The Anticipated Trailer to the Star Wars VII Movie!

The New Star Wars VII Movie Trailer was released today!




A few things that caught my eye...


1. First up, the Stormtrooper looks like he was in disguise.  He's nervous; maybe running from something.   Along with the girl, who reminds you of Leia's daughter, they are definitely concerned and fearful.

2. The planet reminds me of Tatooine:  sand and droids.

3.  Bad Guys:  Stormtroopers and a Dark Lord.

4.  The Good guys are still around!  X-Wings and the Millennium Falcon are on hand.

Something terrible is brewing: you can feel it! 

What are your thoughts?  What did you see?

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

December Monthly Challenge - Count Your Steps!

Do you run, walk, or crawl?  Then you are ready for the December Challenges!

There are 8 challenges with great prizes for each Challenge!

Date	Challenge	Prize
Dec 1 – 5	Workweek Hustle:  Chubby No More	$20 Disney Gift Card
Dec 6 – 7	Weekend Warrior:  Agony of Da Feet	Feetures Socks
Dec 8 – 12	Workweek Hustle: Booty Busters	$20 Disney Gift Card
Dec 13 – 14	Weekend Warrior:  Shop Till You Drop	Yorkberg Compression Sleeves
Dec 15 – 19	Workweek Hustle:  Cut The Caboose	$20 Disney Gift Card
Dec 20 – 21	Weekend Warrior:  Walkie Talkies	$10 Starbuck Gift Card
Dec 22  - 26	Holiday Hustle:  Holy Walkamolies	$20 Disney Gift Card
Dec 27 – 31	Holiday Hustle: Honey I Shrunk The Gut!	$50 Disney Gift Card

(Click Each Challenge To Join!)

How It Works:
- Time Begins on Challenge Start Day @ 12:00am
- Time Ends on Challenge End Day @11:59pm
- Use a pedometer or fitness tracker to log your steps.  
- Each Day, by 10pm, Post Your Steps To The Event Page (links above) with a Picture from Your Device.  This helps everyone stay motivated and helps me keep track of numbers.
- For FitBit users, you can join the Workweek Hustle or Weekend Warrior (depending on the challenge)
- Since this is a friendly competition, all step totals will be posted on the event page each day.  I'll even include some fancy graphics so we can see where we all stand!
- Winners Will be Posted on Facebook and Prizes Will Be Shipped ASAP!

Any questions?  Please Contact me at kesselrunner77@gmail.com

May the Steps Be Forever in Your Favor!
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Need a Fitness Tracker?  FitBit is  My Favorite  Garmin and Polar Loop Are Great, too

Steppin' Through The Holidays!

My December Challenges are out!!  Who Will Join Me?

Whether you walk or run, getting up and moving is the best way to stay healthy, and doing it with a group of friends is a fabulous way to stay motivated!

So, I chose December to have a Step Challenge for 2 reasons:

1, it's the holidays and we tend to eat more and move less and
2, I want to move into the new year with fitness in mind!

You have a few weeks to get ready, so here is what you need to know!

December has been broken up into 8 Challenges:

Dec 1-5: Workweek Hustle: Chubby No More:  Top # Steps Wins a $20 Disney Gift Card

Dec 6-7: Weekend Warrior: Agony of Da Feet: Top # Steps Wins Feetures Socks

Dec 8-12:  Workweek Hustle: Booty Busters: Top # Steps Wins $20 Disney Gift Card

Dec 13-14: Weekend Warrior:  Shop Till You Drop: Top # Steps Wins Yorkberg Compression Sleeves

Dec 15-19: Workweek Hustle: Cut The Caboose: Top # Steps Wins $20 Disney Gift Card

Dec 20-21: Weekend Warrior:  Walkie Talkies:  Top # Steps Wins $10 Starbucks Gift Card

Dec 22-26: Holiday Hustle: Holy Walkamolies: Top # Steps Wins $20 Disney Gift Card

Dec 27-31: Holiday Hustle: Honey I Shrunk The Gut! All Steps Tallied for $50 Disney Gift Card

Simply,

Join the Events!  I will be sending invites, but anyone can join on My Facebook Page !
Everyone who does join and invites others to join will have an additional chance at winning the FitBit Flex Giveawy on November 24th!

