I’m busy. But not too busy to blog, obviously. And instead of being overwhelmed, I’m trying to prioritize and to remind myself that all the things I NEED To do will get done if I make  appoint of doing them…after I blog.

Kidding, but seriously, I never want to be too busy for the things I love!

Today’s flying by — I started my morning at 6am with some caffeine and a banana before bootcamp, but I woke up to dark clouds and some menacing radar. Plus the realization that my A list boot campers were mostly: a) out of the country b) ignoring my pushes to get their rears into gear or c) sick. Sad Cheryl.

Happy Cheryl came right back after I got down to business at the gym when I was presented with my bootcamp hour and abso-freaking-lutely pure nothing to do bliss.

Like I said, nothing like failing and realizing you’re pushing yourself to make for a good start to the day, albeit a little bit demolished.

Speaking of demolishing, my morning meal was “weird” by common standards but if you understood how amazing my apartment smelled last night when I went to bed (I’d fired up the crock pot mid afternoon so the roast I made was just finishing as I was calling it a night), you’d get why I had to dive into the goods for “breakfast” (or second breakfast, I guess). Pork and cabbage and an apple. Kind of like the applesauce, sauerkraut, and pork my family used to eat when I was a kid. So it makes more sense than the picture might suggest…and it was also tastier than that! 

After a chit chat at Starbucks (I have lots to think and journal and undoubtedly blog about), I had a quick lunch and sat down at my computer. When I realized my apartment is not my ideal working conditions, I relocated to another Starbucks (variety is the spice of life) and here I am. Apparently, I’m still not working. Luckily, I’m okay with it.

I’ll get to work…soon.

But first, Cait’s post at Beyond Bananas just inspired me to extend my break, so here comes a this or that fitness survey she shared earlier.

1.  Run/workout in the heat and humidity or freezing temps and snow?

I love love love working out outside in the summer. I started to like it more this winter when I took up winter running but I prefer the summer. Also now that I’m all about running in a sports bra, there’s something liberating about running on a toasty day. That being said, I’m not a tool. A few summers ago I was so compulsive that I’d work out on smog days and in the heat of the afternoon if it meant losing a workout otherwise. Turns out I was being an idiot and now I get it — warm and toasty workouts are still awesome, but I’m not into upping my heat stroke risk.

This winter, I want to take up cross country skiing. Or just build lots of snow forts. Exercise is exercise, right?

2. Have washboard abs or flat abs?

I thought these went together? I’m all for muscle. I don’t care if it comes out washboard but a strong core should be the focus. I don’t like this question !

3. Dr. Oz or The Doctors?

Oh lord. Both are entertainment for me – it’s funny to watch and to hear about the “breakthroughs” and the “secrets” that these shows talk about. Since Jillian Michaels brings some fun to The Doctors, let’s choose them! 

4. Cardio or strength?

All of the above, plus flexibility and mobility, please. You can’t just be strong if you want to be healthy. You can’t just be aerobically fit if you want to be healthy. Maybe it’s the future Crossfit trainer in me, but fitness is a pretty broad term and health is even more holistic, in my humble opinion. If you wanna read someone who I think does a good job summing this up, check out “What is Fitness?” on one of the crossfit coaches from London’s blog this week. Good timing on his part and good reiteration…

5. Cravings: Protein or carbs?

Emotional cravings? Pass the ice cream, the chocolate, the cake, etc. Real hankerings? Pass the protein. I had a chat with my sister about this over the weekend — when we’re hungry, we both agreed that we could leave cake and ice cream behind any day and dig into some “real food”! Amen to steaks.

6. Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper?

Jillian, mostly because she is doing more than just kicking people’s asses or helping them lose weight now. I know Bob is also awesome, but his latest book was called “Skinny Rules” so I’m mad at him for perpetuating the idea that skinny is even healthy, attractive, or something we should focus on. Jillian’s last book was called “Unlimited” and even though it wasn’t about fitness, I think challenging your beliefs (which is what she does with it) and coming up with a vision for your life is arguably essential to being successful in anything–running a marathon, losing weight, getting jacked, running a great business.

7. Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream?

Froyo comes up approximately every 3 posts–eating it, joking about it, wanting it. They’re different awesome though — if I’m under the bridge or want a cone, gimme the ice cream. But maybe cuz froyo can literally come with endless options, it’s not getting old…

8. To train: Upper body or Lower body?

Since I’m usually teaching spin classes, running, and biking, I neglect my lower body. But I never really just train upper body cuz that seems so silly. I like full body stuff and mostly focus on body weight exercises in my workouts. I’m really looking forward to learning more about lifting heavy and shifting away from what I’ve always done. Change is exciting!

9. Protein powder or food with protein?

Ha. Let me refer you (again) to a post that resonated with me on this one. And let me say it: eat food. I think protein powders are kind of silly. There’s tons of protein in food — so if you need more, eat more food! Simple.

10. Lunges or squats? 

Squats, even if mine leave a lot to be desired. However, you’re still going to lunge your butt off in any class I teach.

11. Sweet or salty?

Combined, please. I salt my apples. No big deal. I only want sweet after my salty needs have been satiated, so salt takes the cake on this one (ha ha).

12. Workout attire: cute or comfy?

It better be both and it better be functional. There’s nothing more annoying than shorts that ride up, shirts that cling, or fabrics that just don’t work for what you’re doing. Amen to lululemon for getting this and making stuff that works, explaining it to people, AND making it adorable (usually).

13. Body Pump or Heavy lifting?

Body pump = cookie cutter. I think of it as a good way to get started if you’re new to weight training, but I don’t think you’re doing the fit self you have the potential to be if you stick to it for too long…

14. Yoga or Pilates?

YOGA! Pilates is challenging, but there’s SO MUCH MORE to yoga than the physical benefits (strength, flexibility, etc.). Mind-body. Body acceptance. I could write a whole post about this — but yoga changed my life!

15. Nike or Adidas?

Nike. I can’t remember the last adidas thing I bought. I like lulu though, remember? And underarmour.

16. Running on the treadmill or outdoors?

Am I a rat? I’ll use the treadmill (preferably a manual one) to sprint but there’s not much that will keep me from running outside. And when it comes to outside running, get me on a trail STAT–roads are boring!

17. Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s? Remark or Sunripe? 

Remark. They have more pre-cooked things with acceptable ingredient lists on them. It’s “remark-”able how much I can spend there. But they also always have kale and chard and alfalfa sprouts and these things bring me great joy, as does their complimentary coffee. I like Sunripe’s giant apples and the samples and the fact that packaged foods are few and far between there, but Remark wins on this one!

18. Summer or Winter Olympics?

Summer! Maybe cuz I have had more time to watch these ones, or maybe cuz there’s so many sports I like. Or men’s sports where the mens are oh so dreamy…and sigh*

19. Exercises classes or Exercise videos?

Classes. Gimme some social stimulation! Better yet–let me teach it!

20. Steamed veggies or roasted veggies?

Roasted! I just don’t always have the patience…luckily I can zap em in the microwave to speed up the process.

What are your thoughts on the survey?
Do you like being busy? I’d rather be busy than bored is my motto. Feeling like there are 1209102910 things I want to do is an awesome feeling–it means I’m excited about things!

I’ll start with what’s NOT annoying about today:

• It’s Monday and in four days I will be in Calgary and seeing my dad and his fiancé who I’ve not seen since February. In five, I’ll be swinging around golf clubs in Banff. In six, I’ll be on my bicycle climbing up mountains — check out the profiles and the itinerary of my trip but be warned to only do so if you want to get insanely jealous.

• I had an amazing swim this morning at Thames after a tasty breakfast bowl. The sun was shining and there were just enough people in my lane to push me to swim a bit faster than normal but not enough to feel like I was in the way or like they were in the way. Can you spell “perfect start to the week”?

