Posts Tagged ‘Turning 30 – 30 Day Fitness Challenge’

Day Five and a Quarter Mile

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

I added distance to my run this morning!   I still ran to the beach and back but took a few extra turns.  It was such a warm sunny morning and my cold was kind enough not to put a damper on my Challenge progress.  I was a little worried last night.  I’m not sure how to handle the rules if I can’t get out of bed.  Fortunately, I’m thinking I’ve got a handle on this pesky cold and should continue without a missed beat.  It is my assumption that my body is just clearing out some of the toxins accumulated during my visit to NY and travel and all that.  I’m owing the release of said toxins to the exercise I’ve been doing.  Makes sense right? That could be the reason why I actually feel my best while doing the exercise.  So another successful day and now I’m free to do as I please for the rest of this beautiful Saturday.

We’re actually going to start getting ready and find a bar that’s playing the Jet game.  Playoffs!  After that it’s off to Big Bear for a party in a cabin and snowboarding tomorrow.  Very exciting.  So no run tomorrow, unless I feel like taking on that cool mountain air.  But I think taking on the mountain will be exercise enough!

For my pre-run fuel I continued with the protein shake I’ve been drinking.  The shake I drink is Juice Plus Complete.  I like this  product.  It’s a non-dairy, gluten free, whole food based powder full of phytonutrients and no artificial sweeteners.  I mix it with rice milk.  The protein is primarily soy rice based and the vitamins are all from fruits and vegetables.  It also contains probiotics and land and sea minerals like kelp, spirulina, and wheat grass.  The unfortunate thing about Juice Plus is it’s not sold in stores, however it can be purchased online.  They send you a fourth month supply but bill you monthly.  I trust this company.  The have a lot of research to back their claims and the customer service reps are friendly and helpful.  I also use this drink as a substitute for breakfast when I’m in a rush. The All-Star drinks it too, although he’d prefer it tasted like candy, rather than health food.  It also comes in vanilla flavor but I prefer the chocolate.

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Words of inspiration for today…

The best thing you can do is simply show up with a positive attitude, maintaining a high level of integrity, and lead by example.

Until tomorrow.

Challenge – Day 3

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Major challenge accomplishment for me today.  The alarm went off at 6:23.  I hit the snooze once but by 6:45 I was in sneakers and on the move.  I went the same route as on Day 1.  It was not my intention but I even shaved a few minutes off my time.  The temperature was cooler and there was less traffic which helped.  The beach was beautiful and the air fresh.  It reminded me that I do love the morning. 

Last night, after some delicious lentil soup and a glass of red wine, we watched the movie Seven Pounds. It was a decent story with a predictable plot but Will Smith is a pretty good actor and I remained entertained throughout.  There was one line that stayed with me till the morning and I meditated on it during my run.  One of the characters, played by Rosario Dawson, says she wishes she had more time to learn who she is and what she likes.  Often I find myself lost on my journey and I now believe it is because my idea of what I seek is unclear.  It is not the unfamiliarity of the path that causes me to lose my way, but an unfamiliarity with myself that leads to confusion.  How do I know that I want to be on this path?  Will I be happy where I end up?  Am I strong enough to make it?  One of the greatest parts of the path to wellness is the self-discovery that occurs along the way.  My goal is practice being more aware of it. 

This morning I discovered that I really like jogging in the morning, while in the past it was something I said I could never do.  The truth is my body is fully capable, my mind just didn’t want to do it.   

Zen Calender Meditation for January 7, 2010

“We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.”  – Tao Te Ching

Challenge – Day 2

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Another successful challenge day.  If you read my earlier post, I skipped the morning run for need of sleep, but intended to do some yoga as my day’s challenge activity.  After work, and a food shop to fill our empty fridge, The All-Star and I walked a mile around our new neighborhood,  which was a pleasant addition to the list of exercises.  Plus, walking with my significant other is always enjoyable.  I recommend it to all couples.  It gives us an opportunity to connect without our regular home distractions.  On this particular walk we contemplated for way too long the inability of our neighbors to leave ample parking room for others and spied through the windows of an unoccupied h0me, imagining that we were the future inhabitants.  Pure goodness.

Following a few other necessary tasks, taking down the Christmas decorations, and a phone call to my sister,  I got the lentil soup simmering and started my yoga.  Another 45 minutes of fitness and a check mark next to today.  Some may argue that yoga is not a workout.  While I understand and appreciate the importance and significance of yoga as a form of meditation, I still feel it okay to use it as an exercise in this challenge, especially when feeling as run-down as I did last night.  It’s an opportunity for me to recharge and stretch, and since I don’t plan on taking days off from this challenge, it’s nice to have an activity that doesn’t add to my fatigue.  On the other hand, I do mostly power yoga, so it isn’t all that easy anyway.  Tomorrow, however, I intend to wake up early and go for another run.  Slacking is not the name of this challenge.

So until tomorrow…

And to those participating in your own challenge, keep up the good work!

Turning 30 – 30 Day Fitness Challenge

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Here it is, Day 1.  I realized last night that I was only mildly prepared but part of a challenge is facing the challenge and overcoming obstacles that may have been overlooked.  So last night I set my alarm for 7:56 am, a modest time since car-pool doesn’t pick me up until 10:30.  This morning, when that alarm went off, my arm reached for the snooze botton and my mind began the game of reasoning.  Finally at 8:25 my mind lost and my body got up to begin its test.

Fitness for Day 1 – a 2.4 jog to the beach and back.

jogging route

I left at 8:55 am suspecting that it would take me roughly 1/2 an hour.  This isn’t a straight run.  There are lights so time for stopping needed to be factored in.

Day one Jog

Off I went!  Do I look tired?  I was.  Yesterday was a long day. All part of the challenge!

So the run took exactly 30 minutes as predicted.  I made sure to stop the running at the last light and walk the rest of the block back as to bring down my heart rate.

Challenges faced:

  • Menstrual cramps (got my period today – how’s that for an extra kick in the butt)
  • Not-so-supportive sports bra
  • Dog poop I almost stepped in

Positives

  • New sneakers are comfy and feet feel fine
  • Remembered to stretch before
  • Warm sunny day and beach was beautiful
  • I remembered to put on sun screen

Things to remember

  • Avoid curbs – ankles have a tendency to roll
  • Need to get mace for early morning jogs
  • Would like to bring phone to take pics of ocean or make emergency call if necessary
  • Make better play-list for Ipod, although today’s shuffle really did come through for me
  • Afterward stretch before I blog

So that’s it folks.  Day 1 has begun.  I started it off right.  I had a post-run protein shake which I think next time I’ll have that before the run.  My lungs started moving some of the congestion that accumulated in the cold weather of NY and my back was a little achy but some more stretching and a hot shower fixed that right up.  Otherwise all A-OK.  Stay tuned for more to come.

For those of you following along with me on this challenge, feel free to modify as you wish.  Type of exercise, duration, and distance should all be to your capacity.  Just remember, this is a challenge, so take your time and be kind to your body.  Listen to what it has to say and push it when you’re ready.  Success is feeling good, not being hurt and tired.

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