Thursday, February 10, 2011

It’s All About Exercise: Body, Mind and Soul

Whew! I was shocked to realize it has been almost a month since I last posted a blog entry AND I still have one last Costa Rica one to wrap up and post (this weekend). Sheesh! I suppose it shouldn’t be shocking that the last blog was the weekend before classes started. Yep, that is the time suck right there! Any spare time I have is spent shackled to a book or writing a response to something I am reading. It’s okay, though, that’s what I am here for. It has been a good, but weird semester start. I started out ahead, and now I am behind/barely on top of everything (dependent on the moment and your interpretation!) I am really enjoying my classes and a lot is connecting and overlapping, which is a wonderful thing as I continue working on forming a philosophy and working framework that I can try and articulate when needed and apply to the work I want to do in promoting sustainable living.

I am taking Environmental Sociology, which is fun for me. I have taken quite a few psychology classes, but never a sociology class so I am enjoying looking at the topic through a new lens. This week we are to be reading Walden, which I have never read and writing a journal for a week straight about nature in all its forms. I am also taking what we call “602.” This is the second required class for my class and its official title is: Environment, Culture, Community, Economy: An Interdisciplinary Seminar. Don’t ask me what that really means yet. I just know, that like the Sociology class, it means a ton of reading. We have started with looking at the indigenous culture, and I have enjoyed learning more about that. We were also required to go hear Winona LaDuke speak who is an amazing activist in the realm of environmental justice with a specific focus on Native people. My wild card class is a journalism class called Documenting Southwest Parks. The instructors received a grant to work with the National Park Service and have the students create documentaries that the parks can use to promote the work they are doing. I am treating this as a research methods class of sorts as I really enjoy qualitative research and see this an opportunity to explore a variation on that. For the project I selected, I will be working with 3 photojournalism (or “PhotoJ” as they are called in the biz) students. I will rely on their passion and expertise in the photography realm, although I do plan to do a bit of experimenting myself, and I will concentrate on the research and interviews. My professor was even able to locate a project proposal that ties in with some of my interests. We will be travelling to the Verde Valley to the Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot Monuments to document their efforts to get local children and young adults connected with nature and the value of stewardship through educational and restoration programs. I am super excited and hope some of this will keep building towards the ever looming thesis. And then, just for fun, I am auditing a Construction Management class called Sustainable Buildings and Assessment. It will develop my building and facilities lingo, we get to take cool field trips, and it prepares us to take a LEED Green Associate certification exam if we are so inclined. Not sure yet, if I will, but I figure it can’t hurt and could look good on the old resume…

So in addition to studying and working, my other primary focus is being “Get In Shape Girl.” I have been extremely proud of myself for drastically increasing my level of physical activity since moving to Flagstaff. Mainly this has been happening through mostly giving up driving and relying on my feet and bicycle to get me where I need to be, as well as our weekend hiking excursions, but I have realized it is still not enough. I have needed to up my cardio and strengthening quota, so one of my goals with the start of a new semester was to take advantage of some of the group exercise classes that are offered, since they are “free” (I am sure I paid for them with one of the gazillion fees I get charged). I wanted to get them incorporated into my schedule from the beginning so that I could not make excuses or feel up the open time with other stuff. These are really the best option for me. I am a bit of a fair weather working out type of person. I hate exercise machines like the treadmill or elliptical. They are mind numbing and tedious. I don’t like to run, and I don’t like to walk or bike long distances when the weather is not an optimal temperature. So, a class keeps me motivated and moving. Someone else tells me what to do, and all I really have to do is follow the directions. Following directions doesn’t require too much thinking, but the concentrating and remembering of a sequence of moves distracts me from the fact that I am hot, and sore, and out of breath!

I am happy to report, so far so good! With the exception of last weekend when our temperatures were in the negatives and I just couldn’t bear the thought of stripping off and putting back on 3 or 4 layers just to work out, I have been getting to classes regularly. I have even been getting up for 7 am yoga, okay so not this week, but I am back on track next week! I am going to some Cardio Kickboxing classes which I always love, and this week I added a Stretching and Toning class that I really liked. My final step is to add in a Step class or two. I am feeling challenged, but not overwhelmed and not too out of breath. Now, my abs might argue with me about that whole challenge thing, now that I think about it. So I am pleased with myself and now I am just focused on keeping my momentum and having it be a continued priority.

R also took me out on a trail on my bike a couple of weekends ago. We went down to Sedona and went on the Cockscomb Area Trails. It was challenging, scary, and fun. I also had a big wipe out, but it has not scared me away, despite the fact that the bruises running down my left side are still a wee bit tender and are fading slowly! Really, the actual fall didn’t hurt that bad. I was a bit dazed, but not too traumatized. If anything, I was relieved that I had conveniently fallen between the tree and the cactus instead of on one of them! I also truly appreciated my helmet for the first time. Again, I didn’t really knock my head particularly hard, but I definitely appreciated the skull protection when I landed. Here are a couple of pictures of me including one of my battle wounds from where my gears scratched my calf. I think R was afraid he scared me off, but I assured him that I am ready to go back and am determined to not have to walk up those hills quite so much and have better control as I go down the hills. I suspect I will always prefer the tame and “easy” trails, but I think I will definitely add it to my list of recreational activities. Look at me branching out!


Don't I look cool?!?

Robert leaving me in the dust

Here I am in action. Such great scenery, too!

Yep, that's really me.

One of my ouchies!