Health & Fitness in November

This month started strong with the running of my second NYC Marathon, but then it held some much needed rest!  I needed it desperately after the marathon.  However, I didn't want all of the efforts to get in running shape to disappear after the big race so I made the choice to sign up for a short 4-miler at the end of November.

I started back at the beginning the week before the 4-mile God's Love We Deliver run with one solitary mile.  I ran the entire mile...and it felt good.  Two days later, I ran a couple solid miles.  Still felt good.  Another two days, I gave it my all for three miles.  A bit more difficult for me to not take any breaks, but I did it.  I was ready!  My plan worked well because I ran for the entire time during the 4-mile race...finishing with my best time all year - 11:52 per mile!

Nov 16 - 1 mile run on treadmill

Nov 18 - 2 mile run on treadmill

Nov 20 - 3 mile run on treadmill

I gave myself another break for the Thanksgiving holiday, but I know I've got to get back to it for December.  I began tracking my daily steps with my new FitBit starting on December 1 so it will be interesting to see how I do with step counts all month!  I don't have any races on the books for the next couple of months so it will be more important than ever that I make time for the gym!

What are you favorite winter workouts?

 
Andrea :)

Saturday States: Hawaii

Hawaii

State Nickname: The Aloha State

Year of Family Trip: 2010

Cities Visited: Honolulu, The Big Island

Can't Miss Tourist Attractions:
Dole Plantation, North Shore, Diamond Head, USS Arizona Memorial, Luau, Snorkeling, Swimming with the Dolphins, Black Sand Beaches

We flew from near and far to gather for our Hawaiian vacation in January 2010. Initially, it was just Mom, Dad, McKinley, and me.  We spent the day at Dole Plantation and drove around the North Beach area before Jordan and Jen joined us.  After that, it was one adventure after another.  We hiked to the top of Diamond Head for a spectacular view, danced the night away at a luau, paid our respects when visiting the USS Arizona Memorial, and even hopped over to The Big Island for a day of volcano watching and black sand beach walking.  McKinley and I were the only ones to experience swimming with the dolphins - certainly a lifetime top ten moment for me!  And snorkeling turned out to quite an adventure for the Heflin crew.

Pineapple Maze

I had pretty low expectations for the Dole Plantation, but it turned out to be SO much fun!  We had the most fun in the Pineapple Maze! We searched high and low for each station...eventually finding them all!  A pineapple ice cream float was a fantastic reward for a long day of walking through the garden maze!

North Shore Shrimp and Shaved Ice

North Shore was full of more than just massive waves and hang ten surfers - it had shrimp trucks and shaved ice!!  Shrimp has grown on me over the years, but at this point in time it was not something I particularly enjoyed.  Mom selected a couple types from the extensive Shrimp Shack menu...and I was hooked!!  The coconut fried shrimp was absolutely phenomenal!  We also managed to locate Matsumoto's famous shaved ice stand.  This shaved ice packs a punch.  A punch full of ice cream!!  They load the bottom of the cone with soft serve before topping it with your choice of flavored shaved ice - YUM!!  Just be careful to listen closely and avoid the additional black beans option!

Hopping over to The Big Island

We didn't manage to visit all the stunning islands of Hawaii, but we did venture over to The Big Island for a fun day trip.  It was actually our first (and only...so far!) flight together.  It was short and took place in an extremely small plane, but we made it!  We spent the day roaming around sites with active volcanoes - fortunately, we never saw one erupt.  We did see lots of lava remains cooling in the distance on our black sand beaches walk though.

Zippy - the Flying Dolphin!

McKinley and I decided we wanted to play with dolphins on this trip so Mom signed us up for an amazing dolphin adventure.  There was lots of instruction and a life jacket requirement that left me wondered what exactly I had signed up for at Sea Life Park.  We participated in a number of warm-up activities with the two dolphins - received and gave kisses, danced with them, pet their stomach and back, and even had them wave at our family and friends watching us.  We were also able to participate in two tricks with them - a dorsal pull and a nose push.  I was nervous about missing the dorsal fins on the pull so I didn't fully enjoy it as much as the nose push.  My only concern with the nose push was that my dolphin would sneeze or something and open his mouth leaving me one leg shy of a pair, but thankfully everything went as planned.  And I easily had one of my most memorable life experiences!  We were so sad when the session ended!!  I have such a huge respect for the intelligence of these amazing creatures!

Man Overboard (AKA Snorkeling)

Next up for the Heflin bunch was a day at sea for some fun snorkeling time.  This was an utter disaster!  The day started like any other.  However, as we drifted further and further from the shore, the water became more and more choppy.  Our captain pointed out some wild dolphins nearby - a pleasant distraction for a bit.  Then, we began receiving instruction for the snorkeling excursion - masks and brief breathing techniques, fins, life jackets.  No "HELP NEEDED" code or signal...after all, each person was required to answer affirmative when asked if they knew how to swim.  Well, it didn't take long for half of our bunch to realize they were in over their head with this whole adventure.  Mom and Dad were completely out of their element.  Dad was certain he would be scattered into a million pieces by the boat's blade as he drifted closer and closer to it.  Eventually, they rescued Dad and threw Mom a life buoy.  I'm not exactly sure if they had ever seen a crew like ours before.  I managed to hang in there, but I swallowed enough water to make me sick - literally!  And I lost my fins on my trek back to the boat.  Jordan saved me from drowning without them, but it was no easy effort.  Jordan and Jen (they had initially proposed the idea) decided they would rather snorkel without us in the future!

