If it doesn't challenge you...

This week is shaping up to be a pretty

 

good week as far as workouts go

 

and I am really enjoying the gratitude challenge.

 

I am definitely challenging myself

 

 in many different ways this week

 

and that is what it is going

 

to take to make changes!

 

Last night I got in 8 miles on the bike

 

and then we lifted arms/back.

 

I also pushed myself hard

 

on my weekly challenge workout

 

and I believe it is a PR.

 

My Instagram from last night. I love this quote!

 

The Y was busy last night so we (Tim, Riley, and I)

 

 ended up doing the challenge workout

 

in the basement at home.

 

Riley has really been getting into this one

 

and I believe his time was 5:12!

 

Dang kid!!

 

I am going to have to push it harder

 

to keep up with him.

 

After we were all done

 

and I was spending some time stretching

 

this is what I witness and it melted my heart!

 

 

Aidan wanted in on the action

 

and Riley was teaching him to plank.

 

By looking at the last picture

 

I think Little Man has pretty good technique

 

and should tell Ry to get his booty down!

 

That brings us to today.

 

I got in a solid (ok but not wonderful)

 

5 miles on the treadmill at the Y.

 

I spent a good amount of time stretching

 

and ended it with some time in the water

 

where I got in a half mile.

 

The water felt wonderful but the run left me

 

with little in the tank.

 

 

Gratitude Challenge, Day 4:

 

"Today I want you to write about a situation you have been in that at the time was not good, but in the end you are grateful you went through it. What lesson did you learn and why are you grateful for it now?

 

I have had several situations that I could use for this entry. I have written about several in my journal but for this post I will go with being a melanoma survivor.  Two years ago I learned that I had melanoma and had to have a portion of my ear and lymph nodes in my neck removed. That situation straight up SUCKED! I was diagnosed right before Christmas but couldn't find out anything more until early January when I had my surgery. The waiting and the worrying were just awful. I don't know that I am ever going to be grateful for having gone through all of that but I definitely learned some lessons from all of it. I learned who had my back and who was there for me when I needed them the most! Going through those couple of rough months helped me to be grateful for the little things and taught me that those are actually the big things in life. The beauty in the little things were greatly magnified and still are- the beauty of fresh fallen snow, the twinkle of Christmas lights, the smiles on my boys' faces, the sky full of stars on a dark night. During that time all of those things became so important to me and helped me get through it all. Having that tough time helped me to be more present and live in the moment and to make the most of the time we have. You aren't guaranteed tomorrow and you just never know what is ahead!

 

 

Here is assignment number two for the day...

 

yep, double duty today!

 

"Write about a talent you possess that you are grateful for and why."

 

????

 

I am drawing a blank on this one. I don't necessarily consider myself a talented person so I don't know where to go with this assignment. The first thing that comes to mind is that I am relatively flexible but is that really a talent? The second thing that comes to mind is that I am able to push myself to my limits but again- I don't know that I consider that a talent. All these questions/doubts led me to looking up the definition of talent.

 

A natural aptitude or skill.

 

When I think of talent I think of music, art, writing, or being a stand out in a sport. I feel like I have been a pretty good athlete but never a stand out. I think there is some natural ability as far as sports are concerned but I have really had to work for what I have achieved in that area. I am grateful for that natural drive to push myself in all that I do. I am grateful for that interest in being active because it has brought with it go many great experiences where I have met many wonderful people.

 

 

Have you been doing the weekly challenge workout? If so, please comment to share how it's going!

 

What is a situation that was bad at the time but that you are now grateful for having been through? What lesson did you learn?

 

What is a talent that you possess that you are grateful for and why?



Journaling and reflection

 

Over the past few months,

 

I found myself becoming more and more negative

 

and getting sucked into the negativity at work

 

and I didn't like it!

 

That is not who I am!

 

Because of this,

 

I have spent a lot of time researching

 

and reading about focusing on positive thoughts

 

and changing your mindset.

 

Yesterday I told you about setting daily intentions

 

and that has really helped me.

 

Something else that I have been doing

 

is journaling and ending the day

 

with some reflection.

