Teacher Training Recap: Weekend Two

Whew! I just completed my second weekend of teacher training and I am exhausted! Physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. But what a much-needed weekend off the grid and away from normal life. Not only is expanding my yoga practice and learning how to teach wonderful, but the centeredness that I very much needed this weekend, was appreciated. Teacher training is hard to explain and sum up, other than to say it's a lot of information in little spurts of time, that I trust will ultimately come together and make perfect sense and harmony. Fact: it's not just about learning poses, like it may sound like. It is much much more and helps all of us continue to grow and expand our practice on and off the mat. This may sound cheesy, but it's true. While this weekend I learned a lot about how to teach and help others appreciate understanding yoga, I also learned a lot for myself. I learned about ways to protect my suddenly-weak right wrist, I learned about better meditation practices, and I learned about the Yamas, which will help me strive to live a more balanced life. I practiced sequencing, speaking, and asana. I absorbed methods of striving to reach pure potentiality and pure awareness. I was able to just be.

Sound like a load of malarkey? Maybe so. But I feel so at peace after this weekend and it proved to be the perfect hiatus to my currently chaotic life. The people I am sharing my teacher training experience with have a strong positive energy to them, despite being people from a variety of backgrounds. And of course our leaders, the Yax brothers, exude peace, wisdom and loving kindness. While I may not always teach hot yoga, I am grateful to their teaching methods that allow their students to be able to take their concepts and apply them to any kind of yoga class setting. I feel like I am not just learning one style of yoga, but a larger transferable method that can carry me through several years of teaching, once I graduate from this course. I am so excited that it's only three weeks until I go back again and get one last little get-away before the wedding! I know that I will need that peaceful loving environment even more as the details start coming down to the last minute!

Special shout-out to my Richmond friends for putting me up on these weekends and acting as a major support system in allowing me to go through this training! Your couches, food, and company mean so much to me as I continue to work through this training! Love you all very dearly.

Exciting Announcement!

I can finally officially say I will be beginning my RYT 200 yoga teacher training this week with Yax Yoga Concepts in Richmond! I have been wanting to go through training for the last couple years, so I am thrilled to finally be biting the bullet to do so. While the first part of training is going to collide with an already-busy fall, I look forward to the sessions post-wedding, where I can allow more time to really hone in on skills that will make me a better yogi and help me become a great teacher. Needless to say, I'm REALLY REALLY excited about this! Yogayogayogayogayogayogayoga. I went to a fantastic yoga workshop with Stacy Nelson last Friday at Studio South where I learned that my basic flow poses are all wrong--good to know before training and also wonderfully enlightening. What a fantastic reminder that yoga is all about constantly growing, adjusting, and remaining humble! Guess who's been working on their downward dog-->Chaturanga this week? Also, core. That's all there is to say about that.

Things I'm less excited about: the fact my blogs have been lacking since starting work. I can't log onto blogger or even view my blogs at my new place of employment, thanks to internet restrictions. (I'm also blocked from Facebook, Pinterest, basically anything fun with the exception of Etsy--I can still get on there!) I'm superbummed because it means blogging has been shifted into my home time, which is already limited enough! Plus, all my weekends from now until January, are pretty much occupied with wedding stuff/yoga training (!!)/family obligations, etc. WHEW. So late night/early morning/coming home for lunch blogging is going to ensue as best as possible. It at least explains the particular lack of attention to this blog.

But another thing I AM excited about are my new co-workers. They're a really fun bunch of people who like to have a good time. I've already baked for them and they've already hated me because they're all on "diets." They also like to workout during lunch, which is a foreign concept to me (good morning Rec Center at 6:15 AM...). They do P90X DVD's in the conference room and want me to teach them yoga--it's fantastic! Today, we even had a "guns" comparison....and from everyone who participated, I apparently won and then was paraded around the office to show off my arm muscles. I was unaware they were impressive--I actually had to go to the bathroom to see for myself. Fact: shoulder muscles make you arms look crazy defined, even if you don't think they are. I think I owe my recent sudden transformation to the workshop Friday night--when you get into Chaturanga right, it makes all the world of difference.

Anywho, enough blabbing on. I just figured I would announce my teacher training enrollment and to assure the world that a) I didn't fall off the face of the Earth and b) I'm still out being active! We're not currently training for any races, but moreso training for our wedding! Definition and trim bodies, HERE WE COME!

Yoga Bingo

This month, Studio South is doing something called Yoga Bingo: there's a chart laid out like a bingo sheet and in place of numbers, there are activities you can do instead. They range from taking a class with a new instructor, to tagging SS in a Facebook status, to eating fresh, healthy foods for an entire day (farmer's market this weekend, anyone?). Each activity on here is different and varies between lifestyle, social, and individual practice. Depending on how many rows you complete by the end of the month, you can win prizes like t-shirts, oils, or the big one: a free private yoga session.

Well as we all know, I like a good challenge. Like, really love a good challenge. I like having goals to work towards, what can I say? And I'm not even totally sure I'm motivated by the prizes (but prizes don't hurt), but I want to see just how many of these activities I can complete. Apparently, I am super competitive with myself! It's almost in an obsessive way. Every day on my to-do list, I just have "BINGO" listed in all caps, to remind myself to do something or start one of the week-long activities, so I can cross it off the chart. A little overboard, right? NOPE. Granted, this behavior completely goes against my yoga-based philosophy of "let things happen as they will,""be in the moment," etc etc. I am so totally motivated to do everything on the bingo sheet! I mean, in good news, most of the things are healthy life decisions, things I already do, and nothing really out of the norm. But still. One month to do them all! The pressure! I think Will thinks I've gone off the rocker a bit, because every time I go into the kitchen, I just stare at the bingo chart, contemplating what I should be doing. Nothing wrong with me, right? So much for being a calm, peaceful yogi--hah!

