It’s Been a Minute

Looking back since my last post, so many things have changed in ten years. Shoulder replacement and rotator cuff surgery, 5 new grand babies, job change, job loss, a dementia diagnosis for the spousal unit. One thing is certain, the only constant in this life is change. CrossFit had to give way to Bodybuilding. My hair is a bit whiter, but the lifting continues and as I creep onto the big 61. It’s time to get back to some creativity and an outlet to encourage others in knowing you’re never too old to reach for amazing.

#bodybuilding #aginggracefully #nevertooold #justkeepgoing

Still Hanging Around

I cannot believe how long it has been since I sat down and wrote a blog post! Much has changed since my last post. A move, a fitness change, an injury and subsequent surgery to which I am six weeks into recovering from, and several other life events. The one thing that hasn’t changed? Me and my honest love of working out and fueling my body with good nutrient dense food.

It feels good to be back pouring my feels on to the blog again. It’s almost like home!

Finding Solace Somewhere Between Bullshit & Insanity

This is one of the best things I’ve read in a while. Catch more of Krista Scott-Dixon wisdom on her blog Stumptuous.com

Shaming of All Kinds

I’m just going to go ahead and get this little rant off my chest.  I’m 51 years old, and I do everything in my power to live in the present.  What I’ve discovered of late is there are A LOT of people who literally attempt to make me feel bad (shaming) because I live in the present. Because I live fit, because I want the best of what’s left of my life to be positive.

Let’s dig a little deeper than surface level today.

What I mean by my comment is, there are people who are so trapped in their victim behavior, even still playing the victim years after being divorced, fired, cheated on, being financially swindled, you name it.

They are so miserable, they want me to have a bad day too.  They want me to fail in my goals of long-term change. Because they have chosen not to move forward, they want me to stay in the same place with them. They may not even realize what they are doing, but thankfully I DO.

And have I’ve got news for you.

If you don’t make the conscious choice get over it, you will never move forward.  And for that matter you will never be able to enjoy your present life because you are holding on to bitterness and grudges.

You may ask, what makes me so special that I feel perfectly comfortable in saying these things?

Well, for starters I’ve done it. I’ve gotten over myself enough to look deep in to the dark recesses of my past enough to acknowledge that I played a key role in the incidences that occurred and heck yeah, I screwed up plenty in my day.

I moved forward, I sought forgiveness where I could, I wrote letters and burned them where I couldn’t ask forgiveness. And then, I moved on. I’m no saint, but I practice what I preach.

This time of year especially fires up my thoughts on long-term change.  I’ve said this before. People who refuse to let go of the past are waiting for some hero to come in.

Hear this, because it’s really important.  NO-ONE is going to swoop in and change things for you.

I see it all the time.  People making lists of goals and changes they want to make and two weeks later when the darkness creeps in after a horrible workout, motivation wains, pity begins to flare up, and forward progress screeches to a halt, and the blame game begins again. If I hadn’t been done wrong 5-10-20 years ago when this, that,or the other happened, I would be able to do it.

Oh sure, you may meet Mr. or Mrs. Right Now.  And you may have happiness and joy for a little while. But if you don’t deal with the inner darkness that constantly wants to pull you right back to square one, you’ll stay stuck there.  Relationships will suffer, self-esteem will suffer, YOU will suffer, because if YOU don’t think your good enough for greatness, no-one else will either.

Stop letting things from years ago ruin your today and your tomorrow’s.

We all have pain, we all have sorrow, but it’s our choice to move.  It’s frightening at first, but eventually you’ll find joy in your heart and the ability to receive the goodness that is there. The goodness you currently can’t see because you’re looking in that little review mirror instead of looking forward through that big wide windshield.

Rant over…

 

Surviving the Crash and Burn

I decided I should have posted this blog before Thanksgiving when I was writing it last year, so I’m reblogging it today in an effort to help those creeping up on Thanksgiving. Start now!

garagegym107

Today is the day after Christmas.  Today is the day after a lot of folks crash and burn. Crash and burn=totally fall off track with fitness and nutrition and spend weeks trying to recover.

Here is a quick list of what to do to help you get back on track.

