MILES that is. I almost can't believe this myself. Yesterday was my long run day and I was lookin at 8 miles. The first one is always a struggle for me but I kept going. The next couple, not so bad and then it started getting pretty tough around mile 5. But I was over half way there and that kept me going along with great music and the SUN.
My last 2 1/2 were up/down Peachtree Street. I think I was a pitiful site. Running in "slo mo" for sure and at times, I think I was more likely doing a shuffle vs. running. The drivers must have been wondering, - what the what?! (as my favorite Mr. Brown would say).
After the groaning, grunting (all to myself I hope) and sweating, I RAN 8 MILES! What an accomplishment. I am pretty psyched.
I'm still working on the mantra, confidence in myself thing. I'm going to have to reach down deeper next Sunday when I'm looking at 10 miles. I am self motivated but I have to say, the atta boys and support from my run coach, Mike, is awesome! Can we ever get enough of it?!
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
SIMPLE and great!
Oh my, what a spectacular weekend in so many ways and now I get to relive it in this post. The weather in Atlanta on both Saturday and Sunday was over the top fabulous. Bright, bright blue sky. NO humidity. Prob in the mid 60's. Perfect weather in every way. Everyone in the city certainly thought so because the parks were PACKED; kids, strollers, dogs.....everywhere. It was a very cool site.
My Saturday was so very great; simple stuff but I loved it. I started it off with my 9am BodyBlitz class @ Body Solutions and after had coffee w/my cuz. Can't remember the last time I sat and had a leisurely cup of coffee w/a friend?! Next up was boxing with Dan! I'm not a fighter but love the boxing. Then my fav lunch (chicken salad @ http://cafeatpharr.com/ - if you live in Atlanta and haven't tried it; run there quickly. You will love it). More visiting with my friends @ Dora Rae - these sisters are adorable and the jewelry....addicting. Surprise visit to my neice @ her work followed by a mani and then new dinner favorite.....smoothie! Now how @ that for a wonderful day! Simple stuff and so much fun!
I woke Sunday to a beautiful, sunny morning but mucho on the tired side. I had worked out for @ 2+ weeks straight and was gettin a little tired. I decided to indulge in a lazy morning and was anxiously awaiting my noon massage!!!! Every good massage for me is followed by a restful nap so that's how it went. When I woke up I was so excited to see the beautiful weather remained so on went the running shoes and out the door I went for.............my SIX MILE RUN!!!! Longest distance ever! I did it and that's just the beginning! My official half marathon training has started.
What a great weekend. Spent quality time with friends & relatives; had great workouts; new accomplishment - good times! Really all quite simple.
My Saturday was so very great; simple stuff but I loved it. I started it off with my 9am BodyBlitz class @ Body Solutions and after had coffee w/my cuz. Can't remember the last time I sat and had a leisurely cup of coffee w/a friend?! Next up was boxing with Dan! I'm not a fighter but love the boxing. Then my fav lunch (chicken salad @ http://cafeatpharr.com/ - if you live in Atlanta and haven't tried it; run there quickly. You will love it). More visiting with my friends @ Dora Rae - these sisters are adorable and the jewelry....addicting. Surprise visit to my neice @ her work followed by a mani and then new dinner favorite.....smoothie! Now how @ that for a wonderful day! Simple stuff and so much fun!
I woke Sunday to a beautiful, sunny morning but mucho on the tired side. I had worked out for @ 2+ weeks straight and was gettin a little tired. I decided to indulge in a lazy morning and was anxiously awaiting my noon massage!!!! Every good massage for me is followed by a restful nap so that's how it went. When I woke up I was so excited to see the beautiful weather remained so on went the running shoes and out the door I went for.............my SIX MILE RUN!!!! Longest distance ever! I did it and that's just the beginning! My official half marathon training has started.
What a great weekend. Spent quality time with friends & relatives; had great workouts; new accomplishment - good times! Really all quite simple.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
What's your mantra?
I read a great Runners World article today that nailed what I've been thinking to myself. Now for my MANTRA?! What's it going to be?
Check out some of my fav lines from the article or read the entire article for yourself.
To achieve your running goals, powerful legs and big lungs aren't enough—you also need a strong head. Doubts and distractions can derail your attempts, but a well-chosen mantra can keep you calm and on target...... An effective mantra addresses what you want to feel, not the adversity you're trying to overcome...."
Check out some of my fav lines from the article or read the entire article for yourself.
