Giving Back and Going Outside the Fitness Comfort Zone
“Count me.”
You know that feeling when you think you’re in pretty good shape – your workouts are challenging but doable and you feel like a badass after a really good sesh?
You know that feeling when you think you’re in pretty good shape, then you do a workout you’re not used to – and you feel like the most out-of-shape person and like you may die?
Good friends, a good sweat, and a good cause
Ah, yes, THAT feeling. I’ve had that feeling plenty of times in my life and, just today, got to enjoy the experience again as I took part in a charity cycling event for Giving Hearts Day.
I’m not embarrassed to admit that cycling is a weak point for me – even considering my thick, strong legs and butt. I essentially stopped doing triathlons, not so much because I suck at cycling, but because I legit do not enjoy it.
What I do enjoy, however, is competition and doing things for charity. Naturally, I was eager to participate in this event. Plus, last year we came in second place (UGH, the worst) and, being eight months pregnant at the time, I couldn’t go full-on, all-out – so I was determined to fully pull my own weight on the team this year.
I cycled. I cycled my ass off. I pushed the entire time, sweated like a mofo, and was exhausted at the end of the 10-minute ride. My team won our heat.
So, I may have felt less-than badass and more like I was getting my ass kicked, but it was a great sweat sesh and a great opportunity for me to mix up my workout. Plus, we raised some money and awareness for a great charity.
How often do you take the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and let your workout work you? What type of workout is that for you? Please share a comment or tweet me @LindsayIRL.
It’s Not Motivation, It’s Not Habit, It’s Determination and Goals
“Habit eats motivation for breakfast…but determination achieves more goals than habit.”
Most of the time, the quote I use to begin every blog is sourced elsewhere, whether something that has been said, a song lyric, or a line from a show. But this time, that’s a quote I came up with…by somewhat combining two famous quotes.
Anyway, enough about that. The real purpose of this blog, like all, is to give you the story behind the kickoff quote. I’m in the middle of reading the book, Atomic Habits by @JamesClear. The author presents his perspective that habits are the real reason we do great things – and not so great things, too.
When it comes to working out, I think most of us religious runners, gym rats, Cross Fitters, etc. believe that habit is a key force behind our 5 a.m. runs or evening lifts, whatever workout we’ve taken to as ours.
Habits are important – but goals are what drive us.
There is some truth to this; I’ve said plenty of times that healthy choices only work in the long term if they become part of your lifestyle – so, in a way, I support the idea that, “habit is what keeps you going.” (slipping in another legit quote there for ya.) And it definitely has nothing to do with motivation; hopefully we’ve all learned that motivation is bullshit – feel free to read my blog on the myth of motivaiton.
Atomic Habits has some really wise pieces of info – although it shits on goals a bit (and I LOVE goals). This is one part I don’t agree with and want to present an alternate perspective, my perspective.
The author believes that once people achieve a goal, they stop their good behavior. Only if they have the habit developed will they keep going.
He also notes developing habits isn’t about achieving goals, it’s about being the person you want to be, defining yourself as that person.
I don’t agree with either of these. I still believe it’s the other way around, that goals are the foundation to achieving what we want, good habits included.
I guess, personally, I don’t make the effort to be well – like run, lift weights, eat lots of veggies, and write in my journal – to because I want to be a runner, a gym rat, a vegetarian, or journaler (that’s not really a word but you get it). I don’t care about these labels or anyone defining me by them.
I do all these things because they make me feel good. I’m set goals all the time to do these things, which makes me feel good. I’m driven by the fact they help me manage my stress, my weight, my happiness – again, which make me feel good.
I’m driven – not in a habit.
I believe if you really want to do certain things – even be a certain person, if you care about labels and others’ perceptions – you need to be driven. And what drives us? Goals…not habits. The key is, and where the author’s point is very valid, you have to keep setting goals.
For real, Atomic Habits is a great book so far. I’m only about halfway into it and it has given me a lot to think about, more “oh, yes that makes sense,” than, “no, don’t agree with that.” I’m looking forward to continuing the read and, hopefully, expanding on some of my current thoughts and opening my mind to new thoughts.
