No more excuses...

So, my goal as a personal trainer isn't to become rich (I don't even know if that's possible unless you're Bob or Jillian). The reason I'm passionate about fitness is because I value it in my life, and I want to be able to assist others in finding it's place in their lives. That being said, I can't do it for free because being certified costs money. And staying current and competitive also costs money. However, I do want to offer everyone a huge break in training sessions for the next two months. Call it an early Christmas gift. I know how easy it is to put exercise on the back burner, especially when money is an issue -- and these days, let's be honest, it's an issue for all of us. If you need someone to give you an extra push or you've wanted to work with a trainer before and just haven't pulled the trigger, please get in touch with me. I'll make it worth your while.

Balancing Act

Before I had my second child, everyone warned me how difficult is was going to be. Friends and family thought I'd go crazy without help at least a couple times per week. But staying at home meant we had to cut back on spending, so having a nanny or weekly babysitter wasn't in the budget. I was happily surprised to find that the first few months of having a newborn and not-yet two year old wasn't that tough. A part of me wanted to say, "See everyone, it's totally possible to do this by myself and still remain sane!". There were definitely days that were challenging, but overall time flew by without too many hitches. Before I knew it, my newborn wasn't a newborn anymore -- at five months old he cut his first tooth, and two days later, his second. Owen has always been a happy kid but with each passing day, he's become more animated, more vocal, and much more curious about the world around him. My daughter, Madeleine, had been a relatively easy baby, but now she's knee deep in the toddler phase and that's a whole new ballgame. For the first time since Owen's birth, I'm feeling stretched trying to give both kids what they need, when they need it. Foolish me -- I thought I had this whole thing mastered. I'm realizing now that the hard part is only beginning.

I was at the park yesterday and after ten minutes, I couldn't help but think of Octo-mom. Madeleine was in the sand and ready to build sand castles. All she wanted was for me to sit with her and play. Owen has just started walking, so as long as his little legs are cruising, he's happy. Unfortunately, he likes to hold my hand while he waddles along, which means I have to be up. In the past I could get Owen to sit in the sand with us, and even though that usually meant he'd end up eating some, it was the price I paid (or he paid) for keeping Madeleine content. Things changed yesterday -- he wanted to walk everywhere and sitting in the sand wasn't an option. So I did what any mother with more than one child does -- I ran back and forth between the two of them; I'd walk with Owen for a minute and then leave him holding onto a ladder to go build a sand castle with Madeleine. This worked for a little while until they decided this juggling wasn't sufficient. Both started wailing and were no longer interested in walking or playing in the sand. That's when Octo-mom came to mind. How can she possibly give all of those children the attention they need and deserve? I was having problems just managing my two at the park for an hour. I can't begin to imagine what she goes through every hour of the day. I'm not saying that my children don't get plenty of attention because they do -- it's just not always equal. Owen is at an age where everything he does is adorable and he gets applause for almost every accomplishment (stacking blocks, playing peek-a-boo.... you know what I mean). Madeleine can be left out occasionally because of that. As our first-born, she's been spoiled just because of birth order but she's had to take a backseat lately, and that makes me sad. She doesn't miss a beat, so every time Owen gets extra kisses or accolades for his daily successes, she's aware of it. I do my best to include Madeleine and praise her as much as possible, but it's hard to compete with a smiley, drooling, chunky eleven month old who can't talk back yet.

We're all aware of our strengths and weaknesses, but as a parent my children reveal weaknesses I didn't know I had. There's nothing more humbling than having to say you're sorry to a two year old. I think I'm a good mother but Madeleine and Owen remind me that I have a lot of learning to do, and balancing their needs is just the tip of the iceberg.

