Girlfriends Are Cheaper Than Therapists & A Lot More Fun…!

Or so the saying goes…but I have to say I certainly agree!  This weekend I raced in a sprint triathlon with 6 other girlfriends. Some I work with, some I work out with, and some I just met.  Regardless, we entered this race with different aspirations and goals–to win, to place, to better our last time, to finish, to conquer and overcome….but most of all to have fun and celebrate life.  We met at Jayne Ann’s at 4:45 for last minute prep and our “before” shot. We were excited, anxious, tired (me…yawn) and ready to take on this experience.  We couldn’t have had better weather. The pool was comfortable–not too hot and not too cold.  The weather warmed up enough so that no additional layers were needed after the swim. The bike route was hilly and beautiful. And the run was off road, through some woods, on trails and along side a small lake.

You know the poem that talks about friends who come and go. Some are for a lifetime and some for a period of time. No matter how long, each brings a special gift.

My Saturday morning friends are amazing. One has a fear of water…and yet, that does not stop her from swimming several times a week and racing.  One of them has never run before, yet she put everything she had into this race, finished it and did fantastic. Another one I want to be like when I grown up. She runs a 6 minute mile and has a rock hard little bod.  Several of these ladies beat their best times and set personal records. Another one still looks like an amazing beauty after an hour and a half of strenuous racing!  These ladies are so motivating, so encouraging, so STRONG!

Here’s to a great weekend, a lot of fun, girlfriends who rock & more PRs!

  In continuing my “favorite things”…this week’s sharing might come as a surprise—because it is the men’s magazine, “Men’s Health”! I actually subscribe to both Women’s Health and Men’s Health. Seriously- I do.  You’d think there would be a lot of overlap in content, but there isn’t.  I find Men’s Health informative, entertaining (the sex and gadget articles—you gotta love how men think!), and yes, then there are the pictures…But, seriously, I read it for the ARTICLES. (How funny does that sound?!) And what I really dig about the magazine (and website) are the workouts.  While I go to a gym (Lifetime Fitness) and have a mini gym at my house, I really like boot camp type of training—using your body as resistance– AND at-home workouts. I do them myself and like to include my kids when I train. Plus, many friends I work with don’t want to join a gym and I like being able to show them exercises they can easily do with their whole family, at home, with little or no equipment. Let me share a fun one I stumbled upon. I read about it on Men’s Fitness and then looked it up on YouTube. I recommend watching the video from the creators for form and instruction. You can modify it a lot of ways. Then, if you want to be entertained, you can watch a bunch of guys who filmed themselves attempting to do this workout in its entirety! Now, if you don’t have a chin up bar in a doorway or in the garage, just be creative in your modifications. You can use a resistance band wrapped around a pole to get your back.  And, if you want to start with a simpler workout until you get stronger, try this:20 Prisoner Squats, 20 Pushups, 10 Jumps, 10 Inverted Rows (alternate using a band or a towel and a partner!)20 Forward Lunges (10 reps per side)15 Close-grip Pushups, 5 Chin-ups or Inverted Rows (underhanded grip with band/partner or find a solid bar/bench you can use to pull yourself up)  

But seriously, in this age of texting abbreviations, acronyms DO serve a useful purpose!  Anyway,  I came across one I really liked, so I thought I would share it with you. It’s called the “L-I-V-E” formula and it came from the Dawna Markova book, “I Will Not Die an Unlived Life–Reclaiming Purpose & Passion ” So, here it is:

L is for love…what do you LOVE to do? Make a list and then be sure to DO it.

I is for inner gifts…what are your natural talents? What do others come to you for? And back to “L”- what makes you happy?  Go ahead, offer them to the world around you.    

V is for values…what’s REALLY important? How do you want to make YOUR mark in the world? What is your legacy? What do you want to be remembered for?

E is for environment…we have such a grand opportunity to make a difference in our world and the world for our children. Don’t kid yourself. EVERY little bit matters. But the way to make the grandest impact is to surround yourself with those people, places, things, and conditions that bring out the BEST in YOU. It will help your career, your happiness and your impact on our wonderful world.

Go ahead and try it. Dare ya.  L-I-V-E a little…or a lot!  And don’t forget to laugh along the way.