What do you think about this? Are your positive actions due to habit, an automatic response? Or are you making choices based on goals and drive?
The comments are all for you to share so please do. Or you can always tweet me @LindsayIRL.
Better Wellness from Disconnecting, Fewer Distractions, and No Notifications
“It can wait.”
How much time do you spend on your phone? Maybe you scroll through social media or check emails, maybe you even use your phone to – gasp – talk, like make or take phone calls. Ha, that last one’s crazy, right?
Now think about how much time you spend on your phone because of notifications. Either responding to notifications or simply needing to look further into one that pops up.
A notification might come from Facebook or Twitter, maybe you have notifications for breaking news or up-to-the-minute sports scores, or you have email notifications constantly lighting up your home screen.
I’m going to drop something on you that’s going to seem outlandish: other than text messages, I have no notifications enabled on my phone. That means when someone tweets at me, likes my Instagram photo, or sends me an email, I don’t know about it instantly.
My phone pretty much always looks like this – love it
Remember the slight gasp when I suggested using your phone for talking? I imagine that is now amplified, perhaps bordering on horror, as most think about the idea of having no notifications on their phone. And what probably seems crazier? I think it’s the best way to be.
As a 35-year-old and especially as someone who works in public relations, the fact that I’m not attached at the hip with my phone probably seems bizarre. Taking it a step further, I bring my no-distractions approach into other areas of my life.
I often close my email at work so I can focus on, well, doing work. I have a separate iPod for music, simply so I’m not distracted by anything at the gym. I don’t run outside with headphones and I only bring my phone as a safety precaution on select runs because I like the freedom of no calls, texts, or connections with anyone other than myself and my thoughts.
I get it when people think my behavior is crazy. It’s not normal, at all. But I’d like to talk about the upside of minimizing distractions and shying away from hyper-connectedness as it relates to wellness.
Nearly everyone is addicted to their phone these days, both at work and at home. I don’t need to tell you all the statistics of how many times most people check their phones each day or how much time is spend responding to requests vs. being present and productive.
I believe that most people think seeing notifications and responding at the drop of the hat makes them feel good, like they have control over that part of life. But I wonder if this hyper-connected world actually causes more stress and anxiety, and is hurting our happiness and wellness.
Yes, I even still use an actual notebook to write notes.
On the flip side, I truly believe my simple practice of disabling notifications and proactively stepping away from technology often makes me more present, clearer-minded, more productive, happier, and, ultimately, well.
Do my efforts to eliminate distractions mean I sometimes miss calls, have delayed responses to emails, or not instantly know if someone liked my latest tweet? Yep. But the world hasn’t ended yet.
I recently watched an episode of Parks and Rec where my favorite character, Ron Swanson, attempts to go off the grid – not for wellness reasons, because he despises the government and anyone knowing too much of his personal info. Anyway, this gets him in trouble with his wife, who reminds him that he’s a husband and father, and often that means people need to get ahold of him.
99% of the time, things can wait. And if it truly is urgent, that’s why text notifications are the one thing enabled on my phone. I think Ron would appreciate that kind of compromise.
Now, I understand that this approach can’t work for everyone. For example, my coworker, Jessi, is responsible for monitoring company reviews, requests for info, and social comments, and responding in a timely manner. It quite literally is her job to be responsive and some days, I don’t know how she does it.
But for the rest of you, I challenge you to take this approach, just for one week. Shut off your notifications, give yourself permission to close your email and ignore phone calls, and enjoy the feeling of being present and productive, with minimal interruption and distraction.
If you do this, please let me know how it went – did you feel better or have more anxiety?
The comments are also your space to share your opinion on this topic so do it. Or as always, tweet me, @LindsayIRL – just know that I won’t get respond right away. But I will get back to you.
Why Rest is an Important Part of Fitness and Wellness
“Sometimes a rest day is the best day”
I often find myself getting little nuggets of wisdom from older movies and TV shows.
