Hello to my 1.5 readers out there. Yes, I’m still over here kicking it. Thought I should get something out so you don’t start reading the current tabloids or something else as um…. entertaining.
Ok honestly, I had my little 18 month granddaughter while her mommy and daddy were out of town for three days.
Let me tell you this… I don’t do anything that requires more focus than a nano second of a gnat when I’ve got her. This means writing or anything else that requires a level of skill.
Mainly ’cause I’m making sure she isn’t dive bombing off a chair, eating colors, or trying to ride the English Mastiff, just to name a few things.
She is bright and oh so smart, endearingly cute, can do her baby talk like crazy ( once she puts the words together her parents will never have a quiet moment) and is quick to mimic anything you show her. She is very social ( that doesn’t fall far from the family tree with her daddy and her nanny 😉 and loves being outside, which worked well for me ’cause I do too. We spent plenty of time outside enjoying the sunshine, wind and absolutely perfect temperatures.
It’s pretty hard for me to stay in when conditions are like that. It’s why I’m already tanned too haha
But yeah, writing, it’s hard to sit and get at that. And by the time she’s down for night I just want to chill.
All I can say is I’m glad I have the energy to keep up with her! Not just that but also cart her and her baby stuff to and from the car. Ah the good ‘ol days! That’s really how muscles are built haha
Seriously though, this morning… this is what I was back to doing….
Happy sunny spring miles
Of course, last week before my baby duties, this is what I was up to…
According to my watch I was moving….
I glanced down at my watch and of course I’m thinking… why can’t I do this speed up hills?? haha
Seriously, though it’s April. I’ve gotta start getting ready to get back into serious training for the duathlon in November. Nothing like a little dual sports to keep me on my toes 😉
this is what multi sport training days look like 😛
So besides athletic shenanigans, it was also a productive weekend for some new furniture findings. I usually write about these in my Monday Musings posts but due to situations mentioned above, Monday Musings will resume next week
However, you can find one or two of them here if you wanna check it out….
But I will share what I found cause I think I got some cool goodies.
How about an old school telephone bench?
this cute little vanity…So clean inside the drawers, a nice treat to find.Of course, the original hardware is always my favorite part.
So that’s a sneak peak at some of my recent treasures. I got another side table but I’m to lazy to look for pic and load it up here haha
And yes, I know, I keep saying I’m doing an entire post on my adventures and I promise to work on it soon.
The ** not featured** table, I met the lady in a parking lot to make the purchase. I don’t make drug deals… I’m dealing furniture…
Anyway she says “Oh, do you do furniture restoration?”
Me… “oh, I dabble in it a little” haha not confessing I’ve turned into a little one woman show flipping stuff.
Hubby, when I told him that says… “dabble? a little?”
Maybe a bit more than a little 😉
So spring is in the air…..
It’s hard to keep me inside when the weather is so perfect. I just want to be out in it and of course it is perfect to work on my projects outdoors.
But along with that comes the idea many people get of wanting to start moving more and getting some exercise.
I often get asked what is the best exercise to do.
I will say that anyone, no matter what your fitness level, can walk. If you’re wanting to get out and enjoy the spring weather walking is a wonderful way to clear your mind, get some cardio work ( you gotta move it though!) It requires no special equipment ( some decent shoes help) and you can pace yourself at a level you can handle at your own physical abilities. You can pick up the speed as you get stronger and you can increase distance gradually to let your body adapt.
I’ve shared before, walking is where my athletic beginnings have root. You never know where those evening walks may lead you 😉
Spring days… who feels like cooking
One thing about longer days and more opportunities to be outdoors means I sometimes don’t want to be in the kitchen. This is where I fall back on using my trusty crock pot or utilizing some of my tasty, yet healthy, one pan dishes. You can find all my one pan recipes on my Pinterest page, Sassyfitnesschick, under one pan dinners… I’ll share one with you I made last night.
So tasty and so easy!
this tasty Mexican inspired meal was also a success. This is easy to make ahead and pop in oven closer to meal time.
So that’s a wrap. It’s been a busy week for me and the rest of it promises the same.
Tell me do you have an tried and true simple recipes that are healthy, quick and get you out of the kitchen ? What are some of your favorite spring time activities?
One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn as an athlete is the importance of rest and recovery times.
You’d think it should be easy, right? It should be easy to just take a day off and not train. It should be easy to come off of months of heavy training for an event and greatly reduce my training volume and just enjoy some easier workouts.
There’s a couple factors that can come into play here, well, at least for me. Once I’m disciplined to something it’s very hard for me to not do it. I can be rather driven with whatever I’m focused on. Mentally as well, it’s hard to not do it although I intellectually grasp the importance of focused rest. My body and mind thrive on it, that structured often intense training.
When I work this hard, rest days are essential.
My mind and body need the work but they also need the rest.
I’ve also learned active rest doesn’t involve laying on the sofa eating crappy food and being lazy.
Well what is involved with recovery?
Recovery times are designed to let our muscles heal and recover from all we put them through in training. It allows the body to repair and strengthen itself between workouts.
In a crazy way, when we exert stress on our muscles, it damages the muscles fibers causing them to break apart. During recovery these fibers heal stronger than before, which in turn makes your muscles stronger.
When we rest and eat good foods, our body heals, recovers and builds new tissue.
Active rest for athletes can mean anything from a brisk walk ( what I’ve used when I recover from running a marathon for a couple weeks after) to short easy runs, cycling or anything that doesn’t stress the body.
For me in the past year, yoga has been a good form of not just active recovery but it’s also a wonderful, different form of strength training. Not only that, it also stretches and works those areas that tend to get tight from my running, cycling and strength training.
I’ve come to embrace so many of the moves that although sometimes at the start are a bit stretching, lead to feeling so good. It gives me some looseness and I feel better with it.
And although it helps with recovery, I think it’s also a wonderful strength tool as well.
I did a couple articles on my yoga shenanigans, find them here….
Ok I’ll admit. For years I was awful, totally awful, about taking time to do some dynamic warm ups before running or anything else athletic.
I just wanted to get at it.
I was a wee bit better when I finished, but after always feels so good and my body has earned it after working hard.
Since then I’ve learned more importance in taking that time to do activities to help keep me loosened up and prepared for what I love to do.
…..although… I can still be bad about short changing myself on it….. you have permission to give me a hard time if I don’t.
Tools of the trade
There are other things I’ve been schooled on my road to being a ordinary, middle aged female athlete.
