Days 360-363: The End of an Era

Day 363: After two and a half years at lululemon, I am sad to say that last Sunday I put in my two weeks notice to leave the company.  The part-time job  took me from an HR world filled with Fenway Franks and a lonely heart to a world filled with deep breathing, living with intention and more black luon than any one person should ever own.   The job has filled my life with more love, friends and happiness than I could have ever imagined.  It was one of the hardest decisions that I have had to make, however I felt like all the signs in the world have been pointing at me to go coach full-time.  Although it’s incredibly hard for me to do, I knew it was time.

Now I am filling my mind with how to get through the transition by filling my home office with as much happiness as I have gained in the last 2.5 years.  Hopefully I can send that on to my future clients.

With that being said, I went to my last staff meeting on Thursday morning and started with a 45 minute yoga flow led by my amazing co-worker, Jessica Lapham.  She led us through lots of community breathing and inspirational messages that made me teary-eyed for the newest transition in my life.

After work was done that day I came home and went on a quick 20 minute run to make me feel more at home in my home.

Day 361: On Friday I went for a 30 minute run in the snowy morning and was wondering the entire time what happened to Fall?  We seemed to have skipped that season in Denver this year!

Day 362:  Yesterday morning was another one of those, “how the heck am I going to fit in a workout?” type of days.  It really rattles me to the core when I feel stressed about how I will find the time, however, it always works out.  I took Mike to work at 6 a.m. and then went straight to Pura Vida gym for 45 minutes of cardio, followed by 15 minutes of weights and 10 minutes of abs.  Phew, got it in.

Day 363:  This afternoon my friend Katie and I went to my favorite Core Power Yoga on Broadway for a C2 class.  She introduced me to yoga five years ago by taking me to Pura Vida, where I fell on my face attempting crow pose in my first class.   After I let go of my ego, I eventually came back to the practice and it’s now changed my life in a way I never would have thought possible.  Namaste Katie, Namaste.

Days 353-357: Suburbia Blur

Day 353:  As my last few days as a city girl were approaching, nostalgia hit like a ton of bricks with every city block I crossed.  With all of my reflecting I realized that most of my favorite city things involve working out- Washington Park, Karma Yoga, Wash Perk coffee house (which I go to as a treat after I sweat) and Cherry Creek Trail.  For my loving city farewell I decided to take advantage of all of those things and some of my newer budding friendships.

Thursday I met up with an old friend, Katie, and a new friend, Jessica for a 90 minute flow at Karma Yoga.  With an old friend and a new friend (who both happen to be beautiful yoga instructors) practicing so close I realized how yoga has helped me cultivate some of the greatest friendships in my life.  For that, this city gal is ever grateful.

Day 354: Friday was closing day on the house!  I got up at 6:30 and ran to and around Washington Park for a total of 5.5 miles.  I could talk about how at every turn I said “ahh, this is my last time taking this turn while living in the city,” but I won’t bore you with that.

Day 355:  Moving Day!!  Mike and I got up at 5:30 a.m to pack, pick up a moving truck, load up our storage unit, then load up our apartment, stop for a pizza break with our saint friends who helped us all day, and finally unloaded everything at the new digs.  Throughout the day I think the moving team got really sick of me saying “this is what real crossfit is baby!”  Seriously, I said it a lot and nobody ever laughed.*

*Not even when I was doing “wall balls” with bags of pillows and throwing them in the truck.  Shocking…really.

Day 356:  Unpack, unpack, unpack and cleaned the old apartment from floorboards to the ceiling.  I was one stinky kid.  Again, “this is what real crossfit is baby!”  Did you laugh the second time?

Day 357:  Although the house is still not done, I decided I needed to take a real workout break this morning.  I laced up my kicks and headed out for my first suburbia run.  It’s definitely different.  No panhandlers, just kids.  Lots of speed walkers and very few runners.  Bunny rabbits every where I look and no stray cat to greet me at the door…just my own blissed out Jack.  After my run I went to my basement and setup my “home gym,” that will probably get a lot of use this winter.  Life really is different, but I think I’m going to like these rabbits and lots of sunlight that fills the entire house all day long.

