Hashtag 250 Steps + More {A Three Things Thursday Post}

A very enthusiastic mall walker.

At best, that's what I look like. At worst? I would describe my movements as those belonging to a deranged extra in a new production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

1. I recently discovered a new feature on my FitBit app. Underneath the miles for the day and above my active minutes, is a unisex person in tree pose with "X of 9 hours with 250+." The idea is to motivate me to walk at least 250 steps an hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It doesn't matter if I run 6 miles at 5 a.m. or teach back-to-back classes beginning at 5:15 p.m. It matters whether I get my ass off my chair and walk around the office.

And let me tell you, it's easier said than done.

I have a desk job. I sit at a computer, talk on the phone and type on a keyboard. The people with whom I interact most are within 15 feet. Especially now that I'm done pumping (!!!!!!!!!), I have very few reasons to get up and move outside of using the bathroom and getting a diet soda from the cafeteria.

So it's no surprise that last week I did not once make the goal of 250 steps each hour for 9 hours. the best I did was 8 out of 9 (twice) and the worst was 3 out of 9. Seriously, how sad is that?

Now that I see the goal on my app, though, I'm making an effort to get off my rump. I've determined that 250 steps is a walk down the steps, a stop at the cafeteria for water, then up the stairs and back to my desk. I try to go three-quarters past the hour. If I forget, I sometimes walk in place at my desk. Hence, the mall walker reference.

2. More photos from Saturday's race were posted on the Facebook page for the Fort Wayne Running Club.

This photo is about a mile, mile and a half into the race. I am in the backward trucker hat in the pink shirt. It was windy but nice enough as I debated the merits of passing one of the gals who usually beats me at most races.

This photo is between mile 3 and 4. No longer able to keep my Nuun hat on, I took it off and held it – which basically pulled out my side braid-pony combo. Is it not crazy the difference 15 minutes makes?

3. One of the highlights of my week has been gaining access to the private locker room at the downtown YMCA. The facilities are available to members at an additional cost but, as an employee, I get them for free. There's a lounge area with cable TV, hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, a sauna and hot tub. There's free towels, too, and locker rental available.

This morning, after hitting up the treadmill again (OMG, I am really starting to hate you April showers/torrential rain/ridiculous wind), I was glad that I was in the space alone because, seriously, I looked like a hot mess.

No pretty selfie, here! My hair was half out of the elastic, my head band was barely on and my face was red. And good thing there's not smell-o-reading!

I took a shower, dried my hair and listened to a Vox from my friend like I was at home – except I had more room and no one tore back the curtain asking for dessert or wanting to be held.

I really don't like to rely too much on the treadmill but I could get used to this!

Bonus: I plan to hit up the whirlpool next week before Carmel to help relax the muscles.

Play It Cool {Three Things Thursday}

1. I wasn't going to open the email I got an email from the organizers Carmel Marathon, the half for which I'm training. I figured it was just a call for registrations –which I should probably do because, you know, it's required – and I didn't need a reminder. But, the word "announces" in the subject line caught my eye. The news was about a new challenge – Sprint to the Finish.

From the email:

Carmel Road Racing Group and AmeriFirst announced today a new challenge to add excitement to the 2016 Marathon and Half Marathon. The AmeriFirst Sprint to the Finish challenge will pay a cash purse to the people who record the biggest difference between their overall pace and their last ½ mile split. The top three male and female will receive $100 - 1st; $75 - 2nd; and $50 - 3rd in each the marathon and half. 

 How the AmeriFirst Sprint to the Finish works: A timing mat will be placed at the ½ mile to go location and will record every runner's pace as they sprint to the finish line. Then, timing and scoring will compare each runners ½ mile finish pace to their overall pace for the entire distance. The top 3 participants with LARGEST difference will win the money! 

Example: Bill runs the marathon in 4:34 (10:30 pace) then sprints the last ½ mile and records a 8:19/mile pace. His difference equals =2:11

OK. How cool is that?

My plan for Carmel is to run a comfortable – I repeat, comfortable – sub-2 half marathon. I don't want to blow up at 6 or puke at the finish just because my ego got better of me. So, I'd like to really stick to that 9:00-9:09 pace for the majority of the race. If my training is any indication, though, I might have a solid kick at the end. A 7-flat kick? I don't know but it will be interesting to see. And the challenge gives me renewed motivation to train to keep my shit together in the beginning and run strong at the end.

