365 days to 30

Today I turned 29. With 365 days remaining until the big 3-0, I have decided to make some positive, healthy changes in my life in order to ensure I enter my next decade with the energy, confidence and spunk I need to tackle the next challenges in life.

There was a time when I lived incredibly healthy. I ate the right food, I trained for hours each day and I devoted my energy to my sport (biathlon); all of which made me very happy. I entered my 20’s in excellent shape and never gave any thought to my body beyond what I could push it to do. Throughout the past nine years, I have fallen in and out of my (considerable) vices; smoking, drinking, eating garbage food and not dedicating the time I should to exercise and sport. I have allowed myself to think of my body in terms of how it looks rather than in terms of what it can do.

No more.

I will not make a grandiose statement that I am going to completely ditch my vices and eat 100% clean. For me that is simply unrealistic. I enjoy a good party far too much. I also love a cold beer on the beach, a nice glass of wine by the fire and cheese – any kind, anytime- far too much for such declarations. That said, I am going to make a conscientious decision to eat at least 80% clean and consume the sorts of food that make me feel good.I am going to work on putting nutrients into my body that will provide me with the energy I need to accomplish my daily goals.

I am going to continue to slowly work on recovering from my back injury and find new ways to strengthen it to prevent future injuries. I am going to work on creating my own modifications in order to be able to return to all the activities I love as my back strengthens and allows it. I am going to swim, cycle, and eventually, I am going to hit the pavement running again. I am going to do everything I possibly can to put my gloves back on and get back to boxing. I am going to work on improving my flexibility, something I have long neglected, through extensive stretching and yoga. I am going to push myself forward every single day.

365 days from now, as I enter my 3rd decade, I intend to do it with a running leap forward. And I intend to be healthy and feel good.

Let the countdown begin!

Just keep swimming…

For the first time since I hurt my back in November, I did a FULL HOUR of cardio today! I have been very frustrated in the past couple of weeks as a result of trying to do a proper workout and having to call it quits 15-20 minutes in because my back has been hurting too much to continue. Well this morning I did an entire hour of steady, continuous cardio! I finally gave up on trying to force running (the impact really was not doing much to help heal my herniated and torn discs…) and decided to hit the pool. I was a bit concerned that the twisting motion of a front crawl might hurt, but surprisingly, it didn’t at all. Breaststroke, however, did not go so well. I got two lengths into it and had to abandon that idea as the slight back extension during a breath was causing pinching and some shooting pain down my left leg. Back to the crawl and I swam for a WHOLE HOUR! I’m so ridiculously happy! The real test will be how I feel later tonight and if I’m able to get myself back into the pool again tomorrow. I’m hopeful that swimming might be my next recovery breakthrough!