Feeling healthy inside and out these days! In years past, Mother's Day has meant sleeping in late, eating and indulging from morning until night, and then just lazing around and doing nothing all day long. Not that there is anything wrong with this picture (in fact as I type this I am wondering if I might be a little crazy), but these days I take joy in a much different kind of celebration. Today, all I asked for was an early morning mountain bike ride. I have really come to enjoy this new weekend ritual, and I knew that starting my day off this way would ensure that I would be content throughout the day.
I have come so far in the last few years. I know some of you might not believe this, but I truly enjoy getting out in the early morning and swimming, biking, or running. I am a much happier, calmer, and a more settled person since I have made exercise a part of my lifestyle change. Not to mention that moving my body allows me to eat the kinds of food I love and not deprive myself when I want a little indulgence. After all, life is too short to eat completely clean 24/7, especially when food brings me such joy.
So for Mother's Day, all I asked Sean for was a nice early mountain bike ride, so that my kids could sleep in and I could be home in time to have the breakfast in bed I love so much. This is a win-win for us all. I was also able to talk Kay and her husband Jim into joining us on our early morning jaunt to the Santa Rosa Plateau trails. There we were at 6:15 am jumping on our mountain bikes and hitting the challenging trails. It is funny how all that bike training I did for Ironman did little to prepare me for the rigors of avoiding rocks, trying not to slide out in the sand, and getting the gears just right to get up a steep trail hill. The endurance is there, but other than that, this is a completely different form of exercise. I think Kay summed it up best when she stated, "This ride would be so amazing if it wasn't for the rocks and hills," but it is this demanding aspect of trail riding that makes us both enjoy it so much. On a road bike I have times where I can just zone out and focus on my biking form, but today I had to make split second decision as to which side of the trail would be best for my tires to grip, which gear I should use for the slippery ups and down, and when to just take my hands off the brake and let myself fly through the trail and hang on for dear life...and yes, this was fun!
I have come so far in the last few years. I know some of you might not believe this, but I truly enjoy getting out in the early morning and swimming, biking, or running. I am a much happier, calmer, and a more settled person since I have made exercise a part of my lifestyle change. Not to mention that moving my body allows me to eat the kinds of food I love and not deprive myself when I want a little indulgence. After all, life is too short to eat completely clean 24/7, especially when food brings me such joy.
So for Mother's Day, all I asked Sean for was a nice early mountain bike ride, so that my kids could sleep in and I could be home in time to have the breakfast in bed I love so much. This is a win-win for us all. I was also able to talk Kay and her husband Jim into joining us on our early morning jaunt to the Santa Rosa Plateau trails. There we were at 6:15 am jumping on our mountain bikes and hitting the challenging trails. It is funny how all that bike training I did for Ironman did little to prepare me for the rigors of avoiding rocks, trying not to slide out in the sand, and getting the gears just right to get up a steep trail hill. The endurance is there, but other than that, this is a completely different form of exercise. I think Kay summed it up best when she stated, "This ride would be so amazing if it wasn't for the rocks and hills," but it is this demanding aspect of trail riding that makes us both enjoy it so much. On a road bike I have times where I can just zone out and focus on my biking form, but today I had to make split second decision as to which side of the trail would be best for my tires to grip, which gear I should use for the slippery ups and down, and when to just take my hands off the brake and let myself fly through the trail and hang on for dear life...and yes, this was fun!
My amazing daughter took over breakfast in bed duties. The other thing that has changed is how I view celebrations. I used to think that every holiday meant a free-for-all in the eating department. My breakfast usually consisted of a huge omelet, several slices of bacon and sausage, greasy hash browns, buttery toast, and this was just the breakfast. We have all been eating so healthy these days, so Siobhan used the Hungry Girl resources to make me the most delicious, filling, but reasonable breakfast I have ever had for Mother's Day breakfast in bed. I had a Morning Waffle Dip sandwich, a big serving of fresh berries (including blueberries we picked yesterday at the Temecula Berry Co.), coffee, and my all time favorite drink, a Bloody Mary done Hungry Girl style. And I was able to eat this all for under 500 calories. Eating a little lighter for breakfast and lunch will allow me to indulge in one of my all time favorite meals for dinner, ribeye steak and a baked potato.
This is the motto I live by these days. Which brings me to my final reason why I feel I am celebrating a whole new kind of Mother's Day. I can finally brag about the fact that I have become a healthy role model for my children. No longer will I be the cause for their unhealthy eating and weight problems. I know that they will remember to be active and to make reasonable food choices, because I have modeled this for them. Eoin will still eat his beloved sweets, but the fact that he frequently chooses a big, juicy apple or a bag of fresh veggies to snack on tells me that he is on the right track. And the fact that Siobhan is researching healthy recipes on her own and making better versions of the fatty, sugary treats she enjoys gives me hope that at college she will be making these decisions a little more often on her own. Niall is now running and exercising on a regular basis, and he sees the balance in his life as well. Sean and I can be content in the fact that we are finally making sure our children will have a better chance at not wasting their 20's and 30's overweight and unhappy like their parents. And this is truly the best Mother's Day gift of all!
Parents must lead by example. Don't use the cliche; do as I say and not as I do. We are our children's first and most important role models.
Lee Haney
Parents must lead by example. Don't use the cliche; do as I say and not as I do. We are our children's first and most important role models.
Lee Haney
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