For the couple of months I have really been ramping up my fitness routine, changing things up, raising the bar, getting more into high intensity workouts, you name it.

Yes, I can really tell the difference in myself but there is always something I am doing wrong…

I *SUCK* at nutrition.

I’m never home long enough to cook and when I am, well .. I just don’t feel like it. Sometimes my work lunches become more of a convenience than what my body actually needs. You always hear that getting in shape is done 80% in the kitchen so maybe if I can control that a bit better then I can finish what I started .. a long time ago.

So .. I’m a girl with a plan now.

I jumped on the Body By Vi bandwagon. Heck, I am already eating protein bars as it is in a sad attempt to do a bit better (but the added sugar content in them is TERRIBLE!). Basically I saw this video and it convinced me that it’s worth a serious shot. I had been eyeballing Shakeology for a while, especially knowing I have a cycling teammate that is in amazing shape and she takes and fully supports them as well.

I bought the Body by Vi Shape package. My plan is to supplement one for lunch and another for after my workouts (because, yes right now I do nada as far as nutrition after I workout – someone slap me). I think by switching to these I may actually save money a month on groceries (go figure) and will *hopefully* work my way towards the ultimate prize I’m seeking!

Sure, in an ideal world it would be nice to be able to prep meals at home and eat healthy all the time but part of the reason that I’ve been stuck on nutrition is because I have been trying to force myself to be ideal, instead of making choices based on reality. So .. we shall see how this unfolds. I will update you soon!

If you are interested in checking them out for yourself, here is a website link. I have watch videos from trainers upon trainers, seen photos upon photos, and read review after review .. I’m feeling pretty good that this will turn out great!

I think that I may have found the perfect cycling jacket, if not the perfect jacket. It’s Columbia’s Key Three jacket. It is a softshell jacket that almost made me think  ’there is no way’ when I opened the package. It is a pretty thin jacket but don’t let that deceive you!

A quick run down .. It’s stated to be waterproof, windproof, and a jacket to keep you warm in the winter without being big and bulky. 

In warmer weather I have worn this with something light underneath and it is really comfortable. Even better is that in cold weather I will wear this with a couple of layers under (typically 2 base layers) and stay equally cozy with it on. So far I have worn this in weather down to the teens and have stayed comfortable on my daily commute in to work. Who would have thought??

It does a fantastic job of blocking the wind and it even keeps you warm without making you too warm. In the rain … Yes, it does a great job there as well. 

Not one complaint about it!

Oh .. And it’s cute too

As a daily commuter I am constantly looking for the perfect commuting gear and I think my quest for a jacket may be done. If you ride outside or participate in any outdoor sports I highly recommend giving this jacket a look. It comes in men’s and women’s styles. My niece wants one so bad but I told she has to get a bit bigger first since they don’t make them in kids’ sizes!

This is the time of the year when the bikes are put up, the shoes hung in the closet, gym attendance goes down, and people retreat indoors to stay away from the cold chill in the air.

Then there are those people that say to themselves .. I already fell off the rocker over Thanksgiving so how about I start again in January?

Well .. what is the difference between January 1st and today?

Nothing, really..

Why wait until the new year to change your life when you can do it today, and start feeling better tomorrow?

Sometimes it is so easy to come up with excuses on why we should start tomorrow .. whether it’s working out, starting a diet, or whatever it may be for you. But what people forget is that being healthy isn’t a ‘diet,’ and it isn’t temporary, .. the only way it’s going to survive the test of time is if it’s a permanent change in your life.

Does it have to be strict from day one and never yielding from those rules? No .. and it shouldn’t be, because that is when people ‘cave in’ to the little man on their shoulder and fall off the horse.

It doesn’t have to be one way or the other, with no in-between, but instead it should be a positive lifestyle change. When we are tempted, it should be much, much less frequent than before and done with a good amount of willpower.

We still have all the holiday parties, all the Christmas cookies, and many more temptations ahead of us.

Now, today, is the perfect time to say I’m going to stay strong, stay on top of the holidays, and change my life and the choices I’m making for the better.

Sure, it’s cold outside but it’s just motivation to walk a little faster and work a bit harder ..

A week and a half ago I got *another* flat tire on my commuter bike and was going to have to use my last spare tube. I was so mad about it that I “banished” myself to riding my mountain bike to work until I ordered new commuter bike tires.

Let me explain something to you..

When I ride my commuter bike I am all ‘hail the conquering red head,’ flying in the wind like a mad hatter on a commuter bike. I am a total speed junkie and that bike makes me want to go Tarzan halfway through Old Louisville.

