monthly health challenge :: august

The hot summer is drawing to and end, but it's not too late to boost your fitness level a little.... starting with your core. Our core strength can literally make or break our fitness level. Too often we overlook the importance of isolating our core muscles during exercise (mostly because it hurts like heck)! So, I've come up with a little core challenge to take us through the month of August. Do this plank challenge EVERY DAY, 
with out fail, and by September 1st we should all feel a little stronger, and probably measure a little smaller around the mid-section. If you're feeling up to it, join me. Getting started is always the hardest part, but it's always worth the effort.

  

finding my way back

I had forgotten how much I love it. It's been two years. But, on Friday, I made my way back to Yoga. It's unlike anything else I have ever done for my health. Difficult, challenging, but at the same time so relaxing. I came away with a renewed spirit, mind and body. And, an unquenchable desire for more. I'm definitely back, to stay. If you've never done yoga, I challenge you to find a class and give it a try. It's more than just a workout for your body, it's also a challenge for your mind. Learning to relax it... to shut out everything negative from entering it. Something that is so hard to do in most settings. Friday, during the final relaxation part of class, we were asked to think of three truths about ourselves. These truths were to begin with the two words 'I am'. This is much harder to do than you might think. Why is it so easy to say positive things about others, but so hard to say them about ourselves? Even if we feel positive about ourselves, it's sometimes difficult to verbalize it. My three truths?

I am kind.
I am strong.
I am loved.

It's such a great practice to incorporate into your life on a daily basis. I started today. Namaste...  

life lesson #10,364.... or something like that

I have been going through a.... shall we say, "motivationally-challenged" phase of life. Being one that has always tried hard to stay on top of my fitness and healthy eating, this has been very hard for me. I've been dealing with this for about four months now. I have no explanation for why, except that perhaps age has something to do with it. Perhaps. That could just be an excuse.... and I have many more where that came from. Regardless, it has been an issue for me. Also, the crappy weather and lack of clean air to breath has only added to my current state. Needless to say, my clothes are fitting me a little differently these days, which does not sit well with me. But, apparently it sits well enough that it hasn't motivated me to change. Yet.

A couple of weeks ago, my good friend (thanks Lori:) brought over a few photos from a recent trip we took together. In some of them, I was wearing a swimsuit. I don't think I need to waste your time talking about my private reaction to those photos. Let's just say that I now have possession of some amazing "before" pictures that have helped me to locate my long, lost motivation. With this new found attitude, I have been hard at work preparing myself for the long road back.

The other day, I ran across the quote above on Pinterest. You can imagine my horror. I was devastated at the thought that it would take me forty months (almost four years) to undo the damage from the last 4 months. FORTY MONTHS!! I was in a mild state of panic. No, it was a serious state of panic. And, I was furious!! Who put the internet in charge anyway?? Who were they to tell me how long it would take me to get back on track. I was determined to prove whoever this person was wrong. And then, I notice that the quote was from a fictional character, and laughed out loud to myself. The pressure was off. I had nothing to prove. I could go about the business of losing that "little extra somethin'" at my own pace. I have since come up with my own quote. One that I believe in wholeheartedly.

Okay, it's not MY quote, but it was a sign on a tree (that I may have added another sign to, in photoshop:) But, it's my plan and I'm sticking to it. In all my years of experience, it's the best way. No matter what. Going slow and steady. Doing what you know works for YOU. That is all I need to worry about. No matter who tells me differently. I don't believe it will take ten times longer to get back to a comfortable state of fitness. It will take a while, but not four years!! Lessons learned? Don't believe everything you read, consistency is the answer to almost everything, it takes hard work to accomplish anything worthwhile, the internet should be taken with a grain of salt, the Hunger Games series is really good, Photoshop rocks and even pictures of signs nailed to trees can be used in a blog post:) Happy Wednesday!

steal of a deal

I belong to a gym, but I haven't been since March. I prefer to work out at my other gym, where membership is always free. It's a steal of a deal. It has many of the same amenities as my other gym such as weight benches, balance beams, treadmills, stairclimbers, stretching areas and, of course, a swimming pool. It even offers rowing, biking, rollerblading and paddle boarding. The views are spectacular and the air is fresh and clean. Unfortunately, my days are numbered there. November is moving right along, and the colder weather is moving in. The cold doesn't bother me, but when the snow hits this place will become a frozen tundra. Last year, the mild winter kept my gym open year-round. Oh how I hope that happens again! There's just something about the sweaty, hot "regular" gym that I dread. Fortunately, it looks like I have at least a few more weeks of suitable weather. The only down side to this place? Oh wait, there isn't one... 

monthly health challenge

via pinterest

Okay, let me start this post by saying... No, this is not me. However, I hope when I am this age (which isn't very far off) I will still be jumping rope with a smile on my face. Wait, I don't even do that now. I mean I jump rope, but I'm usually panting and sweating and watching the clock praying that I can make it for the last 10 seconds. Regardless, I want to look like this cute little grandma when I get older. It's November and the weather is starting to get colder. If you are like most, exercise gets harder this time of year. Between the shorter days, the colder weather, the stress of the upcoming holidays and the increased desire for all kinds of yummy comfort foods and desserts, it's very easy to blow off exercise. For November, the monthly health challenge is to remember the words of Albert Einstein. Yes, you heard me right. It turns out he knows about good health along with everything else. He said, "Living life is like riding a bike--you have to keep moving to stay balanced." Brilliant isn't it? Keep moving. That's our new challenge. Find ways to keep moving through the busy month of November. It sounds cliche', but park far away from the front door when you are doing your holiday shopping. Take the stairs. Turn on the latest T-Swift CD and bust a move!! (not that I would EVER do something like that...) Whatever it takes, do not go into hibernation this holiday season. MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, and then MOVE some more.