To achieve your running goals, powerful legs and big lungs aren't enough—you also need a strong head. Doubts and distractions can derail your attempts, but a well-chosen mantra can keep you calm and on target...... An effective mantra addresses what you want to feel, not the adversity you're trying to overcome...."
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sometimes you need a little push....
Check out my guest post...........Sometimes you need a little push and support to achieve your weight loss goals
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Portion control vs. out of control
....back to life, back to reality.....it was the 90's and En Vogue's hit took off. It's as relevant today as it was then.
I'm coming to the end of a wonderful 4 day weekend spent in sunny FL with family. We ate, drank, laughed, went to a movie (Burlesque and loved it!), looked at old photos, watched football (the Gators were awful!) and did I mention ate & drank. Today begins back to life, back to reality for me AND portion control takes on out of control! I really let myself go these 4 days, although I'd probably make that @ 7-8 days because it started before I left home.
The result - I've now gained 10 lbs!!!! A first since I lost my weight. Freaking out?! Yep a little. It's kind of scary because of all the "I gained it all back" stories I've heard. I'm determined I won't be one of those statistics! I know what to do and now it's about applying the motivation to go the Nike way and just do it!
Line in the sand, the buck stops here, start your engines and JUST DO IT!
I'm coming to the end of a wonderful 4 day weekend spent in sunny FL with family. We ate, drank, laughed, went to a movie (Burlesque and loved it!), looked at old photos, watched football (the Gators were awful!) and did I mention ate & drank. Today begins back to life, back to reality for me AND portion control takes on out of control! I really let myself go these 4 days, although I'd probably make that @ 7-8 days because it started before I left home.
The result - I've now gained 10 lbs!!!! A first since I lost my weight. Freaking out?! Yep a little. It's kind of scary because of all the "I gained it all back" stories I've heard. I'm determined I won't be one of those statistics! I know what to do and now it's about applying the motivation to go the Nike way and just do it!
Line in the sand, the buck stops here, start your engines and JUST DO IT!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Time...
It's funny how the meaning or impact of things changes...over TIME! Didn't really mean that as a pun but.....it's early!
27:56 - The men's winner from Ethiopia's TIME in the Peachtree Road Race 10K. That's less than a 5 minute/mile - WOW! I ran down to the street just to get a glimpse of the elite runners pass. What a treat. Literally sprinting for 6.1 miles. To just watch them was thrilling.
1:13:24 - My niece, a 1st time Peachtree Road Racer, finished in I think record TIME. I'm so proud of her for running the race (w/her dad) and she had a blast. Motivation for me next year?
11:01 - My fastest TIME on Saturday for running one mile. I've been working hard on bringing down my TIME. Run farther, faster!
26:24 - I completed my first 2 mile run w/o stopping. Didn't run it to beat any TIME, just to finish. As I ran, I heard Dan saying to me, it's 85% in your head. I turned that 85% into 100% and finished the 2 miles. Yahoo!
July 4th, 9:30pm - This TIME couldn't come fast enough for my niece last night as we waited for the fireworks to begin. It was an outstanding show. From my balcony, we saw 6 fireworks shows.
In the past, TIME has been more @ where do I need to be by a certain TIME. What watch will I wear today (I have a bunch) so I know the TIME at every moment. I don't want to be late; I like to be on TIME. Some of this still holds true (I like to be on TIME but no longer wear a watch) but now this means so much more to me than just getting there.
It's now TIME to start a new day! I'm excited for day 3 of the long, holiday weekend. I'll wear no watch, no place to be at any specific TIME, just enjoying another day with family & friends. Happy post 4th!
27:56 - The men's winner from Ethiopia's TIME in the Peachtree Road Race 10K. That's less than a 5 minute/mile - WOW! I ran down to the street just to get a glimpse of the elite runners pass. What a treat. Literally sprinting for 6.1 miles. To just watch them was thrilling.
1:13:24 - My niece, a 1st time Peachtree Road Racer, finished in I think record TIME. I'm so proud of her for running the race (w/her dad) and she had a blast. Motivation for me next year?
11:01 - My fastest TIME on Saturday for running one mile. I've been working hard on bringing down my TIME. Run farther, faster!
26:24 - I completed my first 2 mile run w/o stopping. Didn't run it to beat any TIME, just to finish. As I ran, I heard Dan saying to me, it's 85% in your head. I turned that 85% into 100% and finished the 2 miles. Yahoo!
July 4th, 9:30pm - This TIME couldn't come fast enough for my niece last night as we waited for the fireworks to begin. It was an outstanding show. From my balcony, we saw 6 fireworks shows.
