lists

I love a good list. Do you?

Ever since starting my bullet journal in January I've found myself making lists, lists and more lists. Sometimes the lists are things to do, sometimes it's things i'm grateful, but there is something about list making that always feels refreshing at the end.

I think of it like a "brain dump." It's a chance for me to get all those thoughts out of my head and somewhere safer. With baby coming and a summer with lots of free time, I've made all sorts of lists. In looking over all my lists, it might be a bit much, but it's a way for me to creatively deal with the swirling thoughts in my head. How do you keep it all straight?

Here are a few of my lists from the last few weeks.

Project Steps

Scripture Doodle Lists

Workout Lists

Gratitude Lists

To-Do Lists (paper and digital)

Grocery Lists/Meal Planning

Thematic Lists 

fitness friday

This month one of my goals is to log more miles.

To get started with that goal I got a brand new pair of running shoes. Nothing like a fun pop of color to inspire me to hit the pavement!

At the beginning of the year I decided to revisit a tracking method I used a few years ago. Inspired by a goal tracker I saw online, I created this calendar for the year. I used a font that has numbers inside of circles with the intention of coloring in the circles for the days I work out. One reason why I love this method is because it gets back to the main reasons for working out: healthy living and feeling good.  Sure, I love going 7 miles or beating my PR, but I also love canoeing, snowboarding, hiking and yoga. There was a stretch of time where I was so focused on my milage as a runner that I lost sight of the enjoyment.  I love this tracking system because it helps me see patterns - Tuesday and Thursdays are long - and focus on variety (yoga, weights, running) and enjoyment. Did I miss an entire week? Maybe I traded my running shoes for a yoga mat for the winter.  Do I have a streak going? Is there a day a way to get more movement into my week?

For my milage goal this tool isn't quite as useful. I often use my RunKeeper app but lately have been ditching the phone and using the timer on my UpMove band. Typically I run in the same places and now my distance, but this doesn't keep specific track of miles nor is it always accurate. So I began the hunt for something simple but fancier than a post-it. Why? The visual and creative side of me likes to be able to my goals, the growth and progress. I read on this blog that she uses a $1 daily planner to write her milage. It reminded me of watching my dad log his miles in a runners world planner. Now he uses an excel document which is great because it keeps his yearly tally up to date.

So I went to this site, where I get a monthly desktop image for my computer. She also has phone versions and printable versions of her monthly calendars. I printed off the april calendar page and away I go!

I'm a little behind if I'm hoping to hit 50 miles but I'm not yet worried. A 5k on the calendar and a possible upcoming 8k and I should be good to go!

How do you track your goals? Do you have a favorite app or system?

scripture sunday

Today I'm participating in The Big Climb. I've been training and worrying and today my goal is to put it all aside and enjoy the opportunity to use my muscles for a good cause. This week my motto is the #bestrong #bebrave

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Each Sunday I choose a scripture for the week. The scripture relates to my one little word for the year and helps me intentionally explore my word and set a purpose for each week. See more scripture sunday posts here.

currently - July 2014

learning the song above as a jazz tune inspired by Sara Gazarek
eating variations of salads such as this one and this one
enjoying fresh berries and the resulting sorbet
organizing, cleaning and clearing out. nothing. is. safe
reading this and this
listening to this song on repeat
working out using these three apps 1/2/3
enjoying the last bits of summer!

pinterest workout

#choosetomove

I'm on day 3 of this workout which seems early considering it's a 30 day challenge but I'm finding it very easy to do this first thing or right before bed. There are so many great workout plans on Pinterest and I'm currently enjoying this one. I'll have to do an update in a week or so. It gives me just enough of a boost in energy that I can read a bit before my head hits the pillow at night. Hoorah!

pinterest workout

As with most things, I tend to like variety and change. When it comes to fitness I tend to bounce between my three favorites: running, yoga and circuit training. In an effort to gain back some motivation I revisited my ever-growing Fitness board on pinterest.