In the past few weeks, D2: The Mighty Ducks has been on a lot and, naturally, I’ve had it on in the background every chance possible. As I write this, it’s going to be on in a half hour. #winning
Side note, based on my references to movies like the Mighty Ducks and TV shows like Full House (twice – I’ve referenced Full House twice, most recently in a post about successful daily habits) I imagine it’s quite obvious most of my childhood years were spent in the 90s.
One of the tiny lessons gleaned from this movie comes, not from the lead character, Coach Gordon Bombay, but the supporting “coach” of the team, their tutor, Ms. Michelle McKay.
After a particularly grueling post-game workout sesh, the team is exhausted the next day so Ms. McKay takes it upon herself to cancel their practice later that day. Her simple explanation, “They needed a day off…they need to rest.”
Wise words, Ms. McKay.
With rest and a change in Coach Bombay’s attitude, the team becomes energized, happy, and comes together to beat team Iceland for the gold medal. Ah, the power of rest.
Proactive rest combats overtiredness…my son is learning.
Now, in the real world, you might not come off a rest day with boundless energy and pull off an achievement as seemingly impossible as beating the big, bad boys from Iceland. But rest does wonders, for the mind and the body. Sometimes, a little bit of rest is exactly what we need.
A person cannot function at his or her best without rest. I mean, it’s possible to function on very little rest and sleep – new parents, I’m looking at you. With a 10-month old, I still remember those grueling early weeks and, somehow, getting through them. But I think we can all admit that we’re not our best when running on little rest.
If your current workout plan doesn’t allow a rest day, it’s probably not the best-devised plan. If your work mentality is go, go GO, rest can wait, it’s probably not the smartest path to take. Both are clear roads to the destination of burnout. For a deeper dive into this, read my post: 3 reasons to take a rest day.
I have an ongoing weekly goal to work out at least five days a week. Barring intense travel, sickness, or major issues with my son, this is always my goal and I take it seriously.
Most of my workouts are early morning ones. I don’t always get to strategically plan my rest days anymore so it can be tempting to want to go, go, go every day in case something unexpected comes up and forces me to miss a work out. I look at this a little closer in my post: The Importance of Rest Day and Relaxation. Feel free to check out that one, too.
But there are some days that I choose to sleep in and it’s the right choice. I have to remind myself, sleeping in isn’t me being lazy – it’s the best way to keep my body and mind strong.
Do you take rest days or make time for rest periods in your day when needed? Do you notice a positive effect on your body and mind after rest time?
The comments are your space to share thoughts so please leave one. Or tweet me, @LindsayIRL.
My Goal to Create a Daily Wellness Journal
“There’s no wrong or right – just write.”
I love to write. Big shocker, I know. It’s more than just my love to write blogs and stories – I love writing myself notes. I love writing down my workouts. I love writing to-do lists (and checking off items – talk about really feelin the love!).
As a fan of the pen-to-paper life, I’ve been journaling in various ways for several years. Right now, I have two daily question-based journals and an exercise journal. Lately though, I’ve wanted to up my journaling game and my wellness game.
One of the reasons I love running and lifting is because both are forms of therapy for me – so too is writing. After finding a 2019 planner in the dollar section at Target (another shock, Target dollar section FTW!), I was ready to begin. I just needed to figure out exactly what to journal, aside from logging my daily workouts and rest days.
New journal, new goal for journaling
In addition to a typical calendar, this particular journal includes extra pages for each month, every day gets its own dedicated space and it’s organized into weeks. I started brainstorming ideas for what to journal about on a daily basis. I came up with a few wellness journal topics and decided I’d try to write down something every day each week that will help keep me on my path to wellness.
Here’s how the journal is currently set up:
Daily workout and rest day logging in the calendar portion. Then, on the weekly, blocked day pages:
Sunday
-Reflect on the past week’s workouts
Monday
-Three things for which I’m grateful that week
(one kicker, I can’t let it be my son – because, c’mon, I’m grateful for him every damn day)
Wednesday
-A mid-week check-in of where I’m at with goals
Thursday
-Three things I can’t control, but how I can respond to them (because that’s what I can control)
Friday
-The best thing I saw or heard that week
Saturday
-Reflect on the past week’s eating and nutrition
Tuesdays I decided to leave flexible, allow me to include a rotating thought. I’ll use this space for things like a dream or memory recall, a cluster thought exercise, writing down what I’m doing to keep calm and collected that week, things like that.
