Perseverance and Privilege

This week, it's taken some serious perseverance to stick to my workout plan. It was super cold in the evenings. Not wanting to leave the house, I became reacquainted with my old friend Wii Fit. Last night, I didn't want to be active after a very full day at leadership class and happy hour after. But I rode the bike because I knew I should counteract the sitting all day. And today was one of my tougher runs in the past few weeks, but I knew I should stick it out so I would enjoy the race next week.

I've noticed a theme of perseverance in my reading lately. I just finished a set of books about what our grandparents knew and did for themselves that we don't or take for granted. One chapter talked about how to persevere. Then, there's the article floating around Facebook about how Chinese mothers push their children to success. It states that we don't truly enjoy an activity until we are good at it, and its the parent's responsibility to make sure the hours of practice happen to get there. And on my to-read list is Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, which points out how all great successes take about 10,000 hours of practice to get there (e.g. The Beatles).

This really got me thinking how easily we give up when something gets tough. If we let one small distraction, mistake or failure distract us, how do we get to the success we wish to achieve? We can't. We need to recognize we are human, stuff happens, and move on. Sure, every meal I eat won't be perfect. There will be days I don't have a great workout, or maybe don't even get one in at all. But I'll be ready to jump back on the horse and get after it again, because I want to reach my greater goal of being the healthiest I can be.

I encourage you to do the same, because we have the privilege to take control of our lives, and make choices for ourselves. Yesterday in leadership class, we studied diversity. There were a few parts that really made me realize how fortunate each of us is. We did one activity where you had to "lose" a sense. Some people wore blindfolds over their eyes or mouth, not able to see or hear. I had earplugs, so I wasn't supposed to be able to hear. What was interesting as we walked from one building to another, the "blind" people all noticed a plane flew overhead, that none of the others heard.

Later in the day, we heard from a Holocaust survivor. To hear the things he experienced as a 13-year-old boy were beyond imagine. But he is thankful every day for his privilege to live his life.

So as I was struggling through my run, I thought about how many people aren't able to even get out and run. It reminded me that I am privileged to be able to make time for exercise, to get out and do it, and even to experience the pain and soreness that comes with it. And that's what pushed me through that last tough mile.

So when you have a tough day, in health or otherwise, just remember that someone else may wish with all their heart they could be where you are, doing what you are able to do. And that might help you persevere.

Focus and be present

I have been thinking a lot this new year about my revitalized efforts to get healthy. One theme that keeps running through my head is that of focus.

During my holiday break, I took up hot yoga. I've done yoga before and missed it, and the heat adds an extra bit of challenge I love. What I'd forgotten and let slip in my life is the reminder in yoga practice that it is important to maintain focus, be present and concentrate on the moment at hand. Like most of us, I'm a crazy multitasker. Adam often picks on me that he should toss my phone across the room sometimes so I quit trying to do three things at once (this while he watches TV and has a laptop in his lap...but I digress).

So over the break, I began to try and just focus on one activity or task at a time, and fully take in the moments. I avoided wearing a watch as I ran errands. I loved the sense of calm that more fully engaging myself brought. I worked hard to let thoughts that crept in pass like clouds in the sky (as one of our yogis encouraged), acknowledging them but not being distracted.

During and since that time, I began applying this to other workouts besides yoga. I started noticing how my abs work while on the elliptical. I noticed how if I swing my arms just so while I run, my leg strides are easier to maintain. Sure, I still exercise with my headphones on, but I started paying more attention to how my muscles were moving and it was cool (guess I won't entirely become a uni-tasker!) So I decided to apply this concept too towards planning my eating and exercise.

For eating, I do the best I can for that meal or snack. A great example was a work dinner out tonight. It was a meeting I'd been to before, so I knew the buffet would be steak, mashed potatoes, some vegetable, and salad. I decided I'd probably not finish my steak as they are usually so big (estimate 8 oz., that's a lot for little me!), have a tiny taste of potatoes, and concentrate on getting a lot of greens in. What worked out better was I was at the end of the line, so had to start eating while they got more steak, and filled up on vegetables and salad enough that I ate about 5 of 8 oz. of steak and was full. Success!

