It's that what they always say? I'm really starting to believe that saying more and more every day.
I (we) are always looking towards some day (weekends), some hour (5 o'clock), some age (18 so you could buy smokes (never have), 21 so that you could drink; legally). Our parents/grandparents have always told us to quit wanting to be older, to quit wishing time to go faster just to get us to our "destination" but we're not happy with that. I believe there comes a time when we DO start to realize that time is moving fast and perhaps waiting impatiently for a day or time or birthday to arrive only puts us in a frame of mine that causes us to not live in the moment. When this happens we fail to breathe in that part of the journey.
I've never felt this way more than I have before in the last several months. The first time I truly remember hearing it was from a colleague of mine when I announced my engagement. She told me "enjoy the planning." At the time I was like, sweet, yes, sure will! I realize now she meant, enjoy all time spent together planning all the details that go into one day; the biggest day of your lives thus far. It wasn't necessarily the destination in this case (even though that was a big deal) but going through ALL the planning of a wedding celebration that was the focus. (We all know how this event panned out...the DAY was a rock star amazing event...the rest, well, that's for another time ;)...)
I will quote a line from a favorite film of mine...
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Any guesses on who said that? Anyone? Anyone? (ps that was your hint...)
It's true.
My current destination of choice is one I have had for several years to be honest and that is this darn race 7.25.10. After interviewing many plans I have found one I feel will fit me best and currently "week 4" is an "easy" week. I'm going crazy. I won't explain how I felt having to -lift- ONLY on Monday and Wednesday this week, but instead I will rant that tomorrow (Friday) I am only to do a somewhat specific bike workout...for 30 minutes. kas;dflj asjflaksj;fj..grrrr... That's it? 30 lousy minutes on the bike?
I keep telling myself that this plan is set up in a very specific way...3 weeks "hard" followed by 1 week "easy." The woman who designed the plan is QUITE SKILLED at what she does; I assume that this "easy" week is going to pay off next week, right? I have to keep telling myself this. I have to keep telling myself this....
The destination would cease to exist without my journey. The journey of "easy' weeks followed by not-so-easy weeks. All in all, I am loving it so far. Today's workout was a swim. A specific warm-up which I only modified slightly....a specific "main set" followed by a specific "speed set." The "cool down" was "my choice" and due to time restraints (hey, i was in the pool by 4:39am, I'm doing my best) was only 100 yds. This is what it looked like: (distance is in yds, RI = rest interval, pull = arms only w/pull buoy, kick = kickboard, no arms)
Warm up
300 crawl
150 kick
150 pull
Main set (all crawl here on out)
300 / :25 RI
300 / :25 RI
200 / :20 RI
200 / :20 RI
150
Speed set
6 x 75 (25 cruise, 25 strong build, 25 easy) :25 RI
Cool down
100
TOTAL 2300 yds in which I felt really really very very good.
Tomorrow's 30 minute ride is part of my journey towards 7.25.10
I try to stop and look around every day. I've learned that I cannot worry about what tomorrow may bring. I cannot change what happened at noon today (nothing really, just a crutch fitting and a serious cleaning out of my yahoo inbox (over 2700 emails down to 134, thank you very much). I can only live in the moment. Enjoy that moment and look forward to the next. Now, I have a tad of sarcasm in me that comes out periodically...I don't want to sound like a fool here. I'm just being real. I cherish the time I have with my family more than ever. I cherish the time I have with my friends. Getting older (22 in June, baby!) and going through some ugly struggles in the past couple of years has taught me these things. I'm just sharing them with you....
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while... you could miss it. Enjoy the journey....so that the destination rocks even more than you could have ever imagined.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
*not* working 9 to 5...what a way to make a living...(sing it)
One of the perks of my J.O.B. (as Lori puts it) is that I have never worked normal 8-5 hours. This works well for me...at least up to this point. I run my own life...no children (hopefully someday soon however) and no significant other (anymore) to plan my day and night around. I never was that way as I feel it is VERY important that people have their own life first and then others can fill in around it; or mesh together nicely. I see too many of my friends change their personal plans (short term or long term) waaay too often for a significant other. My post from last night probably indirectly reiterates my clearly obnoxious independency...man, I am off topic...
ANYWAY! (as Virg puts it) weekends are a normal work day for me. In fact, I believe I will be working more hours tomorrow than I did today. I GET to do the following tomorrow. I should point out that there will be much multitasking tomorrow as all 3 of these events practically overlap and are practically at opposite ends of Stearns county.
*sports nutrition presentation to the Blazer TF/CC team tomorrow morning. I am stoked...this is my passion, my love, my past J.O.B....I can't wait. I have a sweet powerpoint ready to go that includes photos I have taken of Blazer TF athletes at the 2007 MIAC conference meet AND 2007 NCAA DI Nationals. whoo hoo!! (Ryan, these photos reminded me of our sweet Iowa trip and I miss you)
*Tech boys hockey game (jv and var) at NHC. I'm NOT quite as stoked for this...but I don't get to work boys hockey too much so this will be a nice change of scenery.
