First Update of 2011, hope it’s not the last!

Wow, time flies.  Carrie’s Fit Life has been on hiatus for all of  2011 so far, but that hasn’t been intentional.  I’ve missed blogging and I hope to get back to it on a more regular basis.

My last post was reflections of 2010 and resolutions for 2011.  I’m pleased to report that I am plugging right along at two of my resolutions: taking more steps forward than back, and resolving my procrastination issues.  The third, maintaining and excelling at Carrie’s Fit LIfe has been not so successful in a fitness sense, but in terms of mind-body, I’m steadily progressing.

I’m not going to lie, I haven’t achieved any of my specific objectives.  I haven’t worked on a website, I haven’t lost weight (in fact I’ve gained a few lbs), and I haven’t trained  for an Ironman 70.3  I did train and complete my first 1/2 marathon in May, so that counts for something, right?  Just because the blog has been idle does not mean I’ve been idle, so here’s an update on a couple things going on with Carrie’s Fit Life so far this year.

2011 is turning out to be a year of travel for me.  So far this year I’ve had two mini vacations to Colorado and Hilton Head, SC, and a weekend in Washington DC.  The entire summer is delegated to family/friend weekend travels, then in October I’ll go on yet another vacation to San Francisco.  I don’t normally travel this much but I love to do it, so I’m enjoying it while I can, even if I do get a little tired sometimes.

One of my struggles over the last few years has been not having a career that is personally fulfilling to me.  As much as I want to do meaningful work, I’ve always chosen fitness first, partly because I don’t actually know what kind of work is meaningful to me.  Every so often I think I find it, so I jump to pursue it, then abandon ship.  Some people see it as procrastination or not following through, but I think what happens is I realize that it isn’t really what I want, so I move on.  The good thing is there’s always something else I want to try – the bad news is I often feel like I’m spinning in circles, going nowhere.

One evening a few months ago, frustrated about job searching with no direction, I made a decision to really put some effort into figuring out what I should do.  I took the advice of a career coach I listen to on the radio, Maggie Mistal, and did some soul searching.  I thought about I really care about, what I like to do, and what kind of work could really make me happy.

I realized that even though I love to learn and talk about fitness and nutrition, I’m not interested in training others, only myself.  And I thought about the list of topics and questions I’m always keeping so I can one day research and write about them.  After taking some time to research and talk to people, I’ve decided to go back to school to obtain a master’s degree in Public Health, focusing on social behavior and research.

This hasn’t been an easy decision to make, and part of me wonders if I’ve just found another way to procrastinate actually doing anything, at the same time increasing my expenses but reducing resources.  But for now, I’m happy to at least be working towards a future I’m hopeful about, and the research I’ve done so far indicates that research itself is a career I might actually be able to obtain.  I just hope I’m patient enough to wait the couple of years it will take this path to develop. 

When I glance up at what I’ve written so far, it doesn’t really seem like enough to cover over seven months of time, but there’s only so many hours left in a day after sleep and a full time job, so things develop slower than expected.  Nothing happens overnight, and many other things that happen just aren’t blog-worthy but believe me, I rarely suffer from a dull moment and (thankfully) I’m never bored.

So the highlights of 2011 to date are travel, career soul searching and learning to adapt to a fit life without large amounts of actual fitness.  The latter has not been as easy to adjust to as you would think, hopefully I’ll write more about that in a future post.  Until then, know that Carrie’s Fit Life continues to be fit and living, and I hope to be back with more soon.

Reflecting and Resolving

It’s been a very long time since I’ve posted, or written anything to be honest.  I think I mentioned a couple posts back that this year has brought some significant life changes, so I’ve been taking time to dwell and acquaint myself with the changes.  But the new year is pretty much here, so I thought it would be good to take some time to reflect on 2010 and make some resolutions for 2011.

Reflections on 2010:

This year I realized that even if I have specific goals, it’s okay to change them and/or set them aside for another time.  I’m always in a rush to do everything right now before the opportunity is gone forever, but some of my goals really have no set time frame, so it’s okay to come back to it later if I have to or if something else comes up.  I’ve always resisted this concept, but I’m getting more comfortable with it and I’ve discovered that sometimes I even like it. 

