Thoughts on Spirit of the Marathon II-movie review

Went to see Spirit of the Marathon II tonight.  I had snagged a Fandango discount code for $7 off a movie ticket so I figured I'd use it for this (only spent $6.75 on my ticket).

I saw the first one several years ago and it has kind of became a tradition for me to watch it before each race that I do.  It brings out a lot of emotion in you, seeing the stories of the people they follow-their struggles and training and the race itself.  I was looking forward to another dose of that again tonight.

With the first one, they started it pre-marathon, meeting each of the people they were following and then watching their journey (well, not the whole journey of course...that would make for a very long movie LOL), then seeing everyone's highlights from the race itself, culminating in their finishes at the Chicago Marathon.

Tonight's movie again followed several people, but started off with scenes from the start of the race.  Then as it went on, you got to see scenes of each of them at different points in the race-the further into the movie it got, the further into the race the scenes from it showed.  I liked the stories (Julie Weiss had some pretty funny encounters with other runners during the race) and the footage of Rome itself was wonderful (it's on my bucket list for part of a Europe dream trip).

For me, the movie seemed to move a bit slower than the first one, and it also didn't get me as excited and emotional like the first one did.  With the first one, the excitement builds throughout and then peaks as each of the cast cross the finish line (I think too the musical score helped a lot with that, loved the score from the first one).  Tonight's sequel seemed more even-keeled and calmer.  I think a lot of that was due to them spreading out the scenes during the race throughout the movie instead of saving them all for the end.

Personally, I prefer the first one because it does build the excitement and lead you to that emotional finish.  Tonight's was a good movie with good stories, but for me was nothing more than that.  I may or may not buy it when it comes out on DVD or iTunes, but whether I do or not, I'll still be using the first movie as my pre-race inspiration.

I did stay through the credits, after which they had some additional footage of conversations with the interviewees, then there was a short documentary featurette about WorldVision.org, a charity that works to get clean water to places that need it...which interested me enough to think about possibly joining their Team World Vision at some time in the future.

So, I'm glad I got to see it, but do I consider it a "keeper" (meaning I'd buy it when it comes out)?  Maybe, maybe not.  We'll see.

Have you seen Spirit of the Marathon II?  If so, what did you think?

My 1st inspiration board attempt; Week 1 so far

I'm not the creative type.  I'm usually pretty bad at coming up with interesting ideas and I'm certainly not the crafty lady.  The craftiest I've gotten is with my cheering sign, just using markers, sparkle glue and extra sparkles with some letter stencils:

Me and my sparkly cheer sign before the 2011 Princess Half Marathon

So after putting up my last post (from guest post author Michelle Pino) about creating an inspiration board to meet your health goals, I was a little stumped on how to begin.  I knew the central image would be a Mickey medal as that is my goal-to finish the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon in January...which I'm going to achieve by losing weight, getting fit and training properly.

I've been down this road before-back in late 2008 I got really serious and got back on the Sparkpeople website that I had joined about a year prior (and just never really used) and really focused on losing weight.  Over the next year and few months between diet, exercise and then training for my first half marathon-the 2010 Disney Half Marathon-I wound up losing 45 pounds.  After that first race and several follow-up half marathons, I started to slack off a bit.  And then a bit more...and wound up almost all the way back where I started.  But when I was losing the weight, the things I needed to keep reminding myself of were to drink my water and do my strength training--two things I was very bad at keeping up.  And then once I kind of burned myself out after so many races in a short time period, I took a long (too long) break, after which it was really hard to get motivated again.

So I added pictures of water (my Brita pitcher and some bottled water that I just happened to have left over from my Sanibel trip) and some of my strength and flexibility training accessories (yoga mat, resistance bands, hand weights) to remind myself of their importance.  It's really hard for me to drink a lot of water.  Not just because I find the taste boring and plain-that's what Mio and Crystal Light are for-but also because I'm just not that thirsty.  My body seems to be able to stay hydrated on less water than the "recommended" eight 8-oz glasses a day and no matter how I space out my water consumption throughout the day, 64 ounces just makes me feel like I'm going to burst!  I can handle 48 ounces pretty well every day, so as long as I get to that point I'm happy (and yes, when I go to the bathroom it's always that nice pale lemonade color-if I get to that 64 ounce point it's just about clear...which is not necessarily a good thing).

As for the strength training, I just get bored doing it.  It's very repetitive and is nowhere near as engaging as heading outside to do miles where I can see all the interesting things going on around me.  I do want to get back into doing yoga.  I have a yoga DVD specifically for people who are heavier that I like to use and I always feel good and stretched out afterward.  I know the strength training and exercises to make me more flexible will help me in the long run (figuratively and literally LOL) so that's why I included that picture of some of my accessories.

I also like to have visual representations, being able to visualize what my weight loss will potentially look like is motivational for me.  I love looking at other people's before/after pictures because it inspires me to do the same for myself.  And so I used the virtual weight loss simulator at modelmydiet.com to make a before/after simulation to use on my board.  And yes, I'll be taking pictures to document my weight loss this time...another motivation for me personally as I know I'll push to stay on the wagon so I can have pics that show my progress.

