Mid-Month Update: May edition

On Friday, May 5^th I closed up my LuLaRoe shop and as of today I am officially no longer a LuLaRoe consultant. Phew, what a weight off my shoulders. Not that I didn't love being a consultant, I did. It just took every bit of my energy and free time (and non-free time too) to do it. Erick and I had not had a weekend off since we started this a year ago. Even the few times we traveled over the last 12 months were for work. So yeah, we are both EXHAUSTED and in need for a serious change in our lifestyle.

And this big change couldn’t have come at a better time as we are just a couple weeks away from putting our house on the market and we still have so much left to do! But we have definitely made progress and we think (hope) we will get it all finished in time.

The permits for our new home have all been filed and we are just waiting to meet with the contractor. Sometime in the next couple of weeks construction will begin on our new home and I am sooooo excited. It’s been 9 weeks since we signed the contract and we have been anxiously awaiting the build process to start. We visit the site every week and take pictures of the progress. Which, as of right now, is just the lot has been cleared, dirt has been brought in and leveled and that is it. But still, all of that has been super exciting for us. We cannot wait for fall to move into our new home. EEEK!!!

In other big news....I started seeing a therapist last week. She commended me on already utilizing the healthy habits she encourages her patients to use; mediation, activity (even light activity, 20-30 mins 4-5 times a week), and socialization. I have spent the past year just working, working, working and all of the things she mentioned were practically nonexistent in my life – which was probably why my stress levels were through the roof. One of the first things I did as soon as I knew I would be closing up shop was to start planning social events and activities with my friends because I felt like that was an area I had really neglected and there was so much I wanted to be doing. I am so excited to be making plans and spending time with my friends again. It seemed like others were really interested in doing more things together too so we even created our own little FB group where we share events and make plans together. It is awesome! 

I think I may have mentioned previously that I have started to incorporate meditation into my daily routine. I have been using the Calm app on my iPhone and I just love it! At night Erick and I listen to the sleep stories in bed. It is so calming…the app is very aptly named ;)  I also found a 2 hour meditation class this week and signed up for that as well. I really want to build my meditation practice up so it becomes an everyday part of my life. I have found myself much more focused and far less stressed on the days I am able to meditate.

Meditation came to me when I needed something to help save me from a complete nervous breakdown. I am not an expert or even yet a regular practitioner but I am already feeling the benefits of incorporating it into my life. It is seriously so amazing how something as simple as 10 minutes a day set aside to focus on clearing your mind and stopping all the busy around you can have a huge impact on your mental well-being. It’s great.

And of course activity…I will admit there are days where I am still heartbroken over my diagnosis and the fact that I will never be a runner again. That is/was a hard pill to swallow. BUT I have really started to find activity that I can do and love and that has brought me such happiness. I am finally feeling comfortable with light activity after many months of not being able to do anything except for PT and PT recommended stretches. Last week I started a 3 week yoga program (through Beachbody, so it is all at home stuff) and have completed the first week of that. I actually took a real in person class on Saturday morning. I found this event on Facebook for Yoga 4a Cause to raise money to help end human trafficking and they were having a yoga class on the outfield of our local baseball stadium. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do much or any of it but I went anyway because I wanted the experience and time with friends. It ended up being a fabulous class and I was able to do most of it without modifications. It made me feel comfortable enough to sign up for a couple beginners classes this week so in addition to the yoga at home I will be taking a Wednesday night class and a Saturday morning class.  I am really excited for both!

I am very thankful that yoga is in my life  again. I am happy to have something to be passionate about and that makes me feel alive and energized. For the first time in a very long time, I am starting to feel like me again. And I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything...

xoxox,

Dacia

Fitbloggin' 2015: Soybu Fashion Show

A few weeks before Fitbloggin’ I was asked if I would want to participate in the lunch time fashion show during the conference. This year the sponsor would be Soybu which meant I would get to don an awesome outfit from them. I, of course, said yes because….FREE CLOTHES! Even if it meant I had to walk a catwalk in front of a few hundred people, it was worth the anxiety and nerves and possible embarrassment.

Abby at Soybu sent us out our outfits ahead of time so that way we could try them on and let them know of any size adjustments before we arrived in Denver. A few days before I left for Denver I hadn’t yet received my outfit. I reached out to Heather (who was also participating in the fashion show) to see if she got hers. She had. It was a maxi skirt and a shirt. If you know me in real life, then you know I wear maxi skirts almost every day. I refer to them, lovingly, as crotchless yoga pants. They are my jam. Anywho, after hearing Heather received a maxi skirt I was pretty excited. And I was feeling much less nervous about the show because if I was going to be wearing clothes that I am used to/comfortable wearing then it would be no big deal.

