Fitness Fear Friday - Trampoline

Today's fear is in direct relation to the activity of the month. AIRobics! Trampoline fun at Sky High Sports.

I was a little embarrassed to admit this but I now feel that I have no choice, since I'm on this path of self discovery with The Artist's Way and all. At the beginning of the month, I was really scared to go to the class by myself. I talked a good game, oh yes I did. I made sure that everyone believed that I was ready to face the class with the bulls balls in my tiny little hands. The truth though, was that I didn't want to do it all by myself. I was secretly ready to just not go if no one was going to do it with me. No one being my husband, Accountabilibuddy, or my very good friend TP.

Why? Why was I scared?

Truth: I was worried that I wouldn't be in good enough shape to make it through the class or that they would have us doing flips and stuff that I'm not comfortable doing. Now that I say (write) it out loud for all the world to hear (read), I see how silly it is. I mean really. I'm not an invalid. I'm a relatively active person, or at least I like to think I am. I may be slightly overweight still but who cares. I can do pretty much anything I decide I want to do. I might not be perfectly graceful or skilled at whatever it might be but anyone can learn to do pretty much anything if they want to bad enough.

Were my fears realized?

Absolutely not! I got through the entire class with ease. With EASE! It was actually easy for me. Oh it got my heart rate up there for sure but I in no way felt unable to continue or so clumsy that I would hurt someone else or myself. I will admit though that I was a little scared during the class when they had us skipping across multiple trampolines and bouncing off the wall trampoline then doing another lap. Let's see if I explained that correctly? I don't think I did.

The trampoline floor is 3 trampolines wide with 1 trampoline tilted against the wall on each side. Got the picture? Each trampoline is separated by a yellow cushion thing. So they had us start from trampoline 1 and jump over the the yellow cushion thing to trampoline 2 and again to trampoline 3, then to bounce on the tilted wall trampoline and make our way back to trampoline 1. Trampoline circuit training if you will. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to make it over the yellow thing and I'd fall flat on my face and make a fool of myself. Well, that fear was realized. I totally fell on my face a couple times and I did notice that I was the only one. But the shame of it all wasn't nearly what I had worked up in my head. It was really no big deal at all. Falling is just part of walking (or jumping in this case). It happens. Humans understand that. No big deal. I did the exercise. I got over myself. I had fun. I got a good workout.

That's usually how my fears go. I have them worked up in my head with a much more humiliating and horrifying scenario than what is realistic. Then when I face them, I realize how much I would have been missing if I gave in to the fear and never just rose to the challenge. That's what fears are anyway, CHALLENGES. I ask myself if I want to rise to the challenge or allow it to define my life experiences. Typically, I decide I'd rather rise to the challenge because...well...I'm a bit of a control freak and don't want anything or anyone to have control over me.

The times I've risen to the challenges, I find that I respect and like myself more. The times when I shy from the challenge, I lose a little bit of my soul. I bury a little piece of me with that fear.

When have you acknowledged your fears and risen to the challenge?
How did you feel about yourself?
What fears/challenges are you being faced with now that you would like to conquer?

Jenny's Adventures in Renton

Jenny's Adventures along the Cedar River trail in Renton, WA. Actually, the Cedar River trail starts in Renton and runs through the valley to Maple Valley, WA along the Cedar River.

The Trail Starts Here

Behind Boeing

Be Careful Riding Bicycles on the Bicycle Path, Dangerous Vehicle Crossings

Go Indians! What? Don't Ask Me.

Go Indians?

Stop: Play On The Monkey Bars

We're All In This Boat Together

I Follow the Rules of the Bicycle Path

Over the River...

The Perfect Spot To Sit And Read A Book

No Bike Ride Is Complete Without Passing A Skate Park

Through The Woods....

Over The River Again?

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, NO, It's Superman!

Under The Freeway

Trains

A Bit Of History

Courtesy Of Renton Library (which is built over the river btw)

We Even Rode Through This Bathroom (Pew)

Jenny Taking A Rest By The River

We saw all kinds of new things. I've lived in this area for much of my life and never before had I experienced it quite like this. The moral of this story is...

Salina + Jenny = True Love

Fitness Fear Friday - My Inner Bitch

I didn't post a fitness fear last week. Why? I've been asking myself that question all week. And the obvious answer excuse is that I was busy with other stuff. But is that actually true? If I must be honest, NO, it's not true. So why then? Why didn't I post a fitness fear?

