Get in Bed or You'll Get Fat

No, sexual activity still doesn't qualify as your daily cardio, although I have yet to test this out with a heart rate monitor. To avoid getting fat, you need to get in bed and get more sleep. Sleep affects your weight.

The amount of sleep you get influences the production of the hormones leptin and ghrelin in your body. Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain that it is full. The less sleep you get, the less leptin your body produces. Ghrelin tells your body it is hungry. The less sleep you get, the more ghrelin your body produces. See the problem? When you're tired your body thinks it's hungry and keeps wanting more.

When I am sleep-deprived I can eat all day and not feel satisfied. I usually don't even notice until my pants start cutting of my circulation.  I almost never overeat on Mondays (unless I've had a Sunday Funday), but by Thursday I'm starving hours before lunch. Fridays are bad to begin with, and if I've gone out the night before, I can pretty much guarantee that I will eat three lunches.

So I challenge you to go to bed 45 minutes earlier every night. I struggle with this because Agent Hotchner's sexy grimace keeps me up watching Criminal Minds reruns, but I am going to work on that. If you keep a food journal, like I do, look for correlations between more sleep and better food choices.

A Particularly Difficult Saturday

I wonder where these cookies came from?

Ehh, who cares...

Is that a dreadlock? Or an animal nest?

Good hair day otherwise. God, brushing my teeth is taxing.

At least he loves me... I think.

He doesn't like to cuddle either.

"Get away from me." My feelings exactly.

The New 991 is the New Balance 993

For some reason I found myself thinking about New Balance 991s today. These beloved classics were on the feet or in the closet of boarding school kids up and down the Eastern seaboard when I was in high school. I was obsessed with my pair, until the novelty of wearing sneakers to class wore off. I don't think I ever wore them for sports, unless you count the annual IVY Society softball game. Let's be honest, the pictures prove I spent all three years chugging beers in the outfield.

I kept my 991s until my parents' cleaning lady somehow managed to mangle the heel. It was a sad day when I had to toss them in the trash. I had so many fond memories of them. I remember how cute they used to look lined up next to my boyfriend's. (Every boyfriend had them. Everyone I knew had them.)

The New Balance website tells me we have moved on to 993s. Thank goodness they look almost exactly like the 991s, but the 993s features "ABZORB® SBS advanced cushioning in the forefoot for responsiveness you can feel for miles."

Thinking about getting a pair because the novelty of wearing sneakers to work hasn't yet worn off.

Taking Advantage of the Sun

 I had a whole Equinox evening planned, until I saw how nice it was outside when I got home from work. As much as I knew I shouldn't, I went running anyway. Just a five mile run along the river, but I'm sure I would've benefitted more from an evening of plyometrics.

It was a bit chilly, and very windy, but I found it refreshing. I just feel better when I see water, even if it is polluted and filled with dead bodies. The wind definitely slowed me down, and it occurred to me that I don't know what kind of weather conditions I will be running in this weekend. The weather report for DC says 53 degrees and sunny on Sunday, but that doesn't address wind speeds. I'm going to try not to become obsessed with this, although there's a strong chance that if you check my Google history, you'll find "DC wind patterns spring" searched at 3am tomorrow morning.

The skin from my blood blister fell off!
Cool/Gross!

The new Oxygen Magazine arrived in the mail. It has a Yoga Warrior Goddess routine that I tried at my apartment today. I am so awful about stretching after my runs, so at least this was something. I finally got to try out the yoga mat that's been sitting in my closet since last fall.

Motivated to Get a Move On

So my best friend has been on a health kick. I'm really proud of her, but honestly after I spoke to her on the phone on Saturday, I kind of wanted to kick her. Here it is on a Saturday morning (okay, late afternoon), and she has gone to Pilates, gone running, and run errands. In contrast, I had suffered a panic attack because I received a text message from my boss on a Saturday morning, watched half an episode of Shameless on someone else's couch (hey, I walked there), and eaten a bowl of pasta (and like six pieces of bread.)

So I felt a little cruddy about myself, which is why I went running today. Running to Roosevelt Beach and back is one of my favorite things about visiting (okay, living) in Oyster Bay.

This is the nifty 5 mile loop I like to run.

Now that I'm back on my own health kick, there are a few pieces of advice I'd like to share.  First off, you need to watch your diet, but you shouldn't over-diet. Make sure you are eating clean foods that your body can use for fuel. Stay away from 100-calorie pack crap and artificial diet foods. Your body doesn't know what to do with that garbage.