In the mix this morning: yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon, apples, blueberries, and walnuts.

• I stocked up on plenty of tasty groceries for this week. I fired up my crockpot with a roast for tonight, grabbed some ground beef to try stuffed portobellos at some point, and of course restocked with chard and kale cuz I am obsessed right now. I also gave in and bought pre-made meatloaf (though the ingredients were all recognizable and other than the price nothing was too crazy about it) at Remark because I was borderline hangry whilst shopping. And it made for a tasty lunch.

• I had a relaxing little sit on my balcony while I took care of some things I needed to do (emails, appointment cancelling/rescheduling, apartment hunting) this morning. Something about sitting outside makes mundane things seem more like a treat…or that’s what I’m telling myself. And my snack tasted better out there.

  

• I get to teach bootcamp today and I’m hoping some maybes who I absolutely would love to see make it out! The more people who come, the more froyo I can afford. I’m MOSTLY kidding…

Reasons I AM annoyed:

• There was a bat kicking around in the parking lot today and my landlord told me it’s not just me who has found one. Apparently they get in through the ducts and are not really causing problems but are just scaring the shit out of people (my words, not his). Gross, gross, and more gross.

BUT I’m not annoyed since I was already thinking of moving. So now I am not just thinking about it…I’m acting on it!

• My interview for my Bankrate article about how to handle your finances and subscriptions/memberships when you go on an extended vacation just postponed.

BUT I’m not annoyed because he’s still going to talk to me and because this gives me time to blog.

• Reading this Why Some Olympic Athletes Need to Gorge article that came up on my news feed. Really? Check it out but what stood out to me is the whole point of the article, which seems to be that when you exercise enough, you can eat whatever you want and not worry:

“This serves as a bracing reminder that, despite the idea that one type of strict diet or another (Atkins, Mediterranean, grapefruit or whichever) is preferable for weight control, the human body in constant motion can eat almost anything and maintain or — sometimes unwittingly — lose weight.”

When I read this, I literally grabbed my hair. OMFG came to mind. What about their health? I wish that media and freelancers and journalists wrote about things without all this emphasis on “weight control” and instead thought about just health.

Let me rant…maybe those athletes who burn that much can eat whatever they want and not get fat, but since when is not getting fat synonymous with being healthy?

What I see happening in magazines and newspapers and on TV is a huge emphasis on weight. Whether you read a cycling magazine, a housekeeping magazine or a food magazine, you’re bound to find some article that focuses on “healthy eating”. Healthy eating, more often than not though, is synonymous with eating to lose weight. Maybe because people buy into the idea that there’s such a big obesity epidemic on our hands, they get caught up in fixing the problem.

NEWS FLASH: The weight isn’t the problem. We don’t have to deal with the obesity epidemic. We have to deal with the behaviours and the habits and the environment that promotes obesity–all the things that people are doing that aren’t healthy that come with the outcome of NOT being at our optimal weights. I don’t believe that anyone should lose weight for the sake of losing weight–we should change our unhealthy habits for the sake of changing our unhealthy habits and THEN see how we weigh in. And on that note, we shouldn’t just focus on our UNHEALTHY habits but we should focus on what’s HEALTHY and what we can ADD to our lives and our diets:

• Instead of worrying about sitting less, could you think about how you could walk more?
• Instead of beating yourself up for eating chocolate, could you focus on making sure you eat a fruit or veggie at every meal?

See where I’m going with this? We need a paradigm shift. We need to focus on HEALTH and AWESOME-ness (for lack of a better way to put it) and stop worrying about the problems. We need to move towards what is GOOD instead of trying to avoid what we’re doing wrong. Small order, right?