• Throw out the crap, guilt free, ALL of it
• Drink water like it’s your job, it will help you rehydrate and cleanse your system
• Forgive yourself
• Stop talking about how bad you feel and how bad you suck, so you crashed and burned, move on
• Stop putting off today, the reckoning day, until Monday, or January 1st or whichever day you feel you need to prepare for, start today, right now
• Get a clean meal in to your system
• Get what you need to prepare more clean meals
• Start a list of goals for 2014
• Get thee to the gym and move…

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Ride I did

I got up early this morning and started that head game smack talk again.  Got dressed, filled a bottle, got all reflected up and set out on my bike at just after 5:00am.  It’s amazing how peaceful things are before everyone gets up.  Was I nervous, heck yes. But I did it anyway.  I successfully rode in the dark, fully lit by street lamps, my light on the front of my bike and the red blinker on the back.  I had no problem seeing the road and somewhere along the way I realized this early morning riding is so doable.

After watching my father-in-law, a very active man, lose his battle with cancer in 9 very short weeks and the follow-up deterioration of my mother-in-law, one thing is certain. We are all going to go sooner or later.

I’m not going to sit around and get old doing nothing. I’m going to continue to lift heavy things, swim, bike, run and just about anything else I really want to do.  I may not do any of those things perfectly, but who really cares?  Who are the exercise police that are going to say “you’re doing it all wrong”? Who are the food police that are going to come in my house and say “You aren’t supposed to eat that”? Really?

I’m feeling a little rebellious this morning. 🙂

My you all be blessed with the courage to do what really moves your soul.

 

Stop Thinking You’re Not Ready

The biggest thing that keeps us from moving forward is the simple thought of thinking we are not ready.  No-one ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity presents itself. Especially when the opportunity forces you to step out of your comfort zone and face your own insecurities.

The greatest opportunities in our lives usually require us to get out of the comfort zone. As a really good friend said early one morning “comfort is for couches” there is really something to that.  When you have doubt, sitting idle allows that doubt to grow larger and loom in front of you.

Change takes courage.  I’m not going to tell you it’s easy, but I will say it’s doable.  It’s doable if you take that first step and commit to yourself you are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the goal.

Take for example my most recent goal of becoming a Triathlete by summer of next year. The first obstacle in my head wasn’t whether I could swim, bike, run. It was putting on a swimsuit and going to the local pool.  You see, having freed myself of the excess burden of carrying an additional 168# See Me Here there are things about my body that I’m overly sensitive about.  My legs are two of those things.

Initially my thinking was “how can I cover up my legs?” so I bought a tri-suit to swim in. If you’ve never seen one, they come halfway or more down the thighs. After wearing that a couple of times I realized I was being stupid for two reasons 1) A tri-suit is entirely too expensive to be swimming in on a regular basis because the chlorine will eat it up over a very short period of time and 2) No-one really gives a crap about my legs except me.

Yeah, that’s right.  Not the swim coach, not the lifeguards, not the others in the pool.  Everyone is too busy to give a flip about the appearance of my legs. So moving along.

My next paralyzing fear is riding my bike in the dark.  I have a bike light for both the front and back, I have a bright reflective vest, the only thing missing is my nerve. With the fall time change coming at the end of this week, it will be dark morning and evening.

I was talking to one of my friends from work and explained my nervousness.  He quickly and very directly said “How have you accomplished your CrossFit?”, you don’t talk yourself out of doing that.  Stop thinking. You just have to get out there and do it.

So much truth. So I’m pulling up my big girl pants and will make sure my batteries are charged on my big 1200 lumens Bright Eye light and get to riding tomorrow morning before the crack of dawn. Yes like 4:30am.  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing Education, Yes For Real

Most of my readers already know back in June I passed my Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coaching Certification. As per the norm, I took about 2 weeks to relish in the victory of self-improvement.  Then I got the tickler email for the good folks over at Precision Nutrition announcing the very first Precision Nutrition Level 2 Master’s course. Without thinking too much about it, I sent the “yes I’m interested email” and left it at that.  They only had slots for 100 people this year so I didn’t put too much into it at that point.

