Life Lessons 101 - Do One Ridiculous Thing Every Day

I have this friend. And he is always talking about doing at least one ridiculous and crazy thing every day. Whenever he talks about it, that Mary Oliver quote pops up in my head:

"Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one, wild, and precious life?" 

So last Thursday I got real crazy and joined the local Lululemon Run Club (see photo below) on a trail run through Hyland Hills ski area in Bloomington. And I mean "ski area" as in "downhill skiing and ski-jumping". So the inclines were nothing to shake a finger at. Fair to say it was the most challenging and humbling run on record for me. I showed up at 6:15 not wanting to be late for the 6:30 start time. I waited in my car, listening to MPR and silently dreading what was about to happen. My ego got the better of me and I kept thinking how my credibility as a fitness instructor would be shot if I couldn't keep up to the group. I set myself up for failure before even getting out of my car.

We started the run and immediately were climbing hills. My shoes were soaked through in a matter of minutes and I very quickly established the "beginners group" at the rear of the pack. We ran for about 10 minutes, then the group convened so everyone could catch their breath before taking off again. Now, the drawback to being the last to finish is that, when you get to the rally point, everyone is ready to go and you are still catching your breath. No rest for the wicked I suppose... The group continued to get further and further ahead of me and, as they disappeared from view, my confidence and willpower sank below healthy levels. I got angry and competitive. I wanted so badly to prove I could do this but my legs just wouldn't move the way I wanted them to.

Eventually, realizing I was struggling, a friend (one of the group's fearless leaders) dropped back and jogged with me for a bit. He was making silly jokes, giving me pointers on form, offering some company. And what did I do? Nothing but complain.

We made it back to the parking lot after 4 miles and about 45 minutes. I finished the run with a smile on my face but my legs were numb, my feet like lead, and I promised myself that I would NEVER be back. We all stuck around to have a cup of coffee and visit and then one by one headed off to work. As soon as I got home, there was an email in my inbox from another friend who is just starting her own fitness routine by walking every morning. She wrote:

"Alright, I did it. Well, so far anyway. I have been up everyday this week and gone on a nice sweaty walk before getting ready for work and today... Are you ready for this.. I jogged three times! The total time may have only been a minute, but I jogged! This is crazy because I have always despised running. I'm not built for it number one, it makes me breathe heavy and I get headaches. But I kept doing it today and I'm excited to try again tomorrow. I have no idea what is wrong with me!? ...I've been mentally preparing myself for the physical switch - so quite possibly I'm just ready and this is it..."

My lingering negativity from my morning run immediately disappeared. This woman did something that in her world was ridiculously crazy, and she was so determined and excited to get up the next morning and do it again! If she could approach a morning jog with that zest and enthusiasm, well then I could probably drag my ass out of bed and try run club again. In my response to her I talked about seeing the beauty in moments when your body surprises itself. It's like God's little way of saying, "You've got this. Trust me." A good reminder that we are capable of so much more than we often give ourselves credit for. My friend's email was what I needed to shift my perspective, set my ego aside and tell myself, "You've got this."

That trail run was a lesson in patience, perseverance and humility. I can rock a boxing class and be at the top of the group but stepping back and not being the best in the pack is an amazing place to be as well. It was an opportunity to hang back and recognize the amazing skills and strength of all the others running with me. To give them an opportunity to lift me up and empower me to do something ridiculous.

I may take a week off to recover. But I will certainly be back. I do only have this one, wild, and precious life after all. Tell me, what do you plan to do with yours?

Clockwise, from top left: Hyland Hills Ski Slope, The Amazing Lululemon-MOA Trail Run Club, the view from the slopes, Allen, leading the way!

Let it Snow

For those of you who don't live in the Twin Cities or aren't in the area today, it's snowing here again. That's right. On the 18th of April, when it should be a balmy 55 degrees, it is 32 degrees and snowing. Hard. 

