Tag Archives: fitness

75 Hard Challenge, Round 2!

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This is Day 9 of my second round of the #75HardChallenge. I finished the first round last August. If you haven’t heard of it, the challenge was created by @andyfrieslla.

Why I chose to do #75Hard the first time: I had a truly awful week in real estate. 75 Hard is a mental toughness challenge and I decided at that point, I needed some mental toughness. On Day 63 of the first round, I was skewered by a client who also used to be a friend and it devastate me. No mental toughness. But what I did get was radical clarity! The challenge was worth every single minute I devoted to it.

Why I chose to do a second round: I still want mental toughness! LOL! I’m still shooting for the mental toughness aspect the challenge should bring. Additionally, I feel like following the challenge is making me a better person day by day.

Why I love 75 Hard: It’s scalable! That means ANYONE can do it. If you notice in my video, I can’t do push-ups off the floor yet. Yet! So I do them off of the rail and they are tough! But one day, they won’t be tough and I’ll be doing them off the floor. I aspire to this.

At the age of 61,I’m just getting started. There are so many things I still want to do and 75 Hard will be the foundation to those things. Have you done 75 Hard? If not, when are you starting?

21 Day Cold Shower Challenge

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Say what? Yes! I participated in a 21 Day Cold Shower Challenge with Ben Greenfield. I stood in a shower of the coldest water I could have for 5 minutes every day for 21 days. Not only did it benefit the Brain Trauma Foundation, I actually liked it!

I’ve been listening to Ben Greenfield’s podcast for quite a while now. His topics are so interesting and I’d heard at least two on the subject of cold thermogenesis before he announced the challenge. 

Some of the benefits of cold exposure are:

  • Lowering body fat
  • Increasing hormone levels
  • Improving sexual performance and fertility
  • Lowering blood sugar
  • Cutting food cravings
  • Improving adrenal function
  • Fixing thyroid issues
  • Enhancing immune function
  • Improving deep sleep quality
  • Increasing pain tolerance
  • Reducing inflammation

I had already been doing two minutes a day since hearing the first podcast so I figured it would be easy enough to take it to five minutes. Plus, it had the additional benefit of raising funds for the Brain Trauma Foundation. 

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The participants were all joined in a private Facebook group to share our daily experiences. We were encouraged to take a photo to post. After a couple of weeks, I thought mine were boring so I got some shower caps to liven it up.

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It was a fun experience and something I continue to do. We raised $3,644 for the Brain Trauma Foundation. So it was a great experience all around.

If you are interested in health and sports fitness and endurance, I can’t recommend Ben’s podcast enough. It’s always loaded with interesting and fascinating information!

 

Walking and Falling

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You know how I’m always going on and on about walking? Well, it turns out it’s good for you. ::hee hee hee:: I found this video when I was looking around the intenet. It’s pretty funny. 

 
It’s true that the benefits of walking just 30 minutes a day are numerous. I’ve been walking consistently for 10 years now. What started out as a way to get out of the house so we could talk about our nephew who was a bit of a handful has turned into something I would miss terribly if I had to go without.

I sleep better, feel better and look better. We are always surprised how, at 54, we are on no prescription medications when so many people we know, who are younger than us, are. It’s become a way of life for us. 

It can for you, too! It’s super easy, inexpensive, and fun. I just found a new walking path that I really love the other day. It has several hills but also STAIRS! The stairs go under the CalTrain tracks and when I get to them, I run up and down several times. I’m up to 14 now.

Yesterday when I walked, there were work guys at the other side of the tunnel. I asked one guy if it would be okay if I ran the stairs and he said it would be fine but he didn’t really seem like he meant it so I told him I’d just do them tomorrow. 

As I walked, I remembered the stairs down to the Guadalupe River Trail where I typically ride my bike. When I got there, I ran them. 

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And fell.

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These stairs are a little wider than the other set I usually run and I think I just adjusted wrong. But I’m okay. My face and phone (nor anything else) aren’t broken and I just have a couple of bruises.

Anyway, all’s well that end’s well. Get out and walk today. It’s such fun and you’ll feel better for it. I won’t even expect you to do stairs. Yet. 😉

F is for Fruitbat

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If you follow me on instagram, I’m sure you’ve seen me tag photos #fruitbat. “What is that?” you ask. I got the term from Freelee the Banana Girl. 

Freelee is the person I found when I was getting ready to become a low fat, high carb, raw vegan. I found her video about Banana Island and have been watching her ever since. She’s a great source of information and inspiration and she calls her followers fruitbats.

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I eat a huge number of my calories in the form of fruit so I think the tag is appropriate. I follow the 80-10-10 plan of eating where I shoot for a breakdown of 80% of my calories each day from carbs, 10% from protein and 10% from fat. 

f2

This makes me feel AMAZING! Actually, amazing isn’t really a strong enough word. I don’t know that there is a word to describe how awesome I feel when I eat this way. I have no joint aches, my skin is SO clear, I sleep well, life is so good.

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Fruit is amazing. And, honestly, if you had told me that I would one day replace sugar with fruit, I would’ve laughed at you. Of course in diet books they always suggest that but I was such a sugar addict I couldn’t fathom how it could work.

