Is it friggin Friday yet? No? Darn. Well, onto today then. First of all, if you wandered over from Healthy Tipping Point, welcome to Tri'ing for Balance! I attempt to blog on triathlon, running, healthy, easy eats (and some indulgences) with a hefty dose of sarcasm and my own brand of humor as I bumble my way around life :-)Onto our regularly scheduled show.
I know I sound like a broken record, but the world is spinning in super speed mode lately. Work is insane, my social life is hoppin (I know, first world problems and all) and all the spring chores are poppin up. We need to get ready for our Gananda garage sale. I have a half marathon this weekend (lets hope I can run. Different story entirely). And at least one thing on my calendar every weekend until August 11th :-P Whew. All fun things, but let's face it. I'm an introvert. I draw my energy from being with me. So how do I find me time? I multi task.
All I need is twenty minutes.
I learned this trick 9 years ago...as a 21 year old between junior and senior years of college and 25 pounds overweight, I knew I needed the rule of twenty.
And now, I need it purely for my sanity.
Rule #1: Try to get in twenty minutes of activity a day. Back in the day, I used 20 minute DVDs...Denise Austin Kickboxing, Tae Bo, weights. 5 times a week. 12 weeks later, I was down twenty pounds. Can't beat that. Nowadays, I try for an hour, but twenty minutes is my "try every day" minimum. I still enjoy Denise Austin, or "Ten Minute Solutions", or I will do a "tri" 20 minute workout....a 20 minute tempo run, a series of swim repeats, or bike intervals. If I still feel it after 20 minutes (or have the time), I will go 45 or 60 minutes. But if not, no pressure.
Today, I got home from work and needed to do something. I had 5 hours worth of meetings today and was a go go go all day. Oiy. I felt like hitting the couch when I stumbled home at 6pm. But I also felt tetchy and irritated, and knew I would be miserable tonight to the hubster if I didn't blow off some steam. Foot still hurt. So I headed for the bike (trainer).
20 minute plan: 5 minute warm up, 5 30" sprints with 90" recover, 5 minute cool down.
An hour later, I got off the bike. I was tired, of course, but ready to finish the day, frustrations taken out on those sprints, sweat dripping down my face. Twenty minutes....turned into 60. It was one of those days.
Other days? Well, 20 is good. It might not seem like much, but it's something :-)
The other rule of 20?
Rule #2: Good ole 80/20 rule. I admit I'm not the best example sometimes, but I really try to follow the 80/20 rule of eating-80% good stuff and 20% fun stuff. Most nights, this equates to a cup of animal crackers and a handful of M&Ms or a cup of hot cocoa and pudding. Yum. Somehow, I manage to avoid the sweet tooth monster if I know I have a fun snack planned for later. It got me through my weight loss days back in 2003, and I've turned back to it now to lose those last 5 post ironman pounds (yep, back down to 5 pounds...whew!)
Nothing drastic. Nothing crazy. Just a few simple guidelines in the face of insanity.
It helps my body, mind, and to be less of a pyscho.
Can't ask for more than that.
And now that I've done my bike time, it's time for that hot cocoa.
Cheers!
I know I sound like a broken record, but the world is spinning in super speed mode lately. Work is insane, my social life is hoppin (I know, first world problems and all) and all the spring chores are poppin up. We need to get ready for our Gananda garage sale. I have a half marathon this weekend (lets hope I can run. Different story entirely). And at least one thing on my calendar every weekend until August 11th :-P Whew. All fun things, but let's face it. I'm an introvert. I draw my energy from being with me. So how do I find me time? I multi task.
All I need is twenty minutes.
I learned this trick 9 years ago...as a 21 year old between junior and senior years of college and 25 pounds overweight, I knew I needed the rule of twenty.
And now, I need it purely for my sanity.
Whats the rule of 20? Well, it has two parts.
Rule #1: Try to get in twenty minutes of activity a day. Back in the day, I used 20 minute DVDs...Denise Austin Kickboxing, Tae Bo, weights. 5 times a week. 12 weeks later, I was down twenty pounds. Can't beat that. Nowadays, I try for an hour, but twenty minutes is my "try every day" minimum. I still enjoy Denise Austin, or "Ten Minute Solutions", or I will do a "tri" 20 minute workout....a 20 minute tempo run, a series of swim repeats, or bike intervals. If I still feel it after 20 minutes (or have the time), I will go 45 or 60 minutes. But if not, no pressure.20 minute plan: 5 minute warm up, 5 30" sprints with 90" recover, 5 minute cool down.
 |
| Not my 80/20, but it sounds about right! |
Other days? Well, 20 is good. It might not seem like much, but it's something :-)
The other rule of 20?
Rule #2: Good ole 80/20 rule. I admit I'm not the best example sometimes, but I really try to follow the 80/20 rule of eating-80% good stuff and 20% fun stuff. Most nights, this equates to a cup of animal crackers and a handful of M&Ms or a cup of hot cocoa and pudding. Yum. Somehow, I manage to avoid the sweet tooth monster if I know I have a fun snack planned for later. It got me through my weight loss days back in 2003, and I've turned back to it now to lose those last 5 post ironman pounds (yep, back down to 5 pounds...whew!)
Nothing drastic. Nothing crazy. Just a few simple guidelines in the face of insanity.
It helps my body, mind, and to be less of a pyscho.
Can't ask for more than that.
And now that I've done my bike time, it's time for that hot cocoa.
Cheers!
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