Days 223-225: Every Relationship Needs Romance

Day 223:  Monday was the day after the half-marathon and I. Was. Sore.  My legs did not want to bend and my left knee felt like it had been stuck with a knife.  Working out was going to be difficult, regardless of what I chose to do.  I decided to call up a friend that could hold me accountable for my daily sweat.  We decided on a 90 minute walk in Washington Park to loosen up my legs.  Once I started going I felt totally fine, it was just initial movement that took some confidence to gain.

Day 224:  Yesterday it hit a record-breaking 96 degrees in Denver!   I walked in the morning for an hour before the heat took over and got out the last of the soreness in my legs.

Day 225:  As I was training for the half-marathon I forgot why I loved running.  The height of this anti-running part of my life was during the week of the 18o’s .   I went out to run I was feeling defeated by my own expectations.  All of my running “shoulds” were crowding my mind and making me lose sight of why I enjoyed the sport to begin with.

Sunday’s half-marathon was all I needed to remind me of why I want to keep this partnership in my life.  It was the roses, chocolate, romantic poem and loving kiss that I needed to revive my faith in the sport.  At first, there is a sense of camaraderie made out of nervous anticipation in the corrals, the collective happiness when my wave crosses the starting line, listening to the sounds of pounding feet on the pavement and the universal heavy breaths,  reading the inspirational signs made by complete strangers, high-fiving anyone who is willing, runners cheering on other runners as one of them loses strength, spectators cheering on their loved ones, watching every person complete some sort of goal and the best one- crossing the finish line and hugging my fiance, knowing that despite his own exhaustion of working all night, he was still there to watch me finish.

With all of the running butterflies lingering around and my soreness was completely gone, I decided to go for a run today.  I used my new foam roller before and after my short three-mile run to help alleviate the IT band pain.  Although the tenderness is still there, now I have decided to figure out how to rid myself of the pain and make running a bigger priority in my life.  That, my friends, is true romance for a sport.

*100% unrelated to my blog, I would like you all to know that today I got to shake President Obama’s hand.  That will go down as one of the greatest things I have had the opportunity to do in my life. 

Days 217-219: Asana’s and Rattlesnakes

Day 217:  On Tuesday I went for a 90 minute walk, while trying my best to catch up on phone conversations with friends and family. Although the catching up was not very successful, the 80 degree weather was incredibly successful in helping me sweat.

Day 218: Yesterday my friend Jenny and I went to Karma Yoga for the all levels vinyasa flow.  The instructor, Uma, had us dedicate our three opening “om’s” to ourselves, a friend and something in our community.  It helped me feel grounded to think of all the things in my life that I not only love, but feel gratitude for every single day.

Day 219: Today Mike and I rode our bikes 20 miles to the Cherry Creek Reservoir.   We averaged a pace of 14 mph going uphill the way there and 17 mph going downhill on the way home.  At one point we saw a man in the middle of the trail who had gotten off of his bike and was taking pictures.  Naturally, we slowed down to see what was so fascinating.  He was taking pictures of the longest and fattest snake I have seen in the wild.  It. Was. Huge. and Scary.  I am pretty sure I yelled, “oh hell no,” before my bike hit 22 mph to get out of there.  After we were a safe distance away I asked Mike if it was a rattle snake and he said it very well could have been.  I googled some pictures when I got home and I’m convinced that it was and am really hoping that I am able to calm that new-found snake fear before I head out for my next solo ride.

 

Days 213-216: Someday

Day 213:  Friday morning I went to Pura Vida for a 6 a.m. Anusara Yoga class for an event called, Pur-a-thon.  It was an all day fundraising event that benefit Brent’s Place, http://brentsplace.org/    The instructor, Roger Martin-Pressman, talked a lot about the people who have supported us throughout our lives and asked us to dedicate our practice to them.

My mind immediately went to a fellow life coach friend of mine, Rebecca, who has helped, inspired and led me through the last two years of my life.  Her love kept me strong when I felt weak and her words guided me through a new career and lots of uncertainty.   I sent her all the energy that I could in every pose and my body felt spent after the 60 minute practice.  The next day my body was sore, but I felt like I had tapped into strength.   The strength that had guided me through the past few years and had given me a voice to lead myself without doubt.

