Goals for 2014

It is important to have goals and to write them down. I believe in having goals in all 7 areas of my life
(financial, career, free time, health and appearance, relationships, personal development, and community/charity/legacy).  It is also important to review our goals daily - at least morning and night.  I will blog more on the importance of goals at some point.  Stay tuned! I'm not going to list all my goals here but I'll list a few and may add in new ones during the year (especially if I want to share positive results!).

Remember to make SMART goals.

1. I will run at least 5 workshops and/or retreats by December 31, 2014 at 5 pm.
2. I will publish at least 4 books by  December 31, 2014 at 5 pm.
3. RunDisney - I will go to Disney for a race and vacation by December 31, 2014.
4. I will have at least one other nice family vacation by December 31, 2014.
5. I will exercise at least 5 times/week thru December 31, 2014 at 5 pm
6. I will reach my ideal weight of 145 pounds by August  1, 2014 at 6 am.
7. I will eat at least 5 servings of veggies and fruits (and take my Juice Plus) every day thru December 31, 2014 at 5 pm.
8. I will complete at least 14 races (at least two half marathons) by December 31, 2014 at 5 pm
9. I will run/walk at least 700 miles in 2014. 
10. I will go out with or spend focused one-on-one time with each son and my husband at least once per week between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 at 5 pm.
11. I will spend time with a friend at least once per month between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 at 5 pm.
12.  I will meditate at least 5 times per week between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 at 5 pm.
13.  I will read 50 books by December 31, 2014 at 5 pm
14. I will incorporate the success principles into daily practice between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 at 5 PM
15. I will offer free laughter yoga classes.

Thursday Thigh Day

How'd yesterday go?  Did you try the workout?

I created a different one for today :)  I'm so used to singing the days of the week with my kids that Thursday Thigh Day just seemed to fit.  Variety is the spice of life, right?  Let me know what you think!

Wednesday Workout

I had fun with yesterday's workout.  I forgot how much fun it is to do different exercises and mix it up a little.  I said I'd let you know how I did so... I really liked it but I did cut the planks to 20 seconds because I had enough at that point :)  My cardio yesterday was shoveling snow again and I remembered how grateful I am that I no longer have to commute in snowstorms!!  What a big relief that is.

Because I had so much fun yesterday, I created a new workout for today.  I think I'll come up with a challenge for January and I'll post it in case anyone wants to try it out with me.

Please tell me how you like it - or don't :)

Tuesday morning workout routine

So I said I'd post my workout plan for today so here it is...

30 jumping jacks
10 push ups
30 crunches
10 mountain climbers
30 second side plank (each side)
30 high knees
15 sumo squats
10 lunges (per leg)
30-second plank

Repeat.  I may try to sandwich my run in between but depending on how things go, I may do them at different times :)  I'll keep you posted!!

Shoveling snow is definitely exercise

I already mentioned that I really need to work on patience and accepting and loving what is!  Love that wisdom from Byron Katie!  So yesterday I really wanted to get running but after a shoveling heavy, wet snow for over an hour with dropping temperatures... I didn't.  And I'm okay with that :)  I did start using MyFitnessPal app, too.  I think seeing everything in one place will be helpful but since I've just started, I'll have to let you know.

If you have other suggestions on good apps for this, I'm up for suggestions.  I like to see as many as possible to see what works for me and what doesn't.

I'm going to create a workout plan and post it here.  Having a plan will definitely go a long way!!  Since I'm planning to run a marathon in 2015, I want to put in lots of miles but that doesn't mean in terms of training I need to do long runs every time I run.  In fact, if you look at any training plan, that's not what it consists of and since I'm giving myself a year - I think I can cut myself a little slack!

Running to beat the snow

So at my son's basketball game this morning and my friend Judy asked if I had done my run for today. And I had to say, "no" but that motivated me to make sure I got it done before the 6 to 12 inches of snow that we're forecast to have. I really think that Santa needs to bring me some winter running clothes because after a little over a mile I felt like I couldn't really feel my legs. I certainly would not say that I was generally cold but my skin was extremely cold. I was thinking that it might look like a I have a nice windburn on my cheeks. And my legs and back side felt like I'd been playing in the snow without snow pants!!



