Back at it... and lovin' it!

Over the past 72hrs I've participated in my 4 favourite activities - softball, dancing, soccer and swimming - in that order. Talk about shock to the system! Surprisingly, my body feels great, apart from a slightly sore back that I think came from playing 3 softball games on Saturday - nothing that a trip to the chiropractor can't fix.

After a pretty sedentary summer, apart from the weekly soccer game and the odd stroll with my family, I was afraid my body might go on strike! Anyone that plays softball knows it doesn't count as 'exercise' - especially in a coed beer league... We drink more calories than we burn! lol!

Fortunately there is only a brief overlap between activity seasons, so after next weekend, the only scheduled activity in my life will be swimming and a bellyfit aerobics class I signed up for. Our first class was supposed to be last week, but am I ever glad it was postponed! Not sure my body would have ever forgiven me if I had included that in the mix, in the span of 5 days!

Swimming was great. It had been so long since I swam laps (I went once all summer) that I could feel the muscles in my shoulders and hips after the first 500m. Fortunately the instructor went easy on us and let us set our own pace for the first day. 1500m total distance in the first class is still impressive and I hope to have my cardio strength back up to 2km+ distances soon.

I hit a home run!

Last night was the last softball game of the regular season. I was 0 for 3 at bats and approached the plate with 2 outs ahead of me... Just moments before I had listened to my teammate as he coached another player about waiting just two counts (one, two) before swinging the bat. I knew this rule and had used it successfully in the past. So when I went to bat this time, I waited the extra 2 seconds and when I hit that ball, it went soaring into the outfield, over the fielder's head and I got my first home run in many years! WHAT A FABULOUS FEELING!!

Even when we're experienced players, or runners, or parents, or partners, sometimes listening to that extra bit of 'coaching' can make a world of difference in our game, time, children and relationships.

Who can you be coached by today?

Cool new tool!

Okay, so it's been a while since my last post... The summer can throw off anyone's routine and I'm no exception.

I stumbled upon this really cool little application for Facebook bloggers today! It automatically writes an update on the author's FB wall whenever they post a new note on their blog. How cool is that? Michelle, if you're reading this, you HAVE to check it out - www.networkedblogs.com. You can set it up to update FB automatically every post, or you choose when you create the post. There's a great tutorial to set it all up, linked from the NetworkedBlogs home page, on a blog of course!

So all my FB friends, when you read this post, click on the "Follow this blog" button in the box on your left and you'll get automatic updates whenever I post a note. In fact I think anyone on Facebook can use that button to follow this blog, not just my FB friends, and receive updates.

More frequent posts to come in the 'new year', a.k.a. September! I've got a great little book "Walking for weightloss" - looking forward to putting it to use and telling you all about it - plus my reason for 'walking' instead of 'running' - and no, I'm not pregnant!!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Changing priorities

I've played team sports my entire life - volleyball and soccer in grade school, volleyball and softball during high school and volleyball, soccer and softball post-college to present-day. In fact the only time I didn't play sports was during college, other than the odd intramural.

There are a few things I love about team sports:

• the games are scheduled - I have always been the type that schedules my life around my games - they are priority #1 (not all team players can say this and I've experienced the frustration of having more than one on many teams...)
• the competition is invigorating - although I don't like to lose, I'm usually happy just to get out and play and do my best
• doing my best is usually pretty good - I'm not an Olympian by any stretch, and there are always one or two teammates more skilled than me, but I'm usually one of the better players on the team.
• my self-confidence is strong - My friends would see a very different side of me if they played on a team with me. Honestly, I only truly feel like 'myself' when I'm participating in a sports team. That's not an easy thing to admit - motherhood has taken it's toll on my confidence in general (as it does for a lot of mothers!) and playing sports is my release from the doubts and guilt - when I'm on the field I know exactly what I should or shouldn't be doing. Even when I screw up, I'm able to shrug it off and try harder next time.
• of course, the EXERCISE! - almost as a side-affect, the cardio benefit from soccer has been, until recently, the only thing that has kept my weight in-check.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know I recently added swimming and running to the mix - they aren't team sports - and lately I've been finding it harder to make them a priority. I haven't gone swimming since my classes ended and I haven't gone running in weeks... I've *thought* about doing both almost daily though!

A couple weeks ago I finally found my way to the YMCA to meet with a personal trainer (as part of my Y-Champion commitment, I was allowed 2 sessions). I haven't worked out in a gym since before having children - 5+ years now! It was great to use free-weights again, not so great to be doing so in front of strangers and all those mirrors... Alison, my trainer and fellow Y-Champion who ran the 1/2 marathon in the Blue Nose, put me through my paces and developed a simple free-weight routine I can do in 1/2hr at home. "Perfect", I thought. "I'll just schedule it into my days, twice a week." Well that was over two weeks ago and I've done the workout once!

Holding myself accountable has never been my strength. I can create the perfect schedules for all kinds of things like housework, workouts, meal-planning, etc. but when it comes time to follow-through, I tend to fall off the wagon within days or weeks, sometimes even within hours of creating another one of my TimePoster masterpieces!

I guess that's my biggest attraction to team sports, it takes the accountability bit out of my hands. Funny how I will attend every single game - unless I'm deathly ill or out of town - but try to 'attend' a 1/2hr workout in my basement is nearly impossible! And there's even less to be concerned with - I don't need to arrange for child care!

I'm going to need some help with this - help to make my OWN schedule a priority. Do you have any tips, suggestions, clues that will help? How do you fit the 'unnecessary' necessaries into your daily life - like working out, housework, life-planning, etc...??