A Bucket List?

This blog post is not about health and fitness, cycling or triathlons, or even nutrition. Or is it? In a way yes it is, this entry is about a journey through self-awareness and healthy mental clarity; it is about getting the most out of life, making a difference in the lives of others, and encouraging others to experience as many of their bucket list items as possible. I believe life is a gift and I intend to use each and every day to its fullest potential.  I have realized that my career in helping people live healthy lives does not end with the physical, I have been missing another part of it for so many years….the mental/emotional/ and spiritual side of life and how I can better it for those I work with.

How do I make myself a better person to be able to help others? Then I realized how can I help others if I don’t understand who am I? This seems like a simple enough question but it has really gotten me thinking. I’m talking deep, introspective, peel off the layers kind of thinking. Why do I do the things I do? Do I have internal markers that are pushing me a certain direction?

It has been through many friendships, relationships, heart ache and bliss that I started to really look at myself and question what kind of person am I. What is important to me and where does that come from, am I holding myself back from my true potential in some way and if so why? If I am holding myself back what kind of example am I to my clients and others in my life. The more life experiences I began to have the more I started to really feel connected to myself. I started to see things differently and as this process happened I realized I saw a lot that I really liked but I also saw stuff that I didn’t like. I can best describe this process as a windless day at sea, then without warning the winds picked up and next thing I knew a storm arose and the sailboat was moving at 50knots and the sea floor rose to the surface. There I was faced with all things bubbling up from below the surface. Some things I was pleased with while others I recognized as unproductive and I definitely did not want to choose that again.

Now that I could see the things that were hiding at the bottom of my internal sea, I was presented with a problem. What do I do about this? While I waged war against my inner self something was growing inside of me. I finally decided to open my eyes and saw it was a need to nurture myself. I had a need to grow and learn and discover.

One day after hearing about the current trend in writing bucket lists, and your top things to do before you are 20, 30, 40 and on, I sat down on a whim and wrote a bucket list of things I would love to do in my lifetime. At first it was really hard to come up with items. I had lost myself over the years and did not even know what I wanted! That realization upset me because I was not learning and growing. So I sat back and thought deep and long and was able to open up to myself, and the ideas started to flow. I had so many ideas my list ended up several pages long. I got excited and yet this too stirred up emotions I did not recognize at first.

My first thoughts when I looked at my list were oh no, why have I waited so long, why didn’t I do this when I was 18 like everyone else did. How did I get to be 35 and not live life! It then hit me that I needed to write everything I would have wanted to do in my life as if I were back in Kindergarten (as that is about as far back as I can remember having life aspirations).

Sitting back in my chair and reading over this new list I let myself reflect on my life choices, I realized I had successfully made many dreams come true and when I focused on what I had already accomplished I felt really good about myself. It dawned on me that I needed to do much more of this to remind me of the good that I am going and to stop glancing over it. 

This exercise was good for me and my soul needed this kind of nurturing. This nurturing of myself has allowed me to love life again and in new and better ways. I hope this post inspires you to evaluate your own life and determine if you are going the direction you want.

Without further rambling I share with you my 40 Things I want to Do Before I Turn 40.

ADVENTURE/EXPERIENCE

Complete an Ironman Triathlon in under 12 hours

Run a Marathon in under 4 hours

Skydiving

Become a better dancer (Country Two Step, West/East Coast Swing)

Experience the Aurora Borealis

Learn how to Hang Glide

Take a Flight in a Glider Plane

Swim with Sea Turtles

Go Zorbing

Learn to drag my knee on my motorcycle

CAREER/EDUCATION

Make video blogs for my business

Complete my patent and start producing it…any investors out there???

Make  fitness videos (sorry can’t tell what they are yet) and get them out for people to use.

COMMUNITY

Pay it forward (buy someones groceries, pay their bridge toll, ect.)

