Cheers 2013...oh how I love you already pretty lady

Running it out

Running out 2012 and running into 2013.... Love it.

Took 4 days off over holidaze from run bike swim & nearly went ape crazy. When I don't get that endorphin rush or sweat on, I get a bit wicked crabby. Took a hearty swim a few days ago and AHHHHHHH all better. Big run today also felt righteous. Lacing up tomorrow too.

Free Fall

Sooooooo excited to enjoy the exhilarating free fall into turning 39.....going to be flipping righteous.

Good health, love, compassion, laughter, mystery, prosperity, commitment, magic, quiet, chaos, mothering, caring, beauty, strength, endurance, fulfilling, challenges, follow through, goals, unknown, delicious, friendship, mellow, partnership, enveloping goodness....creating space for all of these things {and more! The unexpected, so thrilling} in my life this year.

Riding

Today is why I ride...sunny but so chilly. Clear, gorgeous roads. AAA's all together, geared up, wonderful cardio, scenery, conversation. Big steak sandwich in Valley Ford, more riding & chatting. Love it. Always will.

Biker Babes

Light

Pool Time

I usually only have 20-30 min for laps because I'm terrible at time management & always do chores then am racing the clock to sneak in laps before kid pick up or pool closes.

Today I had an hour. I could only swim 45 minutes and now I am toast. Turns out I had it easy with 20-30 min.... 45 min of straight laps is exhausting. Yet awesome. Pool was so warm and quiet. Best. Four times a week is all I ask!

Accountability

6 miler

The good:
Chilly brilliant sunshine
Had oodles of time
Great tunes
Ate oatmeal
Pearl Jam, tribe of zebras, Shins, Adele, dance~100% Pure Love refrain "don't cha want it?" over & over

The Bad:
Lead feet
Ripping side ache
Peed my pants entire time
Back shoulder tightness
Time crawled by....

DONE!

So glad I used RunKeeper. On my own I would have stopped at 1 hr....only 5.60 miles at my 12 m pace.

Need a new flat long route.

Biker Babe

This pic makes me laugh and feel good at the same time. This is what I'd look like on a bike in a bikini bottom & that's cool with me. If life isn't fun some of the time, then what's it all for?

Love the gluttony....

The holiday onion dip, pie & butter butter butter. I also love the greens after the gluttony & shopping/picking out of my own front yard.

Cheers to the season! Hoping to balance butter & kale and lounging & fitness.

It's All Good

Every day I usually do two fitness actives: walk, run, swim, bike. Every day I move & sweat.

Not concerned at all about the gluttonous holidaze weight gain. I'd be a lot more concerned about why I wasn't moving my body (which equals weight gain). So I'm excited about stuffing my face with all my holiday favorites (Buds Egg Nog), moving my bod & being happy. Cheers!

A few ideas tinkering in my brain for 2013...weight lifting, crossfit, more UJam/dancing, maybe that ribbon climbing circus class. Of course also, duathlons, centuries and half & full marathons to fill up my life!

Candle Love

Totally me...sometimes

Not as much lately...but still, sometimes.

Although I've changed it around in my enlightened old age. Not so much Anxiety Girl as 'Cautious, Prepared & Caring enough to be concerned about the outcome' woman :-). Think positive, prepare for the negative!

Bowl of Awesome

In college my roommate and I were quirky and we would always eat out of serving bowls.  Not the bowl you would use to serve people (I'm not gross;-) but we would USE serving bowls as bowls/plates.  Over the years the spouse and I registered for matching dishes etc but I still sometimes used large bowls as my plate.  Saw this set of 4 oblong serving bowls called 'Sides' and bought them...with every intention of never using them as serving bowls but to use them as my everyday plate/bowl.  LOVE them.  Might go get 4 more. Bringing the quirky back.