Ha! I was sooooo wrong. The day before I left for Denver my outfit arrived. It was not a maxi skirt…not even close. It was three pieces:

Larkin Tank Echo

Sylvie Capri Pink Halftone

Levity Bra Pink Halftone

*photos courtesy of the Soybu website

What you might not be able to see clearly from the picture is that the tank is mesh in the front. I would be wearing that and a sports bra and nothing else on my torso. Talk about stepping outside of my comfort zone. Not only would I be participating in a fashion show, I would be doing so half naked. Ok, not really half naked but much more exposed than my normal workout gear. BUT if there was ever a time and place to break out of my comfort zone it is Fitbloggin’. I knew no matter how I looked or what happened on the stage my FB family would be in that audience cheering me on.

*photos courtesy of Fitbloggin'/CarrieD Photography 

So, I did it. Even when every fiber of my being wanted to back out or ask for a different outfit, I did it. And because I wanted to share this with E (and with you too, of course) I asked my friend Dre to video it for me. So…here it goes. My two minutes of modeling. 

I cannot tell you how much fun this was. I am so so so happy that I took a chance and tried something I would normally have said no to doing. This fashion show was a big step for me. I mean, I have gotten pretty good about wearing tank tops and bikinis and other 'revealing' clothing when I am out on the beach or around town because I live in Florida. I mean, I really don't have a choice. It's freaking hot here. But to strut my stuff on the catwalk having all eyes from the audience on me,  wearing something quasi-revealing and then show off my sports bra...yeah, that was totally a new feeling for me. Like I said on the video- I felt empowered. I really did. I was on cloud 9 all weekend because that moment left me feeling like such a badass. Plus I got alot of compliments on my booty so that made me feel great. Trust me, the cut and style of the capris helped to optimize my booty. I am definitely a huge fan of Soybu now! 

And because Soybu is such an amazing company they have given me a discount code to extend to my readers. Isn't that awesome??? 

• Code: Roots15

• Expiration: July 31, 2015

• Offer: 25% OFF entire order

Soybu has a varied product line (swim, yoga, lounge, accessories, etc) for women, men, plus and girls. The quality and comfort is top notch. You know I would not be recommending them to you if it wasn't. I even reached out to them to see if they would offer a discount code for you just because I love their product so much! 

I hope you will check them out (soybu dot com) and if you do, be sure to let me know what you think! 

Love and hugs, 

Dacia

xoxoxox

I've Got Denver On My Mind

I’m so excited to be heading off to Denver tomorrow for Fitbloggin’!!! This will be my third year attending. This conference is always a big highlight of my year. It is a time to see my people, most of which I only see once a year at this conference, try new things, and to spend a long weekend really getting to know myself better. Fitbloggin’ is a very introspective experience for me. And yes, believe it or not, I can always use more time to be introspective. I always come away from this conference slightly changed and super motivated about my life and the path I am on. I don’t expect this year to be any different, either.

A few of my favorite memories from Fitbloggin' 2013 and 2014

In addition to the conference sessions and events I am planning on doing some fun things around Denver while I am there. Here is a quick rundown.

BEER

You know I will be hitting up some breweries while I am there. Portland (FB 2013) was a great city for breweries and I am thinking Denver will be just as good for me. My plan is one a day: Thursday - Great Divide, Friday – Breckenridge, and Saturday – Renegade Brewing for their 4^th anniversary block party. Knowing all that I have planned and the time it will take me to acclimate to life above sea level, I am trying to stay conservative with my beer consumption. I am planning on hitting these breweries with friends, friends that will share flights and beers with me so I can try new stuff and at the same time not get wasted.

FOOD

If you know me in real life then you know that when I travel I come prepared with a list of restaurants and markets in the area I am staying where I can grab some really good vegan eats.  The tops of my list of must eats: Native Foods Café (which I have dined at in LA and cannot wait to go back!), Watercourse Foods (I am hoping to dine here Friday night) and Beet Box Bakery because….vegan doughnuts. You know that is a must for me!

