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The First Step is the Hardest – And Totally Worth The Pain!

Oh, these goals we all set…they seem so sensible, do-able, and just plain fun. UNTIL they aren’t!

2019 is a big year for me. I’ll be turning 60 in a few short months. What better time to set a few goals that push me out of that comfort zone I love so much. Two of these goals involve physical activity: run a half marathon and complete a century ride (100-mile bike ride). These activities have been on my bucket list for some time, so selecting them to complete this year seemed like a perfect.

Unfortunately, however, I fell in December. That fall derailed any running for a few months – yes, months. Arghhh!! At mid-June, I’ve run only a handful of times this year. I seem to be back healthy again, so fingers crossed I can move forward with a serious training effort to complete that half marathon in the fall. (Let me know if you know of a scenic, flat half route.)

The First Step is the Hardest My athletic event of choice has always been cycling. For some reason, though, my cycling miles have fallen off a bit over the past couple of years. When I hopped on my friendly pink bike for my first ride of the season last weekend, it was not a pretty ride. I selected a route I’ve been riding for 20+ years. My legs rebelled. My neck and shoulders rebelled. Lesson learned: consistency is important. Nothing new here; we all know that, right?

What’s my answer to these setbacks?

Time management.

Scheduling.

Consistency.

Boom! I’m off – it’s time for a run! Healthy living starts now.

The First Step is the Hardest – And Totally Worth The Pain! was last modified: June 13th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

Snow in May? Hike Anyway!

When our group of four headed out for a hike, we found ourselves in sunshine and moderate temperature. It was warm enough for us to have a leisurely lunch on a beautiful trail and take some great pictures at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Not long after lunch, the clouds moved in and then we found ourselves hiking in snow and hail. Did this ruin our day? Absolutely not! We were prepared for shifts in the weather, and cut one part of our hike short while we went inside for a bit to let the snow / hail wind down. The sun returned and melted the snow and we were back outside before we knew it.

Of course if there’s a suggestion to hike in the snow, there’s also a proviso (or two or three)! For our group hiking in Utah for the first time, that meant:

Do some research. My brother took the lead here. He mapped out an itinerary for our group, steering us toward trails suited for our abilities and interests.
Check the weather. We had a spreadsheet indicating high and low temps for each day we would be hiking. Traveling from Southern Maine/Northern Massachusetts to Vegas to the mountains of Utah, we experienced quite a variety of temperatures and precipitation on this trip.
Pay attention to changes in the weather. When clouds, rain, and snow move in, adjust your plans accordingly. We were in unfamiliar territory and hiked as far as we were comfortable; then it was on to Plan B for us – a stop in the visitor center until the storm blew through the area.
Have clothes for a variety of weather patterns. Each of us had a few layers to add on as temperatures dropped, as well as gloves and hats that we had hoped would remain in our packs.
Invest in proper footwear. We all wore appropriate hiking boots and socks. I must admit I cringe every time I see someone hiking in flip flops; with a history of spraining both ankles while running, good ankle support has always been key for me while hiking.
Bring plenty of food and water. Snacks and water are critical elements of any hike. Dehydration and hunger can be dangerous to hikers of any ability.
Include a first-aid kit. A minor injury can easily become a major drag if you don’t have a first-aid kit in your pack.
Hike with fun people! My husband and I were on a trip with my brother and sister-in-law. Five Utah National Parks in as many days – lots of laughs and exploring for our group. That also meant lots of time in a car together, and no room for cranky pants!!
Know where you’re headed. Have a map and navigation tool – getting lost and/or missing a highlight of your trip could really wreck your day.
Be aware of your limits. Timid when it comes to heights? Hiking in higher elevation than you’re accustomed to? Both of these factors will impact your experience.

This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of items to consider when preparing for a hike, but you get the picture: Put a plan together to ensure a successful, positive experience on those trails.

Thanks, Utah and the U.S. National Parks System, for being fabulous hosts!

Snow in May? Hike Anyway! was last modified: May 29th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

Repeat After Me: I Am Enough

Do you ever wonder if you’ve got what it takes? Do you find yourself questioning your expertise? Self-doubt creeps in, confidence plummets, and productivity hits a low point. Lucky for me that just as I was questioning myself, I opened my bag to grab a pen and saw the writing on the wall – on the pocket inside of my bag. Thank you Kristel Hayes and team at Fibher!

So…instead of reading one more book, one more article, registering for one more conference…maybe, just maybe, it’s time to take the plunge. Quiet that voice of doom that speaks so loudly inside your head trying to derail your plans.

Take advantage of:

The knowledge you’ve gained throughout your career,
The skills you’ve developed without realizing it.
The lessons you’ve learned at each phase of your life.
The expertise that comes so easily to you now.

Suddenly your inner critic is silent; the inner voice is a force for moving you forward – a source of encouragement for you rather than a discouraging weight dragging you down.

What if for the next week…

You act on every idea that comes to mind.
You become your best cheerleader.
You tell yourself three times a day – I am enough.
Every time you hear that voice of doom, you remind yourself of previous successes.