*Blazer basketball game. It's National Girls and Women in Sports Day and a co-worker is being honored (go Libby), but I'm actually going to be "working" the game as Julie is quite ill at home (sad). I will get to see the hilarious sports medicine students I bonded with this past fall. I AM pretty pumped for this!
Today's workouts were not quite as I had planned for a couple of reasons.
This morning I biked for 40 minutes (mostly spinning drills) and did some very quick UE lifting. The snooze on my alarm was set for 10 minutes instead of 5 which set me back a bit...yes, I plan my snoozing for the morning the night before (see yesterday's post, again). I had planned for at least 50-60 minutes on the bike...
After OSC work I planned on "finishing" the morning bike or even doing a little treadmill, HOWEVER, I chowed a bit too much at lunch (again, what is my problem this week?) and wasn't feeling sweet in the belly area...SO, I warmed up on the elliptical before some more focued lifting and some planks. I hate planks BTW. I don't use "hate" much...but I'm not wild about planks...especially side planks.
"go confidently in the direction of your dreams...live the life you have imagined" ~thoreau
ANYWAY! (as Virg puts it) weekends are a normal work day for me. In fact, I believe I will be working more hours tomorrow than I did today. I GET to do the following tomorrow. I should point out that there will be much multitasking tomorrow as all 3 of these events practically overlap and are practically at opposite ends of Stearns county.
*sports nutrition presentation to the Blazer TF/CC team tomorrow morning. I am stoked...this is my passion, my love, my past J.O.B....I can't wait. I have a sweet powerpoint ready to go that includes photos I have taken of Blazer TF athletes at the 2007 MIAC conference meet AND 2007 NCAA DI Nationals. whoo hoo!! (Ryan, these photos reminded me of our sweet Iowa trip and I miss you)
*Tech boys hockey game (jv and var) at NHC. I'm NOT quite as stoked for this...but I don't get to work boys hockey too much so this will be a nice change of scenery.
*Blazer basketball game. It's National Girls and Women in Sports Day and a co-worker is being honored (go Libby), but I'm actually going to be "working" the game as Julie is quite ill at home (sad). I will get to see the hilarious sports medicine students I bonded with this past fall. I AM pretty pumped for this!
Today's workouts were not quite as I had planned for a couple of reasons.
This morning I biked for 40 minutes (mostly spinning drills) and did some very quick UE lifting. The snooze on my alarm was set for 10 minutes instead of 5 which set me back a bit...yes, I plan my snoozing for the morning the night before (see yesterday's post, again). I had planned for at least 50-60 minutes on the bike...
After OSC work I planned on "finishing" the morning bike or even doing a little treadmill, HOWEVER, I chowed a bit too much at lunch (again, what is my problem this week?) and wasn't feeling sweet in the belly area...SO, I warmed up on the elliptical before some more focued lifting and some planks. I hate planks BTW. I don't use "hate" much...but I'm not wild about planks...especially side planks.
"go confidently in the direction of your dreams...live the life you have imagined" ~thoreau
Thursday, February 4, 2010
killing two birds with one stone
I can't count the number of times I have heard my father use this saying. For example: grandma needs to be picked up from church and the Sunday newspaper needs to be purchased. Dad says, "I might as well kill two birds with one stone and pick up the paper on my way home from dropping off Grandma." Simple yet classic example.
I find myself killing these birds in flocks....MULTITASKING is my word for it. My weekday (and often weekend) mornings are chiseled down to the second. Every second counts and I haven't an extra second to spare. The multitasking does not stop there as 24 hours in a day are approximately 2.4 hours shy of what I find would be ideal. I cannot control time while at work, but the rest of the day is under tight regulatory control via the black planner pad (many of you are familiar with this often phone book size document keeper/calendar I drag with me everywhere)... Here are a few more unique examples of how I manage to decrease the birdy population.
*Contact lens case is filled while I am sitting on the toilet.
*I have been known to bring my laptop to the bathroom...
*Teeth are often brushed while making a feeble attempt at dressing or undressing.
*Morning cereal bowl is often consumed while applying makeup.
*Food is often consumed while driving - terribly unsafe and I was busted by the aformentioned father once -
*Depending on the time of the year, I have often "gotten ready" at work. Hair, makeup, etc. in the early mornings in the clubhouse.
