In a recent episode of Indie Business Podcast, I sat down with Tiffany McCauley, the incredibly devoted and diligent mind behind the popular Gracious Pantry website. Not only did Tiffany and I discuss some of her recipes, but Tiffany also shared a bit about her journey to better health through “clean eating.”

Not only has she lost 59 of the 114 pounds she’s aiming to lose, but she is also off of her blood sugar medication and hopes to soon be able to ditch the high blood pressure pills too. This was a holiday show from last month, but the principles Tiffany and I discussed apply all year long. Sit back and enjoy super tips and ideas to help you improve your life by improving your diet.

To listen to my 30-minute interview with Tiffany, and to put her tips to work in your life right away, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the play arrow. If you don’t feel like listening right now, here is a high level summary of what Tiffany and I discussed, with time stamps in case you want to scroll forward.

1. Reinvention (2:00)? Before Tiffany and I got into the aspects of clean eating, she shared some of the emotional challenges she faces on her fitness journey, and how she changed her professional career more than once before settling on her current passion, which is also her business. This is a super segment if you need some encouragement and confirmation about the kind of dedication it takes to get a new business off the ground.
2. Holiday celebrations shouldn’t last forever (8:30). Tiffany reminds us that a holiday should never last a whole season. After all, it’s Christmas day, not Christmas month. It’s a birthday, not a “birthweek.”

   When not enjoying the actual holiday celebration itself, you should choose healthier options. “Preparation is the biggest key to success where eating is concerned,” she says. Enjoy your treats, but make sure your meals include good tasting foods made with lower fat ingredients. (See below.)

   Love this quote from Tiffany: “You have to know what you’re going to eat ahead of time. Otherwise, you’ll just eat what’s there.” (So true!)

3. Substitutions (11:47). Tiffany shared a few substitutions you can use for higher fat ingredients: substitute grapeseed oil or olive oil for other types of oil. Bake, instead of fry, as much of your food as you can — baking requires less fat to cook food. Replace some of the fat in some baked goods with pureed bananas. Use a combination of grapeseed oil and unsweetened apple sauce to sweeten baked goods. Use whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour.

Don’t miss the part at 15:00 where Tiffany offers tips to convert your favorite calorie laden sweet potatoes into something healthy and delicious, how to liven up your oatmeal, some smoothie ideas (with spinach?), and also, what she thinks of sugar substitutes of all kinds. (Hint: the term “chemical surprise” involved.)

And in case you’re wondering, the graphic above is Tiffany pictured with her brand new Clean Eating Four Bean Chili — get the recipe here.

About Tiffany McCauley

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tiffany McCauley is a soon-to-be published cookbook author (January 8, 2012), and is currently pursuing a master’s degree as a registered dietitian. She publishes TheGraciousPantry.com and SkinnyCrockPot.com (which she co-authors with Gale Compton). Both blogs offer clean eating recipes, tips, weight loss support and encouragement. Follow Tiffany on Twitter here, and check out her website here.

How to Listen to the Show

This post contains my paraphrases of the information Tiffany shared. To hear it from the horse’s mouth yourself, listen to the entire 30-minute show using one of these options:

• Download it on iTunes. (It usually takes a day or two for iTunes to feed the show there.)
• Click on the arrow at the bottom of this post to listen now!
• Because I have not had a chance to load all of my shows to this blog, you can listen to hundreds of interviews from 2005 to 2010, each one as relevant today as it was when I recorded it, at my Indie Business Radio site.

Question: What do you think of Tiffany tips and insights? Do you practice “clean eating?”

While the holiday season and start of a New Year can be an especially stressful time, small business owners manage an extraordinary amount of pressure all year long. But you don’t need to live in a constant state of overwhelm and anxiety in order to thrive in your life and your business.

Gina Rafkind, otherwise known as the “Anxiety Busting Guru” joined me on a recent Indie Business Podcast to share her best tips for overcoming anxiety and actually using stress in your life to reduce stress in your life. Yes, Gina says, it’s possible.

To listen to my 30-minute interview with Gina, and to put her tips to work in your life right away, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the play arrow. If you don’t feel like listening right now, here is a high level summary of what Gina and I discussed, with time stamps in case you want to scroll forward.

1. Form your business around yourself (2:30)? Before we got into the anxiety busting conversation, Gina shared a bit about her journey from a business that was bad for her to a one that is good for her. It all comes down, she says, to putting herself first. Gina recommends that you check your life and make sure that as you serve your customers, you don’t forget to serve yourself too! The desire not to let other people down can be overwhelming. Still you must make sure you don’t sacrifice yourself to please your customers.
2. Practice conscious breathing (13:40). Here, Gina shares how to quickly (really quickly) go within yourself to notice what your body is saying to you. this is a fun exercise we do live on the show. Try it and notice the benefits! We also discuss the circuitous nature of negative feelings and how they can sabotage our progress to appropriate respond to our bodies.
3. Value your values (11:47). In addition to conscious breathing, Gina says you can relieve stress and anxiety by identifying your core values and then situating your business around them. For example, as much as Gina loved her career as a hair stylist, it was not allowing her to enjoy her core value of “freedom.” Once she made this connection, she “did the hard work” (her words) of closing one business and opening a new one that she felt would provider her with freedom and work enjoyment simultaneously.

Of course Gina’s not suggesting (nor am I) that if you feel excessive stress and anxiety, you should close your business and open a new one. That was right for Gina, but your journey may lead elsewhere. It all starts with putting yourself first, knowing what you want, and then creating your business around that.