So here's what I've accomplished so far:
-I've taken a class from a new instructor and gotten her initials
-I've learned the Sanskrit name for my favorite pose (pigeon = Eka Pada Rajakapotasana....don't make me pronounce it)
-I've reviewed barre on Google
-I've taken 5 classes so far this month, but need to take 10 (oh darn, what a challenge)
-I've been a Karma yogi and done something for someone without expecting anything in return
-I reviewed Studio South on Yelp
-I've started drinking my 64+ oz. of water a day for the next week
-I'm figuring out when the best class time is to bring a friend to their first yoga class (!!)

(My H2O and my bingo chart, always close at hand)

On my "easy to-do list," I've got:

-Ask an instructor for help with a pose

-Reserve a space in an upcoming workshop

-Eat only fresh, healthy foods for one day

-Check in on Facebook (I wish I'd stop forgetting to do this!)

-Take a picture with my Namaste Y'all shirt on

-Practice a restorative posture for 5 minutes each week

There's a bunch more left to do on the sheet and I've plotted out what I know I can accomplish easily and what requires more planning/thought. The month is already 1/3 over and I've got so much left to do! Are there any other Studio South yogis out there who have taken on the yoga bingo challenge? If so, what have you accomplished/what's on your bingo to-do list?

Studio to Home: Evolving My Yoga Practice

I love yoga. We all know this. I try to scamper to the yoga studio a few times a week in order to enjoy instructor-led practice. I read books and blogs about yoga and enjoy looking at pictures of people in beautiful poses on Pinterest. I know each time I unroll my mat, a different experience will occur that only helps me grow as a person, both physically and emotionally. Without yoga, I feel unbalanced and vulnerable to life's dismays.

However, I struggle with practicing on my own. You would think someone who has been practicing music almost her entire life, would find it easy to practice something else. But it's not. Yoga is not like music where I go to a lesson and have an assignment for the next week, with a certain expectation of what I will accomplish. It's not running, where I lace up shoes and know they physical movements I need to do in order to accomplish a run (literally just putting one foot in front of the other...a beautiful kind of mindlessness). Instead, to practice yoga, there are patterns and poses that I have to come up with on my own that speak to my body in that exact moment. And it's not that I'm incapable of coming up with a sequence, but I find I am so concerned I won't do enough of the "right" postures or that because I haven't pre-planned it or written it out, that I will forget to do something that I love, or will mess up a something as simple as sun salutations. And I know that's not what yoga is about-there is no messing up and there isn't a wrong way to do it, but I still hesitate before rolling out my mat and tackling it on my own. I always feel like I'm short-changing myself out of something, whether it be that I don't spend enough time in poses, simply breathing and allowing my body to open up and relax, or that I missed a pose that my body might really be needing that day.

But then, when I shut out all that chatter about how I think my home practice should be, I'm reminded of what yoga is at its core: finding your inner peace. The poses don't matter, it's who you are when you get there.

Race Recap #2: Race Day

After having a few days to reflect on the race, I think this post might actually be shorter than I originally imagined it might be (hah)! Well, as short as I can keep it, that is. But after a few days of recovery, I think it has all settled in and "normal" life has resumed.

After the expo Saturday, we went to a naval base in VB and climbed a lighthouse, strolled the beach and then went out to Plaza Azteca for dinner. We didn't really know where to go/what to do for our carb-loading dinner, so we figured we'd had luck eating at Plaza before weekly long runs before, so we knew it wouldn't hurt. We chowed down on guac and fajitas and then returned to our hotel room and were in bed by 8 PM. 8 PM! But we were both pretty tired from getting up early, roaming the expo, and hanging out in the heat most of the day. So true to our old-person ways, 8 PM bedtime didn't seem so bad. It also made it easy to get up at 4 AM on Sunday to prep for the race! We wanted to be up early enough to drink a full cup of coffee, a few cups of water, and to be completely awake before heading to the shuttles. We left the hotel around 5 and caught the shuttles from the ampitheater to the race start with no problems. Our bus driver was a little nuts, racing down the roads and yelling/honking at people in our way (at 5:30 AM....think about that...there weren't many people to honk at but she did it anyways), but we got there in one piece.

While we waited to line up in our corral, we chugged water and constantly had to keep going to the porter potty's from all the water! However, we were lucky enough that a lot of people didn't show up until closer to 6:30, so we didn't have bad lines to wait in. Once the corrals opened up, we went and hung out in ours, listening to all the pre-race hype and MC-ing. Oddly enough, we weren't really that nervous at any point that morning, like we anticipated we would be. We were just ready to get running! The race started at 7 and after the first 11 corrals took off, it was finally our turn to start! And off we went! No more than a few blocks away from the convention center,  did the humidity set in and we knew it was going to be a challenging run. The bands were great and really rocking during the first few miles (I paid less attention as we ran), so that helped keep us motivated.

As we kept running, we were keeping a better-than-anticipated pace around 10:00/mile, yet we weren't overdoing. Somewhere around mile 6, we saw the elite runners/winners crossing their mile 11 and it was really fun to cheer them on with all the other runners around us! We had been in the shade for awhile and the humidity wasn't super stifling--all was going pretty smoothly and it was shaping up to be a good first half-marathon!