The mountain bike, nicknamed the Hamster Wheel, yea it totally takes the mojo out of my juju. There is no conquering .. it’s just a matter of spinning like crazy, hoping your hips don’t fall off.

So .. for the past week and a half I have been riding the mountain bike to work and it’s been humbling to say the least. On the way home I drive through construction by UofL and I strongly dislike being slower in that area because I don’t like to hold cars up.

Anyway .. I get home Friday, pulled a safety pin out of my front tire, thought nothing of it and moved on. Last night I talk myself that I really ought to add air to my bike tires but I had turned the electric mattress on my bed on and there was no moving at that point! I get up this morning, load the bike, haul it out of the house, and guess what … don’t you know that front tire was FLAT.

O M G .. you have GOT to be kidding me .. seriously ..

So, I have to turn around, haul the bike back into the house, unstrap the bike, and make a decision.

I cannot figure out for the life of me how to switch my dang floor pump over from working on a presta valve to a schrader. So .. I looked at the commuter bike and decided to go with that option.

In a rush I had to change that bike’s tire (because I intentionally left it flat in order to stop any temptation to break my banishment) .. put everything on the commuter bike and rushed out the door. The rule was NO GUNG HO’ING IT .. NO MATTER WHAT! Luckily I normally get to work SO early that even when running late I still managed to get to my desk on time.

During lunch I walked down to the bike shop in downtown Louisville and bought 3 more spare tubes, because I am not playing these games!

The day played out as normal and I was on my way home from a relatively productive day.

The wind was blowing and … on damn .. the mojo started coming back. Oh lawd .. this can’t be good.

I am flying like a red headed freak through Old Louisville, keeping pace with the cars around me. I completely fly through Hill St (which I usually get stuck at) and I mean I am rolling. I want to yell out a loud roar and scream that “I’m BACK!” and all that crazy powerful .. slightly insane crap.

And then … …

… **POP** …

O M F G .. you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

Umm yea .. the red headed Tarzan ego tripping, biking too damn fast chic now has to change her second flat in a work day.

So .. since I have to spare CO2 cartridges in my bag and have no idea how to use them, I ended up changing the tire and using the air pump .. 120 times .. then decided that there was NO WAY I was going to bike fast home. Ego .. back in check.

Well that was a lesson in itself. Oh .. and I’m probably closer to becoming a professional bike tire changer by now.

So that would officially be my 5th and 6th flat tire in about 3 months. I still have to change out the Hamster Wheel’s tire too, but that will have to wait until I either get another pump or learn to use the one I have (let’s bet that I buy a new one).

My theories on all of this:

(1) All flats but one have occurred on the way home from work and for the past 3 months there has been construction at UofL that I’ve been driving through. Maybe it’s road debris (and me biking like a jackass)

(2) When I looked at the spare tube this morning I noticed the bike shop sold me either 700×23 or 700×25 .. my bike’s tired are 28 (what the heck does this number mean anyway???). But I remember him saying I ought to go smaller than bigger .. maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, since I bike like a jackass? (Of course this offers no support as to why the Hamster Wheel’s tire went flat..). I’m wondering if the speed at which I bike is making road impacts harder .. and making the tubes pop easier .. hmmm

(3) Someone keeps poking holes in my tires because it’s an experiment to see how long it takes for someone to lose their mind over flat tires.

(4) My tires are stock tires and are probably not made thinking someone is going to ride a commuter bike as hard and fast as a road bike, or that someone would ride the bike like a .. well you know ..

(5) I need to stop riding the bike like a … you get my point.

New tires will hopefully be here this week. The new tubes are 700×28-35 so we’ll see how my theories hold up. I am kinda putting money on theory #5 but dangit it’s not as much fun if I am not biking like a freak through Old Louisville. Don’t spoil a girl’s fun ..

To kinda break down things a bit …

Right now I’m biking to work with a boating bag (because it’s waterproof) that I have bungee corded down to the flat rack on the back of my bike. I tried a bunch of different options and this was the one that I liked the best, by a lot. I just want something behind me and not hanging off the sides (because I like to bike fast to work) however some days it’s a tight fit .. and we’re not even to winter yet.

In addition, taking up even more room in my bike bag is my Mr Bento lunch jar which takes up about a third of the bag right off the bat. Granted I probably need to clean the excess stuff out of the bag this weekend, but even by doing that it won’t alleviate my problems.

I thought about getting a bigger bag and using industrial strength velcro, and bungees, to strap it down, but I was lucky to find the one truly waterproof bag that I did. However I guess I could just get a waterproof cover for a regular bag if I had to.

