In Exercise: embrace the feelings vs the actual

Two things of the bat. No disrespect to the athletes or people in the picture meme. While one needs a realistic scale of where they are at; they will gain it over time if serious and don’t discourage that person’s personal performance of how they felt they did. How you feel when you start something new or finally getting the grasp of things is very important. Its the initial feelings that boost motivation to keep going.

More often than rare. people will observe our current progress and would proceed to criticize. This can even go for the apparel department. If you feel strong, confident, and serious; wear the best suitable apparel for that activity. Of course our society is filled with rigid standards but that doesn’t stop me from putting on what works best for me.

When I am in the “zone” on the bike, I feel empowered. Not gonna’ lie, I have some more weight to lose but when going; things like muffin top, beer belly, or uneven tans go our the window. Exercising is a personal enrichment activity. We are not doing it for other people. We are doing it for ourselves. (There are some that directly work out only for looks but I won’t go there).

I will not have shame in my body while cycling nor if people will look. They will see that I am doing something about it vs. whatever that person of judgments is doing. I laugh at anyone that jokes at me from in a car while I’m riding. I am using the fuel of body fat, carbs, and other sources that make positive health while that person in the car is lazy being carried around.

In Florida, there is always risk to be heat exhausted. I wear tank top and short shorts. Not the typical uniform for cyclists but I have come to learn in 90+ weather wear I drip sweat all over the place I need to be cool. Basketball shorts got in the way, and cyclist shorts don’t feel so great to me. I was also tired of my “farmers tan” so the tank top would even out my entire arm.

My next point is that sometimes we think that there’s a certain level we need to be while being observed. Yea sure I’d love to zip around at 25MPH like the racers do but I have a beach cruiser. I can probably comfortably do 15MPH with no wind (best guesses). Some would think I have to go XYZ speed as a new cyclist or I will not be able to use the bike lane. FALSE.

Just as much of wearing what best suits your activity, use whatever means that activity includes. Bike lane is for bikes no matter if your going 10MPH or 30MPH. If I am on the final couple miles of my 24 mile route and there is wind; I’ll drop my speed down in injury prevention. Some could get self-conscious to say maybe if I slow down I should get back on the side walk.

Not me. I stopped using the sidewalk permanently because there are many people with headphones that cannot nor care to hear you say your coming. I used to have a bell and one time a horn, still no one hears me. It sucked to be in 5th gear and down shifting my pace to ride in the grass around them. Mose side walks are wide enough to support 2 way traffic easy.

In my experiences so far if you feel good with what your doing; dress it up, play it out, and do your best. Once you understand that exercising no matter which activity is for your and not anyone else, it will become a more enjoyable experience. That initial morale boost will help make your exercise a positive habit that you can’t wait to do.

Be happy with your body throughout this process. If you can’t accept and appreciate yourself now, you will be less likely to do so once you meet your fitness goals/lifestyle. Learn to really love what you can’t change and go after desired changes. “We don’t get younger” and as we get older: fitness gets harder. START NOW 🙂

Fitness goals changed: Running -> Cycling

Earlier this year I was fixated on running a marathon. Unfortunately, only in my head did I think I could run.  Over the year I always rode my bike to work until I started to use different cars at times. My logic was thinking if I did long distance walking, I could start running the same.

Turns out that idea failed as well. I pondered one day; what if I just start to ride around. I didn’t have gas money most of the time and I wanted to go to the beach. It was during that “awakening” I had referred to; it was time to start exploring new options.

I rode my bike the same distances I was walking. It only made more sense to me. It did provide more of a danger because drivers see cyclists less than walkers. Irregardless It was enjoyable and less harsh on my feet. I started off with the same 8 miles I was doing with the walking. Not much challenge it was because of my current conditions from the gas station job.

Then I thought, let me just try going to the beach. It was a 6.5 mile trip one way. I completed it with the same no challenge. It was a plus that I could swim while at the beach for added activity. As of this post, I have been riding my bike for a month. My bike is a standard Schwinn Beach Cruiser with gears. Its not the best for long distances but I make due with what I have.

Over time I needed more challenge. I am the type that likes to be worn our and sore after physical activity. My logic says if I am not sore or tired, I didn’t try hard enough. Therefore I started to find creative ways to increase my millage without changing my route. I scouted through Google Earth; and plotted the best roads to go with the lease traffic while going down extra streets.

Eventually I increased the route to a challenging 12.5 miles one way. Sometimes if I swam; I would have trouble completing the same return trip and therefore reverted to the 6.5 mile route on the way back. either way I have increased the bike ride from 13 miles into 18-25 miles. The initial time it took me was a 4 hour time window. Now it takes me 2.5-3 hours. I increased the speed I traveled with the increased strength.

When I first started to ride my bike I was 233 pounds. One month later I am 223 with great leg developments. Some “fitted pants” I had to give up because of the muscle gains haha. I then decided to get adventurous and start making long distance goals. The local malls are 10-11 miles away, I hopped on the bike and made it there.

As long as I am hyrdated and there isn’t much wind gust, I desire to push further and harder than I ever went (with injury prevention in mind). Running never gave me the same drive. I actually dreaded running. Bike riding is my new love and will work more wonders than running will ever provide. I will do my best with my current bike even though it is not made for long distances.

I have been looking at light weight racing bikes to be optimistic to upgrade into something that will open up new doors. You can only go so fast and far with a beach cruiser. It takes an intense amount of energy to maintain 12 MPH on the type of bike i have, for the millage I go. While I don’t have a racing bike; I see this as a positive factor as extra fat burn until I can afford the fancy bike.