But then, as we kept going, we were in a more humid and sun-exposed area and things started to turn downhill for me. I began feeling really dehydrated, even though we only skipped one water station at mile 3 because it was so overcrowded, and we had been eating energy chews about every 1.5 miles. So I started taking 2 cups of water at every station--I don't like Gatorade, so I don't take it at races, which I actually think might have been working against me on Sunday. After drinking a lot of water (and being hosed down by spectators), I was still feeling parched, but I had to pee really badly. Like, really badly. Not like, "oh I think I gotta go" but like "OMG IT'S GOING TO RUN DOWN MY LEGS ANY MOMENT NOW" kind of bad. Sorry to be so graphic, but I just need to emphasize that it was almost painful to run because I had to go! Somewhere between miles 9 and 10, there was a water station with porter pottys and I bolted over to them. Will got annoyed because we'd been making good time and might be able to finish somewhere between 2:10 and 2:15 if we kept pace, and he knew if we stopped, it'd be hard to get going again. I knew this too and even though I was starting to feel fatigued, I probably could've pushed through if it wasn't for my damn bladder. As I waited, I was pee-dancing like crazy (ladies, you know what I mean) and Will was grabbing some more water/Gatorade and trying to keep moving. When a potty finally opened up, it was extremely relieving. After, I grabbed some water and tried to get going again. But I immediately felt dehydrated and weak! Argh!

I knew something wasn't right and I let the yogi in me overcome the runner in me and listened very closely to what my body was saying. I convinced Will that something really was not right and I wasn't just being lazy/giving up/etc, and we stopped to walk for a bit. We had both really hoped to make it through the first race without walking, so I knew I was letting him down. But I was really not feeling well and had started to get dizzy while running. So we walked for a bit, occasionally interspersing in running (although that was starting to cause cramping for me, so I could only do it in short spurts), and at every water station, I just chugged and chugged. I was glad we had decided to walk because right around mile 11, we started to see more and more runners on the side of the road being attended to by medical personnel--I knew I would have been one of them if I hadn't stopped. As we approached the 13 mile mark, I walked through the last water station and Will kept going. His knees bother him a lot to alternate running/walking, so he just had to keep going to the end if he was going to run across the finish. So I mustered up what energy I had left and ran the last leg of the race by myself, and managed to run across the finish. Amazingly enough, I still finished in 2:29:something, which was right at our predicted race finish time. If only I could've kept running--what a great finish we would've had!

Once I crossed that finish line, though, I hit a physical wall. Without even thinking, when the staff handed me a water bottle, I chugged half of it. And then I suddenly felt extremely ill and it occurred to me for the first time all morning that I wasn't DEhydrated, but that I was OVERhydrated. When I found Will, he immediately knew I was not well from looking at me, and he sat me down and fetched a banana to try to get some protein in me. I felt like I was going to be sick, and all my body kept saying was that it wanted water, but I knew it wouldn't help! It was such a weird dilemma to be dealing with and I know it's my own fault because I can't stand Gatorade or chocolate milk, the other two options at the finish line. But for the first time in my life, water (basically the only drink I drink) was not my friend. After letting me sit for awhile, Will saw that I wasn't improving much and decided we should get on the shuttle and get back to the hotel ASAP so I could cool down, lie down, and un-hydrate myself. Well then our bus was freezing, so I was shivering from being soaking wet and cold, which didn't help either. But eventually, after changing out of wet clothes, crawling under the covers, and taking a shower, I finally started to feel better. It was such a shame because I had definitely been hoping for a more glorious race finish, where I'd be overcome with joy from completing a half-marathon, but instead, I felt like I was going to hurl. It also meant no post-race pictures with our new bling and our proud accomplishment :(

Reflecting on the end, I think I should just be happy I made it relatively in one piece--there were apparently many people who went to the hospital and were treated for heat-related illnesses on Sunday, so I'm mostly thankful that my first half-marathon didn't end that way! In some ways, I feel like I cheated myself out of my first half-marathon experience by giving up and walking, but then I remind myself that my body wasn't asking me to stop--it was telling me. And when you're body tells you to stop running, sometimes you have to go against your mind and listen to your body, no matter how much you don't want to. All I can say is, it's definitely not my last half-marathon, so I will get that glorious race finish and post-run photos next time! And whether I ran the whole thing, or ran most of it and walked the rest, I still finished 13.1 miles and earned the sticker that I'm going to put on my car!

Lessons learned:
1. Um, overhydration is a thing that I need to be aware of, apparently.
2. Pick a cooler race--next up will be in November!
3. We need to work on more long run distances. But now we have a couple months more to train, so yay!
4. We apparently can keep a slightly faster pace than I realized-also yay!
5. As much as I love the taste of Honey Stinger Organic Chews, we probably need to switch back to Jellybeans, since they have caffiene and other things in them.
6. Grapes are awesome around mile 11-thanks to whoever was serving them! New favorite run snack.

Race Recap #1: Expo Day

We officially completed our first half-marathon yesterday! It's hard to believe that after only about 9-10 months of running, that we did 13.1. I still can't believe that we accomplished it, but more on that in my next post.

First, I'd like to share our experience at the race expo, which we attended on Saturday. What an overwhelming experience! For two people who still don't consider themselves runners, being surrounded by that many products, tips and people, was almost too much. We got there right around 9:30, so the expo had only opened about 30 minutes before. Once we checked in, picked up our race bibs and swag bags, we didn't really know which direction to head. So we started wandering around, kind of setting out on a zig-zagging path for ourselves to check out the booths. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but there is something so uncomfortable about being one of the only people wandering around an expo! The poor vendors either look sad that no one's at their booth, or they're jumping out at you because you're the only ones in sight! In these situations I either feel really guilty that no one's at a booth and feel obligated to go over, or I feel obligated to talk to the person who's leaping on me to show me their product. Either way, it's not my favorite experience. After wandering around for about half an hour, Will and I had done our best to avoid talking to people and more people were starting to show up--phew!

Once more people were around and it got crowded, we felt a little safer checking out things we were interested in. Since we didn't have any other plans for the day, I figured we might as well loop around and take advantage of reading about/talking to vendors about products that we may want to research further in the future, try on shoes, and get a few little things. We only had about $20 to spend at the expo--in a way, that was nice because it helped prevent any impulse buys. So what did we get/explore?