But I digress. So back to the article and it’s take on things…

The perspective that athletes can get away with eating things like “ like a pound of pasta drizzled with olive oil (about 800 calories), a dozen eggs (840 calories), an entire cheese pizza (perhaps 2,000 calories) and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s cheesecake-brownie ice cream (1,000 calories)” just bothers the crap out of me. It goes on to talk about how fat is a better choice for athletes but since when can you just look at fat vs carbs vs protein without considering WHERE those are coming from? I’d argue that fat that naturally occurs in an almond or even in something like a steak is way way way healthier than something that you’d find in a processed food. You can’t simplify food like that — it’s not good vs. bad and it’s not a matter of classifying it. I think the only way you can (and should) break it down is REAL vs. FAKE. And then, health-promoting vs. not. Everything you put in your body is going to affect it.

While I understand that in some cases people legitimately can’t afford and “optimal” diet all the time. But Olympic athletes? Of all the people in the world who have the opportunity to try it, I’d think they would–you can’t TELL me that they can’t afford to eat an optimal diet. I’m not stupid, but anyone who thinks that exercise negates the fact that processed junk food crap calories are unhealthy is.

So what I think would be a better angle to take? What IF those athletes ate real food and optimal food at that? Oh wait, shouldn’t that be normal? Too bad it isn’t and the reality is, it will take someone cheeky to suggest that we should care about our health more than the size of our asses. Right now that’s what I’m trying to do. I might only have a couple hundred readers but you have to start somewhere, right?

NEWS FLASH: You can’t “get away” with polluting your body with junk food and you should not want to! Yes cake is good. Yes froyo is delicious and I have a special spot in my heart for it. But I’m not stupid and I don’t use my training to justify eating them.

Imagine these athletes at the height of their game justifying eating less than optimal fuel because they can “get away with it”? I’ve been food obsessed in the past so I’m not suggesting that they shouldn’t have some treats in their day, but so should everyone–olympic athletes and average folks alike.

I have an approach to eating now that leaves room for foods that aren’t regular features on my plate and room in my daily eats that, regardless of training, don’t serve to FUEL me but serve me in other ways (froyo is social, chocolate is necessary, etc.). If I up my training and my caloric expenditure, I don’t want to run on crap fuel. I want to eat more of the same awesome nutritious things that I feed myself already–because it feels good!

I don’t like this article one bit and I know that in the past I’d probably have written something from a similar viewpoint.

Which brings me back to the point that my being pissed off reinforced: just because you’re skinny doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Just because something won’t make you fat doesn’t mean it won’t make you unhealthy. Conversely, just because something will make you skinny doesn’t mean it will make you healthy. There’s more to health than body composition and when you start believing this you start eating differently–trust me. And when you get there, you start looking at your body differently. If you’re eating real food and you are eating when you’re hungry and until you’re full, gaining or losing a few pounds isn’t scary because your body is working how it’s supposed to. When you control things and try to affect your body weight–that’s where you should be worried!

I could go on and on and on but I’ve managed to kill that time I needed to and I think I’ve made my point: We need to be careful what we focus on AND it’s possible to change. I was once weight-obsessed and driven by concerns over how food would affect the scale. Now I can honestly say that I’m more concerned with my health and being as awesome to my body as I can and I know in my heart that this is the only way to get to peace and acceptance with your body. When you love yourself and take care of yourself, you want to eat healthy. Your choices become clear. It just makes sense to eat whole foods. When there’s junk food, you might want some so you might have some. But there’s not guilt and all of the negative emotions that go along with it because it is what it is…not a moral failure or a step away from your perfect body composition. Those aren’t your goals anymore.

Wow, sorry for the rant. If you’re still with me, I’d love to have some feedback on all of this:

Did you read the article?
Have you ever written a letter in response to an article?
Have you used exercise/training to justify eating junk food?
Is there such a thing as “junk food”? 

This weekend has FLOWN by. I am not complaining because it’s true what they say — time flies when you’re having fun, but all the excitement and running around has caught up to me…so now the best thing I can do is catch you all up. I know you’re all anxiously awaiting this post, right?

I was going to do a wordless wrap up for the weekend but I’m settling on a photo-licious recap instead!

