Page 19 of 65

Rock Climbing and Yoga with Carol Simpson

June 28, 2022 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Episode 109 – Rock Climbing and Yoga with Carol Simpson

In Episode 109, Jill and Chris talk with Carol Simpson, an amazing member of the Becoming Elli private Facebook Group.

For over 20 years, Carol was a climbing guide, teaching beginners and providing climbing camps and retreats, primarily for women. Carol traveled the world, climbing with her life partner, John. Moving to Bend, Oregon, they started a rock climbing guide service and purchased the local climbing shop at Smith Rock near Bend, Oregon. She also began a regular 4 days a week yoga practice.

Although she developed some serious health issues beginning in 2012, she has persevered and is now back to climbing rocks, practicing yoga again and teaching at her studio in Lone Pine, California at the base of Mount Whitney.

She has been certified in Bikram yoga, Yin yoga, is an AMGA rock guide, and ACE personal training.

Carol says:

I want to be an inspiration to all women of all ages who want to keep pushing for their physical and mental health.

As your guests have proven time and again, your body will reward you with muscle tone, weight control, flexibility, a sense of empowerment and well being. How much is that worth??

Fit over 50 is the purpose for your wonderful podcast. My input is, you are so young when you’re 50, that you can do practically anything. Go for it! The same for over 60 and 70.
Just realize that it gets harder as you get older but don’t let that stop you!

I don’t know about over 80 yet but, I’m ready and excited to see how much I can accomplish. No limits!
~ Carol

Carol Simpson, doing what she loves, ROCK CLIMBING!

Rock Climbing and yoga with Carol Simpson

Carol Simpson and a few of her yoga poses!

In this episode, we discuss:

What is rock climbing and how is it different from mountain climbing
How a simple conversation on a ski lift changed her life at age 42
What she loves about rock climbing
Growing up as a “tom boy” and then having to become “ladylike” — then later finding the joys of exercise
Overcoming serious health issues: heart, hyperparathyroidism, and a concussion (not due to rock climbing!) as well as COVID
YouTube yoga links we mentioned: Yoga With Adriene – YouTube, Travis Eliot YouTube,
Tracking food on My Fitness Pal
A vegetarian since 1980, she is now a pescatarian (meaning she also eats fish)

Her Website: Yoga in the Courtyard
Instagram
Facebook

It was a Beautiful Day for a Walk in the Park

June 18, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Jill and I took a walk in a nearby park yesterday morning.

It was great opportunity to be able to spend some time together, catch up on things and discuss ideas for future topics and podcast guests for our Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast.

The weather was cooler than it had been lately, only around 78 degrees compared to over 90 degrees several times this past week. A nice breeze was blowing and the sun was shining!

Penny and Peanut, our dogs, also enjoyed getting out and smelling the fresh air.

A few weeks ago a wild windstorm came through and pushed down quite a few trees along the path in the park. We both were surprised how much damage there was and also how quickly the park crew had cleaned it up.

Kids were playing on the playground and lots of runners and other dog walkers were on the trail for a walk in the park as well. We saw lots of Canada geese in the water with their young hatchlings. We tried to get a photo of them in the background behind us, but I believe the water is too bright to actually see the geese.

It’s great to have a break in the weather and get some exercise. Good weather during our walk made catching up on our Becoming Elli plans a lot of fun.

Dressing for the Gym

June 16, 2022 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

The topic of dressing for the gym comes up occasionally. I went into the locker room at my gym yesterday and a woman I know from the locker room was there. She was wearing a cute outfit for working out. She had on a black skort, you know, the short skirt that has shorts underneath. Her top was a cute short sleeved black and white striped jersey. A very attractive outfit.

I commented on it. I told her how nice she looked. She said, “I’m worried that I’m showing too much skin.” I told her I thought she was fine.

She said a friend of hers who always looks polished told her that the key to looking good as you age is to cover up as much as possible.

I said that might be but she looked fine in the outfit. I said you should wear what you want to wear and it doesn’t matter what others think. Also, most people won’t be paying attention to how she looks anyway. And if anyone does pay attention and they don’t like how she looks, that’s their problem.

I get it though. I look at myself in the mirror when I’m getting ready to go to the gym. Is this T-shirt tight enough for me to work out without the shirt billowing out? Is it also loose enough that it disguises my belly? Or at least does it make me think it serves as a disguise?

I talked about what actually to wear to the gym in an earlier post. Gym clothes really aren’t difficult. We should dress for comfort and ease. It’s great if we also find something that we enjoy wearing.

Of course, we want to look good. We’re so aware of how our skin wrinkles and how the blotches from the sun are unattractive. We’re never thin enough or strong enough.