Luau Memories

Attending a luau in Hawaii is an definite must do activity!  We spent a night having a blast at Paradise Cove.  There were tons of activities - tattoo artistry, canoe rowing, traditional games, dancing, arts and crafts, and more - to experience while waiting for the food to be ready.  We were also able to watch the unveiling of the roasted pig and try poi.  Jordan was brave enough to give it a shot.  I don't think he'd recommend it though!  Once the food was finished, we enjoyed it along with a show full of dancers and great music!

A Hike to Remember 

We decided to hike Diamond Head one day. It seemed like a good plan until I realized halfway up that I was wearing flip flops - not ideal!  The climb was steep and seemed to be never ending, but I'm glad we did it.  There were several landings along the way for photo opportunities which is nice for those that don't want to put in the effort to go all the way to the top! 

An Infamous Place

We visited the USS Arizona Memorial on our last day in Hawaii.  They give out free tickets, but the number is limited and given out first come, first serve so we went there early that morning to make sure we got ours. The memorial is very impressive.  When you enter, you are given a card with the name of an individual and some background information about them on it.  This was a great way to feel a part of the whole experience.  I definitely recommend checking out the memorial if you visit Honolulu.

Have you ever visited the beautiful islands of Hawaii?

Andrea :)

Aquarium Fun!

When a work trip took me to Cincinnati the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I couldn't have been more thankful!  The trip meant an opportunity to visit with my favorite niece and nephew along with my sister-in-law and parents.  We made plans to check out the Newport Aquarium.  And then I was even more excited because they have penguins there!! :)

It was an absolute blast watching Brinley and Landon explore and play all day.  We had fun checking out all the animals.  So many unique and different types were swimming around! Brinley and I even managed to pet a few of them.  She was so brave to pet the sharks!  I wasn't bold enough to try that one!

We even found Scuba Santa!!  Brinley was quick to let him know she wanted a "swed" for Christmas.  I have no idea where she learned so much about all the fun you can have on a sled, but I sure hope Santa is able to fit one down the chimney for her!!  Landon wasn't quite as vocal, but did seem intrigued by the whole operation.

I loved watching Landon chase the penguins.  The penguin area has a huge open space where little ones can view the penguins that decide to take a swim.  One particular penguin was really showing off swimming back and forth as kids chased after him!  He sure managed to tire the kids out!

The kids were mesmerized by the bubble machines at the entrance and a couple other locations throughout so we spent a good chuck of time playing there after we crossed the Shark Tank Hanging Bridge.  The other favorite moment of the day for the kids included the play area in the frog exhibit.  Brinley kept asking about it all day!

It was such a blessing that I was able to spend some time with these two cuties over the weekend!  Big thanks to Jen for driving them up for the brief visit!  Mom and Dad stayed the night so we had a tasty dinner and went to the movies before heading back to the hotel.  We all three highly recommend Brooklyn - great movie, but get your tissues ready!

Andrea :)

#collaboreads: A Non-Fiction Book

Have you felt the pull toward a different career path, but allowed fear to keep you in your current situation?  Have you ever considered leaving your job with no Plan B allowing you nothing but time to figure out what's next?  Have you ever wanted to just take a leap...and see what happens on the other side?  It can be so easy to get stuck in a routine or want to ensure you have the next thing lined up before you move on. Honestly, it was refreshing to read Tess Vigeland's story as she made a huge leap of faith from a prominent radio host on NPR's Marketplace to the great unknown.  When I saw this month's topic was non-fiction, I was thrilled this book had just arrived in my mailbox!   

RIVETING.

What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?

Perhaps it is the current state of my life, but I absolutely could not get enough of this book.  So many of the thoughts and fears rang true for me.  I have been struggling for some time to figure out my passion.  While this book doesn't necessarily help with figuring it out, it does present a number of interesting stories and findings from studies as they relate to work and happiness.  Tess shares much of her own story, but also pulls from the experiences of others.  This was a great way to include different perspectives and make the book even more engaging. 

ELEMENTS.

How did you relate to/care for the characters?
What's your thought on the plot line and twists and turns?

While I enjoyed the overall theme and message of the book, I did find it a bit difficult to relate to many of the characters simply due to age and life circumstance.  Most of them were in lucrative careers pre-Leap and had a bit of a financial net to fall back on.  However, there were a couple of stories that related more to the average Joe.  Similar to Tess, I don't currently have any children, but I was happy to read stories about individuals who did and still made the Leap.  It was also helpful that Tess included the dark side of Leaping as well as the exciting, new, adventurous side. 