Days 328-330: Friends and Outlaws

Day 328:  Sunday morning I went to the community yoga class that lululemon hosts every week.  To say that it was the most unique class I have ever taken is an uunderstatement.  The hour-long power flow class was taught by Justin Kaliszewski, the creator of the brand “Outlaw Yoga.”  I really want to pick Justin’s brain the next time that I take his class so that I can learn the entire story behind the brand, but until then, I can guess that the name was born out of a desire to break the boundaries of yoga.  The class physically felt like yoga, but spiritually it amped up the power of choice more than any other class I’ve ever taken.  It was almost instantly addicting, which quickly explained Justin’s large entourage at the event.

If you’re looking for something truly unique, you should checkout Justin at Kindness Yoga and watch for his own studio to open up in the late fall.  I will make sure to keep you all posted on that in the near future.

Day 329:   Yesterday was a busy day and I had to figure out how to squeeze in a workout between working at luluemon, having a congratulatory drink with my newly engaged best friend* and a dinner date with another friend.  I decided on my fall back plan- a 40 minute run.  Unfortunately my body was feeling the effects of my late Sunday night dinner party, so I was forced to run really slow.  My body just wanted to move like a turtle and I let it.

Day 330:  After being home from the honeymoon for a week now, I have started to fall back into my groove a bit more.  I’m feeling more rested everyday and am noticing the side effects of wedding stress slowly leaving my body.   I suppose that the constant catching up with all my friends and family about the wedding has definitely helped out as well.  Today I talked on the phone to five friends and one family member for a total of four hours, it felt like high school all over again and I loved it!

This normally would not be considered blog worthy information, but I was getting bored on the phone, so I walked for almost two hours of the conversations and then decided to skip my evening run.  It was incredibly delightful.  The next time you don’t feel like working out, I challenge you to grab your phone and dial all your friends.  Talking + walking + sweating + laughing = bliss.

*My bestie also happened to catch the bouquet at our wedding.  I believe that is a noteworthy nugget of information to share 😉

Days 310-312: Home Sweet Home

Day 310:  Yesterday I flew from Denver to Columbus, Ohio for some early wedding week prep.  When I landed I went straight to my final dress fitting and then to meet two high school friends at Pai Yoga in my hometown of Dublin.  We were trying out a 75 minute flow class in a hot studio, that proved to be challenging and soul-drenching.

My old pal, Kathy Powell, is a seasoned yogi with a personality that can light up an entire yoga studio.  My other friend, Paco Ribot, has never tried yoga before but was stoked to try something different.  Together we all sweat enough to fill a baby pool and laughed so many times that it made me question whether what I had just done could be considered a workout.  Fortunately my incredibly sore body was telling me all day today that it definitely was.

Day 311:  Yesterday morning I stopped by my alma mater, Dublin Scioto, to see one of my favorite teachers of all time.  We hugged for a few minutes and caught up on our lives before I headed out for a 40 minute run.  I left from the high school and ran up and down the surrounding neighborhoods, allowing myself to get lost in pre-wedding nostalgia.

Day 312:  This morning I went on a quick 20 minute jog and then setup my yoga mat for my own version of a 20 minute yoga sculpt/bootcamp/jumping around in one spot and sweating like a monkey- type of workout.  It’s still unclear what I did, but I consider all of it to be a workout.  I think the picture really captures that!

Days 307-309: A Grounded Departure

Day 307:  Now that the wedding is a few days away, I have found myself less stressed and able to truly enjoy the process leading up to the festivities.  Saturday morning kicked off my (semi) zen-like-state when I went to Diane Sieg’s class at Sacred I Yoga.   It was the same class that two months ago , when I promised myself I would attend regularly.  Unfortunately, my schedule has not allowed that, but I truly will try to make every Saturday class that I can.  To say that the class is grounding is a huge understatement.  It’s almost as if your yoga mat grows roots and the branches are grabbing at your limbs, longing for you to join that community.

