Soul Connection

One of my goals for 2020 is to de-stress.  While I'm not sure about how exactly one measures the stress or lack thereof in their life, I do have a relatively solid plan.  Or at least I think it's solid.

First, let's talk about the soul to cell connection, wherein your mind and body are connected at a cellular level.

It's Science

Believe it or not, there is a science to it this connection (*sources below).  I will try to keep it basic.

Everyone produces a hormone called "Cortisol" which is best known as the stress hormone.  It is crucial to many body systems, including mood, sleep, blood pressure and blood sugar regulation, as well as your body's use of macro-nutrients (protein, fat and carbs).  When your body is on high alert, cortisol may shut down functions that may interfere, such as digestive, reproductive and immune systems.   Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed you are more likely to get sick, gain weight, and even have out of wack periods?

Too much cortisol wrecks havoc on us.   Prolonged stress causes your cortisol levels to be unmanageable, interfering with your body's ability to function.    Scientists have found that too much stress causes damage to our telomeres, the protective casing at the end of DNA strands.  This impairs the body's ability to fight infection and disease.   Further studies have shown that the effect of stress on our DNA can actually be passed onto future generations.  Let me repeat that.  Stress affects our DNA, which can be genetically passed onto our unborn children.  It's passed onto our children...AND even our grandchildren. 

So What To Do About It?

Learning how to handle and deal with stress is probably one of the most daunting things I have had to personally address.  To say that I have it figured out would be a lie.  I am on a journey to addressing it, and I hope to share with you some of the things that have benefited me.

Exercise

If you've been following me, you would be surprised if I didn't say "Exercise helps to reduce stress."  Exercise helps your body to feel better.  It also reduces fatigue, as well as improves mental acuity.  Exercise helps your body to produce endorphins, which improves your ability to sleep and manage stress.  That said, knowing it helps doesn't necessarily mean you will do it.

So, if you don't exercise regularly, start.  Start small and easy.  Start by walking.  Yes, walking.  Don't count the walking you do at your job as your exercise.  That's work.  Take a walk in the neighborhood, or try 30 minutes on a treadmill.  If 30 minutes seems too long, try 10 minutes three times per day.   It's still 30 minutes.  Try yoga.  I swear by yoga.  I really relaxes me and is good for your joints.  (Yoga With Adriene was recommended to me.   She has a variety of yoga options to try.)

It's been a long time since I took a locker room selfie!

 Be careful!  The addage less is more and more is less is true here.  If you overdo cardio, especially at first, you will not see the results you want.  Not only do you run the risk of burning out and not exercising at all, but too much aerobic exercise at one time causes an increase in your production of cortisol (the stress hormone we are trying to reduce).

Meditation

Yep, I said it.  The "M" word.  Meditation is definitely the new buzz word all about town.   Doctors, therapists and personal trainers tell you to do it.  What is it and why all the fuss about it?

In short, meditation is a practice of centering your mind and eliminating the distractions from your  mind.   Typically, meditation focuses on your breath.   We spend our lives running around, focusing on every detail.  Constantly inundated with one thing after another, our brains are forced to make sense of the chaos.  Meditation helps to quiet your mind.

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94:19

When I first started meditation, it was at the encouragement of my doctor because I was not sleeping.  I could fall asleep, but I couldn't stay asleep.  I was waking up at 2:00 a.m., unable to turn the wheels of my brain off.   In addition to cleaning up my sleep habits (e.g.: going to bed at the same time every night, not looking at the clock when I wake up), he recommended a couple of different sleep apps.  

These are the ones I tried:

Meditation Studio is a skill you can enable in Amazon's Alexa.  There are two different sleep meditations that I found helpful to fall asleep at bedtime, but too disruptive to fall back to sleep at 2:000 a.m.

Sleep Sounds is another skill you can enable in Amazon Alexa.  That was useful in both falling asleep and falling back to sleep.  There's no talking with this one, so it was really only the calming sound that lulls you to sleep.

