jump rope 50 times, and then do 15 air squats four times.

Day 3

I survived! (Yes, this is an accomplishment.) I met my arch nemesis, burpees, yet again. We had to complete as many wall squats (throwing medicine balls against the wall while squatting) for four minutes, and then four minutes of burpees. I only did about 12. Ashley-0, Burpees-1.

Day 4

I lifted 40 pounds of dumbbell weights over my head. That has to be the most I have ever lifted!

Day 5

I learned how to do an Olympic weight lift. I also completed the “Fran” during Metcon first in my class, 21 thrusters, pull-ups, and squats, then 15 thrusters, pull-ups, and squats, then, finally, nine thrusters, pull-ups, and squats.

Day 6

Burpees … we meet again. This time, we had to start every minute with three burpees and then try to complete 50 overhead squats. I wanted to get those burpees over with fast so that I would have more time in between my minutes to do the squats. I completed this Metcon in 3:29. Ashley-1, Burpees-1.

Looking back, I can’t believe I did so much. It was challenging, but not out of my reach. If you think you can’t do it, think again. ANYONE can do it. Doesn’t matter how old you are, your size or shape, you can do it. CrossFit is not different from any of the other places I visited; you have to work at it to get better at it.

I also can’t say enough about the staff I met. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. The sense of camaraderie is evident when you walk in the door and watch the coaches and students interact.

I loved my time at CrossFit Center City. While I have no plans to ever become an Olympic weightlifter or compete in an Ironman, I do plan on taking more classes. If you are looking for a challenging new workout that is ultra rewarding, try CrossFit! If you are a fan of our Facebook page, you can even take advantage of our latest deal: save $25 on the class I took, Elements, (usually $75).

This workout was clearly my “Everest.” So tell me, what is the most challenging workout you’ve ever done?

Ashley

I'm a marketing communications coordinator at IBX. I enjoy Philly sports and know everything there is to know about the Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers. I'm always looking for new ways that I can reach my goal weight. Follow my posts to find out what has worked for me and how it can work for you!

Conquering CrossFit, Pt. 1: Finding my inner Iron(wo)man

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When my co-workers first suggested I try CrossFit, I immediately Googled it. Seemed simple enough, so I agreed to participate. Then someone sent me this video and asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Watching the video made me exhausted, as well as anxious, and then a little nauseous. As you know from my previous posts, I have zero upper body strength. I can’t even do a push up. How would I be able to climb ropes, lift heavy weights, and do crazy hand stands on rings?

I decided to go for it. I signed up to take Elements at CrossFit Center City. The Elements class is the prerequisite six classes you must take before you start your regular CrossFit sessions. Over two weeks, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, I’d be dedicating an hour before work to the CrossFit gods. I told myself this will be the most hardcore, challenging thing I have ever done, but it will be worth it in the end.

I walked into the CrossFit gym for the first time while a class was still going on. Each of the participants looked like they were doing different exercises and running around. They were all very sweaty.

Yikes! What did I get myself into?

Chris, our coach, introduces himself to all five of us taking the class. Right off the bat, I like how this is a more intimate setting. I was already nervous, so this helps calm me down a bit. The class itself is structured; it’s broken up into 5 different sections.

Self-Myofascial Release (SMR)

We begin every class with the SMR, which are different massages that help reduce pain in your muscles. We use rollers on our back and legs. My favorite was when we used a lacrosse ball to massage our feet. (I may carry one around with me when I wear heels!) I have proof that SMR is great to start with because while I had usual aches and pains the next day, they weren’t nearly as bad as I expected.

Mobility

With this warm up, we are typically working our joints, spine, hips, knees, or shoulders. This could include hip thrusts or laying flat on your back and kicking your legs from side to side.

Dynamic Warm-up

Next, we perform various stretches. These aren’t you run-of-the-mill lunges. We stretch muscles I never knew I had! The Spiderman is one of my favorites.

Skill work

We always learned some sort of skill that is essential to CrossFit, whether it was box jumps, double-under rope jumps, kettle bell lifts, erg rowing, dumbbell press, or Olympic-style weight lifts. These were always pretty challenging, but Chris was very patient while teaching us, breaking down each movement slowly so that we got the most out of the skill.

Metcon

For me, this was always the toughest part of the workout. It combined elements from skill work and warm ups and added in endurance and aerobics. You need to have lots of stamina and strength to complete this part of the workout. By the end, maybe even halfway through, you feel like you may pass out or get sick, but the feeling doesn’t last, and in the end, you feel so accomplished for finishing.

It’s hard to fit six classes into a single blog post. You’ll have to wait until next time to see what I really thought, but you can save $25 on the CrossFit Elements class today if you are a fan of IBX’s Facebook page.

Ashley

I'm a marketing communications coordinator at IBX. I enjoy Philly sports and know everything there is to know about the Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers. I'm always looking for new ways that I can reach my goal weight. Follow my posts to find out what has worked for me and how it can work for you!

What happens in Vegas… when you’re hungry?

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No one should be unhappy on vacation, but that’s just what I was on the first day of my recent trip to Las Vegas.