ACTIVITY

Now Fitbloggin’ itself is like half workouts - half sessions and I have plans to participate in some during the conference like Zumba, Glider Yoga, Yoga on the Roof, Posture Fit and Jump Fitness (my favorite from 2013). But I am also planning on including some additional activity as well. Heather and I (whom are leading the small group discussion with Thea) are going to a Friday morning Empowerment Vinyasa class at Sol Shine Yoga Studio and then a Sound Healing & Restorative Yoga workshop at the Body Mind Energy Center on Saturday. When I lived in San Antonio I used to go to sound healing workshops and LOVED them. I haven’t found anything comparable in Pensacola so I jumped at the chance to do this while in Denver. Also, the empowerment yoga class and the studio itself had great descriptions posted - I was hooked….

About the studio: At Sol Shine you are encouraged to AUTHENTICALLY be yourself. We offer up this urban sanctuary for YOU to mold your mind and body into your ideal vessel for RADICAL SELF-LOVE. Our mission is to provide a non-judgmental, supportive and inspiring community for students of all levels to flourish in.

About the class: This high-vibrational power vinyasa class will leave you feeling strong and empowered in mind, body and spirit. You will build heat as you flow breath to movement. Modifications will be cued so everyone has the opportunity to explore their edge. Some yoga experience is recommended.

See, amazing right? I cannot wait!

In addition to all of these conference and non-conference activities and outings there is something else I am super excited and nervous about but I am not going to spill the beans just yet….you’ll have to wait and see what happens in Denver that takes me COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

Life is Good

I am in a really good place right now. My mind, although not free of clutter, is settling into my new routine happily. My headspace is getting happier, calmer. Life is good.

Don’t jinx yourself dummy…goes to find some wood to knock on.

Although life is chaotic as usual (did I tell you I have a comprehensive exam/paper due next week that I must totally kick ass on in order to degree complete? And that I haven’t started it yet? In my defense yesterday was the first day I could have worked on it) I am learning, finally after decades of this shit, how to calm my monkey mind.

Right now I have so many positive influences in my life helping me to better take care of myself. Erick focuses and grounds me when I start to freak the eff out about whatever stressor of the day- usually school, but sometimes work. He has really taught me a lot about my personal strengths and how to utilize them. He has also taught me that I stress over things for really no reason. I mean, the paper is due. That’s just a fact of life. I will get it done. I always do. I have a freaking 3.96 (thanks to two stinking A minuses during my divorce)- I know what I am doing. I need to chill. It will get finished whether I stress over it or not so why stress, right? Simple idea but yet one that has eluded me my entire life. BUT I am getting better at it. Did you see I took a beach break in the middle of writing my midterm paper? Now that is progress my friends.

Anna has been helping me lately, too. She has been my workout buddy for a few months now and as of last week (two weeks ago?) we are back into a regular gym routine. She is a huge driving force in my life. Not only does she keep me in check on our gym days but we also try to take one walk a day during our work day. I love that she also understands the importance of staying active, even through less than ideal circumstances. She has a baby, and a dog, and a husband, and CHICKENS, and a stressful job but she still finds a way. Oh, and she is my matron of honor and humors me by listening to more wedding talk than probably necessary. Having her as a friend has really added so much happiness to my life in Pensacola.

Yoga. What more do I need to say. I knew it was what I needed- to reconnect with my mat. Me feet grounded firmly on the earth my heart and head pointed to the heavens. It has brought me so much calm and joy and I am so happy to have a practice back into my routine. Now, since they just opened the new studio and I just signed up for the monthly pass I am still in the process of finding which classes I love AND fit in my schedule AND work around E’s schedule. So far I think I am settled into Monday hot yoga with Sam (although Divine Balance is a close second) and maybe some weeks I will do back to back with her and stay for acroyoga. That is more a timing issue than anything-being able to stay for two classes. I also love Sunset Flow on Tuesdays (which I am headed to shortly) but starting next week E and I will be participating in a cornhole (bean bag toss) league and the games conflict with yoga so for the next two months I will be choosing cornhole (and beers) over yoga on Tuesdays. I have also started taking a Wednesday lunch time yoga class at the gym at the university but that looks like the last summer session is next week. So…I will be back to the drawing board trying to find a couple more classes.

For now, I am going to keep on enjoying every day and the blessings it brings me. Next week is Denver and Fitbloggin' and I am beyond excited. I am on periscope now (follow me through my Twitter @MyRootToGrow) and I plan on posting a ton of videos from FB. Maybe someone will even persiscope the session I am leading with Thea and Heather. That would be AWESOME.

Until then….

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxox

YERGAH!