It took me a few years to get through this “school” but now I know how important some things are.
For instance a foam roller. I would’ve never believed how amazing a cylinder of hard foam could feel on my body.
Foam rollers if you don’t know, are a method of self massage that lets you really key in on areas that are tight and achy. They also can help promote blood flow to recovering areas and break up knots and tension in muscles.
Then I went to Airosti for some treatments a couple years ago and the therapist told me I should be using a pvc pipe to roll on ’cause my muscles would adjust to foam.
I laughed. I told her she was crazy.
A hard pipe??? to roll my body on?
Ah well, laughing isn’t what I do with it now days as it’s my favorite device of torture… I mean… recovery haha
She was right. The pipe presses into muscles in a different way and doesn’t give as foam will. I use it on my back and roll up to my shoulders.
My quads seriously have a love/hate relationship with it. It kills my calves in a good way.
The pipe wasn’t the only thing I was schooled on.
A lacrosse ball became really good friends with me too. It’s perfect for working into arches of my feet into those muscles and tendons that need released. It also becomes a device of torture when you lay on the floor and position it in a tight muscle in your shoulder and press into it.
A solid ball of torture
Sweet mother of heaven. It puts me somewhere near death and blissful relief, I’m not sure which.
Another acquisition I got for Christmas is a roller with knobs all over it.
Are you seeing a weird pattern here? Devices that hurt, yet weirdly help haha
it looks something like this…..
and it’s perfect to get areas that are knotted or tight.
All of these are wonderful tools for recovery to help tight muscles, to increase blood flow, and promote healing.
And of course, let’s not forget ice and heat which not only help recovery, but gosh, they can feel so good too.
Of course other factors like staying well hydrated and eating good whole foods also contribute to a good rest/recovery day or days.
Learning to embrace days of rest and recovery goes with the athletic process, I’ve learned. slowly but surely. You too should learn to embrace those days as times of healing and restoration for not only your body, but your mind too.
Tell me, if you train or workout, do you allow or take rest and recovery days? Is that hard to do? What are some methods you use for recovery?
Wow. Is it Monday again? Time for another edition of Monday Musings and what not in my life.
Time.
Ever notice how funny that is? It’s a commodity we all have and are all given the same amount of each day. Sometimes it seems to crawl by, like when you’re stuck in some god awful boring meeting. A few months ago I was in such a one and I felt myself settling into that “to comfortable zone” as in, if I didn’t start moving around or do some active deep breathing I was going to take an unscheduled nap. I glanced at my watch and scrolled to my heart rate.
49.
My heart was getting just as comfy and relaxed as the rest of my body haha
But then there are occasions when time seems to fly like when you’re with people you really like or are doing something fun. Time then moves all to swiftly.
Deadlines make time seem to move faster.
Being stuck behind a driver who doesn’t know where the gas pedal is makes time crawl by. 😛
I think, as we get older we are much more mindful of it than when we lived careless days as children.
Speaking of time, it makes me think of seasons. This in turn makes me hopeful that spring is in the near distant future. It’s been a whole lotta grey, misty, dreary, foggy and overall gross days here in the happy land of south Texas this winter season.
I’ve tried not to think that last February I was running in shorts a lot and by March was rocking a decent enough tan that people thought I was using a tanning booth.
That. Will never happen.
I assured a lady my golden skin was a by product of spending time outdoors on bike or foot, not a tanning bed.
All that to say the other day I actually got to hit the road in shorts and I forgot the pure freedom of running with less stuff hanging off me. It was glorious and reminded me that sun and daily sweat sessions will be here before I know it.
Hello sunshine! What a wonderful treat
I’m not whining. Oh no, I’d never be a whiner, but it will be nice to really start logging some miles again and not have to worry about safety issues ’cause of fog and sloppy roads.
If I complain when the humidity cranks up again and its nothing but sun and I’m sweating out the weight of a small child on a run, you may nicely remind me I asked for it.
In the context of time management
When I hit the floor in the morning my mind is already spinning for what I’m doing in the day ahead. I sometimes worry if I have ADD as I can be wanting to do ALL of my projects, errands, and necessary house requirements at the same time.
What I have started doing is writing down all the things I want to do and picking one or two in my day alongside everything else to get it done. I try and get the necessary, not usually my most fun things done, ( like cleaning) out of the way then I can work on my fun projects.
Like my furniture shenanigans.
Last week took me into the big city to this seedy little dive in pursuit of a 1930’s china cabinet I had spotted online.
Yep, that’s my big game in the back 😉
Here it is in all it’s glorious disarray…waiting to be transformed.
Oh, so when I’m at this little hole in the wall shop which, really, was a time warp of treasures from decades, and decades gone by ( I am planning a field trip back there) the only person working was this short little older lady wheezing and huffing telling me she should probably be in the hospital ’cause she might have pneumonia.
WHAT?!
Of course I’m thinking, “she’s the only one here who is supposed to help me get this out and loaded??” She mentions having a dolly, I ask her to get it, thanking God at times like this I’m strong and capable and I wheel it out making jokes I should get more of a discount since I’ve gotta load it too. I did get them to drop it 35.00 😉
Anyway, she was able at least to help lift the other side with me into my vehicle.
Yesterday I spent more time prepping it for it’s transformation. Sanding, cleaning, dusting, digging (leaves??) out from under the drawer, doing a little repair work ( the decorative wood in door needs replaced. Once upon a time it had glass but I’m not putting glass back in it) removing the hardware etc. it’s so close to starting the fun part.
But before we leave this topic… I also got the cutest little cupboard… I tried to leave it behind I just couldn’t. I managed to get it for half of what it was marked 😉
It looked like this…..seriously though… how CUTE is it??
How sad IS it? The obvious before pic.
It didn’t take long for me to catch a vision for it. I finished it today. I am totally, completely in love with it.
What do you think about it’s make over?
The ugly duckling transformed
I will share some more adventures on this topic in upcoming weeks 😉 I have a couple pieces in the works.
In some final musings…
Have you ever wondered why foods you thought were so good when you were a kid, don’t really taste good at all when you grow up?
My youngest son had brought home a half gallon of premade chocolate milk one day. I never drink chocolate milk unless I’ve come off a long hard workout then it’s a delicious instant recovery drink. But I always make it, you know with milk and chocolate syrup… yeah I’m bad.
Anyway, I opened the fridge and there it sat… and I thought …heck yeah.. I’m just gonna have some.
