fitness

Critical Mass

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Twelve years ago I was driving through the River Oaks area in Houston at night and came across 200 cyclists with their rigs all lit up, and their flags flapping in the breeze. It looked fun but annoying because cyclists are always preaching “share the road!” But they were not. The group was a local chapter of the national Critical Mass cycling group. Think Hash House Harriers but on wheels.

Last night I participated in my first ride with a local chapter on Sanibel Island for a ten mile night ride along dedicated bike trails. The island is known for its luxurious homes, golf courses, yachts, beautiful trails along brackish water and we were in good company. Absolutely looking towards another ride with this fun, relaxed group.

Let’s Do Something

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fatdumbhappy0911 *

We cannot keep doing what we are doing and expect change. Come to think of it, we cannot expect hope and change from those who would promise better things. The time is coming and has now come that we go back to what made us strong. Hard work. Are you as tired as I am with the status quo? Are you exasperated that for some time now you feel like you have lost control? Our households will not get better by themselves. Your bank accounts will not increase by themselves. The careers we have will have to be dictated by us, not at the whims of over-extending bigwigs. It’s time to wake up, Uh-merica. This year I am resolving to get back control over myself.

For far too long I have sat back and watched as the waistline increased, my brain cells decrease and my personal happiness go bye-bye. In 2010 I will be healthier, smarter and happier with the help of hard work and determination.

Because I have lost control of myself I have allowed outside forces to take control. I will reclaim my independence and start working harder and smarter for me & mine. I have never been afraid to work hard, I just have forgotten how. Time to relearn.

I enjoyed Chris Brogan’s article on making construction sexy. “Get your hard hat. Get your blue prints. Find your crew. Let’s make construction sexy. You with me?”

* Thanks to Hugh at Gaping Void for the illustration inspiration

Stress Management & The Art Of Relaxation

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Relax and Stress

I had mentioned in a previous article about my desire to relieve stress from my world. I wanted to share some tools I have discovered that may be useful to others. I started off with my basic issue of sleep deprivation and discovered some great apps for my iPod Touch. These apps are mostly sound-based such as WhiteNoise which plays a variety of background noise such as wind chimes, rainfall, airplane travel and more. Another discovery and one that was a little awkward to get use to is iBrainWave which allows you to “tune your brain”. It is a binaural brain stimulator by playing constant tones at frequencies you choose, you can sleep, meditate, or relax. If you need energy, just simply raise the megahertz frequency.

I have even downloaded a few yoga and meditation apps to guide my breathing, posture, stretching and body/mind relaxation. I’ve even downloaded a few relaxation/meditation podcasts that incorporate verbal instruction as well as soothing music to help relieve stress.

Perhaps as a new year resolution to self I will pursue light yoga as a means to stretch and relax my body more. In the past I will admit I had had reservations about these techniques but when I hear of professional athletes using these as a means to stay healthy in addition to their workouts…well, it deserves consideration. I will avoid all references to Eastern spiritualism as I know it is not relevant in my world. Instead I will probably meditate on God’s Word just as the writers of Psalms instruct.

I’ll be honest when I say that this is an endeavor I will struggle with and could use some support and guidance. How do you manage your stress?