Tag Archives: Life

May10

Time, Hobbies and Getting What You Need

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Time is a funny thing isn’t? We never seem to have enough of it but are completely in control of how we spend our time.  I’m blessed and cursed at the same time because I have so many things I enjoy doing in this life and quite honestly there just isn’t enough time to do them all.

When I was in college I used to road bike all spring and summer.  I loved getting on the bike and riding for hours, exploring new roads and getting in some sunshine and fresh air.  I still have my bike and have been wanting to take it in to get tuned so I can start riding again.  But part of me wondered if it would be worth it, when would I ride?!

Then there are the list of races that go on and on that I want to train for and run.  The Marine Corp Marathon, the Nike Women’s Marathon, London and Berlin Marathons,  and so many more.  But committing to train for a marathon is just that, a commitment.  And right now it seems like I don’t have the time to train with the dedication I’d like to put into my next marathon.

And yoga? Oh yoga.  Luckily I teach every Tuesday and Thursday morning so I always seem to stay in touch with it and find my way to the mat.  But teaching is certainly not the same as practicing and it’s certainly not helping me strengthen my practice and move into the challenge poses I hope to some day attain.  And my home practice isn’t the same as getting to a studio and taking other teachers classes.  Yesterday I realized I hadn’t made it to a studio to take a class since March 25th.  Yes, you read that right.  March 25th.  It’s equal parts embarrassing and equal parts sad.  How could I go so long without doing something I love so much?!  And no wondering I’ve been wanting and needing to get to a class!  Saturday morning I’ll be getting to the studio I can assure you.

By now your probably wondering when I do the things I enjoy that don’t involve exercise. You know, the things like reading and cooking?  Yeah, I’ve been reading the same book since July.  Yes, July.  I read a page or two a day but I’m now determined to finish said book by this July.

The type A in me really wants to do ALL the things I love ALL the time and be really good at them but that is SO not realistic when I work full time in a demanding job, have a relationship, friends and family and a home that I’d like to keep clean.  I’ve learned  I’m learning to be a B+ kind of person and actually enjoy all of the things in this life that I love so much and accept that I don’t need to be great at everything I do.

Lately my runs have been for the fun of it, because getting out and running feels good.  It’s not about a race or a time or a specific workout.  It’s about moving my body, de-stressing, feeling the wind in my hair and enjoying something I love so much.  And maybe I haven’t been practicing yoga as much as I’d like but that’s ok.  What I have been giving to yoga is enough because I’m happy and content with my yoga practice right now. And that bike?  I think I am going to get it tuned up.  If I ride once or twice this summer and enjoy it…then it was all worth it.  That book?  I’ve been disconnecting to sit and read each night before bed.  It’s heavenly and it’s so nice…even if I read only 3 pages before falling asleep.

The funny thing about time and hobbies is that we always seem to get exactly what we need.  Sometimes that is working more and playing less, focusing more on family and hobbies less or sometimes it’s just doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that to keep you happy and interested in all the things you love.

How do you balance time and all the things you love to do?

May6

Healthy Living On the Road and With Busy Days!

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Life has been busy lately to say the least. But it’s a good kind of busy.  Now that the Nike Women’s Half has come and gone it’s a new season at work to recruit for and prepare for which has us all working late and working hard.  Life at home is just a busy thanks to the arrival of spring and this weekend was all sorts of productive.

I’ve hardly sat still since I left for DC and true workouts have been hard to fit in.  I’m not stressing though.  Workouts are coming in new and different forms.  Walking and standing for hours while in DC…that’s a workout.  Ripping out an entire garden, transplanting flowers, trimming tree branches…that’s a workout.

Walking from Site to Site Can Keep You Healthy While Traveling!

Walking from Site to Site Can Keep You Healthy While Traveling!

When life gets busy or I head out on vacation I don’t stress about my workouts.  Usually when I’m going on vacation it’s an opportunity to rest and relax…enjoy a slower pace if you will.  I usually skip my run or yoga and opt for some extra walking from site to site or take in the scenery through bike rides, hikes or other fun excursions!  I figure I’m in a new place so it’s a chance to try new workouts too.  When life is busy and I’m running from one place to the next I adjust my workouts as necessary.  Sometimes I’ll skip my morning run to get some extra sleep and will run at lunch time.  Other times if I’m going to be running from one place to the next I won’t worry about fitting a workout in.  And sometimes I will hit the mat for a shorter, easier yoga session to help me relax and stretch my extra tight muscles.  It’s awesome to be able to make time for an hour workout everyday but that isn’t always feasible.  In the absence of my usual routine I look for ways and avenues to keep my self moving and get some extra exercise…be it in the garden or walking from site to site.

While I skip the workout stress I don’t skip the healthy meals.  In fact, if I know I’m missing out on my normal runs and mat time I put more of a focus on my meals.  I try to reach for more fruit, salads and healthy meals that keep me energized when I’m traveling or extra busy.  Heavy, unhealthy foods leave me feeling sluggish and bloated and unlike myself.  Of course I let myself indulge here or there but I keep an eye on my portions and try to make breakfast and lunch as healthy as possible.

