Days 139-140: TRX Time

I suppose I should have let you all know that my fiance and I are sharing a car for as long as humanly possible in a city that does not have a lot of public transportation.   Most people think we are nuts, but we keep in mind our dream home that backs up to the foothills and the fact that one car means that we are probably using another healthy mode of transportation (walking, biking or busing).  So far, the only issue that I have complained about is the lack of gyms/studios within walking distance from our house.  It makes my exercise routine lack some variety.

Now that I am starting to feel better (praise all things sweaty!), I decided to really take advantage of the TRX that I can do in our home.  Yesterday I completed a 45 minute “endurance circuit” and today I did a 30 minute “metabolic circuit,” both of which left me completely exhausted.  It’s hard to belive that just two big straps and your body weight can kick your own butt.

Today I am also walking three miles to my friend’s house for a cup of tea.  Seriously, it better be some good tea!  Although this city isn’t super public transit friendly, I challenge you to try out life without a car for a while.  See how your life changes, pay attention to what loses importance and start to notice what matters.  It’s a really healthy way to live your life, try it out sometime!

Days 135-138: Making It Through

Although you have not heard from me as regularly lately, rest assured that I am in a happy, live-living, joy seeking and sweating-finding place. Also, I have taken a small step back from the blog in order to make more space in my life for my coaching clients, fiance, needy cat and myself.  As always, I am thankful for your continued support and encouragement as I shift my way through life!

Days 135-137:  I am still (seriously, I am in the running for the world record’s longest cold to inhabit a healthy body) fighting the funk and thought my body could use a few days of walking to recover.

On day 135 it was almost sixty degrees and I walked for over an hour from my neighborhood to Cherry Creek.  I even ditched all of my outer layers a few minutes into the walk so that I could soak up the sun and sweat freely.

Heading into Friday a.m. Denver got about three inches of snow, but I decided to brave the cold and head out for a walk.  Despite the strong winds, I have found that a great pair of Sorel boots will help out a walker in any temperature.

On Friday evening Mike and I went to the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse game with some friends.  It ended up being the most fun night we have had in Denver and we did not get home until a little after 1 a.m.  If you know me at all, that’s like saying we got home at 5 a.m. to a normal person.  Needless to say, it threw off my workout schedule and left me with walking to work on Saturday as my only workout option.  It takes me about an hour to get there, so I was ok with that being my daily sweat.

Day 138:  Today Mike and I decided to try out the local 24 hour fitness to see if we might want to join.  It was really nice to be back in a gym after over a month of just hitting up the outdoors and yoga studios.  I ran on a treadmill for 25 minutes and then did the elliptical for 15, followed by a hefty amount of abdominal work.  It was a nice refresher of what it feels like to have a gym routine- maybe some day too my gym commitment phobia will go away and I will actually join one!

Day 134: Barin’ Some Skin

How long has it been since you have worn shorts outside?  I couldn’t remember the last time that I had, so I took advantage of our 50 degree sunny day by throwing on my favorite running shorts and heading to Washington Park.  Unfortunately I learned that 50 degrees might be a little too cold to wear shorts and a light long-sleeve shirt, but it was still worth it.  It reminded me of the warm days that I don’t have to bundle myself up in multiple layers, gloves and a hat.  It was a tease for the Spring weather that we are all pining for. 

While strutting the streets in my shorts, I decided not to follow my usual path to Wash Park.  Instead, I just ran wherever my legs took me (preferably in the sun) and then ran home on back streets.  It was a beautiful day to explore my neighborhood more.  Just a few more weeks until the cold days are a thing of the past…or am I just being really hopeful!?

Days 131-133: Gentle

“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired,” says Jim Carey’s character from Dumb and Dumber.   This really insightful quote nails what I am feeling on the head.  February has been a month wham-jam packed of one bug after the next for me. Typically my body acts like a black belt in karate and fights off anything that looks like a bug, but this year- nut uh.  It’s taking a break and letting every darned bit of sick hit me like a ton of bricks.  Great timing black belt, grrrreeat timing!

Day 131:  Regardless of how I am feeling, I am determined not to let this month of yuck let me break my challenge.  On day 131 I also worked in three ten minute walks.  My body was thankful when each of those walks was over.

Day 132:  Yesterday my fiance and I went to the home and garden show at the Denver Convention Center and walked around for over three hours.  After that we walked about two miles total to and from to get lunch.  Hey- after that, my body was done.  Therefore, that had to be my workout.  Walking that much really does count as a low impact workout and that’s what I am all about until my black decides to make a much anticipated appearance.

Day 133: Today I moved our coffee table out of our living room, set up my yoga mat and practiced my own (much needed) flow.  I turned on some country music and just listened to what my body needed.  It was screaming at me to open up my hips- so I did a runner’s lunge, lots of warrior’s and finished off with a long time in child’s pose.  I wonder if sickness likes to hangout in the hip joints?  Just a thought.  Listen, be kind and be gentle.  Those things have always been important, but it’s even more important when all your body wants to do is take it easy.

