The Infinite Debt Club

Are You A Member?

You carry a calculator with you through the grocery store trying to get what you can with that sad $23.48 sitting in your bank account. Standing at the checkout, you swipe your card and start your mantra, "PLEASE go through. PLEASE go through." And then that moment of relief washes over you as you see the receipt start to print. (Although, I've experienced the utter humiliation of DENIED three times now. That is enough to make you swear off eating. Just too much trauma associated with the grocery store.)

Do you hesitate to answer the phone, ever, because now bill collectors are using local numbers to call? It's not just those 888 numbers you have to avoid anymore. Now, unless Aunt Mary's face pops up on your screen, you're just not sure you can trust that local area code. Could be my son's school calling to say he's fallen gravely ill or it could be Citibank wanting to talk about that $286 I owe them. Best not to chance it. If it's really bad, he'll text me.

How much do you celebrate payday, rushing out to get milk and cat food (yes, that is my life) before the bill payments start coming out? Yeah, it may mean $432 in overdraft fees, but that's better than living with a bunch of starving cats. (They will eat you in your sleep if they don't have their canned food in the morning.)

And really, no matter how much you plan, the income never seems to match the outflow. No, really, Dave Ramsey. I'm trying!!! Just when I think I have a handle on it and I might just get ahead this month, BOOM! My son announces that he is going to prom and needs the money for tickets ($140), a tux ($250), and pictures ($85). I know. Not a necessity, but this child works his butt of and never asks for anything. And he's given ME money on more than one occasion. I can't say no to that.

You pay and pay and pay, but the debt never seems to go away. In fact, wait, is it...is it actually growing?

It's time for a change, folks. This is a ridiculous way to live. It's not true poverty, but it's financial desperation and it has to stop. 

First, if you haven't experienced any of the above scenarios, good for you. That probably means you've avoided living beyond your means. Keep it that way.

But, if you have, then we're in this together. And as best I can tell, there are two things we need to do.

1 - Stop spending money. What? Ok, I mean frivolously. Stop frivolous spending. Use coupons. Make lists. Only buy what you need. Plan. That won't fix it overnight, but it's a start.

2 - Start finding extra money. Here's where I can help. A home-based business means you don't have to take on another job (seriously, I've never worked less than two jobs since having children and I still continued to struggle) just to bring in extra cash. And these home-based businesses don't have to cost you hundreds of dollars. Want to know more? Send me a message using the Comment Form to the right and I'll follow up with you. Or, click on the image below to watch a short video about this opportunity.

Working Massage Into Marathon Training

If you follow me on Facebook, you may know I made it into the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon. 

If you've ever run a marathon, then you probably know that I am experiencing a bit of panic now trying to plan for training. Twenty-six point two miles is a lot of miles. A lot. *sigh*

So, I'm doing a lot of research to determine how best to avoid breaking down mid-marathon into delirium and begging random strangers for a piggy back ride to the finish.

At the top of my research pile is the impact of massage on runners. I could quote all of the medical mumbo jumbo, but I won't. It's boring, trust me. But the bottom line is, massage is good. Wait. Let me rephrase, GOOD massage is good. A bad massage can leave you injured. Believe me, it's happened. I once paid $90 for someone to decide partway through my Swedish massage that what I really needed was a deep tissue massage. I was not physically or emotionally prepared for a deep tissue massage. It took me two months to recover from that deep tissue massage. 

I have since found a phenomenal massage therapist that has a strong understanding of physiology and what my body needs to recover efficiently from my training. It's almost magical how she can find areas of stress and injuries that I've neglected to even tell her about. (I think maybe she's part witch - but the good kind of witch, like Hermione). 

For real, no one looks like that when they're getting massaged. But that's absolutely the way I feel like I look when I'm getting massaged.

