Goal setting with your workout plan

I'm not a fan of the word "exercise" because it sounds like a chore. Instead I call it a workout. Because it's work, but it's something I enjoy doing and it makes me feel awesome :)

You can get out of that "exercise plan" mentality by changing it to a workout goal; a strengthening goal. And goals are freaking amazing!

I ran my first 10km race last weekend and finished at 53:41. For anyone who runs a lot, this may not seem like a very competitive time, but for me, it was my personal best and I'm ecstatic about it! Considering I've only been running for 2 years, a 10k was my marathon. Almost a full hour of running, not tiring, not feeling too sore, controlled breathing... it's a lot of work to get to that point. But I signed up for this race, along with 3 amazing girlfriends and decided that I would not let myself down. I would finish in under an hour.

Setting this goal was important. And the fact that I had to pay for this event meant that this was some serious business! I ran twice per week (adding in strength training and hip work through the week), extending my distances and using "Map my run" to keep track of my pace and distance. I made motivating playlists filled with songs that made me happy and picked beautiful scenic trails to run. The fact that I was happy and my soul felt free made up for my exhausted lungs, my red flushed face and my legs that were sore by kilometer 8, but on auto-pilot.

I also translated my goals to yoga. They call it a "practice" for a reason. Keep practicing and you keep improving. Flexibility gets better the more you stretch a muscle. Balance is more stable the more you use those muscles that keep you in that position. My "Royal dancer" went from wobbly to sturdy and extended. I went from staying in a lunge for a few seconds, to deepening it and wrapping my arms around my legs at the same time.

There's always room for improvement (I'm now working on arm balances and headstands!) but what keeps you going is that goal. Have a goal in mind, dedicate yourself to it and celebrate when you achieve it! My other advice is to keep your goal reasonable. I wasn't about to go straight from running 5km's to doing an actual marathon. It's about steps. Choose your next step, work hard and be proud of yourself.

My view along the waterfront trail

Nurturing your soul

Self-reflection is one of the most valuable concepts and exercises. My last blog post was almost a full year ago to the day and today was the day I chose to read such reflection from about that time. I've taken some time off to work on myself. I've learned many lessons, ones that I will undoubtedly share but for now I wanted to talk about nurturing your soul.

On my journey of self-reflection I learned about nurturing my soul. It was something that I've tried to keep with me, tried to remember, but life gets busy. We put others before ourselves, we put commitments ahead of what we truly want to do with our time and we start to lose ourselves. That's what I felt. My wake up call was when my partner told me that I had been unhappy for quite a while (since starting a new job). I thought I was happy but I stopped doing things that nurtured my soul. You probably already know what these things are - if not, you may want to start a list.

Examples of things that are on my list (if you need some inspiration): running, yoga (especially when you get to lay down at the end!), hiking through the forest, talking to my sister, head massages, reading while drinking the perfect cup of coffee, making a pillow fort and cuddling with our big puppy. 

Think about what makes you happy. What makes you feel like you? My work schedule occupies a lot of my time, so I dedicate those spare minutes and hours to my sanity. I had to stop taking that job so seriously and stop devoting all my energy to it; because at the end of the day, there was nothing left for me.

There are times we need to be selfish - but it's not selfish at all. It's about taking care of ourselves so that we can be well enough to take care of others and serve our purpose in this life.

It's like that safety talk that they give you on an airplane. If the oxygen masks drop, you're instructed to put it on yourself before you help your loved ones put theirs on. If you don't put the mask on yourself first, you won't be conscious long enough to help anyone else.