If anyone comes to read this....
I don't know if anyone ever comes back here to look, but just in case you do, I've started a new blog at http://northerntransplant.blogspot.com/

It's not about exercise, or diets, or any of that stuff. It's just, life in general.
- posted by Brenda @ 8/05/2005 07:04:00 PM

 
The Click
I finally experienced the click, you know, the one that probably got you motivated to lead a more healthy lifestyle? I have been totally un-clicked for a looooong time now.

So I went grocery shopping and stocked up on all the good foods, the ones I *should* be eating, but haven't been. I'm cooking again. I haven't cooked much this summer. I don't know why I've been so damn lazy. I took the concept of "a break" to the ultimate extreme. I'm definitely keeping my food journal again. I started yesterday. I feel motivated again. Maybe it's because it's finally cooling off and the heat and humidity isn't so repressive. I love it, but phew!! Enough already! I still won't be able to post in here much, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse. Not anymore. The excuses are over, and I'm ready to get serious again.

I made the transition from a temp to perm worker last week. I don't get paid until the last day of the month, which really sucks. It means I have to use the money I got from selling my road bike to pay bills, and I can't buy the bike until I get my paycheck. Minor inconvenience, though. I still have my hybrid.

All right, this computer is acting wonky, so I'm saving this before it loses everything.

- posted by Brenda @ 9/20/2004 07:57:00 PM

 
Just got back from the trails at Umstead and OMG, that is like one thousand times better than riding on the road. I was totally relaxed the entire time and having a grand old time. I got into some areas that I probably shouldn't have been taking a hybrid, but we both made it through okay. And holy hills! Gawd! I didn't think there were any really bad hills around here. Apparently they must be smoothing them all out when they build roads, because there were a crapload of hills in the state park. Big ones, too! I had to stop halfway up one of them to catch my breath. That is all for now.

- posted by Brenda @ 9/12/2004 02:06:00 PM

 
Tough Decision
So here's the thing. I think I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've ridden my road bike since we moved down here. I'm *very* frustrated by this. I'm frustrated because I'm such a weenie that I'm afraid to ride by myself. I mean, I never liked riding by myself, even up in NY, but now I *really* hate it because the traffic is just so much heavier down here. Even on the quote-unquote rural roads, I feel like I'm going to get run down. Yes, I know how to obey traffic laws, and I do, but it's just amazing to me the number of ignorant drivers out there who don't or won't recognize the fact that cyclists have the same rights as cars. I saw this woman blowing her horn at a guy to get off the road last week because he was in her way and she couldn't pass him. It pisses me off. And it scares me too, because I know there are people out there who would do more dangerous things than just honk their horn. I know from experience.

Now, the hybrid, I manage to get out on at least once a week and ride the greenways. And so I've been thinking....... it'd be pretty cool to go riding on the mountain bike trails around here, too. There are tons of them. There are no cars to deal with. It's in the forest, and I love being in the forest. But I need a mountain bike because my hybrid is just not built for those types of trails. But I don't have enough money to buy a mountain bike. Meanwhile, my road bike is sitting in the garage getting hardly any use..... well, you can see where my train of thought is going. So, I'm going to sell my road bike and buy a mountain bike with the money. It sucks, but I honestly don't think I'm going to get much use out of the road bike anymore. And frankly, I'm just not a speed-person, and most roadies are. I was always out there to look at the scenery and have fun, and getting left in the dust most of the time anyhow. I think moutain biking, where they concentrate on technique, might be better suited for me. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

In other news, I become a permanent employee at TUW on Wednesday. Woohoo! I get like a dollar an hour raise, so that's cool, too. The other thing I've become sucked into that is taking up all my time is scrapbooking. Well, I was into it after Jordan was born, before I went back to work. Then after I went back to work I couldn't find time for it anymore. But this woman I work with is a scrapbook consultant, and she has these weekly sessions at her house. I go because she's cool and I like her, and now I'm getting back into scrapbooking! So I've been having fun with that.

Anyway, back to biking, I want to go try the crushed gravel trails over at Umstead State Park today, so I'd better get going. The hybrid can handle those. :)

- posted by Brenda @ 9/12/2004 10:25:00 AM

 
Huzzah! It's Friday!
I have gotten hardly anything done today. Except for talking. My cube has been, like, *the* hang-out place for the day or something. So now I feel like doing nothing. Oh well; we get out at 2 this afternoon, and we get Monday off, so this whole day is basically a wash.

To be more on-topic, I went bike riding Wednesday night. You know, sat there for an hour waiting for Tom to get home to watch the kid so I could go. Because the kid says he hates riding in the trailer and refuses to do so anymore. So, Tom got home and I changed into my biking gear. I came out into the living room, kid looks at me and takes off to his room, and came back out pulling a tank top on, sat down in front of the door and started putting his sandals on. I'm like, "Where do you think you're going?" He said," I'm going bike riding with you!" Oh. Um-kay. So I told him, "Well, if you're going with me, you're going to have to ride in the trailer." "Okay" he says. Okay. Hm. Why did we just sit here for an hour when we could've been out riding?? Whatever! So we went! I swear this kid has bi-polar disorder or something because the last few times I wanted to take him with me, in the trailer, he threw complete hissy fits! Anyway. More weight lifting last night. I. am. so. weeeeeaaaaaaak! This is what happens when you take 3 months off from weight lifting. You sit there and struggle to raise a wimpy little 5lb dumbbell to shoulder-height for your front lateral raises. I felt like such a loser! Ah well. I'll just keep at it and the strength will eventually be back.

