fitness – Page 43 – 2 Chicks and a blog

The Distant Shore

July 1, 2020 2chicksandapen

A gorge in the Middle of Nowhere, Tennessee. Calm, dark water with a hint of murkiness.

The rest of my group took off, swimming for the other bank of trees and sheer rock.

“Come on!” they called. “Do it!”

I shook my head no as they doggie paddled, freestyled, and floated their way across the channel.

They called me and gestured a couple of more times, then they gave up when I continued to stand firm, head shaking. Nope, nope, nope. Not doing it. No sirree. Not this girl.

Then I asked myself, standing alone on the shore, why not?

Sure, I’m only a few years past being petrified to swim in any kind of water where I can’t see the bottom. Sure, I don’t have a life jacket or any flotation device. Sure, I have no idea how deep this is, or how far across it is (although I can see the other side). Sure, I don’t really know how to swim in any kind of recognizable stroke or otherwise efficient way. (Which should have changed, given my story of near drowning, but it hasn’t.)

And after I told myself all that “why I can’t” stuff, I asked myself again, why not?

Then I started psyching myself up.

I can do this. I am training for a triathlon. Yes, it has been put off a year but I still need to get going. It’s not that big of a deal. I can do this. It’s not that far. Just start. Just go.

So I just walked out from the dirt “beach” and started to make my way across in some kind of swim-like movement. Sorta freestyle-doggie-paddle, breaking into a vaguely-resembling-breast stroke at times, but never putting my head under water. Eyes fixed resolutely on the other shore.

Yes, the fear set in about halfway across, everyone else in my group just chatting and laughing on the rocks. I knew if I didn’t keep going I was probably in trouble, so I kept paddling along.

Eventually, the shore got closer. My group noticed I was nearly there. And I finally, eventually made it. Seven straight minutes of swimming without touching bottom or using a life jacket.

Cut to the chase / return…I shaved a minute off my time and made it back in 6. 100 yards each way.

Still not real fast or real organized in the swim lane, but a small victory in calling myself on my own “nope, nope, nope” and raising it with a “why not?”

And yes, it was worth it.

What have you dared to do lately?

dare to be different

Mundane

June 14, 2020 2chicksandapen

The word mundane may be used more often during corona times than in the year before when people look at their lives.

Living in the confines of your home 24:7 for an extended period of time with limited access to other humans, socializing, touch and so much more. I’m sure many can relate.

However, there are some who live a mundane lifestyle year-round. They never bend or flex. They don’t seek change and they exist within the normalcy of their mundane life.

The perfectly manicured lawn. The impeccably made bed. The spotless sink. The routine. The regimen. The mundane life.

Is growth possible when all is predictable? Is it possible to chase perfection in the mundane lifestyle or will you wait forever to reach perfection?

If I view my life from a distance I’m more gypsy-driven compared to mundane. I’m eager to chase change. I love a messy bed or a more lived-in look. If I was to mow the lawn I wouldn’t follow the perfect pattern, rather I’d chart my own path. I’d opt for a paper plate and utensils to save dish clutter. I don’t travel in a gypsy pack but I enjoy the carefree lifestyle over rigid and mundane.

Work tasks on my mundane list are mostly accounting tasks or repetitive duties that require little or no independent thought. I could make widgets but I wouldn’t enjoy being a widget maker. I can post accounting transactions but for the love of God I could not be a full time accountant.

When I had time to sit back in corona and evaluate my own circumstances I looked at my Crossfit regimen. Definitely mundane from a schedule or routine perspective but I always defended the choice noting the constantly varied workouts of the day. But then I looked closer and Mondays were leg days, Tuesdays were chest and back and so on. I had to shake up my life and challenge myself.

Enter running. I’m not a runner by design. I’m a thick fit but I am opting for trail runs with switch backs and diversity a couple days a week. I’m opting to use my bike. A road bike some days and erg another. Body weight exercises at home some days and some strength activities in between. It’s not perfect but it’s me stretching. It’s me breaking the mundane cycle. I don’t think I’m alone here. I think many have shifted their workouts to take advantage of online training options and variety within their environment.