Seriously.  Check. It. Out.

Day 308:  Yesterday my two sister friends and I went on a hike at Mt. Falcon Park, followed by a quick-lunch at the Ale House at Amato’s.   The hike was a little less than two hours and a good hybrid of downhill/uphill with only moderate steepness.  My body was happy to breathe in the woods and talk with friends about life while taking in the occasional doe.    I do not think this could have been more tranquil if we tried.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love life in Colorado?

Day 309:  After a restless night of sleep the last thing my mind wanted to do was get up and go for a run, but my body really was craving the deep breaths.  So I laced up and headed to the park for a five-mile run before coming home to laundry, lists and suitcases.  The run helped me power through my list with just enough time to spend with my fiance before leaving for Ohio in the morning.  And so the wedding week/end begins…

Days 298-300: Power of Positivity

Day 298: On Thursday afternoon I was starting to feel like myself again after the latest stomach battle.  Thank goodness I was, because my body was going through yoga sculpt withdraw.  Before I left for class a friend of mine sent me this article, Words Can Change Your Brain:  The Most Dangerous Word In The World

Did you click on the article?  If not,  Do. It. Now!  Seriously, it’s some powerful stuff.  The article helped to get my mind into a positive place before class.  I walked to the my local CPY and told myself, “i’m going to be awesome today.”  Not only was the class awesome, I felt so strong….for 30 minutes.   At exactly the 30 minute mark I hit a wall.  I got light-headed and felt nauseous.  I made it through the last 30 minutes, but did not feel in tune with my body at all.  Despite the power of positive thoughts, my body took over.  Could there ever be a bigger battle?  Mind vs. body.   The real challenge is figuring out how to make the two in sync with one another.  That’s the learning curve that is ever-changing and so wonderful to allow yourself to tune into.

Day 299:  Yesterday I ran in Wash Park for 30 minutes and then did 20 minutes of my own “bootcamp.”  I figured that I have done enough of them that I could lead myself through one.  This could not be further from the truth!  For some reason the only exercises I could come up with were lunges, planks and push-ups.  So that is basically what I did over and over again until my 20 minutes was up.   If you happened to see me yesterday in the park, I hope it made you smile 🙂

Day 300:  DAY 300!!!!!  Whoo hoo!  Only 65 days to go.   Where the heck has the time gone?  This morning I went to a power yoga class with a friend and then to City O’ City for a cup of joe afterwards.  The combo of sweat, deep breathing and good conversation helped make day 300 a fantastic one!

Days 265-267: Yogs and Boards

Day 265:  On Sunday I went to Karma Yoga with my regular yoga friend, Sangeeta.  We flowed for an hour and worked on hip openers like it was our job.  Walking out, my body felt like jelly.  It was perfect.

Day 266:  Less than 100 days left!!  Time has flown by.  These next few weeks leading up to the wedding I will be ramping up the workouts, possibly throwing in two-a-days if my schedule allows.  Mike and I are working on a wedding diet as well, to make sure we are feeling our best for the big day.  This is my absolute favorite summer salad that will be making a regular appearance in our diets:

-3 cups mixed greens, 3 oz teriyaki tofu and a mixture of these fixin’s: almonds, scallions, sesame sticks, avocado, blueberries and dried figs

Yesterday I walked to the closest Core Power for a sculpt class.   I thought those classes were always hard, but add a 100 plus degree day and it takes t to a whole new level of difficult.  Regardless of how I was feeling I pushed through it and managed to make a friend as we left and walked back to our homes together.  Just two neighbors, walking on Broadway, soaked in sweat, talking about life and bonding over sculpting yoga.  It was the great end to a brutally hot class.