On the other hand, if you live here you are completely aware of this fact and have probably A.) posted something about it on Facebook, B.) called your mom to complain, or C.) at the very least you sat in your car sobbing quietly as you said goodbye to your last shred of hope that spring will ever come. 

I took a yoga class last week (coincidentally, during our last snowstorm) in which my instructor began by asking us to acknowledge times in our lives that we ask the question, "When?" 

When will spring finally get here? 

When will I land that dream job? 

When will I meet someone to fall in love with? 

When will they schedule my next fight? 

I could go on and on...

The point is - we are all asking some form of this question multiple times everyday. And when we spend so much time living in the space of when, we lose sight of what is happening and what we can make happen right now.

I have a particularly difficult time setting aside my "when" questions and just being ok with what I have now. I am a futurist, an idea generator, a brainstormer, and so my mind is always jumping to the next thing. It is a huge part of being a creative person. It also means that very seldom do I allow myself to sit quietly without always making plans for what comes next. 

Needless to say, the yoga class was challenging for me in ways I wasn't anticipating when I stepped into the studio. A little later in the class, our instructor shared a vision that she had experienced during a meditation. She had been coming back again and again to the idea of "getting out of your own way". She saw this image of herself and her spirit walking up to a door. When she got there, she stepped off to the side, opened the door, and graciously let her spirit enter first. She saw herself getting out of her own way, and letting spirit take the lead.

Isn't that all it is to step out of the space of when and to really be present? To step aside and really let spirit, or Source, or your true self (whatever you decide to call it) take the reins and do what it will? I am consoled by the fact that at any given time, I can assure myself that I am exactly where I need to be. There is something to be gained from each and every moment we are alive and breathing on this planet. It may not always feel comfortable or easy, neither were the 50 chaturanga pushups we did in class, but each of those uncomfortable moments can show us as much about ourselves as the nice, warm, cozy moments too.

So, for tonight, I'm not going to post anything negative about the weather on Facebook or keep wishing away the day. I'm going to cook a beautiful dinner with my roommate, curl up with a good book and a warm blanket, relish in the amazing ways the world works, and just... let it snow.

Maybe it should say, "Whenever you are, be all there." Just food for thought...

Source: shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com via Heidi on Pinterest

Back in the Ring

I had a match three weeks ago. It was the first time in the last year and a half that we successfully found an opponent for me to fight. It is so difficult to find matches for me and so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to get into the ring again, on my home turf. It was, as always, an exciting day of bouts at Uppercut Gym in NE Minneapolis. 

My opponent was St. Paul native, Nicole Carl. She and I have worked together before. I helped her prepare for a match a few month ago. She was gracious enough to come in last minute, as my original opponent backed out. She was a formidable match - much taller and incredibly strong. I was able to use my footwork and strong left hand to wear her down. The fight was stopped late in the third round and I won by RSC. )In amateur boxing, RSC stands for Referee Stopped Contest) I was able to overpower her and the referee stepped in after giving her a standing 8-count to call the fight. It was an exciting win and I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from friends and family. There are very few things more powerful than hearing your name cheered from a crowd of fans. I was heart-warmed  by that support throughout the entire afternoon and evening.

I am working on another post about boxing. In particular, why I box. Stay tuned on that. And in the mean time, enjoy the pics! I also posted video of the match. Let me know if you have questions on anything in the video, i.e. referee calls, rules, etc! 

Middle left: My amazing coach, Alfonso Vazquez, encouraging me in the corner. Bottom left: Good sportsmanship Bottom right: And the winner is...!

Beat Treadmill Boredom

I don't know about you, but I think running on a treadmill can be the most boring and tedious form of exercise known to humankind. Are we on the same page??

I don't consider myself "a runner" by any stretch of the imagination. I merely run as a means to an end. Because I am a competitive boxer and running helps me stay in peak cardiovascular shape, I do it grudgingly so I don't lose my conditioning in the ring. I have been known, however, to subject myself to the odd race here and there. I use the term "race" very loosely as I am clearly not trying to win any sort of running title.

