Helena Montana Bucket List

Here's my start at a "Bucket List" of free or cheap things to do in Helena, Montana.  If you have suggestions for things to add, let me know!

Hike Mount Helena at Sunset

*Ride the Great Northern Carousel

Go the State Capitol Building (esp. when they're in session!)

Go to Spring Meadow Lake

Visit the Sapphire Mines

Take a walk down Reeder's Alley

*ExplorationWorks

Take a walk down the Walking Mall on Last Chance Gulch

*Go ta a Brewers game at Kindrick Legion Field

*Go to a Bighorns game

Go to a Carroll Saints home game (lots to choose from!)

*Take a ski day at Great Divide (look for special days for Carroll!)

+ Go camping in the Helena National Forest

Visit the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts and do the walking tour 

Cross Country Ski the Continental Divide on MacDonald Pass

+ Downtown Tonight

+ Alive at Five

+ Farmer's Market

+ Symphony Under the stars

*Take a boat tour to the Gates of the Mountains

*Go to a play at the historic Grandstreet Theater

Attend a choral performance at the Cathedral of Helena

*Spend an evening being creative at the Painted Pot

+ Go to the L&C County Fair

Paricipate in the Helena GeoTour (and get a local handmade Geocoin!!!)

Go see the Hel's Belles Roller Derby team in action!

“Skinny Girl” prepares for 26.2 miles

I'm BACK! After a several month hiatus (my winter hibernation, of course), I'm back and ready to rock and roll into the nice weather! Speaking of nice weather...

As you very-well know, if you know me, or you could tell by reading my earlier blogs, I did not grow up with an extreme passion or drive for exercise.  Don’t get me wrong, I wasn't a complete lump on a log growing up.  I played my fair share of sports in middle school, and have always enjoyed the outdoors, but I've never been “that girl” that just has to always be doing something in order to be happy.  In fact, my partner laughs at my “TV benders” and is absolutely amazed that I can be perfectly content sitting on a couch watching CSI on Netflix for hours on a Saturday because “it’s kinda chilly outside, anyway.”

One thing, however, that I learned in my 20s after repeatedly bashing my head against the same brick wall over and over is that the beautiful family metabolism I was blessed with was NOT actually going to last forever, and that my absolute love of all things food and drink would actually, really have to be moderated.  Now don’t get me wrong, I've been “a runner” since I was 17-years-old.  However, I've also been a lot of other things in the last decade, like a “I drive to work every day instead of riding my bike-er” and “I run… but also smoke cigarettes and eat fried potatoes like it’s my last day on earth-er” and of course, the “I deserve a day ‘to myself’ to just curl up and ‘relax’-er.”  And when it really comes down to it, I have not stuck to entire calendar year commitment to working out and staying fit, but rather spent the “nice” months (which, in the Pacific NW is approximately mid-May through mid-October) running and getting fit and eating healthy, and the “not nice” months hibernating in a hole of comfort food, warm a fuzzy slippers and blankets, and worn-out excuses.

Shortly after the celebrations and libations of my 30th year of life were a memory (albeit somewhat fuzzy in parts), I finally decided it’s time to nail this life-long fitness thing in the butt and jumped over the ultimate physical challenge cliff: I signed up for a marathon. The lightning bolt of the latest and greatest idea came in the car, actually, listening to the country station, and Tim McGraw’s “Next Thirty Years” came on… the lyrics go something like: “Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers.” And also a few more Arbonne shakes a few less animal by-products (another unintended consequence of one of the worn-out excuses that I “need more protein in my diet”) and adopt healthier desk habits at work to avoid sitting all day long.

But it was more than the “little” things, it’s a lifestyle change… even for someone who has been pretty darn active my whole life, I mean, up to this realization I’d run dozens of races, including four half marathons and a sprint triathlon.  But the ups and the downs of making it a “hobby” instead of a “habit” was no longer something I could maintain.  To put it simply: I’m just getting too old for that.

All right, so here I am, it’s December, and I just signed up for a marathon in July.  So then I make the NEXT crazy decision and sign up for a half marathon in March.  I’ve always run long races in June (see the paragraph about being a fair-weather runner).  I could probably write a whole other blog on the Run to the Pub, but long story short, I survived, and I finished, but it wasn’t pretty.  I hurt, and I was exhausted.  I hit a point that I've NEVER hit where I actually had thoughts around mile 10 that I might not make it to the end, but I pushed through, and I’m very glad I did, but I also NEVER want to feel that way EVER again.

