Long time, no post

Hello everyone! It’s been much too long since our last post. We’ve missed you! We have a lot to catch you up on and we are looking forward to picking back up where we left off.  There have been big life changes for both of your F2BT gals!

It’s the holiday season – which means you are probably on the go, headed to parties and gatherings to spend time with family and friends. Also, it means we’re all doing our best to come out of 2010 without too many extra pounds and not find ourselves in a sugar coma for the next month. So gang, here’s to squeezing in some calorie burns in the midst of the baking/shopping/partying and trying out a few new treats this year that won’t require you to only resort to elastic waistbands by the time 2011 hits. Cheers!

-saralc

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San Francisco run route

Union Square San Francisco 6-ish
Find more Runs in San Francisco, California

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The Balancing Act

Do you ever ask yourself, “How am I going to get all of this done?” I do, frequently. Amanda and I actually had a great conversation tonight about this very topic. When the errands, chores, work and everyday commitments just seem like too much, what gives? Is it your workout? Or is it the hour of shows waiting on the DVR?

I’ve given up both at different points in my life. Recently, the tv shows and all around couch potato-ness have taken the back burner. I couldn’t be happier about it. Instead of just mentally checking out for hours at a time, I actually get in the zone during my workouts. I need that hour to help work through the day or anything that is on my mind. Then, I’m recharged and able to deal with all the shenanigans of everyday life again. I feel good about taking care of myself physically and mentally, and I’m able to approach the daily balancing act with a little more patience and clarity.

Oh how I wish I would have realized this sooner. 2008 and 2009 were pretty tough for me. I owe all of my pals some serious payback for lengthy conversations and venting sessions. Of course hindsight is 20-20, but had I taken some time each day to sneak even 30 – 40 minutes of exercise in, I know I would have been in a much healthier mental state. Unfortunately, my routine during those tough times was not focused on being active. I devoted my extra time to zoning out on the couch to distract me from the chaos. I did need to mentally reset, but I definitely should have started with about 40 minutes of cardio!

Active.com has posted a great interview with Gabrielle Reece, mother of three, model, writer and former pro volleyball player. She speaks candidly about making time to take care of yourself so you can stay on track. You have to make taking care of yourself a priority. This is such an important message that so many of us don’t hear often enough.

What do you do when the going gets tough? How you deal with the balancing act?

-Sara

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Event Recap: Hangover Classic

I decided to get a jump-start on New Year’s Resolution season by beginning 2010 with a 10-mile jaunt down River Road with a couple hundred other crazy Louisvillians in 20-degree temps. Woohoo!

Valerie and I took our frozen booties down to the Ohio River Waterfront on January 1, donned our skirts and 70-cent “Hawaiian” leis, and managed to begin the New Year with an early success: a PR! (Note: the disposable hand warmers were once again a God-send!)

With Valerie after the 2010 Hangover Classic

I was pretty excited since I hadn’t expected much on a frigid day in the middle of winter, but the course is flat and fast and we’re both injury free. Plus, the cold air kinda gave you the motivation to get it over with, know what I mean?

This is a race I would definitely do again. It was a great sense of accomplishment to finish and the course was well marked (and, like I mentioned before, flat). Understandably, spectators were few and far between, but the sun was shining and it made me feel a little more hopeful about what’s ahead in 2010. We may be in a recession and 2009 was tough, but people can still get out in the community and do something good for themselves. The t-shirts were pretty cute, too.

You can find some other reviews here. I didn’t stay for the awards or door prizes because we were pretty anxious to get some dry clothes on, so I can’t comment on that process. I will agree that the race seemed to be for more serious runners. There’s a much larger “recreational” crowd at the Papa John’s 10-miler in April, for instance. But I felt proud to be up to a race of this distance so early in the year and hope I can attempt it again in 2o11.

What did you do to ring in the new year?

– albledsoe

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Merry Christmas from F2BT!

Any healthy lifestyle includes time for rest and relaxation, spending time with friends and family, and living in the moment. We hope you took the opportunity this holiday to focus on what’s important in your life and reflect on what you’ve accomplished as well as where you want to be.

May you return to your fitness and nutrition endeavors refreshed (and maybe with some sweet new gear!).

Merry Christmas!

– albledsoe

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What’s the trend for 2010?

I came across this article from MohrResults.com, where Drs. Chris and Kara Mohr (a husband and wife duo in Louisville) promote healthy lifestyles. The Mohrs make their predictions about what trends will top 2010 in the fitness and nutrition industry, and I think they’re right on.

Prediction No. 1 forecasts an increased focus on prevention. I definitely agree, especially in light of the recession and the push for healthcare reform. I think many employers and insurance companies are finally making the association between obesity/preventable diseases and rising healthcare costs.

I think Predictions #3, #9, and #10 tend to overlap, actually, as “clean” eating and “green” eating often mean the same thing: fresh, unprocessed, whole food purchased locally. There is definitely a shift toward this as we learn more and more about the effects of common additives like hormones to our food and planet.

Most worrisome for me is Prediction No. 6 (typed as I down a travel mug of coffee). The trend toward energy products stemming from a nationwide epidemic of sleep deprivation is often joked about, but I’m afraid is having incredibly serious effects on our health and productivity. Demands on Americans resulting from 24/7 availability of technology and tons of stress due to economic pressures and more are keeping us up all night. I was never a coffee drinker until this year. And while there are some health benefits to coffee, relying on caffeine to get through the day is not a sustainable way to get energy. I’ve never tried designer energy drinks, but worry about additives and sugar content there as well. If this is a trend for 2010, I hope 2011 brings a trend of relaxation therapies so we can all sleep better and cut our dependence on supplemental energy boosts.

As for my 2010 predictions? As crazy as 2009 was, I don’t even want to go there! But I hope to complete the Louisville Triple Crown of Running, the Derby Festival miniMarathon, and my first half-Iron distance triathlon. According to the Mohrs, I’ll probably have many cleaner, greener, homecooked meals and lots of body weight training in my future as well.

Whatever the new year brings, here’s to increased happiness and improved health in 2010!

– albledsoe

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Let It Begin!

Sara and Amanda are Fit To Be Tried!

We’re friends with a strong interest in making ourselves and our families as healthy and happy as possible. So join us as we try out food and fitness gadgets, tips, and theories.

Sara lives in St. Louis, Mo., (Go Cards!) with her husband, Seth, and two perfectly opposite kitty cats. She loves to cook and eat good food. She’s never found a recipe that didn’t need a slight adjustment!

 

Sara enjoying a Cardinals Game

Amanda lives in Louisville, Ky., with her husband, Adam, and two fluffy dogs. She is a marathon finisher and triathlete who’s always had a problem saying ‘no’ to a challenge!

 

Amanda's First Triathlon

Fit To Be Tried will explore all aspects of nutrition and exercise. We want to test out products, recipes, exercises, advice, and more, and give you our tried and true results. We’ll also share things we stumble upon that help us lead happier lives.

Have a question, or a wellness thing you’ve always wondered about? Let us know and we’ll check it out! Feel free to comment here on the blog, or you can email us at: fittobetried@gmail.com. We’re also on Twitter and Facebook, so look us up there!

Sara & Amanda

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