Don’t quit keep going! When you first start running or any fitness routine, it is easy to give up when it starts to get uncomfortable. But you can’t! As Jillian Michael says “unless you puke, faint or die, keep going.” As you learn to push through those walls, you’ll build both physical and mental endurance and strength. What could be better? Remember if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.
Don’t Quit Keep Going
Moreover, working out is the perfect panacea for a bad day. Run mad, run wild and exercise the stress away. Your mind, body and family will thank you. The beauty of exercise is that it gives you both physical and mental clarity. Many people, myself included, do their best thinking while running or working out.
Don’t Quit Keep Going
As you build both the mental and physical strength that allow you to break through barriers in your workout, you’ll also find it translates into other aspects of your life. The grittiness and confidence you find in your workouts will help you immensely. Namely, it will help you find the mental strength to persevere through life’s toughest moments.
Run free, run wild and embrace the runner’s high. If you had asked me two and a half years ago if I was a runner, I would tell you that you’re the craziest person I had ever met. Don’t get me wrong, I love cardio and thoroughly enjoy teaching Zumba. Running, however, is an entirely different animal. By all means, running to me was an instrument of torture. And then came Debbie, an avid runner and health nut, who inspired me to become a runner.
When someone you love gets a horrible diagnosis, nothing you do to support them seems adequate. It just never seems like its enough. Nevertheless, Goalielocks, Jake and I started running 5ks for Debbie after our first Purple Stride. At each of these 5ks, we did 12 in 2016, we wore purple to support Debbie. Moreover, as a novice runner the purple was a reminder that many people are facing much harder obstacles than mile 3 of a 5K. She was and still is my inspiration when I run.
Consequently, Jake and I both ended up becoming accidental runners. If I’m being honest, I can’t say that I love running when mid-run. I can, however, say that I love the runner’s high . Moreover, I love that I have become something I never though was in my wheelhouse. Debbie inspired me to run. As a consequence, I found a new love while pushing myself to achieve something I didn’t think was possible.
Undoubtedly, Debbie was a good egg – the best. I miss her everyday although I’m positive she’s always on my run with me. Without fail I see a beautiful yellow swallowtail on every run as I get to Debbie’s neighborhood. Each time, this beautiful butterfly greets me and Athena as we push on from mile one and onto mile two. I know what you’re thinking and if it was at mile 4 or 5, then I’d probably agree that it was an apparition driven by exhaustion.
I ran tonight for the first time in weeks due to injuries and a cold. Overall, I’d say it went well given I’ve been battling a cold that’s been trying to work its way into my chest. Nonetheless, Athena and I hit the pavement tonight. There’s only two weeks left to the Purple Stride event and I need to be ready. As it stands right now, there’s no way I’ll be able to repeat last year’s somewhat respectable performance. Importantly, you can join our team or support us by clicking here. My goal is to have both the largest team and be the first place fundraising team.
Tonight’s song (hopefully will inspire you to donate or join our team) comes to us from Joe Cocker performing The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friend.”
To fly or not to fly that is the question. For the 2nd Saturday in a row, thank you hockey schedule, I was able to take my circuit burn class followed by aerial yoga this morning. This was my 3rd aerial yoga class. One of the questions, I’ve been asked most often since starting aerial yoga is which practice do I prefer. Do I prefer aerial or vinyasa?
The answer isn’t so easy because both the aerial and vinyasa practices feed each other. There are aspects of aerial yoga that will translate into a better practice on the mat. For example, the inversions in aerial yoga are much easier because the swing supports you and provides balance. Consequently, since the inversions are aided in a sense, it allows you to work on strength and alignment. As an added bonus, you can hold the pose for a significantly longer time. I guess the answer is that I prefer both.
Aerial yoga takes a significant amount of trust and letting go of fear. You have to trust yourself and the swing knowing that it will prevent you from falling and hurting yourself. Moreover, you have to let go of fear. Admittedly, the first aerial yoga class I took was intimidating. My teacher Monica, who is incredible, encouraged all of us to let go of our fear. Additionally, she also showed us how to position our bodies to prevent a fall and assisted us with the poses. As a consequence, I felt comfortable in the fabric by the end of my first class.
