Thank You Card - Fitness

Well...I braved the elements yesterday and made my gym day. My partner on the other hand was smart and stayed home where it was warm and the weather was even more beautiful (because the snow is easy to enjoy when you are warm and toasty with a cup of joe tucked inside...which she texted me while I was on the treadmill). My workout was good. I did 2.25 miles on the treadmill at an incline of 1. I also opted for bootcamp with Diane who is one of the best trainers I have seen at 10 Gym and who is (I think) the only trainer to survive the company change from "All American fitness" to "10 Gym". she was rather surprised to see me there in her class area and actually asked if I was going to take her class. Of course I answered yes to her inquiry.

It is nice to be recognized. It was nice for me that it surprised her that I would take her class. She has been there for over 2 years because I have been a regular on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays since April of 2011. This April will mark my 2 year anniversary of a regular gym routine. That is an all time record for me...and hopefully will continue to be. My gym partner and I took Diane's bootcamp class a year or so ago...and let me tell you---it kicked our butts! However, yesterday...(granted --it is a year later)...the class gave me a great workout. It was a nice change up with my gym partner being gone.

Today, I am definitely feeling the workout..and in places I don't usually feel sore. this is a good thing. Diane didn't have us use any weights or props of any kind. everything we did in bootcamp was using our own weight. My traps are sore. My triceps are sore. My latts and obliques are sore. It was a good workout.
I told Diane I enjoyed her class and at least this time it didn't kill me. She returned the surprise back to me when she told me she hadn't seen anyone make the progress that I had on their own. I figure as a trainer you would see all kinds in the gym. I have to admit here that I haven't actually done it on my own. It takes that first year with accountability to someone to keep you in the routine. After that, hopefully you have figured out that your day is better, your stress is lighter, and you feel better about everything when you workout as opposed to when you don't. This then becomes your motivation. In my case, it has been my gym partner and friend who has worked right along side me for her own goals who has kept me accountable long enough for me to learn that valuable piece of information.

Thank You Diane for the recognition and for your own hard work for others....

Thank You Colleen for being my gym partner and giving me the short term accountability so I could learn the long term motivation....

Thank You to my Husband for being my extreme-long-term example and coach through all things fitness....

I am very blessed with friends and people in my life and it is the people that make the difference!
Have a great day!

2013: To be continued....

Happy New Year.....it's 2013!

So ....I have to update last year's new year's resolution progress.
ok...I don't have to....who am I kidding? Yes I do!

Last year my resolution was to reach a fitness goal by December 31st, 2012. I am sorry to say that my goal was not reached. This is where you get to input that infamous "i told you so".....

I ran the usual Rt 66 5K. --goal reached

I stayed in the gym on a regular basis. ---goal reached. Thanks Colleen for being my gym partner!

I did NOT reach goal weight (125 lbs). That's ok....."I told you so" goes here......

I did NOT reach my pictured goal...(like I could ever look like Vicotoria Pratt)....

....................................................................................................

so...now that the recap of success and failure has been made, it is time for the New goals and resolutions for the year 2013.

Goal 1: Fitness

Part one: My fitness is what has saved me from several boughts of depression I am sure. When you feel fit and in shape, then age is more like a number rather than the passage of time mixed with all the things you can no longer do....."I'm too old for this" is NOT something I want to ever have to say.....Fitness is the key!
I have a friend that I met in 2011 at the gym I have been going to (regularly) for two years now...
.............though my membership has existed for the last 12 years................. so, my friend......... has a goal for fitness too. She related a story of Jamie Lee Curtis to me the other day and that seemed to be her inspiration. Inspiring others is awesome! ---no matter WHO you are! So my friend has asked me about running a 5k together. This is the year....I am running at least TWO 5K's!

Part two: I am determined to stay in the gym this year every monday, wednesday, and friday (or at least three times a week on a regular basis). I enjoy my workouts. They are great stress relievers and help me focus my day, my schedule, and over all balance my life. Besides...Victoria Pratt is an awesome fitness model and I can't see anything wrong with wanting to reach somewhere close to that look.....(yes I am still dreaming....but dreams matter!).....and once again, that "I told you so" offer in December 2013 is still gonna be there!

Goal 2: Career
I opened/started my own business as a photographer and graphics designer in September 2011. I really started working on it in 2012. My website was published, my cannon camera purchased, and social media was added. Here's to growth of the career and passions in 2013!

Goal 3: Family
My son will graduate this May. May I be a good Mother and help where he needs it.....and be encouraging rather than stifling. My daughter enters her teens (officially)....may I remember what that's like and be supportive as well as demanding. My husband finishes his 2nd masters in May.....may I be supportive of wherever that leads without loosing myself and my dreams in the process....

Goal 4: Friends
Friends are life's treasures and are not to be taken for granted....May the number of friends in my life (and yours) grow and inspire....May i be an inspiration to friends and family....and enjoy each and everyone of them for their uniqueness and talents and shared joys.

Watch out 2013! Here I am!

15th week of 2012

Well, my blog posting is still behind. We are finishing the 15th week of 2012! So how many people do you think are getting crazy over the "last year" before "the end of the world"? I am of course speaking of the Myan calendar that ended at the year 2012...oh...that is this year....hm!