Day 267: Today Mike, my friend Jenny and I went to Avon at Nottingham Lake for our first standup paddleboarding experience ever.  We bought the groupons a few months back and decided we should use them before it gets too hot in the mountains.  Unfortunately, we had to use the inflatable paddleboards because the others were too big to fit on our cars (to bring to the lake).   Within the first few minutes of shoving off the land all three of us were in the water.  A few minutes later we had it down.  Well, Jenny and Mike really had it down, I had it down until I fell every three minutes.  I blame it on my lack of ability to focus on one thing at a time…and believe me, you need to focus on only balance or you are in the lake (every three minutes).

After two hours of paddleboarding Mike and I came home and went for a run a Washington Park.  It felt good to get in some more cardio after a day of semi-relaxing on the water.  Happy 4th everyone, I hope you find some time to sweat while celebrating our country’s independence with your friends and family!

Days 257-262: Listen Up, You Have The Answer

First off, I apologize for the lack of posts that I have had lately.  If you have ever planned a wedding and decided to build a house at the same time, then you understand!  I just got back from a week-long trip of wedding planning and shower having in Columbus, Ohio and have been really spent.  My body is telling me to slow down before I launch into the six-week before our wedding/work your ass off workout/diet plan.  So, here is my easy breezy last week of sweating.

Day 257:   Saturday was the day of my bridal shower and I was STOKED!  I went down to the trusty hotel gym treadmill and went to town.  I ran four miles in 35 minutes (which is fast for this tortoise).  I quickly went back to the room to prep for the family fun that was about to happen.

Day 258:  Saturday night two of my bridesmaids went to the Counting Crows concert with me in downtown Columbus.  We eventually met up with my cousins and stayed out until 2 a.m.  It made me realize that I am so happy to be growing up and crossing over into the married world/leaving the bar world behind.  Staying out late really took it out of me.  After some sleeping in, my friend Sara and I walked around downtown for 30 minutes before heading back to the hotel.  Next, my Mom and I went out for some retail therapy.  We walked up and down Polaris Mall for an hour.   I am counting these walks as my sweating.  Totally acceptable after showers and concerts 🙂

Day 259:  Monday afternoon I had my final dress fitting and met with the caterer/wedding coordinator to get all of our ducks in a row.  After that, I came home and hit the treadmill for an hour.  I walked/ran and talked on my phone.  I tried to make it as enjoyable as possible since the heat outside was making it next to impossible to run outdoors.

Day 260:  I got home in the late afternoon on Tuesday and setup my home yoga flow station.  It was very much-needed.

Day 261:  Yesterday I went for three different 30-45 minute walks while catching up on emails and work.  I could feel my body telling me to relax and it’s the only thing that sounded okay.

Day 262:  Today is the last day I am giving myself the permission to rest from intense workouts.  Tomorrow the bridal ramp up is on!   If you know of a great workout in Denver that I have not tried, please send it my way and I’ll try it out. So what did I do on my last day of easiness?  I walked again for an hour.  I truly believe that if you learn how to listen to your body, it will give you all the answers that you need.  Craving protein?  Eat eggs.  Need a break?  Take a walk.  Listen, listen, listen.  Your body will thank you and work better than ever.

 

Days 240-245: Moves Like Jagger

Day 240:  On Thursday my friend Emma from Pennsylvania was in town and we went for an hour-long walk in Washington Park before picking up four more friends at the airport.

Day 241:  Written by friends Stacy Kotorac and Julie Beltz:  

Packing for Betsy’s bachelorette party was a bit like packing for a boot camp taking place during spring break.  I found that the quantity of luon and workout clothes in my suitcase was equal to the quantity of “real clothes” but a girl’s gotta be prepared for whatever the bride-to-be had in store.