Do you know what’s best for you? It’s an onoing educational process as far as I am concerned! Each of us are different–we get various amounts of sleep, our diets vary, and we are exposed to different toxins, and our physical endeavors vary. I can tell you what I do–but for what’s best for YOU, is based on YOUR needs. And for that, you need an individualized plan. I have great homeopath and nutritionist friends who provide excellent guidance and direction. However, I still read and research everything I can get my hands on! For Christmas, I bought myself “You, the Owner’s Manual” ( Amazon ) by Dr. Oz, Oprah’s latest doctor friend. He came and spoke at Lifetime Fitness last year and the man is amazingly brilliant. Unfortunately, I have not let myself even peak at the book until I finish my current 3 open books! Anyway, Dr. Oz has a number of recommendations and some that are specific to your age which I found helpful ( Oprah’s Website ). You can download a PDF, which I thought was handy. There’s actually quite a few handy tools and healthy living articles from Dr. Oz at www.Oprah.com . So what’s best for you depends on you, your needs, and your nutritionist’s recommendations. If you have some other good reading recommendations, let me know. But –Dr. Oz’s book is NEXT in line and I can’t wait!

This weekend I participated in a personal trainers seminar put on by the National Council on Strenth and Fitness ( www.NSCF.org ) . What an enjoyable weekend that was! The organization is excellent, the materials (which I got back in February) are extremely thorough. Oh, and the instructor was incredibly knowledgeable guy who walked the talk. So I got two days of review, met some new friends, and had a blast.

While I kept up with my interest/knowledge in wellness over the years, I had let my personal training certication lapse.  Since I was getting more and more requests through work, church and the community to participate in and lead in various fitness related programs, I decided it was time to get certified again. And, I have enjoyed every second of it. 

While I work for a fantastic company which provides numerous educational opportunities, I found I had been spending more time on the work related knowledge programs and not as much on the areas that interested me.  This year’s balance plan includes more reading time. I have 3 unfinished books that I am proud to say I am making headway on again:  “Love Without End”  ( http://www.lovewithoutend.com/ ), “The Power of Now” (this is by the same guy who wrote the book on Oprah’s Monday night deal (www.oprah.com), “The Purpose Driven Life” (this one is taking a bit longer like “Love Without End” because I read a bit, then lay my book down and ponder…), and my most recent addition, “Eat, Love, Pray” ( http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/ ) which really suits me on several levels.  This was one of Oprah’s book club recommendations and my boss loaned it to me. This woman writes conversationally, she has a quest for knowledge, and I enjoy her sense of humor. Plu the chapters are short so if I only have 5 minutes before bed, I can still get a bit in!

So, this weekend’s seminar and my personal training textbooks have reminded me how important it is to spend time sharpening the ol’ saw–BUT in a subject matter that excites us. Like trying a new sport.  Which, btw ladies, I still think the sprint tri is SUCH fun. And much more achievable than most folks think. There is a great book on training for one in 4 hours a week or less. Truly it can be done. You can find the book at : Amazon.

Learn, live, love…and pass it on!  

Lisa

I can’t imagine a day without tea…well, actually several cups of it! When I was battling leukemia, everything about the disease was depressing. The “stats” were depressing. Spending so much time in doctor’s offices and hospitals made me feel helpless. So I made a shift. I decided to put my time and attention on being WELL. Health was/is positive. Things I could do for myself were empowering. Reading health and fitness magazines, seeing healthy, fit bodies helped me visualize where I would be again, one day. I read all of Andrew Weil’s books, plus a slew of others on nutrition and health. One of the early changes I made was to begin a regimen of drinking green tea. Organic, Japanese, sencha green tea. 4-6 cups a day. I FELL IN LOVE with it! I enjoy the process of preparing the tea, the warmth of a mug in my hands, the steam on my face, and the light, grassy aroma. The light green color even LOOKS healthy! Green tea doesn’t go through an oxidation process like most teas. And, most of them are grown in Japan or China. It has many health benefits. Although it naturally contains caffeine, one mug’s worth contains less than 25% compared to an average cup of coffee. If you are trying to reduce your caffeine consumption (New Year’s resolution, perhaps?), switching from coffee to green tea is a very healthy alternative. Scientists have shown a correlation between green tea consumption and reduced cancer risk, weight loss, and improved heart health. And if you have a sore throat, green tea with a little honey is oh-so-soothing! I’m happy to report that in May I will celebrate 8 years of REMISSION. I still drink several cups of green tea a day. It’s alkaline, it’s healthy. Each sip is a sip of enjoyment and pleasure, of thankfulness and celebration, and a brief respite from the busyness of the day. Cheers!