Subaru or Seahawks….

So here is my situation for this weekend. I just scored tickets to the sold out season opener of the Seattle Seahawks vs Tampa Bay game. They are on the 35 yd line and in section 100 (in other words prime seats). Problem is – if I do the Subaru triathlon I will have a tough time getting back up north, getting to church to teach my class and then leaving early to make the kickoff.

With the Seafair Triathlon, I was able to get in and out by 9:30am and get to church in plenty of time. With the Subura Tri, the setup does not allow for you to reenter the transition area to pick up your bike and gear until everyone is finished. So let’s say I finish at 8:40 am, I will need to wait until 10:30 or so to get my gear. Which means I will be late for church and I won’t be able to leave early for the game.

I don’t have time to get a teaching replacement for church and I really want to go to the game. So buh bye Subaru.

I need to accept that sometimes big races are anticlimactic and leave you yearning for something else (my experience with Danskin). Signing up for Subaru was really an expression of that and me not knowing where to put my displaced energy. So I signed up for it – because I could. There was no incentive for me to do it: it was not close, I knew no one who was doing it, my family would not be able to come, and the schwag wasn’t particularly cool. Plus I really didn’t want to do it. I was just a little bored and not sure what to do with myself. The bottom line is I need to find a way to work out without a goal in mind… it is a little hard for me as I think I will lose purpose and slack off. It is something I really need to do. It will save me lots of money in wasted registration fees over the long run.

A Glamour don't-- Oh no she didn't!

I was appalled to learn about a presentation given by a Glamour magazine editor at a lawyers convention... at the presentation of 40 or so lawyers, this editor from Glamour during her presentation on the dos and don'ts of corporate fashion stated:

First slide up: an African-American woman sporting an Afro. A real no-no, announced the Glamour editor to the 40 or so lawyers in the room. As for dreadlocks: How truly dreadful! The style maven said it was "shocking" that some people still think it "appropriate" to wear those hairstyles at the office. "No offense," she sniffed, but those "political" hairstyles really have to go.

See the article here http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1188161099761

Can you believe this? As a corporate woman who wore a braids for a good part of the year, I find these comments incredibly offensive. But ...is it true? Is my image negatively impacted with a natural hairstyle? Does my choice of a style that supports my healthy lifestyle impact my image in corporate america? Does it negatively impact my earning power? Should I wait until I am a CMO to embrace my inner afro? This is a doggone shame that I even have to think of this and that people like prominent editors have opinions about a sistas hairstyle.

hilary and obama

Ok – so I’ve been on the fence for the past year. I’ve feel like I’ve been waiting such a long time for Hilary and finally her time has come. I’m excited about Obama’s chances and I would love to see him make history. I’m familiar with both of their positions on the issues that are nearest and dearest to my heart – education, the war, economy – tax cuts, defense budgets and health care. I feel that both have a positions and I’m supportive of elements each candidates platform. Until this morning – I was a strong Hilary supporter – which is a bit difficult to manage in an Obama household. So what happened this morning? I saw Michele Obama on TV at the gym. I really like her. and her arms are terrificly toned – she must workout with weights . As much as I'd like to see a first man, I think I'd like to see Michele in the White House even more. Now I think I’m leaning toward Obama…. J

LL Cool J and pincurls

Back to normal today . I am still on East coast time so I was up at 4:15 and out the door by 4:45. I started my workout with 40 minutes of weights -a pretty tough circuit with little to no rest between sets. I’ve learned a ton about the most efficient way to work out from a few sources and I’ve tried to implement the tips that work best. With regards to weights and cardio – starting my workouts with weights is more efficient than starting with cardio. It takes your body 15-20 minutes to begin to burn fat from cardio . Rather than wait- I do weights first at a pace that gets my heart rate up – that way I get double the impact.

