The Typical Noell Weekend

Hello World!

My mom made an observation today that I haven't been on Facebook all weekend! She became all concerned because this obviously isn't my style. So, where have I been and what have I been doing? Well, let me share...

Friday evening. I got off work at 4:45pm and drove 10 miles to pick up my 5K Santa Scurry run packet. Then, I drove back home to pick up Peter, made dinner, and then dropped him off at the babysitter so that I could go run that 5K. On the way there I was a little upset at myself for eating my dinner super fast and not allowing enough time for it to settle before running this race. I knew it was going to be ugly, but hey, I did it anyways. It was a gorgeous evening at 67+ degrees on Dec. 3rd in Texas. It was awesome!

The race was suppose to start at 7pm...it ended up starting at 7:30pm because apparently there was horse poop on the trail that had to be cleaned up. Go figure?! I found that kinda funny in the middle of the city there was horse poop. Anyways, I decided to start talking with people. I was at the end of the line and met Zach Olson from Rochester, MN! What are the chances of two Minnesotans running a 5K in Keller, TX on Dec. 3rd? It was just neat.

This race was kind of different because 1) it was at night, 2) it was lit by Christmas lights and lanterns, and 3) there was all kinds of Christmas festivities going on throughout the town square. It was a great start to the Christmas season!

Saturday rolled around really quickly! I started out by going to the post office to mail out Shakeology samples. I stopped by work for 15 minutes to pick up some forgotten items. Then, I made a grocery store run for bananas for the Shakeology Home Party I hosted from 11-12:30pm. I got home and did a massive clean up-everything from laundry, dishes, vaccuming, setting up the display, etc. It was a busy morning!

My first guests arrived at 11:30am. They were my neighbors beneath me in the apartment so it was great to get to know them. They seemed genuinely interested in the product so that made me somewhat pleased. Admittedly, I was a little disappointed that only 3 people out of 300 households showed up to my Home Party! This past Monday I printed out over 300 flyers announcing my party and posted them on all the doors within the apartment community. I didn't know what to expect but was overall pleased with the activity.

Saturday afternoon Peter and I went toy shopping. Peter picked out this construction set with "kid wood". It has a saw that is designed for safety, nails, everything you could ever want! So, we became creative! We built a house for Pengui...his pet penguin. Then, we made a chair, a car, Woody's pants from Toy Story, you name it...we built it.

Before I knew I realized it was 4:20pm. I had a small groups orientation meeting at Gateway at 5pm! Yikes! I got changed really fast and then made Peter change his clothes and just like that we were on our way to church!

The meeting lasted until 6:15pm. Whew! I was ready to go home. BUT, halfway home I realized that I failed to drop off some more Shakeology samples at my old work. So, I turned around and drove halfway across town (30 minutes in the opposite direction) to deliver samples and remain accountable. Any way you look at it, I had to deliver because I said I would!

I got to the store and ended up making another 3 exposures! Who would have thought?! So, after an hour of visiting and sharing, it was finally time to come home. Whew, what a day!

Sunday. Today. I felt the urge to go to church even though I was there last night. Peter was a little confused because he went to kid's church two days in a row. Try explaining to a 6.5 yr old why he has to go to kid's church twice...saying I had a meeting and now I was going for food just didn't cut it! It did help that Saturday evening he got to go to the jewel store and today we went to a different campus.

Sunday service started at 9am. The title of the message was, "Idiots for Christ". What an awesome message! Idiots for Christ obey irrationally, give extravagantly, and do what others believe cannot be done. The message focused around Acts 4. Seriously, we all need to be like idiots in our faith journey.

After church, Peter and I went out for breakfast/lunch at IHOP. I am a huge fan of their Tomato/Spinach/Mushroom/Onion Omelet! For 330 calories and a little hot sauce = delicious!

I was able to knock out an hour Turbo Fire workout in the afternoon and then we went to Bethesda's Christmas production at Peter's school. It started at 6pm but we arrived at 5pm just for seating! I was a little concerned on how Peter was going to act because he never sits still. Well, that was alleviated when Santa arrived on the scene and ended up sitting right next to him! Talk about a blessing! Peter's eyes were super huge and I could just see the excitement on his face! It was just great. The performance was amazing and we were so glad we went!

