On Failing and Facing Fears

I started rock climbing a couple months ago. I also started a little yoga challenge on instagram last week. These two things alone have started to create a lot of failure in my life.

Let me start by saying that I do not like to try new things. In fact I really hate new things. New experiences, new people, new places, new jobs, new whatever. I don't like the unknown. I don't like not knowing what I'm doing, feeling like a fool, and then failing.

As I'm getting older, and married someone who loves all the new things, I am slowly starting to accept this whole trying new things "thing". Slooooowly. Chad's really had to be patient with me.

Obviously failing is no fun. It's a blow to your ego, it just doesn't feel nice and it's even less fun when it's in public and you feel like everyone is watching. If I'm going to fail miserably please let me do it in private where no one can watch me cry.

Rock Climbing has really made me face all my failure right in the face. And scary? I was terrified when I started. Terrified. There were melt downs. Multiple. Some days are good and some days I make it 5 feet off the ground while a 10 year old girl zips past me on the route next to mine. Talk about some serious failure, in front of a bunch of people no less.

Then there's my yoga challenge. I take pictures of certain poses and post them to my instagram account. Again, no hiding there. Also a bit intimidating when there are people doing full on one handed handstand backbend thingys. See, I don't even know what any of these things are called. And to be honest, I still can't lean backwards with this back of mine, let alone bend backwards.

I'm a new climber and a new yogi. I am a beginner and don't know much. But I'm trying and I'm getting better and stronger. We all have to start somewhere and I am starting at the very beginning of these 2 awesome activities. And there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with trying hard, learning and yes, even failing along the way.

As Tony would say "Do your best and forget the rest". Wise words Tony, very wise indeed.

So I'm trying to be at peace with all of the failing currently happening in my life. I'm trying not to let fear hold me back from trying. I may not be able to do something perfect, but I can push pass the fear and try. I can do my best.

Killin it

You guys, my nails are painted, I've been eating veggies and fruits, and getting some sort of exercise every single day. Even my toenails are freshly painted. This is a rare occurrence indeed my friends.

The trick is always the weekend though, isn't it? We'll see what happens, although I'm sure there will be chocolate chip pancakes, sleeping in 'till noon, rock climbing, pizza and Nos. When you've got a good thing going....

4/40 Challenge

Cassie, on her blog, Back to Her Roots, issued her readers a challenge. In the forty days leading up to Thanksgiving, set and work on 4 goals. The idea is that giving ourselves some good momentum heading into the holiday crazy would help us get through said holidays without turning into Cookie Monster. Or is that just me?

This coincided perfectly with the 90 day sweat challenge, move for at least 30 minutes everyday, for 90 days. Thanks Jen! Thanks to that challenge, and trying to post something on Instagram everyday for it, I've been moving a lot more!

So I decided to tackle the two together. Here's what I'm working on:

Here's Cassie's beautiful printout. She's got it up on her website to download and print for free!

Any goals your working on now as we wrap up 2013?

Brain Damage

That's the only possible explanation for what happens during my rock climbing experiences. Especially this week.

We got out to the gorge and I instantly knew that I would die if I attempted to climb. For a fact. Keep in mind that I had climbed this exact climb before... twice actually.

But this time would be different and I would most certainly die.

Brain Damage.

So then I started and I was a hot mess. Sigh. After my triumphant climbs 2 weeks ago I thought that I would be much more confident. Wroooong. I was hot mess city.

Then my brain composed itself and decided that the faster I could haul my butt up, the faster I would be let back down to the blessed, beautiful ground. So up I went.

And after the first climb, I went again. And guess what happened. I flipped out again.

Brain Damage.

I was a little quicker the second time and a little less of a mess, but it was still terrifying. And while I may be saying that I have brain damage for being such a climbing wimp when I know that I will be safe, I think that we all know who really has the brain damage.

Thanks Pinterest

and Nikki.... and Val.

Thanks to Nikki, via Pinterest, we made this gem of a meal. Chicken Marsala was delicious, and although our mushrooms ended up being too old and too gross to eat, the chicken and sauce alone over the pasta was so good. We now have a bottle of Marsala sitting in our fridge so this will be made a lot :)

Taste of Home

Val suggested Mel's Kitchen Café to find some new recipes, and I'm so glad she did. So I technically didn't find this on Pinterest, but it's on my board now! These enchiladas use pretty much the same red sauce that I normally make so I knew these would be a winner, and they definitely were. I can't wait to try some more recipes from her site.


Mel's Kitchen Café

I've had this pinned since forever and never actually tried it. I love making popcorn on the stove top, it's cheaper and way tastier. But... my pot was dirty and I was feeling super lazy and not wanting to wash it so I tried this little trick. Who wants to shake a pot around on a stove or spend a bunch of money on the microwave version when all it takes is a brown paper bag!? I'm sold.