What to do … … I guess I’ll spend the weekend researching a bit more.. if I have time to, that is.

In addition I can’t remember what I wore last winter unless I just wore multiple, multiple layers. Right now I’m going to work in running tights and then a pair of gym pants over those and that seems to be working fine when it’s in the 40s, but I need more than the two pair so I don’t have to keep doing laundry! As far as the top half, this morning I wore a long sleeve gym shirt (I really like clothing that wicks), a t-shirt over that, and a running jacket. It wasn’t bad although at times the wind tens to cut through the running jacket, so maybe I’ll add in a windproof jacket.

The trick is trying to get to work comfortably without wearing a million things to make it happen. My rain gear I bought from a hiking store so I am thinking that may be the direction I head this weekend when looking at cold weather gear.

Luckily the ‘winter switch’ doesn’t just get flipped but I think it’s not too much further ahead of us ..

After being hit by the Expedition I have learned that moving (in certain conditions) actually helps me feel better. Unfortunately my upper body is shot right now (I have a CAT scan next week to see if I’ve possibly fractured my spine .. ICK!) but there are some things that I can not only do, but they actually make me feel better / looser. It’s a good thing because I would go CRAZY if I couldn’t work out in some fashion or another.

Anyway .. one of the things that helps me is biking so I’ve had the luxury of being able to keep commuting to work each day on my bike. It’s a short trip to and from work so I think that helps to make it beneficial without being too much.

I don’t watch much tv .. I don’t read the paper … I don’t read news on the internet …. I just hate reading the bad stuff and all the drama.

Thursday I woke up and learned that there was a rain chance for the day. Not watching the weather I had no idea what that chance meant other than a percent. So off to work I went. It rained on the way in and I got to work a bit of a wet mess. It happens and I’ve rode to work my fair share of rainy days.

In the afternoon my coworker walks over and mentions that so far the weather was holding out for me. I jokingly said that it was going to start raining the second I left work.

Bad joke.

I pull out onto Chestnut Street and guess what happened. .. .. it started raining. I looked up and the sky didn’t look too bad so I thought it would just be another typical ride home in the rain.

No .. it wasn’t.

About halfway home it starting pouring. I mean .. pouring pouring .. downpour pouring.

At that point I was too close to my house to try and catch the bus so I just kept going. I have never ridden in a downpour before. At first I was like OMG this is such a mess, this is horrible, miserable … …  and then it hit me.

It’s just rain. And it’s not so bad.

I started laughing .. rolling … outloud while riding. So here I am riding down down the street, just laughing out loud to myself as I’m passing through these intersections of cars. Those drivers were probably looking  at me like ‘that poor girl stuck out in the rain’ .. but really they were missing all of the fun.

Remember those moments when we were kids and we’d go dancing in the pouring rain? Well this felt just like that. I mean after a certain point you can’t get any wetter so you may as well find a silver lining and run with it.

Sometimes in life we get so caught up in the routines, the rush, the expectations, the stress, time, etc. that we forget to stop and enjoy the rain, the sun, the wind on our face .. all those little blessings in life that give us comfort and happiness no matter what.

I need to ride in the rain more often.

People are always rushing.

.. They’re leaving 5 minutes late because something came up and it made them run behind

.. screeching down the road like maniacs, weaving through traffic

.. running that light that just turned red (because everyone else does it..)

.. staying in that merging lane as long as possible and then jumping over in front of the guy that has patiently waited his turn

.. not holding the door for the next person because that may cost them another 5 seconds

.. not holding the elevator for the person who’s behind them, also in a rush

You get my point. Oh wait, I’m not there yet.

Often times we are in a rush. We don’t consider anything outside of our own universe. We do all of these things because that is what it takes to get us what ‘we’ need. Do we ever think about the cost or penalties to those around us?

Sure .. sometimes the price is minor. Running that red light means the next person has to wait a few minutes longer to take their due turn. Cutting in front of the patient driver at the last second may get you cursed at or a show of the prized middle finger.

Sometimes the cost can be more than you thought.. .and may cost those around you more than you could have believed you were capable of doing.

My point before the story is that we need to learn to slow down .. and we need to learn to share the universe with other people besides ourselves, because our actions sometimes reach beyond our small circle .. and if that happens it simply may not be worth it.

I sit here, typing, with a terrible headache that I once again can’t shake. It’s the third of this magnitude since last Saturday. I have a constant ache in neck where it feels like my spine is compressed upon itself. Most of my joints hurt and the ‘good days’ are nowhere near the good days of two weeks ago. I think I’ve adjusted to the back and shoulder pains by now.

