"Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand." Psalm 37:24
This is my verse for week one. I chose it, thinking that when I felt that strong desire to give up, that I could remember that He is holding my hand, pulling me to keep going. Today, I desperately needed that pull. I decided that I was going to run in my neighborhood, because in the past I've done most of my running on a treadmill, forcing me to really struggle when I would run outside. I really want to get to a point where I am familiar with both, so I ran outside. The problem is, even though it is September and the weather is "cooling down" to the mid to upper 90's, it is still very hot for Minnesota me. I left the house at 10:30am, ambitious and ready to do the darn thing. There are hardly any trees in my neighborhood, so when you run on the street, you are running on hot blacktop, with the sun beating down on you, screaming at you that you cannot defeat it. That it will wear you down until you are a sad, crying little puddle of defeat, baking in it's hot, steamy glory. Well, I am proud to say that I didn't cry or turn into a puddle, but it was a close one. I did find a block of street that was lined with nice big trees so I got a little break from the hot hot heat, but other than that, I kinda resembled an egg. I was out for twenty five minutes...
...It took me an HOUR just to get the migraine that I picked up along the way to leave... I didn't even have a chance to stretch, between getting an ice cold wash cloth and laying spread eagle on the bed with the fan blasting on me while my dogs laid next to me, more than likely wondering if they were soon to be abandoned by their dead mother (or at the very least, passed out mother). People, run in the morning. Drink water before you go. Don't wear black. These are all things that could have dramatically changed the outcome of this mornings run.
Now I've enjoyed my tuna sandwich for lunch and I'm off to go stretch. We'll hit the pavement a lot better prepared Wednesday.
Peace, love and trees that provide shade
Showing posts with label heat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heat. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
On The Road... Again
Well tomorrow I begin my two day journey north. Unfortunately I will not be able to experience the deliverance from this heat that I was hoping for. It would be nice to not have sweat constantly taking up residence in places where it shouldn't. But alas, it is summer in the great state of Minnesota, and contrary to popular belief, it does actually get really hot up there. The heat is following me. Minnesota, I'm sorry.
Core Dynamics at the Applied Fitness center has a new instructor. I was not aware of this until just before getting to class yesterday, so I wasn't sure what class would be like. The new instructor quite literally just landed here at Fort Hood and she has already been recruited to be an instructor. Pretty neat. Anyways, the class was quite great. It was different than what we have been doing, which is always nice. I don't know about you, but I'm interested in knowing all of the options I can "think" about doing while I veg on the couch.
Time out. I need to share an observation I just made. I'm sure you remember me mentioning my lovely little husky puggle, Theo. Well, if you have never seen him, you need to know that, if you could choose a human body type for Theo, it would have to be beach body builder. They are always sliiiiightly husky, but have these big "peacock" chests, and tiny waists or legs. Anyways, thats Theo. Sometimes I have to slit the neck of his t-shirts because his chest protrudes so much. He's dead sexy. As I was sitting here on the couch typing, he and Lily began their evening "run/wrestle/body slam" session. Our house is not very big, but our couch is located somewhat in the middle of the living room, creating the perfect "oval" track for Theo to get his run on. He goes so fast sometimes I swear he leans in a bit on the corners. You can hear his nails digging desperately into the carpet with each stride, trying to create as much grip as possible, allowing optimal speed and maneuvering. So, they are chasing each other, and I'm typing. The epiphany took place when I heard the very common sound of Theo's body slamming into the wall as he rounds the kitchen table. Nine out of ten times, he doesn't clear this turn. What I realized tonight though, is that I admire Theo. He has no shame. No shame in his mistakes, his downfalls, his "failures", as some perfectionists might call them. He slams into that wall, gets his butt back up and keeps on running, tongue out, ears flapping. He has no shame. Even when he has to stop and lay down on the cold tile after about two laps, he is still happy.
I want to be more like Theo.
To enjoy being active, no matter how stupid I may look. Do it till I need to lay on the cold tile, and then when I can breath again, get back up and do it all over again.
Here is the difference between Theo and your average Venice Beach meat-head: While the meat-heads, hard as they may try to seem "cool", more than likely know deep down that they look kinda silly. Theo has no clue. He has no clue because he doesn't live his life according to what others think or say about him. (Trust me, if he did we'd all be in a world of hurt.... there are a lot of laughs at his expense in this house. And a lot of (more than likely) inaccurate commentary of his life.)
I wish I could be more like Theo. (With the exception of the big burly chest).
So that's my observation. Let's all be like Theo, ok?
Well, I'm off to finish my packing and hit the hay. After all my packing and spin class this afternoon, my bed is calling my name.
Peace, love & uninhibitedness
Core Dynamics at the Applied Fitness center has a new instructor. I was not aware of this until just before getting to class yesterday, so I wasn't sure what class would be like. The new instructor quite literally just landed here at Fort Hood and she has already been recruited to be an instructor. Pretty neat. Anyways, the class was quite great. It was different than what we have been doing, which is always nice. I don't know about you, but I'm interested in knowing all of the options I can "think" about doing while I veg on the couch.
Time out. I need to share an observation I just made. I'm sure you remember me mentioning my lovely little husky puggle, Theo. Well, if you have never seen him, you need to know that, if you could choose a human body type for Theo, it would have to be beach body builder. They are always sliiiiightly husky, but have these big "peacock" chests, and tiny waists or legs. Anyways, thats Theo. Sometimes I have to slit the neck of his t-shirts because his chest protrudes so much. He's dead sexy. As I was sitting here on the couch typing, he and Lily began their evening "run/wrestle/body slam" session. Our house is not very big, but our couch is located somewhat in the middle of the living room, creating the perfect "oval" track for Theo to get his run on. He goes so fast sometimes I swear he leans in a bit on the corners. You can hear his nails digging desperately into the carpet with each stride, trying to create as much grip as possible, allowing optimal speed and maneuvering. So, they are chasing each other, and I'm typing. The epiphany took place when I heard the very common sound of Theo's body slamming into the wall as he rounds the kitchen table. Nine out of ten times, he doesn't clear this turn. What I realized tonight though, is that I admire Theo. He has no shame. No shame in his mistakes, his downfalls, his "failures", as some perfectionists might call them. He slams into that wall, gets his butt back up and keeps on running, tongue out, ears flapping. He has no shame. Even when he has to stop and lay down on the cold tile after about two laps, he is still happy.