If you rapidly lower the amount of calories you are consuming, and you are not obese, your body will freak out because it thinks it is being starved to death. Instead of losing weight, your body will start storing calories like a bear about to go into hibernation. Be sensible, although every so often I like to go way below my calorie allowance. It tends to wake me up a little.


Drink a lot of water. You will feel fuller, and most "hunger pains" are actually dehydration.

I Want to Try New Things and I'd Like Some Company

Lately I've been thinking about things I'd like to try or get back into. This is kind of an offshoot of picking up golf. It might be fun to have some company, so if you're interested in doing any of these things, shoot me a message.

• Ballet (I danced when I was little. Don't remember a thing.)
• Bikram yoga (I went once last year. It was very hot.)
• Surfing (I've never tried it.)
• Kayaking (I am an awesome kayaker. I've done overnight trips. Granted, that was 8 years ago.)
• Trail running (My cross-country team ran in the woods.)

So I Haven't Been to the Gym Since Wednesday... I Blame My Phone

My favorite method of flirting is via text message. That little ping of seduction has me scurrying across my classroom faster than a fire drill, excited to see what mildly racy comment I have received. In the interest of time management, I once changed the alert for potential Romeos from my usual text sound, but it really took the fun out of the day. I mean, what interest did I have in reading any of my other text messages if I wasn't at least partially convinced that they came from a good-looking, emotionally unavailable boy? I promptly changed the sounds back, and now I get the "Maybe it's him!" feeling hundreds of times a day, even if it ends up just being my boss.

The possibility of racy text message receiving increases as the number of senders rises. This is why it is important to have at least five racy text message relationships at any one time. You should only see one of these senders in person though. You can allot him a certain amount of time before putting him on the back burner, and moving on to someone else. I recommend a week. I think a week is a fair amount of time for an in-person racy text message-resulted relationship. After that the boy is either not emotionally unavailable - interest level rapidly dropping - or you run the risk of triple-booking an afternoon and then things can get sticky.

Change the setting on your phone so only the sender appears. Racy text messages sometimes include photos. You do not want your boss, parents, co-workers (children?), or other racy text message senders to see these photos. Hell, good racy text messengers have a way with words - you don't want these people to see those either.

Don't smile at your text messages. Happiness invites questioning. Ask me no questions, I will tell you no lies.

WARNING: Racy text messages can have a negative effect on your schedule. They are the reason I keep missing yoga.  Oops.

ViPR

"ViPR was created from a need to evolve training tools, foster purposeful motion and blend strength training with functional training and movement. Movement is fundamental. And what makes up effective movement is a blend of lifting, shifting and twisting." - Michol Dalcourt, creator of ViPR

Today I tried Equinox's ViPR class for the first time. I have eyed this in session before, and have meant to make an appearance for a while. It looked like something I might be into, mainly because it involved a lot of squats.

The ViPR is a large plastic tube with different hand-grips. It can be used in place of a body bar and hand weights. Basically, it's just kind of awesome.

Dana Mancini teaches this one-hour class at Roslyn at 6 pm on Wednesdays. I have taken a TRX Suspension class with her, and I like her style. She's no-nonsense but she's not nuts. Dana lead us through a series of lunges with the ViPR. First we lunged. Then we threw it on the ground while lunging and then had to pick it back up. We did squats with the ViPR. We did squats with shoulder presses with the ViPR. And chest presses. And variations of the two. We did abdominal work on the mats with the ViPR. That silly plastic tube was suitable for practically everything! And when it wasn't, such as with flies and one-armed rows, we switched to hand weights. 

I broke a sweat, but I wasn't drenched. Normally I see this as a sign of a bad workout, but my arms are already sore. I actually feel my ab muscles again, and it's been weeks since I've felt that way. I give Dana's ViPR class an A. The hour flew by, which tends to happen when you're having fun.

Toning Sneakers

I never got on board with the toning shoe trend. I just can't justify buying another pair of shoes when I have so many unanswered questions.

Do they actually work? Do some brands work more than others? Do they mess with your spinal alignment or cause injuries? Will they make me look like Kim Kardashian?

My co-worker came by my room to show me his new pair of Sketcher's Shape Ups. Yes, they make them for men and they are surprisingly stylish. I'm going to hound him for an interview once he wears them for a while.