The first chug it was like…. ACK! It tasted like and reminded me of, the way the school cafeteria had smelled.
Which was not good, I might add.
Weird, I know. That chug was all I got in.
Then there’s things like fish sticks. boxed macaroni and cheese, most cheap sugary cereals, and bad thin crust boxed pizza.
Ok true and well, I’ve grown up, but I think I really enjoyed that as a kid. Thank goodness my tastes have changed.
My kids are adults… they complain since I “got healthy” I don’t buy fun foods anymore. This translates to ” crappy, walk in pantry or go to freezer and grab pre made foods and snacks with zero nutritional value”.
They can go buy their own minced, diced, chopped, prebaked fish sticks and what not..
Is it just me? What about you? Have you left foods behind that aren’t seemingly as tasty as they once were?
In the way of food… this week coming up we will be looking at healthy cheap meals, and of course a few spotlights on various fruits and veggies (’cause ya’ll seem to dig those posts), fitness, and as always a little sassy, cheeky attitude to go along with it.
You’ll just need to check back in here and see what’s up 😉
Now tell me…
What are some favorite foods that hang on from childhood? Do you have any new healthy foods you’ve tried this week?
2017 culminated for me with all of those things coming together at once as I finished the year with my first multi sport event, a duathlon. If you don’t know that is a run/bike/run event. Find my recap on it here….. https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2017/12/05/duathlon-journey-the-recap/
It was certainly something I never saw myself doing a couple years ago, much less placing first in my age group, that’s for sure. I’ve found in the pursuit of these sports I love, I’ve had to lay a foundation and then just start building on it.
Yeah I’m smiling a little. All that hard work paid off.
Running takes some serious base miles before you start extending distance. Even in distance running, there are days where I do interval runs to push myself faster. Short runs. Long runs. Speed. Or just easy miles.
Cycling in similar ways takes some base building although I found it fairly easy to transition to cycling. I guess all that running built some powerful legs that work on the bike too 😛
Of course, I can’t forget the strength training. Lifting weights, core work, and simple body moves all contribute to building a body for activities I love.
Who says muscles and cycling don’t go together
Starting into this year, without a scheduled event at this point, I still practice a variety of activities during the week, just not as intense right now. Well.. mostly… haha
One of my training sessions is always a bit tough and it should be because it’s all about building strength.
What you may be wondering, do I speak of ?
Hills.
If you want to build your legs and butt, do hills. If you want to turn your cardiovascular system into an efficient machine, do hills.
And when I say do them, I mean frequently. Start walking them, eventually you can run a part, and then finally, you will scale up them like nothing.
Hills singlehandedly make me feel like a beast, whether I’m on foot or bike.
That being said, 5 miles on foot this morning, with plenty of hill repeats. As I turned around and headed back, I saw the hill in front of me, the one in this photo.
it’s way more fun running down this 😉
As I approached it I started thinking about what it felt like on the bike. I felt the familiar… I’m not sure what is the best word here… fear? it’s more like a healthy respect of something that is bigger than me. No matter how many times I do it, when I see it in the distance, I feel that anticipation and adrenaline rush.
Immediately the thought came to mind… “what are you afraid of?” I already knew the answer before it came.
“Failing”. My inner dialogue continued.. “and have you ever failed? Have you ever failed to do what’s in front of you?”
The answer was “No”. Not even in my beginning cycling days when I’d be in the wrong gear and have to muscle it up did I ever NOT ride all the way up.
I was reminded (again) that if I dont do something that puts a healthy fear in me, it’s not a challenge, I might as well go home.
I just can’t do that.
It just feels so powerful when I accomplish something that challenged not just my body, but my mind. I’ve found tremendous growth occurs when I let that “healthy, fearful respect” of something challenge me. And when I’m challenged in that way, I’m changed.
It helps me see and understand I don’t have to be limited in what I do. The important part is being available and going after it.
I was having a tire fixed on my bike today. I thought it was “just” a flat. It turns out it was the tube and tire… gone… shot.
When I do it, I do it up right haha
Anyway, the guy who owns the place and sold me my little Cannondale has encouraged my cycling endeavors and made sure the bike was in top condition before my duathlon. He asks me today… ” soooo is a triathlon in your future?”
Why yes, yes I did laugh.
He looks at me… “you don’t swim?”
My response, “Oh I can ok enough, but I’m certainly not a competitive swimmer.”
He gives me that level look and says, “of course you know you can do it. Just get out there”
Here’s a little not known secret about me… I just don’t like having my face in the water. It really just weirds me out. And I will seriously need to move past that if I’m to consider a tri in some distant future.
Am I capable? I know I am. I never saw myself as a long distance runner or now a duathlete, yet here I am.
I guess you could say there’s a bit of healthy fear when I look a triathlon fully in the face. I’ve felt it each time I’ve considered a bigger athletic goal.
I either look it in the eye, stomp down those feelings and tackle it… or… I turn and run and never know what I’m fully capable of achieving.
What about you? Can you relate to any of this? Have you felt a healthy fear of pursuing something that seemed way bigger than you thought possible?
If something scares you… maybe you just need to go ahead and do it. You’ll never know how it will grow you until you let it stretch you outta your comfort zone.
It’s outside of our comfort zone we discover what we’re really made of.
I’ve seen this quote before and it always resonates with me. Of course it refers to working hard and the value of perseverance but I see it in a different way too.
Do you ever think of your body and how you use it ( or don’t use it) in terms of “getting rusty”? If you’re like me when you hear the word “rust” you get images of weathered worn pipes or an old car that’s been left to sit for years, the paint long faded and gone and the metal rusting through.
For anything to not become rusty requires some work and care to keep it in good condition and working order. Without proper care (that item) will not function in the way it was intended to function.
Now let’s apply that concept to our bodies.
Without proper work and care they can become less functional as we age. They can get achy. We can lose muscle mass and strength. We lose the ability to bend well and move in ways that are free. We get out of breath doing easy tasks or walking short distances. Walking a flight of stairs can make us winded and the idea of bending to touch our toes or place our hands flat on the floor could make us laugh.
Our bodies are designed for daily, vigorous movement. To bend, stretch, lift, walk, run, jump and play.
Personally, I’m soooo ready for hard work again!
Doing the duathlon at the end of November and coming off a year of hard work and training I let myself do some easier work in the weeks after. Mentally it can be hard for me to “rest” but intellectually I know it’s good for my body to have a little down time too.
