Golden Ave Literature

The Growth Inside of One Year

August 17, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

It has been one year since I decided to get on the roads and trails to get back to running. The choice to make running a priority and habit again has led to growth and adventures that I did not expect to come across through the determination to overcome my aliments and run again.

A few months have gone by since I last recorded about my journey to a better total lifestyle and those days have passed by in a blur. The moment the second quarter of this year came into focus my life switched gears and the need to adjust was centered in front of me. The need for an adjustment was bought on while working toward the goals that I committed to in the beginning of this year and the steps I have taken to get closer to those goals.

I found no time to throw away and more time had to be given to what is of top priority for me. Each week I considered what was working and what could be done differently for the progress of the change I want to see and live in daily. Giving up was not an option (and it still isn’t one now). I looked at everything as a whole and changed what is considered a priority or simply urgent to me. Doing this has allowed me to continue to keep doing the necessary activities that life requires and the ones I desire to do also efficiently.

During this spring and summer, I found my way around new trails ranging from easy to difficult terrain. I traveled through forest and across sand, up and down steep elevations, in wet and cool temperatures and when the sun was shining bright. When I stared this journey last year, I didn’t think I would cross into hiking as much as I have, but I welcome the change, I welcome a mind to evolve at any point and embrace what is happening now and adjust if it is not where I want to be or what I want to do. I am better than the January version of myself, not someone else, and that is satisfying.

In the last year I have not only found my way back to running and enjoying the benefits of it, but I have also taken on other activities of total health and made them important routines for my life. I am finding ways to strengthen my body, increase my endurance, and eat well for my health and enjoyment. Becoming disciplined in my physical health compliments my mental and emotional health. My health journey has also spilled over into my career and other life adventures and commitments and allowed me to have a new perspective on those ventures. I am understanding and accepting that I must adjust and move forward in all of my life positions.

Has it been easy? No, it has not. There have been easier days and weeks as there has been difficult days and weeks. Working through doubts, criticism, pain, and other health issues has been a struggle but the encouragement from others, self-affirmations, days without pain, and the end in mind has made the easy days a breeze and the hard days better. The days I say not today, today I am going to rest are present too and they make me able to continue toward the change I want to live in. I don’t forget to enjoy the moments of success as they come and remember what I am capable of as I move into the difficult moments.

I have adjusted a lot this year and I predicted going forward I will still have to finds ways to maneuver the unexpected. Why do we adjust to what is going on around us anyway? Most of the time if we don’t adjust, we have to leave the situation completely. We probably adjust to the circumstances we are in more than we realize. If you ever arrive at an airline check-in to a line of a couple of hundred people long ahead of you, you know when the need for an adjustment is front and center on your path. You likely begin to think and move to fill the need of the adjustment. You may have to skip getting in line for your favorite drink or food and settle for filling your container at the water faucet. You may even need to wait to use the airplane lavatory if time is limited. The other option may be to pay more and be moved to the front of the check-in line, but you adjust to the circumstance.

The dreams and goals we have will settle into us until we reach them or let go of the idea of them. This year of commitment and new challenges has helped me to see what I want for my life and the person I want to continue to become. As you take on your own journey and all that it has to offer you, remember to enjoy your accomplishments, work through the difficult days, and rest.

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Don’t Give Up

April 30, 2021June 18, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

Being consistent is the biggest part to any success or change that is acquired. Without finding a path to consistency the results you desire will never show up or they will slip away. When trying to lose weight or build muscle people will express to others how they have changed the type of food they eat or the amount of activity they do each day and also state that they do not feel any different, cannot see any change, or maybe that their results were temporary. They don’t always mention that they quit before the results could show up or before they could recognize a difference and they don’t always mention that the results were temporary due to old habits creeping back in. These are some of the real reasons the desired results do not appear or last more than a few weeks.

