a life lesson

So, I learned something the other day. See there, you're never too old to learn! Here it is: When you have a little bout of asthma during a ride, that is not the time to push yourself into your longest ride of the year. I did this and it was not good. Very wiped out afterward. Today's shorter ride with good breathing was really fun although it was pretty dang hot.

Think I'm going to name my bike Bella because she's awfully pretty.

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Quotable - Why I Don't Diet

"Diet companies convince women (and men, to a slightly lesser extent) that skinny means healthy, that weight loss is the key to happiness, and that being even slightly overweight is shameful. Healthy, beautiful humans come in all shapes and sizes, but the diet industry will never acknowledge that fact."
 - Why I Don't Diet, Sally McGraw

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freaking finally

After saying and writing numerous times that I was going to sign up for an exercise class, I finally did it. I signed up for six pilates classes and attended the first one this past Tuesday evening. It was very low key and the instructor was attentive. Two days later, I felt muscles around my upper rib cage I didn't know I had. I really liked it. Really, really. I think I'd get more out of the classes if I learned about beginning pilates exercises. Do you have a DVD to recommend?

Here are two giveaways I want to point out (not that I want competition, but hey, life's about sharing):

• MizFit is giving away an amazing customized workout T-shirt. 
• Ellen at Femagination is hosting a great book giveaway. Are you expecting? Do you know someone who is?

 Both giveaways end on Sept. 30th. Good luck!

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cycling humor

Source: New Yorker

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ah ha!

There’s a reason that you can learn from everything: you have basic wisdom, basic intelligence, and basic goodness. Therefore, if the environment is supportive and encourages you to be brave and to open your heart and mind, you’ll find yourself opening to the wisdom and compassion that’s inherently there. It’s like tapping into your source, tapping into what you already have. It’s the willingness to open your eyes, your heart, and your mind, to allow situations in your life to become your teacher.

~ Pema Chödrön

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Quotable

Life is like riding a bicycle. You don't fall off unless you plan to stop peddling.

 -- Claude Pepper

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in the high sierra

Love being on or near water.

We went kayaking yesterday. Not sure how many calories kayaking burns but it sure feels good to glide along in the warm sunshine.

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up at the lake

View of Mt. Tallac from Taylor Creek Visitor Center

Uncrowded & gorgeous bike path near Emerald Bay at Tahoe

Went to Tahoe yesterday with our hybrid bikes in tow. It's worth waiting until after Labor Day to go. No crowds & September is so beautiful with its greens and golds. We biked 21 miles.

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staying fit at any age

Hmmm, makes sense...

In your 30s -

• since sporadic workouts you may have relied upon in your 20s are losing their effectiveness, it's time to develop a regular routine to head off bone density loss and decreasing flexibility

In your 40s -

• ramp up cardio to fend off the insidious encroachment of belly fat

In your 50s -

• because you may burn approximately 150 to 200 calories fewer per day due to decreasing estrogen levels, slash 200 calories a day utilizing a high fiber, low fat approach
• add strength training to your exercise activities

Source: Health, Sept. 2011

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just for laughs

  "Laughter is the key to a better life."

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work those hips

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supplemental superstar

A thorough overview of the many attributes of the supplement astaxanthin. I haven't tried this yet but I'm seriously thinking about it. Yet, it does sound almost too good to be true.

 

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you're not crazy

Here's a nutshell answer from Dr. Oz to the question of why we* gain weight after reaching fifty or if not gaining weight, finding it harder, much harder to lose weight than it was in our 20s,30s, & 40s:

By age 50, you’re burning 200 fewer calories every day than you did at age 30. This is caused by estrogen loss that occurs during menopause. Unfortunately, your body turns to alternative sources, such as fat cells in the belly, which can produce estrogen. Fat cells grow bigger, resulting in an expanding waistline. ...Women in their 50s need to consume alternative sources of estrogen, like phyto-estrogens, such as flaxseed.

On this same topic is an excellent post about this very thing over at Cranky Fitness.

* Women, that is. Men can blame their expanding waistlines at any age on beer.

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summer daze are gone

Wrights Lake taken with iPhone kayak cam.

Summer days, summer nights are gone
Summer days and summer nights are gone
I know a place where there's still somethin' going on
[Bob Dylan, Summer Days]

Well, as much as I'm resistant to accept it, summer ended yesterday (I guess). This particular summer stands out for awesome weather which means there were many fantastic moments spent outside. This was also a summer in which I sported all kinds of bruises on my legs and arms from falls from my bikes. The giant bruise on my left outer thigh is still slightly discolored and tender. To add to the bruises and scrapes in various degrees of healing, I was stung on my bum by a wasp. Yep, my ass was on fire! I'd never been stung before so at first I didn't realize what it was. Then as the night wore on and the allergic reaction set in (felt like I'd sat down on a fire-hot hibachi), I was prompted to do a quick google image search on wasp stings. Bingo. 

 Despite the painful incidents, I'm going to remember the summer of '11 by the complete happiness I felt while kayaking one afternoon. Think I had a big smile on my face the entire time.

 Onward to fall and all things pumpkin.

~♥~

quotable

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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change is good

How do you like the new look around here? Sometimes, you just have to change things up and keep moving along. One thing I'm going to begin to do is feature products, things, food I have discovered* that I like. I still intend to keep this blog ad free but I've benefited from what others have shared on their blogs and feel it's only fair that I "give back."

The first thing out of the gate is this moisturizer with sunscreen. It lives up to the marketing promises: it makes my skin look and feel great. It smells wonderful too. I love to be outdoors so it makes sense to develop a habit of using sunscreen on my face, neck and chest. It's too bad I've arrived late to this party though as I already have some sun exposure damage. I'll give the SPF 30 version a try next time.

Have you tried this product or something similar?

* I discovered quite a few new (to me) skincare and cosmetics when I was prevented from working out while recovering from oral surgeries and bursitis in my right hip.

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choose your bad

[When I add peanut butter or almond butter to apple slices, I never feel deprived.]


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