The other morning, I was listening to some of the back episodes of the Jilliam Michaels podcast and part of the segment, she was talking about living in or looking back at your past.
It is your past... do you really want to go back there?
Think back to where you were 10 years ago... where were you working? Who were your friends, what was your relationship with like with your family? What was important to you? How is that different that what you have today?
If you changed things from 10 years ago, how would that affect what you have and who you are today? If you were to go back 10 years, would you really be happier? Armed with the knowledge that you have now, would that really make life better?
When I look back 10 years, there are good things and there are not so good things. I has just left a job that I really enjoyed, moved to a new city with my son (he was 5) over 2 hours away from my family (to be closer to the wonderful man that is now my husband), left behind many friends (and found out who my true friends were!), had NO job. Now, I have so much more that I could have ever realized at the time! I have some great friends, my husband and I have been married for 7 years. I changed careers and have a job that I love with some amazing coworkers. Even though my family is over 2 hours away, we still keep in touch and we see them on a fairly regular basis (especially thanks to social media and so many other advances in technology!). I am still the same person I was back then, but I am also very different! 10 years ago, I would never have even thought about running a 5k (or even spending time at the gym or doing much exercising!) and now I training for a full marathon. But that is just one example of how things change. I could fill the rest of this posts with how things have changed, but is not the point of my post today.
If you are reveling in the "good ol' days" how can you live in the present and enjoy what you have today? What if this is the best moment of your life but you are so caught up in reminiscing about the past that you miss what you have right now? If you are living in the past, you could be missing that moment that is now. I am going to make sure that I go out every day and enjoy what I have, live for today and make sure that I get everything out of life that I can!
Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything wrong with remembering the past and enjoying the memories that made you who you are today. I have some amazing memories from the past that I will always enjoy going back to, remembering the days, or even moments. But remembering these moments and living in the past are two different things.
If you are anything like me, you have changed and grown so much over the years. If there was something from a time in the past that you really enjoyed, but don't have now, what do you need to get that feeling again? If it was a job, what was it about that job that you enjoyed? Why not go out and find that same enjoyment in a job in today.
Your not dead yet. Don't live in the past. Live your today for everything that it can be and is. This could be your best moment ever and you don't' want to miss it!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Marathon training is officially underway!
Last weekend marked the official start of training for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.
The night before the opening training run, Green Bay was blessed with an ice storm. Freezing rain started early Friday evening and continued well into the night. By the time Saturday morning showed up, there was a glaring sheet of ice several inches thick through out the entire city! I opted to skip the Prevea Saturday Morning run and wait until Sunday to put in my miles.
And I am so glad that I did! Even though Sunday afternoon was not much warmer, the extra day allowed time for some of the ice to melt on the streets... I however did have to do the "penguin walk" for 4 blocks when I left the house before I found streets that were not covered in sheets of ice. But once I found that point, I was off.
The last few weeks were spend on the Dreadmill, putting in some needed miles, hiding in the basement. UGH. I would rather run outside in ran, cold or snow than inside, but Mother Nature seems to have come down with a twisted sense of humor and has blessed us with some very extreme weather that has made running outside nearly impossible. When temps drop to -15 or below, the last thing that I want to do is try and run outside. So I dealt with what I had to! But getting outside was awesome!
Overall, it was a great first run outside of the season! As long as I kept to the more well traveled streets and payed attention to which side of the road saw more sunlight, it was fairly smooth running. Before long, I had my 5 miles in! and as if on cue, as soon as I hit my 5 miles point, John and Darrin were heading home from errands and passed where I was at... just about to start my 4 block penguin walk home!
Fast forward to today. I gave myself a challenge that many people told me was crazy... I was going to head out for the Prevea Training run at 7am and then hit the gym for the 9am circuit class. It was officially the coldest run of the year (or that I think I have ever done!) so far, a balmy -4 when I started! Despite the cold, it still felt great do get outside and run. After a month of treadmill running, the cold was refreshing and actually awakening!
Running with a few hundred people this morning also gave me a sense of renewal... the 2014 running season has officially started and I was surrounded by people who share the same "insanity" as me. We run. Why? Everyone has their own reason, but whatever that reason is, it is what keeps us going, keeps us getting up at all hours of the morning, it various (often inconceivable) running conditions. Most of all, for many of us, no matter what the ultimate why is, we have also grown to love running.
