My mom

Today's topic for NaBloPoMo is: Who is someone you wish you could see again?

Immediately, my mom came to mind. I hesitated to talk about her because 1) I feel like I've mentioned her a lot and 2) earlier this week I did kind of a tribute post about my older sister for her birthday. I thought reminiscing about my mom might be redundant.

But then I figured, it's the most honest answer. Plus, I've gotten some new readers recently.

The last time I saw my mom was December 13, 1994. I gave her a hug and a kiss good-bye before heading out to school. I had no idea that would be the last time I would see her. Late that afternoon, she was killed in a car accident.

It was devastating. I was a senior in high school, and my whole life suddenly changed.

She was the best mom. Okay, okay. She pretty much spoiled me. There I said it. :-P

She was kind and caring and so full of love. Now, nearly 18 years later, I still miss her and think of her often. 

The pain of losing her has lessened over the years, but she will always be in my heart.

Of course I miss her the most when I am experiencing the best of times of my life. It fills me with sadness that she has missed...

Seeing me walk in three graduation ceremonies...

Watching me cross the finish line...

This is me finishing my 2nd marathon (2003).
In many ways, it was much more difficult than my first
(same marathon the previous year).
These two marathons are definitely among my proudest health/fitness accomplishments.

And attending my wedding.

I wish I could see her again.
I wish I could give her a hug and hear her laugh.
I wish I could sing silly songs with her. Off-key, of course.
I wish I could tell her how much I love her.

Who is someone you wish you could see again?
What is your proudest health/fitness accomplishment?
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What is Beauty?

Is beauty subjective and in the eye of the beholder? Is it objective and definable?

I'll try not to get too caught up in semantics, but, in the most literal sense of the word, beauty is, indeed, objective.

Beauty is that reasoned harmony of all the parts within a body, so that nothing may be added, taken away, or altered, but for the worse.

Leon Battista Alberti, De re aedificatoria

In other words, beauty is, in a sense, a calculated formula, based on ratios and proportions commonly found in nature. Beauty can be applied to art and architecture as well as people. It is perfect harmony.

Take, for example, the Vitruvian Man:

As you can see, beauty here is defined by the use of a circle and a square - demonstrating that he is in harmony and correct proportion.

Now, before you get all up-in-arms about me saying this, please understand that just because someone isn't beautiful by this definition, does NOT mean she or he is UNattractive. Transversely, just because someone doesn't meet today's modern definition of attractive, doesn't mean she isn't beautiful. For example, if a woman, whom some would consider fat, is properly proportioned, she is, in fact, beautiful.

Personal taste or preference is something altogether different. No one should be crazy enough to try to define personal taste. Not to get too personal, but my husband is an appreciator of women's asses, but even he has trouble defining what exactly makes one ass more attractive to him than another. Let's just say, he knows it when he sees it. :-)

I find it incredibly sad that the media has tried to define personal taste for us. It tries to tells us what others will find attractive. This is impossible to do!

Recently, I've seen quite a few posts tackle this topic. Here are two of my favorites: Your Body Style Is Great and Do You Feel Sexy?

Go on. Pop over and read them. I'll wait.

Ally suggests we embrace our body types.
Hiker mom suggests we find our inner goddess.

I couldn't agree more with these ladies. Being attractive or sexy is more than what the media tells us. It is more than beauty. To me, it is about confidence and how you see yourself. If you feel you are attractive and sexy, others will, too.

I have never been one to tie myself to a number on the scale. I judge how sexy I am not only by what I see in the mirror but by how I feel inside. When I'm exercising regularly and eating properly, I naturally feel better about the way I look, which, in turn, makes me carry myself better and feel sexier.

As you can imagine, I don't often weigh myself. That being said, I did step on a scale a week or so ago for the first time in over 6 weeks.

I was quite pleased that the scale had barely budged despite the fact that I had pretty much been on an exercise hiatus between these weigh-ins.