Give it a try, and let me know how this affects your week!

Repeat After Me: I Am Enough was last modified: May 7th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

The Weekend Is Suddenly Looking A Whole Lot Better

The weekend was fast approaching as I hopped in my car to go to a meditation session at Mid Coast Center for Community Health & Wellness. I arrived for the session, went into the Health & Wellness Center, and discovered that we’d be meeting in the library rather than the room normally reserved for the Center’s wellness classes. I was directed to the library and OH. MY. GOODNESS! What a wonderful surprise this library holds:

Yes, you guessed it; there are LOTS of books in this library.

There are books by some of my favorites in the health and food industries:

Caldwell Esselstyn

Michael Greger

Christiane Northrup

Michael Pollan

Andrew Weil

There are cookbooks I’ve either got on my shelves or want to have on my shelves:

Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook

Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced, One-Dish Vegan Meals

The How Not to Die Cookbook

The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

Veganomicon

This meditation room change turned into a meditation bonus. Why is the weekend suddenly looking a whole lot better? I borrowed Michael Greger’s The How Not to Die Cookbook and will be cooking up a storm of nutritious, flavorful meals this weekend. Woot! Woot! Are you taking advantage of unexpected changes to your world?

Healthy living starts now.

The Weekend Is Suddenly Looking A Whole Lot Better was last modified: April 12th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

How Much Baggage Are You Carrying Around?

Your week was going great . . . until it wasn’t.

Everything seemed to be under control. You walked into work, your co-worker said good morning to you, and your blood began to boil. What’s up with that?!?

Somehow you made it through the exchange of pleasantries and bolted to your desk to get it together. How had that simple greeting left you feeling angry, anxious, and on the verge of tears? You love your job, you picked up a coffee on your way to work, heard good morning, and BAM – emotional distress hit hard.

A quick scan of your life reveals a few areas where you’re really struggling:

Home Cooking: you’re always eating on the go and it seems half the time you don’t even remember whether you’ve eaten or not.

Social Life: you’re overseeing a project that’s taken over your life. You wonder, “When was the last time I went out with my friends?”

Education: you had grand plans to go to school part-time and earn a graduate degree. Where has the time gone?

Health: exhaustion seems to have taken hold of you. Your energy has evaporated.

Physical activity: no problem here. You’re a runner. Oh…you haven’t been for a run in over six months.

Well, this isn’t the way you planned for things to go, is it? Don’t despair – a few small changes can bring about some incredible results. You’re in control! Need help? Let’s chat.

How Much Baggage Are You Carrying Around? was last modified: April 5th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

Are You Reaching Your Health Goals or Walking in Circles?

You’ve set your health goals.

You decide you’ll hop on those goals tomorrow.

When tomorrow arrives, though, you find yourself unable to focus on the goals.

It feels like you’re aimlessly walking in circles with no ability to get on track to meet your goals.

Now what?

Take a DEEP BREATH.
Go back to YOUR WHY to remember why these health goals are important to you.
Focus on ONE goal.
What are THREE things you can do today to move you closer to that ONE goal?
Connect with a friend who can serve as an ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER.
DOCUMENT your PROGRESS.
CELEBRATE your SUCCESS.

Remember: Small steps can help you achieve big results.

Are You Reaching Your Health Goals or Walking in Circles? was last modified: March 27th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

At Peace on the Water

The beach is my place of recentering. It’s quite amazing, actually, the influence water has on me.

A quick visit to Old Orchard Beach as we prepare for the arrival of spring in Maine this weekend left me with: At Peace on the Beach

The ability to finish tasks that previously seemed daunting.

A clear solution to a problem that moments earlier I found overwhelming.

Feelings of optimism and enthusiasm.

Eagerness to implement ideas that have sprung up as I walked or relaxed oceanside.

A sense of clarity about what is important, REALLY important, and what I should let go of. (Let it go…)

The ability to focus.

A sense of calmness.

Overall feeling of peacefulness.

This seems like a pretty good return on my investment of time! Taking the fabricated busy-ness out of my life is always a (self-induced) challenge. Yes, it’s easy to get caught in the weeds of day-to-day living. Going to the beach is a way for me to reset and remind myself to spend time on what’s important to me. This also puts me on the road to healthy living and is an important element of my self-care practice. How do you reset?

At Peace on the Water was last modified: March 20th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

Challenge On: Healthy Living Starts Now.

Thanks to the internet, there seems to be no shortage of challenges that cross my screen on a weekly basis. At the end of 2018, I saw a challenge to run or walk the year: 2019 miles in 2019. The folks that run this challenge claim everyone belongs:

EVERYONE INCLUDED Run the Year

EVERYONE CHALLENGED

EVERYONE SUCCESSFUL

The organizers at Run the Edge encourage participants to build a team or join an existing team – run or walk a portion of the 2019 miles and let your teammates do the rest. Suddenly this didn’t seem so daunting. This challenge appealed to me for a number of reasons:

This challenge will help me train to meet my goal of running my first half marathon in 2019.

