Author Archives: liverunloveyoga

Healthy Living On the Road and With Busy Days!

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Life has been busy lately to say the least. But it’s a good kind of busy.  Now that the Nike Women’s Half has come and gone it’s a new season at work to recruit for and prepare for which has us all working late and working hard.  Life at home is just a busy thanks to the arrival of spring and this weekend was all sorts of productive.

I’ve hardly sat still since I left for DC and true workouts have been hard to fit in.  I’m not stressing though.  Workouts are coming in new and different forms.  Walking and standing for hours while in DC…that’s a workout.  Ripping out an entire garden, transplanting flowers, trimming tree branches…that’s a workout.

Walking from Site to Site Can Keep You Healthy While Traveling!

Walking from Site to Site Can Keep You Healthy While Traveling!

When life gets busy or I head out on vacation I don’t stress about my workouts.  Usually when I’m going on vacation it’s an opportunity to rest and relax…enjoy a slower pace if you will.  I usually skip my run or yoga and opt for some extra walking from site to site or take in the scenery through bike rides, hikes or other fun excursions!  I figure I’m in a new place so it’s a chance to try new workouts too.  When life is busy and I’m running from one place to the next I adjust my workouts as necessary.  Sometimes I’ll skip my morning run to get some extra sleep and will run at lunch time.  Other times if I’m going to be running from one place to the next I won’t worry about fitting a workout in.  And sometimes I will hit the mat for a shorter, easier yoga session to help me relax and stretch my extra tight muscles.  It’s awesome to be able to make time for an hour workout everyday but that isn’t always feasible.  In the absence of my usual routine I look for ways and avenues to keep my self moving and get some extra exercise…be it in the garden or walking from site to site.

While I skip the workout stress I don’t skip the healthy meals.  In fact, if I know I’m missing out on my normal runs and mat time I put more of a focus on my meals.  I try to reach for more fruit, salads and healthy meals that keep me energized when I’m traveling or extra busy.  Heavy, unhealthy foods leave me feeling sluggish and bloated and unlike myself.  Of course I let myself indulge here or there but I keep an eye on my portions and try to make breakfast and lunch as healthy as possible.

 

When I was in DC I didn’t go for one run or hit the mat once but I did walk everywhere, spend hours on my feet and kept myself moving for days.  In fact I was sore and tired when I got home! I kept my meals as healthy as possible…lots of fruit, eggs, salads and more.  This past week I stuck to our healthy meals at home and skipped the take out even though it seemed like it would be easier. I found my way to the mat for a restorative yoga session, spent hours in the garden with Michael and got extra rest at night so I could make the most of my busy days.

Healthy living doesn’t always have to be hours at the gym, yoga and runs.  It can be organic and untraditional workouts too.  Healthy eating should always be part of the equation and should be even more of a priority when life gets busy, it will help keep you feeling energized and good through those busy days.

It’s been about a week and a half since I left for DC and got back…I’m finally getting out for a run today and back on to my normal schedule but I don’t feel heavy or out of shape.  I feel great and can’t wait to hit the pavement!

Tell me, how do you stay active and healthy when traveling or extra busy?

Washington DC Recap!

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I absolutely loved DC! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, it’s so easy to get around and the sites are incredible! I definitely want to go back again soon with Michael.  It’d be nice to be there for vacation so we could spend more time sight-seeing and check out Georgetown!

Friday.

It was noon time by the time I was ready to head out and explore so I made my way to the National Mall.  On my agenda was the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, The Washington Monument, The White House and I even squeezed in Arlington National Cemetery and the changing of the guards!

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Inside the Lincoln Memorial

Inside the Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument

Washington Monument

In Front of the White House

In Front of the White House

Etchings at the Vietnam Memorial

Etchings at the Vietnam Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown Solider

Tomb of the Unknown Solider

Saturday night I met up with friends for dinner at this amazing farm to table restaurant.  The food was incredible and tasted so good after a full day of sight-seeing!

Saturday.

Early Saturday morning I had meetings for work and a reception to attend but as soon as they were over I headed out to take in more sights.  My first stop was to see Congress which when you get up close and personal is pretty breath-taking!  Then I went to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights.  The Rotunda where they are housed is gorgeous and it was amazing to see those documents in real life.  After that I had lunch of the National Sculpture Garden since it was so beautiful out and then headed to the Natural History Museum.  I only had about an hour to spend there so I took the dinosaurs, the minerals and gems and made a quick pass through everything else.  I really want to go back there and take my time going through it!

My first look at Congress!

My first look at Congress!

Congress

Congress

Sunday.

Sunday was an early day! I was up at 4:15AM to see my team off for the race.  Then I met up with other TNT staff to head to our cheer zone.  I spent most of the race at mile 10 which was really close to the Jefferson Monument.  We were there so early and were able to see the sunrise over both the capital and the Jefferson Monument! It was amazing.

