Don't You Hate When....

Don't you hate when....

* You are out running and realize you're wearing spanks shorts instead of your Nike spandex shorts...

* You set your coffee on the roof of your car... and then drive off...

* You are talking to someone about how 'annoying' another person is and realize it's their sister..

* You say "thank you sir" and then are corrected as the sir is a "ma'am"...

* You feed the parking meter beside your car by mistake, run out of change for your meter and then get a parking ticket...

* You lock yourself out of your house without shoes on....

* You 'reply to all' expressing an opinion that was meant for one person and not 'all'....

* You pick up a sweater off the pile of discards on the floor and realize (once at work) that it's the sweater that had the spaghetti dinner fail on the front...

* You hit the tip $ amount option and instead of putting in $2 you put in $20... You're welcome.

* You purchase dried fruit - thinking it's a healthy option for a refined sugar free diet - and after eating a 1/2 bag realize it's full of the 'enemy'....

* You make an impulsive decision of getting your hair cut and colored thinking it will 'freshen your look' but instead you look like a contender for US weekly's "Worst looks of 2003"...

Yes - I've done it all.  Don't take yourself too seriously - Life's too short!

Insanity.... and the downfalls of at home workouts

Anyone who has stuck with an 'at home workout' regime deserves a medal.  I will name this medal - The Determination and Internal Motivation medal.  Bravo!

Back in August I purchased Shawn T's newest fad workout called "Insanity".  I respect Shawn T's eagerness to help people get fit at home with the hip hop ab routine and completely insane/intense  Insanity workouts.  Insanity came with a workout plan (1st ingredient for success), multiple dvd's (2nd ingredient - variety), and challenge (3rd ingredient - sense of accomplishment).  As I opened the packaging I envisioned myself doing this workout every other day.  I could smell increased cardiovascular endurance and sweat.  I would tell Mike my goals for these DVD's and attempt to convince him that it was a worthy cross training routine.

Day 1 of the Insanity program was a fit test. This test was absolutely impossible - after the 1st 3 exercises the lactic acid in my legs was unbearable, lungs burning and sweat trickling off my brow.  I could see Shawn T's strategy - kill people on Day 1 (humble them) and then build them back up with progressional exercises.  I get it.

For the next 3 days I went through the first 3 DVD's and quickly ran into the 'at home workout' obstacles:

- Space:  Although I have what appears to be an adequate space in my rec room to workout, Shawn proved me wrong.  Jumping in a square was difficult, walking plank was more of a crawl, squat jumping back and forth was a stutter.  I had no other places to put things - my furniture was against the wall.

- Equipment:  Although Shawn or his back up crew do not use mats- I decided that I would spare myself the floor contact and use my yoga mat.  I found out quickly that jumping, planking, lunging, mountain climbing was not practical on a mat with sneakers on.  Bunching, sliding, stretching - the mat soon went by the wayside.

Insanity also provides the fitness enthusiast with 'elevator music' as it's background music.  There's an option to choose the workout with or without the 'tunes' and it's hard to determine which is better.  In an attempt to pump up the workout - I pulled out my IPOD.  I was doing much better with my own tunes until my ear buds wouldn't stay in with all the abrupt movements I was doing.   Back to the drawing board.
Note:  At this time I did not have an IPOD dock...

- Safety Concerns:  As I was giving my all in the Insanity workout and "pushing it!", as Shawn T would yell, I was working up quite an "at home workout" sweat.  A real first for me.  I was down on the floor doing pushups when my hands started slipping and sliding.  Laminate flooring/sweat do not mix folks.  I then cautiously did the other moves and I'm sure did more harm then good.  The next day my calves were seized up tighter than I've ever experienced.

Despite the above - I was still dedicated to my newest cross-training routine.  By the end of Day 3 I was experiencing 'at home workout' distractions.  Ringing phone, text messages, Mike coming home/leaving, mind wandering, clock watching.... I couldn't stay focused.  Shawn would be yelling "10 more" and I would do 5 and rest for 5. He would do something double time and I would do single - not because I couldn't do it double rather I wasn't 'feeling it'.   I then asked Mike to watch me do the workout  to encourage me and give me a boost.  He soon grew bored and I soon grew tired of his encouragement.

