The other 23

Have you considered what you do with the other 23 hours of your day? I spend 1 hour in a CrossFit box most days of the week since the Spring of 2021. 

The other 23 hours are mine to rule. 

CrossFit has become my sport. Recently, after we moved to another state, I decided to grow in the sport. How so? Instead of focusing on distance running, I was going to master the multiple skills I need to perform well in CrossFit. 

My movement of choice was the strict pull-up. When I started, I asked every coach I had how I was going to be able to do this movement. They gave me great advice. I realized then that unless I practiced outside of class time, I would not be able to master the pull-up. 

I learned about scaling this movement. Still, I really wanted to be able to do one. Why? Deep inside, I thought I could. For the first year, I tried and tried and I didn't have it. 

I heard it takes years for some female athletes to master the pull-up. I chose to believe that was not going to be true for me.

When my family and I moved to Georgia, I decided to immediately find a box. When I did, I talked to a new set of coaches about my dream of mastering the pull-up. Like my previous coaches, they gave me all the information I needed. 

What they couldn't do was to make me train outside of class time. I made that decision on my own. 

I had a solid plan of what to do. I also decided to start during one of my latest 6-week challenges. I practiced outside of class twice a week. 

It was inconvenient. I could be home doing other things. Yes, I had been at the gym already but there I was, back to do something I couldn't really do. Why? Because it was my goal last year. I had to accomplish it. 

I bundled the fact that most of my immediate family works out in the evening with my need to workout at a second time during the day. This worked really well. So I persisted: week after week. 

Some newbie friends of mine mastered the pull-up soon after they started CrossFit. I admired their dedication. I learned that when you want something, you find a way to make it happen. This particular friend bought a bar. Every time he walked by it, he told me, he tried to do a pull-up until he mastered it. Brilliant!

I thought about my first year at CrossFit. Like that friend, I could have mastered this skill. My challenge was the other 23 hours of my day. 

I was in a serious state of stress. I didn't have enough energy to go back to the gym one additional time. I look back at that year as the year I did what I could with what I had. Thanks to my coaches, I learned the fundamentals of CrossFit. They answered every question I had and gave me a place to belong. The community aspect of my first box was matchless. I'm forever grateful. 

I learned that while I had the desire to master a pull-up, the amount of stress I was navigating was not allowing me to make progress toward that goal. Good thing I never let go of that dream. 

Yesterday, after a leisurely walk through my neighborhood, I decided to swing by the playground and see what kind of progress I made toward that goal of mastering the pull-up. 

I climbed the monkey bars and my chin went over the bar. Jumped off. The strangest sensation filled my mind. "Did I just do a pull-up? Let me try again to see if it wasn't a mistake." 

I did it a second time. I texted my family. "I just did 2 pull-ups at the park! Hard work pays off foreal! I'll keep working hard." 

The other 23 hours contributed to those 2 pull-ups at the park. I never gave up on my dream. I chose to practice outside of class, no matter what. 

I chose to let go of any self-defeating thoughts and kept working. 

My next goal is to get 8 pull-ups in a roll. The first two were a gift. They were a reminder that the other 23 hours of my day can affect my personal goals. 

I need to choose self-compassion as I set my goals. I need to choose persistence and hard work as part of the process. 

I hope my story encourages you not to give up on your goals. Think about the other 23 hours. There's always time to work on your dreams.

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Training

"You don't have energy, you do energy. There is no pill, there is a process."
- Jim Kiwk 

A few years ago, I was at my local gym standing by the weight racks. There was a huge mirror in front of me. I looked at myself and thought, "I've been a lot of things but I haven't been strong yet." 

I've been hearing about the benefits of weight training for many years. I had difficulty knowing what to do with the free weights. Any time a trainer made a recommendation, I'd follow it closely but that was it. Most of my training life revolved around distance running. 

In mid-December, after I strained my calf muscle, I decided to really do something about weight training. I changed my workouts at the gym. Still, I didn't really know what I was doing. 

