Making my Vision Board

“You determine your future by the thoughts and

 pictures you hold in your mind today."

~ Brian Tracy~

A vision board, also called a dream board, is a collage of words and pictures depicting your dreams and goals usually specific to one aspect of your life. Vision boards have received a lot of acclaim lately because of the world-famous book, "The Secret." A vision board can set you on a path to achieving dreams and goals that may have previously eluded you. The key to a successful vision board is to post it in a place where you have to look at every day and it can serve as a constant reminder of what you are working toward.

I have wanted to make a vision board over the past few weeks, but today I felt like I needed it now more than ever. I feel very good about what direction my life is taking me, but I don’t want that feeling or momentum to fade. I feel like I need a constant reminder of what is important to me in my life. I went to ehow.com as a reference for making my vision board.

If you are going to make a vision board these are the things you will need:

• Magazines
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape
• Markers
• Cardboard or poster boardggest Edits

1

Gather as many magazines as you can that you are comfortable destroying. Go through each magazine looking for pictures and words that are in line with your goals. This is a fun part of the creation of your vision board. Tear out all of the pictures or words that seem relevant and place them in a pile. Keep doing this until you have a very large pile of material to choose from.

2

Take the pictures and words and start laying them out on your poster board or cardboard backing. Discard anything that may no longer fit or does not work. Move things around until they fit well and look right. This is also where you may want to organize your board. For instance, if you are working on your personal goals, you may place images of a house in one corner, money and credit cards in another corner, school or continuing education in another corner and then friends or hobbies in the last corner. Many people organize their boards by themes but there are others who like to place pictures all over the board rather than assigning corners. You may want to consider leaving some space to write words that you were not able to locate in the magazines and leaving a space in the center of the board.

3

Start gluing and taping. Turn over each picture or word and add glue or tape to secure it in place. Once you have finished getting everything into place, you can use a marker to draw words or images that you feel are important to your vision board.

4

Place your picture in the middle of the board and make certain that it is a picture where you are smiling and happy. This is because your smiling, happy picture will be in the center of all of your dreams and goals.

5

Hang your vision board in a place where you will see it every day. This should be an area in your house where you spend a lot of time or are constantly walking through. Some great locations include the back of your bedroom door, a home office, a refrigerator or a bulletin board. Looking at the board every day will cause you to always be aware of your dreams and goals.

Danyelle's Vision Board

Here is a picture of my vision board. As you can see I have outlined my core of God, marriage, my children, my family, and friends. I have focused on my goals of completing the Chicago Marathon, the Super Spartan, and the Pumpkin Classic with my daughter. I have outlined my training plans and my weight loss goal. I felt these were important as my weight-loss challenge is ending and I want to maintain the loss and keep the scale going in the right direction. I outlined my home sale and travel dreams, too. A girl’s gotta keep dreaming! J Plus, my kids had a great time making their vision boards this morning, too.




 

To all of you out there I hope all of your dreams come true & all of your goals are achieved!


In happiness~

Danyelle

Comments? Questions? Email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com.

We would love to hear from you!

Juice Fast Challenge!

Remember several weeks back when I tried to do a juice fast, whined, complained, and then gave up after 24 hours? Yeah, so does my husband. However, I said then that I would probably give it another chance at some point. Well, that point is now. I started a 7 day juice fast and today is Day 2! I'm already doing better than I did before. I feel great by the way. Woke up this morning feeling very energetic even without my coffee! I know, crazy, right?

I wanted to be sure to have my head in the right place this time as it really is a matter of mind over matter. I know I can do this. People do this all the time. Okay, not all people but some people.

If you think you can,

you are correct.

If you think you can't,

you are also correct.

After watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (click here to see trailer), I knew I would have to give it my all at some point and see for myself what a juice fast could do for me. I want all of those great health benefits! I want to drop some pounds! I definitely want that euphoric feeling they talk about!

My husband, Fred, already did the 7 day fast in January and lost 15.9 pounds in a week. He looked and felt great the whole week aside from a headache on his second day. He is once again hitting the juice and taking the challenge with me this week. He is currently down 32.3 pounds in the last 7 weeks.

Juicing Myths

Two of the big things I hear or am asked are:

1. Juicing will spike your sugar/insulin levels.

2. You just gain the weight right back.

First of all, any sugar even from fresh fruit can cause your insulin levels to spike. Vegetable juice does not. If you want to juice fruit with your vegetables pick fruits that have a lower glycemic index such as apples or berries.