Friday was a low key night. I played some tennis with a friend and then went to a really really sweaty hot yoga class. I was entirely pooched so when my friends came over and we watched the Olympic opening ceremonies from the comfort of my apartment and didn’t end up doing much of anything, there were absolutely no complaints on my part.

I left yoga hangry so I threw together a quick salad with salmon.

My dessert was three part: an apple, a coffee with some biscotti baileys and a few hershey kisses. Confirmed: this is serious deliciousness. 

We had a pretty early night even though Nina, who was visiting for the Lil Mudder race on Saturday, makes me uber happy so we had to stay up a little past our bedtime and chat!

We took Saturday morning at a leisurely pace. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Lil Mudder (except awesome) so I had a quick yogurt mix with raisins, almonds, banana, and almond butter. Om nom nom!

Nina and I met up with Sarah (1/2 of our Tough Mudder team for August) and made our way to the event. We were pretty nervous–I’m not going to lie!

Reminder of the day:

…so we tried it! And it was fun and these pictures do NOT do it justice, so I’ll do my best…

Sarah and I heading to the Mudder!

Instagram action shot — I have a feeling there are more of these to come!

No big deal…just a big wall.

I’m guessing on the numbers, but I’d say that there were around 30 mudders. We started out in a small park and got our run on. We ran over piles of dirt and gravel, lunged, piggy backed our partners (Nina, I can’t believe you had to carry me — and you were SOOO strong), did burpees, played with water balloons, scaled that wall you see above (with or without help)–twice, squatted, did pushups, ran on trails, sprinted up hills, carried logs up inclines, demolished our shoulders carrying said logs overhead (or just mine, cuz they haven’t had any love like that lately), and had a lot of fun doing it. The whole course was just over 10km and I think it took us about an hour and a half, but it flew by and I swear I’m not just saying that. I was surprised at how tough the running part was (but I don’t think I was alone in this even for the runners in the group) but also at how well non-runners handled it. 

So a lesson came from it: you can be pretty darn fit and fast without having to run your butt off every week. Just something for me to add to the list of things to think about and the reasons why I’m getting more and more excited for my Crossfit certification weekend. 61 days, for the record!

Another one: I’m going to be feeling it at the Tough Mudder. But if it’s anything like the feeling I had after this one, I think I might be hooked. Triathlons are fun, but this was a different KIND of fun.

There really hasn’t been much time to think this weekend…because the fun continued right after the race with some swimming, eating, and sunshine. I can’t believe how awesome the whole Lil Mudder was. It’s a small world because one of my addiction enablers the baristas from my favourite Starbucks actually ran the show. He did a crazy amazing job because it was safe, challenging (but everyone was able to do it and we had fun), and all that good stuff! And after the race, like I said, there was swimming and eating, which was graciously provided by those lovely Life by Design folks I keep mentioning. Spending the afternoon with a bunch of people who are all into living awesome and healthy lives made for a perfect day.

Steph came and helped out!

Pork and slaw. synonym: delicious. Plate 1/2.

Besides “god I loved that pork”, I left feeling really grateful that I am connected with that whole community. I was pretty fired up and hit the road to my sister’s happier than happy can be.

• 

  om nom nom dessert

  

  Icing on the cake?

When I got to my sister’s place in Windsor, we took our time getting to dinner. She gave me a necklace that was a bit belated for my graduation gift (it was slow to ship) — it says “Follow your bliss.” My sister may not be into cheesy quotes herself but she gets me!

We had dinner (and drinks) at Spago, a restaurant in Little Italy. The wait for a table felt kind of like an eternity but it was nice to catch up with my sister and when our bill came, we only paid for our meals. Beers and a complimentary appetizer on the house? I won’t argue with that.

grilled portobellas with feta

shrimp with spicy tomato sauce + broccoli

After dinner, we walked down to a little gelato place and made the already perfect night that much sweeter! I thought I’d have room after my mostly vegetable dinner but I really couldn’t handle the whole gelato. Still, it was pretty tasty (cappuccino and bacio flavours for me, tiramisu and pistachio for my sister) so the couple bites I did manage to fit were much appreciated!We really only had energy for board games afterwards…

do you see what I see? My sister’s word…I promise!

