Over the years, my eating habits have changed. Where I used to lose my appetite when I was stressed, I now crave sugar, sugar and more sugar.
For those of you who identify with this problem, the Mayo Clinic’s stress blog provides some tips to keeping a healthy diet:

http://mayoclinic.com/health/stress-blog/MY00175

For me, a combination of tip No. 2 and No. 4 has been beneficial. My friend Katie and I used to keep a food journal during the week and send it via mail or e-mail. This way, not only were we keeping track of what we ate, but also someone else would read it. Eventually we stopped sending these reports to each other, but I felt while we did send them, we made progress with eating healthier.
Do you develop poor eating habits as a result of stress? How do you stick to your eating plan?

After last year’s Danskin sprint triathlon, I wasn’t sure I could ever top the emotions I felt. I was tired and sore, but I was on the verge of tears from the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I did something I never thought I could do.

This year, I saw my friends Dawn and her daughter Erika, of Pevely, Mo., get to experience the very same emotions.

The weekend began on Saturday, when I met up with Dawn and Erika to attend the expo at the Lake View RecPlex in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.

There we picked up our materials, got our freebies (water bottles, sport beans, etc.) and listened to the race day pep talk given by Sally Edwards. Edwards competes in every Danskin race, serves as the Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series Spokeswoman and is a 16-time Ironman finisher.

By the time we got through the expo and racked up our bikes in the transition area, we were starving so we met up with our family and friends who were coming in for the weekend at Olive Garden. We ordered pasta for dinner and had lots of breadsticks to make sure we took in a lot of carbohydrates.

That night, we tried to get to bed around 10, but didn’t get a lot of sleep because of people making noise across the hallway. I ended up only getting about 4 hours of good rest, but wasn’t too worried since that’s all I had before the Naperville race.

The alarm went off at 4:15 a.m., and we all got ready to head to the race site.

Once we were there, we noticed everyone was all bundled up. It was a very windy morning and at 5:30 a.m. the sun was just staring to peek over the trees.

We set up the rest of our gear in the transition area — waterbottles, towel, biking/running shoes and socks, sunglasses and helmet — and then headed over to a tent where they were selling breakfast foods.

We got muffins and some coffee and then had about 2 1/2 hours to kill.

We sat on the grass to stretch and watched the elite athletes begin at 7 a.m., and before we knew it we saw them passing on the run! It was so motivating to see such athletic talent.

We made our way over to the swim start as it got close to our start time. We found some of our supporters who were there to cheer us on and take some pictures.

As they called our wave — No. 33 — down to the swim start I didn’t feel as anxious as I had last year. Maybe it was because I knew Dawn and Erika, who are great swimmers, would be crossing the lake with me. Or maybe it was because I was getting the hang of these races. I think it was a mix of both.

Once Edwards finished the countdown, we jolted forward into the lake with stronger swimmers leading the pack.

For the most part, Dawn, Erika and I stayed together, but toward the end of the 1/2-mile swim we each found our own stroke and speed that worked for us.

The wind was creating some pretty large waves and I was feeling pretty winded by the end of the swim. I was determined to get across the lake without any assistance with the noodles the lifeguards had, and I was able to do it!

I felt really strong coming out of the water as I hurried to my bike.

Dawn was already there, but we were looking for Erika as we started drying off our feet. Soon we saw her running toward us. All three of us then put on our socks and shoes and snapped on our helmets as we ran with our bikes over to the bike ride starting line. I trailed behind Erika and Dawn as I unzipped my bike pouch to get my inhaler. Once I used it and put it back on the pouch, I hopped on the bike to head out on the 12.4-mile course.

I never was able to catch up with Dawn, as she had done a lot of training on her bike.

The bike ride felt harder than I remembered it being last year. We were battling 17 mph winds and I forgot how many hills were on the course! I felt I was moving so slow up the hills and wasn’t sure I would make the time I did in last year’s bike portion of the race.

Erika and I were both using hydration packs, which are backpacks you can wear that you fill with water or a sports drink. There is a tube that is connected to the pack, which serves as a straw.

I ended up having some problems getting my hydration pack working, however, so I used my water bottle for the majority of the race.

Erika and I stayed at about the same pace throughout the ride, but she ended up coming in a few seconds before I did.

We made it to the transition area to put our bikes away, grab our shirts with our race number attached and start on the 3.1-mile trek.

Dawn and I were a little delayed starting the run, as she helped me with a shirt malfunction I had. (Here’s a new tri tip: Make sure you pin the number only to the front of the shirt, not the back.)

Soon we were on the last part of the race and I caught up with Erika.

We all went through a series of walking and running. Dawn and Erika finished a minute or two before I did, and I was really impressed with their times for competing in their first triathlon!

