The Idea of "Sabbath"

To call me a "driven" person is an understatement (friends might use the term "scary"...) There's something about my makeup that doesn't allow me to tackle a day without to-do list of at least 30 items. I kid you not. There are always 27 different projects to work on, and I take my relationship with my kids and husband very seriously, so time needs to be set aside for that, as well. This means I live each day highly focused, and heaven help you if you get in my way when we're not in "relationship" mode!

And there's something about today's society that makes this kind of lifestyle something to be deeply proud of. I mean whenever someone asks you how life is, "busy" and "stressed" seem to be appropriate, praise-worthy responses. Weird.

In my Monday's Post I shared about the trip my husband and I took to Montana and the incredible sense of rest that it afforded us. My own faith stresses highly the importance of Sabbath.

This is an idea that has been buzzing around in my head and my heart for a long time. I actually do start each morning very slowly with time for devotions, praise, walking, and the like before I hit the ground running, but the idea of a whole day of Sabbath every week? That's tough. Weekends are so short and so fully of "busy-ness" that it's hard to figure out how to make it happen.

I believe more and more, though that it's a vitally important part of true wellness, regardless of your spiritual beliefs - or lack of such. It takes some work to make it happen (that sounds like a contradiction in terms...) but the results are well worth it. Here are some links that you might find helpful (if you're not religious, these ideas can be used as a starting place and be adapted to suit your own needs):

Read more here: www.PraiseWalker.com

The Power of Rest

My husband and I just got back from a week long stay at "The Montana Cabin" where we had a full week of rest, quiet, beautiful scenery, and no schedule or goals to accomplish, other than rest and reconnection.

The mornings were slow - we got up when we were awake, not when some alarm beeped, and had coffee together overlooking the lake. The views fed my soul with rest, relaxation, and deep peace.

Read more here: www.PraiseWalker.com

Your Ideal Body Weight

Do you know what you really should weigh?

Your ideal weight is not some magic number pulled from the air, or some hopeful number that works best for your beautiful best friend.

Your ideal body weight is your lean body mass plus your "ideal body fat" percentage based on your age. You need a certain amount of body fat to be healthy, and women need a little more than men.

So, here's how you do the calculations:

Read all about it here: www.PraiseWalker.com

Flu-Bug

It's in all the papers, and is the topic of choice on many newscasts. H1N1 has hit the streets! I think I might have had it last weekend. Yech. It's a doozy, and you need to know you'll be flat out for a while, even after the nasty symptoms (fever, aches, migraines, vomiting, chills, sinus congestion, etc.) are gone. It's taking me a while to get my energy back, and I'm finding I have to really scale back my activities to allow my body to regain it's normal state. I got walking on Monday again, finally, after a "longer than a week" break, felt great, and then had a relapse in health, and am back resting again. I can't believe how "fragile" this is making me! (I guess I WAS right to take time off before !)

So, what are you going to do?

Now, I'm no doctor, nor am I a medical person of any kind. However, here are some of the things I've learned in the past that seemed to work for me quite well when I had the flu last week:

Get the tips here: www.PraiseWalker.com

Is it Right? Is it Wrong? What do you think?

So, I've been AWOL from my walking since last week. I have lots of excuses, but I'm thinking mostly it's a motivational problem. I hate the cold. Probably not so legitimate. I've also got hit "quick and heavy" with the flu, and found that while the most uncomfortable symptoms passed within 36 hours, I was tired, foggy-headed, and just dragging myself around for a good week afterwards. I decided to take the week off and just go slow.

So what do you think? Was that right? Was that wrong? Was I just lazy? I find I'm a genius at rationalizing my behaviour. Years of practice have made me an expert. It's hard to be objective.

The good news was that I was out and walking this morning.


Read the rest of the story here: www.PraiseWalker.com

Funky Program!

Oh, it's been AGES since I posted - or even walked! Yikes!

A combination of weather (sudden dump of snow), lack of shoes to walk in said snow (Vibram is all out of the winter version of funky feet), and an extreme bout of the flu from which I'm just now slowly recovering, has put me totally out to pasture for the past two weeks.

However, I've tried not to be too idle. I've had lots of time to experiment with my iPod Touch (gotta love that thing - when it works...) and I've discovered the coolest thing! Not only is the content amazing, but the delivery is stunning. You've gotta check this out!



And no, you don't NEEEEED an iPod to use it, but it's a really fun way to take in the technology.

Oh, and the 90 second fitness program? Well, anyone can do it (though it's a challenge) and whew, do you feel it when it's done!

Darlene

A struggling 10k?

I completed level 2 in my training on Saturday by participating in a 10k race for a local church here. Even without the 1˚C (33.8˚F) temperature and brisk winter wind, it was an interesting experience.

I warmed up well, started out by climbing up a reasonably steep but short hill, and proceeded through what was a beautiful, not-terribly-strenuous walk to complete the first 5k loop. I found that although I wasn't breathing hard or feeling like I was exerting myself beyond my comfort zone (keeping up with about a 7 on the RPE in my estimation), I was pushing myself beyond my ideal heart rate, and my muscles got very tired, very quickly - which is unusual, as I walk a 10k or more almost every week with no issues whatsoever.

Read the rest of the story here: www.PraiseWalker.com