girljen

The sun isn't just hot...it's a great big ball of carcinogenic bullshit! <-- there it is, right there. Sunscreen kind of helps, but what's even more effective is just plain hiding. Wear a hat. Wear UPF clothing. Hang out in the shade, and stay inside from about 11:00 to about 3:00, when the sun's rays are the most direct. As far as the sunburn goes...aloe vera. Seriously. Acquire some aloe vera gel, store it in the fridge, and put it on your sunburn. Also: Baths are better than showers, wear your softest t-shirts, stay out of the sun while you're healing, and don't tell your prankster friends about the burn or else they will pat you on the back and you will hurt.

I'm having fun with Challenge #3. I've found that a few of the stretches posted on the challenge thread feel SO GOOD after a workout. You're doing great! I bet you can get that essay done by the end of the challenge.

Yesterday was another personal best...2 Beginner Bodyweight Circuits, followed by a third with 8 of each leg exercise! w00t Today, I don't get a workout break. I'll do pushups. I'll stand. I'll take the dog for a longer-than-usual walk. I got this.

I HATE LUNGES...but I did 48 of them today. New personal best. Also, Mr. Decay, high five! Props to your respiratory system!

My fitness role model is my twin brother. He's like me...only better. I ride my bike to the store sometimes; he bikes *everywhere* and doesn't even own a car. I goof around on the bouldering wall at the climbing gym; he lead-climbs 5.10+ routes like a spider monkey. I can now pound out almost three Beginner Bodyweight Circuits; he's done 100 pullups in a day before. And because he's my twin, I know that we have the same genetics and the same circumstances...we're made of the same stuff. He gets a strength bonus because he is a male, but just like him, I can be fit and dedicated and awesome.

Yesterday was my first (and hopefully only) failure on this challenge. I did not track ANY of my food. Had I done so, I would have included "half a pizza" and "three beers" on the list. I did not clean. I didn't work out, but it was a rest day anyway. :facepalm: This is normally the part where I'd re-evaluate (read: dumb down) my goals or my scoring system. This time, though, it's not happening. I'll pick up today like yesterday didn't even happen, and I'll get back on track.

OMFG. Your cat is named Megatron. That, plus your w00t about the fact that Megatron to sit on your lap, means you win TWICE. /,,/

Hey, it's week 3! This weekend was exhausting, though. Is it bad that I'm enjoying being able to sit down and be somewhat quiet for 10 hours? (even if it is, I don't care...I'll enjoy it anyway ) I did my toughest workout ever (yay!!), a deep-cleaning of a bathroom that really needed it (yay again!), and a trip to the zoo. The zoo trip entailed lugging 100lbs. of kids around in a wagon on hilly terrain for about three hours. Today is SOOOO a rest day.

Ugh. I got catcalled the other day when I was leaving a relative's house. I looked him in the eye and turned on the Mom Voice, the one I use when I'm telling my daughter that there will be no further discussion: "Leave. Me. Alone." He did.

Fire update: Firefighters and weather are finally getting a handle on the fires! They're far from over, but they're not spreading anymore. Better than nothing.

Ok, so today is Father's Day. So much awkwardness. I am divorced from my daughter's dad. We're equal partners when it comes to raising her. I am not a single mom. I'm a mom, a very fortunate and grateful mom with lots of help, who is not married. I don't like being referred to as a single mom, because it short-changes my ex-husband. Yeah, we had marital issues and divorced. We're still Mom and Dad, we both understand that we have a job to do together. The fact that I have a boyfriend now adds a tiny bit of awkwardness, too. Him and I are a couple. He's not a parent. He's not my daughter's dad, not by a long shot. Maybe a few years from now, he'll become part of the household and take on more of a parent role, but for now, he's only an occasional fun and friendly presence in the little one's life. Also, my dad passed away when I was 18. (I'm 31 now) The loss will always be there, but the fragility and the grief has gone, so there's no need to apologize. My dad was awesome and I miss him and I'm grateful that I had him around for as long as I did, but people seem to walk on eggshells around me when I mention him.

Best. Workout. Ever. 2 complete Beginner Bodyweight Circuits...plus a third with six reps each of the leg exercises. Considering that I wanted to barf (or possibly die) after one circuit when I started, this is huge.

Awwww. <3 Show her this post!

Right! With sleep comes a feeling of well-being, more self-control, fewer cravings for sugary deliciousness, and everything is just easier. I make sleep a priority, because I know that if I don't, my whole day will go off the rails.

I was not motivated at all today. Then I remembered a conversation I had with my twin bro on another day when I was feeling unmotivated. He told me that I don't need motivation, that I have the time and the ability to do what needs to get done--and it NEEDS to get done, dammit. It is not necessary to feel motivated. Just get it done. That's what got me through a workout, a trip to the grocery store, and half an hour of cleaning (with more to come once this next batch of laundry's done). Still not motivated to do anything...but that's okay.

Ensi, tracking eating works wonders for me. Not only does it make me more likely to eat healthy food, it also gives me something to look back on: "Why was I so tired and cranky all day? Oh, right. Not enough of the right kinds of foods." I hope you're feeling better!

<-- This is me covered in smoke, you guys. There are a bunch of wildfires burning in Colorado; the closest one is only an hour south of me. (my home is not threatened; I'm in a very developed area) The air smells like smoke and the sunlight is this orangeish-grayish awful color. I scheduled myself to walk or bike today, but I'm not going out and inhaling smoke for an hour. The smoky air is in my house, too. I am bummed and worried (I have wildland firefighter friends, as well as friends who live near the areas affected by the fires) and congested and frustrated and THIS JUST SUCKS. So, I'll do my 20 minutes of cleaning...and maybe a rain dance. Whatever. It may not help, but it can't hurt, right?

I'd contribute! (wonderful dinner with friend of a friend ended up with us walking to my place in the pouring rain because my car died in the middle of the street) And I'd also read it. Voraciously.