Sunrise over Congress

Sunrise over Congress

Sunrise over Jefferson Memorial

Sunrise over Jefferson Memorial

Race day was long and busy but in the end my team had an incredible time.  In all there was 2,300 runners with Team In Training and they raised over 6 million dollars.  I’m so proud of them and they should be so proud of themselves!  It was really cool to be working the event as a staff.  Friday I worked at the expo helping to deal with registration issues and issues with bibs.  It was neat to see the back-end of things.  Race day was very similar in terms of being able to see the back side of the event.  So much work, effort and coordination goes into putting on a race for 16,000 runners!

Monday.

I was exhausted when I woke up and my feet were killing me.  I was on my feet pretty much the entire time I was in DC and it was really catching up to me! I took it easy in the morning, had brunch and coffee and then headed to the Newseum.  It was rainy and cold so it was the perfect day to spend time in the museum.  The Newseum covers the history of the News and was awesome! They have pieces of the Berlin Wall there, lots of 9/11 information and remains and so much more.  The highlight was the wall of over 200 front pages from the day after 9/11.  It is incredible to see how the world reacted.

9/11 Front Pages

9/11 Front Pages

If you have never been there I highly recommend it! I loved every exhibit!  After spending hours in the museum I headed to the hotel and then made my way to the airport!

I was exhausted last night and slept so good!  Today I’m playing catch up and getting my yoga on…my body desperately needs some twists and stretching and my feet need some rest!

Did you run the Nike Women’s Half?  Did you like it?  Have you been to the Newseum before?

Races, Running and Buddhas

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Can you believe it’s Thursday already?  This week has flow by!  Tomorrow morning I leave for Washington D.C. to support my team who is running the Nike Women’s Marathon Half.  I’m a little bit nervous but also kind of excited since I’ve never been there before.  I’m planning to fit in a little bit of sight-seeing in my down time. You all need to recommend some good things to check out!  On my list is the mall, the Smithsonian and possibly the Holocaust Museum. 

It’s a bit strange to be heading to another race so quickly after Boston.  I’m definitely nervous but this will be a good step to take in terms of moving on.  I’m just hoping everything goes smoothly, my team has a ton of fun and it’s an easy weekend.  Fingers crossed.

Speaking of races let’s talk running for a minute shall we?  My running has never felt better! I’ve been pushing my pace and increasing my mileage slowly over the past couple weeks. I’m starting to see my pace drop even on my easy runs and I’m wanting to run farther and push harder. It feels good.  The weather has been helping too, there is just something about running in shorts and short-sleeve shirt that feels so good after a long weekend!  Next week I plan to add in some speed work again and some hill workouts.  Hills seem to be where I can really increase my cardio and build my strength.  I’m looking forward to some more variety in my runs!

I’m starting to think about my fall racing plan.  I was considering doing a marathon but I realized I was looking forward to traveling this summer and not having to fit in my log runs.  Last summer I missed a couple of weekend trips because of teacher training and the summer before that Michael and I were training for Chicago.  I just really want to be able to go away, enjoy sleeping in, savoring my coffee and the cool summer mornings we get here.  I am excited to run a couple of half marathons.  Last year I ran the BAA Half Marathon and I plan to run that one again but I’m looking to add in one more.  I’m considering the Maine Half Marathon.  I’ve heard good things about the race and after our summer vacation there last year I’m pretty much in love with Maine.  It’d be fun to spend a weekend in Portland too.  Michael might even run the half too which would be awesome!  I still have plenty of time to make up my mind.  Any suggestions for other good half marathons to consider for the fall?

This is completely random but it made my day and I wanted to share! The other day Michael told me there was a package waiting for me when I got home.  He said it was a long overdue present.  I was pretty curious as to what it could be but I had a few ideas.  I was so excited to get home and see that he had so carefully picked out a Buddha for me!

My New Buddha!

My New Buddha!

I’ve been wanting a buddha since the fall when I was immersed in yoga teacher training.  I always thought it would be a good reminder of all the yoga means to me.  Think about it, your rushing in the morning to get out the door and head to work on time but you see the Buddha and it’s reminder to breathe and be more peaceful in the situation. It also just makes me feel like a real yoga teacher! It was exciting and I love the one he picked it out, it’s very me.

I’ll be back on Tuesday to share my experiences in Washington, D.C. and at the inaugural Nike Women’s Marathon Half! 

What are your suggestions for sights to see and visit in Washington D.C.? What fall half marathons do you love? Do you have a buddha?

What I Ate Wednesday #74

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I’m pretty excited to be talking about food today.  I seriously love food and it makes me happy.  My eating was really off last week.  It was incredibly busy at work, the days were flying by and I kept forgetting to eat.  I was also really stressed out and trying to stay focused which distracted me from lunch.  This week I’m making a better effort to stop and eat lunch at noon and eat my snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon.  It’s amazing how much better I feel when I stick to my normal eating schedule.

