You Gotta Know Your Own Crazy: Own It

yesterday while fumbling thru the newsfeed on FB, I found this gem posted by some of my Rev3 buddies (Tracey, thank you!).

The last several months have been such a learning experience for me...processing things I thought I had let go of, learning what makes me tick...what I want and don't want out of life and those who are IN my life. It's been a difficult process and one that will take lots of time, but I am embracing it and love learning more every day. 

I had to share this (excuse the profanity if it offends you)...

OWN YOUR SHIT via Elizabeth Gilbert
 (the author of six books of fiction and non-fiction—most famously her memoir "Eat, Pray, Love")

Dear Ones -

Oh how I love this drawing, sent to me last week by a friend of this page who knows me so very well, and who thought I would like it.

Hell yes, I do like it!

The artist is a woman named Carrie Hilgert, Artist . From what I understand, the character shown here is somebody named Myrtle, who, in the words of her creator, "doesn't give two fucks."

I love this character. I love Myrtle's posture, her attitude, her self-assurance. "What Would Myrtle Do?" is perhaps not such a bad question upon which to base your life

One thing I can tell you about Myrtle? SHE OWNS HER SHIT.

You guys, for serious, it's very important that you learn how to own your shit. At some point in your life, you really have to get honest about the weirdest and most damaged and most broken parts of your existence, and take responsibility for it all...lovingly, but unblinkingly.

Or, as Iyanla Vanzant puts it: "I know my crazy. Do you know your crazy?"

You gotta know your own crazy. Can't own your shit without knowing your crazy.

For many years, I didn't own my shit because I didn't KNOW my shit. If you don't know your shit, people, then that shit will control you and make your life into Crazy Town. Until you own your shit, all you do is make excuses for the madness that is always surrounding you, while throwing blame around like confetti.

By this point in my life, though, I know the worst of me. I know the triggers that make me into a temporarily insane person. I know my vulnerabilities and my pride. I know the stuff that makes me want to deceive, and the stuff that makes me vindictive, and the stuff that makes me insecure, and the stuff that makes me just flat-out mean and ugly. And I definitely know all my demons by their first names.

This is what therapy does — helps you to learn your shit, inside and out. This is what meditation is for. This is what recovery is for. This is what reconciling the contradictions of your life is for. This is what radical honesty is for. This is what the courage of truthful introspection is for.

Owning your shit begins to happen the moment you finally recognize that the common denominator in all your biggest problems is YOU.

Not them: YOU.

It's a beautiful, humbling, necessary realization. It's an education. It's painful. It's the beginning of adulthood. It's pretty much the definition of maturity.

And then you take a deep breath and say, "OK, I admit it. It's me. That's my crazy shit. I own it. Now what?"

Then, the work begins.

You might or might not be able to change it, but at least you gotta own it.

That doesn't mean abusing yourself: it just means taking accountability. Own your shit with love and perspective and self-compassion...but definitely own it.

Don't worry if other people are owning their shit or not. That isn't your problem. Just own yours. Keep your side of the street clean and honest, and rest of it is none of your business.

Just be honest and real. Like Myrtle. Who I freaking love.

Please do check out Carrie's blog, too, where, JOY OF JOYS, you can order this as a t-shirt:

http://carriehilgert.com/2015/02/15/meet-myrtle/

Thank you, Carrie, for this fabulous creation!

Thank you, Myrtle, for being awesome.

ONWARD!

LG

#TriDailyChallenge WIN FREE RACE ENTRIES to Challenge!

So how stoked do you think I was when I found out that Rev3 would be joining forces with Challenge to become ONE giant, awesome family!!?? I was super stoked...being an avid fan of Chrissy Wellington, I was well aware of Challenge races, especially ROTH for a long time. Knowing the clout that this company carries around the WORLD of triathlon, I was excited to see what the future would hold...and what would happen to my beloved Rev3 Team.

Lucky for US (the team) Challenge kept the team intact and we were able to expand our team to Canada and Mexico! Summit this year was again, amazing...and I did not suffer from food poisoning like I did last year!! UGH...it was a blast and I love the new additions to our team. 