I’m also close to acknowledging the possibility that I want (and try) to do so many things at the same time that as a result I haven’t actually been able to any of them.  Take note of my wording, because this is another realization I’m still struggling with.  I have some soul searching coming in 2011 that might be tough, but will hopefully have some positive results and help me start moving towards goals instead of walking in place.  I know that trying to do too many things at once causes me to make mistakes, and some of my mistakes have had very serious consequences for me this year.

Resolving for 2011:

For 2011, I’m really going to try to slow down – just enough to maintain a reasonable balance of work, fitness and fun, and actually be productive.  This is not going to be easy for me to do and I’m not sure if I’ll succeed, but hopefully (some of) the journey will be fun and I can guarantee it should at least be interesting.  I’m also resolving to do a few more things, for both my mind and body.

My official resolutions for 2011 are:

1. Take twice as many steps forward as I do back.
2. Address a lifelong theme of procrastination that I’ve recently discovered is much deeper and more complicated than I ever imagined. I’m going to conquer my fears and do the things I’ve dreamed of, even if I end up failing, because at least I’ll have finally tried.
3. Maintain my “fit life” and take it to new levels of greatness.

Specific objectives:

1. Build my website and continuously submit articles/posts for it.
2. Get back to 120 lbs and either maintain or lose more than that.
3. Train for an Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Even if I end up not participating, be able to do it.

Pains from the Seat

How many of you sit at a desk for your job, or just sit for the majority of your day?  I do, and every day I could (and probably do) complain about tension and pain in my neck and shoulders.  Many of us, myself included, spend too much time sitting down, most of it hunched over a desk looking at a computer screen.

Full-time desk jobs or driving jobs are difficult to get away from and can (and do) cause problems for a large percentage of the working population, including weight gain and poor posture.  Poor posture can lead to discomfort, aches and pains, but can be alleviated with a little attention and conscious effort.

For those who don’t participate in regular exercise routines, consider starting one.  Start with walking at a moderate pace for 20-30 minutes, then work on increasing the length of time or distance.  You’ll find just standing up and moving around might help to ease the tension that’s placed on your body from sitting in the same position for hours each day.

For those who exercise already, or for the walkers who are ready to add more activity, incorporate a strength training plan that will correct postural issues like slouching and hunching over a desk.  Movements can be found with or without weights and you’ll be surprised how even a few simple stretches, like neck rolls, can help you feel better.

Make an effort to be aware of your sitting posture at work, in your vehicle or at home.  Arch your back ever so slightly to straighten it, roll your shoulders back and pull in your tummy, then see how long you can stay in that position.  Turn it into a challenge or game for yourself to see how long you can go, then increase the amount of time and how many times a day you practice.  About 10 years ago , when I was going to college for my Associates degree, I had a 3 hours long night class that bored me terribly and I dreaded each week.  At some point I decided to use the time to practice sitting up straight, I was surprised by how hard it was at first, but it amused me and helped pass the time in class.

Try to find reasons to get up and move around, even for just a minute.  The printer at my desk at work broke a couple of months ago, and instead of replacing it, I asked my IT department to hook me up to a network printer in the office.  It’s only a few feet away, but now I stand up and walk those few feet every time I print something.  Not only has it helped get me standing up many more times a day, but I also find opportunities to go green and save paper by not printing items that I tend to throw away shortly after.

If you work in a call center and tied to a phone for hours each day, try to stand up in between calls, even if it’s just for a few seconds.  This is not as easy for people who sit in vehicles and drive for hours at a time, but try the posture game or make an extra stop when you can to stand up and stretch.  I realize stopping more often takes away from productivity and increases your time on the road, so I’ll try to work on some different ideas in the future.

This is not a complete answer to solving aches and pains created by the hours so many of us spend sitting down, but it’s a start.  Stand up when you can and most important – be mindful of your posture and you might be surprised to find yourself starting to feel just a little bit better.

For questions or more tips on creating better posture, leave a comment or contact me below.