After my run, a quick stop in the Distillery to warm up a bit was in order. I can officially say this is the first time that I can remember going out for a run and actually coming back covered in frost! Someone actually told me I looked very Eskimo-ish! Not my preferred look, but it's days like this that we will remember when we are complaining about running in the summer heat!
Then it was off to the gym for a dose of insanity from Ty. Insanity was it! It was a full cardio core circuit! After 6 miles, it was going to be tough, but I was determined to make it through. A few of the stations were a challenge, but I was not going to let this workout get the best of me. I pushed through and came out smiling on the other end. After we finished our workout, I told Ty that although I may make faces at him and look like I am scowling, I will never complain about a tough workout! Today, I proved to myself that after that 6 mile training run, getting through his circuit workout proved that I still had more left after the run!
What challenges us, only makes us stronger! Here is to continually finding things to keep challenging me!
Next weekend... 7 miles plus a visit to the gym after for more from Ty!
The night before the opening training run, Green Bay was blessed with an ice storm. Freezing rain started early Friday evening and continued well into the night. By the time Saturday morning showed up, there was a glaring sheet of ice several inches thick through out the entire city! I opted to skip the Prevea Saturday Morning run and wait until Sunday to put in my miles.
And I am so glad that I did! Even though Sunday afternoon was not much warmer, the extra day allowed time for some of the ice to melt on the streets... I however did have to do the "penguin walk" for 4 blocks when I left the house before I found streets that were not covered in sheets of ice. But once I found that point, I was off.
The last few weeks were spend on the Dreadmill, putting in some needed miles, hiding in the basement. UGH. I would rather run outside in ran, cold or snow than inside, but Mother Nature seems to have come down with a twisted sense of humor and has blessed us with some very extreme weather that has made running outside nearly impossible. When temps drop to -15 or below, the last thing that I want to do is try and run outside. So I dealt with what I had to! But getting outside was awesome!
Overall, it was a great first run outside of the season! As long as I kept to the more well traveled streets and payed attention to which side of the road saw more sunlight, it was fairly smooth running. Before long, I had my 5 miles in! and as if on cue, as soon as I hit my 5 miles point, John and Darrin were heading home from errands and passed where I was at... just about to start my 4 block penguin walk home!
Fast forward to today. I gave myself a challenge that many people told me was crazy... I was going to head out for the Prevea Training run at 7am and then hit the gym for the 9am circuit class. It was officially the coldest run of the year (or that I think I have ever done!) so far, a balmy -4 when I started! Despite the cold, it still felt great do get outside and run. After a month of treadmill running, the cold was refreshing and actually awakening!
 |
| just a little cold out there this morning! |
After my run, a quick stop in the Distillery to warm up a bit was in order. I can officially say this is the first time that I can remember going out for a run and actually coming back covered in frost! Someone actually told me I looked very Eskimo-ish! Not my preferred look, but it's days like this that we will remember when we are complaining about running in the summer heat!
Then it was off to the gym for a dose of insanity from Ty. Insanity was it! It was a full cardio core circuit! After 6 miles, it was going to be tough, but I was determined to make it through. A few of the stations were a challenge, but I was not going to let this workout get the best of me. I pushed through and came out smiling on the other end. After we finished our workout, I told Ty that although I may make faces at him and look like I am scowling, I will never complain about a tough workout! Today, I proved to myself that after that 6 mile training run, getting through his circuit workout proved that I still had more left after the run!
What challenges us, only makes us stronger! Here is to continually finding things to keep challenging me!
Next weekend... 7 miles plus a visit to the gym after for more from Ty!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Left the nurse with nothing to say...
A few months ago I posted how the scale is just a number and it has taken me a long time to really come to terms with that. So many of us focus on the number on the scale - mainly because it's the easiest measurement too that we have available. We all know that none of us have time to take measurements all the time, and this is not practical... so we rely on the scale.
I have learned over the last year or so, that the scale is one of of the last things that I look at when I measure how far I have come on this journey to a healthier me. What amazes me, is the fact that there are medical professionals out there that still focus too much on the scale.