Calm is a meditation app that is available for a free trial.  It provides a unique 10-minute meditation every day, It also has sleep stories you can listen to, in order to lull yourself to sleep.   It's very relaxing, but I wasn't keen on spending money on it after the trial ended.

Relax Melodies was the winner.   You can download this app and use several features for free, with a pay option to add more to your experience.  At first, we used it as an enhancement from the Sleep Sounds from Alexa.  It is available wherever your phone is (meaning even when you travel).  After using the app for a while and actually preferring it over the Sleep Sounds, I discovered there are Meditations, Sleep Stories and "Sleep Moves" included as well.   I tried the meditations included with the free portion of the app and fell in love.  Because my biggest problem with sleep was waking in the middle of the night, I simply moved to the couch, played the meditation and fell back to sleep.  It was magic.  Just about every time.  I started using the meditations when I went to bed and found my sleep was interrupted less frequently.  I was actually sleeping until 4 or 5 a.m. without having to get up.   Once my brain adjusted to the free meditations, I realized I was worth the $5 per month cost of using the full app.  

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  

Matthew 11:28 - 30

My princess and sleep companion (until Brian goes to bed)

Meditation is more than just for sleep

My new job brought high levels of stress.   I learn new things every day.  I am on my feet all day, working longer hours than ever before.   I am mentally fatigued beyond comparison.   I am totally out of my comfort zone.   I am mentally and physically exhausted.   Every day.

I love to workout, but I am finding on my way home from work, my body shuts down.  By the time I drive to the gym, I want to collapse.  I have no energy to function.  I just keep driving.  Home.  Where I crash.

I lost the endorphin rush of working out.  I wasn't benefiting from the one thing I knew helped me cope.   I tried working out early in the morning once - twice per week.  That worked until it got cold out.  It's awfully hard to get out of bed in the morning and get to the gym.  But I do my best to make sure I get in at least 4 workouts per week.

That said, one day I was driving to work and I felt completely overwhelmed.  I realized that the practice I used for helping me to sleep could be used to help me deal with the stress of work.  But obviously, I couldn't close my eyes and focus on my breathing while I was driving.  So I began my own practice of meditation.  This time, I turned it into a time of worship and prayer, with a closing of  quiet meditation.  No prescription, no external voice telling me to breathe, just time with my Lord.

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  

Joshua 1:9

I play these two songs:  Lord I Need You by Matt Maher and Tremble by Mosaic, followed by listening to Psalms read to me on my Bible app.   After listening to a couple of chapters, I simply pray, quietly to the Lord.   Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble.  Jesus, Jesus, You silence fear.  Be with me today, Lord.  Help me to be more like you.

Bible app by YouVersion

Meditation is a practice.   You never really perfect it.  But it only works if you practice it.  We can't change our circumstances, but we can control our response to it.  By practicing mediation, I have seen first hand the effect it has on helping me address both sleeplessness AND manage stress.   I am, by no means there.  I still need to "figure it out."

As I do, I will share with you what I learn.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  For this year, I am focusing on the whole picture.  Not just diet and exercise, but also trying to address the cell to soul connection.

New book I'm starting:
One Breath at a Time: A Skeptic's Guide to Christian Meditation by J. Dana Trent 

"Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord." 

Psalm 104:34

Lord I Need You by Matt Maher

Lord I need you, oh I need you.

Every hour I need you.

*Sources
How stress can change your DNA
How chronic stress is harming our DNA
Stress Hormone Causes Epigenetic Changes
Excess Stress Changes Marks on DNA
Epigenetics:  Can stress really change your genes?

And if you are really interested in this, check out this TEDx Talk, which explains the effect on our DNA.

Epigenetics and the influence of our genes

TEDx Talk with Courtney Griffin

Questions for you:  (Answer in the comment section below.)

What strategies do you implement for managing stress? 

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Confidence

So much of this journey has to do with confidence. 

