The importance of being uncomfortable

So much has gone on since my last post (news and updates to ensue in the following days). Even with bunches of things to share I wanted to take a moment and talk about potentially the most valuable lesson I've learned in adulthood: Learning to be uncomfortable.
Tonight I decided to head to the pool to swim. To anyone else, this might seem like a totally casual thing but it was the context of this swim that in there lies the lesson. To let you know, I'm not big fan of group workouts. I've always found to be a solo runner or someone who likes to run with close friends. Being the marketer that I am (and also hungry for knowledge/gossip/tips or whatever) I follow all of the local running clubs/teams/stores/brands etc. I hear all of the time about things like Group Pancake Runs, Ladies-only bike rides, Pain in the park boot camp classes and more. I never go. For a long time I would blame it on my schedule, my lack of energy, or even conflicts with my personal training calendar. After those excuses got old I moved onto excuses that dug a little deeper, "I have a workout in mind, and that's not it".... the ole I knew better routine. Now, YEARS later I decided that the reasons I was giving were pretty much bullshit.

Truth was, I was suffering from a lack of confidence. What was I afraid of? Being the slowest? When I run by myself I am both first AND last.... what’s really the matter with finishing last after all?
Lately, as I would go on my long runs, a question would run though my mind over and over "how do I get better as this?".More runs- sure. Mix up my eating habits- good thought. Maybe different shoes or more cross training? All were good thoughts but in the end I determined that "I" was my own biggest hurdle to getting better

My head wasn't in the game. Running (especially) has this intense mental component that no amount of training will exercise (unless you let it). I realized that my inner self was the thing that needed work and that to make progress I was going to need to take a different approach to myself, my life, and my training. Why change? Because I refuse to be someone who's goals and/or life is stunted by something that could be changed . . .And that's exactly what living my life worried about being uncomfortable or nervous about my performance was doing. Running alone had become a comfortable place to be with no judgment and no expectation. I started to contemplate the other activities in my life and I realized that MOST of my life’s routine was built in a similar fashion. I took the same classes with the same instructors, fixed dinner from a finite set of items and shopped the same stores and websites.

Crap.

Here I thought my comfort-zone was a good place, a happy place. I now know that this comfort-zone I speak of is an illusion of my own creation. Life changes, it’s inevitable. We will grow old, technology changes, people come and go. Was I clinging to routine to help me cope? I decided it was time to help myself for a change and practice... Practice dealing with changes and get “comfortable” with being uncomfortable. The more I thought about my game changing plan, I liked it. I remembered back to the times I ventured outside of what I was good at and tried something completely out of the box. Snowboarding, triathlon, swimming, rock climbing…. All things I love to do that came at expense of effort and the loss of a touch of personal sanity.

So this pool workout I did, it was a group swim. 50+ swimmers of all levels, none of which I knew. The swim was tough and it pushed me MUCH HARDER then I would have gone myself. I met great people and although I felt nervous and slightly uncomfortable going into it, I was so glad I went

Valentines Day Cake

With a weekend of double workouts behind me, I'm ready to jump head-first into a week dedicated to decadent foods and non-stop chocolate eating. One of my New Years resolutions for 2013 was to not bake ANYTHING from a box this year. That's right, Betty move over. With a Kitchen-Aid mixer and trip to Powell's books store, I am ready to begin my year of "from scratch" baking. For my first endeavor, a Valentines Day cake is in the works. I wanted to find a recipe that was simply, rich, and contained some of the gorgeous seasonal fruits I've seen at the market. I found a recipe for a Vanilla cake with whipped cream and raspberries.

Here's the Recipe:

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Raspberry Simple Syrup for Valentine Cake (Simple Syrup= 1/2c water, 1/2c sugar, same crushed raspberry juice. Boil and let cool)
Whipped Cream for Valentine Cake
2 pints raspberries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)
Directions

Step 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 11 1/2-by-9 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cake pan and line with parchment paper. Butter and flour the parchment paper, and set aside.

Step 2: Set the bowl of an electric mixer over, but not touching, a pot of simmering water. Combine the granulated sugar and eggs in the bowl, and whisk until mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.

Step 3:Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick and pale, about 4 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Sift in the flour in three additions, folding gently after each. Combine the butter and the vanilla, and add in a steady stream as you fold in the third addition of flour. Fold gently, and transfer to prepared pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Step 4: Bake until the cake is springy to the touch and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When ready to use, turn out cake onto a cutting board or a cake turntable covered with parchment paper, and carefully peel the parchment paper off the cake.

To put it all together: Using a serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally. Brush cut sides of cake liberally with simple syrup. Spread bottom layer to within 1/2 inch of edge with half of the whipped cream. Cover cream with an even layer of raspberries. Spread remaining whipped cream over berries. Place top of cake cut side down over cream. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder, if desired.



I really like video tutorials, so here is Martha Stewart walk through this step-by-step: http://www.hulu.com/watch/448652?playlist_id=1474&asset_scope=all

wednesday motivation

My creative juices are spent. I'm fried. I need a little extra something to get me out the door and on the road tonight.

This was it.

impromptu photo shoot

In need of web art? The HTC/PTC office was today and so guess who got picked to be the model? Yup. Me.

Was I nervous? Sort of, I mean I don't generally get photographed when I run. Actually the closest thing I've come to seeing myself in action is when I run past a bank of storefronts and glare into the wall of windows reminding myself to straighten up, relax the hands and land gracefully. A coworker pointed out this picture once to me and I find it to be VERY true.

Anywho, my coworker and I hit the streets of PDX today to photograph me running. The result? Maybe the best photo's I've seen of myself EVER. . . See for yourself but I really think I am channeling my inner-Nike ad