For exercise, I have a general overview of what I want to accomplish for my 300 minutes a week: at least one run, one day of yoga and one or two days of elliptical with weight lifting after. The rest, I look at my schedule, and try to fill with classes if possible to break up boredom. My fall backs (great on a day like today when the meeting went long) are block walks, the recumbent bike, or the Wii Fit. I wanted to bike tonight, but getting home later meant I stairstepped like crazy on the Wii. I was still puffing so I know it was worth it.

What I think is leading to some success at this point for me is visualizing my day and week (hey if it works for athletes, I'll take it!), determining a framework, but also having a Plan B in mind in case of emergency. I'm also taking it a moment at a time.

After all, if we aren't living in the moment, won't it just pass us by and we'll wonder where it went?

My 2011 plan

Happy 2011 y'all! I like the promise of a new year. It's as if with the turn of the calendar, the slate is wiped clean, and anything is possible. I've spent the past few days thinking what I'd like to see the new year bring.

Like last year, instead of setting resolutions, I'll outline a plan that to guide my days. It seemed to work really well last year, so here goes:

1. Running: I'm already starting out more positively without the pain of last winter. I'd like to work towards a half-marathon before I turn 35. Right now, I'm thinking of the Mardi Gras half in NO in Feb. 2012. To get there, I want to train and race more regularly. My goal: 8 races this year. I already have my eye on them: Rockets 5k in Jan., Rodeo 10k in Feb. (with the Bayou Classic in March as a backup if needed), Memorial Park 4 mi in Apr., either the Astros 5k or the Contraband Days 5 miler (in Lake Charles) in May, possibly a July 4 and Labor Day race, the 10-miler in Oct. I wanted to do last year, and the traditional Turkey Trot in Nov. I'd like to do most of these in barefoot shoes but will see how that treats me.
2. Staying active: My physician says I should aim for 45 minutes a day to keep the hereditary high blood pressure at bay. I'm fine now, but it will creep up as I get older. Staying active and will help with my thyroid issues too (just realizing now I didn't mention either of these in the 2010 review, and they were big game changers for me!). My goal: 300 minutes/week. I know I didn't hit the 200 weekly every week last year, but I think setting my goal high encouraged me to aim higher some days than I would have. Plus, I'd like to take a hot yoga class most weeks this year, so that will be almost a third of the weekly total if I'm successful. As I start training, long runs will eat a lot of that time too. It should be easy to get the minutes, as long as I commit to making them a priority! I'd also like to lift weights at least once a week as well.
3. Eating: I plan to continue tracking through the new Weight Watchers program most days. I recognize it is OK and healthy to take a day off now and then for special occasions (Christmas etc) where it's just not practical to weigh everything out. I am proud that this holiday season, I really worked well on portion control. It's more important to have tastes of everything and not stuff myself! I also want to eat more fruits and veggies, which the plan promotes. My goal: Achieve a healthy weight (under 150) through eating better, watching portions and staying active. I haven't settled on an exact weight number, knowing that the more fit I become, some of that will result in muscle gain. But under 150 is a healthy BMI for my height. And I'm only a few pounds over that now, so that should be achievable! It would also be nice to get closer to my 10-years-ago weight in time for our anniversary this summer!
4. Professionally: I will take the CFRE this year. My goal: to take the CFRE review course in Feb. and apply for the exam by the last deadline of Aug. 26 to test in fall. I will hit 10 years total of fundraising in Oct. (7 consecutive in Apr.), so it's time to add this to my resume. I may need to spread it out to the end of the year though ... the course and exam are both several hundred $$ each. (See previous note about anniversary: we are planning a second honeymoon and are saving for it!)
5. Personally: I want to read more often. I read a few books this year and really enjoyed it, but I've lost this discipline. My goal: to read a book a month (12 total) this year, and make it a mix of fiction and non-fiction. That will keep me from just reading 12 business or self-improvement books!

So this is my plan, and I'd like to stick to most of it again. What's your game plan for 2011?