I love running, it is one of my favorite activities. But believe it or not, it isn’t the only thing I love to do. I know at times it seems like I am all running all the time, especially after surgery and training up for a half, then running back to backs halfs, then Ragnar it probably seemed that way. But honestly, if I lived in a more bike friendly area- I would be cycling every day and running only on occasion. I also love, love, love group fitness classes. I spent the first couple years of my journey taking every class I could find/afford before I even thought about running. There is something special about the camaraderie to be found in group fitness- whether it’s boxing or yoga, it’s there and it’s awesome.

After Ragnar I was all set to start PiYO. E bought me the DVD set for Christmas and I was just waiting to be out of HM/Ragnar training mode before I started it. I wanted to be able to dedicate myself to the program- following its 6 day a week for 8 weeks schedule. So a few weeks ago I started it and guess what??? I really did not like it. Maybe it’s because I dislike straining my neck as I look up from the floor to the TV to see what is happening. Maybe it’s because I felt it was boring and it did not grab my attention or raise my energy like T25 or Combat did.  I am not sure but I knew I wasn’t going to make it the 8 weeks. I hated to quit PiYo but it felt inevitable. Instead I opted to start back at real yoga classes taking advantage of a great deal one of our local studios was offering for May and bought a month of unlimited classes pass. And so it began…

One of the reasons I love yoga is that it helps me feel centered and calm. It brings me closer to a zen-like state and I like that. Heck, I need that. With all the running (literal and figurative) around I do, I need something to balance out the chaos. My life, most days, is almost all yang with very little yin. And that takes its toll on me- mentally, spiritually and physically. It’s only been a week back into my practice and I have already noticed a huge difference in my mood and my anxiety. I was super stressed all the time before. I would stress over any little thing so easily. It was eating away at me. And as much as I love running it does not have a calming effect on me. It is the opposite. To me, running is aggressive and impactful and although it is awesome, it is not my calming, happy place. It is my I am empowered and awesome and doing all the things and I just want to run and run and run but it is not my zen.

And like I said, I need some more zen in my life. And E, well he needs me to have more zen in my life too!

This go around, when half marathon training begins later in the summer, I need to make sure I do a better job at balancing both. My goals need to be both running AND yoga related. I need to do better with my activity balance, remind me I said this in a couple months ok?

Until then, I am just going to enjoy trying out a new studio and sampling any/every class that works into my schedule and, of course, treat each like the gift it is. The gift that can bring me inner peace if I allow it. That right there is priceless.

All the yoga memes FTW!

Yes, a million times yes! 

Just kidding! I drink beer in my yoga pants. 

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxo

4, 3, 2, 1...10,000

Alternate titles for this post:

Variety is the Spice of Life… a bit too cliché

Yoga Saved My Life… a bit too dramatic

So I opted for 4, 3, 2, 1…10,000

Which is exactly what I did last week- activity wise

4 yoga classes~ 3 hot yoga classes, one dynamic yoga class

3 runs~14 miles

2 boot camp classes~ 9 trillion squats and far too many burpees

And 1 session on my spin bike~ one hour and about 22 miles of insane pyramids

Plus at least 10,000 steps every day from walking.

*On days when I run I still try to get in 10,000 walking steps in addition to whatever steps logged in my workout.

                Monday- 10,297

                Tuesday- 25,618

                Wednesday- 21,289

                Thursday- 17, 402

                Friday- 12,838

                Saturday- 16,575

                Sunday- 11,208

In case you were wondering that’s 115,227 steps. I figure that about 25K of those steps came from running so about 90K, give or take, is from walking. Woo hoo! That’s still an average of over 10K walking steps a day!

Last week I really tried to focus on a few things; the basics I have been working on- tracking and getting more movement in during the day, limiting processed foods, and getting in a healthy mix of activities and man did I have a great week! It’s been two weeks since I started to incorporate yoga back into my routine and it really has it made a huge difference! Now I am going to explain why and you may think it sounds like a bunch of hooey, and that’s cool, but for me I think it is totally legit.

1)      Yoga provides balance. It grounds me. It’s calming focus on body, mind and spirit is the yin to my normal, hectic yang of a life. I have been so caught up in just making it through every day that I was starting to get easily overwhelmed. I have noticed a huge change just in the past 2 weeks; I am much more relaxed, much more centered and much more at peace with the craziness around me.

2)      Yoga gives me a focus. I am not sure about you but I certainly don’t set an intention for any other activity I do. Like I don’t set a focus on clarity or healing or peace during boot camp or a run. I just go out and run or finish the class and that is it. For me, those types of activities are all about the aerobic, and sometimes anaerobic, and strengthening benefits. But with yoga I can focus my energy during my practice on an intention which helps take me from my physical body to my spiritual body. Although I do sometimes focus on intentions that are related to my physical body, like an intention on healing, but you get my point.