I Love to run, swim and bike every day.  Every day.  I wake up and I want to run bike or swim... usually I want to do all three that day.  I get irritated and grouchy if I know it's a day that I might be able to only do one activity.  A good day is doing two and a RAD day is doing all three.  A perfect day for me would be: 

Morning walk at dawn (hasn't happened regularly since kiddo but that's ok, I know it will again at some point)

A Run

A Ride

A Swim

Evening Walk

A weekend day would include a few hours hike on top of all that.  I was not born as an active person, I actually managed to be quite sedentary my entire 0-30 yrs with the HUGE exception of Jr Jazzercise which was the highlight of my entire childhood.  High school I did a few sports teams but I was terrified of team sports/pressure, so I sucked at it and was anxious about it, horrible combo.  In college I exercised because I felt like I had to, everyone was doing it but I didn't really love it and I would often tell my boyfriend I was going to the gym and I would go and read magazines in the lobby.  Adventure Outings did begin my passion for rafting, hiking, backpacking~what a great organization, hot college leaders and the outdoors...win/win.  I started running at the end of my 20's and loved the 5k & 10k races I did with a friend but still...something was missing. 

After I hit my dark days & lows as a new mama, nothing really excited me.  Husband and I had ran together early on in our relationship but running after having a baby was not high on my list of priorities, a daily shower wasn't on my list of priorities, so how could running be?  I did run and sometimes swim after having kiddo but all of it was because 'I had to, or I should."  

The past two years have really centered me & filled me with an awesome sense of calm in relation to run swim bike.  I love doing them all.  Each for their own benefit.  Running is loud thumping music where I feel like a dancer or rock star or cross country running star, I feel awesome, lean & fluid when I run, even during bad runs it's all good.  Cycling is for soul chatting with friends or pushing myself solo, I love being a cyclist, getting back on the bike was SO far out of my comfort zone it was laughable at first.  Now I use it to define myself.  Swimming is my meditation, it is slow, methodical and relaxing, a true familiar love.  I am not a triathlete, yes I have done all three together but that type of energy does not do it for me.  I like to run swim bike but not as an event and that's Ok.  

A huge perk to loving fitness as a lifestyle is that I have not been down on my body for about 2 yrs.  I used to be like all the women I know, judging my worth by the size of my ass or the jiggle of my thighs.  Just doesn't happen anymore.  Of course I look in the mirror and think about how I wish my hair was not springing up with gray and how I would prefer that the age freckles and wrinkles wouldn't start for another 20 yrs, aside from that...zero self-doubt.  I love my body and I am proud of her.  The size of rmy ass or my thighs has zilch to do with the time I spend in the saddle or pounding the pavement.  If I can't fit in a size 6, it's not because I am sitting on my ass...I am moving my body.  Do I wish I was 22yrs old and had not one ounce of cellulite & high perky breasts?  OMG yes! Do I also wish I was an olympic runner who did ultras in Africa & Alaska, OMG yes!  Alas, neither is going to happen (much more likely to run ultras in Alaska though over anything in the previous paragraph).  I am not going to spend my time wishing for the past or hoping away my present on skinny jeans and a good fleeting silhouette.  I love my body in workout gear and I love my body in my every day clothes...Being active has brought more to me emotionally & mentally than it ever could physically.

I get irked by people who have an opinion of what is best for others "Oh running is boring, I only bike.  Wow cycling is so dangerous, as a parent I would never do that to my family.  Swimming is a chore, I hate it, why do people like swimming Boring!'  To each her own.  I have friends who zumba, karate, paddle board, yoga, water aerobics, rock climb, sprint cycle, triathlons..and I would never judge what I think the most fun or most cool workout is, whatever people do to move their bodies & soul and whatever fills them with a sense of awe & calm...wow. Rock on in whatever you do peeps.

I am so incredibly thrilled that I have three (five if you include walking and hiking, six if you include canoe/kayak) activities that I lust after, that I crave, that I plan my day and my life around.  I love it.  I think back to my sedentary pre-run swim bike lifestyle and I just feel kinda bummed for myself.  I wouldn't change anything since the experiences I had led me here to where I am today but I can say with complete honesty that I would be very sad indeed if I was not running swimming and biking into my twilight years and beyond.  I am not sorry that fitness wasn't a huge part of my past but it IS my present and I will make it my future.  That thought thrills me daily.  