Anyway, Patty wore her outfit and I saw her working out. She looked great to me. She’s a 70-something year old woman who is in the gym doing push ups and biceps curls and whatever else is in her workout. That’s a great look in my opinion.

Say Yes – The Amazing Adventures of Deirdre Hewitson

June 14, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 108 – Say Yes – The Amazing Adventures of Deirdre Hewitson

In episode 108, Jill and Chris talk with Deirdre Hewitson, who says ‘yes’ to pretty much any opportunity or adventure that comes her way.

Deirdre Hewitson is a freelance photographer, editor, and writer who lives in Cape Town, South Africa. We learned about her because one of our Becoming Elli members (who lives in Norway) posted that Deidre is her hero.

Over the years. Deirdre has taken up scuba diving, bicycle racing, water skiing, paragliding, white water rafting, and running. Now, at 61, and about ten marathons later, she has added trail running, climbing, hiking and yoga to the mix of regular activities.

“Say yes more often than you say no, and try pretty much everything at least once – ‘pretty much’ because some things – those that will harm you – aren’t worth trying.” These are the words Deirdre lives by.

We discussed:
How she started at age 53 by running at night so “on one could see me”
How she trains for races
Her most memorable race
Why she chose the 13 Peaks Challenge
Comparing road running to trail running pros and cons
How she handles food when she is on an adventure
Why she practices yoga
Her plant based meals (stopped eating meat 30 years ago)

Links:

Deirdre on Instagram at Running_Climbing_Laughing.Yogi.
Deidre’s blog – Journal of the Reluctant Runner.
More amazing details about her 13 Peaks Challenge – a year-long adventure

Outside my Comfort Zone

June 6, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

During vacation I like to change up my regular routines and challenge myself to go outside my comfort zone.

Last week I was on a family vacation to the beach and was enjoying all the fun of reconnecting with family, walking along the waves in the sand and swimming outside in a pool.

My sister suggested we do yoga on the beach. I’ve watched it from afar but never signed up. In fact in years past, I may have even done a little yoga on my own, but never with the full class.

It was delightful. There were definite advantages over a studio yoga class.

The ocean in the morning makes a very beautiful backdrop
The sand is very forgiving on the knees
An 8 am class is later than most of the yoga classes I take at home
The sun wasn’t too hot just yet
The sound of the waves makes a soothing and rhythmic ambiance

There are also challenges.

It is out in the open so “everyone” can see you
The sand moves and shifts making balance poses somewhat challenging
The sand also gets on the beach towel so by the end of class I felt a bit like a sand monster. A relaxed, happy sand monster!

We had a great instructor who took us through a variety of vinyasa flow style yoga moves. I guess that part really was not outside my comfort zone! It felt so good to do some sun salutations, warrior poses, pigeon and even happy baby. Although it was early morning, the sun started to get hot early and I’m so glad I brought my water bottle. All the sand everywhere actually added to the sensory experience… and sure felt good to get a shower afterwards!

Having my sister there with me doing yoga gave me the added push I needed to outside my head of feeling like “everyone” was watching and judging. When I think about it logically, most of the people, even on the beach front condos, are still inside either sleeping or enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee.

This will definitely become part of my vacation routine going forward. It really helped to get the kinks out of my back from sitting on the long drive from Ohio to the beach.

Obstacles on the Bike and Hike Trail

June 2, 2022 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

I discovered some obstacles on the bike and hike trail that’s close to my house. I’m lucky to live close to the park’s trail. I use it frequently all year round. This past weekend was a holiday weekend and we had gorgeous summer weather. I was not the only person eager to use the bike and hike trail.

On Saturday, I took Penny for a run on the bike and hike trail close to my house. It was a great day for a run, plus it’s a holiday weekend. There were lots of people using the trail.

I know I’ve written about running with Penny before. Penny is doing well with running with me though I’m so slow that Penny doesn’t actually run. She just sort of trots along with me. She has learned how to stick with me, though, so it’s easier to run with her.

On Sunday, I got out my bike and went for a ride on the same trail. It was another gorgeous day and I rode for a little over an hour, which was the furthest I’ve ridden in a long time.

When I was running, here’s what I noticed. Many bikes zipped past me without saying anything. No “on your left” or even just “I’m passing you!” Several times I was startled by a bike that I was unaware was behind me. I also encountered both groups of bikes and runners running two or three abreast. Each time I’d watch to make sure they moved over so I could continue my run. It felt like I was playing chicken with each group. Running with a dog makes it a bit more challenging. I try to make sure both of us are safe so I would usually make sure Penny was running alongside the trail. A couple of times we both had to get off the trail because there wasn’t enough room for us while people were passing.