Please post comments about your thoughts and opinions of toning shoes. Do you own/wear them? Have you tried the sandals?

GapFitBody Makes What?

So I'm sitting here during my lunch period, shoveling a salad with no dressing* into my mouth (you can have nuts or dressing in a salad, not both), trying to make myself feel better because I am convinced my children are trying to get me fired, so obviously that means I'm online shopping for workout clothes.

After following the links off of a series of emails (I really do subscribe to emails about workout clothes), I found myself on www.gap.com looking at GapBodyFit. Workout clothes, from the Gap? Blasphemy, I said, until I saw what they had to offer. This reminds me of the time I retired multiple pairs of Sevens and Blue Cults in favor of Gap Real Straight leg jeans.

the Front Skort courtesy of gap.com

Fondly remembering my days at day camp, I will forever be a skort wearer. The skort combines the convenience (and modesty) of shorts with the cuteness of skirts. In Shape Out of Mind fully endorses looking pretty while kicking ass.

If I can scrape together the money after paying my new personal trainer and my bar tabs (plural), I will definitely be purchasing this skort and some other supercute items.

* Waldens Farms makes some pretty tasty zero calorie salad dressing. They are a little watery, but taste pretty dang close to the real thing. They have ranch, raspberry vinaigrette, blue cheese, Caesar, creamy Italian... yup, pretty much everything. But since I've eaten dry salads for so long, I don't miss, or even really like dressing anymore. 

High-Intensity Hairstyle

If like me, you're bothered by hair in your face when you workout, you need to learn how to make a ponytail that will withstand running, kickboxing, and the never-ending round of burpees. Through trial and error, and a little snooping around the locker room, I figured out the perfect high-intensity hairstyle. You need 2 ponytail holders, I like Goody Ouchless, and 2 clips. Sometimes you might need bobbypins. I use them when my bangs are freshly cut and I need to add a little more security.

You can watch my super-awkward and shiny video to see exactly how it's done. (You can laugh. I won't be offended.)

The Girl Talk of Fitness

ADD'ers rejoice! Have you ever been in a group fitness class, only to get a little bored after twenty minutes? You find yourself losing focus in favor of thinking about which cute boy (or girl) you could be texting to arrange a post-workout rendezvous. Or your distracted by someone's flashy new sneakers. Or maybe you suddenly wish you had gone to a different class entirely? Problem solved. Coco and Yves are offering mash-ups of Zumba, Dance Fusion, kickboxing, and boot camp that keep you pumped and working for the entire 90 minute class.

These special event classes go by the name @#$&* Loco with Yves and Coco. To stay in the know, check www.yvesmaco.com regularly, because today's class came out of left field.

You can't not have fun and there's something for everyone. Coco's Zumba was challenging for me (hello two left feet), but I think I owned it during Dance Fusion. The music keeps changing, the moves keep changing, even the instructors keep changing. It's the Girl Talk of fitness if you will.

My Gynocologist is Hot and Encourages My Drinking Habits

So after surviving work yesterday, I had a routine check-up at my lady parts doctor. Unfortunately the GHI website "Find a Doctor" feature doesn't have a "disarmingly handsome" search criteria (I would've clicked no thanks), and I ended up with the best looking gynocologist ever. I feel like he's doing me a favor by seeing me, even after I pay my co-pay. I was able to skip the normal bajillion hour waiting time and ended up out 45 minutes earlier than I expected. This threw off my gym schedule, and I certainly wasn't going to spend half an hour wondering around the east 80s with the drunken wannabe Irish polluting the sidewalks. There were party buses parked up and down York Avenue! I thought I was going to break out in hives.

As luck (of the Irish) would have it, my friend was available for a nice, leisurely run in Central Park. We've had an outstanding running date for about six months now, and I was quite excited to finally see her. I ran about four miles (definitely forgot to click start on the Nike+ GPS for the first half mile), and then scurried on home for a shower. Since four miles is pretty much a warm-up for me, I was restless and easily coerced into having a few beers. Remembering Dr. F's parting words ("Now you can go drink green beer!"), I decided I was just following Doctor's orders.

Fast forward to this morning. I woke up in time for work! However, none of my meals were prepared. God bless the Pasta Boat because in 13 minutes I had a serving of gluten-free spaghetti ready to go. So far I'm feeling pretty good, made it to work on time (even after doing dishes!), and I don't think I'm going to throw up on my desk. I think I might've accidentally drank someone's gin and tonic last night instead of my vodka soda, so if that's the case, I'm sure I got mean (violent?), and if I punched you in the face, well I apologize. (But I'm not really sorry.)

