Amped up for fall

Have you looked at the weather forecast this week? Temperatures are set to be in the 70s and 80s with loads of sunshine, and I am stoked! I felt like a whole new person this morning when I was able to walk out the door in short sleeves without shivering. Now as much as I love the cool crispness that fall brings–pumpkin lattes, sweaters, amazing colors–for awhile there it felt like we went straight from summer to winter on the thermometer, which is not okay with this lady.

Too many nice weather days slipped past me the last few months without running outside or hiking, so I’m determined to make my way out this week while I still can without adding on a ton of layers. I got a head start on Saturday when my fellow and I hiked for a couple hours at Jefferson Memorial Forest. The recent rain made all the colors pop so much that it was hard to get a good hike in; I kept stopping just to take in the scene.

We are lucky in Louisville to have such an expansive parks system, and if you haven’t spent much time at one lately, now’s your chance. The best advice I can give anyone this week is to block off a chunk of time to be active outside: go for a walk, go for a jog, go for a hike, just GO!

Don’t let life be the pits!

Rainbow mud. That’s how I would describe my appearance on Sunday morning after a few friends and I, along with 7500 other people, completed The Color Run 5k downtown. Now, this wasn’t so much a race as it was a colorful street party. For those of you who haven’t heard of The Color Run, the gist of it is that you start the run wearing a clean white shirt, and along the course, you get gently pummeled with colored powder; at the end, you look like something out of Willy Wonka.

I can say with total certainty that I’ve never had so much fun in a race! Our team–for PEACH’s sake–had one objective: get as colorful as possible. To accomplish this, we rolled around in color that had fallen to the ground at each station. STOP. DROP. ROLL. COLOR. It just goes to show, getting exercise and being active doesn’t have to be a drag. While this certainly wasn’t an intense cardio work-out, jogging and laughing at the same time with friends make for very fun physical activity.

You don’t have to be an Ironman competitor to complete a race. There are lots of runs and walks still left this summer and fall that would be great for the whole family to do, or if you’ve never completed a race before, there’s no better time than now to push yourself and do one! You can look at a fairly comprehensive list of races in and around Louisville here. There are a number of races for charity, so you can support a good cause and get in some exercise at the same time. Maybe you can even get a team together and make silly shirts for the race (“Don’t let life be the pits” was our team motto for The Color Run). However you go about it, I would highly recommend doing a race. Whether you run, walk, or do some combo of both, you’re going to feel great after you cross that finish line.

Here’s to life, more life!

My turn to blog this month happened to land on my birthday. Today, I am 25 years old–old enough to rent a car–and am up for celebrating!

I’ve seen people reach this age and commence to freak out because of all they were supposed to have done by 25–get married, have kids, land the dream job and dream house, and so on–but that’s not how I want to spend this day or this year. Sure, there’s a whole slew of milestones on a life list I would have liked to reach by now (oh, salary and benefits, one day we will meet) and aspects of my life I want to change, but I want to spend more time celebrating what I do have in my life, not lamenting what isn’t.

This morning, I kicked off the day with a bowl of cereal and a challenge: to jog the full loop at Iroquois Park non-stop, twice. Last year on this day, I huffed and puffed those hills and completed the full route jogging non-stop for the first time, so I thought I’d up the ante a little this year. My knees didn’t like it, and I was sweating glistening like crazy, but I pushed through, and 6.4 miles later, made it to the end. While my pace was nothing to write home about, I was excited just to finish and not pass out at the end.

Whatever your age, keep on challenging yourself and celebrating yourself.

Running past the woods today, I was thinking about people I’ve known in my life who never reached 25 and how incredibly lucky I am to be healthy enough to still be here, running. Today, I celebrate my health and my community–friends, family, neighbors, social justice allies, and YMCA pals. You should go celebrate something today! I plan on celebrating by crossing the bridge and having the best ice cream in all of Kentuckiana at Mom & Pop’s Cone Corner in New Albany later today. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Vote in Kentucky–May 22

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your note is never lost — John Quincy Adams

If you want to get me riled up (and why would you want to do a thing like that?), you can tell me you’re not voting because your vote “doesn’t count.” Few utterances make me want to jump from my chair and shake a person like this one. When I turned 18, the most exciting thing for me was to register to vote, and I have voted in every primary and general election since. I love voting!

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there is plenty that needs fixing in our electoral systems, from policies that disenfranchise citizens to confusion over what races to vote in, but even with these different problems, voting and having a say in who represents you in government is too important a right to squander. Seriously, I could go on and on and on about voting and the importance of civic engagement in and outside the polling booth (stop by the Southwest YMCA and maybe we can chat about it some more). Heck, it wasn’t all that long ago that women had to fight for the right to cast a vote in this country. That reason alone is compelling enough for me to vote–to honor the women who worked so hard to give me that right.