I may circle back in time but to be true to myself I need to evoke change. Even if minimal it’s required for me. Variety is my spice of life. When I glance at the last 10 years of life I can say I have been evolving. Mastering the chaos in my world. Charting my path toward my golden years with freedom and variety to not only reduce the mundane in my life but to seek pleasures that stimulate my mind.

Some people just can’t be overly routine. Take a partitioned Murph routine in Crossfit. 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats for 20 rounds. Talk about a hamster wheel. Every time I try to partition that workout I have to change it up at the end. 15 pull-ups, 30 pushups and 45 squats. I just can’t mentally push through the redundancy of the same pattern for 20 rounds. This is crazy to me and a mundane task I will try to overcome in time but it’s a noticeable trait I have. Change is my normal. It feeds my soul.

We have one life to live. It’s important to live our best life while continuing to grow as individuals. Growth doesn’t happen inside your comfort zone. It happens when you test the water or temperature just outside of your proverbial box. This was my recent view when I opted to step outside.

I am not a word wizard by any means however word usage can be fascinating due to the depth of their usage. I write as a constant form of change and exploration of life. Thanks for coming along for my ride/journey.

As I wrapped up this post the mail came. In comes a what seemed like barrel full of affirmative words on a tiny postcard sent by a dear friend. I was born to be an original. I couldn’t have said it better myself. No copies allowed. No mundane for this girl.

Until next time.

fitness and nutrition

The Extra Mile

May 26, 2020 2chicksandapen

I’ve been kinda foundering with my home workouts at times. I get bored, restless. I don’t do warmups well. I can easily get distracted. I stall when it’s time to get going. I’ve been doing hero WODs but that’s only on Mondays. So when a friend suggested I run a mile every day for a month, I grabbed on. It was a goal to fuel me for the next little while. Plus, running many miles is part of my goal for this year. Why not?

Then, as part of a fundraiser at my school, I told everyone who registered for a literacy charity race that I would run an extra mile for them. That in itself was about 20 miles. Suddenly I had multiple purposes to run each day.

Well, I’m reporting in on Day 26 and I am over it. The miles get longer and longer. Ok, so a mile can’t really get longer. But, I can run it slower. It can certainly seem longer. I don’t look forward to it. I actually actively dread it. But, because I am stubborn and hard-headed I am going to get to 30 days.

Why has this become harder?

First, my mornings have gotten more hectic since I am going back into my physical workplace each day. So, it is a bit of a scramble to add that 15 minutes in after a workout.

Second, I’m annoyed by my speed. A couple of weeks ago friend mentioned that after practicing each day, I should probably be running faster overall. Honestly, I am not. My attitude is bad about it. But when I took on this task it was more about doing it just to have something to do. My running pace has gotten quicker through my years of fitness, but I’ve never actually concentrated on my pace. It’s just been a side benefit of better overall fitness. So really, in this case, I didn’t have much of a goal beyond completing it. Not really a very good goal to be honest. I have learned that my goal needs to have a bit more purpose than this one. And a purpose I really desire or believe in.

I guess I didn’t fail but I don’t feel like I succeeded. And so there’s a lesson about goals in here that I am learning. My fear is failure, but I am still figuring out what failure means and how to embrace it when I need to. I will finish and know for sure that I am not a daily runner. So I’ve learned that at least. I like to run twice, perhaps three times a week if I am training for a specific race. But doing it every day is not something I really enjoy. And if I don’t enjoy it or at the very least feel successful and satisfied when it is done, what’s the point?

Sometimes going the extra mile isn’t all that fun. But, we do it because we need to, we said we would, because it is the right thing to do, or sometimes because we are just too hard-headed and stubborn to quit.

A few more days and this will be a memory, happily.

adventure

Spring’s Simple Pleasures

May 20, 2020June 24, 2020 2chicksandapen

Is it just me, or is this the longest spring season in recorded history?

And no, this isn’t really a post about how difficult it has been to be cooped up indoors a lot, separated from friends, missing out on events, and so on. (If you’re looking for that, try these posts.)

I don’t remember spring ever lasting this long because it is usually lacrosse season, celebration season, end of work season, and so on. We are often driving and juggling and cheering and volunteering and working nonstop. And I love and miss a lot of that. But this season has allowed me to notice and enjoy spring in new ways. I have always loved fall above all else, but I’m now seeing that spring has its charms.

Couple that with my commitment to be more intentional about spending money and I am finding myself relishing small, simple pleasures.

