A Year of Living: 2013

Ah the New Year, a time for new beginnings and of course new resolutions. This year I have decided to do something different. Yes there are a few resolutions that are going to be made for the entirety of 2013, and they aren't super original: Work out more, garden more, and this year I'm adding 'read a book a month' as part of my, I want to read more interest. But the real "resolution" this year is to dedicate my life, for one month at a time, to something. Doesn't need to be something new, doesn't need to be something crafty, but it'll be for one month. This won't be a 100% all day every second of every day kind of thing, but I'll be making a conscious effort to do my activity every day and for sure every week. The list - in no particular order - is below:

1. Writing
2. Painting
3. Scrap-booking
4. Quilting
5. Hiking
6. Musical Instrument : Violin or Guitar, decision hasn't been made
7. Cooking New Recipes
8. Biking
9. House Projects: Indoor
10. House Projects: Outdoor
11. Yoga and Meditation
12. ??? I'm going to have to think on this a bit longer

The first month, January, will be writing. I know what some of you are saying, "Why not do that in November?!", the only reason is because I feel like I have a voice right now, some resemblance of a story rattling around in my head. Therefore I'm going to do it now rather than trying to force it out in November during NaNoWrMo.

I'll document my progress here as I go, sharing stories, insights, photos, and whatever else. Hopefully there will be progress on the other resolutions as well, the reading, gardening, exercising, that everyone has as their resolutions.

It begins with a challenge

I've recently been challenged to get fit with a friend of mine from fitocracy. Sounds great right? Finally get that body I've always wanted, feel better about myself, have more energy all around, who wouldn't want that right? But it's those pre-planning stages where I get trapped. I like to go big, and I know I do it. I want to do more push-ups, pull-ups, and planks. I want to lift more weight. I want better cardio. I want those rock hard abs. I want to do yoga and martial arts. I need to hike more and no surprise through all of this I won't give up rock climbing. So how do you fit this all into a week without your entire life being dedicated to fitness? I *want* to do it all, and since I'm not interested in doing much of a diet going big is a good way to help counter act that.

Ooops I said the forbidden word...diet. Everyone needs to stop jumping up and down for a second and let me explain. Yes I understand that to lose weight you need less calories (but not starve yourself). Yes I understand that to gain muscle you need protein. Yes I understand that you need the right kinds of foods and lots of "American" foods will give you name-your-favorite-disease. But let me spell this out once: I won't do it. I have tried the counting calories and discovered that if you ask 3 different people how much you should eat you'll get 7 different answers. I have tried cutting out things from my diet and what ends up happening is I have a bad day and eat an entire pizza (or whatever). What I need to do it something I can live with. Hence the statement I made a while ago, and that's all the diet you're ever going to get out of me. I may cut out pop though. I should probably do that much.

The next step everyone seems to ask is "what do you want to look like?" this I feel is equally hard for me. I can point you to pictures easily, I want to look like that! But wait! How many of those people are real? To say it another way is it an accurate goal? Sure I'd love to look like but is that because she's a buxom tall dark exotic beauty? Because no matter how hard I workout, diet, wear different cloths, there is no way I'm becoming a tall dark exotic beauty. I know people who freak out that strong women will get big and bulky...have no fear I am not in that camp. I know better. What's more important to me is how I feel (how very zen of me) and that's not something you can really put down in a goal or track progress with. I know people who put smilies next to days to track their mood, but that's not really what I mean.

At some point I'll figure out some goals, take some measurements and share to the darkness of the internets. Who knows maybe someday I'll be able to turn heads in a dress (not just because omg she's actually wearing a dress) and have that self-confidence thing people keep talking about. Until then, it's quite possible that I'll be living at the gym or the office for the foreseeable future.

14,270 ft

I finally made it, I've now hiked a 14'er does this mean I'm a Coloradan now? Probably not until I participate in winter sports. But hey I'm getting closer! I am not going to pretend that this was easy for me, it was a brutal hike especially when I tried to keep up with those fast long legged friends of mine. I got up a 2am, managed to pull on my hiking boots and eat some oatmeal and headed out to meet everyone at the parking lot at work. We drove up, got out of the car into a much colder environment, strapped on a headlamp and started up the mountain. Round trip it's only 7-8 miles (depending on if you go up Grey's Peak *and* Torrey Peak)

I was the slow one. Legs were fine but it took about half the hike before my lungs stopped feeling like they were dying. Ironically I felt much better at around 13,000ft than I did at 11,000ft, though I could have just been delusional at that point :) The hike cleared 3000ft elevation gain, took about 5 hours, and got us back to the office before noon.

After I came down I was in awe of another friend of mine who has been up Mt. Rainier several times and runs around all the time. This is what she said to me:

Suffering is part of the bargain you make with the mountain - Anna Askren

I feel this is very apt. I got to the top of a beautiful mountain, with fresh air, friends, and just a thrill running through my entire body and soul. But I did have to suffer to get there. I think it was a good bargain. I'm already itching to do it again. Maybe I'll do more than one this year, before the cold weather sets in. Maybe Colorado will make a hiker outta me yet.

And the list continues

As I am lazily sitting here not doing much except a little house cleaning, I'll continue the list I started (which will shame me into doing both yard work and going to the gym)

11. Don't Whine or Complain I'm working on it ;)

12. Don't Overdo the "Core" Work Everything does work the core so you don't need to spend all your time doing thousands of crunches. I know from climbing my core is pretty good, although insulated

13. Enjoy the Journey Yes this is important. This is one of the reasons why I never follow a strict diet, I need to still love life and enjoy every minute of it

14. Don't Rely and Curls and Extensions for Sexy Arms From what I've gathered it's all about body weight exercises and those are my favorites.

