Category Archives: Uncategorized

May20

Life Updates and Blog Advice

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Hello there!  I know I know…I’ve been MIA this past week.  I’ll be honest, I’m tired and life has been extra busy.  I’ve been working a lot with many long days and by the time I get home I’m just ready to relax, have dinner and get some sleep so I can do it all over again.  Starting on Wednesday I’m on vacation through Memorial Day and I’m looking forward to some rest and relaxation. I did sleep 12+ hours both nights this weekend so I’m off to a good start on the resting part.   It’s much-needed if you ask me.  Let’s play a little life catch up today and if your up for it I’d like some advice from you!

Running.

Running feels good lately but more for my mind than my body.  I love getting out in the early morning to soak in the sunrise, clear my head and get some fresh air.  It’s liberating really.  Physically my running hasn’t felt so great.   Like I said I’m tired and my body is showing it plus I severe allergies which really doesn’t help.  My legs have felt heavy and slow but since I’ve tried to rest a bit more my runs have been better.   I’m thinking I’m going to sign up for the Maine Half-Marathon.  I want something to train for and work to but I’m not ready for my next full marathon.  And Portland, Maine is gorgeous and a fun place to go away for a weekend to.

Yoga.

Yoga has been feeling amazing.  Last Saturday I got to the studio and took a class for me.  It felt so good to disconnect from the world and connect into my body and breathing.  I needed it more than I realized.  I’ve been teaching a lot too.  It makes me feel good when students come up to me post class and tell me how good they feel and how much they needed it.  It’s so gratifying.  I’m excited to have some time off this week so I can get to the studio for a few more “me” classes.

Healthy Living in a Busy Life

Eating. 

I’ve always eaten healthy but Michael’s been trying to lose weight so we’ve been focusing more on whole foods and lots of veggies.  The more greens I eat the better I feel.  All Pro Science sent me a Veggie Protein Powder to try and I’m pretty excited to give it a shot.  I don’t typically like Whey protein so I’m hoping this will work well for me.  It has less sugar than regular Whey Protein which excites me too.  I’ll post a review on that soon!

Life in General. 

We’ve been busy but a good busy.  We are working on cleaning up our yard which I’m loving.  The backyard has had Ivy taking over the grass so it we’ve been pulling it up so we can put a big garden in.  Digging up dirt and spending time in the fresh air feels so good.  You can’t help but shut your mind off and thin about the task at hand.  We’ve also been working on other projects around the house which is fun too.

Blogging.

So here’s the part where I want your advice.  I’m finding it harder and harder to blog 3 or more times a week.  It seems more realistic for me to blog once or twice a week now.  When I first started LRLY I was in a job I hated and doing everything in my power to help facilitate a career change. This little blog was a place for me to show my creditability and knowledge with yoga and running.  My plan worked and now I get to spend my days working with runners and athletes, all who want to dedicate their miles to a good cause…a double win there if you ask me.  I guess what I’m learning is that when I get to fill my days with runs that feel good, teaching yoga classes and work focused on running I don’t need to come home and blog to fulfill my passions.  Plus I’m happy and content so I don’t feel like I have a ton to say.  I mean how many times can I talk about my 5am runs and how good they feel?  Or how much I love teaching yoga? I think there would come a point where it’s like Ground Hog Day.  I’d like you to tell me.  What do you want to read about?  What keeps you coming back to my blog?  If you only get 2 posts a week they should be good ones…ones I like to write and ones you like to read.  Do you still want to see What I Ate Wednesday Posts or are you ready for something different like recipes or how we plan or what foods I’m loving that particular week?  You tell me, what do you want to read here?

Tell me, what keeps you coming back to read LRLY?  What posts would you like to see here?  What do you like to read about on my blog?