That being said, we shouldn't allow the media or anyone else to define how we see ourselves, how we feel about ourselves. We need to embrace who we are and stop comparing ourselves to others. Beauty is a discerned judgment of the faculties of the mind and actually has nothing to do with attraction. Each year in state fairs across the U.S. the prize-winning pig would never be judged against the prize-winning cow.

So, the next time you look yourself in the mirror, compare yourself to YOU. You can define who you are and what makes you attractive. Don't let anyone else do that for you.
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Remembering

Yesterday's prompt for NaBloPoMo was:

Wordsworth called memory the "inward eye." Are your memories more sight-based, or do they concern sound, taste, touch, or smell? 

My memories are definitely more sight-based. For example, when I think back on this day 11 years ago, my memories are filled with sights. I remember seeing the trail around Lake of the Isles where I was running that morning. I  remember seeing the golden color of the tall weeds. I  remember seeing the blue skies.

I remember feeling how something just felt a bit off - not with anything related to my running, but just in general.

I can still see my apartment and my ragged old couch and the endless TV coverage. I can see the mostly empty bar at TGI Fridays where I was covering a shift, watching more endless coverage that night.

What's missing from all these memories are the sounds, the smells.

I wonder why that is. Do I not pay enough attention to these other senses? Do I focus too much on my sight? I wonder if memories can be shaped to include other senses.

What better way to try and test this than by planning a dream fitness vacation!

One of my bucket list life goals is to run a marathon or half on every continent besides Antarctica, so why not start with Australia?

I'd start my dream vacation off with a race. I'd arrive about a week beforehand to acclimate to the weather and do any finally tapering. I'd really focus on taking in the feel of the sweat on my skin, the smell of my surroundings hopefully not too much of the other runners, and the taste of the post-race food. Of course my eyes would be wide open to see the beauty of the course.

After the race, I'd spend a week relaxing at a yoga retreat. I figure this would be a great way to stretch and relax my muscles to aid in a healthy recovery.

Next up would be to the Red Centre, where I would hike through some of the national parks. Maybe go for a camel ride.

And to finish off this dream fitness vacation, I'd return to the coast to scuba dive in the
Great Barrier Reef.

Each day of this 4-week journey would be spectacular! In order to try to create memories that aren't just sight-based, I would keep a journal (or blog!) of daily impressions regarding the sounds, smells, tastes, touches of everything I experienced. Perhaps by recording specifics of these other senses, I could walk away from an amazing vacation with more than sight-based memories.

Now, if I could only get someone to sponsor me on this trip. :-)

Are your memories mostly sight-based? Have you ever tried to specifically enhance your memories of your other senses?
Would you like to accompany me on this fitness vacation?
What would your dream fitness vacation include?
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Lovin' It!

Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
~Bob Marley

YES!

I love my life. I know I've been complaining a bit a lot about not having a job and the frustrations of trying to find one, but rationally, I know that it's just a minor blip. Things will work out. Despite those frustrations:

• I have a wonderfully supportive husband.
• I'm highly educated. While that sometimes hurts me while job hunting, it's something no one can ever take from me.
• I've had some terrific experiences - living in various regions of the US, traveling to the USVI and Costa Rica.
• I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS!
• I'm relatively healthy.
• I'm a certified Scuba diver.
• I've run (not raced) in MN, ND, MT, ID, WA, OR, CA, and NV. I really need to finish editing the other videos, so I can get them posted.
• I recently discovered this tiny little park that I love running past. Plus, I did some post-run yoga there the other day, and I think I'll definitely do it again. It's my new favorite place to exercise!

I think it's pretty obvious that I love my life!

I don't ever look back and see regrets but rather experiences. Everything I've done has led me to become the woman I am today - a woman I am very much proud to know.

Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
Where is your favorite place to workout?
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Eye to Eye

It's inexplicable. Irrational.

But I really, really dislike talking on the phone.