Leave encouraging notes in books for others to find

Provide work clothes for economically disadvantaged women through Dress for Success

Volunteer at a soup kitchen on 2 major family holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

Perform random acts of kindness every week

Help Build a house for Habitat for Humanity

FAMILY

Become close with my sister and mother

Call my mother and sister on a weekly/biweekly basis

FINANCIAL

Pay off all debt except school loan, and mortgage

Break the 6 digit salary barrier

PERSONAL

Make deeper meaningful connections with people in my life

Make a child laugh uncontrollably

Never Stop Learning, Dreaming, hoping, and NEVER give up…

Become a better photographer, and sell some stuff

Inspire others through kindness, sharing and video/quote/book

GO an entire month without eating ANY chocolate

Learn to live more simplistically/minimally

Spend time with people who inspire me, then share that with people I care about

Take my father to Ireland, spread his ashes both in Ireland and sailing with his best friends

Dance in the rain every chance I get

SELF IMPROVEMENT

Learn to forgive and make peace with BOTH myself and others

Get Lost, get totally lost then find yourself

Be able to Completely Love myself for WHO I am and WHAT I stand for

Learn another Language and Speak it fluently

TRAVEL

Travel to Ireland and Iceland

Travel to Scandinavia

Scuba Dive the Great Barrier reef

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and getting a glimpse into my inner workings.  Now it is your turn open up to yourself and see what amazing things can truly happen, and the amazing things you have already done with your life.  

In Good Health
~Jamii

TIPS FOR CYCLING IN THE HEAT

Summer time, it's hot outside, which makes participating in outdoor cycling very difficult. In fact, the first point to understand is that heat and humidity will have a negative impact on your cycling performance. There is no getting around this, it is fact. You will not perform as well on a 90 degree day as you will on a 60 degree day because you expend a tremendous amount of energy dissipating heat and regulating your body temperature. How then do you continue to ride in the heat? Two things you can do and they are: heat acclimatization and hydration.

Heat Acclimatization

Before beginning strenuous exercise in the heat, begin by exposing oneself to exercise heat stress gradually and on consecutive days. Heat acclimatization is a process by which we become physiologically more tolerant to high heat conditions. It allows you to ride longer and faster in hot weather than you could before acclimating to the heat.  Heat acclimatization will also decrease your risk of heat illnesses such as, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Here are some key facts and tips when it comes to the acclimatization process:

1. Heat acclimatization happens fairly quickly. Most of the gains occur in the first 4-9 days of training. Full acclimatization occurs in about 14 days. Make sure to plan accordingly if you are a competitor and start acclimatization about 2.5 weeks prior to your race.

2. Begin the acclimatization process by riding during cooler parts of the day at a lower intensity and volume. Gradually increase your volume and intensity. Once you have adapted to the cooler temps begin riding at a lower intensity and volume during hotter parts of the day.

3. Workouts performed in cooler conditions can be higher in intensity and longer in duration so if possible try to complete those higher intensity workouts cooler temperatures.

4. Pay close attention to how your body responds to riding and racing in the heat. Different people can be affected in different ways. Keep a log of your eating and drinking habits along with your workout and the temps and humidity for that day.

Hydration

Hydration has a significant impact on cycling performance and is especially important in hot weather. Dehydration of only two percent of your total body weight can impair your performance. Dehydration of five percent can reduce your work output by as much as 10 percent. When it comes to effective hydration, keep these points in mind:

1. Determine your hydration needs by estimating your sweat rate. How? Weigh yourself on a digital scale prior to a brisk, one-hour ride. Then weigh yourself again after the ride. If you have lost one pound you are down 16 ounces of fluid. Repeat this process frequently to get a good sense of your sweat rate in different temperatures.

2. Always bring two full bottles on every ride and drink 4-8 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes. For high temperature rides of more than an hour, consider using a hydration system, or plan water stops along your ride. Second, by freezing the water (or filling it with ice), the hydration pack or bottles can help lower your core temperature which will allow you to ride at higher intensity for longer.

