monday musings

monday musings

"Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something." ~Ralph Marston

 My first musing of the day: REV3 IS BACK BABY!! I am overwhelmed with excitement. happiness, joy. From "the bossman" himself, Charlie...

“I am beyond excited to announce that Rev3 will be back and better than ever in 2016. We underestimated the power of the all American Rev3 brand and our entire crew is itching to be – Back In Blue –! We believe that our staff is one of the best in the industry at producing races and they are all full of ideas that will be implemented into the event experience.We cannot wait to welcome athletes back to The Revolution in 2016!” - Charlie R Patten Jr

with my crazy teammate Ed 

Flanny from Wattie

Knoxville with Rev3 and Wattie. what a day!

The girls of Team Rev3

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So as mentioned yesterday I stated running again. Training plan has been written up, it's plugged into my Training Peaks account. Yesterday was an 8 miler on rollers and as I mentioned it was the longest run for me in a few months. All went well and I was happy to be out. 

I was about 1/2 mile from home when all of a sudden my body was like "Yo, you need a potty right now" and I was like "hmm, you are NOT running the last half mile home" and started to walk a bit. I has only been walking a few feet when I recalled that there was a "blue house" in the cemetary right where I was, so a detour was quickly taken. I walked briskly the 100 feet to where I remembered that port-o-potty to be and sure enough...it was there. 

*now, if you have been a reader for a while, you know I have an intense gross out fear anxiety about these things. GREEN TOMBS OF DEATH (you can read all about it here

------>>>> MY FAVORITE RACE REPORT EVER <<<<----------- span="">

As I approached the "stop and go" I had to laugh.

Jesus so kindly answered my prayers.

HERE JEN, Here is a clean potty with fresh still-in-the-wrapper toilet paper...and it's all for you. Enjoy. 

Thank you Jesus.

Monday Motivation: The Other Side of Fear

MONDAY MOTIVATION: The Other Side of Fear

This weekend I was in Dirty Jersey with a team of remarkable women that I have had the pleasure to align myself with over the last several months. I have know Lisa since high school and the rest I have been blessed to get to know through my fitness career or through my nutrition contacts.

My mentor, Lisa 

The Man, Aaron Hairston, transformation success story!
He's just as nice as he looks!

Me with Erik Coover

Me, Ronda Rockstar Collier and Michelle

having a blast in Jersey

My good friend and partner in all good things, Michelle

Me, Lisa and Jen V

Jens on sugar...this gal is a blast! 

We all drove down from Maine together to learn more about nutrition and being a healthier, happier version of ourselves. To be in a room with 700 genuinely happy people CELEBRATING each other successes and sharing stories was an experience that will be with me for a very long time. I am so excited to aligned with a company that has such integrity and a positive impact on the world. The culture of the company is EXACTLY what I want in my life--uplifting, motivational and real.

700 happy people with "selfie king" Erik Coover and Chris Nish, 

The BLONDE TOWER OF POWER

Anyway...enough fun pics from the weekend, the reason for today is SIMPLE and can be summed up in one paragraph with one short video.

We talked a lot about mindset and how we view the world...and this short video was played.

Please, take the time to watch it. It is only 1:48 of your time. IT IS WORTH IT. 




What FEAR holding YOU back from accomplishing?
What is waiting for you on the OTHER SIDE OF FEAR is the most amazing adventure of your life! 
Take the leap, the jump and enjoy the ride.

What do YOU want to do?

Motivational Monday: Start Living or Just Die

One of my favorite sources of inspiration and motivation over the years comes from Bruce Lee, martial arts master and a man with a very sharp mind. As I have grown as a human being an athlete, I have come to realize that the mind is the biggest element in training and racing.

To tap into that mental focus or that emotional well has some spectacular results. Being able to practice this over and over makes it habit. I believe that the body also really hears what the mind says and we must be careful what we tell ourselves...and limit that negative self talk.

I recall when I first started working with a Coach and I had my first race under her tutelage. It was a local 5k and I had a specific time in mind. I did not reach that time by just a handful of seconds and I was so pissed off at myself. I PR'd by quite a bit but because I did not hit some arbitrary number, my focus was on that and not the fact that my body had just performed as fast as it ever had at that distance. I did get quite the scolding from Coach that day about my attitude about it. Obviously, that lesson stuck with me to this day.

Lately my training has been very different than it has the past few years...I am so busy I struggle to find balance between working 50+ hours a week, family and training. This type of work schedule is new to me since I have been home with Lola the last 4 years so figuring it out results in less training. I am not working with Coach yet this year since my own athletic goals for the season have not been defined so it's the "No Training Training Plan" and some days my only workout(s) is the class I teach or the run I squeeze in between classes. There is less focus on pace and HR this year and just going by feel. I actually kind of like this...even though I do use my gadgets still. It's important to focus on the mind/body connection and not necessarily the data. 

