Like Riding a Bike!

I know how to ride a bike.  I can climb on and balance and ride. 

I have a good bike.  It's  Diamondback- and I did a good amount of research before buying.  Jeff and I have matching bikes, actually.  Back in 2004, I got a great promotion at work and we took my increase in salary and splurged on bikes and gear for the two of us.  We rode a few times and were enjoying it... when I got pregnant with Teagan.  My doctor recommended not biking while pregnant due to balance issues and the danger of falls.  So the bikes have pretty much been stored away ever since. 

I set my new goal to go from running to cycling and have realized that even though I can ride a bike, I don't know anything about riding a bike!

Is there essential gear?  Do I really need padded shorts and gloves (I'm told yes by several with much experience)?

Are there training plans like I used to learn to run?  Is there a right way and a wrong way to ride?

What about the unwritten rules of the road for cyclists?

And what do I do when the entire family wants to go out?  Are we ready to fully commit to riding together?  What's the best way to transport the kids?  Should we have a hitch on the back with one of those bicycle seats and pedals for each kid?  I kind of thought a trailer might be good but I think Teagan riding on her own would be better... so maybe those add on to the back seat things are better?

I'm clueless!!  I want to learn but hardly know where to start!

Google gave me a good start- I've got plenty to start reading.  But I think it's best when I can get information from people who are currently riding. 

Do you ride?  Do you have tips and advice for someone starting out?

Check Out My New Page!

Check out the new page I've added to my blog pages!  It's all about my Team In Training work.  You'll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months- I'll be sharing my journey as I train for another half marathon.  This time, I'll have coaches helping me with my running and my goals.  This time, I'll be running for a different reason. 

My first half marathon was about a Big Goal for this whole running thing that I start in February 2010.

My next half marathon is for people who have fought far bigger, scarier, and harder battles than trying to run a mile or power up a hill or push through 13 miles.

So check out that page!

Happy Birthday, Christy!

It's my closest girlfriend's birthday today!

I gave her a present first thing this morning (made easy by the fact that we ride together to work).  A Timex Ironman watch and a bottle of saké. 

We're going out to dinner to our favorite sushi place tonight- Wild Ginger. 

Happy birthday to Christy! 

Here's to another year of adventures and runs and bike rides and sushi and wine and laughter and so much more!

Taste Test: Arby's vs Subway Chicken Salad

I was recently made aware of an Arby's promotion to do a taste test between their chicken salad and Subway's chicken salad.  Arby's offered a coupon for a free sandwich with purchase of beverage.  Subway is offering their chicken salad as the current $5 foot long for May.

Yesterday, Christy and I decided to take on that challenge.

We got the free Arby's sandwich and split it.  We got the foot long and split it.  We got the Arby's sandwich exactly as they offer it.  We added lettuce and tomato to the Subway version and chose the 9 grain honey oat bread.

Christy didn't like that the Arby's chicken salad was warm (the bread is toasted and the chicken itself was warm, I think).

I thought I might want to try the Subway version on flatbread because I found the sub bread to be too bready and interfered with the flavor of the chicken salad.

I found Arby's to be sweeter and fruitier.  Subway was kind of salty and the fruit was dried instead of fresh. 

Christy and I both liked the large chunks of apple and the whole grapes in the Arby's chicken salad.

We also both agreed that when wanting chicken salad, neither one would be our choice.

Personally, I slightly preferred the Arby's over the Subway if I was only looking to get a sandwich based on how it tasted and only taking my own food consumption into consideration.

We both agreed that Subway was the better price option.  $5 for the sandwich at Arby's or $5 for the footlong at Subway (so $2.50 for a sandwich for us).  Without the $5 footlong special, I think the Subway version is around $3.50 for a 6" sandwich.

Christy and I had a... passionate... discussion about the differences in healthy options between the two restaurants and that led me to doing some research.

That information makes me glad I only ate half of the Arby's sandwich.  750 calories!  And that's a lot of sodium!  And the calories from fat and fat grams and sugar- yikes!

To be fair, if I'm going to Arby's or Subway, chicken salad isn't what I would choose.

I've struggled in the past with finding food I feel good about from Arby's.  It's expensive, a lot of fried options, and the last time I ordered a salad, I had to choose between shaved turkey and fried chicken to go on it.  So I thought I should explore the menu and see if I could find items I might think could be healthier and check out their nutritional information.

I also compared what I would normally get at Subway- a 6 inch turkey sub with veggies, light mayo, brown mustard, no cheese.

Click to see the image bigger if you'd like.

First off, I'm screwed with sodium no matter what.  No way I'm going for the tukey and swiss at Arby's.  710 calories is off the charts (when I'm paying attention to what I eat- otherwise, I'm sure it tastes good and can be considered healthy in so far as it isn't fried).  The salad isn't a terrible option- but I didn't love that salad last time I was there. 

But what about when I take my kids out to eat? 

Part of why we don't eat at Arby's- and there is one within walking distance of home so it would be convenient- is that I don't like the options for their kid meals.

Chicken tenders or a jr roast beef sandwich.  Applesauce, curly fries, or potato cakes.  Soda products.  I'm ok with the roast beef sandwich but it isn't something my kids would go for.  And the applesauce is the sugary type.

