Hello World!
It is now 12:50 (AM!) and I just got home from the gym. I think it is safe to say I am dedicated!!! My home gym (and employer!) Aspen on Rockwell and Northwest Expressway is now open 24 hours Monday through Thursday. Pro about the new, extended hours: I no longer have any excuse to not get all of my cardio in on the dreaded stair machine. Con about the new, extended hours: I no longer have any excuse to not get all of my cardio in on the dreaded stair machine!!! LOL! It is certainly a love/hate relationship I have with that particular piece of cardio equipment, but you can’t argue with results and there really is no better machine on which to get your cardio done on, because not only does it get your heart rate up and get you sweating something fierce, but it also firms, tones, and shapes the hamstrings and the ever elusive glutes with the constant “stepping up” motion. If you are intimidated by this miracle-working machine, it is okay! Start out with shorter intervals such as 20 minutes and work your way up in resistance and speed. Once you can handle it, switch up the kind of exercise you are doing. I take turns going at a constant speed for an allotted time, speed intervals, and the fat burning programs. And try to have fun with it! Bring along your iPod set on your favorite, motivating playlist or embrace your inner nerd like I do with your favorite Harry Potter novel ;)
One thing in particular got me through my borderline grueling full hour of cardio tonight. ESPN was showing a documentary entitled “Into the Wind,” directed by Steve Nash and Ezra Holland. Being an avid basketball fan, it was Nash’s name that caught my attention, but I was soon captivated by one of the most inspiring stories of determination I have ever heard. (Anything that makes me put down my book has got to be LEGIT!) The documentary followed the tragic to triumphant journey of Terry Fox. After losing his leg to cancer in college during his athletic prime, Fox set out to run across Canada to raise money for the cause. I’m not sure if it was the pain from a killer leg workout yesterday courtesy of Jason Neville, or the story itself that reduced me to small but actual tears 20 minutes in, but I gained inspiration from every minute of the program I was able to watch. If Fox could average 10-14 miles per day running the expanse of an entire country, I could certainly knock out this next forty on the silly stair machine. I was so inspired by Fox’s courage, I couldn’t even wait until I got home and started looking up additional accounts of this incredible story using the internet on my phone. Nash was personally inspired by Fox as a boy. His personal recollection of Fox’s Run can be found here:
Although Fox did not reach his goal of actual distance when new tumors appeared, and took over his body, his story of perseverance inspired a nation and raised new awareness. Keep an eye out on ESPN for “Into the Wind,” I am sure a story like that will air more than once.
As always, thank you so very much for stopping by and I leave you with a quote that makes me work harder when I am tempted to quit, just like “Into the Wind.”
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act. It is a habit.” -Aristotle
Take a minute to think about that…
Until next time, sweet dreams! Dream well, Dream BIG!!!
xoxo
Britt
PS. Check out my dear friend, Lyndsee Gray Hargett's blog, Mrs. Payne County, and follow her journey to Mrs. Oklahoma in January! Find her under my followers ;)
You are too sweet! I had so much fun chatting on the phone the other night....you are definitely an angel! Gorgeous girl, but an even more beautiful heart! Love ya Brit!!!!!!
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