 

 

 

I have read a lot about how these two things can

 

really help keep your thoughts positive

 

 and help you see the good.

 

It also gives you a place for the negativity to go.

 

I found a few journal prompts that have been really helpful-

 

** Think back over the day and give one situation for each category:

High, Low, Weird

 

** Think back over the day and answer the following:

This made me SMILE today:

This made me THINK today:

This is something I wish I had DONE DIFFERENTLY today:

This is something I LEARNED today:

This is the GOOD I did today:

  

 

Over the past week I have used these prompts

 

to start conversations

 

and I have to say it was so much FUN!

 

They were very well received at work,

 

where there has been such a negative vibe lately-

 

 I plan to continue to end my shifts

 

 reflecting on my day in this way.

 

In an effort to change the negative vibe

 

I am also going to make it a practice to

 

ask these questions of my coworkers.

 

We have also been doing

 

something similar during dinner with the boys.

 

It is amazing the power that doing these things has.

 

It really does help change your mindset when you reflect on your day in this way!

 

Give it a try and let me know what you think:)

Active Living

 

Lately, I have been seeing Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest

 

posts where they set daily intentions.

 

I have also noticed a pattern

where several use hashtags of:

 

#movenourishbelieve

 

#mnbintentions

 

#dailyMNB

 

Recently,

(when I had some extra time in front of the computer

 

and was looking for things to "research")

 

I remembered these posts and "googled"

 

Move Nourish Believe.

 

I found an amazing website

 

with an even more amazing philosophy!

I highly encourage you to check it out

 

but be prepared to spend some time there-

LOTS of time!

 

Move. Nourish. Believe

Move your body. Nourish from the inside out. Believe anything is possible.

These are the three pillars-

by recognizing their importance

and focusing on them daily,

you'll start to live a more active life.

But what does that mean?

Active Living

Getting more out of life by giving more of yourself everyday.


Who wouldn't want that???

I think this is really what I have been searching for!

So many of the "articles" on the website

really got me thinking

and "hit home" for me.

This is what I am striving for-

Active Living!!!



 So, that brings me back to the whole daily intentions deal.

What is that all about?

It is a daily commitment to living your best, active life.

Start each day by asking yourself... What is my MNB intention today?

This is something that I have started doing

and have to say that I really enjoy-

I feel less overwhelmed

and more focused!

It doesn't have to be fancy-

Use a pad of post-it notes

or scraps of paper,

a simple notebook

or even a journal-

just write it down

and let it guide your day.

Just a simple composition notebook that I added some "embellishments" to.

Here is an example of mine from one day this week:

M: Complete weekly challenge exercises
N: Eat mindfully and control portions
B: I am energized!



I challenge you to give it a try!

Step out of your comort zone

 It's a happy Friday at our house for sure

 

and I hope it is for you too!

 

I am off this weekend

 

and have some fun things planned.

 

My kids are also excited that it is Friday

 

because it is an early release day

 

and they don't have school on Monday.

Yeah for long weekends!!

 

 

One thing that I am really working on

 

is challenging myself to

 step out of my comfort zone!

 

Last week I stepped out of my comfort zone

 

(with the support of a couple of my LIVESTRONG ladies)

 

and attended a group strength class at the Y.

 

One of our LIVESTRONG trainers was the instructor

 

so it shouldn't have felt like such a big step outside my comfort zone

 

but it did because I had no idea of what to expect.

 

The class was tough

 

but I loved every minute of it-

 

well maybe not while I was doing it-,

 

but it sure felt good to know that I did it once the class was over!



My Instagram from after that class:
I stepped out of my comfort zone today (with the help of some LIVESTRONG friends) and tried Stacy's group strength class. I really enjoyed it and will be going back in the future. It was so nice and sunny this afternoon that I couldn't pass up the chance to run outside.. note to self: Stacy's strength training class prior to a run will really put you out of your comfort zone on said run! Somehow I managed to get it done. I am exhausted but have a great sense of accomplishment.

 

My LIVESTRONG ladies and I

 

made plans to attend the class again this week

 

and I couldn't wait.

 

Wednesday night I got an email

 

saying that one of my friends

 

wasn't feeling well and wasn't going to make it.