3)      The more I nourish my soul the more I am nourishing my body. I am about to get all hippie on you here but this is honestly how I feel.  My body is happy. Between the yoga and the fact that I am really working on limiting processed foods I just feel so much more satisfied. I am not thinking about food all the time. I eat when I am hungry (still of course following my hunger cues) and I eat nutrient dense foods so I feel satisfied and that is great. That’s what should be happening. But the times in between the food- well yoga is really helping to bring back a calmness and clarity that shuts up my monkey mind, especially my often times food obsessed monkey mind. And that is so amazing.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still love all the other active areas of my life and I don’t plan on giving them up. They provide me with so much enjoyment on top of the health benefits it would be silly to let them go. But after seeing/feeling the changes that have occurred in my life just in the past two weeks well it probably goes without saying that yoga is here to stay J

And it’s about time! Yeah, I’m totally kicking myself for waiting so long after the move to find a new place to practice but that’s water under the bridge, right? Better late than never!

For this week-I have a pretty similar plan to last week’s.

5 yoga classes- 2 hot yoga classes, 1 dynamic yoga class, 1 kundalini class and 1 aerial yoga class- this time I am going to ask my instructor to take some pictures for me during aerial to share with you. It is such a cool way to do yoga!

3 runs

2 boot camp classes (hopefully, I may have a conflict tomorrow evening)

1 spin bike session (already completed this morning. Woot!)

And my daily goal of 10,000 walking steps

I am also testing out a new recipe this week: Simple Farro& Bean Stew. I actually cooked it yesterday and it is sitting in my fridge waiting to be eaten for dinner tonight. I am pretty excited- it smelled fantastic while it was cooking.

Are you trying anything new this week? Maybe a new food or recipe?

Do you like to practice yoga? Do you think it is important to find balance within the various activities you do?

Triathlon Training Recap: Week 3 & Week 4

Here is my recap of weeks three and four of my eight week triathlon training plan. Travel/Fitbloggin’ , plus the readjustment time after, made it a bit difficult to get in all of the planned training sessions these past two weeks but I am not disappointed. That’s the way life works- it’s not always easy to fit everything in. I chose to sacrifice a few swims and runs for the sake of enjoying my vacation, trying new workouts, and getting lots of sleep after. And it’s not like I was being lazy; in two weeks I only took one rest day. My body felt really good with the workouts and activities I was doing so I was able to get in a lot of activity- even if it wasn’t always running, biking and swimming.

Week 3 Plan:

Monday- strength training

Tuesday- bike 50, strength training

Wednesday- run 35

Thursday – swim 30, run 20

Friday- rest

Saturday – run 40

Sunday – swim 30, run 45

Total planned for week 3: two strength sessions, 140 minutes running, 50 minutes biking, 60 minutes swimming

Week 3 Actual:

Monday- AM: bike 50 PM: barre class

Tuesday- AM: run 35 min PM: barre and reformer session

Wednesday- AM: run 30 min PM: barre class

Thursday- rest/travel day

Friday- boot camp and cardio dance

Saturday- yoga and jump fitness

Sunday – run/walk 5K

Actuals for week 3: three strength sessions plus four additional group fitness classes, 95 minutes running, 50 minutes biking, 0 minutes swimming

+1 strength session, -45 minutes running, -60 minutes swimming

Week 4 Plan:

Monday- swim 30, run 15

Tuesday- strength training

Wednesday- bike 40, run 10

Thursday – run 30, strength training

Friday- rest

Saturday – run 45

Sunday – swim, bike, run 30

Total planned for week 3: two strength sessions, 130 minutes running, 70 minutes biking, 60 minutes swimming

Week 4 Actual:

Monday- AM: barre class and reformer session

Tuesday- barre class

Wednesday- barre class

Thursday- barre class

Friday- 60 min bike

Saturday- run 30 (5K), barre class, reformer session

Sunday – 60 min bike

Actuals for week 4: five strength sessions, 30 minutes running, 120 minutes biking, 0 minutes swimming

+3 strength sessions, +10 min biking,  -100 minutes running, -60 minutes swimming

The last two weeks I was unable to swim because I did not have access to, or the weather didn’t allow me to swim in, a pool or open water so that sucked. But, on the bright side, my swim lessons start tomorrow and because of that I will be able to get in at least two swim sessions a week here on out.  Yay!

