Soooo my apartment’s wireless is on the fritz which means you’re in for a treat: my attempts at blogging, emailing, and texting without autocorrects making something a laugh or two are pretty awesome.
For your sake, we’ll go mostly wordless on today’s! Good thing it’s a what I ate Wednesday…
Breakfast was eggs, spinach, and a sweet potato with almond butter/butter before laundry and chit chats with a friend.
Lunch came after a noon workout–my fav time to train but not one that generally fits in my schedule–and a PR and was pork, cabbage, and a nanner with coconut and some butter. Yes, I do eat weird things. Yes, I’m okay with you judging me.
After lunch came coffee time (it was social, don’t worry) and then I say myself down and got down to work editing and working on something that I totally forgot I needed Internet for tonight. I ended up needing more time than anticipated so I had to miss my interning at the gym. I made time for dinner-more pork this time with carrots alfalfa sprouts and almond butter-before playing instructor at bootcamp.
After a long hot shower, some dark chocolate, and this here blog post, I’m zonked!
Hopefully we get the wireless sorted out soon but for the meantime, I’m gong to enjoy the disconnect and read one of the many books I’ve been thinking about starting/finishing! nighty night!
I’ve missed blogging. A lot. And without it, I feel a bit…scattered.
So hi…
Today is off to a great start. After an admittedly all over the place, somewhat emotional weekend, I’m glad to have a busy week with my new job and my crossfit cert at the end of it to just ooze awesome today. Add to it that it’s a crisp fall day and I’m getting back to my happy level again.
Workout
This morning I rolled out of bed after seriously considering crawling back under the covers (I had a hard time getting to sleep last night) and headed to Crossfit for a 7am class. We started with mobility (surprise surprise !) and then did some squats and presses. I’m impatient so working on my ankle mobility, which is not something that will change overnight, is an exercise in patience. I used 95lbs for our three sets of five today but made sure I got full depth with the plates under my heels. The only way to get to where you wanna be is to start where you are…or something like that! We also did overhead presses (I used 55lbs for three sets of five) and a 7 minute WOD that was AMRAP of 5 pullups (ring rows for me), 10 pushups, and 15 air squats.
AM
This morning I officially started back at lululemon! And this morning was awesome. I had a short 3 hour shift where I signed my contract, reviewed some important stuff, and hung out/flexed my working skills for a bit. To be honest I didn’t really want to come home—and it’s not just because there was laundry here waiting for me—since the people (old faces, new faces) are so positive.
Today there was a lot of talk about goals. Did I mention I love working at lulu? I’m hoping to print my recently updated goals out – there’s a lot more emphasis on personal goals and a broader range of fitness/health goals this time around – later this week. One thing that I do have to admit is that when I hear other people talk about their goals, I kind of want to copy them. You cna look at this two ways — one, it’s inspiring vs. two, it’s insecurity (they’re doing it, I should do it too). While it’s awesome to let people rub off on you, if someone wants to run a marathon and you want to find a balance between yoga, crossfit, teaching spin and bootcamp, trail running, and doing exercise that feels good to you, adding a marathon training plan to your agenda is probably one of those things you’re doing for the wrong reasons…if I sign up for a marathon, puh-leeeeeze schmack me!
All that inspiration translated into me adding even more words to my vision board. I think it’s done, but I thought that the other day. If you haven’t made a vision board, do yourself a favour and make one. Then set some goals. Give yourself a vision to aim for, notice the kinds of images you pull out, and don’t be scared to be ambitious. Play some inspirational music in the background and light some candles while you’re at it…
Breakfast
This morning’s breakfast was consumed at lightning speed in between Crossfit and lululemon. I wasn’t that hungry—which stressed me out since I feel like I overate all weekend long—but I could feel the hangry approaching so I suffered through my bacon, eggs, and kale. Toss in some caffeine and I’m set.
Lunch
After my shift, I was craving something warm. I decided on a piece of chicken, some kale (which I neglected and put back in the fridge afterwards), and a sweet potato with cashew butter and coconut. Om nom nom.