Apr15

Boston Marathon on the Other Side

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Today, I’m experiencing Boston on the other side.  Last year it was my turn to conquer those famous 26.2 miles, this year I’m pretty excited to be on the spectator side.  Last year the spectators and support on the course was incredible.  The temperatures were sweltering but the spectators stood out there cheering us on, handing us ice cubes and frozen sponges and showering us with their garden hoses.  In fact I pretty much ran from garden hose to garden hose to stay cool.  The smiles, and cheers and hand squeezes made those challenging moments just a little bit easier.  And the Team In Training volunteers who were there almost every mile to cheer us on, give us salt packets and encourage us…amazing.

The Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon

So this year I’m excited to be out there and giving back.  I hope my cheers will help someone through a challenging mile, and the GU and water at mile stops 10 and 15 will help fuel someone through those 26.2 miles.  I’m looking forward to cheering on the Team In Training runners as the run in honor and memory of loved ones much like I did last year because they are really adding the most meaning to those miles.

If you are in Boston be sure to take some time to cheer on those runners! If you’re not check out, http://www.baa.org/ for the most up to date race results.  I have no doubt that Twitter will be full of updates and Instagram full of photos!  I’ll be at mile 10 and mile 15 throughout most of the day before heading down to the finish…if you are near by stop by!

Tell me your favorite Boston Marathon memory! Where will you be on race day?!

Oct11

A Rest Week

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This week I’ve been listening.  Listening to my body and responding appropriately.  See a few weeks ago I was sore, not just your typical sore muscles but a different kind of sore.  My joints ached and my normal rest day just wasn’t doing the trick.  I focused on getting more rest and trying to recover. After our last teacher training session I was sore for days and worried I wouldn’t recover for the half marathon.  That’s when I decided it was time for a rest week.

Every now and then I take a rest week or two to give my body a chance to rest and recover completely. I listen to what it tells me.  This week that has been curling up mid afternoon in bed to rest for an hour, heading to bed early to get some extra rest at night and skipping the morning workout.

Wednesday I felt the need to get my sweat on and headed to yoga after work.  I opted for a short 1 hour vinyasa flow.  I came down into  child’s pose when I felt tired and didn’t over do it.  I was able to sweat and flow without stressing my body.  In fact, after my class my hamstrings and hips felt looser and I could tell the class helped flush out my sore muscles.

Beyond just the physical advantages of a rest week I love what it does for me mentally.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  I’m a Type A personality with one speed, GO!  I never miss workouts, I always am on top of my to-do list and often do things because they need to be done not because I WANT to get them done.  It’s a blessing and curse really.  So when I give myself permission to enjoy a rest week and take the pressure away I find I really look forward to it and enjoy the time.  Watching TV without multitasking, reading a great book and taking a moment to just be all let me recharge my mental batteries.

This weekend I’ll be in the yoga studio for another teacher training session and I’m already itching to get on the mat. My legs are starting to crave a run and I know by next week I’ll be ready for the 5:30am wake up call.  Now that the B.A.A. Half is over and I’m not following a plan I’m looking forward to the free rein I have with my workouts. Some days will be run days, some days will be time on the mat in the warm studios and others will be alone in my living room practicing and practicing all that I learn on the weekends.  Winters in New England can be tough so this flexibility helps me to be successful with my workouts!

Rest is good.  Our bodies and minds need the break from time to time.  As the fall continues and races wind down, the nights and mornings get darker and the weather gets cooler its the perfect time to grant yourself permission to rest.  It’s the perfect time to rest those legs after all you summer miles and reset so you can train through the challenges of winter!

When was the last time you took a rest week?  Do you allow yourself to recover completely from time to time?

Aug23

Faith, Fears, Yoga and Running!