This is a story reported by a friend of Bruce Lee. Fitting...

Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace. We’d run the three miles in twenty-one or twenty-tow minutes. Just under eight minutes a mile [Note: when running on his own in 1968, Lee would get his time down to six-and-a-half minutes per mile].

So this morning he said to me “We’re going to go five.”

I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five. I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.”

He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.”

I said “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.”

So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out.

I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run any more,” — and we’re still running — “if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.” He said, “Then die.” It made me so mad that I went the full five miles.

Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it. I said, you know, “Why did you say that?” He said, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

Do you impose limitations on yourself?
What could you achieve if you could lift those limits? 

Motivational Monday

I came across this article and just had to share because they are so true! So here is 12 Most Fundamental Habits of the Super Fit By Heather Frey. How many can YOU relate to??

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The super fit. What makes “them” different? They really are no different. They have jobs, kids, mortgages, school, pressure, but one thing does set them apart. Mindset. This mindset is what leads them to create solid habits, a solid mind, that lead to keeping their body “solid.” 

1. They don’t think of their fitness as work, but rather a way of life

It’s kind of like taking a shower, sure you can go without one, but you just don’t feel right the rest of the day.

2. They don’t skip workouts

They take training days as seriously as a Dr.’s appointment.
Appointments and meetings get scheduled around their workout time, not the other way around.

3. They take their rest as seriously as their workouts

They know that in order to perform at their best and to get the most out of their body, they have to give it a rest. Rest days and sleep are as essential as the workouts themselves.

4. They eat to fuel their goals

Everything they eat serves a purpose. Protein for muscles, carbs for energy, and produce for vitamins,minerals and antioxidants. Treats are done, but never over-done.

5. They tune everything out when they work out

Focus. They know that anything you give your undivided attention to works out better. Being in tune with your body allows them to make tweaks, and know which tweaks to make.

6. They push through frustration

If you think it’s easy for the super fit to get fit, and stay fit, you’re wrong. They’re highly competitive and always striving to hit new goals. They struggle like everyone else with busy lives, stress, plateaus, fatigue, and frustration. But there isn’t a thought of giving up, it’s just a matter of finding their answer.

7. They prepare their food in advance and don’t leave hunger to chance

They know what they’ll be eating the whole day. If they don’t bring their food, they know what they can order off menus and what they can find at a grocery store. Drive-throughs don’t exist in their world.

8. They use their flaws as motivators, not a reason to give up

They see their flaws (even if you don’t) and despise them like everyone else. But rather than letting their flaws bring them down, they use them to motivate them UP.

9. They envision the win-goal-finish line every day

The goal is crystal clear in their mind. The thought of the sculpted body, or winning the race always keeps them motivated. Regardless of life’s pressures they race towards the winner’s tape.

10. Persistence, persistence, persistence

Yes…they are persistent!

11. There are no excuses

They learned early that excuses are time-suckers and don’t get you anywhere near your goal. Better to get it done then whine about why you didn’t.

12. There is no giving up

Enough said.

What are some of your best fitness habits?

Monday Motivation: Mentally Strong

I cannot take credit for this post, for I am simply sharing the list that was written by Amy Morin, LCSW..which I found on Forbes.com

Through my own journey to a better me, I have gained some of the mental skills listed here and I am still trying to hone others. I think that life is so much about how YOU react to what is happening around you, not WHAT is happening around you. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

~Jen

1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves

Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.

2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power

They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond.

3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change

Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.

4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control

You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.

5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone

Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.

6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks

They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.

7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past

Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.

8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over

Mentally strong people accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.

9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success

Mentally strong people can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.

10. They Don’t Give Up After the First Failure

Mentally strong people don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.

11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time

Mentally strong people can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone.

12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything

Mentally strong people don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.

13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results

Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.

Monday Motivation: Runner 12

Today's dose of Monday Motivation is from John!! 
John just ran marathon #2 in Pasadena yesterday so today is the perfect day to get motivated by his story!

So who is John? 
John is one of my Fat to Finish Line-the documentary participants AND Runner #12 on the Ragnar Relay (Miami to Key West) team. John is also the author of the blogs Project One Five and Runner 12 

This former Marine is SO funny and has such a positive outlook each day. His amazing story and personality also scored him a job with SparkPeople.com, the very site that helped HIM reach his own goals.
 I simply cannot wait to meet him face to face in January! I have also warned him that I could end up a permanent resident of his Southern California cabana (triathlon paradise!!).

Here is a little bit more about John and his journey to health!


John at mile 26 of the super hot (98*!!) Pasadena marathon yesterday!
Congrats on Marathon #2!!

