December. It’s December ya’ll. How has this happened already ? We were just eating turkey and feeding on pie not so long ago.
We started our December by going to the night Christmas parade this last Saturday. The weather was perfect ( comfy low 60s) and dry. The parade is of course a light parade and all entries have to have lights on them…. yes… even people walking dogs had lights on their sweaters.
I may have rolled my eyes a little haha
The parade is a tradition we’ve had in our family from forever, well since my boys were little. And now I’m taking my grandkids too! We like to hang out by the local bakery as they provide cookies for the kids to decorate… I may be guilty of eating one….
Seriously though it’s a fun and a festive way to start the Christmas season.
This was one of the coolest floats in parade.
The past week I’ve managed to get pretty much all of my decorating done and we got THE most amazing tree the other night.
I love big tall trees. I’ve kinda passed the madness on to my kids. We were out with my son and his family, they had found theirs and we stopped at another place to see if they had any suiting my specifications.
Lo and behold there was this one rather large monster, still wrapped in it’s net. Honestly, I’m not sure how it was still there… it was at least 13 ft tall. We unwrapped it and it instantly exploded to almost triple it’s size. ( gotta inspect it, right??)
My son, at 26, was having more fun than I was assuring me we could get it in the house and that we just “had” to get it.
There’s something about watching my 6’5 son be as excited as a little kid that was more satisfying to me than finding the perfect tree.
While my husband proclaimed we were crazy and telling us it was to tall, we just (ignored him) kept at it, surveyed and inspected it, and decided that indeed, this tree was coming with us.
I won’t lie. It weighed a ton and it was as awkward as anything wrestling it around.
Thank goodness I work out hahaha
Anyway, we got it in. It’s an amazing beast of a tree. It fit … which we gleefully reminded my husband of 😉
The first morning I woke up as soon as I opened my bedroom door all I smelled was the amazing scent of evergreen. Such a beautiful smell… well.. I think it is …
I’m the weirdo in the tree lot walking around shoving my face into a tree and breathing it in.
Honestly, I’m sorry for all you who suffer with allergies this time of year…
I promise an after pic when it’s done 🙂 It’s it stunning ? The photo doesn’t really convey how huge it is.
I got the lights on it tonight and hopefully, it will be ready to be finished off tomorrow in all of it’s splendor 🙂
Fun factoid… I used 400 small bulb lights on it….232 feet of light strands.
But I haven’t just been whipping up Christmas cheer everywhere….
Oh no. When you have perfect, gorgeous mild sunny weather in December… you just have to be out in it.
So today I was up and out for a ride. I just wanted to do a long ride, with no agenda or thought of time or speed, This was my first long ride in awhile. I’d been training and kept mainly to what I was focusing on for the race so I hadn’t done many “fun” rides. ( I uh tend to be a bit…focused on my goals 😛 )
Today was 24ish glorious miles on a beautiful cool Sunday morning.
Trust me.. the weather was perfect 🙂
The season of food.
I want to touch on this topic here, and maybe I’ll run with it more in a separate post. I heard someone say the other day that they weren’t worried about losing weight right now because that’s something you did in the “new year”.
Basically, it’s a feeding frenzy all month long for many people.
I don’t think you ever have to wait for a new week, year, day, whatever to start making better choices and choosing a healthier lifestyle.
Those choices are day to day and we can certainly make good choices many days of the month during the holidays.
You do yourself no favors embracing an “eat and drink it all” mentality during these weeks of celebrating.
I mean, really? A random day during the month doesn’t require excess.
However a day making sugar cookies? Uh… I’m down for those… and I fully understand I will enjoy some of the fruits of my labors.
After all who can resist eating a Santa or reindeer cookie??
Have a plan of action.
First I think it’s super important to keep to an exercise regime during the holidays. Don’t skip workouts because you have “so much to do”. Getting a little purposeful movement in will center you and make you feel less stressed. Not only that it is a little extra calorie burn in your day.
Don’t use every day as a reason to over eat. Yes there will be special days to enjoy things, just don’t indulge all the time.
Be mindful of parties. Choose wisely what you eat. I never put stuff on my plate I’m not crazy about.
Take small amounts of what you like, and don’t waste calories on things that don’t matter so much to you.
Don’t go hungry. So often people think they will “save up” for a big party and not eat all day. That really isn’t smart as you will be starving and most likely over eat.
Don’t be restrictive. Seriously, don’t be one of those people who go to a party and watch others eat wishing you could let go of your control and enjoy the moment.
Really, navigating through the holiday season is about mindful eating. Be selective, don’t restrict yourself, eat the things you love in moderation, get in your purposeful exercise, and you can move into a new year lighter or at least having maintained your current weight.
Things you should avoid this holiday season…..
Crazy cleanses to “detox” you before or after holidays. Don’t ok? No detoxes. Just say no. That’s what you’ve got a liver and kidneys for 😉
Holiday weight loss challenges that require weigh in’s, food tracking or other restrictions. If you think you need to participate in that during the holidays maybe Santa should withhold a gift from you 😉
Holiday themed workouts that punish you for eating those sugar cookies … like you ate those and you have to do this many jumping jacks or some other physical activity to work them off.
UGH, You can’t “work off” food from the day before! You can just get back to your sane sensible workout program, eat normally and that is perfect.
OK my rant is over 😉
If you follow a few simple steps you can have your cookies and still fit in your jeans too as you move into 2019.
Your turn.. how do you keep balance during the holidays with eating well, enjoying the holiday treats, and exercise? Do you have tips or tricks to keep from adding holiday pounds?
Today’s post is a compilation of thoughts, reflections, and an overall recap from my recent duathlon. I largely write this to exercise my mind and the emotions that come from not only doing this type of event, but the months of training and ultimate finishing of it as well.
It is perhaps, hard to explain. It’s easier to understand if you’ve ever undertaken a similar event but really, for anyone who does this, or triathlons, we all have our “whys” for what we do.
It’s the thing that puts us out there not just for the race but the months leading up to it.
So, if you wish to continue, get comfy and go along on the ride with me. I promise to not bore you with stats and stuff like that 😉
Maybe you’ve never entertained the idea of something so crazy, or perhaps you’ve wondered if you could do it and are sitting on a fence pondering that idea. I’ll just say this… anyone… can do anything they determine they are going to do.
You might not be the fastest or most skilled but by damn, you can do it if you determine you’re going to.
How did an ordinary woman get to this point?
Seriously. It’s a thought that’s danced through my head on more than one occasion.
Somehow a middle aged, wife, mom, grandmother, jack of all trades, previously non-athletic person turned into an athlete. And not just one who plays with one sport, but a duathlete.
I’d have to say it’s largely come from chasing down one goal after another. Once I saw I could do something bigger than I thought I could do, I’d set the bar for another goal, yet larger one.
Although I hated being sidetracked a couple years ago with an Achilles injury, that’s what put me on the bike more. I could cycle and get those miles I craved I wasn’t getting from running. Turns out all that running made me super strong and pretty capable on the bike, not a bad thing.
I kept at the bike as I healed. I learned and practiced. I shamelessly talked to anyone who could tell me what I needed to know. I kept increasing my miles and riding hard terrain.
I wanted to do the duathlon the year I was still recovering from my running injury but when it got to the time I needed to be training, I just felt like my leg wasn’t ready for running.
Last year everything was in place for me to do it.
I invested myself heavily into training, practiced transitions, did brick sessions once or twice a week ( run/bike, or bike/run) to train my body to the demands of shifting from one activity to the next.
Race day I went out and did what I’d trained myself to do. Being my first multi sport event I felt like such an inexperienced baby but I got it done.
And done enough to place first in my age group. I secretly hoped I’d be good enough to place but hadn’t voiced it out loud.
Overall, it was a good experience and I set my sites on 2018 and doing it again.