But then… it was December and life just happened in ways that slowed me down. Then hubby was off 2 weeks for vacation and as awesome as that was hanging out, doing stuff together, sleeping in some, going out for breakfast and some days just being a little lazy, it shot my “normal” schedule. I loved every moment of having some relaxing weeks with him and having a mental break from my usual routine is good… but….I have been reminded of this more than ever…
I feel way more energetic and my muscles feel less tight when I’m working out, than when I’m not. My body has now been trained for that work and needs it as much as it needs food.
I don’t see this as a “bad” thing, but it does show me it’s a most necessary thing. Purposeful, daily movement is essential for our well being.
It’s essential for MY well being.
With that being said… I’m more than ready to get back at it.
What about you? Have you had some time off or done less in the past few weeks? Perhaps you’re inspired by the start of a new year. Maybe exercise has only crossed through your mind but you have the thought you’d like to get started doing…something…
Depending on where you are and what you do or have done will determine the level of what you get out and do.
For me, as you’re reading this and maybe drinking your morning coffee, I’ll be out getting some miles under me on the bike. I will most likely do yoga on Tues and some strength training a couple times this week as well. I won’t push myself hard but will ease back into it letting my muscles get used to the activity again. I know my body will quickly adjust to the routine and I will be pushing myself harder next week.
But what if you’ve not done anything since you were like… 12… on the school play ground playing tag with your friends? What if you haven’t done anything physical in so long you wonder if you can but you are willing to get out there and give it a try?
Good for you! There’s no better time to get moving and long before you might see results outwardly, mentally, you will always feel great doing something positive for yourself.
Ok.. I’m motivated. Give me some tips.
I always tell people I talk to, find something that you can be excited about doing or want to go do. It will ensure you are proactive about doing it each day.
If you are unsure, start with walking! All doctors will support walking as a healthy way to help with weight loss and to get fit. You can walk at your own speed and increase as you get stronger. All you really need are some good shoes and you’re set to go.
Start small. Don’t try and walk 5 miles your first day or anything like that. It might just be a couple laps around the block and maybe it’s what you do for a week or two until you are comfortable to increase distance.
Don’t like to do it alone? recruit a friend or family member to workout with you.
Write it down! Scheduling a time in your day should be just as important as anything else you do.
In the beginning you might need to start with every other day to help you get going and to protect from doing to much to soon.
If you have health issues or concerns, always consult with your doctor first.
Imagine yourself getting stronger at the activity you choose. The massive hills I ride don’t necessarily get easier,more like I get stronger for the task of doing them. Think of being able to walk faster, for longer periods of time, or maybe even eventually running.
Look locally for free or trial classes to experiment with a new activity before you make a commitment to it. Local gyms will often offer free trial classes before you commit.
Be willing to grow and learn new things and to challenge yourself in new ways.
Finally, celebrate as you get stronger and have more energy for living your life. Embrace the changes of your hard work and most of all, have fun with it!
On the road… my happy place….running, walking or cycling… this is my gym.
Do you have a favorite activity you enjoy doing ? Is there something you’ve learned to do that you previously didn’t know how to do?
It’s now 2 weeks out since I did my first multi sport race, the duathlon, that I’ve been blabbing up for months to you. I finally got my little paws on some of the pics they took while on course so I could use them when I wrote this.
You didn’t expect me to just use random stock photos off Google, did you ? 😛
Where do I start?
As I knew it would be, I felt the let down once it was over. The months of training, the days in front of me with my goal at the end, now finished.
Something to celebrate, right? A new adventure conquered, new challenges overcome, another athletic event that I never dreamed I’d do accomplished.
I guess I should mention I’ve had this race on my list for several years now. Due to an injury I was getting over at one point and other things that came up I had been unable to really pursue it.
All I wanted to do was get to a point where I could at least run the distance for the duathlon even if it meant my distance running might still be on hold for awhile.
As I slowly crept back into running, I was getting stronger and more powerful on the bike. I learned I was fairly good at it and could eat up a lot of miles in a quick time.
I knew this would be the year so when registration opened in June, I paid up and made the commitment.
My first duathlon was etched on my calendar.
As you know from previous posts, I was committed to my training, even training in weather that was less than ideal because on race day you never know what you will get. I gave up being a fair weather athlete a long time ago. I know if I’m going to build not just my body, but mind, I need to know how to handle more adverse conditions.
Of course there was more than just me involved in the event…let’s not forget… the bike.
I can’t neglect saying how grateful I am for a wonderful bike shop and the guys who keep my little Cannondale in top shape. 2 weeks out from race I picked it up looking almost all kinds of new again. Poor thing, I’d put some serious miles on it. Not only did they get new tires on it, and clean the chain ( ohhhh it IS silver haha) they checked my brakes, tweaked and adjusted some other things, and made sure my fit was perfect on it. I love being in a place “talking shop” with others who do what I do, and who challenge me to press on to bigger things.
My bike rarely gets to ride shotgun 😉
With the bike in good working order, it was taper time whether I wanted it or not, a winding down to race day. I kept riding and short runs but the ultimate goal was to arrive at the start line healthy and energetic for the task in front of me.
Race Day
There are two things I think athletes worry about before a big event they’ve been training for.
Getting sick and the weather.
Thankfully, I was strong and healthy and the weather although a brisk low 40’s in the morning, was clear, bright and the sun soon showed up for the festivities.
Waiting in the crisp, cold, beautiful morning with a ton of hyper energy pre-race
There’s something about being at a race with other athletes and this energy that’s almost palpable that makes my heart beat fast.
Although I’ve done many running races before this was my first multi sport event and my first biking event. I checked into the transition area, got marked ( I was sooo excited to finally do something where I got marked… but unfortunately it was under my shirt ha oh well) I got my gear set up and did some light jogging around parking lot to loosen up and set my mind for what was coming.
This event was the state Championship Duathlon and was hosted by a local college. Many college tri teams from across the state were there to race. I was surrounded by athletes the ages of my kids or younger 😛
This race is also listed as “the toughest in the state”.
They tell no lies about that… tough is an understatement.
I understood what was in front of me having trained on it, but I had a healthy fear and respect for it every time I stepped out there. To under estimate it would certainly sink me.
My plan for the race? Simple and straight forward.
To run and bike just like I’d trained and not get caught up in the hype and energy of the crowd but stay in my head and run my own race. I knew the first half mile- mile out was a brutal start as it’s all up a long and winding hill. I knew how I’d paced myself in practice and my goal was to stay there.
