Consistency.

Right now, my biggest day-to-day fitness goal is consistency. It's a struggle. I've been doing okay. I really love lifting, and I've been following a good training plan. My biggest struggle with consistency right now is my parathyroid. It's been about two years, and I have some pretty painful days. I did just have some tests done, so hopefully things will move forward soon. 

Until then, I will do what I can. There are some days when walking is my only option. Some days even walking is too much. I've been identifying how my body reacts to different things. Running destroys me. It's such a bummer. I like running. I want to run. I have some big goals that require running. I just have to plan for some serious rest days afterward. Yoga is hit or miss, but it's relaxing. TKD depends on what we do. Jumping is rough. We did lots of jumping in class on Monday, and I can still feel it in my ankles. Walking and lifting are my best options. Lifting actually makes it feel better. I don't know why, but I'm just going to go with it. Walking is the best. I've been trying to get in my Moon Dog miles.

I've been consistent with workouts since Thanksgiving. Lots of lifting. TKD was awesome and totally worth the ankle pain. Post-Thanksgiving workout = cardio and so many push-ups. Loved it. Moon Dog and I have been on some cold winter walks. 

Yesterday I took a complete day off. I needed it. That's the silver lining of this whole thing. I am forced to listen to my body. I am forced to slow down. This is something I have probably needed for a long time. I tend to do too much (in all aspects of my life), and I never take days off. This makes me take full rest days. If I don't pay attention, I end up needing two.

Today, I got in 2 miles with the pooch and lifted. Other than my ankles, things are feeling pretty good! 

Practice Makes .... Improvement

Last night was excellent. I've been practicing TKD a lot lately. There's another tournament this weekend, and I am feeling nervous. Plus, we have testing soon, and I really want to get my green belt. Last night things started clicking. I had a good class. I know not every class will go so well, but it was nice to feel like I'm making progress.

My legs were sore this morning, but I went for a short run. It was okay. Not great. Heavy, tired legs, dead iPod, and a negative mindset. Still, I got in 2.5 miles. Better than nothing.

I've still got my leg workout. It's my favorite day of this lifting plan - squats and good mornings. Makes me feel strong.

The rest of this week I'm going to focus on TKD and yoga. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible, including keeping my head from getting in the way. I tend to over-think things, and that doesn't work in tournaments. Goals for this tournament: stay calm and focused, break the board, remember the plan for sparring. Mostly stay calm. That will make everything better.

My eating has been good for the last few days. I've gotten back into having salads every day, and I am addicted to avocados. I've also been focusing on getting enough H2O. It makes a huge difference. I feel so much better.

Getting Started

Yesterday, I woke up super early and went for a run/walk with my friends. It was great, but so cold. My legs were frozen by the time we were done. I got in almost 6 miles. It's been a while since I did an early morning run, and I remember why I like it. I felt great all day.

Today I went for a walk. The weather is absolutely beautiful, and it was great to be out in the sunshine. My walk involved some pretty big hills, but I loved it! 2.5 miles done.

I'm going to stretch out with some yoga later. I need it. My quads are tight from running, and I could use the relaxation. Since I am going to be running a lot more, I want to try to do yoga more often.

Animals and Exercise

Today has been all about animals and exercise.

For the last couple days, the Moon Dog and I have been walking on a part of the Rail Trail that goes along the river. The ice makes awesome cracking sounds, and MD stops to listen every time.

After running and TKD yesterday, I needed some serious stretching. I did 35 minutes of yoga, and my muscles thanked me for it. I had two kitty helpers during my workout. I didn't get a picture, but every time I get the yoga mat out, I have at least one cat helping out. (And by helping out, I mean attacking my hands when I'm in downward dog.)

I'm super excited because my new sneakers came in today!

I've been running more often, and I desperately needed new shoes. I cannot wait to break these in!

Just Breathe

Life has been a mix of highs and lows lately. I am in the midst of tech for the musical I am directing. I have meetings all week. I've started half marathon training, and I am getting ready for a TKD tournament. Add to that my family's needs, my other jobs, and my writing, and things have been crazy.

Normally, I would eat junk food, not sleep, and stress out. That's my M.O. for tech/show week most of the time. But, I want to be healthy. I have to take care of myself. So, I'm trying to do things differently this time.

So far, so good. I ran Friday, Sunday, and this morning. Not only because I needed to, but because I want to. It's a great way to reset my mood in the morning. I added meditation this morning, and I feel much calmer.