About Gina Rafkind

I like to call Gina the “Anxiety-Busting Guru.” She helps women establish new paths of “being” so they can enjoy their lives more. Through guided meditations, e-books, workshops, and transformational life coaching, Gina’s work helps women transform stress and anxiety into positive forces for good in their live, so they can have more fun and experience more success in buisness and in life. Follow Gina on Twitter here, and check out her website here. You can also connect with Gina at Indie Social.

How to Listen to the Show

This post contains my paraphrases of the information Gina shared. To hear it from the horse’s mouth yourself, listen to the entire 30-minute show using one of these options:

• Download it on iTunes. (It usually takes a day or two for iTunes to feed the show there.)
• Click on the arrow at the bottom of this post to listen now!
• Because I have not had a chance to load all of my shows to this blog, you can listen to hundreds of interviews from 2005 to 2010, each one as relevant today as it was when I recorded it, at my Indie Business Radio site.

Question: What do you think of Gina’s tips and insights? Did you try the breathing exercise on the show?

Beginning today, I will track and share my fitness journey at a new website. I have set some specific goals, but honestly, I’m not sure how it will go. I’m also pretty terrified at putting it all out there, but I feel it must be done.

After many fitness fits, starts, and failures, I have learned a lot about myself. Some of it I like. Some of it I don’t like. It’s time to make it happen, and my new site to help me do that. I have a ton of support from friends, family members, a fitness coach and my #FitCEO accountability partners on Twitter.

If you’d like to follow my progress, you can do so at the Escape Obesity website, Twitter and FaceBook Page.

Here we go!

I am pleased to share the podcast line up for December 2011. All month, our focus is on health and fitness. Also this month, I am pleased to feature as my guests current (and in one case, a former) members of the Indie Beauty Network!

You can also follow along the INDIE Business FaceBook Page.

December 5: Teri Lang Patterson: How To Maintain Fitness Through The Holidays: The holidays are here, and soon, we’ll all be talking about making 2012 more healthy than 2011. But how will we do that? What changes need to be made and how do we make them? We’re not waiting until 2012 — we started today with certified fitness coach Terri Lang Patterson of Fit Body Systems, who offered super tips to help us amp our fitness levels starting right now! (I’ll blog the show with a stream and download link later this week.)

December 12: Tiffany McCauley: How To Eat Clean During The Holidays: OK, so it’s December, and that means cakes, cookies, pies and all kinds of scrumptious goodies. But does watching your weight mean you cannot indulge during the holidays? Tiffany McCauley of The Gracious Pantry says, NO, and she’s here to share her best tips for enjoying the festive food of the season without ruining your figure or minimizing the work you started doing after my interview with Teri.

RSVP for the live show with Tiffany McCauley here!

December 19: Gina Rafkind: How To Reduce Stress and Anxiety In Your Life and Your Business: While the holidays can be an especially stressful, small business owners manage an extraordinary amount of stress all year long. But you don’t need to live in a constant state of overwhelm and anxiety in order to thrive in your life and your business. Gina Rafkind, CEO of Veda Sun, is going to share some of her best tips for actually using anxiety to release increased energy and creativity in your life. We’ll discuss great tips you can use throughout the holidays and into the New Year.

RSVP for the live show with Gina Rafkind here!

That will be my last podcast of 2012. I’ll be back on January 9, 2012 for the start of my 6th season — can you believe it??!

While you’re waiting for these shows, enjoy my interview with marathon runner and mom Laura McClain, sharing tips for beginner runners. You may also enjoy this guest post by my friend John Easton: Exer-preneurship: The Cure For a Flabby Body and a Flabby Business.

You can also download my shows on iTunes!

Questions: What fitness questions or tips would you like to contribute? If you cannot attend live, I’ll do my best to see that your contribution is shared.

Fresh from running a marathon to help non-profit CARE fight global poverty with an emphasis on empowering women and girls with education, and maternal health and micro-finance resources, Ironman Eric Harr joined me to talk about making sure your social media outreach is ship shape.

I interviewed Eric when he was fresh back from completing IronMan Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii. He finished 40th overall, and the 7th American. This the most diff one-day event int he world, and Eric had a perfect day. Eric is the author of the newly released The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: Confessions of a Social Media CEO. Eric’s book explores inspirational real-life stories of people who use social media to advance their business and personal interests. In my interview, he revealed some of the things successful people (including himself) do in order to use social media wisely and to accomplish specific goals.

To listen to my 30-minute interview with Eric, and to put his insights to work in your business now, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the play arrow. If you don’t feel like listening right now, here is a high level summary of what Eric and I discussed, with time stamps in case you want to scroll forward.

1. “The first wealth is health” (3:00). Eric provides a short but pointed overview, and a challenge to all of us really, about how he has always pursued sport as a way to be healthy first and foremost. The first thing Eric does in the morning, he says, is kiss his kids and then immediately address his body. He is far more productive because his fitness comes first each day. Eric says that all the things you do to pursue a healthy lifestyle will benefit you in business.

   Continue listening to this segment when Eric shares the three things he did to embrace the mindset he needed to be successful as an Ironman.

2. Start at the beginning (5:17). Eric says you have to start with social media by asking the question, “Why?” Why are you involved on Twitter, or FaceBook, or whatever? Yes, social media empowers the individual like never before, so there’s no question that you should be involved in it. However, social media should drive specific business objectives. Eric says to first decide what your top three business objectives are, and then select the social media tools you will use to drive those goals.
3. Go “old school” with new media (9:43). “Social media is not a media. It’s a human relationship,” says Eric. So many companies alienate people by trying to “message” them. Eric says to spend time school. Consider “Karen in Kansas,” Eric says in this segment. Spend time caring about and loving on people. If you do that, people will be drawn to you. When that happens, the business will follow.