When you are over weight for most of your adult life, you tend to not have much confidence when it comes to body image. I was never good at sports, so even though I can ride my bike 100 miles, run 5 miles and lift weights, I lack confidence with pretty much anything fitness related.

Fall, 2013

I am the head of the department where I work and have many successful and varied leadership experiences.  I write a blog about health and fitness.  Ha!  But I'm still insecure about my weight, and since I hurt my back this year, I have felt completely lost with my workouts.

Me, laying flat on my back during my recovery.  Uggh.  (Cool filter, isn't it?)

What's enough?  What's too much?  This is hard!  I want results... NOW!  Why bother?

After I wrote my last post, Breakthroughs, I got to thinking about my own lack of self confidence.

I am really starting to find my inner joy again.

Everyone has an internal belief system, built upon your own perceptions of what is true and real to you.  If you believe something to be a certain way, changing that belief system is not easy.  To do that, you have to recognize that your perceptions are faulty and you have to have the courage to replace them with a more solid set of realities.  This is complicated, but let's look at it from a child's perspective.

When my sons were little, they had to learn how to do a variety of different basic skills from walking to riding their bike and swimming.   We had a pool, so they were used to being in the pool with various flotation devices.  As they got older, we taught them how to float on their own, how to tread water, and ultimately how to swim.  One of my boys was terrified to swim without assistance.  We brought him to swimming lessons and he basically had a complete melt down.  He needed to have courage to face his fears and he needed to put aside his belief that he had to have a floatie (or a noodle or Mom / Dad) to swim.  Out of the two weeks of lessons, he probably only got into the pool half the time.  It was not what I would consider a success.  That summer, we focused on skill building with him.  The following year, he got into the pool with no problem.  He went on to join the local swim team and swam right through high school.  He had to have courage to replace his belief system.

The same holds true with the journey on this road to fitness.

Believe in yourself!  You CAN do it!  Smile!  Put one foot in front of the other.

Whether you are just starting out, are mid-journey, or like me, are have been on this path for the long haul, you will face obstacles and roadblocks along the way.  You are probably the biggest obstacle.  Yes, you.  What you tell yourself, what you believe.  Recognizing negative self-talk or messages that communicate defeat is essential.  It's okay for things to be challenging, you CAN learn how to work around or overcome your circumstances.  But, you have to tell yourself that.  AND you HAVE to believe it can be done.

Working with a personal trainer helps a LOT.  I started working with Ashley about a month ago and I am so please with how well things are going for me.  She has given me specific things to work on building both my endurance and strength.  The workouts she has me do target my specific weaknesses without causing further injury.  She's also been available in between our sessions.  I will send her a video of a workout and say, "Hey, this is how I'm doing with this, what do you think?"  Then at our session, she provides me with strategies to improve.  She also provides a lot of positive reinforcement, which I realize I need.  I need to know I am doing a good job, and hearing it from someone else, especially a professional, really gives me the confidence I need.  It's worth the financial investment.

My riding buddy, Erica

You may not have a personal trainer, or be able to afford one, but I do recommend you find a workout partner.  Someone to train with so you can encourage each other.  It helps with accountability too.  If someone is counting on you to be there, you're not as likely to let them down.  If you are working on the same training plan, you can provide each other with great feedback too.  Even in between workouts.  I've been riding my bike a lot with my friend Erica.  Even when we don't ride together, we send each other Snapchats of our rides - before, during and/ or after.  When we ride together, we talk about how we are going to tackle a particular hill or what route we want to ride to challenge ourselves.  Having a partner really makes it worth while.

Friday morning we both went out for a ride, but not together.  I sent Erica this selfie, taken at the top of a very aggressive hill I climbed.  It was a major accomplishment to get up that hill!