I experienced this first hand last week, when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. When I was talking with the nurse before I actually got to see my doctor, she was asking me all the usual questions. She then got to the point where the questions focused on my weight. She commented that with my current weight and height, my BMI was higher than they like to see - in fact I was borderline obese (yes for those of you that know me well, I do not look even remotely "obese") and asked if I was currently doing anything to work on bring my weight down. Well, yes, of course I said I was.
After asking me how many days a week and for how long I exercised each week, she asked me if I had a goal weight in mind.
"Nope"
(insert puzzled look from nurse here)
"You don't have any sort of number in mind that you are shooting for?" she asked.
I then proceeded to tell her that the scale is just a number. I understand that according to the BMI charts, I am borderline obese, but that is not the whole picture. Right now, I weigh 20 pounds more that I did when my John and I got married 7+ years ago... but I am wearing the same size jeans. If I were to LOSE 20 pounds right now, I would not be or look healthy. The scale is just one factor in the big picture and I am not going just focus on that.
"Oh, ok" was all she said and moved on to the rest of her questions.
Over the last year, with all of the training sessions, running and changing my eating habits, I have lost 20+ pounds, but I have also lost many more inches. I have gained more muscle and feel so much better in general.
I have really seen this again in the last few months. In November, when I joined Fitness Renegades, we took measurement on Day 1. I made it through my rookie class and then started going to the gym for class 3-4 days a week. I made a few more adjustments to my eating habits and started eating cleaner. Fast forward 5 weeks to when I did measurements again. I worked hard and lost 5.5 inches in 5 weeks - but GAINED 2 pounds. I was now able to fit comfortable into jeans that I had not even been able to put on when I started as a Renegade. I call that success. But for those "scale believers" all they see is the 2 pound gain. The fact that I lost over 5 inches screams out success to me! Plus, the added energy, and the fact that I am sleeping better is just the icing on the cake! Oh yeah, I also have improved my Benchmark time at the gym by over 2 minutes!
So do yourself a favor... use the scale as a tool on your journey but don't make it the ONLY thing you look at! There is so much more to a happy, healthy you than the number on that scale!
Here is to a happy, healthy 2014 everyone!
I have learned over the last year or so, that the scale is one of of the last things that I look at when I measure how far I have come on this journey to a healthier me. What amazes me, is the fact that there are medical professionals out there that still focus too much on the scale.
I experienced this first hand last week, when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. When I was talking with the nurse before I actually got to see my doctor, she was asking me all the usual questions. She then got to the point where the questions focused on my weight. She commented that with my current weight and height, my BMI was higher than they like to see - in fact I was borderline obese (yes for those of you that know me well, I do not look even remotely "obese") and asked if I was currently doing anything to work on bring my weight down. Well, yes, of course I said I was.
After asking me how many days a week and for how long I exercised each week, she asked me if I had a goal weight in mind.
"Nope"
(insert puzzled look from nurse here)
"You don't have any sort of number in mind that you are shooting for?" she asked.
I then proceeded to tell her that the scale is just a number. I understand that according to the BMI charts, I am borderline obese, but that is not the whole picture. Right now, I weigh 20 pounds more that I did when my John and I got married 7+ years ago... but I am wearing the same size jeans. If I were to LOSE 20 pounds right now, I would not be or look healthy. The scale is just one factor in the big picture and I am not going just focus on that.
"Oh, ok" was all she said and moved on to the rest of her questions.
Over the last year, with all of the training sessions, running and changing my eating habits, I have lost 20+ pounds, but I have also lost many more inches. I have gained more muscle and feel so much better in general.
I have really seen this again in the last few months. In November, when I joined Fitness Renegades, we took measurement on Day 1. I made it through my rookie class and then started going to the gym for class 3-4 days a week. I made a few more adjustments to my eating habits and started eating cleaner. Fast forward 5 weeks to when I did measurements again. I worked hard and lost 5.5 inches in 5 weeks - but GAINED 2 pounds. I was now able to fit comfortable into jeans that I had not even been able to put on when I started as a Renegade. I call that success. But for those "scale believers" all they see is the 2 pound gain. The fact that I lost over 5 inches screams out success to me! Plus, the added energy, and the fact that I am sleeping better is just the icing on the cake! Oh yeah, I also have improved my Benchmark time at the gym by over 2 minutes!