Well, for the most part, I did all of the getting and exploring, since Will is mostly along for the ride. But I got:

2 Hippie Runner headbands
1 new Bondiband for yoga
1 13.1 bumper sticker (the whole reason I wanted to run a half was to get one of these!)

What did I explore? Now that my friends, is a different question. I so badly wanted to check out the kineso tape for my ankles and Will's knees, but that was an opportunity we didn't jump on early enough, because the line got really long. However, Will made the excellent point that we didn't want to get all taped up before race day and to have to deal with that new aspect. But I still wish we had gotten samples or at least gotten to talk to someone about the aches and pains we experience, just to get a little advice. C'est la vie! Instead, I checked out some compression socks that are specific to ankle issues, which is something I definitely want to explore in the future, particularly since my most sore body part today is my left ankle. I also poked around through some gear, but for the most part wasn't super interested. And then I figured, since there were a ton of shoes around from all the major brands, plus some local stores trying to sell some stock, I might as well try some on. My shoes are still good to go for many more miles, but as they're starting to wear down, they're not offering the same support they used to, especially in the arches which is really starting to bother my right foot.

So I tried on some shoes. One of the most dangerous things a female, especially a runner, can say! Needless to say, I think I found the next pair I would like to purchase. I tried on a bunch of different brands (some other Brooks, Saucony, Asics, and some natural running shoes, just for fun) and finally settled on a pair of Asics that I was not anticipating liking! I mean, I knew I'd love the crazy colors, but I had tried on a similar pair of Asics before and thought it was pretty stiff and narrow. But this pair that I tried on at the expo, slid right on, felt completely cushy, and seemed to support my arch in just the right way (not too much, not too little). It also helped that I tried them on with some really nice Asic socks (that I definitely need to get ASAP and didn't get at the expo because the line was really long), that offered more cushion than the New Balance socks I use now. But I kept them on for awhile, walked around, jogged in place, etc. and really felt 100% wonderfully comfortable. I was a good girl and didn't buy them at the expo, but did write down the shoe and have already researched it online to see what people think of it.

What shoe, you may ask? The Asics Gel-Noosa Tri 8. I've read conflicting reviews that they aren't good for training, or on the flip side, that they're the most amazing running shoe ever. Amazon has mostly positive reviews (over 500), while other sites have more of a mixed bag. So if you or anyone you know has these shoes, can you share some thoughts with me? I am a neutral plus (neutral on my left, teeniest hint of overpronation in my right) and need a tad bit of arch support in my right foot (flat shoes don't work, but I don't like something with a pronounced arch). These felt great on, but I'd like to know about their longevity!

Anyways, the expo was fun and the next time we go to an expo, I'd like to have a little bit more $$ in my pocket. However, it prevented us from getting anything we don't need, so that was good! My wish list of running gear just got significantly longer though :)

There will be a separate post for the actual race day experience, later!

Yoga Ambassador

I am so excited to announce that I will be serving as a new yoga ambassador at Studio South!! I'm really thrilled about this opportunity to serve as a member of the team at Studio South and be the person who greets new yogis when they come in the door. This opportunity presented itself at the perfect time, since I am grappling with the decision of whether or not to pursue my yoga teacher certification over the course of this year. Both the yoga ambassadorship and the yoga teacher training are opportunities that Studio South has presented and I am hopeful that in addition to my new role, I can pursue the teacher training course, led by Yax Yoga Concepts. Unfortunately until my job situation is in a better state, teacher training cannot happen, but hopefully before the training starts on Oct. 4th, things will be sorted out and the path will be laid for me to be able to attend and work towards my certification! But as far as the ambassadorship goes, I get started this Friday and am SO PUMPED! Williamsburg area friends-I'll have some free class passes for you to take advantage of :) And everyone who lives in the area should check out this studio-their warmth and kindness and genuine love of helping people discover yoga, is absolutely incredible. I am so honored to get to serve with such a wonderful group of yogis!

10 Days

We are officially 10 days out from our first half marathon. How do I know? The prediction for September 1st showed up on my 10-day forecast today. Which is kind of scary. And nerve-wracking. And intimidating. Not the weather, but the race. I know I'm ready and I know I can run the distance, but I feel so unprepared. I have all the race information, where we're staying, how to get everywhere, etc. But I still feel completely unready. A 5K is one thing, but a half marathon? It's a much bigger deal. My running seems to have been suffering recently, both mentally and physically, I think because I'm afraid of messing up anything physically, before the big day. But every time, I also feel a mental anguish that I'm not doing enough/doing it right/training hard enough/etc.

As excited as I am for this race, I'm looking forward to being able to run and run whatever distance I want, for the fun of it again. I've enjoyed the challenge of training for this race, but man has it messed with my head! It's bad enough that I'm stressed about my (un)employment situation, but the pressure I'm putting on myself for training (or occasionally the lack thereof) is just getting to be too much. I stymied myself this morning and only ran two miles-argh! However, I have a long 9-10 mile to look forward to this weekend with Will, so hopefully that will help me land back in the correct mental state before the race next weekend. And I think I'll load up on lots of yoga this week too, just to help even more!

Barre Belle

I'm sure many of you have noticed that I am in LOVE with my new barre classes! Growing up, I did ballet for about 10 years, before foregoing it for music (and another type of dance-clogging). I knew I would never achieve the ideal dancer's body of tall stature and long, muscular legs. I had the leg "muscle" (jiggle jiggle), but that was about it. Even though I enjoyed it, it was time to move on because like many activities we participate in as kids, there's a point you get to when you either have to go all in or back out. Well, I've realized that as an adult, you can kind of get back into some of your childhood activities, without having to make any sort of commitment other than to yourself. It's actually pretty nice, you know, to be able to do something because you enjoy it and not have to worry about how "good" you are at it! What a concept!