No one else can give you the self-confidence you need though.  You are the one who has to address your own fears and insecurities.  Recognize them for what they are.  Tell yourself, again and again, that you can do this.  Believing you can; refusing to give up; working around your busy schedule, your day to day obstacles; making your daily goals happen - this is key to long term success.  Believing you can is more than half the battle.  It's critical to achieving your goals, no matter what they are.

Stick with it.  It's worth it.  Give yourself positive affirmations daily.  Yes, daily.  This is not about becoming arrogant, conceited or self-indulgent.  It's about building your self-confidence, giving yourself the tools you need to accomplish your goals.

And remember, YOU do the hard work!  You do it!  You are a champion of every hurdle you cross, every obstacle you defeat.

Challenge for you:  If you accept the challenge, respond in the comment section below how you will do it.
Think about one thing you want to accomplish and haven't gotten around to it because   fill in the blank . Then, go out there and do it.  What is it?  How will you make it happen?  Check back with me periodically and let me know how you're doing with that goal.


Musical notes ♩♫ ♪ ♬ ♪
Now, this song should REALLY motivate you to get out there.  Don't let anything hold you back!

There's Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes

You take all my inhibitions.  Baby, there's nothing holding me back.

You take me places that tear up my reputation, manipulate my decisions.

Baby, there's nothing holding me back.  There's nothing holding me back.

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With Us

Can I hear a big sigh of relief from every Mom out there who celebrates Christmas?  This is the craziest time of year for anyone who has a child under the age of "I still believe."  (Whatever age that might be for your kid/s.)  Even after your kids "get it," the fact remains that there are still gifts to buy, wrap and put under the tree ... Preparations.  Parties.  Baking.  Cooking.  Shopping.  Work.  Don't even want to look at the credit card bills.  Sigh.

Our Christmas tree.  It's a little lopsided at the top, but I think it's super pretty this year.

This song seriously wraps up how I feel in a little more than three minutes:

Just Breathe by Johnny Diaz

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day.

I want to make the most of time, but I feel it slip away...

♬ ♪ ♩ ♫

My son's birthday is December 13, which added a whole new level of crazy to the month.  Even though my kids are still home, they are grown / growing up.  We don't have to attend 15 different Christmas parties anymore.  And...I don't have to go with them everywhere.  It's a huge sigh of relief. 

Love the lipstick...and the Snapchat filters.
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I used to say that December 26 was my favorite day of the year because FINALLY it was all over.  I seriously hated the stress.  How I kept it together, I don't know.  I do know what I do now and it has made all the difference for me in making the Christmas season truly joyful.

This is me today, as I write this blog.  No makeup.  Messy hair.  Listening to Youtube while my son has his friends over.
How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle is currently playing.  I so enjoy this time after Christmas to find myself again.

Christmas music all day every day.  Yes, from Thanksgiving until Christmas, it's nothing but Carols all day.  Our local radio station plays nothing but Christmas music during that time, so I'm tuned in all the time.  At work, I play a variety of Christmas tunes on YouTube.  I'm a little slow to the uptake, but I found that YouTube has a mix of different songs that are comparable to what you chose and it plays pretty much all day.  Go ahead and give it a try.  Search for your favorite song on YouTube and on the right side bar, there are other suggestions.  Towards the top, it says, "50 videos +" and "Mix -" with the name of your song.  Click on that and you can listen all day.

It's been so relaxing for me while I've been working.  I heard this song last week:

Light of the World by Lauren Daigle

The world waits for a miracle

The heart longs for a little bit of hope

O come O come Emmanuel

O Come O Come Emmanuel is probably my absolute favorite Christmas song.  I love the depth of it, the broad spectrum of the notes.  It touches me more than any other song.  So when I heard this one, with the "O come O come Emmanuel" as the refrain and "Glory to the light of the world."  I was moved.

Why do we even sing, "Emmanuel"?  What's the big deal?  In the Bible, Isaiah prophesied:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

In the New Testament, Matthew repeats this prophesy and explains that Immanuel means, "God with us."  (Matthew 1:23)

God with us.  