I don't buy into the theory but I am curious to know how it affects people. If I seriously thought this was the last year of my life, there are things I would be doing instead of planning. There are also plans I would be making too...but I wouldn't see them to fruition. They would be for others after my departure.

So...any lists, goals, or "to do's" that you want to share for this year....ya know...Just in case?
 Post them here in the comment section so we can all share!

Don't forget to leave a comment, goal, or list in the comment section! I'd love to hear from you!

Side Tracked

Time tends to get away from us all at one time or another.

I tend to find myself easily sidetracked with alot of different interests. Maybe that is one reason my resolutions never come to pass. This year that is changing. I have managed to keep myself in the gym... yeah!! So far that particular goal is working out great. Maybe I am not looking forward to that possibility of "I told you so"-s from anyone who reads any of these posts.....

 My blog posts have fallen behind so this week I am playing catch-up and trying to get things back on track. I did a photo walk alone around Broken Arrow on Main Street and found a few photos to post hoping this would set me back onto the path I chose. My blogs have always been sporadic til 2012. I guess in a way maybe they still are...but at least this year there are more of them.

I have found a few subjects I didn't know were right in front of me like this lion-head. I know it looks like a door knocker....and I would love one of those!! But this is actually on the clock on Main Street in Broken Arrow by the Historical Museum. I loved this little surprise! So I thought I would share it here with you.

Small town walks .... and that walk called life.... still hold a few small yet very worthwhile surprises!

I say " Keep them coming!"

Directions...

Do you ever feel like you took a wrong turn....or missed the turn you needed to make?

Life is a journey...we can't always "turn around" so to speak....but we can change direction.
I have started a photography business and at times get impatient with myself in my goals....both business and personal. However...I do try to keep perspective...

My goals this year are posted on this blog as my first blog post of the year.
I have lost 4 pounds since that post....and yet....sometimes I feel as though things are not moving along as they should. Now, it isn't always humanly possible or healthy to move things along at the pace we want them to go.
I do get this....understand it...see it....but I still have to remind myself that all things take time. Just keep the focus and it will happen.

My train of focus does get derailed by others as well....today I was suppose to go shoot some local sites...however, my youngest child decided it was a sick day....today's train = derailed. BUT hey...life is ever changing.
I did manage to get some editing done, a professional blog post completed and published...lunch... and then i got bored so as we know we should NEVER do....I cut my own hair.

I know you are thinking "OMG!"

but it really isn't bad...It's actually pretty good for doing it myself with no help this time! :D

I will have to post a photo soon....and it is only shoulder length. I didn't butcher it.... I just got bored and decided to see "what if..."

LOL....I know that those "what if I did this" moments don't usually turn out the way we think they will. This time I just ......well I was going to say "lucky" but that doesn't really seem appropriate. My best friend is famous for telling people that "you make your own luck". You do. We tend to  say "oh that person just got lucky" when we see someone who has reached a goal or gotten somewhere we want to be and haven't gotten there yet. However we don't see all the time, effort, blood, sweat and tears that went into that achievement.

Hopefully I will "have just gotten lucky" by December of 2012....as I hope that the directions I have chosen for the year unfold to the path that leads me to the achievements I wish to attain.
Wish me luck..... or not.... but stay tuned to see if it happens....after all, there is still that "I told you so"!

Blogging Regular in 2012

Welcome back to my own personal blog!

I set a goal for 2012 of blogging on a consistent basis. So, this is my second blog  post...week 2's blog if you will. By the end of 2012 there will hopefully be 52 blog posts on this site.

This past week has been all about focus.  FOCUS! That is what I keep telling myself. Keep your eye on the goal. The goals are many so sometimes it is hard to keep focus when it seems so scattered. However! I did it. One week at time and 2012 will hopefully show more successes than the last year.
I did say you could say "I told you so!"....therefore, here is a reminder of this year's list of goals:

1. Run two 5K's this year so that I will keep running....maybe in April and again in October 
2. Up the workout to get the sculpting and toning desired
3. Organize my life....Home, SEO, Photography 
4. Build SEO clients
5. Grow photography business and clients
6. Branch photography out into more adventures and meeting more people...experience more styles!
7. Blog personally and professionally on a consistant basis
8. Grow and learn and continue the adventure

Goal 1: RUN!
...I have ran all three workout days this past week. I made my 40 minute treadmill time count and managed 2.5 to 3.02 miles each day.
Goal 2: up the workout
...I have added laps in between wt sets to keep up the cardio and endurance. I have kept each workout appointment with myself and NOT whimped out. I have also added an extra day. I made sunday afternoon pilates class this past weekend.

Goal 3: Orgainize my life!
...well, my house is getting cleaned. My list of to do's is on going. My kitchen has a new pot rack and it has been hung!
...I am purchasing a new laptop and outer disk drive to better organize my work environment.
...and I have spent twice the time communicating and working on SEO this past week!

Goals 4, 5, and 6 are gonna take a little more time and effort to report back on.

Goal 7: blog consistently.....
...well here it is in cyberspace and you are reading the proof....so goal 7 accomplished this week.

Goal 8:Grow and Learn
... again...ongoing and time is needed!

So...share your opinions, your goals, and even your frustrations if you so desire.

and Keep checking back for the "I told You SO!"'s