We met up with our family and friends who came to support us after we crossed the finish line, and Dawn later said how she felt it was a life-changing experience for her. She had never been an athlete and didn’t think she would finish the race.

She went through many of the same doubts I had with my first race, and I felt so grateful to be the one to introduce her to the sport.

I was really happy with my time for the race, which was 1:58:41.

Here’s the breakdown:

Swim: 18:09

Transition 1: 5:44

Bike: 51:08

Transition 2: 3:31

Run: 40:08

And here were my times from last year’s race:

Swim: 19:48

Transition 1: 5:28

Bike: 55:01

Transition 2: 4:39

Run: 39:04

Dawn finished in 1:57:12, only 12 seconds behind Erika who came in at 1:57.

Dawn and Erika already said how they are hoping to do the race again next year, and recruit more people to try it out! It was great to have a positive influence and inspire others to make time for themselves.

I went into this race with one triathlon under my belt, but still going through all the emotions I felt from the first race.

It wasn’t until I went to the expo and listened to the course review that I started feeling a little more at ease. The speaker told us the swim would be in Centennial Beach (which is technically a pool), explained the transition areas and answered any questions the participants had.

My boyfriend, Adam, and I walked around looking at gels and water bottles to see if there was any last minute gear I needed.I bought a couple gels and sport beans, which are jelly beans with electrolytes and carbs to keep you energized, to store in my bike pouch, so I would stay fueled during Sunday’s race.I also had my race number, 1328, marked on the upper part of my arms and my wave number on the back of my left leg.After the expo, Adam’s sister, Beth, who lives in Naperville and signed up for the race as well, decided to do one last swim Saturday afternoon, while I unloaded my bike from my car.

As I was putting it together I noticed the back wheel felt different. I had a flat.

A flat the evening before my first race of the season — great.Adam and I frantically started searching for bike shops in the Naperville area. Most places were already closed or didn’t have a person qualified to fix a flat working that night. Finally we found a place that was closing soon, but said they would stay open if we came right away.Ten minutes later we were there, the tire was fixed and I was so relieved.

I didn’t get a chance to go for a long bike ride, but I did test out the new tire, and was pleased that I would be able to race.That night, I couldn’t get to sleep. I went to bed around 10 p.m., but I couldn’t shake my nerves. Finally, I got to sleep around 1 a.m. At 5 a.m., Beth woke me up so we could get our bikes over to the transition area early. We took our bikes over, and placed our towels out with our running and biking shoes along with our water bottles.

The race was delayed an hour due to rain and thunderstorms, which meant my wave — no. 29 — would be extremely late.

The worst part was just waiting around for my wave. That’s when all the worries really hit you. The swim always looks so much farther at a race than it does when you’re practicing in the pool.Finally, my wave was about to start. We all gathered in a group, and once the horn sounded, we were running into the water to begin our race. I wasn’t sure how I would fare with the other women in my wave, so I stayed farther back. I ended up passing a few people, but I was glad I didn’t try to start out in front.

The water was a lot colder than I expected. I definitely was spoiled with practicing in a heated pool, and the lake at the Danskin Triathlon last year was warmer, too. Once I got used to the temperature and got my breathing under control, I was feeling more comfortable in the water. In a race I struggle to keep my form as well as I do in training, but I guess that’s just one area I’ll need to work on for my next race.After the swim, I ran up the never-ending hill of sand to the transition area. It felt like it took forever to get to my bike, and since it had rained, my towel was soaked. So it didn’t work out too well for drying off my feet before putting on my socks and shoes for the bike ride.

Once on the bike, I felt my breathing become steady, and I was looking forward to the ride. The trek was 14.2 miles, which is about two miles longer than the bike ride at the Danskin race, but I was confident I would do well. I made sure to drink my whole water bottle attached to the bike and had a sports gel to keep my energy high.After the bike, I came through the transition area to rack up my bike and helmet, and took another water bottle, sports gel and my race belt with my number attached for the run.

I finished my water about half-way through the run, so I was so thankful for the water stations with volunteers handing out water and Gatorade. I did have to walk a few times, but I felt strong on the run. The best part, of course, was getting to the finish line.

I passed Beth who was on the sidelines cheering me on, and at the end I met up with Adam, Beth, Jake (Beth’s husband), and Beth’s friend Erin who came to watch.As with my race last year, it felt great just crossing the finish line. I did want to have better times compared to my race from last year, but with a different course and a longer bike ride, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Later that night, when I was back home, I received a phone call from my Dad who said the times were already posted online. I was thrilled to see my time was less than two hours!My final times were 15:11 for the 1/2-mile swim, 5:43 for my first transition, 57:29 for the 14.2-mile bike ride, 3:22 for my second transition, and 37:03 for the 3.1-mile run. My overall time was 1:58:49. I barely made it in less than 2 hours, but I did it!