When I was riding my bike, here’s what I noticed. A few people out walking and running had complete, over the ear headphones on so they couldn’t hear me say “on your left.” They couldn’t hear much of anything, I guess, except for whatever they were listening to with the headphones. I also noticed groups of bicyclists who were riding three abreast coming towards me. I wasn’t sure if they were going to move over in time.

There were two women walking their dogs on the trail. Both dogs were walking off leash and when I called out, “on your left” the women darted around trying to grab their dogs. I ended up having to stop and wait while they got their dogs back on their leashes. The women thanked me and were grateful that I stopped and waited. The trail seemed busy to be walking dogs off leash but fortunately no mishaps occurred.

For the most part, I think everyone was being careful to share the trail. The people wearing the over the ear headphones were probably the most at risk because I don’t think they knew who was approaching them. They seemed to be at the most risk for an accident.

We had such beautiful days over the weekend that I really wanted to enjoy running and riding on the trail, but it did remind me why I prefer using the trail on weekdays. I still enjoyed both days and will continue to use the trail, despite encountering obstacles on the bike and hike trail.

Do you encounter similar obstacles? Let me know.

Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 60

May 26, 2022 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular trends right now in eating. People are using IF for both weight loss and health benefits.

Intermittent fasting is really an umbrella term for a variety of ways of fasting. Most often, people are really referring to Time Restricted Eating. This is where you avoid eating during a period of time. It can be as short as not eating after dinner and then having breakfast first thing in the morning. It can be longer than that, where you fast all day and then consume all your calories in a single hour. Most people who I hear talking about time restricted eating probably have a 16 to 18 hour window of non-eating, with a 6 to 4 hour window of eating.

Chris and I talked with Gin Stephens about Intermittent Fasting and she provided us with lots of information. If you are interested in learning more about it, I recommend listening to our podcast episode, Intermittent Fasting with Gin Stephens.

Is time-restricted eating effective for post-menopausal women? There’s lots of discussion about IF for the general population but women over 50 tend to have unwanted weight gain so this might be a good option for them.

While I was reading some articles about IF, I came across a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It addresses weight loss for women over 60.

Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 60

The study enrolled 45 women over the age of 60. The women were randomly assigned to either the control group or to the group instructed to fast for 16 hours. The women assigned to the IF group were told to fast from 8 PM until noon the next day. Neither group was told to change what they ate, but only to change when they ate.

After six weeks, the women who fasted for 16 hours had a loss of about three pounds (1.4 kilos) and fat mass. The control group had no loss of weight. Compliance to the time-restricted eating was good with 88% of the women completing the study. No negative results were reported.

This study only lasted six weeks so the small amount of weight loss is not surprising. Also, it’s worth remembering that the study made no changes to the food the women ate.

This was a small study but appears to indicate that Intermittent Fasting (or Time Restricted Eating) can be a good tool for women trying to lose weight.

I also think it’s great to see studies being done of older women. It’s unusual for studies to be of women over 50, or 60 in this case. It’s unusual to see a study on Intermittent Fasting for women over 60.

Bicycling All 50 States with Joyce Guenther

May 24, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 107 – Bicycling All 50 States with Joyce Guenther

In Episode 107, Jill and Chris talk with Joyce Guenther who has ridden her bicycle in all 50 states of the USA. Jill met Joyce Guenther in high school and they ended up at the same college together. Years later they reconnected on Facebook.

Joyce has completed bike rides in all 50 states and has turned her attention to Europe. She is a member of our private Becoming Elli Facebook Group.

Her education was in the sciences. She worked in business for many years and then ran her husband’s medical office. She lives with her husband in central Ohio and has two adult daughters.

Joyce is also very active with the Red Cross and getting people to donate blood. She hosts blood drives and has been donating blood since she was in college.

We discuss:

How she got started
Training for the bike trips
Logistics of the rides
Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) ride from Pittsburgh to DC
Amtrak train routes and folding bikes
Empire Builder train from Chicago to Seattle
City of New Orleans Amtrak line to New Orleans
Advantages of organized tours
How she eats during the rides

Rides, Tours and Links mentioned:
Red Cross blood donation
An Interview with Joyce Guenther at the Buckeye Lake Women’s Triathlon
Mediterranean Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
5 Boro Bike Tour (New York City)
Chicago Bike The Drive on Lake Shore Drive on Memorial Day
Armed Forces Cycling Classic in the summer in Washington DC
Napa Valley Bike touring in California
Fall Foliage ride in Staunton VA
Shenandoah Valley Bike The Valley

More detail about her bicycling all 50 states from Joyce Guenther:

Probably in the mid to late 1990s my husband got this idea that a supported bike ride would be fun. I said, sure thing, thinking that would be the end of it. Well, he signed us up for a Vermont Bike Tours week. I was positive I could not do this. He rode a lot and I really didn’t. I biked around our hilly neighborhood and was freaking out. People, I CRIED getting on the plane to Vermont.