Days 128-130: Makin’ It Happen

Day 128:  On Wednesday I walked a little less than two miles to Kindness Yoga in Cherry Creek for an all levels vinyasa flow.  It was the perfect class for a sunny day.

Day 129:  Yesterday my childhood best friend came in town from New York and we walked into the city while enjoying the sights.  Overall, we walked for a little over three hours and talked about everything in the world.   Thank goodness for Denver’s beautiful blue skies, sunny days and 55 degree weather.  It just makes life easier.

Day 130:  Today was a challenge.  Well in actuality, the past few days have been a physical test of sorts.  My stomach really started being “off” on Valentine’s Day (I will leave the definition of “off” up to your imagination) and has gone south from there.  After three days of the tummy follies, I do not have much strength left stay awake…let alone enough to get in a proper workout.   Therefore, I made my workout today three sets of ten minute walks.  It’s all this feeble bod could handle.   Listening to my body when it needs a break might be the only way I can get through this workout challenge and whatever virus is living in my intestines.

Sorry for the lack of witti-ness and charm.  My brain needs a wee break as well.  I do hope that you make it through the cold and flu season without this funk.  If you don’t, do yourself a favor and listen to what your body needs.  Trust me, it will be thankful.

Day 127: Loving What Is

This is the first Valentine’s Day that my fiance and I have been able to spend together and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the day.  Life always has a way of throwing curveballs when they are least expected and this morning, I got hit with a few big ones.  I think most women would agree that if they could choose one day a year to feel smokin’ hot, they would probably choose Valentines’ Day or an anniversary.  Now I am going to give you way too much information, but I would like to let it be known that life isn’t perfect…it never is, it’s how we handle the imperfections that make us who we are. 

This morning I woke up with horrible cramps, a pimple that could be mistaken for part of the Rockies and a feeling of sadness for a day meant to be romantic.  How can I turn on the romance when I feel like womanly induced crapola?  Oy, I had to get aboard the thought work train and FAST!  I chose to do everything today with intention.   By thinking through every small thing that I did, I made myself happy…even while putting clean sheets on a bed and scrubbing the floors.  After I cleaned the house, I spent some well deserved time on myself, including; an hour of yoga in my living room, a home manicure and pedicure, a facial mask made with honey and tea to calm my cramps.

Tonight I will make lobster and chocolate lava cake while I bask in happiness of just being with the one that I love.  Although it’s not the night I had planned, it’s quickly becoming what it is meant to be.   It’s not just about how smokin’ I can make myself appear.  It’s a day about love and companionship.  For that I am one happy, fulfilled, lucky woman.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!  I hope your day is cramp free and filled with an abundance of love, smiles and chocolate!

Days 124-126: One Step at a Time

Day 124:  On day 124 I went to CPY for a hot yoga fusion class.  I had no idea what a hot power fusion class was but I figured I’d be able to figure it out.  It’s a combination of bikram and vinyasa yoga for 75 minutes.  Although I do not love bikram style, this was a nice way to combine the two.

The instructor had us all put a piece of paper with a dot in the middle of it by the top of our mats.  The purpose was to learn how to concentrate on one thing.  At first I thought it was a silly concept, “how could a dot hold my concentration?”  Thirty minutes into class and I realized that my concentration was at an all time high.

I am not sure if it was the dot, the day or the people around me that helped me hone in on my own practice.  No matter what the reason was, I’d take it.  Concentration rocks my socks!

Day 125:  Yesterday I walked 40 minutes.  Primarily because it was late in the day and I realized I completely forgot to workout, so that was the only option left with a belly full of wine and a few thin mints.  Thank you walking for remaining a steady friend and a great last-minute option.

Day 126:  I think it’s been over two weeks since I have gone on a long run outside and my body missed it so much.  As the reasons for the running hiatus were stacking up, my fwinter running fears were starting to cave in on me.   It might seem strange that I still have running fears after being a runner for seven years, but they fears always find a way to come back.  This time around I was scared for my knees on the ice, the cold in my lungs and my health taking another turn towards sick-city.   The fears were enabling me to get back out there and do the thing I love the most.

Today the warm sun was shining and I told myself I could go as slow as I needed on the icy paths to get my goal of 6 miles.   Although my body was incredibly happy to receive some cardio, my mind reaped the benefits even more.  I got over my mental block of running in the winter and took my first ever strides on snowy paths.  My sore ankles might be upset tomorrow, but my shackle-free mind is grateful.

