[/radio silence]
I've made several aborted attempts to post a life update here and for various uninteresting reasons, I never seem to get around to it. This is attempt #23, let's see if I post...
Life is good. I really can't complain. Every once in a while, I get this little inkling of "when does the other shoe drop?", but then I dismiss it. I've had my share of some very rough times in my past; maybe this is the smooth waters everyone kept promising would come. I'm learning to accept this lovely peace as my new status quo. =)
As always, I keep busy with work and overtime and frequently wonder where the time flies to. But I've opened a new chapter...
I mentioned this briefly in a Happy New Years type post, but I feel like it's gone beyond just this little "oh, btw" type mention. Following sithdragn's lead, I've been working out with a personal trainer since December and feel as though I've completely changed my life. Pretty much since I hit college, I've been a computer gal, fairly sedentary, and would occasionally make a gesture at an aerobics class here and there, but never kept it up for very long.
Not this time.
Besides my 3 days in the gym doing weight lifting and resistance training (my current highest dead lift is 138# with the trap bar and I'm pushing 165# on the sled across the parking lot), I either walk 2.5 miles up my street and back or swim laps (though I still really hate going to rec centers...not sure what that's all about) or, like today, I do a Spin class (which, omfg, is a WORK OUT) .
I can't believe this is my life! Never in my adult life has exercise been normal. It's always been this exception I force myself to do because I know I should, but I always hate it. Oh, I loved dance as a kid and was very committed until injury stopped me at age 15. And in my high school years, I got really in to doing charity walks. 3K or 5K for this that or the other thing. But it all ended there.
With sithdragn, I'm doing a mini triathlon event the end of June. Now, I am still new to a lot of these things, so I still basically expect to be the last one crossing the finish line in my age group (...probably a few age groups), but I'm mostly just stunned that it's me doing them at all! Maybe when I do this tri next year, I'll feel more competitive. Finishing this thing is its own reward at this stage and that's no joke. =D
I hadn't realized how out of shape I was until last summer when I wanted to join my sisters on a leisurely bike ride (a "rails to trails" route near our family farm). I may have made it 1 mile, but I remember it being a true struggle, partly asthma related, but also just exertion and having no endurance whatsoever. I had to go back, turn in the bike at the rental and my sisters had called our mother to come pick me up. It really sucked.
That was August 2011.
Dateline: Memorial Day, 2012. Place: same rails to trails route as last year. My sister and niece and I rode 10 miles, stopping only for water (my bottle didn't fit the holder, was stuck, and I had to get off the bike to get a drink) and busy traffic crossings. Not only that, I used my own road bike that I bought earlier this month. I OWN A ROAD BIKE! O_o;;;
It was a GREAT day! I more than proved to myself how much my life has changed, how much better I feel and how this is just the beginning.
I haven't lost /much/ weight. Only 18 lbs. However! I've been this weight before and yet my clothes fit SO much better than EVER before! I'm down two sizes in my shirts and a size in my pants (if only for these damn thighs! My waist is probably down 2 sizes...at last measurement in Feb I'd lost 6 inches from my waist). Hell, even my /shoes/ fit better! I never would have expected to lose weight in my feet, but there you go.
Next up is finishing this tri, completing this session of Spin classes, then I'm taking a session of yoga classes. I'd like to see the scale drop more, but I'm so excited about the changes I see in my body and being so much stronger and have actual endurance, that I'm OK right now. I trust that with time, the scale will change.
And that is basically my life right now. I work and workout, collect manga and read. And enjoy Georgie, who is still a charmer and as adorable as ever. Oh, also (it deserves its own post, but...) I went on a Caribbean cruise in March and THAT was amazing!! It was my first cruise and my first venture off the mainland (I've seen plenty of US and Canada, but that's about it). LOVED IT! It was a Celebrity cruise and we went to Puerto Rico, St. Marteen, St. Thomas and St. John. I'll try to upload some pics. Also,my shift is now afternoon instead of evenings. The switch to evenings was nice enough, but moving to a day/afternoon time period has really been sweet. Getting out of work by 7pm most days (I have one later shift to 11pm) has REALLY increased my quality of life. I had to drop a few hours to make this new schedule work, but even having to tighten my financial belt has been worth it. I could live with this schedule for a while, just fine. =D
And that, I think, is everything worth mentioning. Good night and good luck. [/transmission]
Life is good. I really can't complain. Every once in a while, I get this little inkling of "when does the other shoe drop?", but then I dismiss it. I've had my share of some very rough times in my past; maybe this is the smooth waters everyone kept promising would come. I'm learning to accept this lovely peace as my new status quo. =)
As always, I keep busy with work and overtime and frequently wonder where the time flies to. But I've opened a new chapter...