No matter what diet you are using to lose weight, if you go back to eating the way you previously ate, you will gain back any weight lost. Period. There is no magic pill. If you are serious about losing weight and keeping it off then you have to make a lifestyle change that will allow you to do so.

Juicing isn't just about losing weight. It's about gaining health. A juice fast is like a reboot for your body. Even if you don't do a fast, juicing a couple of times each day is a great way to get vitamins and nutrients. When in liquid form, micro-nutrients are more easily absorbed by your body.

*Are you willing to take this challenge with me?

Join me for the last 5 days, join me for 3 days, join me for 1 day, or just hang out and lend me some words of encouragement to get through the next 5 days. You can comment here or on our Facebook page with updates! I will post updates to Facebook daily to let you all know how it's going for me.

Peace, love, happiness!

~Bekah

*Before starting a juicing fast or any diet, you should check with your Dr. to make sure it is right for you. Get healthy and be smart! :)

Team Sexy Mother Runner “Stressful” Week #7 Weigh-In Results

As I reflect on the past week all I can say is that I am glad it is over. No, it is not time for a pity party and it is all relative to “real” concerns, however last week was stressful. My house has been for sale for nearly 7 months with a realtor. I had three house showings last week and I have an open house today. Anyone who has ever listed a house with two kids and a dog know that keeping a house spotless is beyond stressful. In addition, my kids had more activities and homework than what is typical, I was needed more than usual at work, and my family was in dire need of “Fun Family Time” (FFT). I had to prioritize. As you can imagine that means that Mommy is not going to get enough time to run or workout. That is unless I were to do that in my sleep, which I did feel like I was doing. I worked out one time last week plus during “FFT” we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings. You can see why I would be scared of what the scale would say. 

As I went to weigh-in yesterday I was nervous about it. However, I also knew that I needed to be accountable and face the numbers. I was scared. I didn’t want to let my team down. My team has not put any pressure on each other but I really want to pull, I mean lose my weight for them. We are so close to the end and I sure don’t want to mess things up when there is only one week left of the challenge. My team has worked so hard. It was time to face the scale.  As I jumped on the scale and my kid's watched I thought to myself this is only one hurdle and there is always next week. Weight loss is hard! Plus, I knew that  I  had not put in the work. Needless to say, when Tyler read the numbers I was relieved. I lost 3 pounds! Thank goodness! What a pleasant surprise! However, next week I will ensure that the effort has been put into the cause. We even post-poned my Thursday birthday dinner until after the weight loss challenge.

I shared my numbers with my team and they shared with me: 

Fred lost: 6.7 lbs!

Bekah lost: 1 lb! 

We are all still moving in the right direction! 

*Kristen and Brandon are not weighing in this week as their schedule has been crazy, too. Life happens! 

Team Sexy Mother Runner has lost a total of 115.1 lbs. since the beginning of the weight loss challenge. Fred has lost 33.3 lbs. Bekah has lost 17.3 lbs. and I have lost 19.2 lbs. in 7 weeks. We are very proud of ourselves, but I know that we are going to have those hard weeks in the future. It is life! It is the reality of everyone’s lives! Losing weight and maintaining weight loss is not easy. It is a lifestyle change. Our team keeps talking about how to keep this challenge going for ourselves. We need your help!

Do you have any ideas on how we can maintain accountability and continue our weight loss journey as a team?

How did you get back on track after you have

had a really bad week?

Yours truly,

~Danyelle

Want to contact the Sexy Mother Runner's? Email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com

The winner of the Sexy Mother Runner Gear Giveaway is…

The winner of the Sexy Mother Runner Gear Giveaway is…

Heidi V.!

A.K.A. "hvanheuk"

 First we numbered each of you randomly that commented, then we used the

“Random Number Picker” at this site:

http://www.randomnumberpicker.com/

The "Random Number Picker" picked lucky number 4!

Heidi, commented on our site and on facebook that she loved the oval
Sexy Mother Runner Bumper Magnet!

Congratulations again, Heidi! Please email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com with your mailing address so we can mail you your Sexy Mother Runner Bumper Magnet.

Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.

Overall, the lips shape was liked more by a small percentage of followers. Although, the
oval was not far behind! Therefore, we have decided to offer both.
 If you would like a Sexy Mother Runner Bumper Magnet please
email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com.

Thank you again for your comments and feedback!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and good luck to all you racers out there!

~Danyelle

Sexy Mother Runner Featured Runner Friday: Meet Laura!

Sexy Mother Runner is going to be featuring a different runner every Friday! Every runner has a story and we believe that sharing those stories is a great way to share the gift of running while helping to motivate others. Today's featured runner is our friend, Laura. Laura is one of the most motivating people to run with. She sacrifices

her own speed to stay with other runners to help them meet their goal.