As you listen, be sure to catch the part beginning at 8:00 where Eric shares specific tools you can use to measure: (1) how many people you are reaching using social media; (2) track how many people are actually clicking on your links; and (3) track how clicks are (or are not) driving sales.

Listen at 9:30 where Eric shares the one social media tool he recommends that everyone use!

Tune in at 17:10 for Eric’s advice on buying targeted FaceBook ads, and engaging in what he calls “like-gating.”

About Eric Harr

Eric is the host of the Social Media Minute, the author of The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths and 8 Monumental Truths, and an IronMan who believes that “Empowering women is unleashing the greatest power on Earth.” Don’t miss this amazing show where we’ll explore the mind of someone who has used social media to highlight his accomplishments and help others be healthier and more successful in life and in business. Follow Eric on Twitter here, and check out his website here.

And don’t forget to join Eric in his commitment to support CARE’s vision to help women around the world!

How to Listen to the Show

This post contains my paraphrases of the information Eric shared. To hear it from the horse’s mouth yourself, listen to the entire 30-minute show using one of these options:

• Download it on iTunes. (It usually takes a day or two for iTunes to feed the show there.)
• Click on the arrow at the bottom of this post to listen now!
• Because I have not had a chance to load all of my shows to this blog, you can listen to hundreds of interviews from 2005 to 2010, each one as relevant today as it was when I recorded it, at my Indie Business Radio site.

Question: What do you think of Eric’s tips?

Ilove Zumba. No matter how tired or out of sorts I am, if I can drag myself to a Zumba class, I always feel more energized and excited about my life once I’m done. My favorite Zumba instructor is my friend, Syreeta Smith. She’s fun, cute, and she comes to class dressed in nothing but colorful Zumba attire. Shoes, hat, sweat bands — everything! Watch this video to see why I love Zumba Diva Syreeta so much.

See? If you didn’t want to get up before watching this video, don’t you wanna zumba now? Syreeta is a fantastic teacher. She and her husband, Marlon, are dear friends of mine and my husband’s. If you’re in the Charlotte area, you can connect with Zumba Diva Syreeta and get a schedule of classes through Meetup or FaceBook. Check them out!

By the way, as a (not so) minor detail, my amazing team shot and edited this video for Syreeta. I think it does an amazing job of showcasing Zumba Diva Syreeta, don’t you? If you need someone to help you capture the energy, excitement and fun of the products and services you offer in a professional way, we can make it happen. You can see more of our work at blog posts in this category. If you like what you see, we can make one like it to promote your next event. Email me through the contact page for a quote!

Do you Zumba?

Iwish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, to inspire families to cook again, and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.” Jamie Oliver

The stronger and more fit we are, the stronger, more fit and more successful our businesses are. To help pursue his wish, Jamie was awarded $100,000 and the 2010 Ted Prize. You can join his revolution and make a difference in your community by clicking here.

Question: Did you sign the petition? Are you inspired to take action by Jamie’s passion and the facts he shares?

I use my iPhone apps a lot to boost business productivity. But apps are good for more than business, and it’s great to know that, with technology, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to maximize your health.

There’s plenty of help out there, much of it these days in the form of free apps designed for people of all ages, shapes, and fitness levels. The week after Thanksgiving is probably as good a time as any to investigate them, don’t you think? Here are 5, at least one of which will probably suit your needs or the needs of someone you know.

Application		Get It!
	Yoga. This free app contains a photo with instructions for dozens of yoga poses. Beginner, intermediate, advanced, and guru poses, along with several sitting poses, are included. It includes a 13-minute sun salutation, which is great for beginners. You can also create your own timed yoga sequences and track your progress using a calendar that uses a flower to show the days you work out. This program is definitely for women, with pink and lavender flowers and colors.	Download!
	Jillian Michaels. There are specialized sections for goals, running, motion (see below), exercise, tutorials, and a progress tracker. Once you download the app, you set up your profile by entering your name, weight, date of birth. Then you can track your weight, calories and progress. It comes with a free newsletter, which you can sign up for after you download the app. (I love this marketing!) One of the coolest things about this app is the “motion” mode, which tracks calories burned while your body is in any kind of motion. Just strap your iPhone to your armband, shirt pocket or pants pocket. Once you activate the motion mode, if you stop before you’ve moved, the following quote comes up: “Without moving, you’re not going to burn any calories!” I can hear Jillian yelling at me now. I’m looking forward to exploring this app more. I think it might be a favorite. If you like Jillian, you might also like her free “Slim Down Solution” app too.	Download!
	Pilates. I am new to Pilates, and this is a great app to start with. There’s a couch potato workout and an “on-the-go” workout, plus you can customize your own. There are good photos of different Pilates exercises. A few reviews criticized the app for having misspelled words and for not telling you how long to hold a position or how many reps to do. The latter may be a problem for some, but I think a count to 15 or 20 is plenty for most exercises, especially for a beginner like me. There are links to videos for most exercises, with audio instructions. I love this feature!	Download!
	General Fitness. This app has 250 of alphabetized exercises for every muscle group, plus cardio instructions for things like jumping rope, cycling, jogging, rowing, and stair climbing. There’s also an achievement log. You’ll have to be a self-starter for this app because you have to find what you’re looking for. I like it because just reading about different exercises and seeing people doing them (photos, not videos on this app) is good motivation for me.	Download!
	Abdominals. This app features 10 abdominal workouts with video and audio cues. There’s the crossover crunch, half curls, plank, bicycle crunch and more. The total set is 5 minutes, and a counter takes you from one ab exercise to the next, while a time clock counts down the number of seconds you do each exercise. There are videos for each segment so you are not exercising alone. With this app, there’s no reason not to get in 5 minutes of abdominal workout each day. (Talking to moi here.)	Download!