So here is what I’m doing these days: 12 reps of dead lifts (50lbs), 16 reps each leg of leg raises on a bench (44lbs), 20 calf raises, 16 squats with abductors (50lbs on shoulders), 20 calf raises, 12 hammer curls 15lbs per arm, 15 shoulder raises (30lbs). I do this circuit 3 times without resting more than 15 seconds. I got this workout from my man LL Cool J. Yes we go way back and from time to time he passes on good tips . Ok so not really … but I did get his workout book for valentine’s day from my hubbyJ. In addition to the great pictures , there is some pretty good advice in the book . I learned about super sets , the power and need for heavier weights and working past fatigue with lighter weights. I really want a more sculpted look so I’m going to be adding more weights over the next few weeks.

So by the time I finished the 3^rd set , my heart rate was quite elevated. Then it was time for spin class. My legs are still fatigued from this morning’s class. I got the sense that my instructor was on a mission to take people out today… and she was enjoying it. The class was incredibly hard today (high cadence hills) and people were dropping like flies. I thought I saw her smirk a bit , as one by one people packed it in. Not me… though. I was like bring it on! It felt so good and made me realize that I love spinning perhaps a little more than I love outdoor riding. I can be totally focused on me- my breathing, my pace, the power in my legs, my position etc. While I love riding outside – I am usually thinking about the rain, the cars, the bumps in the road, etc. Today was totally inward focused and I loved it.

After spin – I did 30 minutes on the elliptical – super fast 176 at level 6. Then I did abs, stretched and went home to take a special little boy to kindergarten. 2 hours 15 minutes in total workout..

How’s the hair? I tried pin curls during the workout at the suggestion of my friend. It worked really well overnight but couldn’t stand up to my workout. After working out I looked like a shaggy mop head. I ended up having to use my flat iron to get a few curls. I’ll keep trying.

Sisterhood, Cravings and $202 later.......

So I'm back in Jersey for an extended weekend for a big family and friends cookout (aka "The FishFry"). My younger (and only) sister hosts a big family bbq where she and her hubby fry over 150 lbs of fish and others bring all sorts of side dishes. It is always a bunch of fun and there are well over 100 people. We have a bake off and tons of kids activities. So I'm super excited about seeing everyone.

To kick off my homecoming, I had a girls night out with a few of my close girlfriends. We ate sushi and drank sake (among other things) and just really enjoyed each others company and the sisterhood. Being with them and speaking with those who couldn't be there really made me appreciate the quality and longevity of my friendships. I have over 28 friends with whom I have a special relationship - a relationship with history. I can have deep conversations with any one of them - each with it's own context- based on my history with them. This was helpful because I've been feeling like my friendships in WA are not deep - they are nice, but for the most part superficial. It has made me feel somewhat lonely. Being in Jersey made me really appreciate and miss my friendships with history.

This week I have not worked out at all - other than a short walk with my kids. The main reason was the state of my hair. Just being in the NJ humidity created a bit of a puff head. Last night I could not get the comb through and just mushed it into a shape. My body has been craving some type of activity and I really am missing my daily dose of endorphins. I feel good about my eating as I've been really doing well. I didn't drink last night and I ate fish and veggies. I've actually been struggling to eat enough since we have been a bit busy since we got here. I am looking forward to next week - getting back into my routine.

I went to see my stylist today to get the "do" done. So no texturizer - because it would have required me to cut off 50% of the length and I'm not sure I'm ready to part with that much hair. So I got a relaxer and a trim - with just enough length for a ponytail. I didn't get any good advice on how to maintain it - as my stylist doesn't workout. She said whatever I was doing was working great since my hair is in such great shape. Well that would be braids and since I'm going for a new look - that is not an option right now. She suggested I wash it everyday after working out - or just put it in a ponytail. It is such a cycle -- If I wash it daily I'll need to deep condition it daily so it doesn't dry out. This would add 1hr 15m to my morning routine (which I don't have). If I don't wash it daily - I won't have a style -as it will be flat. If I try to curl it after sweating, it will damage it. I could always try working out in the evening - which is a one way express ticket back to my old fat self. Not working out is not an option. So workout + ponytail, no heat (flat iron, curling iron etc) is the only option. So why did I spend $202 to end up with a daily ponytail?