Another Great Run in the Woods.

This past Saturday, we held the 8th annual Pumpkin Run at the YMCA. This great annual event is held, with the great leadership of the YMCA and SeeJaneRun, a local women's running group headed up by Joan Nesbitt Mabe. For 8 solid years, this event has been a unique race in a town and area FULL of races all year long. It's not long. It's not super hard. It doesn't have a great big prize purse. But what it does have makes it special and fun and unlike any other race in Chapel Hill.

The race is really a celebration of the Carolina North Forest, which is managed by UNC Land Management division. If you haven't been there, do yourself a favor and go. Go by yourself, or take a friend, or take the whole family. It's maybe the single most delightful locale in Chapel Hill. I myself have disappeared for a couple of hours on the over 10 miles of single track trails located there.

There are many things that make this race so unique and special. I'd say the biggest thing is that at any time you may find yourself running next to a 6-year old or a 60-year old runner. Also, that runner may be attired in common runners garb or dressed as a pumpkin or a member of a Boy Band. You see, we encourage everyone to come out and run with us, in an effort to show that fitness can be fun, but also in hopes that over 300 people can celebrate the beauty of nature with us.

After the run, there's plenty of pumpkin pie and great dancing at the Post-Race Party back at the Y. For 8 years, local running group SeeJaneRun has worked tirelessly to make sure that every participant gets his or her fill of pie. Open Eye Cafe has always been generous and donated great coffee for the event. Chick-fil-A at University Mall makes sure that our volunteers get fed and so many local vendors donate supplies and prizes.

Now don't get me wrong - All this fun and enjoyment doesn't mean there aren't fast times. This year, John Hinton run the 4K even in 13:15(!!) I myself finished in 17:01 officially (I will mention that my Garmin said 16:55, but whose counting), and was neck and neck with a young man who appeared to be around 12 years old for the last 1/4 mile.

If you didn't run it this year, be sure to mark your calendars for next year. The race is always the Saturday before Halloween, and it always fills up fast. If you did run it this year, thank you so much for making this race such a special event in Chapel Hill. And a special thanks goes to the volunteers who continue to amaze me with their skill, dedication and hard work.

In case you are wondering, proceeds for the race go to the Chapel Hill High School Cross Country Team, to efforts to keep the Carolina North Forest clean, and to the annual YMCA Strong Kids Scholarship Campaign.

Healthy Recipe of the Month: Takeout Fake Out: Sesame Chicken

As school activities ramp up, life can get more hectic and your time becomes more and more valuable, pulled between homework and soccer, science projects and dance, finding the time to a healthy dinner can be tough.  Here's a recipe from Fitness Magazine that's a take on a Chinese takeout favorite - Sesame Chicken.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 cup jicama, cut into matchsticks
1 package (6 ounces) frozen pea pods
2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions
1. Cut chicken into strips. Combine soy sauce, chicken broth, scallions, parsley, vinegar, sesame seeds, garlic, and ginger in bowl. Add chicken, stirring to coat; cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry carrots for 1 minute. Add jicama; stir-fry 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove veggies from wok.

3. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to wok; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until no longer pink. Push chicken to outside edge of wok.

4. Add reserved marinade to center of wok. Heat until bubbly. Return vegetables to wok, adding frozen pea pods. Cook 1 minute more, or until heated through. Serve over brown rice.

Nutrition facts per serving: 309 calories, 25g protein, 35g carbohydrate, 6g fat (1g saturated), 4g fiber

Calorie Cutting Tips
Shake Salt
"Always use low-sodium soy sauce," says Sharon Richter, RD, a dietitian in New York City. "Two tablespoons of the regular kind contains almost a day's worth of sodium."

Chop To It
Swap your fork for chopsticks. You'll eat more slowly, because it's harder to shovel in food.

Oil Change
We swapped sesame oil for canola, which has less saturated fat and more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The Perfect Cut
Carrots and jicama offer fresh flavor and crisp texture. Use a mandoline to cut them into perfect matchsticks.

Calorie Comparison
At a restaurant, this dish packs up to 1,000 calories. We ditched the deep fryer and used a wok to seal in flavor.

Cut Out Distractions - 5 Easy Steps to Better Focus

Ever had one of those days?  I'm talking about one of the days when you've got about a thousand things to do and it seems that everyone in the world knows it and is determined to keep you from your task(s).  Today was one of those days for me and it got me to thinking about ways to reduce distractions and give yourself an advantage when it comes to tackling the day's tasks.  We live in an age where communication is easier than ever and if you can't reach someone, you aren't trying.