2013 Goals List (more to come)

Kaiser Half~February 6

Presidio 10 miler~April 21

Cinderella Ride Century~April 6

Mermaid Duathlon Alameda~June 9 

Mermaid Sirena 18 miler~May 11
IronGirl Tahoe Tri~Fall
IronGirl Seattle & Del Mar Tri~TBA

A Marathon...

A few Full Centuries...

A 3 day cycling destination trek with the ladies...

Looking into fitness careers or volunteer~races, events, health, parks, activities....

Backpack Patch

"LIFE.... If you're not REALLY living it, what the hell are you doing with your time?!?!?"

Love my home

Falling back into my mojo

Mojo...found!

Been working out daily but only putting a little effort in. Winds of change today:

20 min run before pick up, felt SO good, had to have more.

45 min run at Twilight, so string awesome fabulous

Hit up laps right after run, calm quiet pool, gorgeous stars. 40 min laps

So sore.....loving the motivation.

Mermaid 10k, more rides, swim daily, run daily.

New motto & outlook

Fall~time to shine

Fall & Grandpa Mike

To Do

Run
Swim
Bar
Bike

Look up bike trek companies
Look up bike tours for summer
P10 and Kaiser
Hals & Fulls
Tri? Hmmmmm

Fall baby...

I know I'd be stronger & slimmer if I ate more. I go through long stretches of the day being pseudo-hungry, then eat but not enough or the right stuff and I just know I'd be stronger & better fueled and lose weight with more food. I'm just lazy... Lame.

Eat more & Sleep more....same mantra...different day

Bubble

Love the glasses & bubble, love it. Seems to say "I'm all right thanks."

Hoping all this junk happened to me in high school but I'm sure it'll repeat itself when I get into my swinging senior citizens age group, those blue hairs are feisty!

Good 35 min foggy ragle run, abs sore the whole time, go bar!

Eggs
GF toast
Apple
Tillamook slices (tastes rich after not eating it a lot)
1/2 cup pasta
GF veggie crackers (addictive)
Rice, beans, shredded chicken
Corn tortilla fried

Lusting for SIFT cupcakes today. Might need to get one to curb the beast.

Motivation

Good day. Easy run at spring lake, 30 min. Wanted an hour or more but had committed to Bar. If I stopped chatting at school drop off I could do an hour run AND bar...Hmmmmmmm

Bar~small class, 2 of us, kinda daunting but felt great. Still feeling the muscles working!

Few bites oatmeal
Coffee
Chips, not a lot not a little
Avocado Guac
Fish taco on corn tortilla

Trying to stay GF after big non healthy weekend (and felt like junk for it!)....being GF light makes me more aware of everything I eat.

Love my reminder 26.2... Been there, could be there again.

Swim

Took a while to feel awesome but after a 45 min lap swim I did.

View

Love the view of my room. So calming and quiet, my favorite place. Just need to SLEEP more & often. 4hrs a nite is NOT gonna help me be strong, healthy, fit.

Life + Love

Twittered Away

Twittered away my free time today :-( No Bar, or swim. Short hot run 4.5m. So not awful but I wanted more, my fault.

Headache (no breakfast & up too late will do that), MT fault again.

Planning on coast weekend, good healthy food (and whiskey) and running each morning.

Today, so far:

Coffee
Small slices leftover steak
Goat cheese
Dr. crackers
Apple
Two boiled eggs

Insane GF greatness

In my quest to be aware & go gluten light, I've made some awesome meals! Today's is my fav of all time:

Salmon
Gist cheese
Dates
Kale chips
Apples
GF crackers

Filling, tastes great, and good for you!

Big ride today, freestone loop. Feeling it, all over tired. Love that feeling.

Staying on the wagon: run bike bar, GF, light dairy and smart food choices. Need more lap swimming, yet to go this week.

Totally Me

Unicorn

Only problem with...

