Ready to Cruise!

As the time draws near to climb aboard RCCL's Mariner of the Seas and begin the journey around South America, I am trying a little self hypnosis or maybe it is just a good old fashioned talking to. . . myself.  We'll be cruising for four weeks and that is wonderful, but the down side of any vacation and particularly one spent on a ship is the plentiful and varied food.  No matter the time of day or night you can get pretty much anything you want to eat and that is not always a good thing.

People have been known to have difficulty fitting into the clothes they brought by the end of the trip.  So, we try to think of the cruise as a spa vacation, where we visit the gym regularly, try to maintain a routine of walking around the deck, and select healthy portions and types of food (most of the time).  After all, it is a vacation.  Oh, this is what we should be doing all the time, right?  Once again, I am reminded that health and fitness really are just a matter of the habits we develop for ourselves.  I tell myself I am in this life for the long haul and staying healthy is the absolute priority.  Looking good just comes naturally with the healthy part.

Busy aagh!

Wow, things have heated up at The Barn and we are soooo busy.  I've been working so many days and trying to work on the sequel to Currents Deep and Deadly that I haven't been hitting the gym as I normally do.  Of course running up and down the stairs to help customers for 8 hours is exercise. 

I know I'm going to eat too much over the next couple of weeks but there is just no doubt that when it is over I'll be back with the regulars at Balance Fitness.  Then in January on my writing cruise to South America (complete with RCCL hosting a book signing) I'll utilize the gym just like the characters, Darcy and Mick, in my novel. 

What are you doing to stay healthy and sane during the holidays?  Do you have any REAL health resolutions and if so how will you keep them?

The Best Resolution -first posted a year ago

We had a conversation with the owner of our gym about the huge number of new members they always get in January. People have great intentions to turn over a new leaf and lose weight or just get healthier. Unfortunately, it is typical that most of these members fade out of the picture by Spring. Why? More than likely, these folks were not really committed to their self-improvement. It is one thing to know what we should do, and quite another to completely internalize it and make fitness our top priority FOR LIFE.


This seems surprising in a way, because the feeling--the high, if you will--that comes with being in shape, looking good, and knowing that for the most part we are putting healthy fuel into our bodies, is incomparable. So, what to do? Let us know your ideas for turning a fitness resolution into actual life change.

We also have to renew our committment each year as we look forward to, and prepare to embrace, the changes that will inevitably take place in our lives.

Back to basics for the holidays

Well, time has really gotten away from me and I know I'm not the only one. Book marketing is a whole new world and finding time to work on writing the sequel is difficult with everything else happening over the holidays. The Barn and Synergy are going along fine but the retail endeavor takes a lot of that energy and time that are so scarce.


So, again, now is the perfect time to take a deep belly breath and reaffirm a comittment to health and fitness. Just a few minutes a day to start with for some stretching, running in place, jogging up and down your stairs and starting the day with a wholesome substantial breakfast. Yes, that will go a long way and tomorrow and tomorrow and so on, it will be easier to expand to 20 minutes of exercise, 30, and so on. And don't forget it is all about water and fiber. Flatten your belly with those two elements in your diet. . . and of course, keep moving.

Things are heating up

Wow!  It turns out writing the book and even getting it published were only the beginning.  Marketing and advertising are crazy.  I'm forging relationships with independent bookstores who will carry Currents Deep and Deadly on consignment, including Tattered Cover in Denver and Boulder Bookstore.  Two booksignings and one book reviewer are set up.  Eventually I have to get back to the writing.  Self publishing is great in many ways and I have a beautiful book to sell but there isn't enough time to do everything....and guess what is suffering?  Of course the work out.  Gotta get back on track, even if it means letting my Barn home decor store go.  Health and fitness are the most important thing, cause without that you can't really optimize anything else.  Keep moving and eat your veggies!!

Facebook blog

Xlibris, my publisher, set up a blog on facebook.  aalleman80107.

Back to fitness....I hope

The past couple of months have been more than hectic with getting the book published and working in the shop.  I'm afraid the thing that suffered the most was getting to the gym.  No real harm done, though, and now getting back into the routine.  Of course, I'm writing the sequel to the first book and still have the shop but I know I just have to pace myself and remember what is most important.   If you're not healthy nothing else matters!