Two friends have joined a team with me to run / walk 2019 miles. This means I’ve got accountability partners – very important for me to stay on track.

Have you noticed the reference to run / walk? I’m recovering from a fall at the end of 2018. So while I’ve not done any running, I have been able to log some miles.

There is a Facebook page that provides a ton of inspiration and motivation.

This isn’t a competition with anyone; it’s merely a way for me to get to my goal and have an active 2019.

Have you found a way to keep yourself on track with goals for 2019?

Challenge On: Healthy Living Starts Now. was last modified: January 20th, 2019 by Deb Nelson

From Happy Endings to Fabulous Beginnings

Thank you, 2018, for a wonderful year! 2018 proved to be a fabulous year in a number of ways. A few highlights for me included:

Publishing my first book, Finding Health After Cancer – finally or at last some might say. At just the right moment is what I would say.
Setting the stage for a second book to follow in 2019. Yes, really!
Working with my first corporate clients.
Reading 23 books (up from 16 in 2017).

Oftentimes it seems I am saying good riddance to a year as we turn the corner to a new one. 2018, however, holds a special place in my heart. While accomplishing a significant goal in 2018, I also mapped out a plan for a stellar 2019. My husband and I will have milestone birthdays this year and have identified a number of activities (both personally and professionally) we want to accomplish. These lists should not be confused with New Year’s Resolutions: they are things we want to do to bring joy to our lives, they are NOT shame-filled corrections to last year or any other year; they actually build off of momentum from 2018.

We took a cue from Gretchen Rubin and each of us made a 19 for 2019 list. Rubin and her sister introduced this concept last year to their podcast listeners when they revealed their 18 for 2018 lists – lists of 18 things each wanted to do in 2018. I loved this idea, but for some reason did not hop onto this idea last year.

A couple of highlights on my list are:

Publish second book.
Expand on speaking portion of my business.
Become more active in Chambers of Commerce.
Read 32 books.
Run my first half marathon.
Participate in my first century bike ride.
Identify volunteer opportunities.

To accomplish my business goals, I’ll rely on an accountability group to keep me moving forward. There is nothing like a friendly kick in the butt with words of encouragement to ensure forward motion!

I’ve put details of how I’m going to accomplish each of these items in writing to boost the likelihood of making them happen. Two friends have signed on to be my running buddies which will provide accountability for me to get off the couch and go outside (or to a treadmill when roads are snow covered) for a run. John and I will train at our home and at the gym for the century ride until spring when we can get outside to hop on our bikes.

What exactly is the purpose of this 19 for 2019 list, you ask? I have discovered I’m at my happiest and feel most fulfilled when I have specific items I want to achieve and work toward them. Keeping it simple and accomplishing the items I’ve got in store for 2019 will result in my being healthy and happy – and what else could I want for 2019?

So…what about you? Have you set yourself up for success in 2019? Need help setting and achieving your goals? Let’s connect. After all, healthy living starts now!

Photo of Deb and her bike by Richard Sawyer Photography.

From Happy Endings to Fabulous Beginnings was last modified: January 3rd, 2019 by Deb Nelson

Keep It Simple: Follow Peter Sagal’s Three-G Formula & Get Your Run On

December presents an opportunity to review goals of the current year and get a jump on your goals for the upcoming year. While I achieved a significant business goal of publishing my first book, I’ve let some of my fitness goals fall off.

Just as I was reviewing plans for 2019, I had lunch with a friend who had just read Peter Sagal’s The Incomplete Book of Running. She brought the book to lunch and suggested I give it a read.

Best. Idea. Ever.

Sagal shares how he found the time and inspiration to run, as well as the ups and downs of making running a priority in his life. He’s had a number of unique experiences thanks to his running life. Some funny. Some not so. All thought provoking.

So how did this book affect me? It reminded me that like establishing any other habit, making running a part of my life again can be as simple as the three steps Sagal outlined (in more detail than I’ve included, of course):

Gradual – let your body adjust to your running habit & avoid injury.

Goals – make an achievable goal – run a 5K and take it from there.

Group – stick to your running habit with the help of an accountability group.

This GGG approach is actually pretty effective. It worked perfectly for me when I was my most successful with my running routine. I had a long-term goal of running a 10-mile race, with several 5K races along the way. I ran three times a week, following a plan outlined by Jeff Galloway. AND – I had three other people who were running their first 10-mile race right along with me, and they were also following Galloway’s plan. Closer to the race, I joined a local group that helped me build speed – yes, dreaded hill work really helps!!

My advice to you if you’re looking to make running a part of your life in 2019: read Sagal’s book. It’s a quick read: fun, funny, and inspirational; it might be just the push you need to get your run on!! Let me know how The Incomplete Book of Running inspires you!! You’re in control: healthy living starts now.

Keep It Simple: Follow Peter Sagal’s Three-G Formula & Get Your Run On was last modified: December 17th, 2018 by Deb Nelson