Bravery and Fear

"Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death." This was in my husband's fortune cookie. I think it is true. I think people forget what being brave really means. They think it means "no fear" and it doesn't. It means doing it even though you are afraid.

Also, some people are afraid of success more than they are afraid of failure. That is an interesting concept and sort of alien to me, I must admit. But I think that it is true and real. Only you can figure out if you are afraid of success, or failure, but remember this. If you don't like what happens after you succeed in something, you can always do something about it and change. I mean, you succeed right? So you can succeed in something else. Why are we so afraid that the path in front of us is carved in stone, when it really isn't and it really is all about the journey and what we learn on the way.

:)

Another One Bites The Dust

From my Outdoor To Do List:

6) Get a better trellis for the far left boysenberry bush. The streamers on that bush travel so much a lot of the berries end up in the dirt. - DONE!

Of course, I ended up staking and tying up the rest of the boysenberries and raspberry bushes. It all looks so much neater and my husband will be able to mow the lawn around them without mowing them!

Fast walked twice last week, only did the shoulder exercises once. Have to improve on that this week.

Did You Know

That you cannot cry if you are looking up? Try it next time tears threaten. Look up. See what happens, and prepare to be amazed.

Did you also know that you can't be in the doldrums if someone needs you? Yup, that's right, because someone needs you to be YOU, the you they adore, you can't mess it up by being grumpy. I mean, you could, but you don't want to. Being needed is a great feeling. I wonder how many people would feel better if they knew, really knew, how much they meant to someone and if they were really, really, needed by someone. I bet a lot. What do you think?

Did you also know that it IS possible to coach someone on the best running program while you, yourself can't run, but you can walk very, very fast? Yes, that's true, too. And did you also know that the first 5 - 10 minutes of running your body is screaming at you to stop but if you ignore it then you will realize that you really AREN'T dying and it could actually be good for you? Amazing isn't it?

Working Hard To Be Strong

So yesterday I restarted my shoulder exercises. I had stopped when I twinged my shoulder something fierce. Turns out the uneven push ups we were doing were not very shoulder friendly, for my shoulder at least. So now that it doesn't hurt, and now that I have gotten back on the treadmill, I figured I should get the shoulder stronger. I have to do this three times a week, at least. Here's one.

In other news, I told NinjaOne and NinjaTwo their new names. They asked if that was like ThingOne and ThingTwo. When I said yes, NinjaTwo said she would rather be called ThingTwo. NinjaOne said I had better look out, because they were going to be trouble like ThingOne and ThingTwo. I better be careful. Although I am a 2nd degree, the two of them might be able to take me by teaming up. Another reason to hit the treadmill and the weights. :)

Fast Walking

I went to the gym yesterday with NinjaOne. That is what I have decided to call my two students. NinjaOne and NinjaTwo. NinjaOne once told me that if I wasn't on the mat she would have turned around and walked out the door and not come to class. Since I was always on the mat (they were my scheduled teaching days) she came to class.

NinjaTwo (who is no less than one) told me a few weeks ago that if it hadn't been for me she would have quit years ago. That floored me. I told her I never knew I was that important to her. She seemed surprised that I didn't know this. I still have a hard time believing that I am so important to some people who are not related to me by blood. Anyway, NinjaTwo was sick yesterday, so she could not come to the gym with us. But she had worked out after class Saturday with another student (who I led to black belt when I went for my second) so I wasn't too concerned. I knew she'd had a good workout.

NinjaOne has to loosen up her back before she starts running, so we discussed the best way to do that. Walking to class may be the best solution. NinjaTwo can give her a ride home after. NinjaOne has lost 245 pounds, so running for 20 minutes straight is a big deal. She can't do it yet, but I helped her formulate a better plan. She runs for 5 minutes straight (at 4.3 and an incline of 1), walks (at 3.5) for 3 minutes, runs for 5 minutes walks for 3 minutes. After a week of this, she should drop the second two walking breaks to 2 minutes and then try to increase the run time. Through all of this, I walked fast at 4.0 (on an incline of 1). Trying to jog any faster put too much unpleasant pressure on my knee (what with all this stupid rain, snow and cold weather it's back to hurting again). I did 30 minutes and felt good afterwards. If I do this a couple times a week (with NinjaOne and Two) I will start strengthing my legs and increase my stamina.

I really didn't like the running when I did it, but I liked the results. So I am annoyed that my knee has decided it really doesn't like running. I figure I am going to push up to the point where I know I can't go and sooner or later that point will move. And since that's what I believe, that's what's going to happen.

Pneumonia sucks

I'm a bit depressed. I had the Worst. Cold. Ever. for a week which has now turned into pneumonia. I was really looking forward to walking in the Big Sur 9 mile this Sunday... but under Dr.'s orders - no walking for me :(

I'll have to look forward to the Komen 5K on May 8th and the Bay to Breakers just after.

Stupid pneumonia.

