Sabastion Inlet State Park

The Holiday weekend approaches and I feel sluggish at best. I miss the outdoor jogs and bike rides that kept me inspired. Instead it's mall walks and trips to state and local parks on weekends. At this rate I'm not really cutting the mustard and frankly I'm rethinking the way I have been going about things.

Since falling off the bandwagon this month I've turned to a natural Florida resource state parks. After a crocodile was photographed off one of the beaches near my house I have not been in the water and only jog along the waters edge in the sand. Don't ask me why I have not felt that way about freshwater and gators but I am at least in a boat when in fresh water. So between squid, crocks, and deadly riptides my journey to fitness is turning into a farce. That's why I took a trip to Sebastian to rejuvenate and have a little motivational talk with myself. Yes you can camp here and that's what drew me in although I must say the place has seen better days so I choose long point right next door. I can't say that I was good but I have walked a little and cleared my head. So despite being a germ freak I am seriously considering a gym with boot camp. I have tried exercise partners and they did not work ,one stopped after only a day the other made to many excuses and demands. It really boils down to how bad I want this and how much commitment I'm willing to give. All I can say is here in the parks with boaters, swimmers and kayakers I'm reminded why I live in the sunshine state. The weather is great when everyone else is freezing and I want to stay active and participate in sports. It's time for this sister to get back to work!

St Augustine

I spent the day in St Aug and tried to convince myself that the walk from the parking lot to the beach was as good as a workout.I wanted to ran along the beach up north of it but it was hot and I forgot my beach shoes. Just to many broken shells ,ants and six inch long spiders lurking in the dunes for me, so I ended up at the state park. With whiter powdery sand instead of the chunky brown stuff I felt more inspired to do something. Actually I did nothing special and am in a bad exercise funk. Somehow I'm dropping pounds like crazy and it concerns me, slacking has taken on all new rewards I guess. I think it's just the heat and my intake of more fluids than solids. At any rate next week I'll start weight training maybe it will help with my lack of enthusiasm in these dog days of August.

Still in the struggle

I can honestly say I would rather run a 100 mile race than pack forty years worth of "stuff" in boxes and move again. I admit to not working out during the end of July due to lack of energy after sorting, throwing away, and sometimes selfishly holding on to material things. Oh how ashamed i felt about the latter but hey now that its over I resolve to live simpler and with less. The same applies to exercise i want to stop trying to see the big picture for now and focus on the little things one step at a time in order to accomplish the goal of completing that mini triathlon next year.
I have worked on some new menu plans to keep up my strength and satisfy my hunger enough to enjoy filling and fulfilling meals. I'm a firm believer in individual meal plans, it's ridiculous to think you should give up the flavors and spices your used to become some generic
triathlete. I have seen people post about foods they don't really like or never thought of trying just because they read on some site fill in the blank is what others eat while working out or before races.
I find this sad to start just take the things you like and prepare them healthier, then add a twist to the old by incorporating new flavors. While trying new things limit them at a gradual pace in this why your system does not go in to shock when learning to except new and healthy chow. By the time you gather a few recipes and tweet them you'll have your own list of must haves that will last a lifetime instead of a few months. Right now the hardest part of it all for me is being a pastry chef that is working on a fitness plan. Chew and spit doesn't work so well outside of a winery no !

Sister Circle

This may not be the most interesting blog out there but it's my way of staying accountable to a goal of becoming active again. I knew going into this I would need encouragement so I decided to create a sister circle of triblogs to keep focused and see what other folks of color are doing to in the sport and honestly other sports too. I just hope to reclaim the fitness and joy I once got from outdoor activities.
Today was a me day, I did not work out I needed to rest and plan a new set of exercise objectives. Oh so important when ones fitness level increases and the routine seems "easy". Tomorrow I will be up early to beat the heat on the road. I don't know anyone in my area that competes in triathlons but I do keep a close watch on other blogs to focus . We have all heard "yes I can" well maybe in a few months i will join the saying as well, right now I'm just going to keep moving and focus on feeling the freedom to walk without wheezing!

