Quote...

Just read this quote the other day, and couldn't think of another good way to share it.

Thought some of you might like it, too.

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan my day.

EB White

ps. Aside from a purchase of a bag of candy corn (totally awesome!) I've pretty well stuck to the btwg thing! For a whole three days post project. Yay me!

Here's to us.

Well kids. We made it through. Almost...one week left...this being "lucky 13" for those of us who really hit it hard core the "test run" week of the Project. I hope that all of you found this experience as rewarding as I did, and can also look back at yourself 12 (or 13) weeks ago and notice some big improvements today.

So cheers...it's been tough. Especially at the beginning (for me anyway)... to that point, here's a little story about Carrie 12 weeks ago.

I think it may actually have been the very first day of the project. I had just bought myself some new running shoes the day before, and I was ready. I woke up, ready to count my calories and do my run and take on the world (or whatever). This lasted, well, not long - until severe diet coke and sugar with drawl began to set in. My mood crumbled throughout the day and anyone who crossed me bore my wrath. I was hungry, angry, craving nothing but a diet coke and some simple carbohydrates. I got home, picked a fight with my husband, and stomped off to change into running clothes. As I was walking out the door, Dave (bless him, the calmest man in the universe) said "I thought we were running together?" I screamed "You thought wrong!" and stormed out the door. This cycle repeated for at least 3-4 days.

Oh how far we've come. And what better reason not to regress...because who wants to go through that again? Definitely not Dave...who 10 years from now will still be using what a bitch I was the first week of this project as argument fodder.

My fellow test pilots, you are awesome.

Turkey Trot

So, does anyone else read Chris' 1/2 marathon posts, chuckly warmly to themselves and think "13.1 miles? Ha." Well, I have an alternative....the Broad Ripple Drumstick Dash. (I can never remember the name of this run, and always think it's the Turkey Trot...which is really an excellent name).

This run takes place Thanksgiving morning and benefits the Wheeler Mission...and it's "only" 4.5 miles run or walk. They also have a 2.6 mile fun run and a guy in a turkey suit and snacks. What's not to like?

I don't know if 2008 registration has started yet, but here's the link to the 2007 page with more info.

https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=272VFK7

If anyone would like to trot along with me, let me know!

Behind the name

Not "Carrie Hates Running" because that's pretty self explanatory, but "Slouching Towards Wellness". I totally ripped it off from a book of essays by Joan Didion "Slouching Towards Bethlehem." Joan (if I may call her that) has a really interesting style of writing that I can really relate to; it's very deadpan. If any one's up for a really interesting read, check out "The Year of Magical Thinking" (by Joan). It's about her husband dying suddenly while their only daughter was in a coma in the ICU and how she managed to make it through that year.

Not even remotely BTG related, I realize...but, I want to keep trying to post once a week and this was all I could come up with today. Also, I wanted to throw something out there after I trashed "Eat, Pray, Love" in my last post. I'm trying to revisit meditation with a positive attitude, but I still hate that book:)

The elusive part of BTWG that no one seems to be talking about....

Meditation! Ok, so it might be sacrilegious or not in keeping with all things peaceful and zen-like, but is anyone else STILL really struggling with this? All apologies to the teachings of Eastern religions, but this is the one part of the project that I feel has gotten worse, not better for me. I still give it the old college try, but I still struggle, and I've really come to dread it. It's awful of me, I know.

I think maybe part of my frustration is that meditation seems to often be painted as some sort of life changing, wonderfully relaxing experience (to wit, that crap book "Eat, Pray, Love"...sorry to anyone who loved it, there are a ton of you, but that lady annoyed me to no end...). And since I really struggle with it, I'm all "what, am I not peaceful enough? Am I too tuned in to our Western 'must be plugged in and on the go at all times' culture?" Probably. But it still doesn't make me feel better about things.

Any pointers? I know I can't be the only one stressing about the dishes in the sink while "meditating".

Call me Grace...

So on Friday, on the big run, I was cruising along at about the 25 minute mark, when I hit a piece of uneven sidewalk (G.D. historic neighborhood) and fell. It was a truly excellent, cartoon character slipping on a banana peel, arms and legs flailing type fall. I lay there a minute, stunned, then stood up and pondered what to do next. I thought about quitting (but I was quite aways from home, and I had to get back somehow). Thought about crying (but no bones appeared to be broken, and I'm really not that much of a weenie). So, I checked to make sure I was intact, and just kept running until I reached the allotted BTWG time.

