Bridge Run Practice

This morning I woke up with this unmentionable pain, well, I'll tell you,. in my groin.  I thought to myself, "my hubby is not going to be happy about this one".  I thought I had damaged something...    ...down there and,, much to my surprise (and relief), I met one of my team members this morning and the first thing she asked was "are you hurting...    ...here" as she pointed to her...   ...(you-know-where region)..., and we both laughed and I shrieked "Me too!".   Somehow, I felt better knowing that it was just a muscle we apparently don't use as much as we thought!  (I know, TMI!  TMI!)  After running and squatting with 15-20 pound weights, what did we expect?  As a matter of fact, I found out, as we started to gather into a group and share our war stories, that we were sore!  Our team is really developing a good feeling of camaraderie with a common heartbeat.  This is what a program like this brings.

Almost everyone in from our team was at our first bridge practice.  I could not sleep the night before because I have a horrible fear of height.  Acrophobia.  Healthy Charleston is going to help me overcome this because there is no way I am going to let that fear keep me from doing this or fail to support my team.  Especially being recently named the captain of the team.  So, off I went.  Onward and upward.  And guess what -- I could not believe how beautiful it is on the bridge!  This is why I moved from California to Charleston.  What a beautiful place we live, and so often taken for granted.

I paired up with Charles and started walking.  "If you can talk,you aren't working hard enough!"   We kept hearing Janis' voice in the near distance.  Even so, I guess we cheated a little by sharing things about our struggles with weight and life in general.  That is when I learned Charles' little grand-baby suffers from cancerous tumors all over his little body.  Internally, including the brain.  Having gone through a lot of medical issues, I listened intently to every word and understood he needed our prayers and support.  What a great opportunity this experience is is providing by allowing me to go outside my own world and find out what others are going through.

Charles was really helping me by sticking with me, since I can't keep up with some on our team. I got more than a workout and felt so good when I made our goal of an hour on the bridge.  Most of the time we were not able to talk though (just in case Janis reads this).  And, speaking of Janis, we also were able to talk briefly to Janis.  What a nice person!  And truly dedicated to this program.  She sets the pace and the example by being out there with us every step of the way.  Remember I said earlier that just when you think you are done with a workout with Healthy Charleston, you're not.  We get to the end, leaving the bridge, and Janis tells us, "Push-ups on the benches and stretches!"  My mind was just anticipating how good it was going to feel to sit down.  Then the rain  started.  What a wonderful way to end the workout!  Believe it or not, I did not care about my hair at that moment, which, in my culture, is a big no no. Black hair and rain?  Even Oprah would have to agree...     ....Oh!  No!  But not today.  It did not seem to matter. What a great way to start your morning!  I overcame my fear, we shared stories and we are getting stronger.

Check out our bridge,

and a couple of bonus pictures. (If you notice that the pictures are a little blurry, it's because I was always moving.  (in case Janis is still reading.)

Want to curl up to a nice bowl of Turkey Chili this weekend? Try this delicious Weight Watcher's recipe.  I could not find calorie count, so I just listed every ingredient on our tracking system.  Enjoy!

10 ounces extra-lean ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can (4oz.) green diced Ortegas
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 medium yellow squash diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15-oz) can fat-free, reduced-sodium beef broth
2 celery stalks, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 package dry chili seasonings.

Spray a large nonstick pot with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, garlic, and onion and sauté until browned.
Transfer the browned turkey and onion mixture to a large soup pot and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, squash, green Ortegas, beans, broth, celery, bell peppers, and chili seasoning. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes