As you can see, we've done a teeny tiny makeover here. I was thinking about it yesterday and I think the new title reflects a lot more about what this blog is going to be about. Arcade Ragdoll was snazzy and flashy, but Life of Wiley is... well. Self explanatory. I'm probably going to be messing around more with links/layouts/other stuff, but for now, this will do.
I haven't been posting at all because I've been busy: thrift store shopping, working, building my new Ikea desk... (actual workspace, WOO!) and working out. Lots and lots of working out. With the 10K run on the horizon (October 16th!) Jill and I have been trying to add half a kilometer a week to ensure we can run the distance when the time comes. It's all very physical and mental, like getting your mind to hold hands with your body. You can't have one without the other, it all has to work. Two weeks ago I ran outside for the first time in a long time. I was dreading it so badly, because running outside is buckets harder than running on a treadmill. I couldn't push myself to run more than 2 kilometers, running for about thirteen minutes.
This week I ran almost 6KM nonstop. (5.92, so sue me.) The difference? Making up a strategy to run harder early in the week and soften up later, plus keeping a strong, positive mentality. I don't mean sprinting around for miles thinking of sunshine and rainbows, (sometimes, running or pushing yourself takes you to some dark places-- that's why I find it easy to run to Slipknot...) but you have to appreciate everything your body does for you.
You might be thinking I'm crazy, on this sure footed suicide mission to smaller jeans and a finish line that's miles away, so far no one else can see it, but I tell you. There are little things you can do to make small health improvements in your every day life, and yes, it can be fun. Depending on your idea of fun, I guess. They don't even involve working out. Yes, I said it.
Random ideas to improve your health and/or happiness without working out:
Pop a Pill
If you have a bit of extra cash kicking around, you could invest in a multivitamin. A good multivitamin can keep your iron levels up through any tough workouts you might put yourself through. (Iron makes hemoglobin, which helps your bloodcells carry oxyen. It's also good for keeping your mind sharp. Woo!) Besides that, it can lower the risk of heart disease & helps to prevent cancer. It will probably cost between 10-20 dollars, but it could be a little boost that your system needs.
Quit it!
Everyone has a vice. Jill's is chocolate/sweets/desserts, she used to have to eat them every day. I have a Diet Coke addiction, a big issue since lots of people I know and love are expecting me to die from Maybe you smoke. Maybe you guzzle coffee like a Hummer engineered by Starbucks. Maybe you stay up too late! Whatever it is: there's always a little room for moderation, or extreme prejudice when it comes to vices. Jill's boyfriend made a bet with her that she couldn't eat chocolate or candy for a month. In a show of solidarity I'm giving up my precious Diet Coke... (15 days and counting!). Even if it's not for good, trying to cut something back or out is a good way to start.
Try Wholesome Livin'!
No, I encourage whatever debauchery you might have goin' on, I'm talking about food again. When I was in college (god, I feel old now) my darling friend Josh looked at the margarine and the turkey bacon in my fridge and gave his head a shake. I saw lower calorie options, he saw chemicals and processed foods. I saw quantity, he saw lack of quality. Nowadays I tend to prescribe myself to a similar philosophy. The less ingredients, the better it is for me! I may not be able to taste the difference between butter and Becel like he can, but I'm a lot more conscious about picking my foods now. (Thanks Josh!)
DIY
In a train of thought close to the previous one, making your own salad dressing, cookies, pizza, pasta sauce is better for you and lets you light up with culinary ambition and accomplishment! Making it from scratch, do it. It's healthier for you. If you enjoy spending time in the kitchen, this one is a gift AND a no brainer. Plus, if you're making it from scratch you'll appreciate the process more and also the final product.
Team Up
You need a partner in crime, don't you? The Robin to your Batman? Find someone close to you, from your best friend, your lovah, your sibling, your co-worker, whoever. Tell them about your goal and ask them to try and keep you on track and encourage you. Then offer to do the same in return. You scratch, they scratch type deal. ;)
Embrace Your Inner Child
If your goal is endurance based, such as quitting or even starting something for a week, a month, a year, try giving yourself visual motivations to keep going. To keep ourselves active and training hard, I stuck a calendar on the fridge, then popped to the local dollar store and bought a jumbo pack of stickers. Everyone in my family got a different kind (I'm dinosaurs!) and every day we work out, we get to put a sticker on the day. It's fun, and it keeps us on track and competitive as we try to match one another sticker for sticker.
Anyway, I have to run now, I'm going to yoga because I need to get my sticker for the day. What small changes have you made/can you think of in the name of better health and happiness today?
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