On Monday, August 24th, I hit 150 bricks for the year of 2015. Although I tracked slightly behind my goal of completing these by June, I still have 4 months before the end of the year! Generally, 2015 has been a much better year for me with workouts, food choices, work, home life, etc. Nothing (knock on wood) has been too crazy. Everything seems to be settling into place in most areas of my life so I have a sense of balance. It is much easier to make healthy choices when your life is not completely chaotic.
When I was out for a run last week, I had some important time to reflect on the past, enjoy the present moment, and consider the future. I reached my 4 year anniversary of working at SNHU in August; that career change turned out to be the right decision. It was completely terrifying when I decided to leave high school teaching--it was what I had known for 8 years. I had colleagues, experience, and a routine. However, for me, that job chipped away pieces of my soul. I could not find balance in a world where I was questioned about every single curriculum choice or phrase that I stated in the classroom. Often, I was treated with disrespect by parents, administrators, and sometimes the students (though, more often than not, that tied directly to parenting). I was appalled by the lack of professionalism in some school districts (even by the occasional teacher). While those moments where I truly impacted students can never be matched in satisfaction, they were sadly outweighed by all the other "junk" that goes along with the job. Do not believe the rumors about summers off and holiday vacations (maybe for a lucky few!). This summer was the first summer where I worked only one job and took pure vacation days since I graduated college in 2004! I gave up my shifts at Hermanos back in December 2014 as the physical labor was impacting my knee tendinitis and my shoulder. This was another difficult choice at the time, but one that has paid off in health dividends. Finally, over the last year, I have layered in a few courses as an adjunct professor at SNHU in addition to my clinical coordinator role. It is a way to still do something I enjoy, but without the quirks of teaching high school. Did I select the wrong profession initially? Maybe, but I have to wonder if so many of our current issues in the U.S. connect to the evolution of education in public schools. I've gone a bit off track from the workout/lifestyle focus of my blog; however, my point is that I needed to make a change in my career in order to change my life outside of school. Luckily, now I have much more of a life outside of school. Each experience was of value and helped me to ultimately move into a career where I don't have nightmares every Sunday night. Early August dreads are a thing of the past as there is not a new school year to worry about. Thus, I can focus on obtaining my fitness goals and spending time with the important people in my life.
Another exciting thing that I have been doing in August is working with a Renaissance Periodization consultant. Through this program, I get an individualized diet/fitness plan that ties directly to my lifestyle and exercise habits. It also takes into account health history, sleep schedule, and body weight. Each week, I send a weigh in twice to my consultant to ensure I am on track to meet my goals (submitted in initial Q & A). I was introduced to this program through some of my gym friends who have had success. I am 14 days in and I feel fantastic! I've been a low-carb/no-carb person for quite some time and I do think it was ultimately impacting my crossfit and triathlon performance. With RP, I have added back in brown rice pasta, quinoa, and brown rice (in moderation). I also see that I was not taking in enough protein and ate too many fats (nuts/nut butters etc). While I am thrilled to be down almost 5 lbs with no muscle loss, I am more excited by the fact that my always temperamental stomach has been perfect for 14 days! This must be a world record. I had good results with Whole 30, but this is going even better, so I look forward to seeing how a full month goes. I will need to add in at least a cheat meal or 2 moving beyond the initial few months just for sanity, but this has been much easier because I am not hungry. I eat 5-6 times a day, so cravings are basically non-existent. Also, I am sleeping fairly well which is another bonus.
Now that I've hit 150 bricks, what is next? I always need goals to shoot for, so I am going to continue with my bricks throughout the remainder of 2015 and focus more on crossfit again. I've completed my triathlon and a 5K for the year, so I don't have a burning desire to race right now. But, that could change. I plan on adding in more yoga this fall and focus on connecting with friends and family. Summer 2015 was an amazing one and it will be hard to top, but I'll certainly try!
~Laura
