A Weekend Full of Firsts!


"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. " ~ Greg Anderson 

Last Sunday was a beautiful day, so after running a 5K the day before (Saturday) and placing 1st in my age division, I was feeling pretty invincible and decided to brave putting my kayak on the top of the new rack I had bought and installed on my SUV for the 1st time all by myself and spend the afternoon kayaking.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon and the perfect choice for me.  My laundry could wait to be folded and put away when I got home. The dishes in the sink could be washed once I got back.  All of my chores will still need to be done, but it was worth taking a little time for myself.  I've found how much I need to do that for myself sometimes

I have worked hard to remain committed to going to the gym regularly this summer because I want to make sure that I continue making forward progress on the fitness journey that I'm on, but with that said I have also been enjoying a lot of the outdoor activities that I can't enjoy during the other times of the year.  For me, two of those include running outside and kayaking.

So as I was kayaking today I was mainly going through well traveled areas.  Toward the end I was starting to get tired and was trying to get tired and and was trying to get back so I chose the most direct path.  This path was much straighter and required less ground (water) to be covered but had a lot of lily pads and seaweed that slowed me down.  It never completely stopped me...it just slowed me down at times.  I would paddle a little harder to get through it and then things would go great until the next patch came up.  I could have chosen to go the longer and more traveled route and probably ended up getting back at about the same time, but I didn't.  This is the way I had chosen to go today.

It made me stop and think about my fitness journey.  Is there really a 'right' way to be doing this?  As long as I'm going it in a healthy way, I don't think so.  I think there are a lot of roads that can lead to a destination.  Some people workout in the privacy of their own home using their own equipment and/or DVD's.  Others join health clubs and utilize the equipment there and/or group exercise classes.  Still others would rather hike, bike, run, ski or skate.  I think the most important thing is to put on a pair of shoes and chose the one the directions that feels right for you...and if you don't like it once you are on it for a while then get off and try a different one.

Girls on the Run

http://www.girlsontherun.org/

I spent the last 10 weeks of the school year volunteering with a program called 'Girls on the Run' that promotes self-esteem, self-confidence, health, fitness, and fun.  I was lucky enough to work with ten 3rd-5th grade girls two times a week.  We played silly games, learned a lot about about running and how to make healthy choices in the foods we eat and in the way we choose to exercise.  We also practiced running each day.  It was amazing to watch the girls grow and develop.  I loved watching their confidence levels increase and new friendships develop.  As fun as it was to watch them improve with their running, it was even more rewarding to watch them become more empowered as individuals; to see their value and worth and uniqueness for who they are as something to be proud of!  That was what meant the most for me.  The program ended with a 5K run to celebrate all of the girls' hard work.  I was so proud of all of them for all that they had accomplished.

It was during the 5K run that I was ale to allow myself to think back to where I was a year ago...and then 2 years ago.  Two years ago I was just beginning to get started on my fitness journey and I didn't even know it at the time, and a year ago I was trying to talk myself into running my 1st 5K.  It's crazy to think about all the things that can be accomplished in a year.  There have been times within the last year that I have gotten frustrated and other times that I have felt that I was completely 'stuck', but when I allowed myself to take a step back a really look at my life...I was able to realize that I really wasn't stuck as much as I have turned and headed in a slightly different direction.  It was still leading me to where I wanted to go, just in a different way...and along that way I have found that I enjoy running and a few other things I never would have known I liked.

I'm so thankful that the path my life seems to follow is never the straight, flat, paved one, but instead the one filled with all the twists and turns and hills.  It makes it so much more exciting!

"Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal."  ~ E. Joseph Cossman

This quote is one that I continually find myself coming back to when I have something in my life...whether it is a goal or an obstacle...that is causing me to feel out of balance.  I know that in life I have new goals that I'm setting all the time.  I also have obstacles that tend to creep in on me.  The thing that I've discovered over the last few years is that if I focus on the obstacles, then I lose sight of the progress that I'm making toward achieving the goals that I have set for myself.


Last weekend I ran my first 10K and it was AMAZING.  A year ago I was doubting my ability to complete a 5K and now, sitting on the other side of completing a 10K, I have learn so much about myself.  I now know that I can do whatever it is that I set my mind to.  That might seem a little simplistic, but it has taken me over 30 years to truly be able to say that I fully know and believe that statement...and how empowering it can be.


There have been times over the last year that I have found myself unmotivated and frustrated about the lack of progress I felt I was making in my fitness journey, but as I run my 10K all I could think about was all of the other people that I was running with and how each and every one of them had their own story.  Some of them were young.  Some of them were older.  Some of them were battling illnesses and choosing to celebrate by focusing on what their bodies could do for them.  Other were instilling the love for running in their children, or helping a friend or family member reach a goal of their own.  Over 2500 unique and individual stories...and I was a part of it all.  