My swim improved from my Danskin race by nearly four minutes and the run by two minutes.It may only be a six minute difference, but I really felt like I had accomplished something important. It just proved to me how much a love this sport. Though I only got 4 hours of sleep, I felt the experience was really worth it and thought how you can really amaze yourself.

Now I have the Danskin race in a little less than three weeks, and I’m not sure exactly what my goal will be. All I know is I’m really looking forward to standing at the start with my friends Dawn and Erika and experiencing their first triathlon with them.

Hopefully it will be a tradition we can share each and every year.

While home for Father’s Day weekend, I spent some quality time with both my Dad and my bike.
With my first race of the season a week away, I thought it was a good time to have my bike looked at. My dad and I went to Champaign Cycling Company — where I bought my red Trek bike last year. They replace my front brake, which had a bend in it, and then when my Dad and I got home, we went out for a ride.
We loaded up the bikes with water bottles, made sure to slather on the sunscreen and strapped on our helmets. We went out to the country roads and had a great hour-long ride. It wasn’t too hot, the breeze was nice, but not too overpowering and it was great to spend time with my dad and get my workouts in. And, I didn’t suffer from any allergy problems!
After the ride, Dad stayed at home while I did a 20-minute run around our neighborhood.
Four days until the Naperville Tri!

Well, it finally hit me. Right in the eye.
I know what late spring/early summer means for my allergies, so I tried to do my workouts indoors. But after finding the treadmill to be incredibly boring and wanting to train on my bike since I raised the seat from last year’s race, I went for my first outdoor bike ride since I began training more intensely.
As I started the loop, I could already feel my eye itching, but I decided to try riding for a half-hour. After 32 minutes, I felt great from the workout, but my eye was in a lot of pain.
I went in my apartment, and looked in the mirror — my eye was bloodshot red and puffy.
So after a doctor’s appointment the following day and getting some eye drops, my eye is feeling better. That’s the good news.
The bad news is until next Thursday I have to use these drops and I can’t wear my contacts.
Today I tried my first contacts-free swim. I could still somewhat see where I was going, so I did manage to get my workout, but what worries me is that my first triathlon is next Sunday, June 22.
For now, I’m still doing my indoor training, and I’ll just have to see what next weekend brings.
Though this can be discouraging, its just another potential roadblock that sets apart the “crazies” from the “non-crazies.”
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just ask any triathlete.

Since January, my boyfriend, Adam, and I have eagerly been awaiting the arrival of the Wii Fit.
We have enjoyed playing the Nintendo Wii he’s had for more than a year with active games like tennis, baseball and bowling, but were curious to see how the Wii Fit would compare to the original wii.
Though the Nintendo Wii original sports games did help you get off the couch, the Wii Fit has really created a way for video game lovers to get moving.
I took my turn on the new system last Friday.
With the remote in my hand, I selected the Mii character that I had already created when playing Nintendo Wii, and stepped up on the Wii Fit balance board.
The board is about the same size as a weight scale and gives you measurements including your weight and BMI, or body mass index. Though my BMI is in the normal range, to get it down to the ideal BMI of 22, I’ll need to lose a few pounds and I’m giving myself two months to reach that goal.
After two exercises tracking your center of balance, the game gives you your fit age, which unfortunately was considerably higher than my real age.
From there you can start training with four different categories — strength training, yoga, aerobics and balance games.
Though I’ve only used the game twice so far, I’ve found a few favorites and a few ones with which I could use more practice.
I really enjoyed the yoga poses, which came as no surprise to me as I practice yoga on a regular basis.
Some of the balance games I struggled with, such as soccer and slalom skiing.
In soccer, you have to shift the weight on your feet to lean left or right to head the soccer balls in to the net, but watch out for the flying soccer cleats and panda heads. Yes, that’s right, panda heads. They deduct three points for every one that hits you!
In slalom ski, you have to try to keep a fairly fast pace while skiing in between the flags by shifting your weight on your left and right feet. Even going at a slower pace, I struggled to pass through every set of flags on the slope.
Now on to my favorite games — Hula Hoop and Super Hula Hoop. In the Hula Hoop game, you have to make a circular motion with your hips, beginning with one hula hoop. Then, other mii’s throw hula hoops which you must lean to catch and then start circling again. Once I mastered that game, I had enough points to gain access to Super Hula Hoop. In this game, you must start with circling to the right, catching several hula hoops and seeing how many spins you can get in the time allotted.
Then you try the same thing on the left. With 413 spins on the left and 417 on the right, I was given four stars and called a “calorie incinerator!” And I was sweating and out of breath! This definitely gave me an aerobic workout.
I still have many more games to explore with the Wii Fit, but so far I think the games are a great way to get moving. It may not be ideal for the extremely fit people looking for a challenge, but the games are fun and the system helps you come up with a goal and can keep track of how you’re doing along the way.
Have you tried out the Wii Fit? How do you think it compares to other forms of exercise?

