Holy Catsmoke, Batman!

Don't even ask me where that post title came from - there is not an ounce of relevance within this post!


Hi there!  Where have you been? 


What? Me?  Where have I  been? Well, lets see, I've been working, quitting jobs, re-situating my life, entertaining guests from Florida, going to music concerts, riding bike, and running!  Yep, running!  I can kinda do it!


Last Saturday, I ran with a group of friends in a nearby 5-mile 'race'.  I haven't run over 4 miles in a couple of years, so that was a feat to begin with - then, I challenged myself to try to get it done in less than an hour.


Ready for this? Drum roll, pleeeease . . .


59:04! Woot, woot!  I did it!  Less than an hour!  A couple of accomplishments throughout the run include 1) not stopping to walk until around 18minutes into the race, 2) keeping a close eye on the friends who were running just ahead of me and sticking with them, 3) when a song came on the Ipod that was really motivating, I kept replaying (and replaying) to keep my body movin'!

Loved having a great group of strong, kind women to be active and outdoors with!  Thank you, ladies! (And friend's fiance's brother!)

5-Mile Run (about to commence!)

A few of us went for a 12-mile "easy" bikeride on Tuesday.  Planned to do a 3-mile run this morning but this lady was super-duper tired and opted to gain some more rest.  (Not sure it did any good!) I've been tracking runs and bike rides on www.mapmyrun.com and www.mapmyride.com which, as long as my phone is receiving a decent GPS signal, gives distance and pace (as well as the map)!  Cool!

Sunday, Funday

THANK YOU baby Jesus for the sunshine, the breeze, the bike trail, and good people (and dogs) in my life!  Great run/walk with two awesome ladies and all of our dogs!  Impromptu 11am-12pm on a fairly flat bike trail.  3.82mi.

Came home and made an AWESOME smoothie:

1 ripe-to-slightly overripe banana
mixed berries (blue, rasp, & black)
1.5 tbsp peanut butter powder
1 tbsp chocolate soy-spirulina protein powder (basically a ground up multi vitamin)
chunks of frozen chopped spinach
unsweetened vanilla almond milk
some ground flaxseed
some raw wheat germ


Yum-O!  Get yourself moving somehow, someway TODAY!  And put some fruits and veggies in your body!

Boom-Diggity-Boom

Wassup?

While working (yes, working) on a project at work, I came across this blog/something-or-other that I think is pretty awesome . . . however, please beware, if you are sensitive to swears, the title of this link begins with a naughty word.

That said, CHECK IT OUT! --->  human bodies are AMAZING

P.S. This week is going well for exercise . . . Mon run, Tues yoga, Weds took dogs on a snow-hike in field/woods area, today led/did fat burner circuit at TWC.  However. . .my FEET and HIPS hurrrrrrt! Uggggh.

Doggies playin' in da snowy woods!

Keep on keepin' on.  Need some fun, motivating tunes?  Check out Escala - saWEET!

pookey-wookey

Today, I'm feeling reeeeeally pookey.  In my neck of the woods, that means I'm feeling pretty down-in-the-dumps.  The last couple of days, I have been wracked with mostly self-inflicted anxiety.  Saturday I nearly ate my weight in snacks and meals.  Thankfully, Sunday, I got out for a really nice walk on the local bike trail - the crunchy snow added a little extra challenge, which was actually very appreciated.  Today, after several HOURS of computer work (bleh!) I took the dogs for a jog/walk.  That made me not only feel better about my physical activity but, of course, helped improve my mood for a while.  I also ate lots of veggies yesterday and today, which has an affect on both my perceptions of self and actual body feelings.  After the outing today, I made myself a really nice epsom salt-baking soda-bubble bath and read a fun book.  These are the things that are keeping me going today as I work very persistently in not having a pity-party for self.  Ahhhh!!  Good balances the not so fun.  Sometimes, a day is just not so spectacular.  Still gotta take care of self :-)  Move the body, consume healthful nutrients, and rest.  Do your best. :-)

no title because my brain won't come up with one

Hidey-Ho! Thanks for swingin' by to read my blog!  For the loyal 3 fans that read when I post regularly, my apologies for being so absent lately!  I have honestly been wrapped up in my new jobS and reading and prepping for work and working out! 