I haven’t had a whole lot of processed sugar since I began eating this way on September 1 of last year. I chose to eat an almond croissant on Saturday in honor of my half birthday and I felt sincerely wasted. Like I was completely drunk. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk home and we were only two blocks away. I don’t think I’ll be doing that again because I just didn’t care for the feeling.

Fruit makes me feel clear and clean and joyful. It’s what I love and eat the most of. I am most assuredly a fruitbat. 🙂

 

Wheeee!

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I rode a bike! I haven’t been on a bike since I was a kid but I rode one today. Here’s my experience. 

The biggest thing I learned is that while I might be able to run with my mouth open, I should most definitely not ride a bike with my mouth open. LOL! I’m pretty sure my protein intake is higher today. 😉 

Hug A Vegan Day

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This morning I was listening to KRMG when the morning host, Dan Potter, mentioned that it was National Hug A Vegan Day. But then he snarked on, that you should be careful because they’re frail. And they smell funny.

KRMG Tulsa

Say what?

Admittedly, I have only been a vegan since September 1, but in the past 25 days I have seen such amazing changes in my health. And I was already a healthy person! Prior to this month, David and I had been eating a paleo diet since November of 2010. But, for me, it was unsustainable because I have a huge sweet tooth and the cookies eventually called. I also loved beer and gin and felt deprived if I couldn’t have a cocktail. 

In the past 25 days, I have had NO sugar. And guess what? It’s. Been. EASY! I’ve also had no desire to have a cocktail, I sleep better, my joints don’t hurt and I’ve been absolutely flying when I walk in the a.m. I don’t even feel like I’m walking anymore, but gliding. 

13:20 min/miles walking!

13:20 min/miles walking!

More than being just a vegan, I’ve been a high raw vegan and have had cooked food only a handful of times. The raw meals have been awesome and delicious. I’ve lost 24 pounds and I’ve never been hungry because I’m eating close to 3000 calories a day. 

I think people can get a lot out of a vegan lifestyle and I’m not saying it works for everyone but it has for me. 

Oklahoma is the 7th most obese state in the nation. Instead of gross generalizations, I believe Mr. Potter could’ve used his platform to suggest to listeners that after they hug a vegan today, maybe they can ask him about his lifestyle and the health benefits of it.

Oklahoma is the 7th most obese state in the nation

Meanwhile, I’d pit my fitness against just about anyone’s any day of the week. And I’m far from frail. So, please, if you notice me becoming frail or smelling funny, I hope you’ll tell me. In the meantime, bring on the hugs! 🙂 

Ton of Fun Challenge

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I do really well at challenges because I’m super competitive. That’s why I joined the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month. And now, I’ve joined the Ton of Fun Challenge at Fleet Feet Sports.

Tons of Fun Challenge

The 12 week program offers nutrition advice, fitness workouts and accountability. Fitness isn’t tough. We work out every day and I feel terrible if we miss. And I could write a book on diet and nutrition but the actual doing of it? For the food part?  I need accountability!

I went yesterday a.m. for my first weigh-in. I stepped on the scale and learned that I have had WAY too much food fun the past couple of months. The good news is, it makes me feel like crap so I’m ready to get in line.

If you read my blog, you have read about my 100 Goals list. I’ve added completing this challenge successfully to the list. Like other goals on the list, if I attain this one, it will allow me to also achieve (or be closer to achieving) Goals 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 31, 43, 47, 53, 54, and 79. Interesting, eh?

A couple of those goals are fitness and running related. A couple are wardrobe related. 🙂

The program offers support in a facebook group and prizes for reaching various goals. I’m excited. This is one challenge I’m going to win! 🙂

Do you use challenges as a way to help you achieve a goal?

Foursquare fitness

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If you’ve read my prior blog about foursquare, you’ll know just how much I love it. I love being the mayor of different places and I love, even more, getting badges.

I realized the other day that foursquare figures pretty heavily into my fitness equation.

Foursquare fitness? Yes. 🙂

There are several buffalo in town that are highly collectible, if you can call it that. Mayorship changes hands frequently if they are not visited daily. I love those buffalo. I WANT to be their mayor. This, gets me out the door on days when it might be a little cold or somewhat rainy. I know that if we don’t go on our walk and check into those buffalo, we might lose them.

My path takes me past the library. If I have a book to return, I’ll check in there. Then I head past the 66 Sculpture.

Turning left, we go by the First Presbyterian buffalo which, incidentally, is not currently there so I don’t check in right now. I do wonder what happened to it.

A couple of blocks later we arrive at the Bartian and Fabulous buffalo and Wooloroc Wiley.

We head back south, pick up the Frank Lloyd Wright Buffalo and the OKMozart buffalo

before heading over to Earl Sears Park to grab the Starry Night Over Bartlesville and Class of ’61 buffalo.

Then we head home.

This walk takes us about 45 minutes and we do it every day. Unless we aren’t home.

Yesterday, I got a new badge while we were out walking. It’s the Century Club badge and I got it because I had checked into the Bartian and Fabulous buffalo 100 times.

Exciting!

So if you live in a place like I do and are struggling with your fitness program. Consider foursquare fitness. It might be just what you need to get you out the door every day! 🙂