Swimming Outside in December

Went swimming at Barton Springs this afternoon with a friend. It was 70 degrees and sunny- a gorgeous day! I got out the wetsuit that hasn't been used since Cap Tex in June and man is that thing hard to put on! But very comfortable in the water- the springs are always 62 degrees, and the initial getting in is still a little twingy, especially when the water seeps in the back! So I did two laps before Sara got there, then another lap with her. Man is she fast! And I've been putting off the T3 swim clinic to concentrate on biking and running. Yeah, I think I need to concentrate on the swimming too.

It felt good to swim though, however slowly I was going. So maybe I can fit in a BS swim once a week. And I would love to go in the mornings before work because the cold water stays with you- lowering the core temperature. I think that would keep me cooler at work, and that would be awesome. But getting organized enough early in the morning and making the effort and not affecting work performance- that's the problem.

Strengthen your resistance muscle

So I have heard it described in a couple of different places that resisting temptation takes a certain amount of mental strength, and that by doing it, you get better at it. This makes sense to me, because when I have decided to take a break, eat whatever I want, sit on the couch, etc, that becomes easier and easier to do. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

And it's true for good habits too. The more on track I am, the more I have planned my meals and exercise, the easier it is to do. The hard part is getting started. So I have start imaginging my resistance muscles as my triceps- pushing away unhealthy food. And my giving in muscles are my biceps- shoveling food in my mouth. And I am working on strengthening my resistance muscles with push ups and triceps pulldowns- not only for the real muscle, but the figurative muscle as well.

And there is also research that the resistance muscle can get fatigued. If your resistance muscle is strong enough for 10 push aways, and you are presented with 10 temptations, then the 11th is just too much. And apparently it goes for any type of resisting temptation such as saying no to buying stuff, or saying no in other situations.

This happened to me yesterday at the mall. I had told myself no dinner at the mall, I had a good meal planned at home. And I walked by the Chinese food, and Sonic, and Auntie Anne's pretzels. But then on the way out I had to walk by the Great American Cookie Co. Okay, fine, I can't take it, I'm eating the chocolate chip cookies!

So the moral of the story- practice strengthening your resistance muscle, but do it in more controlled situations so you don't overload your weak resistance muscle before you have strengthened it. The mall is the gauntlet of food temptation for me- too many easy ways to get junk food. So either don't go to the mall right now, or avoid walking by the most tempting places so you don't even see them- I could have walked through Dillard's to get to the watch repair store instead of walking in the entrance by the cookies. And really, the deals they're all shouting about on TV are not that great, and there's no reason to have to fight your way at the mall.

I really want to like yoga,

but I don't. Tonight I went to the dance class they offer at Gold's- it's called Body Jam and I'm awful, but I really enjoy it. I move my entire body, and move it planes other than straight ahead. And I can usually pick up about half the dance moves. I'm sort of ashamed at how much I enjoy it, especially because I would be embarrassed to death if anyone I knew saw me doing it! But I do.

Now yoga on the other hand is almost the complete opposite. There is a yoga class following Body Jam and tonight was awful- first it was too hot in the room. And I've heard of hot yoga- how do not slip all over the mat in your own sweat? And this is Yoga Level 1, and they are doing all sorts of difficult balance and handstand type moves. And the teacher does not offer any suggestions about what to do if you can't do the moves. And I hate Down Dog- it makes my wrists hurt, and this teacher likes to spend inordinate amounts of time in that pose. So there was a lot of time with me doing my own thing and being angry that I can't do the moves. And I want to like yoga- I like the relaxation and meditation aspect of it, the stretching and strengthening, but I have yet to find a class that I like the teacher and they do the kind of yoga I want to do (and not too much Down Dog!)

Cozy reading nook

I love to read, I read a lot, and I read just about anything. But I was only reading at night before I went to sleep, or while I was eating. I finally made the connection that a lot of times when I felt the desire to go out to a restaurant to eat by myself, it really is the desire to take a break and just read. The food was only the way to take a break. Hello lightbulb! Why not just read at home and avoid the calories and expense of the restaurant?

So I have rearranged a little in my bedroom to create a comfortable little space to read. I have my hand me down chaise longue, covered up with a sheet to hide the stains, and a bedside table with a lamp, plus a cushy blanket. Perfect!

I'm a ranked triathlete!

#197 to be precise. And that's not even last in my age group! And it's in the Triathlete News magazine. How cool is that?

From what I can tell, they didn't count Danksin or Longhorn (though I'm not sure is the Aquabike would count or not), but that Captex had the highest point ranking for the races- somehow they quantify the competition at each triathlon. They multiply the race points by your finish rank and take your top three performances. And if they'd counted the other two, I may have been even higher. But still- that's pretty cool! I really am a triathlete!

Sea World is actually fun!

Went to Sea World on Sunday with a couple of friends and I wasn't expecting much, but it was fun. Not particularly educational, which I would have liked, but very entertaining. And they have roller coasters. I haven't been on a roller coaster in years, and these were exhilarating. I was glad my butt fit into the chairs, and it was nice to be so wedged in so I didn't feel like I would fall out. But fun. And really, there's no way not to get goose bumps when a 2 ton whale is jumping out of the water in front of you. Really.

Okay, so forget what I said...

I bought a new truck.

A new truck is not an emergency

And I should not use my emergency fund to buy one.

Dave Ramsey would not be happy with me if I bought the cute little Ford Ranger I test drove today. I would use up all my savings and have to get a loan to get the $500 dealer incentive, though I could pay it off at the first payment due two weeks later. I can see how these dealers think though, and they know all the tricks.

And the Nissan is struggling- the last straw for me is the A/C going out. I know it is December, but I wanted the A/C on this morning as I was driving and was very unhappy that it is not blowing cold air. Plus all the little things I have put off fixing are adding up, and the driver's seat is uneven and makes my back hurt.

So all these reasons- I DESERVE a new truck, right? And it is so hard to talk back to that voice. It says "you can swing it, you'll just pick up some extra work days," "you've never had a NEW vehicle" "you can't drive around in the old one anymore- it looks bad and it's not safe" "they're offering such good deals- it would be a crime to pass them up" etc etc etc.

But it is not an emergency. Listen to Dave! Save up and buy it when you have the money. And so I will wait.

Viva Mexico

I had a great time in Mexico, survived using my spanish, got around on the buses just fine, and made it back to Austin in mostly one piece. I am working on getting the pictures and video together and will post it when I have it ready.