I heard about CrossFit a while ago. I've been following the trend every since. I never said never to CrossFit. I want to say that I said, not yet. 

I talked to a few friends who have been faithful CrossFiters for years. They gave me great insight and advice. One of my friends verbalized the same thing I've been thinking. She said, "Cintia, we are stronger than we think we are."

I decided to dedicate myself to this new sport. At week 5, I can say that it has been worth it. I feel stronger already and I am learning a lot.

You do get sore in the beginning. Very sore. The good thing is that I know how to recover thanks to distance running. I also told myself that if I keep showing up, I will get stronger and less sore. 

The main thing I am learning from CrossFit is that there is no easy to learn. I have to show up, listen to instruction, and put in the work. 

Today I heard a great quote from Jim Kwik. He said, "you don't have energy, you do energy." I never heard this fact put it this way. 

I hear a lot of people saying "I'm tired, I don't have energy" and I can sympathize with them. I've been there. I started sitting on my couch, tired, overweight and suffering with high blood pressure. The way I got energy was to do. I started small. 

While seated on that couch, I wrote in my journal: "I am a runner and I love running." I had never ran a mile for fun. Today, not only I am a runner but I ran 7 marathons for fun. You have to start somewhere, it might as well be from where you are, exactly as you are. 

The second thing that Jim Kwik said was "there is no pill, there is a process." A similar quote is posted in my CrossFit box. The quicker I accepted this reality, the easier it was to become who I was meant to be. 

I became so passionate about the power of process that I wrote the following quote here on the blog: "There are no results without the process." I began to embrace the process. 

Learning and loving the process will lead you to your goal. You've done this before. There was a process that led me to attain my degrees. I went to class. I took the test. I wrote the paper. I walked across the stage to get my degrees. 

There was a process that led to the birth of my children. While I was not 100% in control, I did what I could. I went to every doctor's appointment. I took the prenatal vitamins. I ate more vegetables. I rested as much as I could. I was there for the birth, I recovered from the birth. 

I want you to forget any excuses you have for a moment. What is the process that will lead you to your goal? What can you do to get there? Small steps will lead you to where you need to go. 

My goal with CrossFit is not to be a sponsored athlete. What I do want is to be stronger so my life as a wife and mother can benefit. I can tell you that I am benefiting already as a runner. I'm amazed at how much strength training helps my entire body and mind. I am close to being done with my WW journey but I am not there yet. 

I am telling myself that I have energy. I am also telling myself that the process (tracking my food intake, resting, drinking water, minding my mindset, moving) is important. There is no way to reach my goal without embracing the process. 

Lastly, I want to tell you that you too have what it takes to embrace the process that will lead to your goal. This is the year to achieve your goals and become all you were meant to be. You have what it takes.

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Marathon training: from friendliness to deep friendships

Marathon training season starts in a few weeks. This will be officially the first season I won't train with my old running group. 

Although I moved after last year's training season started, I went back for a few key runs. I also became a virtual head coach instead of an in-person coach. I guess I was ahead of my time, considering all of this COVID-19 stuff.

I finished what I started (thank God) and marathon number 6 was a wrap.

I decided to sign up for another marathon this Winter because I thought it would be a good goal to pursue. Before the official training starts, I am working on eliminating extra body weight.

I have run enough to know that the extra weight only impedes my progress. I don't want to be on weight loss mode all my life. I want to reach my goal and proceed to maintenance. I have a great chance to reach my weight loss goal and I will reach it before the end of the year.

Back to running. I'm glad I learned a lot about myself these past 6 marathons. I know how to run with a group and I know how to run alone. 

Both skills are very important. My thing is, I don't want to be stuck. I need to be able to adapt to my surroundings so I can reach my running goals. 

One time, the weather was awful and I ran 17 miles on a treadmill. I don't recommend it but that experience taught me to press on and accomplish my goal.