I'd been seeing on some friends Facebooks about these classes called "barre," which got me intrigued. I didn't actively start looking for a place to try it, since I was still looking for a yoga studio, which was a higher priority. Then I got our free monthly paper, The Health Journal and as I perused it, found an article about barre classes. Since the journal covers all of Hampton Roads, most of it was about classes in VA Beach or other cities, but then there was a quote from an instructor of a studio in Williamsburg. So I googled up Studio South and discovered it was a yoga studio that taught a couple barre classes-the perfect combination! After reading through their whole website, I sent them an e-mail via the "contact us" page and landed myself a free class. So I figured, might as well try a barre class, because then if it didn't live up to my expectations, at least it was free.

Well, I went to the first class and was immediately hooked! My body somehow remembered after 10 years, how to do the ballet poses and postures accurately, yet it was a more fast-paced workout than I anticipated. I felt great that I had no problem keeping up with everything and doing most things in releve, and I left feeling wonderful! Best part? No pain the next day. I went back again for class this week and still love it. The combination of traditional ballet postures, combined with pilates-style exercises, and a little bit of yoga stretching, truly is ideal. It fulfills me on all levels of fitness, plus it's just really fun. It allows me to have a class that falls somewhere between the zen-like slower pace of yoga (my preferred way to practice) and the intensity of running, but without the responsibility of figuring out what new moves to try at the gym. I FREAKIN' LOVE IT.

And to make things even better, I've tried a couple yoga classes at Studio South, and enjoyed them, including a hot yoga class. The instructors are as nice as can be and the environment is calming. They have a super-fancy air filtration system that makes hot yoga bearable and not stuffy, and they provide everything else you need. They're also into essential oils, which I've not experienced before, but I have to say--my cool towel that was doused in lavender oil after hot yoga was amazing, as was having the instructor come and hold his hands over my face with more lavender oil in restorative yoga. Definitely a whole new aspect to my practice! Needless to say, I'm in love with this studio and am so excited to have a warm, welcoming place to do barre and practice yoga! As they say at Studio South, Namaste y'all!

Smoothie Cleanse

So I decided to do a smoothie cleanse, since cleansing seems to be a popular thing right now. Usually, I'm not one to follow what's "popular," but something about the concept of cleansing your body seemed intriguing to me. I decided to try a smoothie cleanse recommended by a friend, instead of shelling out the big bucks to do a juice cleanse, like Blueprint. I figured I could save a few $$ by DIY-ing the experiment, and if I ultimately had a positive reaction to the smoothie cleanse, I would look into investing in a juice cleanse.

Well, let me tell you folks-this has truly been an experiment! Here are the things I've learned from this experiment:

1. I actually have some semblance of self-control and rarely felt the need to snack during the cleanse. On day 2, I indulged in a bowl of plain brown rice, but that was mostly to balance the flavor of the smoothie. The rest of the cleanse was only supplemented by a couple bananas for breakfast (mostly because I didn't feel like tangling with my food processor/blender before having a full cup of coffee and on an empty stomach) and raw cashews. 
2. Straws are crucial elements of cleansing. We had to make an emergency straw trip on day 2 and are now well-stocked on straws for any future smoothie endeavors.
3. I really don't like drinking thick things, i.e. smoothies, soups, pulpy orange juice, etc. This relates to #2-the need for straws. Straws make it possible for me. A spoon is somewhat useful, but a straw is where it's at.
4. Raw cashews are the best snack discovery I have made in a long time. We loved our tamari almonds from EarthFare in Tallahassee, but raw cashews are my new best friend. They were my favorite snack during this process and even in their natural state, they have a buttery kind of flavor to them that is beyond delightful. Definitely a keeper.
5. Avocado's make everything better. I think I'm a Californian by nature. I would love to have an avocado tree in my backyard, like Will's grandmother does. I could literally eat avocado's at every meal. Every. Meal.
6. I don't really like beets as much as I thought I did. Borscht may be the only exception and led me astray thinking I actually enjoyed beets. Maybe I do. The juries still out on beets for me.
7. I really really don't like raspberries. Or at least I'm blaming them in some part, along with the beets, for the unpleasant taste of smoothie day 2. But I'm pretty sure I just don't like them.

After three days of giving this a go, would I recommend it? Sure, but I would definitely recommend eating foods you're unfamiliar with in a non-smoothie meal before diving in. I should've reminded myself what beets tasted like before cleansing, as well as tested raspberries, since I was pretty sure I didn't like them anyways. Otherwise, I found the Day 1 smoothie to be pretty good, but I know kale might not be everyone's favorite green-it can be bitter, but it didn't bother me (you know we cook a lot of it). Day 2 smoothie was horrendous, in my opinion. I suffered through many beet burps, had to get a straw to prevent myself from gagging, and ultimately threw some away (although I threw it away because I was so full and wasn't going to keep forcing myself to drink it, and I didn't exactly want leftovers). Day 3 smoothie was the nectar of life and perfect in every way. Even after getting full, I still wanted to keep drinking it. It was the only smoothie that also had the good fortune of straw-usage for the entire day, so that may have helped. But I would definitely make Day 3 smoothie again and it was the only one I looked forward to sipping on for a second time, during the day. I almost craved it.

My conclusions about the smoothie cleanse are that I feel fairly successful with it. I definitely dropped a few pounds, which was fun (check back in a few days to see if I've kept them off-pretty doubtful). I didn't feel super low on energy, although Will would argue that I got a little ornery at times. And while I can't tell if toxins have left my body or not, I feel lighter and I guess cleaner? I'm not really sure how you're supposed to determine that. Would I try it again? Maybe with some different smoothies. Would I try a juice cleanse? Definitely. Was it worth it? Sure, I have nothing else going on at the moment.