3. Arrive to your workout or event well hydrated. The hydration process starts a few days before your ride or race. How do I know I am well hydrated? The color of your urine when well hydrated will be clear, if not keep drinking. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids the day before, the day of, and the day after your workout.

4. Decide what to drink and make sure it's cold. For workouts that will last an hour or less, water is sufficient. For rides that last over an hour, use a sports drink to replace carbohydrates and electrolytes. This is particularly important in high heat conditions. Try out different drinks to see what works best for you but never try something new the day of an event.
 
5. Drink before you get thirsty. The reason for this is simple. The dehydration process begins long before you feel thirsty. Get in the habit of drinking from your bottle every 15 minutes whether you feel thirsty or not, as this will minimize the chances of becoming dehydrated.

Our Nutrition Expert...Tara Marple

Health That Snuffs The Morning Air

by Tara Marple

When you look around the gym, your workplace or at social events (or Disneyland like I did this past weekend), you can usually see what you would call healthy people and unhealthy people.


If you talk to them, though, you will find the habits that just don’t match up with true, wholesome health. In other words, glowing health that is sound of mind and body, and constantly fresh. Specifically defined, being fit and healthy is having superlative physical and mental function. My question has always been…What do I have to do to accomplish this? Who do I have to be? And please let there be a magic key!!! In these days when there is so much disease, I almost feel like we are scrambling to find the right concoction of supplements, fitness and healing food to get to normal, let alone fantastic, health. I’d like to share three things that I have found to work for my own health and when leading others in achieving theirs.


As we have found, nutrition and fitness can be intimidating on our own. I believe in having a “team” of people who help and support us. As we experience various forms of support like trainers, massage therapist, nutritionists, chiropractors, general health docs, Yoga and support groups, we can then decide those things that we cannot function happily without. Whatever it takes! YOLO (You Only Live Once) right?! So sample various forms of support and make a list of those you want to make a routine support system.


Next subject is weight maintenance. Ugh! What a constant struggle. The mistake we make as a society is to believe the marketing labels on our foods. Food companies can make any claims they want to make in their marketing. Yes, they probably aren’t lies, but they always omit truths. If we stick to fresh foods for the most part, we aren’t being bamboozled by “low fat, whole grain or fortified”. When we eat fresh we don’t have to count calories and look for low fat foods. AND, one of my mantras is “Don’t trust anyone else to feed you!” Superlative health is a big lofty goal! Going to a restaurant and trusting exactly what is on the menu is leaving it up to them to feed our precious bodies – will this lead us on the path to optimal health? My suggestion is to ask questions and make requests. If you ask with grace and politeness, it is usually no problem. As well, when you are going to be gone for the day, plan ahead and bring your own food. You don’t know what you will be able to find along the way so be conscious and prepared.


Last, know your health status. Things may look fine and function just fine, but the benefit of modern medicine and traditional medical studies is that they all have tests to define imbalances. For example, combining blood tests for hormone levels with Chinese medicine for signs of low chi in our vital organs is ideal, and we have that access to take advantage of. Out of all the hormones that our pituitary gland releases at various times during the day, one hormone to keep an eye on is cortisol. If you get tested and your thyroid and cortisol levels are just below the abnormal range (in other words the danger zone where you would be medicated), this is a sign that you are not functioning at your “superlative” level of health. For those of you who really want to get things DONE in this life, help loads of people, be a leader or the best grandma there ever was, subclinical levels are a huge red flag. If you are feeling lethargic, having cravings for wine, chocolate, etc. and being often overwhelmed doesn’t mean you are fine in the definition of health, it means “WAKE UP”! Heal yourself with food, stress relief and support.


So in review, the three things to get from this article are: YOLO! Get a team of professionals and friends to support your goals. Next, only trust yourself to feed yourself, do the research and speak up for your needs. And finally, know your health status and be confident that you can heal and balance yourself with the right food choices and stress solutions. Now go on, be the ultimate you and know you’re supported!