Running with a group is an acquired skill. The running community is generally friendly. The problem some people run into is turning that friendliness into deep friendships. Some runners remain acquaintances after decades of running together. Others develop deep friendships that last a lifetime. 

I don't think there is a secret to developing deep friendships with people. It all depends on the individual and where they are in life. I will write more about this in a later post. 

As a newcomer to a group, you will notice small groups in existence. Most groups are friendly and they do not mind you running with them. Some groups say they are friendly but they are really closed groups running in public. 

It doesn't take long for me to figure out these dynamics. I often ask myself, "should I try to belong to this group who clearly does not want me to be part of them or do I find another way?" 

That's when my skill of running solo or with a group comes in handy. I've had to do both and I'm okay with both. What I try not to do is to be hurt because a group or a person does not want me to run with them. 

Running doesn't discriminate but runners sometimes do. Reaching my running goals while cultivating a forgiving heart is better than getting frustrated with trying to belong to a closed running group.

I've learned to pray about everything, running included. My prayer is that God will lead me to the right people and vice-versa. When I focus on the vice-versa part of the equation, I feel better.

For example, I noticed a lot of people around me were trying to belong to the running community. I thought about my experiences as a runner and as a minority runner. I decided to be a safe space, an encouraging force to anyone who will receive me. I decided to act on this belief.

I verbalize the following: "I am glad you are here. You belong. You don't have to jump any hoops or do anything special to be part of us. You belong just as you are and we want you to feel you are part of us.  Here is my number if you ever need it."

This statement makes my heart's intentions crystal clear. I also find that instead of waiting for someone to do this for me, I can freely offer it to others.

Focusing on the positive is the best way to live and run.

This training season will be different. I dearly miss the familiarity of my old running group. Still, I will learn more about myself. I will bring all that I am to my upcoming training season.

Most runners I met in the past are great people. I met a lot of welcoming, genuine people. My share of bad experiences does not represent the overwhelming good I receive from the running community.

I am thankful for what was. I look forward to what will be. I am committed to being a force for God's goodness in my local running community. I want to be welcoming, encouraging and I want to see my friends reach their running goals.

Here's to a brand new long-distance running season. My heart is free, my whole being is ready to accomplish another marathon. 

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I'm a running coach!

Happy National Running Day! I'm celebrating all day by resting. Resting is an important part of running. I want to run for a long time so resting and recovering need to be part of the plan for me.

I am happy to announce that I am getting to the end of my sabbatical. If you follow me on Instagram, you are probably wondering what in the world I do when I am NOT on exercise sabbatical. I love training, running for the joy of it. I am currently getting in shape to run a marathon in January, the Chevron Houston Marathon.

My goal between now and the beginning of the season is to be faithful with cross training and take it easy during my weekend runs. I am also swimming as cross training.

By the time we start marathon training in July, my body will be in the best shape to conquer 26.2 miles.

Another happy news in my world is that I was invited to be one of the Head Coaches for my running group. USA has helped me reach the finish lines of 5 marathons, 5 half marathons and many other distances in between. Other than the 30 years of experience they put into their training plan, I made lifelong friends. If you are a local friend, I hope you join us to train for the distance of your choice and change your life!

USA Fit is a group for walkers and runners. We cover every pace imaginable and every distance you desire to conquer. USA Fit is in many locations in the US so find your local chapter!

Today my own early morning group is celebrating 1 year. It started as a 6-week experiment and one year later, I'm glad we kept it going. Beat the Sun is a virtual group as well. Join us if you want to be motivated to reach your fitness goals!

It is not too late to decide what your exercise goals for the year need to be. Today is a great day to start. Start small. If you have a big goal (marathon, half marathon) find a group that can support you and empower you.

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My weight loss in 60 seconds: marathon season prep

Every mile counts!