If you're interested, I've included the recipes below. Our blender is crap, so we prepped all ingredients in our food processor before doing a final blend in our blender. We had to do most of the food processing in groups, because we have a tiny food processor. If you want to see the original recipe, visit here.

Day 1 Smoothie-"Green Smoothie"
2 cups tuscan kale, packed
1 cup spinach leaves, packed
1 large handful parsley
1 frozen banana
2 cups green grapes
1 cup frozen blueberries
3 tablets TJ's spirulina
1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
5 ice cubes

(Finished smoothie pictured at the top of the post)






Day 2 Smoothie-"Red-ish Smoothie"
5 TJ's pre-cooked baby beets (I would recommend using less; the original recipe calls for 3 beets)
3 cups swiss chard, packed
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup flaxseed
1 tbsp raw cocoa powder
2 cups almond milk
5 ice cubes








Day 3 Smoothie-"Sweet Smoothie"
3 cups spinach leaves, packed
1/2 avocado, pitted
3 inches ginger, peeled
1 frozen banana
2 cups frozen mango
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 scoop TJ's vanilla protein powder
2 cups almond milk
5 ice cubes

Seeking New Gym

When you move, there are lots of things that you have to find again. Hairdressers, dentists, car repair guys....and your gym! And truth be told, I'm not having much luck with finding many of these, most specifically a gym. I had told myself that until I knew where I'd be working, I wouldn't spend the money to join a gym because I could just run and do some machine-free exercising at home. Well, while that's true, our schedule has been so all over the place that my discipline has been slipping and I haven't been making the time like I should. It's easier to convince myself to take time to work out if there's a dollar figure attached to it.

So I started my foray into searching for a gym in Williamsburg, online last night. I can always join the W&M gym at an alumni rate and get a Fitwell pass once the semester starts, which would be nice because I could take classes again AND my yoga practice would be included. But despite being a slightly better deal than a non-W&M gym, something about returning to my undergrad gym and taking classes with freshmen, seems weird to me. Granted, it's a fantastic gym with lots of offerings, but for some reason I'm just not feeling it. I feel the need to explore other options before just settling on what's familiar.

However, the problem is, all the gyms I've found in Williamsburg have high monthly rates. Granted, it's because they all include unlimited classes, but $45/month is steep! But one gym offers spin, bootcamp, yoga, pilates, and some other classes I'm interested in, so part of me wants to give that gym a shot because it's set to a "real persons" schedule as opposed to a student schedule. They have a "free" trial week that I'm tempted to partake in next week, just to see what it's like. They have super early classes that I want to summon up the discipline to attend, but again, $45/month is steep! Especially when I know similar things will be offered at W&M, but I'm afraid their Fitwell class times won't mesh with my schedule.

I guess my question with this is, how much do you invest in your fitness each month? In Tallahassee, we paid $20/month for the gym (that got me in all the time and Will could come with me an unlimited amount as a "guest"-Gold's didn't do family rates) and another $120/20 classes of yoga, which usually covered us both for 2-2 1/2 months. So I guess paying $45/month for everything included is less than $20/month for gym + ~$60/month for yoga. But it just SEEMS so much more expensive! If you don't mind, please share with me what you invest on a monthly basis for your fitness and what that includes-I'm curious to know so I can have some sort of price comparison!

Fitness Funnies

Folks, yesterday the internet provided lots of funnies related to fitness. I'm sure many of you saw The Oatmeal's running contribution, but I also wanted to make sure you saw Buzzfeed's Ludicrous Things Yoga Teachers Say. That's all I've got, so enjoy!

Excerpt from The Oatmeal

Excerpt from Buzzfeed

New Products!

It's always fun to get new toys. I don't care how old you are, it's always exciting to get something new, especially if it's stuff you haven't gotten before. I felt that way when I came home to two packages sitting in my mailbox--my first Runnerbox and Bondi Bands! I had already received a new outfit that I ordered from Lucy last week, that I plan to use for the half-marathon, so to get the rest of my new running gear made it even better. The reason I had ordered these products is because Mitzi had recently blogged about a bunch of fun new stuff she had snagged at an expo of a race she ran. She raved about these Bondi Bands, so I wanted to give them a shot--with my short haircut, it's hard to find products that hold my hair back without looking atrocious, so I'm always game for something new.

Well, I took some of my new gear out for a test this past Sunday when I tackled my furthest running distance yet--7 miles! I wore my new Lucy outfit, a Bondi Band, and took some Pro Bar Bolt Organic Energy Chews to help keep my energy up on the long distance. The result was great! I loved my new outfit, which has a lot of pockets in the top, equipped for stashing things over the course of a long run. And the Bondi Band worked great-I'm definitely going to keep using them (I ordered two) because they hold the hair back, don't shift while you're working out, and soak up the sweat really well. Plus, they have cute sayings on them :) And I LOVED the Pro Bar organic energy chews. I had asked in a previous blogpost about energy gels and received pretty negative reviews of them, so I feel like these little energy chews might be a good alternative. However, I got lots of fun goodies/snacks/energy supplements in my Runnerbox, so I might find something I like even more!

If you have any favorite products that you like to use, let me know! Clothing, sunglasses, shoes, food, water boosters, supplements, etc.--I want to know it all!

Bondi Bands

Runnerbox Goodies

(Sorry for the terrible photo quality)

True Confessions of An "Athlete"

I am starting to feel so pumped for this half-marathon! I know I blab about it a lot on here (point of the blog...duh), but at the moment, it's my only real fitness "goal." I'm keeping up strength training and toning as best I can without a gym (for the moment) and am trying to be better about practicing yoga on my own. And I'm trying to be harder on myself about truly making sure I'm doing something beneficial every day because well, we're getting married in less than six months and there's a dress that I want to look good in!