Will I heal? Sure.

Did I deserve this? Not for a second.

Why am I like this? Because someone was running late to get their hair done for a wedding.

Last Saturday started out fairly well. I taught a spinning class at the gym in the morning for a friend so she could race cyclocross up in Ohio. After that I cleaned up and headed downtown to a photowalk, where I was fortunate enough to see many friendly faces that I had not seen in quite some time. It was a series of great moments and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.

On our way back I stopped to feed the meter that my car was parked behind. Afterwards I was walking down the street to catch up with the others. I approached the intersection right as the light turned in my favor and started to cross. I walked about halfway across the front of this Ford Expedition when everything changed. The girl was staged at the light, running late, watching traffic and not once checking for pedestrian traffic. At an intersection that had about 40 people on the different corners when the cars cleared, she turned.

Into me.

I don’t remember much but I am thankful that I was able to stay on my feet through the whole ordeal but I cannot imagine the damage that would have followed if I would have fallen to the ground. I am also thankful that I am a relatively active person because I believe that it has helped me heal as well as I have.

Am I better? Sadly not close.

Why did this happen? Because someone was running late and they took chances .. and failed to realize how bad those consequences could be.

Most of the time our penalties aren’t so high .. but now she has to deal with the fact that she struck a human being with her car. I am glad I don’t have that on my conscious.

Maybe you will get lucky and never have this happen to you but my question is this …

… is running 5 minutes late worth the risks and the possible costs that she endured? Are you really willing to take that chance?

I went out to the place where I bought him from and he was the last puppy for sale. He was so cute and fat. They docked his tail a little longer so he’d have a white tip at the end. He was so fat that he couldn’t even walk across the room. I was in love.

I brought him home and we named him Archie Bungalow. Yes, it was quite a name. I started calling him Fat Boy. His vet records have always been under “Fat Boy” and as he slimmed down to the lean deer like appearance that he held for all his life but those first two months he still answered to Fat Boy, even until the very end. The vet’s office probably thought I was crazy

I initially bought him because I had just moved out of my mother’s house and now my other dog, Josie, was going to be all alone. She was to be his new playmate when no one was home. They were the cutest pair. Josie was amazing and just made your heart melt. I have photos from back when Archie was smaller than the 7 pound Josie, long before he reached his typical size of about 17 pounds. As he grew so did his puppy – like energy .. so did his Jack Russell Terrier traits. I learned fast what it meant to own a Jack Russell.

Archie loved to bark. He was the party starter around the house. I’d wake up in the morning and he’d get so excited that he’d leap off the bed and start racing through the house barking, waiting for me to catch up. I’d say ‘outside’ and the same dog would leap to life from the deepest of sleep. In recent years him and Nina would race outside as fast as they could and fly towards the back shed, further digging in those doggy trails all over my yard. He’d race back and forth both fence lines, chasing Miley on one side and Cha-cho on the other.

He was so smart. I say full sentences and he knew exactly what I meant. Heck I’d even tell him to ‘go get’ one of the neighbor dogs (because they were begging to be chased) and he’d look at me and know exactly what I meant.

Archie got into everything. If I left something out, boy I knew it when I came home because it would be sitting on my bed, in pieces, waiting for me. Even at 10 years old he was still a full blown puppy. I never got mad though .. I’d just shake my head and clean it up. He was a Jack Russell, and he was Archie, after all. I had to put both my cat’s litter box and her food up on the ledges in the basement because Archie could climb and get into anything and everything. Speaking of climbing, yea, Archie could climb my fence too .. but only when his momma was on the other side and he couldn’t be next to her

He was the best boy ever. He didn’t need a leash because Archie loved me so much that he’d never leave my side. He’d follow me everywhere and never stray far, even if it meant sitting on the bathroom floor while I took a shower. He’d walk the garbage out with me at night or make that late night run out to my car because I left something in it. I used to go out front to work in the yard and Archie would just sit on the front porch and watch me. If I walk out of his sight he was instantly up to see where I went. In the evenings he’d sit on my pillow and every time I’d look back at him he’d just be laying there watching me. I think he loved me as much as I loved him.

And Archie smiled. Archie always smiled at his momma. A full teeth grin that made your heart fall to pieces. He was such a pretty boy too. Sometimes he smiled because he liked something I’d say and other times he’d smile because he had been bad, again.