Luckily I slept like a rock because today was filled with fun!

The pictures really speak for themselves–after a late and leisurely breakfast (mine was a random mash up) we headed to Point Pelee Park with a picnic in tow and hiked all that gelato off.

ames, but I’m not complaining.

Cactus? Ontario’s only!

What a find! Turkey feather…

The flies were SO BAD but we had to go to the southernmost point!…and then we had to get the heck out of there!

lunch break!

The day was perfect. Hiking, nature, sisterly bonding. Whooh!

My drive home went really quickly! I listened to the Life By Design radio show and heard their announcement that they’re going to be a Crossfit affiliate come their re-opening. Gosh so many awesome things all at once. I had a feeling they might be doing this–crossfit coaches on their staff, so many parallels between Move By Design and Crossfit, etc.–but it’s REALLY cool and I kind of squealed when I heard it since I am counting down the days til they open up. Who knew someone would be so excited just to join a gym? Like I said, these people are doing something big and I want to be a part of it. I have a lot to learn but I’ve got somewhere to learn it now — and it’s coming together perfectly!

Anyways, you can picture me squealing and beaming with excitement at your leisure, but back to my recap and this uber long novel of a blog post…

When I got home I threw together a tasty but uber fast mix of shredded zucchini, leftover mushrooms/onions/ground beef and some tomato sauce with parmesan cheese.

And then made my way to Starbucks because my mind was racing. Blogging and americanos seem to bring me back to where I need to be. I was going to do yoga this evening but I am tired tired tired and to be honest this is more what I needed…Consider me centred…

On that note, have an awesome night! This week is another busy one for me. I fly out on Friday so have LOTS to do before my big trip to the mountains. There’s bootcamp, appointments, an article, and of course some time for fun on the agenda. Yay!

How was your weekend? What’d you get up to?
Have you ever done a mud run?

Well…I know what I want to get at with this post but am not sure how I’m going to get there. So I guess I’ll start with a quote that came to mind yesterday and that can serve as a kind of theme here:

Source

Lately, my mind’s been stretched by books that I’ve read (Gary Taubes’ Why We Get Fat, The Whole 9′s It Starts With Food, etc.), by people that I’ve met, by things that I’ve listened to, and by conversations that I’ve had. 

One of the things I journalled about on my trip when I started to feel myself slipping back into old patterns (especially with food) was that it’s okay to be scared of making a change, but unless I’m willing to at least TRY a different approach, I’m stuck with what I’ve got. Specifically I’m talking about the guilt I felt for eating things that weren’t “clean” or “whole foods” and about overeating in response to stress. You know what feeling guilty does to someone who uses food to cope with their emotions? No? Well, for me, it sends me into a deeper feeling of doom and gloom, makes me isolate myself, and usually drives me to eat more. None of those things are good. So one of the suggestions I’ve had made to me many a time before was to just ACCEPT that I was “overeating” — not an easy feat for someone who has struggled with food for a long time. But when I realized that the overeat, make up for it (restrict, deprive, work out compulsively) cycle is what I’ve tried in the past and that in the past I’ve ended up in just that–a futile cycle–I decided to give it a shot. When I got home I bought myself some chocolate. I allowed myself to have it. Know what happened? After a few nights of eating 4 hershey kisses, I had a night where I ate 1. Without forcing myself to. Then one night I didn’t want any. Funny how easy it was after I gave it a shot. The same thing happened with the dried papaya that I often thought I was sneaking after lunch or dinner. Turns out when I thought of it as “Okay, I guess I’ve been “sneaking” stuff every day for as long as I can remember and I’m not obese” instead of “This is so bad, I shouldn’t be eating this, etc.”, I actually did feel better. If I don’t make it a big deal, it isn’t.