Question: What are your favorite free iPhone fitness apps?

Today was an interesting day. I ran this morning for the first time since Friday. On that day, I ran a total of 3.54 miles, half in the morning and half in the evening. This morning, I ran a 5K, and then another mile this evening before dinner. This morning, for no particular reason, I walked backwards around the track for 1/3 of a mile. I also ran counter clockwise for a portion of my run.

Melanie, a seasoned triathlete who has taken an interest in training me (I’m a lucky girl!), observed my backwards/counter clockwise frenzy. After my run, when I was stretching, she came over and told me that I was doing the right thing by running counter clockwise at times. She informed me that running around a track in the same direction all the time puts unnecessary pressure on the hip bones and joints, especially in the turns. Reversing the direction evens out some of this pressure and helps prevent injury. She also said that walking (or running) backwards works different muscles. By the time we talked, I had figured that out since some muscles I didn’t know I had were talking to me! Here are today’s stats, morning first:

1. Day 64: Weather. Morning: 66°F and overcast. 68°F. Evening: I ran in between heavy rains so it was damp with a nice breeze
2. Location. Morning: Siskey YMCA outdoor track. Evening: My neighborhood
3. Distance. Morning: 3.12 miles. Evening: 1.04 miles
4. Calories. Morning: 283. Evening: 108
5. Start Time. Morning: 7:50am. Evening: 6:38am
6. Run Time. Morning: 54:24 minutes. Evening: 16:11 minutes
7. Average Pace. Morning: 16:02 minutes per mile. Evening: 17:27 minutes per mile
8. Playlist. Morning: My thoughts of how great I feel; I played it over and over in my head — it was awesome! Evening: My son — he came with me!

9. Condition. Pretty darn fantastic both times!

Question: If you are a runner, do you run (or walk) backwards? Or run counter clockwise (if you are a track runner)? I’d love to know what you recommend in regard to these things.

According to my RunKeeper stats (see video), since April 2, I’ve run 82.92 miles and burned a total of 6,984 calories while running. I have not posted a Running Journal in several days because it’s just been busy. But I have not slacked off, and that makes me happy. Anyone interested can see all of my runs (including two 5Ks last week!) at this link. By the way, the graphic below shows yesterday’s run route through the neighborhood where my daughter attends gymnastics class. Note the quick turnaround on White Oak Lane where some big fenced in dogs scared me away. LOL!

Now that I seem to have incorporated running into my lifestyle, I will post Running Journals less frequently. I am enjoying tracking my progress. Thanks to everyone who sends me emails and FaceBook messages letting me know you are enjoying my Running Journal, and keeping me posted on your fitness efforts. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the support. It really keeps me going! (By the way, today is WorkOut Wednesday at FaceBook!) Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Day 64: Weather. 64°F and overcast; a bit damp because of recent rains
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track
3. Distance. 2.15 miles
4. Calories. 190
5. Start Time. 7:49am
6. Run Time. 34:28 minutes
7. Average Pace. 16:02 minutes per mile
8. Playlist. NPR’s Morning Edition on WFAE

9. Condition. Pretty darn fantastic! It put me in the perfect mood for this morning’s meeting with my assistant. We’re plowed through stuff!

Question: Have you missed my running journals?

I ran a mile 3.01 miles yesterday. From what I hear today, that’s almost a 5K, but I didn’t even think about that yesterday. Some people tell me that a 5K is 3.1 miles. Others say it’s 3.2 miles. I’ll have to look it up. Either way, I ran my first 5K today when I put in 3.63 miles before 9:00am. When I was done, my pedometer read 9,520! I preserved the moment in this photo.

I feel amazing and quite invincible this morning. Of course I know I’m not invincible, but I sure feel that way. And it’s a good thing too, because an effective business leader must feel invincible to a certain extent. Otherwise, how will she pursue goals that to the outside world seem impossible? Feeling invincible does not make me invincible, but it does foster the courage and fortitude I need to make business happen day after day, month after month, year after year. Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Weather. 58°F and overcast
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track
3. Distance. 3.63 miles This is a 5K! (applause please) And I nearly ran one yesterday without even thinking about. (more applause please)
4. Calories. 333
5. Start Time. 7:56am
6. Run Time. 57:55
7. Average Pace. 15:58 minutes per mile
8. Playlist. Just my footsteps and my mind sifting through blog post ideas, plus feeling my body become healthier and more fit with every step. Best playlist I know of!

9. Condition. Is “awesomest” a word?

Question: What makes you feel invincible?

I arrived at the track this morning to see two guys hop like frogs from one side of the field to the other — the long way. I wanted to videotape them, but that would be intrusive, so I held back. After seeing this spectacle of human endurance, I started my run inspired and uplifted. By the end, I felt even better! I had taken nearly 9,000 steps, and it wasn’t even 9:00 yet!

In this video, I compare running miles to running a business. You usually start strong. Then, when it gets hard, repetitive, and sometimes painful, you can become discouraged and find yourself slowing down. But if you persevere, you can eventually resume your stride and finish strong. Remember, finishing strong is the most important part. Here are today’s stats:

1. Weather. 50°F, sunny and slightly breezy; perfect for a morning run
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track, then around my block
3. Distance. 3.01 miles (I followed this up with a .25 mile cool down walk and Son Salutation prayer)
4. Calories. 284
5. Start Time. 7:46am
6. Run Time. 46:34
7. Average Pace. 15:28 minutes per mile
8. Playlist. My footsteps, and my brain as I composed the video in this post
9. Condition. Nothing short of awesome!