I have been in those positions with the same kind of responses. Feeling as though my efforts were useless and maybe I should try something different or just accept what I was not accomplishing. At times I felt good, but I didn’t see the changes in my body and skin that were obvious to others and thought that what I was doing was not working. Hearing others say that they could tell my lifestyle changes were working kept me doing my chosen routine long enough for my own mind to see the improvements and benefits of my new lifestyle.

For several months now I have been focusing on changing what I eat. I tried the 30 days of whole foods (recommended by my physician) during that last quarter of 2020, and I have worked toward making those food choices a normal daily routine. In the beginning it was difficult to remove sugar from processed foods from my food choices but replacing the cravings I was having with fruit helped to curve my cravings for sugary foods.

I have ice cream or some type of dessert once a month or even more rarely than that, but it is not something that I crave anymore. Anything processed I do in moderation if I must go that route. Knowing what to eat has only been a small part of getting the results I desire, actually making the choice to choose whole foods at each meal is the consistency that brings the results. Not giving up after a few weeks has allowed me to feel and see the change in my body and health.

Change cannot be rushed and it will not happen or continue without action. Sometimes you want to give up before you have given yourself a real chance to see what you can accomplish with commitment, consistency, and a new mindset. If you feel like giving up, consider the why.

Have you put in the work long enough, have you taken a good look at yourself to see what others can see? If so, then maybe it isn’t your effort or mindset that needs to change, you may need a different plan designed for your exact situation. When I wanted to change my eating habits I went to my physician with a problem, and she was able to help me with a solution. Don’t give up on you, figure out your problems and reasons and move toward real solutions.

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Is it Unplanted, Growing, or Dead?

March 31, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

It is the end of the first quarter. This is an ideal time to lay out in your mind what you have accomplished, what you have placed on pause, and what is dead. Some of our ideals and goals stop growing on the surface and some stop growing in the root. Depending on where the growth is happening or stopped at is how you can determine your next move.

Your accomplishments can be the fuel you need for the next quarter. You started, completed some crucial steps, and now you know what you are capable of and you have the evidence to prove it. The list you have of things you desire to change, achieve, or acquire now has space for future goals because you have been able to check some things off or you are at least a few steps closer to completing them than you were 12 weeks ago.

Now that you have taken some steps toward the change or lifestyle you set out to have this year you have likely realized that some of your goals are on pause and may stay that way for a while. Another way to picture them is to view them like seeds that are not ready to be planted or they have been planted and need some time to grow and transform before becoming a plant ready for picking. Being on pause can be a neutral state for you and can be what is needed for you to know if what you are doing is something you should continue or bring to a close.

Some of the change and goals you want to accomplish have a prerequisite that must be meet before you can even begin to work on them. If this is the case, consider what you first must do and once that first step is complete more options will open up for you to choose from. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself to define the stage you may be in: do I need to buy the seed, start the seed, repot the seed, or am I stuck deciding what seed to plant. After looking at the answers to these questions you can move closer to knowing if the prerequisite has been met and whether you can move forward or not.

Where are you with the life changes you have committed to? Has this quarter gone by and you are yet deciding on what it is you desire in this season of your life? Getting caught in between what you have done and what is next can initiate a halt in your plan if you don’t exactly know how to bridge the gap with the right actions. It may take you doing some meditation, research, or consulting a person who can be objective and helpful in guiding you. You may even find that it is time to stop beating the dead horse and pick a different seed.

I chose my seeds, planted them and I am taking the necessary steps to see them grow and become a return for me. Some routes have come to a dead end and others are a progressing with turns and hills, they are paved and unpaved and some are difficult to maneuver. Yet, I am pursuing the lifestyle I desire for my body, mind, and emotions now and into the next quarter of this year.

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Willing Your Mind

February 28, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

The physical and mental strength are tied together in some way. Wanting to become stronger and having the mental ability to will yourself to do it is an example of this. Are your limits mental or physical? How do you anticipate overcoming each part?