Checking in

I have managed to lose eight pounds thus far but weight loss is not one of my goals. I know a few pounds will fall off as i work out more so i figure why bother with numbers. It's hard enough work being a vegetarian without calorie counting.
Things have been hard this week becuase the tempeture is eighty by seven in the morning. I could work out on the treadmill but i find it way to boring. So I'm sweeting out my natural hair in a major way these days.One has not lived until they have to do maitenance on dreads twice a week. Still I have to pickup my pace I promised myself i would be in shape to start the crossfit program in August. I also have identified a 5k to enter that is close to home. I hope to find a few more before the end of the year.

Still Pushing

Yesterday was the first day I have walked since my last post. I thought about exercising but to be honest it’s been hot. The last couple of days temperatures have hovered up in the 90’s with a heat index that made it feel like 100. If I am not out by seven in the morning there is no way I can make myself do two miles at 80 degrees. So this morning There was no desire in my mind to get up and move anything. However the little voice inside my heart kept calling to me. I mean it was so strong that I was unable to ignore it and believe me I tried.
After getting myself together I made the decision to stay close to home. Sometimes I have great ideas and this turned out to be one of them. My routine like so many other worker bees always included hoping in the car never really observing more than the nice aesthetics of my street.
I had never noticed that the trees that lined the sidewalk actually interlocked and formed a nice canopy for walking. While I have been annoyed by various cranes and their loud mating calls, I hadn’t noticed the variety of song birds that live in the area as well. I sort of felt like I had rediscovered the reason I live in the area. The daily grind of life has a way of dulling our senses down to nothing as the push to get from point A to point B consumes us. As I walked along taking it all in I realized the setting was slowing me down. This was no leisure walk this was business. I’m out here to get back in shape and then become fit enough to finish a race I haven’t even picked yet. So off the sidewalk and into the street I went.
Knowing full well the street in the morning is the wrong place to be. Those same folks that used to include me are in their cars hurrying to work. Most aren’t really paying attention, perhaps preparing for the work day ahead and just trying to make it through the day at a job they hate. Some are late or have not had their morning java or nicotine fix, no surprise that group wanted me out the road. After all it’s Friday and that means everyone shows up for pay day so traffic today is a bit more active than the rest of the week. Now here is this woman (me) out walking between the white lines on the side of a very curvy road causing drivers to move a little more to the center of the lane. I’ve been there not understanding way the heck these idiots are in the street when there is a perfectly good sidewalk around. Well tar is way more comfortable than concrete to walk on and after just missing being blessed by a few of those birds the road seemed more appealing. I don’t have a death wish although thanks to transplanted Yankees mostly from New York, New Jersey and Boston, Florida was ranked fourth on the worst driver list this year. Since the hospital is not my idea of a getaway vacation I decided to face the traffic so I could see trouble coming if need be.
True confession, I liked the street, maybe it just seemed deviant to be there. I told myself it was race practice, isn’t that what they do in cities, block off streets for races. Wasn’t I just getting in game mode preparing for the big day. Okay it sounded good but the small sprint I made from the speed limit sign to the next industrial driveway told me that day was really in the distant future. Dreams become goals and then realities and as I pushed to the end of the road I call home I kept that in focus. Not even the guy in a black 80ish camero who leaned out and hollered something as he waited in line at the intersection could cause me to break concentration on the task at hand. Making the half circle turn behind his car I moved back in the direction I came from. My legs stiffened, I was slowing so I picked up pace and all was fine. The return trip was uneventful and one I will make again because mixing up where and when I workout keeps boredom from setting in.
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Lessons

Yesterday I delayed walking in the morning to ran some errands. I told a friend i would meet her to walk later in the day. Well, later in the day she told me she went out walking earlier and
it was to hot to go out at the time I called her. Lesson learned, not that I didn't know but always stick to a routine and don't let others throw you off. I know I prefer morning training, nothing better than starting the day with a Sharp mind well exercised body.So when she said lets try again this week I said sure but I needed to do it in the morning and at my location. I look forward to her joining me but we will have to work on meeting up. I'm close to running now,
well I can go in little spurts at least and I really want to progress. I also plan to hit the treadmill again to build that endurance as next week will include an extra mile for me.
By the way I did walk and I really felt the strongest I had ever felt on the course.Then it hit me I actually took the time to eat a balanced meal and rest. Today is a different story because I walked late then got up and walked my regular time. I didn't recover well but bet your last penny I will be out and about tomorrow regardless!