15. Don't be Afraid to Get Strong For those who know me... not a problem

16. Eat Food. Real Food Read back a few posts and I've already figured this one out

17. Eat your Protein Steaks for Dinner!

18. Embrace the Power of Rows Yes Ma'm

19. Don't be Afraid to Train Alone I have no problem training alone... it's the training in a crowded gym that always turns up my shyness

20. Someday's You Won't Feel Like Training. Suck it up, Sister I struggle with this one, but I guess I need to get a little more aggressive about sticking to schedules

Empty Your Mind

Rock climbing is about stripping away the complexities of the day to day and focusing on the simple joy of moving against gravity. It’s pulling with your arms. Pushing with your legs. It’s moving fast and light, diving headlong into a challenge, rather than backing away. It’s finesse and strength, technique and skill. And when all the hoopla and preconceptions are removed it’s about having fun. Pure and Simple.

Way too much on my mind recently, on top of that work is stressful and things I had completely forgotten have resurfaced in my brain. I've always had an active mind, I think in general it's a great thing, however it's now trying to take it's toll on me between the stress and the lack of sleep. Something must be done about it, going to have to get a bit creative about it this time. If nothing else I can use it as motivation to keep working out, maybe if I step it up I'll exhaust myself into sleeping!

Alright, back to boring workout stuffs. Nia Shanks yet again came up with an awesome list (or maybe she got it from somewhere else, honestly I don't remember) that needs to be up front on my mind instead of all the other crap. I like to think of it to the tune of that song "Sunscreen" (which also reminds me, no matter what a stripper tells you, there is no sex in the champagne room)

1. Lift Heavy Stuff One of my favorites, still in double digits but those triples are coming up very soon

2. If you're going to do conditioning, do real conditioning While I understand the concept, dear lord do I hate running. I keep getting told that there is a sweet spot in there somewhere, one can only hope

3. Train for Performance Running into my old climbing coach reminded me of my skill, being graceful, so I'm training towards that end and I am seeing some improvements. Still need to jump a bit though :/

4. Squat Sure thing

5. Deadlift Why not?

6. Dominate your Bodyweight One of my proudest items, I can always do at least 1 pull up, non-girl pushups, etc. That and I climb all the time if that doesn't dominate my body weight nothing will!

7. Be the Best You Possible This one I struggle with... so...um.. yeah, it's on the list

8. You're Never too Good for the Basics Well I'm at the basics, so this one is a bit moot

9. Work that Booty Been told I have a nice ass... ;)

10. Get Off the Scale With pleasure

Alright, there are 20 more, not interested in listing them all out tonight, and I'm sure it would bore anyone bothering to read this. So I'll bore you another day. Until then I'll try and see if I can actually get to sleep tonight. If not...it's going to be a long weekend.

Home Again, Home Again

I read an article once that said that you shouldn't take a vacation at the end of the project, you should do it before the end when you need it most. Though I didn't have that in mind, it's kinda what I did. Work is getting a bit crazy and I'm looking at a lot of hard work and potentially long hours. With that in mind I jetted off for the weekend to visit some friends for their first annual pig roast!

This event was the roasting of a 62lb pig in a china box. Basically you place the pig in a box, put the coals on top, seal it up and let it roast for 4+ hours. Makes a convection oven, super awesome. The pig came out wonderful, crisp skin, tender meat. Wonderful.

In addition to the pig there was a fully stocked bar, giant jenga, and cornhole (to which I became part of an undefeated team, right combination of witty banter and booze I hit the sweet spot of the bell curve)

All in all, it was a great trip. Now I can get back to the grind stone of work and exercise. Yard work too. Fun times.

Go Big, Limp Home

I’m on day 3 of beautiful badass and today I did my first jog/run (with the aid of zombies) I find it amusing how the badass program (selected the weight loss one for starters because well that’s the first goal aside from becoming crazy strong) is a nice easy workout (easy also means low fitocracy points, oh well). Yes I am sore and it’s working, but it’s not like a pumped up hour long workout, it’s easy to finish and I feel the burn afterwards. Then there’s the C25k program, which right now has me intimidated to even start. I’m glad I signed up to do a 5k.. .that might actually force me to do it.. but in the same breath... wtf did I get myself into? It should be a fun 5k, not the Run for Your Lives obstacle 5k, this one is just run and get covered in colors and end up looking light an art class gone wrong. It’s quite possible that when I go into work the next day (or week) I will still be colored at least a little bit. Better make sure not to touch the cat before I’ve jumped in the shower for an hour or so.

Doing a crazy amount of climbing... I’m getting better and moving on to some of the more challenging climbs. Pretty good recovery given my sprained ankle in February, and I’m thinking more mental here than actual sprain recovery time. I love this sport so much, it’s like a breath of fresh air every time : ) I did manage to cut up my one hand from climbing so frequently, and during my run today I cut my ankle. Hard core or stupid, take your pick.

Been eating food, which is good. Cooking more which is also good. On other non-healthy/fitness news I’ve picked up my violin again. As of right now I’ve managed to play a scale and break my E string while tuning it. Not bad for having the violin sit in a closet untouched for 10+ years. I’m getting new strings for it and hopefully I’ll be able to re-string it and tune it up (again) and start playing more things.

Got a lot of work to do this week (at work) along with general working out. Then fly to Seattle for a party! Woot!