With a desire to become physically stronger I have asked myself these questions and the answer is a part of the question. Doing the work to become stronger and convincing self that it is possible to take on more weight, more resistance, more repetitions. Getting over doubt and unhealthy fear in the mind that you may not reach the goal or expected end so why even go fit.

For me, February has been a month of not giving up on the goal, the change, the lifestyle that is sought. As I mention in a prior post the sparkle of new can fade so quickly and resistance of doing the new thing can settle in and cause old habits to return. The days are going by so fast that falling into old habits can sabotage any efforts that are being executed. Making the day count is what can help even if resistance to change appears on your doorstep.

Consider this, you wake up and skip your workout or plan for whatever change you are working toward and it just so happens that you already had a scheduled rest day on the day before. There is no way to get your planned action in during any other time of the day. You can choose to stay dormant a few more days because you are off your plan or you can defeat old habits and go for the next action.

The thoughts you have about your actions can lead you to success or failure. Dwelling on what happened on a single day or week whether it moved you toward your goal or halted it can cause you to become stuck and create a clear path to the old habits you are working to resist. The mind and actions are so closely knitted together that you have to be aware or how you are willing yourself in all that you do or desire.

I overcome getting started doing a little if I cannot do a lot. If I miss the time slot for my hour workout or other plan of action, I go for 20 minutes at another time. When I miss a day, I remind myself that I cannot get that day back, but I can redeem the time by what I do in the future. I make it all count; in the end every action will add up to some result. How will you overcome the fading of excitement, the pain of going on, the doubt that you or change isn’t worth the time and work demanded?

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Conquer

January 31, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

Welcome to a new year with me. Though it does not feel like a typical beginning of a new year I have set forth goals and milestones to reach. I haven’t done this out of feeling the need to become a new person or to set a resolution to forget in a few weeks. I am continuing a lifestyle. A day-to-day commitment to remember and act on the memory of what I desire to achieve each day. I am committed to building and keeping the lifestyle I want.

I used to get caught up in the sparkle of a new year and make list of what I would do and how I would be. The truth is, only about one of my good intentions would actually make it off the paper. I am not sure of the exact year I stopped being so absurd in my plans and became more honest with myself about how to take the steps that were realistic for me to get the results I wanted in life, but it is a better way for me.

This year some of the things I am focusing on include strength, endurance, and being able to conquer what I set out to do each month. I want to become stronger in my physical body, but I see no limits to wellness and will also work on strengthening my total being. I can visualize my body taking on the movements and distances that will bring strength and endurance to every muscles and organ that is affected. Although I can see these things in my mind, I do not believe they will happen without action and commitment. If there isn’t a plan or guide to follow and a get up and do attitude the strength will not enter my body and the endurance will not show up.

I can envision steps and goals being conquer day by day. Fitness and social goals, intellectual and spiritual ambitions are lined up in my mind ready to be swiped off the list and noted as accomplished. I feel empowered by seeing these things happen in my mind. The empowerment feeling is a motivating force for me. It gives me the energy to get out of the blocks and run toward the path that leads to an end I desire. The good feeling about what is ahead and the change I envision will remain a picture in my mind and not a reality unless there is a plan and execution. There will not be a conquering without a beginning and a follow through for each step I have planned.

I encourage you to be excited about your life, your desires and the change you envision for yourself. There is usually a spark of excitement and energy in the beginning of anything new. As time goes by the excitement and energy that was present in the beginning can fade or completely disappear. When this occurs, it is helpful to evaluate the kind of change you have set to accomplish and see if it is still in line with what you truly desire. If they don’t line up, make your needed adjustments. If they line up the same, then you may want to consider why you aren’t acting on those desires. It can then get into a lack of planning and follow through, lack of inspiration or motivation, or the will to do is absent. Self-reflect and find out what is holding you back.

If you have started this year with a plan to continue or begin your total wellness lifestyle and adjust as your life changes you are likely on the path that will keep you from extreme pitfalls that can accompany some resolutions and vows to become this or that. As you go from week to week determine the action that is needed for the steps you want to take towards your goals. Remember whatever you desire or see yourself having or doing only happens with action.