I mentioned this briefly in a Happy New Years type post, but I feel like it's gone beyond just this little "oh, btw" type mention. Following sithdragn's lead, I've been working out with a personal trainer since December and feel as though I've completely changed my life. Pretty much since I hit college, I've been a computer gal, fairly sedentary, and would occasionally make a gesture at an aerobics class here and there, but never kept it up for very long.
Not this time.
Besides my 3 days in the gym doing weight lifting and resistance training (my current highest dead lift is 138# with the trap bar and I'm pushing 165# on the sled across the parking lot), I either walk 2.5 miles up my street and back or swim laps (though I still really hate going to rec centers...not sure what that's all about) or, like today, I do a Spin class (which, omfg, is a WORK OUT) .
I can't believe this is my life! Never in my adult life has exercise been normal. It's always been this exception I force myself to do because I know I should, but I always hate it. Oh, I loved dance as a kid and was very committed until injury stopped me at age 15. And in my high school years, I got really in to doing charity walks. 3K or 5K for this that or the other thing. But it all ended there.
With sithdragn, I'm doing a mini triathlon event the end of June. Now, I am still new to a lot of these things, so I still basically expect to be the last one crossing the finish line in my age group (...probably a few age groups), but I'm mostly just stunned that it's me doing them at all! Maybe when I do this tri next year, I'll feel more competitive. Finishing this thing is its own reward at this stage and that's no joke. =D
I hadn't realized how out of shape I was until last summer when I wanted to join my sisters on a leisurely bike ride (a "rails to trails" route near our family farm). I may have made it 1 mile, but I remember it being a true struggle, partly asthma related, but also just exertion and having no endurance whatsoever. I had to go back, turn in the bike at the rental and my sisters had called our mother to come pick me up. It really sucked.
That was August 2011.
Dateline: Memorial Day, 2012. Place: same rails to trails route as last year. My sister and niece and I rode 10 miles, stopping only for water (my bottle didn't fit the holder, was stuck, and I had to get off the bike to get a drink) and busy traffic crossings. Not only that, I used my own road bike that I bought earlier this month. I OWN A ROAD BIKE! O_o;;;
It was a GREAT day! I more than proved to myself how much my life has changed, how much better I feel and how this is just the beginning.
I haven't lost /much/ weight. Only 18 lbs. However! I've been this weight before and yet my clothes fit SO much better than EVER before! I'm down two sizes in my shirts and a size in my pants (if only for these damn thighs! My waist is probably down 2 sizes...at last measurement in Feb I'd lost 6 inches from my waist). Hell, even my /shoes/ fit better! I never would have expected to lose weight in my feet, but there you go.
Next up is finishing this tri, completing this session of Spin classes, then I'm taking a session of yoga classes. I'd like to see the scale drop more, but I'm so excited about the changes I see in my body and being so much stronger and have actual endurance, that I'm OK right now. I trust that with time, the scale will change.
And that is basically my life right now. I work and workout, collect manga and read. And enjoy Georgie, who is still a charmer and as adorable as ever. Oh, also (it deserves its own post, but...) I went on a Caribbean cruise in March and THAT was amazing!! It was my first cruise and my first venture off the mainland (I've seen plenty of US and Canada, but that's about it). LOVED IT! It was a Celebrity cruise and we went to Puerto Rico, St. Marteen, St. Thomas and St. John. I'll try to upload some pics. Also,my shift is now afternoon instead of evenings. The switch to evenings was nice enough, but moving to a day/afternoon time period has really been sweet. Getting out of work by 7pm most days (I have one later shift to 11pm) has REALLY increased my quality of life. I had to drop a few hours to make this new schedule work, but even having to tighten my financial belt has been worth it. I could live with this schedule for a while, just fine. =D
And that, I think, is everything worth mentioning. Good night and good luck. [/transmission]