Days 342-344: Aspens & Abs

Day 342:  Mike and I both had Sunday off and we decided to take a drive to Nederland, CO for a hike around Barker Reservoir.  We hiked for about three miles and took in all of leaves turning on the Aspen trees and the cool mountain breeze.  It was a perfect beginning of fall hike.

Day 343:  Yesterday I went to Pura Vida with a potential lululemon new hire.  The enthusiastic young fella boasted that he went to these two classes back to back a few times per week.  Mad Abs followed by a bootcamp.  How hard could it be?

During the class I felt fantastic and was feeling inspired to add in higher intensity workouts after my post-wedding hiatus.  How I am feeling today is a totally different story.  My legs keep giving out because it’s so hard to straighten them all the way and it hurts to laugh when my abs flex.  Seriously.  Mike was watching me walk earlier and laughing.  Happy one month wedding anniversary jokester!

Lesson learned- switch-up my workouts more often to avoid soreness paralysis.

Day 344:  Working out today proved to be hard because of the aforementioned issue above. I decided that the only thing that I could do was walk everywhere to run my errands.  I walked for over an hour and only ran into a hedge once.  I consider that very successful!

Days 320-322: Isaac Didn’t Slow Us Down

Day 320:  Oweee, hurricane Isaac was fierce!  Mike and I stayed inside all day and listened to the wind and rain.  Our honeymoon villa is situated on the top of a mountain and provided for some great storm watching, also a bit scary when you’re unfamiliar with the surroundings.  An hour of yoga flow helped and so did all of our attempts at getting in the hot tub.

Day 321: Mike and I had planned a four island tour on Wednesday and it was moved to Friday due to the weather conditions.  With the phone and internet down, we were not sure if the boat trip was still going to go out.  We waited at the dock in St. John until we saw a little boat pull-up.  It was on!  The trip organizers told us once we were too far away from land to change our minds that this was the “roughest seas they have ever gone out in.”  YIKES.  Thank goodness we do not get motion sick!

We hiked for 2 miles doing the Baths tour at Virgin Gorda, snorkeled near Tortola’s coast for a short while before jellyfish slowly scared everyone out of the water and ended our day playing in the ocean at John Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.  Mike and I loved every second of it (minus the jellyfish!) and ended up being thankful that the sun wasn’t out to add more heat to the day.

It also inspired me to start a new blog once we return home, more on that to come  🙂

Day 322:  Yesterday morning Mike went scuba diving and I explored St. John some more.  After his scubaing was done we decided to try out some of the only beaches we had not hit just on the island just yet.  We ended up hiking over an hour to get these beautiful bays and rewarded ourselves with playing in the ocean and homemade PBJ’s.

Although the hurricane has passed us in the Virgin Islands, it is now sadly expected to hit the main US.  We are hoping that it slows down and does not cause much damage.  In the meantime, our flight was delayed four days and we are going to hop over to stay in St. Thomas for a change of scenery and sweats.

Until next time…

Days 315-319: St. John Sweats

Days 315-318: Typically I do not lump together workouts, however I think that I can make an exception for our honeymoon week!  Right now we are in St. John, overlooking the tropical green mountains and the light blue ocean.  It is honeymoon heaven, regardless of the fact that hurricane Isaac is right outside our door and cutting into our outside play time.

We chose this island for our honeymoon because it is a huge playground for hiking, snorkeling, beaches and apparently, wild animals.  Everyday we have been here has been filled with hikes to remote beaches for snorkeling, hikes to snag a view of something beautiful, swimming in the clear water and trying to chase down sea turtles or sting rays.  Although it’s all been natures workouts, they have been more fun than anything at a gym or studio I have done in the last year.   It has made us realize that active vacations are definitely what we will be seeking out in the future.

Today is the day that Isaac is going to effect us the most, so I will roll out my yoga mat and flow away ion our deck in between sets of storms.

If you do not hear from me again, I will be breaking from the blog and enjoying the experience as much as I can while working in some sweat sessions.  I do have a huge favor to ask of Mother Nature, could she help us out and give us some sun the last few days?  Our newly obsessed beach going selves would be greatly appreciative!

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 290-292: Happy Trails

Day 290:  On Thursday afternoon Mike and I went hiking at Mt. Sanitas in Boulder.   The trailhead is just a short distance from the popular flatirons trail and I think it’s a much more difficult hike….which is always more fun when it’s over 🙂  It took us about two hours to scramble up and down the mountain and take lots of scenic pictures.  We even took a break to gobble down peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I am not sure what it is about hikes, even short hikes, but I have to eat a PBJ or it is not complete.  I absolutely believe this to be a true statement.

Day 291:  Yesterday my stomach was pretty upset all day, so I decided to get my workout out of the way as early as possible.  I ran a quick three miles to and from Washington Park and said quiet prayers that my stomach pain would not act up.  Luckily, the pain held off until the run was over.  I came home and made my new favorite (pre-wedding breakfast):

-3 egg whites, chopped mushrooms, green onions, spinach, bell peppers and asparagus with an apple

I have been eating the breakfast for the last week and it’s kept me satisfied until lunch.  Give er’ a try!