My favorite little guy gave me another great tool. He asked me this weekend if I was "off my calm", and since I was feeling stressed, I told him I was. He taught me the "rainbow breath." It's a basic yoga breathing exercise. I think he learned it at school. It was very calming, and he was so proud when I told him it helped me.

Keeping calm is the goal for the next two weeks. I'm trying for daily yoga and meditation as well as just taking things day by day. Plus, lots of running and daily exercise. I've got this.

Rest Day / Yoga

Today was a rest day because my schedule was busy. I needed a day off. I'm still feeling TKD from Monday. Add yesterday's ball workout, and my muscles are sore. Rest is good.

I'm working on being calmer and more positive. I've done yoga in the evenings, and I've meditated in the morning. I'm definitely feeling more relaxed and less scattered. I'm eating healthier and just feeling better overall.

I'll definitely do some yoga tonight. It will feel good to stretch, and I've been sleeping much better. I'm a light, restless sleeper, so it makes a huge difference when I actually sleep well.

I've enjoyed my rest day. I'm going to have the kids do yoga with me tonight. It'll be fun and help them relax before bed. Perfect end to the day.

Sore Legs and Yoga Dreams

Last night we had a killer TKD class. My legs are super sore today. They felt a little better after a walk with my friends. We were pelted with ice, but it was a great walk. I love winter walks.

I threw in circuits using my exercise ball. It was a good workout. I stuck to mostly upper body and abs to give my legs a little break. I'm really starting to feel last night's workout. Definitely looking forward to yoga tonight. Two days in, and I am sleeping better.

Healthy Habits / Starting Again

This weekend my parents came up, and we went on a family snowshoeing excursion. It was a blast. The day was perfect, and we spent two hours exploring the trails at Hazen's Notch. It was a great day.

Today's my hubby's birthday. We celebrated this weekend, and we made some healthy goals. I'm going to do a couch to 5k program with him while doing my half training. We're planning on running a 5k together in May. I'm excited to have a training buddy.

We also decided to go back to one of the first healthy changes we made. Years ago, when we first decided to get healthy, we started by doing yoga almost every night. It was great. Last night, we started it up again. We did a half hour of yoga before bed. The kids joined us, and we had fun. Everyone was relaxed and ready for bed when we finished. Even the Artist, who would stay up all night if we let him, went immediately to sleep.

I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for this week. It's a nice change after a few not so great weeks. I even went for a run this morning. 3.15 miles on slippery sidewalks. I had to walk more than I wanted, but it was sketchy in some spots. Still, I'm glad I went.

After work, I practiced Do-San. It's getting better. Slowly. Tournaments don't start until March, so I've got a little time. I'm psyched for TKD tonight!

Circuits and Plyos and Yoga...Oh My!

Two posts in one day!? Anything's possible if you start the day at 4am!

Today, I actually took a little time for myself before diving into the non-stop activities of the day. I saw a free moment and embraced it 100%. It was pouring rain this morning, so I decided not to run. I will run in the rain, but I don't enjoy it. It was too wet today, so I decided to do a circuit workout.

I need to add more circuits to my life. I used to do them all the time, and they're one of my favorite ways to train (after lifting, of course). I decided to do a mix of plyometrics and cardio. Not my favorite things, but ones that are necessary if I am ever going to get back in shape and get faster at TKD. So, I did some Plyos, some jump rope, some TKD moves, and threw in some weights for a bit of a break.

Proof!!

It was one of the best workouts I've done on my own in a long time. It was hard, but I felt good when it was over. I worked on this one move that we did in class on Monday that I was struggling with, and I saw a little improvement. I tend to have a difficult time getting up quickly from the floor. It was one of those moves, and it was hard. Still, I started to see improvement, and if I keep working on it, I think it will get much easier over time.

I followed my circuits with a half hour of yoga. Yoga is a necessity in my life, and I haven't been making time for it. Everything has been really tight, and I know I need to stretch more. It was great to really take the time to stretch and focus on my problem spots. Plus, it's great for my mental well being. This week has been a challenge, and when I am stressed it all seems to pile up. I felt better about everything after just a half an hour of breathing and stretching. Note to self: start making time for yoga!

I've also managed to stay on track with my eating. Considering that this has been one of the most stressful weeks I've had in the last 6 months, this is a huge victory. I'm feeling so much better after a week of eating healthy and controlled portions. Of course, now it's the weekend, but if I plan I should be okay. This is my mini goal - get through the weekend healthfully. I know I'm going out to dinner tomorrow night, but if I plan around it, I should still be able to stick to my plan.