Aside from the fear of getting hurt or embarrassing oneself by falling, the fear of not being able to keep up is omnipresent that first class. If you find yourself in an aerial yoga class discouraged by your ability, do like Elsa and “let it go.” Today in class, there was someone completely new to aerial. Almost half way through the class, she became discouraged and was ready to leave because she couldn’t keep up. Fortunately, between our teacher’s encouragement and her fellow classmates’ encouragement, she decided to stick it out. While she may have struggled that first half of class, she absolutely slayed the second half.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I think the turning point was realizing that: a) nobody was judging her b) everyone progresses at their own speed c) her practice is her own. In my opinion, there is no better teacher of humility than a good yoga practice. I’m a highly competitive person. Yoga has helped me put that aside. I’ve learned to accept that my practice is my own own and I’m in competition with nobody. In addition, I learned that I loved savasana in aerial yoga even more than on the mat. I know, I didn’t know it was even possible. In the aerial class, you encase yourself in the yoga silk, which becomes akin to a hammock. It sways ever so gently during the pose, which is okay with me. By the end of the savasana, I feel like I’ve just woken up from the best night’s sleep. I freaking love it.
Due to my work and hockey schedule, I haven’t been able to go to a Vinyasa class for a couple of weeks. I cannot, however, wait to see how I’ve progressed on my mat since starting my aerial practice. As for my aerial practice, I look forward to seeing how it evolves from week to week. Significantly, I’ve noticed with each class a step function in ability and comfort. Last week I was able to do a flip, while today I was able to do plow and a shoulder stand. It was pretty awesome stuff. Tomorrow it’s Xtend Barre in the morning followed by hockey games in the afternoon. At some point tomorrow, I’ll try to tackle the household chores. I’ll probably try to get some laundry done and maybe even take a nap.
Tonight’s song comes courtesy of Tom Petty in honor of Aerial Yoga: Learning to Fly
Be Brave, be bold, be unapologetically you! It’s quite the call to action isn’t it? But what exactly does it mean? To me, being brave doesn’t mean mustering up the courage to bungee jump or sky dive. I mean, I guess in another context, it absolutely does mean bravery. Rather, I’m talking about the bravery it takes to get out of bed after life’s darkest night’s. When life has thrown everything it has got in your face, but you still get up, put your make up on, rock your heels and smile, that my friend is bravery. Yeah, it isn’t jumping out of a plane or anything like that, but sometimes not giving up is brave.
Speaking of brave, last Wednesday I wrote about my first Xtend Barre experience. What I may not have shared is that by early Friday, my abs were so sore I could not roll out of bed. In addition to basic movements, I couldn’t cough, sneeze or laugh without significant pain. I was that sore!
I’m obviously glutton for punishment or stupid because I went back for more Barre torture tonight. There was no bosu ball madness in class tonight, which my abs are quite happy about. Adam is a phenomenal teacher. I thoroughly enjoy the class, but am certain that by Friday morning I’ll be unable to walk.
Whether it is returning to a fitness class that kicked your butt or holding your head high after disappointment, be brave. Harness your inner shield maiden or warrior , take risks and own your future. “Audentes fortuna iuvat” remeber Virgil’s wise words “Fortune favors the brave.”
Here’s to you thirsty Thursday! We spent our thirsty Thursday at the rink for Goalielock’s 8:30 pm game that started at 9:00 pm. Thankfully, the rink has a liquor license and plenty of beer and wine. I know what you’re thinking. And you’re right its borderline sacrilegious to drink beer or wine on national vodka day. I, however, have an alibi. Since I had to drive myself to the rink post-Zumba, I couldn’t be drinking vodka all game and driving. There will be plenty of time for vodka during the tournament this weekend.
I have to say that a late game is far better, in my estimation, than the 6:00 am games of mites, squirts and apparently peewee. First, nobody looks at you with the stink eye when you drink at an 8:00 pm game. This is not the case for an early morning game. Although if we’re honest with ourselves, is it ever too early for mimosas? I don’t think so. Plus a mimosa is a fashionable way to accessorize any hockey mom outfit.
There’s an upshot to switching up my drink of choice tonight and that’s the fact that beer is a great re-hydration beverage. Amazingly, beer has the optimal mix of carbohydrates and electrolytes that re-hydrate the body more effectively than water. However, there’s a caveat here and its a big one. The benefits, however, are erased when you drink more than two.
Ciroc makes a new french vanilla vodka that I’m dying to try in my coffee with a little Bailey’s Irish cream. It may be the perfect compliment to my morning coffee. Plus it takes the edge off of U-14AA hockey, which is a definite plus. Tonight one of our kids got rocked badly at the end of the second period. I love my hockey fast and fierce, but there’s no need for head contact or knee on knee hits. Fortunately, our player is going to be okay. He did, however, make us pretty nervous for several minutes. I’m pretty sure there will some Doug Glatt style hockey next time we play that team.