Marathon training starts in 12 weeks. I was blessed to have a strong season in 2018-2019 which was my come back from my “sabbatical.” My sabbatical consisted in my year off racing long distance. I ran a 10K and trained in my neighborhood. I got my mental game strong and I lost weight. Coming back to distance running was sweet. Of course the sport is always waiting for you with open arms. The distance I chose was the half marathon. I had never ran the Aramco half in Houston. It was a great experience, you can read all about it here.

I enjoy counting down, so, 12 weeks. My plan is to do the following:

• Maintain my running base
• Get stronger (back to lifting weights)
• Cross train like a champ (back to swimming)
• Pay close attention to my nutrition (get leaner)

Another thing I’ll do is to start working on my mental game earlier. I often work on being positive during my long runs. I believe I can start earlier. I also want to encourage other runners out there. I believe that although running is an individual sport, we experience it as a group. I want to encourage others to persist and reach their goals.

I don’t know that your goal for the year is. What I do know is that you have a lot of potential. What will you accomplish in 12 weeks?

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Green 6.2 Recap 2018

The Saturday before Easter was a busy day for us. We are glad we started it by running the Green 6.2 10K/5K! This race is dear to my heart. Not only this was my first Texas race, it is now the first race my family ran together. 

I ran the 10K, my husband ran the 5K and the kids ran the Kids K. 

We all woke up very early. The kids were eager to race. The first thing they asked was, "is this the day we run with you?" I said yes, and off we went. 

We did race day packet pick up because we were kinda busy moving, celebrating Easter and working. Having that option the day of the race was awesome. 

My son ran his race well!

The adult race started before the kids race. I did intervals and I enjoyed the entire course. By the time I got back, my husband was finished with the 5k and it was time for the kids' race to start.
The kids had  a lot of fun running. I was incredibly proud of them and thankful to God for such blessing.

My girls ran together. 

A family that runs together... eats breakfast together :)

I started running 10 years ago when I was expecting my first son. I had a dream of running and I also wanted to share this  activity with my family. For years they watched me run and after a while, Zeke joined the fun. The kids ran their first race last Fall and they now want to race all the time (we need sponsors!). My goal is to coach them so they can run a 5K any weekend. We might start our own running club. Stay tuned!

Our joy would not be possible without the support of the Green 6.2 organizers. We love the race and we are so thankful for the opportunity to run as a family.

We will be back next year, which will be year 10 of the Green 6.2 and year 7 for me. I hope you guys can join us next year! It will change your life!

Green 6.2 over the years:
• 2017 recap
• 2016 recap
• 2015 recap
• 2014 recap
• 2013 recap 

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Project Health Week 5

I have 3 exercise tips that will help you stick with the habit. No, I won't try to turn you into a morning person. Enjoy this week's video! To watch my latest weight loss update, go to my YouTube and Subscribe my friend. Thanks!

Resources:
• Week 5 Handout

Links: 
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5

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Vamos continuar confiando em Deus

Oi amigos e amigas! Faz tempo que não escrevo em Português então aqui vai uma retrospectiva. Em Janeiro, eu e meu esposo completamos a maratona e a meia maratona de Houston. Essa corrida é sempre emocionante e muito prazerosa. O comprisso de treinar por 30 semanas é imenso mas vale apena. Esse ano estava quente demais, então eu corri devagar e terminei bem com a graça de Deus. 

Deus me abençoou com uma bolsa de estudo para uma aula na Faculdade de Estudos Bíblicos aqui em Houston. Estou na aula de Métodos de Estudo Bíblico e estou gostando demais. Essa aula simplismente te ensina a estudar a Bíblia melhor. Estou aprendendo muito e amando muito mais a Palavra de Deus. 

Outra bênção grande foi a oportunidade que eu e meu esposo tivemos de particpar de um acampamento de juvenis de inverno. Eu fui a preletora e ele foi o ministro de louvor. Eu sempre fui involvida com ministério com adolescentes mas essa foi a minha primeira vez como preletora. Deus foi fiel conosco e todos nós tivemos um final-de-semana de renovo na presença de Deus. 

