I took a walk this afternoon. Here are some photos from my walk around town.
Icicles.
In the village
I love living on the coast, even in the snow. Although, I am feeling a bit chilled after the stroll through town. Maybe I will learn to wear a coat and socks. Until then, I will just enjoy the views.
I wanted to share because things get too serious sometimes, focusing on training. I want to keep it real.
Enjoy the rest of your snow day.
-- Coach Meg
Rock-Paper-Scissors helps you decide between pepperoni or sausage,
the freeway or or the back roads,
The drive home or the sleep home.
It answers the little daily decisions that freeze us up.
Which team starts the game?
Who pays for pizza?
And who gets to change the babies diaper?
These are all tough and challenging questions.
And they are all settled once and for all with a quick game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.
AWESOME!
---from my daily calendar
I am coaching a 12-week weight-loss challenge at the local YMCA.
While I used to do a great deal of personal training, I would never say weight-loss was my specialty. I always asked people besides changing the number on the scale, what do you hope to accomplish?
When I meet my group, I anticipate doing the same thing. What do they want to accomplish?
By focusing solely on the number on the scale, we set ourselves up for failure. When the number fluctuates, we get frustrated and lose our focus. By taking the focus away from that number, we create more opportunities for over all success.
Additionally, I am going to use body composition, and circumference measurements to demonstrate progress. While, the team will get on the scale weekly, we will do these other measurements monthly.
I am going to ask that they track their food or caloric intake for the first several weeks, possibly a month. Many of us do not really know how much we eat. We underestimate, and are generally shocked to see that we may be eating not enough or perhaps way too many calories. I will encourage the group to use a calculating app like My Fitness Pal, to be aware of what each is eating. I also want them to observe what they are doing when eating and how they feel afterwards.
In keeping track of quantities, the participant can also start to learn how much is enough. When did she feel satisfied, when and where she feels hunger, and even what thirst feels like. These are senses we tend to ignore.
Some mindless eating stems from behavior. Boredom, randomness, conditioned to eat in front of the TV or computer, stress -- these are behavioral situations that can be changed that influence when and why we eat.
Observing how one feels after eating -- sluggish or energetic -- may indicate a food allergy, or eating too much or too little, or perhaps even the wrong combination of food.
I also am going to explore with my group a variety of activities to discover what they enjoy doing. This includes what is the current activity level. It is recommended that one takes 10,000 steps per day. For many of us, we do not accomplish this, as we have become a society of sitters. (I too am guilty).
And in their homework and group workouts, the challenges will include a variety to stimulate the senses. If they do not like group activities, asking them to do two classes a week is not beneficial. Similar to asking an individual who thrives in the group setting to do individual work.
And to be in the spirit, I will join these on their journey. Teaching and learning as we go along.
I meet my team Friday evening.
Would like to join us?
From My tear Away Calendar:
You're an artist.
You can leave a big gaping hole right in the middle of the jar, you can do it up real fancy and twirl it around a little, or you can painstakingly carve a moat around the outside of the jar, leaving a perfect, flat island in the middle, becoming more and more unstable with each passing day.
The options are unlimited.
Really, I think getting the first dig in a jar of peanut butter is the kitchen equivalent of stabbing a flag into the moon and claiming it as your own. I mean, you mark that peanut butter. You brand it. You add your little stamp and declare it.
AWESOME!
* for me, it is Nutella. But same emotion. Very glad, I do not have to share.*
The Blonde, by Anna Godbertsen was an interesting book.
It surrounded the lives of Marilyn Monroe and John F Kennedy. The author certainly permitted her imagination to run forward as she wrote this book of love, affairs, espionage and spies. Wow!!
The book portrayed Marilyn Monroe as a Russian spy, well, a woman coerced to spy on the president during her affair. And it laid an intriguing story line of a what lengths a woman will go to protect the man she loves.
I enjoyed reading the book, although at times the book was too sexually graphic for my personal taste.
It was somewhat bittersweet at the end of the book, but it was definitely an interesting plot.
Happy New Year! And welcome to 2015. Blah, blah blah........ As we are inundated with resolutions and self-promises and various challenges, it is VERY EASY to create chaos in ones own year, before the year really takes off.
As I sit here writing this, I am reflecting back on 2014. Did I accomplish all I set out to? Yes and no. I managed to get side-tracked and lose focus with some personal stuff, but in other areas I excelled. I seized new opportunities and moved forward. I am content with the past, having learned (and continuing to learn) from it, and looking forward to the new adventures and challenges that 2015 will bring.
January 2015 brings a new beginning. A friend of mine wrote an interesting commentary in how The new year is like a rebirth, the ability to begin anew. The slate is clean, and we bring the knowledge of the past and are able to start fresh. We have a whole new book to write-- 365 pages in length.
With that thought in mind, I am now challenged to not get caught in the lazy mode, and to seize opportunities that present themselves.
The first order of business is defining my goals. My word for this year is LEAP.
I am leaping into new adventures, seizing new challenges, and just embracing life.
My goals for 2015 include:
Reclaiming my fitness levels,
Reading 75 books,
Reading my Bible every day,
Competing more,
Throwing away other people's drama,
Not dwelling in negativity,
Being committed to building my savings,
AND embracing my professional goals and business growth.
These seem like an undertaking, but each is broken down weekly, monthly and quarterly.
Fitness: First goals: Swim 26.2miles by 15 April, and row the same distance.
Regain my running-- I am running the Hyannis 10k on 22 February.
Reading: My goal was based on 2014 accomplished reads, and plus some.
I have already finished one book. Joining Audible was a wise choice for me, as I spend time in my car.
Reading my Bible Daily: I have already 3 Janauary, and it sits on my table. I do miss the daily time spent learning and reflecting and reading. I need to make time for this commitment daily.
Competing: I am already signed up for a 10K, planning a 10-miler, and at least 2 open-water swims.
I also would like to run a marathon before year's end.
Other People's Drama: Too many thoughts-- but their bad energy brings me down. I know I have and create my own drama, but I am learning to flow.
I struggle with one work-site, as we NEVER receive our work schedules (for the next 6 or 8weeks)
Until the day before the schedule begins. We provide our availability and then are out on hold for
Weeks on end. The message sent is --- my time is NOT respected.
And then the scheduler is SHOCKED as I move forward and make arrangements based on my life
Needs, and then have conflicts with the schedule, or can no longer commit to what once was.
**My choice is to either walk away from this position, and completely cut the tie, OR really limit the availability I provide her to keep the *benefits* of the *free membership*. I am not certain what I am going to do with this, but the drama created in this situation is getting to be unbearable.
Negativity: I have been embracing life! Love each day that I have life. In order to be happy, I must choose to be happy. As I toss aside other people's drama, I find I am not burdened with their weariness. I am also less likely to be down and dragging others with me-- unless we are discussing the scheduling drama-- and I choose to let the negativity go, especially if I have NO Control over it.
Savings: I am building my 'tin-can' account back up, with a goal of two or three months rent saved. I am committed to putting 10% aside as well. I have found that this money creates opportunities for me, as well as a cushion for when an emergency happen. It is nice to know I have a little but of money put aside.
And my professional world: Baby steps, as I continue to grow and develop my visions. I have a newsletter! Yay! Now, I need the on-line subscription option. I am also acquiring my Lifeguard Instructor certification, and will be continuing to expand my work in triathlon and private coaching!!!
This New Year is bringing some amazing opportunities!!! I am truly looking forward to these.
But FIRST, my new tradition of pancakes, bacon and fresh berries will commence on the first Saturday of the year!!!!!
2015: BRING IT!!! I am ready!
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