Lately, I've been going through this Artist's Way program. It's bringing up all kinds of buried thoughts and beliefs I've been ignoring for weeks, months, years. One of those buried treasures I'm facing is all about the blogging. What was running through my head as I sat down to the computer with the New Post tab glaring at me was this:

• No one cares about your stupid fears
• No one cares about your fitness journey
• No one wants to read your crappy attempt at writing a self indulgent blog
• It's not like you have anything to offer anyone anyway
• Shut up and get on with your life

In attempting to write my Fitness Fear Friday last week, I froze under the pressure of my own inner bitch verbally abusing me. Instead of just getting the negativity out and watching it flop around on the table until it ran out of oxygen and died, I kept it in a shallow dish in my head. There's just something about throwing all our crap on the table to look at it with an objective eye that tends to expose it for what it is and deprive it of its life blood.

Writing down those 5 thoughts above, I realize just how ridiculous they all are. Those thoughts are not only cruel and mean, they're just not true. And even if they are true, it doesn't matter anyway because I created this blog and continue to write it for my own benefit, no one else. The truth is that I enjoy this blog, I enjoy this journey I'm taking with Living Active, I enjoy writing (even if it is just jumbled thoughts sometimes).

Would I like to be more widely read in the land of blogz? Yes
Do I think I can improve on my writing? Yes

Just because I can see areas for improvement, doesn't mean I have to accept a negative self image or put up with the verbal abuse I suffer from myself. The free will I have been gifted allows me the choice to improve what I can. The serenity prayer comes to mind.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can and
The wisdom to know the difference

Change just takes a little bit of courage. If I'm not worth a little courage, then who/what is?

What fears and irrational bitchy thoughts are keeping you from facing yourself?
What can you do to end the battle and start taking better care of yourself?

AIRobics Class

Oh how different a class can be with one instructor versus another. I took my first Airobics class last week and had a blast. It was F.U.N. I managed to average a 145 bpm heart rate for 60 minutes which burned 630 calories. Wooooo doggie.

My instructor was wonderful. She didn't have her microphone headset for whatever reason so he just yelled and went around to each person to make sure we were all doing everything correctly. She was a jem.

1. 10 minute warm up


1. trampoline lunges
2. trampoline step ups (picture that in your head, oh ya)
3. trampoline butt bounces


2. 30 minute cardio


1. trampoline jumping jacks
2. trampoline basket jumps
3. trampoline jump and punch
4. trampoline skip jumps


3. 10 minute cool down


1. trampoline push-ups
2. trampoline sit-ups
3. trampoline side planks

I'm pretty sure I'm making up the names of most of the activities and I'm leaving a few out because I'm just not creative enough to figure out what to call them. How helpful am I? Not at all. But, trust me when I say that it was so much fun, I forgot I was actually exercising.

Now here are a few less-than-flattering pictures to tell the real story.

Apologize

I'm sorry for being a blog slacker lately. I can't remember if I announced that I started going through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron a couple weeks ago. Oh boy is it doing a number on me.

Week 1:  Was all about facing the fire. I started doing the daily pages and it seemed like everything I wrote was a question about what I was thinking, why I was thinking it, what I had and hadn't done and why, etc. I was rapid firing questions at myself and the questions were not kind or light-hearted in nature. No. I am a tough interrogator, that's for sure. Needless to say, I made myself a little miserable through all the self-torture.

Week 2:  Was all about restoring some sanity. I started noticing little glimpses of hope among the ick I had created for myself. I began to notice tiny little opportunities. I began to see some of the self-defeating thoughts approach the door, reach their mean little fists up, preparing to knock and then I caught them in mid motion and scared them away. Booga booga! Shew! Little buggers. It was amazing actually, I noticed that I started showing up to take care of me. Little things started happening in my life with what feels like very little effort on my part. Coincidence? Serendipity? Attraction? Synchronicity? Whatever you want to call it, it started happening and it is glorious.

Week 3:  Is all about restoring some power. I'm working on just allowing time to work everything out how it is meant to work out. The seasons change, people age, climate fluctuates all without any input from me. Do you think there's a chance that my life will continue to progress if I just allow the universe to do what it's there to do and stop getting in its way? Um...yes please. My huge lesson which feels like an anvil lifted off my shoulders is that "time will tell and heal all". Time is an illusion. It's a man made creation and carries only the meaning that we've defined for it. The truth is that everything will come to pass with or without that definition. So, my choice is to allow everything the time and room it needs to generate the energy intended. My strangling it to death pushing an imaginary deadline that I've created for myself is NOT helping anything. I give up and that feels like a runner's high or a walker's delight or a cyclist's buzz or a swimmer's peace. FREE!

Have you learned any big lessons about yourself lately?

What have you done to actively live your life in the past couple weeks?