The Challenge Family is ROLLING right into 2015 with some fun stuff. On Monday, they started the #TriDailyChallenge. Check it out: 

It Starts TODAY! Everyday for 30 days, we will present a NEW challenge for you. The FIRST Week is all about Getting Focused and Organized with the New Year.

2/9 TRI-DAILY CHALLENGE #1: List your TOP 5 goals you want to achieve in 2015. Jot it on a Post It, or add to your Notes App, or write it on computer and print it. Place it somewhere where you can look at it everyday to be reminded of your goals and what actions you need to do. Whether next to bathroom mirror, computer, or on refrigerator—take a PHOTO and and UPLOAD it to Instagram or Twitter or email/upload through this ENTRY PAGE www.TRIDAILYCHALLENGE.com. Be sure to use Hashtag ‪#‎TRIDAILYCHALLENGE‬ to be entered for chance to Win FREE Challenge Family race!

I just LOVE today's #TriDailyChallenge

2/11 TRI-DAILY CHALLENGE # 3: Wake Up Productive.
Now that you have your goals (do challenge #1)—how are you going to realize them? A trait that highly successful people have in common is having a morning ritual they follow every day. A productive morning routine will help clear your mind, energize you, and prepare you for a successful day ahead. 

Whether your routine is waking up at 5:00 AM; drinking a glass of water to hydrate; meditating for 10 minutes; doing a morning workout, eating a healthy breakfast, walking your dogs, and starting work etc. — Your morning ritual will anchor you, keep you focused, and improve your PRODUCTIVITY.

UPLOAD a photo of your new morning ritual to Instagram or Twitter or email/upload through this ENTRY PAGE: www.TRIDAILYCHALLENGE.com. Be sure to use Hashtag #TRIDAILYCHALLENGE to be entered for chance to Win FREE Challenge Family race!

________________________________________

Here is my entry for today:

I go to be early each night because I wake up early...way too early for most, every day. My day starts at 3:15am when I check emails, drink my tea or coffee, wake up and enjoy the quiet silence of the morning.

I think of my goals for the day, the planned classes/clients and my own workouts. I do some positive reflection and think about my goals; for the day-the week-the month-the season. 

I pack up my giant gym bag with all the essentials I need for the day (water, electrolytes, snacks, protein shakes, gear for swim/bike/run/lift) then it's off the the gym for 5am most every day. 

I love getting up early and attacking the day. I enjoy having accomplished so much by 10am. 

This month, the focus is on getting back to a normal training schedule, keeping the nutrition clean and getting to my body composition goals. IT'S BEEN A GREAT WEEK SO FAR!!

Fitness & Fat Loss, Essential Tips

Wow...so the last several months of life have been trying, chaotic, and stressful. I wasn't focused on the things that make my body healthy and strong-like training and nutrition. I LOVE these things and feel best when I fuel my body well and push myself or try new things.

I am happy to say that I have been back on track the last couple weeks and I FEEL AMAZING> it's funny how much it all impacts my daily being and how I feel.

Since my "return" to a training plan and eating clean, I have dropped 9.4 lbs of body fat. All from working hard each session, a balance of cardio and weight training AND keeping the eats clean. I am also tracking what I am putting into my body. 
YES...and the abs are returning. Hello my little friends...

I have started training for the 2015 Challenge Triathlon season AND as well as the Maine Coast Marathon 39.3 Mile Challenge (half marathon on Saturday, marathon on Sunday). If you want to join us for the Maine Coast Marathon (half, full, relay, challenge...use DISCOUNT CODE JenSmall and save some $$ off your race registration).

The biggest factors in my nutrition is:
A) meal prep and planning 
B) clean supplements.

Meal Prep and Meal Planning 

If you are looking to lose weight OR your are a time crunched athlete looking to optimize your performance, knowing what you are eating is KEY! When you "wing it" meal to meal with out a plan or an idea of what you are going to put into your body, that is when the pitfalls of unhealthy choices becomes a hazard.

Go into your week with a plan of what you will eat and invest some time into yourself to do a little preparation. Today (Sunday) is that day for me.

I baked a whole hormone-free chicken and then separated all the meat, cooking down the bones for stock. Hard boiled eggs are cooked & peeled, ready to grab & go from the fridge. Veggies are ready for salads, snacks and meals. I just LOVE Olivia's Organics baby lettuces and baby spinach. Easy peasy...

