As I read my previous posts I realize that they all emerge from the recognition of a fundamental problem with fundamental values and the very foundation of self image, self confidence and self worth.
Being on the track, I would say, is a challenge at any given time for any given participant. It's an effort, which brings with real rewards upon completion. Regardless of results, really, it is mostly due to the various components of a single activity, such as a track workout. Let's break it down and see how it contrasts the perfect image for all mentality of the masses.
Just committing to an activity and simply showing up is an accomplishment itself. Knowing there are challenges that lie ahead and still being dedicated is an accomplishment. (For some, it's actually a prime directive: challenge oneself to feel a sense of accomplishment... another discussion perhaps...). During the track session one has to push oneself and also realize one's limitations and work within one's abilities and God given talent. Here, my friends, is a great fundamental value, that is to be content, or rather to push oneself to the limits of ones ability, not that of X Y or Z. What this means is to be your personal best and be happy about it, even if it's half as good as someone else's half a... efforts. Knowing that being half as good has taken you a whole lot of effort should bring the self confidence, self worth, and create a positive self image, regardless of where that puts you on the collective scale. Sometimes it is frustrating to exert so much energy and dedicate so much time and still come in behind another, but so what?
Does everyone have to look like Barbie? Does everyone have the same genetic composition and should have perfect features? Can an elderly woman with wrinkles be beautiful? Or should we all undergo the necessary procedures to become more like someone else? Can someone's natural weight be 10 lbs out of the normal range? Or should that person feel inferior and battle with physical and psychological issues and too undergo the necessary procedures to be closer to "normal"? Who set "normal", anyway? Is "normal" going to be something completely different 50 years from now? You bet your life! So who wins? The confident and the challenged, in my opinion. Perfection is an illusion. Self image, however, is a powerful thing, and can easily be fixed with the fundamentals.
Challenge yourself. Make a real effort. Go to the track, get up early and go to the gym. Once you accomplish one thing you'll move on to a bigger or a different challenge. Create something. Learn something. Buy an instrument or a craft kit or try a recipe. Find beauty in everyday things, in everyday people. Say "thank you" and mean it. Clean out your closet and take it to Goodwill. Appreciate the ordinary. Look up at the sky at least once a day. Want more cliches? Got plenty. Turn off the tv - read a book. Buy a plant and learn to nourish it. Adopt a pet and take care of it. Compete in something. Volunteer for something. Go to the theatre and see a play. Set a KRAZY goal, run a marathon. Once. Just once, make a real effort to accomplish something that is a real challenge. Than you won't need any procedures to see yourself pretty. Pretty worthy, that is...
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
NEW WAY TO SHED FAT WITHOUT ANY REEEAAAL EFFORT!
Hello frustrated weight watchers, those who watch your weight crawl up and up and up and wonder what the h... to blame next, thyroids, mom and dad and those darn genes from the "ol'world", stress and rush and not enough time and not enough money!
Have I got a solution for YOU!
Order my new fat sucking leach socks and find out what the tears are all about!
You don't have to move a finger (or toe), don't have to diet, don't have to buy supplements and magic pills, just wear my socks! This is how it works: I have (by total freak accident in the Everglades) found a special species of leaches that live on fat, human fat! That's right, you heard me, they suck fat, not blood! How is this going to help you, you ask? Well, I have figured that out for you so read on...
You will only have to purchase a pair of 5 finger toe sucks and my fatty leaches and put them in each toe finger of the socks and wear them while you gorge yourself. Just watch the fat ooze out of your toes! Now, depending on how much you wear my fat sucking leach socks and how much fat you want to have sucked out of you, you will have to replace those leaches periodically or buy bigger footwear, for the sucked off fat that the leaches eat will make them bigger and bigger till they turn your socks into clown shoes. To order please call my FL (for fatty leach) hot line and have your skinny debit card ready...
Watch for the next phase, where we will genetically engineer the fat sucking leach eating plants that grow fat evaporating fruits so it'll all be recycled and recreated in the great service of fat-be-gone nation who, by GOD, will not get outside and shed some sweat!
No, I'm not frustrated, nor am I looking for excuses. I am laughing... I hope you are too:)
Ps: how many calories does that burn? 1/2 of M&M?