So, I don't really have my mileage plan set up yet, but I do know that I will be working massage into my plan at least monthly over the next 7 months. Likely, I will increase that closer to marathon time. Luckily, my spa offers a wonderful club plan to help me afford frequent massage. 

Whether you're a regular runner or not, I encourage you to invest in regular massage. You will be happier and healthier for it.

Now, can I get a ooh-rah! (That's a marine thing, right?)

Do You Think 6 Miles Are Easy?

I do...now.

Runner Girl posted this on Facebook last night. And nothing could be more true.

I remember the first time I decided to become a runner. I laced up my new running shoes, told the guy I was dating at the time that I was going out for a run, and then bounced happily out the door. I might have made it around the block. It took me at least 10 minutes to do that and I thought I was going to die. I literally thought my heart was just going to stop in protest. 

When I stumbled back through the front door a quick 10 minutes after I'd gone, my boyfriend said, "I thought you were going for a run." I should add that he said this while reclining on the couch with a beer and a bag of chips. The man had never done anything physical in his life. So I would have been totally justified if I had gone to the kitchen, grabbed the rolling pin, and beat him repeatedly about the head with it. That's what I would have done if I hadn't been crumpled in a weeping pile of sweat by the front door. Of course, if I'd managed to crawl to the kitchen, I wouldn't have even found a rolling pin because I don't bake. Whatever.

Here's my point. That's where I was when I made the decision to become a runner. It was not a great place to be and certainly didn't feel very promising. I never thought I'd say "easy" and "6 miles" in the same sentence. But I committed to it anyway. And I never looked back. Last weekend, I made it onto the podium at a 10 mile trail run. We all have to start somewhere. 

Running may not be for everyone, though I really think it is the most natural thing in the world and should be for everyone that doesn't have some injury or disability keeping them from it. But if you've ever thought about it, try it. Just go ahead and do it and keep doing it until it makes you happy. 

Because it will make you happy. 

I mean, first it tries to kill you, but then eventually it makes you totally happy.

Walk This Way

Our free monthly challenge group has decided to embrace the final arrival of spring and take on a walk/run challenge for April.

We are committed to walk or run (or both) at least one mile a day for 30 days. A walk challenge is such a great way to begin to incorporate fitness into your life.

And while we all have a pretty good grasp on walking, it turns out there are some things to keep in mind in order to ensure the best calorie burn and muscle conditioning.

So, if you're planning your own walking challenge this month (or want to join us by submitting your info in the contact form to the right), keep these tips in mind to ensure good form.

• Walk straight, but not rigid. You want to be relaxed with good posture. Avoid hunching your shoulders or tensing your back.
• Keep your head up. Some say to keep your vision focused on a spot several feet in front of you. As a trail runner, I have a bad habit of looking down at my feet when I run or walk. (It's a survival skill in trail running. Otherwise, those roots will get ya!)
• Bend your arms. You'll burn more calories that way.
• Keep your core tight. What the heck does that mean? It means pull in those abdominal muscles. It will help strengthen your core and burn more calories.

And hey, if the mood hits ya, don't be afraid to pick up the pace a little very now and then. That's how runners are born. 

Spring Clean Inside & Out

Whether you're hoping to lose some extra weight or simply reset your body, consider joining me for an Ultimate Reset.

It's the time of year when I begin to get that itch to throw open the doors and clean my house inside and out. That itch generally lasts through the first room or two and then I just get tired and want to take a nap. Seriously, why does my family turn into a bunch of hoarders every winter???

So this year I'm taking a different approach. I'm going to start by cleansing my body of all the toxins, chemicals, and processed foods I've built up over the winter. (And believe me, I've built up quite a bit of them...because I'm pretty sure I'm part bear and I will eat whatever is put in front of me when the weather is cold.) 

I did the Ultimate Reset last summer and had phenomenal results. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but I did manage to drop those last few extra pounds anyway. More than that, I FELT amazing. I LOOKED amazing. I WAS amazing.