This is when I really realized that no matter how much I try there is no substitute to working out in a group setting.  I love the energy that others bring and the motivation I get from being in a group.  Priceless.  I love CrossFit and the community and is the reason why I've been able to stay enrolled for a little over a year.   I will remember this blog post the next time I get the notion to invest into another dvd set.  I give mad props to the people that can stay committed with all the obstacles that working out at home presents.  Good for you!

For now - I'll stick with what's been working and file "Insanity" with the rest of my workout DVD's....

Puppy Love

WARNING: This blog post may get you thinking about getting a puppy. Puppies are great but take it from me - DO NOT get 2 puppies at once unless you have nerves of steel and all the time in the world. :)

On October 11th, Mike and I adopted 2 - 6 week old Shih tzu puppies - Oscar and Nova.  I've always been a dog lover and couldn't wait until I purchased a home to expand our family.  Me, in my traditional 'over the top/got to do it now' thinking decided that if 1 puppy was a good thing, then 2 would be even better!! 
Note to self:  More doesn't mean better.

Our first few weeks were challenging.  A LOT of trial and error. Mike and I were like new parents - clueless as to what to do but having the best intentions at heart.  We'd spend many minutes just staring at the puppies.  I'd be thinking "what the hell did we get ourselves into", Mike would be thinking "please don't pee on the floor"....  We'd read our Puppies for Dummies book and change our techniques daily.  By the end of the third week we were sleep deprived, emotionally exhausted and at our breaking point.  One day Mike blurted out "I've never been this stressed in my life!".  That's pretty bad for a guy who has a very stressful job.  I knew that something needed to change.  We then called in the professionals - Unleashed Potential, K9 academy. 

We arrived at our private session at the K9 academy with nothing left in our tanks.  I wanted a counselling session more than dog training tips and Mike was so overwhelmed with life he couldn't take anything in.  The trainer gave us some  mild to extreme training techniques and we left feeling as if there was some hope for us. 

We now consider ourselves in parenting boot camp.  We've made room in our lives for little ones.  We've cleaned up bodily fluids, gone through sleepless nights, listened to barking (and not known what was wrong), celebrated milestones (climbing stairs, jumping on a chair, going potty outside, learning down, sit, come) and rearranged our schedules to accommodate our puppies needs.  We show everyone pictures of our puppies (regardless if they want to see them or not), tell puppy stories (whether they want to hear them or not) and take our pups for visits (uninvited). Our lives now revolve around the next bathroom break, training time or feeding. 

After one of our many trips to the vet we received devastating news.  Nova was diagnosed with kidney disease which means he could live for days-years. Oscar is also showing some signs of having the same disease (milder symptoms) so you can imagine the emotional rollarcoaster we've been on since the diagnosis.  Treatment is not an option (dialysis) and so we are left anticipating the inevitable. Mike and I have done lots of soul searching, discussing our options and spending quality time together and with our puppies. We've had good days and lots of bad days. If Nova is having a bad day - we have a hard time being away from home.

It's amazing what dimension a fatal illness (yes, dramatic...) can bring to your situation.  We suddenly had to 'relax' (we're still working on this) and not sweat the small stuff (also working on this).  We've had some "Marley and Me" moments from chasing around both puppies with the forbidden in their mouths, to "Hachi" times where the puppies follow us around like they'd be lost without us.
We're enjoying each day with them as though it's their last and "keep on keepin' on".  We have daily play times where the four of us spend time together and are attempting to teach them what quiet time/settling means (work in progress).  We document their every move - "get the camera!!" is a common phrase in the house. What a special gift these puppies have been for us.   They have taught us more than we could have imagined.  Selflessness, patience, appreciation for what we have, communication, the art of 'slowing down', living in the moment, to name a few.  Mike and I are now stronger than ever because of these little guys and my heart skips a beat everytime I see them.  It must be puppy love.



