Making a Run for It

Note: As I'm writing this post, I'm drinking our most recent batch of homebrew. A spiced winter ale :)


As I hinted a few posts back, I've started training for my fifth half marathon. (My fourth St. Louis half marathon!) While I enjoy running, part of me registers for races as an extra boost to get my butt off the couch. Winter is pretty ugly in Chicago and it's easy to be lazy and sit inside. Plus, this is the busiest time of year for me at work. I tend to forget about taking care of myself (exercise, eating, sleeping, etc) if I don't have something to work towards. Since I know some of my coworkers and friends have the same tendencies, I thought I would share a few tips on running and staying fit during the winter months.

Set a goal to stay motivated
You don't have to do something beyond your capabilities like running a half marathon or marathon. Maybe a 5K (3.1 miles) is more within your means. To stay extra motivated, find an accountability buddy to train and run the race together. Nobody willing to train with you? Join a running group in your city. Tell your friends and family about the race and invite them to cheer for you on race day.

Find your perfect training plan
There are several excellent websites with free training plans. If you've never run a 5K, I recommend the Couch to 5K plan. You'll start off by walking with a little jogging and build up to running 3 miles. Hal Higdon also has a wide variety of training plans. From the 5K all the way up to an ultramarathon (50+ miles). Jeff Galloway, the brains behind the run-walking, low mileage training program also has several options.

Keep track of your progress

Part of my RW training log

No need to get a fancy GPS-enabled watch to track your mileage. All you need is a basic sport watch that can track your time. And then use a website such as mapmyrun.com to map your run (duh). Once you have your mileage and time, write it down somewhere. A notebook, an Excel spreadsheet, or something like Runner's World's online training log (what I use). It's very encouraging to see how far you've run. And I love analyzing my stats. 728.4 miles for all of 2010! And I just learned that I can export my stats to Excel for further analysis. I'm in love!

Gear up

My biggest tip is to buy real running shoes at a real running store. The employees know what they're talking about and can help you find the best shoe for your feet. They may even tape your gait and biomechanics while you're running on a treadmill. In Chicago, I shop at Fleet Feet (they have locations nationwide). In St. Louis, I shopped at The Running Center of St. Louis. In Cleveland, I went to Second Sole. There may be other local running stores near you. And please...don't pick your shoe based on color! A pink shoe for overpronators will only cause problems if you need a neutral shoe. A good running shoe will probably cost around $100. This is an investment in your health.

As for socks, it's a good idea to buy moisture wicking socks. Cotton is no good. It'll keep all the sweat in and lead to blisters. I also use Body Glide on my feet or any other places prone to blisters or chafing.

You don't need fancy clothes to run. I'm sure you already have shorts, a t-shirt or tank top, and a sports bra. Moisture wicking clothing helps, but it isn't necessary. Target and Old Navy have some pretty good options for less.

Overall
I'm not a medical professional or running coach. So you'll probably want to get a physical before starting running or training for a new distance. And be sure not to do too much mileage, too fast. A good rule of thumb is not to increase either your (1) weekly mileage and/or (2) long run mileage by more than 10 percent a week.

Other than that, just get out there and run!

Runners, it's your turn. Do you have any tips for a rookie runner?
New runners, what are your burning questions about training?
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Super (Bowl) Desserts

How's everyone doing out there? Snow-pocalypse is pummelling Chicago. We even had thundersnow (thunder and lightning during the blizzard)! That's what it looks like outside, from the comfort of my living room. Maybe I'll venture out later to take a few more pictures.

For now, we're going to discuss more important things. Baking.

This weekend is the Super Bowl. I'm not much of a football person and this year will be especially tough. It's Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh. I'm from Cleveland and there's a big rivalry between the Browns and Steelers. John is a big Bears fan, so he's obviously upset that the Packers made it to the Super Bowl. So I guess I'll be cheering for the commercials. And bringing something tasty to the party.

I'm still deciding what to make, but until then I'll share a little recap of what I've made the last three out of four years. Either I can't find pictures of the fourth year or I didn't make anything good.

2007

The Bears went to the Super Bowl! Obviously I needed to make something just for John. Rice Krispie treats in team colors. Just add food coloring when you're melting the marshmallows and butter. And the logo was made out of M&M's.