Lifestyle, Living Well, Uncategorized

Down Time

December 28, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

After weeks of my walking slower and finding ways to adjust my exercise plans to suit my foot injury I am back to normal. I am feeling good about being able to intensify my workouts and take on more miles while walking and running once again. I did not know that I would miss being active and unlimited as much I did during my down time. I have experienced feeling constricted by circumstances, but for some reason this time it affected me differently.

The difference was in the type of things I thought about while I was down with this injury. I thought about how many times I didn’t run, walk or do some other form of exercise while I was feeling good and able. Not being able to do what I wanted to do hit me really hard. I thought about the days I slacked for no reason at all. I remembered the days I ignored my will to get up and take care of my physical health and thought, now I really did not have that choice. I couldn’t even walk a few blocks at a slow pace without feeling a pain that caused me to shake and retreat into a limp.

I did not want to dwell on the past and what I did not do, but I couldn’t ignore the thoughts I was having. I needed to acknowledge my thoughts and feelings and use them for the future. They would be a new momentum to cease the day and the moment while I could. During the time I was down I did not sit around idle waiting for a chance to get back to normal. I was able to read a couple of books, get some needed research in and plan for January. Although I sat down more than usually, I made adjustments and did what I could to keep my health journey on track as a lifestyle and not a moment. I opted to do seated exercises and combinations of movements that I could achieve while lying on a mat to keep me moving forward and over the hump of feeling constrained.

There are always challenges in anything that must be done or experienced. You will not always be affected in the same way as your siblings, friends, parents, spouse or even co-workers, but how you are affected is still important and relevant. Any part of your wellness dimensions can change abruptly for the good or bad and you have to be prepared for the impact or at least willing to adjust if you desire to thrive. To obtain the lifestyle you envision or to maintain the lifestyle you are currently living you must take on the difficult and undesirable tasks along with the simple ones. You also need to have a tolerance for unwanted change and the ability to know when a change should happen.

I have learned from this experience and that is something I strive to do in all of life whether it is a situation that causes me to feel pain or joy, anger or excitement, I want to learn and have a take-away. I am understanding more and more to take the moments as they come and not to sit on time, it will not be there when you get up.

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November

November 30, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

November happened in a blink for me. I didn’t let the whole month pass by without taking time to reflect on what has been happening in the world. I couldn’t ignore the way lives have shifted with the circumstances of the world and how on any given day many, including myself, would have to find a way to adapt. There are some things we can resist, but when we cannot resist, we adjust to be able to handle or keep up with what is happening. If you want to make it through each day with your sanity and some hope you adjust. If you want to survive you find your feet right where you are.

I have done some physical adjusting of my own this month. Just a couple of weeks ago I injured my foot and I had to take a seat and care for myself with hopes of getting back to my original state as quickly as possible. I wasn’t out for a run or having a strength training session when I injured my foot, I was right in my home doing normal activities. The air in the house felt stuffy and I decided to open a window, well just as I headed for the path to the window, I jammed my toes clean into the corner of a recliner.

I didn’t feel much pain as my toes and the recliner met, although it was enough for me to grab and rub my toes. I continued with my day as usually and after a few hours passed I could feel the pain and swelling setting in along with a sizeable bruise. I didn’t even consider sitting down to ice my foot I had to keep moving if I was going to wrap up some loose ends and finish packing my carry-on bags for my morning flight.

Morning arrived and the top half of my foot greeted me with an excruciating pain. I could barely apply pressure to my foot, but I had some essential traveling to do which included several hours of flying and driving. I suffered through the pain in my foot over the next few days without taking time to ice or soak until I returned home 6 days after the initial incident (not the thing to do). I still feel a slight pain at the point where my toes connect to my foot and this is a sign for me to find a modified exercise if necessary or to simply rest.

