Unslumped!

 

Good mornin’ life!  Good mornin’ sun, how are ya skies above?  Yep, I am shamelessly singing that song from Return to Me.  I used to sing it high school, because I thought it was so cool and no one else knew it….lol….well, little did I know how dorky it was (Chad would have laughed at me, so hard) but what did I care?  That song is one of THE HAPPIEST I have ever found.  “Gee ain’t it great to be alive, and in love?  Good mornin’ birds, sing out your happy tune.  Feels so good, cuz I’ll be singin’ it soon…..good mornin’ world, how are you happiness?  All at once I know what livin’ can be!  It’s life!  It’s free!  It’s someone waitin’ for me!”

Corny!  Whoo! 

I just had the perfect morning.  I have been in a major slump.  “And when you’re in a slump, you’re not in for much fun.  Unslumping oneself is not easily done.”  Dr. Suess. 

Well, phooey on that ol’ slump.  I’m kickin’ it away, because I have the best weekend ahead.  My sisters are here!  Chad has time off!  I’m getting over my cold.  It’s great weather.  It’s Girls Night out.  Chad owes me oodles of free time from all his golfing.  Oh yes, this weekend is just what I need to get revved back up for the next few months.  MmmmmHmmmm.  GLORIA!!!!! 

I woke up early, sun shining, fed Aijah, did my workout, stretched on the deck with my yoga mat and a subtle breeze, exfoliated my whole body, lathered my hair, shaved my legs, ate my favorite breakfast, and here I am.  Thank you 6am, you are the bestest.  I have missed you.  Once again, a trip to “the spa” (my home, that I pretend is a spa) does wonders, even when the shower isn’t that clean, and even when the floor REALLY needs to be vacuumed, and there are robots strewn about, and little messes everywhere, it doesn’t matter.  You get lost in the moment, and those little uglies go away.  Now, I am ready to tackle this day.  Gotta make stir fry.  It’s my fave.  OH….I eat it every day, and love it every day.  Om nom Rar nom nom….stir fry….gobble gobble gobble.  Heaping plates full of the stuff.  The other day Chad passed by my plate-o-fry, and said, “That looks disgusting.”  And I said, “This is heaven!  Poor you.” 

Oh, finally I feel like myself again!.      

Happy moments this last week

-Chad and I on Pre's Trail together last week.  It was a dream come true.  We rarely get to workout at the same time.  Then we got Voodoo donuts.  Yum!  Thanks mom!   
-Chad has been running on that trail every week for a month.  I'm really proud of him.  He might just understand a little why I enjoy running.  He took Trigger with him today.  So cute.
-Watched Jet play in his sandbox yesterday, during the shortest patch of blue sky.  He's just precious.  -Jet has come to love storytelling, especially hearing stories before bed.  It's a new ritual.  Chad and I take turns.  The stories can get a little loopy when we get tired.  One time I kept falling asleep, and would stop talking, and he'd wake me up.  After being woken up 5 times, I started crying...."Jet, please, I'm exhausted, I can't finish the story.  Let me sleep!"  He did.  He loves to tell stories to himself when he's pooping on the toilet.  lol.  It's hilarious to eaves-drop about ninja turtle fights, between the pushing.  lol. 
-Aijahlyn loves being run at.  That's the one sure thing that will make her laugh.  Just run at her.  She loves exploring and finding new things to grab.  She has mastered rolling.   
-Journaling really relaxes me.  It's one of my favorite things.  This is so restoring and refreshing right now.
-Had to give the dogs 2 baths today.  Once for getting muddy, the other because Jet was putting nail polish on Dakota, because she smelled bad BEFORE her bath.  What?  (time-out) Bathing dogs and kids is tiring!   Ofcourse this had to happen while I was on the phone with the accountant. 
-Took a pretty walk on a Weyerhauser road with the fam
-Got Master Donuts this morning after our workouts.
_Got the prettiest, coolest, comfiest new running shoes today.  Happy me!
-Busy making decisions about our kitchen update.  Yay!  A bit anxious about all the work it's going to be. 
-Had a great girls day with Chad's family.  Food, lotion, and nail painting, all on the deck in cushy chairs.  Lovely.
-New Beginnings felt really good.  The spirit was there and I was inspired.  I love YW!
-I have been getting a little more flexible (physically, literally) thanks to my "spa time."  I love mornings so much.  Luckily, I have been waking up earlier too.  I just love my morning routine.  Get a snack, feed Aijah and put back down, workout, eat, stretch, shower, and then I feel great.  My body is pumping, I feel super clean and fresh, and I'm roaring to go for the day.
 


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Holy Smokes!

I am currently training for my first half marathon, The Hippie Chick, on May 11th.  I was planning on running at an 8:30 minute mile pace, and wasn't even sure if that would be too easy or too hard for me, but it seemed like it should be challenging, but not painful, ya know?