Heading into the hills for the first run.. it was bit to chilly to toss clothes yet!
I settled into my first mile which was a little faster than I had been running it but that was ok. Then my Garmin came up at mile 2 telling me I’d just done it in 9:29 I was pretty happy with that. Overall, when I finished my 5k it was over a minute faster than the week before when I’d practiced and my fastest 5k in a long time.
Amazing what a competitive spirit will do haha
Wrapping the 5k heading to the transition area.
Ok so this was all new to me, the whole multi sport, transitioning thing. It’s one thing to practice transition when you are alone ( I had it down to 30 seconds) it’s a whole new game when you’re surrounded by a zillion other bikes and athletes gear and come running in to change and find nothing is like you left it.
Yikes!
My first transition time was longer than I wanted mainly because I knew I had to lose the jacket and peel down to my cycling shorts. I perform way better a little chilled than warm and knew the bike was gonna demand a lot from me so I took a little extra time to do that.
Once on the bike, I knew I would close a gap because I’m strong on the hills. It should be noted we biked right back out where we had run, running up and down hills, then getting on the bike to ride them, ha hello quads.
One by one I methodically picked off cyclists in front of me, a game almost. I churned along knowing some of the toughest stuff was still coming, but also reminding myself I was more than capable and had done it before.
AND a smile for the photographer. Still smiling after cresting the monster hill that’s behind me
I had to really focus on what I was doing approaching the huge hill as I noted a half dozen cyclists pushing bikes up.
This seriously can mess with my head. I narrowed my vision and did what I had practiced when I rode it… I recited a nursery rhyme in my head…
“One, two buckle my shoe, three, four shut the door….”
Don’t ask.
It just popped in one day as I was grinding up and it became a game, how many times till I reached the top? ( 2 “ish” times if you’re wondering haha)
But powered up it I did.
On the return trip I pushed hard knowing the last run leg was in front of me… so close to finishing.
The last run.
From practice I already knew how that felt. It’s hard. It’s not just the physical, it’s mental too. I have learned so much about dialing into my head and trying not to be distracted at what’s around me. As I made a turn where the aid station was the young people manning it were doing the usual “you’re doing awesome, almost done!” mantra. I quipped I had paid money to do this when I hear behind me… “yeah, but you’ve been kicking my butt the whole time!” I looked over my shoulder at this young college girl behind me, one I had sailed by on my bike, it was the motivation I needed to finish off that last half mile.
The Finish Line
When I saw the finish line I can’t describe the feelings and emotions that came over me. I saw my time and was pretty happy with that too.
The home stretch, still smiling.. And yeah, I had lost more clothes 😛
I heard the announcer call my number and name as I ran across the finish line and as the guy behind lines guided me where to go I felt it coming on… tears forming in my eyes… I took a deep breath willing myself not to sob out loud.
I did it. My first duathlon. I did it! I was simply overcome with emotion.
He saw my face and bless his heart was immediately concerned. “are you ok? do you need anything?”
I assured him I was physically fine but just overwhelmed…. my emotions came out after all the months of training to finally be there in that moment… I just couldn’t hold them back.
As I left the finish area I found hubby and again, just sobbed on him. He too was immediately concerned, but he’s more used to my emotions at times like that than poor unsuspecting guy at finish line. And can I just say how much I appreciate all of his awesome support for what I do? An amazing guy he cheers and supports and encourages my madness. I couldn’t do what I do without him or his support.
Of course I went to the tent to use the laptop to pull up my bib number and get my stats. My time was pretty much what I’d seen when I hit the finish line, however it was another number that caught my attention and I choked out to hubby…
“Am I reading this right?? Does it mean what I think it means??”
I hadn’t really breathed out loud to anyone that it would be kinda awesome to place in my age group.. but this number told me I placed first in my age group.
More tears. Sweet heavens. I’m such a baby.
Does my smile say it all? Nothing felt better that day.
Honestly… I can’t describe how it all felt. To have accomplished something so big, to have challenged myself beyond what I thought I could do, was overwhelming and rewarding all at once.
The aftermath
I know the let down that comes from preparation of big events. It’s weird to not have this specific “thing” I’m training for. I also get used to my body physically changing as it peaks into top condition ( a place I loath giving up) but I also know I can’t keep myself at this level all the time. I loved marking off my training calendar each day as I knocked out what needed to be done and seeing those days move me closer to my goal.
It’s hard to come off the physical and mental high that events like this bring.
So the solution is??
Ha… plan my next adventure! 2018 is coming and I’m already planning the duathlon again as my fall event. I want a shot at getting a new PR.
I have a spring half marathon in mind as well as my first long ride, a 60 mile, ’cause why start small?
I haven’t ruled out someday …maybe… a triathlon… it seems HUGE to me right now but I’m also reminded what I just did would’ve seemed huge to me a few years ago but I did it.
If you’ve stayed with me to this point can I remind you that as the saying goes, you’re never to old set new goals or dream new dreams.
Set some new goals for yourself in 2018.
Or have you already? What plans do you have for yourself in the upcoming year? Tell me.
It’s a quiet afternoon in my fav coffee cave which is a bit unusual given the time of day but I’m not gonna complain about that. Sometimes, I wonder where all the people have come from and why they are taking up my space haha
It’s also another day in this long week that is nothing but grey skies and feels perpetually like morning…. all… day… long.
Sometimes it makes it hard to feel like doing anything more than grabbing a blanket, a good book and chilling somewhere.
Instead, I’m going to write and let my thoughts out if you’ll humor me. Writing is often cathartic for me and let’s me examine things more closely through words.
As in… thinking about my first multi sport race this upcoming Sunday. My first duathlon.
Did I mention it’s listed as the toughest in the state? Yeah I don’t start with easy things.
I’ve certainly spent a significant amount of time on the road preparing for it. So much time to think and reflect, to ponder this journey that I’ve taken myself on.
I view myself as somehow a most unlikely candidate to turn into a duathlete.
This journey has been over 2 years in the making. It’s been out there in front of me, sometimes taunting and sometimes a bit illusive as I’ve had to bide my time waiting for the right moment.
You see when I first got the crazy idea I was fully in the mix of an ugly Achilles injury that had me doing no running at all. It’s during this time that cycling came into the picture a bit more. I had thought the following year I’d be up to it but just had things working against me that kept me from fully pursuing it. I remember seeing the cyclist out that year during the race and feeling a bittersweet longing to be able to do what they were doing.