Thursday night’s marathon, always-happy-hour at the Ruby Tuesdays near the airport made me think that for a moment maybe, just maybe, Betsy would go for a weekend of full indulgence and count aggressive and enthusiastic eating as a workout.  She proved me wrong at 7 am Friday morning as us East-coasters were stirring from the jet lag and she was confirming our workout for the day.  We went to a class at Core Power yoga which, although not very strenuous, proved to be the perfect medicine to cure whatever altitude/jet lag struggles were underway. After the class we quickly plowed into our weekend! Little did we know that marathon walks, hiking, flips on a trampoline at 10,000 feet, laughing until our abs ached, and some very skilled (sarcasm) dancing would fill the rest of the weekend.  It was the perfect mix to celebrate Betsy!

Day 242:  Written by my best friend, Amber Sevitts:

I hate working out.  I know that, for a lot of people, it’s not the highlight of their day but those people say things like “I feel so good when I’m done” and “I have so much energy”….. not me.  Even on the way out of the gym, I’m just waiting for someone to make my day.

But, there are few things that I wouldn’t do for Betsy so I threw on my favorite TV watching, er, I mean workout pants, skipped the sunscreen (epic fail) and tried to chug water to balance the bottle of wine I drank the night before…. and the bottle of champagne.

This was the plan…. Walk to the gondola, take the gondola up, do a “20 min hike/walk” around at the top and then walk down.  I was looking forward to doing a nice tuck and roll down the mountain.

Here is what really happened:  We walked an hour to the gondola (I think this actually should have qualified as a workout but….), we did ride it up (although even sitting there got me winded… blame it on the altitude) and then we hiked at the top.  It wasn’t very far (maybe a mile round trip) but it was steep and the gaggle of gals I was with weighed in at about 500 pounds cumulatively and were all in great shape.  I mostly walked by myself so everyone couldn’t hear me hyperventilating and only stopped when there was so much dust blowing at me that I thought I was having an asthma attack (sidenote: I don’t have asthma).

After that Betsy did some serious trampoline jumping with a backflip or two included and, judging by her breathing, that was more of a workout than the hike.  I’d just eaten $21 worth of concessions food so I opted out of the trampoline for obvious reasons.

And, although not part of the official workout for the day, Betsy and I danced like we legit had the moves like Jagger for most of the night.  I know this because that is what I texted to my boyfriend at least 3 times that night.  He also got a picture of an elephant.  No pictures of that workout are allowed to be posted though.

Overall, I was definitely sweating and didn’t smell great so it counts as a successful workout!

Day 243:  After we all proved that we had moves like Jagger, surprisingly, I was not feeling too hot.  Seven of the thirteen girls left that day and the remaining six went to Washington Park for another hour-long stroll.

Day 244: Yesterday I squeezed in a quick 30 minute run after I dropped off my last few friends at the airport.  It took every ounce of energy in me to complete after the best (and the most inappropriate) weekend of my adult life.

Day 245: With my body still on the mend from dancing for two days straight with three-inch heels on, I decided to take it easy and do a home yoga flow.  Perhaps I’ll be healed by tomorrow.

Days 237-239: Single Sweats

Day 237:  On Monday afternoon Michael and I went to the Denver Athletic Club for a 90 minute sweat sesh.  Mike started with free weights and eventually retreated to the pool and I tackled the treadmill ended up with some weights.  For the first time in four years I did some squats with a barbel and weights.  Can you tell this type of working out has become foreign to me lately?   I think I even let out a loud grunt at one point.  It felt awesome to become acquainted with the weight room after many-a-years away.

Day 238:  Yesterday I went to Core Power Yoga for a sculpt class at 7:15 a.m. for an hour of toning, cardio and yoga.

Day 239:  Today marked the beginning of my bachelorette party weekend.  My first friend, Emma, came to town bright and early.  Unfortunately, with the tornado warnings and hail the size of my cat we have glued our butts to the couch for the rest of the night.  However, I did manage to get in an hour of lifting and 30 minutes of cardio at the DAC this morning.

Next up?  Four gal pals come in tomorrow, followed by eight more on Friday.  I am hoping that my friends will take over the blog writing for the weekend and fill you in on all the sweating that will be going on in Vail.  WHOO HOO!!!!!