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I was always a skinny kid. I could eat anything and everything I wanted and I still never gained weight. When I joined the Marine Corps at eighteen, I was still stick-thin. In fact, I came THIS CLOSE to being put on double-rations while in Boot Camp to fatten me up. For nearly four years, I ate calorie-heavy food, drank crazy amounts of alcohol, and rarely gained an ounce. I credit a turbo-charged metabolism and nonstop Marine Corps physical training.

Unfortunately, after leaving the Marine Corps, I continued to eat and drink the same way for many years. What I didn't continue was the physical fitness training. And year after year, meal after meal, my body began to change. It was subtle at first, but weight gain was inevitable. I gained a couple of pounds each year, and by my mid-thirties, I could no longer pretend that everything was fine. But I didn't really know a way to turn it around.

In late 2005, a friend surprised me with a 5K while we were together in Chicago. It was my first and I finished, and it got me thinking about my health and fitness levels. I spent the next year off-and-on at the gym and managed to lose a bit of weight. In January of 2007, I was diagnosed with Pertussis. (It's the adult version of Whooping Cough, and yes, I did feel like a 17th century peasant with the Plague.) For nearly one hundred days, I coughed. I could barely move, let alone workout. And even after I recovered, I didn't feel like doing anything healthy. I was angry at having been sick for so long and resigned to a life of being overweight.

And for the next three years, I ate and drank my way to my heaviest weight ever. After I hit 220 pounds, I stopped stepping on the scale. I just didn't want to know. But in June 2010, my annual Marine Corps Reunion was held here in San Diego. For several days, I was surrounded by my Marine Corps brothers and sisters. They were all people who knew me back in the day, and for some, it had been 20+ years since they had seen me. And you can imagine how different I looked to them.

You would be right if you credit them for waking me up from my mental funk. But it didn't happen the way you might think. They didn't make me feel fat or bad about myself. Quite the opposite, in fact. They helped me remember the person I used to be, the young Marine who was fearless and funny and passionate about life. They helped me see that I was still that person; I just needed to reach out and take control of my life again.

And I did. I had been a member of SparkPeople.com (a free health and fitness website) for over a year, but I had never really explored the site. Now, though, I began checking in every single day. I read articles, took quizzes, joined teams, and started blogging.

I also made a commitment to myself that I would be perfect - yep, perfect - but just until I got myself back under 200 pounds. That meant no alcohol, no fast food, no desserts and no eating out. It meant going to the gym and working out every single day, no exceptions. I knew it wasn't something I could live with forever, but I could definitely do it long enough to drop 20+ pounds.

t worked. Soon, I was down to 198.5 pounds. In August, I signed up for a Bike The Bay challenge and in September, I ran the Marine Corps Boot Camp Challenge. I was definitely on my way. By December 2010, I was solidly in a groove. I had a new lifestyle - eat healthy, be active, repeat consistently. And I was ready for a new challenge. I signed up for a 5K, then a 10K, then a half marathon... and then another! In 2011, I ran two half marathons, the Tough Mudder, the Super Spartan, Bay to Breakers, Warrior Dash, and a Ragnar Relay. My crowning achievement, though, was running the Marine Corps Marathon in October. It took me every bit of five hours to finish it, and I am as proud of that as if I had won the whole thing.

Since then, I have run nearly a dozen half marathons and I have another full marathon coming up. I have found a balance in my life, eating and being active while indulging from time to time in my favorite foods and drinks.

Looking back, I understand why my first attempt in weight loss in 2005 didn't work. I was all about the physical, and I completely ignored what was happening in my mind and in my heart. 

I didn't just eat because I was hungry. I ate because I was sad and lonely and depressed. And that doesn't just go away on its own, no matter how much weight you lose.

This time around, I have worked on more than just my body. Instead of focusing on losing weight, I have focused on an overall fitness plan. I'm a happier person, inside and out, and I am better able to separate the food I need to eat from the junk I was inhaling without thought. These days, I finally get it. And the simple truth is, healthy is the new skinny.

 

I don't judge my success by my weight. Instead, I think of the miles I've run, the races I've completed, the challenges I have met... and most importantly, the relationships and friendships I have made along this journey.

I struggled along the way. I still struggle sometimes. But I am proof that anyone with a plan and a will to work for it can go from couch potato to marathoner. Join me as I continue to make my life an adventure.
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YOU DID ENTER MY 1BandID giveaway, right?

Monday Motivation

Need a little dose of motivation today?

How's this??

Me Before and After
Photo courtesy of Katie at RUNS FOR COOKIES

If you have been a reader or follower for a while then you most likely know "my story" but if not or you just want to be reminded, I am sharing a short version with you today. 

Anyway, I went from 

Fat and miserable 

to 

Fit and ecstatic

Over the weekend, my fellow Fat to Finish Line documentary film (go give us a like on Facebook and Twitter, please!!) and Ragnar Relay team partner, Katie at RUNS FOR COOKIES did a team member profile on me.  