I love the excitement of picking up a new race number.
Same game, new year, new adventures.
As I began training this year I at least understood more of what was involved and required of me to do this event. This duathlon is a championship race and it’s listed as the “toughest in the state.” They tell no lies about this.
I knew the physical demands as well as mental demands.
There were however, new life things I didn’t have going on last year in competition with me for training.
Namely, a 4 day a week job that took up leisure time. Yes, I could still get in training on most mornings, I just didn’t have as much time to extend those sessions.
Running. Straight up, running was harder this year. I think there are a variety of reasons, but it is what it is.
Because of that I didn’t push myself as much on it. Yes, I knew I could do it. Would it be ultimately what I wanted in time/pace etc? Maybe not but I’d just have to be good with it.
I kept to my cycling and training on the hardest roads I could find. Hills are definitely one place my strength really shines and since the duathlon course was loaded with some hard monster sized ones it made sense to keep my physical and mental training honed in this area.
The struggle is real.
As race day approached, mixed with my usual pre-race nerves was the overwhelming feeling of…
“What am I doing??”
I found myself wondering if something might come up and then I wouldn’t be able to do it. Like .. “what if I got sick?” haha something every athlete worries about before an event.
I questioned my training. I questioned my abilities. I questioned if I had what it took to do it ( which is kinda laughable considering I’d done it last year and I’d been training for it this year)
I remember pouring out all my angst to hubby to which he responded….
“You know you can do it. Just go and do it. When you cross the finish line it will be amazing. I don’t even know how you do what you do.”
Somehow those words settled me.
No matter what, doing it, and seeing myself across the finish line was all that mattered.
Quitting was never an option.
Race time….
Early morning warming up… finish line I got my eye on you
Needless to say like any athlete with an event coming up, I stalked the weather hoping it would be…well… decent. I’d trained in all kinds of weather but really, who doesn’t want race day to be prime?
Temperatures were promised in the mid-50s with a chance of rain… afternoon rain.
ok well, to me the promised temps were decent… I could still work up a sweat with that.
However, weather you know, has a mind of it’s own…..on the way to the race it started raining some.
Ok no worries. Except once I got there in the early morning dark it appeared the rain wasn’t interested in waiting till the afternoon. Intermittent showers were our friend through out the morning.
Not only that, the comfortable, warmish weather shifted with some arriving wind knocking it into the mid 40’s.
Now we had some rain, wind and much colder air.
All of the athletes were being warned to drop the PSI in their tires, to watch their speed and to be careful on corners.
I was grateful that the rain didn’t daunt me, that I had spent time in it training…. but still… I understood the roads were slick and I also understood that meant a newer level of caution.
Of course I’d dressed more for warmer weather but thankfully had my waterproof cycling jacket on ( which was a bit to warm for the first run leg) I tossed it when I transitioned to the bike…. which made for a colder than anticipated bike ride being wet and flying down the road at rapid speeds.
None of that mattered…. this is what we had for the race…. deal with it.
As I was running the parking lot warming up in the breaking dawn with rain coming down on me one of the police officers stopped me and said “are you sure you want to be out here doing this?” I laughed and told him there were probably a few of us who might think being home, comfy with a cup of coffee, would be preferable to being out at 630 on a cold, wet morning shaking out our legs and nerves pre race.
But then I added….” you have to understand that every single one of us out here might be a wee bit insane. It’s that insanity that has us here and will drive us to finish today ”
He gave me a big laugh and told me to please be careful out there as I went loping off.
And I still stand by that. Being a little crazy is what keeps you out there and is the undercurrent to getting the work done.
And nothing…nothing… feels better when that insanity brings you across the finish line.
The first leg of race, the 5K was just crappy and I knew it would be. It wasn’t my best time and it wasn’t anything that impressed me. I just focused on moving through it knowing I’d close ground once I got on the bike.
Working that run… evidently the lady drafting me had the same idea about sleeping on the run 😉
Nothing but a sea of bikes in the transition area, A cold and wet morning.
I moved through transition as quickly as I could. I think this year I had it about 1:15. Not only are you transitioning into new gear, preparing for another sport, I believe your mind has got to transition as well.
As I knew I would, once I took off on bike I started covering ground and picking off other cyclists. This became as game as I settled into the ride. I was trying to not think about how much colder it was as I sped down the road in shorts and a sleeveless cycling jersey.
Those clips were slippery that day….
As the miles disappeared I knew I was getting close before we would turn and head back.
The miles with the beastly hills were what I still had to tackle. Only today they were wet and dark looming like large, formidable sentries in front of us.
This however, was home turf and I felt comfortable in it.
As I got closer to the first huge hill that is my nemesis, the one I have a love hate relationship with, I could see it littered with cyclists… all pushing their bikes up.
This is a sun shiny pic of the “hill”… it looks more formidable grey and wet
My mental game had been pretty strong at that point, but seeing all those people pushing their bikes up, well that can really start to do a number on my mind.
I’ve never, ever since I started riding that beast had to push my bike up and I didn’t plan to start anytime soon.
I locked my mind down, looked directly at the road in front of my bike and plowed up that hill past them. I think at that point if anyone had gotten in front of me or challenged me on anything, I could’ve taken them on my mental game was just that strong. I got on top of the hill, and began to prepare for the second one which was just over the top of the one I’d just climbed. Again I had to dodge people pushing their bikes up.
I had a brief moment to let the bike do the work before we hit the final back hills. As I came around a curve that was so familiar to me, and prepared to fly up a hill, there were cyclists walking their bikes down saying the spotters had encouraged people to walk down.
Ha. Not likely.
This was a slippery slope on duathlon day… slowed things down a bit… I only hit 39.5 mph coming off it 😛
I got to the top and prepared for the descent down the back of the hill… again coming back I had to pass people pushing up. Once again I locked my mind down… set my focus directly in front of me and shouldered into it.
The two spotters at the top were like… “wow, nice work ma’am” ha I hardly had time to acknowledge them before I was flying off the hill again, now on my way back to the start line.
A few miles from getting back to the transition area I was aware that I was oh so cold, my feet felt numb and then out of the blue stabbing cramps in my quad, up into my hip, wrapping into my hamstring.
I’ve never had that happen before. Thankfully I was able to stand up and keep riding and work it out without having to stop.
It was debatable for awhile.
Cold. Cramps. Wet. Battling mental demons along the way. So many battles that day.
The end was closer. I fought for this thing and I would finish it out.
And finish I did. The last run was a surprise in that it was longer than last year (ah) so where I thought we’d turn and head back…well… no.. we got to keep going for a bit longer.
When I finally got to the stretch and could see that finish line, the big red numbers with the race time, the announcer calling my number, saw my husband patiently waiting for me, knew my months of work was about to pay off, it was worth it.
The most non glamorous pic ever… yet one of the most beautiful to me as it represents the finish of what I started. At this point I’m moments away from crossing that finish line after a 3.10 mile run, a 16 mile tough ride, and a 1.5 mile run. Emotions are running high.
It was worth the months of training, the early mornings, the tired legs, the days that left me exhausted, the doubts were crushed, and once again, there was that overwhelming immense satisfaction in stepping across that finish line.
It makes me weep every time.
My emotions run high as it all culminates …. the proverbial icing on the cake… my own personal victory.
And well, it was pretty cool to check my stats and see it showed me as first in my age group. 🙂
So cold, wet, hungry and tired… but I’ve got some smiles for this….
I’d never entertained that because I just thought my time wouldn’t be so impressive. Once they posted times for both genders, I could see that my finish time was what some of the 20-24 year old guys placed in … so there’s that 😛
So what’s next?