It was an absolutely indescribable feeling that left me feeling more whole and thankful that I could have ever imagined.


Is there something in your life that feels bigger than you?    Choose today to refocus your eyes.  Instead of looking at the obstacles, begin to focus on the end goal...with commitment and a belief in your own ability, you just might be amazed at what you can accomplish!

GET OUT OF THE BOAT !!!

This is one of the 'walk away' messages that I left church with this morning.

WOW!

This can apply to SOOO many different things in SOOO many different situations.

As I have been thinking about this over the last several hours, I've come to relieve that a boat is nothing more that a glorified box (yes, maybe it is a box that can take you somewhere, but a box non-the-less).  

So many of us choose to live much of our lives in a box of some sort...

• a job that pays the bills, but that we are not passionate about
• the role we have become so good at playing, but that we feel wrongly defines us
• a negative body image/self esteem because we are not quite sure how to take the steps needed to change it
• the comfort of the known. instead of the fear of what could be (even if that might include something AMAZING)

Being in a boat 'sounds' better than saying that you are choosing to confine yourself to a box...but it's the same thing.  

During this crazy journey that I am on, I have found that the only times that I have grown, are the times that I have consciously chosen to step outside of my box and go for it.  Is that something that is easy for me?  NO! But am I glad I do it...EVERY TIME!  

The first 5K that I ran, I was scared...but so happy i did it.

The first boot camp I participated in, I was extremely self-conscious...but met so many new people.

The first time I met 1-on-1 with a trainer, I was incredibly anxious...but I wouldn't trade the day for anything.

Where ever you are in life, you didn't get there by always doing what is comfortable.  There are times that require putting the fear of the unknown (or failure) aside and taking a large and deliberate step out of the boat/box.

As the day has gone on I have done a lot of thinking about what 'boxes/boats' I have gotten out of and left  behind and what ones I have chosen to not only remain in but decorate and fully furnish.

What is that for you?  What is one area in your life that if you could just take a chance and leap that you might really surprise yourself?  What is holding you back from doing that?  Think about it, process it, and then remind yourself that you deserve so much more than to live your life in any boxes/boats....and then take a deep breath and JUMP!

What does it take???

I've been asking myself that question for over a month now.
What will it take, personally, for me, to
get out of this slump...
get the ball rolling again...
get my momentum going again?

I was beginning to get to a place where I was becoming extremely frustrated with myself.  I had learned a lot, and come so far.  I had made significant and dramatic changes in my life.
I was happier and healthier and at the same time feeling 'stuck' and unmotivated and I wanted to wake up one morning and magically find all of that excitement and determination that I remembered having 6 months ago.

The truth...I did wake up.  On a beautiful Sunday morning after a much needed vacation, I decided that I wasn't going to sit and wait for a 'feeling' to come back. I decided that feeling or not feeling, I needed to do whatever it took to get my momentum going again.

Getting something going is never easy.  Getting something going for a 2nd time can be even more difficult b/c you know what you are up against...but what i have learned over the last year and a half is that I am capable of much more than I give myself credit for.  We all are.  Setting a goal and making the decision to accomplish that goal is an extremely powerful force.

So...to answer my question...what does it take for me to get my momentum back?

• returning to 6am group exercise classes
• getting in more cardio
• committing to run
• a new accountability buddy
• a last minute coffee date with a friend
• 10  3rd-5th grade girls who are all training to run a 5K
• the belief that I can do ALL things I set my mind to

This week has been a reality check for me and I know that i need to push myself and I am now beginning to feel the momentum slowly starting to pick up...now the fun part will be to see where it takes me this time!

MOMENTUM

Over the last year I have heard many different people say that it is easier to keep the momentum that you have going than it is to start again, if you let that momentum stop.

It made since to me, and I never really questioned it, but now I am having the opportunity to live it out.  I ended up getting quite sick this winter for several weeks and I was not able to exercise.  This set me back and I found myself at a complete standstill for the first time since I had started my health and fitness journey.  

If I'm being completely honest, this is something that I wasn't really prepared for. I had been doing pretty well, and I had been happy with the results that I had been seeing and then all of a sudden, everything started to change and all my momentum that I have accumulated came screeching to a halt. 

With all of this said...momentum is not something that cannot be gotten back, and I plan on doing what ever it takes to get it rolling again.  I have NOT worked this hard or come this far to stop now.  I may not be quite where I want to be yet, but I'm definitely NOT where I used to be.  