I recently read this article (http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1703763_1703764,00.html) on girls’ involvement in organized sports.
The upside is numbers of girls participating in these sports early on in life is on the rise, but the numbers of girls staying active in their teenage years is declining.
It made me think back to my days playing softball, basketball and taking dance and gymnastics as a child.
I was involved in gymnastics and dance early on, but later gave up both as I reached my middle school years. Then it was basketball and softball that held my interest.
My freshman year in high school was my last year in organized sports. After I didn’t make the softball team at a new school my sophomore year, I turned my interests to choir and the school newspaper.
Though I loved these activities, I missed out on staying active during my last three years in high school. I noticed my self-esteem was lower and wasn’t as energetic as I used to be.
In the article, these changes are noted for other girls who weren’t active.
Some of the issues surrounding girls being more active include the pressure from parents to be a “mini-pro,” less opportunity in school with physical education classes declining and girls feeling that physical activity isn’t as important for them as it is for boys.
I personally never felt pressured by my parents to be the best on the softball team, but I also felt after I didn’t make the cut sophomore year, it wouldn’t be the end of the world to stop being active.
So how can parents make sure their daughters continue to stay active?
One source in the story suggests non-competitive activities such as yoga.
Many gyms and yoga studios are offering kids yoga, and as teenagers, girls can attend adult classes most of the time.
Whether you take up a class, get a gym membership with your daughter or just take the time to get outside to play, you can find a way to keep your daughter active. And the bonus is you’ll also get to spend some quality time together.

According to an AP story on Yahoo News, more than half insured Americans are taking prescription medicines for chronic health problems.
The finding comes from a study by Medco Health Solutions Inc.
The majority of drugs being used are ones to treat high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Experts say this is because of aggressive treatment by doctors, better medicines for these conditions and advertising for the products.
According to the data, 51 percent of children and adults in America are taking at least one prescription drug for a chronic problem.
One of the most alarming facts, in my opinion, is the increase in 20- to 44-year-olds using these medications.
The figure for this age group has risen 20 percent over the past six years, and includes medicines for asthma, attention-deficit disorder, depression, diabetes and seizures.
The study also noted a trend in children taking medicines to treat weight-related issues previously found in adults. It said 1.2 million children in America are taking pills to treat gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn, sleeping troubles and Type 2 diabetes.
Some doctors noted in the article that these increases are linked to obesity and the fact that America is a “couch potato culture,” and since children are heavier today, America will have much larger numbers of adults with high blood pressure and other chronic conditions.
Do you think Americans use these medications as an easy way out of living a healthy lifestyle?
For the full article, visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on_he_me/medication_nation;_ylt=AozaSei_3R9AYiq.sHAu.rha24cA

In college, I took for granted all the exercise I got throughout the day. Walking to all my classes really helped keep me in shape, in addition to teaching aerobics and participating in intramural sports.
Now, being mostly desk-bound for my 40 hours a week, I’ve noticed my body shape start to change.
According to Women’s Health Magazine online (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/lose-weight-at-the-office-0), a recent careerbuilder.com survey revealed that 49 percent of those surveyed had gained weight at their current jobs.
So how can you make adjustments to your daily life at work to prevent that from happening?
Women’s Health Magazine’s slideshow (at the above Web site) gives some tips, such as using a headset telephone so you can walk around the office while you take calls, keeping healthier snacks to the right of your work station and starting up a friendly weight-loss competition with co-workers.
My favorite on the list, however, was using an air freshener that has sweet scents like apples or vanilla. Just smelling these scents helped a group of overweight people lose an average of 30 pounds over a six-month period.
How do you incorporate exercise or healthy eating during your work hours?

As much as I look forward to spring, I end up dreading its start. Though I love the warmer weather, I can’t enjoy it because it’s allergy season.
Allergies somehow crept up on me when I turned 18; prior to my high school graduation party my brother was the only one in our family to have the itchy, watery, red eyes with a bad case of the sniffles.
After I spent the majority of my time outdoors at the party, I woke up the next morning with red, puffy eyes I could barely open.
Every spring since, I am anxious to see when it’s going to hit me, because when it does, I’m down for a few days.
I have learned a few tricks. I take Claritin and use a nose spray, which makes it a little more bearable now.
Seasonal allergies are fairly common, but what if you’re suffering from something not weather-related?
Sometimes the problem can be from something very unexpected, within your home.
Check out this article on WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/solutions/sc/allergy-proof-your-home/allergy-triggers
It might give you some thoughts on what you can do in your home in addition to your regular Spring cleaning.