Well, today I planned to run 11 miles at an 8:45 pace or so.  I did that pace for 10 miles last week.  I decided to do the Fern Ridge Trail.  I ate more than normal before, because I was gonna be running far.  I was nervous before leaving.  It would be the longest solo distance I had ever run.  But, get' er done, eh?  So, I start running, and I'm feeling good.  After a mile, I look down at my GPS running watch, and it says my pace is 8:15, and it feels easy.  Huh?  It felt like the watch must have been wrong, but it wasn't.  I increased to an 8:00 minute pace, and it still felt pretty easy.  Well, I thought, as long as it feels easy why not stay at this pace?  Maybe I'll pay for it later, but right now, it doesn't feel hard, in fact, it feels great, so why not?  I just kept going and enjoyed myself.  It was a beautiful morning with beautiful scenery and great music, and everything was perfect.  Sometimes, it feels like the planets must align for the perfect run, and today was it.  So, I reveled in it.  Aaaaaaah.  I couldn't believe I was feeling so good, because I worked out pretty hard this week, with HIIT.

At mile 7, I started running at 7:45, and I still felt good.  Mile 8-12, I ran at 7:30-7:35.  What was going on?  I still felt good.  It wasn't that hard.  I finally felt tired on the last mile.  Once the watch hit 13.1, I said, "Holy SHIZBALLS!"  I know, not good, but I just couldn't believe it.  I averaged an 8:00 minute mile pace, for a total time under 1hr45min. Then, I said, "Holy smokes."  I had NO IDEA I could do that.  I was just gonna do a regular ol' long run....little did I know I would blast my half-marathon goal out of the water.

Is it weird that my friend just loaned me a book about how to qualify for Boston?  I had never EVER even thought about it.  I know I'm jumping the gun.  So, I have been reading it, and you have to do an 8:18 pace to qualify.  I could very well qualify for 2014.  Then, I researched when the Boston Marathon is.  It's today!  What?  The one day I have ever thought I could even qualify, and research it, is the day of the race?  Weird!

Anyway, the run was great.  I have hit a new level.  As I have been training, I kinda dreaded the long runs unless I got to run with my wonderful friend or wonderful sister.  Last week, I had to go alone, and I really enjoyed it.  Today, I had to go alone, and I enjoyed it again.  I have felt great all day.  It gave me time to think about everything.  I have great thoughts while running.  For example, today, among many thoughts, these were the most profound

I want a quote in my house, or image, that says, "Take care of each other."  I love to take care of my family.  It makes me so happy.  Sometimes, I lose sight of that, but when I don't, there is so much harmony at home.  I even had an image come to my head of how to represent that for me.  What a great piece of art that would be in our home.  I'll attempt it, but I may have to commission it.

I thought about how I want to spend more quality time with my children, and how I couod get basic chores done faster, so I'm not so stressed when I'm with them.  I haven't been a great mom this week.  I have been impatient...and it's because I get in "must-get-this-done" mode.  Do this, this, this, and I don't want to stop when I'm getting stuff done...so then I get frustrated when they need my attention.  Silly.  I can find a balance.  I did today actually.  I bonded with Jet better than I have in a long time.  We were best buds, and he was a great listener, AND I still got the kitchen clean, cooked and worked in the yard.

Since Aijahlyn's birth, I have been working on getting my pre-baby body back.  It's been a lot of work, but I have learned SO MUCH about setting goals and pushing myself, and am honestly in the best shape of my whole life.  Now, I have reached a point where I am happy enough with my body.  It doesn't look the same as before Aijah, but it's close enough.  And now, I can just focus on being healthy instead of how I look.  I'm so excited.  I told myself I would work my hardest until May 1st and I called it "MAY DAY."   I love health and fitness anyway, so it's been fun but hard at the same time.  Now, I can focus on fitness goals....triathlon?  marathon?  cross-fit?  mountain biking? climbing mountains?  who knows!!!  So much I want to do.

After my first 5k (I was 23) my Dad compared me to a horse, saying I was built to run.  Well, who likes being compared to a horse?  No one.  Luckily, I don't have big teeth, otherwise I would have been really self-conscious.  But, after today, I don't mind being compared to a horse so much.  He did have a good point. Love you, Dad.       

Such a great day.  I am so blessed and so grateful.  Our Bishop told us the other night that he uses General Conference as his "New Year," where he evaluates and sets goals, like New Years resolutions because Conference refreshes us, reminds us, and strengthens us.  It makes us think of how we want to change.  I loved that comparison and I want to implement it.  So, what will the next 6 months hold?  Some things I can control, and others I can't.  But the ones that I can, are going to be great.