Breakfast.

I’ve had some long days and I love to start them off with a good breakfast full of fuel.  One of my goto’s has been waffles, a couple scrambled eggs with cheese and fresh fruit with coffee.  It’s so delicious and the perfect balance of carbs and protein!

Waffles, Eggs and Fruit

Waffles, Eggs and Fruit

Over the weekend Michael and I got a little bit creative with breakfast and made breakfast tacos.  We scrambled eggs with Morning Star Veggie Breakfast Sausage, black beans, tomatoes and cheese.  On top we put sliced avocado, salsa and sour cream.  It was so good and really filling!

Breakfast Tacos!

Breakfast Tacos!

Lunch.

I’ve been keeping it simple with sandwiches and fruit.  I’m learning that I actually eat less at my new job and don’t need to bring as much food.  For months I’ve been bringing 3 pieces of fruit, nuts and yogurt in addition to my lunch.  I pretty much always eat 2 pieces and fruit and maybe some nuts.  I’ve been carrying extra food back and forth that I never eat.  So I’ve been trying to bring just enough food rather than too much.

Tuna Sandwich, Popcorn, Strawberries and Blackberries, Banana, Almonds

Tuna has been in the mix lately, it’s a nice change and so good!

Dinner.

The other night we kept it simple and had pasta with Mike’s Mom’s sauce and salads.  Usually we just dump about half a box of pasta into the pot and call it good but this time we weighed out pasta for our meal.  It didn’t look like much dried but cooked it proved to be plenty of food!  We definitely need to start weighing more of our food.

Pasta with Sauce and Meat, Salad

Pasta with Sauce and Meat, Salad

We also had our favorite haddock with Ritz crackers, salad and broccolini.  Michael made the broccolini with a soy and sesame sauce which was so good.  It made the veggies salty but sweet and gave them tons of flavor.  In the sauce was soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and garlic.  It was quick and easy to put together too!

Haddock, Broccolini with a Soy Sesame sauce and Salad.

Haddock, Broccolini with a Soy Sesame sauce and Salad.

I can’t wait to see what all of you have been eating! Many thanks to Jen for hosting the party.

What do you like to eat for breakfast on a long day? How many snacks do you eat during the day? What is one of your favorite veggie sides with dinner?

Hope for a New Normal

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Last week was nothing short of a nightmare.  I kept hoping I’d wake up from my restless night’s sleep to see it was all just a bad dream.  It wasn’t.  In fact, the nightmare became worse on Friday when our entire city shut down.  Thankfully Michael was just about to leave to head to work downtown when they shut the city down so we both spent the day at home in the suburbs.  The ‘burbs felt pretty good on Friday.  I was able to shut off the tv and head out into the warm sunshine for some therapy…5 beautiful miles.  I was able to head to the grocery store and feel normal for a few minutes too.  But honestly, it felt like we were on lockdown too…it’s hard to ignore that scary feeling in your stomach.  Around 5:30 we headed out to meet a friend for a cocktail and Chinese food in another attempt to feel normal.  It felt good to be out, see other people around and eat dinner but our faces said it all.  We were sad, scared for our city and anxious.  By the time we had wrapped up our early bird dinner we were paying the bill when we heard the news.  We quickly left dinner and headed home and promptly glued ourselves to the tv again.

I thought the end would make me feel better, that I’d feel relieved and I’d finally get a good night’s sleep.  But, none of those things happened.  And even today I still feel sad and heart-broken.  I think our city has a lot of heart ache and grief to work through but also see tremendous pride and resiliency in our city.  I’ve seen our city come together in incredible ways this week and I know it won’t stop anytime soon.  That makes me feel good.

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As we head into this new week and let time pass I know we will have our good days and our bad.  I personally am looking forward to a week of work, running in the early morning and teaching my yoga classes.  Friday I fly to DC for the Nike Women’s Marathon Half with my team and look forward to giving them the best Team In Training experience possible.  Sure, I’m anxious and nervous.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.  But running belongs to the runners and spectators, just like they showed us yesterday at the London Marathon.  Runners support each other, and lift each other up.  The community showed that in a big way last week and I know I’ll see it again at Nike.  I’m hoping to find comfort and peace with in that.  I hope that runners continue to support each other and stand strong together…I hope that is our new normal.

I hope that as we return to our routines, that as the days and months pass we will continue to stand strong as a running community, as a city and as people.  I hope the acts of kindness will continue on.  I hope that we continue to support each other and lift each other up.  I hope that we are there to help the victims.  I hope we are there to fill our streets of Boston with love.  I hope the runners continue to fill our streets for community runs and training runs.  I hope the spectators and runners will come out to make not only Boston 2014 the best yet, but every 5k, 10k and half until then just as good.  I hope the new normal is a world of kindness like I saw in the past week.

As we return to a new normal I hope you’ll have as much hope as I do…

#bostonstrong