Days 121-123: There’s Always Time

Day 121:  On day 121 I had one free hour between 12-1 pm to squeeze in a workout.  I was near a Bar Method studio in Cherry Creek and popped in for a quick hour at the bar.  They really should think of calling it “Happy Hour” instead, it might bring in a steady flow of curious women…and men!   The class was taught by the owner, Leslie, who explains the class so that it makes sense.  Although I was not planning on going to a bar class that day, I am glad that I went because it restored my faith in my body at the bar.

Day 122:  Yesterday was a wham-jammed day.  With the lingering of a cold still hanging around, I decided that early morning yoga would not be a good idea.  Instead, I walked for 50 minutes to work.  It really should have only taken 30 minutes, but the snow filled Denver sidewalks made my walk into more of a hike.  Next time I will wait until the latest snowstorm has melted before I hit the streets!

Day 123:  I have been itching to go for a run for the past two weeks.  I can tell that my body needs that amount of cardio and my spirit needs it even more than that.  Unfortunately, I have a fear of slipping on the ice outside and tearing, tweaking or snapping something serious.  This fear (and lack of a gym membership) led me to a nearby yoga studio for a 75 minute power class.  The studio was closed due to a water break, double sigh.  After my first two dreamy workouts had to change I was stuck doing TRX at home.  As much as I love TRX, I really do like leaving the house to workout.

This chilly weather really has altered my style of working out and I am ready for that unseasonably warm weather to return.  The good news is that weather.com tells me that the average Denver day in March is in the mid 50s, phew….only 19 more days until my sneaks can hit the pavement on a regular basis again.

Days 119 & 120: All For The Pudding

Last week I signed up for a week-long bootcamp at Tran’s Fitness.  What this bootcamp entails is going to one class everyday for a week at this studio and riding my diet of sugar, alcohol and bad carbs.  Yesterday was day one of the bootcamp and I went to my first ever “tread training” class.  It was high intensity treadmill work with various interval weight training.  Are you confused?  I was too at first.   After I got it down, I was able to concentrate on my intensity and try to calm my thoughts of how sore I would be the next day.

As for my diet on day one?  It was a success, no sweets, carbs or alcohol.  In all fairness, the alcohol thing is easy for me…it’s the sugar withdraw that really makes me shake.

Day 120:  FOUR MONTHS DOWN, eight to go!   Staying focused on how much I have already achieved makes the upcoming eight months seem a lot easier.   1/3 of the way through and I still feel great, in fact, I feel better about a lot of things in my life than when I started (which I was not sure would be the case at the beginning).  Today Mike and I drove up to Keystone and skied for a little over two hours.  It was all that my body could muster up in 8 degree weather.  For those of you that do not ski that often, I would just like to throw in a gentle reminder that it was 8 degrees before adding in the wind that you feel while going 20 mph* down a mountain.   Mike and I split-up before we started so that we could both concentrate on our own skill level of skiing/boarding.  It ended up being a good thing because I think he would have left me in mountains if he heard me say “my face is freezing” as many times as I was thinking it.

And an update on the diet today?  Welllllll, just one hiccup.  We went to my favorite deli in Dillon and they had gluten-free bread pudding (my willpower did not stand a chance!).  Mike and I split a piece of that sans-wheat-heaven without any guilt.  I wish I could say I feel bad, but I don’t.   Primarily because I didn’t think twice about my new sugar limitation, but also because I do not allow what I eat to make me feel anything other than what it is.  That was a piece of happiness, that made my day a little sweeter than before….and that’s all.

Sidenote:  If you happened to notice that we did not make it to day #2 of the bootcamp then I will explain why:  we wanted to ski and it was the only day in the foreseeable future that we could.  Sorry bootcamp, the mountain air always wins in my book!

*I have no clue if I ski that fast.  I just thought it sounded really, really badass.

Days 117 & 118: Listening In

Day 117:  Being able to workout at home is a wonderful thing.  I used to practice yoga from home once in a while and found it to be a decent workout, but not the best because of all the distractions.  Since Mike has installed the TRX mount in our living room, I have been pleasantly surprised with my ability to hone in on the video and forget about my surroundings.  With the sidewalks still yielding slick icy spots I chose to forgo my typical morning run and do a TRX video.  What I like about the workout is that I can challenge myself differently every time I complete the video; adjusting it to what my body can do that day.

Day 118:  I love being able to walk to a local yoga studio.  Not only for the additional exercise, but it’s a nice reminder of how much I love living in a city.  This morning I walked to Core Power Yoga and took an hour-long heated flow.  As I was flowing, I listened to my what my body wanted.  Today, I knew that it did not need to go as hard as possible; instead, it wanted me to recognize that I could take it a little easier in class.  I skipped a few chaturangas and once I fell out of a headstand, I did not attempt to go up for a second.  It felt good to feel in sync with my entirety.  I hope you read this and you can relate  to what I am trying to say, because it feels damn good.