 

I decided that I was going to go anyway-

 

Step out of my comfort zone

 

and go without knowing anyone!

 

I know it sounds silly

 

but I don't like attending classes

 

without knowing someone else there

 

so this really is a big step for me!

 

My Instagram photo from this week's class.

 

WOW-

 

What a class!

 

I thought last week's class was a challenge-

 

that felt like the beginner edition

 

compared to this week!

 

The "warm-up" itself had me dripping with sweat.

 

It was definitely a challenge-

 

call me CRAZY but I LOVED it!

 

We made "field trips" from the studio to the gym

 

and those were probably my favorite parts of the class-

 

muscle ropes, medicine balls, glider pads, and weights (not pictured above)

 

 were used during the "field trips".

 

I even chatted with a few other people in the class

 

and got to know them a bit-

 

this is another big step for me

 

and one that really, really

 

pushes me out of that comfort zone.

 

 

Today I have some sore muscles

 

but it is definitely "happy pain"

 

and not nearly as bad

 

as I thought it might be!

 

That class really challenges me

 

and I am excited to go back.

 

I have already checked my schedule

 

and was very sad that I have to work next Thursday

 

so it will be a couple of weeks before I get back.

 

 



Do you attend fitness/workout classes? What are they? What's your favorite?

 

Is there anyone else out there that hates to attend classes without the support of a friend going?

 

Are you someone who finds it easy to talk to others around you or are you a "keep to yourself" person?

 

What did you do this week to step out of your comfort zone?

 

 

 

PLEASE SHARE your answers to the above questions by using the comment button below :)

 

If there have been no comments yet- click on "No Comments"



Yoga, Indoor Ironman and The Weekly Chase #9

I have been wanting to try yoga for so long! I guess there is some feeling of safety in trying new things with someone else and I kept waiting for it to work out to attend with someone. Last week things finally worked out and  I met my step-sister at the Y for our first yoga class - "Gentle Yoga". I can't believe that I waited so long to try it- I LOVED IT! I am sure it sounds a little crazy but it really did help me find balance. It was also a great compliment to my weekend long run- my hips were really tight! I went back to the class by myself again this morning and once again it was wonderful. I am going to make yoga a normal part of my routine and am excited to try the other yoga classes that the Y offers!

 

I am happy to say that I have completed another Ironman! This is the third year that Tim and I have participated in the Y's Indoor Ironman. We had the whole month of February to complete the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. I have had the swim and run portions (plus some) done for a week or so but the biking was a challenge. I knocked out 6 miles on the bike this morning after yoga and I am DONE!! The bike portion is always the challenge for me but it is a great way to get some cross-training in; plus, I always like a good challenge. Now it is time to incorporate some strength training back in and focus on half/full marathon training!

 Up next is the Weekly Chase!

Here are my goals from last week:

1. Challenge goal- Spend one-on-one time with Riley this week. Didn't happen again this week. Tim and I did have dinner one night with Riley and Aidan (Isaac was busy having a meltdown in his room). We really enjoyed the time with Riley. He was a lot of fun that night. I can't wait for more opportunities like that.
2. Challenge goal- Send a quick note to a friend/family member to let them know they are appreciated. Done! I did this a couple of times and want to make this more of a habit.
3. Challenge goal- Finish reading The Five Love Languages for Children Fail! I haven't gotten back into it at all. The nights that I worked were really busy and then we were out of town over the weekend. I need to make this more of a priority this week.
4. Journal all of my food for the week. Big fat NO! Other than when we were out of town I made better choices- I just didn't write it all down:(
5. Foam Roll- 3 times Almost- I got 2 times in! It still hurt but not as bad as in the past.
6. Try a Yoga class Major success!! I went to the class at the Y last week and fell in love with it. This will become a new part of my normal weekly routine!

Now here is the plan for this week:

1. Challenge goal- Spend one-on-one time with Riley and Isaac.
2. Challenge goal- Finish reading The Five Love Languages for Children
3. Journal my food for the week and do a blog post to report back.
4. Foam roll 3 times
5. Do 3-4 blog posts this week

How are you doing on your goals? What are your goals for this week?