now what?

I got into the New York City Marathon.  Now what?  Seriously, I still can’t believe it.  I’ll be sitting here or cleaning or trying to fall asleep and it will pop into my mind.  “I can’t believe it!” jumps up and down in my brain.  Yay!

I’ve already decided on a few things.  First and foremost, I’m going to do my best to get and stay healthy.  February and currently bestowed on me some influenza and a bad cold/cough.  Part of this is due to my sleep patterns not supporting a healthy body!  I’ll go to bed in the wee hours and then get up early.  I’m probably averaging 4 hours of sleep per night.  It’s no wonder my immune system is susceptible to the invasion of opportunistic germs.

I already started to evaluate my eating habits.  To be fair, I’m not bingeing on junk food.  I also haven’t been eating enough quality foods.  Or enough food in general.  My berry obsession is still going strong and I’ve started actually cooking dinner rather than eating Skinny Pop and whatever else I could scavenge from my cupboards.  Again, perhaps the reason my immune system hasn’t been rocking out some virus-fighting warriors?!

it’s a good plan

Getting out and about for fresh air and exercise.  I’m a natural homebody and because I work from home, I sometimes forget to get outside.  This certainly isn’t the case for everyone who works from home, it’s simply true for me.  I think my body will appreciate some vitamin D, a cold breeze, and a little exercise.

Last and key to what I plan to be a solid training cycle, I’m going to drop down to the 10k from the 1/2 in the North Olympic Marathon weekend.  In the past, I would throw caution to the wind and push my body to complete a race I set my sights on, no matter if I was ready or not.  I’ve chronicled such experiences in the past right here.  Ummm … many times!  My plan was to do the 1/2 but this would mean crunching training and not taking enough time to build a decent base.  I REALLY don’t want to drop down – I was/am super excited to participate in this local race.  Nevertheless, I need to consider the long game.  I did a doozy on my knee in the Detroit Marathon and getting myself thrown out of the training/end game because of my pride is silly.

pull it together Amy-girl!

 

Another part of this training plan, is to build a fitness base that is more than running.  I know, I know – I’ve talked about this before and failed miserably.  It truly is something I want to do.  I know I’m capable.  Now it means putting it into action <– this is typically where I fall short!  So how will I accomplish this?  I want to be transparent here, I don’t know.  I always wanted to kick some booty in past races, so this was never the problem.  The only thing I can think of is jump in, but I’m open to advice here.  In fact, I would really appreciate advice!  How do you create and follow through on a well-rounded training cycle?

I’m super ready to hear your tips and tricks!

***If you can’t tell, I adore Emma Stone!

I love some good visualizing!

Edited:  My apologies!  I didn’t realize the photo credits were hyperlinks in the original e-mail so I have fixed this below. 

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by the incredibly nice and helpful Michelle.  She works in a spa called Skana in upstate New York and she gave me the suggestion of making a health motivation board.  Michelle talked to me about how her knowledge of health and wellness has led her to help clients live healthier lifestyles.  She was kind enough to type up how you can live a healthier life!  Here is the information she provided!

Visualize Your Inspiration for a Healthy Lifestyle

Staying physically fit takes more than just a few good workouts. It also requires you to maintain a strong mental focus toward reaching your goals. Although you likely track your goals on a regular basis, it is also important to make sure that your aspirations remain at the forefront of your mind. For those who are actively pursuing a healthy lifestyle, here is how a fitspiration board can help you to visualize your inspiration.

Clarify Your Goals

The first thing you will need to do as you begin to create a visual representation of your goals is to clarify what it is that you would like to accomplish. Ideally, you should have a combination of short and long-term goals that are challenging yet achievable. Once you have established your goals, decide which one should be the main focus of your board.

Find Inspirational Images

With your goals in mind, begin searching for images that inspire you to achieve greatness. These can be photographs of you or your loved ones, images found online or pictures that you cut out of a magazine. It is important to take your time to find only the most inspirational images possible that reflect your goals. As you search for images to include on your board, be sure to select one that best encompasses your fitness goals. Then, use this image as the main focus of your board.

Choose a Central Location

For your board to serve as an inspiration, you will need to make sure that it is placed in a central location so that you will see it several times each day. Depending upon your personal habits, this could be in your exercise room, kitchen or even next to your bed. If after hanging for a few days in one area you notice that it is rarely noticed, then feel free to move it to another area of your home.

Reflect and Revise

After viewing your board for a few days, take a few minutes to reflect upon your reaction. Have you been feeling more motivated towards meeting your goals? Does it remind you of the things you would like to accomplish? Then, revise your board as necessary so that it always leaves you feeling inspired.

Here is an example:

What inspires me to be active and aspire to live a healthier life is the outdoors.  I love to travel and see new places.  To me, there’s no better feeling than enjoying the outdoors.  I’m really inspired by yoga for a number of reasons.  Yoga focuses the mind and body, teaching ourselves to find a spiritual balance.  I also love that yoga can be done anywhere, even the beach!  Yoga is great for beginners and the more advanced athlete.

The outdoors are what I’ve used for the center of my inspiration.  I’ve been taking lessons near my work at New York Golf resort, Shenendoah, as a way to spend more time outside. Golf is great because not only is it less strenuous activity, but you also have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.  Really any activity outdoors can be motivating. You feel like you have more energy when you are out enjoying the warm weather.  I’d like to try more leisurely activities like fishing or kayaking with a friend.

Your body needs nutritious foods as fuel for when you exercise.  A great source of clean eating recipes is Clean and Delicious.  They have delicious recipes along with instructional videos including a clean chicken & veggie stir-fry recipe.  An easy nutritious breakfast for on the go folks are smoothies!  Customize nutritious smoothies to whatever supplies you have on hand!

Making a fitspiration board is one way to stay inspired to live a healthy lifestyle. Over time, your goals will change as you meet each one. Therefore, be sure to add new goals and images as needed to keep your board fresh and your mind focused on always reaching your full potential.

Thanks so much Michelle!  I am currently working on my board as well and hopefully I’ll be able to post it next week!  Readers, I would love to hear about any images you may use to keep you inspired!