Next weekend, on April 20th, I’m doing my second sprint triathlon ever, and I’m very excited to say I’m shooting for a sub-1:50:00 time (which would be 15 minutes better than my last tri).  I’m still a little shaky on the bike, but the running and swimming are going great, and the cross-training has me feeling really good.

I have a partner for the marathon, my sister Bridget, and so we’re running our long runs together and trying not to be scared of this endeavor we've taken on. I’m still not 100% there on the food/drink intake always being “good” choices, but slow improvements, and Bridget has really helped there, too.  She loves to cook, and we like to eat the same kinds of things, so we share meals when our partners are working/at school and that helps me to make better choices.

Plus really, any time I have an excuse to hang with my baby sis is a good excuse.

The Ward's 1st Family Camping Trip

What a whirlwind of a year it has been! I can't believe my lovely hubby and I have been married a whole year. In order to celebrate our 1st anniversary, and just because we didn't want yet another summer to pass us by leaving a long list of things left undone, we decided to pack up the dogs and go camping.  I will preface the rest of this post by saying that overall, we did have a pretty darn good time, however many hurdles we had to jump over to get there. So, in the best way I can think of, here is the series of Facebook Status Updates I would've posted during our camping trip (times have been approximated for dramatic value):

3:03pm: All packed up and ready to hit the road.  Rock Creek, here we come!

4:09pm: There's a space... oh, too close to the road? Ok, we'll keep going...

4:37pm: Yeah, I think we should go back and get that space we saw a while back.

5:01pm: Phew... it's still available! And actually, it's pretty good, let's get this camp set up... where did the sun go?

5:35pm: Camps all set up! What time is it? It seems to be getting really dark. Have fun fishing, babe!

6:02pm: Is that thunder?

6:05pm: Yep, that's definitely thunder... and it's getting close... maybe I should go grab Burt.

6:07pm: Oh good, didn't have to drag him out of the river, he decided he didn't want to get electrocuted.

6:10pm: And it's raining...

6:17pm: Wow, that storm is getting REALLY close, should we go sit in the car? Nah... let's just stand under this really tall tree.

6:23pm: Is that?... Hail? Perfect...

6:32pm: Hmmm... maybe we shouldn't have set up the tent in the lowest part of the campsite... hopefully the water doesn't get any deeper.

6:47pm: Phew, storm seems to be moving away, I hope the sun comes out.

6:53pm: No, I said SUN, not WIND... and I'm soaking wet.

6:57pm: Beer? No, I didn't bring any beer, you didn't ask me to buy beer...

7:02pm: Ah... here comes the rain... again...

7:12pm: Oh I agree, a beer WOULD be good right now.

9:02pm: Ok, all dogs in kennels, time for bed!

10:45pm: Hmm... I definitely should have brought my other air mattress, this mat is not very comfy...

12:12am: (**Boom of thunder**) Yep, not gonna sleep much tonight

3:30am: Kallie... seriously, stop whining and go to sleep

3:52am: Kallie, be QUIET

4:17am: KALLIE!! I'M GOING TO (**removed due to explicit nature**)

6:45am: Well, I might as well get up

7:02am: Mmmm... Coffee

7:07am: Mmmm... Oatmeal

7:23am: Mmmm... More coffee

8:23am: Burt? Hey, you gonna get up?

9:02am: THE SUN!!! Hooray!!!!

12:20pm: Yeah, you're right, it's pretty hot, let's go home and go floating...

Thanks for joining me on the journey of our first family camping trip! We definitely learned a few things, like:
1. I'm getting to old to "tough it out" and need to remember to bring my nice camping mat
2. Kallie gets to sleep in the car next time
3. Camping ALWAYS equals beer

“Skinny Girl” Lessons Learned on Getting Healthy

So I'd like to start with the caveat... these are my own lessons learned over the years, and I know I have lot left to learn, so please feel free to share your own lessons, too!

So, here it is… my lessons learned over the years on getting healthy, some of which may seem glaringly obvious (trust me, we could ALL use reminding sometimes), some of which will be just plain gross, and some, which you might ACTUALLY find helpful. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, they’re my gospel truths:

·         Have a Goal – I don’t care if it’s weight loss, a trip, a new pair of jeans, or a physical goal, like completing your first 5k, but for me, the motivation is in the results.  Set yourself a goal, and then hang it somewhere where you’ll look at it every day.

·         Have a Schedule – once you have your goal, you need a schedule of workouts to strive for.  Make sure your calendar is at your level and progresses in a healthy fashion, and that it includes some down time for your muscles (and your mind), or you’ll burn out.

