The 30 Day Plank Pose Challenge

Almost two weeks ago, my friend Kristin posted the 30 Day Plank Pose Challenge on her Facebook wall saying she was going to do it and asking if any of her friends wanted to join in. Without stopping to think of all the reasons why I couldn't possibly do it, I immediately said, "I'm in!" And then I posted it to my own wall asking my friends to join me. Six of them did.

Today is Day 10 for me and I'm now holding the Plank Pose for 60 seconds. I started out at 20 seconds and in 10 days, I've tripled it!

If you've never done Plank Pose, it's hard. It burns. My body sometimes shakes afterwards, although that has decreased.

I know you're wondering why anyone would be crazy enough to take this challenge if it was so miserable. The answer is simple: It makes me strong and builds my Core. Just look at all the muscles that are in use when I plank. From upper arm muscles to core muscles to thigh and calf muscles, plank pose has something for most sections of the body.

Care to start your own Plank Pose Challenge? Here's the schedule:

Day 1 = 20 seconds

Day 2 = 20 seconds

Day 3 = 30 seconds

Day 4 = 30 seconds

Day 5 = 40 seconds

Day 6 = REST

Day 7 = 45 seconds

Day 8 = 45 seconds

Day 9 = 60 seconds (1 minute)

Day 10 = 60 seconds

Day 11 = 60 seconds

Day 12 = 90 seconds (1 ½ minutes)

Day 13 = REST

Day 14 = 90 seconds

Day 15 = 90 seconds

Day 16 = 120 seconds (2 minutes)

Day 17 = 120 seconds

Day 18 = 150 seconds (2 ½ minutes)

Day 19 = REST

Day 20 = 150 seconds

Day 21 = 150 seconds

Day 22 = 180 seconds (3 minutes)

Day 23 = 180 seconds

Day 24 = 210 seconds (3 ½ minutes)

Day 25 = 210 seconds

Day 26 = REST

Day 27 = 240 seconds (4 minutes)

Day 28 = 240 seconds

Day 29 = 270 seconds (4 ½ minutes)

Day 30 = PLANK FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

Day 31 – Forever = Keep Planking to Keep Getting Stronger

Thanks to the Health Matters Facebook Page for creating this awesome challenge.

If you want to get more out of your planks, check out these great tips my friend Wini sent me.

Take a Hike

No. No. No. I'm not telling you to get lost. Well, maybe I am, but I'm NOT telling you to go away and leave Little Merry Sunshine. That I can tell you with certainty. I like that you are here and I like that you keep coming back.

The other night, my friend Jen posted a link on Facebook about Lake County Forest Preserve's annual Hike Lake County Challenge looking for friends to join her and her husband, Alan (who is one of my co-workers), for this fun way to get fit this fall.

Lake County has a number of beautiful forest preserves and hiking through them you can see all kinds of wildlife and plant life. One of the things I love about Lake County, and Lake Forest in particular, is the commitment to open lands and the preservation of nature. Within a 5 minute drive from my house, I can be out in the middle of the country and away from the hustle and bustle of suburban sprawl. It's heavenly.

To participate in the Challenge, you simply need to hike 7 of the 12 designated trails (each less than 3 miles), record them using the Travel Log or the mobile phone app, and send your hiking log to the Lake County Forest Preserves. Plus, there's a scavenger hunt to add to the fun.

No matter where you are in Lake County, there's a trail near you:

• Des Plaines River Trail (North) in Wadsworth
• Des Plaines River Trail (North) in Gurnee
• Des Plaines River Trail (South) in Libertyville
• Des Plaines River Trail (South) in Vernon Hills
• Fox River in Port Barrington
• Herron Creek in Long Grove
• Lyons Woods in Beach Park
• McDonald Woods in Lindenhurst
• Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest
• Nippersink in Round Lake
• Ray Lake in Wauconda
• Rollins Savanna in Grayslake

Jen, Alan and I are going to get out on the trails this fall to enjoy the beauty of Lake County and get in some easy exercise. In fact, I've heard Alan is already planning his hiking stick. Ya, we take this seriously.

Interested in joining us? Send me a message here or on Facebook and we'll make a plan.

Finding My Greatness

I have always admired Nike's ability to create inspirational, simple and creative advertising.

Just Do It. The Swoosh logo.