Get Your FitBit or fitness band now if you don't have one, and start gearing up for Steppin' Through The Holidays!  Make it an early Christmas Present for the ones you care about! I still have the FitBit Giveway going on until November 24th.

The December Step Challenge Rules:
1. ** Each Day Post Your Steps To The Event Page with a Picture from Your Device.  This helps everyone stay motivated and helps me keep track of numbers.  This is perfect for everyone - any pedometer will do!

For FitBit users, you can also follow me on FitBit or Join the FitBit Group Steppin Through The Holidays. 

Since this is a friendly competition, all step totals will be posted on the event page each day.  I'll even include some fancy graphics so we can see where we all stand!

2. Last Post Time will be 11:59 PM on the last day of each Challenge.

3. Winners Will be Posted on Facebook and Prizes Will Be Shipped ASAP!

One last bit of motivation, At the age of 80, my mom was still walking 44 miles a month.    She would love to be a part of this challenge:  just be aware,  she will be watching all of us!

If you have any questions, please let me know!   I'm looking forward to competing!

May The Steps Be Forever In Your Favor!

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

Burning the Sweets: How Many Steps Does It Take?

This week I kicked off the FitBit Giveaway for a FitBit Flex!

There will be different opportunities to enter over the next week, and today's opportunity was "Step Trivia".

The questions today were:
How many steps to burn a Snickers or Tootsie Roll?

Which would you have to work harder for?
 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups vs Peanut M&M's?

Well, the results were in... and we were way off!

According to FitBit research,

Snickers Bar = 8216 Steps

Tootsie Roll = 5094 Steps

Reese's Vs M&M
6902           7888

Actually putting numbers to what you are eating really helps to visualize the effort needed to balance diet with exercise!

It was an eye opener for me!  

What about you?  Will you think twice before eating your Snickers?

It's the FitBit Life

Last Christmas, 2013, I received a FitBit Force as a present.  The Force and Flex were introduced in 2013 and really took off as a neat, techy addition to every day life.  They were lightweight, easily integrated with MyFitnessPal and your mobile device.  Since it went everywhere I went, I was easily drawn into setting goals, checking in and competing with others who had a FitBit.

I Measure My Runs in Parsecs Now...

This past year and a half has been an amazing journey for me!  I started blogging for fun and to share
my experiences with my friends and my virtual family!  We've had a lot of fun this past year, and many races behind us.  It was obvious to me that we all have a passion to grow and learn together, and that's why over the last few months I've been introspective.

My blog, Glisten While You Run, was a tribute to all the princesses out there:  to be more exact, we don't sweat,  we glisten.  It really goes with how my Mother trained me as her young "padawan".

I was sent to Charm School, took many hours of classical piano lessons, suffered through ballet, and was drilled on etiquette questions on the weekends.  But as when Obi Wan passed his lightsaber on and became Luke's inspiration of what it meant to be a Jedi,  this was also true with my Mother's passing.  My Mother had given me all the knowledge, and it was time for me to become a Jedi.  Mom's transition to God's Jedi Council was dose of reality that changed me and my path in life.

There is no reason to partake in a journey, if you don't learn something along the way.  I came to the realization that I'm not the Princess I started out to be.  I  don't glisten anymore: I sweat!  I no longer resembled someone trying to be Cinderella or Snow White, but a Princess made up of Mary Ellen and Princess Leia:  one that kick's butt; needs no one to rescue her; is fit, intelligent and powerful.

So, as my blog is the window to my life and my world, its only logical that I become the Kessel Runner - as I left the cocoon to become the bad ass butterfly.


I will no longer measure my runs in miles....  but in parsecs!

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I hope you will join me as I continue my journey!  And to show my appreciation to my virtual family, and to spread the word on my new blog, I will be having awesome giveaways during November and December!

Starting with the week of Thanksgiving, I will be giving away a FitBit Flex !

It's simple to earn a chance at this awesome tool for life! Just browse through my new blog www.kesselrunner.com and comment on any post, or send me an email to kesselrunner77@gmail.com with comments or suggestions! 

I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you!

Hint:  We will be doing a new FitBit Challenge every week during December where the winner of each challenge will receive a Disney Gift Card!
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May The Force Be With You
#letthewookieewin

November Challenge: Planks and Thanks!

We are in November with less than 70 days until the Star Wars Half Marathon and a little over 100 days until the Princess Half Marathon!