In the past, TIME has been more @ where do I need to be by a certain TIME. What watch will I wear today (I have a bunch) so I know the TIME at every moment. I don't want to be late; I like to be on TIME. Some of this still holds true (I like to be on TIME but no longer wear a watch) but now this means so much more to me than just getting there.
It's now TIME to start a new day! I'm excited for day 3 of the long, holiday weekend. I'll wear no watch, no place to be at any specific TIME, just enjoying another day with family & friends. Happy post 4th!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Gadgets and data.......oh me!
For the last 12 or so years, I've been crazed by all the techno gadgets. I partly have my business partner to thank. He had a MacIntosh computer on his desk in the early 90's (nope, they didn't call it "Apple" back then) and was always into tech stuff. Starting with the PalmPilot; I had to have every new version. I had one of those electronic notepads that you write on and then download to your computer. Great concept but it never worked. The SmartBoard - had that. Then I moved to the BlackBerry which first started out looking like a pager and progressed thru many versions. Now to the iPhone and who knows what's next. I'm not gettin the new iPhone that's for sure. I really want the iPad but how can I justify that?! Please someone give me one good reason!!!!
Now enter exercise and fitness. Once Dan, my coach, said "monitor your heart rate"....you can probably guess what ensued. We drove all over Atlanta; me driving, him looking for the right HR monitor for me. That led us to our Internet search. My first heart rate monitor was a Suunto. I didn't keep it long; couldn't really see the #s that well and way too complex for me.
Next a very basic Polar that gave me my HR and the time of day. Hmmmm....I wanted more information because if you don't know already, I'm a data junky. I've tracked my workouts since I started in February 2009 and I have journaled my eating every day since then as well. For me, journaling keeps me on track and is a key.
My next and current is the Polar RS300x combined with the Foot Pod (pedometer) and the Flowlink (allows me to download to My Personal Polar account). LOVE THIS. From this, I get my HR, time, pace, distance and I don't use all the functionality either. I then download the info and can track my activity by day/week/month. Crazy!
Awww but it doesn't really stop there. Enter the Gruve. I wear the Gruve everyday to track calorie burn. It's a cool tool and the concept is to ensure I'm movin alot! It projects colors and the goal is green. Not easy but a good challenge.
More importantly is WHY do I use, do all this? I'm a competitive, goal oriented and data driven person. Put that all together and I use my journal, my HR, my time, my distance, my calorie burn to encourage & inspire me to keep going, to celebrate progress or a great day, to recognize a not so great day and get with it the next day. It's my own personal formula. As in everything, it's not one size fits all so each person should find what works for them and then go for it with gusto!
Now enter exercise and fitness. Once Dan, my coach, said "monitor your heart rate"....you can probably guess what ensued. We drove all over Atlanta; me driving, him looking for the right HR monitor for me. That led us to our Internet search. My first heart rate monitor was a Suunto. I didn't keep it long; couldn't really see the #s that well and way too complex for me.
Next a very basic Polar that gave me my HR and the time of day. Hmmmm....I wanted more information because if you don't know already, I'm a data junky. I've tracked my workouts since I started in February 2009 and I have journaled my eating every day since then as well. For me, journaling keeps me on track and is a key.
My next and current is the Polar RS300x combined with the Foot Pod (pedometer) and the Flowlink (allows me to download to My Personal Polar account). LOVE THIS. From this, I get my HR, time, pace, distance and I don't use all the functionality either. I then download the info and can track my activity by day/week/month. Crazy!
Awww but it doesn't really stop there. Enter the Gruve. I wear the Gruve everyday to track calorie burn. It's a cool tool and the concept is to ensure I'm movin alot! It projects colors and the goal is green. Not easy but a good challenge.
More importantly is WHY do I use, do all this? I'm a competitive, goal oriented and data driven person. Put that all together and I use my journal, my HR, my time, my distance, my calorie burn to encourage & inspire me to keep going, to celebrate progress or a great day, to recognize a not so great day and get with it the next day. It's my own personal formula. As in everything, it's not one size fits all so each person should find what works for them and then go for it with gusto!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It's a Gruve thang...
At FitBloggin, we had the opportunity to try out products from several vendors. New Balance sponsored the 5K and they gave each of us a pair of shoes and shorts! Sweet!
The Gruve was also available. It's a pretty cool little gizmo. The Gruve is my Personal Activity Motivator. I will Learn What you Burn or in simple terms, it will tell me how many calories I'm burning per day. There are charts, graphs - all kinds of cool stats. So I set it all up tonight, downloaded the software and updated it with my personal info (height, weight, etc).
