Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: 967 Miles and 10 Pounds to Go

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has a new project and a new training journal.  She'll be writing regular posts about her 1000-mile challenge:

A few of my modes of travel: sea kayak, bike, swimsuit, running shoes, and hiking shoes

I'm very goal oriented.  If I set a goal that I care about, I usually hit it.  Losing weight is not a goal I've been able to do very well.  I can try to blame it on menopause, but I think I just eat too much. Anyway, this last week I decided I had to get serious about losing a few pounds.  I have another reason to care--at my most recent check up in March, my cholesterol was higher that it should be. I'm getting it re-checked in September, and I want it to go down by then.

The first half of my new goal is to lose 10 pounds by Labor Day.

But wait, there's more.  There was a challenge posted on the Weight Watchers website: lose 10 pounds by Labor Day, and move 100 miles.  I looked at that and said, "but I can go 100 miles in a week if I include biking. I need something more serious." So I decided that I needed to move 1,000 miles by Labor Day.  The only thing that counts is self-propelled travel.  I will bike, hike, walk, paddle, swim, or pogo-stick 1000 miles by Labor Day. I started this week, and I've done a measly 33 miles so far.  

When I told my husband, Eric, my plan, he suggested that I was crazy.  He said that there are only 9 weeks until Labor Day, and then he proceeded to do the math.  I need to do approximately 110 miles per week.  Well, it's not a challenge if it's easy.  

I'll post my progress and talk about the obstacles that come my way.  I’m going to keep track of all my miles, and I will keep track of what I eat on the Weight Watchers online site. There might even be a few funny stories--probably at my expense.

Anne

PS. I liked the headline even though a week has gone by since I wrote it.  Now, I only have 884 miles to go, but I’ve gained a pound (yikes).  Today, I hiked three miles with my dogs.

Some of my travel companions

Call for Nominations!

Beth over at Adventure Woman is looking for a few good women to profile in an upcoming interview. Contact Beth to nominate yourself of someone you know.  Read on for more information...

Call for Nominations! AdventureWoman.com is seeking nominations for a REAL Adventure Woman, our Adventure Woman Interview, Fishing Tips & Adventures and Salute! A Service Woman. AdventureWoman.com is a world-renowned website that features ground-breaking, pioneering, courageous, fun-loving and interesting women.  AdventureWoman.com has had over a million hits and has received multi-media coverage.  This is a great opportunity to celebrate and recognize a woman that has been a role model, a source of inspiration or motivating force in your life. Adventure Woman is accepting nominations in the following areas: REAL Adventure Woman Adventure Interview Trix’s Fishing Tips & Adventures Salute! A Service Woman REAL Adventure Woman:  We are looking for extraordinary women who have broken records, blazed new trails, inspired a significant amount of people or have changed lives for the better.  The female may be deceased or living.  We are looking for adventurers, athletes, scientists, artist, renegades, leaders and humanitarians. Adventure Interview:  We are interested in interviewing interesting and exciting females.  Women who push individual boundaries, excel in male-dominated professions, have overcome significant challenges or have a uniquely adventurous outlook on life are ideal interview candidates for Adventure Woman.  Trix’s Fishing Tips & Adventures:  We are looking for fisherwomen to interview for our Fishing Tips and Adventures Section.  If you know of a professional fisherwoman, a female fishing guide or a diehard fisherwoman we would like to feature her (and a dozen or so of her catches) on AdventureWoman.com. Salute! A Service Woman: We are proud to feature women who are currently serving in the military or have previously served in the armed services.  Women can be deceased or living.  This is a great way to honor a woman whose courage and patriotism you respect and admire.  Compensation:  All successful nominations (if we feature your suggestion on AdventureWoman.com) will receive a set of Adventure Woman postcards.  The nominees will receive a certificate and either a set of postcards or an Adventure Woman tee-shirt. We accept nominations from both women and men and from friends and relatives of the nominee.  Send nominations to Submit@AdventureWoman.com or visit our nomination link.

Not Getting What You Want: What Could Be Better?

Monica Bhide's life hasn't gone in the direction she planned. She wanted to attend graduate school in India but her father insisted she go to the US. She studied to be an engineer but, as destiny would have it, she's now a food writer. Monica's story, "Undesigning a Life," is featured in the April edition of Washingtonian magazine and is an inspiration to all of us who find our lives filled with the unexpected.

My favorite quote from the piece, "If you get what your heart desires, it is good. If you don't, it is better."