I’ve mentioned the morning reading that has replaced my sometimes frantic commute. Quiet, candle, coffee and a book starts my day most of the time. You’d think a librarian would read a lot, but I honestly don’t make the time for it that I should. Right now I am going into my physical building to work for a few weeks, so reading time is short but I try not to miss it.

Bike rides. What would I do without my bike? I’m sort of obsessed with it. I keep it on my car pretty much all the time and biking on the back seat inside just in case the opportunity to ride presents itself. Cruising new paths in the sunshine with my riding partner is happiness and adventure when going very far from home isn’t happening. It feels like a mini-vacation and is one of the few times I feel truly care-free.

I am a farmer’s market fanatic. The pandemic has caused many local farmers to revamp their business models. I’ve been able to order flowers and farm boxes and pick them up safely. I actually love that I can order what I like and have it held for me. It’s frustrating to drive all the way to the market only to find they already sold out of my favorite sungold tomatoes or, later, September Wonder apples.

Which reminds me, it is almost tomato season here where we live. I look forward to these summer veggies all year. Right now we are in the heart of strawberry season. I found an hour the other day to drive out to a strawberry farm and pick a couple of buckets. If you have never had strawberries straight from the vine (or tomatoes for that matter) you are missing out. It’s a totally different taste than supermarket berries. And the experience of picking them myself in the hot sun was sweet and reflective. Fresh strawberries are one of the sweeter things in life. It’s been great to share them with people who appreciate them.

What simple pleasures have you rediscovered in these hard times? Walks? Game nights? Family dinners? Tell us in the comments.

family

Mother’s Day Moments

May 18, 2020 2chicksandapen

Mother’s Day during the pandemic. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Honestly, many Mother’s Days in our home pass without too much fanfare. My own Mom is no longer alive and some years are harder than others. It’s also one of the busiest days of the year at our family’s restaurant, and often that is the focus. More years than not I spend working at the restaurant just to help be sure people are happy. (This doesn’t really bother me. I always say those are the kind of days that pay my kids’ college tuition. This year it’s more like my mortgage, but you get the idea.) I worked this year as well.

It may not surprise you that the gifts I often enjoy most are cards. Taking time to write someone a meaningful note is a rare treasure. I’ve gotten several amazing cards and letters from my kids in the past years. When my youngest asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day, I said “fifteen pound dumbbells” with a belly laugh. Stores have been out of fitness equipment for months since many have set up home gyms during corona. But then I just told her my real answer: a card. Honestly, I don’t expect anything, especially right now.

So the night before Mother’s Day, when my son asked me if I would be around in the morning, I had no idea what to expect. There would be a delivery, he said. I was touched by the very thought that he would have something delivered. I figured maybe it would be flowers, since I do have a great love for unique blooms. I was floored when a bag was dropped on my doorstep and I pulled out this amazing super sparkly tumbler he had made just for me. Yes, it’s awesome and I love the Georgia Bulldogs. But even more amazing is the fact that only about 5 days earlier I had complained about needing a bigger insulated cup to increase my water consumption. My workplace closure has brought my water intake way down since I don’t have my infused water any longer. So not only is it a personal design, it showed that he heard me and responded. What a heartwarming gift!

My middle daughter made our whole family dinner on the Monday after Mother’s Day. She made tacos, which are my food love language. Fresh guacamole, all the fixin, and she is a healthy eater herself so it was all more or less in my eating goals. Even protein baked goods for dessert! She also gave me some lovely hydrangeas, some of my favorite flowers, and a candle in my second favorite scent. (That’s a story for another post). Finally, a card with all kinds of beautiful words. It was a beautiful, thoughtful evening.

Lastly, in an unexpected turn, my youngest walks in the house with a pair of…you guessed it…15 pound dumbbells. I was in shock. She went to two stores…the first had nothing. The second had all of 3 dumbbells and unbelievably they were fifteen pounders. Ah-May-Zing. !!!! I’ve already used them several times. Yay for less frustration in workouts.

Of course I saved all the cute little handprint and rhyme Mother’s Day gifts from their elementary school days. They are precious! But to be heard, seen, and known as an individual with interests, goals, and preferences by my kids is a different sort of celebration, and in some ways all that much sweeter.