·         Gym membership – to me, this is an important one… it needs to be somewhere I LIKE and somewhere that’s just a little out of the way; a place I have to actually go to.  Some like the convenience factor and that works for them, not for me, for me, it’s all about making it a PRIORITY, setting aside the time, and making myself get there.  I like places with a good facility AND fun classes, but it’s all up to you. 

·         Pilates ball and hand weights – I don’t have a lot of fancy home workout gear, but these two things really do make all the difference when I’m trying to do workouts at home.  You can look up tons of strength training or strength/cardio mix-ups online, or I have a few fun DVDs, but these to are my “go to” workout at home tools. 

·         Have FUN – Like Wii/Kinect? Use fun dancing or Zumba games as one of your weekly routines.  Like to go outside and hike? That’s great exercise; just make that a priority weekly (no matter the weather).  Miss all those fun elementary games we used to play, like kick ball, or wall ball, or jump rope? Those are all great, too! Grab a friend/partner/roommate and get off the couch. Even just jamming up the tunes and dancing around your living room is a great alternative (singing along is a bonus… clothing is optional…)

·         The Magic Bullet - REALLY is magic… (all right, sicko, I’m talking about the KITCHEN appliance, not that OTHER Magic Bullet) Amazing for morning smoothies or mixing my homemade juice with some protein to make it a meal… plus, I also make a killer Frozen Bellini as a treat when I’m doing well! Tip for quick smoothies? In this order: one banana (broken into 2-3 pieces), one cup of yogurt, mixed frozen fruit to the top of cup, one scoop of protein powder and fill with whatever juice you have on hand (I usually use OJ), it takes 47 seconds, you can screw on the lid and take it with you, and it’s delicious, and the tall cups or smoothie cups are the perfect size!

·         Juicer - A very close second to the Magic Bullet is my juicer.  These are really great to make juices for detoxing, juices for energy, juices for ANYTHING! My personal favorite combination is 2 small apples, 2 medium carrot sticks, 1 celery stick, half of a medium beet.  I also mix in some wheat grass powder, or juice a little fresh spinach to get some green in there. It’s amazing, it covers the “rainbow,” so to speak, and for a liquid, it’s pretty filling (although you should add some kind of protein if you’re making it a meal). My only caution? This juice, when it makes its way “to the other side” may cause you alarm the first time, as those pesky beets truly do make the ENTIRE journey to the other end… no, you’re not dying, it’s just dyed.

So you'll notice that my first step is goals.. right now I have two going on: 

1. Run the Missoula Half Marathon (now in 62 days!) - I have workouts goals and a schedule

2. Complete the 4 Weeks to Healthy Living, supported by Arbonne Essentials products, and lose 5+ pounds - I am currently on day 8, and going strong.  I helped myself out with this one by setting up an accountability group with some of the other women doing the program so we can all hold each other accountable.  

Good luck, everyone! Please feel free to share your own thoughts! 

"Skinny Girl" Changes Tactics

Ah, the irony of the title of my blog right now... 3 things I have dedicated not to eat for 28 whole days.

All right, so all the self-talking, motivating, and good-willing to just exercise and hope to get back to where I was wasn't working, so after my annual Arbonne convention, I committed to trying a 4-weeks to healthy living plan, that includes maintaining a healthy diet while cutting most of my favorites out of my life, such as gluten, dairy, alcohol, refined sugar, vinegar, MSG and sweet fruits. After 5 days, I'm feeling a little tired, but I'm starting to notice a few small changes...

I'm also 65 days out from the Missoula Half Marathon (YIKES) and I haven't run anything longer than 3.5 miles.  Tomorrow, I'm bumping it up to a slow 6er, and then hopefully getting back on track and upping my mileage over 20 miles a week.

In my next 23 days of no alcohol and no eating out, I'm starting to find out that I've forgotten what else there IS beyond gluttony.  And P.S. with limited funding, so, if you have any ingenious ideas, please send 'em my way!

Happy May! And here's to a trimmer 2012!