Supported bike tours are a great way to get started. You can rent your bike from them and if you do, they take care of it, fixing flats, swapping out another bike, etc. The bikes are excellent. These fancy tours (Like VBT Vermont Bike Tours, Backroads, etc) provide some awesome food along the way, group activities and a lot of knowledge. One of the guides rode next to me and described the gears/shifting ratios. After that week, I got a better bike and we rode more.

At some point we realized that just by riding a bike on vacations, at home, etc we had biked in 12 states and decided to do all 50. A great way to do this turned out to be Amtrak train routes. We got folding bikes (Montague) and could take the train with them as luggage. (now Amtrak has bike cars and you load your bike in a rack.) We took the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago and got off in all the states and biked, got back on the next train the day. This train goes through WA, ID, MT, ND (got a car and went to SD and WY), MN, WI, IL. Most train routes have rail trails nearby. This train goes right through Glacier National Park.

We did the same with the City of New Orleans Amtrak line which goes DC to New Orleans. (Editor’s note: it goes from Chicago to New Orleans now.)

“The best ride we did was the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) ride from Pittsburgh to DC. This is a 360 mile trail (100% trail, no streets!) If you ride east it’s pretty much flat/downhill. We did this end of June and got to DC on July 4th. We had a high school guy drive our truck with supplies and he met us at the trail head every day. We stayed at motels and B&Bs. You can also camp (and do a supported camp) but NO. That was our 25th anniversary trip. This trail connects to the C&O canal and you pass 76 locks on the way. It’s beautiful.”

There are lots of local bike trips/trails too. The Kentucky Redbud ride (they have pancakes!) was so great and one of the last ones we did which is funny since it’s close by. New York City has the 5 Boro Bike Tour ( in May which is a tour of all the Boros. They close down the bridges which is fun. Chicago has Bike The Drive on Lakeshore on Memorial Day. We do an Armed Forces ride every summer in DC and a Fall Foliage ride in Staunton VA every Oct. Fat Tire Tours were great. Backroads was how we did Napa.

After we finished the USA in 2013 or so we started looking at Europe. We did Versailles, Madrid and Barcelona a few years back. We have done a few Bike and Barge tours (Netherlands and Danube) We went to Japan in 2017 and my husband got a rental bike just to say he biked there!

Electrolyte Replacement for Hot Weather Workouts

May 21, 2022 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

I am a sweater. That is, I perspire during hot weather and especially during work outs… a lot!

Replenishing electrolytes is a real thing for me or I can easily become overheated, dizzy and feeling very weird. During summer bike rides I’ve had to take advantage of the SAG truck more than once when the temperatures go higher than 85 degrees and I’m pushing myself.

If this is not a problem for you, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about, but if you bike ride or run during super hot weather and tend to sweat a lot like me, you may be very aware of the need for electrolyte replacement.

Many of the organized rides and runs that I’ve done in years past have rest stops with water and gatorade, as well as orange slices, ice and more to help combat the high temps.

The other day I took my second bike ride of the year. It was 18 miles with a breakfast break in between. But by the time we actually got back it was around 12:30 and well over 80 degrees. We had been gone for a bit over 3 hours.

I knew it was going to be hot so I tried something new for electrolyte replacement. I usually go through 2 water bottles when I do the Kent loop. This time I added about a half cup of Pedialyte to one of my 24 ounce water bottles. It didn’t taste too bad (like if I had had straight Gatorade) but helped to replace some of the electrolytes I sweated off.

I’m definitely going to try this again.
Here are some photos of the package:

While the package says not to add water or dilute, I am using this as a preventative measure, not as a fix.

I got this in an email from LMNT from Runner’s World, so this was designed specifically for working out and replacing electrolytes. Have not tried it. Let me know if you have and what you thought.

What do you do to replace your electrolytes during hot weather and long workouts?

Positive Mental Attitude

May 14, 2022 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

When I was at the gym this morning I talked to a friend who I always love to see. We only talked maybe 5 minutes. She’s someone that Jill and I hope to have as a guest on the podcast.

One thing that she said to me that I’ve been thinking about on the drive all the way home. “It’s your attitude… you’ve got to keep a positive attitude.”

Today I’m going to work on having a positive mental attitude.

It reminds me of part of the Optimist’s Creed – To Promise Yourself — “To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.”

When I’m working out, I love to take group classes.

I try to not compare myself to my younger self, or more fit pre-covid self. Instead I’m trying to say things like:

Something is better than nothing
Keep moving!
Use or Lose it
It’s better than being home on the couch!

Positive Mental Attitude – That’s going to be me. At least for today!

By the way, this month is mental health month, so here’s to a Positive Mental Attitude for the whole month. (or at least just today!)