To end the night/weekend, we always have our Beachbody Just Show Up Team Call at 8pm. It lasts an hour and tonight Coach Tim just rocked the call! We are growing our team with more and more people joining us to learn about how we are helping people with their fitness and nutrition journey. It's just awesome!

So, this was just a taste of a weekend in the life of the Noell household. I left out that I cooked every meal, went to the park/playground, and had loads and loads of one-on-one time with Peter. This is why I was absent on the computer over the past couple days. I love giving my boy all the mommy-time he can stand!

Last night was pretty cool on the car ride home from church. He picked up a plastic recorder from the jewel store and started to play. Well, I didn't say a word but he DID! The sound that came out was somewhat obnoxious and was just loud with no tune. Out of his mouth came, "Man, I have to practice!" Thank God he recognized that! I just smiled and encouraged him. It was cute.

Lastly, we have 20 days until Christmas. When you are out shopping, please consider giving your family and friends the gift of health this year. If you truly love them, encourage them to participate with you. Be their accountability partner and help them get started with their fitness and nutrition. You can do it! All it takes is a little discipline and an hour each day to move your machine and the results will come. Let's "Bring It" in 2011.

Huggs :-) Over and out.

Type 2 Diabetes...a solution!

Type 2 Diabetes...A solution!

As we approach 2011, a lot of people are thinking of making New Year's Resolutions. A lot of the time these resolutions include making better health decisions and usually involve weight-loss goals.

I was intrigued by this 1 minute video tonight because it shows that you have to start somewhere...even if you have Type 2 Diabetes. I think a lot of people (I sound like a broken record!) think that skinny people have always been skinny and bigger people have always been big. But, what we often fail to realize is that thin people are not always healthy, yet so many of us strive to be thin! And, if we've fallen off the wagon and totally let ourselves go at some point we start to believe that we are destined to live unhealthy, unsatisfying lives.

I'm here today to tell you that it's not true! I used to believe that I was destined to be bulimic my entire life because of my struggle with food. I allowed myself to become so emotionally bound to food that it literally consumed me to the very pit of my soul. It was a nasty, hidden part of my life that I was ashamed to be me.

What I'm trying to get across is that I have a special calling to help people get their lives back. I believe that every one of us has the ability to make changes regarding our health and fitness, AND, it doesn't matter at what point you begin.

Kathy Smith's Project You: Type 2 and the American Diabetes Association have developed this amazing program in conjunction with doctors this all-in-one solution to help manage diabetes, reduce your risk for diabetes complications, and get you back in control of your health!

I want, so badly, to help you get your life back! Please check out this 1 minute video via this link: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/sota?bctid=10131284001

Thank you,
Ang-

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

November 25, 2010. Thanksgiving. Day 329/365 with 36 days remaining in 2010.

Thanksgiving is typically the turning point in the year which marks the beginning of the holiday season. Families gather together over the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes 'n' gravy, stuffing, ham, cranberries, pumkin pie, etc. meal. It's a time to reflect over the past 328 days of the year and then plan out the next 365.

This year, I am extremely grateful for my health and fitness. I work out like an animal and have lost a solid 35 pounds in the past 18 months. This is huge in my world because I've always been a yo-yo dieter. I found the link that prohibits that from happening which is consistency. I've paid extreme attention to the number of calories entering my body and have fought like hell to work out at least 5 times a week.

As some of you know, I decided to challenge myself in a series of 5K races between September 25th and December 3rd for no other reason but to race against myself. I wanted to challenge myself to see where I rank amongst my peers and to take my fitness to the next level. As an inexperienced runner, I was pleased to consistently place within the top 1/3 of my age group. Perhaps when I turn 30 I'll be #1! LOL!

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, I will be participating in the Fort Worth, TX Turkey Trot 5K. Afterwards, I am volunteering to deliver turkey baskets to those less fortunate so they have something to eat on this special day. As I reflect upon this venture, I am really thankful that I have a home, food in the cupboards, blankets upon the bed, money in the bank, etc. But, it isn't the tangible things that bring me the most joy. It's the smiles and graditude upon people's faces when you truly give of yourself to make their day.

I think that's why smiles are referenced as part of the universal language. When I look into the eyes of a person, I see their soul. I see behind the curtains. When they smile, I see for a split second true happiness because nobody smiles just for fun.