Hello frustrated weight watchers, those who watch your weight crawl up and up and up and wonder what the h... to blame next, thyroids, mom and dad and those darn genes from the "ol'world", stress and rush and not enough time and not enough money!
Have I got a solution for YOU!
Order my new fat sucking leach socks and find out what the tears are all about!
You don't have to move a finger (or toe), don't have to diet, don't have to buy supplements and magic pills, just wear my socks! This is how it works: I have (by total freak accident in the Everglades) found a special species of leaches that live on fat, human fat! That's right, you heard me, they suck fat, not blood! How is this going to help you, you ask? Well, I have figured that out for you so read on...
You will only have to purchase a pair of 5 finger toe sucks and my fatty leaches and put them in each toe finger of the socks and wear them while you gorge yourself. Just watch the fat ooze out of your toes! Now, depending on how much you wear my fat sucking leach socks and how much fat you want to have sucked out of you, you will have to replace those leaches periodically or buy bigger footwear, for the sucked off fat that the leaches eat will make them bigger and bigger till they turn your socks into clown shoes. To order please call my FL (for fatty leach) hot line and have your skinny debit card ready...
Watch for the next phase, where we will genetically engineer the fat sucking leach eating plants that grow fat evaporating fruits so it'll all be recycled and recreated in the great service of fat-be-gone nation who, by GOD, will not get outside and shed some sweat!
No, I'm not frustrated, nor am I looking for excuses. I am laughing... I hope you are too:)
Ps: how many calories does that burn? 1/2 of M&M?
Sunday, May 6, 2007
track workout
For those who are runners already, you know what I'm going to say. For those who are NOT but may be thinking about running, please read on. For those who don't care, have another cookie!
Now I sound like I only like people who are runners or want to become runners and everyone else is hopeless. That's not what I mean. It's just that, if you have never run in the zone or had runner's high you will not relate to this topic. But I tell you; there's nothing like getting out of bed at the crack of dawn on a Saturday (yeah, the first day you could actually relax and sleep in if your kids/dog let you), throwing down some coffee, loading up the cooler with bottled water and Gatorade, grabbing the extra towel and t-shirt and driving to the track (still grouchy, in my case). Then you see the others, who have NOT had any easier time getting out of bed but are there, just like you, and ready to warm up before the sun starts beating down on the black surface.
The warm up is stiff but you are glad you're out there because you ate too much the night before and feel sluggish and stiff and definitely too slow to even BE on the track. Then comes the workout, whatever repeats, 800s , 400s, 200s with as little recovery as possible, dripping sweat and creaking bones and wheezing. What a rush!
Somehow the others always look like they're not struggling or working as hard as you are. But gotta do another repeat....and another....how many more? Oh good! Now it's 200s, I can handle that! Just 6 more! 6 more??? Jesus...try not slowing down now, and don't cut the workout short...
And at the end, OH YEAAAAAAAAAH!! Feel freakin' fantastic! Off to a hearty breakfast, anything you crave, pancakes, corned beef hash, and eggs and more eggs! Juice, milk, water and more coffee! LIFE IS GOOD, I'm so glad I got up to go to the track! I will do it again next Saturday.
For those who work out with us, thank you, and I am sure you share some or most of these feelings, don't you? (and now it's your turn to say something, so click comment and speak up)
Now I sound like I only like people who are runners or want to become runners and everyone else is hopeless. That's not what I mean. It's just that, if you have never run in the zone or had runner's high you will not relate to this topic. But I tell you; there's nothing like getting out of bed at the crack of dawn on a Saturday (yeah, the first day you could actually relax and sleep in if your kids/dog let you), throwing down some coffee, loading up the cooler with bottled water and Gatorade, grabbing the extra towel and t-shirt and driving to the track (still grouchy, in my case). Then you see the others, who have NOT had any easier time getting out of bed but are there, just like you, and ready to warm up before the sun starts beating down on the black surface.
The warm up is stiff but you are glad you're out there because you ate too much the night before and feel sluggish and stiff and definitely too slow to even BE on the track. Then comes the workout, whatever repeats, 800s , 400s, 200s with as little recovery as possible, dripping sweat and creaking bones and wheezing. What a rush!