Jesus was born to be God in flesh, to be with us and live here with us.

But that was over 2,000 years ago.  Jesus died.  Really?  God with us?  

Yes.  He is with us.  Even today.  In the hecticness of life.  In our pain.  In our joy.  In our sorrow.  He is with us.  God is with us.

O come, O come, Emmanuel.  

We sing this familiar Christmas carol, calling, "Come, be with us."  He is not just with us at Christmas.   He never wants us to live a rat race life, let alone spin ourselves into such a craze to celebrate His birth.  I guarantee that.  In fact, with all the secularism of Christmas, the exorbitant shopping and lack of peace we experience during this holiday season, one might say we actually remove ourselves from Him for the sake of celebrating His coming, His birth, His return.  

As you wind down into the New Year, think about this.  God is with us.  He is with you.  Sometimes it's hard to feel it.  To know He is here, by our side.  But in the stillness and quiet, he is as close as you allow him to be.  Close your eyes.  Listen.  

God with us.

Questions for you...(Answer in the comment section below.)
If you celebrate it, do you love Christmas?  What's the best part?   Are you still listening to Christmas carols like me?

Are you up to speed on my series on wellness?  Check it out!

Radio Silence

The Empty Fridge Syndrome

Put a Little Love in Your Step

On Friendship

Breakfast 101

Not a Runner

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Remember the Ride

Wow, what a week I've had!  I blinked an it was Sunday already.

At the Massachusetts State House after the Ride to Remember

Last Saturday was the Ride to Remember and Sunday was a recovery day.

Went shopping Sunday afternoon and bought this pretty blue glass globe to replace a vase Leia knocked over and broke.  The globe is both unique and pretty.

Went to the Big E on Monday night with Brian and our friend Karen.  Worked late on Tuesday.  Went to the Big E again on Wednesday with my friend Liydia.

100 Years of the Big E

The Wine & Cheese Barn at The Big E feature wineries from across New England.  Wine tasting used to be one of my favorite things to do.  While I do appreciate fine wines. I don't drink like I used to, that's for sure.  

Worked late again on Thursday.  Friday was Friday.  

Got in a good workout Thursday night.  Leg day!!!  

Yesterday we did the Rugged Maniac and blink!  Here we are...Sunday again. 

After the Rugged Maniac
Fun!!!  Making fitness fun is a sure way to find enjoyment on your journey.  What's your passion?  Not sure, get out there and try some things out.  Start a new hobby.  See what you love and do it!

As promised, I want to share with you my experiences doing the Ride to Remember this year.  The day was amazing.  The weather was perfect.  We couldn't have had a better day.  And I'm here to tell you what an amazing difference a year makes.  One year and I'm stronger, more confident, less anxious and a whole lot less wound up about it.

Riding in Boston.  The thrill and excitement are hard to describe.

I'm actually not sure I'm stronger than I was a year ago.  My shoulder injury has set me back tremendously.  I re-injured my shoulder the Tuesday before the Ride to Remember, so I was in pain all day.  As I write this, it is throbbing.  But strength can be measured in other ways, and for that, I am convinced I am stronger.

I was number 56.  They wrote my number on my leg upside down, so it looked like a weird 95 I guess.  Not sure if you can see how big my calves are, but seriously, they are rock solid.  I had to go up a size on my capris this year because the size 4's cut me off at the calf and they were very uncomfortable.  Even the size 6's were tight at the calf, but the size 8's were falling off me at the waist.  

If you are a regular reader, you know I've been experiencing some personal struggles lately.  I am starting to find the sun again, but the pain has marked my training this year.  I have had to reach deep to be able to see my way on my path, to struggle to be able to hear my new voice so I am not drowned by the sea of self doubt that once was my routine.  My trip to Florida at the beginning of September was restorative for me.  I feel like the clouds are finally lifting and I can start to come out of my shell again.  It's not been easy and I'm still poking my head out a little at a time.