Day 292:  I just got back from a six-mile run at Washington Park. Feeling excited before about the run, I decided to take a different path the whole time and run in the opposite direction at the park.  I know, I know, getting CRAZY!    I just felt like I had to switch up my pattern to get out of my brain a little bit and let my body take over some more.  It worked.  I ran 6 miles at a 9.40 pace, which is a little faster than I normally run and I felt great.  If you’ve been running the same path for years, I recommend switching it up, no matter how odd it feels.  I promise your bod’ will thank you for it.

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 226-229: Hiking and Anniversaries

Day 226:  On Thursday I went to a 5:30 vinyasa flow at Karma Yoga.  The instructor was inspirational, the class vibe was strong, the sun was shining in on my mat and my body felt like a yoga virgin.  It was a strange sensation to feel as though this was my first time experiencing most poses, but my pounding-pavement-half-marathon body wanted nothing to do with stretching and deep breaths.  I found myself falling out of simple poses, taking really shallow breaths and feeling really disconnected from my yogi self.  As I was feeling frustrated with my not so bendy body, I forgave my muscles.  After all, they were just tired, wanting a break and some serious attention.   Isn’t that when yoga is the best?  When the body needs a break, it’s there for you, along with your mat, your breath and the sun.  #shineonyogini

Day 227:  My friends and I were suppose to meet at Pura Vida for a bootcamp style class but we were all feeling like our bodies needed rest.  Instead, we met at Washington Park for a 4 mile walk and blasted through some abdominal work in the wet grass.

Day 228:  Yesterday Mike and I rode our bikes to a farmer’s market, noshed on some crepes and then powered home on our bikes.  We even managed to stock up on our weekly allotment of fruits and veggies!

Day 229:  Today, Mike and I are celebrating our two-year anniversary.  What can I say?  We move fast!   Two years ago I got a text from Mike while he was at Fleet Week in NYC that said, “I think I might like you as more than a friend.”   Nervous, excited and scared of my own feelings I had no idea how to respond.  After all, he’s in NYC celebrating his attractiveness in a Navy uniform, drinking with his buddies and I was sober and at work.  With my guard up, I sent a text back that said “That might be the booze talking, but if it’s not, then let’s talk when you get home.  PS I think I feel the same.”  Fast forward two years and we are planning our wedding, living in our dream city, buying a house, talking about future babies named Charlie and sharing our lives over coffee every single morning.

After our coffee talk this morning we headed to Golden and went for a hike.  We ran into at least a dozen deer and hiked for an hour and a half.  After that, we strolled around the squaint town while sipping on  (yet another) coffee and talking about our past few years.   Two years down, thousands of memories made and some of the best are yet to come.

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 163-166: Yellow Deli Adventure w/ Friends

Day 163:  In the last five years I could probably count how many times I have been sick on one hand.  Unfortunately, that is not true of the past six months.  My body has become more of a petri dish for bacteria and I have had to try to fight off one bug after another.  On Wednesday night I either had my first round of food poisoning in my life or a 48 hour flu.  My Dr. brother said it could have been either and it doesn’t really matter what it was.  It exited my body as quickly as it came and luckily, it did the same to Mike.

Considering the fact that a walk from the couch to the bathroom had me in sweats, I had no clue how I was going to manage a real workout today.  I had to work at my part-time job and sticking through my shift was how I worked out.  Standing, walking, talking and being social while my insides felt like they were slowly dying was harder than any workout I have done in the past 166 days.  I counted it, I had no other choice!

Day 164:  On Thursday my ragged body was sporting a 101 degree fever.  Although I loved how the extra heat my face light up, I was praying with everything in me that this was going to break before my brother and sister-in-law came to town from Boston.   I slept all day and managed to get out for a 25 minute walk…..an….incredibly….slow….walk.   It hurt and I had to rest afterwards, but I did it.  As I was laying on the couch feeling bad about my lack of hard workouts I had to think about how I would tell my clients to treat themselves on their off days, “with nothing but love and gentleness.  Listen to what your body needs and do just that.”  So I did and I healed.

Day 165:  My oldest brother Matt and his wife, Erika have made it to Denver!   The four of us went over to Wash Park for an early morning run.  I am by far the slowest runner of the bunch, so I trucked along beside them and made barely audible noises whenever I was asked a question.  Mike and I barely made it three miles before we both needed to rest our freshly recovered flu poisoned bodies.  Then we walked together around the lake, while petting every dog that came near us* until the other two finished their run for the day.   *We really are crazy animal people.  I apologize if I have ever chased after you and your dog to give your pup some love.

Day 166:  Today one of my favorite friends, Katie, wanted to go hiking in Boulder.  What a wonderful way to show my out of town guests how beautiful Colorado can be!  Matt, Erika, Katie and I hiked the Royal Arch at Chautauqua Park and then walked around Pearl Street for a dose of small town glory.

We went to Yellow Deli for lunch and were immediately at a loss of words when we saw the group of people behind the counter.  I actually can’t describe to you what this was like (without fear of offending someone), so please checkout their website for yourself http://yellowdeli.com/our-history-vista   When we walked out of the restaurant someone on a nearby patio said, “what happened in there?”  I could barely answer his question, because I still had no idea.   The sandwiches were good though and at least we didn’t ask about the “spirit of the fruit.”  Confused yet?   We were too.