Kentuckians have a chance to exercise their right to vote next Tuesday, May 22nd in the state’s primary election. Voter turnout in primaries is often dismal, but this is an exciting year, especially for Louisvillians as many races for State House, State Senate, and Metro Council have multiple candidates running in both parties. If you’re unsure of where to vote, visit the Board of Elections site to locate your polling place and what districts you’re in. And take the time to educate yourself before voting. So often, especially with smaller local races, people may not know who is on the ballot until Election Day, so check out a sample ballot for your area and learn more about the candidates. I always appreciate this nonpartisan voter guide put out each election cycle that publishes candidates’ responses to surveys on issues impacting Kentuckians.

Polls are open 6am to 6pm next Tuesday, May 22nd–don’t forget to vote!

Ending bullying is a shared responsibility

Earlier today, I had intended to write a blog post about this no sugar experiment my roommate and I are doing, but then I went to the movies. And I cried. I shook my hands at the movie screen a few times, laughed a few times, but I mostly cried. The movie that got me all worked-up is the documentary Bully. In short, it’s a wonderfully crafted film that follows five different families who are struggling with different aspects of the bullying crisis in America. There’s a family whose son ended his own life at age 17 after being harassed at school for years. A teenage girl whose whole family has been ostracized since she came out as being gay. And then there’s the 12 year-old boy, Alex, who has a heart of gold and a gorgeous smile, but he comes off as “weird” to other kids and is constantly physically and verbally bullied by classmates.

I’m not writing a movie review on the YMCA blog (though I will say it was amazing and powerful and worth seeing–check out the trailer here). I’m writing about this movie today because the parents and young people in the film, while they struggle and feel deep pain, are working to try to make change and to improve the lives of children in America, and that falls right in line with our work at the Y. One area of focus for the YMCA is Youth Development. We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they really are and what they can achieve. Through our many different programs, from childcare to sports to leadership development, we work to cultivate values and skills in children that will help them make positive choices in their lives. But this work isn’t just the responsibility of the YMCA–it falls on us all.

The film tonight showed just how much power lay in our words and actions–how deeply they can hurt and how high they can lift. We may not be on the playground or the school bus anymore, but us adults can fall into similar patterns, like gossiping and forming cliques, that share the same elements of childhood bullying. I don’t have children and don’t know if I will ever have any, but I want to set a positive example for any kids I might encounter by living and speaking in a way that doesn’t demean or hurt others. Doing that won’t always be easy or comfortable (just flip on the TV or open a magazine; our media is often glorified gossip) but it’s something I think we could all stand to do.

To learn more about the movement to end bullying, please check out Stand for the Silent, an organization founded by the Smalley family after they lost their 11 year-old son to suicide.

Free outdoor event season begins!

Longer daylight hours, warm temperatures, parks bursting with vibrant colors: spring is definitely my season. There are few joys in life sweeter or more simple than taking a walk in the park with a friend on a sunny day, and with spring you get lots of opportunities for those walks. On top of spring being the season where we all come out of hibernation–farewell bulky winter clothes, hello shorts and sandals!–this is also when the city pops with a great variety of free events. Below are just a handful of events happening over the next few months in our grand city that I’m looking forward to. Feel free to share more in the comments!

Iroquois Amphitheater movie nights — While the summer movie series at Iroquois Amphitheater doesn’t kick off until June, I’m already stoked just looking at the schedule. I’ve been meaning to see The Help, now I’ll wait and enjoy it for free at my favorite park.

University of Louisville men’s baseball — I’ll admit I’m not a huge baseball fan (or sports fan, period), but when the games are free and the hot dogs tasty, I can get roused up and sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with the best of them. Grab the kids or some pals and check out a free U of L baseball game.

WFPK Waterfront Wednesday — This concert series goes from April through September and is always the last Wednesday of the month. This is a great way to enjoy a view of the Ohio River and listen to some great music.

Volunteering — You can volunteer at plenty of places year-round, but if I can soak up some rays and fresh air AND do something good at the same time, I’d rather do that. Olmsted Parks Conservancy is a great organization to volunteer for if you’re a big fan of our parks system. It’s also a neat way to learn more the different vegetation in the park. And coming up the week of April 15th is Mayor Fischer’s Week of Service. Volunteer opportunities abound all over the community for this special week.

Shakespeare in the Park — This another one that’s a couple months off, but I’m already looking forward to seeing The Bard’s Much Ado About Nothing at Central Park.

Kentucky Derby Festival — Once March Madness ends, the city barely has a moment to recuperate before the Kentucky Derby Festival starts. From chow wagons to concerts to parades, and, of course fireworks, there will be plenty to do before the big day in May.