Ladies Who Golf

Back in January I was over my friends' apartment and we were all watching I Love You, Man on tv. For some inexplicable reason, Rashida Jones' character has the cutest golf clothes and yet has no idea how to play. I wanted cute golf clothes, and for these I was willing to learn how to play. Soon the idea for a ladies golf club materialized, and plans were made.

Two and a half months later, we finally got on that. Yesterday T and I navigated the West Side subway and bus system to arrive at Chelsea Piers. We spent the next hour at the driving range. T ended up being pretty good. I, however, couldn't remember a thing from all those junior golf lessons and tournaments my parents signed me up for as a child. I did remember my crush on the cute young golf pro, who was the only reason I agreed to these golf outings.

Golf is a sport that requires patience and form. I don't know what to do when I can't just hit harder, move faster, or flat out check someone to win.

Mocha Java Jacked

Back in the good old days (college), I would hit up a gym in Connecticut with my friend Rifle. Big Sky was not the best gym in the world, and I don't recommend it not that a New York Sports Club has opened up in West Hartford, but it had an incredible smoothie bar. Each day Rifle and I would get a delicious drink called a Mocha Java Jacked. For 240 calories, you could drink over 24 oz of delicious frozen, chocolaty caffeine. Sometimes I wouldn't eat again until dinner, but that might have had something to do with all the stimulants I consumed.

After years of trying to recreate this delectable treat, I think I have gotten pretty close. First you need really cold, good coffee. If I have a little left over, I throw it in the fridge for the next day. I've had a half-finished cup from Ottomanelli's in my fridge for days just waiting to be tossed in the blender. Their coffee is delicious. Then you add a half cup of skim milk, a scoop of chocolate whey, and ice. The most important ingredient is Walden's Farms No-Calorie Chocolate Syrup. It's available at your local grocery store in the refrigerated section, most likely next to the Naked Juice and the sliced mango.

Another Caumsett 25K Race Photo

Look at me in action!

This photo is courtesy of GLIRC. All rights reserved.

What are the copyright laws of a photograph if the photograph is of you?

Cha Cha Cha Chia!

No, I haven't ordered a Chia Pet from an infomercial, although I have been tempted to purchase the Obama one. Gives new meaning to ObamaCare. (Insert bad joke drums here.) Chia seeds are being touted as an Aztec superfood. I first learned about them in the book Born to Run.  Author Christopher McDougall is offered a drink made of chia seeds while running in the Mexican dessert with Caballo Blanco. This drink gives him the energy he needs to run farther and faster than ever before.

I am a sucker for hidden product placements. I bought a bag of Navitas chia seed powder from Whole Foods and now I sprinkle some in my morning fruit and yogurt, along with pecans and ground flax. (Basically this is the fat kid's healthy breakfast. Make sure you measure out portions or you can really blow past your daily calorie allowance.)

Chia seeds provide you with protein, fiber, healthy omega fats, and antioxidants. I like to think that I have much more energy on the days I ingest my Mexican superfood, but I'm normally so hyped up on caffeine that I wouldn't be able to tell anyway. I have read that you can make your own potent energy drink by adding water to a spoonful of chia seeds. The seeds will turns into a gelatinous mixture that packs a serious energy punch that will give you the endurance of an Aztec warrior. I haven't tried this yet but maybe I will tomorrow if someone sends me an email at about 5:45 am.

Chia seed powder is 70 calories for 15 g, or 3 tablespoons.
Chia seeds are 70 calories for 15 g, or 2 tablespoons.

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

Every nutritionist, dietician, trainer, lifestyle guru, and eating disorder sufferer will tell you that failure to plan your meals is planning to fail. I forgot my morning snack today and ended up eating my lunch (a healthy meal of baby spinach, roasted broccoli, and baked chicken breast) by 10am. Then I ended up with a (skim) medium Coffee Coolatta, a vanilla frosted donut (with sprinkles), and a bacon egg and cheese for lunch. I didn't even get the sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts - I walked to a bodega!

I wasn't hungry when I got home, but then I decided to eat a string cheese, followed by an apple with Better'n Peanut Butter. Then I had a bowl of low sodium butternut squash soup. It wasn't salty enough so I added some sea salt. Now I'm debating if it's worth it to order dinner. I could have put a frozen portion of spaghetti and meat balls in the fridge to thaw today, but of course I didn't plan for that either. Daylight savings time + residual hangover = failure.