My 1st Anniversary

Yesterday was my 1st anniversary of turning 30.  What is a girl to do when her birthday falls on a work day?  Well let's see:

- I started my day doing what I love - coaching - bright and early.  Great way to start the day

- I then headed to the grocery store to pick up a few snacks and my 'new' favorite munchies.  Cheese, grapes, sushi, the good stuff...:)

- I decided that I needed to have a snack and a rest and so home I went.  I had some cheese and grapes, unbeknownst to me the grapes were a little fuzzy....eeck...Quite a surprise to my taste buds....

- I then suited up and headed to CrossFit.  Having a little energy burst from my rest, I decided to 'push it' in my workout.  Challenged and almost killed myself BUT had a great workout.  Lots of supportive class mates, sense of accomplishment.  CHECK!  Note:  arms still quivering....

- I received a couple of gift certificates for my b'day so I then did something else that I love to do - went shopping.  I bought a few new clothes (never do this anymore) and new makeup.

- I then headed home to get ready for a hair appointment.  Rested, showered, sushi and off I went.

- Got my haircut and left feeling fresh and lighter.  Gotta love a new do. 

After all of this, I then went back home and got ready for work.  12hour night shift on your birthday isn't the most exciting thing but a good night all in all.

Birthday's are always so much fun.  Give yourself permission to rest, relax, and do the things you love.  Although I didn't get to spend time with my hubs, friends or family - I did get to spend time with myself.  And that wasn't too bad:)

Coaching as a Passion

I remember the day where I realized that coaching  for me was a passion.  After 15 years of planning my life around my sport - I asked myself, "Why am I doing this?"..... 
I didn't get paid well, in fact - I spent more money then I made on it.  I didn't have any 'free' or vacation time.  I frankly put the sport 1st before anything else in my life.  I had to be crazy!!  This is when I realized - PASSION - was driving me forward. 
I've learned when you're passionate about something it doesn't feel like work.  It brings a smile to your face, energy when you didn't think you had anymore to give, time when you didn't think you had any left.  I'm sure everyone feels like this with some aspect of your life.  (If you don't, it's worth it to find what your Passion is). I was glad to finally answer my own, as well as, the question of many people involved in my life.  Friends would say, in response to me having to turn down a night out, "Oh that sucks", where I thought "Not really..." 
My favorite thing about coaching is to see an athlete achieve something that they had convinced themselves they couldn't do.  To believe that 'anything's possible'.  My job as a coach got very challenging when my athletes started to believe in themselves.  I had to come 'on'.  I had to work harder than before.  I had to expect more from myself as the athletes expected a lot from themselves.  I'll never forgot conversations I had with athletes 3 seasons ago when they said that they believed they were just as good as everyone else. Where one athlete said "I can't see any reason why we aren't as good as them" AND "Just because we're small doesn't mean we can't"... THIS is why I coach.  THIS fuels my passion. 
As I've spent all summer preparing for the next season, I have had lots of time to think about my committment level and involvement and the passion I hold for the sport.  I've even have had some time to review my mistakes - yes, I've made many.  I still feel as passionate about the sport as I did when I first started coaching.  Coaching always felt "right" to me.
Coaching is, however, humbling.  Athletes will tell you at any whipstitch that they don't like what you've created or that they're not happy with their practice.  As a coach you need to check your ego at the door before every practice. This has made me a stronger person.

I'm holding a planning session with the upcoming's season coaches in a couple of weeks and would love to hear YOUR experience(s) with a special coach.  One that has left a lasting impression (positively) on YOU.  I'd love to share your stories with the coaches to reinforce our important role.

Please email me at stephaniebg24@yahoo.com to share your story and 'pay it forward' to the coach that holds a special place in your heart.