But that's okay, I got in a little over 2 miles and I tried to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. I looked at the snow that's already on the ground and thought about how magnificent nature is. I also know that even though I really am impatient everything is working out perfectly.I am looking to find apps that will help me long-term to track my running progress and my goals. I love the run for good Mainly because of the fact that it's for a good cause but I think there are others that actually allow you to input your goals with timelines and see them regularly to make sure you maintain progress towards those goals. I have to look into that but if anybody has any suggestions please feel free to let me know.

And thank you Judy for making sure I got my running today!

Run Your Race

I am so excited that my friend Mayra's book, Run Your Race, is finally available on Amazon. This book is about making your impossibles possible.  It tells her story (and other's stories) about how running a marathon seemed impossible for them and yet they set a goal and completed at least one marathon.  After they proved to themselves they could do that, things change because they know nothing is impossible.  This is the book that has inspired me to complete a marathon and to take on all the other things I want that seemed "impossible".  It's on Amazon so check it out.  You can watch the trailer here:  http://youtu.be/RQ9rv7tUWDc

Kids and play

The other afternoon I was watching my son, Dylan, play basketball for fun, rather than competitively, with kids of all levels all ability.  Watching these kids, I am even more touched by his service project to help raise awareness and funds for childhood obesity.

Let me tell you a little about Dylan.  He is a natural athlete and every coach at every level has said that to us and to him.  He wants to be a professional athlete which I'm confident that if he really wants that when he gets older, he will do it.  Much to my chagrin, many of his coaches have told them whole team that Dylan is the best player and they need to play like him and yet he maintains his humility.  He is and always has been a complete team player and makes sure everyone in his team has a chance to shine.

Dylan has never had a extra ounce of fat on his body and yet he picked childhood obesity as his service project.  His reasoning is that he loves sports and being active and while he knows that not all kids are interested in competitive sports he sees those who want to play but don't because of their weight or fitness level and feels bad.  He sees the kids who do want to play competitively (or did) but began to feel insecure, ashamed, and basically miserable because they couldn't keep up and would get picked last on the teams - or not picked at all.  He has seen how kids compare themselves to others (even to him) and give up because they don't feel "good enough" rather than always striving to be the best them they can be.

When this happens in childhood, we often bring those feelings of insecurity and lack of self-esteem with us. Once we've been carrying it for 30 years or more it becomes even harder to let go of, it's like that security blanket of days gone by that we hold onto for dear life. It becomes who we think we are. We may begin to look in the mirror with self disgust and self-loathing. We may forget to practice self-love and self understanding. When we don't love ourselves, we often find that replying to other people as well. We find ourselves more judgmental and misunderstanding just because were unhappy with ourselves.We identify with these traits and don't let go until something makes us!

While this happens to people who are not obese or overweight, by raising awareness and funds towards helping childhood obesity, we will get rid of one of the big factors of low self-esteem!

I am committed to making a difference in the lives of young people. In doing so,my life will be enriched beyond my imagination. And by getting fit myself, I will show myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I will be an example rather than someone who just has all the textbook knowledge and is not applying it to her own life. Please join me on my journey and let me know how I can help you on yours!

Walking in the snow

Here's a picture from today's walk and you can see it was absolutely beautiful. I only got pelted from the salt of the snowplow once but I did see deer tracks which was really neat. I only wish I saw the deer. I think the sound of my shoes crunching on the snow was probably too loud to have the deer stay nearby. Yesterday was freezing rain and today it was snowing. I didn't put in a full 8 miles like I had planned but I did put in 5.3 miles. It was absolutely freezing but I know it's only going to get colder so I have to figure out what to wear for this type of weather. I'm open to any suggestions for people who know.

Patience

So today is a "rest" day on the schedule.  My plan was to just walk.  Here's what came up for me today... I want to put in lots of miles for "Team Dylan" and, physically, I can walk forever (well, a long distance!) but... I find that I'm not patient when it comes to walking for many miles.  (I was thinking of putting in 7-8 miles today.) I just want to hurry up and finish because I have so many other things to do.  I haven't started my Christmas shopping. I need to work on my books and develop a marketing plan.  I need to complete the three certificates I am working toward.  I want to offer some classes and need to plan those.  The list goes on and on... So at first I was thinking that I just really need to work on walking faster so that I can finish quickly but then it occurred to me that the real issue is learning to be patient.  Learning to slow down and just enjoy the journey.  Learning to focus on one thing at a time.  Learning to be kind and gentle with myself. Does any of that sound like you?

