Post-Christmas

How was everyone's holiday? We had a great time in Ohio and spent Christmas Eve with my extended family and then Christmas Day with my Mom, Dad and sister. 
After hitting the gym hard last week before leaving, I did take more rest days than I had anticipated once in Ohio. I managed to squeeze in a 4-mile run and lifted some hand weights at my parents house. Not too bad considering how crazy busy we were!


My sister had scheduled a few appointments to try on wedding dresses with my family and I ended up finding THE one! It was very exciting and surprisingly emotional.


In midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle, family schedules, traveling, sinful eating and drinking, just remember to

My new job has given me the week off as a Wellness Week (l.o.v.e.) so I am headed to a strength training class and then hot yoga today!


Next on my list: http://www.shape.com/bride/bridal-fitness/how-get-toned-arms-best-exercises-arms


Happy Thursday!

Ready for it?

4:45am wake-up and made it in time for a 5:05 spin class, followed by weights focusing on arms, abs and shoulders. 

This is true for me as of now. What are some goals you set this time of year? What enables you to finish them?


Make it a great Tuesday!

(Chilly) Monday Morning

This morning started out with a nice, invigorating run with Mike around Dilworth. We got to check out some Christmas lights along the way, which made the run somewhat tolerable. I was having difficulty breathing for the first 35 minutes....ok, the entire time. But was determined to finish and excited to be running so early in the morning again, just like old times.

265 cal egg sandwich for b-fast. 100-cal whole grain english muffin, 1 egg + 1 tbsp egg beaters w/s&p, laughing cow french onion wedge, turkey sausage patty.....so tasty!!

Hope you all are doing well! Countdown is on, 4 days until we leave for OH.


*Tip for running in the colder weather*: Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. And for those anatomy lovers: The nasal turbinates in your nose, help to warm the air as you inhale, making breathing more efficient and comfortable. 

Happy Running!

Sunday Funday!

It has been FOR-EVER!! And my apologies for that.
I have bee contemplating becoming a yoga instructor through Arrichion. It would be 5 weekends of intense training and then attending classes to receive my 200-hour Yoga Certification Training. Sounds just up my alley! I have attended over 70 classes and think this would give me mental and physical strength that I will be forever craving.


Wedding planning is going well-picked a venue and set a date! Not too bad for only 2 months into it.

Here is the reception venue--love, love the inside as well!


Am still running, although no where near what I was while training. Have switched gears and am doing a lot of spinning classes as well as strength training and hot yoga. I tend to become, for lack of better words,  almost a little discouraged after any race I do. I am not certain why this happens. But it does! However, I do believe it has to do w/1.) b/c I am burned out of training and running 5 days a week and 2.) I almost always want to do better and sometimes just finishing isn't quite up to standards.


On to a Diamond Hot Yoga class! Happy Sunday

Arrichion Topaz Series with Limited Instruction

Class duration: 60 minutes

Room temperature: 97 F

Beginner to advanced students

The word diamond stems from the Greek word adamos which means invincible. Diamonds promote clarity of thought and align one to thoughts associated with a higher self. The diamond stimulates unity and the love of self and others. The Arrichion Hot Yoga Diamond series practiced to music in a candlelit room with limited instruction will help you increase strength, flexibility, balance, and especially focus.

Good Morning Sunshine!
I wanted to share the sun salutation workout that is practiced in our Bloodstone & Black Opal hot yoga class, an energizing way to begin or end your day. I have included some benefits of hot yoga below for those curious.
The more you do yoga, the quieter and calmer you become.

Hot Yoga Benefits

Weight Loss

Many people in the hunt to shed extra pounds consider the benefits of hot yoga due to claims that it addresses quite a few aspects of weight loss, as well as improved exercise and stress reduction. For the simple reason that hot yoga increases the pulse rate, your body then works to keep thermo-regulation, escalating calorie expenditure without the force on joints of further calisthenic work out regimens like jumping jacks or jogging. Hot yoga is also alleged to amplify oxidation of fat cells. Be sure to wear the proper hot yoga clothes because you will be sweating a lot.

Muscle and Joint Pain

Several joints, particularly the vertebrae, discontinue lubricating as effectively when a person enters into their thirties. Yoga promotes joint lubrication that may alleviate common feelings of stiffness and soreness, both reactively and proactively.

Mobility

Cold muscles tend to be more likely to tear while stretched. Bikram hot yoga advocates propose that stretching warm muscles is more effective and lets the practitioner progress deeper into poses. Since stretching is an efficient way to increase flexibility, hot yoga may help increase ones range of motion, thwart accidental injuries in exercise, and help someone heal from prior accidental injuries.