I don’t have any plans of slowing down or sitting on the sidelines watching life. I’d love to do at least two duathlons in 2018. I’d also like to ease back into distance running and maybe cut my teeth on a half marathon again. It’s technically now “off season” although I don’t see myself not training. I will add in an extra strength training day ’cause muscles are nice to have in a variety of ways. 😉 Not just that, it’s freaking cool to be strong and being strong is what helps me get through the tough part of these events.
I am such a baby in this world of multi sport events so I have plenty of room to grow, learn and improve. I guess that’s what keeps me coming back, knowing I can constantly challenge myself.
And finally, I’ve gotta say thank you to my amazing family, my husband and kids, my tribe who love me, encourage me, tell me I’m crazy, and are so proud and supportive of what I do. My husband who willingly gets up at crazy hours to go with me, who endures the weather, takes pics, and is the smiling face I’m looking for when I come in, who buys me food and coffee when I’m frozen and starving….. his support is crucial to what I do.
And of course my friends who love me, cheer me on and also love telling me I’m crazy… I appreciate all of your encouragement and support 🙂
Thank you for sharing in my recent adventures by reading this post! Your turn, tell me about your adventures…what you’ve done or what you may be planning to do. Do those dreams ever just scare you a little? How have you felt when you accomplished something you’ve never done?
Hello World! What a week it’s been. We just wrapped up Thanksgiving here in the states ( sorry my Canadian friends, I know your turkey and pumpkin pies are a distant memory now 😉 ) and I’m left wondering why it whirled by so fast.
All in all it was a good week. There was shopping to be done and food to be prepped for the big day. I always admire those perfectly set, Norman Rockwell style pictures I see of some families meals and I’m over here figuring the best way to feed a lot of people before the turkey starts chillin’ up.
Really though, it’s the people that are there that make it what it is, right? No one is concerned over the plate or glass. People want to feel comfortable, enjoy good food and better dessert and watch some football 😉
Food, laughter, more food, pie.
Thanksgiving is easy ( mostly) it’s all about the food. You don’t have to buy gifts, or wrap or worry about parties. You just throw down a bunch of tasty dishes and let people at it.
Pie. I made this a few days before Thanksgiving to see if it was any good. Well, needless to say it made it to the Thanksgiving menu. I’ll try and add recipe at the end
Of course Thanksgiving weekend is also my kick off for Christmas. It’s time to wrap up all my Fall decorating items, and start Christmas decorating. I love being able to create beautiful areas to look at through out my home so it takes me a good part of the weekend to get it set up. I just love creating magic others appreciate.
Christmas makes me still feel like a kid 😛
One of the “traditions” we enjoy is going to a festival our town hosts every year called “Dickens on Main”. Sometimes you can get a little shopping in ( not easy with loads of extra people in the stores) and it’s fun to catch up with people and buy some of the tasty street vendor snacks… like Kettle Korn.
If you don’t know what that is, it’s popcorn that’s sweet with a hint of salt. It’s perfect when it’s crisp, steaming and hot from the huge metal kettle they cook it in.
They also have a snow machine…. yeah…. that’s what happens when you live in south Texas… you gotta make the stuff and shoot it through a machine.
Unless… unless…. it’s one of those very rare moments that came to us last December. We got real, real snow.
How gorgeous is this ???
Anyway, I don’t hold out any hope we will see that this year so I have to live vicariously through last year.
I promise to share more fun Christmas recipes, pics and fun ideas in another post : )
Once decorating is done I can focus on shopping and Christmas cookies.. and candy… and cookies…
A sneak Christmas peak……
And that is why I keep running and cycling….
Oh. Speaking of that…. I may or may not have mentioned I had a duathlon coming up… 😉 which was last weekend… I have so much in my head to still process out over that event. Stay tuned for a post this week on it. I’ve been dragging my feet waiting for a few race pics to come in to add to my post.
I love picking up my race pack and a new number. Never, ever wear the shirt till you actually own the race 😉Early morning warming up settling pre-race nerves. That finish line looming behind me. The weather did an unexpected shift into cold, wet and windy.
Anyway, I have an entire duathlon recap post planned so stay tuned for that this week 🙂
I will say, I always have such a euphoria at finishing, followed by a let down that what I’ve been working towards is now over.
What do I do now? What’s the next “thing”? I will be pondering that in the days ahead.
Speaking of days ahead….
I am almost finished with all my decorating. I have plans to do some shopping and (hopefully) finding a few perfect gifts this week.
Why does it seem like once Thanksgiving is over you are ushered on the Christmas bus at full speed ahead?
Every year I fight against that and try to just focus on things that matter and remember what the season is about.
Seeing people fight over electronic devices and TV’s and boxes of cheap made in China items piled everywhere isn’t what I want Christmas to be about.
I want to embrace the peace, the joy, the love of the season and I try to offer that where I go, even if I sometimes have to chew on my lip to behave.
Now let’s talk about some food….
First just some words of advice. If you feel like you “over did it” eating this past week, leave it and move on.
Get back to normal eating and your purposeful exercise. That is enough. Please don’t think you can “work off” food you ate. All you will do working out harder is maybe hurt yourself or make yourself sore so you want to not workout for a few days.
And below I’ll share a few things I made for Thanksgiving…..
All of these recipes made an appearance at my Thanksgiving table. I’m such a sucker for desserts haha. Of course I also had the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies as well.
Other popular items of course are fresh green beans and a jalapeno corn casserole that I’ve had to literally triple up on the recipe ( grown men children devour it haha)
Ok your turn! What do you like best about Thanksgiving ? Favorite food? Christmas is coming…do you think the commercialism is pushed on us? How do you embrace a joy and peace in a time where people seem to be moodier and less than happy?
So I was bouncing around a lot of ideas for a new post (there are many to be had) I draw from so many places for inspiration. I’m often left looking at an over arching question of “what do my readers need?”
As much as I love writing from the trenches of life, I know if you take your time to read you wanna walk off with something that has encouraged you, motivated you, inspired you or educated you in some way.
One of my most popular posts, Healthy Eating For Dummies https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/09/05/healthy-eating-tips-for-dummies/ was the simple kind of education topic that people seemed to need. This was driven by talking to friends, and seeing posts from others that made me realize there’s so much in the health/fitness world that makes things seem hard and complex when in reality, they don’t need to be.
People often think if they are going to start exercising, it should be an all out, full speed, into what ever they are chosing to do without giving much thought to the fact they are in a body that isn’t used to that kinda work.
What happens then?
Usually, the day or two after, they are so sore they can’t move and the mere idea of going back to it makes the shudder.
If you haven’t been exercising, an all out approach is simply not smart.
Go Big or Go Home
I was scrolling through Pinterest one day ( follow me there) I may or may not have been looking for delicious chocolate recipes….
My newsfeed is a weird combination of wicked desserts they show me, and fitness plans to make me look like a MMA fighter.
I wanna have both please 😉
Anyway, there was this one that literally was a series of moves that totaled over 500 reps of several exercises.
The subtitle said get ready to wipe the sweat from your face or something like that.
What just stopped me in my tracks was the sheer craziness of it. Even as fit as I think I am, that would’ve been crazy.
I want to walk the next day 😛
Yeah there’s probably one or two people who’d go in and tackle it. Honestly though for the average person it’s aimed at, makes it dangerous, not smart.
It’s why I’m kinda not impressed with the current trendy “boot camps”
Why?
Because if you’re getting up one morning all fired up to start and “today is the day!” you decide the fitness journey begins, you will honestly hurt yourself attempting such a workout. Those environments although they modify, often are conducive with people working beyond what their current physical abilities really are because they will try and keep up with the guy ( or girl) next to them.
It’s so important to know where you are, what you’re starting point is, what (if any) physical limitations you have, and work from there. Literally that has to be the place you begin to build from.
Haha this is why you build a fitness base
And don’t feel bad about it or worry about it.
We all have our starting points. Consider it your base to your fitness foundation.
Get ready!