Nós e alguns dos juvenis

O acampamento foi na Carolina do Norte. Fazem quase 6 anos que nos mudamos de lá, então foi um prazer voltar pra visitar. Fiquei felicíssima de reecontrar muitos amigos/as e irmãos/irmãs.

Aí no Brasil o Carnaval veio e foi, e eu aqui no norte de vocês nem senti a diferença. O interessante da cultura aqui é que na quarta-feira de cinzas muita gente comemora a quaresma. Nesses últimos 18 anos eu tenho observado muito esse costume do povo e é bem interessante. Eu não faço o que eles fazem, mas fico feliz por tanta gente se concentrar em Jesus e no sacrifício dEle pra nos salvar. Esse ano eu resolvi que esses 40 dias (sem contar os domingos) até a Páscoa é um ótimo tempo pra Jejuar, Orar e ler a Bíblia. Eu sempre tive o objetivo de jejuar mais e formar esse hábito. Já que o povo está todo animado com Jesus, me juntei a eles mas do meu jeito. Também tenho pensado que Deus é tão bom que Ele não precisa do meu jejum pra ser bom pra mim. Eu sirvo um Deus que é bom e generoso o tempo todo. Gente, eu acho que essa é a melhor notícia do dia. Eu não preciso de "manipulá-lo" pra fazer nada pra mim porque Ele já deu o Seu melhor na crus através de Jesus. Isso não quer dizer que não vou fazer minha parte, mas certamente muda a minha perspectiva.

Estou orando pra Deus me ajudar a visitar o Brazil. Acho que fazem uns 9 anos que não vou. Tenho saudade e certeza de que no tempo de Deus nós vamos e vamos aproveitar muito.

Um beijão pra vocês. Se tiverem sugestões do que querem que eu escreva, me mandem, OK? Até a próxima e vamos continuar confiando em Deus. 

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95 days till 2017!

95 days and we are in 2017. We have work to do people! The key is to start where you are! Read "September is the new January" for inspiration. 

 I'm trying not to be discouraged when I look at my goals but to be inspired to reach them. Here's the thing about goal setting: just because I wrote it down, it doesn't mean that it will magically happen. It does mean that I have margin and guidelines for the year. 

One of my goals was to run an out of town half-marathon and the race is coming up this weekend. I trained, I set my goal and Sunday I will race after that goal (literally). I appreciate your prayers for a successful race and trip. 

Others goals have not been easy to do. I often think of ignoring them but that would not be fair to the person who wrote those goals last year (moi). I choose instead to keep pursuing them for 95 days and then I'll see what I can get accomplished.
One of my real life, goal setting inspirations, is my friend Jennifer. She's a working wife and mother of a little one who just finished her second Ironman Triathlon. Instead of thinking of her as someone who has supernatural abilities, I think of her as a wife, mother and professional who has a busy schedule but takes her goals seriously. I also admire her thankful heart. Recently she shared her thanksgiving for her family and the many people who support her so she can reach such a big goal. It does take a village! I'm thankful for Jennifer being one of my real life goal achieving examples.

So here is what I am working with:

Fitness Goals - I successfully trained for my Fall Half-Marathon and I'm on track to reach my PR goal. This upcoming race will also be my base race for the rest of the season. My ultimate goal is to PR the Chevron Houston Marathon in January. I have lots of racing to do and I plan on learning strategy that way. 

Family Goals - family schedules are quite fluid throughout the year. The first 6 months of this year was very intense. Okay, the first 8 months! Things are different now which means I have room to be on top of my family goal of scheduling dates with my husband. We've been dating when we can but the plan is to get a firm date each week. Another one of my goals is to "give everyone 100% attention: no looking at screens unless working." I've been convicted about this because I'm teaching through my actions. So far, so good. 

Business Goals - this one has moved slowly but not really. I've invited God into my business goals and I've been getting exactly what I can handle in this are. For that, I'm really happy. 