The more I run, the more I notice similarities between running miles and running my business. Both require endurance, strength, and perseverance. Both require me to live in the present, yet look beyond it to focus on the future and the goals I intend to accomplish. Both require me to push through pain. Both require me to overlook my weaknesses and frailties, and focus on my strong points.

And both require me to look past what I think I can do, and embrace what I can do.

I feel so great right now. If I don’t run tomorrow morning, kick me.

Question: Have you experienced the sort of 3-step process described in this video? For a specific long-term project, or your business in general?

I ran a mile yesterday but didn’t have time to journal it since I spent much of the afternoon and evening with Ree Drummond and her posse. This afternoon, my kids agreed to kick the soccer ball around the field while I ran the outdoor track at the gym. I made it once around (about 1/3 mile), then they started arguing. In the hopes that it would stop, I got in a full mile before I called it off.

We got back in the car, drove home, and I made them run nearly a mile around our neighborhood, which has some pretty good hills. Magic! No more arguing! After our run, we did a bit of yoga together. My daughter was really into it. My son — not so much. After dinner, we were all friends again. The best part of my day was these big kisses I got after dinner. (I made this.) There’s nothing sweeter in the wide world! Here are this today’s stats:

1. Weather. 84°F, sunny and toasty
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track, then around my block
3. Distance. 1.03 miles, then .82 miles around my neighborhood, for a total of 1.85 miles
4. Calories. 165
5. Start Time. 4:17pm
6. Run Time. 16:40 for the track run, and 13:13 for the neighborhood run
7. Average Pace. 16:11 minutes per mile
8. Playlist. Kids arguing, followed by kids huffing and puffing. Genius!

9. Condition. Once we got through the fussing, it was fun

Question: Why can’t my kids just play together nicely while I run?

I didn’t run this morning. I always say I’ll stop putting off my runs until the evening, and then what do I do? I wait until the evening. The good news is that I ran 1.07 miles at the track, and I felt great doing it. The even better news is that, after I returned home from the track and pulled into my driveway, I suddenly got a second wind.

So I got out of my car and ran around the block, which is nearly another mile. So as disappointed in myself as I was for not running this morning, I’m glad I didn’t totally bag it, which is what I felt like doing. As usual though, after my run, I felt fantastic. Funny how that works. Here are this evening’s stats:

1. Weather. 78°F and pretty muggy
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track
3. Distance. 1.07 miles, then .80 miles around my neighborhood, for a total of about 1.87 miles
4. Calories. 93 for the track run, and since I ran again, I’ll just add another 93 (since my neighborhood has some hilly areas), for a total of 186
5. Start Time. 9:11pm
6. Run Time. 17:02 for the track run, and I guess the same for the second run, for a total of about 25 minutes
7. Average Pace. 15:57 minutes per mile; happy to be better than yesterday
8. Playlist. My breathing

9. Condition. Decent, but I need to run in the morning

Question: What is it with second winds? Do you know where they come from? I’m very curious about this.

This morning, I varied my routine. Instead of running at the YMCA track like I did yesterday, I went to Beatty Park. I ran there last month while my family went fishing, but this time, I was on my own. Because I didn’t have much time to explore, I started running slowly from my parking space toward the gravel bike path. Since I’m used to running on dirt, I immediately felt the increased adverse pressure on my joints. Not good. So I slowed to a walk until I found a dirt running path, then started running.

As you can see from the RunKeeper graphic, I was all over the place, back and forth finding my way around. It was an interesting diversion so I’m glad I did it. I had to stop before I wanted to because my iPhone battery was almost gone (forgot to charge it last night) and I didn’t want to be on a strange path without a phone. After my run, the sun was pretty warm so my sun salutation and stretch was especially satisfying. Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Weather. 73°F and foggy; I enjoyed watching it slowly lift as the sun came up.
2. Location. Colonel Beatty Park, a bit all over
3. Distance. 1.51 miles
4. Calories. 143
5. Start Time. 7:52am
6. Run Time. 32:56 minutes
7. Average Pace. 21:47 minutes per mile; quite slow because of the hard gravel and not knowing my way around
8. Playlist. NPR’s morning edition on WFAE.

9. Condition. I suppose it’s good to shake things up now and then, but I don’t feel like I got the most out of my run. It was decent though.

Question: Don’t you hate it when you forget to charge your phone battery, and have to cut an activity short to maximize safety?

This morning’s time with my fitness partners at the conference was fantastic. We walked around the gold course as the sun came into full view. It was cold, quiet, peaceful, and fun. In fact, it was so much fun that, for the second day in a row, I forgot to activate RunKeeper (See video for information about RunKeeper.) After our brisk walk, we found a quiet corner on the ground level of the hotel, moved a bit of furniture and spread out for a yoga sun salutation, led by Anne-Marie. The stretching felt incredibly good after such a brisk walk.

As we came back to the conference area, we all felt so prepared for the day. Our bodies had been awakened and made receptive to all of the new ideas and possibilities that are ours for the taking. I am so grateful for the ladies who get up with me each morning to grease the skids. There is great personal and professional power in morning exercise. I am more convinced of it with each passing day. Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Weather. Cold and sunny. I think it was pretty close to freezing outside (feeling very committed now …)
2. Location. Inverness Hotel golf course
3. Distance. No one was counting this time, but we had a great walk, the yoga
4. Calories. Not captured
5. Start Time. 6:00am
6. Run Time. I got back to my room right at about 7:18, so a bit less than yesterday’s hour and a half total. I’m hoping to get on the treadmill for a bit later today.
7. Average Pace. Not captured
8. Playlist. Lots of great girl talk and chit chat!