First, if you have any health considerations or concerns, talk to your doctor before you begin.
From that point, determine what goals you have or what you want to accomplish. We are all different in what we want to do and where our interests are.
Do you want to train for a 5k? Have dedicated time at the gym several days a week? Be able to walk around the block without getting winded?
Whatever it is, set a goal that can keep you focused.
There are so many activities to choose from but walking is something anyone can start at any time.
All doctors can support the idea of walking and often encourage their patients to do so. All you need is some good shoes and discipline to take yourself out and do it.
Walking is really a good, safe, and easy way to ease into fitness activities. You can adjust your pace as you feel stronger and you can lengthen distance as you get comfortable with your current distance.
Make sure your goals are clear, realistic, and concise.
It’s recommended you get in 30 minutes of brisk aerobic activity, 5 days a week for over all health. This includes things like running, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, rowing, dancing etc
To help with weight loss, more may be required.
Don’t under estimate that even small amounts in a day are beneficial to your health and wellness.
The more fit you become, the more you will most likely feel challenged to do. Don’t be afraid to extend your goals as you improve.
Aim for balanced fitness.
When I began my health and fitness journey, ( wow this is my anniversary month!) I started walking each day, about 2 miles. Eventually, I started running parts of it. At some point I turned into a runner ha.
But one thing I’m glad I learned early on is doing activities that work, train, and condition all of my body. Certain activities involve more muscle groups than others. Neglected, these can become weak areas in our body due to neglect of not using them as intensely as others.
It was on days I couldn’t run outside that I started doing strength training.
Let’s take a quick look at what these different activities are and how they can help us.
Cardio: It’s the activity people complain about the most because you have to work hard enough to get your heart and lungs really moving and well, that makes people uncomfortable. Mainly ’cause it makes them realize they are internally out of shape.
Start by doing an aerobic activity, like walking or running, for a sustained 20-30 minutes, four to five times a week. To ensure you’re working at an optimum level, try the “talk test”: Make sure you can carry on a basic level of conversation without being too winded. If you can sing a song, you’re going to easy.
Strength conditioning: I find this to be so important in supporting my other activities. Not only that, I can lift a sofa or heavy cabinet if I’m called upon 😉
Start by doing one set of exercises targeting each of the major muscle groups. Start by using a weight at which you can comfortably perform the exercise eight to 12 times in a set. When you think you can handle more, gradually increase either the weight, the number of repetitions, or number of sets. To maximize the benefits, do strength training at least twice a week( ladies this is SO important for us! You want to keep your muscle mass as you age and weights are where it’s at. Not only that, muscles look cool 😉 )
Never work the same body part two days in a row.
Flexibility training: This can be static stretching but I prefer some yoga to help keep me flexible and to help my overall mobility for life and my other activities. You not only want to stay flexible but mobile, meaning a complete full range of motion in your body.
Implementing all of these components will help keep you strong and fit no matter what activity you choose.
In summary…
Find what you love, know your starting fitness level, start slow and gradually build on where you are.
Set small, concise goals to aim for.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
Make exercise a habit for life.
Don’t over do in the beginning.
Celebrate all your new victories!
If you have a developed exercise program, what tips or tricks helped you stay with it?
Hello world 🙂 As I’m writing this it’s at the end of the weekend…. a weekend that has been near perfect weather. A weekend that has breathed the promise of fall and changing seasons and all things cozy.
Forget the fact it’s still warm enough for shorts…..
The sun was out and after so many weeks of mostly rain and dark cloudy days, this sunny weekend was a balm for my soul and I know, many others.
This meant some long overdue work outside in the yard and it was wonderful to just be able to work outside in the sun and feel the wind on my skin and hair.
There was some time spent cutting grass…. I don’t mind using a push mower and honestly enjoy the work of pushing it everwhere. We’ve got a lot to cut so it can keep me busy.
Ready for work… need your grass cut ?
The electric company was also out cutting trees back this week and left some oak trees cut laying off the side of the road. Well, actually, it was down the hill…. so it was run down, grab chunks of wood, and back up the hill with it.
Me… I’m thinking… I should go get those, drag them home, and get hubby or my son to get the chain saw and cut them into more manageable pieces that we can use later for our fireplace ( eventually we’ll get one or two cold days :-P) and I love having a fire on those cold dark nights.
So I apprehended the red flyer wagon laying around my grandkids use occasionally and loaded it up and dragged the wood back home.
Uh… yeah.. it was a little workout haha
It was overall one of those satisfying, working weekends.
Don’t over look the fact that doing some extra movement outside can be a fun part of keeping fit 🙂
Oh… but then… food.
When I’m not doing athletic things or other activities, I am a wicked baker. So there’s cookies…..
I made two kinds. Hubby had requested oatmeal raisin but then I just wanted something chocolate …so…..
I’ll share recipes below. Find all of my tasty dessert recipes on Pinterest. ( you can also find lots of exercise tips and workouts too 😉 )
I’d never made a chocolate cookie recipe where you melted butter first, then stirred everything else in. I loved how fast and simple these were and sooo good too 🙂
Aren’t they pretty ?
In other weekend fun….
One of the things hubby and I enjoy doing is going for breakfast dates at a local place in town. The building is old. It’s not fancy. During the winter it can be stupid cold in there ’cause their heat is sketchy at best. On any given morning you’re hoping you can score a table because the place is packed and sometimes you are wrestling for the last fork in the utensil holder.
The food is good and the coffee is too.
This past week I couldn’t help but again get distracted people watching and observing.
Couples, families, friends meeting for coffee the place hummed with a low key activity and bright energy.
It’s one of the cool things about living in a kinda smallish town… the local eating place. The place that isn’t fancied up… it’s just down home cozy.
That’s one of the things I love about my home town. These small areas that still feel “homey” in the mix of growth and things changing so much.
Not only can you meet new people but it’s often a place to catch up with friends you may not have seen in awhile.
For a social person like me….well.. it’s a good fit 😉
A cozy corner you can sit and watch the world go by in….
Oh… and so like… Halloween is this week.
Stay tuned… perhaps in next weeks post I’ll have a pic of my costume. Let’s just say I’m putting my own spin on Glinda the Good Witch from Wizard of Oz.
Am I the only one who mooches candy of their kid while you’re out making the rounds to houses gathering candy? Please tell me I’m not 😉
Actually now days I’m mooching it off my grandkids hahaha
Of course once Halloween is over, it seems like things are full speed to Christmas. My kids have already begun to present their gift lists to me.
How early do you start shopping ?
And finally… that approaching duathlon…
Got a solid brick training session in on one of my days last week. Out on the road in the dark early morning, fog still in the air, I really wanted to be inside drinking coffee.
But somehow, there I was, out on the road taking off for my first run. I kept it short. A 2 mile run, followed with a 10 bike ride, then a 2 mile run.
I’ll tell you, it’s always that last leg that I have to intentionally and purposefully dial in on my mental muscle. I guess because at that point I know I’m close to finishing and I have to remind my legs, we aren’t quite done yet.
I have to stay focused and sometimes that’s hard when I know finishing is so close!
Finished for the morning!
I’m actually anticipating a training week ahead that doesn’t involve wet stuff outside! Although I know race day can offer up anything, I’m hoping for perfect weather like we had last year.
That’s a wrap for this week….
It’s another busy week ahead with lots going on. What will be keeping you busy? Have you tried any new recipes? Had any new adventures?
Hello world! In the words of an old Staind song…. “it’s been awhile….” since I’ve offered something up. I’m still here and per usual, got stuff on my mind.
First of all, here in Texas we’ve had an unusually high amount of rain and overall wet stuff for what seems like weeks now… which can feel like…eternity….
Cloudy, rainy, foggy days seem to literally suck my creativity out of me for some reason. Not just writing, but with my furniture projects too. Am I the only one who gets derailed when the weather is awful?