I kicked off my new wellness journal last week and I’m looking forward to keeping it up and, hopefully, seeing some health, life, and stress management benefits from it.
More than that, my goal is, not only to write more, but to reflect more; to look back periodically on week’s past and try to learn something from my thoughts and feelings.
Do you keep a wellness journal? What are some wellness journal ideas you have? Or is there something similar that you try to write down every day, like a gratitude or meditation journal? The comments are meant for you so please leave me one, or tweet me @LindsayIRL.
The Truth Is Out: Runners Are Crazy
“I love you, but you’re crazy.”
Fargo gets pretty cold in the winter. I’m not shocking anyone with that statement. This past week, we had some of our chillier days, with a few down to the single digits. So what did I do on the coldest day, when the temp reached a balmy five degrees? Eagerly layered up and ran outside, of course.
Let me back up and explain a bit.
For the past several days…well, almost weeks…well, really, most of the month of December, I’ve battled various colds. I hate being sick. Up until I had a small child who goes to daycare, exchanges loads of germs, and brings them home to us every day, I rarely got sick.
Not only does being sick just make a person feel crappy, workouts are pretty much nonexistent. And I love my workouts, whether they come at 5 a.m. on a weekday or a later morning run after Abel goes down for a nap on Saturday.
All – yes ALL – of this for one run. #worthit
This week, I started feeling a tiny bit better, enough that I gave our elliptical a shot for 20 minutes to see if I felt better. I did. So the next day, I was eager to break another short sweat.
I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I went for a run so, as you can imagine, I had the itch. After an end-of-day meeting allowed me to get home a few minutes earlier that usual, with a small window of daylight left, my urge to run was even greater. There was just one issue – it was five degrees outside.
But did I let this stop me? Hell no. I layered up, putting on all my best, warmest stuff, forced Burton into his sweater, and we were out the door.
Oh, an outdoor run. How I had missed it. Was I a little worried about aggravating my sickness? Sure. Did my eyelashes partially freeze together? Of course. But did it feel great? You betcha (in the words of a true Fargo-nian). I love winter running and know how to make it really enjoyable.
Funnily enough, I never once felt cold. The right clothes – and mindset – really do the trick. For tips on layering for cold-weather runs, I’ve got you covered.
As I was running, I thought about how people always say runners are crazy. We get up super early to squeeze in miles before work. We sacrifice weekend for long runs, recovery naps, and icing. We spend a lot of money to run a lot of miles for enjoyment. Most of all, as I demonstrated, we brave some of the toughest elements without much thought – in fact, with enthusiasm.
While most people couldn’t bear to spend 30 seconds outside in five-degree winter weather, I voluntarily went outside with the intent of spending several minutes in it…for pleasure. Yes, I think it’s true: we runners really are a special kind of crazy.
Are you crazy for running? Or do you believe runners are straight-up crazy? The comments are all yours so leave one. Or tweet me @LindsayIRL.
Bouncing Back? More Like Working Hard for a New Normal
“You’ll bounce back.”
My son recently turned 9 months old. I’m not going to be THAT mom who says, “Where did the time go,” or talks about how, “They grow so fast,” or anything like that. For the record, it’s all true but I’m not here to do that.
No, what I wanted to talk about is getting back to wellness, particularly body, after baby. I know, guys, at first glance, this one isn’t quite for you. However, it might be helpful if you’ve got a new mom or expecting mama in your life, give you an idea of what she’s going through or will be soon.
When I was pregnant, I was admittedly concerned about gaining weight, losing fitness, and the way my body might change forever. Everyone told me I’d “bounce back” after having my baby, assumingly because I went into it very fit. Yes, you could say I had a fit pregnancy; I ran a full marathon and three half marathons, while continuing to lift. I planned to start working out right at 6 weeks postpartum and I did, so I guess the natural thought was I’d easily get back the body I had before.