Laura's life and running story will inspire you!

Here's Laura's story...

My Running Story

By: Laura Renn

My name is Laura Renn and I am a single Divorced mother of 2 girls.  I teach First grade in Pekin Illinois.  This is my running story: 

I have always been driven to be positive and athletic but in 2008 I wanted more for myself.   I was unhappy and  wanted my life to be mine.  I decided that I needed to work harder on “ME”.  I began weightlifting on machines to help my casual gym runs.  I began losing weight and feeling better about myself.  I started running 5Ks, then a 10K, a trail run until I was competing with myself for faster times.  I was breaking in to a new me.

An old friend of mine (Andy) told me he was going to complete his first Triathlon.  I was incredibly moved by his spirit and determination.    It was then I decided to try one too.  I bought a bike and rode it a FEW times.  I started swimming at the local YMCA.  I had swum in high school and grade school and knew it would come back to me.  Incredibly excited and pushed by adrenaline  I completed my first Sprint Triathlon in 2009 (300 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike, 3 mile run)and even took third place in my age group to my amazement!  I was hooked.  My girls loved the trophy I brought home.

 

In 2009, the newly divorced me  completed the Iowaman, Last Chance Tri, Illini Tri, Tri-Shark Triathlon.  In 2010 I competed in my first Duathlon in Wisconsin.   ( 5k run, 32k bike, 3k run).  I loved it but it was tough!   That same weekend, my two children completed a children’s Tri the same weekend.  I was one proud Mama, as you can see. 

 

2010 also brought the changing of states, jobs, schools and friends which was hard for me.  Running is how I relieve stress and there just wasn’t any spare time.  The year was flying by and the pounds were creeping back.    It was now 2011 and I needed to break the mold again.  Who was the new me?   Looking for something to JUMPSTART my interest I hooked up with the first Sole Sisters in a run from the old Running Central.  It was there I met Marianne Miller and my running gal pal Heather along with another Wisconsinite Jessica, Casey and many other Sisters.  They all inspired me and I began running more and more.  Sole Sisters made me LOVE running and not only use it as a stress reliever but as a social activity as well.  There is nothing like a run and talk with the girls.  There is nothing like cheering others on.  This was and is the perfect group for me!

One Sole Sister in particular, Heather Haynes, inspired me to run more frequently and tackle longer runs.  I started running 6, 8 and then even 10 mile runs on the weekend.  I had never run that far.  My times became faster and my strength and endurance increased.  Meeting all of the supportive women from this group has kept me motivated and and ready to run!  Thank Heaven for the Sistas! 

My boyfriend, Andy, has become a runner too.  We have done countless races together .  We drive each other to do better and want more from life.  HUNGRY to live.  I ran my first Half Marathon on Sept 11, 2011 in Springdale Cemetery with his support.  It was unbelievable.  Another challenge conquered!  My daughters, SISTAS and boyfriend cheered me on the entire way. 

 

Now it is 2012 and I will be 40 this year.  I will complete a  1/2 Marathon, Triathlon and Full Marathon this year.  With many thanks and love to my man, my family and my Sole Sisters for everything you give to me.  I feel that the new me is ever changing with life and constantly growing as a person.  I am happy to be a runner!

Want to be one of Sexy Mother Runner's Featured Friday Runners? Email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com 

& watch your story inspire someone!

Foam Rolling and Purple Dresses?!?!

What is Foam Rolling?

Concept of Foam Rolling

From an article on www.livestrong.

com

The muscles, bones and joints are insulated by a specialized connective tissue cal

led fascia. Along with tendons and ligaments, fascia is a type of dense connective tissue and it covers the whol

e body from the head to the toes. There are three layers to the fascia -- the sup

erficial fascia, the deep fascia and the subserous fascia. Deep within the fascia the

re are speculated to be trigger points that are precursors to certain types of mu

scle injuries. A foam roller is used to massage these triggers points and reduce the risk of

injury.

When should I use a Foam Roller?

Well, if you are like me then you will probably wait until you are experiencing pain. You should definitely use one then. The prime time to use a foam roller, however, is really before and after a workout. It will help to relieve soreness or stiffness that you may be experiencing.

How do I use a Foam Roller?

This video gives a great demonstration on how to use a foam roller on your calves, thighs, hips, and back.

Remember to pay close attention to your body. If a spot feels tender while using the foam roller, hold on that spot for several seconds to a minute. Maybe even apply a little extra pressure to those tighter spots. Listen to your body.