Last week it was wet and cold. I layered up and took off for a 4 mile run while the rain had seemingly stopped for awhile. Well, stopped till I was about half through then the skies opened up.
I just kept going. I was already out and semi wet from the misty air, might as well finish and get it done.
This photo doesn’t reflect the fact my clothes are all wet 😛
Ah, then I returned to find no power which meant no hot shower and a chilly house to come back to.
Cold. Wet. Hungry.
Good times.
It just felt wonderful to be out, moving, even if it was cold and wet. There’s no guarantee of the weather the day of the duathlon next month ( which we’ll discuss more in a bit) so I try and suck it up and train in the awful weather too.
Other things happening in November….
Here in the states, it will be time for our elections. We have a tremendous freedom, privilege and responsibility to vote for those we feel can lead and represent us best. I saw a sign out on my bike ride today encouraging voters to vote a certain way to support a parties “Agenda”. Guess we’ve all got an agenda but we really need to vote for those who hopefully have a less self serving agenda.
Please, make it a priority to go to the voting booth and exercise your right to use your voice.
Oh… and football….
Football is back in full swing and having a family with lots of men, well, needless to say it’s a standing party every Sunday and some week nights too. Even now as I’m writing, I can hear the cheers, yelling and excitement of them watching the game.
I should mention, my kids who are now adults, several married with kids of their own, have chosen to live close by.. And when I say close I mean they walk over from their house to mine. We’ve been blessed with land and they have chosen to stay close.
I don’t take that for granted as I know for many, they only see kids and grandkids a few times a year.
My home becomes a place of controlled chaos, kids, toys, dogs, food and stuff every where during this time. I’m not as much worried about trying to keep a spotless house as I am making sure they all always feel welcome and want to hang out here.
Those are the simple things that make life good, right?
Now about that duathlon…..
it’s less than a month out. November 18 it’s going down and it’s only my second time so I hardly feel like a pro at it.
And because of that, it’s exactly why it was back on my radar as soon as I finished my first one. There is so much room to grow and improve my game because well, any time you are juggling multi sports, it just gets more intense and there’s a whole lot more involved. It’s not “just” running or “just” cycling… it’s both and both demand hard work.
I like a challenge what can I say?
Here’s the deal though. This year, life has been different. I don’t feel like I’ve had the extra time to do “more” training. The weather has been less than ideal for months now which in the name of safety has cancelled many outdoor workout sessions. I do have a “Plan B” which is indoor strength training or rowing or boxing or a combination of it all but it’s not the same as putting those miles in.
I am working several days during the week with my son so that wasn’t planned and although he knows I need to get my training in before I come, I don’t have a lot of extra time for doing more.
On top of that a couple weeks ago my leg started acting up. I can’t say it’s my knee, but more like on the outside of it.
Like where did this come from?? I do NOT have time for any of these kind of shenanigans.
Properly warming up it tends to not be to bothersome… but it’s there.
Saturday I finally got to get back on the road for a 4 mile run. With the weather and my schedule it had been a week since I had been able to run so I let myself go pretty easy for half of it.
It was in the last half mile that I really started feeling it… and then the overwhelming emotion of what I was training to do…. and then the tears started falling.
My gosh have you ever tried running and crying ? It is not a good combination.
I have to say, endurance sports bring out an emotion in me that I had never experienced before I started doing them.
The tears can come from anger over a situation I can’t control, frustration when I want to do better, to falling with joy when I do something I didn’t think I could do. Like the very first time I rode up this massive, massive hill.
I just can’t stop it from happening but have to rein it in so I can keep doing what I’m doing ’cause you know, crying and breathing to support my exercise don’t go well together.
Last year, as I crossed the finish line for the duathlon, the tears were there. The poor guy guiding me in and directing me off course as I finished was all “Are you ok? Are you hurt?” I assured him I was fine but the enormity of just finishing something I had worked so hard for, sacrificed so much for, invested myself in ways I never thought possible just washed over me. It is an emotional experience I can’t explain.
I had done it.
But the tears falling during my run on Saturday were ones of frustration, momentary self doubt, angst over the worry of an injury so close to the race, and the general feeling of “what the hell am I doing??”
This is a state championship race. Most of the athletes are college age young adults. No I don’t compete directly against them but they make up a huge part of their field.
The course is listed as the toughest in the state, and it is. I cannot imagine even attempting it without some real training under me. It’s brutal.
And maybe that’s where I am, knowing all these things.
Me, a middle aged wife, mom, grandmother in the mix of these young athletes at the top of their game.
Me, just beginning to dabble in multi sport events, but loving the challenge of it, yet feeling like I have so much yet to learn, surrounded by those who seem so experienced with it.
So many thoughts running rampant through my head as I finished my run with my leg reminding me it was there.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s good to have some feelings of inadequacy with such a big event.
Don’t get me wrong. I know I’m strong and capable. Physically, I know I can grind it out. I just went out and rode the whole course today and topped it with a mile run.
Smiling after 21 miles on the bike and a mile run on Sunday
Will it be in a time I want? Only race day will really reveal that.
Saturday I wore my t shirt I got last year for finishing ( that’s the only t shirt I’ll ever collect, the finisher one) and I got to thinking that I had earned the right to wear that little shirt.
It represented months of work, sacrifice, early mornings, aching muscles, learning new things, training in cold, rain and heat, tears, and more sacrifice.
I earned that shirt and in the same way, I’ve earned the right to be heading back there again.
I’ve learned a few things you can only learn in events with the transition areas so I’m hoping to tighten my time down there. I know the course. I know the freaking hard parts and the places I can “briefly” recover before hitting more hard places.
I don’t know what the weather will be like or other random factors.
I do know I can get my mental game locked in tightly, protect my body as best as I can and keep it healthy and go that day ready to take no prisoners.
I really would like to scoop up first in my AG again.
Regardless, I’ll be there, as ready as I can mentally and physically ready to do “My” best, not worrying about anyone else and what they are doing. I’m fiercely competitive so that will add to my fire too.
I’ve earned the right to be there and I’m ready to what I’ve trained for all these months and that will have to be enough.
Processing these things out before an event seems to be how I roll. Does anyone else relate to that?
And of course before I leave you…..
Food. This weather has definitely been about comfort foods. I’ll share a recipe everyone has gone crazy over and it’s soooo easy.
FYI I subbed greek yogurt for sour cream… less fat… more protein.
That’s such a relative term, isn’t it? What is easy for one person, may not be so for the other.
Webster defines easy as ” achieved without great effort, presenting few difficulties”
Reading has always come easy for me. I loved it as a child and was a classic bookworm. Summers were for dragging bags of books home to get immersed in.
Words come easy to me. It’s satisfying to use them in creative ways, to paint pictures and to be able to describe and tell a story.
Now imagine my shock when one of my sons really didn’t like reading. At all.
Why? Because it was work for him. It was hard and he had to have no distractions otherwise it didn’t “stick”. Words were hard and he did not find the joy in it that I did.
It’s precisely why one year, I too, read “Where The Red Fern Grows”, out loud to him. In reading it to him, it somehow stuck better, and even though he was older we both enjoyed that time each night reading a chapter so he was ready for the quiz the next day on it.
Word got around that was going on and soon his friends who hadn’t read would ask him…”so what’s going on in the current chapter?”
But ugh… seriously… damn sad book. Tears fell for both of us.
Easy.
Reading and words were easy for me. My son struggled.
I guess we can see this applied almost anywhere in life, right?
The shining athlete, the top scholar, the jack of all trades who can seemingly do anything, the cook who effortlessly whips a gourmet meal out of nothing but flour, salt, beans and some peanut butter.
Ok, I’m teasing on that, but we all know that ONE person who can work with nothing and make something, and Suzy Q is struggling to follow directions on a box.