Guess what day it is!?!?!?? Not only is it hump day, but it also opening day for the NHL. That’s right folks, hockey is officially back!! Whoop Whoop! My Minnesota Wild start their season tomorrow night, so tonight I’m watching the Pittsburgh/St. Louis game. Nevertheless, I am stoked to be watching my favorite sport live!
Last night marked my first yoga class in over a year. Boy oh boy how I’ve missed my yoga and my yoga has missed me. Unfortunately, I’ve been away from my mat for far too long and today I’m paying for it. I am sore from head to toe! In fact, combing my hair may be problematic tonight since my range of motion is quite limited today. Initially my plan was take an Xtend Barre class tonight. I can’t deny, however, that the only activity my body is up for tonight is blogging and sleeping.
During shoulder stand, my only inversion of the night, I got a giant, horrifically painful charlie horse in my left leg. Holy cannoli batman, I wanted to scream at the top of my longs. Of course, I was in a yoga class, so I couldn’t vocalize my angst. I didn’t want to detract from the others experience by wallowing in pain. I briefly left the pose to try and massage out my calf. Unfortunately, this move met with little success. As I winced in pain as my calf contracted violently in pain, I used my ujayyi breath to keep my pain and my heart rate at bay. Miraculously, the yoga breathing allowed me to manage the pain and work through the rest of the pose.
There’s some pride in the pain, right? I mean, it is a reminder of how hard I worked last night. Conversely, its a reminder of how much more work there is to be done. The thing is, we’re all a work in progress. I expect days like to as I work toward my physical and mental goals. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. As I tried to climb the steps at work this morning, my left calf reminded me of the charlie horse and my right leg reminded me of a major issue cooking in my shin.
This morning was the first time I actually thought it might be time to call a podiatrist. I feel old. Ugh.. What the heck? I’m not even forty, the last place I want to be is at a podiatrist office in South Florida during season. Listen its not that I hate snowbirds, its just that I strongly dislike them. Honestly most of them, at least by us, are utterly terrible and entitled people that feel traffic laws were made for everyone but them. Sadly, my ankle and my shin are starting to cause some serious pain that no longer abates after I stop working out. It is probably time to bite the bullet and make sure there’s not something serious going on in there.
“I’m the podiatrist around here!”
Tonight I will be enjoying another nice, hot shower followed by some tiger palm and salonpas patches. If I thought I could get out of the bath, I’d probably draw myself a nice, hot Epsom bath. The only problem with this plan, however, is that I’m not confident I could get out tub. While I’m taking tonight to let my body rest and recover, tomorrow night I’ll be back to teaching Zumba followed up by some yoga at home. Until then, I’m going to namaste in bed.
Do as I say and not as I do. When it comes time to pamper yourself, don’t skip out. I’m not saying you need to go get an uber expensive spa package every weekend. What I am suggesting is carving out time to take care of you. It could be as simple a a nice soak in a bubble or Epsom bath while you read quietly away from the craziness of everyday life.
Pampering yourself isn’t about being over indulgent, but taking time to keep yourself centered, relaxed and healthy. I love getting massage and so does my body. After teaching several Zumba classes and running tons of miles, my body is beat. Fortunately, I have a membership to Massage Envy where I can treat myself to a nice massage. The massage helps keeps my muscles healthy in addition to helping me relax.
There’s only one problem with the Massage Envy setup. You need to be able to carve out time for the monthly appointment. Thanks to a hectic travel hockey schedule, I can go weekly for the next year due to all the massages I’ve accumulated. The point is I need to make myself a priority and make sure I’m taking care of myself.
Treating yourself can take a number of different iterations. It could be as simple as taking the time for 1 5-20 minute walk during your work day to clear your head. Or you could sign up for a yoga class at a local studio to help you get your zen on. If you’re like me, and you like clothes, a nice trip to the malls with friends and sans kids can do a mind and body good.
pamper yourself
Perhaps this weekend I’ll take some of my own advice. Thankfully, the Mayor’s games are local, which will afford me some extra time. I may even be able to squeeze in a hair cut, a massage, and a pedicure. I’m long overdue for all three and they sound so heavenly. In the meantime, take time this week to pamper yourself. Take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally, which does in fact include pampering yourself from time to time.