One Good Thing

Workout stations on Pandora. Found this pin quite a while ago but it's was a gem, so glad I have these stations for my run/walks.

psfk.com

 

What have you pinned and tried lately?



Sweaty Sweat Face

You know those super perky morning people who tell you all about how wonderful it is to wake up early, workout and eat something healthy to start off the day? Those people who apparently hate sleep and love leaving their warm bed, handsome hubby and snuggly kitty to go run/walk/workout instead?

Guess what? They are totes right.

Once I convince myself to get up, throw in my contacts and get dressed, I'm pretty good to go.

Granted I'm not out running miles upon miles, or breaking out the Insanity dvd's or anything, but an early morning walk is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. It's quiet, the pup is happy and the air is cool and crisp. I don't need to eat anything before hand, which I definitely would before a run or serious workout, but I've got time once I get home to grab something quick before work.

Crazy Eyes = Crazy Painful Yoga

It's amazing what waking up early, moving, and eating breakfast does for the rest of your day.

Hello, my name is Danielle and I'm slowly turning into an adult.

Who would have thought?

Love Hate

I have a love hate relationship with yoga. As I'm doing it, I pretty much hate it. All of it. Except corpse pose, I love corpse pose. But really, everything else is awful. Especially now. Any sort of backward bending is a nightmare. As I went to do my P90X yoga hell on Sunday morning I rationalized that there wasn't really any sort of backwards bending and I would be fine. Until I started and my body started screaming at me. Upward dog is all about a gentle back bend. Upward dog is now my nemesis. I quickly learned that all the warrior poses are also all about a disguised back bend as well. Tricky yoga.

Granted part of the whole "hating it while doing it" may have something to do with the fact that I didn't eat or drink anything before doing it. I have a nasty habit of just jumping into my workout on weekend mornings without eating anything, mostly because I just want to hurry up and get it done. So I wasn't feeling super awesome 20 minutes in. Little vomity...

I stuck with it though and after 90 minutes of deep breathing and making strange noises during the back bending portions I was done... and all of a sudden I loved it. Especially after I got my act together and got something to eat and drink. My back and sciatic nerve were just a little happier with me the rest of the day.

Yeah, my favorite nerve still screams at me all day long and I still want to cut off my leg once or twice a day, but at least it's just once or twice. I'm hoping that a little yoga everyday and a lot of yoga on Sunday will help to strengthen my back and whip this nerve into shape.

Any free yoga video recommendations? I've got my trusty P90X lineup but am definitely not committed to doing something that intense everyday.

That's a Short Uncle

Oh Tony. In your words, I love you but I hate you.

We started P90X this week. I convinced Chad to "start" with the rest day only because Monday is a horrible day to start working out. It's Monday! We talked with Nikki and Matt on facetime instead and ate brownie sundaes in bed. Pretty successful rest day if you ask me.

Then the horror began. Of course I'm mostly talking about Ab Ripper. True to it's name it feels like someone has ripped apart my abs. Chad's however are becoming ripped all ready. Either way you look at it, I guess it's doing it's job... making us want to lay in bed the next day and never move again.

We may be done with the week (yay!), we are only halfway through our workout week. While we normally slack off on the weekends, it's really too hot to do anything but hide inside our house, so might as well work out right? Right. Wish us luck.

Wishy Washy, Flip Floppy

So I've been trying to be good. Reeeeeaaaal Good.

I'm trying to get my booty in gear and in shape.

 

This has led to a month of running twice a week. Not super awesome but better than nothing. This month I'm shooting for 3 times a week. Baby steps you guys, it's not like I've run a half marathon before or something.

Oh that's right....

I'm also trying to get back on board with P90X. I really do love the workouts. There's something different everyday... and most importantly it works. It's worked before and it'll work again.

If I can keep motivated to do it.

The problem is I'm all gung ho, balls to the wall one week, running and working out like a crazy person and eating like a champ (who needs sugar!?) and then the next week I'm all "I need sugar, pass me a donut while I polish off this brownie sundae and watch 8 episodes of Castle.

I let you guess what week I'm on right now as I wipe the crumbs from my face. However it's only Wednesday. I managed to do my Shoulders & Arms workout last night at 9pm before falling into bed. I really had to talk myself into that one. I missed my Monday workout and as we all know if you miss your first workout of the week the whole week is shot and you might as well just give up until the next Monday, right? Wroooong. Bad Danielle.

Up on the list today? Run 3.5 miles. I know this will happen only because Chad has class until 5 and if I want to get home I've got to run my buns home myself. The first 2 miles are all uphill, Help me Oprah! Help me Tom Cruise! But that means that the last 1.5 miles are downhill... and I'm a freakin' champ at running down hills ;)