For the life of me, I can't figure out what to write, and I think the best thing is to go with it. So here's the start of a planned two week break from blogging. I'll still be reading all of your fabulous weblogs (since you all seem to have lots to say -- hooray!) in the meantime. And I'll resume writing on February 4th.
Till then, whatever you are, be a good one!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Sugar Blues
One more time, I get to learn the lesson of sugar and my mental health. I haven't been writing because I've been in a buttercream -induced emotional low spot. Tim tried. He offered to take my cake into the office the day after my birthday. But darn it, it was MY birthday cake. And I ate the very last slice of it on Saturday afternoon.My hope is to someday manage sugar better. Sometimes I do. That's what makes it so difficult to handle. If EVERY SINGLE TIME I ate refined sugar I broke out in hives, you'd better believe I'd never eat it. But if it happened only sometimes? I don't know...
Enough said. I hope I don't revisit this topic for a long time.
In other news, we spent the weekend at kids sports events. Tucker had his first Tae Kwon Do tournament, and he did really well, taking 1st in the sparring competition out of 13 kids. It is evident that gymnastics prepares you for whatever sport you choose to do -- anything at all! On Sunday Austin had his second gymnastics meet, and took 1st in parallel bars, 2nd in pommel, and 7th place all around, which he's very happy about.
On to cooking dinners. Things are going better in this department, and what's made the difference is a white board that I mounted in our pantry. I have the days of the week across the top, and I'm writing down, sometimes 2 or 3 days in advance, what we're having for dinner. I also have an area for dinner requests (the request list currently reads "the good coleslaw", parmesan chicken, spicy veggie medley, and sloppy joes) and another area for grocery store requests. Thanks Erica for the idea! (Note -- that's Erica's list in the picture -- great job E!)Next subject? Training clients. I've been "officially" training clients for more than a year now, and all I can say is that I LOVE IT! There are many reasons why, ranging from my fascination with all things fitness related, to my admiration for anyone who is moving towards a goal (so by definition, I love my clients). What I love the most, though, is hearing about benefits gained from training. Here are two recent comments:
"Snowboarding is a million times easier now that I'm strong enough to get up after falling!"
"My range of motion is so much better. Even when I'm holding a bale of hay, I can squat and pick something up from the ground!" (This from a client talking about feeding her horses in the morning.)
Yes, the scale giving you a number you like is exciting, as is fitting into clothes that didn't used to fit. But don't overlook the ease that comes with being strong and flexible. Just another reason for us all to eat right, train hard, and never quit, right? Right!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
When the going gets tough...
...the tough sign up for boxing camp. So after yesterday's delightful morning, I decided to find an activity that would let me share some of the morning joy with Tim, and what I found is boxing camp. It started Monday, but I went in last night for a make-up lesson and this morning I was up at 5:00 and jumping rope by 6:00 in the warmup.
So for the next month I'll be at boxing camp Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 6:00 am. There are 10 people in the camp -- 3 women and 7 men. And it's a tough workout -- very different from what I normally do. But I think it's healthier than destroying chairs (for the record, the chair was from IKEA and not in very good shape).
On another note, today is my birthday, so I'm now an honest woman, because I've been claiming 47 as my age for a few months now. And I do think 47 is going to be wonderful. Why? Well for one thing, I managed to have only 3 bites of devil's food cake at lunch today (Tim took me out to a really nice restaurant -- Paul Martin, for those who know the area). When I was 46, that was impossible, but now? Piece of, excuse the expression, cake!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Mornings suck.
If depression is anger turned inward, then I have much to be depressed about. To be fair, for a while mornings have been, if not good, at least better. Today was an awful one though. I'll try to be brief. And I may just delete this post entirely, cuz it sounds really bad. But it's the truth.
Son #1 locks outside door to bathroom while in shower, which leaves son #2 unable to brush teeth. I yell off and on for a very long time to get #1's attention, to no avail. #2 tries to retrieve pass key thingey from above the door, but it's stuck between the door trim and the wall. When #1 finally answers repeated yelling, I tell #2 that getting the key is a lost cause and he'll be in momentarily. #2 takes this as an attack on his capabilities, so now he's mad. #1 then yells that he's just trying to dry off and put on shorts, so now he's mad. And I'm there, mad as anything, but can't show it.
Drove #2 to school, apologizing and explaining that I wasn't doubting him. He said not a word. When I got back #1 apologized for shouting. And me? I took the chair that I threw (my only outlet at the time -- neither kid saw it happen or I would have heard about it) downstairs and demolished it with a hammer. (This sounds really bad as I type it, but the chair was falling apart anyway and I do feel a little better now. But not much.)
Is it any wonder that I want to run away?