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Hiatus Over

Welcome back to Carrie’s Fit Life!  I guess I’m really welcoming myself back, since I’m the one who’s been away, right?

Last time I checked in it was June and I was training for the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon in Syracuse.  Unfortunately, I had to cancel that conquest soon after that post was written, in order to address and take care of some life priorities.

The last few months have seen some pretty big life changes for me, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Carrie’s Fit Life, what a fit life in general is, and whether or not I’ve been presenting it properly.  And I don’t really think I have been.  Since the beginning, my blog posts have primarily been about me and my training.  And while I enjoy talking about my training and filling you in on my ups and downs, that wasn’t really my goal for the blog.

I still plan to expand Carrie’s Fit Life eventually to include an area specific to my training updates, but for now I’m going to try to get back to what Carrie’s Fit Life is really about.  It’s not just about physical fitness, although that does play a significant role and will be discussed often.  In order to have a truly fit life, you need to take care of everything: your mind, body and soul.  And I don’t mean just in a spiritual sense, either.  It’s everything – your health (mental and physical), inspiration and aspirations, dreams, family, fiscal life, and anything else that involves having choices and making decisions.

These are some the things that play a role in Carrie’s Fit Life, and your Fit Life, too.  I don’t have all of the answers, and I still make some bad decisions – but no matter what, there are lessons and insights to be gained from it.  Don’t be mistaken – I strongly believe that physical activity and good nutrition play a vital role in everyone’s ability to have a fit life and my goal is to prove it, over time.  But life’s not just about physical fitness and nutrition, so going forward I’m going to try to spend some time talking about the other parts of a Fit Life, too.

Check back again to see what’s going on in Carrie’s Fit Life.  See you soon!

One Leap Forward and One Step Back

Last weekend was great for training!  I hit a milestone I wasn’t expecting to happen this early in my Ironman 70.3, and overall had a solid weekend of training.  I hit the week running, but I have to admit it was a little disappointing overall.  I’m not disheartened by it, but I’m thankful that this has happened now and not later, when I might have a more difficult time recovering.

I had a fantastic swim on Saturday.  I was planning on trying to do 30 laps, because I swam 25 laps for the previous two swims, and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little more before I was acclimated to that distance.  I took it easy and ended up swimming 42 laps for a total of 1.2 miles!  That’s the full distance of the 70.3 swim, and I was super excited about hitting that mark so early in my training!

I felt so good after the swim that I went home and rode my bike for 75 minutes indoors on the trainer, since it was pouring rain outside.  Sunday was another solid training day with a 6.25 mile run.  I felt decent doing it but I’m not going to lie, I was happy to be done running when I finished my second lap.  I expected to be stiff and sore the rest of the day, but I was diligent with my stretching all weekend and felt great.

I wish I could say that this week went just as good, but it didn’t.  Monday ended up being a recovery day, and Tuesday was my first night on the road with my bike in over two weeks.  Even though I’ve been on the stationary bike and my indoor trainer, it’s just not the same thing as being on the road.  My body has quickly forgotten how well it was doing, and now for the second time since the riding season’s started I now have to build myself back up.

I can’t tell you how disappointing it is to know how far I’ve fallen behind on the bike, but at the same time I’m using the opportunity to document and remember.  I’m counting on the bike being my best leg of the 70.3 and the one part I don’t have to worry much about, and that’s only going to happen if I keep riding.

The last week has had its ups and downs, but it hasn’t been terrible overall, just tiring.  I realize that my body needs more fuel to keep going, and more sleep in order to recover.  I still don’t have an official training program, but I’m getting closer.  I’m figuring out what I need to do and what I’m capable of doing (physically and timely) and what my body will need during this training period.  I sat down last night and calculated some calorie estimates, and my mind is starting to piece together what some particular days could be like.

It’s been a big step forward and a couple steps back, but I’m happy to say I’m slowly progressing towards my goal.  I’d like to eventually get some articles up about a few things I’ve been thinking about, but work and training are taking up a lot of my time right now.  Make sure you check back soon to see how my training progresses and what else is going on with Carrie’s Fit Life!