Day 214:  One hour walk around my neighborhood.  I am officially taking a break from running and tough workouts to let my body recuperate before my half-marathon on Sunday.

Day 215:  Yesterday I went to Edwards, CO with my friend Jenny for some quality girl time.  We walked out her back door and into some of the most beautiful landscape that I have seen in a longtime; snow-capped mountains, thousands of rows of bright green Aspen trees and more Pine trees than the eye could take in.  It took my breath away.

We hiked for almost an hour and as we were headed home we hit a steep downward hill.  I turned to Jenny and said, “make sure to dig into the hill with the side of your shoe, it will keep you from falling.”  Not even one second after that awesome tip, I fell hard and ungracefully on the side of my body.   We laughed for a few minutes and then I collected my pride up off the side of the mountain and called it a day.

Day 216:  This morning Jenny and I went for another hike around Edwards while we sipped our hot coffees.  I made the promise to myself that some day Mike and I will live in the mountains again.  They are too beautiful not to live in, retire in and play in every single day.  Someday…I promise.

Days 205-208: Flowing Freely

Day 205:  On Thursday I thought that all of my post ten-mile run soreness had been rested away- I was just a little bit wrong.  I ran a mile, walked for a minute, stretched a bit, ran a block, walked, stretched  and continued this pattern for the next 40 minutes.  It was a meek attempt to run, but I tried my darndest and clocked my daily sweat time.

Day 206:  Friday morning, I yoga’d at Karma Yoga for 90 blissful minutes.  The instructor had a way of helping me lose my thoughts and dive into my body.  I wish that was a place I could get to on my own.  I suppose that’s why they call yoga a practice.  It takes time…much, much time.

Day 207:  Yesterday I picked up my friend Sarah for an impromptu hike.  I grabbed my Denver hiking book and found a trail in Mount Falcon Park by  Morrison that was said to have breathtaking views.   We set out to complete a 80 minute hike and instead, ended up a bit lost and it turned into a 130 minute hike.  Around 75 minutes in we asked a fellow hiker how to get back to where we started, he chuckled and said “you guys must have been booking it down here because you are really far away.”  After that, we got a little nervous and picked up our pace a bit more and headed back the same way we came- giving up on the trail we were originally searching for.

Almost at the end of our hike we ran into three female deer.  They stopped eating grass to stare at us, the same way we were staring at them.  I happen to think that deer are one of the most beautiful animals because of how peaceful they always seem.  Being so close to them and nature literally took my breath away.  Two hours prior to that I was in the heart of the city and worrying about traffic and dinner and at that exact moment my only thought was how glorious nature truly is.  I am humbled to be able to live somewhere that allows such easy access to places that allow me to escape.

Day 208:  Today I was L.A.Z.Y.  I cooked, cleaned, grocery shopped and read…a lot.  That last thing I wanted to do was get off my rear, put down my salacious book and start to sweat.  Alas, it had to be done!  I threw on some Bob Marley, grabbed my yoga mat and flowed to my own breath for an hour.  I tried to lose myself a bit like I had the two previous days, but I kept being brought back into my life.  My cat rubbing on my feet (and face, hands, calves, etc), the oven timer going off telling me that my dinner was done, my phone vibrating, neighbors laughing, car doors slamming….I just could not get out of my life.

That’s when it struck me, sometimes my life is just perfect and being it in so fully is all I need to feel happy.  Life is about the ebb and flow, being able to disconnect some days is wonderful and being 100% immersed other days is also perfection.  Learning to be content with the variety and present in the moment is the challenge.

Days 202-204: Stopping Soreness

Day 202:  The day after the 10 mile race was a little rough.  Well, maybe more than a little rough.  My IT band/knee did not want to move without a mandatory wince and my thighs quivered with every step.  How the heck was I supposed to workout!?

I decided on an extra hot yoga class at Core Power Yoga and went 15 minutes early to let my muscles relax.   Some poses felt amazing and some felt like a knife slipping in my muscles (maybe in a good way?  I’m still not sure).  Regardless of the discomfort that I was in, I knew that I’d feel ten times better afterwards….and that I did.

Day 203:  My friend, Sarah and I went to Washington Park for a five-mile walk.  Most of my soreness was worked out during the walk and the remainder of whatever emotional strain I was feeling for the prior week was fading as well.