Son #1 locks outside door to bathroom while in shower, which leaves son #2 unable to brush teeth. I yell off and on for a very long time to get #1's attention, to no avail. #2 tries to retrieve pass key thingey from above the door, but it's stuck between the door trim and the wall. When #1 finally answers repeated yelling, I tell #2 that getting the key is a lost cause and he'll be in momentarily. #2 takes this as an attack on his capabilities, so now he's mad. #1 then yells that he's just trying to dry off and put on shorts, so now he's mad. And I'm there, mad as anything, but can't show it.
Drove #2 to school, apologizing and explaining that I wasn't doubting him. He said not a word. When I got back #1 apologized for shouting. And me? I took the chair that I threw (my only outlet at the time -- neither kid saw it happen or I would have heard about it) downstairs and demolished it with a hammer. (This sounds really bad as I type it, but the chair was falling apart anyway and I do feel a little better now. But not much.)
Is it any wonder that I want to run away?
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Quick update
Austin took 3rd place (out of 19 athletes in his category) yesterday. He's happy and so are we.
Today's workout -- 10 mile run.
Weekend eating -- don't even ask. Having a January birthday really messes with your (my) motivation.
Driving to and from Bakersfield -- it's amazing how just sitting in the car can make your tired!
Current book -- The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's fantastic and everyone should read it. Seriously, it's the politics, economics, ethics, and consequences of the food choices we make.
Gotta get back to American Gladiators!
Today's workout -- 10 mile run.
Weekend eating -- don't even ask. Having a January birthday really messes with your (my) motivation.
Driving to and from Bakersfield -- it's amazing how just sitting in the car can make your tired!
Current book -- The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's fantastic and everyone should read it. Seriously, it's the politics, economics, ethics, and consequences of the food choices we make.
Gotta get back to American Gladiators!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Let the gymnastics begin!
We'll be in Bakersfield this weekend for the first gymnastics meet of the season. Here's a picture of my 14-year-old level 8 gymnast. I hope he does well at this meet, and at every meet of the season, not because I need him to do well, but because it's important to him. He's a great kid and I couldn't be any prouder of him.
I'll let you know how it goes...
Thursday, January 03, 2008
The Daily Motivator
I LOVE The Daily Motivator. You get an email every day and I find it really makes a difference. Here's the one from Tuesday:
THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Begin
+++++++++++++++++++
Today is the day to begin. This new year is a blank canvas
upon which you have the delightful opportunity to paint.
As you do, be authentic. Your greatest accomplishments are
the ones that contain the greatest quantity of you.
Be innovative and creative. The challenges you face will
melt away when you apply fresh, original thinking to them.
Remember not to take yourself too seriously. You'll climb
much higher when you're thoroughly enjoying the effort.
As you move forward, do so with genuine and persistent
integrity. That way, the results you create will be results
that are actually worth attaining.
Today you stand at the beginning of a grand adventure, with
the very real and present opportunity to shape this year
into the best one ever. Begin now, take the initiative, and
never stop living life according to who you know you are.
Ralph Marston
THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Begin
+++++++++++++++++++
Today is the day to begin. This new year is a blank canvas
upon which you have the delightful opportunity to paint.
As you do, be authentic. Your greatest accomplishments are
the ones that contain the greatest quantity of you.
Be innovative and creative. The challenges you face will
melt away when you apply fresh, original thinking to them.
Remember not to take yourself too seriously. You'll climb
much higher when you're thoroughly enjoying the effort.
As you move forward, do so with genuine and persistent
integrity. That way, the results you create will be results
that are actually worth attaining.
Today you stand at the beginning of a grand adventure, with
the very real and present opportunity to shape this year
into the best one ever. Begin now, take the initiative, and
never stop living life according to who you know you are.
Ralph Marston
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Boxing, fake and real
My arms are pumped, I'm out of breath and sweating, and I'm really happy because I've been playing Wii Boxing. Santa got us a Wii for Christmas, and so far I've gained 475 experience points, and knocked out 5 opponents. Why am I doing this? Well, first of all because it's fun. But beyond that, my niece (age 19) and I are taking a boxing lesson tomorrow, and I want to practice up! (My style -- if you can call it that -- involves punching as hard and fast as I can. Tim and the kids agree that I punch like a girl, but I point to my flawless record and say it's good to punch like a girl!)
Really, we'll be at Prime Time Boxing tomorrow for a private boxing class. Since my niece lives in Iowa and I rarely get to see her, I'm excited that we can do something so unusual and make some memories together.
Ok, gotta get back to Wii. Tim's been practicing, and we're taking each other on in a few minutes -- wish me luck!
Happy 2008
It's day 2 of a bright, shiny new year. Hope things are going well for everyone!
Yesterday I "tested" my two favorite hills to see if a vertical mile is even something I want to try. (Thanks Shelly for informing me of the actual distance in a mile!) For those who are local, I did the "backside" hill 3 times (3 miles, 800 feet ascended, 492 calories). At that rate, I'd need to run backside TWENTY TIMES (20 miles) in order to get my 1 vertical mile.