Somehow the others always look like they're not struggling or working as hard as you are. But gotta do another repeat....and another....how many more? Oh good! Now it's 200s, I can handle that! Just 6 more! 6 more??? Jesus...try not slowing down now, and don't cut the workout short...
And at the end, OH YEAAAAAAAAAH!! Feel freakin' fantastic! Off to a hearty breakfast, anything you crave, pancakes, corned beef hash, and eggs and more eggs! Juice, milk, water and more coffee! LIFE IS GOOD, I'm so glad I got up to go to the track! I will do it again next Saturday.
For those who work out with us, thank you, and I am sure you share some or most of these feelings, don't you? (and now it's your turn to say something, so click comment and speak up)
Friday, May 4, 2007
running
How about setting a goal, one that is a challenge but you don't have to do alone! Have you ever competed in ANYTHING? Wouldn't it be awesome to tell your coworkers and your family you are going to run 5 kilometers in a RACE? And who knows? Maybe even set out to do a marathon somewhere? I haven't done one (yet)....
The point I'm trying to make is that everyone started somewhere! Why not here?! Go and see what it's like to commit to the plan that represents the challenge, it is SOOOOOOO REWARDING!
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
If you are interested definitely contact me, I can recommend training groups and programs such as the one above, and would love to have you log your process and have us follow you on this journey....anyone?
The point I'm trying to make is that everyone started somewhere! Why not here?! Go and see what it's like to commit to the plan that represents the challenge, it is SOOOOOOO REWARDING!
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
If you are interested definitely contact me, I can recommend training groups and programs such as the one above, and would love to have you log your process and have us follow you on this journey....anyone?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
My local support group
Check it out, new group, new goals, all in your backyard, best of all: I AM THE ORGANIZER! Kidding, it's good for you, with or without me, come hang out with us!
I'm going to publish something here that a client of mine has written about exercising. I asked her why she does it and this is what she said. You should also know that she is in her seventies and flies her own airplane - flies aerobatics! She inspired me, three times a week for several months and I will really miss working with her... Please read on...
April 26, 2007
Sigrid Baumann
- Age: 71 –
EXERCISES AND FITNESS TRAINING
Exercises have always been very important to me, however, over the last few
years I have not been too consistent in my endeavors.
This past January I decided to better change my habits and by great luck found a fantastic trainer at the fitness center not too far from my condo.
My Trainer is Violet and she is absolutely great! She has a thorough knowledge of what works or will not work and the gift to motivate people. It is really fun to work with her.
I am exercising because:
To keep my strength: I want to continue with my favorite sport: flying
Aerobatics. My grandchildren love to fly with me, not necessarily aerobatics but otherwise.
For energy :
I like to travel, experience new adventures; try to keep up with my grandchildren, or even out-last them with staying power; give my grandchildren the opportunity to experience and learn new things and share this with them.
I do my own gardening on my property in New Hampshire. I love my flower garden. We live near the ocean and enjoy swimming in the Atlantic in the summer.
Regular exercising gives me a feeling of well-being, mentally and physically, which is extremely important to me. After all, which young person wants to be with a grouchy, old person? That’s not much fun for grandkids.
So, I will continue to exercise.
April 26, 2007
Sigrid Baumann
- Age: 71 –
EXERCISES AND FITNESS TRAINING
Exercises have always been very important to me, however, over the last few
years I have not been too consistent in my endeavors.
This past January I decided to better change my habits and by great luck found a fantastic trainer at the fitness center not too far from my condo.
My Trainer is Violet and she is absolutely great! She has a thorough knowledge of what works or will not work and the gift to motivate people. It is really fun to work with her.
I am exercising because:
To keep my strength: I want to continue with my favorite sport: flying
Aerobatics. My grandchildren love to fly with me, not necessarily aerobatics but otherwise.
For energy :
I like to travel, experience new adventures; try to keep up with my grandchildren, or even out-last them with staying power; give my grandchildren the opportunity to experience and learn new things and share this with them.
I do my own gardening on my property in New Hampshire. I love my flower garden. We live near the ocean and enjoy swimming in the Atlantic in the summer.
Regular exercising gives me a feeling of well-being, mentally and physically, which is extremely important to me. After all, which young person wants to be with a grouchy, old person? That’s not much fun for grandkids.
So, I will continue to exercise.
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