9. Condition. Better than ever. I am now prepared for new opportunities. Plus, I’ve taken 5,003 steps and it’s not even 7:30 in the morning yet. !!!!

Question: Do you do yoga?

I didn’t run today, but I walked really super duper fast with my morning fitness partners at the Soap Guild Conference. We met in the lobby at 6:00 sharp, the quickly remembered how chilly it is in Denver at that hour, so many of us rushed back to our rooms for our jackets. (More steps!) We enjoyed walking the perimeter of the hotel, then the walking path that’s a part of the golf course. As you can see, we were very excited to be encouraging one another.

After the walk, we went to the hotel fitness center where everyone did whatever they wanted to do. Treadmill, cycle, free weights, stretching, and/or elliptical. Anne-Marie Faiola led a short yoga session. By the time we were done at around 7:30, I had taken 4,547 steps. What a great way to start the day! Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Weather. Cold and sunny. I think it was pretty close to freezing outside (feeling very committed now …)
2. Location. Inverness Hotel perimeter and fitness center
3. Distance. 1 mile, followed by fitness center workouts
4. Calories. Not captured
5. Start Time. 6:00am
6. Run Time. I got back to my room right at about 7:30, so an hour and a half total
7. Average Pace. Not captured
8. Playlist. Lots of great girl talk and chit chat!

9. Condition. Fabulous, and very encouraged by other women who are maintaining fitness when it’s easier to sleep in at the conference.

Question: Do you like the elliptical trainer? I tried it for the first time this morning and felt very out of sync. Does it take getting used to, or am I just uncoordinated?

My husband and I arrived in Denver this morning and are now safely housed at the Inverness Hotel & Conference Center, complements of the 2010 Conference of Handcrafted Soapmakers where I am speaking on social media and moderating a regulatory discussion panel, and my husband is capturing footage for the conference promotional video for the third year in a row. As one of the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild’s first members and a frequent speaker at their conferences, I am especially honored to be here.

As you can see from the treadmill panel photo, I am carting around my advance copy of “Delivering Happiness,” by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos. This is my choice for the May 2010 Indie Business Book Club, which starts on May 1 at the FaceBook Page. After I checked in, reviewed a few logistics with the conference planning team, and posed for this photo with other excited conference attendees, I headed straight to the fitness center for a run. Here are this afternoon’s stats:

1. Weather. It’s cold and rainy in Denver; I’m glad to be inside!
2. Location. Inverness Hotel fitness center
3. Distance. 3.01miles
4. Calories. Not captured; I could not figure out how to work the panel. Because I was pressed for time, I just skipped it and went for the run.
5. Start Time. 2:45pm
6. Run Time. 1:04:23 (I have a feeling treadmill timer was off; it usually doesn’t take me over an hour to run 3 miles. I’m excited anyway!!
7. Average Pace. Not captured
8. Playlist. Some true crime stories on A&E Television

9. Condition. I feel wonderful! I’m excited to gain two additional hours due to the time change. That will help me get up on time to lead to 6:30am fitness walks with other fitness minded conference attendees. Hope to see some of you there!

Question: How do you maintain your fitness regime while traveling on business? Any tips, experiences, and motivation would be most appreciated. I’m all over it today, Day 1, but I have 4 more days to go before I head home. I need to maintain my momentum!

This morning, I went running. I reported the details of my run here. (This post features a video about the RunKeeper app I use to do that). While running regularly is helping me to trim down (I’ve lost 11 pounds since March 2!), I am also enjoying meeting other runners who share tips to make my running journey safer and more profitable. I am also enjoying dozens of personal life changing experiences as a result of running.

Since my life is so intertwined with my business, it should come as no surprise that these benefits are translating into business benefits as well. The video tells some of the story, and more details are below.

1. Running makes me more decisive. Running requires me to decide to put one foot in front of the other thousands of times before I reach my goal. If I feel a light shin split in my left leg, I must decide quickly whether to either stop running or adjust my gait to accommodate and push through the slight pain so I can accomplish my goal.

   Likewise, in business, when I come to a fork in the road, I must make quick decisions about what to do. I must decide whether to go left or right, or whether to turn around and abandon the goal altogether.

   A decisive business leader is a more effective business leader.

2. Running tunes me into my self. When I run, hundreds of moving body parts work together to accomplish one goal. My feet are engaged. My core is holding me up. My arms add momentum. My thighs and calves propel me forward. My stomach muscles are fully engaged. Every part performs a different function, but they all work together to achieve the same outcome.

   It’s the same in business. You, your assistants, your products, your sales force, your computer, your shopping cart — all of these different parts must work in unison to propel your business to the next level. Regular focus on this type of synergy from a physical perspective sharpens my perceptive capabilities. Being in tune with my moving parts helps me be more in tune with my business’s moving parts. Each part is important, but the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

   A tuned in business leader is a more effective business leader.

3. Running builds my endurance. I am not a fast runner, but I’m not focusing much on that. I am focusing more on endurance because it’s more important for me to reach my goal than it is to reach my goal quickly.

   The world is filled with businesses that failed because they were led by people who did not pace themselves. They wanted it all, and they wanted it all immediately. Yes, you have to move quickly to be successful in business. But you also need endurance to complete the individual projects that make a business successful over time. I don’t want to start strong only to exhaust myself to the point where I don’t finish the race. What a waste!

   Each time I finish a lap or watch RunKeeper go from 1.16 miles to 1.17 miles, my endurance increases. I am empowered to get to 1.18, and then to 1.19, and so forth until I’ve reach whatever goal I set for that particular run.

