Char’s Fitness Weblog

My goals for January were:

Start training and make exercise a routine part of my life.  Done!

For the next three weeks, I will average 3 1/2 hours a week of exercise (30 minutes a day might be a more digestable way of putting that).  Done!!

I started on January 10th and my totals for January are:

     Stretched for 6 hours 8 minutes

     Walked for 3 hours 5 minutes

     Ran for 9 hours 27 minutes

I exercised for a total of 18 hours 40  minutes, averaging 53 minutes a day!

Start running training. Done!!!

I walked 7.48 miles and I ran 47.76 miles!

Not to belabor the point, but I want to sit back and enjoy my accomplishments this month. I’ve hit on all three of my goals. Wow, I can’t believe how it all adds up. (Another one of my goals, unwritten until now, is to allow myself to feel good about my accomplishments.) I am so proud of me.

Some of the photos I’ve taken on my walks with Lila. 
      
        
       

As exercise becomes routine for me, I want to shift my attention to my eating. I’ve been totally unfocused when it comes to food and feel like I obstacle my fitness goals with the way I approach eating - unconsciously, without a plan, and without a memory of what I’ve eaten.I’m doing great with my training. I want to get my eating in line with my goals so that I support my success and not sabotage myself. I don’t want to be like Penelope, from Odysseus, who by day worked on weaving a robe and by night undid the work of the day. Penelope’s web is a proverbial expression for anything which is perpetually doing but never done.Don’t be Penelope Charlene. Get all parts of yourself in line with your dreams and get out of your own way.I will eat more consciously. And that starts with tracking what I eat and becoming aware and accountable to myself. I signed up for FitDay.com and have begun the journey to conscious eating.

Yesterday I had breakfast with Valria, Leslie and Sam again. And we were joined by Dave and Chari. Again it was inspiring and motivating. Before meeting everyone at the Alki Cafe, I had gone to the gym to get my 4-mile run in before the day slipped away from me. And I was sitting there happily tired, happily hungry, laughing with friends, eating good food, drinking hot coffee.And I realized how lucky I am.How healthy and fortunate and loved and happy I am. I am grateful for the freedom of my life. That I can set goals for myself and have the space, the time, the health, resources and freedom to pursue them.I am grateful that I am so healthy and that at 43 I can run, walk, go on long bike rides, swim in the Washington lakes, come and go as I please, sleep deeply, work hard, eat what I want, play as I wish, and am only troubled by an occasional cold.I am so grateful.I am loved by my great boyfriend, (ok, fiance, but that word is so 1940s), who supports my goals, encourages me to do what I love, enjoys my friends, and wants to wake up to me for the rest of his life.I am grateful that I have great friends. That alone should fill my life with gratitude. 

Because fitness is about self-love, it’s important to live in a way that tells me that I love myself. Self-love creates happiness. 17th century philosopher Spinoza) stated that “the more joy we have the  more nearly perfect we are.” Welcome news to me. I am making a list of things I can do that make me happy. Instead of waiting for the day I’m fit to love myself, I’ve decided to start where I am today. Loving myself that is. Simple daily things and big things I’ve always dreamed of doing I can begin now. Things I’ve always wanted to do. Things that would benefit my life, deepen my passions, honor me. Instead of starving myself of love and then trying to fill myself up with food, think I’ll start feeding myself love and let the food issue take shape as I learn to love me.Things that make me feel happy now.Manicures & pedicuresLuxiurious showers / bathsClothes that look and feel goodWorkout clothes that look and feel goodRunning a half marathon!PaintingPhotographyCreating this health blog!Create a website about my art and photographySpending time with good friendsReadingKnittingWalking

The universe is sympathetic to our dreams; our wish is its command. Learn to ask aggressively for what I really want, as opposed to whining and pining for what I sort of want. When we are aligned interally, the universe bows to our intent.  I want to live my best life.