Easy.
All of us can do things, can strive for improving on them yet it will never come easy.
Math.
For the love of numbers, I hate math. I’m always semi in awe of people who wield numbers the way I can words.
They look at those algebra equations and it all….makes… sense.
Amazing. Like how does your brain DO that??
I barely, and I mean barely, skated by my last math class in high school and I really think it’s ’cause my teacher just had a level of mercy on me.
And I did show up for extra tutoring so there was that…..
I was never, ever so glad to say good bye to math class. It’s what freaks me out about ever doing any college stuff. I took a practice exam once for the English and nailed it off the charts.
We won’t discuss the math one…… 😉
Easy.
Easy for some, but not for me.
Hold on… I’m going somewhere….
I was thinking a few times this week during my workouts how some things I view as “easy”, most people think are crazy and can’t imagine doing. They view it as ridiculously hard. Hubby tells me all the time he doesn’t know how I do what I do.
This usually comes when we’re driving up a huge hill and I’m telling him what it feels like on bike or foot. Or telling him about my run/bike/run sessions.
I do it. I don’t think about it. It’s work but it mostly comes easy for me.
Recently doing dead lifts I thought how they weight was starting to feel not as challenging. I’ve been doing around 140lb, at a 3 set 10 reps as a part of my strength training.
Now some of you who lift a lot.. no laughing.
I try not to overwork my body on weights because training right now, I hit the road the next day and sometimes my legs and lower body are asking why I killed them the day before.
Strength training is icing on the cake for my other sports.
Here’s the deal.
In the term of being “easy”, it’s not.
Honestly, to think of lifting something weighing 140lbs straight up off the floor would seem like work.
My body is going through this wonderful thing called adaptation. I’ve been doing it long enough now that in some ways it’s starting to feel easier, but really, I’m just getting stronger and it means I’m going to have to up my game soon.
It’s taken a bit of work for this to not feel as hard anymore….
When it comes to exercise, so many people put at the top of the list, it’s hard.
Why? Well, because in the beginning, it is!
Exercise can quickly reveal to you that you are out of shape and need to be doing it more.
No one likes that feeling.
Exercise really, I don’t think, comes “easy” to anyone. Well, at least in the beginning stages.
And if you’re wanting to continue, grow and improve, if it starts to feel easy, you should be looking at the next step.
How do I get to the easy part?
In the running world, we talk about base miles. Basically, a foundation that you can build on. You train and work in certain mileage that allows your body to get stronger and make those adaptations that come from the rigors of running.
So many cool things change inside your body as it adapts to it. These changes are good and allow you to stay on your feet longer, work harder and go farther distances without injury.
I didn’t wake up one morning and just decide to go run a marathon. It took months of training building my body and adding more mileage each week.
This is how you need to approach getting into a new exercise regime.
It has to be slow and steady, no matter what activity you may choose to participate in. Doing it in this manner not only keeps your body from hating you the next day, it encourages you to keep pressing on to the next step.
And for you the next step might be literally committing to evening walks around the block. Or it could mean increasing your distance if you’ve stayed at the same distance forever. You could be thinking of dusting off the bike in the garage ( and you better be wearing a helmet!)
Maybe you want to start lifting some weights. I can’t stress enough to make sure it’s heavy to make you work. I mean maybe 4-6 reps before you can’t lift one more.
Find a starting point and then build from there. Always be mindful to do enough, but not to much in the beginning, to avoid injury.
With a careful, intentional approach, in time you will find yourself thinking that what once seemed so hard, now seems easy.
Tell me. Can you relate? Have you moved from a point of it being hard and painful to feeling easier?
Hey boys and girls. Happy Monday! So many things I could talk about in todays edition but I’m going to just focus on a topic that’s been on my mind a lot this week and left me musing the ways of our world and how disturbing a current situation is.
So I guess I should just say today’s post is going to be a little heavier and a whole lot of me thinking out loud on some dark things.
So what’s on my mind, exactly?
Well, if you live in the states, you’d have to be under a rock to not know what’s been going on in the political arena of our nation.
We (were) in the process of appointing a new Justice to our Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh.
If you live somewhere in the rest of our vast world, I’m sure there is possible news of it where you live as well.
In a nutshell, things were moving along, literally hours from him being appointed when a woman materialized proclaiming he had sexually abused her some 30 odd years ago… like when they were in college.
Say what?
Ok.. but first.
Before I go any further I’m going to establish this…… never, ever is it right or appropriate for someone to touch, handle or take advantage of a person, man OR woman against their will or wishes. To cross boundaries they’ve not been given permission to cross is unacceptable.
Yes, I’m including men because if women hold back from saying anything about what happens to them, men for sure will not speak. And yes, it does happen to them but there’s always the stereotypical thought that a guy would be ok with it and would want it ’cause well, he’s a guy.
There’s a meme that circulates around that I guess, some find to be clever or funny. It’s pictures of Hollywood women in glamorous, yet low cut, backless, thigh cut dresses. The caption says something stupid like… “If you don’t want people touching your critters, don’t make your barn look like a petting zoo” and supposedly someone’s grandmother said it ( yes they can say some funny things) I don’t find it funny… it makes me angry every time I see it.
Not only is it stupid, it’s putting the blame on the person and how they may or may not be dressed and not putting the blame on the person who’s putting their hands on someone against their wishes.
Let’s put the blame firmly where it belongs… and it’s not on the victim.
AS IF… how you may be dressed gives someone a right to touch you. This is the screwed up mentality that has to be dealt with today.
No matter your gender, any unwanted, non consensual advances directed towards you are wrong.
Now with that being said…..
I guess I’ve been troubled over so many aspects of what has turned this important appointment into a circus by grown men and women who are a part of our government running our country.
Shameful behaviors all because at the root they’ve never gotten over the election results.
Shameful how a man has been placed on trial…although they try and pretty it up calling it a “job interview”. It’s reminded me of the old time lynchings when white men went in angry mobs to find the black man they were so convinced had done an offense because he was well, black.
Did they have facts? evidence? Anything conclusive?
Often, not likely.
Shameful how he’s been ridiculed for having a righteous anger over having his name, his family and his reputation dragged through the mud. How dare he be angry? As if… how dare he be upset over all that was going on? How often I’ve heard the holy than thou people bring that up.
Shameful that a woman who decided she had to “share her truth” …. ironically at this very moment in time…… has not been given any more protection from the onslaught that has come from bringing her story forward.
Even if it does lack huge gaps and has some perplexing questions to it.
I’ve watched numerous news stories with women screaming in the streets already proclaiming he’s guilty. They are wild eyed and on a mission.
This is my gender. Sometimes I’m disturbed my by gender.
They have no evidence. They have no facts. They have no personal accounts or interactions with either of these people. At best they have what the media has regurgitated and fed them.
But by damn, he’s a man, and he’s guilty.
I understand many carry pain and angst over personal experiences, but personal experiences aren’t what’s used to proclaim a man guilty.
And I don’t want someone going off telling me I don’t understand. Yes, there are all types of abuse, inappropriate behavior, and wrong doing that happen against people who wish otherwise.
Growing up, I always looked older. People saw my height and made an assumption I was older. My mom was constantly keeping the male species in line with me.
I remember when I was young, 13-14, a family friend being a bit to flirty and hands on with me at a party. I remember an Uncle ( slightly drunken at the time) making comments about my barely there breasts in a little dress I happened to have loved. I remember spending time at the track during the Fair ( I adored horses) and many would let me hang out and brush them and a man far to old wanting to hold me in a hug longer than necessary which to this day I can still remember how uncomfortable it made me. These are just a few situations I’m sharing,
I was far from my woman skills which would take me years to hone, to learn how to handle and deal with anything like that.
Every one of those people trespassed where they shouldn’t have, whether it was with comments or their hands.