So do yourself a favor... use the scale as a tool on your journey but don't make it the ONLY thing you look at! There is so much more to a happy, healthy you than the number on that scale!
Here is to a happy, healthy 2014 everyone!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
New Year, the journey to the new me continues!
2014 is here and I am ready for the continued journey to the new me!
As we all sit here thinking about what we want to accomplish, overcome or challenge ourselves to do with the fresh start of a new year, I honestly can say that this is going to be an awesome year. How do I know this? Simply because I am going to make it just that! No excuses! I have decided that there are some things that I want to do and I don't' want to let anything stop me from accomplishing those things - this includes me getting in my own way!
I have already mentioned a few of my goals for this year and I wanted to expand on a few of those now that they new year is here...
My running journey is going to continue. I have signed up for my first Full Marathon and training starts on the 11th. These first few weeks (ok months) of training runs are going to be cold, but I need to just get out and do it! Even if this means investing in some warmer gear for running, getting up early on Saturday morning and facing whatever mother nature throws at me. The idea of running a full marathon still scares the heck out of me! The furthest I have EVER run is a half marathon! Running 26.2 miles is a scary thing! I however know that I have an amazing group of friends and family that will be there to support me 100% of the way. Deep down, I know that I can do it, I just need to keep a positive mindset and take each training run, one run at a time.
I have also decided that I will probably not run as many 5k's over the next year, but will instead focus on a few key races and fill the rest of the weekends with training runs, Events with myTEAM TRIUMPH and actually spending more time with family and friends. Last year was awesome, but I also know that there were many things that I missed out on because I had races that I was registered for, virtually every weekend from June through November. Don't get me wrong, I love the excitement and adrenaline rush of a race, but I can run anywhere, it doesn't have to be an organized race with a few thousand other people! I will just be more selective on which ones I register for!
On this on-going journey, today I started my Advocare 24 Day Challenge. The next 24 day will be filled with fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins and getting back into a regular routine at the gym and running. Over the last few months, I have eliminated a lot of processed foods, but avoiding them is my mission during this challenge. No junk food... No Beer, no wine... I am determined to do it! Over the next few weeks, I will try to post updates along the way on the progress!
What are your goals and aspirations for 2014? How will you challenge yourself to make it the best year that it can be? What ever it is, just go out and make it happen!
As we all sit here thinking about what we want to accomplish, overcome or challenge ourselves to do with the fresh start of a new year, I honestly can say that this is going to be an awesome year. How do I know this? Simply because I am going to make it just that! No excuses! I have decided that there are some things that I want to do and I don't' want to let anything stop me from accomplishing those things - this includes me getting in my own way!
I have already mentioned a few of my goals for this year and I wanted to expand on a few of those now that they new year is here...
My running journey is going to continue. I have signed up for my first Full Marathon and training starts on the 11th. These first few weeks (ok months) of training runs are going to be cold, but I need to just get out and do it! Even if this means investing in some warmer gear for running, getting up early on Saturday morning and facing whatever mother nature throws at me. The idea of running a full marathon still scares the heck out of me! The furthest I have EVER run is a half marathon! Running 26.2 miles is a scary thing! I however know that I have an amazing group of friends and family that will be there to support me 100% of the way. Deep down, I know that I can do it, I just need to keep a positive mindset and take each training run, one run at a time.I have also decided that I will probably not run as many 5k's over the next year, but will instead focus on a few key races and fill the rest of the weekends with training runs, Events with myTEAM TRIUMPH and actually spending more time with family and friends. Last year was awesome, but I also know that there were many things that I missed out on because I had races that I was registered for, virtually every weekend from June through November. Don't get me wrong, I love the excitement and adrenaline rush of a race, but I can run anywhere, it doesn't have to be an organized race with a few thousand other people! I will just be more selective on which ones I register for!
 |
What are your goals and aspirations for 2014? How will you challenge yourself to make it the best year that it can be? What ever it is, just go out and make it happen!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The close of 2013, opens the doors to another amazing year...
Reflections and visions.