Katie has an absolutely amazing story too so please go check it out!!

Over the next many Mondays I will be doing a Monday Motivation post profiling success stories of my FTF/Ragnar Relay team mates, fellow bloggers & friends who have changed their lives and general motivational tidbits to keep you moving in the right direction!! 

Since I took control of my life and my health, things really are sunshine and roses most days. 

This past year has been SO amazing in so many ways that still, some days, I just have to pinch myself. 

But the biggest change is really in my own perception. When things don't go the way I think they should, I try to sit back and relax, knowing that everything happens for a reason. 

So here is your first dose of MONDAY MOTIVATION.

Remember, anything is possible, if you BELIEVE

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In 2007, I was extremely overweight (well over 250 lbs at last scale check-I avoided those at all costs) and extremely miserable. I was depressed, lost and miserable with the life I was living. I wanted more for myself, so I sat down and took a long, hard, honest look at the where I was heading. I did not like what I saw and decided that I needed to make some changes. I knew I needed to get healthy, and once I was healthy, I could be a much better person and eventually be a great mother.

In September of 2007, I made a plan and a list of goals. I quit drinking, I quit smoking, and I started exercising. The day I quit smoking was my first time in the gym. I could not walk more than 15 minutes on the treadmill but I kept at it. I went back the next day and walked 16 minutes. I kept going back and doing more. I would see these "fit girls" out running on the roads and I wanted to be that "fit girl" out running! I started losing weight slowly. I was feeling good and starting to enjoy life again. The dark clouds were starting to lift!

Then after a few months, my husband and I discovered we were pregnant. I stayed active through my entire pregnancy and learned about nutrition and clean foods. I wanted to be as healthy as I could for my baby. In October of 2008, after 42 long weeks of pregnancy, I finally had my baby girl via unscheduled c-section. I heard horror stories about post c-section recovery but I felt good and I had new goals to achieve! One week after having Lola, I was out walking every day in the warm fall sunshine with my baby and renewed vigor and motivation to reach my goal of being healthy and being a positive role model for my daughter.

I now had new goals to reach and new motivation. I wanted to be a woman my daughter could always look up to. I wanted to live a life that was healthy and positive. I wanted to be strong-for her and for myself. I did not want to be the "fat mom" and I did not want my daughter growing up unhealthy or to struggle with body image issues. I made a promise to her and to myself that I would do anything and everything I needed to do to achieve a healthy weight and do it in a healthy way!

After fourteen months of hard work (meaning working out consistently and eating real food), I reached my first goal of 100 pounds lost! I learned how to juggle motherhood, how to exercise, to continually make new goals, and live the life I had dreamed about for so long. 

I fell in love with my new healthy and active life. I connected with other moms in an online group for new moms to get support, learn about nutrition, share workout tips and get support from one another. I started participating in local road races and enjoyed this tremendously! Running became something I loved to do instead of a means to an end (to burn calories to lose fat).

My husband and parents gave me a great BOB Revolution jogging stroller so I could run any time with the baby. I was learning more and more about myself and found that I was capable of more than I ever gave myself credit for. I placed at several small 5k's and it just pushed me harder to get better. My family would come to each race and it became tradition for me to get a high five from my little girl just after the starting line. I continued setting bigger and better goals and reaching each one of them.

In 2010, I was ready to challenge myself with something new, and I did my first sprint triathlon. It was love at first swim/bike/run. I smiled the entire time and could not believe how much fun I was having. I ended up placing second in my age group at that first race and could not wait to do more! I vowed to learn as much as I could about the sport and immersed myself in the triathlon lifestyle.

I have since competed in many triathlons from sprint distance to half-ironman distance, which is a 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bike ride and wraps up with a 13.1 mile run. Next year, I will complete my first Ironman distance triathlon with Revolution 3 in Ohio! 

The journey I have been on the last several years has not only changed me physically (now ~120lbs gone!) but mentally as well. If only there were a way to show the INSIDE changes that occur... I am strong, determined and have found true joy and passion in my life. Each day is an opportunity to be amazing-in big and small ways. I have become the woman I envisioned just four short years ago-and then some! I am someone that makes my family proud and I am a role model for my daughter. 

I live to inspire and want everyone to know that no matter what your goals are, you CAN achieve them. I am now a sponsored triathlete with Revolution 3 triathlon--literally, a dream come true! It is about finding that passion inside of you and chasing those dreams with wild abandon. Once you find that inner fire, that inner drive--there is nothing that can stop you but you!

I am a positive person that is full of energy--every day I have a smile plastered across my face because I cannot believe I am living my dreams...

...and it all started with just one step in the right direction and not stopping. Don't be afraid to take that step.