Friendship and Fitness

There's nothing more heartwarming than sharing the endorphin rush of a good walk, workout, bike, or run with the ones you love. It is a great way to be updated on current events, brainstorming for a solution, venting over hardships and conflicts, or just having a great laugh over situations that are funny enough to share. Creativity can be enhanced, fresh ideas can rise to the surface and friendships can be empowered. Time flies and what can be drudgery can be fun and rewarding. It's a powerful way to get fit and happy, all in one package! It works with dogs, too. They're great listeners!

"The Sweet Spot"

There's nothing more rewarding than accomplishing a physical challenge: one that involves nothing but you and your body (oh, and gravity!). If we seriously, intentionally, make a challenge for ourselves and set the goal to achieve it, IT CAN BE DONE!  Realistic, true goal setting.
In yoga, the challenges often are postures that defy gravity and body weight/build, etc. But given a challenging posture and a DESIRE to achieve that pose can be one of the most simplest rushes one can experience. The self satisfaction of knowing that no one and nothing had anything to do with this but "me, myself, and I". I become motivated, very present with myself and start the inner dialogue ("Can I do this" or "Why am I doing this"). Then comes the conversation with myself ("No, I think the pelvis should tilt more" or  "I need to engage my core more and stop thinking about my feet").  Believe me, much effort and energy is needed to have these conversations with myself. But then comes the stillness of the "SWEET SPOT": all becomes quiet..........the inner dialogue diminishes.... the adjustments have been made...and BAM! I'm in my pose with effortlessness. SWEEEET!  

Able minded/Able bodied

Okay. Race is done! 13.1 miles in Central Park and I did it!! It was so zen. What I find so amazing about the whole experience is the physical preparation I went through (with alot of help from my walking buddy! - Thank you!!), the mental preparation, then the mental/physical preparation (aka "the head trip").  Do we psych ourselves up for an event or do we psych ourselves out? Hmmmm! Through this whole process I realized it was both - all the way up to the last minute!
I was well prepared physically, nutritionally, psychologically for the race. Then came the "head trip" of "what if.....?" "What if I can't do 13.1 miles?" "What if it is too cold?" "What if it's too hot?" "What if it rained?" The answers to all the "what if's" became : THEN DON'T DO IT!  I already walked 13.1 on my home turf, who needed this old race? Blah! Blah!Blah!
All the way up until the day of the race came these questions/doubts. But then it dawned on me that I am ABLE to do this (I did it at home, why not NYC?). I am ABLE to get through this whether or not I finish in time. I am able to get through this because I had my kids there rooting me on! How could I not succeed?
The reality of all this is not that I was able bodied, but able minded. My mind just needed to RE-MIND my body. Mind over matter = success!
And so these fleeting thoughts passed. The race was run. The day was absolutely perfect. The support team (my 3 kids) were by my side. It was a complete success.
And so the  moral to the story really is to have that glass of chianti and that tiramisu the night before a big race and everything will be alright!!

Fear

With just a little over a month left to train for this half marathon walk, which I registered for, the fear has set in. What was I thinking? Why did I want to do this again? Of course, I'm asking these questions to my dog, Indigo.
So as I went on ranting and raving over the choice to bite the bullet and register, Indigo looked at me with her calm, gentle, loving eyes....and there the answer was: " WALK ME!" her eyes said. Now the question to that answer really was, "Who was asking the question?".
Off we went. My mentor and me!! She, unconditionally, walked 4.5 miles with me yesterday, with such joy in her tail and I joined her, wagging my tail, as we walked through our neighborhood, enjoying the "spring" day.
I dropped her off at home to get water and rest from her chivalrous duty/fun loving walk and went on to finish the last two on my own.
The fear was gone and the joy returned. My dog saved me from the ravages of fear and reminded me that I am doing this for fun (and to prove that this soon-to-be 50 year old still has some spunk left in her swagger!).

Joy

So many of us start out our workouts with a list of complaints for the day: waking up at 2am and not going back to sleep, dogs throwing up besides your bed and awakening to your first step in it,....you know. But once the challenges of your workout begins and the aching and sweating kicks in, life is good again and the not so good things that started your day become kinda funny. Then you realize that just the blessing of being able to get out of bed and get up to workout can actually be a joyful experience. AND YOU KNOW IT ALWAYS FEEL GOOD WHEN IT'S OVER!!

Satisfaction

Even in the midst of drudgery and despair, there's the hope that one's ability to move two legs can get a person from point A to point B. So this weekend, point A to point B was 7.5 miles - walking. Who was I kidding? I hardly walked all week because it was so cold, wet and dreary out - nice excuse, since I live next door to a gym. My poor dog looked at me all week with her sad eyes wondering when I'd pick up that leash and head out the door.
And then.....came the text message: "Do you want to walk today?"  My conscience can actually text???? Oh, ya!  It was my walking buddy and motivator. In a matter of 30 seconds, while holding my phone, staring at that text message, 20 excuses not to walk floated through my head.  I took a deep breath, raised my thumb over the "N" then over the "Y". What's going to be??
Oh my gosh! Lifetimes went by in those 30 seconds.  What a waste of energy! I could be walking in the amount of time it took to decide!!
"YES!"  Of course. I knew I would feel better once I got outside. I knew I would love talking with my buddy as we trekked  on the road from point A to point B.  I knew the rewards would be numerous.
So, after our 2 hour walk, it was all worth it. All of it!  The feeling of air and sun and beauty all around us, smelling the salt air of the beach close by, the joy of commaraderie and accomplishment - all worth it.
It's a wonderful thing to know I could turn 30 seconds of pure agony and self sabotage into pure SATISFACTION!! 

"THE PUSH"

I guess it's important to write a blog when you're not too tired to proofread your work....

"The Push" first happens when you get up. You could either roll over after you hit the snooze button, OR start 'thinking' about how you want to start your day (coffee or tea, oatmeal or eggs?) while still under the covers, OR get your lazy ass out of bed and put on your workout clothes and go to the gym or walk the dog. Why? Because, in the end, you know if you do you will be so much happier with yourself.  You'll feel so good once you get started, be so satisfied when you're done and manifest an amazing day. THAT'S WHY!
So don't think about it, because you know you've already debated it over and over again in your head. Just do it! You already know why!