My story is definitely not unique, however, many stories like mine end with “happily ever after”. But what happens next? How do us independent corporate types adjust to never being alone? How do we maintain our connection to who we are and feed our minds, bodies, and souls with extremely limited free time? For me, it is through movement.

Finding my "new normal"
When I first started living the full-time mom life, I was so scattered. I was late everywhere that I went. I got lost in a town that I’d lived in for five years. I stressed out over everything and couldn’t seem to summons my inner logical person. It is amazing how entrenched we can get in our routines. Drastically changing mine really shook loose all of my tools for punctuality and, frankly, clear-thinking.

Within a week of leaving my job, I noticed an ad on a car window for a local bootcamp for women. I immediately looked up the website on my iPhone and, when I saw that the coach also offered triathlon training, I knew that I’d be giving her a call. I had wanted to complete a triathlon for a while and I desperately needed to begin establishing my "new normal" to satisfy my control-freaky "type A" side. I remember thinking, "this is the beginning of something for me." Isn't it funny how, when you take off the blinders that are created by existing in a routine that has become numbingly automatic, you find exactly what you need?

Signing up for bootcamp and triathlon training did, indeed, turn out to be a beginning for me. As I was adjusting to life away from my cubicle, I was meeting new local moms and losing baby weight while working on completing my triathlon goal. I was surprised to find that, even though I originally wanted to do a triathlon because I craved the sense of accomplishment from completing something difficult, I loved the training and the races. I actually had fun swimming in murky lakes and running in 100+ degree heat! More than that, though, I was learning to construct my life and routine in a way that I'd never thought was possible for me. I had always known that being successful at my goals meant that I had to work hard. What I have learned through this experience is that the hard work can also be fulfilling along the way if I am working hard on something that is congruent with my values and goals and passions. I also feel like I have found "my people" with the amazing group of women that I have met. Not only have I adjusted to my new life but I have also learned so much about being part of a team- a triathlon training team or a family who's members work together to support each other in their pursuits. This, along with treasured time with my boys, is my new normal. In every facet of my life, I am so blessed.

What about you?
Have you thought about adding movement to your life or shaking up your current fitness routine with a completely new goal? What if, instead of just losing weight and fitting in to smaller clothes, your goals for exercise were to feel good and have fun? What activities would you choose to meet those new goals?

I seem to get carried away when I buy seeds each year and always overshoot what my little box can hold. This year I started my seeds indoors and transferred the new little plants to the garden after the last frost date had passed. I went out of town shortly after planting and was sad to find that the birds had taken everything when I got home from vacation! So frustrating! I had to re-plant everything, so my plants are a little behind. Sigh.

My garden is more of a hobby than a functional food source at the moment. Eventually I'd like to plant with the seasons and make it more useful for us. A few years ago I read Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and was really inspired. If you haven't read the book but are interested in learning more about the idea of eating close to home, growing your own food, or become a "locavore", I highly recommend the book. It is more of a memoir than a "how to" and I found it really interesting and inspirational!

Today, after reading a post on a blog that I enjoy (Zen Habits), I sat down to write about how I have a habit of driving myself nuts by over-loading my schedule. I was going to mention how there is a frenzy of thoughts in my head that convinces me that I must do everything all at once. I would tell you about my goal lists and to-do lists and lists of things to make lists of later. I would claim that, despite all this mania, I do have a "system" that keeps me somewhat organized.

I started reading through blog posts that I had written in the past and came across one from almost exactly a year ago. Apparently this driving-myself-nuts thing is a recurring theme for me!

From May 2009:

"I probably shouldn't admit this in public, but there are two people living in my head. One of them is barking at me to adopt the GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology to get my life organized. The other one is far more laid back and never uses the word "methodology". Part of me is panicking that my To Do list is out of control while another part of me is crazy excited about all kinds of new things that I want to try, learn, read, write...(i.e. add to my To Do list)..."   

Dear Me,
It's summer. Relax. Go outside. Splash, pedal, jump up and down. Whatever. Just stop to-do-ing.
Love,
Me

I hope you will do the same. Now get out there and barbecue something! How about fava beans?

They are in season and taste fantastic tossed with olive oil and sea salt and grilled.

Maybe some fresh cherries, also in season, for dessert?

Happy Friday!

1. Dig around in the pantry and fridge to come up with a list of what I have on hand. This works best if I do it the same day that I receive my CSA box so I know what fruits and veggies I have to work with.
2. Create a list of as many meals as I can that can be made with what we already have.
3. If the list has fewer than three or four meal ideas, I add a couple more simple dinners or recipes and then pick up the required ingredients at the grocery store.

The new year is under way and if you have fitness goals for 2010 you may be wondering how to get started. Whether your mission begins with getting off the couch or picks up where you left off after your last race in the fall, there is a wealth of information online to help you.

Step 1: Set Goals

First, choose goals that get you to where you really want to be. For example, if you said, "I will run five days a week," my first question would be, "why?" A goal that is defined by what you will do versus your desired result has a high potential for failure. Why? Because it is easy to beat yourself over the head with a goal like that. If you miss a day of running, you may feel like you have failed at your goal. Also, how do you motivate yourself to stick to running five days a week if you don't know why you are doing it?

Second, ensure that your goals are measurable. For example, "start running" is rather vague. How will you know when have you accomplished that? After your first few steps? A better goal might be, "I will run a 5k race in July." See the difference?

Step 2: Research and Plan

One of my favorite websites is active.com. On the plus side, the site contains information on every exercise-related topic that you can imagine. On the minus side, the site contains information on every exercise-related topic that you can imagine. DON'T FREAK OUT! I know this fire hose of information can be overwhelming but this tip may help you: ignore everything that doesn't pertain to your CURRENT goal and/or level or that you don't understand. Consider these resources:

• Peruse active.com to find tips and information to help get you started.
• If you are thinking about starting a running program, you may want to consider a walk/run training plan such as the Galloway method or a "Couch to 5k" (or C25K) training plan.
• For aspiring triathletes, beginnertriathlete.com is an excellent resource for everything from training plans to racing gear reviews.
• If you prefer to work out with others, consider hiring a personal trainer, participating in a "bootcamp" program, or joining a group fitness program at your local gym.

Step 3: Get Moving!

Once you have established your goals and selected an approach to getting started, it is time to get moving! Don't be intimidated if this is all new to you. Try to:

• Find your happy place (whether on a treadmill, a trail, or elsewhere). Find a place that you'll be motivated to go to often.
• Experiment with different activities to find something that you enjoy. Don't make exercise about hammering on yourself to get to a physical goal. Instead, find an activity that you enjoy and let the fitness follow your passion.

Regular exercise requires a small time investment but it is a huge investment in your health.

Happy trails!

1. Continue learning, growing, and experiencing new things as an individual, as a friend, as a couple, and as a family.
2. Create loving, supportive, unhurried relationships in my home and with those that I love.
3. Live simply. Purge stuff (negative relationships, energy-sucking and unnecessary things). Do this regularly. Be rigorous. Don’t be in a hurry.
4. Nurture myself physically (exercise, food, body care, sleep, sunlight), mentally (downtime, nature, writing, good conversation, boundaries, creativity), and spiritually (meditation, fellowship and community). Support my husband in nurturing himself and teach my children the necessity of this for themselves.
5. Be grateful, be kind, be honest, be real.
6. Spend my time passionately and not unnecessarily. Live congruently with what I believe in; every day and in every way.