As a woman today I am confident in my abilities to put people in their place. Do I deal with things still?
All the time.
There’s a fine line between an admiring look and someone leering at me. I’ve been followed in the grocery store multiple times. I’ve had someone stand so close to me in line they told me my hair smelled good… I thought I’d need security that day leaving I was so creeped out.
I’ve seen men with their phones out not being subtle that they were taking a photo.
So yeah, I deal with stuff.
I say all that to put myself in with those who have dealt with inappropriate behaviors too. Yes, I know many have dealt with much more. But what I shared was as unwanted as what any one else would not want.
Yet, I’m disturbed over the absolute head hunt of a man when there has been no hard facts or evidence.
Where has fairness or reason gone to?
It’s hard to hear things like “college party”, “heavy drinking” etc and not think.. how is that different then from what we hear going on today? And how if people were judged on being in college and drinking and it played into their lives 30ish years later would that affect their jobs? their lives?
Many people live a heavy partying lifestyle in younger days and mature into responsible, law abiding citizens.
Again, I have no “personal” facts or information on this subject, I am merely an outsider observing and thinking out loud.
And really, the majority of people will only cast outside opinions driven largely by emotion and their own personal experiences.
That… does not make a man guilty.
I know my gender.
I’m surrounded with some cool women. But then I’ve been exposed to some that make me raise my eyebrows and wonder… what the heck?
I know stories can be turned. I know anger can breed revenge. I know unreturned desires can lead to petty behaviors. I know willing sex can be turned around on the man to get even or make a point or even proclaim rape.
Again, I do not have personal information on the woman involved in this situation. I’m not judging her. I believe something happened to her.
I’m just saying… things aren’t always what they appear to be painted.
So I watch all of this unfolding, troubled, as I know many are. Troubled over how all of it seems odd, how people are acting so horribly, how people to the far left think nothing of a respected man and his family being dragged through hell and back thinking “he deserves it” when they know nothing, and at this moment, there isn’t any hard evidence or witnesses supporting it otherwise. Troubled over how it feels like a modern day lynching as I referred to earlier.
As I write this, there is an “official” investigation under way before any possible progress moves towards him being seated on the Supreme Court.
I feel fairly certain, even with the FBI involved, there will be that group who will still not be happy, still not accept the answer and still continue to stir up trouble and angst, no matter what the answer is.
And like many others, I feel like, good. Do the investigation. Then no one should be able to complain, right? Ha.
It is important to cover all important angles before something as big as a new Supreme Court Justice is ruled on.
An honest inquiry gathering facts is far better than the crazed frenzy I’ve seen displayed on the news reports.
But more troubling than all this….
I have a lot of wonderful men in my life. Much like Brett Kavanaugh is to many people in his life and his work.
It is troubling to think that years from now a woman could go back to some random party, ( to use words in the news ” a drunken party” or a “drunken college party”) and with years gone by and an alcohol ladled mind, bring charges against one of them.
Far fetched? Maybe.
If you asked Mr. Kavanaugh a couple weeks ago, he would’ve thought it a bit far fetched too I’m sure, yet here he is.
Just as women need protected from sexual assault, and unwanted advances and all that go with it, men need protection too.
So I’m left mulling all these things around in my head this week. Wondering what the answer is, not just for this situation, but for our society as a whole.
How do we protect women? How do we protect a man who would be innocent? What if all our lives ( those things from our past) were dragged out and waved around to our employer? If we did this with others in high political positions it’s fairly certain many would be ushered out the door.
How many could stand under the examine and be able to walk away still holding their job? If drinking and college partying are criminal, there’s a whole lotta people in the same boat.
I’d be way more concerned if this was still his behavior and what he participated in today.
Where have we gone wrong to feel self righteous in finding a man guilty without evidence to support it?
So my thoughts continue to roam, unsure of what the answer is, or will be. I do know that we need to have a level of human decency in the process. I do know that wild behavior, driven by personal emotions, isn’t the answer.
What I do pray is that righteousness and justice prevail and that those in charge have clear wisdom in all that goes on in this process.
As stated, these are my thoughts, my musings, on a highly volatile topic.
Now….
Your turn to weigh in. Thoughts? Is there a cut and dried way to deal with situations like this? How do we help victims and protect those who may be innocent?
Hello beautiful people. It’s evening as I write this, unwinding with my preferred drug of choice, a big mug of coffee and patting myself on the back that I didn’t give in to any basic urges and punch someone today.
Working with, and dealing with the public has challenged that a lot lately.
I’m constantly amazed at the sense of entitlement so many have and it’s been an extraordinary and amazing to thing to not only keep my hands to myself, but my tongue too as my brain can conjure up sarcastic comments like crazy.
It’s work keeping that in!
Haha ok I jest…. well…. partially…
But let’s say I’m glad to now be relaxing and letting the ideas out of my head that have been bouncing around for awhile.
I thought we’d talk a bit about ways to make staying active easier. We are ending summer here in the states and moving towards fall and maybe a bit of winter here in the south. Typically a time of year when most begin to want to hibernate inside and the idea of exercise seems like an even bigger chore. Unless you are already a dedicated gym goer or have a disciplined exercise program you may not be thinking it’s a time of year you want to start getting active.
Earlier this year… the sun looks deceiving… but it was in the high 20’s out riding. Coldest ride ever. Just call me Ninja. This is what happens when exercise is just something you do 😛
So what are some steps to build a fitness plan?
No one, and I’m pretty sure no one, decides they are just gonna scamper into getting active. Let’s be honest, most dread the idea of having to do exercise even though they may talk about it and really want to do it.
You may admire those who are active, understand the benefits of doing it, and strive to do it yourself but somehow you can’t quite put it together. Of course you also understand that staying active take a lot of work and discipline.
Don’t get discouraged. Some planning and structure will go a long way to your success. Staying active does require more work than being sedentary but it doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult to maintain.
Let’s take a look at some ideas to help.
Find the thing you want to do.
It’s important to choose something you think you will enjoy and can stick with. Don’t worry about being “good” at it or thinking you can’t do something. Just get out there and start taking baby steps. In time, you’ll gain confidence at it. If you like what you’re doing, you’ll look forward to your time working out.
Be consistent.
Like building any new habit, consistency is key. Find a time to workout in the day that is suitable for you and your schedule. Forget what your neighbor or sister is doing, you do your thing. Find a time that you can devote to yourself and put it in your day.
For me mornings have evolved over the past few years. In the beginning it was what I did to get the job done before the rest of my day started. It was hard to get up earlier to get it done but I did.
Mornings are best for me because in the 24 hours of my day it’s when I have people needing and wanting me the least.
I’ve actually come to love being out on the road early. There’s something quite satisfying knocking out miles while the sun is coming up and the world is still getting coffee.
Favorite view from my bike
Not only that, it just sets an energetic tone for the entire rest of my day.
Pick your time of day and stick to it.
Get your gear ready the night before.
Now days it doesn’t take much for me to reach for my exercise clothes. When I had to be up on Saturdays at 5a.m. for long runs, I had everything laid out for me to just step into. My mind immediately, although still sleepy, knew it was time to get serious. ( I do not wear athletic clothes as “leisure wear”, for me they represent work and my mind shifts to a different mode once I’m in them)
If your clothes, shoes, socks, accessories etc are there and waiting you won’t have to think about putting it all together. Even if you are an evening work out person, have it laid out and waiting. It will be one less thing you have to think about doing.
Get your nutrition in order.
Knowing what you will have for breakfast and having it prepped will give you less reason to skip on fueling properly. If you are an early morning person, you may have food ready the night before.
Having healthy snacks prepped for pre and post workouts will keep your energy levels up and will be one less thing you have to attend to when you finish.
Have stretches or moves you use at the end of each workout.
