Recently, a couple of people have told me that I inspire them. The first time someone told me this, it really blew my mind (I am terrible at taking complements), and most days I feel like I am going to drop one of the many balls I am juggling. Then I really thought about what they were saying.
My type A personality means that I tend to set a really high bar for myself. In my pre-baby days, reaching that bar wasn't nearly as hard. My commitments and responsibilities were far fewer, but since E has been born it doesn't feel like I have been meeting my goals that often. Something, often a sick child, a really terrible night or work commitment, always seems to get in the way. Instead of getting 5 to 6 workouts in a week, it would be 2 or 3. (This is part of what inspired my 20 in 30 Challenge.)
That said, no matter how crazy life got, I always tried to get out and be active. There was always another day or another week to get something in. Squeezing in lunch workouts...did it. Yoga after E was asleep...did it. Fitness is something I feel is important and something that I value. It keeps me sane, or at least sane-ish, but I also want to set a good example for E.
The more I think about it, that is what could really be inspiring. Living your values. As I think about the things that I want to do in the long run, I need to remember that someday, there will be more time to run, and bike, and workout whenever I want. However, there will be fewer giggles about nothing, fewer snuggles, and fewer "hot dog dance" parties. So I am okay with being a little slower and a little less fit for now.
For right now, I am going to continue to live my values, and if I can inspire some people along the way, that is cool. Hopefully, I can inspire E to live her values too.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
20 in 30 - Accountability Check
How is it the middle of June already? I feel like I just wrote about my 20 in 30 challenge, but I am already at the half way point. I put the challenge out on my blog because I needed accountability. There is a part of me that is just lazy and a part of me that is just tired from parenting a toddler.
I am happy to say that at the halfway mark in my challenge, I am doing pretty well. At this point I have completed 11 full workouts (including today's spin) and there are a few other almost workouts in the mix. One day I cut the grass instead of going to yoga and had to turn a run into a walk over the weekend because of some hit pain.
Here is what the first 15 days of June have looked like for me.
I am off to a good start, but I know that vacation is just around the corner, so my goal is to kick it up a notch for the rest of the month. Then I will dial it back a bit for a week. Once I come back it is only a week or so before I start half marathon training.
I am happy to say that at the halfway mark in my challenge, I am doing pretty well. At this point I have completed 11 full workouts (including today's spin) and there are a few other almost workouts in the mix. One day I cut the grass instead of going to yoga and had to turn a run into a walk over the weekend because of some hit pain.
Here is what the first 15 days of June have looked like for me.
I am off to a good start, but I know that vacation is just around the corner, so my goal is to kick it up a notch for the rest of the month. Then I will dial it back a bit for a week. Once I come back it is only a week or so before I start half marathon training.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Yard Reworking
It has been a year and a half since we moved into our house and the only room we did when we moved was E's. New construction is great because it is a blank slate, but that blank slate is also a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of white space that needs some color and decor. We have finally started making our way through some of the projects to make our house more of a home.
This first project was a combination of want to and have to. We get a lot of rain here in FL and that water needs a place to go. There is not a lot of room between houses in our neighborhood and that means that sometimes rain goes where it is not wanted. In our case the rain was cutting through our landscaping, washing it out and then rapidly flowing across our paver driveway. Not really where we wanted it to go.
Step one to fix our issue was installing gutters. Not really what I wanted to do to the house, but they were needed.
Next up was fixing the landscaping. This is where the work really started. It was one of those projects that start out with, "since we are doing X, we really should..." Famous last words. By this point, I should know better than to use this phrase, because it never ends well.
Instead of just replacing what the builder had installed and calling it a day, we wanted to make a few changes to make it more our style. By the time we picked our landscaping, we were getting a bit loopy and chose the first one on the list. Needless to say, it ended up not being my favorite.
First was pulling out all of the small bushes and grassy plants. This wasn't too bad, except that the roots for these guys went all over the place. Then we pulled up all the pine bark mulch. 50 or so trash bags later we had a lot of dirt with a few trees. I was already realizing how much work we were in for.
We picked up the plants, soil and 22 pieces of sod and then headed back home. Note to self, sod makes a giant mess, so picking it up in my new car was not one of my best idea.
The plants went in and the mulch went down. Then came the hard part, where making just a little change, wasn't quiet so little. We had 4 tons of rock to move. The good thing about rock is that it would help with drainage and we liked the look better than the mulch. The bad thing about rock is that it is expensive and that meant that we got to be the labor. Fun times!
After a day and a half of moving rock, my husband and I were sore and tired, but the project was done and we love it. The changes seem to have helped with the water issues as well. Now, time to work on the inside.
This first project was a combination of want to and have to. We get a lot of rain here in FL and that water needs a place to go. There is not a lot of room between houses in our neighborhood and that means that sometimes rain goes where it is not wanted. In our case the rain was cutting through our landscaping, washing it out and then rapidly flowing across our paver driveway. Not really where we wanted it to go.
Step one to fix our issue was installing gutters. Not really what I wanted to do to the house, but they were needed.
