Friday, February 28, 2014

It's time to RIDE...

My friend just opened up her own cycling studio The Handlebar Cycling Studio and it's AWESOME!  I finally got to visit this week for two rides, Tuesday and Thursday.  I hadn't planned to do Thursday, but after an awesome ride with, Becky Tuesday I had to come back.  Becky is my friend and the owner!  She is the best spinning instructor I've been too.  Super encouraging and pushes you in such a positive way that you want to do well and push yourself.  I'm not much for stationary exercise, but Beckys class makes it fun.  She takes you on different rides so it's not the same each class.  The music is great and you have some encouraging you the entire ride.  

Becky and I

What I love:
  • The studio is beautiful, hip, fresh and relaxing!
  • It's in TACOMA
  • My friend is an amazing instructor!
  • The bikes are the best!  
  • Computers on the bikes tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your ride!
  • Bring in a Flash Drive to record all the information of your ride you ever wanted to know!
  • You a FREE water bottle on your first visit
  • They supply towels for each ride!  Less to bring for you...
  • Great class options from beginners to advanced to 50-minute all the way to a 2-hour endurance rides! (All rides are the same price...you choose what fit's your needs)
  • Your first ride is FREE
  • You get a killer WORKOUT and burn a ton of calories!  Sweat fest!

The studio is very impressive!
We went to the grand opening last weekend and I was so impressed with it.  The studio is very cool and open.  It's downtown Tacoma and opened a few weeks ago.  The spin bikes are the best I've been on and even have computers so you can see your stat's which makes me happy.  Seeing  your calories, distance, speed, rpm's, watts helps you a lot so you know how hard your working or not working.  It's always bothered me not to know my ride information.  You can also bring a flash drive to record your own information.
Max enjoying the amazing spin bikes 

Remember your ride is FREE!  Yah, FREE so you really should come check it out.  There is also a special right now, 3 rides for $36.  

Thursday, February 27, 2014

It's a long-term thing?

I have to change My mindset...

I'm not patient...I need to work on that!

I expect to see results right away!

I agree, this is not a realistic, it's not a good mindset when you're trying to lose weight.

What I am grateful for, is feeling good about who I am, no matter what my size is.  I can be in a swimsuit and I don't mind.  Sure, I want to be skinnier and fit into a specific size jeans and weigh a certain weight, but that has never made me feel less of myself, just uncomfortable when my muffin top is being seen by everyone.  Stupid muffin-top, I don't care if you ARE the best part of the muffin!

I wish I was a type A personality who committed and executed all my marvelous health plans, but I'm not and I fall off the wagon and get bored with routine quickly.  I lose weight and put on weight, I run and I don't run, I swim and I don't swim...you get the idea.

This last June I lost a very dear friend very unexpectedly.  Not only was she like family to me, her daughter is one of my dearest friends.  It was very difficult to watch a friend pass away and then also watch your best friend lose her mother, her best friend, her only family.  She had also lost her dad 8 months, almost to the day her mother passed.  Death is so painful, which ever way it happens.  This turned my summer around in so many ways.

Below is a picture us during a wonderful trip we had, October 2012.  Marilyn is my friend who passed.  So grateful for this trip, we had the BEST time that will forever be cherished. 

Andrea, Megs, Marilyn & Me
Previous to this I had been doing crossfit and running and gearing up for 2-races and when my friend went in the hospital on the night before the triathlon I stopped everything, which was the right thing to do.  I was able to be with my friends and say goodbye for the 2-weeks she was in the hospital.  We didn't expect to lose her and we were actually making plans to move her some where as she was out of the hospital.  Things took a turn for the worst the last couple days and she was gone.

This summer was very different than what I planned, but death changes you.  All I wanted to do after losing her, was be with my friends and family, reconnect with old friends.  I put working out on the back burner, it just wasn't important to me.

That has led to today!  Trying to get back on track.  Why had it taken so long, oh yes and we also bought a new house!  We love it, but I couldn't think of anything else for about 3-months as we prepared for moving, I have never moved a household before...I think I would rather birth a child than move...its so much work and it never ends.  I love our new house though...it's amazing to have space and to LOVE our house.

So now that things are getting back to normal, whatever that is!  It's was time to start making healthier choices, making time to exercise and oh yah, we booked our yearly trip to San Diego and I really, really want my shorts to fit!