While my foot was sending signals to my brain for pain my heart was in its own broken state as I had to travel to bury my mom. I am adapting to life without her here with each passing day; remembering, reflecting, and resting my mind. I think this will become a new part of my life as the weeks go by and the change sets in.

Now is a good time to consider the adjusting you will need to do as life around you continues to change even if it is just the change of weather. As temperatures turn cooler and the cold/flu season sets in your body will need to build a resistance for the germs. Grab some leafy greens and maybe a sweet potato or two to keep your body ready to fight off illnesses. You will also need to make up for all the extra calories your body burns while being active in the cold temperatures. Trying some new soup recipes or a new canned soup may serve both needs.

Most importantly, don’t forget to schedule some time to relax, meditate, and take care of you.

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After Sunset

October 26, 2020October 26, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

You are in your daily routine and all has been going well from week to week and month after month. Then a bump in the road appears and knocks your entire routine off what you thought was a well paved path. Your story may sound like this: you get home from work and gear up for your daily run. You are a couple of miles into your chosen path and well into your zone when you realize the sun has set and darkness is approaching faster than it did at this same time last week. Instead of your hour long run you have to turn back with barely 25 minutes in or you won’t be able to see a thing.

This may describe you if you are not used to running and walking outdoors in the evening or if you misjudge the amount of time you have when the days begin to shorten in this season. The rest of you who are constantly outdoors for various activities are back home right when the darkness sets in with a full workout done and having your last meal of the day. You are accustomed to adjusting for the seasons and you have been waiting to implement your plan.

The other answer could be that your gym is open again and you were able to fill one of the available time slots, no worries about the daylight disappearing. Whatever the answer you had a plan and put it to work. If you are not the one to plan and you go with the flow that is your plan. You may spend this season speed walking around your house or office and doing sit-ups, pushups and other exercises right where you are, and you will have made it through the days without wondering what to do.

If you are wondering what to do and you know you are not the type join groups in the park or a parking lot for a cardio workout every day or you don’t have the time to and you don’t have the room or funds to set up an assorted home gym. The only way for you to get active right now may be the running shoes and a trail or a few dumbbells. If this is your situation, you will need to take a look at everything going on in your life each day and decide what to cut out or change.

Consider swapping out your even walk or run with something on your morning schedule or make bigger moves on your days off. If you absolutely have to stick to the schedule you have you might find virtual exercise classes a few times a week to be just what you need. What you don’t want to do is wait for your gym to open up for you to switch up your routine. Find yourself prepared when it opens back up and be ready to go to another level or maintain what you have gained.

I have not let the setting of the sun or the need for a jacket slow me down. I am owning my health and my journey. As I look ahead at the last week of October, I know I will need an exercise plan for at least the next two months to keep moving forward with my wellness plan. Some of my routine will carryover and there are some new things to implement and now is a good time to be ready. Even if I do not know what the plan will be for the entire two months there must be some type of direction to keep the momentum going. One thing I am sure of is that time does not pause for us even if the clock is broken.

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Is The Fit Right

October 19, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

Are you doing it alone or do you have a team or maybe one partner? I have been running and doing other exercise routines solo for the last two and a half months. Running is something I have done alone so often that I do not think much about having a partner for it and I enjoy the time with myself. If I did run with someone regularly or a few times out of a month I would choose someone I could keep a good pace with and someone with a similar endurance level for running. If there is a large gap in the endurance level of the partners or group of runners there will be a mile or two in between each person. I imagine the same would happen in other workout settings too.

I recall a time when I moved to a new state and one of my neighbors invited me to walk in the mornings with her and another neighbor. I thought it would be great to have some company while getting some exercise and I excitedly got ready one morning and met them at the cul-de-sac near the street they lived on. We started off walking and talking sharing names and a little bit of history, so I didn’t notice the slow pace in the beginning.