Adventurous Activities 2010

I've mentioned before that I started this blog as an off-shoot of my adventure club, "The League of Adventurous Women."  The League meets each January and picks four official activities for the year and then we usually have someone offer to lead a few bonus events on the side.  This year, we officially chose to

1. visit a psychic
2. go camping
3. learn crabbing and oystering on the Chesapeake Bay
4. play paintball

Side events
1.Tailgate at the Marlboro Hunt (Steeplechase horse race)
2. Form a Dragon Boat team for the DC Dragon Boat Festival
3. attend Trapeze school
4. Take a bus trip to New York

If this looks like an ecclectic list it's because we have a very ecclectic group. What sounds like adventure to one woman usually feels too tame or too horrifying to another. In the past we've done everything from wine tasting and flower arranging to rock climbing and the firing range.  The group works, however, because each activity is an opportunity NOT an obligation and because the activity happens even if only a few die-hards participate. 

Tired of doing the same-old-same-old?  Then why not launch your own adventure club? Here's how to get started.

Fix A Leak Week

The EPA's WaterSense Program has designated March 16-20 to be "Fix A Leak Week." Sure, you could call a plumber but where's the adventure in that? The EPA's site has some tips on fixing leaks yourself (yes, you can!). As a woman who has replaced many a flapper, I'm telling you that this is gonna be fun: save some water, save some $$, and pick up a new skill. Go grab your wrench and then click here.

Adventure Club Week: Part I

On Friday, February 6, my Adventure Club will hold its annual meeting. I'm telling you this because I want to encourage you to spend the next five days gathering some friends and some ideas and forming an adventure club of your own. My blog plan for the week is to help you get organized and give you a bunch of fresh ideas that will inspire you to try something new.

One thing to keep in mind when forming an adventure club is that what is an adventure to one woman might be bland or overwhelming to another. You may want to focus on outdoor sports while your friend wants to try yoga, cooking or car repair. If you keep an open mind, the possibilities for you and your friends are endless.

Afraid you'll be short on ideas? Check in throughout the week and especially on Friday when I'll have a Q&A with Gail Belsky author of "The List: 100 Ways to Shake Up Your Life."

Regarding my meeting at the end of the week, this is how it usually plays out:

The women of my group gather at my house at the beginning of each year to choose four official adventures and a few miscellaneous activities.

All of the club members will arrive with an appetizer or dessert to share -- there will be beverages as well -- and then we'll get down to business.

I maintain an ever-growing list of potential activities that I will print and distribute. If anyone has something new, we'll add that to the master list as well.

We'll open the floor to suggestions for 2009, write down all the ideas, take a vote and voila! A fun-filled year is planned.

The next step is to get volunteers to lead each activity. Frequently, a woman will offer to lead something that didn't make the final cut or a community service event that is near and dear to her heart and that's where the "miscellaneous" adventures come in.

Our plan isn't set in stone. You have to be flexible in this adventurous world and there are always interesting opportunities that pop up throughout the year but the annual meeting gets the club off to a great start.

Yes, You Can! The Ultimate Guide to Motivation

I can't think of anything better for New Year's Eve than two articles that will get you ready to accomplish great things in 2009. Both essays appear on Zen Habits.

First, for "How to Turn Your Goals into Habits," click here.

Second, for "The Ultimate Guide to Motivation - How to Achieve Any Goal," click here.

Happy New Year!

Make a REAL Figgy Pudding!

"Oh, bring us a figgy pudding, oh, bring us a figgy pudding, oh, bring us a figgy pudding and bring it right now!"

Sure, you've heard of figgy pudding but I'm willing to bet that even though it's been around for more that 600 years, you've never tasted one let alone prepared one. Well, girls, this is the year to change all that.

First, let's get rid of the confusion about the word "pudding." Figgy pudding isn't something you mix with milk and top with Cool Whip. This kind of pudding is really a dense, moist cake that is steamed instead of baked. It is very easy to make, it's yummy (a lot like carrot or spice cake), and it's sure to be a hit at the holiday dinner table.

According to Better Homes & Gardens, "The original figgy pudding, thought to have been created sometime in the 1400s, was a dish of dried figs, dates, raisins, and spices boiled in almond milk." Speaking of Better Homes & Gardens, I've been using the magazine's recipe since December '02 when it first appeared and I've made a lot of puddings since then. This year, I invite you to be an adventurous woman and give it a try. If you're feeling really adventurous, try the flaming presentation described at the end of the recipe. Oh, don't forget the Hard Sauce!