My running wasn’t too great the past two weeks either; week 3 I was just too busy at FB to go for a run (but I still worked out and walked a ton) and last week I took the mornings off from the gym trying to get back into a normal sleep pattern, especially with the holiday midweek. This week I am hopeful though, I think I will be able to get in all of my training sessions as planned.

Week 5 Plan:

Monday- strength training

Tuesday- bike 30, strength training

Wednesday- run 40

Thursday – swim 30, run 25  

Friday- rest

Saturday – run 50

Sunday – swim 30, run 45

Total planned for week 5: two strength sessions, 160 minutes running, 30 minutes biking, 60 minutes swimming

Wish me luck this week. The running is really starting to increase which is a good thing because next week starts week one of my 12 week half marathon training plan. I will be trying to balance both training plans for the three weeks left until the triathlon. That should be interesting ;)

Action shot on the new spin bike. I was watching Wimbledon, trying to distract myself from the 16 minute climbing (standing) session I was in the midst of...

I'm Doing It!!!

'I'm doing it!'- a phrase I must have uttered a thousand times this weekend.

I act just like a little kid when I experience new things. I get crazy hyper and excited about it; before, during and after.

This weekend my new adventure was paddle boarding. Which was AWESOME! The whole time, even when I was frustrated because I couldn't figure out how to steer, I couldn't stop saying, 'I'm doing it!, I'm doing it!'. Not necessarily because paddle boarding is so hard that I was amazed I could do it but because I actually did it. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and tried something new. I kept saying to our friend AC that was with us that this was such a big deal for me, doing new things. Dacia from three years ago would have been too scared to even try. So for me, the excitement comes not from the ability to do something well, because I did kind of suck at it for the first couple hours, but instead by the simple act of just doing it.

Then last night, over dinner, as Paul, AC and I sat around laughing (to the point of tears) over my ridiculousness on said paddle board Paul asked me if after my experiences today I wanted to learn to surf. I said absolutely yes. BUT my one caveat is that I need to learn how to swim first.

Don't get me wrong, I can kind of swim. Not great by any means but I am quite buoyant so I tread water easily and I do have my own makeshift way of swimming laps using my own version of various stroke styles. It's not pretty but I get by.

But since I do want to learn how to swim properly AND I have my first triathlon coming up in just two months I really need to crack down and focus on proper stroke form and breathing techniques.

And since learning how to surf and completing a triathlon are both very important to me (they are on my Pensacola bucket list)  I knew I needed to stop delaying the inevitable and sign up for adult swim lessons. 

So today, that is what I did.

They don't start until July (I can't do them in June since I will be gone for two weeks) but I am taking them twice a week for a month. I think that will really, really help get me ready for the triathlon. And once I get my first big open water swim under my belt I know I will feel ready to take some surf lessons.

So, look for some posts about those two events, as well as some about my swim lessons, coming up in July/August. Until then, well I guess I need to get back to running, riding, and quasi-swimming this month to train for the tri and of course I foresee more paddle boarding, kayaking and plenty of other new adventures in my future.

“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...”  ~ Marcus Aurelius

I'm pretty sure that paddle was way too big for me...

Apparently yoga while paddle boarding is a thing...I just had to give it a try!



Not only was I literally posing for the camera, I had a group of people watching me do this...

Week 12 Training Recap

Week 12 was a great week for running. And since my week 11 long run took place on Sunday (instead of Saturday due to rain) I actually logged over 31 miles running over the course of those seven days. That is the most mileage I’ve logged in a week to date so I am pretty excited, especially because physically I feel so great.

Here is my recap of my training runs not including Sunday’s (9/30) 10.37 mile- even though it falls in this calendar week I consider part of week 11’s training and already wrote about it last week.

Tuesday, October 2nd: Interval B Routine

5 minute warm up, 6X 1.5 min fast/ 2.5 min recovery, 5 minute cool down

I have been focusing on trying to jog during my warm up and cool down as well as for 1.5 minutes of my 2.5 minute recovery. Ultimately I am working towards not needing to walk during my recovery. This also means I need to make my fast intervals a little bit slower but I am ok with that.

I was super happy with this run especially because I ran further that day than I had the previous week on the same routine. The difference is this week I ran it outdoors, not on the treadmill.

Wednesday, October 3rd: 4 mile easy-paced run

Since my normal neighborhood loop is just over 3 miles I decided to run a new route for the 4 miler (and the following day’s 5 miler) and it worked out well. I focused on running slow, keeping my heart rate low, and being very, very comfortable with this run.