   I don’t want to move so slowly that I take myself out of the running. By the same token, patience through each phase of business growth builds the endurance required to sustain growth for a lifetime and beyond.

   A patient business leader is a more effective business leader.

Question: You may not be a runner. Perhaps you enjoy some other form of regular exercise. What is it? How does physically challenging yourself, however you do that, make your business more successful?

I never thought I’d enjoy running. My whole life, I listened to people talk about running and I watched people run. Around and around the track. Up and down the hill. Sure, they were fit, but no more fit than someone who swam or did step aerobics or something else I already knew I enjoyed. I just never saw the appeal. When I finally tried it, it wasn’t long before I began to appreciate the benefits, one of which is feeling better and more competent in about every aspect of my life.

Another benefit is that, as you can see from this morning’s pedometer reading (sorry it’s blurry), is that I can get in more than half of the 10,000 steps I need each day before 8:30 in the morning! My crazy love of running seemed to sneak up on me from out of nowhere. I ran a mile one day, and pretty much have not stopped since. Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Weather. 48°F, beautiful, and sunny
2. Location. Siskey YMCA track
3. Distance. 2.16miles
4. Calories. 189
5. Start Time. 7:50pm
6. Run Time. 33:43 (a minute better than yesterday!)
7. Average Pace. 15:37 minutes/mile
8. Playlist. NPR’s Morning Edition on WFAE. I turned it off for the last 3 or 4 minutes so I could hear myself breathe and enjoy the sound of my foot steps.

9. Condition. So awesome that I devoted an entire Indie Business TV segment to it!

Question: What is your favorite exercise to perform on a regular basis?

A morning run! Burning more calories than I take in so early is a great way to set a positive business day in motion! Since I’ve been running so much at night, I’ve been putting off the switch to morning runs because I didn’t want to start a new run only 10 or so hours after I ended the last one. Since I was on the treadmill for most of last night’s run, I felt confident that I could enjoy an outdoor track run this morning, and boy, was I right!

One of the things I have going for me is a pair of children who encourage my efforts. Last week, they got some stickers from the craft box and affixed them to my rear view mirror. “Go.” Each time I get in my car, I’m reminded of my little cheerleaders. They’re watching me. That makes it even ore important for me to put forth my best efforts to achieve my goals. Here are this morning’s stats:

1. Weather. 49°F, beautiful, and sunny
2. Location. Siskey YMCA track
3. Distance. 2.17miles
4. Calories. 192
5. Start Time. 7:48pm
6. Run Time. 34:24
7. Average Pace. 15:49 minutes/mile
8. Playlist. NPR’s Morning Edition on WFAE

9. Condition. Strong and confident. I haven’t felt this good in a decade!

Question: If you’re a parent, auntie, uncle or other role model of any kind, how do the young people in your family encourage you to achieve where fitness is concerned? How do you encourage them to do the same?

I felt compelled to run today. I should have done it this morning, but alas, I had so many things on the “to do” list. After dinner, I was so stressed out that my husband literally pushed me out the door to get my run in. It was too late to run at the track so I headed for my second choice — the treadmill. I was one of three die hard addicts left in the gym at 9:30! Here’s a picture of my workout summary — note the 143.3 calories burned.

After my treadmill run, I had to walk past the track to get to my car. I saw 4 people walking together. The track is well lit. I was like a moth to a flame. I know many of you will chastise me for this, but I positively could not help myself. I activated RunKeeper (video about RunKeeper) and heading down for just one lap. Just one. I ran my fastest lap ever and I feel fantastic. Here are today’s stats:

1. Weather. I was indoors for the first part, the ran a lap outside in wonderful 60°F weather, after a brief, sweet spring rain
2. Location. Siskey YMCA treadmill, then the track
3. Distance. 1.82 miles on the treadmill + .37 miles at the track = 2.19 miles
4. Calories. 143.3 (treadmill) + 49 (track) = 192.3
5. Start Time. 8:57pm
6. Run Time. 30 minutes treadmill + 4.34 minutes (track) = 34.34
7. Average Pace. 12:19 minutes/mile (track; I don’t have this statistic for the treadmill). Note this is the fastest time I have ever run .37 miles!
8. Playlist. The Real Story Behind The Real Thing on CNBC, plus the sound of my feet running like the wind when I got to the track!

9. Condition. Stressed out before I left. Mellow when I returned. Payoff! Life is good.

Question: What are your tips for moving to a morning run? When I awake, my head is so full of everything I didn’t do while I was sleeping. I can’t wait to sit down and get to work. And it’s not work! Help!

It was beautiful in Charlotte this afternoon! At around 6:00, the weather was perfect for a late afternoon run. It was 80ºF with a breeze. That felt great, but it was strong enough to slow me down a bit when I was running into it. Still, I was excited to be outside running as my son and his pal tossed the football around the soccer field.

I am listening to lots of experienced runners who are encouraging me to listen to my body when it comes to running frequency. Thanks to everyone who is giving me tips, especially Laura McClain, Allison Kontour, Anne-Marie Faiola, and Maggie Keenan. I am grateful to all of the people who have joined me using the #FitCEOs hashtag to share their workouts too, as well as those who join me on WorkOut Wednesday at the FaceBook Page. Here are today’s stats:

1. Weather. 80°F, sunny with a good breeze
2. Location. Siskey YMCA newly resurfaced outdoor track.
3. Distance. 1.51 miles
4. Calories. 132
5. Start Time. 5:53pm
6. Run Time. 23:27 minutes
7. Average Pace. 15:39 minutes/mile
8. Playlist. Just my footsteps and the sounds of happy people hanging out in the sunshine. Best playlist ever, yes?