2010, let's review it again

It's New Year's Eve, so I'll continue last year's tradition with a blog today about the year's progress, and one tomorrow about my new year plan. Here's how I did:

1. Running: I spent much of 2010 dealing with plantar fasciitis that began around Christmas 2009. So I did not achieve my goal of running a 10-miler. However, I did run the 10k on Thanksgiving again and finished about a minute faster than the year before, again with little training and hotter weather. I did transition to barefoot shoes, which allows me to run with less heel/arch pain. However, the adjustment in my leg muscles is still ongoing!
2. Staying active: In my 200-minute/week plan, I achieved this 19 of 52 weeks (about 37% of the year). January and December were my best months with more than 1000 minutes (1151 this month alone!) I averaged 25/mins of activity a day. I had 80 days off, more than last year's 70, but I did have the injury to thank for some of that. My lowest months were September and October, which tells me I must continue to work to make activity a priority, even when I'm busy, as it's better for me overall.
3. Eating: Since the new Weight Watchers plan rolled out after Thanksgiving, I've been MUCH better about writing down what I eat, no matter how "bad" it may be. This, in combination with the activity, helped me lose 2 pounds compared to this time last year. Pretty cool considering most adults gain 1-2 pounds a year in their 30s and beyond. So that's as if I kept 4 pounds off my frame! I am continuing to work on getting more fruits and veggies in.
4. Professionally: I did not take the CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) exam, but I did get accepted into Leadership Houston ... which I decided was a fair trade-off. It's been a great experience so far and I'm learning so much that will benefit me personally and professionally. Plus I have some really fun classmates!

So as far as my "resolutions" went, I was able to stick to some, I had to sideline others but mostly due to circumstances beyond my control, or other opportunities that presented themselves. They say the best part of being a leader is staying flexible. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping 2010 in stride.

On to 2011!! I expect many big things to come in the new year. We'll celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, which means I will also hit the decade mark in my fundraising career. I have some ideas of what else I'd like to achieve ... but you'll have to come back tomorrow for that!

Some like it hot

So this morning I ventured out of my comfort zone and tried a hot yoga class. I've been to yoga plenty of times, but never the hot variety, though many friends have raved about it.

This summer, I bought a Living Social deal for 5 yoga classes at Yoga One. At $25, even if I only used it twice I was ahead as a guest class is $15.

In true former journalist style, I procrastinated until the last minute possible to start using my pass. I decided that my extended break out of the office for the holiday would be a great time to use as much of the pass as I could. The studio is in Midtown, which with no traffic, is 20 minutes tops from Casa Burns.

As YOH's website notes, hot yoga is done in room 102-105 degrees (though I think the thermometer read 110 by the end of class) and 50-60% humidity. So basically, it's like a Houston day in August but less humidity.

Upon entering the room with my mat, towel and bottles of water (I took about 48 oz.), the warmth hit me immediately. Participants are encouraged to arrive early to acclimate to the temperature. Seeing as I'd just gotten up about 90 minutes earlier, I enjoyed the chance to lie quietly on the floor. In fact, I would have liked to have just napped right there! I'm one of those that needs to be warm to sleep.

We were encouraged to stay in the room for the whole 90 minutes, and if it got tough at all, feel free to take a break, grab some water, and rejoin when all was good. I only had one point, about 45 minutes in, that I plain needed to just lie down for about a minute. I did take a few more water breaks than the rest of the folks but that was minimally disruptive to the routine.

Our practice consisted of pretty standard poses. Most I had done in other classes before. I noticed the heat in the room made it a little easier to push myself a little further (in fact, I can already feel that some in my legs now!). The breathing is more key in this kind of yoga than others, and once you get the hang of it, feels quite refreshing. I went in still having a little bit of the sinus issues tickling my throat, and those are greatly reduced now.

Another difference: you SWEAT. Boy, you sweat! Like dripping off you as you stand there. Like soak the bath towel through. I don't even think I've sweated that much running! But it felt awesome. I felt so clean. I felt like I didn't want to put any bad food in my body anytime soon. In fact, I didn't get hungry until a good hour after the class, and the scrambled eggs I ate then were the BEST eggs ever. I drank all the water during the class, and another 16 oz. on the way home. I have never felt so hydrated and it feels good!