We're going back to Ithaca for the long weekend. It should be interesting. I feel like I've been away for four years rather than just four months! I thought about taking my bike and going on the FLCC Sunday ride, but it's like 40 miles and the terrain would probably kill me. I mean, it's typical upstate NY terrain, but I'm soooo out of shape. I'm working on it, though. The good thing I've found is, it doesn't take too awfully long to regain what I've lost, fitness-wise, when I do take a break.... not that I plan on taking breaks often. The readjustment has been just a bit more than I anticipated. Okay, a lot more. But, I still think this move will be worth it in the long run. Not that things are awful, because by no means are they awful. It's just.... different. But I am finally getting back into my groove. So that's good. At least I'm feeling the pull, the desire to get active again, and eat right, and so on and so forth. Because frankly, the apathy I was feeling the last couple-three months toward the whole healthy lifestyle thing was getting scary. I am confident that next year I'll be taking a week off in October (I think it's October) to participate in the Cycle North Carolina tour. If not for the entire week, then hopefully at least the days where it goes through the mountains. I really, really, really want to ride up in the mountains. It's gorgeous out there.

- posted by Brenda @ 9/03/2004 01:33:00 PM

 
quickly...
I'm going to ease myself back into this. Get my exercise routine going first, and then work on the eating. One thing at a time.

3 sets bicep curls; 3 sets squats, 3 sets triceps extentions, 2 sets of stationary lunges, 3 sets hammer curls, 3 sets of stiff legged deadlifts.

Seemed like a decent start. My legs are gonna be killing me tomorrow. I can feel it already.

- posted by Brenda @ 8/30/2004 08:49:00 PM

 
So that's what it feels like to get run over by a truck....
Damn! I'm finally recovering from what had to be some of the worst 3-4 days in my life! I caught some form of plague that's been going around the office for the past 3 weeks. It literally felt like someone had taken my brain out of my skull, pounded on it with a baseball bat for a few hours, and then put it back in--for 3 days. One of those headaches where you want to go bang your head off the wall continuously because that might actually make it feel BETTER! Drugs barely touched it. Oh well, it's over. Just a sore throat that won't go away now. I don't think it's strep, though. I've only had that once in my life, and I remember what that was like.

Anyway, so that's why I didn't post all week. I still don't feel well enough to do the 30 mile club bike ride tomorrow morning, but I may do a short 10 or 15 miler on my own. Or lift weights. Whichever.

- posted by Brenda @ 8/27/2004 08:41:00 PM

 
Blog? What blog?
What? You mean I used to write in this thing every day? Several times a day, sometimes?? Yeah, I miss you too, Brenna. I miss all you guys! Things have been so crazy busy since we've down here. I know, it's an excuse. And the excuses have to end, now. All the, "Oh, but there are so many good restaraunts down here to try!" And, "Oh, it's so hot; I'll go biking tomorrow!" I don't know if it's fortunate or not, but my weight has been hovering in one place, low 160's. I mean, fortunate in that I haven't gained madly, but unfortunate in that it hasn't inspired me to kick my ass into high gear. It's not to say my eating and exercise habits have been gone all down the toilet. I'm still biking pretty regularly. I've started meeting some pretty cool women to ride with. Weight lifting has gone in the toilet, and I will start that again. Even if it's only 15 minutes a day. It's a start!

I know the only thing that keeps me on track is this damn blog. I need to make it a priority again. I need to make MYSELF a priority again, dammit! I know I deserve to treat my body better than I have been. I deserve to be strong and healthy. I deserve to take an hour out of each day to go exercise, and make better food choices so that I feel better. I've actually been pretty much on track today, so I'm off to a good start. They have an awesome, terrific Farmer's Market over in Raleigh every weekend... well, every day for that matter, but I can only get there on the weekend, and I should be taking advantage of all those wonderfully fresh fruits and vegetables!!

So I hear WW'er has some sort of new "core" program that doesn't require counting of any sort? Anyone know the logistics of this? I'm thinking I may have to start going back to meetings or at least join the online program to get myself back on track. Of course, I already KNOW how to do everything, but it always helps one keep focus when one is shelling out hard earned cash toward their weight loss efforts.

Anyway, things are going pretty well, other than the fact that I'm having second thoughts about my job. I'm not so sure this non-profit stuff is for me. Or at least, *this* particular one is for me. It's not something I can point a finger toward, just a gut feeling of discontent and suspicion. So, I dont' know what I'm going to do. It's a temp to hire position that will become permanent within a matter of weeks, so I need to figure out what I want to do fast. Suck it up for a year or so and get the non-profit experience and hopefully contacts so I can move on, or find something different? One part of me says to suck it up, that I'm even lucky to have a job in today's economy, but the other part says, I'M WORTH IT to find something I like! I do have to take into consideration the realities of the job market, though....





- posted by Brenda @ 8/23/2004 07:27:00 PM