So, this Thanksgiving, I challenge you to make a list of things that you are truly thankful for. Share them with your family and do not ever be ashamed. Take the time to reconnect and to share stories. Shoot, you may even make some 2011 goals as a family! Who knows?!

Live the Dream | What is "Wealth Mentality"?

Live the Dream What is "Wealth Mentality"?

What's All This About??

One of hardest things I had to get under control when I started my health and fitness journey was feeding my machine. I get asked all the time: "What do you eat?" and "Am I allowed to eat (fill in the blank)?" and "How do I get started? This nutrition stuff is confusing!"



As you can see in the picture, I feed my machine with a lot of "stuff" daily. So, let me break it down why I eat what I eat and how it's helped me in my journey.



The first thing I started consuming on a daily basis was Shakeology for my breakfast. Shakeology is a nutritional protein shake that provides a wide spectrum of healthy nutrients in a low-calorie formula. Whether you use it as a meal replacement for weight loss or simply to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs for optimal health, Shakeology takes the guesswork out of nutrition.

What's in Shakeology? It contains over 70 ultra high-quality ingredients conveniently located in one glass, to deliver nearly all the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy diet. It's good for you- and good for everyone- because everyone's diet is deficient in some of the key nutrient groups packed into just one Shakeology serving.

Shakeology helpes me lose weight, increases my energy and stamina, reduces my cravings, and helps keep me regular.

Before I started consuming Shakeology on a daily basis, my lab results were as follows:
August 26, 2009 (205+lbs)
Total Cholesterol: 134 (Reference range: 125-200 mg/dL)
HDL Cholesterol: 69 (Reference range: > or = 46 mg/dL)
LDL Cholesterol: 58 (Reference range: < 130 mg/dL)
Triglycerides: 35 (Reference range: <150>)

After 3 months of working out with P90X and consuming Shakeology daily:
May 21, 2010 (195+ lbs)
Total Cholesterol: 116
HDL Cholesterol: 74
LDL Cholesterol: 36
Triglycerides: 31

I am uncertain what my lab results reflect now that it's October 5th, however, I'd be willing to bet that they are way better than what they were back in May!

Typically, my breakfast consists of the following shake: 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology, 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein, 2 Tblsp PB2, either 1 cup Almond Milk (unsweetened original 40 calories) or 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup water, and lots of ice all blended to perfection for a delicious chocolate shake to start the day off right! (140 + 110 + 45 + 40 (or 80) = 335 to 375 total calories)

I've recently discovered PB2 and I think it's the greatest thing ever made! It's powdered peanut butter that has 85% less fat calories than traditional peanut butter because there isn't any oil in it! 2 Tblsp only has 45 calories vs. 190 of regular peanut butter. In my world, this is huge! Also, there are only 1.5 grams of fat in PB2 compared to 16 grams in regular pb. Talk about an enormous difference! If you are a peanut butter junkie like me, I highly recommend this because it will change how you view peanut butter! Go to: http://www.bellplantation.com/ to locate stores that retail it or order it directly from that website. It's the greatest thing!

I've also become a really big fan of the Chocolate Meal Replacement shake. For essentially $40 a tub, I can drink a shake that's good for me AND it's only $1.33 per meal. Where else can you satisfy your appetite, get all the essential vitamins and minerals and a proper balance of carbohydrates, fats, and high-quality proteins to provide sustained energy? I'm telling you, you can't find it elsewhere!

Why do I consume all these shakes? Truth be told, I am a lousy cook! Or, shall I say lazy? I am always on the move and it's so much easier for me to blend up a shake and go vs. spend time in the kitchen figuring out and planning meals. I hate going to the grocery store. I spend way too much time reading labels and it's just too busy. I only visit the produce department, dairy, and outside aisles when I do go because everything else is just pointless and unhealthy. (or so I think)

The multi-vitamins, calcium, and omega-3 supplements are amazing! The vitamins are essentially "insurance" for my diet just in case I'm not consuming enough quality foods with proper nutrition. I take calcium because I rarely ever consume a glass of milk by itself. The only time I drink milk is in my shakes and it's only 8oz a day. And, omega-3 fatty acids help maintain healthy blood triglyceride levels and support healthy cardiovascular, cognitive, and joint function. They also support healthy vision and youthful skin. All of these together provide the core pack of nutrition that my body needs to be fueled properly every day.