FIGGY PUDDING
Tastes a lot like a warm, moist spice cake. Yum.
Stand: overnight
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Cool: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

½ cup snipped dried figs *
¼ cup orange liquor (triple sec, grand Marnier, Cointreau or curacao) or orange juice
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
½ cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup milk
¼ cup chopped dates
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds
¼ cup walnut pieces
¼ cup brandy (for impressive presentation option)
1 recipe Hard Sauce (follows)

1. Soak figs in orange liquor (or orange juice) overnight. In a bowl beat together butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined. Add flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, and pepper; beat on medium speed until combined. Stir in undrained figs, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, dates, raisins, almonds, and walnuts until combined.
2. Butter (or coat with nonstick cooking spray) a 1-quart heatproof pudding mold, bowl or casserole. Spoon batter into the pudding mold and cover the top with a double layer of aluminum foil. Press foil firmly around edges of mold to seal. Place pudding mold on a rack in a deep pot. (Rack can be a small cookie rack, or several tuna-sized cans with the tops and bottoms cut out.) Add boiling water to a depth of about 1 inch. Put lid on pot. Bring to a gentle boil and steam for 60-75 minutes or until a long wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Add more boiling water to the pot as necessary. (AWB: check every so often to make sure the pot does not boil dry.)
3. Remove mold from pot. Cool pudding for 10 minutes; remove pudding from mold. Serve slices with Hard Sauce.
4. Impressive presentation option: If desired, just before serving, heat brandy in a small saucepan until it almost simmers. Carefully ignite brandy with a long match. Pour over pudding. Serve immediately with Hard Sauce.

Hard Sauce: In a small mixing bowl beat together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, ¼ cup softened butter, and 2 tablespoons brandy (or ½ teaspoons vanilla) with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Cover and chill to harden, about 30 minutes. Makes ½ cup.

*Snipping figs is easier if you lightly coat your scissors with vegetable oil. Dried figs can get quite hard. If your figs aren’t snippable, microwave them along with a teaspoon of water for about a minute or until they soften.

Plagiarized from Better Homes and Gardens; December 2002

Learning vs. Achieving

Take 20 seconds to consider this: When you are faced with a task, is your goal to learn from it or to be as successful as possible? The approach you take can affect how you deal with your day and the difficulties you may encounter. Here's a quick article to help you deal with successes and setbacks.

Can You Conquer Your Fears?

Everyone is afraid of something but do your fears keep you from enjoying life? Do they make you too dependent on others? Do they prevent you from being the person you want to be? There is a nice article at Zen Habits about all of this. Author Doug Heacock gives you "Five Great Ways to Conquer Your Fears."

Why Obsession Can be a Good Thing

Piggybacking on yesterday's post about finding your "other" life. Here's an inspirational article from Zen Habits. Click here to learn why "Discovering your Obsession Can Lead to Your Greatness."

What's Your "Other" Life?

I became aware of “other” lives a few years ago when the two people who shared a nearby office told me about theirs. Yvonne revealed that after she left work, she became the late-night voice of a local radio station. I was stunned by this and then Ted disclosed that he spent his other life as the play-by-play man for college football. I was embarrassed that my other life revolved around sitting on a couch or possibly grocery shopping.

Since my initial discovery, I have learned that many people complement their “pay-the-bills” or “take-care-of-the-family” lives with other lives. Here are just a few of the real people I know: Christine is a curator by day but in her other life she is a make-up consultant for Chanel, Cynthia is a rocket scientist with NASA as well as an accomplished martial artist, Maria teaches special needs children and runs marathons, Lori is a nutritionist who travels the world as an amateur astronomer, Karen is a research scientist who spends her free time on a Harley.

Each of these women found that it was important to not only have a career but to follow a dream. What about YOU? If you don't have an other life, think about what you have always wanted to do. What would make your life more fulfilling-interesting-fun?

Stuck? Why not make a list of all of your interests, and see if anything sparks your imagination? If you're like me, this task may give you instant brain freeze so here's some help. Click here for Wikipedia's very long list of hobbies and here for another 206 ideas from NotSoBoring Life.com

I'm happy to say that I have another life these days and its keeping me off the couch. What's YOUR other life?

The Adventure Starts Here.

In these first few hours following the most amazing presidential election in my lifetime (in the history of this country!) I am stuck on the thought that no matter what you want out of life, it is do-able. Dreams do become reality. So today, while the hum of possibility still electrifies the air, think about what inspires you. Think about the adventurous path you want to follow. Grab a piece of paper and write down what you want to accomplish in life. Tack it to your refrigerator, look at it everyday and say to yourself, "I can do it, yes I can!"