My goal, my wish, began to be “just let me get healthy enough to run the distance required for the duathlon”. which at the time was bookend 5k’s.
All I had to do was run 6.20 miles … in two parts. Was that asking to much ?
I diligently rehabbed myself. Spent a lot of time strength training, learning to row to stay strong with my cardio ( for the record rowing to me has many similar feelings to running), and doing cycling. As I got better I took it back to the road for some strong walking. It just felt good to be out there going through the motions even if I couldn’t all out run yet.
Time moved on, I improved and was able to pick up some running again, albeit, cautiously .
This time… the duathlon seemed more feasible. I continued with slow. easy, short “runs”. I stretched, foam rolled, iced and did whatever I could to keep getting better.
When I saw the promotions start coming up for it this past May I knew it would be something I’d take on in this year.
In June I made the commitment and registered. And I say commitment ’cause when you cough up money to pay for an event, you’ve just invested yourself fully to it.
With that, my “official” training began.
I think back to those first brick sessions I did. ( fyi a brick session refers to back to back activities. For me it was a bike and run session. Eventually it turned into a run/bike/run sessions)
I did only 8-10 miles on the bike and then a 2 mile run. I remember getting off bike, changing shoes, and then taking off on legs that felt like loose spaghetti noodles.
It’s hard work changing gears from one activity to another!
I wondered how long it would take or if I would adapt to getting my body from cycling mode to running.
Months later, it’s definitely still work especially after running and cycling, then running again but I’ve found I’m stronger and have managed some decent mile times… you know… for an old lady 😛
And here I am. Months later with the race staring me down the face.
I’m as ready as I can be. I’ve worked hard and prepared to the best of my abilities. I’ve trained in horrible weather and good weather. Right now the forecast is for a chilly but sunny day and I couldn’t be more thrilled with that!
I’ve practiced riding those crazy hills. I remember the first time I took on one that I thought would eat my lunch, which then fed into a second hill immediately after.
So this is the first one…. it doesn’t look so scary in this pic 😛
I cried when I topped the second one. I know. I’m such a girl.
Doing hard physical things and accomplishing them brings out strong emotions in me. Maybe it’s a relief that I could do it. Maybe it’s overcoming something I thought might be insurmountable. Or once again realizing I’m stronger than I gave myself credit for.
Spend some time on the road making your body work hard, you begin to see what you’re made of. You begin to see how your mind and body can work together or against each other.
I’ve learned I can push a bit longer and farther. I can dial in and focus on that moment in front of me and set aside anything else so I can keep pressing on to my goal. I’ve learned how to listen to my breathing, to keep it even and steady even when I’m working hard. I listen to my body but try not to let it convince me it wants to quit or back off because it’s getting uncomfortable. ( not injured or hurt, but out of my comfort zone, there’s a difference )
If there’s one thing endurance sports has taught me it’s about discipline, determination, perseverance, and sacrifice.
I’ve learned to deal with hot, warm, humid weather.
Nothing like a good sweat to cleanse the soul haha
As well as those mornings I’ve geared up and headed out into a cold, wet, rainy, or foggy misty morning to train.
Yeah. All I really wanted to do was stay in warm and dry. Yes I considered I might be crazy but there was a deeper thing in me that wouldn’t let me give in or back off from what I had committed to undertake.
If race day dialed up a cold, wet, foggy morning I better be able to handle myself in those conditions.
Of course months of training has leaned me out more, almost a side effect of all my training. I know it’s working when hubby tells me I feel to thin haha
I’ve peaked in my training and with that comes a physique that reflects my work, endurance to do my running and cycling, and improved times doing them.
There is a bittersweet aspect to this as well. I know there will be the inevitable “let down” when it is finished. The thing I’ve focused on will be done, my goal accomplished. It will be time to thing of new goals. I know these feelings go along with the excitement and thrill of doing it.
Now.. it’s almost show time.
With days out I’ll focus on stretching, rolling, eating well, getting rest and of course making sure my gear is ready and I have the coolest clothes to wear 😉
Looking good helps your performance, right ?
Sporting the new cold weather cycling jacket I got for the event.
One thing I always remind myself of before races… the world doesn’t stop spinning based on my performance. It somehow takes some of the hyper energy off me.
Oh. I didn’t mention that did I? All the hyper energy and edginess counting down to it.. the “taper week”. That energy continues to build till I’m standing on the start line.
As much as I want to do the very best I’m capable of, the fact remains, when I cross that finish line, I’m a winner.
I win because I set out goals and dreams for myself and I worked hard and pursued them and I won’t go through life wondering “if” I could do it.
Happy Monday beautiful people! Even as I write that I’m aware in the crazy way the universe rolls, it’s actually the end of Monday for some of you on this planet and you are now preparing for Tuesday.
This can be a bit much for my brain to process so I’ll just leave it here and say I hope you’ve had an awesome day no matter what it technically is.
For me though, it’s Monday. Monday morning.
And for the record I’m not “anti-Monday”. I’m glad I’m blessed to still be here, to experience another day of life.
Perspective people, perspective.
My last few Mondays, and today, and the next several will be heavy training days for me. I kick start my week by doing the entire duathlon course start to finish. It does seem rather daunting when I’m slowly coming to life waiting for the coffee to brew wondering if I’m gonnna churn out all the energy this task in front of me will require.
Of course that is my non-coffee brain thinking. Once I wake up more and slip into my gear I’m all business and ready for the task at hand.
Weeks remain till race day. I’m already feeling that edginess that comes over me as an event approaches.
It’s not just the race, it’s the awareness that all of it will be… over.
I’m well acquainted with the feelings and emotions of preparing for a big athletic event and the inevitable let down of emotions when it’s done.
There is something that can’t be explained in the preparation and training ultimately culminating in this event I’ve prepared for.
In those miles and hours of training leading up to it, there is a sort of hunger that develops. A hunger that really is disguised as passion. To see myself improve, make better times, take things on a bit more effortlessly as my body adapts to the rigors of what it’s being put through.
Honestly, it’s a bit addicting.
All the while in my mind though is the question… “what’s next?”
That question can taunt and challenge. It can intimidate and have a level of fear. It can also be the thing that makes me examine how much more I can bring to the table.
What’s my next thing
It’s never far from my mind. I’ve been asked if I’m gonna do a marathon again. Ha, I will most likely start with a half to warm up to it.