Have you used a foam roller before? What did you think?

Any tips or tricks you'd like to share?

What's Up With The Purple Dresses???

While visiting Holland, MI last weekend my family stopped in to the New Holland Brewing Company for a lunch. (They have a great selection of healthy options including several vegetarian and vegan items.) While we were eating, I kept seeing people run by outside wearing purple dresses over the top of their running clothes. Before long, a group stopped and gathered inside the bar area. I was intrigued. It's not everyday you see men and women donning purple dresses, boas, and tiaras in Holland, MI. Saugatuck probably but not so much in Holland.

Some of the race participants with Mark front and center.

Anyway, I decided to go and ask what was up with the purple dresses. That's when I met Beth Felicelli. Taking a cue from Red Dress Runs (www.redressruns.org) Beth and one of her friends put together a 5k Purple Dress Run in order to help raise money for her brother, Mark Wagner, who is battling pancreatic cancer. Purple is the color for pancreatic cancer awareness. Not only was everyone donning purple dresses but they were also wearing buttons that read: No One Fights Alone.

All of the money raised was donated to help Mark with his medical costs. What a fantastic reason for a 5k and what a fantastic sister!

Sexy Mother Runner wishes Mark great success in his fight!

Peace, love, happiness!

~Bekah

Helpful Tips For New Runners

Lately, I have been asked if I have any tips for someone who is just starting to run and I thought I would share with you what I have personally learned from experience, research, and my runner friends. 

So, you have decided to start running?  First, let me congratulate you! Every great thing starts with the decision to do it! You will not be disappointed with starting to run, but please have your expectations at an appropriate level. In other words, don’t expect to run a marathon in a month and do not expect that it is going to be easy in the beginning. Like the old adage, no pain no gain. Expect that, but don’t push it to be too painful.

 The number one rule is:

1. Listen to your body. Stop if it truly hurts. Don’t injure yourself. You are going to have days when you feel like you can't run, so stop. You are also going to have those days when you feel like you can run forever. Truly enjoy those days and ‘Run Forever’!
2. Buy proper running shoes. Get “fitted” at a running store. For example in Peoria, Illinois we use Running Central as our main shoe fitting shop. They will assess the proper style of running shoe for you by seeing if you pronate, underpronate, overpronate, etc. Also, keep a log of how many miles you run in your shoes. I make sure to replace my shoes after every 300 miles regardless of how good they look. Soon I will post a review about my three favorite pairs of running shoes.
3. Stretch before and after a run. Consider adding yoga into your cross training routine.Consider foam rolling. Bekah will be providing a demonstration on our blog soon about foam rolling.
4. I personally recommend cross training. Biking and swimming are two of the best cross training exercises to combine with running. I also do weight training. However, do not add heavy weight training into your regimen if you are currently training for a race. Add weight training in gradually. I truly believe the reason I have not had a substantial injury (knock on wood) is due to stretching and cross training.
5. If you can, run with a Running Group. You can “Google” running groups in your area or search for them on Facebook. In Peoria, we run with the Peoria Sole Sister's Running Group. Not only is there power in numbers, but you will make lifelong friends. A running group is a wealth of knowledge and support. Plus, it is much safer to run outside with a group.
6. Always hydrate! Need I say more?! 
7. Rest and recovery days are important to your training schedule. Rest days should be spread out and not taken consecutively. Recovery days such as easy short runs, easy long runs, or easy cross training days should be just that, easy! Save your intensity for the hill workouts, track workouts, tempo runs, intervals, fartlek, and races.
8. You should tackle hills by shortening your stride, maintaining a straight back, strong abs, and the same pace while keeping my eyes up has really helped me get over the top.
9. Wear proper running attire. Ladies, a proper non-chaffing running bra is almost as important as the shoes. There is nothing Sexy about getting a hicky from a Sports Bra.
10. Want to go longer distance? Then slow down your speed.
11. Wear dri-fit, wick away material. This will keep you much warmer on cold runs, because it gets the sweat away from your body. In addition, it will keep you cooler on warm runs and provides less chance of chaffing.
12. Buy running socks that are dri-fit, also. Same reasons. I like Swiftwick brand.
13. This is a tip from my mother-in-law who is a seasoned runner: If you can’t catch your breath, drop your arms. Yes, you will look like a penguin running however it slows down your heart rate.
14. Run safe and smart. What do I mean by this? If you saw what happened to Sherry Arnold in her quaint small town you know exactly what I am talking about. If you can, run with a buddy. I know this isn’t always practical. If I choose to run by myself I always carry pepper spray, my phone, and let someone know when/where I am running and my expected time of return.       
15. Running is a mental sport! The minute you think you can’t, your mind will say you can! Running is 90% mental.
16. When you are having a bad day or a bad run, run in a cemetery. It puts everything in perspective. I had to borrow this piece of advice from Tracy who is one of the ladies in my Sole Sister’s running group. This is great advice, Tracy!
17. If you are so intrigued and want to be inspired, read or rent the Spirit of the Marathon. I love this documentary. I also love the books, "Run Less, Run Faster" and "Run like a Mother". In addition to loving Hal Higdon's training plans for beginners. He does a great job!
18. If you become interested in connecting with other runners around the country and documenting your miles check out the Daily Mile website. It is very motivational and has some great gadgets.
19. If you decide you want to track your distance and running routes there are many free apps for your phone like iMapMyRun and Nike Plus. There are also many free websites (www.mapmyrun.com or Gmap Pedometer) or you can invest in a running watch. I love my Garmin 305!
20. Yes, your weight does contribute to your running speed. According to Runner's World, there are various formulas that predict the effect of weight loss on running speed. The effect of weight loss and run pace multiplies over distance; meaning that the longer the run, the more significant the amount of time saved. Some estimates project that losing ten pounds can result in a savings of 20 seconds per mile, so for a 5k, this means one whole minute of time, and when translated to the marathon distance, this is almost nine minutes of time saved! A PR (Personal Record) is just waiting to happen!
21. Of course you should always always talk to your health care provider before starting any new training program.  