Faith Goals - I've been super late with my Bible in a Year plan but the great thing is that I haven't neglected Bible reading at all. During the summer I focused on Colossians and in the Spring, when things got busier for me, I read less in quantity. I still think I can catch up. Stay tuned! I also set the goal of (Biblical) Fasting more often. I'm glad my church has Fasts on Wednesdays, which is a great reminder of my goal. It's also nice to do it as a church. 

Other Goals - Most of my "other" goals were accomplished. I don't know why, it just was easier somehow to get those done. They were also travel related, which is nice.

I also would like to remind us that the holidays are near. As of today, we have:

89 days till Christmas
58 days till Thanksgiving

We don't celebrate Halloween but if you do, get on the ball! The goal is not to let these holidays catch you unprepared. How am I preparing? I've been cleaning closets and making room for the extra things we pick up at the end of the year. This is making me very happy!

Time is going to pass by my friend. Wisdom is found when you decide how to spend it towards reaching your goals. Have a blessed day!

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10 Natural Stress Relievers

1. Exercise - this is a great way for your brain to produce feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Some call it "runner's high" but you feel as great at the end of a Zumba class. Doing what you love is the way to go about it. 

2. Rest - there are many benefits to resting. It gives you a much needed "reboot." It helps you get a better perspective on life's circumstances and it gives your mind a chance to start fresh. 

3. Deep breaths - without getting too weird, taking deep breaths helps you relax. It does something magnificent with your cardiovascular function. I remember taking deep breaths when I was nervous as a child. It has been a great practice. 

4. Bible reading and meditation - getting focused on the word of God is a natural stress reliever. I get to reestablish my foundation in God's promises. His word which does not return to Him void, which means, it works!  

5. Take it easy - life is not what it used to be, so respect this new season and don't put more on your bucket than you need to carry. Your stressful situation is only for a season. 

6. Meet a good friend for coffee - seeing a friendly face is naturally relaxing. I think that good friendships are naturally relaxing. Make a point to see a human being who loves you when you're under stress. 

7. Recognize - it's important to admit that you're stressed. Neglect just makes things worse. Once you recognize it, you can treat your symptoms accordingly. Recognition targets the problem so you can proceed to a solution.  

8. Counseling - professional counseling really help us get to the root of the matter and take steps towards solving our issues. I am a firm believer in professional, Christian counseling. I have benefited from sessions with a counselor during times of high stress in my life. 

9. Go on vacation (or staycation) - remember those commercials of people sunbathing on a sandy white beach? None of those folks look stressed. While most of us just can't take off to a beach, we can leave our usual places and go to a local park just to enjoy nature. Even if all you have is 15 minutes, it helps sooth your mind and body.  

10. Write on a journal - before running, journaling was the only thing I had to relieve stress. It's a great tool because you get to get your feelings out on paper. I remember feeling much better after writing a few pages. I was also able to process things better that way.

I want to encourage you to know yourself and get a couple of natural stress relief tools on your pocket. Life offers you stressful situations at times and it's great to know how to navigate through them. It is my personal conviction that one should not medicate stress with illegal drugs and bad habits but one should cut the problem by its root. We all go through stressful seasons but we were not created to dwell under stress. Seasons change and as we learn to navigate through stressful situations we will rise as better, more mature human beings. 

• What are your favorite natural solutions to cope with stress?

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How to Wake Up Early to Exercise

I have enjoyed waking up early because I get to work on my goals. Marathon training happens early in the morning, as well as daily Bible reading. Today I want to share a few tips to inspire you to fit your workouts in the morning. 

• Eat a Healthy Dinner - My husband and I went out to eat the night before a long run and when I woke up, I felt exceptionally well. I thought about what I ate and that was my answer. I feel great when I eat a good dinner the night before I workout. Healthy means different things to different people, so do what works for you. Be sure to invest in nutrition because it will pay you back with big dividends. 

(This is an older photo of me) I'm often wondering:
what am I doing up this early?