But anyways, this post is not for that. This post is to share a little bit (okay, a lot bit) about my journey to becoming the "athlete" I may be considered today. I struggle with the term "athlete" because I think of true athletes as people who play sports and win medals and things. However, the more I read about fitness and running, the more I recognize that "athlete" is a much broader term for people who are part of this healthy, active way of living. In Merriam-Webster, "athlete" is defined as:

"a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina"

And while I struggle with the label of the word itself (it's the academic in me), I guess I can be considered someone who is trained in something that requires physical strength because of running. Or something like that.*

It occurred to me recently that I find this whole fitness regimen (particularly running) thing still shocking, even though I've been really good about keeping things up for the last year. I find it interesting how much easier it is for me to convince myself to go for a run, do some strength/toning exercises, go for a bike ride, or go to a yoga class, than it is for me to practice my instruments. I struggle with a little guilt because I feel like I'm replacing time I should be spending practicing, with exercising instead. And even now, when I'm unemployed and have lots of free time, I find it's so much easier to tell myself "oh, spend an hour working out" than it is to pick up my clarinet for the same amount of time. I almost feel, in a sense, that I'm making up for some sort of "lost time" over the years. And I've talked about some of this before, but I wanted to share a full recap of my "athletic" life over the years, here.

As a kid, I was fairly active, doing dance 3-4 days a week and soccer 2-3 days (two practice, one game usually). And even though I was never a star athlete (although I believe in 6th grade I finally got the coveted presidential physical fitness award...or maybe I imagined that), I was what we would consider "fit." I wasn't a skinny or muscular kid, but I was active at least five days a week and my parents fed me mostly healthy foods, which I consider pretty darn good. And then somewhere around middle school, choices had to be made to prioritize time. Soccer got cut first because most girls on my team left to join more elite travel teams, and even though I could have qualified for that, I preferred dance. So then I mainly balanced dance and music. But then dance got really competitive, and again, I could have pushed myself to become Clara in the Nutcracker, or I could focus on the whole music thing, which I was really really good at. (This is also the time I started clogging, which is where I discovered my heart for dance truly lies, so that is what I began to pursue and still continue, when possible, these days).

By the time I reached college, I had been so focused on music, that I didn't recognize that there were other "extracurriculars" or "hobbies" beyond that. So in a weird kind of way, I judged people who "worked out." Not out of jealousy, but just wondered why they would waste the time, I guess? I understood and appreciated organized sports, and would occasionally participate in IM Wind Symphony soccer, but other than that, I mostly was happy to consider walking around campus my "exercise." During college, I did discover yoga and began to practice regularly, but then the Rec changed it's schedule and I never managed to get a yoga class to work with my 5-day a week evening rehearsal schedule, so it fell by the wayside. There was one summer where I joined a gym and was pretty proactive about going--I managed to shed a few pounds and gain some muscle definition, but looking back, I'm not sure how well I was working out.

When I moved to Tallahassee, the thought never crossed my mind to pick up a fitness regimen. But I was hearing more and more in my performance classes that keeping the body healthy will make you a better player. But I looked around and didn't see many people who did that, because as musicians, we are always keeping weird hours and never have enough time to fit it all in. But after hearing my friend Julia start talking about going to the gym every day after work, and seeing her boss, Mitzi (who is a total fitness and running CHAMP), up at 4:30 AM most days to go to her bootcamps/regular workout/whatever crazy class she's doing, I started to think maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Then I started to work for Jeff, who is a triathlete, and that's when I decided to join the Gold's up the street (talk about motivation). I took advantage of my free personal training session which turned into a few months worth of personal training sessions, and between that and the results I was seeing, I happily stuck to a workout routine. I also bought a bike and relearned how to ride, from Will.

Even though it meant early morning hours (getting up at 5 or 5:30 some weeks) to fit in practicing daily and working out a few days a week, I stuck with it because I was enjoying the results. And then sometime in December, after seeing Mitzi always bombarding my Saturday mornings with fun race photos on FB, and having several piano students who ran races, I decided it was time to give running a shot. I had always avoided it because a) really, it's no fun when you first start and you feel like a lazy ass no matter how "fit" you may think you are and b) I had previously been diagnosed with patella femoral pain syndrome (a knee problem) and was advised not to run. But I figured, why not give it a shot?

After a few weeks of giving it a good effort, it started to get easier. So I started actually tracking this improvement on the Nike+ app. Then I got some true "running" shoes. Then I signed up for a 5K and made Will do it with me. And here I am now, about 7 1/2-8 months later, and I'm enjoying training for a half-marathon. I have a full fitness wardrobe involving clothes for all the seasons and all the activities (running, yoga, regular working out, strength training at home, biking). I subscribe to Runner's World and Self magazines. I just made my first order of RunnerBox. I actually do the workouts I pin on Pinterest. And I do some kind of workout every day. WHAT THE WHAT.

So this is where I think "making up for lost time" is coming into play. I think because for the last 10+ years I thought it was silly to do physical activity purposely, I'm now doing it every day because I feel guilty for neglecting my body all that time. And while the clarinet is really nice and deserves to be played, it's finally time for me to figure out what I enjoy doing in life, not necessarily what I'm good at. Running and workouts are a gateway to determining who I am beyond the musical talents that have defined "me" for the last 10 years. The increasingly more toned arms and race bib collection (plus some finishers medals) are just bonuses ;-)

*If you wouldn't consider me an "athlete," tell me! What is your definition of an athlete?

