<p>That’s easy to figure out. Nicotine addiction is fundamentally a fluke of nature: the nicotine molecule binds perfectly to a set of receptors in the brain that triggers a dopamine release. Dopamine is one of the brain’s primary “reward” chemicals. </p>
<p>They’ve done studies on nicotine addicts who stop using the drug for a month and then smoke a cigarette. It only takes a few puffs to complete bind 100% of those receptors again. It is this completely hijacking of those brain receptors that makes nicotine addicition so diabolical. </p>
<p>So the first few puffs are the only “enjoyable” puffs because of the “pow” of the drug hitting the brain 8 seconds later.</p>
<p>Well, my dreadmill will be busy tomorrow. There is an inch of white stuff on the ground around my house, and snow keeps coming down. I’m running around like crazy making sure that everything that needs to be washed, dried, ironed etc. by Monday gets washed, dried, itoned, etc. today. Wet, heavy snow = good chance of a power outage. I told DH that he would have to fire up the generator for my treadmill, because I’m not going to run in* those* conditions. I’m such a pansy :)</p>
<p>There are 2 ladies of the same age, with the same last name, running for the same club, and finishing just a second apart. What a coincidence!
Another list to make me glad I didn’t name D Sarah. ;)</p>
LOL, mommusic. I do wish there was a generator I could power. Can’t run 7 miles on the Airdyne, idad, but I have plenty of hot water to share even in the case of a power outage - we have an old-fashioned gas water heater with a pilot light. The main problem with this snow is the icky ankle-deep slush on the roads and trails. Otherwise, I would not mind running outside even if it is 30 degrees or even colder.
I discovered a new piece of fitness equipment at Trader Joes tonight. I call it the Ab Shopping Cart Plus. You stand in front of it and lean forward until you’re about 60 degrees to the floor and then start pulling the cart back slowly. BTW, your abs should be in decent shape before doing these.
You can also do calf stretches and hamstring stretches with a shopping cart.
<p>Journey, I am right there with you on the shoes. My reward for when I hit 150lbs is to get fitted and buy some good running shoes. I too, can’t wait to get back to running. Let me know what,you find out and what shoes you end up with. I don’t want to spend much over $100.00</p>
<p>Hanging in there. Ate a twinkie but it didn’t put me over my recommended calories for the day. Hey, it is my birthday…weekend. :)</p>
Happy birthday, mspearl! Hostess sends you its best reagds and warmest birthday wishes in exchange for supporting its business in the toughest times of bankruptcy restructuring. Nice BP. Must be the Twinkie effect.
Slush, slush and more slush in my 'hood. I’m so fed up with this convergence zone - I’m selling my house and moving south! H came from his class that he is taking just a few miles south of us and was shocked to see piles of snow.
<p>Twinkies…good riddance. If Hostess can’t figure out how to make healthy snacks, they deserve to go out of business! </p>
<p>Slush is the worst. Don’t mind dry snow, but walking in slush is just crummy. Especially when you get to a gutter and the slush is over the top of your boots! Chicago comes to mind.</p>
<p>Thanks MOWC and BB for the shoe advice. Very helpful! I liked the video as well.</p>
<p>Mspearl, it must feel good to celebrate your birthday feeling healthier than last year! Funny thing is, 150 is my weight now and just like you it is the target I set to allow myself to try running.</p>
<p>Today I am going skating at an indoor rink. I doubt it burns many calories but it is a lot of fun.</p>
I think ice skating burns a ton of calories. Fast skating probably burns about as much as anything imaginable!
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Wore my new Marshall’s bargain PolarDry base layer shirt yesterday with the matching pair of long-johns from last year (LARGE, but they are sized like tights, so they are fine!). outside clearing junk from the garage. Just under jeans and a heavy-ish cotton “thermal” henley and a fleece. Snug as a bug in a rug. These things really are warm for being so thin and lightweight.
Bone-chilling cold in NH this morning. I went out with four layers + coat on top and three on bottom and double-socks. We’re going for groceries a bit later this morning and I’ll stop by Marshalls for a peek to see if they have some running stuff. I might pick up some long pants too - I currently have three workout sweats. One is XL, probably stretched to XXL. I can only wear it by using the drawstring to hold it up. It is way past throwing out. The others are XLs and loose but they work well enough - just some extra material. It’s amazing that all of this cold-weather workout stuff is on sale on the coldest day of winter up here.
<p>Snowing in Seattle- went to the gym yesterday but only for a little over an hour- worn out- so I am going back today, trying to increase my stamina.</p>
<p>I ate a good chunk of a fine European-style cake last night (I was cleaning the freezer and stumbled upon the frozen cake which I bought for the holidays and never got to serve because we were sick and decided against hosting any large gatherings at our house). Balanced it out with a baked quince. :)</p>
<p>Treadmill time! We got about 2 inches of snow overnight.</p>
Great stuff at Marshalls today. I picked up three pairs of Merino, one for my wife and two for me, $5, $3 respectively. Also picked up another Adidas sleeveless for running off the clearance rack. I found a really nice New Balance running pant and will wait for it to drop in price.
I also saw a New Balance jacket that’s a North Face Clone $10 in size S (these normally run about $90). I tried it out and it was just a bit binding in the armpit when I raised my hand. There was an L for $16 (fine with me) but I think that it would have been too big. So close but no cigar. They had plain fleece jackets too without the nice vinyl placards on the chest in M but I decided not to buy it. I can always wear my LL Bean when it’s very cold and can layer when it’s not so cold.
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I do wish there was a generator I could power. Can’t run 7 miles on the Airdyne, idad, but I have plenty of hot water to share even in the case of a power outage - we have an old-fashioned gas water heater with a pilot light.