So, it's time I felt amazing again. Maybe then I can get through spring cleaning my house without the urge to just nap. 

It takes 21 days. That's it. It's not easy, I ain't gonna lie. The first week was ok, mostly because I was doing this cool new program. Week two was an issue, though. I was missing my Doritos and really wanting to take up MMA just so I could have an excuse to hit someone without catching a felony. But by the third week, I was feeling amazing enough that I no longer craved all the processed foods I'd become addicted to. I figure, if I can surround myself with other people going through the same thing, I may be less likely to want to throat punch random strangers during that second week of sugar withdrawal. (Am I making it sound fun yet?)

If you'd like to join me (because I've made it sound so inviting) or just learn more about this gradual and gentle approach to cleansing your system, check out my website:
 http://www.MyUltimateReset.com/SunShineStrong. 

And if you order now, you can still take advantage of the discount promotion (until April 9th). 

These are some of the benefits reported by those completing the 21 days of Ultimate Reset:

• Remove Harmful Toxins
• Lose Weight Safely
• Increase Energy
• Lower "Bad" Cholesterol
• Boost Mood and Mental Clarity
• Reduce Inflammation
• Improve Regularity

So, withdrawal symptoms or not, it is TOTALLY worth it. You should probably join me. 

Does Your Inner Voice Know How Amazing You Are?

When someone tells you that you are amazing, or generous, or beautiful, or inspiring, how do you respond? Do you give them the requisite, "Ugh, no I'm not. I'm so [fill in some randomly negative term here]?"

Some have learned to respond with, "Thank you." I remember learning this in undergrad. If you say thank you, you validate their opinion and blah blah blah. I mean, the psychologist in me totally buys that, but come on. Can't we do better than just validating one another's opinions?

I say, embrace it. Exclaim at the top of your lungs, "YES I AM!" Because, if someone took the time to tell you, then you probably are. And you know what? If they are taking the time to tell you, then they are, too. Feel free to let them know that. 

It doesn't steal anything from others to accept your own amazingness (or generosity or beauty or inspiration). It gives them permission to start accepting their own. And it's time we all started giving ourselves permission to acknowledge our strengths and stop apologizing for our weaknesses (especially those things we perceive as weakness, but really are probably just more examples of our amazingness). 

So, unless you are some sort of sociopath, chances are you are amazing. Embrace it and go ahead and let the world know. 

10 Miles of Trail and Beautiful Weather

10 miles of trail. Sun and 65 degrees. Shorts. Perfect. 

The first 3 miles of this race was beautiful. Clean, rolling trails. Mostly downhill, but not quad-crushing downhill. "Wow. I'm moving fast. This is such an easy course." 

Around mile 2, it occurred to me that we had been going mostly down for quite a while and that meant we would eventually have to go back up.

By mile 3, I was being passed by the freaks of nature that had started the 5 mile race 10 minutes AFTER those of us running the 10. "Yeah, not feeling so fast anymore. Who made these people?"

Mile 4 and we split off from the 5 miler pack. Suddenly it was just me and one other runner. Peaceful. "A lot less crowded now that we got rid of them, huh?" she said. "Yeah, but who's going to carry me to the finish when I fall and break something?" Me. The eternal optimist.

Miles 5-7 were a bit of a blur. My legs began a violent protest. There was more up in this section than there had been in the first few miles. I debated with them.
"WALK!"
"We're over halfway there. Just keep going."
"WALK NOW!"
"Come on! We're about to PR. Just keep pushing."
"We. said. WALK!!!"
So we walked. Fine. 

By mile 7, I'd convinced them to rejoin me in an effort to finish this 10 mile trail run in less than 1 hour and 45 minutes. And since we were back on the original few miles of trail, the up wasn't as rough anymore. I was determined to hit my goal. 

And I did.

When the race director gave me this medal, she told me I was awesome. Seriously, so awesome. My response? "Yes. Yes, I am awesome."