Time and time again, they get it right.

But there's always one nagging thing I don't like about Nike (or other athletic company) advertising. They always use super skinny people who make it all look super easy. Show me someone who's struggling to get through her workout, but does it anyway even when she'd rather be anywhere else, and I'll feel like Nike gets me.

And finally Nike does. The result is Finding Your Greatness.

Watching this ad today made me want to buy new Nike's, which I need anyway, and get my butt back to the gym. Watching this ad reminded me that it's not about looking Brandi Chastain ripping off her shirt after that awesome soccer victory in 1999. It's not about how slow I swim or that I walk faster (and further) than I run.

It's about just doing it. It's about finding my greatness in just getting out there.

Watch the ad. You'll agree.



As always, if you read LMS via email, jump over to the blog and watch the video. I'm sorry the emails exclude the videos, but I don't know how to fix that.

Runners Get "Runners High," But What Do Swimmers Get?

Whatever the swimming equivalent is to "Runner's High," I experienced for the very first time today in the pool.

It was kind of strange really. You'd think I might have experienced it last week when I was at Watervale and swimming across Lower Herring Lake. You remember the saga from last year. Last year, I struggled physically and in my head to swim from the dock to BooHoo. It took me an hour just to get there and then I had to kayak back. Last year, I couldn't swim a straight line to save my life. Rather than swim from Points A to B, I swam it via points Q, R, and S. That is to say, I swam completely out of my way...multiple times. Although Dave didn't have to pull me in the kayak, I did have to stop a lot and hold onto the kayak while I caught my breath and tread water.

This year, I swam to BooHoo like a champ. Rather than taking an hour to get there, I swam round trip in an hour. Round. Trip. In other words, I swam each way in 30 minutes or half the time it took last year! Swimming round trip to BooHoo in under an hour was a goal I'd set last year and I did it. And then I did it again two days later. On the first swim to BooHoo, I did have to stop and hang onto the kayak twice, but those times were only to de-fog my goggles. Thank goodness for my Watervale swimmer friend Craig who clued me in about licking the inside of my goggles to prevent fog. That man is brilliant. How no one else told me that previously is beyond me, but I digress. I didn't have to hold onto the kayak on the way home or on the second trip two days later.

Back to tonight. I hopped into the pool, licked my goggles, which, as it turned out, were full of Watervale sand and headed out. Let me just say that swimming in a lap pool no deeper than 5 feet, where I can see the bottom of the crystal clear, chlorinated water, and with stripes on the bottom and lane markers on either side felt like I was swimming with training wheels in comparison to the treacherous waters of Lower Herring Lake.

In the wild open waters of Lower Herring Lake, I bravely fought off speed boats, survived strong currents, huge waves, 50+ foot depths, an internal GPS that worked sometimes and was on the fritz the other times, the voices inside my head (and a rather unpleasant conversation with Dave once when I needed a break), the Lower Herring Lake Monster, and very uneven water temps. I even got cramps once. But I swam it. Round trip. Twice.

Tonight I powered through my swim with a new-found vigor. I swam with power and strength I didn't know I had. I even had speed that I've never had before. I cut 30% off my best time. The voices telling me I couldn't do it, that I'm weak and slow were gone. Instead, they were replaced with "How much faster/further can I go?" and "I'm done? Oh crap. I could go another 15 minutes or so. Too bad there's a bunch of people waiting." I ran into the wall a couple of times not because I wasn't paying attention, but because I thought the length of the pool was a whole lot longer than it actually is. In short, I felt exhilarated.

I can't wait to get in the pool tomorrow. And next year? I'm gonna swim round-trip to BooHoo each day in less than 45 minutes.

Little Merry Sunshine Celebrates National Running Day!

Quit laughing. We really are celebrating National Running Day here at Little Merry Sunshine.

Let me give you the backstory...

It all started a few weeks ago when, after a great swim with my favorite swimming friend, I casually mentioned that I wanted to lose weight faster. He suggested that I start running. He's run two marathons. He's a runner. I have an (almost) 40 year history of never running because (a) I walk faster than I run, (b) my dad has a history of knee problems and I assume they are genetic, and (c) well, (c) is a very personal reason having to do with um, the girls. That said, prior to my friend making this comment, I had actually been contemplating possibly starting to think about running. Yep, I was committed.