As for the New Year, New Ideas post (followed by Beets and Avocados) - those ideas are still on track!  Just on hold, for right now.  The beets, as a matter of fact, are in the veggie drawer in my fridge and I have a recipe picked out . . . just haven't made it yet! 

Perhaps more importantly, I haven't been writing to hold myself accountable for exercise!  I have been working out daily (with perhaps one lazy day) for the last two weeks!!!!  My body feels stronger and more flexible and I am sleeping so soundly.  *(Sleeping has been amazing since I moved back to Minnesota . . . my DIStress level has been nearly non-existent and my mind and body have felt very peaceful.)  Back to exercise, I've been able to attend one or two group exercise classes per week, leading an exercise class once per week in which I partake (soon to be two), walk dogs daily (anywhere from 10-40 minutes) and yesterday, I did yoga in my living room before work!  I've been more mindful about why I am exercising and how my body feels both before and after activit[ies].  My 'plan' and hope is that if I am more intrinsically motivated to move than I am extrinsically motivated (because lets be real, external motivators will never be nonexistent!), I will remember to be mindful, patient, and persistent in how/how often/when I exercise.

Of course, I have goals of completing another sprint triathlon, completing a half-marathon, and participating in a Tough Mudder and a Warrior Dash, I know my body and mind - if I try to do too much to quickly, my body reacts with pain and my mind becomes discouraged when I miss workouts or "don't feel" like exercise. 

As I am writing, my words don't seem to me like they flow - like I am forcing this post.  I'm not!  But I wanted to get back into writing more regularly . . . both to work on my writing, chronicle my thoughts, hold myself accountable for exercise, & provide some motivation and reality for my clients and readers -- all of those things.  I hope :)

Until next time (hopefully within a week!) - Be Well !!! :-)

New Year, New Ideas!

Happy First Monday of 2012!!

One of the neat ideas that my new roomy and I are going to give-a-go is incorporating "ultimate superfoods" into our weekly nutrition!  What does this mean?  Glad you asked :) 

I found the book, '100 Best Health Foods', at an outlet store and snagged the book as a resource for my professional life - I want to use it as a tool in coaching wellness.  Meanwhile, my roommate and I had the GENIUS idea that we would take each of the 100 foods listed and write them on index cards, draw two each week, and incorporate them into our meals for the week!  The plan is to pick two of the 100 at random (from a jar or something) and use the food item in 1-2 meals or snacks during the week.  Most of the items are not difficult to find, whether they be apples or almonds or cherries - but some of the items are not what either of us typically look for (sardines, radicchios) . . . we are going to figure out the more specific plan to follow later this evening or tomorrow, so I will be able to tell you ALL the details :) Meanwhile, as I was writing all of the foods on index cards this morning, I thought, "Why not blog each week about the foods we try and share the recipes we make?!"  COOL! Kinda like the book/movie Julie and Julia :) wherein Julie creates the recipes of Julia Child's cookbook and blogs about them!  This blog, of course, will still be about keeping moving and exercising, of course, but this is a neat twist on trying different ways to incorporate healthful foods!  Hope it turns out to be fun :)


This is the book we are using as a guide!



To a Healthy, Happy 2012!

Replace "thinner" with LEANER and I agree 100% !!

WowzaYowzaPow!

Heeey!!!  How are you??  What has been the best part of your day, so far?!

Whattap, my friends and followers?  I have been MIA for way-too-long, but with good reason and some interesting events to catch ya'll up on!

I'll work kinda backward here, starting with today being the 28th of December in Minnesota and we do NOT have any SNOW!  Wowza!!  Went for a 45min/2.5mi walk with my new roomy and her dog today as they showed us the new trail in the town we just moved to...oh yeah...my dog and I moved back to MN after I *graduated*!!  Yeehaw! 