(why can't I ever write a short post)

2-weeks ago I started eating whole-foods!  Not letting all the garbage in, no more beer or glass a wine at night, no processed stuff.  Lots of lean protein, veggies, fruit and drinking water.  I also started doing some weights and walking!  Oh and this week I started back at master's swimming and also did a spin class.

Yah, great progress, right!

But I'm discouraged!  Weight is not FALLING off, I haven't lost 100 pounds!  Why?

I keep telling myself that this is about MY health.  This is not about getting skinny and dropping weight quickly.  It's about making healthy choices, exercising on a regular basis.  Eating healthy most of the time.  It's not about being perfect or following a food program.

I want to be healthy!  I want to feel good, strong and healthy.

I have to keep reminding myself of this!  *Good thing too because I just ate some animal cookies.  

Bringing balance to all aspects of life.  The truth is I feel better mentally and physically when I'm making good choices and have got my heart rate up for the day.  I also feel different in my clothes when I've been making healthier choices.  It doesn't mean that my clothes fit me how I want them to...but I just feel better.  So much of this is mental.  If I eat out and have dessert that doesn't mean I'm a failure, it doesn't mean to stop making healthy choices because I blew it at that meal.

Life is such a journey!  The more I learn about food and nutrition the more I can't go back to the old way I used to do things...some ignorance is bliss!  Knowledge changes you and it's hard to go back.

I'm trying to make each day count for tomorrow.  Long-term health.

 I want to be healthy, not skinny (well I would like to be, but God didn't make me naturally skinny.) just healthy for me, for my body.  Getting older is nice for this stuff...you get more comfortable with you you are, and worry less about trying to be someone you are not.  Being healthy for Jill looks different than anyone else.  My size, me weight...those are numbers that will never  measure up to the worlds standards.  But if I'm healthy and my blood work is good, I feel good and continuing to make good decision, well then that is something!

There is not an end to a healthy lifestyle, I will never feel as though I have arrived and achieved this perfect healthy lifestyle. It's a constant, I have to keep telling myself that.  What a relief!

So HEALTH, it's a long-term thing!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Let's Tri, SHALL WE?

I have much to catch you up on, but really don't feel like it at the moment!  And speaking of the moment, lets talk about what's on my mind at the MOMENT!

formally Dilettante Women's Triathlon!



What Five Mile Lake Women's Triathlon is saying:
We're happy to announce the return of the Women's Triathlon for a fourth year!  Formerly known as the Dilettante Women's Triathlon, this race is the perfect season opener for the novice or experienced athlete.  An exceedingly family-friendly race, we welcome all to come join us at lovely Five Mile Lake Park on Sunday, June 15th. 
For 2014, we will continue to offer the Sprint and Olympic distances.  We're happy to offer this longer distance for those looking to step it up!  

******

I'm always excited to help get the word out about this race since its in my backyard, well ok...so it's not in my backyard, but pretty darn close.

I ran this race 2-years ago and planned to run it last year, but a family emergency came up and I was unable to race.  But this year I'm thrilled and READY to race, well that is after I get some TRAINING in...Swimming, Biking and RUNNING, you know the drill!

Winning!

Always amazing to FINISH!

This is an all WOMEN triathlon and is great for a seasoned triathlete as well as a NEWBY!  If you have never done a triathlon, this is a perfect FIRST triathlon.  There is NOT a million people racing which makes it very friendly and fun and way less intimidating when you're swimming, plus they start the race in waves so you aren't swimming with everyone...PERFECT, right!



Tri'ing with FRIENDS is way more fun!  It's the only way I TRI!
Sunday, June 15
8am
Sprint & Olympic Distance

My take on the course...

*Five-Mile lake is a great lake to swim in and very clean.  As well as not freezing (depending on weather)!  Winning!

*The bike-course is very pleasant with very few hills and the hill isn't even that big, THANK YOU for that!

*The run, well who likes to run after swimming and biking...oh yah...it's a triathlon so we always end with a run!  But lucky for you it's a piece of cake and an easy-FLAT route.

If you want more first hand information, please read my post from my Five Mile Lake Women's Triathlon 2-years ago.  

So see, easy-peasy!  Wait a second...don't be so quick to get your wet-suit on and your bike helmet...you have to REGISTER for the race first!

And lucky for you and I have a WINNING-CODE for you to save some MONEY...so you GO REGISTER HERE and use this CODE: INSANEFML2014 for 10% off.



Can't wait to see you out there!  
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