Again, I am beyond excited for anyone who is starting to run and I am always happy to share my experiences and answer questions. I am by no means an expert, but together I believe we can learn a lot from each other!

 Run Pretty! Run Happy! Run Fun!

~Danyelle

Do you have running tips that you

would like to share?

If so, please comment below.

We can all learn from each other!

Don't forget to comment on our "Sexy Mother Runner Gear Giveaway"!

Your opinion matters and we can't wait to help you represent your

"Sexy Mother Runnership"!

Questions? Comments? We would love to hear from you!

 Email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com

Sexy Mother Runner Gear Giveaway!

We have Sexy Mother Runner Gear

&

We want your opinion!

I couldn't be more excited to share with you, our followers that we have our first Sexy Mother Runner product available for you! Our first product is Sexy Mother Runner Bumper Magnets. We have three bumper magnets to choose from. We have rectangle, oval, and the lips design. Please see below:

If you let us know which one your favorite is by leaving us a comment on our blog or facebook you will automatically be entered into the 

Sexy Mother Runner Gear Giveaway!

Want to increase your odds? If you leave a comment on facebook and on the blog you will be given two giveaway entries. 

Winner will be announced on February 25, 2012!

Good luck and thank you again for your sharing your opinion!

~Danyelle & Bekah

Questions? Comments? Email us at sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com.

We would love to hear from you!

Temptation Weekend!

There will not be a weight loss challenge update today. Danyelle and I are skipping this week's weigh-in. She is out of town with family all weekend and so am I.

Which brings me to my current issue. I am visiting family in Holland, MI. My husband's hometown.

Do you know how many great restaurants Holland boasts? I do. Our typical visit includes a trip to The Butler in Saugatuck for some of the best onion rings around. Maybe lunch at The Boatwerks, (yes it's spelled with an 'e') definitely dinner and beer at New Holland Brewing Company. (The Poet is my favorite beer there, yummy) My mouth is watering as I type. However, vacation, even if for just a weekend, is no excuse to let all of my hard work fly out the door.

We brought some of our tools from home. Fred packed a cooler full of the produce we had at home that needs to be used and our juicer. On the drive last night he joked that he really felt like Joe from Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Have juicer, will travel!

We already juiced this morning. Later, we are hitting the grocery store so that we have no excuse to eat things we no longer eat. Even though we will most likely eat one meal out while we are here, what we order will be very different from what we would have ordered 6 weeks ago. I feel like the contestants on Biggest Loser when they take them to a restaurant for the first time since beginning their weight loss journey.

I'm still beating myself up for leaving my Garmin on my dresser at home. One of my favorite things about this area is the paved bike path that spans several towns. I love to run when I come up here. Everything feels so much fresher here. I will be running but it will be sans Garmin.

I'm not telling you

it's going to be easy.

I'm telling you

it's going to be worth it.

I'm sticking to my guns. Missing a weigh-in is not an excuse to slip, it's a reason to be even more diligent. I know I can get through this weekend without giving in to temptation. Just keep any and all cake away from me!

What is your biggest food temptation?

How do you stay on task when faced with temptation?