I want to be more like Theo.
To enjoy being active, no matter how stupid I may look. Do it till I need to lay on the cold tile, and then when I can breath again, get back up and do it all over again.
Here is the difference between Theo and your average Venice Beach meat-head: While the meat-heads, hard as they may try to seem "cool", more than likely know deep down that they look kinda silly. Theo has no clue. He has no clue because he doesn't live his life according to what others think or say about him. (Trust me, if he did we'd all be in a world of hurt.... there are a lot of laughs at his expense in this house. And a lot of (more than likely) inaccurate commentary of his life.)
I wish I could be more like Theo. (With the exception of the big burly chest).
So that's my observation. Let's all be like Theo, ok?
Well, I'm off to finish my packing and hit the hay. After all my packing and spin class this afternoon, my bed is calling my name.
Peace, love & uninhibitedness
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Bleh!
Texas has not been a very good friend to me today.
Let me say, first and foremost, that there is an astronomical difference between running on a treadmill and running outside. Plain and simple. Today, that lesson was officially learned. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are now my "running" days, allowing me to spin on Tuesday and Thursday and then have the weekends off. Sweet. Well, even if you run at 9:45 in the morning, it is already upper 80's and this Minnesota girl cannot handle it. S-U-C-K. I couldn't even do a full 5k, because my heart rate wouldn't stay below 178 unless I walked. Bad news for me and my little heart. Then I went into the gym and did the lat pull down machine, because I really need to begin to strengthen my back. Afterwards I went and asked one of the trainers what another good exercise would be for my back and he told me pull ups. I thought to myself, as my eyes were huge in disbelief and uncertainty, "he can't be serious". Yep, he was. So I seriously said to him, "what if you can't do a pull up?" To which he told me to do these jumping pull ups, where you take a box that brings you to the proper height where you are able to reach the bar while standing, and then you are to proceed to jump up as high as you can, while pulling your body up, aiming to get the bar at about chest level. Can I just take a second to explain where these pull up bars are located in the gym? RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING! There would literally be people on almost every side of me, able to watch me probably die trying to do this... not to mention all of the awesome-ly hardcore Crossfit women sitting at the base of the pull up bar, having just finished an hour long workout. Not a chance, Mr. trainer dude... I'll stick to the pull up bar that my husband hung in the doorway at our house.
Another thing... sweat and electronics do not mix. I think I might have nearly ruined my ipod today.
Here is a healthy tip for making your personal fitness goals. If you are looking to make some sort of physical goal, such as fitting into certain clothes or dropping x pounds, one of the best ways to judge the appropriate range for your body to be in is to take your height, in inches, and then cut that in half. Take that number, and aim to have your waist measure that number or less. Not your hips, as most people measure, but your waist, right where you belly button is, or where your side bends when you lean to the right or left. Mine is 33", so I have about 3" to lose... and I WILL do it!
Of course, Dr. Oz showed me this... I guess he's not all that bad.
Alright, the couch is calling me, and I can't seem to ignore it.
Peace, love & air conditioning
Let me say, first and foremost, that there is an astronomical difference between running on a treadmill and running outside. Plain and simple. Today, that lesson was officially learned. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are now my "running" days, allowing me to spin on Tuesday and Thursday and then have the weekends off. Sweet. Well, even if you run at 9:45 in the morning, it is already upper 80's and this Minnesota girl cannot handle it. S-U-C-K. I couldn't even do a full 5k, because my heart rate wouldn't stay below 178 unless I walked. Bad news for me and my little heart. Then I went into the gym and did the lat pull down machine, because I really need to begin to strengthen my back. Afterwards I went and asked one of the trainers what another good exercise would be for my back and he told me pull ups. I thought to myself, as my eyes were huge in disbelief and uncertainty, "he can't be serious". Yep, he was. So I seriously said to him, "what if you can't do a pull up?" To which he told me to do these jumping pull ups, where you take a box that brings you to the proper height where you are able to reach the bar while standing, and then you are to proceed to jump up as high as you can, while pulling your body up, aiming to get the bar at about chest level. Can I just take a second to explain where these pull up bars are located in the gym? RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING! There would literally be people on almost every side of me, able to watch me probably die trying to do this... not to mention all of the awesome-ly hardcore Crossfit women sitting at the base of the pull up bar, having just finished an hour long workout. Not a chance, Mr. trainer dude... I'll stick to the pull up bar that my husband hung in the doorway at our house.
Another thing... sweat and electronics do not mix. I think I might have nearly ruined my ipod today.
Here is a healthy tip for making your personal fitness goals. If you are looking to make some sort of physical goal, such as fitting into certain clothes or dropping x pounds, one of the best ways to judge the appropriate range for your body to be in is to take your height, in inches, and then cut that in half. Take that number, and aim to have your waist measure that number or less. Not your hips, as most people measure, but your waist, right where you belly button is, or where your side bends when you lean to the right or left. Mine is 33", so I have about 3" to lose... and I WILL do it!
Of course, Dr. Oz showed me this... I guess he's not all that bad.
Alright, the couch is calling me, and I can't seem to ignore it.
Peace, love & air conditioning
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