Feeling the Heat

Welp, it's July now. It kind of snuck up on me thanks to the move and everything. I'm 8 weeks out from my half-marathon and really struggling with training. See, it's hard to convince myself I need to wake up at 6 AM to get out and run, because I'm unemployed and usually only have a few things to accomplish each day. Plus, my cats are so darn tempting to stay in bed and cuddle with, that the idea of pushing myself to go outside, sweat, struggle, and run for an hour just don't line up. But I think I learned my lesson today. I got lucky the other morning because I waited until around 11 AM to run, but managed to sneak in 3 miles before I really started to feel the heat of the day setting in. So today, I thought that if I got up a little earlier and was out the door by 9 AM to complete my long run (6 miles on my new, mileage-based training plan), I should be just fine.

Not the case. I opened the door and immediately was swallowed up in humidity. So I stepped back inside and ran to weather.com to see what I was up against for running today. My odds were either going out the door at that moment into 80-something % humidity and lows 80s (feeling like mid-80s), or waiting around until tonight when it would drop to just below 60% humidity, but still feel like it was in the 90s. No good either way. I told myself "this is July....this is what I've got to deal with," took a huge slug of water, and out the door I went. I only made it 2 miles before I started to feel dizzy from lack of air. I find it way harder to breath in humidity than in heat, because if it's hot, at least the air is still consumable. However, with humidity, I'm hypersensitive to it thanks to living in Williamsburg and Tallahassee, so it always feels like I'm trying to cut through it with a knife when I am breathing. Not exactly the ideal situation for running.

I stopped myself at 2 miles because I was genuinely afraid I might  pass out if I kept going (and I'm typing this a half hour later, with a lot of rehydration and still feel dizzy each time I stand up). Which in a twisted way, pissed me off that I didn't feel well enough to keep going. I know that's not how you're supposed to react when your body says "no more," but it doesn't stop you from thinking it. After walking the last mile home (luckily my plan had only been to do a 3-mile loop twice, today), I was truly feeling upset at myself and ready to give up on training for this half-marathon. "You're not a runner...you're not good at this...you'll never be able to run that far...you should not have signed up for a half-marathon" were the thoughts running through my mind. Albeit, they may be true--especially the last one--in the air conditioned house, with ice water from my supportive fiance, a purring kitty, and the goal to drag myself out of bed at 6 AM tomorrow to try again, those thoughts melt away. The even weirder part about it is, I'm even looking forward to seeing if I can make tomorrow's run better. How cliched is that?!?! From things I've read and how I interact with the running experience, it seems about on par. We're all a little twisted in that we keep putting ourselves out there for more pain and struggle, but I know from experience, that the feeling you get when you cross a finish line at a race is so satisfying that it's what keeps me coming back for more. I can't wait to tackle the VA Beach Rock n' Roll Half on September 1st. Now if only I could order some perfect weather to help me get there!

Running/Yoga in Williamsburg

W&M and local Williamsburg friends! Where are your favorite places to run in the 'burg? The area around where I live is great for short runs (2-3 miles, tops), but I need somewhere where I can log longer distances without going in circles, while I train for my half. I know the colonial part is always pretty, but it's peak tourist season, so I'm not anticipating running there everyday. Are there good parks with nice trails to run on, or are there routes that you recommend? I also enjoy running on bike paths and I think there's one near our apartment, down at Jamestown-has anyone ever explored this?

Also, what are some good races to do in this area? Right now, I'm only registered for the Rock 'n Roll half in September and Will and I are registered for the Busch Gardens Christmastown 8K. Otherwise, our race schedule is open. Any suggestions?

And lastly, does anyone have a recommendation of where to practice yoga around here? I've found one studio that I'm interested in, but it offers a little more hot yoga and a little less variety for flow classes, than I'm accustomed to.

Thanks in advance friends!

Race Highlights

A lot of Saturday mornings over the last few weeks, I've been feeling a bit of race nostalgia. I had gotten so accustomed to having a race or run to complete, that my Saturday's feel a little emptier without them. So for this Saturday morning, as I pack up to move out of Tallahassee, I will share a little bit of race nostalgia with you guys in my appreciation to the people and environment in Tallahassee that inspired me to run.

Run for the Cookies, Feb. 2013 (first 5K!)

KD Color Run with Kensley (her first 5K)

Shamrock Scurry 5K with Mitzi (my inspiration!)

Lucky Leprechaun 5K (where Will and I 

both placed 3rd in our age category)

Springtime 10K (our first 10K)

Palace Saloon 5K (where we both set PR's, 

thus my excitement in this picture)

5.2 at 5 for Boston with Patty and Michelle

Tails & Trails 5K with our moms 

for graduation weekend

Lower Body Burn

Friends, I just have to share this workout with you. I did it yesterday morning, not even in its full entirety, and had jello legs by the end. I woke up this morning to do my run and I knew it wasn't worth dragging myself out of bed to do a 50-minute run, because I could feel the sore muscles all throughout my thighs/hamstrings/glutes. I opted for a 30-minute run, which was a struggle enough with my tired muscles (I've never felt my quads burn like that on a run!).

However, despite the struggle, I actually really enjoyed this routine! I rarely target my lower body because I assume that with running and whatever else I do, it gets a workout whether I intend it to or not. Well that was a somewhat false assumption! I've been trying to incorporate more squats into my non-running routine, but with little success. This workout targets your lower half without having to do traditional squats and it gets much more than just your glutes! Wowza! It also recommends doing three sets of each move for 20 reps....needless to say, I made it through one set on most of these and some of them I didn't even get to 20 and I still feel it. So congrats Self Magazine for coming up with this (literally) kick-ass routine! I think I know what I'm doing more often on my "days off" for cross-training...

Oh, and did I mention you have no excuse not to try it because it doesn't require any equipment?

Routine: Nine Moves to a Tighter Butt

(Killer first move of the series....burpee bonus!)