Gimping Along

My knee felt slightly better this morning, so Scott and I headed over to Central Park. It was simply too nice out not to. I chose to wear my Vibrams because my cushy Lunar Glides have been irritating my knee and I left my Nike Frees out on LI. I think I made the right decision although it would have been cool to use Nike+ GPS.

Scott and I ran the 5 mile loop around the park. We enjoyed making fun of other fitness enthusiasts, including Short Shorts and the Tights Under Compression Shorts Biker. I also spotted a man I might like to make my future husband if my stalking of Miles Fisher doesn't work out.

I am going to have to suck it up and go to an orthopedist. I am going to completely lose my mind if I can't workout.

Iced at Club D's

Despite all the icing I did at Dorrian's last night (yes, I really did sit at the bar with a bag of  ice in a pair of Choate sweatpants and a Turkey Trot t-shirt), my knee is causing me an extreme amount of pain. I can't walk. I gimped around Union Square today in a pitiful attempt to go to Trader Joe's. Thankfully my houseguest was there to help me get down the subway stairs because I'd probably still be standing there wincing in pain. I purchased an Icy Hot medicated sleeve, but I don't think it's helping. I am going to attempt the 10 mile run tomorrow, but it's looking more and more like I am going to be immobile. I need a Rascal.

You Must Watch This Video

photo courtesy of milesfisher.com

I listened to Miles Fisher's version of This Must Be the Place while blending a smoothie and getting mentally prepared for tonight's spin session. I am obsessed... with both him and the song. Like want to have his babies obsessed. I have no idea why this isn't available on iTunes yet.

Running Injuries

I feel like I have been beaten with a wooden stick. The people I know who run all the time are always injured, which is why I rarely run. See the Moratorium on Running to read about my philosophy about running and races. I am proof that people who train for races by NOT running win.

My knee has been bothering me since I put on 20 lbs. I mean it makes sense, that's a lot of extra weight pounding down on my knees during plyo moves. It had felt better until Sunday's race, but now it's affecting my ability to walk normally. I have a distinct gait to begin with; I don't need anything else calling attention to the way I move. I did a little online research and I think it's my IT band acting up.

The bones on the edge of my left foot aren't feeling too hot either. I hope I don't have a stress fracture because that's going to put a serious damper on my 10 mile run this Saturday. I don't know how I used to run cross country. We never did any cross-training, and my ankles were always killing me.

Green Smoothie

I made my first green smoothie this morning. Inspired by a recipe I read in the March issue of Oxygen, I pulled out my Ninja Master Prep at 5:30 am to make this before heading to work.

I put approximately 3/4 of a cup of frozen pineapple chunks, 1 scoop of unflavored whey protein powder, 4 oz coconut water, 4 oz orange juice, 1 handful of baby spinach, 2 ice cubes, and the juice of 1/4 lemon into the blender and pulsed until smooth. I couldn't taste the spinach and this drink was very refreshing. I normally don't add juice to my smoothies, but I had some OJ in the fridge (from making screw drivers I guess), and I think the citrus flavor was a good addition to the pineapple and lemon.

Roasted Seaweed Snack

My coworker introduced me to these last week. Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks are 60 calories of salty deliciousness. They have a weird texture, and it kind of feels like you're eating sunburnt skin, but once you get that image out of your mind, you'll love them.

The End of the Earbud?

Remember those old-school Sony headphones that went behind your neck and then over your ears? They were the perfect headphones for running because they always stayed in place. Sony decided to mess with the design, thereby ruining their perfect product. We've all been struggling with earbuds ever since.

This is all about to change...

I received an email about these headphones built into headbands called runphones. I think I desperately need them! I'm totally psyched for the winter version, but I'm a little skeptical about the summer version. Won't my ears get hot? Take a look at them and give me your opinions.

photo courtesy of Vital Juice Daily

The Beast with the Best Manners

I love the smell of rain on Long Island - the scents of pine needles, mud, and salt air mingle together and it smells like the way the world should smell. It's a good thing I like it so much because it poured for practically the entire race today. I signed up for the Caumsett 25K last week because I figured 15.5 miles was like a half marathon but better. Somehow I thought I had signed up for a half marathon race for today, but it turns out it doesn't exist. This wouldn't be the first time I was convinced I had (or had not) done something, only to find out it was a figment of my imagination. Anyway, I digress.