Some days, this is how I get to rest & relax
Let me tell you, it didn’t work that way. I didn’t bounce back quickly or easily.
Here we are, nine months later, and I only recently got back to my pre-baby weight. I gained fewer than 30 pounds during pregnancy but, as they say, it takes nine months to put it on and it really does take nine months to take it off, assuming you eat and work out in a reasonable, non-aggressive fashion. So I didn’t bounce back quickly.
Secondly, it has taken a lot of work to get back to pre-baby weight. I wasn’t one of those women who breastfed and the pounds just fell off. Nope, my body needed every extra pound and calorie to produce anything. Only once I stopped breastfeeding was I able to lose my last five pounds, even though I’ve been consistently working out five (sometimes six) days a week and focusing on eating a reasonable amount of food. No, I definitely didn’t bounce back easily.
Then there’s a whole other side of things. I may be back to the same weight as I was before, but it’s not actually the same. I went into pregnancy at my usual weight, which fluctuated in the high 140s to 150. The last few times I’ve hit the scale the past few weeks, I’ve been 153, 148, 151, all around that usual benchmark. But my 150+/- pounds, pre-baby isn’t quite the same as 150 +/- pounds, post-baby.
I’m slowly building back my strength and muscle mass, but I’m still not as strong as I used to be.
I ran my first half marathon back before Abel turned five months old, but I’m still not as fast as I used to be.
I’ve been able to get back to normal, fairly healthy eating, but I’m still not cooking and meal prepping to the degree I’d like.
I sleep well most nights but I don’t get as much rest – naps and relaxing – for as good of recovery as I used to.
I never used to get sick and now my immunity is nowhere near what it used to be.
And, again, I’m the same weight and all of my pre-baby clothes fit but it’s just not quite the same…
I feel like I’m working harder at wellness now than I did before Abel, but the results aren’t the same.
I didn’t just bounce back, and I definitely didn’t do it quickly or easily. What I’ve learned is this is my new normal. This may just be my new body, my new lifestyle.
Why am I sharing this specific of a story? I think there’s pressure on moms to look great and just magically get back to the way we were before. But, truthfully, it won’t be the same as it was before.
The body changes and goes through a fight club of sorts, so it’s not the same. Add to that now we’ve got tiny humans to take care of, in addition to ourselves. That’s definitely not the same.
So if you’re like me and you didn’t “bounce back,” quickly or easily, even with essentially having the deck fully stacked in your favor, know that you’re not alone. It’s okay that it’s not the same.
Guys and gals, tell me about your experience getting back to fitness after starting a family. Comment or tweet me @LindsayIRL.
A New Goal in the New Year
“Sorry not sorry”
Most of the time, my blogs and thoughts center around my personal life and things I love to do – why to run without headphones, my favorite leg workouts, or lately, more parenting-related posts like what it was like to run a half marathon a few months after having a baby.
While many topics and themes I write about do cross over into my professional life, I tend to keep that side of my life low-key. Part of that is because I believe in establishing boundaries, the other is, quite simply, my blogs are blunt, challenge popular opinions, and use colorful language. Yes, it’s who I am in real life, but I recognize it’s not always the most favorable way to present myself, professionally.
This week, I’m going to invite you a little more into my professional life. I’m a Public Relations Specialist where my job is heavily focused on writing – me, a writer. Shocking. I collaborate often, both with people on my team and coworkers on other teams. I work a lot with those outside my organization as well like editors, and people at associations and other companies we work with.
Bringing a Reese’s variety platter to a party because my app skillz are lacking. #notsorry
In short, I work with other people a lot. And, often with group work, comes dynamics and norms one seems to adapt to without always realizing it.
So, in addition to this extra-special glimpse into what I do, and because I’m a fan of setting goals, I’d like to share with you a professional goal I have for 2019. It’s related to something I often do automatically, without thinking; something that comes from the day-in-day-outs of working frequently with others.
In 2019, my goal is to apologize less.