2008

Nothing in team colors. Just a yummy chocolate layer cake with Bailey's buttercream. The chocolate cake recipe was from Smitten Kitchen and the buttercream recipe was also from Smitten Kitchen.

2009

Hmmmm.....not sure about this year. Moving on.

2010

In 2010, I really hit my stride with baking. Once again, I didn't care too much for the teams (New Orleans vs. Indianapolis). But I did make some awesome cupcakes based on each cities culinary specialties. Banana foster for New Orleans. And a Midwest favorite, chocolate peanut butter, for Indianapolis. I also made peanut butter banana and chocolate with vanilla buttercream. I was especially proud of the logos. Melted chocolate piped on waxed paper.

Thoughts on 2011? I don't think cheese curds go very well with cupcakes. John requested banana foster cupcakes again. If nothing else, we have our latest homebrew to bring. Spiced winter ale (also known as Christmas Ale, but we're a little late for that).

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Welcome to Fiscally Chic!

Makeunder My Finances is currently being shared at Makeunder My Life......yay!!!!

Hi, Makeunder My Life readers! Welcome to Fiscally Chic! I blog about "saving money with style" two or three times a week. I also post recipes, talk about running, and share other things that inspire me. If this is your first time here, I encourage you to make yourself at home and take a look around. Here's a little more about me and about Fiscally Chic. If you're looking for the cupcakes, they hang out with the other recipes.

To give you a little history and my connection with MML, Jess is my first friend in Chicago. I began following her blog before moving to Chicago and met her in person at one of her Macy's trunk shows. At first we considered getting to know one another over coffee or wine, but I finally suggested going running. She's run a few marathons, I've run some halfs and a full, so I thought she would be game. Now we meet up for the occassional run (or brunch during the cold months) and dinners to discuss life and our dreams.

And if you're a regular at Fiscally Chic and haven't hopped over to Makeunder My Life, I would definitely recommend it! It just might change your life.

Jess, thanks again for sharing Makeunder My Finances!

PS - She also designs some super stylish jewelry. I recommend the Franklin "I LOVE YOU" necklace for Valentine's Day.

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No Limits

Have a great weekend! Do something daring!

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A Sight for Sore Eye (Shadow)

Over the weekend, I managed to drop my favorite eye shadow compact. The eye shadow still works (obviously), but the little chunks and eye shadow dust are annoying. Good thing I read a handy little tip in the February 2011 issue of Every Day with Racheal Ray. All I needed was some rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol to restore my eye shadow to its former self. A 32 oz. bottle from Walgreen's was $2.


Ugh!

Trickle enough rubbing alcohol onto the broken makeup to form a paste. Drag the back of a spoon (or a clean finger) over it to reshape.

Leave the compact overnight to dry. The alcohol will evaporate, returning the makeup to its original form.

All better!

PS - My eye shadow of choice is Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Super Shimmer in Lucky Penny. Here it is at Sephora.

What's your favorite eye shadow?
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Makeunder My Finances: Step 4

Welcome to the final installment of "Makeunder My Finances." Missed the first three steps? You can find one, two, and three here. And to give credit where it's due, I didn't come up with the makeunder steps. That's all Jess of Makeunder My Life. If you're looking to simplify your life and home, check out the makeunder steps in their original glory. I simply gave them the Fiscally Chic treatment.

Step 4: Reflect and evolve

This should be the "easiest" step of a financial makeunder. The real work goes into creating a vision, exfoliating stuff, and identifying intentions. Once your budget, savings plan, and automatic deposits are in place, it's a matter of evaluating your progress. Are you being too strict in some areas or too lax in others? Does your budget need a little tweaking? Can you sock away some extra money to meet your goal early?

How often should you be evaluating? Part of that depends on your timeframe and if you've made dramatic changes. I would also take a closer look at things in the beginning to set a good foundation. Remember, you're setting yourself up for success. Don't set unrealistic expectations. In general, a weekly update and monthly review should suffice.