Currently, I am experimenting with myself. By this, I mean that I am toying with total calorie consumption; keeping a close eye on my ratios of proteins, carbs, and fats; and eating every 3-4 hours for a total of 4-5 meals a day. With all of the training for 5K's lately, it's really ignited my metabolism and I can see my body composition shifting again. That's a beautiful thing! I started this journey at 205+ lbs and am now 165-170lbs.

If you feel compelled to check out any of the products depicted, go to: www.beachbodycoach.com/sota or www.shakeology.com/sota Feel free to contact me if you have any questions: noell_angela@yahoo.com I've struggled a long time with my health and fitness. I've come a long way but I also have a long way to go. I feel great and that's the most important thing. Once I started exercising regularly and started feeding my machine accordingly, it was amazing how the inches fell off and my energy sky-rocketed! My confidence soared through the roof and my life did a complete 180 right before my eyes. Don't get me wrong, it didn't happen overnight. There were a lot of struggles and setbacks, but I kept pushing through. That's the key: Don't ever give up on yourself...EVER!

Accountability in the Numbers

I can't help but get a little excited when I look back over my race results for the past 2 weeks! On Sept. 25th, I ran the first of seven scheduled 5K's up until Thanksgiving. I was pretty pleased with my overall time, but I never looked at where I stood overall. So, tonight I did a little research and here's what I found:

Sept. 25th: Candlelighters Night Run 5K
Females 25-29: I placed 9 out of 27 participants
Overall: 131 out of 311 participants
Chip time: 30:33 (30 minutes and 33 seconds)
Gun time: 30:51 (30 minutes and 51 seconds)
Pace: 9:49/M

Oct. 2nd: Trinity Bright Halloween 5K
Females 25-29: I placed 6 out of 19 participants
Overall: 46 out of 137 participants
Chip time: 29:51 (29 minutes 51 seconds)
Gun time: 30:07 (30 minutes 7 seconds)
Pace: 9:36/M

I must confess that between Sept 25th and Oct. 2nd, I only ran 4 miles. I did not get those longer runs in like I know are so important! I noticed again today that right around the 2 mile mark I needed to distract myself to keep pushing forward. The majority of my training has been 2 miles at a time. I must find a way to get those longer runs in!!!

Today was pretty neat! Again, it was a very positive experience! For the first time, my son was with me at the race! He cheered me across the starting line and was there to cheer me on as I came upon the finish line! Just seeing him there waving and yelling, "Come on mom, you can do it!" was so touching! It gave me that extra kick to just floor-it those last 50 feet. He took pictures and was so excited! :-) While I was running, he got his face painted, played the ring toss, jumped in the jump house, played with water balloons, got lots of treats and goodies, and even harassed the geese at the duck pond! He barely noticed that I was gone! (Thanks Heather for watching him!) He couldn't stop talking about how much fun he had! So, that got me thinking about getting him started in the 1 mile fun runs. Perhaps after my series of 5K's we'll start working on the 1 mile runs so that we can do that together!

Another really cool thing I noticed were two teenage girls, age 13 and 14, running together. The 14 year old ran track and cross country and was in really great shape. The 13 year old was still in really great shape yet ran at a slower pace. The two of these girls kept each other accountable! They would run really fast and then walk to catch their breath. Every time they passed another runner they would count, "1, 2, 3" and so on. They also did that whenever they were walking and another participant passed them up. I remember hearing, "that's 1" as they just started walking and I ran past. I spoke words of encouragement to these girls because we passed each other up at least a half a dozen times! It was very clear that the 14 year old could have ran ahead and left her friend behind. BUT, she didn't! Clearly, she wanted to encourage and inspire her friend to keep pushing when the temptation to slow down and walk set in.

For some reason, that really hit me today. Having an accountability partner doesn't mean running ahead and leaving your partner behind. It means sticking beside them and speaking words of encouragement to keep each other on track, always striving to push forward. To sum it up, both of these girls placed #1 in their age groups! I couldn't be more proud of them! I'll probably never see them again, yet they reminded me of a very valuable lesson today and I can never thank them enough!

Stay tuned for more of life in the fast lane....