Karate Time

Today starts the beginning of a new karate cycle, Karate cycles run fifteen weeks for Black belts and candidates. Five weeks for all the under ranks. I have two students in this candidate cycle. I taught them both from white belts. They are both very special to me. One of them feels intimidated by the running so I have offered to run with her. We are going to the gym Sunday morning to run (I may be doing fast walking). We will be doing at least 30 minutes of it). I figure it will be good for both of us. We are trying to get her partner to come along, so they will have each other for support. I will be the cheerleader, the taskmaster and the support. It is a good role to have.

I am down 7 pounds, yes, I was down more, but I hit some bumps. I am not looking backwards, but forwards to the new cycle and the fifteen weeks ahead of me. I am planning on losing at least 8 pounds in this next cycle. At least.

If anyone needs to start something, today is a good day to do it.

Achieving A Goal

Yesterday a student of mine achieved her goal of becoming a candidate for the black belt testing cycle, starting this Saturday. It is a powerful feeling to know that I have helped her to this point in her life. There were many times when she said that if I hadn't been on the mat she would not have come to class. She would have turned around and walked out the door. But since I was always there, she came to class. She has had a hard road. She had already lost over 100 pounds when she started and was still a big lady, but she didn't let anything stop her. She just did what she could and each day she could do more.

Last week she let me know that she did 60 sit ups. That was a huge moment for her, matched only by this moment, passing this test. Now she wants to find the candidate belt that my son, nephew and I all had. She wants to wear it as a good luck charm and a focus for what she can achieve. I can't tell you what this feels like, except that when I go to sleep thinking about this, I will fall asleep with a smile on my face.

Strange

Saturday I tested for my first stripe on my 2nd degree belt. Just a progress check for my journey to 3rd degree. Funny thing is, I wasn't nervous, or frantic, and I didn't feel like hurling. I have no idea why. I was concerned about my knee and whether or not it would really hurt during the test, but the weather changed (again) and the knee felt good, (until the very end). But I wasn't nervous. I was nervous about the tests for 2nd degree, but not yesterday. I knew everything I needed to know, I was confident I knew everything I needed to know, and I felt good.

I guess I am finally beginning to feel really comfortable with being a black belt. It's only been two years. lol.

More Planting And Some Shopping

Well, I planted some more broccoli and some beets. I also did a little shopping on the sale racks for some new sweaters. The current batch all needs to go away. It has been rainy and windy, otherwise I would be outside putting up new trellis' for the berry bushes. And raking and edging the driveway.

I did expand my computer tray so that it holds the keyboard and the mouse, taking pressure off my shoulder. I also re-did my husband's keyboard tray, as two family members kicked it and bent the pieces so it wouldn't slide out easily or it slid out to far and fell out.

The checkbook is all done and I had the lady who comes to work to help out with your 401K's and all that jazz check into a couple of issues that needed dealing with. That was a nice one to get off my plate.

Have to do a little more shopping tomorrow, for necessities and new pants and sneakers for my son. I've got a list for that as well.

How are we all doing?

Planting

I planted sugar snap peas, contender green beans, Italian bush green beans, sunflowers, broccoli, and organic green beans. I have to plant some beets and more sunflowers and broccoli. I may have my own farmer's market this summer!

Indoor To Do List

1) Re-glue the bottom edge of the bathroom border, which is curling up a little.

2) Finish painting the baseboard trim in the bathroom.

3) Paint the windows and trim of the eight front porch windows.

4) Paint the window and trim in the playroom.

5) Install the shade in the playroom.

6) Paint the windows and trim in the breakfast nook.

I think that's enough to get started, don't you?

One Check Off The Outdoor To Do List

Outdoor To Do List

1) Move lilies and iris out from the berry plant garden and into the flower garden. Check!

2)Re-shingle the little roof above the cellar door.

3) Fix the door to the space under the steps where the lawnmower is. (I have made a new door and need to finish painting it and re-hang it on the opposite side so it's easier and smarter to open.)

4) Plant all my seeds and put a fence around the broccoli and green beans so a certain little black dog does not get into them.

5) Weed the other half of the flower garden and get some of that weed block mulch on all of it.

6) Get a better trellis for the far left boysenberry bush. The streamers on that bush travel so hard a lot of the berries end up in the dirt

7)Dry-lock paint the outside of the foundation.

Next) Make a gazebo so that I can sit in the shade in the backyard and not bake out in the sun. Which is only fun some of the time.

That's a start to my outdoors to do list. Tomorrow I will give you my indoors to do list.

Nice weather sure is motivation, isn't it?

Absent

Sorry about being absent, but with three days of rain and then water in the cellar, thinking up positive things to discuss was just not at the top of the list. :)

However, that being said, my instructor said something very interesting that I think a lot of you might like. When you go for a goal and you don't succeed, it doesn't mean FOREVER. Start over again, evaluate what you did wrong and what you did right. Do more of the right and try to skip what you did wrong.

Too often I think that people try to lose weight at the beginning of the year, hit a bump and just give up, completely. Do you want to lose weight or not? Do you want to be healthy or not? Then start over. No one is perfect and there is nothing that says you can't ever try again and this time succeed. Just remember to learn from your mistakes, don't keep repeating them over and over. Then you're not really learning what you need to learn.

:)