In today's society, we are all "stressed out" and trying to do 20 things at once while thinking about our endless to-do list.  The thing that we lose sight of, is that we will always have things to do. Once we complete what we already had on our list then something else will come up to take its place. That's what life is all about. We need to learn to enjoy it and not try and finish our to do list because what's left when we have nothing to do? Really, do you want to have absolutely nothing to do?  Personally, I want to be around for a long time and have a lot to keep me busy.  We also have to remember that we choose our to-do list!!  It may not always seem like it when we have work to do to pay the bills but, we do have a choice.  Always.  We choose what jobs we take.  We choose how much money we need to make to support our choice of a lifestyle.  We choose whether or not to have children and then how we want to raise them and what we want to do with them.  No one else makes those choices for us - they may influence us but it's our choice to let them.  So I think, I really need to learn to be patient and just enjoy what I'm choosing to do.

The holidays are often extremely difficult and stressful for people and sometimes that is because they feel "obligated" to do things that they don't really want to do.  I have grown to have tons of respect for everyone who has learned to fill "obligations" in a way that still honors their own needs.  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  I am a huge proponent for being kind to others and being of service to others but I have come to realize that when we don't honor ourselves, the gesture is empty and we really are doing a disservice to everyone.  That was really hard for me to recognize since I've always been one to put others' needs before my own.  Many moms do that but I started when I was about 2!!  Literally.  When I was 5 my nickname at home was "Grandma" because I was trying to take of everyone else.  That's not a bad thing but I lost sight of my own needs and that is what causes a lot of stress.

Anyway, back to the importance of patience.  Many people who have weight to lose also give up based on a lack of patience.  I know I just want to be my desired weight but guess what, it took 40 years to get to this weight and it's not going to go away overnight! We need to enjoy the journey. We need to have fun. We need to accept what is. In short, we need to have patience. And with that,  I'm going to walk for 8 miles and let it take however long it takes.

Running In The Rain

Okay, today I really felt like I was starting my training. When I left the house to start my run it was only 29°

and there was some snow and slush on the ground.  But I did it. I got out there and I just started running. I know part of it is because I want to support my son in his goal to have 5000 miles logged into Saucony's Run4Good app during the month of December 2013. It's for a wonderful cause and I'm very excited to meet that goal, although I can't do it just myself. But in addition to that am very excited to really start to take care of myself and to lose the extra weight and to train for the marathon that I'm planning to run in 2015. I'm still feeling very excited and motivated from my friend Mayra's book which will be available on Amazon on December 12, 2013. I'm also excited by the challenge that I signed up for to run 14 races in the year 2014. And I'm excited to put to use all the information I've gained through all my certificate programs but haven't applied. Now is the time! I'm going to include all of you on my journey. For the first time in my life I'm going to acknowledge out loud that I don't always practice what I teach.  I'm going to acknowledge that I'm obese. It's kind of a funny thing, because it's not as if people can't notice that but I never wanted to admit it. Granted I think I also have so many kind friends who tell me I don't look 80 pounds overweight.  Perhaps they are just thinking I only look 75 pounds overweight ;). Actually I am fortunate to have the extra weight evenly distributed so I have been able to deny the problem all these years!  But now is the time to recognize it and change it.  I also hope to help others who struggle with their weight.  For those who need to learn about basic nutrition and lifestyle choices, I've got that down.  I'm also got the emotional "reasons" down to help recognize those and most importantly I'm learning to release everything that holds me back and help others do the same!  We are all in this together and I love you!  Please let me know how I can support you in your journey.

Running to combat Childhood Obesity (and adult obesity by running!)

So today I put in a little over 4 miles on Saucony's Run4Good app for "Team Dylan."  When he first picked 5,000 miles as the target goal, I thought that was very doable. We haven't seen as many miles logged as I would hope in order to reach that goal but I'm hoping people will spread the word and help out.  I may need to go out and do another 4 miles tonight.  This will force me to train for that marathon :)  If you know of anyone who wants to help us out, that would be wonderful.

Do you have any specific running goals? Other fitness goals?  Do you have someone holding you accountable to them?  Feel free to comment here and I'm happy to act as an accountability partner.  We can reach all of our goals!!  Don't forget it and don't give up!

It's also lots of fun to run with other people and that also keeps you accountable.  Are you part of a running/walking club?  There are so many free clubs and I highly recommend being in one.  I just started a local chapter of Moms RUN This Town - Metrowest, MA so that I will have the support I need and I will gladly help others to achieve their fitness goals, too.