 

 

Tara Marple specializes is helping her clients UP THEIR GAME in life. She utilizes expertise in nutrition coaching, meal timing for hormone balance, techniques for gaining mental focus and therapeutic bodywork to maximize their training and recovery for accomplishing ideal body composition, fitness goals and personal and professional growth. You can reach her by visiting www.vitalspiritwellness.com.

Part 2: Cycling Equipment for the Commuter: Locks, Lights and Racks

Part Two:  The other accessories 

Last weeks blog I discussed the basics you will need to become a bicycle commuter. I talked about the bicycle purchasing process, wheels, tubes and tires, pedals and helmets. This weeks blog topic for cycling commuters will cover the next few highly recommended items you will need to become a safe commuter. Lets start with keeping your bicycle safe.

Hopefully you wont have to take such extreme precautions.

Locks

First thing to know is that NO lock is 100% thief proof; EVERY lock can be broken by a motivated thief. Learning good locking techniques (secure wheels to the frame, remove lights and computers, etc.) and accurately assessing the threats are critical to prevent the wrenching pain of a stolen bike.

My experience has been nothing but positive with the Kryptonite and OnGuard brands.  Both brands cover all the types of locks including cable, chain, u-lock and combo u-lock with cable. However the OnGuard also has locking skewers so you won’t have to bring a second lock for your wheels.

Another consideration when locking your bike is the make sure it’s in an area you will feel safe coming back to in the dark. If you have a nice beautiful top of the line bike be careful of using that as your commute as thieves are guaranteed to go after your bike before the others on the rack. If you have to use your racing bike for commuting check with your company to see if there are bike lockers and how to get one for your prized bike. Lastly making your bike more secure than the other bikes parked around it will increase your chances of coming back to an untouched bike.

Lights

There are four sides you can be approached by a car, front, left side, right side, and rear. You need to be protected and visible from all sides. You will want a red rear light at minimum two would be great. I use the two rear light set up and one is one flash while the other is on steady. The sides are a bit tricky as there are few lights out there but you can find a few valve attached ones and a few spoke attached ones as well.

The reason I believe we need lights from the side is that when you only have reflectors you can’t be seen until lights are shining on you and sometimes that may be too late. But when you have lights on you are more likely to be seen earlier and given the space you need to go on with your commute.

A few of my favorites are the Light and Motion brand and the Nite Rider brand.  Both of these brands make battery operated and rechargeable battery pack lights. I highly recommend to use the brightest light you can afford, preferably at minimum 300 lumen. Not only will it illuminate your way, but you will get more respect from motorists. I've found the brighter the light, the more respect from motorists.

Panniers and Racks

Last but not least is your rack and pannier set up. Without this you will have nothing but a backpack option to bring your work stuff with you. In the last blog I mentioned the rivets (threaded eyelets) for attaching a rack to the bike. However if you do not have these you can still install a rack by using the seat post as your attachment site. The seat post attachment has limitations though. Many racks have a maximum weight limit so you will have to pack light, and these also cannot be attached to a carbon seat post as the weight of the rack cam crack the seat post.

Seat post rack

A rack is a rack so as long as it fits and supports the amount of weight you plan to carry any brand will work. When it comes to the bag this is a different ball game. There are trunk bags, trunk bags that expand into a trunk and saddle bags, single side bags, double side bags (saddle bags), water proof, wire baskets, really just about anything you can think of. My personal preference is the trunk pack that opens up to have saddle bags attached to it.  It provides plenty of room for commuting to work, your lap top fits perfectly in the saddle bag, cloths in the other saddle bag and lunch in the top trunk. And when you aren’t commuting just going for a ride it can be folded up into just the trunk pack.  Whichever one you choose keep it simple, light, and multifunctional (water proof is always a good choice) so you won’t get caught not able to bring something with you.  

Thanks again for reading and stay tuned next week for the conclusion of bicycle commuting when I talk about how and what to pack. If you have any questions please feel free to add them at the bottom here or email me at VeloGirl@gmail.com.