It's also a good idea to check in on your vision and intentions. As you grow and mature, you might realize that your vision and intentions have also evolved. As Jess says, "The more regularly you reflect on the vision the less you will need to create major changes going forward." For example, when I married John, I felt a shift in priorities. Our finances also merged, so my decisions didn't just affect me anymore. And as you achieve one financial goal, you'll have the confidence to save for something else.

Tote from dearcolleen on Etsy

Real Life
John and I started to think more seriously about down payments back in the summer of 2010. We had already saved a good chunk of change, but really wanted to buckle down if we're going to take advantage of low interest rates and high levels of inventory. I signed up for Mint in August 2010 and created the goal shortly thereafter. It's January 2011 and we're still making changes to our budget. In the beginning it was a matter of watching the money. Now that we have a better grasp of our spending habits, we've implemented some changes (i.e. bringing lunches to work and making coffee at home). After a month or so of the changes, I can then adjust the budget further.

Good luck with your own financial makeunders. Small changes here and there can really add up. And send me an email at fiscallychic@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Have a great week!
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Makeunder My Finances: Step 3

Thanks for waiting patiently for the next step in "Makeunder My Finances." I began training for my next half marathon this week and decided I should get a good night sleep instead of editing a blog post. And to be honest, this post has been a little difficult to finish. This step is what Jess's Makeunder My Life is all about. Her middle name is pretty much "intention." So hopefully I'm doing her steps justice.

So with this extra time, have you created a vision? Have you taken a closer look at how you're spending your money? Have you identified spending strengths and weaknesses? I hope so because this week is all about setting specific goals and intentions.

Step 3: Identify Intentions

As a refresher, John and I are saving money for a down payment on a house. Our budgetary weakness is food and eating out. On the positive side, we don't spend much on shopping or entertainment. We value living simply and spending time with family and friends. Our intention is the whole premise of Fiscally Chic. Saving money with style and living life to the fullest.

Print from MursBlanc Etsy shop ($20)

With these items in mind, as inspired by Lauren, and with the help of Mint, we've implemented a SMART savings plan. Our plan is:

■S = Specific

■M = Measurable

■A = Attainable

■R = Realistic

■T = Timely

Specific

How much do you need to save? And don't just say "I need to save more." What is "more?" If you don't have a specific amount in mind, how will you know when you get there? You probably have a good idea of the price tag based on your vision.

Measurable

Dollars are pretty easy to measure, but what happens when your "vision" dollars start to mingle with your "needs" or "wants" dollars? In order to properly measure your savings, it’s best to create a separate savings account. I like to use ING Direct. It’s an online bank, so it has a higher interest rate (the good kind). I can automatically transfer money from checking to savings on my schedule and withdrawals take a couple days. That means I’m less likely to pull from our savings on a whim. And with automatic transfers, I don’t even miss the money if it’s not available to be spent. You can find other savings accounts and interest rates at bankrate.com.

Attainable
Your monthly savings goal should be reasonable. Set yourself up for success. No need to drive yourself into the poor house trying to save for something enjoyable (i.e. European vacation). To stay motivated, set aside an amount that’s not too far out of reach. We’ve cut out a few extra frills by dining out less frequently.

Realistic
At the same time, your goal should be a little bit of a reach so that you’re willing to work towards it. That makes accomplishing the goal even more worthwhile. So set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

Timely
Set a timeframe and mark the date on your calendar. Again, be specific, not just "in the next 5 years." And be realistic. Unless one of us wins the lottery, we probably won’t have a 20% down payment in 3 months. Automatic transfers are another way to stay timely. Schedule transfers for once or twice a month so you won't forget to stash the cash.


Purchase print from Ork Posters for $18



Being SMART

John and I use Mint's goal tool to track the progress of our down payment. It’s as easy as entering our goal, setting a date, and linking a savings account. I then know how much we need to save each month, which is factored into our budget. Mint emails me our progress every month and offers savings advice and information about the home buying process.

You can obviously track everything in an Excel spreadsheet or on a piece of paper, but I like the convenience of having everything online. That way I can access the information on the go and make changes as necessary.

Don’t be afraid to take ownership of your finances! The best way to become financially independent is to learn about the different resources and tools. And ask questions!

(Disclaimer: I haven't been compensated by Mint, ING, or bankrate.com for this post. These are simply my opinions.)

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