It felt great.

Thursday, October 4th: Tempo B (5 mile) run

This was my first five mile tempo run. Previously I had been doing 3 mile tempo runs so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was cruising along during the first half. It was a little rough starting out (always is) since I start off running uphill but at about three quarters of a mile in it switched to downhill and I was flying. It felt great.

Until I had to turn around and come back.

Uphill.

Ugh! Between 2.5 to 3.25 I didn’t think I would make it. My legs were dying as I just tried to keep running uphill. Of course at this point my running was probably a slow walking pace. But I kept pushing. And I am so glad I did. It wasn’t easy so when I was finished I felt like I just achieved something great. It feels good to push yourself and work harder than you think you can.

 Another great run in the books!

Saturday, October 6th: 9 mile long run

On September 1st, I ran my first ever 9 mile run. I did it in 01:57: 32 which is a 13:04 min/mile pace. When it was over my body felt tired, my legs felt worked. I was spent. I went home and took my first ice bath which really helped my recovery.

Fast forward five weeks and I am out for my second 9 mile run. This time around I ran it in 01:44:10 which is an 11:34 min/mile pace. Afterwards I felt great. I still went home and took an ice bath because I believe it really helps my recovery. But overall physical well being- drastically improved between the run on 9/1 and the run on 10/6.  It’s amazing that my pace improved so much over such a short amount of time especially since I was still running at a comfortable, slow pace. On my long runs I never go out there and push myself, I go out there and settle into an easy pace I can maintain for a very long period of time.

But I shouldn’t be surprised though. From everything I’ve read, by running slowly during my long runs, I should expect to see improvement as my training progresses. It seems counter intuitive but it’s true, you have to slow down if you want to get faster. And looking at my numbers is proof enough for me.

Now, as far as my other weekly goals go…well, let’s just say they weren’t as great.

At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout- 5 homemade dinners, yes. But I ended up eating out twice for lunch this week; once for Paul’s going away luncheon and the other for a work birthday. For the week I would give my eating a B-

Yoga- yes, I was able to get in one hot yoga class but that was it. Wish I could have also squeezed in my yoga for runners DVD but I did not. C

Complete core routine 4 times; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises- Big fat F! I didn’t do this once last week. Not good at all. Need to work on this.

Week 13 Goals

This week is going to be a bit crazy. Thankfully I am in a recovery week for my training so my runs won’t be too demanding. Thursday Paul and I are heading to Austin to see Band of Skulls at La Zona Rosa then spending the night because the next day we are heading to the Austin City Limits Festival. I am beyond excited but I know that being out of town will make it more difficult to prepare homemade meals. So I have to tweak my goals for this week.

-Complete all my training runs; 5K (completed yesterday), Interval A routine, 3-4 mile easy-paced run, Hill A routine, and a nice 4 mile long run on Saturday- yay for recovery weeks!

- Complete core routine 3 times; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises

-Make the best food choices possible. I’ll leave it at that.

Today I’m heading to see Tricia for my Thai Yoga therapy appointment after work and I am so looking forward to this. She basically resets my body so I feel like a new person afterwards and I get to talk about running, food, and all sorts of other fun stuff for the 2 hours I’m there. It’s quite cathartic.

What’s on your agenda this week? Are you training for anything?

“The future depends on what we do in the present.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Week 11: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Last Saturday, like 9 days ago, I completed a 7 mile training run that left me feeling great about my progress in training for the half marathon. Week ten was a great week for me in regards to my training, meal planning and activity level. I was pretty pumped and optimistic week 11 would be just as awesome.

Unfortunately, just like with any aspects of life, things don’t always go as we plan.

Monday morning I headed out for an easy-pace 3 mile run; a great way to start off my day. Sadly, it was anything but easy. I didn’t make it but maybe 10 feet or so before I slid through some mud. My left leg went sliding along while my right leg came crashing down in front trying to catch my balance. I didn’t hurt anything but I definitely tweaked some muscles/joints in the process. It was kind of startling and scary and it rattled my nerves a bit but I was able to calm down and keep moving. Since the sidewalk was clearly muddy I decided to run on the road until I was in a better lit area. About 20 feet or so later I stepped on a rock and rolled my ankle. Again, no sharp pains but it definitely made me feel not quite right.