Facing Fear

I started taiji (tai chi) four years ago for a variety of reasons. At that time, I knew very little about the sport and had no idea that taiji was a martial art, that every posture had a martial application, that swords could be (would be!) involved, and that there were taiji competitions. Participating in a martial arts tournament had never, ever been on this soccer mom's radar screen. But life can take some unexpected turns.

Three weeks ago, dressed in silk , I was standing just outside a large rectangle made of blue tape. It was one of about a dozen “rings” that sectioned off the carpet of a Marriott hotel ballroom. Every ring had a head judge seated at a table along the side and additional judges planted in chairs at the corners. All of them held dry erase boards and markers for scoring. The spectators and other competitors occupied the rows of chairs nearby.

Each ring was dedicated to a different art. Those closest to me were dedicated to karate and to competitors with weapons (sword, staff, saber, etc.). The farthest side of the room was for wushu (think Jet Li and Jackie Chan). Wushu had the largest and most vocal audience. Their chanting and cheering echoed off the walls and settled over ring 5 where I stood, waiting to be called.

I was definitely feeling the pressure. Part of me prepared to do my best taiji: slow, soft movements, high kicks, low drops and perfect turns. Part of me REALLY wanted to run away. Fast. I guess that’s the “fight or flight response.”

Choose: do it or run.

I was thinking about all the reasons to run, “What if I forget my routine? What if I disgrace myself? What if I disgrace my school?”

Then I reminded myself, “This isn’t life or death; it’s an ADVENTURE! It’s all about BEING here. About participating and controlling fear enough to ENJOY being here.”

Three weeks later, I can’t brag about my performance but I am proud of myself for doing it. I am pleased that I faced my fear and had a great time to boot. I think I'll try it again next year -- with a sword!

Why We Need Adventure

Over at National Geographic Adventure Blog, Laurence Gonzales, the author of Everyday Survival and Deep Survival has posted #5 in his Deep Survival series. This article, entitled "How Hypersensitivity Can Save Your Life" makes some interesting points about new experiences and how they train your brain to help you survive (just don't let the crocodile story put you off).

"...When you go to the wilderness or an exotic land, what you’re implicitly saying is: Surprise me. Seeking novelty and surprise, doing what you’re not used to doing, is a prescription for triggering that ancient perceptual richness that helps us to live more fully."

Read the full article here.

Running Books

You've decided to spend the next months training for a marathon or a 1/2 marathon....Ok, you've decided to run to Starbucks and back. You've read the inspirational article at Zen Habits, you've got a pack of friends to keep you motivated. What more do you need? How about advice from a running coach? There are loads of books out there but here are two authors that are worth investigating:

First, try Maria's favorite running guru, Jeff Galloway. He's written a variety of books for all kinds of distances. Click here for books to help you run that marathon, 1/2 marathon, or just start down the road to Starbucks.

Another terrific author with a different take on long distance running is Danny Dreyer author of ChiRunning. The book and his ChiRunning technique are based on elements of tai chi that he believes allow runners to use with their bodies' natural movements to run longer distances without injury.

If you like Dryer's approach but still aren't sold on the whole running thing you might want to check out Chi Walking.

Up and running? Don't forget Nike's Human Race on August 31! It's a global event.

Yes, You Can! Start Running

You have the desire to start a new running habit but a little extra motivation would be helpful. Zen Habits has a lot of great articles on improving your life. This particular essay will help bring out your inner runner: "How to Go from Sedentary to Running in Five Steps"

Yes, You Can! Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

The August issue of National Geographic Adventure features 14 skills for "Everyday Survival" by Laurence Gonzales. Check out NGA's blog for skill #8 "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone." Gonzales' states that facing new challenges causes a rewiring and growth of the brain; whereas doing the same-old same-old makes you, well, the same and old. Gonzales' suggestions? Take up an instrument, learn a new language, write with a different hand or, heck, go seek out a new adventure!

Yes, You Can! Be Open to Growth

I was visiting my favorite yoga spot, The Everything Yoga Blog, where I learned about an interesting article published in the New York Times, "If You're Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow." The article reports the findings of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck who has discovered that people who believe they were born with innate ability or a fixed amount of talent are less likely to fulfill their potential. These people are concerned about making mistakes and "falling from grace." It's the people who believe that they can continue to develop their abilities, who are willing to make mistakes and learn from them, that go on to live up to their greatest potential.

The article pertains to business people but the concept can easily be applied to all aspects of life. To live up to your potential you have to be willing to take some risks, make some mistakes and then move forward. In short, you have to be an adventurous woman.