Do You Want To Be Special?

I know, right? What kind of question is that?  You have your game face on right now, which says all is well and I have it all together.  How dare I ask such a question!

Well, one of the reasons I ask is because the phrase "Be Yourself" had been bubbling in my spirit for awhile now so I thought I would let it out with a little creativity (the poster below).  The other reason is because I am a very private and protected person (you would never guess so with all my business on display on this blog, lol) who has an exterior that says I've got it all together.  When in reality sometimes that may not be the case, so I too needed to hear these words.

In a world that is constantly bombarding us with messages which suggest we would be better off being anything but ourselves I'm here today to reassure you that you are the perfect you.  I heard someone say recently that 'your freak is your money maker' lol.  Translated, that thing(s) about you or your experiences that you are trying desperately to hide or change are your passport to fulfillment and success in life.

So, please stop comparing yourself to others.  Find some time to have a good look at yourself.  Learn to appreciate the varying aspects that amount to you without discounting anything.  See your stunning beauty, your incomparable worth and your inconceivable value and embrace it.  That is you. The one and only you and you are already Special! 

"Your freak is your money maker!" click to tweet

Weekly Workout Recap June 21 - 27, 2015

Sunday

We started off the week with a bang. Robin and I headed off to Silver Comet Trail for the first time to meet up with a riding group. SCT is a beautiful covered trail which at one time was a railroad trail which ran from Georgia into Alabam.  The trail is famous for being flat.  Let me tell you, nothing is flat when you are pulling a toddler in a trailer! We missed the group because we  were running late. Nevertheless, we were not deterred.  I pumped up the tires, packed and hitched the trailer and off we went.  The group had mentioned that they planned to do 10 -20 miles so I estimated that I could do 10 miles and then see how I felt.  

We ended up do almost 15 miles which was great and we were beating the heat.  Not even a mile in. Robin was done and wanted to get back to the car. I pressed on and eventually we saw a playground which we stopped to allow her a break and have a snack.  Working out with your toddler doesn't come without its own unique challenges, but there are ways to address it which makes it more doable.  I keep saying I'm going to write a post on it.  I need to get on with it.  

We started at 8:30 am and back lunching in the car by 11 am.  Workout and play done!

Monday

Monday was interesting.  I usually ride on Monday morning after I drop Robin off to school, but lately it has been in the 90's at nine in the morning.  As I mentioned before in my post Get Ur Freak On I tend to have challenges with dehydration.  That together with knowing I had to run later I didn't think riding and running in the extreme heat on the same day would be a great idea.  Instead, I headed out to the Barnes & Noble to scope out some books. I've got a few things on my mind pertaining to the topics of the books.  I'll tell you more about this later.

Notice Rule #1 To Working Out.  Never Skip A Monday!!  So tell me why later in the day, when it was time to go running, I was trying to make like I was so busy with a post that I couldn't go.  I had taken my clothes off and was relaxing around the house when hubby asked what was happening. Long story short, he kicked me out the house and I went running.  Thank goodness for accountability. Not to mention I really do enjoy getting out there.  I tried to hang close to Chelsea of Meet The Amazing Chelsea on the run which made me run faster and further than I intended.  Sometimes you just need a little extra motivation.

By the way the post turned out great. Are You A Body Positive Athlete? was an interview piece I did with the founder of Body Positive Athletes, Leah Gilbert. Leah has a transformational concept which has been a game changer for me. .Great read and very positive!  Pop on over to check it out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Tuesday - Rest

Wednesday

OMG!!! Is the only way to describe what happened on Wednesday.  The short version is that I got my butt handed to me by the Panola Mountain Panola Shoals Trail.  Well to be clear, I knew the trail was hilly but I chose it because it has gotten so hot in GA and this trail is woodsy and mostly covered but it was a beast nevertheless.  The views are lovely and when the trail opens to the lakes it is spectacular.  The real beast was waiting for us on the Alexander Lake Loop.  Now I have walked this portion of the trail and it can be challenging walking but we were riding in the opposite direction and Oh Man!  Challenging does not begin to describe the experience.  As a beginning leisure rider I pride myself on having road my bike the entire way during my Duathlon; having scaled the hills in Arabia and Stone Mountains respectively but this monster on Alexander Lake Loop was mammoth.  I rode maybe a quarter of the hill and had to concede to walking my bike. The first time I've had to do that since I started riding.   It was just that steep.  When I reached the top I had to stop for a minute to hydrate and catch my breath.  I felt like I had asthma.  My chest was pounding, ears ringing and I was making a silent plea for Jesus to help me!   My friend made it to the top successfully, but was speechless for a good ten minutes trying to catch herself.

After the mammoth monster everything seemed like it was downhill on the way back. Lol!  We covered both sides of the South River Trail to get in an exhausting 11 miles.

Thursday - I listened to my body which was screaming "Not Today!" lol

Friday

Hike and bike day was fun.  I rode to Stone Mountain from the village and then around it. That was about seven miles.  It was my intention to hike to the top, but I only made it to the rest stop.  I was short on time. Wink! The climb was tougher than last week, but hey, what can I say.

Friday night I did my usual Restoration Yoga routine so I could have a complete day of rest on Saturday.

Saturday - Rest

And that's a wrap!
Did you try anything new this week?

This post has been shared with:

Small Victories Sunday's Linkup
Mommy Monday Blog Hop