Some things are just good for your soul

On a wonderful women's retreat this weekend, we had a great discussion about taking care of ourselves and "filling our buckets," and it was a great reminder to me that we, as humans, simply can't run on empty. Cruisin on fumes might work for a while, but the breakdown will come eventually unless we find ways to refuel.

These past two weekends were definitely some of those refueling experiences for me - spending a gorgeous day with family and getting to know some pretty amazing women. :)

Self-care has started to get more attention, and that's a good thing in this time of being constantly on the move. There are so many things to do, experience, and accomplish in life - it can seem impossible to slow down! Fortunately, people are recognizing that this is something we need more of in our personal lives, careers, fitness pursuits, and pretty much every other aspect of life. Balance is so essential to prevent burnout, so here's to filling our buckets and staying strong and happy! :)

Forever generalist...

Sometimes I see people who are REALLY good at something - their sport, their instrument, their talent, their passion... and I get envious. I seem unable to specialize, and my time and energies are spread out over too many hobbies... I love skiing, and biking, and running (and therefore triathlons), and yoga, and lifting, and reading, and writing, and music, and climbing, and just way too many things.

I feel extremely lucky to be able to try so many fun things and to indulge in so many hobbies, but it definitely means I'll never be amazing at any one of them. I can't spend too much feeling sorry for myself, however, because I do have a lot of fun :)

Florida vacation...

Little vacations are so needed.... and this was a good one!! :)

Scuba diving at Devil's Den, cajun boil, Wizarding World of Harry Potter (squeeeeeee!), and Magic Kingdom!!

Where to find races

I just signed up for another sprint!

I like having a race in my future - something about a date and a commitment keeps me on track. When I don't have a specific goal, it's easy to skip workouts, slack when I am working out, and kind of wander aimlessly through a fitness routine... so having a goal for a race (whether it is a specific time goal or simply to complete it without dying) keeps me motivated.

There are several places I go to find races, some are run specific and some are tri specific, but they're all fun to browse :)

http://www.runnersworld.com/race-finder

https://runsignup.com/

http://runningintheusa.com/Race/

http://www.active.com/

http://www.racetri.com/



Anyone want to join me for the Salem Sprint in May??? :)

Another year, another adventure!

A brand new year! What a time for reflection, progress checks, and planning.

I got my new planner (adore), signed myself up for some challenges, and set some goals.

One concept that's been going around is to choose one word that will define the next year. I chose "Free." I want to be free from doubts, free to pursue my goals and dreams, free from chains that bind, free to do what I want and love within my career, free to make choices, free from negativity, free from bad habits or addictions... I just want to be free :)

I also set some goals, breaking them into smaller pieces, to help me improve physically, spiritually, academically, and in my career and marriage. I love the planning stage, where I get to think about an area in which I would like to improve (for example, building my endurance and physical capacity), set a measurable goal (complete an olympic triathlon), make myself accountable (sign up for the race, tell my family about it), break it into achievable pieces (sign up for a sprint halfway through training season, write myself a training program, oogle new gear), and get started on the first few little steps. It's not too overwhelming, but it's so fun to dream of the possibilities :)

When you're not feeling motivated...

The dark, cold months of winter are rough for me.

The dry skin, cold temps, shorter evenings, removal of most of my favorite outdoor activities, and Utah inversion really kill me. And among other things, one thing that leaves me during this time of year is my motivation. I just want to stay in bed and eat lots of warm carbs, which really kills the progress towards goals :)

I've found a few things that help me get through this rough time of year and help me overcome my lack of motivation:

--I get everything ready way beforehand. If I want to work out in the morning, I pack all my bags, lay out all my clothes, prep breakfast, and write it in my planner. I want to put enough effort into in that I'll feel dumb if I decide to sleep in, instead.

--I trick myself. When my alarm goes off and I want to ignore it, I tell myself that I don't have to go to the gym as long as I get up and go to the bathroom. Once I'm up and out of bed, I'm no longer tempted to skip :)

--I reward myself. I attach each goal with a reward (or punishment). If I go to that yoga class, I get to stop at the lululemon store. If I do that morning workout, I will postpone doing laundry that day (very adult of me, I know). If I don't do the workout, I make myself clean something or do extra work. It's very motivating haha.

--I try to regulate my biology. I try to get in the sun for at least a few minutes (harder than it should be, this time of year), eat fruits and veggies, go to bed early, drink lots of water, read for a few minutes, do kind things for others, and at least get up and walk or do the stairs throughout the day. By covering these bases, I feel those winter blues a little less intensely.

--I force myself to do fun things and look on the bright side. Winter may suck, but at least there is skiing! And blankets! And boots! And hot chocolate!



Do you have any tips for keeping that motivation going during winter?

Airport Hacks

I heart traveling.

I came across this article today, and it inspired me to add my own "airport hacks" to the list! Feel free to add your own :)


1. Wear easily removable shoes and ditch the belt and jewelry. My husband is always miles behind me in the line, with his watch, keys, belt, shoes, etc. I wear leggings and slip-on shoes and am in and out of security like like a ninja.


2. Be smart about your carry-on. I like checking luggage, and do it whenever possible. It makes my carry-on light and easy. When I don't check luggage, however, I put my travel-things in one bag and anything I might need during the flight in another. This keeps me from frantically digging through all my belongings. I keep kindle, phone, any documents and ID, chargers, battery pack, water bottle and snacks, wet wipes, sleep stuff, etc. nice and handy.


3. Bring an empty water bottle. And snacks. You can then fill the water bottle at a water fountain and avoid hanger. It's real. Plus, this keeps me from binging on salty airplane snacks and soda.


4. Wet wipes. A lovely couple opened my eyes to the disgusting, germy cesspit that is airplane trays, and I never fly without sanitizing wipes to take care of that ish.


5. Sleeeep. I love to read my kindle while flying, but there's honestly no better way to pass the time than sleeping through the flight. A cozy scarf, an eye mask, and ear plugs make me look like that ridiculous person, but I'm too busy enjoying a glorious nap while not hearing that crying baby to care.

:)