After doing this, I drove home (yep, I drove to the top of the hill, wanting hill only running), hung out for 45 minutes (did some laundry, got some water, generally procrastinated), and then drove to my other favorite hill -- the one by the golf course. A side note here -- resting 45 minutes, then going out and running hills again -- HARD and not recommended. This hill is done in a loop fashion. I did 5 loops (3.77 miles, 870 feet ascended, 605 calories). At this rate, I'd need to run the loop for 23 miles (about 30 laps) in order to get that mile.
So do I want to do a vertical mile? Probably not. My big 2008 goal is a half-dozen half marathons, and the main reason I want to do this is that I love the 13.1 mile distance. So to embark on something where I have to run 20 or more miles -- the question becomes WHY??? But to be honest, I'm still intrigued by the idea.
I'm still working on 2008 goals. Well, all the work has happened inside my head, and I've always heard it's not a goal unless you write it down. So here, in very preliminary form, are my 2008 goals:
Word for the year: THRIVE. (It was last year's word, but I don't feel like I lived up to it, so I'm taking a do-over!)
Goal #1: 6 half marathons. Actual races, not just training runs.
Goal #2: a workout plan. I want to have an actual plan I follow, not just the "hmmmm, what might I want to do today?" way I usually do it. Note -- plan will be something like this: run 3x, kettlebells 3x, Crossfit 1x per week. Any more specific would sink me, knowing me!
Goal #3: achieve and maintain a weight in the low 130s.
Goal #4: some number of dinners cooked for my family (still workin' on the dinner thing)
Today's plans include a kettlebell workout and training clients. Time to get on with the day!
Yesterday I "tested" my two favorite hills to see if a vertical mile is even something I want to try. (Thanks Shelly for informing me of the actual distance in a mile!) For those who are local, I did the "backside" hill 3 times (3 miles, 800 feet ascended, 492 calories). At that rate, I'd need to run backside TWENTY TIMES (20 miles) in order to get my 1 vertical mile.
After doing this, I drove home (yep, I drove to the top of the hill, wanting hill only running), hung out for 45 minutes (did some laundry, got some water, generally procrastinated), and then drove to my other favorite hill -- the one by the golf course. A side note here -- resting 45 minutes, then going out and running hills again -- HARD and not recommended. This hill is done in a loop fashion. I did 5 loops (3.77 miles, 870 feet ascended, 605 calories). At this rate, I'd need to run the loop for 23 miles (about 30 laps) in order to get that mile.
So do I want to do a vertical mile? Probably not. My big 2008 goal is a half-dozen half marathons, and the main reason I want to do this is that I love the 13.1 mile distance. So to embark on something where I have to run 20 or more miles -- the question becomes WHY??? But to be honest, I'm still intrigued by the idea.
I'm still working on 2008 goals. Well, all the work has happened inside my head, and I've always heard it's not a goal unless you write it down. So here, in very preliminary form, are my 2008 goals:
Word for the year: THRIVE. (It was last year's word, but I don't feel like I lived up to it, so I'm taking a do-over!)
Goal #1: 6 half marathons. Actual races, not just training runs.
Goal #2: a workout plan. I want to have an actual plan I follow, not just the "hmmmm, what might I want to do today?" way I usually do it. Note -- plan will be something like this: run 3x, kettlebells 3x, Crossfit 1x per week. Any more specific would sink me, knowing me!
Goal #3: achieve and maintain a weight in the low 130s.
Goal #4: some number of dinners cooked for my family (still workin' on the dinner thing)
Today's plans include a kettlebell workout and training clients. Time to get on with the day!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Technical blogging questions
1. Does anyone know how to change the thingey by your weblog address (which, if you use Blogger, is an orange B)?
2. Does anyone have an opinion about TypePad vs WordPress as an alternative to Blogger?
2. Does anyone have an opinion about TypePad vs WordPress as an alternative to Blogger?
Musings
Random thoughts for today:
- I ran 10 miles the other day and focused on hills. Ended up with 2390 feet up and 2444 down. New goal? I want to run a mile up in a run. Isn't that like 3600 feet? Well, let me tell you that even 2400 feet of ascent feels like a LOT of hills! But I still want to do it, and soon.
- I weigh 4 pounds more than usual after a month of indulgence. But I feel really strong. If I could just defluff, I'm sure there's some muscle there. Strange thing is that I'm not too worried about being up in weight, cuz I know what to do to bring the number back down.
- My training room got a Christmas present: a 44 pound (20 kg) kettlebell. I've been using it in swing ladders -- hard and fun!
- Did a plyometric DVD with Tim yesterday and my calves are SORE! We're snowboarding tomorrow, and sore or not, they're in for a workout.