This one stuck out to me. It seemed a good way to ease back into working out and it could be added after a run or stand alone on it's own. So I crank up my favorite music and get to it! The best part is that when I'm all done I'm usually motivated to do a bit more so I add some pushups or squats.

I'm hoping to start sifting through my pinterest board and try out some more. I'll keep you posted if I find others worth sharing!

reflection on running

I think I've felt this way for over a week. It's hard in the winter months, when the daylight hours are few and far between. The career side of me could use an hour or two more at my desk, but the rest of me is dying to jump into my running shoes and hit the pavement.

This morning I debated how to spend the 2.5 hours before I needed to leave the house. The laundry and dishes were calling to be finished and a few other projects were whispering my name. I checked the weather and realized that my chance for a dry, longish run was limited. I quickly dressed and hit the trail before my brain could produce any excuses.

The first few miles were rough, so I paused to stretch out an aching hip and a stubborn quadricep. But I was determined to run for 50 minutes so I pressed on. After mile 3 I finally felt like I was getting into a rhythm and by mile 4 I was cruising! This is what I missed and though I was completely exhausted by mile 5, I had achieved the good mood I was wanting needing so much.

As of Sunday, I have 41 miles, so I am making a decision to create more opportunities to hit the pavement this week and break 50 before February.

july 26

Live chat with Tony Hawk? yes please!

2012 challenge - running

snowy, icy roads ahead!

I haven't made too many running goals. i was afraid it would jinx me and lead me astray. Sure, I did my fair share of 50 miles in a month challenges, but by the time I signed up for the challenges, I'd already accomplished the goal, so it was more about maintenance than achieving.

Yesterday was my first chance to run after a week of wild winter weather. I still can't figure out how I mustered up the motivation to put on my running gear and head out, but it likely had to do with the clear blue sky and sun streaming through the windows. As I stepped into the sun, I decided to aim high, figuring that once I got started, I wouldn't want to stop. I was right. I ran 6 miles.

We ofter run about 5 miles, but to me that extra mile feels like so much more. Only one other time have I run 6 miles and that was last Summer. I was really excited to see that despite a week off of running and necessary stops to trudge through a shaded snowy patch of trail, I was only 14 seconds slower than last summer.

That inspired me to set a goal: by the end of 2012, I want to run 6 miles in under an hour. I'm already close, my PR is 1:03.04, but 4 minutes is a lot to shave off; almost a minute a mile. Maybe I'll achieve my goal next week, maybe next month or perhaps a few months down the road. Regardless, I hope this goal will help me make an effort to attempt longer distances and to become more confident in my ability.

Plus, it's emotionally, physically and spiritually good for the heart :)

2012 challenge - running

2011 was a great running year. I wished i’d been able to log a few more miles, but even with about a month of forced rest, I was still able to average over 1.5 miles a day, so I really can’t complain. One of the ways I stayed on track from February - August was to keep a calendar to mark the days I worked out. I printed a simple year-long calendar (similar to this one) and highlighted the days I ran. Eventually I got more organized and created a key to mark when I ran on the treadmill, when I ran outside, or if I did cross training. It was so fun to tally up each month’s totals and see how I’d done. I always was able to quickly see patterns, such as always running on the treadmill on certain days.

I enjoy my nike+ system and that it keeps everything on my account on the computer, but some days I need the physical, visual reminder about my activities. During busy seasons I found that skipping one day could quickly turn into 3 or 4 days. So I posted my calendar up on the wall by my computer where I couldn’t miss it! At other times I posted it on the mirror or found more helpful places to put it.

This year I got a little fancier. I used a bunch of photos from places I’ve run during 2011 to create a collage at the top of the calendar. I even included one from the treadmill, some from our vacation in Montana and a start-line shot from the race we ran in November. I’m hoping these picture will help me stay focused and remember how much I enjoy running.

Just for fun, here is a shot of my original. I got the idea from here. Here we go 2012. We’re off to the races!