The last picture I have on my board is of some food-a Chicken Caesar Salad specifically (you can find the recipe for the one in the picture here).  This is just to remind me to choose healthy things.  Now granted, a Chicken Caesar Salad could potentially be pretty bad for you depending on how much dressing and how the chicken is cooked, but for me the picture is a representation of healthy eating-not necessarily about the particular entree pictured.  Though just to mention it, I never put dressing on my salads...to me dressing is just yucky-and kind of defeats the purpose of my salad anyway.  Some people say the dressing is for flavor, but I put some cheese and bacon bits on my salads to achieve that (I'm really bad about getting enough protein and fat in my diet, I'm usually a HUGE carb addict-this is just one way to get some other nutrients in there).

Anyway, I added the "NO EXCUSES" since I'm awful about that (too tired, don't feel like it, I'll do it tomorrow instead, etc etc etc).  I'd like to figure out how to fill the empty parts of the background with color fill, but it doesn't seem to be working for me.  I still need to tweak it so it flows better and there's less white space...but, here's what I've got so far.  Let me know what you think:

Oh, and for those who are following along...I restarted my program this week with the nutrition part.  So far this week I've been doing good, staying within my calorie range and doing well with carbs/protein/fat and other nutrients.  My only issue is my calcium.  Most days I'm under, only reaching about 80% of the recommended amounts.  I'd rather get my nutrients from my food and not have to resort to taking a supplement so I'm trying to figure out how to do that.  First week weigh-in is on Sunday...here we go again!

Guest Post: Meet Your Health Goals with an Inspirational Board

As many of you know, I'm basically starting back at square one after a lot of backsliding both in my eating and my training.  I was recently contacted by Michelle Pino, a Spa Manager in Verona, NY about creating a post for my readers to help find what inspires them.  I've never had someone do a guest post before, but after reading about her ideas, I thought this would be something many friends and readers would find helpful in their own journeys (especially those of you who are crafters).  I hope you find you own inspiration :-)  

Falling into a rut can make it even harder to reach your goals for better physical health. Fortunately, there is a simple method that can make it easier to maintain your focus even during times when the going gets rough. Creating a “fitspiration” board is one way to generate some excitement about the great things that your workout routine and diet are doing for your health. If you are looking for a fun way to meet your health goals, then here is what you need to do to get inspired.

1. Find Inspirational Images

To get started, you will need to begin searching for inspirational images. Try to begin without a specific idea in mind and let your feelings guide you to the right image. Pictures of athletes, favorite hobbies and nature scenes can all be great places to start. Additionally, consider adding song lyrics or quotes that make you feel inspired.

2. Identify Your Main Image

Once you have found your inspirational images, you will need to find one that can serve as an anchor for the rest of the piece. This main image should provide a general overview of the rest of your pictures. Once you have found your anchor image, place it in the center of your board so that it will be the main focus for your inspiration.

3. Develop a Central Theme

Using the main image, you can then begin to add more pictures to your board that focus on your main theme. This can be anything that inspires you from healthy recipes to vacation destinations. As you place your pieces, notice how they fit into the rest and let your inspiration guide you throughout the placement of each new piece.

4. Observe for a Week

After finishing your board, it is best to let it rest for a week. During this week, observe how it makes you feel. Does it catch your eye as you go about your routine? Is it the first thing you look at each morning? Does anything about the board need to be changed? By taking the time to assess your board, you will make sure that it has the greatest impact.

5. Make Adjustments

After your week of observation, it will be time to make any adjustments to the board that may be necessary. If an image does not resonate with you, then remove it and place another one on the board. Then, sit with the board for a few more days.

6. Hang in a Prominent Location

Now that you are certain that your board is perfect, you will be ready to place it in a prominent location. This can be in your bedroom, kitchen or the main entrance of your home. Wherever you put it, make sure to look at it daily to stay reminded of your goals.

For sticking to your health goals, an inspirational board can be the perfect way to keep your goals in mind. This easy-to-prepare board should include only the images that make you feel inspired. Once in place, you will have a constant reminder of the importance you place on staying healthy and fit.

1.) Yoga focuses the mind and body, teaching ourselves to find a spiritual balance.  I also love that yoga can be done anywhere, even the beach! Yoga is great for beginners and the more advanced athlete.  Source: Yoga

2.) Sneakers- An easy to way to stir up some motivation is to treat yourself to some new workout gear!  Choose fun colors that will make you excited to show them off at the gym!

3.) I’m new to golf, but I find it very relaxing.   I’ve been learning at the Turning Stone Golf Academy, which is a New York resort.  They’ve got great instructors, and several courses to practice on.  Source: Turning Stone Resort

4.) Love this Nike quote: so simple but so true! Source: Women's Gear

5.) Your body needs nutritious foods as fuel for when you exercise.  A great source of clean eating recipes is Clean and Delicious.  They have delicious recipes along with instructional videos including a clean chicken & veggie stir-fry recipe.  

Michelle has provided these tips in hopes to educate others on how to lead a more organized and less stressful life.  Michelle believes a more organized approach to tasks will result in more completed goals.  Her hobbies include crafting, catching up on her favorite TV shows and learning about healthy lifestyles.  Michelle is thankful to have had the opportunity to work with Carra and together share their ideas on “­­­­­­­­­Making it Happen”.

I've already started working on my own board.  With my new main goal (other than the weight loss of course) of the Disney Full Marathon in January 2014, my main central image will be a Mickey medal.  In a few days I'll be posting a picture of my board once it's done, I hope if you decide to make your own board that you'll put a link to it in the comments section to share with everyone.  I also welcome any feedback about having guest posts.