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Today I’m feeling inspired, motivated and hopeful.   One of the things David said to us during yoga teacher training is that if we constantly hold on to our pasts, our fears and our worries and fill our calendars and schedules how will there be room for the things we want in life?  He encouraged us to make space in our lives for the life we want.  I remember going home that night and thinking about his words.  I vowed to myself to let some things go, to make room for the things I wanted.  Well, maybe the universe heard me or maybe it’s just fate or maybe I’m just more aware but it seems more and more opportunities are coming my way.  I’m a believer that once an opportunity presents itself it’s up to you to make the most of it.  I’m trying my hardest to make the most of all of this.   The funny part about this is that, just maybe, there are signs that the world likes my new outlook on life.  Just recently my friend Erin and I were talking about my yoga journey and sharing all that we have going on in our lives, she’s said multiple times how she has good feelings about this journey I’m on.  My mom said the said the same thing too.  And then yesterday there was not one but two posts by a couple of my favorite bloggers talking about faith and releasing our fears.  Jess talked about having faith in all that we do and letting our faith be bigger than our fears.  Katy talked about re-framing our fears so that we don’t manifest them and we give the universe a chance to reward us.  Coincidence? Maybe.  But I’m going to take this as positive reinforcement that the universe likes the way I’m thinking lately.  Or at least a girl can hope. 

Source: via Whitney on Pinterest

Likely adding to my inspired and motivated mood today is the fact that I’m still riding a high from an amazing 9 mile run on Tuesday.  It was my first long run since training for Boston.  I was a little nervous about building my miles up again and on Sunday I couldn’t help but feel like maybe running the BAA half wasn’t a great choice.  After all, I’m completely immersed in this journey to become a Yoga instructor and felt that maybe training and running was taking me away from that.  But after a 4 mile “free run” on Monday I was reminded that this journey is only adding to my joy of running and if anything yoga is making me a better runner.  To add to that running gives me the time to think about all I’ve learned in yoga teacher training and how I’m applying it to my life.

I had originally planned to tackle these 9 miles on Saturday morning but somhing inside me knew to head out on Tuesday night instead.  Maybe it was the fact that Michael had his own things going on that night and I knew I’d have the night to myself, maybe it was reading the inspiring post by Jess about her PDR 20 miler (<—this girl is seriously writing some amazing stuff lately as she chases down 26.2 miles!) or the post by her sister Jo and her 9 mile “sherpa” run to support Jess.  Or it may have just been my own inner desire to get out and run.

I planned a new route since I’ve not run more than 6 miles at the new house and mapped it out so I could run to the nearby lake.  This made me even more excited! Something about running around water makes me so happy!  The loop consisted of 3 miles to the lake, 3 miles around the lake and then 3 miles back home.  Perfect.

I set out around 6:30 when I got home from work and planned to keep the pace light and easy.  It wasn’t my fastest long run but man did it feel good.  The weather was cool and it was just a gorgeous late summer night.  The first 3 miles were the hardest.  I couldn’t mentally get over the fact that I had to run 9 miles and started to doubt myself but then I realized I was only a mile from the lake and it gave me something to look forward to.  The 3 miles around the lake were peaceful and calm.  Something about the water relaxes me and by then the soreness in my legs began to subside and I found my groove.  The final 3 miles home were probably the best.  I had a rhythm and felt awesome.  The miles ticked on by and before I knew it my Garmin said I was at mile 8.  The sun was setting by the time I finished out that last mile.  As I walked up the steps and into the house the sun had completely set and I was so proud of myself and the 9 miles I’d run.  There is something about sacrificing an entire evening after work, and eating dinner at 8:30 just to fit in a run that makes you feel so proud.

9 Mile Long Run!

As I was stretching I realized, that was the longest run I’ve gone in over 3 years without my knee strap or tape.  I’ve been running since Boston without my knee strap but tackling 9 without it felt like such a big deal.  I made sure to stretch and foam roll post run so as not to jinx myself.  Thank goodness I did…my IT bands were tight, tight, tight!   I think I owe yoga for that run, for running 9 miles with no brace.  Yoga really is making me a better runner both physically and mentally.  My body is stronger, balanced and flexible and my mind can find peace and calm within the pain of running.  More than anything I have a new level of respect for listening to my body and now days that means so much more than it used to.

So perhaps I owe this feeling of inspiration and motivation to my fellow bloggers who always seem to say just the right thing at the right time and to yoga for making me a better a runner and in time a better, more aware person.

What inspires and motivates you lately? Do you have room in your life for the life you want? Tell me about your latest long run! How has yoga helped your running?