I love my Aunt Kelly so much.  She is such a blessing to me!

In July I started a new diet and fitness regimen.  I did really well with it, lost over 10 lbs. and was looking super lean.

Ha!  Ha!  You won't be seeing another bikini picture of my any time soon.

But the nutrition plan was ultra low on the carbs and when I started riding my bike again, I had to throw the diet out the window.  Last year I got very sick not eating enough.  This year, I was not making that mistake again.  And so I ate...as much of pretty much whatever I wanted.  I did not lose any weight, but I didn't gain any either.  The week before the ride, I was on a carbohydrate binge.

Friday's breakfast, lunch and dinner!  Carbs, anyone?
Why do you need so many carbs when you ride?  Carbohydrates provide your body with energy and help you to replace the glycogen it burns when riding your bike.

This was the fourth year of Ride to Remember.  The ride pays homage to the lives of Massachusetts law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.  Remembering their sacrifice is the primary goal.  For all the riders, there is a fitness challenge to meet as well.  When I did it the first time, not only was it a major fitness goal, I also wanted to honor my trainer Mike who died the previous November.  I was filled with self-doubt and my anxiety had me reeling.  This year was different.  It was all about me.  I didn't do it to make anyone else proud.  I didn't have the self-doubt or fear that I struggled with before.  I knew I would be able to do it.  Right up until we got to the State House in Boston, I never doubted it.  I would not say that I was arrogant or prideful, on the contrary, I was humbled to honor the lives of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice protecting and serving the community.

After the ride, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker spoke to us.  For once, a public official didn't say something to put police officers down, rather he actually gave a meaningful tribute to thank law enforcement officers for putting their lines on the line every time they go to work.  That's the reality.  He is standing by the memorial, which you can't see because of all the people.  But it holds the names of fallen Massachusetts police officers.  It truly is remarkable.

I will do it again next year.  I am hoping to inspire and motivate more people to join us.  It is a cause worth riding for and a challenge worth meeting.  If you think you can't do it, just tell yourself, "If Tracey could do it, so can I."  Two years ago, I walked with a limp.  My knee was in constant pain.  I pushed myself to work through the physical limitations and trained hard to do the ride.  I bought a good bike, but not one that was out of my means.  I rode two - three times per week and made sure I was training for both hills and distance.  This year was different because I knew what to do.  I knew I had it in me.  You can too, if you want.  Just dig deep and believe.  You are stronger than  you think you are!

This!
This view makes it all worth while.  The hours of training.  The year long anticipation that leads up to this moment when you ride by the Citgo sign near Fenway and you know you've done what you set out to do.  You have accomplished the unimaginable.   There is nothing like it.

See more pictures here:  Oh, What a Day!

Read about last year's ride here:  The Girl Picked Last

Coming soon:  Body Beautiful

Questions for you (answer in the comment section below):
What's your favorite outdoor activity?  Why do you like it so much?  Who do you do it with?

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September

September is my favorite month of the year.  Apples.  Cool nights.  Crisp morning air.  Warm afternoons.  Fall has a distinct smell that just makes me happy.  In Massachusetts, it means the Big E, which is a giant fair with all kinds of goodies from all over New England and the entire Northeast, to be honest.  Now September means the Ride to Remember for me.  Not to mention, my birthday and my husband’s birthday.  I love September.

We went to Worcester to see Mitch for my birthday.  The girls at work bought me lunch and got me Extra gum.  Erica got me this awesome bracelet because she's my person!

 I had a super busy summer.  I can’t believe it’s come and gone so quickly.  I work in the summer to make extra money to help with the boys’ college tuition.  It’s much lower key, but it’s not like being off for the summer. 

Went apple picking yesterday with my best friend Stacy and godson Sam.  Love them apples!