Yesterday, my ma and I helped my stepdad move a bunch of stuff at his business to a different property so that he can improve the quality of the Brick Oven Bakery!  What a job - we are "good helpers", and as my mama always says, "Good thing [your stepdad] has strong women in his life!" Amen to that.  We lifted and hauled for 2 hours; although moving isn't always a fun project, I reminded myself (out loud, sometimes) that it was good exercise :)  A little bit of stiffness and glute ouchies today - yowza - but used good form and don't have any back or hip pain! YAY!

Monday, my awesome extended-family on ma's side went BOWLING after Christmas dinner!  I haven't been bowling in years - maybe 6 or 7 years?  Haven't been able to because it really hurt my back for a long time.  Not this week!  Yeeeeehawww!!  It was a LOT of fun!  Even better, my awesome team (pictured below and missing one teammate) won two awards - so, we win! :)  "Team Jake" decided we were the ultimate winners because Captain Jake had the highest score out of the four teams/8 games played, and I had the most single-pins (aka #1-POW!).  So, WE WIN! :)  My lil' cousin in front got to take home the Christmas balloon as his prize! 

All this excitement and that's only the last three days!  I won't go back any further than last Saturday, December 24, when I had the opportunity to lead Yoga at Total Wellness Coaching as a sub for the regular instructor.  I will be taking on more classes next month as a substitute and hope to be incorporated by the business as an independent contractor as much as possible!  Meanwhile, I'm still looking for other jobs . . .

I still need to update ya'll on the trip that my former roomy and I took to Warm Mineral Springs . . . ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . I want to go back!  As soon as I get those pictures uploaded I will post :)  Until then - stay active!!  Move a little bit more each day.  Join a class, take your neighbor's dog for a walk, do some sit-ups while watching your favorite TV show, or use the stairs at work instead of the elevator!

Flo Rida

>>Flo Rida<<  Thank you, sister.  This be some good jams.  Get amped.  Live your LIFE!  Get moving!!

"Gotta love the life that we livin'!"  
:-) Happy.





Many meanings.  Reflecting on my year living in Florida as it draws near an end, eager and nervous about starting new adventures upcoming.
This song is perfect. And the many modes of physical activity rocks :-)



and in case you missed the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OnnDqH6Wj8 

Walking Gators

Eeeeeep!

I haven't written in sooooooooo long!!  Don't think I haven't been moving - that would not be accurate!  I have just had a lot of homework and don't feel like sitting at a computer any more than necessary!

Have to give a shout-out today to Walking Gators and Living Well <--link to LW blog!

Annnnd look at this!  http://news.ufl.edu/snapshots/2011/10/06/  Cool beans!

Nicole Burow, a graduate student in health education and behavior from Minnesota, hands out T-shirts at the Reitz Student Union Colonnade to people who registered for the Walking Gators program on Thursday. Walking Gators was created in January 2008 by the Healthy Gators Coalition to help faculty, staff and students de-stress and exercise during the workday and during their free time.

Since last posting, I've done some hard workouts (thanks to a friend and future CPT with PTAGlobal.), some longer walks with the dog, and some swimming!

Have to go, now, though - study time.

Until next blog, KEEP MOVING! :)

AHA! I got you, Morning!

SUCCESS!

Even though it was T-O-U-G-H to get up and out of bed this morning (alarm initially went off at 5:30 . . . didn't actually get up until 6:00am!) I made it to the gym by 6:30!  Yay!  Win #1.  I found parking nearby the gym. Win #2.  Completed bike warmup (10 min), 2x10-15 reps of 6 leg/lower body exercises (~ 20min), yoga and stretching (~20 min), home to walk dog (~20 min).  WIN!  Ate breakfast, showered, took NAP.  WIIINNNNNN for meeee!!

Tomorrow, I hope/plan for something similar. Goal is to get to gym by 6:30 again and do arms/upper body + yoga/stretch and a dog walk.  I don't want to get tooooo crazy and tell you my goals for Wednesday and Thursday, yet . . . mostly because I know how I fare in the mornings AND my legs were very sore (and still kind of are but less so after the unfortunate but helpful medication ibuprofen). 

