Bust Yo Ass

It's time for another one! I know it's been a while since I've been around, but here I am again! I've been running and doing the stairs all summer, and hopefully with the cooler autumn weather around the corner, outside exercise will be even easier.

Song of the day (or week):

Give It All You Got - Lil Jon feat. Kee

"Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goals."

-E Joseph Cossman

Just Two Things

There are two things that I am doing wrong right now (and for the past few days) and it annoys me that I haven't changed the situation yet.

1) Spending too much money on clothes and various items!! What happened to my plan of saving money instead of living pay cheque to pay cheque?? This is just getting ridiculous!! Did I really need to buy two dresses from Fairweathers? A romper from Old Navy? An overpriced knapsack from Sportchek? Pfft no! What am I doing wrong here? The answer is: bored shopping. Instead of going to the gym (no clean gym clothes is my excuse), I'm going to the malls midday during boring hours and spending money!! I can't simply browse; I HAVE to buy. The problem is--what else am I supposed to do? I feel as though I have nothing else to do at this point. Read a book? I've read tons. Watch a tv show/movie? Boring, done that too much lately. Weave a friendship bracelet? That's so summer 2009.

2) Lack of exercise. Last week I kicked cardio ass! I worked out 4 days, did tons of weights, pounded back the protein smoothies, and generally acted like a 'roid-bot. This week? Other than the daily walk to and from work, I've done zip extra cardio! No weights...no cardio...nothing. Blegh...in my mind: lack of exercise = fat. It's intrinsically connected.

Bust Yo Ass (No.2)

My next recommendation for a great work out song:

"You Take My Breath Away" - Dido (DJ Tiesto Vocal)

Great music to move to! It's a long song so if you run intervals to your music, be expected to do a longer run.


It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Weekend Update

Well, it's officially Sunday morning and I'm listening to "This Love" by Craig Armstrong feat. Elizabeth Fraser, and feeling a bit gloomy and meditative. Probably because the song is all about how their strange love lifts them up, and here I am, strange-loveless. But not to worry. I'll snap out of this funk soon enough.

I had to go to the SPCA today to renew M's license, and I went inside to look at the animals. Big mistake. If you have a soft heart or an underdog complex, I beg you, stay away from the SPCA. There was the saddest dog there that I have ever seen in my life, and she's probably sad because at five years old she was abandoned by her owners. I wish I could show you the look in her eyes...it literally makes me feel so...almost sick. So call me crazy, but I talked to my dad and mum, and they actually don't mind if I get (another) dog. M is great, beautiful, special, but this is literally an underdog (no pun intended), and I feel like I'm in some way responsible, because I can buy her and give her a second chance.

I think this may be rooted in some psychosis, that I want someone to take a chance on me, I wish that someone would allow me to get another start on life. It's not as if I've killed someone, or robbed a bank or anything...I just have such a flawed character. And I think it's hard for people to get past it. I keep dreaming about this perfect romantic love that will lead someone to care for me no matter how I act. Could that be all a dream? Is there someone out there who has the ability to care for me completely and wholly?

Anyway, I digress from the weekend update.

Shingle-ing happened all day today. Along with some family friends stopping over, and basically the doors being open all day, a BBQ at lunch, Martin saying repeatedly, "Dog poop grass". Oh little brothers. But oh my guck! I don't want to be like all those other boring bloggers who only talk about their family.

I was awoken at quite an early hour, called in to work, to which I said NAY, and went back to bed. I'm so glad I didn't go in, because it was such a beautiful day, and I was able to get out for a jog (not as good as Friday's though). I also bought an iPod shuffle today, because that way I don't have to carry my iPod in my hand or only wear clothes that have pockets all the time. It clips on nicely to my shirt, which makes jogging easier. I love music. Love it.

So, along with the dog that I want to tentatively adopt, apparently a friend of my brothers will be staying in our house for the next couple days. Honestly, sometimes this place feels like a 7th Heaven storyline. Not that I really mind. I like the chaos and psychotic behaviour. For the most part.

Well, in conclusion--

Madonna is overrated.
Love might just be a silly notion.
Please treat your animals properly!
Get out and exercise. 1 in 3 women will die from a heart related disease this year.

Cheers.

Running.

Or should I say, jogging.
Now that I've started, I'm pushing myself to go further, and I find that I cannot stop.

I went for a walk last night, and while it was quite cold out, and I found myself only wanting to walk, I inevitably picked up the pace to a slow jog, and maxed myself out more than I have ever before.

This was my m.o. (for the military ignorants, modus operandi).
I jogged for 3 minutes, walked for 4, jogged for 5 minutes, walked for 4. Ran 300+ stairs, then jogged intermittently back. I managed to jog the final lap for about 9 minutes straight, which is a huge record.

I've learned a couple things from starting this jogging exercise.

-You have to keep focused and centered. I know this sounds odd, but when I'm jogging, I try not to think about the end or how much further I have to go, but I turn up the iPod, and let the music flood my soul. It's just me and the beats.
-You have to pace yourself. I found when I first started jogging, I was pushing myself too strenuously, and wasn't in it for the endurance run. Now that I've pulled myself back and only allowed myself to go at a slower pace, I find that I can jog longer without tiring myself out.
-You have to make a choice. I have days when I'm exhausted and when I just want to lay down and pass out, but I make the choice to go and jog. Once you get out there and start jogging, you find you want to do it more and more. But you have to keep up on it. Either you jog all the time and keep in the routine, or you don't do it at all. It's like most things in life...you have to keep on top of it or it won't work.
-You shouldn't run on tarmac. Unfortunately this is the only place that I can run right now, but I'm looking for different options, different places to start jogging. The waterfront is nice because it's picturesque and isn't as boring as, say, running a track. But I know that my knees won't be able to take extensive exercise on the tarmac, so eventually I've have to find another place to jog.
-You shouldn't beat yourself up if you don't excel. Even if one day you can barely find the energy to walk, let alone run, at least you got out there and got some form of exercise. Every little bit counts.

I just realized that I must sound like some freakish jock, but I've come to the realization that losing weight isn't easy. I want to be a healthier person, so I'm choosing to change my lifestyle, to adapt to new choices that I have to make. It's hard to persevere sometimes, and I'll admit that I was quite discouraged last week about my performance, but we all start with baby steps. It's the endurance that counts!