My first time EVER putting my hand to canning.  My friend Liydia told me she canned some tomatoes a couple weeks ago, so I gave that a whirl this week.  What a ton of work!!!  I  made apple butter with the apples I picked yesterday.  Came out beautifully!!!  Yummy!!!  I absolutely LOVE anything apple spice or pumpkin spice.  I'm crazy about it!

School started two weeks ago and I can finally get back into a rhythm. 

Before school started, the counselors work soooo hard to make sure everything goes smoothly.  We go through every student's academic records, make sure they are in the right classes and that there are no holes in their schedule.  We also enroll dozens of new students who transfer to our school.  It is an incredibly busy (and stressful) time of year for us.

Last past weekend I took a little trip to Florida to visit my family there.  My Aunt Kelly and I are close in age and I love her like a best friend.  She gets me.  I swear.  I wish we were closer so we could see each other more often.  It is hard being on opposite sides of the country. 

My Aunt Kelly and I

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

It was soooo nice to get away.  I don’t really like to do all the touristy things when I visit.  I really just want to hang out by the pool, go to the beach and see my grandmother while I am there.  When I visit, I want to spend time with Kelly, catch up on the past year or so and reconnect.  That’s exactly what we did.

I’ve been feeling lost lately.  Heart broken.  I confided in Kelly what's been going on and she got it.  She did.  She shared with me her own experience she went through this past year.  I was amazed at how parallel the circumstances were.  While I felt sorry that she went through that, there was something about it that comforted me, because someone understood what I’ve been going through.  Finally.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but god is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalms 73:26

Hurricane Hermine really stirred up the Gulf of Mexico, so when we went to the beach on Saturday, the waves were huge.  By Monday, the water was all stirred up and not the normal aqua blue that it is. 

Normally the water is so blue, but it was cloudy murky after the hurricane.

 Being away from both the gym and my bike, I had to make do with what I had, so I put on my sneakers and went for a couple two-mile runs.  I’m not supposed to run, but I’ve been doing it anyway lately.  It takes me about 20 minutes and I get a good burn.  I have to stop once in a while to catch my breath because I feel like my lungs are going to implode and my heart is going to burst out of my chest.  If you’re from the North East, you know the roads are curvy and often hilly and the houses and vegetation provide visible landmarks so you don’t get lost.  Well, in Florida, the roads are pretty much straight for miles, the vegetation and landscape are all the same.  This meant I had to be careful not to get lost.  I did okay, check out my map:

A quick 20 minute run and I sweat like crazy!

I’ve made a decision and I’m kind of happy, albeit nervous to tell you.  It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.  Once the finances are set, I’m going to get my credentials to become a personal trainer.  My focus will be on nutrition.  I’m not looking to do it full time.  I love my job too much for that.  But I think this would be a good opportunity to spread my wings and earn some extra income on the side. 

So, check this out!!!  I hurt my shoulder last spring and was in agony for several weeks.  I haven't been able to do push-ups since, but I've been working to improve my strength and am up to 15 pushups in one set.  Three weeks ago I could only do six push-ups, so this is a huge improvement and I love the measurable outcomes.

Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  I Timothy 4:8

I have learned so much over the past two ½+ years, that it’s time to share that with others.  Working with Mike and Dmitriy really inspired me to change my life for the better and that difference has been all the difference for me.  It’s my turn to do the same…or at least see if I can.

The same day, I did deadlifts at 135 pounds.  That was super exciting for me!  Four months ago I maxed out at 215#. which was a personal record.  However. with the shoulder pain, I couldn't deadlift at all because the weight was too much strain on the shoulder.  I won't be able to do 200# again for a while, but I can gradually increase my weight and enjoy the satisfaction of seeingI' real gains every week. 

 I will be writing some more here these next few weeks.  I don't want to keep on being an absentee blogger.  Stay tuned.  Future topics include:

Keeping up with "The Grind"

"Body Beautiful"

"Gym Fashion" and more...

Questionsfor you...Answer in the comment section below.

How was "Back to School" for you and your family?
Are you as crazy about apples and pumpkin spice as I am?

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