I avoid it at all costs. I'm a HUGE call screener. If you're not in my contacts, I won't answer.  If you are, I'll wonder why you're calling and may or may not answer. Probably 8 out of 10 calls, I let go to voicemail. Yes, even family and close friends.

My husband and I have even been known to argue over who has to call to order delivery. I usually lose, which does not make me happy. At least the food mostly makes up for it.

If you were to ask me the following question:

When you are speaking with someone, do you prefer to look them in the eye or talk over the phone?

The answer would be a resounding IN THE EYE.

Unless it's a fake in the eye. Skype? Video chat? Uh. No, thank you.

All that being said, I LOVE MY PHONE! I love communicating via email, texting, blogging, social media. Sharing photos and stories from the palm of my hand.

Call me quirky. I guess it's why I enjoy being a blogger! I get to share my thoughts and hope someone reads them and interact with other lovely bloggers. Sometimes I even get to meet some in person. Yay!

******
Fitness Cheerleader asks us today to describe a typical weekly training schedule.

I'm just getting back into things, so I don't really have a training schedule per se. I plan on running every other day between 3-7 miles with a long run on either Sat or Sun of 10-12 miles. I've started doing a wee bit of yoga after my runs. On my non-running days, I'll either rest or so some kind of core / strength training. I have a lot of difficulty motivating myself for those workouts, though. *shrug*

Which do you prefer - talking eye to eye or over the phone?
What's a typical training week look like for you?
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What Do You See?

Well, let me start my sharing what I don't see. Supplements. Vitamins.

I've gone through phases in my life when I've attempted to incorporate them into my diet, but the truth is - I have a lot of difficulty taking pills on a regular basis. Which is why I've never done well with THE pill, but that's a whole different story.

Are supplements necessary for athletes?

I found this article on the US Tennis Association's website very interesting.

Nutrition is an ever-changing science including much we don’t know. That’s why taking supplements, if you choose to do so, should be in addition to eating well. The “I take a vitamin pill for breakfast because I eat cookies for lunch” philosophy is short-sighted. So is the story “I don’t like to drink milk, so I take calcium pills instead.” Granted, taking a vitamin or mineral in a pill is better than eating none, but, pills are not the answer to protecting health. Most nutrients work in combinations and in the optimal balance found in natural foods. For example, milk contains far more than just calcium - it offers a myriad of nutrients that are integral to bone health. Bones need all these nutrients, not just calcium in a pill. Whole foods protect whole health.

The vitamin pill for breakfast comment made me laugh. I'd rather justify eating cookies for lunch by adding in some extra running. The article concludes with this paragraph, which seems very obvious, but, all-in-all, I find it to be great advice!

The safest bet for optimal nutrition is to chow down on nature’s powerhouses: broccoli, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, melon, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, oranges, and other citrus fits, lean meats, beans and legumes, lowfat dairy foods, and unrefined grain foods. If you don’t eat these foods every day, at least eat generous portions when you do eat them! They are proven health protectors.

It's pretty clear that the USTA isn't much in favor of using supplements, but choosing to eat a healthier, whole-foods based diet would be more beneficial. The Mayo Clinic agrees for the most part, but also points out that supplements might be necessary for some - especially adults over 50 and women who are pregnant or trying to be. Read this article for more info about when and which supplements you might want to consider.

But this post is supposed to be about WHAT I  DO see...

Like I've said, I'm not very good about taking a pill everyday. Well, I'm not much better about drinking water. It's not like I'm choosing other things over water, it's more that I simply don't think to drink. Period.

That's why I need to keep a water bottle handy - both as a reminder and to make it super convenient.

I like this water bottle because it holds 1L of water, so I don't have to refill it too often. Truth be told, I generally only get in one of these a day. I know I should drink more, but I'm going to count my wins wherever I can.

Do you take supplements/vitamins?
What are your tips/tricks for drinking more water?
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The topics for today's post came from Fitness Cheerleader's Sept Writing Challenge and Sept's NaBloPoMo. Feel free to join in the fun!