I think it's pretty simple. I will wear the little gadget on my waistband and that's it. When I've been sitting too long, it will vibrate I think to tell me to get movin.
The Gruve was also available. It's a pretty cool little gizmo. The Gruve is my Personal Activity Motivator. I will Learn What you Burn or in simple terms, it will tell me how many calories I'm burning per day. There are charts, graphs - all kinds of cool stats. So I set it all up tonight, downloaded the software and updated it with my personal info (height, weight, etc).
I think it's pretty simple. I will wear the little gadget on my waistband and that's it. When I've been sitting too long, it will vibrate I think to tell me to get movin. I'm pretty psyched to see how this works and how many calories I burn in a day. I'm charging now so I can get my Gruve on tomorrow morning.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Everything's coming up roses........
Can you hear Ethel Merman as Gypsy Rose........if you want to feel great for a moment or two, check out this tune....guaranteed! Starting here......starting now.........clear the decks.....you'll be swell.....you'll be great.......lucky star is due......you can do it.....we can do it........light the lights.......nothings going to stop us til we're through.....everything's coming up roses!!!!
While I've had a cold and a case of the blue's, there are so many "roses" from the week:
- Gloria from Day of Beauty won yesterday's Points of Light award - recognizing her for outstanding work and impact in our Atlanta community - Yippee
- Body Solutions' team exceeded their St. Baldrick's fundraising goal and had their heads shaved last night - Yowy Kazowy
- My best friend got a new job after many months of searching for the right opportunity - WooHoo
- I scheduled my first counseling session (requirement for my nutrition program) - Very excited
- I ate two pints (I think that's the size) of Jamoca Almond Fudge and didn't gain a pound! It was yummy too - one was w/coconut milk and the other soy - Sicko
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Stella (Sara) lost her groove
.....Fell off the wagon....or however the sayings go. I've been MIA since last Tuesday and it's time to get back to it. What a week! You feel that way too? Maybe not this past week but if you are on any kind of journey, you know what I'm talking about. It's Sunday, the start to a new week and no looking in the rearview mirror.
Lessons learned this past week - DON'T go to a Brazilian steakhouse. OMG, the food never ends. The endless salad bar led to endless meat (stopped cause got tired of chewing) which led to DESSERT. Oh yea! Ate the whole thing.
Try running (or some new activity) - I survived my first Women on the Move training session. It was cold, cold to start but quickly warmed. I made it through #1 and I'm going back on Tuesday for more! Our leader/coach, Tina, is great. The day after she emailed me to see how I was feeling! That kind of support is a gift.
Relationships - make new and visit ones you've been missing. I couldn't have made it through the week w/o this. I connected with a few people that I really like but haven't talked to in a while. It made me smile and felt good to get back in touch. I needed the new energy. I couldn't do w/o my steady friends and I'm always grateful for that. I really went looking for positive energy and support this week. What a difference!
Use those coupons, gift cards - I rarely keep up w/these but I used a coupon for a facial with Liz @ Institut DERMed. Such a relaxing hour and Liz is a doll. Then I headed to Karen @ Soge for my monthly cut and color. Back to "merlot." Visiting w/Karen & Cookie is always a good time. They are the best! (Check out Karen cutting her nephew's beautiful hair w/niece looking on - teenagers!).
Do something for someone else - whether they know it or not. Haiti needs our continuous support; it's heartbreaking. Love the text donation, give @ the supermarket (round up @ Publix & Kroger) or whatever. Closer to home, I helped a friend reach a little closer to his goal this week. He probably doesn't know it but I do and that's enough. I even responded to a blogger (that I do not know) with some new workout music. It's a cool thing.............
It's a rainy Sunday here but the fog is lifting and I'm heading out for a run. Pretty funny as I don't think I've ever said that before. Life changes..........
Lessons learned this past week - DON'T go to a Brazilian steakhouse. OMG, the food never ends. The endless salad bar led to endless meat (stopped cause got tired of chewing) which led to DESSERT. Oh yea! Ate the whole thing.
Try running (or some new activity) - I survived my first Women on the Move training session. It was cold, cold to start but quickly warmed. I made it through #1 and I'm going back on Tuesday for more! Our leader/coach, Tina, is great. The day after she emailed me to see how I was feeling! That kind of support is a gift.
Relationships - make new and visit ones you've been missing. I couldn't have made it through the week w/o this. I connected with a few people that I really like but haven't talked to in a while. It made me smile and felt good to get back in touch. I needed the new energy. I couldn't do w/o my steady friends and I'm always grateful for that. I really went looking for positive energy and support this week. What a difference!