I'm a little worn out now, but am relieved to know I've gotten my exercise in for the day, so now I can just enjoy the day as it progresses. I have a lot to do on my list today, but I feel pretty peaceful about it.

So I think I'll be going back Thursday morning for another round. Who's in?

Level up!

So the good thing about not fitting into all your clothes is it makes you take a hard look at yourself and your habits. And I realized it might be time to go a little boot camp on myself. I have been giving myself a lot of excuses these past 3 months to take it easy on the exercise (walks around the block are better than nothing but nothing close to a good gym trip, run or class) and on my nutrition (everything seemed to be a special occasion and I have eaten way too much bad stuff).

I decided I would start making some small changes that would be easy to implement, and keep adding until I wipe a lot of the bad habits that creeped in away. First up was a new snack rule: "Nothing but fruit after dinner." This started last night. I had some delicious clementines and an apple. There was a good sale at the store so I stocked up. Usually by dinner, I've eaten most of my Points allotment for the day, and now that fresh fruit is free, this is a good way to hit that sweet tooth.

Another one, at least for the short term, is that I'd like to workout every day for the rest of the year. No easy workouts. I hit the elliptical and weights yesterday when errands got in the way of a run before dark, and totally busted it in kickboxing tonight. I already have the rest of the week planned: repeat of Sunday tomorrow and Thursday nights, Zumba on Wednesday, a class or cardio on Friday depending what time I make it to the gym (as I have a pending car repair to deal with but there's a gym across the street!). If I get through that, then I'm off on vacation the rest of the year and remaining scheduling should be much easier.

The next change I want to tackle is two fold. I want to cut back on afternoon coffee for several reasons: 1) even though I get a nonfat latte, it's still 90 calories. 2-3 of those a week are worth a decent workout, 2) I'm a sucker for Starbucks, so this would save $8-12 a week. That's a new piece of clothing by the end of the month! and 3) it helps with part 2, making sleep more a priority. I need to get back to 7 hours a night during the week. I need to make 11 p.m. a usual bedtime. This will be the hardest change, so I'm giving this one a few days to do it.

I'm hopeful that these changes, while small, will be the start of some big progress. Time to take things to the next level! (Speaking of ... I plan to blog again this week about exercise intensity. Stay tuned and bug me if you don't see it by the weekend.)

More sweat, less salt!

I had my follow-up doctor's appointment on Friday. The good news? I can go from monitoring my blood pressure daily and now only need to do it occassionally? The bad news? Three months of results have me at an average 120/80, or just BARELY pre-hypertensive. This prompted several pieces of advice: follow the DASH diet (which emphasizes fruits and veggies), cut back on sodium where I can, and aim for 45 minutes of exercise a day.

The goal is to fight the slight increase in BP I'll get as I age, so that I don't become hypertensive and need meds. So when I got home Friday night, Adam and I started scouring labels. It's really something to see how much sodium is in the items in our pantry! Sure, canned/jar food is going to have more than fresh, but it was quite an eye-opener.

This was good timing, actually. I've been following the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program since it came out almost a week ago. I've been eating at least an extra piece or two of fruit a day thanks to not having to count them anymore. My new routine is an apple when I get hungry after dinner. Then if I'm still peckish, I have a few small squares of organic dark chocolate (translation: pretty low in points) and that does it. I used to carb up with toast, waffles, etc.

I even had a banana before my run today! I am not a fan of bananas, but I'm learning to love them since they help with muscle cramps and I don't have to count them anymore either. This week, I'm going to try to make bananas my breakfast (except the 2 mornings I have meetings) and keep up the nighttime apple habit.

The exercise recommendation has led me to settle on a goal of 300 minutes a week next year. I'm really going to have to work to schedule that in. I am already seeing benefits in an energy boost since kicking off my latest batch of activity on Thanksgiving.

The biggest other change? Having to visit doctors more frequently. Have to go back to my main doc in 6 months, and she said I should also be seeing my endocrinologist every 6 months also to monitor the synthroid. But if it makes for a healthier me, I'll do it. Just a big shift from someone who pretty much goes once a year and doesn't get sick much.