ASSOCIATE.
What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV or movie with it's themes and characters? Does it serendipitous-ly line-up with things going on in your life or the news right now? 

I would classify this book in the self-help line.  It was a bit of a biography, but mostly it was set up to be a tool to help others going through the Leap process.  I can't think of any others that were like it exactly, but self-help was immediately what came to mind when I started reading it.  As I mentioned, it was very insightful for me.  Over the past couple of years, I have thought many times about other career paths that would be a good fit for me.  It was interesting to see how similarly my thought process and fears were to others in the book.  Additionally, I was fascinated by the information Tess presented in regard to how closely we associate ourselves with our work - how much of our identity is wrapped up in what we do from 9-5.

DESIGN.
You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? 
How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? 

The cover was boring.  It didn't really stand out at all.  I did like the tag line that was included on the cover though.  After much thought, I'm not entirely sure how the cover could be changed effectively.

STARS.  
How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?  

I give this book 4 stars.  It was a quick read that kept me engaged and wanting to learn more with each chapter.  It was written in a way that made me feel like we were sitting down for a chat - very personable and honest.  If you have ever considered taking a leap of faith in your career, I highly suggest giving it a read. Click here to learn more about the book!  

Andrea :)

*I received this book from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review.  

Sunday Stadium Review - Raiders

 Oakland Raiders

Name of Stadium: O.co Coliseum

Capacity: 56,057

Game Attended: versus Ravens in September 2015 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

If nothing else, the Raiders stadium is located in a quaint area full of running trails.  I was quite surprised when we pulled into the parking area!  The day was another absolute scorcher which made the long walk from the parking lot to the stadium seem even longer!

As we moved closer and closer to the stadium, we came upon pods of tailgaters.  I loved the decked out vehicles and fans we saw along the way.  Once we arrived at the gate to enter, there was a major jam of people.  I'm not sure if they have a more thorough security process that other stadiums I have attended or there was just a lack of staff to screen fans, but we waited for quite some time before making it to the front of the line.

I was excited to see how the stadium looked inside.  It is an older stadium and also shared with the Oakland A's baseball team.  The stadium could certainly use an upgrade, but it also didn't appear near as old as the Chargers stadium we visited the week before.  I am guessing they cover the upper deck on one side because they aren't able to sell enough tickets.  I have only noticed that one other place - Jacksonville.  The section covered here seemed to expand over a much larger space though!

I really liked the huge video boards in both endzones.  One was almost directly behind our seats which made for some nice views of replays!  I have never been a big fan of the way the field is laid out to include the baseball infield, but I don't think there is much that can be done about that.  It made it difficult for me to see at times.  I'm sure it is very odd for the players out there as well.

The heat (and insanely long concession lines) caused us to miss a portion of the third quarter.  And we had to leave with about five minutes left in the game in order to catch our flight.  However, I would actually be interested in going back to a game here again.  It was a fun and friendly atmosphere...especially since we weren't rooting against the home team!

Andrea :)

Saturday States: Washington, DC

Washington, DC

State Nickname: Our Nation's Capitol
Not technically a state, but there is SO much to do in DC - I couldn't leave it out!

Year of Family Trip: 1999

City Visited: Washington, DC

Can't Miss Tourist Attractions:
White House, Capitol Building, National Zoo, All the Memorials and Museums

Our family trip to Washington DC came about when Jordan's 8th grade class took a Spring Break field trip there.  Since Dad works in the school system it was easy for us to tag along on the trip.  Not too sure Jordan was super thrilled about it, but I suppose that is the life of a middle child!

We saw pandas at the National Zoo, enjoyed the rotunda view inside the Capitol Building, and captured some photos outside the gates of the White House.  I was amazed by the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian.  We all enjoyed checking out the Memorials for all the popular Presidents.  Lincoln was a favorite since he grew up in the Bluegrass State! And Ricker took a particular liking to Eleanor Roosevelt. Below, you can see Jordan and McKinley lounging on the FDR Memorial while I collect rubbings of various soldier's names at the Vietnam Memorial.

It was a really nice time of year to visit.  Unfortunately, beavers had been on the prowl destroying many of the cherry blossom trees along the basin in the Mall area.  I was bummed we didn't get to see those in full bloom.  Our week was full between checking out all the museums - particularly touching was the Holocaust Museum - and visiting various places like the Supreme Court and National Archives.  It served as both an educational and enjoyable trip for all of us!

Have you ever been to Washington DC?

Andrea :)

Mini of the Month: November

I was so excited to discover the November Mini would be Caramel Apple Pie.  Sounds delicious!!  And it's definitely the right time of year for pie...yum!!

This mini was SO good!!  The yellow cake is filled with apple pie stuffing and frosted with caramel cream cheese icing before being topped with cinnamon streusel and cinnamon.  The absolute perfect blend of caramel and apple.  Simply wonderful!

Are you a fan of pie?  What is your favorite kind?

Andrea :)