Hot summer days

The last couple of weeks have been busy at work and hot at home.  We've been escaping the heat by visiting the local splash pads and our friends' pool.  Our 4th of July was a quiet one spent hanging close to the house, grilling out and sipping on homemade sangria.  Since I've blogged last, I've been doing pretty well working out consistently.  I've hit the pool a couple of times, rode my bike a couple of times, and worked out a couple of times with a dear friend doing our own version of a boot camp involving weights and running.  Today, we rode with the Mamma Jamma group on the 24-mile route through the neighborhoods of Austin.  I know I could be doing more but I feel better.  It feels good to be moving again. I underestimated the power of the "vision board".  It's on my dresser and every time I see it, I ask myself what I've done to fulfill my board.  It could be as simple as hugging my husband or riding my bike. I think about it a lot and especially the visuals on the board.

In the Right Direction

Day 9 of the Challenge features khaki shorts, tribal printed top, and wedges. I hate my khaki pants (huge waist) so I opted for a khaki print maxi dress instead.  I paired it with a gold heart statement necklace and my Merrill wedges.  I have several compliments today.  ;-)

And I have decided that it's time to put my vision board in action.  I'm meeting a good friend of mine for a workout tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. And, I signed up for the Mamma Jamma ride in September.  I'm so excited!  There
are several distances to choose from ranging from 17 miles to 100 miles.  My hubby has committed to doing it with me so it will be a great experience training and riding together.  He is faster so we decided to get a bike trailer for Ella so maybe this momma can keep up with him if she's in tow.

What I Want for Myself

I took a day off from the challenge today.  We had plans for a splash party at a friend's house so I donned a pair of denim shorts and a striped shirt.  I'm saving the maxi skirt outfit for a date night.

This weekend I focused on finishing my "vision board". It's an exercise that helps you figure what you really want in your personal life, career, etc.  You go through magazines, newspapers and cut out words and pictures that appeal to you.  As you can see from my board, there's a lot of family and health related words and photos.  Apparently, my family and my health are the top priorities in my life.  However, I really don't do much for myself when it comes to working out.  I fantasize about running, riding my bike and swimming and of course, I'm not struggling in my fantasy.  I'm powerful.  I can do it all.  If only that were true.  I miss being in shape.  I miss the feeling of being able to run 5 miles easily, to ride my mountain bike without pain the next day and to swim easily without fighting for breath. But then I don't do these things because I know it's not going to feel good, it's going to hurt.  And I'm just to tired for that. I really need to dig deep and move forward.  I want to be here for Ella and I want to be a fun active mom not a couch potato. I need to do it.