I would never kennel him. There was no way I could kennel Archie. He’d hate that. I would insist that he’d stay with one of my family members and preferably one that would give him the ‘attention’ that I wanted Archie to have. When I could I would take Archie out of town with me. He’d just walk into the back seat and sit quietly during the trip. We went to Columbus, Cincinnati, and even down to the lake a few times. Speaking of the lake, when we’d go out on the boat I’d have to take Archie with me .. he wouldn’t like being stuck in the house all day like that. So he’d ride on the pontoon boat with us and I’d have to convince him to not jump when I’d take a swim in the lake. Finally he’d accept that and just sit on the edge and watch me.

I timed my life around Archie .. It was always I have to leave soon because Archie needs to go out. I need to spend more time at home this weekend because I need to hang out with the dogs more. I pull up in the driveway and Archie was already running through the house, barking, waiting for me to get out of the car. I swear he heard me coming a mile away.

At night he’d start out either laying on my pillow or right next to it. I’d always reach up to him and give him a kiss on his muzzle while telling him I loved him. Then he’d get up and work his way to ‘his spot.’ If there was a dog there, well I simply had to change sides because Archie had to sleep in ‘the nook.’

In the morning I was always running late to work because I had to spend a good 5 minutes giving the dogs some love before I left. Ever since my foster dog, Trixie, died a couple of years ago (of breast cancer) I told myself that I’d cuddle with the dogs every morning to make sure they knew, always, how much I loved them.

I came home that day and opened the door. Two of my dogs surfaced, and one ran outside, but there was no sign of Archie. I kept calling and then I started to panic. Around the corner came Archie, slowly, smiling at me. My first thought .. OMG he finally killed my cat. I rushed the dogs back inside and caught back up with Archie on my bed after determining the cat was unharmed. Two seconds later I was on the phone with the vet. I told them he just wasn’t Archie and yea I needed to bring him in as an emergency. Something was wrong with my baby boy.

We went to the vet and came home a few hours later. Archie was very still that night and it was obvious to me that he was sick or just didn’t feel good. The next morning I woke up and Archie had gotten sick absolutely everywhere on my bed. I called the vet immediately. While waiting for the doctor to get in I took Archie to work with me because I wanted to make sure I kept my eye on him. Once the doctor called back I immediately brought him so he could be treated for Pancreatitis, something the doctor said has typically an 85% healing rate. I went to see him the next day and he looked so sick.. I just cried and cried while holding him at the vet’s office. I kept asking the vet if this was typical and kept getting a yes answer and not to worry because it takes time for Archie’s body to heal. The next day, on January 26th, I got a call from the vet, saying Archie’s condition had worsened and that he was now in a life threatening condition. In the blink of an eye it went from my baby being sick to I could lose him.

I don’t remember the drive to the vet’s office nor do I remember anything he said. Thank goodness my sister was off that day and could meet me up there. I just remember the moment that my world fell apart. My ten year old baby was, in an instant, ripped from my life. I didn’t have time to prepare or even to say goodbye.

No more barking through the house. No more Archie smiles. No more WWE wrestling on the bed with me saying “Archie quit.” No more of his spastic cuddle romps while sitting in my lap. No more car rides. No more Archie ..

My dogs are so sad. Even my cat is depressed about it. The neighbor dogs just sit there and wait .. for a dog that is never going to chase them down the fence line again. This has been a horrible nightmare that I will never be able to shake. I keep looking at my pillow, closing my eyes, and praying to God that I will never forget his face back there watching me tinker on the computer. Now, my baby, my ball of energy, my Archie, is in an urn on my dresser. How is this fair?

I don’t understand why such amazing creatures only live so long or even why Archie had to be taken from us. I never will understand it nor think it’s fair. There should be so much more of this story to tell but it’s like someone ripped the pen out of my hand. As hard as it is for me to imagine him gone I am still thankful that I was blessed with him for the ten, almost eleven years that I had him. I just wish that I would have had more time ..

Yes .. I actually used my camera last weekend. It’s a small miracle!

I somehow managed to pull myself out of bed Saturday morning in time for Scott Kelby’s Photowalk.

Suggestion for next year .. ummm Scott can we reschedule until the fall when it’s cooler and there are all the fall colors? OK I really want the cooler weather, but the fall colors would be a real bonus

Anywho .. onward to the photos .. here are some of the ones I shot this past Saturday (I’m clearly just a little late blogging them!)

This is one of my two favs from the day ..

This would be the other one. I actually added quite a bit of noise to this, and I don’t know exactly why but I really like it

I love squirrels and love squirrel silhouettes

Flowers!

This hits my minimalistic side

Out of these next two I cannot decide which angle I prefer ..

More from St James Fountain ..

And .. one more flower!

There are a few more on my websites .. The flickr photoset is here and if you’d like to see a larger collection check out my main photo website gallery.