I presently find myself at the ripe age of 21 going on 22 (do the math, that is fine with me). I never in a million years thought I would be in the situation(s) I am in now. If you would have told me I would be working several jobs at my age STILL to make ends meet I would have looked at you as if you told me that I could never eat cereal & milk again. I am truly lucky and blessed to BE working I know that and very much so that these "jobs" I have hardly feel like work; I honestly love what I do. Spring and summer (my absolute FAVORITE season) are upon us which means my current 40-60 hour normal work week will expand to a 52-75 hour work week. During these glorious sun-filled weeks I am a multitasking nut case.
I've been promising a brief explanation of my latest fitness goal...you may or may not know that I have enjoyed training for and often competing in triathlon. I am not looking for a podium finish, just simply enjoying workouts and the pure satisfaction I feel crossing the finish line is enough for me ~ July 25 in Chisago Lakes ~ a 1/2 ironman-distance triathlon is my GOAL race. By far the longest distance I will have tackled in my 10+ years of swimming, biking and running.
To even dream about this will require a more rigourous schedule than I currenly live by. I will need to plan out nearly every minute of my schedule between my primary job, my MAC job, my workouts and my other committments. I am waaay ok with this, but concerned I will not have ample training time...and I wonder if multitasking will take on a new definition this summer?
I had a fantastic day of training today!
I am a rare breed in that I actually enjoy the treadmill (just don't change the tv station!! See one of my latest rants on Facebook for a detailed explanation of that one).
I did 7 miles on the treadmill this morning and an easy 1200yd swim in the pool this evening. I feel pretty damn good.
Perhaps killing 3 birds with just one stone is possible? Perhaps with a tee shot from #1?
"Fatigue is not biomechanical, it is biochemical." ~Coggan
I find myself killing these birds in flocks....MULTITASKING is my word for it. My weekday (and often weekend) mornings are chiseled down to the second. Every second counts and I haven't an extra second to spare. The multitasking does not stop there as 24 hours in a day are approximately 2.4 hours shy of what I find would be ideal. I cannot control time while at work, but the rest of the day is under tight regulatory control via the black planner pad (many of you are familiar with this often phone book size document keeper/calendar I drag with me everywhere)... Here are a few more unique examples of how I manage to decrease the birdy population.
*Contact lens case is filled while I am sitting on the toilet.
*I have been known to bring my laptop to the bathroom...
*Teeth are often brushed while making a feeble attempt at dressing or undressing.
*Morning cereal bowl is often consumed while applying makeup.
*Food is often consumed while driving - terribly unsafe and I was busted by the aformentioned father once -
*Depending on the time of the year, I have often "gotten ready" at work. Hair, makeup, etc. in the early mornings in the clubhouse.
I presently find myself at the ripe age of 21 going on 22 (do the math, that is fine with me). I never in a million years thought I would be in the situation(s) I am in now. If you would have told me I would be working several jobs at my age STILL to make ends meet I would have looked at you as if you told me that I could never eat cereal & milk again. I am truly lucky and blessed to BE working I know that and very much so that these "jobs" I have hardly feel like work; I honestly love what I do. Spring and summer (my absolute FAVORITE season) are upon us which means my current 40-60 hour normal work week will expand to a 52-75 hour work week. During these glorious sun-filled weeks I am a multitasking nut case.
I've been promising a brief explanation of my latest fitness goal...you may or may not know that I have enjoyed training for and often competing in triathlon. I am not looking for a podium finish, just simply enjoying workouts and the pure satisfaction I feel crossing the finish line is enough for me ~ July 25 in Chisago Lakes ~ a 1/2 ironman-distance triathlon is my GOAL race. By far the longest distance I will have tackled in my 10+ years of swimming, biking and running.
To even dream about this will require a more rigourous schedule than I currenly live by. I will need to plan out nearly every minute of my schedule between my primary job, my MAC job, my workouts and my other committments. I am waaay ok with this, but concerned I will not have ample training time...and I wonder if multitasking will take on a new definition this summer?
I had a fantastic day of training today!
I am a rare breed in that I actually enjoy the treadmill (just don't change the tv station!! See one of my latest rants on Facebook for a detailed explanation of that one).
I did 7 miles on the treadmill this morning and an easy 1200yd swim in the pool this evening. I feel pretty damn good.
Perhaps killing 3 birds with just one stone is possible? Perhaps with a tee shot from #1?
"Fatigue is not biomechanical, it is biochemical." ~Coggan
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
the lunchtime tapeworm
I write this as I am BB messenging two other people at the same time. When did we, or more specifically I, get so darn dependent on constant communication?
So back in college, specifically, senior year, my roomies (anna, katie and mandy) and I would return from night class with a case of "tapeworm" where we would raid the pantry over and over and over again. Door open, door closed, door open...you get the idea. I have that tapeworm. These days it's called a "lunchtime tapeworm" where I come home and feed my face like I haven't eaten all day. We know this is a lie as I must consume something of substance every 3 hours like I am a diabetic or something.