Runner's High

I didn't think I had it in me to run this morning. The kids woke up early - I first heard Owen a little after 5am - and after an exhausting week, I just didn't know if I'd be able to pull out a long run. I signed up for the L.A. Marathon and I haven't started training for it yet (it isn't until March), but I am trying to get a few extra miles under my feet on Saturdays. I set out a little before 9am and, surprisingly, I felt good from the minute I started. I don't know about other people, but I don't think there are too many things in life quite as satisfying as a good run. Even though I've been running for years, every run is still different. Most take effort, but not enough effort that I don't want to do again the next day. Only occasionally do I have a run that's completely effortless, and when that happens I feel pure joy. Those are the times that revelations occur, and the most insurmountable obstacles overcome. It just so happened that today was one of those days. What a wonderful surprise!

I have to admit, I also run because I like to say I'm a runner. There's an unspoken bond shared between people that run. It's like being a member of a secret club you that you never actually knew you joined, but you're always a member as long as you get outside and run. This club has no prejudices -- you can be 20 or 80, you can be 100 lbs. or 300 lbs., male/female, any ethnicity. All are welcome. When runners pass each other, there's an understanding that's expressed in the most simple gesture - a nod, a wink, a quick wave. Sometimes that's all I need to help me get through the last mile. I don't know if it's the competitiveness that makes me move faster when I see another runner or the encouragement I get just by seeing another person out there, committed to moving no matter how slow or how fast they are. All I do know is that I feel better when I run and I also feel inspired when I see other runners. That's enough to keep me devoted.

Body in Balance

If I look back at my life I shouldn't be surprised that I eventually discovered personal training to be my calling. California is a state obsessed with physical appearance. But most of the obsession isn't healthy and it influences people not to look at themselves with acceptance but with an extremely critical eye. I, too, am guilty of this but my main competition has always been myself. I never needed my parents to push me to study or apply myself -- I was eager to do the best I could, and I put a lot of pressure on myself when I didn't perform up to the standards I thought I was capable of. I know many people are similar to me. Type A personalities tend to take for granted all the positive charateristics that make us Type A's and focus instead on all of our short-comings. This is the way I viewed my body as well. But exercise helped changed that and, more specifically, running. I began going on short runs when I was fifteen and away at boarding school for one year. Those runs became my escape from reality. I still run today, but the reasons have changed over the years. In my teens and early twenties, running showed me that just as I could push myself to study and get an A on an exam, I could also train and push myself to run half-marathons and then marathons. Mental stamina gave me physical stamina. All of a sudden my body wasn't something that was working against me but for me.

After having my daughter, I not only became much more accepting of my body but also empowered by it and, quite frankly, in awe of it. Other moms know what I'm talking about. In pregnancy, my perspective shifted drastically and I was really able to see myself in a completely different light. My priority became being the healthiest me possible for my baby. I not only felt better when I ate and exercised in a balanced and moderate way, but I also felt like it was my duty to give that to the child growing inside of me. I was extremely fortunate to deliver a healthy baby girl, and then twenty-one months later, a healthy baby boy. I may have had healthy babies even if I hadn't exercised throughout my pregnancies, but I do believe that fitness allowed me to better accept the many changes going on in my body. Once again, exercise remained a constant but the reasons for doing it changed.

My interest in personal training naturally progressed during the last few years as I realized the importance physical fitness has had in my life. I strive everyday to keep my body in balance, but it's a daily decision and effort. I know that when I do, I'm a better mom, wife, friend, and daughter. That's reason enough to keep working at it.

So this is a blog...

Most people have something to say. I guess it comes down to the fact that some can express themselves better than others, and therefore as a result, those people are heard and can actually get their messages across. Writing is a luxury not everyone is afforded. I'm far from being a writer in any sense of the word, but I will make a humble attempt to speak to you, my friends, about the necessity of balance in life. I believe that balance comes through fusing fitness with good nutrition, which sounds like such a simple equation. But we all know that eating right and exercising can be extremely daunting. I'm hoping that through this blog we can encourage and inspire each other, because each day we decide how we want to treat ourselves and maybe together we can all learn how to do that better.