Use those coupons, gift cards - I rarely keep up w/these but I used a coupon for a facial with Liz @ Institut DERMed. Such a relaxing hour and Liz is a doll. Then I headed to Karen @ Soge for my monthly cut and color. Back to "merlot." Visiting w/Karen & Cookie is always a good time. They are the best! (Check out Karen cutting her nephew's beautiful hair w/niece looking on - teenagers!).
Do something for someone else - whether they know it or not. Haiti needs our continuous support; it's heartbreaking. Love the text donation, give @ the supermarket (round up @ Publix & Kroger) or whatever. Closer to home, I helped a friend reach a little closer to his goal this week. He probably doesn't know it but I do and that's enough. I even responded to a blogger (that I do not know) with some new workout music. It's a cool thing.............
It's a rainy Sunday here but the fog is lifting and I'm heading out for a run. Pretty funny as I don't think I've ever said that before. Life changes..........
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Day 6 of the the New Year......
How is 2010 going for you? I hope it's been great for everyone and when the tough moments hit, whatever they're about, keep this in mind..................
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Momentum
Over the past few days, this word keeps coming up. It's stuck in my mind. What is Momentum?
Velocity. Acceleration. A force. In motion. Direction.
The Atlanta Hawk's ticket advertising suggests - "This is what Momentum looks like." Weight Watcher's Momentum program states - "loose weight in the real world." Training w/Dan on Saturday, he says "use your Momentum and you can do it".
Momentum is everywhere. So how can I get it and keep it? Million dollar question?!
In 2007, Jon Gordon published the following 3 Ways to Gain Momentum in Life and Work
1. Find a Coach or Accountability Partner
2. Get the Right People on The Bus and the Wrong People Off It
3. Choose the Right Fuel
It's time to apply this to my good health. After all, is there anything more important?!
Velocity. Acceleration. A force. In motion. Direction.
The Atlanta Hawk's ticket advertising suggests - "This is what Momentum looks like." Weight Watcher's Momentum program states - "loose weight in the real world." Training w/Dan on Saturday, he says "use your Momentum and you can do it".
Momentum is everywhere. So how can I get it and keep it? Million dollar question?!
In 2007, Jon Gordon published the following 3 Ways to Gain Momentum in Life and Work
1. Find a Coach or Accountability Partner
2. Get the Right People on The Bus and the Wrong People Off It
3. Choose the Right Fuel
It's time to apply this to my good health. After all, is there anything more important?!
Friday, January 1, 2010
First day of the New Year...started w/a thud....
.....but she rallied!! OMG, I can't believe what I ate today not to mention, I feel sick now. It started with Hoppin John (this year couldn't pass up the oppty for luck and money) then a bag of chinese noodles (the crispy fried ones) courtesy of my bro's chinese restaurant, pistachio nuts (what the &^%$# were they doing in my house) with a couple WW choco bar chasers. All while watching Julia & Julie. I loved the movie AND it was the inspiration I needed. Perfect timing! So after my nap (I'm a great napper) I went to the gym for an hour workout.
The bottom line this year and every year is we all fall off the "program" occasionally and when we do, sometimes we have to LOOK for inspiration to get us back on track. We are lucky when inspiration finds its way to us but if not, go looking for it. Today I was re-energized by Julia & Julie. They were both so committed to their passions that in spite of obstacles and their personal meltdowns, they rallied and kept on going. Never giving up! Julia Child even had the support and encouragement of someone she didn't know and only kept in touch with as a pen pal (for those too young to know what that is, google it).
Inspiration, motivation and energy is often in places you'd never have guessed so be open to it and if it doesn't come when you need it, go find it. It's there for you, just email me!
I hope the New Year brings you good health, great times and meaningful relationships. Happy New Year!
The bottom line this year and every year is we all fall off the "program" occasionally and when we do, sometimes we have to LOOK for inspiration to get us back on track. We are lucky when inspiration finds its way to us but if not, go looking for it. Today I was re-energized by Julia & Julie. They were both so committed to their passions that in spite of obstacles and their personal meltdowns, they rallied and kept on going. Never giving up! Julia Child even had the support and encouragement of someone she didn't know and only kept in touch with as a pen pal (for those too young to know what that is, google it).
Inspiration, motivation and energy is often in places you'd never have guessed so be open to it and if it doesn't come when you need it, go find it. It's there for you, just email me!
I hope the New Year brings you good health, great times and meaningful relationships. Happy New Year!
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