Yes, I love distance running and I love what it’s taught me and how I’ve grown from my experiences on the road. In some crazy ways, I’ve missed it.
Obviously, training for the duathlon, my athletic goals have been much more laser focused. My running has been shorter and geared to my event. Not to mention, doing a multi sport race requires my body to perform in different ways so I need to keep my energies centered on that.
But I’m heading back to distance running. Maybe a spring half marathon…we’ll see. I already have fully acknowledged I’m gonna miss those brick training days ( combined running and cycling back to back) I’ve come to enjoy the challenge and hard work of them and I may just keep one built into my training week… because… duathlons. 😉
What’s your next thing
ok this has been leading somewhere. Let’s talk about you.
Do you work and strive for something specific without a thought to where do you go from there?
How do you continue to grow, change and challenge yourself?
Do you see your current endeavor as a learning process to get to a new level?
Yeah I know, not everyone is doing something athletic oriented, but you for sure, have goals or dreams something you’re pressing on towards.
I’ve loved every step of the journey I’ve been on that’s built me as an athlete ( well, most steps haha) I’ve accepted it’s where I am at that moment.
You as well should embrace your journey to your goals.
But for all of us we should never lose sight of the fact we can always do more, be more, achieve more.
Maybe I’m wired a bit more intensely. Maybe the physical challenges I’ve put myself through have only caused me to wonder… what else am I capable of?
You know, that statement applies to you too, right?
What else are you capable of? How big can you dream? What new thing can you take on?
That next step
Don’t get me wrong. That next step once you hit a goal might actually scare you, and that’s ok.
I had 4 half marathons under me without a single thought to running a full one. I mean come on, that’s 26.2 miles! It was when I finished my fifth and walked off the course with my best time ever that the idea floated into my mind…
“It’s time to consider a full marathon”
I shoved it out of my head and dismissed the idea as a lack of carbs to my brain for the crazy thought. Really. There’s no way I’d do a full marathon.
That was in the spring, and by end of year, I had my first one under me.
I had only a fleeting thought after I committed of wondering “if” I could do it. I stomped it out and never let myself think I couldn’t.
A few pointers
Nothing in our lives accidently happens. If you want to do something, you’ve got to be intentional.
~ Set your new goal. I’m still so old fashioned and love writing stuff out where I can see it. Use a calendar to make reminders or things you need to do daily or weekly.
~ See yourself doing it. Don’t allow any idea to creep in that makes you doubt yourself. Your mind is a powerful playing field!
~ Engage with like minded people who can encourage you on your journey.
~ Be the best student you can of what you are pursuing… always be learning!
~Don’t be afraid of new challenges. These bring us more growth.
Getting to the next step might be big and scary and we might wonder if we have what it takes.
You do. We all do.
Enjoy your journey, embrace where you are, but never stop asking “what’s next”.
It’s afternoon and I’ve landed in my favorite coffee cave to sit for awhile and hopefully churn out something fun, witty, educational, and worth your time reading.
Ok… well one or more of those could be potentially true.
It’s a busy afternoon and I’m listening to the low rumble of customer chatter and overhead elevator music. Weirdly, I can often work best in this type of clamor.
Even though the afternoon is still very warm out a hot coffee sounded appealing and it’s warmth is soothing. I wish I could apply the same warmth to my legs that are now reminding me of all their efforts from this mornings workout.
I really don’t mind the tired ache that comes from a hard workout. I’d always take that over the random “aches and pains” I hear people complain about from doing nothing.
Of course this morning was a bit more than a regular workout. If you follow me then you’ve seen some posts where I’ve talked about my upcoming duathlon in November.
Well it’s 6 weeks out to be precise. I try not to let the ever closing in date mentally play tricks on me. I’ve been training hard and I’ll take my best that day to the race. It’s all I can do.
Today was my second time to do it all, start to finish. Each leg of the run/bike/run course.
Recovery time after my duathlon practice this morning. It took a lot of stubbornness to get to this point 😉
I’ve done different parts before. I’ve run some of it and biked a lot of it. Last week I put it all together. My plans are to do the entire course once a week till race day.
Even knowing what it all involves, I still take a big gulp before I head out because I have a healthy respect for the toughness of the course.
That old saying “it doesn’t get easier, you get stronger”? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s true. My body at this point is stronger for the tasks of the course but it still requires a fierce amount of energy and strength to which I have to remind myself, I have in me.
I have a serious amount of stubbornness that has driven me to get up early and head out to kick my own tail, to teach myself new things and learn from my mistakes. My Mom used to call me stubborn and hubby still can but I think he means it in a loving way, right?? haha
I’ve never viewed that as a bad thing, you know? It was, and is, simply a part of my passion.
Stubbornness hasn’t let me give up on things so many times. It hasn’t let me quit when I was tired or feeling like I wasn’t doing my best. It’s challenged me to push myself to see how far I can go and what I can accomplish. It’s helped me hold on in life when things weren’t easy.
Being a bit stubborn definitely has it’s good and bad points.
Then I came across this quote the other night that really resonated with me and made me think about it all in a different way.
I’ve never quite thought of perseverance and stubbornness being close siblings, but it made me think how perseverance to do something is, and can be, born out of stubbornness.
Perseverance ~ steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Where as stubbornness can be looked at as unyielding, or a refusal to give up or change a thought or position I’ve always considered it more in the sense of being passionate over whatever was at hand. Of course there is a line of stubbornness that is more unyielding and a non flexible attribute but that isn’t the way I’m considering it for the sake of this post.
It just made me consider that my pursuit of athletic endeavors has had a healthy amount of stubbornness that hasn’t let me give up or quit. Yet, somehow, in that stubbornness a real honest perseverance has been born from that. It’s interesting to note that perseverance is a synonym of stubbornness.
I love this particular definition on it ~ dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something.
Now that can definitely be a negative, however in the context of this, I see it as a positive.
Not changing my mind on fitness goals, when I was working to lose weight, or anything else related to my health. It’s a good thing to not change my position on my health.
You might be able to apply similar things to your own life. True, you might not be training for a duathlon or training for anything at all. But I’m pretty sure you are moving through this world living your life and I hope you have things you aspire to do or achieve.
You might never want to or have a desire to do a single athletic thing. What if you want to go back to school, pursue a new career, try a new hobby, take on a new “thing”.
Gosh, I hope you have something you’re chasing in this life.