Now here I am ready to read some more of my crossfit manual (my cert is in four days which is ridiculous). I just watched a video that inspired me:
I took some notes yesterday when I was reading over the manual and the one thing I can’t get over is how much freaking sense the whole thing makes. I do have some questions—luckily there are plenty of knowledgeable people around to ask—and the one thing I have to look out for is questioning what I’m doing right now just because I’m reading things. The though that maybe I should plan my own workouts came to me…but for now I’m going to commit to easing into this with group workouts at Crossfit plus my own teaching schedule and the occasional trail run or swim here and there. Trusting that I’m not going to get out of shape or lose my fitness takes some reminders every once in a while but the best thing for me is to remind myself that when it comes to workouts, I should actually want to do them. Just ‘cuz I have an afternoon off doesn’t mean I should run, but if I want to, I can. Etc. etc.
The other thing I’ve noticed is myself wanting to passive aggressively cut and paste parts of the training manual to certain people in my life (or in facebook status with the hopes that they’ll see it)…
“Curls, lateral raises, leg extensions, leg curls, flyes, and other body building movements have no place in a serious strength and conditioning program…A distinctive feature of these relatively worthless movements is that they have no functional analog in every day life…”–
The reminder here is that their business is their business and if that business is bicep curls, I shouldn’t read their blog anyways.
BAM.
I’m ending this with a quote that came to my inbox today just in time to comfort me…
“When we feel stuck, going nowhere — even starting to slip backward — we may actually be backing up to get a running start.” – Dan Millman
Happy Monday!
Do you find yourself copying other people’s goals out of “should”? How do you stop yourself? What are you looking forward to this week?
Mondays can be marvelous and they should be marvellous.
Today was one of those days and I’m going to give myself credit for filling a dreary day with awesome things that ended up brightening it (and my mood!).
After this morning’s post, I met up with Sarah for coffee. She’s a kindred spirit (ha ha) so we had a good chit chat and life isn’t really complete until I have me some Starbucks.
I made a quick lunch of leftovers (cauliflower, chicken — no photo kids!) and then started on my to do list. I made a doctor’s appointment, set up some apartment viewings, and made a new spin playlist for tonight’s class.
I also ate the hugest carrot ever but the photo is beyond inappropriate. Use your imagination–or don’t!
The day went really quickly but I made it to GFC for an adjustment. I knew I’d be out of it because of all the stuff that I stressed about over the weekend–but I am still amazed at how much clearer I felt after. I sorted a lot out mentally and then I think that Rachelle just put the icing on the cake.
Afterwards, I headed to Komoka to visit my friend Lori, whose baby is just over 4 months and is just beyond cute! It was good to catch up with her and to spend some time there before I came back to London. I had time to kill before spin so I ate my dinner at Starbucks and journalled. I felt so clear and so inspired (I told you — that adjustment adjusted more than my spine) — and you’ll see the fruits of that labour soon enough!
After spin and a quick visit to the weight room (I think I used the squat rack for the first time in … too. damn. long.), I fixed myself another treat (in the mix this time = almond butter, cocoa, flax seed, a bit of honey, and coconut) and now here I am. I’m going to work on channeling that inspiration and then call it a night. Tide yourself over by reading Dr. K’s awesome post about abundance and scarcity and his take on something I’ve only tried to touch on. To me, living with abundance at the forefront is about realizing that there’s enough awesome to go around and that we all deserve it. That plays out as helping others, lifting them up, sharing, and realizing that you deserve all the good in the world–without feeling guilty for going after it (money, health, love, whatever)!
Tomorrow I’m going to wake up early, head to Sarnia for a bit and get into the doctor (I’ve been rescheduling for a really long time and it’s the end of the summer) but I’ll be back to London in the afternoon. I’m hoping for some yoga, some froyo with friends, and more inspiration.
How was your Monday?
Do you have a take on what it means to live in abundance?