All of this comes back to that epiphany about your happy weight being the one where you’re healthy and not the one that you decide that is right for you for any arbitrary number. The only way to arrive at your best weight and your best body and your best health is to work on your behaviours. So if you have bad habits, deal with those habits OR if you’re like me and it’s something petty like eating a bit of chocolate or some sweets, get over it and use that energy elsewhere. I think what’s happened is a shift in belief here and rather than thinking that I’m meant to be miserable and fat (crazy but I did believe this for a long time and blamed everything and everyone from my parents to my thyroid to my environment to Kiwi Kraze for making froyo so delicious), I believe that we are supposed to be healthy and happy that everyone should love their life. 

This is an awesome realization and if you’re not on that page–if you think we’re supposed to struggle and that being happy and healthy is not our natural state, I think you’re stuck. If you’re willing to open up to the possibility that you’re wrong, there’s your golden ticket.

Yesterday totally confirmed that realization that I had. I was lucky enough to go to dinner with my new friends from Gainsborough Family Chiropractic and to hear about the Life By Design approach a little bit more. As you know I am pretty excited about all that these people are doing and getting to see a presentation about it all in a concise format just confirmed that I met these people for a reason. Not only have Dr. Kreso’s questions at Starbucks ignited thoughts (and blog posts, naturally) and all kinds of awesome in me but they’ve exposed me to a whole new way of looking at things and oh am I grateful!

I was also grateful for the dinner they fed me and my fellow listeners. They also bought me a coffee so apparently they believe in my starving student status even if my lululemon wardrobe would suggest otherwise.

My other eats have been pretty typical and haven’t come with such a dose of inspiration. Think salads (mostly kale and sprouts) with some avocado and mayo and meat. Simple. Throw in some fruit. Add an energy gel when I’m working out if I hear my tummy rumbling and you have a happy belly. Don’t forget my chocolate. Or my almond butter and veggies/squash for breakfast.

This morning I had plans to swim at the outdoor pool with a friend but Mother Nature was kind enough to let me have a relaxing morning (I placed an order for some bike stuff that I need for my trip next week!) and to make it to the gym to teach at a leisurely pace. I love rainy mornings! After the class I did my own sweaty balls workout (short and sweet).

And when I was feeling fired up I decided to make good on my bucket list plan to shop at the market more this summer and did just that. I bought some tasty yellow plums (which I devoured in the car on the way home), some steak (which I cooked up along with some other goodies this afternoon) and ground beef (I am craving meatloaf!), and a few Ontario apples. Has anyone else noticed that the apples around in the grocery stores are from really exotic places? Chile, Argentina, New Zealand…I don’t like it when my food has been cooler places than I have!

My day kept getting better cuz when I got home there was a treat waiting for me — a package from Amy (my yoga instructor running buddy from Sarnia) with TWO BOOKS in it! I love BOOKS! I love SURPRISES! I love life!

I actually SQUEALED when I saw this waiting for me!

These books will most definitely be coming along with me on my biking trip. A little light reading when I’m ravaged by the mountains is JUST what I needed!

Other things I meant to mention:

• I had a terrible sleep last night. I had a nightmare about being too out of shape for tough mudder. OR that’s what I thought about when the thunderstorms woke me up in the middle of the night. Anyways, the best remedy for fear is to do something to prove yourself wrong, right? Hence my awesome workout today. Also it helps to remind myself that I’m there for FUN! And I have a dress rehearsal of sorts coming up this weekend if things go according to planned (but I’ll keep ya in suspense on that one!).
• My friend and one of my role models from home came down for the dinner last night. She was great company and gave me some really encouraging words of advice after the dinner was done. I’ve been thinking a lot about broadening my certifications and about opening my mind to new ways of training (back to the quote we started with). Once I realized just how hard triathlon, biking, endless cardio, running, and all those things are on my body, I realized that there are ways of training people. I really balk at the idea of going to a gym and applying to be a personal trainer. I will not do it. That’s a conversation I had with my life coach: it doesn’t feel right. I have no desire to be in a weight room helping people learn how to do bicep curls or how to use the helliptical. I’ll leave that for the trainers who don’t care and I’m going to pursue figuring out how to help the people I train/instruct be awesome and epic and healthy in every sense of the word….which leads me to what I’m really excited about…

…it’s happening!

