LIVING OUTSIDE THE ZONE...

The comfort zone that is.
I've been wanting to write a 2011 goals post since January 1st, but wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do it- or what I even wanted to say.
A lot happened in this Lean Body Life between the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011. I quit a job that wasn't making me happy (but afforded me many of life's pleasures), embarked on a new full time career, & decided to go "back to school" and get my apparatus training. All of these things scare the s#@* out of me, but I am doing them... and they are BIG, so why on earth shouldn't I do the SMALL things that scare the s#@* out of me too? This year I am going to do things that make me uncomfortable. Nothing crazy or dangerous (like skydiving: still not happening), but stuff I would ordinarily shy away from.
For instance, I don't ride bikes.


I am terrified of them. I even had to ride a child's bike in a show once, and it was a full day event to get me even semi-comfortable on it. I did it, but I was a mess, and had a minor panic attack every show. You see, when I was a kid, I was always in
dance or theater classes. I hardly had time to ride bikes around the neighborhood like normal children. Then, the older I got, the farther I had to fall, which didn't appeal to me in the slightest.
So here I am, almost 30 and afraid to ride a bike... not good. Thus, I have decided that this year I, Jenn Seracuse, will ride a bike- more than once- fearlessly! Obviously I have to wait until this frozen tundra I am living in warms up.

**Shameless inclusion of cute husband and cat in snow**

So for now... I took a spin class. Those of you who know me well, know that this is CRAZY! The last (and only) time I took a spin class was in high school- when I was most certainly NOT focused on physical fitness- and I vowed NEVER AGAIN!
Clearly, even stationary bikes are out of my comfort zone, so when my new friend Lindsay (who you will be hearing much more about soon) extended the invitation to take the class at Flywheel Sports, my first instinct was to politely decline. Then it hit me... I am not at all who I was when I first tried spinning. It would be silly of me to have the same feeling about it without seeing what THIS Jenn thought, so I accepted.
Was it scary? YES. Was it hard? YOU BET. Did I die? NO!
In fact, I surprised myself. I was working, sweating, jamming to the music and loving it! I pushed to keep up with the RPM guidelines, and most importantly, DIDN'T QUIT. I felt strong and powerful, not to mention euphoric- endorphins are powerful things. I even took away some valuable life lessons from the instructor, Holly (who was great!):


"Figure out where you want to be, and then do what you need to do to get there."

She was talking about RPMS, but it also applies to life. It's important to have a goal and then you can move forward and do what it takes to achieve that goal. It may be hard and you may want to quit, but if there is one thing I have learned in life- and in spin class- once you lose momentum or even stop, it's a lot harder to get going again.

"Leave whatever you don't need- whatever is weighing you down- behind, and just GO."

Again, a great life lesson. The past is the past. Hanging on to past failures, or even past successes, too tightly takes a lot of energy. Energy which could be put toward moving forward.
A great workout and some inspiration? Yes please!

So... I have conquered my fear of indoor cycling, bringing me one step closer to riding an actual moving bicycle. I heard that Punxsutawney Phil Says Spring Will Come Early this year. I better get back to spin class- not for a few days though, as my butt is very sore- and get ready! Rest assured I will keep you posted on my progress.

How about you? How will you live "Outside the Zone" this year??