I'm sure there's a life lesson that could be extrapolated here about mind over matter and not letting minor setbacks deter you and getting back on the horse that threw you or what not. But really, it wasn't a make or break, dare to be great kind of moment...just a small situation where I was presented with a decision, and in the moment, I was proud of myself.

Plus, I've been looking pretty hard core with scrapes and bruises all down the left side of my body. Why the left side? Because my IPod was in my right hand, and I have my priorities:)

Soon I'll take over the world

This is not necessarily BTWG related, but if BTWG is really life, and this relates to my life, then I'll blog if I want to. It's all very Greek Syllogism (All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal). It's a deep day in blog-ville folks.

Not really. I just am feeling awesome today because I had my final day of Pilates Teacher Training and passed my written and practical exams. *whew* I still have MANY hours of practice teaching and what not, and then my teaching will be evaluated my a master teacher...but that's in the future. I'm glad to have it done with and to be able to settle into bed tonight with a nice book (instead of setting in with a "movement analysis book" to study muscle focus, breathing patterns and the structure of the shoulder girdle).

Also, my teacher for the course eats a raw food diet, so we talked a little about our nutrition "programs"and she left me with some Tahini and a bottle of Bragg's Liquid Aminos that she didn't want to pack back to California. All good things.

Also, if any of the other test pilots actually read this....could there BE any more push ups going on in our lives right now? As I type, my pectorals are involuntarily spasming a little bit.

BTWG at the ORP

Spent Sunday at the O'Reilly Raceway Park with my husband and his family. Husband and father in law both drag race (something I generally keep my distance from), and I go along with them and the rest of his family once a year or so to be neighborly. For those who may not be acquainted with the wonderment of drag racing, two cars go down the track in a straight line - either 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile, which takes about 15 seconds, max, and then 3 hours later or so, the winner of that 15 seconds gets to go down again. Repeat. During the interim hours, much discussion of cars and tinkering with cars takes place. So, it makes for a long day.

A long day that for my husband's family consists of grilling cheese burgers, drinking pop, and eating chips, trail mix and cake. So how does BTWG fit into this? Not well. These are the times when it's the hardest. Ordinarily I try to be a pretty low-maintenance gal and fly under the radar, so I felt a bit odd bringing out my little tupperwares of my own lunch and passing on everything else. Who wants to be the girl who turns down her mother in law's home made cake when everyone else is having a slice? Or already be the outsider to a close knit, meat and potatoes kind of family and then eat a lunch they all think is weird?

It's hard, what can I say. But overall it's a very small thing and I survived. And they probably already thought I was weird anyway.

Glimpse of freedom...

Been feeling pretty under the weather the past couple days...I think the husband and I caught summer colds. Still managed to complete the assigned workouts....but with a bit less intensity and markedly less enthusiasm. Fortunately, I managed to cram enough zinc and vitamin C down my throat that I am feeling better today...just in time for my "free day," wherein I am planning quite the dinner of spicy chicken pasta at Mama Carolla's. Can't wait!

So to recap...

Figures, I start a blog and then ignore it for nearly a week. What can I do but try to do better? Isn't that what all this is about anyway?

Started the "new" workouts yesterday. Made the mistake of taking my husband on the interval run (instead of my usual running buddy, Neil Diamond on the i-pod). He's just one of those people who will always be in better shape than me no matter how much he sits around and says sensitive things like "I wish my metabolism would slow down so I wouldn't be so hungry all the time." By the end of the work out, I was a complete mess and wanted to crawl home, his forehead had just barely started to glisten. Jerk.

Nudge

With Chris' gentle prodding, I decided to blog it up (is that what they say?) to chronicle my Bridging the Wellness Gap experience. We're knee deep into week four....blog posts from the first few weeks (days) of this experience would probably have been more entertaining (as my body was in a state of complete shock)...but I'll try to give some glimpses into where I've come from along the blogging way.

Chris encouraged me that I could have a lot to offer with "the blogging," (as I'm sure everyone involved could) but really, what can I say? I'm just a normal girl trying to make it through the world without Diet Coke and Runts candy.

Onward.
Carrie