Today's lunch time tapeworm consisted of 3 pb sandwiches (1 piece of bread each, folded in half with so much pb it oozes out the side) and a chocolate soy milk "juice box" Not bad, till I got my hands in the dark chocolate covered edamame container. In and out in and out of that container interspersed with the opening and closing, opening and closing of a ziplock containing these yummy pretzel thins. I know, most of you will say, geez, you're crabbing about eating all that healthy stuff? Most of you know I am a fairly "healthy eater" it's the pure QUANTITIES of food I can consume...which is the problem here and I can't stop.
This morning's workout (more on the 1/2 ironman distance later) was the 5:00am spin class. 45 minutes of spinning, or biking for the lay person. Kristen leads the class and is the BEST of all the spin leaders at Gold's. Her music selection is out of this world....and she works us the hardest. I am dripping everywhere when I am done which is JUST as I like it. I have no time for lifting after this due to my work schedule...not sure if I will swim tonight... PS I had sweet new "sugar short" bike shorts to wear this morning - I was pretty pumped for their debut and they did NOT disappoint. Best shorts I have for biking yet. I felt sooo Lance in these.
I should point out right now that I like to pretend/visualize/imagine that I am Michael Phelps when I swim and Lance Armstrong when I bike. While I still don't see myself as a runner, nor do I have an idol for this sport, I do have a craze for Kara Goucher...so I suppose I could imagine myself with long slender legs like hers....yeah, well, I said "IMAGINE."
So back in college, specifically, senior year, my roomies (anna, katie and mandy) and I would return from night class with a case of "tapeworm" where we would raid the pantry over and over and over again. Door open, door closed, door open...you get the idea. I have that tapeworm. These days it's called a "lunchtime tapeworm" where I come home and feed my face like I haven't eaten all day. We know this is a lie as I must consume something of substance every 3 hours like I am a diabetic or something.
Today's lunch time tapeworm consisted of 3 pb sandwiches (1 piece of bread each, folded in half with so much pb it oozes out the side) and a chocolate soy milk "juice box" Not bad, till I got my hands in the dark chocolate covered edamame container. In and out in and out of that container interspersed with the opening and closing, opening and closing of a ziplock containing these yummy pretzel thins. I know, most of you will say, geez, you're crabbing about eating all that healthy stuff? Most of you know I am a fairly "healthy eater" it's the pure QUANTITIES of food I can consume...which is the problem here and I can't stop.
This morning's workout (more on the 1/2 ironman distance later) was the 5:00am spin class. 45 minutes of spinning, or biking for the lay person. Kristen leads the class and is the BEST of all the spin leaders at Gold's. Her music selection is out of this world....and she works us the hardest. I am dripping everywhere when I am done which is JUST as I like it. I have no time for lifting after this due to my work schedule...not sure if I will swim tonight... PS I had sweet new "sugar short" bike shorts to wear this morning - I was pretty pumped for their debut and they did NOT disappoint. Best shorts I have for biking yet. I felt sooo Lance in these.
I should point out right now that I like to pretend/visualize/imagine that I am Michael Phelps when I swim and Lance Armstrong when I bike. While I still don't see myself as a runner, nor do I have an idol for this sport, I do have a craze for Kara Goucher...so I suppose I could imagine myself with long slender legs like hers....yeah, well, I said "IMAGINE."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I'm always on the go...
I've been thinking about blogging for quite some time now...I enjoy reading others here and there and figured this was a way I could share my thoughts a bit more than my usual and very random FB status updates....which I know most of you enjoy.
Ultimately, this blog may hold thoughts, quotes (which I love), photos (which i really love) and my ultimate quest to LiVe WeLL, LaUgH OfTeN and LoVe MucH.
(just figured out that cut and paste doesn't work here...)
Here are some thoughts you can expect to surface... (Yes, i use "...." a lot.)
Heaven on Nuthatch
My "D" as it's known
my workouts...particularly as I attempt to train for a 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlon this summer
family and friends
friends and family
books I am reading
books I want to read
books I want to buy
magazines i love to read
random blog fodder
comments welcome, encouraged even, I guess!
For those of you know really know me, are wondering why I'm not asleep if it's 8:55pm and i'm not at a game...
Good night!
Ultimately, this blog may hold thoughts, quotes (which I love), photos (which i really love) and my ultimate quest to LiVe WeLL, LaUgH OfTeN and LoVe MucH.
(just figured out that cut and paste doesn't work here...)
Here are some thoughts you can expect to surface... (Yes, i use "...." a lot.)
Heaven on Nuthatch
My "D" as it's known
my workouts...particularly as I attempt to train for a 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlon this summer
family and friends
friends and family
books I am reading
books I want to read
books I want to buy
magazines i love to read
random blog fodder
comments welcome, encouraged even, I guess!
For those of you know really know me, are wondering why I'm not asleep if it's 8:55pm and i'm not at a game...
Good night!
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