This might sound like a strange goal and let me assure you it doesn’t mean I intend to be more cutthroat or rude to my colleagues.
I think we all apologize a lot. Often, I catch myself apologizing for something for which I have no reason to, or in cases when the person on the opposite end of the exchange isn’t expecting an apology. I’ve even apologized for observations or before even starting a conversation.
I’m sorry, but I say “I’m sorry” too often. Ha, see what I did there?
By skipping an unnecessary apology or offering one when I don’t mean it, I can focus on more productive conversations and more meaningful exchanges. And, when I truly am sorry, you’ll get a sincere apology and know that I mean it.
What’s a professional goal you have this year? Please share it in the comments or tweet it to me @LindsayIRL.
Achieve Your Goals by Not Making New Year’s Resolutions
“A goal without a plan is just a wish”
Erick & Lins, doing good things all over the place
You’ve been waiting for it – or not; either way, it’s time. My annual anti-New Year’s Resolution blog is here. And this year, I’m going to let a video do most of the talking.
Last week, I joined my friend, Erick, as a guest on his talk show. Because I don’t believe New Year’s Resolutions are effective (here are six reasons why New Year’s Resolutions fail) or a good practice, we focused our conversation on how to be successful at something I do think is effective: achieving your goals.
Here’s the episode of the show, My Office from Codelation.
Please watch and enjoy, and I hope it inspires you to achieve some great things as we head into the New Year.
What’s a big goal or a couple small goals you have? Comment or tweet me @LindsayIRL.
The Benefits of Eating Breakfast
“Why would anyone ever eat anything other than breakfast food? Because, Leslie, they’re idiots.”
I have a confession to make. For the past two weeks, I’ve done something several times that I never do, that I never thought I’d do. Anyone who knows me will be shocked to hear me admit this…lately I, Lindsay Paulson, have been skipping breakfast.
It doesn’t have to be this fancy to be good
Gah!
Breakfast food is my favorite food. I often eat breakfast food for lunch or dinner. At my wedding reception, our dinner was – you guessed it – breakfast food. For real, I love breakfast food.
Additionally, I love to eat. I’ve often said that sleep is my time machine to get to my next meal, whether that’s a nap or a full night.
Combine these facts and it’s pretty clear that I’m not one to voluntarily skip a meal, let alone my favorite one of the day.
It all started two weeks ago when I was working early to get a couple things done before heading into the office. I worked out, got myself and Abel ready, then jumped right into work and got on a roll and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, forgot to eat.
I wish I could say that was an isolated incident but, sadly, it was not.
The next week, after my son so lovingly shared with me his stomach flu bug, I didn’t eat much of anything for a couple days. Combined with another morning or two of accidentally not eating it, and I’ve come to a conclusion: I really should eat breakfast.
When I eat breakfast, I’m my best even before lunch
As someone who’s proud of being able to maintain laser-sharp focus at work, I noticed I wasn’t as dialed-in as I normally am. As someone who keeps calm and collected, I noticed my moods were, shall we say, stronger than they normally are (um, #hangry anyone?). And, quite frankly, I got to the point of some fairly serious jitters and shakes by 11 a.m. each day. Basically, I wasn’t my best.
This doesn’t even factor in workouts. Eating breakfast is often imperative to fuel a good run or other workout. For a few ideas of what to eat before a long run, check out my previous blog on the topic.
On a related note, I’ve heard a lot about intermittent fasting and the benefits it can have, but I’d always been skeptical to try it because of fear of these (and other) reasons. I even had two of my smart fit pals, @JoeFitness and @thecoachhaines, weigh in on that topic, but that’s for another blog.
In a nutshell, this impromptu experiment reminded me why I’m a big supporter of eating breakfast. And, let’s not forget, it really is the best kind of food there is. Ron Swanson and Leslie Knope will never be wrong on that – so much that Leslie Knope can teach us all a thing or two about living well (opening quote credit for all you non-Parks and Rec fans).
Is breakfast something you need to function at your best or are you one of those people who never eats breakfast and it’s not a problem? Comment or tweet me @LindsayIRL.