My life as vegan (week 1)

11 years ago I decided to eliminate red meat from my diet. It wasn't for any deep philosophical belief associated with animal cruelty nor was it due to a health concern. I eliminated red meat because I just felt better when I didn't eat it. I don't like the feeling of being full and I always felt really full after eating meat.

So a few months back, after learning about family illnesses (cancer) and learning about my own auto immune diseases (Lupus, Graves disease, possible MS and Sjogrens) - I decided to do a bit of research to understand how to keep myself well. Also by learning a bit more, I thought I could be more helpful to my loved ones. I learned a bunch about risk factors and in particular - the impact of food on disease. I learned that consumption of animal protein was positively correlated to cancer and autoimmune disorders. The best way to reduce risk (according to the research from The China Study) was to have a vegan diet.

I decided that I would give it a try for 30 days...

So week 1 ---so far so good. Luckily I really like veggies. I'm going to do my best!

Yin and Yang of Hot Yoga and Spin Class

So my workout routine looks like this... Spin on M and F, Weights on Tues and Thursday and Hot Yoga on Wed,Sat (and occasionally Sunday). Each workout is very different and enjoyable for different reasons.
I love spin -because of the extreme cardiovascular and muscular challenge. Working through the burning sensation and the anaerobic challenge - makes me feel like I really accomplished something. It gives me a boost for the day. Also the mid morning endorphin rush can't be beat.

I love Hot Yoga because it is extreme - the 105 degree temperature is unlike anything I've experienced. Also the postures are quite challenging - especially the balancing poses. But more than the physical challenge, yoga brings about the need to be totally present - not focused on anything at all. In order to succeed in the poses, I need to be totally in the moment - focused on my body and my breath. This is something I've been able to carry with me in other parts of my day "off the mat". I am really enjoying the mind/body connection. Also it makes me want to put good things into my body.

Weight training - I love feeling strong and I like my body best when I have definition .

So while all of this seems a bit schizophrenic, it is working for me....

What's next

So I saw a friend today at the gym and we had a good chat , catching up on work and all the going ons. She is pretty hardcore.... did a marathon with an injury, half ironman etc. Due to her injury, she said she really had no big race goals this year. She has done so much in past years, that this year she is just taking it easy. She was totally at ease about it.
She asked about my race goals this year. It took me a moment, because I've really put off thinking about goals this year. I put it off because last year was such a great lesson in setting goals. What I discovered last year is that sometimes my goals and God's goals are very different. Ultimately, God is in control - not me. I had big goals, but my year turned out very different than I expected. The good news is that I am alive and that I have learned so much about myself (and learning more everyday). I learning what it means to live by grace. I have learned that my tendency is not to be kind to myself but to be harsh and unforgiving - for anything that is not perfect. I have learned that I had an addiction to achievement and viewed anything less as failure.
So last year I had big goals and I can say that I checked off about 30%. I did 1 triathlon instead of 4. I spent time in the hospital instead of being in the best shape of my life. I changed my job to reduce my stress level instead of being focused on getting more, doing more. So instead of beating myself up or using my illness as an excuse, I am just going to press on. I am taking one day at a time, being kind to myself and learning how to set goals - but be flexible in how and when I achieve them.

So here are my goals....

• Goal 1: workout consistently - not for training or weight loss - but because it feels good and is good for my health
• Goal 2: learn as much as I can about mind/body/spirit connection.....and incorporate good practices into my live
• Goal 3: Complete Danskin Triathlon - finish strong with a time -- not lower than last year (of course not) -- beat swim, maintain bike ,,same on run.
• Goal 4: Pursue certification in some physical arena.... I have certification as a spin instructor (yup I do) but I want to explore pushing this further. I'm interesting in bringing together mind, body spirit. This would help my nonprofit pursuits.
• Goal 5: Do the STP 200 mile bike race

So there... that is what is next. It feels doable . I am going to be flexible and kind... but committed to putting in the work to accomplish everything. And if I need to flex a bit ..I will.

Hair Issues

I did it. I did what I said I would never do. I let my hair impact my workout.
I went to the salon yesterday , after 2 weeks of tough going. I was in desperate need of a touch up (woo wee). I was so pleased with the outcome, that I wanted it to last at least 1 day . So this morning , I chose my hair over my workout. I wish there was some sort of scarf type thing that would absorb sweat from the head and protect the hair style. If I could invent something like that, I would be a heroin for sistas all over the world. Do you know that for many black women, the need to protect our hairstyle is a big barrier to working out. When I started this workout journey, I vowed that I wouldn't be one of the statistics. Tomorrow..a different story. Hot yoga at 8.

Hot Yoga + Dehydration = Mistak

I took Hot Yoga ...or better yet , it took me.

It started off fine, but I was dizzy for most of the class. I felt stiff and unable to do many of the poses. it didn't occur to me until about halfway through the class that I was dehydrated. I didn't have any water the previous day. When the class was done, I was so exhausted. Anyway it is fairly obvious, but I want to reiterate - Hot Yoga without hydration is a big mistake.

Work through the fire

Snow in Seattle is a pretty rare occurrence. So rare, that when it happens - everything comes to a bit of a standstill. Over the last 10 days or so, we have had a total of 13 inches of snow. While it is certainly a beautiful sight, the department of transportation and residents are ill prepared for such a dumping. Only the highways are plowed and passage on other roads is possible only by tracks left in the snow by other drivers. The result is that many neighborhoods are crippled, streets are treacherous and it is just down right frustrating to travel. I'm from the East Coast, so the weather doesn't bother me, traveling in it does.

Last night, it started snowing....again. The weather man said it would turn into rain, but when I went to bed , there were about 3 inches on my deck.

I decided that I would go back to working out outside of my home . I am not as disciplined as I need to be in order to get the most out of my workouts. I am especially vulnerable to the little boy with Batman pajamas. I'd much rather hang out with him than sweat away on my bike or the treadmill.

So I get up at 4:30, ready to go to the gym. Thinking I'd do weights first then spinning, I put on my cycling pants and grab my already packed bag with my work clothes inside. But first, I grab my phone and suck up a few minutes checking email and Facebook, of course. I hear the pouring rain. I'm thinking ..hmm maybe I shouldn't go.

I head downstairs, determined to get out of the house. But the little voice in my head says..." oh no, the roads are probably slippery, your car is not built for this type of weather, you might get into an accident, better stay here". I look out the window and think perhaps I should work out in the basement. Just do the Spinnervales tape.

It took all of my might, to put on my coat and drag myself out of the house , into the rainy, slushy, cold weather and haul myself and stuff into my car.

When I got to the gym, I felt good. As I pushed myself through Josh's tough spin class, I felt great. Toward the end, he had us do sprints with super high resistance - which burns like crazy. As we were nearing the last sprint, he said, " Work through the fire, you can do it." The fire today, was not just the burn in my quads and glutes, but it was also my inner couch potato who tried to convince me to stay home. Work through the fire..... I'll remember that.

10 lb challenge..it's on!

What do you do when you are challenged? You take in on !
Hubby challenged me to a contest to see who could lose 10lbs first. The reward is a full 1hour massage at a local spa. I'm excited but I know that once he gets in his groove, 10lbs will fall off of him so easily.

I will have to resort to a little trickery;). I will make his favorite foods and offer up sweets .

In order for me to be successful, I will need to drink at least 1/2 a gallon or more of water per day and track daily.

Bring it on!