Feeling Saucy

It all started with a huge box of tomatoes.  My mom hooked me up, but what do you do with 15 pounds of tomatoes?  I didn't want to go through the whole salsa process, even though I love salsa.  I just wasn't ready to spend my day learning to can, getting the supplies, and canning.  ug.  So, after freezing some (took the skins off, removed seeds), I thought, "Ya know what?  I like veggies so much, I bet we could eat most of these before they go bad, instead of going through all the various preservation processes."

Last night, I had a tomato salad with balsamic, then I pan roasted several with some over-easy eggs.  I probably ate 7-9 roma tomatoes.  Well, apparently they work like Red Bulls, because I was in the best mood for the rest of the night, as in, ridiculously giddy and silly and happy and sassy and sexy....yep....sexy.  Tomatoes?  Never would have thought.  I danced around, talked with a Spanish accent, and watched part of a Glee episode about guilty pleasures (coco cabana...lol, spice girls, my prerogative. AWESOME) After dinner, I felt like going out.  I got all glammed-up with voluptuous hair and sultry eyes, and I texted Chad all kinds of silly messages, explaining that tonight I was going to be blowing off steam, and letting all inhibitions fly, because it was Friday!!

We went to Applebee's.....Aijah, Jet and us.  Okay, I know, not novel or that exciting, but it didn't matter.  It was perfection.  We laughed our heads off, and just enjoyed our time as much as possible.  So often, during the day, I will imagine how great the night is gonna be, because Chad will be home and we can do this or do that, but then the night comes and we're all so pooped, and we don't really decide on something, and someone is cranky and a "great night" just doesn't happen.  Really, what can you expect?  All nights can't be great.  Life is tiring.  Sometimes, you just don't have the energy to have crazy fun.  lol.  So, thank you tomatoes.

The "sauciness" has continued throughout today.  I had to run 10 miles solo this morning at 6am.  I was dreading it.  But, as usual, it ended up being really enjoyable.  I had a couple of miles in the rain, but it felt really good.  At mile 8, I did loops around the roundabouts, dancing to Lady Gaga pandora radio.  lol.  I shook the blossoming trees, to get petal confetti, but I got more rain on me....duh.  I just laughed.  I gave a business building the "I'm watching you" sign, because they were probably watching me, laughing.  meh, who cares?  I'm gonna enjoy my run.  I deserve it.  When you feel good, you gotta live it up.  I got home, and ate more tomatoes.  lol.  I cut up 2 and put them with Chad's meatballs and sauce, for his lunch.  I made "pizza" for Jet, with a whole chopped tomato.  He even ate half of one plain, like an apple.  Huh?  Okay, fine with me.

I still have a whole bowl full of 'em.  It's gonna be a great weekend.  Ah HA hA!!!!!!

It's tomato overdosing.  Heeee hehehe

   

The Daily Spa

Last week, I was reading some health and fitness magazine, and they had a list of retreat vacations, ranging from yoga retreats to surfing school to interval training mornings with spa treatments later.  Don't ask me why, but it really hit home, and I've started this little craze of imitating these little retreats whenever I can. I realized that my morning routines already mimicked them, but having the framework in my mind has helped me perfect the details.  Warning: This may sound hippy-dippy, or food-snobby, but honestly, it's all in fun and life-enjoyment; very lighthearted.  

For example, the other morning, I did some hiit (high intensity interval training).  It really wakes you up in a good way.  Whenever I'm done, I'm on this energy high (Chad can attest.  It's probably annoying) and I can't even think a negative thought.  I took my yoga mat onto the deck to stretch.  The birds were chirping, the wind faint, my doubled yoga mat so cushy.  I breathed, I relaxed, I lived in the moment.  I came in and drank some really good tea, ate over easy eggs with tomato, veg, smoked paprika and cayenne, with a coconut orange salad on the side.  I took a shower and then smothered myself in my new clementine body butter.  Yes, in just an hour and half, I managed to have my own retreat, all at home.  Why not?  Why not do this every day?!!!  I wake up early enough.  Why wait for a retreat vacation?  Why not just make it a way of life?

So, this idea has been motivating me to clean up the backyard, and keep the house cleaner...because I want it to feel more like a spa, or a retreat.  I've been eating a lot of what I call "spa food."  Very clean and fresh, nothing that makes you feel heavy when you're done.  Lots of veggies, fruits, and protein.  I've been drinking lots of iced tea (herbal).  My mint is growing in the backyard, and I can't wait to make what Padma Luckshmi calls, "sexy water," basically water infused with fresh herbs of choice, and/or citrus juices.  lol.  It's just refreshing and feels clean, not laden with artificial whatevers or sugary this or that.

I haven't been going to bed early enough to get up early enough to do more retreats, but am anxious to do more.