Day 204:  Today I had my first massage in two years and it. felt. amazing.  My body was craving some muscle relaxation, stress relief and down time.  After that, I felt spent (yes, spent from relaxing…it’s possible and I recommend it to everyone)!   Mike and I went to Washington Park, held hands, walked for 90 minutes and laughed at every dog around.  It was a great end to a perfect day.

Days 188 & 189: Does Anyone Love To Run?

Day 188:  For some reason I thought it was a good idea to sign-up for the 10 mile race at the Cherry Creek Sneak on April 29th.  My running skills have rapidly declined in the warmer months and now I am left dreading this race in 12 days and my half-marathon in five weeks.  Yesterday I decided to stop getting stuck in my “I’m such a bad runner” story and do something about it.

I ran two 9 minute miles to Washington Park to meet a friend.  We then walked five miles while gabbing about life and then I ran two more 9 minute miles back home.  I felt great afterwards and made myself more excited about running today.

Day 189:  This afternoon I ran to Washington Park, around the big loop and back home.  Six miles.  I didn’t love it, but I did it.   I have a very serious question to ask all you runners that are reading this, do you enjoy running?  Like, actually enjoy it every single time you do it?  Why do you do it?   What keeps you doing it everyday?  I’d really love to hear someone else’s romantic running story to help me fall back in love with the sport.

If you really are one of those people who love doing it every single day, then I’d love to invite you to do a guest blog on here to share with others about the relationship you have with your running shoes and local trails.  Shoot me an email at betsysalzler@moxie-coaching.com if you’re interested!

Days 181-183: Whoaaa, I’m Halfway There…

Day 181:  Colorado Rockies Opening Day!!   Mike and I walked about five miles on Monday to pick up a friend (to walk further with us), then walked to meet other buddies, next to the stadium and lastly, a half-mile until we found our final cab that took us home for the night.  My feet were covered in filthy happiness.

Day 182:  Half-way through and guess what?  I forgot 😦   I did not forget to workout, but I forgot to make it a special workout to signify how far I have come. Mike and I spent the majority of our day house hunting and our minds were full of house owning dreams, confusing floor plans, mortgage fears, remodeling ideas and lots of other confusing things to first time home buyers.  Exhausted from our day, we decided to walk together for an hour hand-in-hand  while discussing our best options.  On second thought, I’m not sure if I would redo this workout in any other way.

Day 183:  This morning I went to a crossfit bootcamp at Washington Park at 6 a.m.  For those of you who have been following me for awhile, you know that those early morning classes do not happen often.   One of my friends talked me into making the commitment and I could not let her down.  We warmed up with what alone would have been the hardest workout I have had in months: Indian Runs.   After that there were lots of burpees (youtube it, I can’t even begin to explain that one), air squats, kettle-bell swings and sprinting.  It was brutal and awesome rolled into one.  Here is the link if you’re interested in checking out this early a.m. butt-kicking with Crossfit Stapleton:  http://crossfitstapleton.com/stapleton-bootcamps/

Lastly, I wanted to share with you something that has the potential to change a lot of lives.  My fiance and I watched “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” a documentary on the benefits of juicing and eating a healthy diet.

Click here to watch the free movie on hulu

Click here to find some recipes and tips

Afterwards we both looked at each other and said, “we have to do this.”   Many hours of research later we decided to get the Vitamix 500 and start our 10 day juicing challenge tomorrow.  It’s going to be tough in so many ways and we are fully prepared for what is going to happen to our detoxifying bodies.  Actually, scratch that, I am not prepared.  However, I am dedicated and excited to see how this challenge changes my relationship with food.  Don’t you worry, I’ll be sharing our experience along the way.

If you see me around and I look quite angry, please forgive me.  I will be blaming my tude’ on the all liquid diet.  Here we go!

