Women on Bikes SoCal August/September 2013

Image by 123rf.com

Something happened at the Boston Marathon last weekend that strengthened Americans all over the country. The intended effect – to take a national treasure like the world’s most inspiring marathon and use it as a site for terror – has backfired.

All over the country and the world, people are speaking out about the joy and celebration that comes with challenging yourself physically and mentally through athletic endeavors. There truly is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment when you cross your first finish line and check the box on something you thought impossible.  That success becomes a stepping-stone to greatness, and spills over to unsuspecting areas of your life.

But, the path to your personal celebration of who you are doesn’t have to start with a marathon. It doesn’t have to be at a world-class venue like Boston, London, or Kona. You can begin your own celebration right in your neighborhood, park, or your local pool.

Can I jog to the end of the block without stopping? Can I climb that hill on my bike? Can I swim in good form to the end of the pool? Can I dance until the end of the song? These are the daily “wins” that build, one by one, to lay the foundation to do something great. It starts with one step. One pedal. One stroke. One pirouette.

Then something happens to you too. Your confidence takes a bounce upward. You walk a little taller. You find new levels of energy. You sleep better. You smile more. You may even be a little more patient (endorphins are so soothing!).

If you’d like a friend to share your journey with, please reach out to us. We’re forming a group effort called Fitness Impossible to take on the challenges you thought you could never face as we prepare for the 3^rd annual Beach Babe Bicycling Classic on July 14, 2013 in Long Beach, CA. Drop us a line and join our group which will be starting soon (online and group meetings).

To your Health By Bike – Janaé Noble

Image: 123rf.com

It’s a New Year and I have joined the team at Women on Bikes SoCal to help inspire more ladies to ride a bike. But, you’ll quickly find that I may not go about it in a traditional way by telling you how fun it will be or how cute you will look as you ride all over town.

No. As I accept this challenge to be the new Health By Bike columnist, I’m quick to level a challenge too. Here it is. Through this column, I’m going after the non-believers.  The women who wouldn’t be caught leaving the house, let alone riding a bike. These are the women who no longer have hope in changing their physical destiny. They no longer believe they can change their attitude let alone their waistline. These are the women who never got picked for recess, were labeled as klutzy, bookish, or worse invisible. In short, these are the women who think fitness is impossible. Unattainable.

You’ve heard them talk before. There is something that keeps them from making the transition from sedentary to active. It’s either their genes, or their kids, or their upbringing. It’s an idea they picked up along the way, like a magic wand was waved and pointed saying “No, you can’t move. You are trapped in your body and can’t get out.”

Well, those are ladies are going to be my girls. My “Fitness Impossible” girls.  Just like a Bond movie, the girls in Fitness Impossible are the ones who truly believe there is NO WAY ON EARTH they can get fit in this lifetime.

Fitness Impossible may end up being a mini-reality show or just a local project for a professional trainer and coach like me, or it may simply be a way I can give back a little to a woman who didn’t have the opportunity to express herself in the physical world like I have.

Fitness Impossible is an ongoing adventure that I’ll chronicle here in this column and will reflect the journey of a handful of brave Long Beach women who escape the mental trap that keeps them physically stuck.

Are you a candidate for Fitness Impossible? Do you know someone who is? If so, we want to hear from you. If you live in Long Beach and you are carrying around more physical baggage than you bargained for, tell us your story below. We may just create a mission for you! Send us an email to wobsocal@gmail.com.

To Your Health By Bike,

Janaé