From the stock, I will make THIS soup via Cooking Classy :

Chicken Avocado Lime Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts*
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped green onions (including whites, mince the whites)
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (leave seeds if you want soup spicy, omit if you don't like heat)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
• Tortilla chips, monterrey jack cheese, sour cream for serving (optional)

Add Swanson® Flavor Boost® For More Flavor

Directions

• In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and jalapenos and saute until tender, about 2 minutes, adding garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chicken breasts. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has cooked through 10 - 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts). Reduce burner to warm heat, remove chicken from pan and let rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then shred chicken and return to soup. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don't plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream if desired.
• *For thicker chicken breasts, cut breasts in half through the length (thickness) of the breasts, they will cook faster and more evenly.

Clean Supplements

Let's face it. Im busy. You're busy. When I am burning 2-3k cals a day on a long training session, refueling is definitely important. How much is just as important as when when it comes to food. I keep it as clean as I can (veggies, fruits, lean proteins, complex carbs) but when you are eating 5-6 meals per day, that can be a challenge. 

For the last year I have been using the cleanest supplements I can find and my body definitely knows the difference. My energy is always SO high when I am fueling well and recovering properly. 

My favorite post workout shake not only delivers 36 grams of organic undenatured whey, but I am also getting balanced macros and replenishing my body so I can go and smash it again the next day. 

So what does a typical day look like for me?? Here is Sunday's food.

Woke up at 3:30am, first thing is stumble to the kitchen and get my liquids in me! I had my ionix, (first thing! on an empty tummy) and a cup of Morning Thunder tea> I will also drink 16 oz of water. 

Pre-workout: 1 scoop IsaLean PRO(vanilla), 1 Scoop IsaGreens and 1 scoop Replenish (orange) mixed with water. I also had 20 oz of water. I took my daily vits and my Powerbar Beta Alanine.

Off to the gym to run. It was snowing again so I opted for the treadmill. Today's run was 12 miles and then I did a quick/easy 30 mins
My fuel while running was 20 oz of water, 20 oz of Powerbar Perform in Lemon/Lime, 1 Powerbar fruit blend (which I did not consume, did not need it felt really good) and 1/2 an e+shot. 

Post-workout (meal #1): 1 IsaLean PRO shake (vanilla) with 1 TB coconut oil, 1 TB chia seeds, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries. 

Meal #2: 6 oz chicken breast with chili/lime hot sauce, celery and a giant scoop of 12 spice hummus. 

Meal #3: 4 Triscuits (Garden Herb), cucumber slices with 1/3 cup of salsa. So not totally clean here but I wanted a couple crackers with my salsa.

Meal #4: a bowl homemade soup (see above) with MORE salsa on top!

Meal #5: a big salad with mixed greens, chicken, green chilis and salsa, avocado

I was totally craving salsa all day!! I got this super awesome spicy cilantro salsa which was fantastic...I even added a bunch to my soup. 

My macros for the day:
Carbs 97g
Protein 194
Fat 29g
Sugars 28g

Shimmer Suit Snow Angels & Soups!

More snow in Maine today, expecting another foot or so. The entire area has cancelled school and the Y even closed so no work for me today...it's a SNOWDAY!

Yesterday, I took advantage of the sunny weather to play outside...

After a treadmill session of 8.5 miles, it was time to suit up and hit the pool BUT there would be one quick pit stop before swimming.

INTO THE SNOW!!

Have you seen this contest on the Challenge Family page??


Of course, I had to join in on the fun!!

a post snow angel celebration and sprint out of the snow...here's the video of the whole thing.

__________________________________________________________

So on snow days I cannot think of anything I like more than soups & stews! They are easy, economical. I wanted to share my very favorite veggie based soup/stew that is a staple in my home. Even lola loves it!!

I stumbled on this on The Gracious Pantry last year and it's in rotation since...click the link and it will take you right to the recipe!!





want to up the protein content, add some chicken breast! So easy and versatile.

Just a hint, I don't add spinach to the stew, I just put a big handful of baby spinach in the bottom of a big soup bowl and top with the hot stew. The spinach wilts and it does not get bitter in the left overs.

I love a squeeze of lemon, a dash of hot sauce and a little bit of cilantro on top. MMM