Getting My Brave On

This week in my photography class 

we have been focusing on bravery.

At first, I thought it was a strange subject

to be talking about in photography,

but the more I think about it,

the more sense it makes.

After all, photography is mainly about

preserving memories.

All kinds of memories.

"Capturing brave moments"

brings images to mind 

like a child jumping off a diving board for the first time,

or a picture of a fireman on 9-11.

Certainly those types of images do portray bravery,

but there are other faces of bravery all around 

just waiting to be captured.

This week, we were assigned to look at our past

 and think of a brave moment that we were a part of.

One that had been documented.

That was the hard part.....hmmm.

I've witnessed a lot of bravery in my lifetime,

been involved in a little of it myself,

but documenting it is a whole other story.

First off, as mentioned in a previous post,

I am usually behind the camera,

not in front of it.

But, there was one moment of bravery 

that came to mind.

It was from 6 months ago,

and was documented by Bob.

It's something that I haven't blogged about 

because I wanted the limelight to be on Brittany.

It was her day,

her special goal,

and her awesome accomplishment.

I was just along for the ride.

And it was a great ride.

I'm talking, of course,

about running the 1/2 marathon.

It wasn't so much about the actual day,

but more about the journey along the way.

I think for me, the greatest accomplishment,

and the thing that required the most courage

and commitment,

was the 9 months of training before the actual race.

Every time I set out to run,

I had this little voice inside my head 

that would whisper things like

"you're too old to do this",

"you don't have the time to train",

"you are too tired",

etc., etc.

I remember the last run before the race

feeling so overwhelmed with appreciation

to my body for carrying me on this journey.

It truly was an eye-opening moment for me

to realize that I could accomplish hard things,

that I'm not too old,

and that my body is still strong 

and responds to being pushed to the limit.

It may seem silly to count this as a brave moment,

but for me it was that and more.

Something I will never forget,

and forever be proud of.

Not in a boastful way,

but more of a thankful way.

Even now, as I replay it in my mind,

I get a little emotional

thinking about how it felt 

to accomplish such a huge goal.

And so, I leave you

 a little documentation 

of me (#730) crossing the finish line.

The smile on my face is there

mostly because "my person" (Bob)

was there to see me finish the race.

There's nothing like the support of loved ones

when you are attempting something so hard.

Thanks Bob for being there 

and for making sure it was forever documented.

And, thanks Britt

for dragging me along

and helping me feel strong.

Best running partner ever!!

Tennis Anyone?

Well, the nets are finally up,

Our shoes are dusted off,

Our balls have been brought out of storage,

And we are ready to play our first game of tennis since October.

(Well, technically it's our second game

but the first one didn't count 

because it was below zero

and we had gloves on.)

Brittina Bratilova is looking

especially competitive and ruthless this year. 

I tried to document our match with a few pics,

but, as you can see, it is dang hard to hold a camera 

and play tennis at the same time.

This isn't even our court!

We tried to look like seasoned veterans of the game.

You know, all graceful and light on our feet.

But we mostly looked like this,

and this.

(feel free to click on these  to get a close-up

of just how bad we really are)

In the end, it was really fun.

I won't say who played better . . .

but there was only ONE person who needed a water bottle :)

I'm just saying . . .

Hey look. . .

. . .it's a Pen taking a picture of a Penn!

(sorry, photography humor.)

Caught Red Handed

There is a sign I pass every time I go for a run at the lake.

I don't really pay attention to it . . .

. . .but I probably should have today.

 It was probably the most slippery run I have ever been on.

All of the bridges and most of the other paths

were still frozen over from Saturday night's storm.

 

When I drove to the lake this morning,

it was freezing cold. 

But, I could see the sun peeking out,

so I thought it was going to get warmer.

I must have had on my rose colored glasses,

because when I finished

my hands looked like this!

Oh well, live and learn.

Brrrrrr!

Jumping Back In

I'm in a love/hate relationship 

 with my jump rope.

We had a trial separation for the month of December,

but I couldn't take it anymore.

Starting today, we are back together again.

They say breaking up is hard to do. . . .

. . . but personally, I think getting back together

is brutal!!!! 

They Lie In Wait. . .

It's Monday morning.

January 2, 2012.

As I walk out my door I see them.

They lie in wait.

My trusty running shoes.

Poised and ready to take on the next run.

Fearless.

Loyal.

Stylish?

Dependable.

Wish I felt the same way:(

I want to run from them,

but I would need them in order to run away.

I guess we are destined to be together.

Until one of us gives out.

It won't be me :)

Happy New Year shoes!!