Today’s bootcamp was another small and mighty one. I had two eager ladies out for a morning session. I’m telling you folks, working out while most of the world is still sleeping feels oh so good! I was up at 5 so I had myself a full breakfast and did some random reading and tweeting and started my day at a leisurely pace before heading to the park.
Since I knew my participants and since they’re friends (i.e. wouldn’t complain if I made them hold hands or work together during the workout), I used the small group as an opportunity to try out some partner moves! I think they did the trick, although I was hoping to get through three rounds of the circuit. That just means the next time this kind of workout comes up, the better the challenge will be!
Warmup: cones –> jogging, side shuffle, criss cross, high knees/butt kicks, lunge/jog, skip/toe touches
Workout:
a) Circuit: 1 minute each
1. partner squats (face each other and hold hands, lean back so weight is in your heels, squat low and trust your partner!)
2. side shuffle with a ball pass at chest level (throwback to your basketball camp days)
3. circle lunges (forward R, side R, reverse R, reverse L, side L, forward L)
4. jumping jacks
5. pushup with a high five (face your partner and give high fives with opposite hands after completing each pushup)
7. sit ups with a ball pass (sit with your feet facing each other, take the ball overhead and pass in the middle)
8. plank up downs
REST 1 minute before repeating
b) Core: Marathon abs (20 reps each)
1. crunches with legs extended to the sky (push out through heels, crunch straight up)
2. oblique cruches (reaching for shoelaces like you’re climbing a ladder)
3. leg raises
4. bicycle kicks
5. situps or crunches
Cooldown/stretch
Oh sweaty! I didn’t do the workout with them but I still felt accomplished just starting the day in an active way. When I got back to London, I grabbed coffee (this is where all my money seems to go), ran to the store for a few things, came home, and got busy in the kitchen (prepping the leafy greens I bought, cooking up lunch, and baking up a recipe I’ll share later–but am sharing with my massage therapist NOW). I’m off for my long awaited massage.
kale, avocado, apricots, and salmon
Life is good.
Have you ever done a partner workout?
What’s your favourite partner move?
Do you like morning workouts?
breakfast attempt 1, with sour cottage cheese = fail
breakfast attempt number 2, with chocolate chips = pure success
my reaction to the rain/bad hair day conditions upon my decision to walk to Brescia today
the products of our lab work today
my PB and pumpkin butter sandwich with sprouts and carrots
my vice (it’s decaf)
my daily mile post for the day:
how i spent my afternoon: mother daughter time and pedicures
dinner: after just an apple as an afternoon snack, this came at a hangry point (bad idea, folks!) thus there are a few handfuls of unphotographed croutons that were absolutely necessary
how I’m feeling: awesome, loving the positive feedback on last night’s post and really trying to carry all those realizations forward and live them out!
And that’s all. Promise to be back with tons of words soon.
Still no internet at my apartment = an excuse for spending the morning at Starbucks. I was going to go to the gym and try a core class but to be honest, I would rather save my energy for the ride this afternoon and since my hip feels tight (not painful, just weird and unnerving because I’m a worrier), I’m just erring on the side of extra recovery.
And I had stuff to do…like finishing the Human Kinetics Advanced Exercise Nutrition course I registered for ages ago to get myself rectified as a fitness instructor/personal trainer. I wrote the exam this morning (online) and besides getting 2 questions/50 wrong, I have no complaints. I emailed the results and my up to date first aid card just now and I cannot wait to cross this off my to do list (it’s been on there for wayyy too long!). Yay for productivity.
Also yay for last night’s dinner–a pasta mix with kale that needed eating, turkey sausage, onions, and garlic. A little bit of butter and some parmesan cheese instead of sauce made for perfection on a plate!
This sat surprisingly well during my spin class! I also loved the playlist (which I kind of threw together just using songs I wanted to hear) and seeing an old friend (it’s been too long!). Like I whined, I am apprehensive about my hip. During some of the standing climbs, things felt extra weird (my lower back is tight too, which makes sense). At the expense of being one of those people who complains too much, I’ll stop now. I foam rolled last night and I took the time to do my physio exercises for 10 minutes first thing today. 10 minutes. So pathetic that I’ve been too lazy to do them lately…PRIORITIES! Why was I saving them for bedtime when I would inevitably want to skip them and fall asleep? Silly.