"Skinny Girl" Climbing the Hill... Slowly

I went to bed last night before 10pm, barely able to keep my eyelids open.  I woke up this morning, and although I contemplated popping a couple of Advil, I refrained, and opted instead for some delicious coffee. I got to work this morning in the first day of the new year where it even "felt" like it was below zero, realizing I was only wearing a light coat because I hadn't checked the weather in my groggy haze.  I'm a little tired, but I finally made it to Day 4.
It's been a rough start to the new year, the plan, and sticking to it.  The phrase "1 step forward, 2 steps back" moderately begins to describe it, but I'm finally getting into routine.
I don't know what it is that has made this so hard. Is it the fear of "Week 2" and all its sore muscles, tired eyelids, grumbling stomachs, and no-turning-back-now-ness that keep me continuously reverting back to "Week 1"? Is it the finalization of not being able to let go of a decade of moderate lethargy with only minor consequences that, although only mildly fulfilling is still comfortable and cozy? Is it the fear of becoming a social laggard, as I greatly reduce or completely obliterate some of the things in my daily life which I use to relate to others? Probably a little of each, I suppose.  Or, part of my demonstrated pattern of self-sabotage and procrastination.... that too...
Nevertheless, I continue on, proud that I made it to Day 4 (kept getting stuck at Day 3), and hoping it's all downhill to Day 5, and then to Week 2, and then beyond!

"Skinny Girl" needing to find her roots again...

For those of you who have been following my previous chronicles, thank you, and, as I warned you, my blog is taking a bit of a turn from professional exploration to personal exploration.  I would love to keep you traveling with me on my journey, but also understand this might not be something that you are interested in, so if we are parting ways, I bid thee adieu and best wishes.  For those of you ready for the next chapter in my blog world, here you go:

It is necessary for me to preface this blog by saying that I love all of my friends and family very dearly, and, for anyone who might read this, I hope that you will find your own little way to help support me in my endeavors for 2012 and know that I know all of your comments in the past came from a place of love.

Uh-Oh... I see red flags going up, "another dumb 'Get Fit New Year's Resolution' blog" you're thinking... well, no, actually, I think that "New Year's Resolutions" are pretty tacky, and don't work, and this is NOT a "New Year's Resolution" it is a "I'm going to turn 30 in 361 days, I'm tired of feeling tired, I'm pissed that my favorite clothes don't fit, and I want to make sure to stay healthy enough to have kids in my 30s, and I want to run a marathon before I turn 31, and enjoy a long and happy" LIFE resolution. So, if you're not scared off yet, if you can relate to how scary it is to be knocking at the door of the third decade of life, knowing it's only going to get harder, and maybe looking for a little motivation or support yourself, read on.

Ok... so a little background, and time to be honest with myself and all of you: I've always been "slender," not much for curves, but still very feminine looking.  I'm also a damn apple, which means when I DO gain weight, it starts right in the middle.  I've never been one whose weight fluctuated all that much, but PERSPECTIVE CHECK: on my 20th birthday, I weighed somewhere in the range of 128-129 lbs. On my 29th birthday, I weighed in at 145.  Now, over the course of almost a decade and "getting a little older" a few pounds is to be somewhat expected, but even if you give me a few "baby-making body" pounds, that's still an addition of 1 pound a year in my 20s.  This is EXACTLY the kind of sedentary consequences "they" warn you about.  It might only be one pound a year, but over the course of a lifetime can have dire effects on the body, and cause all of those evil health problems we always hear are ruining the American society. 

However, having always been a pretty "skinny" girl, I've never had to hold myself accountable to the weight. People have basked in wonderment at the apparent ridiculousness of my metabolism, never having to be careful or really watch what I ate (or drank). In fact, whenever I would try to join in conversations about weight with friends or family (often being one of the most slender of both groups), they would look at me like "you couldn't POSSIBLY understand, Skinny Bitch" (in the nicest way possible). 

Well, here I am, in black and white, screaming from the rooftops that YES, even I need help sometimes and YES, I might be fairly slender and still within the "normal" range of BMI (although barely...), and YES, I've run a half marathon each summer for the last three years, but let's face it, it's all been by a lot of procrastination, bare minimums, excuses, and continued negative life choices that impaired my true ability to perform and just put on a mask of "well and healthy." People, it's a FACADE! I'm blessed with good genes that allow me to make a lot of poor choices and still outperform many of my American cohorts, but that's just not good enough anymore.  I moved back to Montana so I could be active, enjoy the outdoors, and enjoy nature, and to do so, I need to start making healthier (all around) choices.

So it's time... it's time to return to my roots, it's time for this girl to make some life changes to make sure that I can lead a long, healthy and happy life, and it's time to get back to being the "Skinny Girl" who was confidant, energetic, and active instead of paranoid and, let's face it, a little damn lazy.

For those of you who want to follow me, here's my handles:
Nike+ - MoBeanMT (also member of the #safit challenges)
Daily Mile (www.dailymile.com) - Maureen W. in Missoula, MT