Currently I am happy with the rate and effects bike riding is doing for me. I guess running and marathon racing isn’t for me. It was a learning lesson but I won’t beat myself up for trying it out. Better to have tried than always wonder the “what ifs”. I look forward to bringing more positive updates on my bike riding adventures.

OMG Jessie where have you been?

Good question.

Life has interesting twists, turns, and adventures. Some of which have distracted me from here. I do have great joy in this blogging process. I am not exactly an entertainer type; this page is more of a public diary of my life. It is quite fun to be transparent with nothing to hide. I suggest this method to all but some have employers to hide from lol. I had once said that I’d rather get hired for who I am, and not for what I’m not. Simple concept but it also isn’t fair that employers will Google your name just to see what pops up.

Since April I have been working often and doing random things. I cannot pin point exactly where I been but I will try to dig deep. Guild wars during the summer was my addiction that took me away from Word Press. I had enjoyed coming on here daily at the time but Guild Wars was a longer hobby. In the game I was highly focused on getting certain achievements completed and farming for certain armor pieces. Now that I have most of what I want with a side of burned out; I am bored of the game.

Guild Wars will always have a place in my heart. Life is developing fast for me at the moment and well; my priorities and interests have changed. I finally had an awakening. I am tired of being overweight, lazy, and isolated. Guild Wars had kept me in the house for thousands of hours. The beach was always a place of healing for me. I didn’t have gas money and I did have a bike. Therefore I started to ride my bike to the beach. I will expand upon the bike rides in another post.

Sometimes, I have noticed attention issues of staying dedicated to tasks. I would always start something and have trouble finishing. In Guild Wars after I started a Guild of my own:  I really learned about staying committed and until the end of whatever it was. The bike rides/exercising is a commitment that I will continue no matter if I reach my goals or not. The primary motivational factors of the exercise was not just for looks.

There were some health issues that popped up along the way I had to take care of. My blood test shown that I need to eat better and be more active. In my closet I had plenty of clothes that I could wear but no where near yet use. I also read many articles that talked about how exercise can boost mental health. Anything that can make me feel better I am down to try.  Just not drugs haha.

I also departed from my job. As for that situation I do not wish to directly disclose the events that occurred there but what I can say is that I got sick of all the conditions present and left. Once I had quit, I slept better, felt better, and was better. That job was very toxic to my life. It was the primary cause of my caffeine addiction that took 2 months to get rid of. Monster and Red Bull was my beverage at the time. It was one of the many things that made me in a bad state of mind since I was last on here.

Lots of side tracking does occur time to time. Once I got into the grove of things, I then learned how to time management well. In the last Month or so; I did encounter an amazing woman who swept me off my feet to keep my busy 😛 She is the sweetest person who has entered my life like an angel. That is all really I can think of that has occurred since April. I got lazy, game addiction, work made me tired, and bad time management.

I have not returned and will stay committed to this hobby.

Muscle brownie review

I am not really into reviewing products but thought I had to unofficially promote something 😛 I am a big fan of “Muscle Milk Brand” products because of their unique tastes and light versions. Muscle milks will always be my first choice even with this discovery. “Lenny and Larry’s all natural peanut butter muscle brownie” is superbly delicious.

In 7-Eleven I came across this brownie out of curiosity. I was getting into meal replacement protein bars at first but brownies had caught my attention. Little Debbie brownies are my favorite and if this  happens to have protein and Little Debbie brownie taste; it would be the best supplement choice ever. Turns out it doesn’t taste like chalk and it actually resembles brownie taste.

We all know cookies and cream protein bars DO NOT taste like they state haha. This brownies taste blows the other protein bars out of the water. Its a must try at least once, even if you are into other protein sources. My only issue with this is the sugar content. It’s 24g if you eat the whole thing. Unfortunately, on a sugar reduction plan this brownie will be on occasion for me.

If that isn’t an issue for you, try it and you won’t regret doing so. Check out their website at: http://www.lennylarry.com

(This is a self-initiated review. I do not represent nor endorse any products on this site. I do not represent nor speak for the Lenny and Larry company. This post has no intentions to false advertise or unofficially advertise. No commercial usage or gains here)

Training visualizations

 

Yesterday it was quite interesting that I had a dream of actually jogging 26.2 miles and it went fine and swiftly. It was actually quite an enjoyable experience to run. In the real and awake state for many many yers I have always hated running. Not sure if I am ultimately lazy but even in the Army in top shape I could be I hated to do it. Soemthing about it now I am developing a love for running. Not that high of a love yet but I do admire the changes to the body exercising is doing.

The long distance walking I am doing now is developing my legs pretty nicely. Whats interesting to me is that when you do long distance walking through the same environment you used to drive around for years; you see alot more via walking. I saw lots of things I would never see because of driving. Its as if all surroundings are ignored and not appreciate when you don’t have the opportunity to stroll around. See all of the unique landscaping and front yards. To smell the different foods being cooked at dinner time. Its a must try experience i would recommend for everyone. Let it be atleast 4-5 miles through a variety of areas.

Back to the dream as I was side tracked. I think it is very important to visualize in pair with goals. Many motivational sources such as “The Secret”” has said many things about this process. One of the speakers said when you can go there in the mind, you can also go there in the body. I am going to pair that with more visualizing running 26.2 miles while building up my marathon training program. Well not really a program, just some fancy wording of attempted exercises I am making up as I progress.

6 months remain till race day. I am looking for completion not competition. With this limited remaining time it is critical for me to up the millage on my runs and do more endurance and cardio breathing training. Injury prevention is key to actually ensure I can make it to race day. Here’s to more visuals and physical running to come. Bring it on marathon.