After his comment, I started to think about running for real. But then I sort of forgot about it until Friday.

You may recall that Friday was the annual Lake Forest College Alumni Cubs Rooftop Event. I took the train down with my friend Derek and sizable group of Foresters and Forester Friends. Derek commented about how much weight I'd lost (40 pounds as of that morning!) and asked if I wanted to run the Shamrock Shuffle 8K with him next year. He had done it this year for the first time and had already committed to doing it again in 2012.

Before even giving me time to say no, he suggested a "better" idea: we run a 5K together in the fall in preparation for the 8K next Spring and actually got me excited for the Blackhawks Training Camp Festival and 5K in September. It's a 5K around the neighborhood ending inside the United Center with lots of beer while watching the Blackhawks workout. I have to be honest here: my favorite kind of workout includes me drinking beer while watching someone else sweat and if I have to sweat a little myself beforehand, I could do that.

On Saturday, I did a little research into the Blackhawks 5K and learned that it's being held on the same date as my LFC Fall Alumni Board Meeting and I can't, in good conscience, miss that meeting so I can go run and drink beer, even if it involves watching Patrick Kane skate around afterwards. No, really, I can't. Really.

So I started researching other 5K races we could do in the Fall.

In honor of National Running Day, I'm pleased to announce for the first time ever...

Little Merry Sunshine, joined by Derek and anyone else who wants to run, is going to run one and maybe two 5K races before the end of the year! And I'll get to cross an item off my Bucket List!

The Bucktown 5K will be held on Sunday, October 2nd in Bucktown with an after-party at the Taste of Bucktown. The only challenge with this race is the fact that it's the day after Homecoming and Reunion Weekend at Lake Forest College. If you've been, you know why running a race the next morning could be a problem.

The Northshore Turkey Trot will be held on Thursday, November 24th. As they say on the website, before you loosen your belt, tighten your laces. While it doesn't appear that this race includes a post-party, I probably have to get home to cook anyway.

Once we make a decision on which race (or both) to run, I'll let you know. My goal with both races is simply to finish.

Starting immediately, I'm going to start training to run a 5K. Yes, I know that most people train for marathons. To me, this is a marathon.

Want to run with me? Send me a note or leave a comment below.

I run because I want to lose weight faster and I want to challenge my body!

Pillow Fight!

I LOVE this! I love this because it proves that kids (of all ages) don't need fancy, expensive toys to have a great time. It's creative, fun, an excellent solution to cabin fever, and gets everyone outside for some (much needed) exercise.

When was the last time you had a pillow fight? I think it's high time I had one and may get motivated to organize my friends for one.



Thanks to my good friend who sent me the video. Don't worry, I'll invite you to the pillow fight!

What Business is Fully Erect During the Recession?

That's right . . . condom makers!

Recession seems to put people in the mood for condoms
By Charisse Jones, USA Today

With a crippled economy forcing millions of cash-strapped Americans to entertain themselves at home, it's not surprising that one particular product is seeing a sales increase — condoms.

While car purchases plummeted and designer clothes mostly stayed on the racks, sales of condoms in the U.S. rose 5% in the fourth quarter of 2008, and 6% in January vs. the same time periods the previous year, The Nielsen Co. reports.

The sales bump squares solidly with one of the nation's most common trends during any recession: nesting. At the same time, condoms make for a relatively inexpensive form of birth control at a time many cash-strapped families are hesitant to grow.

"If people don't have the money to go out to a fancy dinner or are looking to cut back, Trojan gives them some real affordable ways to stay in and make some great memories together," says Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan, the nation's No. 1 condom maker.

Contraception may also be more popular during a time when families are stretching dollars and want to avoid having more mouths to feed. "Obviously people in general want to avoid … unintended pregnancies," Daniels says. "But in a down economy those costs are even more burdensome to bear."

Pam Piligian of Fitzgerald+CO, the ad agency for Durex condoms, says that condoms are "recession resistant."

Still, condom sales increased at a slower rate in 2008, going up 2.3% over the previous year, compared with a 5.5% increase just three years ago, according to research firm Information Resources. Marketers say they are aware of the need to continue reminding consumers that condoms are an inexpensive and healthy way to have fun.

Piligian says that in a nod to the poor economy, Durex placed coupons last weekend in newspapers and is making more coupon offers on its website, trydurex.com.

