Inspired Life by Design!
NORMAL is defined as: usual, average, the standard or common type.
For some people normal is hitting the snooze button six times before actually getting out of bed. For others it’s coming home, immediately cracking open a beer and sitting in front of the TV. In my mind, ‘normal’ is what we experience often or on a regular basis.
So what is YOUR NORMAL?
Facebook Status:
Lost. Hidden among the drenched trees, soggy ground and rain swelled ocean and rivers lies my happiness…must jog to go find it…
Tina’s Truth:
A JOGGING Tina, is a HAPPY Tina.
ORGANIZED RUNS I AM JOGGING THIS YEAR. CHECK THEM OUT AND JOIN ME!
Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon / 5K – June 26, 2011 – (If all goes well with my shin)
The Underwear Affair 5K walk / 10K jog – July 9, 2011
Diva On The Run 5K / 10K – July 24, 2011
GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon / Half Marathon / 8K – October 9, 2011
TRAINING TIPS BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE:
WHAT I’VE TRIED THAT DOESN’T WORK:
I am completely off my normal training schedule due to my injury. I am able to do small, easy jogs with a few days off in between. I tried incorporating certain time intervals but found I would push myself in order to meet the run time instead of really listening to my body. Now I am not looking at a watch or tracking my time. I am focusing on increasing my distance. My last jog was 8K and this is how I did it:
I ran till I felt I should walk.
I walked till I felt I should run.
Listening to my body that way has really worked for me. I am not hung up on the time and I am strictly listening to my shin. So far, you know what it’s been saying?
THANK YOU.
Have a glorious long weekend. Hopefully the sun will shine and the barbeque will bring you together with family and friends.
See you on Tuesday!
With a smile,
Tina
I had some amazing conversations this weekend. One conversation was with my friend and coach Jody Kennett about the speed of life.
We talked about how stressful situations can help put your priorities into perspective. As a society we seem to be so busy ‘doing’ or ‘buying’ we’re not really connecting even though we have every gadget and application to do so. We seem to be more disconnected emotionally than ever before. Activities and material things have taken over the simple but seemingly complex act of sitting down and having an honest conversation.
We are too busy driving to soccer games, dance recitals, or track meets to make dinner. We are too exhausted after doing the laundry, house cleaning, yard work, focusing on our career, paying our bills, taking care of our kids, our aging parents, supporting our spouses, dealing with custody lawyers, or keeping track of our teenagers to remember to ask how someone’s day was. Your day still isn’t over because you have the floors to wash, the bathroom to clean and you have to clip the dog’s nails….and don’t forget about those mounting emails.
Tina’s Jogging Journal Snippet From October 2008:
I hate this. I really do. I feel like jogging as much as I feel like having a cold shower. At least with a cold shower I can still just stand there.
Tina’s Jogging Journal Snippet From May 2011:
After 4 ½ weeks of not being able to jog, I am SO EXCITED TO BE BACK ON THE ROAD! How I’ve missed it! I LOVE jogging, it is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, for my life.
Tina’s Word For The Day:
GRATITUDE – there is so much to be grateful for, even in the middle of difficult situations. GRATITUDE keeps your mind POSITIVE when things around you may be negative or stressful.
TRAINING TIPS BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE:
WHAT I’VE TRIED THAT DOESN’T WORK:
Due to LISTENING to my body and RESTING for over 4 weeks, I am very slowly and gently getting back into jogging. YAY! To ease back into it, I am walking for five minutes and jogging for anywhere between one and three minutes. I am paying careful attention to how my shin is reacting to the increased activity. So far, so good. I’m filled with GRATITUDE that my body is responding well to the rest.
Have a fantastic weekend. Get some fresh air, give someone a hug and ask for help if you need it. Remember: SELF care is not selfish!
See you on Tuesday!
With a smile,
Tina
This past week I dealt with a serious crisis involving a loved one. I used every ounce of energy, love, support, resources, experience, communication skills and anything else I could think of to make this situation safe and secure. I was not alone in this quest; it took everything from everyone involved.
So today, because my brain is crammed full of thoughts not yet organized and my body is consumed with emotions not yet processed I am putting into practice what I tell YOU to do all the time.
I am nurturing and taking care of myself.
I am emotionally and physically exhausted. I don’t feel a blog written in this state of mind would be useful to you so I went through my previous blogs and found some that I think are valuable and received great feedback in the past. If you haven’t read them or forget what they were about, I hope you will take the time to look at them. If you have read them, please pass them on so they can help others.
How Well Do You Really Know Yourself?
Self Loathing – What YOU Can Do About It
One thing I learned this week was small acts of kindness mean the world to someone in crisis. You just never know what someone is going through and what words might resonate. With that in mind, THANK YOU for passing these articles on and helping someone in need of support, another perspective or a glimmer of hope.
With a smile and much gratitude,
Tina
PS. I was ready to post this when I realized I really LOVE a particular blog, Living Authentically and had to included it.
