I’ve always been proud of my daughter, but more so lately.  She came back from a hockey tournament in New York and had loads of homework to finish.  Unfortunately, it was nearing the end of the six weeks so there was no room for error.  When she came home she dilligently spent her time getting her work done instead of visiting with friends and was able to turn in the assignments on time. 

She also plays the clarinet in middle school and has been preparing for an audition to be admitted into the International Baccalaureate Program in high school under Fine Arts.  She has worked incredibly hard each and every night practicing her clarinet.  She produced one recording to include with her application, but decided it wasn’t good enough and kept working until she had a recording she felt was her best.  In the past she might have been willing to settle for the first recording, but to see her take the initiative to keep working until she produced the best she could really makes me proud of her.

I see that level of competition on the ice rink.  She gets visibly frustrated when she is unable to perform at the level she should.  She has broken a few sticks out of frustration if the shot she takes in practice doesn’t hit its mark.  She gets irritated when teammates goof off during practice.  With the expense that comes with travel hockey, it is incredibly refreshing to see her maturing and taking it seriously.

The next time I’m struggling with one of my workouts or having trouble with a craving, she will be my inspiration to work a little harder and to be a little tougher.  My experience on BFL is that it doesn’t always take a great deal of will power to over come a craving.  Sometimes all it takes is a little adjustment in thought.  Redirecting. 

Sometimes it takes personal examination.  I know on a recent run I was almost finished when I felt like I wanted to stop.  I was so close to the end of the workout…why stop now?  I began to focus on what was wrong.  I realized I was tense.  My hands were clinched and my shoulders were tense.  I relaxed and was able to finish the rest of the workout.

In as much as a person can talk themselves into a craving, a person can talk themselves out of it as well.  I remember standing in front of the vending machine at work trying to rationalize the need for a package of cookies.  It was right after lunch and I wanted something sweet.  I finally told myself I didnt need the cookies and turned and walked away. 

This evening when I get home I will perform my lower body workout and then peel and throw some shrimp on the barbie.

My menu for the day:

Meal 1: shredded wheat cereal, two turkey sausage links, protein shake

Meal 2: plain non-fat yogurt and turkey breast

Meal 3: baked chicken and grilled vegetables

Meal 4: turky and pasta dish

Meal 5: grilled shrimp, salad, green beans

Meal 6: protein shake