Well, much to my delight, I was accepted as one of the first 100 students.  So mid-July began the most uncomfortable growth spurt I’ve in a while.  It’s been as if I was picked up and dropped head-first right into a college level Science class and psychology class. Man I feel so smart some days, and other’s I feel like I am so far over my head.  But either way, I’m learning more and more each week.

It’s a great adventure when you open yourself up to learn as much as you can about any topic you are passionate about. So far my progress is really good, in fact, I’ve surprised myself.  This is a year-long course so there are many more obstacles to come.  I’m elated to be a Pn1 Coach and I am grateful to be pushing it to the next level.

Seriously though….

“You’re never too old to reach for amazing.” ~Clara Showalter

The Flip of Change

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. The one constant in this life is change. It’s been months since I sat down and took the time to spill my guts to my forum readers. It’s taken me that long to get my balance after the huge flip of change I’ve gone through.

Since my last blog, my oldest son and daughter in law have gifted me with the most beautiful granddaughter, I’ve sold my partnership interest in the crossfit gym to my business partner, and lastly, my spousal unit has retired after 30 years on the job.

Let’s start with flip change one, the beautiful granddaughter…she’s healthy, she’s just what I needed to soften up my rough and tumble boy/man filled world.  She came in to this world at 7 pounds and 12 oz on August 27th. I am overwhelmed with love for her.

Shortly after the birth of that little bundle of pink, came flip change number two.

Flip change two, I sold my partnership interest in the gym. This has to be the single most bittersweet personal change in the past 15 years. Leaving the athletes I helped to groom was like letting go of part of my soul. This decision was made in part by flip change number three. But let’s talk about the part of this which has impacted me the most. Going it alone. I have spent the past 13 years in the fitness community, either in a regular gym, or a crossfit box. All of which have contributed to the successful change in lifestyle I’ve made. After close to two full years of coaching 3 mornings per week, I suddenly found myself with more time to myself. I’ve never trained alone in my own garagegym107, instead I’ve always thought I had to get up and go somewhere to keep my discipline on track.

After all was said and done with the sale of the partnership, I found myself in need of solitude. I began working out in garagegym107 with earnest. Each morning, I get up and build my new routine. It’s not the same, it will never replace the camaraderie I felt when coaching, or how I felt just being in the box working out. It’s not the same but it’s doable and do I will. I could feel sorry for myself and have a pity party, but I won’t. I will do what I’ve always done, get stronger. Stay the course. Be grateful I have what I need. Be grateful.

And lastly, flip change number three, the retirement of the spousal unit. A million questions have crossed my mind since he made his decision. My number one concern was “Is he doing this too early?”. Only he could answer that.  Shortly after announcing his submission to retire, he was approached by multiple companies offering positions. He has accepted the one he felt the most drawn to, the one that fits. I’m proud of him and for him. He could have been a crusty old bastard no one wanted around. So we celebrate his part-time position that will help him transition fully in to retirement without being rushed. Now he has more time to make lists, not honey do’s, but instead his do’s.

For me, I’m keeping my consistency, doing what I need to do to stay on track. I’ve added a little swim, bike, run to my training plan and things are progressing nicely. It feels good to be back in the land of the writers putting my junk out there for all to read. Coaching is my passion. And in time I’m sure I’ll be taking on more coaching opportunities, but for now, I’ll coach myself on down the changing roads of life.

Remember, it’s not the change that throws you off, it’s your response to change. Rise to the occasion every change you get!

“Shoulders Are The New Cleavage” Revisited

This is a great article!

Aligned & Empowered

A few weeks ago before I headed up to the beach in Maine for a long holiday weekend over July 4, I posted about how I learned that Shoulders Are The New Cleavage.

See Facebook post below…

 One of my clients was telling me how her daughter had shared an article about fashion trends with her and the title was “Shoulders Are The New Cleavage” ==> http://bit.ly/ShouldersRNewCleavage.

I thought, what an awesome concept and I’m sure many women would appreciate it as it applies to body image.

Then I thought a little bit further about it and it hit home even more because I could remember a time in my adult life, not too long ago, that I was seriously considering getting implants.

No joke.  I was even talking to one of my clients about it recently as we were discussing how common it was for women…

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