A Conversation Worth Sharing

I was enlightened today on the ways of the world  from an 8 year old's perspective.   A very special little girl who is wise beyond her years.  She's kind, caring, sensitive, compassionate, and beautiful.  She's my god daughter - Jaden.

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On Being the Oldest Child

Jaden - "You know Steph, I've always wanted an older brother or sister"

Me - "Me too Jaden, it's hard being the oldest, isn't it?"

Jaden - "Yep, I just want to have someone to look up to as a role model.  Ethan has me and I need someone so I can teach him what's right"

Me - "Lot's of responsibility being the oldest aren't there?"

Jaden "Yep, I like it though"

Me - "Me too..."

Jaden "I tell Ethan to not listen to people when he hears bad words"

Me "Well that's good"

Jaden "I'm trying to be the best big sister I can"

Me "You're doing a great job"
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On What it Means to be Rich

Me - "Do you like school Jade?"

Jaden - "Yes but it's kind of boring"

Me - "What makes it boring?"

Jaden "We just do the same thing over and over..."

Me - "Sounds boring.."

Jaden "One girl in my class tells me that she has an email account and a DS but she doesn't, she must be lying, she's just saying that cause I have them"

Me - "She probably is envious and wants to be like you"

Jaden "Doesn't she know that everyone has different things and so I would like to have what she has, but I don't lie"

Me - "It's good to tell the truth"

Jaden "Some kids even say "I'm soooo rich, I have this and that but rich isn't just about money, is it?" "Being rich means you have people you love, and love you back and you have things you love, doesn't matter what they are, as long as you love them".  "I tell them I'm rich too"

Me - "Sounds like you are rich, I feel rich too Jade"

Jaden "Do you have lots of money?"

Me - "No but I have lots of people and things I love"

Jaden "Well then you're rich"

Me - "I am"

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On Friendships

Jaden "Some people are meant to be together and that's why they're friends"  "If you're not friends with someone it's because you're not meant to be together - you and mom are meant to be together and me and Grace are too" 

Me "I think you're right, good point"

Jaden "If someone is mean to you"

Me "Then you don't have to be friends"

Jaden "No, you should say "I think we should spend some time apart and then try to be friends again another time"

Me "Or you could do that I guess"

Jaden "You should give it a shot"

Me "I think so, if it makes you feel good"

Jaden "It makes me feel good to be nice to people"

Me "Then that's what you should do"

                                                                                                                              

On Being Cool

Jaden "Some girls at my school think it's cool to be mean to other girls, you know, like not include them"

Me "I don't think that's cool at all Jade"

Jaden "Me neither - If they exclude someone then I'll play with that person.  I think that's cooler"

Me "Me too... How do they know what's cool"

Jaden "Yeah, who makes the cool rules anyways?"

Me "I don't think there is cool rules"

Jaden "Well then I guess we all have different thoughts on what's cool"

Me "Guess so.."
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On the Road Again

It was a great day to be on the road again.   Since the 2010 PEI Marathon, the farthest I've ran has been 400m during my Crossfit workouts.  Today, Becs and I did a 7km run together.  Gosh it felt good to have my running partner back.  AND now she's gone again:(

Running has always been a mental challenge for me.  I hate feeling uncomfortable and like I can't breathe.  Today was no exception to this but what I noticed has changed is my reaction to the uncomfortableness...  I stayed calm and positive - knowing that in a mere 10-15mins the torture would end and I'd still be alive.  I guess I'm used to feeling uncomfortable at Crossfit, so this run was no big deal.

The run today was a testament to how awesome Crossfit is.  I have not trained my running and today I could run at a faster pace AND push through.  It was not pretty (red faced, sucking wind like no other) but I did it.  That's all that matters.  I'm in much better shape as last season it took me approx 2 months to work up to that distance.  Did I mention how much I love Crossfit?..

I definitely need to run more often now - just to get the body used to the impact again but I am confident that this year's marathon will be better than the last.  My goal is to shave off some time in the 1/2 and judging by today - this will be possible..