Carol Carrozza, vice president of marketing for Ansell Healthcare, maker of LifeStyles condoms, says that her company may incorporate the idea of nesting into future campaigns, along with a focus on new products.

"We're mulling both … and trying to determine what kind of products and marketing strategies we can come out with that will help people during these recessionary times," she says.

Trojan says the message that it's good to cocoon is already part of its promotions, and it will spend more on advertising this year than last as it launches a multimedia campaign to promote two new products.

Trojan 2Go, a thin plastic case with a condom inside, hits store shelves this month while a new condom, Trojan Ecstasy, is scheduled for sale in the spring.

Adventures in Kayaking

Somewhere along the lines, I developed an odd fear of the water. I say it's an odd fear because I was born in Florida and to hear my mom tell it, I could swim before I could walk. I loved swimming in the Gulf of Mexico or Lower Herring Lake or Lake Michigan at Watervale or the pool or the Atlantic Ocean while in the Bahamas. I had no fears at all back then. Water above my head? No problem. Dive into the deep end of the pool? Easy. Nothing bothered me. Just stick me in the water and I was a happy child.

But at some point, that stopped. I still loved swimming in pools, but I suddenly wanted nothing to do with the ocean or lakes at Watervale. And so I didn't. I don't know if it started when I started having problems seeing and needed glasses as a teenager, except I know the summer I worked at Watervale I spent a great deal of free time in the lakes. I just don't know.

So yesterday morning, when Dave suggested at breakfast that we go kayaking since it was my last day at Watervale, my initial answer was a firm no. Part of my resistance I'm certain came from my belief that I couldn't do it. Dave is super athletic and I'm not. And although I used to be a very strong swimmer, I'm not anymore. But Dave continued to pester me about it.

Finally, I asked "Will I end up in the lake?" thinking this would get him off my back because the obvious answer was "of course!" and that would be the end of it. But Dave, knowing when it's better to simply tell me what I want to hear, said "No, of course not. You'll be fine." And off we went.

All settled into my kayak with a life jacket secure around me, we were off to the Boo-Hoo sand dune and then to the Outlet and maybe Lake Michigan. About 1/3 of the way to Boo-Hoo, I lost my balance in the kayak and flipped into the water. At that point, the lake is about 25 feet deep and all I cared about was not losing my sunglasses, contacts, or the oar. I swallowed a bunch of water and came up coughing and struggling to catch my breath. Dave was within inches of me in his kayak and I had my life preserver on, so I was pretty safe, despite my flailing around as though I was drowning.

Once I calmed down and caught my breath, I realized my oar was less than 6 inches away from me and it floats and my sunglasses had remained on my face. I wasn't so certain about my contacts, however, as one seemed to be missing. I asked Dave if he would hop in the lake and find it, but he said no. Luckily, it had simply moved in my eye and quickly rearranged itself so I could see.

After about 5 minutes of futile attempts at getting back in the kayak that only resulted in numerous bruises all over my calves, Dave agreed to tow me back to shore, where I could easily get back in my kayak because I could stand.

Without further incident, we made it to Boo Hoo and then around to the Outlet, where I discovered a dam I had long ago forgotten. Dave soared right over the dam with ease and with his instruction, I was certain I could too. Recalling that the water rides at Great America were my favorite (and only ones I would go on), I figured this would be no more difficult.

I centered my kayak to aim for the deepest point of the dam, but ended up beached just to one side. Dave walked out and helped me get unstuck and realigned, and over the dam I went. Except that my kayak and I separated and I ended up back in the water. But I was determined.

I dragged my kayak to shore, walked it around the dam, got back in, centered myself for the deepest point and off I went. This time, I wound up stuck just to the left, but with Dave's help, I was easily realigned. Over the dam I went and again flipped my kayak. Take three. This time, Dave is laughing hysterically as I again got lined up and again flipped the kayak. But I was insistent that I would not return to Watervale until I had conquered this dam, which was all of about an 18 inch drop.

Dave had a different idea. He suggested that I give it a rest and we head out to Lake Michigan, kayak there for a little while and upon our return, I give the dam another try. So off we went.