- Gymnastics season starts next weekend with a meet in Bakersfield. Then it's Rancho Cordova, Palo Alto (Tracy -- wanna meet up at Stanford???), San Mateo, San Francisco, and Oakland. I'd better get my clean eating back in place, cuz it's easy with lots of travel and hours of sitting on bleachers to mindlessly munch!
- Plan for today is a kettlebell workout in the training room, out with Tim to look at massage chairs, then out with family to see Bodies!!!
Friday, December 28, 2007
A fun Christmas gift
My girlfriend got me a set of fun notecards. My favorite is the illustrated palindrome or maybe preferences, both of which are shown here.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Proof of snowboarding
Tim took this video when we were at Sugarbowl on Friday. I'm convinced the camera makes me fall (the run before what you see, I linked 15 or more turns and didn't fall once!), and when I snowboard it feels like I'm going way faster than it looks here on film. But now that the disclaimers are out of the way, here is proof that I actually snowboard, and don't just blow smoke!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Fun!
I just got a kettlebell sticker for my car and I love it. I put it to the left of the license plate, and while I think it looks great, Tim thinks it looks unbalanced. So I was thinking about what I could put on the other side, and 13.1 seemed like a good idea. I got onto Cafepress.com looking for a sticker. I found this one, which I really like:
And in the search for "13.1", this was also included, which made me laugh:
Desire
My snowboard is fine. It gets me down the hill, and as I get better, it gets better. :) But yesterday at Sugar Bowl I saw a snowboard that filled me with lust and envy. Can you see why? Now I really have to get started meditating!
Ego and defiance
I was reading the instructions for Holosync this morning, and read this: When people occasionally have trouble with the program, it's almost always because they failed to take a few moments to read the instructions and support material.
Then the thought occurred: when I have trouble with anything, it's because I refuse to follow directions. That's the truth. I'm not sure if it's my ego (I'm better than that!) or just a complete lack of maturity (I WON'T, and you can't make me!), but If a study guide says to study 30 minutes a day, you'd better believe I'm going to try to do 3-1/2 hours one day (it's the same amount of time, right?!?!). And if the instructions say, "For best results ..." I'm already formulating a "better" plan for me.
As time has gone on, I've gotten better at following directions, mainly because my tolerance for emotional pain has lessened over the years, which is a good thing indeed! And I don't know if it's time or sobriety (almost 23 years!) or maturity that has moved me towards ... towards what? I'm not sure what to call it. All I know is that life seems to work better when I have a willingness to follow directions.
On that happy note, it's time to meditate. (No that's not a joke -- I'm really going to sit here for an hour (!) and be still.)
Then the thought occurred: when I have trouble with anything, it's because I refuse to follow directions. That's the truth. I'm not sure if it's my ego (I'm better than that!) or just a complete lack of maturity (I WON'T, and you can't make me!), but If a study guide says to study 30 minutes a day, you'd better believe I'm going to try to do 3-1/2 hours one day (it's the same amount of time, right?!?!). And if the instructions say, "For best results ..." I'm already formulating a "better" plan for me.
As time has gone on, I've gotten better at following directions, mainly because my tolerance for emotional pain has lessened over the years, which is a good thing indeed! And I don't know if it's time or sobriety (almost 23 years!) or maturity that has moved me towards ... towards what? I'm not sure what to call it. All I know is that life seems to work better when I have a willingness to follow directions.
On that happy note, it's time to meditate. (No that's not a joke -- I'm really going to sit here for an hour (!) and be still.)
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Quick notes
I like Colette's suggestion about keeping workouts on track, and sort of going with the flow in terms of eating at this time of year. Yesterday's workout for me was running:
10.35 miles
9:24 pace
1335 feet ascent
1274 feet descent
1497 calories
The run was tougher than usual because I'd done a heavy leg workout the day before. But the run needed to happen when it did, because tomorrow we're heading up the hill for snowboarding (our THIRD trip this season!), and I want fresh legs. It's been raining here all week, the snow should be sensational and I can't wait!
Here's a post that talks about having an anchor for your eating. It's written for when you travel, but works very nicely in the context of holiday craziness. (I'm writing this as I finish my everyday breakfast bowl of oatmeal/flaxseed/Splenda.)
10.35 miles
9:24 pace
1335 feet ascent
1274 feet descent
1497 calories
The run was tougher than usual because I'd done a heavy leg workout the day before. But the run needed to happen when it did, because tomorrow we're heading up the hill for snowboarding (our THIRD trip this season!), and I want fresh legs. It's been raining here all week, the snow should be sensational and I can't wait!
Here's a post that talks about having an anchor for your eating. It's written for when you travel, but works very nicely in the context of holiday craziness. (I'm writing this as I finish my everyday breakfast bowl of oatmeal/flaxseed/Splenda.)
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