What are you and your family looking forward to this spring?

Can you spare 30 minutes a day?

You would think working at the YMCA would instantly make you a model of health and wellness, as if going through orientation will then re-wire your brain to make sure you to go to a group aerobics class everyday and to never be without a healthy snack in your bag. I wish it were so simple.

Mondays are usually my longest work day of the week: after being at the Y for 10 hours, it’s pretty dang hard to work up the motivation to stay and hop on the elliptical for 30 minutes. This Monday was one of those nights where I just didn’t do it, but I wish I had.

In the grand scheme of the day, 30 minutes isn’t all that long. (I can barely watch an episode of 30 Rock in 30 minutes!) It’s all about prioritizing and making the time to be active, whether it’s going to the Y or taking a walk through your neighborhood. So many of us spend a majority of our days sitting–sitting at a desk, sitting in the car, sitting on the couch–that we have to really make an effort to get moving. One of the absolute best things you can do for your health is to spend half an hour being active. On those days when I need that extra kick in the butt, I look for different motivators, and this short video lecture is a great one. In it, Dr. Mike Evans, a professor of Family Medicine and Public Health, talks about the many benefits of being active, from decreasing your risk for heart disease to improving quality of life. It’s well worth the nine minutes–and there are great illustrations to convey his points.

So, can you limit your sitting and sleeping to just 23 1/2 hours a day? Can you dedicate just 30 minutes a day to being active? I’m working on it–you should, too!

What are your favorite activities that get you moving and out of your seat?

Shedding pounds, gaining confidence

Some people look to famous people and historical figures for inspiration, and while I’m definitely one of those people who can dig a good quote from Gandhi or Einstein, I feel more personally moved by the everyday people I actually interact with, and the YMCA Weight Loss program highlights that point perfectly.

Since September, I’ve had the great privilege of facilitating the YMCA Weight Loss group at our Southwest branch and have met some wonderful people through this program. One member who always brightens up our Monday evening class is Lisa Garrett. Lisa started the program at the Southwest Y back in October and has since lost about 30 pounds! Being witness to Lisa’s weight loss journey has been such a treat for me–I thought it was only fair to let everyone else in on how awesome this lady is. So, let’s hear a little from her.

Why did you join the YMCA Weight Loss program? I was ready for a change. I was sick of feeling unhealthy and was frustrated about not being happy with myself. There was no one who could change that but me. I didn’t think about it too much; I just jumped in.

What positive changes have you experienced since joining the program? My self-confidence is amazing! I’m happier, more outgoing. I feel more young at heart. I used to be the one waiting on things to happen, now I’m more of a go-getter.

What do you enjoy most about the program? The overall sense of support and well-being everyone has for each other. Having a sounding board. The support has definitely been the best part of the program.

What advice would you give someone wanting to lose weight? Don’t over-think it; just jump in and do it, then there’s less time to talk yourself out of it. Sometimes the first step is the hardest, but remember that you are worth it. Making a lifestyle change like this is hard, but it is so, so worth it.

So, like Lisa says, it’s hard work, but it is so worth it.

If you want to learn more about the YMCA Weight Loss program, contact our Weight Loss Coordinator, Erin Brown, at 502 314 1613 or at yweightloss@ymcalouisville.org.

Choosing apples over chips

Chocolate and chips are a weakness of mine. I’m a snacker, and if I’m within six feet of either of these treats, there’s a good chance I’ll soon be munching on them. In trying to eat better these last few months, I’ve been looking for ways to make my snacking habits less hazardous to my health. Enter the apple!

This fall has been a great season for apples, and while you can find them at grocery stores year-round, it’s hard to top the taste of in-season fresh fruit. Apples serve as a great addition to breakfast or as an anytime snack–definitely a good post-workout snack to have in your gym bag. If you’re in a hurry or in a setting where crunching a juicy apple (apple juice running down the side of my mouth at work is something I’d like to avoid), then dried apples might be worth trying.

Using a food dehydrator, you can make sure your big bag of apples doesn’t go bad before you eat them by drying them out and making a tasty and portable treat. I’ve been carrying a little baggy filled with dried apples lately to munch on at work, and they’re just as addictive as chips! Dried fruit certainly does make a fine snack, but because some nutrients are lost and sugars are more concentrated, you still need to pay attention to just how much you’re eating. A serving of dried apples does still serve as a healthy snack in that one serving gives you 20% of your daily dietary fiber and 8% of your daily potassium.

So, if you’re a snackaholic like me, passing over the chips for dried fruit might be a good move for you. Home dehydrating is best, but if you don’t have access to a dehydrator, you can find a variety of dried fruits at most grocery stores.

What are your favorite healthy snacks? If you don’t have one yet, get to it!