Parenting Blues or Bliss?

Happy Friday!

(Deep breathe and sigh of relief!) I made it through the week!

My 1st grader has just completed 7 weeks of school! Hooray! It's Oct. 1st. Time continues to fly by no matter how much I want my little man to stay little, the reality is that he's growing up mighty fast. I find many parents in the same boat with me when they start to think about their little ones and how capturing those special moments are priceless.

This week has been a rough week for Peter in school. As I look back over his behavior charts for the past 7 weeks, he has had many struggles with self-control. Peter's school utilizes the "Honorable Character/Defining Character" charts to capture specific characteristics the children exhibit throughout the course of the day. This system works to identify the following in kids:
1. Honor (Give preference to one another. Romans 12:10)
2. Obedience (Obey...for this is right. Ephesians 6:1)
3. Diligence (Whatever your task, work at it heartily. Colossians 3:23)
4. Wisdom (Who among you is wise? Let him show by his good behavior. James 3:13)
5. Kindness (Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. Ephesians 4:32)
6. Self-Control (Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. James 1:19)
7. Orderliness (Let things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40)
8. Service (Serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13)
9. Attentiveness (Hear and increase in learning. Proverbs 1:5)
10. Cooperation (Look beyond your own interests and consider others. Philippians 2:4)
11. Initiative (Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. James 1:22)
12. Honesty (Delight the Lord with truthful ways. Provers 12:22)
13. Forgiveness (Do not pay back wrong for wrong. 1 Thessalonians 5:15)
14. Responsibility (Each of us will give an account for himself. Romans 14:12)

It's really a great tool to help raise a child up in the ways of the Lord. Periodically throughout the course of the day, the teachers document positive and negative behavior to help parents know how their child/children behaves. I'm sure we all know our kids like to twist the truth a little, but this tool really help alleviate any "stories" that may be told. (And, I must admit they are pretty creative!)

As mentioned previously, this week has been a bear for Peter. I'm not lying, it has been stressful for me too! There's just something about disciplining your child that is exhausting, especially when it's on a daily basis for the same thing!

Some of the things he has gotten into trouble for have been: running into the wall at PE (safety violation), yelling and playing in the bathroom, talking in the lunchroom, talking and running in the hallway, poking his friends, not being attentive, etc...all of these fall under lack of self-control, showing no kindness, and not being obedient.

My biggest frustration lies in the fact that he gets multiple warnings throughout the day! It is my understanding that they get a verbal warning, the 2nd warning they get their name on the board, 3rd offense they get a check mark next to the # they violated. Then, they can have up to 3 marks before they go to the Principal's office. The first visit to the Principal's office is a "freebie" for consoltation, then the 2nd time they go to the Principal's office they get a spanking. So, yesterday Peter made it to the Principal's office... Today, he had 2 warnings....all for lack of self-control. He is smart and knows the rules. He knows what to say... I just pray that he isn't manipulating the rules.

I don't remember being an aggressive kid in school. I think I was a pretty good kid. But, I do recall that I was always busy...thus, Peter is a busy-body as well. He is constantly on the move. His little bottom has trouble sitting still and concentrating at the task at hand. His little mind is just thinking all over the place. I hope to find a way to channel that concentration into something constructive!

Well, I better get going. I just wanted to share some thoughts about my little one... tomorrow is another race so I better get some sleep! Ugh! Wish me luck!

Candle Lighter's 5K Sept. 25, 2010

Let the games begin!

Okay, first things first. I feel compelled to let you all know that the Candle Lighter's 5K was my second 5K that I've ever participated in...EVER. The first was June 5, 2010 at the "Run the Rails" event in Sagnaw, TX.

All of the proceeds of this event went to support the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Greater Fort Worth, TX.

Once I received my runner's number and attached my chip to my shoe, a volunteer came up to me and asked me if I was a survivor or a supporter. I told the gentleman that I was a supporter. He thanked me and then handed me the blue glowstick that you can see wrapped around my arm. (I don't like necklaces, esp while running, so I secured it to my arm!) It worked out wonderfully while running! (Oh, I even secured the ignition key to my shoes so that I could be hands-free during the event!)

There were significant differences between the two races: morning vs. night; certified courses; people; temperature; training styles leading up to the race; etc.

