I got it all done

My to-do list that is.

I can't believe it. Usually it takes me much longer and I panic and have to do things the following day.

I guess my time-management skills finally kicked in.

What all did I do today? Well, sit back and I will tell you:

I ran 3 miles, I did yoga and my exercises, I mowed the lawn, I trimmed the hedges, I weeded (which wasn't on the list), I planted three plants (bee balm, also not on the list), I ran to the store, I put gas in my car, I did two loads of laundry, I picked up stuff around the house, I balanced the checkbook, I paid bills, I made myself dinner, and I even had time to shower! Which was a really good thing because by then I was not smelling so pretty.

Also on my list was to run the vacuum, but I did that yesterday.

I'm ready for bed.

It's really not an amazing feat, all that I accomplished. I didn't cure cancer. I didn't end world hunger. But I can't look at it like that. It's the small things we do each day. I heard a radio DJ talking about a college graduation where the guest speaker was a four star general. He told the graduating class that no matter what they do each day they should get up and make their beds. That way, no matter what happens throughout your day, the one thing you accomplished was making your bed. And at the end of the day, when you look back at all you did, you crawl back into a bed that was the first thing you did.

I'm thankful for the ability to cross things off a to-do list.

marathons

We all enjoy a good marathon, right? A movie marathon, or a tv show marathon, maybe a dance marathon, you know the fun marathons.

Well, if I add up all the miles I have run in 2013, I have run 13 and a 1/2 marathons. Yes. I kept track and counted up all the miles I have run since January 1st. I ran 350 miles.

I could run to Cincinnati. I could run to Milwaukee and back. Which means I could stop off in Chicago. I could run to Buffalo, New York! That's how far 350 miles is from Grand Rapids.

Does it mean I'm going to run a marathon any time soon? Nope. I have my sights set on an actual, legit 5k. And the annual .1k but as far as running 26 miles all at once, like in one day. No thank you. Running the 3.1 miles is enough. Halfway through mile two I want to stop. I cannot imagine doing that twelve more times.

Now, to put a finer point on it, I also kept track of how much I have shoveled (and when I didn't do either of those and I ran inside, but since it was in place, I kept track of time, and that isn't impressive).

Are you ready?

925 minutes.

That's over fifteen hours this year that I shoveled snow.

Isn't that crazy? Half of that has been during this month. The other minutes added up in November, January and February.

I won't have to write it down on a calendar anymore. There's an app for that. And there's a fancy device too. It's called the Nike Fuel Band.

This is the Christmas present I received from Greg. It counts calories, steps, Fuel (Nike's version of keeping track of my activity), it has a clock on it, and when it syncs to my phone I can log specific activities, like shoveling! It's meant for full-body motion, so while I can wear it during yoga, it's not going to respond the same as when I shovel snow. It's the newer, updated version though, it noticed when I ran the vacuum! 

I'm really excited about this gift. And, as Greg pointed out, it was serendipitous because my phone died last week and now I have an iPhone. I can use the app and sync activities, which I would not have been able to do on the old phone. 

It's all about staying active. You don't have to have a fancy Fuel Band to do so. Make it your goal or resolution, just get moving.

Winter workout

It's time to change my workout schedule to fit the winter.

Each year the goal is to walk outside from the beginning of March through the end of November. I've already walked while snow has been falling, twice in the last couple of weeks. More snow is coming. I think I can make it out on Wednesday, but I have to mentally start preparing for the change.

It's not that big of a deal. Bill and I will get up and go mall-walking three times a week through the end of February. That's the winter goal. Unless we break down and get a monthly membership to the Kroc Center.

I'm going to keep doing yoga three times a week.

Plus the shoveling. Oh the shoveling.

Pray for us.

Or send us cookies.

That won't help, but that will just force us to go walk.

Be a tree

I wrote the following for Ash Wednesday. As I mentioned here, I saved it for another day. Today is that day because I can't think of anything else to blog about... I modified it slightly.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. As United Methodists we are encouraged to give up or do something new for the period of Lent. We're not hard core (like the Catholics), but we do it to remind ourselves of the sacrifice.

In past years I've given up coca-cola, sugar, and coffee (that was before I really started drinking it, not as much of a challenge then as it would be now). I have done Bible studies, prayed for specific time periods, done daily devotionals and more.

This year, I decided to do yoga every day. It's probably not too much of a stretch (ha!) since I already do yoga three times a week. However, since Lent started while we were in Nashville, I realized this could be a bigger challenge then I expect.

I've been thinking all winter that I could do yoga every day, yet I've only managed to do it after our walks. I have found that when I make small goals, I achieve them. I know I can do this, and having the pressure of Lent can't hurt. It may become a habit, or not. Since I started doing yoga four years ago, I have done it off and on. I typically keep at it during the winter, only to get too busy in the summer. Or there was the summer I was a counselor at camp and hurt myself. I didn't do yoga after that for a long time (although it probably would have helped).

So far I have somehow managed to do some form of yoga on the weekdays. I never specifically said whether I would do yoga on Saturdays. So far I'm one for three on Saturdays, but since I didn't specify, I won't be too hard on myself.