Runner – Golden Ave Literature

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.

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Expectations

October 5, 2020by Janie1 Comment

How is your journey going? You may have planned out a new path or life’s events pushed you into change without warning it still adds up to your journey. It’s your way of doing what you do and embracing what cannot be erased to get to the next phase or even the next day. I hope you are enjoying your wins large or small and not marinating in your losses or setbacks in a way that freezes you up.

I do not want to get caught in the freeze up. I started on the path to a better lifestyle as a whole for results. Keeping a momentum that I can work at each day is how those results will come. I tell myself this to refrain from moving so quickly that I cannot keep up each day or to keep me from slowing into a full stop. Once the routine of getting up and doing becomes a natural flow I still have to decide how much I want to give to each activity I do.

How much effort can you put into whatever you are working toward and not be exhausted to a point that you do not want to continue without seeing the results you are expecting. Even though you know there is a process for just about everything you want those timed results that have been set in your mind by expectations. It may sound like this: I want this in a week, that in three weeks and in 90 days I got to have these results. If those expectations have been out of an attainable reach or lower than your actual results your momentum can be unwillingly shifted. Figuring out your personal momentum and being able to stay on target or adjust your expectations during the successes and failures is a way to keep your natural flow of getting up and doing in motion.

As I put time and effort into my health I expect to benefit from my actions. I am looking for physical results. I think about what I expect and what I am doing to get the results. I need the correct actions for the expectations. If weeks go by and the body is not responding I have to consider if what I think I am doing right is the problem and research until I get the answer. I know if one part of the being is improving the entire wellness areas can benefit from the change. This is my desire a totally improved package.

If the body is strong and healthy it can lead to feeling better mentally and emotionally. You can take on a range of new experiences with a better health. It may be exploring nature through hikes, cycling or doing the thing you wanted to try but didn’t have the energy to do it. The new experience could also come by way of meeting new people due to a rise in esteem and confidence. You are less worried and anxious about health issues and open to enjoy life again.

Every part of the being fits together and works together in some way. Being mentally stressed or emotionally drained can cause physical complications and the physical illnesses can strain the psyche. Work on being fit and strong in your way for your best results each day to keep your total wellness in the best shape. Have the best week.

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Taking a Different Path

September 28, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

Day after day the air in my area was either filled with smoke from the wildfires, very unhealthy or simply not good for a person with any type of breathing or lung issues to run indoors or outdoors. It hasn’t been great for anything that requires deep breathing or being out for a few hours.

I was not able to accomplish all the running goals I planned for September. Even with a mask on I could not run indoors or outdoors for 6 to 8 miles three or four times a week and not feel the discomfort of the poor air quality. Disappointment set in quickly, but I still had to find a way around my disappointment each day and get active. That is exactly what I did.

Every morning I would open the weather app to check the air quality and determine whether or not I would run for the day or try doing something that did not require deep breathing. I felt deprived once again not being able to lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement whenever I wanted to. The days that the air was good were my run days or vigorous activity days. I did not take any of those days for granted, I didn’t have any to waste or to spend sitting around the house wishing things were different.

The first couple of weeks of the month I had to choose an alternative to running. Although I really wanted to work on increasing my running mileage and time, I did not mind a switch up in my workout routine. I was able to use my weights more and focus on different ways to strength train each week.

The last couple of weeks have been better for running and being outdoors and I have made them count. I have been getting in enough miles and hours of running each day and staying as active as I possibly can. I didn’t get the mileage each day that I set out to accomplish for this month and that leads me to revisit my 6 to 8 miles three times a week plan. I cannot skip this step in my running goals and try to jump into 8 to 10 miles in October. I believe in pushing pass limits to grow and become stronger, but there must be levels or steps to get to the finale. I am willing to be patient and work through whatever nature hands out.

I’ll be working on increasing my mileage once again in October and exploring what has worked well and what has not. Living well doesn’t come to an end it is a lifelong choice that is adjusted as needed. Adjustments may need to be done weekly, monthly or even yearly and you make those adjustments so that you do not quit on yourself. Keep moving forward, I am.

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A Maze of Solutions

August 20, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

The next day, Sunday, the day after my big run I woke up with fatigue muscles. I was sore and as the day went on, I became excessively sore. A short walk and stretch or foam roller may have helped, but I did neither and opted to rest for two days. On Tuesday my legs were willing to engage in a light run, 2.28 miles and .58 miles of walking. My body felt pretty good, but I did not want to exhaust myself right away, well not until midweek.

Wednesday hit and I felt the need to apply pressure and responded with 30 minutes of cardio including dancing, 200 squats and 100 leg lifts. I squeezed all the energy out of my being during this session. My eyes were looking past what did not feel good in the moment and focused in on the image of a drastic transformation, so I did not hold back.

Finally, the end of seven days was near. Of course, I rested on Thursday after wearing out my legs the previous day, and that left Friday open for a light run of 2.02 miles and a half mile walk through my hilly neighborhood. The weekend arrived and I got caught up in it with no problem. The thought of exercise or running did not even marinate in my mind at all, and besides achieving some basic daily movements my flesh was deprived.

I do not know if I am doing more hurt or harm the way I have been juggling intense and light workouts with extended rest days. I used to feel as though I had a better grip on what was good for my body type and exercise level; now I feel like I am a beginner finding my answers through a maze of solutions.

Hiccups and struggles overall, I was excited that I made it through the first week and I felt good about it. Habits were broken and new habits were created. I want to go on, I want to challenge myself and I will.