I recently agreed to enter the lottery for Grandma's Half Marathon in Duluth, MN. It takes place every June and my friend L has been hinting at getting me to run it with her for some time. Well, she finally harangued me into it. We got in and will start training runs very soon. Since it is still winter in MN, most of my running for the next month will have to happen inside. Enter: The Dreaded Treadmill. In order to keep my runs interesting, I have a couple interval workouts that I use to beat boredom on the treadmill. If you are needing to spice up your running with a little variety, try one of these out! I find that I'm much more inclined to hop on the treadmill if I have a set amount of minutes and an interesting routine to work with.

Notes: 

*If you are lucky enough to be in a place where it is warm and safe to run outside these workouts translate well to the road.

*These can all be easily customized to your personal fitness level. Simply adjust the speeds according to where you're at physically. At your base pace you should be able to maintain a short conversation. At your fastest pace you should be working pretty hard. Try to push yourself. You'll be amazed at what you're capable of!

The Workouts

#1

Only have a few minutes to get moving? This workout will torch calories, improve your cardiovascular strength, and get you sweating in no time flat!

Duration: 14 minutes

-Warm-up with a brisk walk or light jog at your base pace for 5 minutes. My base is anywhere between 5.5-6.0mph depending on the day.

-Keep the treadmill moving and step onto the tracks to the side. Bump the speed up to a sprint pace. I usually start at 7.0mph and work up to 8.5mph by the last sprint.

-With the treadmill running, hop on and run a 20-second sprint, then hop off and take a 10-second rest.

-Repeat the sprint 8 times. For an added challenge, increase the speed with each sprint or with every other. The sprints should be challenging so keep the pace up!

-Cool down for 5 minutes at a pace just slower than your warm-up. And you're done!

#2

Want to run a faster 5K? This workout will help to improve your overall speed. The key is finding a consistent pace throughout the longer intervals.

Duration: 44 minutes

-Warm-up with a brisk walk or jog for 5 minutes.

-Now find a pace 1.5-2mph over your base rate. You should be working much harder here but still be able to maintain this pace for up to 3 minutes. 

-Run at this faster pace for 1 minute and then slow down to your base rate for 1 minute.

-Run at the faster pace for 2 minutes, then slow down to your base rate for 2 minutes.

-Continue with the following interval pattern, always matching your faster pace with your base rate.

-Intervals:

1. 1 minute
2. 2 minutes
3. 3 minutes
4. 2 minutes
5. 1 minute
6. 2 minutes
7. 3 minutes
8. 2 minutes
9. 1 minute

-After the final interval, slow down to a brisk walk and cool down for 4-5 minutes. Done!

Hanging Up

I often ask myself if there is anyone in the world who looks at themselves in a mirror and doesn't immediately begin to pick apart their body, criticize their own face, or wish away their hairstyle. And that question doesn't just apply to body image. We all get on our own case for not making it to the gym, for eating that third (or fourth) slice of pizza, for not getting to everything on our desk today. It's an exhausting and debilitating habit. How can any of us ever make progress or feel truly happy if we're always doing the whole negative self-talk thing?

I have been particularly negative over the last couple weeks. This long, drawn-out Minnesota winter is finally getting to me and making me feel like an angst-y teen. I'm so tired of cloudy skies and cold temps, and it's drastically affecting my mood and motivation to take care of my body, mind, and soul. My roommate and dear friend, Maria, sat me down last night and had to practically shake me out of my funk. Her solution to my problem was simple:

Stop listening to the voice inside your head that tells you, "You can't. You'll never get there. You don't look the way you want to." And start telling a different story. 

DUH! Such simple advice. I imagined the negative voice inside my head as though it were a pesky telemarketer who keeps calling and never gets the hint. Every time that voice comes into my head and tries to knock me down a few pegs, I'm going to tell her to stop calling and simply HANG UP THE PHONE! It is so easy to talk to ourselves or to others about things that drag us down and make us feel like less than our radiant, beautiful selves. 