 

When I was in DC I didn’t go for one run or hit the mat once but I did walk everywhere, spend hours on my feet and kept myself moving for days.  In fact I was sore and tired when I got home! I kept my meals as healthy as possible…lots of fruit, eggs, salads and more.  This past week I stuck to our healthy meals at home and skipped the take out even though it seemed like it would be easier. I found my way to the mat for a restorative yoga session, spent hours in the garden with Michael and got extra rest at night so I could make the most of my busy days.

Healthy living doesn’t always have to be hours at the gym, yoga and runs.  It can be organic and untraditional workouts too.  Healthy eating should always be part of the equation and should be even more of a priority when life gets busy, it will help keep you feeling energized and good through those busy days.

It’s been about a week and a half since I left for DC and got back…I’m finally getting out for a run today and back on to my normal schedule but I don’t feel heavy or out of shape.  I feel great and can’t wait to hit the pavement!

Tell me, how do you stay active and healthy when traveling or extra busy?

Apr8

Healthy Living in a Busy Life!

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Each weekend I find myself hoping, or wishing for a “normal” week.  What is a normal week anyway?  In my dream world it’s a week where I work set hours, have ample time to run in the morning, go to the same yoga class each week, make healthy meals to bring each day for lunch and have time each night to make a healthy dinner and relax.  When I lived alone and worked a regular 9-5 job, that dream week was pretty standard.  But now? That never happens.  Ever. 

No week is ever the same in our lives.  Some weeks I work late, others I have a day off and sometimes I have to work on Saturday.  Michael might be out with friends or maybe its myself.  Some weeks I work out every morning, and make healthy dinners and relax every night and other weeks I’m hardly home at all, just running from one place to the next.

Slowly but surely I’ve accepted and learned to manage our unpredictable weeks. And slowly but surely I’m starting to let go of my wish for a “normal” week.  I know I’m not alone and that many of you have crazy weeks too.  I hear it all the time.  And I hear many of you still trying to fit things into a set routine and schedule.

I’ve found that approaching the week with goals and loose plans and taking the week as it comes works best for me. It leaves me feeling accomplished by Friday night, rather than frustrated by what I didn’t accomplish.  Here’s how I manage my weeks so I can get in my workouts and eat healthy no matter what life throws at me!

Healthy Living in a Busy Life

Workouts. 

I usually take a look at my week on Sunday’s and create a loose plan around my commitments. It ends up looking something like this…

  • Monday: An early morning run with abs and stretching after.
  • Tuesday: Teach FitYoga…no “me” workout.
  • Wednesday: An early morning run with abs and stretching after.
  • Thursday: Teach FitYoga…no “me” workout.
  • Friday: Free day! Most of the time I’m exhausted, sleep in and take a rest day.  Other times I will run, or practice yoga at home and if I’m really feeling energized I take a spin class!

A few notes:

  • If I miss a morning run because I slept in I try to squeeze it in at lunch.  It’s not as good as morning run but it works. Occasionally I’ll get that run in after work but it’s rare. 
  • If the weather is bad and I can’t run, I will practice yoga at home.  I let my creativity flow and always try to challenge myself on those days!  
  • My other home workout option is a deck of cards workout.  Followed by lots of stretching! It came in handy this winter when there was so much snow. 
  • On week days when I’m home from work I’ll try to get to the yoga studio and take a class for myself.  This winter I would run outside to get a long run in with daylight!
  • I leave weekends open in terms of workouts.  Some times I’ll go for a run or I take a yoga class or Michael and I will walk together.  And when I’m really tired I just rest. I try to listen to my body and give it what it needs on the weekends. 

Healthy Eating. 

  • Make a meal plan each week. Michael and I plan out dinners based on our schedules. We plan quick and easy meals to make during the week and if one of us is going to be out we always make sure the other has a healthy dinner option at home. 
  • We plan to make extra servings of dinners so we have leftovers for lunch.
  • We plan out breakfasts so we have lots of options to have at home, or take if we are in a rush.
  • We buy a rotisserie chicken to have on hand for sandwiches, salads and even dinner add ins.
  • We make an effort each week to grocery shop so we don’t have to worry about it during the week.

A few notes:

  • All of our meals usually have ingredients that are interchangeable so we can switch things up based on the week.  Aside from when we make stir fry or homemade pizza we usually plan a protein, vegetable and salad for dinners. 
  • If we buy our lunch out we try to reach for healthy options.  I’m a big fan of the Whole Foods hot bar and salad bar. 
  • We have staples like Annie’s Mac and Cheese in the pantry so we can mix in rotisserie chicken and brocolli for a quick and easy meal.  In the freezer we keep Evol burittos on hand for a quick lunch.  I also always have frozen brown rice in the freezer to mix with protein and veggie for quick lunches or dinners. Veggies burgers are another staple for us too.

I’ve learned to stress less about fitting it all in.  By stressing less it seems like it happens more.  A missed workout here isn’t a big deal, it just means when I find myself with an extra hour I’ll make it happen then.  The same goes for healthy eating.  Some nights we aren’t the mood for what we’ve planned and want a burger and fries.  Luckily, we always have veggie burgers and Alexa fries on hand to make a healthier option.

