Nike Plus Fuel Band Update

It really was simple to set up! The hardest part was setting aside the time to do it, but once I did, it took less than 10 minutes to go through the motions and maybe another 20 minutes of reading. You indicate your height, weight, which wrist you'll be wearing it on, and your goal daily points. Easy Peasy.

The first day I wore my Nike Fuel Band, I purposely didn't do any exercises. I wanted a baseline of how active or inactive I was. Well, it turns out I don't get out of my seat at work nearly enough! When I set up my Fuel Band, I set it for moderate activity, or 3,000 points. Monday, I used (or burned) 2,178 Nike Fuel points.

I was initially worried my band wasn't registering my activity. It doesn't stay lit up like one would expect. However, when I pressed the little button, I was informed of my points. What was really neat is that the bar above the points balance indicates how close you are - red, then yellow, then green. By the end of the day, my Fuel Band was reading red and yellow, but no green...not today, at least. The light indicator line reminded me of the old game, Light Brite, which made this gift so much more fun.

I love my Nike Fuel Band. The size took a little getting used to, but it didn't bother me at work while typing and it looks like a thick black bracelet. My coworkers don't expect me to be fashion-forward. After all, I've been wearing a black, rubber Timex watch that still registers Mountain Standard Time.

Now it's time to get competitive and beat that daily goal!

Thank Yous All Around

Thank you Mother Nature for providing such spectacular colors and autumn temps.

Thank you Metroparks for providing me with a well-maintained all-purpose trail to run.

Thank you to my husband for the massage gift certificate that I used last night. It gave me the needed flexibility to knock out an amazing and enjoyable run today.

Hope your week was just as great!

Musical Motivation

Since I generally "check" my magazines out of the library, it means I'm rarely reading the current issue. Yesterday, I knocked out the March 2011 issue of Fitness magazine. In their Live Healthy section, there was a neat article in which various Fitness editors responded to which song lyrics do they put on "mental repeat" to get them psyched for racing or working out. A few of the lyrics/songs were:

• "Ain't nothin going to break my stride. I got to keep on moving." (Break My Stride, Matthew Wilder)
• "Take it easy. take it easy. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy." (Take It Easy, The Eagles)
• "What you waiting for. What you waiting for". (What You Waiting For, Gwen Stefani)

I think for me it's any song by the Red hot Chili Peppers. But if I had to choose one, it'd be Breaking the Girl by RHCP. To me, the song is infectious. The lyrics, the beat, Anthony Keidis' voice. I get lost in the song and find that "zone" that allows me to dig deep.

So what's your musical motivator? Do you have a go-to song that triggers that "go deep" feeling?