Gator Volleyball got my motor turnin' on Saturday and I am busting outta this funky mood that I've been in since I came back from Minnesota!  I really want to be able to feel less sore and tired and potentially enter some road race competitions again in the next couple of months.  Additionally, I really need to be able to fit into that bridesmaid dress in October!!! Haha! 

Hope that this morning stuff will hold on - want to try morning workouts Mon-Tues-Weds each week to get them done and outta the way for the day in hopes that I will perhaps focus a little bit on my stacks of reading for classes...

Until *tomorrow*, have a great day, and find some time to get up and move around!!! :)

Time to be nice...

Okay, that last post wasn't real friendly.  Oops.  I'm human and get annoyed.  Deal!

Flipping to the positive Polly personality of my apparently many-sided-brain, I was able to get some *fun movement* in both yesterday and today!

Last night, I went to watch Gator Volleyball CHOMP the North Carolina Tarheels!! SO MUCH FUN.  I MISS VOLLEYBALL SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!  :(  Anyway, afterward, I went with a couple of friends to 'midtown' and we danced for a couple of hours!  So much fun!  Today, I worked a shift at LivingWell and throughout my shift I was able to hop on some of the machines and push some weight around :)  It was definitely not a "workout" in that I did not have a regimen and barely broke a sweat (yes, I am a sweaty beast, and for those of you who are able to move around and not perspire - well, I don't really have anything witty to say, but I 'perspire' just getting out of bed in the morning.  Deal with it!)  Back to what I was saaaaaaaaaaying, I didn't complete everything in one time frame or have a program to follow, but I had the time and the tools to put my body to the test, and I did it!  In amongst the occasional gym walk-through to check on members and pick up left behind magazines and newspapers, and spurts of equipment and facility cleaning (*keeping a positive attitude, all of the cleaning means more physical activity!*), I would sit down on a weight machine and do 10-15 repetitions of a light-to-moderate weight.  Not only did it feel good to move around and wake up a little (I was *yawn* reading a textbook and taking notes while posted at the front desk), I was also able to check the equipment more thoroughly for cleanliness and proper function while providing a role model to the patrons: Not only would I show them that I, too, use the equipment, but I could provide a model of proper form/technique.

All in a days work, my friends.

Happy times are those when we choose to see the positive aspects of a situation.  Take advantage of a frozen computer screen--get up and walk around while you are on phone-hold with the tech person!  Take advantage of the time that you need to spend studying for that exam: bring your notebook to a gym and sit on a stationary bike while you review notes!

What are your plans for more physical activity today?

Saucony, take 2!

Had to break in the new kicks today.  I didn't get up this morning before work early enough to go for a walk or run (biiiiiig surprise there!).  <<Oh - by the way - I didn't end up walking or jogging last night, either, because guess what?  Life and friends got in the way :) It happens.>>  I'm thankful that I had the motivation to do yoga earlier in the day!

I digress.

Back to today!  90 minute walk in the new shoes!  It ended up being about 4.5 miles . . . we had to do a little off-roading (read: woods/trail) and backtracking because about half of the time I was on the phone and not really watching where I was going :-) 

Here's a lil' snapshot of the trail we found that led *into the woods* and not back out.  Haha!  Oops.  Oh well! (Bekah moved her head during the photo, so she's all trippy like a ghost! hehe)

Let me just say that, for the record, when you need a little extra motivation (or, call it like it is: distraction) while you are out walking, try taking your cell phone and bluetooth, if you have one of those nifty gadgets and call a person or two!  The conversation passes the time more quickly and you may end up walking longer :)  Plus, its a nice time to reconnect with someone.  Another way to call the look at this would be when someone calls and you are sitting at home, get up and walk around your house or walk around outside. . .or even just sit on the floor and stretch!  Great way to get in some PA (physical activity) when you may otherwise be only sitting/stationary.

Cheers!

In the Interim...