To be fair, I don't check calorie and fat counts on food choices for my kids.  I do pay attention to sugar and we try to avoid fried foods.  We've been focusing on ordering water with our meals- because it's both healthier and less expensive. 

I compared the Subway roast beef to the Arby's meal just for the sake of being as "apples to apples" as possible.  However, my kids tend to get a sandwich with pepperoni, cheese, olives for Zach, tomatoes for Teagan.  They don't eat the bread.  They get apples and water (sometimes a juice box or milk for a treat).

So the results of the taste test?

Honestly, neither one of us is itching to go back and get one sandwich or the other.

Christy... Arby's.  But only if she's with a group that has chosen Arby's- then she'd get the chicken salad again unless she had coupons for something that presented a better value.  If she's with a group going to Subway, she's more likely to get something besides the chicken salad. 

For me... Subway. But I wouldn't order chicken salad.

(Although, as a family, we generally prefer McAlister's.)

Let's Be a Team!

The form letter is below. But I want to make you an offer first!

I just completed my first ever half marathon after starting running just over a year ago. For well over a decade prior, I wasn't the healthy and fitness focused type. Now, I've run a half marathon and plan to keep on going! With the help of Team In Training, I plan to run my second half marathon this October. And I want YOU to be part of MY team!

This letter is an offer and a request. This list is a group of people I've come to know primarily through blogging and social networking. If you make a donation in support of my training, I'd like to offer you ad space on my blog and promotion to my social network on Facebook and Twitter.

The greater the donation, the more you get!

$25 - Ad space on the Team In Training page that I will be creating on my blog.

$50 - Ad space on the TnT page on my blog and 5 mentions on Facebook/Twitter in the upcoming month.

$100 - Ad space on my TnT page on my blog, 5 mentions on Facebook/Twitter in the coming month, and an ad on the main page of Eternal Lizdom for 1 month.

$200 - All of the above and I'll write a blog entry about you, your company, your service, your blog, whatever.

I do reserve the right to decline based on content (nothing violent, sexual, etc) so e-mail me if you have any questions!

Thank you for your consideration!!

Liz Chandler
Eternal Lizdom
gentlemomlc@gmail.com
EternalLizdom.com

Fundraising page:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/in/CHNIndi11/lchandlgry

I am raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in their Team In Training program and I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.

Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/in/CHNIndi11/lchandlgry

Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Nearly 958,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.

Thank you,

Liz Chandler

P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again.

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How To: Use DailyMile

I have many friends who have recently started running- including my husband!  I've encouraged friends to use DailyMile as a way of mapping out runs so you can feel good about the mileage accumulated over a week or month or even year! 

There is always a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using a new website.  I thought it might be helpful to have a little tutorial to show how I use DailyMile.  (Click images to see them bigger!)

When you first login, you should land on your Home page.

At the top left of the page, you can see where it says "Add Workout."  You can click that and then select the type of workout you did- Walking, Running, Fitness, Cycling, and more. 

Then you click where it says "Where did you walk (or run or whatever)?"  A drop down will show past routes and also give you the opportunity to map a new route.

A map will come up and you can input your zip code and it will bring up a map of that area.  You can maneuver in the map just like any Google map- click and drag to find your streets and then zoom in to start marking your route.

Find your streets and then zoom in.

Zoom in and then click at the spot where you started your run.

Then click along the map to track your route.  Click at each turn.

When you end the route you ran and if you ended back where you started, you can click on "loop course" to have it end at your start.  Do this when you are close to the start point so that it doesn't do any turns or weird stuff you didn't do.

After you finish mapping, you can add information about how long it took you to run that distance and also give a report on how your run went. 

Then you click on "sharing" and you're done!

I use Facebook to login to DailyMile.  I like having my efforts auto post on my Wall for friends to see.  I also have mine set to Tweet my report. 

You don't have to map a route- if you know your distance, you can just skip the mapping part and enter your distance and other information.  Or maybe you did your run on the treadmill so there is no map! 

There's more you can do with DailyMile but this is a great way to get started! 

(If this was helpful, I can do more screen shots to show other ways to use DailyMile.)

Got Me A Soapbox...

OK, not really a soapbox.  Really, more like a pulpit. 

Although, my church doesn't really do the hardcore pulpit thing.  We're more freeform than that- our pastor likes to be able to move around and such.

Today, I'm the guest preacher at my church!  I first did this gig about a year ago.  It was a kind of foreign experience for me then- I didn't grow up with members of the congregation being invited to guest preach in our church.  I'd seen it and enjoyed it in my church as an adult but hadn't ever expected to be called upon to be in that role. 

I did enjoy it.  And it was a spiritual experience for me.

This time, I'm really fired up.  I'm very excited about this message.  I struggled to find it last time.  This time, as soon as I got the message from my pastor, I knew what I was going to preach about.  I know God's been laying a certain message on me for a long time.  It's something I talk about a lot on the blog, in fact.  The sermon is called "The Miracle of You."

I'm eager to share it with you soon!  I'm eager to be at church and sharing this message with my church family!  I'm really overflowing with this sense of purpose- I know this message is intended for someone out there.  I don't know who and I don't need to know.  I'm just thrilled that God gave me the words to share with others.

The Miracle of You. 

(If you are in the Indy area and want to check it out today... The Promise United Methodist Church.  9:15 and 10:45 are the services.  Very casual, laid back, and great children's ministry and atmosphere!!)