I love the attached quote by Rita Schiano. Let's work on breaking that habit! Next time someone asks you how you're doing today, avoid the bad stuff. Talk about your biggest joys, your greatest accomplishments, how excited you are that you finally got to wear that new pair of shoes, or try a new workout for the first time. If you start sharing the things that make you happy, rather than those that make you feel crummy, you'll be amazed by the changes that begin to happen!

Love, Love, Love

Valentine from Lumineux on Vimeo.

I hope you all had a lovely and enjoyable Valentine's Day! I meant to post this yesterday but spent my evening enjoying takeout and baking some delicious cookies instead. Don't worry, I'll post the recipe to those soon!

There are many opinions about Valentine's Day - some people love it, some people hate it. I personally am pro-Valentine's if for no other reason than to tell people in my life that I love them. And while we're on the topic, I'm in love with this little film put together by Lumineux for the Small Fry blog. If you're all for V-day, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (even though it's a day late). And if you're anti-Valentine's, well this just might make you a convert...

I hope yesterday brought lots of love to you all! Enjoy!

Vacation Nation

So, I just returned from what will forever be known as "The Best Vacation of My Life" (for the foreseeable future, at least). I spent a week in Puerto Rico with some dear friends of mine and cannot believe how much fun I had. We walked through the old city. I learned how to surf - or at least got a good start at learning. We stayed up until almost sunrise every night. I learned some great Puerto Rican slang. And I met some of the most hospitable and kind people ever. But before I go any further, I really have to back it up a bit. 

Just over a year ago, my friends Shannon and Kelly moved to Puerto Rico. They really weren't my friends but rather people I had met through my friend Jake. I hung out with Shannon a few times and had eaten at the restaurant Kelly worked at - always when Jake was around and usually when there were libations present. Though we had some choice memories of time spent together, we remained sort of distant friends - the kind of friends you think of at Christmas, but only fleetingly. And certainly not someone you'd actually send a card to. So, imagine my surprise when, at their going away party, they fervently suggested I come visit them in PR.

Now, I don't know many people who would turn down an invitation to a warm, tropical destination with a place to stay, but I sort of dismissed their request thinking, "That could be fun, but I don't really know these people. I'll politely accept the invite and decide later if it's worth the trip." Sure enough, the sub-freezing temps typical of a Minnesota winter and a follow-up email from Shannon re-extending the invite proved to be persuasion enough for me to buy a ticket. And off to San Juan I went on January 23rd.

Upon my arrival, Shannon greeted me at the airport with a giant hug (and the best, cheap Puerto Rican beer money can buy) and we headed to his and Kelly's little barrio on the beach just East of the airport. While we were enjoying the warm ocean air on their patio, Shannon confessed that he was interested to see how the week played out. We both chuckled at the fact that we were a tad nervous to find out if we actually enjoyed each others' company without our mutual friend present. With that, he and Kelly wished me good night and we all headed to bed.

The rest is history. Turns out I was a splendid guest and Shannon and Kelly were formidable hosts. We spend the week playing in the water, relaxing in the sun, eating amazing food (Kelly is the next big thing in San Juan foodie history, if you ask me) and really enjoying our time together. I have never laughed so hard, slept so little, or swallowed so much salty, ocean water in my life. Turns out we didn't need to have Jake around in order to get along, although he was sorely missed. I also met some incredible new friends who are already helping me plan an extended return trip. 

All in all, this vacation re-ignited the undeniable joy that traveling brings me. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the hum-drum routine of life that an experience like this vacation is a kind of match-strike to the soul. It allowed me time to play, to be a kid and a tourist, to take pictures of everything, to read an entire book in one sitting. I was so overwhelmed with excitement and happiness that I found myself a little emotional as the plane taxied down the runway on its way back to Minneapolis. And my tears weren't only tears of dread that I was heading back to -22F weather. They were tears of gratitude. I will always be grateful to Shannon and Kelly for their invitation. The trip that it resulted in reminded me that I am an adventurer. I am a world traveler. 

And someday, I might actually be able to call myself a "surfer".