Tension Relief

Exercise, deep breathing, and reflection have been revealed to cut back anxiety levels, and hot yoga combines all three. The psyche’s fight to concentrate on poses in a sweltering atmosphere distracts and distances from stressors. Lower stress levels allow for superior and easier sleep, which improves the immune system and reduces probability of injuries on the body. Lower anxiety levels on the whole reduce weight gain, cut possibility of illness and injury, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, as well as improves mood.

Immune System

Raising your core temperature simulates a fever-like environment in your body, elevating white blood cell production and fighting viruses and bacteria. Your body also makes additional interferon, which raises the production of antibodies. Stress weakens the immune system, as a result activities that lessen stress also reduce vulnerability to health issues.

Increased Performance

Many athletes take up hot yoga to improve their levels of accomplishment in additional activities. Well-stretched muscle tissue have improved range of motion and are less at risk of tearing. Joints in good alignment are less pain-prone in high impact physical activities. The breath control of yoga improves execution in cardio and anaerobic activities.

But these massive physical benefits are just a “side effect” of this mighty exercise. Hot yoga benefits your body by harmonizing the psyche with the body and ends in authentic quantum benefits. It has become an open secret that the determination in the mind has enabled individuals to attain extraordinary physical feats, which proves definitely the psyche and body relationship.

What is hot yoga? The truth is hot yoga equals meditation, for the reason that both work mutually in accomplishing the common objective of unity of psyche, body and spirit that may result in an experience of eternal bliss that one could only feel through yoga. The meditative practices via yoga assist in attaining an emotional stability through detachment. This consequently makes a remarkable tranquility as well as a positive outlook, which also has great benefits over the physical health of the body. 

Source-HotYogaBenefits.com

Enjoy your Tuesday!

It has been for-ever since the last post, my apologies! I feel like I have been in a little bit of a whirlwind between running a marathon, getting engaged and getting a new job all within 10 days of each other! Mike & I are very excited! We went to a weekend get-away at a Bed & Breakfast in Asheville last weekend and he surprised me on our hike up the Black Balsam Mountains, it was truly a-mazing.  I feel so blessed and thankful right now in my life. I honestly couldn't ask for anything else. I feel like everything I have been working so hard for just came together in less than 2 weeks and there is definitely something to be said about that. One of my best friends email me this quote and I love it.
"good things take time, but the best things in life happen all at once."


So naturally I am going to continue to post about running but thought I would incorporate some bridal workout/diet plans into my blog as well.  Let me know what you think!

Happy Monday~enjoy your day!!

Post-Marathon

Well it is day 4 after the marathon on Sunday and I can honestly say I feel like I have been hit by a truck, repeatedly. It is improving with each new day and I could even go to hot yoga this evening (thankfully).
But it was soooo worth it! I had such a wonderful trip and Mike and I got to do some nice sight-seeing and dining while we were there.
The race itself was a little intense but so well put together, it was unbelievable. There were women from 35 different countries competing and 3 Olympians, including my fav Kara Goucher. The race started off well and Mike even joined me twice, once to run miles 4-8 with me and then again from miles 12-16. So that was a very nice treat! And he could even sneak off and take pictures of the gorgeous scenery. I mean running near the coastline and the Golden Gate Bridge was unlike anything I have ever experienced. At mile 8 my left ankle was hurting with each step down as well as my left knee. But I had to keep going. I ran up all of the hills, which was one of my goals throughout the marathon. At mile 14, I felt like I could be finished with the run, the hills were very intense, however, the day was overcast which made the remaining part of the race tolerable. Miles 15-18 I was running along the Great Hwy, there was loud music, cheerleaders, orange slices given, gatorade and water galore! We got to see the surfers out catching some waves and also wiping out :) However, miles 18-23 were along Lake Merced, which I had read many reviews about and it was treacherous. I mean, the ONLY upside was the Chocolate Mile at mile 22 which they gave quite a few milk chocolate truffle squares from Ghiradelli that I kept for Mike and I to eat later in the evening. Yum!
It was an unbelievable race and I am wondering what will be in store for me next.
The night before the race I woke up at 3am, just an hour prior to my alarm and my pump had stopped working. Frustrated and exhausted I decided to go back to sleep and put on a new pod prior to going on a 4+ hour run. That is risky business considering it takes my body 3-4 hours to balance itself out after putting one on. But it was a risk I had to take since I didn't want to use Lantus and give injections. At 14 miles my blood sugar was at 94 and finished the race at 119....not too shabby.

For all of those who have been on this journey with me, you may know how much I sacraficed to get to this point, heck it may have even been a few happy hours or glasses of wines with you to do so. It may have meant not traveling so I could get all my miles in. But it was a bucket-list check off for me and honestly, while I didn't make the time I was expecting, I am grateful to have had this opportunity. I am still on a little runner's high and find myself replaying how the day went, mile by mile :) 
I loved all of the texts, cards, FB posts and emails wishing me luck, it made a huge impact on helping me get through the race. Muah!!
Until next time....


I hope you all are well!