We got about 20 feet out into Lake Michigan, when we discovered, much to our surprise, the air temperature on Lake Michigan was easily 15 degrees cooler than on Lower Herring and the water was probably in the low 50s. Dave suggested we head back (before I end up in the water) because it was too cold. As we arrived back at the Lake Michigan shore, I got caught in a wave and got dumped in the water. Luckily, the water was only about 6 inches deep, but the ground was very rocky and as I was standing up, I got pushed over by another wave and bloodied up my knees.

We made our way back through the Outlet toward the dam, which I was hell-bent on defeating. On my 4th and final try, I made it over successfully and then we kayaked back to Watervale where I laid in the sun for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, once I walked my kayak back around the dam and got in on Lower Herring Lake, rather than sitting in the seat, my butt landed on the side of the kayak and I now have a huge bruise on my ass.

I've never thought of myself as a rough and tumble girl because I've always been very girly and feminine. But I'm proud of all my bruises and scrapes. I wear them with honor. I also learned that kayaking is a blast, not nearly as difficult as I'd imagined, and the worst that can happen is I get a little wet. Once I was acclimated to the water, it actually felt good to be a fish again. Maybe I should start swimming laps at my local pool. I only wish I'd discovered all this earlier in the week. The good news is there's only 52 more weeks until Watervale 2009 and I will kayak everyday next year.

I'm Gonna Install A Stripper Pole!

My dad will be so proud. His daughter, the pole dancer!

But if CNN says I can lose 50 pounds by pole dancing, I might just do it!

Pole dancing helps strip off pounds

By Judy Fortin CNN Medical Correspondent

August 11, 2008

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The lights were turned down low and the music was pulsing as Kimberly Wright made her way toward a 16-foot tall dance pole to do some tricks.

Wright is not an exotic dancer in a strip club. She's a 38-year-old mother of two from Atlanta, Georgia, looking to get in a decent workout.

"It works the abs, oh my goodness, muscles I didn't even know I had," Wright chuckled.
On this night, Wright is among more than a dozen women of all shapes and sizes -- no men allowed -- attending a beginner class at PoleLaTeaz, an Atlanta dance studio owned by Angela Edwards.

"We get preachers' wives, teachers, nurses, accountants, lawyers, anyone between the age of 18 and 70," Edwards said. "It's not boring...you get to wear fun clothes, listen to good music...and release your inner sexpot."

If online listings across the country are an indication, the popularity of pole dancing is spreading across the country from Southern California to Chicago to the Bible Belt.

A former labor and delivery nurse, Edwards opened her own studio two years ago and now has 400 students. She plans to add another location in the fall.

Edwards demonstrated a few moves during an advanced class later in the evening.

She climbed to the top a pole and, clenching her inner thighs, hung upside down. Watch Edwards demonstrate pole dancing

"The dancing part is where you get the cardiovascular benefits," she said. Then there's "pole-tricking," or doing specific movements balancing your body weight against the pole, such as the "fireman spin."

"That's where you get the weight lifting and weight training," Edwards said.

She mentioned that there is a risk of injury so regardless of their experience, all students start the class with a half-hour warmup using Pilates-like stretches.

Thick mats are placed near the poles as students practice new "tricks," and Edwards encouraged dancers to modify their moves depending on their abilities.

"You see good results," Edwards said. "We have women who come in here 40 to 50 pounds overweight and they drop it in about six to eight months and they get great, nice, hourglass curves."

Cicely Rogers is one of those women who have seen results. "I started last August and I've gone down two dress sizes. I've lost 20 pounds and I feel awesome," she said.

The critical care nurse at an Atlanta hospital admitted that she hurt all over after the first few sessions of pole dancing.

There's another benefit, Rogers said. "This made me feel better about my body. I used to be nervous about my body and try to hide it. Now I'm a lot more open and confident. I stand up straight and feel good about myself."

Rogers is one of the few women wearing shorts and a tank top. Many other students are scantily dressed in lingerie-like outfits.

Almost everyone strapped on stilettos when the dancing got under way. Some of the women said it added to the atmosphere of the class.

"It makes you feel sensual. It makes you feel sexy," said Antigone Locklear, 42, of Atlanta.
Wright said feeling sexy is part of the reason she attended class. Now she's waiting for her husband to install her own dance pole at home.

She smiled. "You know what? I am sexy and yes, pole dancing does put you in the mood."