I leave for a much needed week long vacation in a few days and with me I am taking a 3 books.  One on setting personal goals for yourself, one on nutrition, and one on setting financial goals.  I am looking forward to spending some quality time on the beach setting up some long and short term goals for myself and an action plan on how to accomplish them.  I will find ways to set myself up to succeed...to begin to get my momentum rolling again, and  to get back to where I want to be.

When unexpected things happen in our lives (and they will) we can either let them knock us down and choose to stay down, or we can get back up, dust ourselves off and learn how to become stronger and more confident in the process.  I am choosing to live my life with purpose and intention and embracing ways to grow and improve with each challenge I encounter. 

ACCOUNTABILITY

We all need it and I am so blessed to have it....in multiple areas in my life and from multiple people.
It takes a special kind of person to be willing to hold you accountable to the important things in your life. 
They have to be willing to NOT except your excuses.
They have to be willing to check in with you.
They have to push you at times you may not want it.
They have to remind you that you are WORTH it on the days you find yourself questioning it.

And after saying all of that, I find myself even more grateful for the incredible people who have chosen to stand by me and help me to reach the goals that I have set for myself.  I would not be where I am now without each and every one of them and I would not have the motivation to continue to dream big dreams and set increasingly more challenging goals without knowing that they have my back.

I have been going to a local gym for about a year and a half now and in that short time I've noticed there are a few different groups of people.  There is the group that starts off....they are motivated, they work hard, and many of them get incredible results.  The thing is, they don't find people to connect with.
People who will miss them if they don't show up for a group exercise class.
People who will call/text/facebook them if they haven't seen them in a while.
People to smile and laugh with.
People to share their goals and struggles with...
They work hard, put in the effort, but don't have the support of accountability.

There is another group that may start off anywhere from a sprint to a walk....but as time goes on, they continue to grow in momentum.  They find others who are in the group exercise classes that they enjoy.  They take the time to get to know some of them.  They seek out and also offer encouragement when needed.  They find and give accountability.  They find joy in having a support system and reach out to others in the process.

This is one of the groups that I've found, makes it for the long haul.  No matter where their journey started, they are able to find joy and success in not only their accomplishments but also the accomplishments of others.

Accountability has so much to do with it, and I am blessed to have friends in my life that care enough about me to keep me accountable to the goals that I have set for myself.

One of the best pieces of advice I can leave you with for your fitness journey is to do the same.  Find a few people, and they don't need to be your family members or best friends.  Sometimes they 'let us off the hook' too easily.  Find people that will hold you to your goals; people you are willing to be 100% open and honest with.  It can make all the difference.

I am planning on sharing the how's and why's of the last year and a half of my life that have helped me to get to the point I am currently at...a place that these days consists of:
joy
peace
contentment
excitement
passion
self worth
self confidence
and a desire to share all of this with others.

But for right now, that has to wait.  Right now, this very moment, my feelings consist more of
fear
self doubt
stress
insecurity
unrest
anxiety
and confusion.

Not things that sound too inspiring or motivational, huh?

Then I got thinking the other night.  I am in an extremely stressful season in my life right now...the last month of grad class after two years.  I have demands that are being placed on me that make me feel as though I might get crushed...but what I realized, the amazing thing for me, is that deep down, I KNOW that it won't crush me.  I know that I WILL get through this month....and for the first time in my life, I'm choosing to do it in a healthy way.  I'm not choosing to eat dinners that are passed through the drivers side window of my car, but instead fueling my body with everything it needs of make it through this next month.  Instead of sitting at home and worrying, I am allowing myself some time at the gym for clear my head and do something good for my body, my mind and my soul. 

Even though I have been stressed, I am beginning to see that this 'new' me is
handling it,
surviving it,
smiling through it
growing because of it
and sharing what I'm learning about it, with others.

Although I can't say that I'll be sad when my class is over, I can say that I am learning to appreciate all of the challenges that come along.  They help me to continue to learn how strong I am becoming....

it just may not be what my professor had in mind for me to learn from this class.

 I started an amazing and life changing journey a little over a year and a half ago, and I have been journaling about it along the way.  I was in a place in my life where I wasn't happy with how I was choosing to live.  I decided that I needed things to change and that is exactly what has happened.  I'm hoping to share some of the incredible things that have happened in my life since I have started my journey to reclaiming my joy; the up and downs, the struggles and successes and maybe most importantly the fun!  Yes, I did say fun.  I never would have thought it was possible in the being, but YES...fitness can be fun! 

I am hoping to post weekly, so please keep coming back!  I have lots to share :)