Fitness Fear Friday (Guest Post)

Hi my active peeps. Hope you all had a fabulous week and are ready for a fun and exciting weekend. I'm happy to report that my nagging has finally paid off. My favorite Big Girl Bombshell has finally agreed to talk about her fitness fears. Not only that, but she is doing it right here, right now. Please give her some support.

Thanks

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Jules – Big Girl Bombshell here. Your girl Friday! You know, the assistant that has a wide range of duties. Well, Salina has been pushing, Excuse me, I mean dropping little hints for me to talk about my Fitness fear.


So today, I will be her girl Friday. Today’s duty is to be honest with you about my fear of fitness. It may seem a little strange, but hopefully, someone will understand this, and be able to give me a few pointers. I certainly have not been able to figure out how to cross the line, safely.

I have a fear that stops me dead in my tracks. It stops me from pushing myself too hard. I’m sure you have heard about the Fight or Flight response to Fear, well, mine is to freeze. Just like in a game of Simon Says.

I honestly don’t know how to handle the physical feelings that occur inside my body when my heart rate goes up. It triggers emotions from my childhood that I was just too young to deal with. That is the frame of mind that exercise puts me in.

It is similar to the physical feelings of emotions that trigger a binge or running to the chocolate or stuffing myself to not feel. While I crave and long for that feeling that avid exercisers proclaim, I have not been able to allow myself to get to that point. The moment my heart rate goes up, that strong pounding in my chest, my brain tells me to stop.

The one thing I do know, is I have to get beyond this, to be successful in my 50 by 50 challenge. Exercise and fitness is 50% of the equation. I have done a hell of a job dealing with the emotions attached to my eating, slowly changed a lot of my eating habits, but here I sit.

Wanting more than anything else, to push beyond my comfort zone, within the confines of my body, and start living actively. But, I still sit pondering what to do. I know, Just Do It, but that is so much easier said than done.

So my first step..is to acknowledge it. As crazy as it may sound to some, I need to openly admit my fear and then I can approach it in a more rational manner. So, my living active challenge for August, is not as exciting as Salina’s. I will not be jumping around on a trampoline, doing Airaeorbics. I will be learning to walk all over again, just like a baby.

Wish me luck!

Blog Hop

Blog Hop

In the interest of all the jumping or in this case, hopping I'm doing this month with all the trampoline fun I'll be having, I felt it appropriate to participate in another hop. The blog hop, duh!

What's the blog hop? Click the link above and check it out.

Now, being faced with the pressure of an introduction. Oh the pressure!

I get so bored with the gym and weights and elliptical ho hum drum that I need something else or lots of something elses to keep me entertained. The solution: a different activity every month. You get to vote my torture and I always honor the power of the vote. Oh the power you all hold over me. I'm not always successful or graceful but I do my best and I share my experiences, thoughts, and hopes with you to point and laugh at.

This month is trampoline exercise. AIRobics! Check it out.

And next month's Poll is now open (see right side bar). What will be my September torture? You get to vote. So VOTE!

Jumping for August

The votes are in! With 71% of all the votes, it looks like the month of August is going to be all about AIRobics.

What in the world is AIRobics?

No, it's not spelled wrong. Airobics is a fitness class offered at a local indoor trampoline facility in my neck of the woods. Check it out!

Sky High Sports



So what's wrong with acting like a kid every once in a while?

Absolutely nothing, that's what!

Kids have a lot of fun and they burn a ton of calories without even realizing it. Perhaps we can all learn a little something from those little booger makers.

Sky High has open jump times, dodge ball, Airobics classes, a foam pit, tiny jumpers room just for the little little kids.

It's a warehouse full of trampolines.

Serious FUN!

So here's my plan for the month. The calendar will reside over on the Activity Calendars page along with all the rest of them.

Interested in finding an indoor trampoline place around you? 

Go Jump - AZ, CO

Sky High Sports - WA, OR, CA

Rebounderz - FL

Air Time Trampoline Centre - Canada (can't find a website for them)

Come on, it might be fun. You might like it.

Jump with me.

Have you ever tried this before?
What stories of kid fun do you have as an adult?

Jenny's Adventures on Alki

It was a beautiful weekend in Seattle. The sun was shining. All the pasty people were out. It was a perfect day to take Jenny for her ground breaking ride. The first place I had to take her was to the beach of course.

Alki here we come!

Unloaded and Ready to Go!

A Breath of Fresh Sea Air

Say Cheese!

What a Beautiful Day!

She needs a flower I think!

Jenny at the Beach

Posing for her Portrait

Aren't we CUTE?

Jenny was Hijacked!

Now she's Pooped...

It's official. I'm in love.
It seems to be going around. Bicycle love that is.
Check out Julia's bicycle adventures.
Of course you can't forget about the famous BitchCakes who has inspired my Jenny love.