When I got home last night, I was seriously uninterested in my usual yogurt snack. I was really interested in my leftover turkey, but I went with a snack of tuna instead because I really want leftovers today…
I mixed in half greek yogurt and half mayonnaise and threw some red pepper in to spice it up. I used to eat tuna as a snack every damn day and I was so sick of it for way too long…but when your mouth starts watering at the thought of something + you are legitimately hungry, I say go with it, even if it’s something weird or for me, something I thought of as an ED-approved behaviour (i.e. since ED said it was okay, I kind of during recovery said that I shouldn’t have it. silly! back to yesterday’s thoughts).
When I went to bed, I took some medicine because my throat’s been sore since I got home this weekend. I slept for about 9 hours (bliss) and then got up and started my day off with another bowl of oats. Breaking out of the cereal rut, one bowl at at time. This time I added an apple, raisins, walnuts, and brown sugar plus soy milk. Yum. I read Katie’s oatmeal ideas shortly after and wished I’d been MORE creative. The good news is I get to eat breakfast every day for a really long time, so there are plenty of opportunities to get creative and delicious!
After my morning spent working on that course and doing all kinds blog reading (I’m going through withdrawal, a little, because it’s not the same on my phone!) and drinking a ton of coffee, I ate a quick lunch (an almond butter, sprout, and carrot sandwich with extra carrots on the go) and now it’s time for me to head to an appointment! I’m hoping to meet up with a friend this afternoon before my bike ride. Tonight is a staff meeting at the gym so I’ll be busy busy and tomorrow I should have internet again. All will be right in the world.
And just an FYI, we’re 230 days from Christmas. Had to throw that in there…
What are your favourite oatmeal toppers?
What are you counting down to?
The rest of yesterday went fast and was filled with fun.
The spin class at campus rec was fun to teach–Chelsea made it out, which always makes things more fun, and the mic worked. Bonus.
After class, Ellen and Angela came over to eat dinner/get ready for our evening on the town. I made BBQ chicken, potatoes, and salad, which tasted great with good company and good wine!
Our night out was fun, but a little bittersweet since a bunch of people are leaving (for the summer mostly, but Nina is done and Western and that brings a tear to my eye because I love her to death!).
We tried to ease the pain with tequila…
JK. But that did happen!
So did lots of dancing, staying out way past our bedtimes, and plenty of fun.
I managed to sleep in til 10 today (a miracle for me!). I finally got up and had some breakfast, coffee with Angela, and then headed for my run.
Of course I forgot to start my Garmin, but that makes my time unofficial (but trust me, my pace was slow). I took it to the trails along the river here. Best. Decision. Ever. It was gorgeous and nice to get out of the “how fast are these miles” kind of trap and to the “omg I better leap over this tree trunk”…I love trails! I won’t lie though, I had to sit on a branch and crawl over it on two occasions…it happens!
When I got home I stretched and did a quick circuit 3x through: 25 sit ups, 20 kettle bell swings, 15 pushups, 10 squats, and 5 burpees. FYI burpees the day after you party a little too hard feel even more awesome than normal…
After a shower my stomach was growling so I had a late lunch (turkey and alfalfa sandwich with cheese and mayo plus some pickles).
Tonight my mom’s coming for a visit and I have plans to see “The Five Year Engagement” — I hope it’s as funny as it looks in the previews. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the movies so I’m really looking forward to it.
How are you spending your weekend?
Do you like running on trails?
Move on to a run with good company (in my case Ellen, who is always so positive and leaves me feeling happy as a clam!). Bonus points if it’s sunny out and you can run in a tank top.
Make your lunch delicious–fresh bread, anyone?
Toss in some tasty snacks — an apple, a granola bar, a yogurt mess — and then hit the road.
Connect with old friends and make a few new.