But - sometimes this ease of communication turns into a roadblock for our productivity, preventing us from accomplishing the very thing that all of these tools are supposed to make easier.  I was having one of those days today when I stopped, pushed my chair back from my desk and tried to survey the scene and discover how I could overcome and cut out some of the distractions preventing me from being productive.  Here's what I came up with:

• Email Notifications - You know that little "ding" that comes from your computer every time you get a new email?  Turn it off.  It's in your outlook settings.  Just switch it off.  Hearing that bell every time you get an email is an incredible distraction.

• Keep a Schedule - Choose two times a day to check and respond to all emails, unless you are expecting an urgent one.  You'll give yourself more time to focus on the task at hand without the constant bells and whistles of your email.

• Become an Early Bird - No one likes to get to the office early.  Use that to your advantage.  Since no one else will be around, you'll get more done without phone calls, people stopping by, or an excuse to chat with your neighbor in the next office.

• Don't Be Afraid to Close Your Door - It seems that it is a universal sign of politeness to work with  your office door open, offering everyone the opportunity "come to me if you need anything."  That's sweet.  But the fact is, people are often distractions.  Regardless of what message you may be afraid it is sending, there are times when one of the best things you can i simply close the door.  Try it - you'll be surprised.

• Tell Everyone - Take the time to tell everyone your intentions.  No matter what plans you put in place, you'll want the support and cooperation of our co-workers and officemates if you want to be successful.  Visit each person that you interact with and take 15 minutes to explain your plans to them and your motives behind them.  You'll find that giving everyone the heads up will foster trust and earn you the space you need to be more productive.

Of course, don't forget exercise.  Keeping yourself fit and healthy all the time will help you focus more at key times.  And once you become more productive at work, you'll find yourself more calm, relaxed and centered at all times.  Now that's Spirt, Mind & Body.

There are tons of great sites with tips on how to work through distractions at work.  Here are a few:

The Blog of Tim Ferriss
Lifeclever
Life Organizers Blog
Studies of Office Escapology

Now, What did I miss?  What's your best trick to avoid office distractions?  How do you cope with the never-ending stream of information coming at us virtually minute-by-minute?  Share your tips, tricks and thoughts in the comments.

20 questions, or what I learned from our YMCA members

For about a year and a half now, we've been blogging here and trying to get the word out about the stuff going on at the YMCA. From post to post, our topics have ranged from updates about new programs to news about success stories and stories about lives we've touched. It's our hope that you've enjoyed the posts and that maybe you've learned a few things about your YMCA. However, we want more out of this post, and we want it to be even more useful to you.

Beginning today, we'll try to use the posts in this blog to engage you, our members and participants. We'll discuss topics and ask questions that we want you to answer. For over 150 years, the YMCA has been built on the idea of relationships, genuine and honest ones, with members and participants. Sure we have tons of programs and activities for kids and adults, and lots of opportunities for sports, fitness and service. But at the heart of it all, we're about relationships.

That's the reason we ask about grand kids or spouses. It's the reason we notice when you've been out for a couple of weeks. It's why we send flowers to new mothers or sick parents, and why we love celebrating birthdays.

With that in mind, going forward, I'm going to use this blog to pose questions to those of you who read it. The questions that I'll ask will sometimes be serious and sometimes be lighthearted, but they'll all have a purpose. As the Y moves forward we want to continue to be more connected to you, and so I want to find out things like:

-What you like most about what we're doing at the Y

-What's the most important part of your membership

-How we can do better to help you build a healthier spirit, mind and body

-What Y staff members are living our mission in their interactions with you

-When we're exceeding - and not living up to - your expectations

-Anything else you want to tell us

So as we go forward, let me invite you to come along, and help your Y reach it's full potential. We're prepared for honesty, as long as it's tempered with respect, and as long as it's focused on fairness and jives with our mission. We want to get better at what we do, and we need your help to get there.

With that in mind, let's start with an easy question, and you can leave your answers in the comments section or respond via email:

Q. What's the most important part of your YMCA membership? The part that brings you back, or that you couldn't live without? And why?

Thanks in advance for your honest, respectful answers and we'll get to work right not to make sure we learn from your answers.

-G

MVP

We recently concluded a full summer program here at the Y called FitTeens. We took a group of overweight teens with an interest in discovering the fun in a healthier lifestyle and took them through the gamut of activities offered here at the YMCA. In addition, we talked with them about healthy eating and the simple ways they can substitute items and reduce portion size to improve their health.

Through the running, zumba, cycling, weight training, step classes and hip hop, we lost some of our participants, but in the end, there was a core group of kids who stuck with it. Yesterday was the last day of the program and I got to watch our instructor walk with the kids up the stairs from the Fitness Center as they were headed home.

You know that look on the face of the guy who just got named MVP at the end of the Superbowl as he announces he's going to DisneyWorld? How he's covered in confetti and wearing that cap with the team logo and the tag still on it and he's grinning from ear to ear and holding his kid and almost in tears. You know the look right? Think Jerome Bettis when he finally won the Superbowl in Detroit. Think Boston Red Sox in a giant pile at the pitcher's mound after finally breaking the curse.