. . . I have not been without internet access, so I cannot blame my lack of posting on such.  Alas, I have suffered a few nights of unrestful sleep and several days of great pain in my hips and legs.  Blast!  I meant to write yesterday, but forgot when I returned from an adventure in shopping!  I meant only to make purchases at one Bed, Bath, and Beyond (a new pillow - WONDERFUL sleep last night!).  As luck would have it, BB&B is next door to Famous Footwear!  I entered this land of soles in search of the KSWISS Blade whatchamacallit that I mentioned in previous post.  I found one that I presumed a size too small for me but was determined to try it on.  HEAVEN in a shoe.  I mean, wow.  It was like a snug new sock with memory-foam padding on my tender soles!  I walked around the store and thought what a wonderful gift this would be to myself as a reward for finishing a half-marathon :)  I don't dare buy much of anything right now, as I am on very limited funding, and don't wish to spend excess ($65 or so) on shoes that I would wear only on occasion.  But, they make a fine reward and motivation!  In the interim, I DID purchase a new pair of running/walking shoes to try as an alternative to the Asics model/series that I have been purchasing for 10 years (Asics GT).  Both my mom and sister have had good experiences with the Saucony brand of shoe and I found a pair that fit, I liked, and were on sale :) Saucony Grid Ignition 2.  I had every intention of running this morning; guess what?  Morning and I are not friends, anymore.  Again.  Mostly, I woke up and, although I had slept "alright", my hips and back were still fairly tender.  I went back to bed after a short while and woke up feeling much more rested a few hours later (hey! don't judge! I might as well take advantage of the time that I have to rest!).  Although it is WAAAY too hot for me to run outside right now, I did 30 minutes of yoga and stretching and feel grrrreat!  I intend to run this evening when it cools off.  If nothing else, my dog needs a nice, long walk, and I want to try out my new shoes :)  I'll report back later! :)  Have a great day, and happy movement!

Time to Try!

Time to get back to work.  Thank you, mom and stepmom, for most recent motivation! 
Mom just finished in 1st place in her local gym's virtual race (milage from one city to another).  WAY TO GO, Mama!


Stepmom invited me to participate in a 5k in Vegas when we go for the 4th of July this year.  Well, how can I say no?  Really.  Other than the fact that it will take place at 7am, a time that I have not witnessed since Minnesota (unless staying up incredibly late to play with friends or drive roomy to airport), I have no reason NOT to participate in said race.  If nothing else, I can certainly WALK the 5k if my feet/legs hurt. 


Who's with me?  Find a competition to get you "re-motivated"!


Side note: I "donated" (sold) my blood/plasma yesterday for the first time.  After an obscenely long wait to even sit in the chair for my arm to be stuck-and-sucked, I ended up nearly passing out with a very low blood pressure . . . well, what do they expect after such a long wait and no food?  Seriously!  Gotta keep this big gal fed!  P. S. If you ever donate/sell plasma (I don't like the donate term because you actually get paid), make sure you a) eat and drink plenty of healthful nutrients and fluids before and after participating, and b) do not engage in moderate or vigorous exercise a few hours before or after the process.  Read more about the life-saving (and money making) opportunity at DONATE PLASMA.


Further note: I have been getting some exercise that I haven't documented.  Both Tuesday and Wednesday at work (library) I volunteered to do the rounds/security check to get up and walking around.  One of the days, cannot remember which, I went for a nice 40 minute walk with the dog and TK.  Today, I biked to work again to take advantage of the cooler weather in the mornings.  Not going to lie, though - if the bus were a more convenient option, I would probably still take the bus.  I can be thankful that the bus schedule provides me an opportunity to get my bum on a bike and pedal-power to work, which is only a few minutes away.  Finally, some days my work schedule allows me to be at a computer/desk that is approximately waist-height.  I can stand and compute, as well as stretch and do some modified yoga moves!  I have taken advantage of this already today! 

Stay tuned . . . want to get going with some 5k training.  Hoping it will get me psyched and ready to start tri-training for the fall!