After a few blocks I realized the pace was very slow for me. I felt like I was stumbling over my own legs or feet by trying to walk at pace that was awkward for me. My new neighbors usually did three laps around the neighborhood to get the amount of exercise they desired for the day, but I couldn’t see myself doing this much longer at the slow pace. I walked one lap around the neighborhood with them which was about a mile and then I politely let them know I was going to head out of the neighborhood to run a few more miles.

It is good to have company during a workout. A team of people working for similar results or just one other person to celebrate getting through a long run, or a hit class with is great to have. Teaming up with the right people and having the option of modifying the workout for your level is the key staying motivated and being successful in group exercise. If there isn’t enough of a challenge for you or if you are being left behind, you will likely move on or feel like you failed if you are just starting out and may even quit.

Being in a class is great for different levels of exercise and being able to slow down your pace if needed or to modify the amount of weight and still be in an atmosphere of motivation and be pushed if needed. Of course, when you are running you will adjust as the path you are on changes from flat to hills and whether the wind is going against you or with. If you find yourself running with a group and you are in the rear, you can always use it as a time to challenge your normal pace and work to gain a new speed.

It is important to take some time to think about your skill level and how active you like to be so that you don’t give up if one choice isn’t a great fit. If one class or course isn’t for you try something else and keep trying until you find the right exercise and the right group or person to partner with. Know what is for you and what isn’t and don’t feel bad about moving on from a partnership or group. Friends and neighbors and even trainers will understand or get over it in time.

Your health is up to you and reaching your goals or new levels will not happen by going along for the peace of it or to please others. There are other activities you may have in common with your friends and neighbors that you can do together and still have them in your life.

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Your Chosen Path

October 15, 2020March 21, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

On Sunday afternoon I was able to walk on one of the trails from my list of places I haven’t been. I did the 6 mile run on Friday and wanted to take it easy for a couple of days to give my knees and legs a break so I thought it would be a great time to visit a new to me trail and take in the sights around it. The drive to the trail was about 15 minutes and surprisingly finding a place to park was not an issue. There are several entrances onto the trail I picked one, merged right and was on my way to a new experience.

I found that the entrance I chose was nearly in the middle of the trail. I walked about a mile absorbing the sounds of the water and creatures and the site of various rocks and trees before the path ended at another parking area. I took note of the landmarks near this parking lot so that I could maybe start at this end for future visits. I then headed back North to see what was to the left side of my entry point. After going about another mile to the north and passing plenty of other pedestrians I came upon another merge in the path. I explored these parts of trail and pictured myself being there early in the morning on a warm day running down the path, getting around the obstacles and enjoying the scenery.

I chose to visit this trail on a walk day so that I could get to know the path. I wanted to get a good look at the everything around me and learn the nature of the trial and the surroundings. The first time I run a new course I am open to distractions due to my visual nature of wanting to take in all of what I see at once and process it immediately. The distractions can cause me to slow down and unnecessarily change my stride. I also get thrown a little on a new path by thinking about which way to turn and whether or not I will get in the number of miles I desire with my choice.

When I am running, I go into zone I am not focused on the turns and landmarks or how far down a path I should go if I am familiar with the path. Being able to walk a trail or drive through the streets I plan to run on and become familiar with the area and the amount of people that frequent the area can help me with getting into a zone and staying there during my runs. While I am in the zone, I am more aware of being safe and my mind is on my breathing and stride until the moment even those thoughts fade into the background and I begin to take in and enjoy my surroundings without feeling a need to search the area.

Becoming familiar with the place or area you are planning to exercise at is an important part of the preparation. If you cannot visit or drive through the area a few times prior to going there you should at least find some information about the area from city websites or the people who have visited the place or area. Map the area out especially if you are outdoors. If not for safety and a better experience do it to know where to park, where to use facilities, and how to get back to civilization it you happen to journey far away.

There is fun in spontaneity and being able to go by instinct is a gift, but don’t be afraid of a preparation. Being prepared may actually allow you to have more freedom in your choices and on your journey.