I’ll tell you, it will take some stubbornness on your part, an unyielding to give up on it, and somehow that stubbornness will meld beautifully with perseverance and you will find yourself stronger and more focused in the pursuit of your goals and passions.
When I cross that finish line in a few weeks, no matter what, it will be worth it because I chased down my goals, set higher limits for myself, and have overcome things to get to that point.
I’m stubborn like that.
Tell me do you view perseverance or stubbornness as an asset to accomplish things in your life ?What have you accomplished that you feel like you persevered to get to ?
Meetings. School, work, volunteer groups seems like no matter what kind of group you may be involved with at some point they have meetings you attend. Some you may be able to get out of but something like, work, you really don’t get an option.
When you have a meeting with the boss you better make sure your happy little self is there ready to do what needs to be done.
A scheduled meeting with yourself to get your sweat on should be no different.
I’ve been asked how I manage to “stick with” exercise. I’ve been told that my “dedication” is to be admired. Often the person I’m talking with is wanting to know what the magic potion is that has helped me maintain my exercise regime for 8 years now.
I hate to tell you, but there isn’t any magic potion.
In the beginning it involved some whining and complaining ( to myself) but I made myself go do it.
And those are accurate words… made myself.
No athletic clothes, no heavy sweating, no techie gear, no athletic goals dancing in my head. Just a decent pair of shoes, I’d dutifully walk off my 2 miles.
I wasn’t excited about doing it. I did it because I knew I needed to and if I wanted to live a healthy life I would move my body purposefully every single day.
I made a commitment to it. If I couldn’t do it in the morning ( my preferred time) then I’d come home in the afternoon, change shoes, and go get it done.
In time something crazy started happening….
I don’t remember exactly when the shift occurred. The shift from dutifully doing it and checking it off my list, to something I looked forward to and began to guard and schedule as anything else important in my life.
In a 24 hour span of time, my workouts sessions were my time I scheduled with myself. I learned to view them as important as anything else I’d be doing in my day.
I learned to structure the rest of my day and appointments around my scheduled workout time, allowing for clean up and getting to my destination.
Some mornings are tight but I’ve become a wizard at transforming from sweaty, grime crusted athletic girl to someone who smells clean and looks respectable in an almost Ninja fast way.
Why? Because those meetings are important to me. They set the tone for my day. Workouts wake up my body, clear the night cobwebs and get my blood flowing. If I miss it, I honestly feel “off”.
I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process.
When you commit to something and faithfully follow through it turns into this crazy thing called… a habit. Once that habit is established it doesn’t cross your mind to make excuses to not do it.
I’ve spent a lot of time on the road and putting miles under me is a great way to learn things about myself.
I haven’t learned those things by not keeping my scheduled meetings to be there.
Over these past years I’ve seen what I’m made of when I have to dig deeper into myself for the challenge in front of me. I’ve learned I can continue to push past limits and head to new ones, and then push past those too.
In keeping those meetings with myself, fitness has taught me so much.
I’ve learned more about discipline, consistency, hard work, perseverance, sacrifice, goal setting, the strength of not just my body ( which at times I’m amazed at what it can do) but how it’s forged a fierce mental toughness in me which comes in handy for the rest of life. I’ve learned with training and determination I can do things I used to think were only for an elite group of people.
And in a cool way, I learned that I was pretty good at it. Something else I would’ve missed out on not keeping those early morning meetings with myself.
So what suggestions do I give to people?
As mentioned above, that is one of the things I get asked mainly because I think people do find it so hard to stick with. They want ideas and help to get rolling (and hopefully ) staying with it.
They have a genuine desire but I hear them, it’s hard in the beginning! You have to fight back against all the things that come at you, especially yourself.
Excuses can be easily made to justify not getting it done. Work, family, school, other activities all clamor for our attention and we wonder if it isn’t easier to just let it go.
So here are my pointers, for what it’s worth.
~Determine what time of day is best for you. This will be a totally personal thing depending on the schedule of your life and if you function best in the morning or evening. Find a time.
~ Start with something you enjoy doing. You will stay with it if you actually like what you do. And why you’re doing that, be thinking of something else you can do. Having a couple activities keeps boredom from setting in.
~ Just start. Don’t wait for Monday or till after a holiday or your grandmothers birthday. Just get up and start.
~ There are days you’re gonna think you’re to tired. Do it anyway. You’ll feel invigorated I promise.
~View it as important as anything else in your day and don’t allow it to not get done. ** I will say here, sometimes life just happens, even for me. If things go beyond your control and it just doesn’t, just regroup and get at it again the next day.**
~ Zealously guard your time. In the beginning when I started exercising I kept at it because I felt like the alcoholic who, if they had a drink would fall off the wagon. Only I worried if I made an excuse one day, then it would lead to another day, and I’d find myself in the land of excuses again for dropping my exercise habit. Honestly, it scared me enough to make me stay at it. Sometimes a little fear doesn’t hurt.
~ Consistency and discipline have payoffs. Not just the side effects of helping you lose weight or how your physique may change with it, but you will build that discipline into a new habit, and new habits have this crazy way of sticking.
~ Be kind to yourself. Remember an unexpected set back or off day isn’t a reason to forget the idea. Several years ago I hurt my knee, and no, not from running. It was from learning to ride a motorcycle 😛 the doctor wanted me off running for 6 weeks. I was devastated. But I was more terrified with that much time off I’d be out of my routine and not want to go back to it. Not true. I counted the days and when I got back on the road for the first time, I literally cried. ( something I do not recommend as running with a snotty nose hinders your breathing a bit haha 😉 ) I cried to be back out. I cried that my desire hadn’t gone away. I cried for the pure freedom of doing something I had been learning to love.
That’s when I realized that exercise thing really had stuck.
Yes, there are days now I wake up and as my brain is focusing on my training for that morning I think am I gonna have all I need to do this ? Of course that’s my “foggy, I haven’t had coffee yet to remind me that, yes I do” brain speaking.
I do have all I need. I love what I can do and am thankful to be able to do it. I’m thankful I pushed on in those early days and didn’t quit.
This is what happens when you stick with exercise. You’re snapping a selfie after finishing your first round through the entire duathlon course. #runbikerun
If you’re struggling to get started understand we’ve all been there. Just make a commitment to yourself and get rolling with one day at a time. Schedule your meetings with yourself and before you know it, you’ll be eager to show up for them.
Tell me have you overcome the lack of exercise in your life? How did you do it? Or is this an area you still struggle with ?
sassyfitnesschick 