I confess. I didn't go to the gym today.

Ok! Ok! I confess. I didn’t go to the gym today. But before you start to judge me, hear me out. Sometimes it’s difficult to get motivated to go to the gym when the weather is so nice. And if you’re familiar with Calgary’s weather, you know you have to enjoy it while it lasts. So I decided to take my workout outside! I went for a brisk walk with a very good friend of mine. And it was more than just a walk in the park. We worked body parts from head to toe without even realizing it. Here was our workout for the day. We jumped as we came across the huge crickets on the pathway (plyometrics!). We didn’t stop talking the entire time (working our jaw muscles!). The mosquitoes were firece, so that kept our arms swinging as we swatted the blood suckers off of every body part (toned arms!). And when you workout with a good friend ... there’s always some really good belly laughs (tight abs!). We had so much fun we hardly noticed that two hours went by. So next time you just don’t want to be cooped up in a sweaty gym ... take it outside!

An apple a day does not always keep the doctor away ...

Really ... I'm trying to embrace ALL that comes with being 40-ish. It's not always easy. I consider myself healthier than the average person. I eat food that's good for me (lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies etc.) and I exercise regularly. And I also see my doctor regularly. But visits to the doc seem to be more frequent these days. Apparently an apple (OR chicken breast and veggies OR salmon and asparagus OR egg whites and oatmeal) a day does not always keep the doctor away.

One thing I'm learning is being 40-something comes with changes. Changes that make you paranoid. Changes that make you go to the doctor with questions ... lots and lots of questions. I had my regular physical the other day. I had a few issues that I've never had before that weren't going away. My doc ordered a couple of tests for me then said as I was leaving "You know much of this comes with age." Nice. Not exactly what I want to hear.

Even my recent trip to the dentist has changed. Now I have worry about gum recession and yellowing ... and you don't even get a cool toy any more ... all you get is a stupid brush and stupid floss when you leave ... no toy. (picture Cara pouting).

You know what I realized? Going to the dentist is kind of like working out. Some of us dread going when we know it's going to be a tough one ... especially leg day! At the dentist, you can't talk during your appointment because your mouth is stuck open and the doc is sticking sharp objects in there. At the gym, you can't talk during a workout because you're gasping for breath (if you're not, you're not working hard enough!) You may leave the dentist's chair a little achy .. maybe even bleeding a bit. No doubt, a good workout will leave you a little more than just "achy".(If no, you're not working hard enough!) But when it's all done ... and that suction machine has sucked out that last bit of nasty-tasting fluoride from your mouth ... you leave with squeaky clean teeth! And when the time on the treadmill reads 3 .... 2 .... 1 ... you can't help but feel good! Plus, wouldn't you rather workout everyday than go to the dentist everyday? :)

A Humbling Experience ...

Well I did it. I took a 5-week break from the gym. A little longer than I had planned. What a humbling experience. I needed the rest because I was getting no where fast when it came to progress in the gym. I was doing more harm than anything. And I felt like crap. Now my rest period has come and gone and I'm ready to GO HARD in the gym. Whoa! Wait a minute. Not so fast. I was advised to do a light and easy full body workout just to ease into it. That means picking up the 5 or 7 pound weights ... doing reps until it burns ... sometimes that was only 15. I can't begin to explain how difficult it is to start from scratch after being able to lift more weight than some of the guys in the gym (oh how I miss that ... heehee). I kind of felt wimpy. But if that's what I have to do to get back into it ... that's what I have to do. Thank goodness my diet was generally clean during this break so there was no excess weight gain. In fact, I lost weight! It felt good working out to maintain my physique... instead of working out to "get ripped". Right now just saying that stresses me out. I want to get back to working out for the love of it. If I happen to get ripped in the process, then GREAT! So the question is ... will I compete again? Hmmm ...