Tag Archives: goals

Daily Feats

I was contacted a couple of months ago by Monique of Daily Feats, a new-to-me site that helps users do “small, positive actions, every day” that “add up to big change”. I’m completely in support of using challenges, mini goals, and game-like methods to reach goals. Sites like Daily Feats can make lifestyle changes fun and break them up into steps that don’t seem so scary!

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The site is completely free and registration is super easy thanks to ability to link your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. Once registration is complete, users get started by choosing specific feats to aim to accomplish. Instead of general, vague goals like “eat better” or “work out more”, cute badges sound off more specialized choices like a complete breakfast or stretches at your desk.

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Even if you’re already at a point where you’re fairly happy with your healthy living lifestyle and commitment to it, Daily Feats can still be used to spice up or relax your life by committing to trying new activities or taking care of your mental health.

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Visiting an art gallery…that’s something I’ve never done! And after reading Steve Martin’s latest book, I’ve been dying to do so.

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I drive 30-45 minutes to/from work each day, and the above badge can certainly apply to me many a week.

To be honest, looking through the Daily Feats badges as I wrote this post inspired me to try many new goals I didn’t even know I had!

If you’re more into an overall challenge or aren’t sure where to start (I like specific goals, but some people may want to have specifics chosen for them), then go for some challenges that contain certain specific feats that follow the same general theme.

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Whatever way you choose, feats or challenges, you will earn points after you complete each a certain number of times. Then the best part comes in – redeeming your points for rewards! OR, you can turn your points into a donation for a nonprofit – how cool is that? Don’t worry, no judgement if you redeem points for prizes – I probably would do that first. And do you know what’s AMAZING about the rewards? You can type in your zip code and find places to redeem near you – rewards that support local businesses are as good as it gets!

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I honestly have not been as active as I’d like to be on Daily Feats since signing up. It seems that the more social networking sites I sign up for, the less time I spend on each one! But writing this post has actually inspired me to revisit my chosen feats and get to work on those that are new-to-me.

Monique has done Cait Plus Ate readers a solid and has hooked you all up with a code for 50 extra rewards points! So if you have a chance, head over to Daily Feats and open an account. It’s free, you have nothing to lose, and if you enter caitplusate100 by 11:59PM on Thursday, 3/1/12, you get those 50 bonus points to get you moving towards rewards and/or charitable donations.

What do you think of the idea behind Daily Feats? Is this something you’d be interested in?

Disclaimer: I was not compensated by Daily Feats for this post, but was approached by them initially. This is simply information and a deal I wanted to share with my readers after I learned more about the site.

Santa’s Run: A New PR!

Last Sunday, I ran a 3.5 mile road race I’ve done several times before. The Santa’s Run is a town tradition, and during the race, it’s guaranteed that I’ll see many a person I know. In fact, my friends Mollie and Angie literally pulled up right next to me after I parked, out of total coincidence! I was excited to run this race because it was the first time I was doing so in a good athletic condition. It used to be the Santa’s Run was my one workout of the month, back when I loathed working out and anything to do with moving. I made a decision the night before to try to run it quickly and achieve a PR. With good lucks from Twitter, I set out to the race, doubtful about my goals since my hamstrings and glutes were at their tightest.

The costume contest, and costumes in general, are a big part of the race and make running it a lot more fun and entertaining for both spectators and runners. I’ve never really dressed up before, but I do enjoy checking out what people are wearing!

I thought this headband was so clever!

I started with Mollie and Angie,  who pointed out that we were lined up in the “serious runner” section. Just what I needed to motivate me! We started, and I took off. Immediately  I felt great. I bounded ahead, and eventually passed my dad with a happy wave.

I was still feeling great after mile 1. When I passed mile 2, the timer called out that it had been 15 minutes. I got so excited – I was more than halfway through, and I knew if I could pick up the pace for the last 1.5 miles, a PR was in sight!

I started picking out runners to try to beat. My sister did that during the Manchester Road Race and she said it worked well, so I decided to try her tactic. It definitely helped – I even became locked in a “battle” of sorts with a man and his son. They could tell I was trying to beat them and picked up their pace every time I began to pass. Eventually they overtook me, but I was still grateful for the push they gave me.

As I rounded the last corner, I could see the finish line and the large timer. An announcer called out “28 minutes!”, and I began to sprint. I wasn’t going to let myself come in a second over 30 minutes.

I crossed the finish line at 29:03 – a new PR achieved! That comes out to an average pace of 8:16 miles!

I attribute the fact that I achieved a PR, despite the fact that I haven’t run outside since August, to regular cardio and strength training workouts that have kept my heart and legs strong. I also had a banana on my way to the race – bananas ALWAYS fuel my workouts best. And I’m sure my HELLO LADY t-shirt from the Elvis Duran Show brought me luck!

I am still so proud of my achievement! I don’t have the passion for running to train for future specific races, but I hope to keep signing up for the occasional race to see what I can do. Who knows, maybe I will bite the bullet and train for a half marathon someday. I have always wanted to finish one!

What was the last fitness related goal you achieved? What is your 5K PR?

Hotel Room Workout

Hey guys! It’s been a whirlwind week but today is my Friday because tomorrow I am off to University of Tennessee to visit my little sister and I can’t wait! SEC football and tailgating – there’s nothing better. Also can’t wait to see my Nana Connie (grandma) and a bunch of my parents’ old friends that I haven’t seen since I was a few feet tall. Oh, and the libations consumed during tailgating should be fun too 😉 I will try to take lots of pics!

Uncle's 50th birthday party – Tennessee theme

Last night I went to my first Zumba class at the gym near my office. I did Zumba a lot at UConn and it was awesome, but the gym near my house offers classes that I haven’t found challenging enough. Happy to report that this class’s choreography was, though not as heart-pumping as I usually like, more advanced and the music was great. I really loved the instructor’s energy too.

I was still craving that peak-HR that I like to try to get to in each cardio workout though, so I hopped on the treadmill and put it at a 1.0 incline. I decided to try to accomplish the goal I’ve had for a couple of years of running a sub-8 minute mile. And after 7 minutes and 55 seconds of feeling like I might die (well, maybe in the last few minutes I felt that way), I DID IT! I love accomplishing mini goals like that and I left feeling pretty awesome.

My "I'm Awesome!" pose

This morning I woke up really early for no reason, and since I have class tonight I thought it would be good to squeeze a workout in. I did 30 minutes of total body strengthening using my body weight. It was no joke – just goes to show there is plenty that you can do with absolutely NO equipment! I like to call these “hotel room workouts” and thought I’d share with you all what I did. Remember I’m not a trainer, and always check with your doctor before starting a new workout!

Hotel Room Workout (try to move from one move to next without stopping!)

I think I remembered everything!
I’ve gotta run for now but let me know if you try the workout, and how it goes!
What’s the last mini-goal you accomplished?

Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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