9. Condition. Great, except I do have a teensy complaint. I was wearing my neon pink spandex (don’t laugh) running shorts, and I ran a hole in the inner thigh right in the middle of my run. Needless to say, the irritation was a bit of a pain. I had to stop a few times to twist them around so the hole was to the back of my leg. Those shorts are over a decade old. It was time to trash them anyway.

Question: Have you ever run a hole in your shorts in the middle a run? It hurts! What is your favorite brand of running shorts?

Geez, what a difference a few days makes! After my last run, which was short but fantastic, and the run before that, which was long and fantastic, I decided to skip a day. Just one day. That’s fine. I’ve done that before. But when I ate a heavy meal after skipping that day, one day became two days, and then two days became three days. And I topped one of them off with — yes — another heavy meal. So here I am on the fourth day, experiencing mild shin splints during a short run. Picture me kicking myself.

Before my run this morning, I purchased a banana from the mini-mart. (Bananas always give me good run energy.) Standing in line, it struck me how much of a food jungle we live in. The only health things I saw, other than bananas, were water and lemons. (Why lemons?) This is nothing new of course, but coming on the heels of the eye-opening revelation that I cannot let up, it really had an impact. Here are today’s stats:

1. Weather. 59°F, drizzling with a nice breeze
2. Location. Siskey YMCA newly resurfaced outdoor track. (It was nice!)
3. Distance. 1.05 miles
4. Calories. 91
5. Start Time. 8:54am
6. Run Time. 16:55 minutes
7. Average Pace. 16:04 minutes/mile (better than my last run. I suppose that’s some consolation for not being able to run as far as I wanted to.
8. Playlist. The sound of excited young soccer players and their parents playing games on the field. They were loud and energizing. Watching dozens of young bodies run effortlessly was good inspiration for me!

9. Condition. Well, let’s just say I was thankful the be out there. After three days off, my condition was not stellar. I experienced mild shin splints in my left leg. I have not had shin splints in over a month. I also experienced an overall feeling of heaviness in both legs. My breathing was good, so that felt nice. While my time was relatively decent, my endurance was not.

   These are the consequences of taking more than one day off, and then topping that craziness off with heavy foods. Please help me never to do that again!

Question: How do you bounce back after taking too much time off and/or eating unhealthfully in a big way?

Much of today was a family day as we celebrated “Young Author’s Day” at our kids’s school. The students worked over the past few months to write and publish books. Today, they presented them to dozens of happy parents and relatives. It was a smartphone bonanza, with every imaginable brand represented! By the time I got around to a run, it was late in the day (again), and it was drizzling. Undaunted, I got in the car and headed for the track.

It drizzled lightly until I was about a mile in. Because I’m still a newbie runner, it didn’t occur to me to bring the Adidas rain jacket and baseball cap that Maggie Keenan recommended after the fact. I will be prepared next time. (Thanks Maggie!) Here are today’s stats:

1. Weather. 57°F, cloudy and rainy
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track.
3. Distance. 1.10 miles
4. Calories. 90
5. Start Time. 7:55pm
6. Run Time. 18:04 minutes
7. Average Pace. 16:21 minutes/mile (better than yesterday, and I think I could have improved that if I’d been able to stay longer. (I would say that, wouldn’t I?))
8. Playlist. NPR’s On Point Radio. (No outages this time!)
9. Condition. Good, although a little tired. Feeling behind since so much of the workday was invested in my children — a good investment. Tomorrow, I have some catching up to do!

Question: If you run, what are your favorite rain gear options? I need some!

Today was a busy day. Mondays always are, with the newsletter and the radio show. Today’s guest. Hollis Thomases, talked about her book, Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day, which outlines an approach to learning Twitter in an hour a day. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but as always, it’s quite exhausting. I don’t know how some talk show hosts record 2 and 3 shows a day. I salute them. When I finally got to the gym (after managing the business, doing my daughter’s hair, working with her on homework, and catching the tail end of my son’s T-ball game), it was later than I originally planned, but that seems to be happening a lot lately.

I have to get it in when I can. In fact, as I write this, I am baking cookies for tomorrow’s Young Author’s Day. And yes, I ate a few mini-chocolate chips. The track at the gym will be closed later this week for resurfacing. I am so thankful to belong to a fitness community that puts my monthly dues to good use. The track is pretty decent now, if you ask me. I can’t wait to see what it looks like by the weekend. I ran 3.10 miles today and I am over the moon about it. Here are the details:

1. Weather. 65°F, nice weather, a bit overcast, but not quite cloudy.
2. Location. Siskey YMCA outdoor track.
3. Distance. 3.10 miles
4. Calories. 260
5. Start Time. 7:51pm
6. Run Time. 52:34 minutes
7. Average Pace. 16:56 minutes/mile (slower than yesterday, but I’m really focusing on endurance now. I had to step up my pace for the last half mile in order to bring the pace to under 17 minutes/mile.)
8. Playlist. NPR’s On Point Radio. It was great until a bunch of interference forced me to stop listening to the very interesting story of the SEC’s new suit against Goldman Sachs, and start listening to alternating country and classical tunes. I was in too much of a groove to stop. Now, a country song where the singer kept saying, “Lawd hamercy!” is spinning around in my head.
9. Condition. Fabulous! I felt strong and really into it. Once I got to 3.10 miles, I was ready to stop, but throughout the entire run, my head was totally in the game. This was a very “on” running session.

Question: If you run, or whatever you do with your iPod on, don’t you hate it when your music skips or the signal scrambles up your favorite radio station in the middle of a great show?!