As I sit here tonight, 2013 is quickly coming to a close... and what a year it as been! If one year ago, someone would have told me that I would have experienced, endured and accomplished everything that I did in the last 12 months, I would have told them that they were crazy. It still feels surreal that this year was filled with as much as it was!
To recap 2013...
* 118 miles run during events, with a total of 308 miles when you figure in training runs between early May and the end of December. I am not sure how many miles I actually ran in the first 4 and a half months of 2013.
* 16 5k races between Michigan and Wisconsin
* 2 10k events, one in Green Bay, one in Chicago
* 2 5 Mile runs, one one one of the warmest days of June and the other the coldest day in November!
* Part of a full-marathon relay team.
* 3 Half Marathons
* Made a solo trip to Chicago to meet up with a friend for a run. Managed to not get lost and spent about 24 hours in an amazing city!
* Biked the trails around Munising with Darrin and also found some awesome new waterfalls
What started out as running the St Patrick's Day Run in Appleton in March, turned into running events almost every weekend for the rest of 2013! Several of these weekends included John joining the fun and walking some of the events! Very proud of him for what he accomplished this summer and joining in the fun! I have been blessed with an wonderful family and amazing friends that keep me going, inspire me and continually encourage me to keep moving forward. Each and every run, I challenged myself to run a little further or faster, push a little harder and make it a better run than the last one. Many of these runs where just as much of a mental challenge, as they were physical. Many days I wanted to quit. But thanks to the awesome support system that I have, I was always encouraged and pushed to do my best and I will be forever grateful for this.
I can only speculate what is to come in 2014! I know that the adventures will continue. So far, the only things that I know for sure about this next year are:
* I have signed up to run the Cellcom Marathon in May, which will be my first full marathon!
* Running an 18K race in Phoenix in March
* Want to to more with myTEAM TRIUMPH, to include at least a few races
* Running Mileage goal of 750 miles, which averages out to just over 2 miles each day
* Spend as much time as I can with my amazing family and friends
I know that there will be more, and this is just the start! I can't want to see what we will accomplish this year and am excited to have each and every one of you out there to keep me going!
Bring on 2014! It's going to be another amazing year!
As I sit here tonight, 2013 is quickly coming to a close... and what a year it as been! If one year ago, someone would have told me that I would have experienced, endured and accomplished everything that I did in the last 12 months, I would have told them that they were crazy. It still feels surreal that this year was filled with as much as it was!
To recap 2013...
* 118 miles run during events, with a total of 308 miles when you figure in training runs between early May and the end of December. I am not sure how many miles I actually ran in the first 4 and a half months of 2013.
* 16 5k races between Michigan and Wisconsin
* 2 10k events, one in Green Bay, one in Chicago
* 2 5 Mile runs, one one one of the warmest days of June and the other the coldest day in November!
* Part of a full-marathon relay team.
* 3 Half Marathons
* Made a solo trip to Chicago to meet up with a friend for a run. Managed to not get lost and spent about 24 hours in an amazing city!
* Biked the trails around Munising with Darrin and also found some awesome new waterfalls
What started out as running the St Patrick's Day Run in Appleton in March, turned into running events almost every weekend for the rest of 2013! Several of these weekends included John joining the fun and walking some of the events! Very proud of him for what he accomplished this summer and joining in the fun! I have been blessed with an wonderful family and amazing friends that keep me going, inspire me and continually encourage me to keep moving forward. Each and every run, I challenged myself to run a little further or faster, push a little harder and make it a better run than the last one. Many of these runs where just as much of a mental challenge, as they were physical. Many days I wanted to quit. But thanks to the awesome support system that I have, I was always encouraged and pushed to do my best and I will be forever grateful for this.
I can only speculate what is to come in 2014! I know that the adventures will continue. So far, the only things that I know for sure about this next year are:
* I have signed up to run the Cellcom Marathon in May, which will be my first full marathon!
* Running an 18K race in Phoenix in March
* Want to to more with myTEAM TRIUMPH, to include at least a few races
* Running Mileage goal of 750 miles, which averages out to just over 2 miles each day
* Spend as much time as I can with my amazing family and friends
I know that there will be more, and this is just the start! I can't want to see what we will accomplish this year and am excited to have each and every one of you out there to keep me going!
Bring on 2014! It's going to be another amazing year!
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