I’m at a point where I’m ready to try something new. I’m not so scared of missing cardio workouts any more. I love biking running and swimming because I like my training buddies and I like the places and people they involve. But in terms of what kind of a fitness professional I want to be, I’m not willing to settle for just knowing what I know now. AND I have to be open to the suggestion that MAYBE all that cardio training is not actually the road to health. I’ve seen first hand how burnt out I can get if I overdo it. I’ve experienced the injuries and I’ve seen plenty of my friends go down the same road. So being ignorant of the alternatives that are out there and that are kind of screaming in my face right now would be a mistake. Leisa said yesterday to me that there’s no shame in having trained the way I did when I didn’t know about anything else. That’s so true. But now that these alternatives are there for the exploration, I’ve got to give them a fair shot!

That being said, I need to admit that I need to learn this on a personal level too. The best experiment is always on ourselves so that being said, I sense changes coming for me in my training too. How much time do I spend on lifting? Mobility? Kind of important stuff. There’s a whole branch of crossfit that is intended for endurance athletes–Tina is raving about her crossfit experiences and people are getting PRs even without logging tons of endurance training time. I am not giving up on biking or triathlon or any of those other things that make my heart sing, by the way. All I’m doing is opening my mind…and that’s exciting. The course comes with a hefty price tag but when something matters, the money is actually just a minor detail. It goes back to that reasons vs. excuses stuff and remember that time I dropped 200$ at lululemon? It’d be a pretty big reflection on my priorities if I used the cost as an excuse…

Did I mention I’m excited?!

Now it’s time for me to check some errands off my list and then head for a swim (this is going to be the definition of leisurely!) before I get to go get my results at the chiropractor! It’s actually like Christmas today…

Source

Have you ever been exposed to Crossfit?
Do you shop at the market?
Have you ever just let go of something (like my “overeating problem”) and watched it disappear? 

Relax? Don’t mind if I do!

Today was another good day — and since I’m meeting up with friends for some drinks this evening, I have a feeling it’s going to be a good night too!

I spent my day relaxing (imagine that), reading blogs, books, and articles and listening to Life by Design and Jillian Michaels podcasts.  So much awesome. One thing I had to share because I gave her an Amen when I read this was Amber’s status update on her awesome Go Kaleo Facebook page.

She took the words out of my mouth!

My lunch today was a throwback to a meal I missed on my vacay — kale, carrot, apple, and cranberry salad with some almond butter. Om nom nom.

My afternoon snack, which was a granola bar, prompted me to search for some tasty granola bar recipes to make myself (after an epic fail at a one bowl bar…it’ll remain unphotographed!). I found a promising looking one on 100 Days of Real Food, which is a blog worth visiting if you haven’t yet!

After my life coaching session, which left me feeling rejuvenated and calmed down my spinning mind (i.e. what am I doing in the fall and with my life: being a life coach, being a wellness coach, being a personal trainer, being a freelance writer, finding a way to make blogging a career, doing my masters, becoming a holistic nutritionist, being a fitness instructor, being a yoga instructor, being a teacher, etc. etc. etc.). Things only got more chill after an awesome power yoga class at yoga shack, which I followed up with a dinner that really hit the spot.

chard, chicken salad, and sun dried tomatoes with alfalfa sprouts plus some triscuits to satisfy a serious hankering for salt and crunch

Now I’m all over a cooler like a fat kid on a smartie and am looking forward to some friend time tonight! Yay for summer nights which make Tuesdays the same as weekends, in my books!

How did you spend your Tuesday?
What’s your favourite podcast?