I'm a Rock Star. Well, At Least in My Own Mind.

Under duress from Lee Ann Magnus at the Advanced Wellness Centre, I agreed to run the Connect Corporate 4-Miler last night as part of their team.

She caught me in a weak moment. Actually she approached me in the waiting area of the Centre, in front of the office staff and several patients. Talking loudly and with great enthusiasm, she asked me to participate in the race. It was like getting caught on the Kiss-Me-Cam at a sporting event. With everyone’s eyes on me, of course I agreed. I’ve never been able to effectively handle peer pressure. (I hope my kids aren’t reading this. If you are, I expect better from you. Now go read a book or cure cancer or something!)

Control Issues

The debt crisis in Europe, the war in Iraq, the economic woes across America. Today’s headlines read like doomsday is coming. It’s enough to send this girl running for the hills, or, to the nearest Bruster’s for a large Brownie Blast. (With extra brownie, of course.)

I worry about all of those issues and their ramifications on my little life. For example, the debt crisis in Greece sent my 401k plummeting. The war in Iraq reminds me of my godson who recently joined the Navy and will one day be put in harm’s way. And the recession, well, that makes me question the validity of the phrase “financial security.” Is there really such a thing? Or is it just a myth?

Knowing that these things are out of my control doesn’t stop me from worrying about them. You see, I’m a worrier. I just am. Which is exactly why I should be meditating more. (I know, I KNOW!)

The Eye of the Tiger

I can’t believe it, but I’m beginning to like cardio interval training. Mostly because I can now do it without collapsing. I’ve even increased the speed of the treadmill and managed to stay on the thing. Sweating doesn’t bother me anymore either. In fact, it reminds me that I’m working at the right intensity.

The other day a light rain was falling as I left the gym. I relished the cool drizzle on my hot skin. Tilting my head up toward the sky I stopped for a moment to feel the rain. In my mind’s eye, it would’ve been the perfect scene for the movie Rocky. And lately, I definitely feel like I have a bit of the eye of the tiger. With my eight favorite songs loaded on my ipod and Marq’s words echoing in my brain, “You’re doing awesome Dianna,” I push myself to run faster, to work harder. And the cool thing is, the training is working. I can accomplish physical tasks I previously thought I couldn’t.

Meditation: Take-Two

Last Sunday, having selected my meditation room, I decided to finally give it whirl.

With meditation CDs in hand, I walked up to the attic, my faithful dog Snickers at my heels. Knowing Snickers would whimper outside the closed door, I let her in the attic and locked the door behind us. I sat down in my meditation zone, my back against a denim beanbag chair, a portable CD player on the floor in front of me.

Okay, I thought, here we go.

The CD started and I immediately let out a laugh. My meditation leader, Dr. Marty Rossman, sounded like Ben Stein. How on earth was I supposed to meditate with Ben Stein leading me? All I could think of was his line in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,    “Beuller? Beuller? Bueller?”

No One Told Me This Was a Detox Program

I’m having an existential crisis.

This program has upended my notions of who I think I am and forcing me to reevaluate how I live my life.

The unimaginable has happened. I’m losing my taste for wine.

Having rationalized my red wine consumption as a permissible, even healthy, detour from the plan, I started drinking it again, on occasion. But now I notice my body rejects more than one glass of that sweet nectar. Instead of tantalizing my tongue, it tastes bitter at the first sip of the second pouring. Is it the essence of guilt I smell in the bouquet that prevents me from overindulging? Or the knowledge of alcohol’s affect on my body? Or perhaps, I’m simply drinking really bad wine?