Rosie's Rant-(Self Defeating Behaviors), Couscous Recipe, R2R and 9.1.12 Goal

Self Defeating Behaviors:

My behavior begins///began with a choice and so does yours. 

Self defeating behaviors are actions and or attitudes that once helped us to deal with stressful situations but are currently stopping us from responding to life in healthy ways.

The behaviors lead us to make the same choices repeatedly in most areas of our lives and  they sustain the cycles of failure and defeat.  Self defeating behaviors can be disastrous and are developed because they are reliable patterns that offer comfort and protection at difficult times.

Why do we invest so much time and money into building a plan of action and then fail to follow it?  Could it simply be because it is easier to continue with the behavior as it is familiar and easier to continue with the way things are rather than change? 

When the behavioral choice reduces stress, it is likely that the same behavior will be used the next time that stress appears.

Do you have any self defeating behaviors?  If so, please share how are you dealing/ overcoming  them?

Rosie's Recipe Box:

Tri Colored Mediterrean Couscous with Diced Tomatoes and Blackbeans

Couscous is similar to pasta and originated in North Africa.  Couscous can be found in a lot of dishes throughout the world. Instant couscous is really easy to make because the dried couscous is added to a pot of boiling water and the water is absorbed into the couscous in about five minutes. And all you have to do after that is add various seasonings and mix-stir and fluff with a fork. This is a quick and easy side dish and goes well with chicken, pork or fish. I tend to like mine very spicy and will eat couscous hot or cold. .

Ingredients:

1 12oz. package of World Market Tricolored Mediterrean Couscous

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

a sprinkle of salt

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of onion powder

1 tablespoon of cumin

2 tablespoons of curry

2 tablespoons of red pepper-cayenne powder

1/4 cup of dried onion bits

4 cups of water

Directions:

In a large pot bring 4 cups of water to boil.

Then stir in salt and couscous. Cover and remove from heat-let stand for 5 minutes

Add in the seasonings and dried onions. Stir- fluff with a fork.

Open and drain the cans of beans and tomatoes and add them to the couscous- stir in and fluff with a fork

Rainier to Ruston 50k (R2R) on 6.2.12 

It was character that got us out of bed, committment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow thru........Zig Ziglar

I'm always to excited to sleep the night before a race and got up at 3:45 to prepare for R2R.  After drinking coffee and sipping a ton of water it was time to board the  the shuttle  to Mount Rainier.   
Little did I know that this event would be totally out of my element with bugs, cliffs, a river and some serious mud. 
I was feeling a little antsy on Mother's Day because I will be turning 45 this year and didn't have any big plans or goals scheduled yet to celebrate. I always like to have a goal to work on. Sooooo, I instantly decided to sign up for a local 50 mile race in September or October. Well, as luck would have it, I wasn't able to find one and ran across R2R while searching and decided that I'd do the 50k and it would serve as my first 50m training run.

The first 5 miles of the race were incredibly sweet- downhill and all road. BUT the next 10 or so was pure freakin' trail. I swear I've never run a course like this one, so not into the trail thing. It was like Survivor on some serious steroids. I tripped, slipped and fell so many times it was like taking a pure WWF ass whippin'-smack down.... After stepping thru what seemed to be the 10th pile of knee high mud--I thought the lone diva was going to go down for the count and had a pure out crying jag. Then 3 guys showed up out of nowhere and told me to stay with them!   Many, many thanks to Kenny, Bob and Steve for distracting me and letting hang with them. We separated around mile 16 because they ran the 50 mile race. I went thru  hell and back in one day and finished the race.

Dead-last finish is better than did not finish, which greatly trumps did not start!!!!!

Success is often a goal that's been met and soon to be replaced with another new goal. My gears have shifted, and I truly believe that  life is simply about pushing the envelope and exceeding limitations.

On September 1st, I'm venturing on the far side of 26.2 to run my own 50 mile race and calling it.......My Day, My Race and I'm Doing it My Way. I will be running thru Parkland, Puyallup, Tacoma, Fife, University Place, and North Tacoma. Because I want to celebrate my day it with the challenge of going a longer distance and testing my mental and physical limits.

When I am asked why do I run like I do. My answer is: it's simple- after spending the first 34 years of my life struggling with my weight..... yo yo dieting, starving myself , using diet pills and laxatives, being depressed and compulsively overeating and suffering from low self esteem, I am choosing to do things differently now. I manage my weight by remembering all of that and running. And that I am responsible for my health and well being and that I can't spend the rest of my life blaming other people for my mishaps and circumstances. Setting goals and running is really, really, really easy.   I have a choice and my choice is to not return to my former self.  I keep a healthy balanced approach to eating by remembering that no foods are off limits and to stay within my calorie range.

For me exercise is not an option for me-it is an absolute must.

My goal....vision....dream....wish and prayer is to continue to reach folks with my personal story and to help motivate people to pursue a healthier and active lifestyle. And to show that perfection doesn't exist but thru trial and error they can get whatever their "it" is.