Days 178-180: Colorado Family

Today is the Colorado Rockies opening day and I have been waiting for this day for five years!   Umm hmm, five years.  I worked in the HR department the year that they made it to the World Series and then took a break from baseball life and went back to work at Fenway for the 2009 season.  Unfortunately if you work at a stadium, then you work all the games.  This is my first year back in Colorado since I left the HR world and my best friend/former boss, Amber (from Coors Field and Fenway) is also in town to help celebrate the big day.  So why the heck is this event so important to the blog?   Two reasons:  1.  I need to blog about my last few days workouts and I cannot focus on writing because I’m so excited about today and 2.  Because it’s Rockie’s Opening Day, who in Denver is not excited about this!? *

Day 178: 10 mile bike ride.  5 of the miles felt like I was riding towards a tornado headed my way.

Day 179: I walked for an hour while catching up with my childhood best friend, Jill.  We chatted about anything and everything.  It made me remember why I love walking as a form of commuting.  Sometimes it’s hard to find time in the day for keeping up with long-distance friends, but when I blend my workout/commuting/phone time, it is the best use of time I could really think of.

Day 180:  Happy Hippity Hoppity! Like most of my friends in Denver, my family is located elsewhere in the US.  My friends have become my family here.  I spent the morning with some of my favorite people in the world and the afternoon with my newest friend, Jenny.  We walked in Washington Park for almost 90 minutes and reminisced on past family holidays and what it means to be away from our loved ones.   It was the perfect non-family holiday and it made me so happy to know how quickly Denver has become our home.

*This paragraph literally might be the most pointless paragraph I have written in 180 days.  My excited nerves apologize.  They wrote that, not Betsy.*

Days 171-173: Pedal Your Heart Out

Day 171:  Core Power Yoga, C2.  I spent a lot of time in child’s pose.

Day 172:  Yesterday I walked for an hour at Washington Park with my friend, Sarah.  Talking about life and burning calories at the same time.

Day 173:  Today I wanted to travel.  Not travel like go on a vacation, but travel like go far away from my thoughts for a while.  Sometimes running in the same neighborhood day after day is not enough of an escape and I’m not exactly in running shape to take me too many miles from home.  So I hopped on my bike, turned on Pandora’s 90s hits and escaped the regular 4 mile radius of my home for a 15 mile bike ride.

I felt like a kid that just gained some new-found freedom.  I feel like that every time I ride and stop thinking for  bit.  I tried my best not to pay attention to my pace, but instead, listen to my body by playing games with myself to catch up with riders or sprint to a certain spot.  My favorite spin instructor in Boston use to have us close our eyes and imagine something that we loved in our minds while we sprinted on our bikes.  For safety reasons, I kept my eyes open, but held all the love I could muster up in the front of my mind and let my  body sprint down the Cherry Creek Trail.  It’s amazing how when I let go of everything but love, my body takes over and my mind can rest.

Days 167-169: Happy Sweats

Day 167:  In 2008 I went to my first yoga class with a new friend, Katie.  I have a memory of us at the studio in Pura Vida, trying desperately to complete crow pose and both of us falling on our faces.  Four and a half years later we had the chance to practice together again at Karma Yoga.  Katie is now an instructor whose practice I couldn’t take my eyes off of and who I am guessing, can complete a strong crow without any head bangups.

During our 75 minute class I was reminded of how far I have come in the past few years of consistent practice.  Four years ago I was terrified of yoga and what I thought it represented.  During class the instructor, Katrina, said hundreds of insightful things that I loved in the moment.  Three days later, I am at a loss for what she said, but am reminded of how looking fear square in the face is the best way to conquer it.  What’s the worst that can happen?  Falling out of crow? Finding a new passion?   Making a lifelong friend while laughing over a face plant?  Same thing goes with your biggest fears.  No matter how big the fear, it’s just a feeling of being scared.   Test them out, thank yourself later.

Day 168:   Yesterday my brother, sister-in-law and fiance went to Ft. Collins for a tour of New Belgium Brewing Company.   The tour lasted 90 minutes and they gave out six samples of their delicious beers.  If you live anywhere near Ft. Collins and haven’t been to the brewery, then I highly suggest checking it out:  www.newbelgium.com    After our tour we wandered around the city for about an hour to let the beer run its course in our bodies and then made our way back to Denver.

Despite our headaches from day beers, we decided to go on a group ride to REI and back.  Afterwards, we all downed our water bottles and collectively felt better after a 10 mile sweat session.

Day 169: 45 minute TRX workout at home….while watching the season premiere of Mad Men.  That really tested my multi-tasking abilities.