Oreo Brownie Earthquake, anyone?

I'm assuming everyone here is familiar with the finding that chocolate milk is a perfect post-workout recovery drink.

I've extrapolated on that just a bit, to include, for example, a vanilla DQ crunch cone dipped in chocolate.

This weekend, I tested it out after a long run (I'm hoping that the weather at the Garry Bjorklund half marathon is more conducive to a PR than the Nisswa Run for the Lakes).

The challenge with my mission to get my kids to eat healthy is that WE have to eat only healthy foods to make it work (I should say, ONE challenge. It's not a mission that I'm winning. Unless you count victories such as our preschooler declaring that he doesn't like to eat vegetables VERY OFTEN -- implying, of course, that occasionally, he DOES like them --, that he'll eat a few bites of fish on a regular basis, and that he eats a few cherry tomatoes from the garden every summer). Anyway, it makes our DQ stops few and far between. And it means we have creative ways of labeling the foods that we want: Gatorade is "Daddy's special soccer drink" (he's already plotting how to join a soccer team to drink some), the non-organic, Dannon, mixed-berry yogurt is "yucky yogurt" (and he prefers it to the good stuff), and the cheap-o, high-fructose corn syrup "maple" syrup is the "yucky" syrup (which he would clearly devour over the real stuff if given the choice).

All this to say, though, that if you get the chance, I highly recommend a DQ stop for your next post-recovery fuel if you can finagle it without the kiddos noticing.

Jog stroller 101

What with all this beautiful weather (which, for all you non-Minnesotans, is completely typical for Minnesota. In fact, it's 70 and sunny so often we hardly even talk about the weather here at all. Move here and find out for yourself.), it no longer takes two hours to get in 30 minutes of exercise.
Last Sunday, for instance, the kids hopped in the jog stroller and we did half of my long run together. While we were running around Lake of the Isles, the flash of a yellow BOB caught my attention -- along with the delighted squeals of a preschooler. Now, we were having a good time, considering. Pleasant, even. We exchanged a couple of comments about geese and tunnels, and there was no crying or whining or asking to get out¹. But this preschooler was positively *delighted* by her running experience. No wonder: her dad had rolled her past the "path closed" sign into the cunstruction zone -- a perfect playground for off-roading. They were zooming back and forth, over rocks, into the dirt. Both of them loving it. I had to shield my kids; they'd never put up with pavement again if they'd seen what they've been missing.
Which leads me to my No. 1 jog stroller tip: run for time, not miles, because running three miles WITH 50+ pounds in a stroller is a lot harder than running three miles solo.
Other tips:
*The BOB is the only stroller that comes with a car seat attachment, which means *little babies can go running with you*.
*Bribery: I usually promise a trip to the park AND the Tin Fish for a 30-40 minute run.
*If you live near us and frequent our grocery store: The double fits in the doors by the coffee shop, but not the Lake Street doors.

NOTICE
***Today marks Week 2 in the ab contest -- send me your minutes!***

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¹although, and i swear i didn't put him up to this, the other day my preschooler wanted to "run with me," and this time he not only did, but he pushed the jogger for a minute or two, too. it was a tad embarrassing, though, so i might have to discourage that.

Check this out

About every day for the past oh, two or three years, I've begged my friend Erin to start a blog. She was QUITE reluctant, I must say, so you can imagine my surprise to see her comment on yesterday's post with a link to *her blog*. It is just like her to keep it a secret, and just like her to make it the best.blog.ever (she reviews podcasts in her usual extremely clever, witty way).

Fitting, too, that the latest post offers up a review of an abdominal workout, giving her bonus points in the contest.

Abalicious

From our weekly tallies (which will magically appear on the right side of your screen on Monday), I have to say that it looks like we could all use a little inspiration. I went searching for some good ab workout podcasts, and some post-baby ab workouts, and came up with exactly zilch.

So, I think we're going to have to compile our own. I'll start, and whoever contributes an exercise will get extra points in the contest. Post or e-mail your minutes AND advice, and I'll compile the exercises into a routine.

I'm proposing we start with 1-5 minutes of the bicycle.

Bedtime reading

For the past few nights, I've been reading this story in the New York Times Magazine. If you're paranoid about insomnia, like I am, it's probably not the best choice for before bed -- at least, not if you have a daughter who you expect hope to someday play sports^*.
We learn about the "warrior girl ethos" (playing through pain, injuries that require multiple surgeries, etc.), that concussions are 1.5 times more likely for female soccer players than male ... and then, there's the dreaded ACL.
I'm hoping there's a happy ending here, but I have a feeling I won't find out for at least another 15 years.
Anyway, if you must read before bedtime, at least drink some warm milk at the same time. Hopefully the tryptophan will trump thoughts of ACL injuries.

(For those of you too busy working out your abs to read before bed, tomorrow marks the one-week point, so send me your totals ~ and no, it's not too late to sign up, and yes, I will accept entries from "mamas" to dogs :)

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^*And I do mean PLAY, not become obsessed with.

Go Alisa!

This photo (by amazing photog Tanya Villano, by the way) is a few weeks old, but Alisa seems to have belly danced her way into labor! She showed up for class last Saturday at 40 weeks, and, as of this morning, is ****CURRENTLY IN LABOR****. Wishing you all the best, and hoping you DON'T make it to your belly-dancing class this week (unless it's with a babe in your arms!!)

UPDATE: It's a boy!

Abominable

That's how my ab-strengthening has been going since giving birth (a mere nine months ago...)

Obviously, I need some motivation. So, here's a challenge to all the new moms (and I use both the terms "new" and "mom" quite loosely here):

Log your abdominal workouts here (enter them as comments; I'll keep a tally on the side). Whoever has the most minutes one month from today will win a really great prize. (Like a free burrito! To give the rest of us a head start next month.)

Swim swap

Here's how it works (according to veteran swapper Emily): Find a friend with a baby. Bring babies to pool (that's Emily's cute Zach on the left). Swim for 10 minutes. Feed baby. Swim another 10 minutes. Switch.

Total time at pool: 3 hours
Total time spent swimming (each mama): 20 minutes

Worth every minute!