Life is stressful enough, why should eating healthy and working out add to it? They are supposed to make us feel better! Taking the routine, the schedule and the structure out of healthy meals and workouts and allowing them to fit more organically into our lives makes healthy living more sustainable over time and something we enjoy, which is exactly what it should be!  Taking the time to manage your healthy life should be easy and make you feel good even when you are busy and stressed!

How do you manage healthy living in a busy life?

Mar18

A Week and A Process

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I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and processing.  I don’t really have one specific thought to talk about but instead an interesting (at least I think so) stream of thoughts…

Last week was a doozy.  I think my dress shirt ripping on Monday was a sign.  Like a big one with flashing lights.  It really started on Sunday, I just felt OVERWHELMED.  Overwhelmed by life, how much there is to accomplish, how much I WANT to accomplish, how little time there is, how little control we have, all of it just consumed me.  It made me feel anxious and uneasy, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake it.

And then I started to feel unmotivated, likely because I felt so overwhelmed.  And that feeling, the one of being unmotivated, resulted in pretty much ZERO workouts last week.  I spent most of Monday and Tuesday beating myself up about being tired, wanting to sleep in and just be home.  Wednesday I taught my yoga class and broke a sweat (I think because it was 85F in the room, not because of actual movement) and then came home to see Michael’s train had been delayed and he missed his yoga class.  We went for an hour-long walk, soaked in the extra hour of daylight and the warmer temps.  I finally felt myself relax.  After that I accepted that this was an “off” week and if I felt unmotivated, tired and overwhelmed that was ok.  Not every week needs to be filled with runs and amazing yoga classes. Sometimes extra snuggles and an extra hour of sleep each night is just as good as  a run.

Friday I spent most of the day texting one of my favorite girlfriends, who in her own way, always makes me realize exactly why I feel the way I do.  And then tries to help me fix it.  I love her.  On my way home I talked my Mom’s ear off and then spent much of the weekend talking Michael’s ear off.  Now, I feel SO much better.  Sometimes I just need my support network to tell me it’s ok to feel the way I do, and help me “fix” it.

Source: piccsy.com via Whitney on Pinterest

Fixing it, leads me to my next thought…seriously, why are some decisions and realizations just so hard to come to!?  I made one big decision and one big realization/acceptance this weekend.  Two things that I have been stressing constantly about for a month.  And you know, the decision and realization I made in the first place (you know, like a month ago) were the right choices for me I just tried to tell myself otherwise.  I tried to tell myself otherwise to make other people happy, instead of just being who I am and making the right choice for MYSELF.  They weren’t easy choices to make but in the end I feel at peace with them.

Earlier in the week I read this incredible article in this month’s Yoga Journal about decluttering your life inside and out.  It talked about emptying your home and closet of the things you don’t need, creating a budget and learning to stick to it and creating a space to live in that promotes clarity of your mind and heart.  The next morning I opened my closet to pick out an outfit and saw all these things holding me down.  Clothes, shoes and accessories I didn’t wear or need anymore and were taking up space in my life.  So this weekend I took some time to purge.  Four garbage bags of stuff later I feel lighter and freer.  I even packed away my heavy winter sweaters and dresses in an effort to help usher in spring.

Last week wasn’t easy or the best but maybe it was just what I needed.  I feel rested, lighter, at peace with my life and am reminded of the incredible people in my life who share their support and wisdom with me.  And for the first time, maybe ever, I’m grateful to be able to challenge myself, sit and examine my feelings and react to them in a healthy way.  This week I’m feeling more centered, and empowered to make choices and manage my stresses no matter what life throws at me.  I’m so ready for the alarm to beep at 5:15am and hit the pavement….I’ve missed my runs.

How do you deal with uncomfortable feelings and times when you feel “off”?

Mar11

Keep it Simple and Worry Less

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Today was a doozy of a Monday.  It was just one of those days where my alarm went off and I wanted to stay curled in bed.  I skipped my run because I felt unmotivated and started the week off on the wrong foot.  By 11am my brand new dress shirt had ripped down the seam in the back when I picked up a box.  Like seriously ripped, from the shoulder down to the waist and shredded (embarrassing, much?).  From there it didn’t get much better until it did.

I spent most of the day feeling stressed, consumed by my thoughts and worry.  I worked myself up into a tizzy.  Honestly, I was annoying myself (and Michael, bless his heart) and couldn’t get out of my own way.  But then I forced myself to stop, to calm down and just deal with the day.  It wasn’t perfect, and certainly not how I like to start the week but it’s what it was.  And really, it wasn’t THAT bad.  My own thoughts were making it THAT bad.

When I finally got home and was changing into my comfy clothes and letting the day fall behind me I couldn’t help but realize that I’d wasted so much time and energy, worrying and stressing about things that ultimately didn’t matter.  I KNEW I’d work everything out it just wasn’t as convenient or simple as I’d hoped.

Ultimately, all that stress and worrying got me no where. So as we head into the week, keep it simple and worry less.

How do you keep it simple and worry less? How was your Monday?

Oh, and in case you were wondering…I went to the mall and bought a new shirt at lunch.  Problem Solved.