• Prepare your clothes - Before going to bed, be sure that your clothes, shoes, water bottle and anything else you will need is ready to go. I know people who even sleep in their workout clothes to make sure exercise happens in the morning. Failing to prepare is pretty much preparing to fail. If you wait until the last minute you might lose precious time. 

I enjoy reading my Bible before working out. 

• Set your alarm clock - but put it across the room. I use one of the older model, loud ones. I hurry up and turn it off so it doesn't awake my entire family. If you have the habit of turning it off and going back to bed, be sure the clock is away from the bed and remind yourself of why you are up at that ridiculous hour. 

Not that many people are out

• Go to bed early - Having a decent amount of rest will allow you to be a happier camper when you wake up in the morning. Rest is a must if you want to have the energy you will need to change your body. It might take a while to acquire this healthy habit but it is one worth keeping. 

A selfie just to prove that I'm done

 • Don't waste your time - Cut your to-do list to a minimum. If you are a coffee drinker, get everything ready the night before. The least you do before getting out of the door, the better. I have found myself wasting precious time on social media when I could have been doing other things that would make a difference in my life that day. Cut time wasters to zero because time is a precious commodity. 

Ready to go on with our day!

Knowing why you are waking up early is a great reason to persist. This week I woke up early 4 times. There's nothing glamorous or entertaining about it but the joy or reaching my goals makes this great effort worth it. Know why you are waking up early and enjoy the benefits of your newfound habit. Let me know if these tips work for you my friend! 

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How I deal with Frustration: the Avenue of Hope

I want to tell you about the solution I found to deal with frustration in a healthy and creative way. I created a file called "1 Idea per Day." Here is how it works: every day, I try to come up with a new idea. I can be whatever: a topic for a book, a business idea, a solution for a common problem, etc. The goal is to deal with frustration with creativity. The higher the idea, the better. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to leave your mind and make it to paper (or the digital file).

Instead of drowning in dread, I put my imagination and creativity to work on demand and I fill that file with new ideas. It has been a great exercise of encouragement. I still get frustrated a lot but I have found hope when I exercise my creativity instead of my frustration. 

I know that being upset about different things is part of life, but what you do after that first reaction is totally on you. By taking this step you are creating yet another avenue of hope by filling this "1 new idea per day" file with brilliant inventions. 

Your creative mind will not be taken away from you my friend. It's up to you to put it to good use. I want to encourage those who feel like they are at the end of the road. The ideas you write down just might be light you're looking for.

Let me know if this works for you my friend.

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Mid-year Goal Update

My goals for 2015 were not too lofty. I attribute this to the way I began my year: accomplishing a big goal and dealing with some frustration right after crossing the finish line. I’m not sure if I’m the only person who deals with disillusionment after reaching a goal. I managed to pick myself up and keep going. Not setting lofty goals has its advantages. While that feeling of disillusionment is what I remember from January, I decided to look at the goals I actually wrote the for the year. To my surprise, I have done pretty well. 

I set goals in the following categories: Faith, Fitness, Business and Family. I have accomplished a lot of the goals and I am making progress in many others. I was particularly surprised at the completion of 3 particular goals: my travel goals and my travel and business goals. I’m amazed at how simply writing the stuff down empowers you to go after those goals with God’s help. I think that what I learned about goals this year is that I can’t give up. A lot of my goals seem impossible but with God’s help and diligence in my part, I believe they will get accomplished. I think that setting goals is a vote of faith in God and a vote of confidence in myself. Sure, life takes over and stuff you don’t expect happen. It is still imperative not to give up on the long term fact that you become the person on the other side of the accomplished goal one baby step at a time.

My encouragement for you and I is to be a good finisher. We have half of the year under our belt so let's keep going and finish strong. 

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Change Begins in the Kitchen

It's day 11 of 100 and I am back home from vacation. I finally faced the scale and while I don't know my 'official' initial weight, I did take a before photo and I'll update it every 10 day-ish. I believe that the before picture is simply an avenue of progress.

