Monday, June 24, 2013

A New Perspective

I hope everyone is having a marvelous Monday!  Last week, the Bikini Series challenge by Tone It Up wrapped up.  The Bikini Series was an 8 week challenge full of workouts and motivation from Karena and Katrina on their blog.  Immediately at the end of the challenge, members of the community began posting progress pics, sharing their measurements, posting the number of pounds they lost, and showing off the muscles they've earned.

Of course, I was extremely proud of all of the ladies and their accomplishments.  It is not easy to commit to a challenge like that for 8 weeks.  So I began reflecting on what has changed in my life over the last 2 months.  The scale didn't budge...bummer. I feel a little stronger, but I won't be busting out a 6-pack anytime soon.  A picture would not tell my story.  After some more thought, I realize what has changed most in my life was my perspective. 

I've been following all of these inspiring women who wake up during the wee hours of the morning to fit their workout in and then come home in the evening and add extra toning moves.  Each one of them is beautiful and the way everyone in the community supports one another is beyond words.  Before this challenge, I had a bad habit of body-envy.  I think it's especially easy now in this social network immersed society to be pulled into comparisons between women.  What you ate/didn't eat, how far you ran/didn't run, how long you can plank/lay on the ground. 

So I'm admitting that up until now, I've been a judger. 

"That girl at the gym, I'm skinnier than her." 
"Oh, she posted that picture?  It makes her look fat." 
"If I ate that ice cream, I would be fat."
"It took her 30 minutes to run 2 miles, how slow!"
"She's too skinny, she needs to eat something." 

And from this point forward, I'm DONE!

That's right, no more "F" word for me.  Every individual has their own circumstances, struggles, and accomplishments.  And every individual is beautiful in their own unique way.  Who am I to judge how a stranger looks?  I don't know where everyone is on their personal journey.  I see this quote all of the time, and I think it is the best reminder to give everyone respect and stop the comparisons!


That's all for today. I will give everyone an update on my triathlon training progress next week.  Until then, I leave you with a picture from this weekend.  Happy Summer!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Weekend of Celebrations

I mentioned in my last blog post that my birthday was last Sunday.  Don't worry I'm not mad that your card got "lost in the mail."  The night before my birthday was spent going out with friends.  It was nice to catch up with some old college buddies and some newer acquaintances.  We enjoyed dinner at Mi Cocina restaurant and then a few too many shots at a nearby bar (note: no pictures).

My actual birthday was spent mostly with my parents.  They got me this adorable cake.  And then I lounged by the pool with Daniel. I was only bummed because my brother and sister couldn't be there.


This weekend, my brother made up for skipping my birthday.  He brought his wife and their guinea pig, Rollo, to come visit for the weekend.  It was a joint celebration for my birthday, Father's Day, and my Mom's birthday (which is this Friday).  I love spending time with my brother and compiled a long list of activities for all of us to do.  First we played tennis.


My brother and I both played competitively in high school, so it's a little family rivalry we like to keep going.  He wins this round...  Then we flew kites.


It was actually threatening to rain on us all morning (note the dark background), but we found just enough wind to keep these kites in the air.  After lunch, my mom wanted to go to the new George Bush Presidential Library that just opened in Dallas.  We cleaned up and went to check out the museum.


Daniel and I posed in a replica of Bush's Oval Office.  The museum was well done and everyone enjoyed it.  The evening wrapped up with beer by the pool.  What a perfect day!

Father's Day was spent relaxing and taking my dad to a movie.  I forgot to mention, there was no shortage of cake this weekend.

Last thought before I sign off for the night.  The best gift I got for my birthday and a Triathlon Suit for my upcoming race.  Now I am ready to tackle the challenge.  Plus, there is no turning back because I officially registered last night.  I'm scared and excited all at once.

 
What did you do this weekend?


Monday, June 10, 2013

Tri Training Week 1 Wrap-up

Sorry this post is coming a little late today.  I wanted to do a summary of my first official week of triathlon training.  Some of the workouts look easy, but remember, it is only week 1 of 12.  The goal was to get used to working out every day, and I think it was a success.

Monday
Strength training day - 3 sets of 20 reps of the following:
1. Leg presses
2. Seated Row
3. Leg/Knee Extensions
4. Seated Lat Pulldown
5. Crunches
6. Superman

Tuesday
Run 15 mins (~1.5 miles)
Swim 2x100M, 8x50M freestyle



Wednesday
35 minute run - Social Run for National Running Day

Thursday
Spinning podcast (1 hour)



Friday
Swim 2x100M, 8x50M freestyle, 3x50 breaststroke

Saturday
Hill run x3 (3.5 miles total)

Sunday
MY BIRTHDAY - ok, I skipped a workout day...guilty!  But no regrets!

Today I repeated Mondays workout plus I added in 100 body-weight squats.  Hopefully I will be able to keep up this schedule especially as the workouts get a little more intense.  Wish me luck!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Where Have I Been?

Instead of boring you with a long drawn out story of how busy I've been, I will instead share the new things I've done lately.

1. I tried green smoothies!
I was inspired by the Green Challenge posted by ToneItUp as part of their Bikini Series. (P.S. If you are looking for some inspiring ladies, look no farther than TIU).  Basically I took my existing fruit smoothie in the morning and added a cup of spinach.  I'm sure there are real raw foodies out there who wouldn't call this a green smoothie, but for me it is a step in the right direction.  I was very afraid to try this, but was pleasantly surprised how refreshing the spinach addition was and how it invigorated me.

Smoothie w/ Strawberries, Blueberries, Banana, and Spinach

2. Along the same lines I tried green tea!
Again, part of the Green Challenge, I tried green tea.  I always buy packs of tea and then they sit in my pantry because I don't really like them.  Well, that is no longer the case!  I learned this Texas girl can add ice and pinch of Stevia to make a delicious iced tea with great antioxidant powers.



3. I went wake boarding at a cable park.
I wish I had a picture of this outing, but both Daniel and I were wake boarding at the same time.  This was so fun, and I was even successful and getting 3/4 of the way around the "advanced" pond.  My shoulders were super sore for 2 days afterwards.

Hydrous Cable Park

4. I went to Washington DC.
The main reason I haven't posted - my family went to DC for a week.  I have never been before and this city/district (still not sure about the proper term) was amazing!  I could write a whole post, but I will just list my favorites.  Favorite Museum: Air & Space, Favorite Memorial: FDR, Favorite Other Thing: Zoo!  There are lots of pictures if you follow me on IG (@julie13point1), but today I will just post one.

My Whole Family at the U.S. Capitol
 
5. I rejoined the gym.
So this isn't a first for me, but I haven't been a gym member in over a year.  I enjoy working out at home or outside, but I've decided since it is summer and I've committed to a triathlon, I want access to a place with a pool and indoor cycling classes.  It gets really hot in Texas over the summer, so the treadmill access may be nice too.  I did my first strength workout tonight.  Let's just say I'm going to have some really nicely sculpted traps when I am done.
 
 
Alright, that's enough for now.  Happy Summer everyone!  What have you been up to?