The look on the faces of the handful of kids in this program blew that away. Now these are kids that have never been exposed to exercise before. Before the class, they'd have sat at home eating nachos and watching television. Now they've had the door opened to all these new and fun ways to live a healthier lifestyle. And I think that's the key. It's our responsibility - not just the Y but ALL of us - to introduce kids to the idea that health doesn't have to mean dull, difficult monotonous minutes on a treadmill or elliptical machine. It can be dancing, hiking or swimming. And while we're at it, it can be fun for adults too.

You know what else was cool - that same smile was spread across the face of our instructor. She talked about the experience for another 20 minutes after the kids left. So in showing these kids a new way, her spirit was fed too.

And now writing about it, I'm smiling too. Come to think of it, at the end of the game, the whole team was celebrating.

Play with a Purpose

When's the last time you played? I mean just played with reckless abandon? I'm not talking about team sports, or a round of golf, or a musical instrument. I'm talking about wide open, silly, laugh out loud, ridiculous play.

So often, when I'm wearing my "YMCA Hat" I focus on play as one more way to promote physical well-being. And it can be. Countless studies have shown that families that play together tend to be more physically fit. Kids who take part in regular physical activities are shown to be less likely to be obese and run less of a chance to develop diabetes and other physical illnesses.

However, I recently found a great presentation on TED.com given by Stuart Brown. My friend @Zannieg pointed to it in a Tweet and I'm a sucker for a good TED talk, so I started watching. It was really enlightening. Brown discusses play and its importance in normal human development. He goes on to say that play is more than just an opportunity to rehearse and mimic actions we'll use as adults - more importantly, it's essential to and deeply involved with human development and intelligence.

I could talk about the presentation at length, and how I think it's a great insight into the importance of play, even as adults, and how this is one more way the YMCA is striving in its programs, and relationships and mission to better serve you - we're huge fans of Play! Instead, I'll invite you to watch the video below, and then when you're done, I'll challenge you to a game of freeze tag. I'll even be "it" first.

YMCA - We are Not a Health Club

On almost a weekly basis, I field calls here at the Y that are from prospective new members. One of the first exchanges I have with a prospective member is almost always in the form of questions about how we compare to area health clubs. Sometimes it's a simple "Do you have the same equipment as Health Club X?" Sometimes, it's more direct, such as "Health Club X is offering a free month of membership. Are you running any specials?"

The caller at the other end of the phone line is usually pretty surprised when my response is "We are Not a Health Club."

This statement sounds a bit odd, but it lies at the core of who the YMCA is and what makes us different, and so important to the community. It's true that we have a fitness center with treadmills, eliptical machines and weight equipment. We also have fitness classes ranging from Yoga to Kickboxing. We offer aqua aerobics and even personal training. But for the YMCA, these are just a means to helping our members and the community lead a healthier life in spirit, mind, and body. It's one of the tools that we use, and that we offer in a uniquely YMCA way, to make our mission become reality.

There's so much more going on here that you won't see at a health club. Every day, dozens of children are learning to swim. Each week, kids are getting after school care. Seniors are taking part in programs specifically designed to meet their needs. Teens who've been short-term suspended are getting the chance to rediscover their strengths and learn to succeed in our Boomerang program. But even more importantly than that, every day, we're developing relationships with our members. We're discovering who they are and how we can better serve them in ways that health clubs don't do. I watch groups of men play racquetball and then go out to lunch together each week. The same goes for our aqua aerobics ladies groups.

This year, the Chapel HIll - Carrboro YMCA will give out over $200,000 in scholarships to individuals, kids and families who otherwise couldn't afford to take part in YMCA programs or memberships. One of the most important pieces of the YMCAs core beliefs is that no one will be turned away from our services based on their ability to pay full price. It's just one more way we're different than a health club.

Let me stop here and say that differentiating ourselves from a health club doesn't mean that we don't like or are "against" health clubs. There are some great health clubs out there and they offer great programs and services for their members. We applaud the work that health clubs do to improve the physical fitness of their members.

I once heard the YMCA described as a movement. I really like that description in that we don't measure our successes in analytical terms. For us it's not about pounds lost or games won or how fast the next lap is sum. For us, we measure our success by the impact we have in people's lives: A single parent is able to keep his or her job because of our after school care program. A child makes new friends because he's on a soccer team. A senior discovers a new hobby through a relationship developed in our Walking Club. These things are what make all the work we do worthwhile.

So if you're a Y member and someone asks you what gym you go to, be sure to tell them that you don't belong to a gym, but you are a part of the YMCA. Tell them about the great stuff that's going on here. And if you want to find out more about what we do, contact me . I'd love to share.