I kept running for a bit but after a mile or so I started to feel some pains in my knee and ankle. This had me worried and since I am probably one of the most overly-cautious people you might meet I decided to stop running and walk home. I am not a risk taker when it comes to my health. I have worked too hard to run through the pain and cause a worse injury to develop. My belief is if your body is telling you to stop then you better damn well stop. I learned this the hard way and I refuse to make that mistake again.

So, I headed home and gave my legs a rest. Tuesday I went to my Thai yoga therapy session where Tricia told me that she didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. No damage. No tightness. Nothing. I was hopeful that rest was all I needed and that I could safely continue on with my training schedule.

Still cautious I decided to finish off my weekday training runs on the treadmill- less risky.

Wednesday I completed my Interval B routine safely and pain-free. The routine was a five minute warm-up, 6x 1.5 min fast/2.5 recovery, 5 minute cool down. 34 minutes total. I ran/walked 2.72 miles. Since this was my first run with the longer intervals I kept my ‘fast’ pace slower and tried to split my recovery time between walking and jogging. That strategy worked well.

Thursday I was supposed to do the Hill B routine and last week I said I hoped to do so outside. I opted to do this one on the treadmill as well. I did 35 minutes of a pre-set hill interval routine. 7 hills in total, 3.5 minutes on each, ranging from 4% incline to 7% incline. In between hills I stayed on a 3% incline and walked/jogged. It was actually a harder workout than I expected but I felt good afterwards and thankfully still pain free.

Saturday was supposed to be the day for my long run but we got an insane amount of rain Friday night and 2”-8” were on the forecast for Saturday so I was not about to run out in that mess. See, we don’t get much rain here so when we do, especially when it’s bad, there is usually flooding. The trail I was supposed to run on floods super easily so I knew that come Sunday it would be a bad idea to run out there. As I was trying to figure out where I was going to run my 8 miles at my friend texted to see if I wanted to hang out Sunday maybe even workout together. I told her about my run and she said she would join me. She wasn’t up for 8 miles but she would be up for 3 so I had the great idea of running from my house to our meeting spot (5 miles exactly) meet her and then run three together. Bam! 8 mile run planned. I was excited; especially since I have never actually ran with someone before. I was looking forward to the company.

So yesterday morning I head out from my house down to our meeting spot. I saw my Sunday morning bike group twice which was cool. They were actually cheering for me as they passed me. I was feeling good. Legs were great. My body felt great. I was maintaining a really comfortable pace just trying to take it easy and really enjoy the run.

I got to the meeting spot and was early. I was feeling great so I decided to squeeze in another mile and as I headed back my friend had arrived and walked down to join me. So there I was, 6 miles into my run and heading out for another three and it felt really good.

Halfway into our three mile run my friend asked if we could go a bit further so our plans to run for three miles turned into running four. At that point I didn’t think an extra mile would make a difference and it didn’t.

And as we approached our starting point I was struck by the fact that I had just finished my first double digit run. In total, I ran for 10.37 miles. Yahoo! I had broken into what had become the great unknown- double digit mileage. It felt so damn good. I was on cloud nine the rest of the day.

Week eleven started off a bit rocky but ended on a high note. My running mileage for the week was just shy of 18 miles. Ice bath yesterday definitely helped because I woke up today feeling great. The legs were a bit tired but no pain or soreness. I did decide to take the morning off to rest. Even though my legs felt great yesterday I was still quite exhausted from the run. 4 am was a little too early for me to wake up today.

But if you remember, getting in my training runs wasn’t my only goal for the week.

Last week my goals were:

Complete all four training runs- Yes, for the most part. Monday’s run was cut short but I’m still going to count it

At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout- Almost a yes, I only made 4 dinners and all breakfasts/lunches except one were from home. Pretty close

Cross training- Yes, bike ride, Thai yoga and some core workouts

Daily core workouts- Nope, I think I went 3 for 7 with this one. Definitely room for improvement here.

All in all I would say week 11 was a solid C. It was a mix of good not quite so good. But I am still happy with how it all played out.

Week Twelve Goals

-Complete all of my training runs:

·         4 mile easy run, Interval B routine, Tempo B  routine (five miles at fast pace) and a 9 mile long run

-At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout

-Yoga! I won’t be able to ride at all this week and my running mileage is going to break 20 in total so I want to get in some yoga to help stretch me out

-Complete core routine 4 times; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises

I can’t believe that my first half marathon is now less then 6 weeks away. Crazy!

Any advice? Anything you think I should add or remove from my training plan?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway- deadline is midnight Friday!

“A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.”~ Bruce Lee