I have several go-to yoga moves that feel good after I’ve been running and cycling. This helps my body recover after a workout and ease tight muscles.
Have some stretching and mobility exercises that you can use afterwards. Not only does it feel good, it helps your body to recover faster.
Leave your gear in the same place.
My running bag has everything from some spare change to extra cycling gloves, my running belt, ipod (although I rarely use it on the road anymore) my helmet, glasses, a clean top, and a whole host of other things. I always know where my stuff is at in a moment.
Find a bag or space that is dedicated to what you need for your workouts to keep you organized.
Focus on your workout.
ok I’m notorious for being in the midst of a workout thinking about what needs my attention when I’m done, what I want to write about next, or being distracted by other random thoughts.
This totally takes my mental focus off what my body is doing and keeps me working hard on the task in front of me.
Be in the moment with what you’re doing. Appreciate all your body can do for you, think about how movement feels. All the other stuff will still be waiting for you when you finish.
Plan your workouts.
Seriously.
I literally schedule appointments around knowing the time it takes me to get them in and clean up and look like a respectable human again.
With my duathlon training I consider what days in my week I can devote to my longer sessions, my run/ bike days, and put them there. Shorter mornings may be one of my fast high intensity workouts that I can slam out in 30 minutes or less. Regardless, I know where to fit them in and how much time it will take.
And no, there’s nothing wrong with scheduling that anymore than scheduling a doctors appointment. It’s important, just do it.
With some planning, structure, and intentional purpose you can build a strong and healthy exercise program that will serve you well. When our minds know what to expect we can look forward to being active and truly benefit from each activity.
Find an activity you can enjoy and look forward to doing 🙂
Tell me, do you have any tips or tricks that helped you get on a disciplined path for exercise?
I read a post recently by two bloggers who are really hustlers in the blogging world. They write with a purpose to help other bloggers be successful at what they do. They offer tips, tricks and ideas on every aspect of blogging.
Some of it to me is well, really, common sense.
Blogging at it’s most basic concept ( in my mind) is casually chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee.
I talk and chatter, as the blogger, and the reader gets to engage by commenting and responding back.
Blogging isn’t complicated when you know the direction you wish to go, then set out to be good in that direction of what you feel called to write on.
Oh. And ideally not bore your readers into an early death. Boredom is the kiss of death.
Please, please, please I don’t wanna be boring haha
In one of the posts written by the author, they discussed being you, authentically you, with your readers. ( I promise, I don’t hold back) but they indicated sharing about who you are so when the reader comes to your posts they have a better idea of who’s behind the writing.
So that being said, I thought we’d step away from our usual programmed affair and I’d bring some “real me” stuff into it.
The blogging world
it still kinda surprises me when people follow me whether it’s via Word press, e-mail, or on my social media accounts.
Part of me is still like…. they want to read my stuff. How cool IS that? Maybe because in a world with millions of people, and so much clamoring at our attention, it’s nice to know people will take some of their valuable time to read my posts.
So.. thank you…
I’ve always enjoyed writing in one way or another. Words come rather effortlessly for me and ideas often clamor to escape my head. As I’ve moved along in this it has become easier and easier to find my voice and use it.
Basically, I can speak my mind.
I “toyed” with the idea of starting a blog for several years ( AH! do you know how daunting that seems?! and IS for someone who is not a techie person? ) but when a small local paper I was writing health and fitness articles for unceremoniously gave my little humble area to a …guy…. and thanked me and sent me off….
Well… let’s just say anger, annoyance and irritation were just the catalyst to move me to blog world. I have always kinda been that way… make something bigger and better than what I thought was so good before.
And really.. what’s better than going from your local town and surrounding areas… to having the entire world be able to read my ramblings?
So within a few weeks I had figured out all the basics to get my page set up , found some tutorials for things that were stumping me, and well, have faked the rest haha
No, not really. I am a quick study though so that helps.
With a bit of nervous apprehension I hit that publish button on my first post and well… here I am 3.5 years later…find my very first post here….
I’m still learning and I’m open to being taught new things in this process.
I don’t overthink things or make the idea of blogging into more than what it is.
I’m not hung up on all the techie stuff and trying to figure which SEO’s will propel me into the mainstream of reading.
Although, thanks Google, my post on the keto/dash diet has consistently sat in the top search positions for awhile now…. so there’s that 😉
Mostly, though, I just like to have fun with writing. And hopefully educating… and motivating… and offering up a healthy dose of sassiness while I’m at it.
Besides being a writer, who am I?
I have a quick wit, I’m far to sassy for my own good at times, sarcasm can be a second language, I laugh at things I probably shouldn’t laugh at, I’m clever on a lot of levels, I will tease unmercifully with people I like, I’m to soft hearted sometimes, but can be as tough as nails when I have to be. I’m stubborn and a bit hard headed but it can serve me well at times. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to use my voice and not shy from it, but have learned the value of remaining silent if I need to be.
I’m extremely social and feed off energy of others. I don’t usually meet a stranger which works well for me on a daily basis. I love meeting new and interesting people who have something different to bring into my life. Basically, I prefer not to stay in my same social “bubble”.
I’m random. If I wanna do something I do it. There’s adventure in that.
Why yes, yes I’ll do a random selfie showing off my new nails and promoting a current blog post on my social stories.
I don’t go with the flow and I find conformity largely boring.
I’m not afraid to jump into a new challenge or take on something I’ve not done.
I’m Texas born and bred, I’ve never left the area or gorgeous state I was raised in. I’ve seen my town grow way to much, way to fast, but it’s still home and I can’t dream of being anywhere else.
I got married, had kids and made permanent camp here.
As weird as it is, all my kids are adults now, some married, and I’ve got some precious grandbabies too.
I’m a homey kinda person meaning I enjoy things like cooking and baking ( from scratch) I was taught the ropes by a mom and grandmother who knew their way around a kitchen and taught me the art of not just cooking but doing things that make a home, “home”.
Christmas is hands down my favorite holiday and I love the creativity of decorating and creating fun visual areas through the house to look at.
A small snap of my favorite Christmas treasure… my antique cardboard Christmas village with original Barclay skaters
My daughter in law told me one year that my house was the kind where people should be able to come in and roam around looking while eating cookies… such a sweet compliment.
I love black coffee and on some days I drink copious amounts of it. Coffee is my legal drug 😉
In my mid 40’s I started dabbling in exercise. The bug kinda bit when I turned into a runner… yeah… who accidentally starts running? haha
The trend continued as I fell more in love with exercise and how I felt. I learned more about myself and what I can do in the process. It was a heady experience knowing what my body could be trained to do.
Along came cycling and now who would’ve thought, I’ve turned into a multi sport athlete.
Out doing what I love….
I was working on losing some weight and the exercise regime certainly helped. So did learning more about what I put in my mouth. It has been a slow determined process but I’ve taught myself a lot about nutrition and now willingly make better food choices for my overall health and wellness.
I started sharing my experiences on social media, people were interested and started following me, which lead to me wanting to branch out and do more, thus began my blog.
And well, here we are.
The main focus I have here at Sassyfitnesschick, is to talk sane, sensible, and practical health, nutrition and exercise.
There is so much nonsense when it comes to these areas and I want to be a voice of sanity in the tidal wave of craziness.
I want people to know they don’t have to suffer and go through extreme things just to lose weight and get fit. I want to teach that they can slowly adjust eating habits and patterns that will lead to permanent changes. Or that exercise can start slow and easy ( as it should)
I just feel bad when I see good people desperately clinging to things that will ultimately get them nowhere or worse, spending LOTS of money of products that promise them the golden ring but all they do is throw away their money and are still fat and unhappy.
Of course there will be some times I’m just gonna talk about life because as I’ve shared with you, there is more to me than “just” my passion for sharing sanity in the realm of health and fitness.
sassyfitnesschick 