Eat something delicious at a restaurant everyone should try.
And do something cool — make crafts! Realize you might not be artsy, but that doesn’t mean you’re not crafty.
If you can, also get to spend time with one of the most wonderful people you’ve met–here comes a little love letter to Lisa, who literally has been there for me through thick and thin.
Whether I need someone to call, eat puppy chow with, go for a run with, sit around and “reflect” with, or laugh my butt off with, she’s a go to kind of girl.
This seems appropriate, given the Anais Nin theme I started with my mug…
It also seems appropriate to be asleep right now!
When’s the last time you connected with an old friend?
Do you like making crafts? What’s your favourite?
I woke up pretty early this morning without an alarm. I’m using it as reason to eat a relaxing breakfast, watch the Today Show, drink copious amounts of coffee (just kidding) and to get down to work on cleaning my messy apartment (now that I have no excuse in the form of schoolwork).
Kashi, All Bran, berries, and almond butter with soy milk.
I think part of why I woke up so early was all the weird dreams I was having. One in particular shook me—I dreamt I decided that I wanted to go to Journalism school at Columbia. I saw myself opening my offer for financial aid and deciding that I wanted to go. And freaking out, starting to pack my apartment, and looking for an apartment in NYC.
Don’t worry, I’m not packing my bags. I don’t see myself actually having one of these moments, because I’m pretty darn excited about taking summer school to start off my Foods and Nutrition degree. So what I’m going to do is look up what the dream means. When I was a kid, my mom was always looking up our dreams in dream dictionaries, which is much easier to do now that we have the internet and unlimited resources at our disposal:
“Generally all packing dreams show that it is time to revaluate your life. How you actually pack the items in your dream is important. If you packed things in a hurry, and too quickly then you have too much in your life and you are not spending enough time on relaxing activities, you are starting to feel that you are taking on too much – which indicates a time for rest…Packing in your dream also signifies a feeling of interference from a family member; you may experience over the next year a family rift or something similar. Personal growth will only come about if you are willing to change and this dream clearly signifies that need in some form.”
“To dream that you are moving away signifies your desire or need for change. It may also mean an end to a situation or relationship; you are moving on. Alternatively, it indicates your determination and issues regarding dependence/independence.”
“To see a city in your dream signifies your social environment and sense of community. If you dream of a big city, then it suggests that you need to develop closer ties and relationships. You are feeling alienated and alone.”
Okay. So I’m in for some change, apparently. And I need to embrace it and embrace the relationships and the people in my life, it would seem. Isn’t that kind of always the truth, though? “Change is the essence of life…
Do you ever look up your dreams?
What would you do with a few free hours in the morning?
It’s essay time but I thought I’d do a quick post so I have less things on my list of “what I’d rather be doing”…
So here ya go:
yogurt, all bran buds, honey, banana, and walnuts
kale chips, tempeh sandwich (with light mayo and sprouts on ezekiel bread)
coffee -- lucked out that they ran out of soy so i got to crack open a mini almond milk! YUM
messy but delish
hummed and ha ed but decided to have nut butter twice (in decent amounts) today--a la Nancy Clark suggesting if you eat foods that "have power" over you enough, they lose that power...to own that decision, and to NOT have peanut butter fingers after this meal. and I did it. HA! empowering.
one, not all
decaf coffee = essay fuel
And what all that food went to fuel today:
Plus a massage. Oh my hips love my RMT. And so does my soul, cuz she’s one of the coolest people I can think of.
That’s all…
How was your Wednesday? What’s the tastiest thing you ate today? (squash)
Did you work out today?
!) and then did some squats and presses. I’m impatient so working on my ankle mobility, which is not something that will change overnight, is an exercise in patience. I used 95lbs for our three sets of five today but made sure I got full depth with the plates under my heels. The only way to get to where you wanna be is to start where you are…or something like that! We also did overhead presses (I used 55lbs for three sets of five) and a 7 minute WOD that was AMRAP of 5 pullups (ring rows for me), 10 pushups, and 15 air squats.