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| Before we really got to work |
Instead of just replacing what the builder had installed and calling it a day, we wanted to make a few changes to make it more our style. By the time we picked our landscaping, we were getting a bit loopy and chose the first one on the list. Needless to say, it ended up not being my favorite.
First was pulling out all of the small bushes and grassy plants. This wasn't too bad, except that the roots for these guys went all over the place. Then we pulled up all the pine bark mulch. 50 or so trash bags later we had a lot of dirt with a few trees. I was already realizing how much work we were in for.
We picked up the plants, soil and 22 pieces of sod and then headed back home. Note to self, sod makes a giant mess, so picking it up in my new car was not one of my best idea.
The plants went in and the mulch went down. Then came the hard part, where making just a little change, wasn't quiet so little. We had 4 tons of rock to move. The good thing about rock is that it would help with drainage and we liked the look better than the mulch. The bad thing about rock is that it is expensive and that meant that we got to be the labor. Fun times!
 |
| Dumps like a truck |
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| The pile was even bigger than it looks |
After a day and a half of moving rock, my husband and I were sore and tired, but the project was done and we love it. The changes seem to have helped with the water issues as well. Now, time to work on the inside.
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| Finished project |
Monday, June 8, 2015
Are You Ready for Some Football?
While I really don't want to wish time away, especially summer, I am so ready for football season. It is the one sport that I watch on a pretty regular basis and the desert between the Superbowl and the beginning of the season always feels really long.
This year went to the UCF spring game to get a little taste of what the season has in store. It was also a chance to see how E liked going to the game. She probably enjoyed dancing to the music between plays more than the game itself, but it is a start.
Last week I had an opportunity to attend the UCF women's football clinic. I had heard good things from previous years and was excited to see it on the schedule again this year. The past couple of years I have been pregnant or nursing, so it was too hard to get away. This year I was able to join about a 100 or so other women to learn a little more about the game and get some time on the field.
The night started off with sandwiches, chips and drinks, followed by a tour of the weight room and some time with a tackling dummy. I would love to have a gym like the one the student athletes have on campus.
Then we headed to the team room for a meeting with the coach. Here we got a chance to chat with George O'Leary himself as well as members of the offensive and defensive coaching staff. This helped me understand what is going on down on the field a bit more.
After the coaches meeting, we headed out to the practice fields. This was my favorite part of the night. We got a chance to catch, kick, throw, run ladders and do all kinds of fun stuff on the field. I almost felt like I was a real football player, well maybe not a real player, but it was fun to be on the field.
After this clinic, I am so ready for some football!
This year went to the UCF spring game to get a little taste of what the season has in store. It was also a chance to see how E liked going to the game. She probably enjoyed dancing to the music between plays more than the game itself, but it is a start.
Last week I had an opportunity to attend the UCF women's football clinic. I had heard good things from previous years and was excited to see it on the schedule again this year. The past couple of years I have been pregnant or nursing, so it was too hard to get away. This year I was able to join about a 100 or so other women to learn a little more about the game and get some time on the field.
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| Hello!!! |
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| Nothing like hanging out with the Coach. |
Then we headed to the team room for a meeting with the coach. Here we got a chance to chat with George O'Leary himself as well as members of the offensive and defensive coaching staff. This helped me understand what is going on down on the field a bit more.
After the coaches meeting, we headed out to the practice fields. This was my favorite part of the night. We got a chance to catch, kick, throw, run ladders and do all kinds of fun stuff on the field. I almost felt like I was a real football player, well maybe not a real player, but it was fun to be on the field.
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| As E would say, "I got it." |
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| Throwing with players |
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| Shoes for feet bigger than mine. |
After this clinic, I am so ready for some football!
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| Charge On! |
Monday, June 1, 2015
June Challenge - 20 in 30
Wow...it is June already. Lately it seems like I blink and a whole month has flown by and if I blink twice we are in a whole new season. The pace of time is a big part of why my blog has been neglected for so long.
While the blog took the majority of the hit when time gets tight, it was not the only thing that has gotten pushed aside. I have not been working out as much as I would like. Most weeks I get at least 3 workouts in and others I hit 5, but there has not been a lot of consitency.
I still have about 6 weeks before I really begin half marathon training and I really don't want to go into training behind. This means that I really need to focus on building my fitness right now.
As part of this, I have set a goal to get 20 workouts in during the 30 days of June. I started today with a lunchtime spin class and I have a run planned for tomorrow morning.
Anyone else want to join me on this challenge?
While the blog took the majority of the hit when time gets tight, it was not the only thing that has gotten pushed aside. I have not been working out as much as I would like. Most weeks I get at least 3 workouts in and others I hit 5, but there has not been a lot of consitency.
I still have about 6 weeks before I really begin half marathon training and I really don't want to go into training behind. This means that I really need to focus on building my fitness right now.
As part of this, I have set a goal to get 20 workouts in during the 30 days of June. I started today with a lunchtime spin class and I have a run planned for tomorrow morning.
Anyone else want to join me on this challenge?
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