The side effects of a hurricane are real and they’re sad. With a storm the size of Irma, you end up spending almost 48 hours caged inside. If you were unfortunate enough to have lost power, your stuck eating processed food that just isn’t healthy. Even if you kept power, like we did, the caramel roll and mimosa brunch does nothing for your fitlife goals.
I’ve had a penchant for running for the past two years since my first Purple Stride event in 2015, but fell of the wagon after our Norway trip. My sister in law took a picture of us post brunch Saturday before the storm hit. It was sad to see, but I looked like I swallowed a small child. I swear I didn’t actually eat a small child, but if you saw the picture you would have thought differently.
When my work announced we were reopening the office with a relaxed dress code on Tuesday, a collective sigh of relief went out across South Florida. Sadly, post hurricane the dolphins on our yoga pants have morphed into whales. What’s more the dolphins no look like whales. Oh it was a humbling Tuesday. If there’s ever a way to reignite your running habit, this hurricane weekend was the it.
Since it has been so hot, I’ve been running on the treadmill. Unfortunately, the power had been cutting in and out Monday, so I had to run outside. It would be my luck that I would injure myself post-storm in an unfortunate treadmill accident. Consequently, the Piggie and I hit the running path and ran 2.65 miles. I thought I was going to die. It was as humid as it was hot. I definitely should have brought my inhaler. Nevertheless, it felt amazing to be out on the trail my loving running partner. Tonight marked three notes in a row of running. We’re back on track!
It is easy to get lost in the grind of our day to day to professional and personal lives. As we grind it out, it easy to lose site of how much progress we’ve made. This week we spent three days as a leadership team working on our budget initiatives for 2018. It was an invigorating, discussing spurring event that was really productive.
This was my fourth year attending and my third year presenting. The first year I presented, it wasn’t pretty. They beat me up pretty good. Thankfully, each year has gone progressively better than the last year. This year I presented on two days to a much larger audience than I’d been accustomed to, but it went very well. As I look back on my previous budget experiences and compare to this year’s presentation, I can see how far I have come.
While I’ve made some great progress towards my professional goals, my fitlife goals too a backseat to Twizzlers, Snickers, and catered meals. When I got home tonight and my treadmill and TRX were glaring at me. I went for a quick run on the treadmill before dinner.
My treadmill and I got reacquainted before a great dinner with friends. My TRX, however, is looking a little neglected. Tomorrow I will be getting back on the wagon eating right. There are times that we deviate from our health goals and that’s gonna happen. We can’t let it derail us completely. There is no quick way to success be it professional or personal. There is no elevator to take us to the top floor only hard work and persistence.
When I started running over two years ago, I didn’t know that I would love it so much. Nor did I know that my running partners would be so important in maintaining my training or that they’d bring me so much happiness.
Most days my running partners are Jake and our dogs Maya and Athena. The beautiful thing about running with these three is they keep a brisk pace. Jake is particularly fast ,so running with him means I have to push myself. The puppies like to be first, so which ever dog is in back is racing to catch up to their sister.
This can be a bit problematic when Jake and his puppy pull away from us. Usually it’s Maya and I holding up the rear. Jake’s got his mile below 5 minutes. Meanwhile, I almost threw myself a party for breaking the 8 minute mile barrier.
Maya trying to keep pace with Jake means we’re pushing race pace almost every run. Since Jake is so fast, Athena is usually super tired after two miles. We’ll switch the puppies and walk them for awhile, so they can catch their breath and cool down a little bit.
By the time we start running again, the puppies’ energy is back and they’re ready to roll. Some runs, Goalielocks or the Mayor will come with us. For those runs, we usually cap our distance at three miles. The best part of running with the puppies is how happy they are when we run.
While in Norway, Jake and I mixed it up a bit by hiking on the mountain trails. It wasn’t a rigorous as our runs, but some parts of the trail were quite steep and took a lot of concentration to master. The views were incredible and so was the weather. No horrible heat indexes to contend with.
The unfortunate part of summer in Florida, is heat indexes in the triple digits. As much as I love to run with my kids and my dogs, the summer heat makes it dangerous for the dogs. Until the heat abates, I’ll be hitting the treadmill and missing my running partners. When I run on the treadmill, there’s no sweet puppy looking back at me smiling as she enjoy the run. Nor is there Jake, who motivates me to run faster and further every time we run.