This time around was exciting because I approached it all together differently. I was estatic that this race was at night because of cooler temperatures. Also, I'm an afternoon/early evening workout kind of gal so I knew that I'd be fully awake and ready to hit the course.

I also "trained" for this race whereas the previous was more so just run it and see what happens. I felt great throughout the entire race! I studied the course and I knew the turns even though I had never ran it before. That turned out to be a great move on my part (knowing the course) because I could feel where I was approaching the 2-2.5 mile mark. I knew I had to keep going for another mile. Funny thing is that the self-talk/motivation started to chime in at that point. I had to get my breathing under control and I had to tell myself to dig deeper! I kept thinking as I passed 2.5 miles that I only had one more mile left. "You can do it! Just keep running, don't give up!" All those things were replaying over and over in my head. I hadn't stopped at any point throughout the race up until then, why would I stop and walk now? So, I pushed forward.

I crossed the finish line strong! There were people of all ages infront of me and behind me. The volunteers took off my timing chip and I drank some water. Immediately, I saw on the timer 30:44:09. Now, I knew some seconds could be taken off because that was the gun time, not the exact time my chip crossed the starting line. So, I walked over to the tables and saw that I placed 9 out of 27 for females ages 25-29. My over all time was 30:33:06. My average mile was 9:45... not so bad. It could have been worse! The thing I was so fired up about was that I didn't walk, I didn't stop, and I actually shaved 6 minutes off my time since June! That's awesome! Again, I am new to running so these are awesome feats for me to have! I'm just so fired up!!!

I have another race on Sat. Oct. 2nd. This race is in the morning so conditions will be totally different than on the 25th. I am excited to see how much time I can shave off overall! I know that I need to incorporate longer runs into my training routine to make these short 3.2 miles seem like a piece of cake! Stand by...more to follow after Saturday's race.

Off to the Races

As I sit back and take out my calendar, I realize that I have six 5K races and one 4mi race scheduled every other week starting tomorrow. Holy Smokes! What was I thinking? I'm not a runner, or at least I don't view myself as one. What prompted me to create an account on active.com and register to participate in local events? Why now? Why so many? Why tell so many people about these little 5K's? I mean, it's only 3.2 miles for heaven's sake. It's not as if it were a half marathon, full marathon, or triathalon! All these thoughts swarm my mind as I experience a little anxiety about participating in my first event tomorrow night!



The more I think about it, the more I realize that I enjoy the personal challenge of doing more on this journey to better health and fitness. To be honest, this week has been a train-wreck for me nutritionally. I've struggled to eat well referencing total calories and nutritional content. I've posted comments about Tootsie Rolls for breakfast, M&M's, Snickers, and basically any type of chocolate on Facebook this week. I even made a pot of coffee for breakfast and I'm not a dedicated coffee drinker! I document all this to let you know that I am human. I may treat my body as a machine, but sometimes I crave the junk just like everyone else. The trick is to not let it consume your thoughts and to stay strong. And, of course, to remember that classic slogan of "everything in moderation" is truly key.



(I think) I chose to begin a series of races to challenge my endurance. I want to push myself to the next level as it seems to me that I'm in a plateau. I figure that if I challenge my body to perform different activities things it will start to change. Or at the very minimum, I will begin to notice changes taking place.



I've been running an average of 3 times a week since the beginning of August. Typically, I run anywhere between 2-4 miles outside vs indoors on a treadmill. The only time I use the treadmill is if it's really late at night or too dark outside and to work on hills. I live in a flat neighborhood so the treadmill is a great substitution for those environments. I've been experimenting with the time of day in which I run, speed, and distance. I've come to realize that I am definitely an afternoon workout kind-of-girl vs early morning! This is one reason why I'm super excited about tomorrow's race...it's at 7:45pm! Yeah!



In closing, I cannot wait for tomorrow to get here! I am going to give it my best shot! And no matter what place I take, I know that I am going to finish with a smile because it's the beginning of a new era. October is right around the corner. The temperatures are falling. The days are getting shorter. Winter is approaching. Before we know it, snow flurries will be flying and Christmas will be here. All I know is that I've found an activity that I enjoy and I am excited to share it with you. :-) Stay tuned. Tie your shoelaces. And get ready to run! I know I am...