It is also a month for stopping and being thankful.  And since I am thankful for every day that I can walk or run or exercise in any way,  I am mixing Thanksgiving with an awesome Plank workout!

The result is #planksandthanks2014

This challenge is simple, follow the plank schedule and remember to be thankful for something every day.  And if you can't plank, you can still be thankful.  So, everyone can be a part of this challenge!

My main focus is still on the Star Wars Half Marathon Training:  I'm up to 9 miles this month, and I hope the weather stays on the cool not COLD side!  This time last year, we had a really cold November with a 27 degree Thanksgiving!  We ran anyway, but all ended up sick!

I haven't forgotten you guys who are training for the Princess Half Weekend!  Your November Training Guide is waiting for you to download.  And, those of you who are running the Star Wars Half Marathon or any Half in January, you can download the Star Wars Half Training Plan, too.

It should be a great month!  I'm looking forward to planking and thanking!  The challenge will help us get through the Thanksgiving holiday, and focus on doing something more positive than just eating!

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What kind of goals do you have for this month?  let me know by commenting below or send me an email

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

New Balance Shoes: Must Haves for the runDisney Enthusiast!

Have you gotten your runDisney New Balance Shoes yet? 

If not, there are 2 more chances left this year!  The Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend and the Avenger's Half Marathon Weekend!

New Balance and runDisney have a great partnership that blend the New Balance engineering with the magic of Disney; which gives you one more way to show your Disney Side!

This Month's Featured Smoothie

All The Greens Smoothie

This super food smoothie starts with Aloha Daily Greens Powder made with 14 real fruits and vegetables.  It's a truly simple, powerful smoothie!

1 package The Daily Good, Original
1 container of High Protein Greek Yogurt, Vanilla
1/4 Cup of Coconut Water with Pineapple
A couple of Ice Cubes

Blend and Enjoy!

The Totals, depending on the yogurt, average 14g of Protein and 150 Calories! 

What is The Daily Good?  Aloha is offering free samples and you can find out more in my blog
 My New Healthy Habit
 . 
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Do you have an idea how to use Daily Greens?  Please share!
kesselrunner77@gmail.com

2015 Goals: Making a Difference This Year

Losing weight is one of the most popular items in a list of resolutions to "get fit"; and I am sure, if you were honest, it is probably on yours, too.  

My wish this year is that we change we way we think about weight loss resolutions and make lifestyle changes that we can actually dedicate time and energy to!

I want to set goals that determine where I want to go, where I want to be and are achievable.

I believe we have been going about resolutions and goals in all the wrong way.  We focus on losing weight instead of what we need to do to be our best selves.  After all, losing inches may not translate into lost weight; so, then, if we now wear a smaller size, did we fail at our goal?  Also, Sometimes in order to attain the weight loss goal, we don't eat well, we loose muscle instead of fat, and we don't have the energy to do healthy activities.   

We should put our sights on an action such as 

Completing a Couch to 5K

Running a 9 minute mile

Completing a 10K

Running a Half Marathon in November

Going to the Gym 3 Times a Week

Lifting X Number of Pounds

Using Fruits and Vegetables as Snacks

Eating More Protein

Walking 20000 Steps A Day

These activities become our catalysts into a transition state that will generate weight loss, muscle tone, increased speed, and a healthy lifestyle:  all creating a better you.   And you can have more than one; but you need at least one! 

Then once you decide on your action goal, write down a plan to get there.  

I'm going to take my own advice; so here goes...

Goals:

Always Be Half Marathon Ready

Eat More Protein

Walk 12000 Steps A Day

Plan:   

Always Be Half Marathon Ready 

(In other words, I should be ready to run a Half with only 2 months training)

-Plan and Execute a 6 Mile Run Every Month

-Run 3 to 4 Times a Week

Eat More Protein

-Add an additional 20g of Protein each day through smoothies and nutrition bars

Walk 12000 Steps A Day

-Do Not Sit at My Desk All Day Long

-Walk Around at least 1X an hour

-Be Accountable in a FitBit Group

What about you?  Have you been thinking about your New Year's Fitness Resolution in the wrong way?   What are your new goals this year?

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Since 10000 Steps a Day is recommended for everyone, I will continue the Step Challenge into January with a Step Up To the New Year Challenge.  <put details here .....>