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 !!! :-)

The Matter of "Size" . . . does size matter?

Good day to you :)  Thanks for reading - whether for a first time or "n"th time, welcome!  This is a place where I log my physical activity, sometimes vent :), offer advice and links to research or products that I have found to be useful, and sometimes ask for advice! 

Recently, I blogged about not fitting into a dress for an upcoming wedding.  This was a frustrating experience for multiple reasons: 1) physically not fitting means either paying for alterations or needing to lose weight, 2) mental angst that comes with unwanted weight gain/shape change, 3) mental lashings when I feel incredibly hypocritical and unworthy of calling myself a health educator/health coach/personal trainer!

At the bottom of this blog, I have listed a few interesting links that I really enjoyed and that made me think about my current 'predicament'.  A few things that I need to gain a little perspective on include remembering that I am pretty darn healthy, for the most part, and my body does pretty much everything that it is supposed to do.  Granted, for some reason, my brain likes to take little sidetracks and try to convince me that I'm not worthy of other people's time/affection/what-have-you or that what I am doing with my life is ridiculously inept.  This has been diagnosed as Dysthymia.  Granted, for some reason, my body feels a lot of physical pain for no "known" reason/apparent cause.  This has had several diagnoses, the latest and most accurate (I think, from my research in the area) is Chronic Myofascial Pain (Myofascial Pain Syndrome).   Granted, I have some variation of early-onset Degenerative Disc Disease and an annular bulge.  BUT - I am still able to feed-bathe-dress myself, I am still able to drive, walk my dog, enjoy funny movies, read books, learn new things, conversate with friends, meet new people, travel the world, exercise, try new activities, paint, write this blog . . .

SO!!!  Let's focus on happy thoughts!!

Yesterday, a good friend sent me a text while I was at work.  Would I want to go for a walk or to a park since it was such a nice day?  Thoughts that went through my mind: I'm soooo sleepy, I have a group project meeting after work and I need to get more of my part of the paper done, blah blah blah.  "Yes, I'm done with work at 5, how about 5:30?"  She was able to come over around 6pm and my roommate joined us!  We walked my doggy to the dog park and let her romp around; such a nice night and had fun meeting and playing with other dogs (and people) at the park!  The park is just over a mile from my apartment, so we had a nice distance to-from the park and then the dog was able to run around to her hearts content while we chatted and enjoyed each others' company in the nice "cool" Florida fall weather! 

I am working at *always* saying yes to a walk or bike ride with a friend; if there is not something else imminent that needs doing, I can always use the company and the movement :)  I encourage you to do the same!  And, sometimes, be the person that asks others to join YOU for a walk!  Being in the fresh air (or even walking up and down the stairs at work if you have 10 minutes) will get blood pumping and fresh oxygen circulating :)

Here are a couple of interesting reads, if you have the time:

http://theinsider.retailmenot.com/trend/vanity-sizing.html
http://alwayssick.com/2011/08/09/are-womens-clothing-sizes-getting-smaller-a-trip-to-tjmaxx/

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!!! :)

Seeking: Intrinsic Motivation!

Spent time on Tuesday at the local YMCA with my oldest brother and his soon-to-be-wife.  The Onalaska, WI, YMCA (from the parts that I saw) provides a pretty awesome family activity atmosphere!  Not only do both my bro and sis-in-law have their choice of a large assortment of exercise equipment (in a CLEAN gym) but they also can bring their 16-month-old son along to play in the kids room/play area (which is supervised by Y staff).  SaaaWEET! 

My sister claims she "doesn't run."  Contrary to that statement, we went for a one-hour walk/jog on Thursday when I got to her place in Ames.  Then, she text me last night to tell me she ran 3.5 miles.  Hm.  Verrry interesting.

I've been fairly good at getting moving when the people I am with are also in motion.  I have lofty goals.  But there is something missing: Where is my intrinsic motivation?  After driving for 15 hours yesterday + sleeping 5 hours at a rest area in my car + an additional 8 hour drive today, it's a wonder that I don't feel like stretching my legs with a run.  Perhaps the 98-degree hot-n-humid weather and the stack of bills and desire for sleep were enough to stall my activity today.  Tomorrow will be a different story.  Regardless of the temperature, hurricane Emily, or all of the junk yet to me cleaned out of me car, I will get in at least a nice long walk and perhaps some yoga tomorrow to get moving.  Hopefully, I will have the desire to give the dog a bath and then we can walk or jog as she dries :)

Happy moving!  Get to it!