Going gluten light is that I am stuffing everything in my face that doesn't have gluten! Overcompensating big time. Sigh....

Big favs today

Popcorn (cooked in coconut oil) brewers yeast, salt
Goat cheese
Dates
Goat yogurt
Rice Chex (GF)
Kale chips, BEST
Left over amazing Quinoa dish (mushrooms garlic lemon parsley almonds kale)

Smoothie: cup of coffee, pumpkin purée, honey, banana, ice, flax milk

2.5 mile run spring lake

Bar Class, still jello at the core but held on for a few of the routines more than usual! Booyah.

Drive yes...text NO!

Gone GF

Hit up whole foods and hot three heavy bags for $170 (whole paycheck!)....all my stuff was Gluten Free...we shall see how this pans out....

Hot slow run today, 3.5m. Waited till 2pm, my bad!

Love my town

FALL...delicious

Good days

Amazing stew:

Onion
Garlic
Coconut oil
Frozen kale
Yukon gold & sweet potato
Cup of canned pumpkin
Carrots
Garlic salt
Sea salt
Bragg
Water
AMAZINGLY savory and intense.

Acorn squash baked with tiny slice of butter, salt, bit if brown sugar.

Rice crackers, goat cheese, avocado

Two RAD crisp Gravensteins

*three small oatmeal butterscotch chip cookies made by grandma

I need more KALE in my life

Coffee
Two eggs
2 slices homemade pumpkin bread

Solo ride around Graton, easy, quiet, gorgeous

1hr lap swim

Sooooooore arms and abs from BAR, motivation to go often.

Apple country...still

Spinning solo~beautiful

Harvest

Dinner:

Yukon golds
Sweet potato
Avocado slices
Broccoli (bit of mayo)
Slice of warm turkey (yum, fall)
Goat cheese

Doh!

Redwood $1.25 tastes like musky goat
Bellwether Farms $2.59 tastes like bliss

I guess money does buy happiness, in the form of non-musky goat yogurt :-)

No excuses today

First day of cycle: headache, general girlie malaise BUT.....

Hit Bar class. I suck at it big time: zero core, jello muscles, shaking legs and Charlie horses. Sigh....guess I'll go more often.

Run in spring lake, after bar I needed to feel better about myself. Hungry and side aches and mid afternoon heat did not bode well but chored out 35 minutes.

Swim. My yoga.


Coffee
Few bites oatmeal
Small cup chips
Whole avocado guac & salsa (small amount
One Fish taco: two corn tortillas, cabbage slaw

Today my excuse was...

I don't wanna...sadly, I didn't.

Nice thing about days~tomorrow is always a new one!

Yup

Monday

Bike ride with Dad (Sebtown to Forestville & back)

Run afterwards (booyah!) 45 minutes
Left Achilles ache near end, maybe from Brick workout.

Coffee w/S&C
Oatmeal w/S&C&B
Rice milk latte
2 poached eggs, tomato, prosciutto
Popcorn with coconut oil, brewers, salt
Small slices steak
Green olives
1/2 ounce jack cheese
Large slice pumpkin bread, YUM!
Butter

Best find of the day: coconut oil used for stovetop popcorn again worked great! Slight nutty smell/flavor, yum. Canola is SO outta here!

She believed she could, so she did...

Shape Up 10 wk Session~Accountability & Creating new lifestyle habits

"Motivation is what gets you started...Habit is what keeps you going."

Goals: 

Lose Inches & weight

Cross-train different muscles, strength, flexibility

Eat balanced & clean

SLEEP

LIVE Lean (energy, clean, healthy, light, active)

Motivation/Reason:

STRENGTH (push ups, planks, etc)

CORE

Feel leaner, lighter, more comfortable in my skin & clothes

Steps:

TRACK Food, accountability not diet

Zumba & Bar classes

Church of Run, Bike, Swim

Sleep

Eat Clean (low sugar & fat & filler) (Increase greens, fiber, WHOLE Food)

Create muscle, strengthen & lean

Yup, True

Honoring Kenyon