2. Nuun announced this week that it has reformulated its electrolyte tabs. The change is part of a bigger movement on Nuun's part to focus on the importance of valuing its principles of living clean and putting the very best ingredients into its products.

One of the biggest changes is the switch in sweeteners from sorbitol to plant-based monk fruit and stevia. There's also avocado oil for clean, plant-based production. As a result, the tabs now have 10 calories instead of 8. But really, what's 2 calories?

 As you may know, I'm a Nuun ambassador, and I truly believe in the product and the company. I think it's exciting to see it grow and adapt – not just because the market demands it because the company feels compelled to do it based on principle.

3. Let's hear it for 100 grand!

For the first time in longer than I'd like to admit, my seven-day step total on FitBit is over 100,000 – and by a good number, too. The 100,000 weekly steps is a benchmark for me, and I feel better about my activity levels when I hit it.

The most exciting part, though, might be that I am annihilating Mark.

I bought Mark a FitBit for Christmas because he's always wanting to try out my fitness gadgets. If I were nicer, I'd let him but he always jacks with my stats and I don't like that. Because, I am a brat. So I decided he could have his own.

While I'm being honest, I have to admit that I thought with the amount of miles I log that I would beat him on the friends board. WRONG. Seriously, so wrong. And I haven't had the best attitude about it. It's gotten better as I work through the 12 stages of grief but it is still frustrating.

Thanks to half marathon training and subbing seniors classes, though, I'm winning.

I mean taking more steps.

Why You Don't Need a Fitness Tracker

The request was innocent an enough.

A friend, by social media standards, was requesting a fitbit. You know, if someone had lying around. She promised that she would put it to good use.

After all, it's that time of year. The time when people commit — or recommit — to eating healthier, exercising more and losing weight. Before I go any further, let me be clear: I have no problem with New Year's resolutions. I think they can be great. Heck, my journey started in 2005 with a New Year's resolution.

The problem? The idea that one needs a tracker to lose weight.

Why?

First and foremost, a fitness tracker can only do so much. Sure, it tells you how many steps you took, how many calories you burned, when you were most active, how much you slept. What it doesn't do? It doesn't get you off the couch. It doesn't drive you to the gym or put in an exercise DVD. It doesn't cook you healthy dinners or put an apple in your mouth instead of a piece of cake.

The fitness tracker cannot and will not do the work. It is up to the person. Period.

Other grievances:

By the numbers. The science of losing weight is often simplified to calories in, calories out but there is a key component to the process. KNOWLEDGE. Fitness trackers can give you a lot of numbers but don't necessarily tell you how to interpret them. A friend of mine purchased a fitbit, by my suggestion actually, when she was stuck in her weight loss. It told her she burned far more calories than she anticipated, and it left her confused as to how much to eat. Should she be eating 1,800 calories instead of 1,500 or stay at 1,500? She used the a piece of gym equipment but it didn't register. Should she go for an extra walk to hit 10,000 steps?

You are what you eat. Exercise and, in general, moving more are key to weight loss but diet plays a significant role. Though many of the trackers do sync with food diary apps, the emphasis is on things that are measured through heart rate and movement. In a way, it takes food out of the picture. Also, some people might see that they burned 500 calories on the treadmill and use it as a "reason" to make a less-than-ideal choice.

Commitment before reward. I have seen many people go out and buy all.the.things when they show interest in a new activity or pursuit. The idea is that they should have everything they might need during the journey so that they can feel supported and ready. However, it is my belief that gear should be earned — not given. When I started Couch to 5K in 2009, I used a $10 stopwatch for Target. It wasn't until after I successfully completed the 9-week program  and was half-way through an extended plan for the Flying Pig that I asked for a Garmin 305. It seemed silly to invest that money in a watch if I didn't know whether running would stick. Same goes for fitness. Start by tracking on free sites, such as MyFitnessPal. If you want to be accountable for your exercise, choose an affordable heart rate monitor. Use the fitness tracker as a reward once hitting a certain milestone rather than something to start with.

Don't get me wrong — I think there are benefits to wearing a tracker but I don't think it is the be all, end all of weight loss. It is not a $100 insurance policy for success.

What are your thoughts?