I think the person in the Before picture is the bravest one for she made the decision to take steps towards change. While you will not see a near to naked body on my before or after picture (I prefer to let only my husband see that), you will see a brave person who decided to make progress towards change. 

Change is difficult, complicated and undesirable. The results of change are easy, simple and very much wanted. Good things come when we make the difficult decision to change ourselves. Every time I have to get in the process of changing from who I am to who I want to be I have to ask myself: why didn’t you make it easy on yourself and simply did not gain the weight to begin with? 

Easy to explain! I let life get in the way. I got sick and I got tired. I accomplished something big and decided not to stress about numbers in the scale. I lost weight only to regain it due to poor choices. I ate too much sugar. I never stopped exercising so that’s not my problem which makes me realize that change begins in the kitchen, thus this 100 days of food journal project. 

I have faith that by the end of this project the changes I make outside will mirror the change that happened inside of me. I don’t know where you are in your health journey but I want you to love who you are right now. Your before is simply your start line. It takes a lot of courage to start so embrace your courageous self and keep going.

100 Days of Food Journaling 
• Day 1

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Two Things

The amount of work and concentration it takes to prepare for and run a marathon is enormous. It takes coming out of one to realize how much work it takes. Good thing I have the Green 6.2 to look forward to tough! 

It's been 31 days since I crossed the finish line of the Houston Marathon and thank God I have recovered well. This morning a group of friends and I went running in the morning. I really enjoyed the run. It reminded me of running just for the joy of it, which is lovely. Another thing I like to do is to readjust my nutrition. I enjoy eating fruits, veggies, legumes and all of this stuff so I have a Pinterest Board with some cool recipes if you'd like to find some inspiration. So, running for the joy of it and readjusting my nutrition are two things I do after a major competition. How do you recover?

Follow Cintia's board Daniel Fast on Pinterest.

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2014 Health Goals: thankful!

13 days till the new year! I want to do a wrap up on my goals for the year. I wrote a 2014 Goals Update in May where I took a further step and added some Action Steps for my Health Goals. Today I’m being painfully honest about the results and extremely thankful to God for the opportunities I had in 2014. While these are Health and Fitness related, I also set goals in other categories. Here are my updates:

Houston Mile 22: my friends show up when I need them the most!

1 • Rebuild my running base in order to be always ready to run a half-marathon – DONE. I was blessed to stick with my running group off season and it was awesome!

Sweet Victory! I finished the Chicago Marathon thanks to God!

2 • Sign up for at least one marathon this year – DONE. Thanks to God for the gift of running the Chicago Marathon! It was a dream I had for many years. I’m so grateful for that experience. 

3 • Arrive at a normal BMI - NOT DONE. I pretty much maintained my weight this year.  

No major weight loss but I'm not who I used to be!

4 • Break my PR for both a half marathon and a marathon - NOT DONE YET. I have never ran a half-marathon and I did not PR in Chicago but with God’s help I will in Houston.  

Running with my husband was amazing. So thankful for Zeke!

5 • Inspire and motivate people who want to run – I HOPE SO. My husband is now a runner training for his first half-marathon. One of my friends told me I inspired him to run a marathon. I pray that my journey brings glory to God and motivation to people.

One of my personal goals was to be 'present' when talking to people. The pursuit of this goal made me a better friend and listener this year. I also set to write more qualitative pieces for the blog this cutting down in the amount of posts I put out. This goal helped me to be a more efficient writer. I wanted to read the whole Bible this year and I did not accomplish this goal. I hope to be able to do it in 2015 tough. I am happy with the amount of Bible study that happened this year. I also set Parenting and Financial goals and thanks to God I saw a lot of learning in both of these areas. 

I like the accountability of writing down my goals. I like the stats that say that people who write their goals are more likely to accomplish them. I also enjoy the fact that if I set out to reach nothing I'll hit it every time. 

I thank God for a year of growth and learning. I pray for the courage to set more goals for 2015 that will glorify God and bless others. 

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