Unhappy in Vegas! I know a lot of things are legal there, but being unhappy should be outlawed. There was so much to do and see that I was overwhelmed. I was also overwhelmed with grumpiness, which is why I need your help for my next big trip.

Is it possible to eat healthy food on vacation?

The food might have been a challenge, but the view was great!

My problem with Las Vegas wasn’t the sights – it was the food. Everything was delicious! However, some days I felt like there was nothing healthy to eat on the entire strip.

You know that saying “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”? That’s not true when it comes to calories, sodium, and cholesterol. Plus, I needed the energy to hit as many landmarks as possible each day.

In addition to being a health-conscious eater, I’m also a pescetarian (e.g., a vegetarian plus fish), which means some common healthy solutions – like deli sandwiches and grilled chicken dishes – don’t do me any good. At one buffet we visited even the salads had meat pre-mixed into them! And, even seemingly healthy smoothies were practically milkshakes after all of the added dairy and sugar.

After my first unhappy day, I approached our hotel’s concierge and inquired about more veggie-friendly meals … or even a place to pick up a simple fruit smoothie. She laughed at me. Laughed! She told me I was in Vegas, and I should forget about eating healthy.

“Live a little,” she said.

Living a little (while eating well)

I managed to get past my initial dietary panic and ditch the grump without the help of the concierge. It wasn’t easy. Here were a few of my strategies, which could work anywhere in the world.

  • Finding a source of simple, unprocessed snack foods like fruit, fresh salad, and nuts. They were super-expensive in my hotel, but less so at a convenience store down the street. Grocery stores can be your friend.
  • Asking servers for recommendations or modifications. While this wouldn’t have worked at the diner with an ambulance waiting outside to cart away potential heart-attack victims, many servers were happy to recommend a less-rich option on their menu or put sauce on the side. Wolfgang Puck’s smoothie stand The Pods was eager to concoct a non-dairy drink for me!
  • Searching the web for tips on every restaurant. Foursquare and Yelp apps on my phone helped me get the scoop on each eatery from other travelers, including secret vegetarian options, and butter-smothered meals to avoid.
  • Portioning my plates before I dug in. This protected me from getting overstuffed by huge resort portions and allowed me to bring leftovers back to our room to snack on later.
  • Staying hydrated. Air travel can sap the moisture from your body, as can a dry climate like Vegas. Add salty snacks or alcohol to the mix and you can really wring your body out with dehydration – a major source of grump, for me.

As a result, I felt like I treated my body well. At times I got slightly over-full, but I completely avoided junk! I even added a morning walk to make up for my missed gym classes. (Pro tip: the strip is empty at 8 a.m., but still gorgeous!)

Share your healthy vacation tips!

Now, I need your help, for the sake of my next vacation.

What are your strategies for finding healthy options when you travel? If you have a restricted diet (i.e., sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan), how do you research a destination before you take flight?

Peter

I am a lead communications representative at IBX. After years of developing materials about healthy steps, I decided it was time to take some of my own. I’m a lifelong Philly resident, pescetarian, gym-newbie, and recent yoga convert. I sing and play guitar in a local rock band, and I love to twist and shout.

A Runner’s Love

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February is the month associated with love — a cornucopia of greeting cards, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and dozens of red roses. For me, last month was a month to reflect on the reasons why I love running.

To love something (or someone) is individualistic

A circle of runner's love

The same applies in the context of running. The physical benefits of running are undeniably worth the effort but it takes more than a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) to keep me logging miles.

I find joy in material comforts like my running sneakers and jacket and less tangible ones like the attentiveness of my dog next to my hip, a smile exchanged with another runner, or the visualization of crossing the finish line of my next race.

Love is never an equation of one

Ask anyone who’s in love (or has been) and you’ll likely hear about two people.
My love of running works the same way. It is more than just me. I find clarity in my solo runs, but I’m never truly alone.

From “Maravans” (a term coined by my group of friends who travel to cheer each other’s races) to marathons, my friends are an amazing source of encouragement. We support each other and our own commitments to our running goals. We keep ourselves accountable to running in our own ways, and we are all positive contributors to the running community.

I am also fortunate to support and be motivated by members of an organization called Back on My Feet and their efforts in applying the disciplines of running to help those experiencing homelessness achieve self-sustaining independence.

Love is…

I couldn’t imagine a better start to training for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run than receiving my acceptance email to the 2012 NYC marathon. Twelve weeks of training for the Blue Cross Broad Street run takes on a new meaning. It marks the beginning of a VERY long-term commitment to running.

From now until November the durations and intensity of my workouts will gradually increase from 30 minutes to hours. My weekly running mileage will go from 25 to 40+ miles. Preparing also means increasing sleep, eliminating late nights, and avoiding overindulgent food feasts. Like relationships, running takes effort. It can be incredibly challenging yet the recipe is simple. That’s love.

And “when love meets skill, expect a masterpiece.”

What do you love (or hate) about running? Do you have races planned? What’s your big commitment of the year?

Heather

I am an underwriting business analyst at IBX. One of the many joys in my life is being a runner. With every mile I run I learn a little more about myself. I also love my huge, 120-lb. dog, and I recently camped overnight in the Sahara Desert.