This morning I woke up energized for the race, but also a little nervous. The longest I had ever ran was 13.6 miles. Surely 15.5 miles couldn't be that much different. I hopped in the shower (just shaved legs are the best feeling) and then set about preparing for the big event. 

There are specific items that are necessary for a successful race. Athlete's foot spray, such as Lamisil or Odor Eaters, prevents blistering. Even if you do end up with blisters (like I did), the spray makes a significant difference. Think of it like sunscreen - you might still get burned, but it would've been much worse. I also need clear mascara. Just because I'm running like a beast doesn't mean I have to look like one. Clear mascara keeps my eyelashes curled but doesn't run all over my face. Nothing is tackier than girls running around with black make-up all over their face looking like used and abused prostitutes. I also need my hair clips and two hair-ties. I learned the two hair-tie trick from a girl at my gym. They keep your high ponytail perky.

Proper nutrition is also very important for a good race. I went for the breakfast of champions: thawed frozen peaches, a sliced banana, pecans, blueberries, Greek 2% yogurt, and ground flax. It tastes delicious and really fills you up. I eat it every day when I get to work. You really shouldn't try anything new out on race day, so I went with what I usually eat.

The race was held at Caumsett National Park in Lloyd Neck. The course is a certified 5K loop that takes you around the grounds and it's quite pretty. I am in love with the 5K, so the loop gave me a sense of security. 

I need to get my hydration situation under control because I always have to pee. Not only did I use the Porta-Potty three times before the race began (and I limited fluids this morning!), I had to go again after 1.5 miles. This idiot beat me to the Porta-Potty at the halfway mark by five seconds, and then he got tangled up in his tights, forcing me to wait for over a minute. Now this might not seem like much, but during a race? Pull them panties down and pee! I made up for this waste of time later on, but honestly. So rude! The rest of the first loop was pleasant, despite the pouring rain. 

Loop 2 was pretty uneventful. I drank some Gatorade. By this time my Under Armour long-sleeved shirt was soaked through and weighing me down. I pulled it off and tossed it by a tree as I circled back onto the course. Loop 3 felt great because I was kind of dry again. This didn't last for long. My shorts were so wet that they gave me legit chaffage. That's what I get for having awesome thunder thighs. God bless that Porta-Potty at the halfway mark because I was back there again during Loop 4. How do people go whole marathons without a bathroom break? I purposely didn't run with a water bottle this time, and I only had the water or Gatorade provided twice a loop. I also began to feel the blisters on my arches during Loop 4. Lamisil does wonders, but it's hard not to get blisters when there are puddles in your sneakers. My mom was waiting for me under the tent as I completed Loop 4. I was excited to see her and excited to be able to yell, "Just one more and I'm done!"

I had been preparing for Loop 5 all morning. I reasoned that since my speciality is the 5K, I could treat the last loop like it was a brand new race. I had been running at a decent pace (about 9 minute miles), but now I was wet, cold, blistered, and my legs were beginning to feel like lead. Now it was time for me to be a beast. A beast is a badass fitness enthusiast who relishes pain and kicking ass. A beast grunts and hollers. A beast is unstoppable. I become a beast in kickboxing, weightlifting, studio cycling... you name it, I do it. "I am a beast!" is my fitness mantra, so when I need to find the extra energy to kick some serious ass, I start to chant it. Then I yell, grunt, and holler. The first mile wasn't the most pleasant thing I have ever done, but mile 2 went by quickly. Even the hill felt pretty good. As I approached the mile 2 sign, another runner commented on my running and asked if it was my last loop. When I told him it was, he told me to give it my all. I took off and caught up with a guy from the 50K race. He was a little startled by the beast grunts and I apologized for the sound effects. He said he understood and told me too keep hollering because I was less than a quarter mile away from the finish line. I trucked it and came in at 2:14:56. My goal was to come in under 2:15 and I just made it!

The girl collecting the shoe tags at the finish line commented that I looked like I had a lot of energy left. I felt amazing, and if my feet weren't bleeding, I would have totally kept going. This was an incredible experience for me, not only because I won my age division, but because I pushed myself past my comfort zone. My favorite yoga and spin instructors encourage the class to set an intention for our workouts. Today I decided to run my race for my friend Ned. When my legs felt like cement and my feet were on fire, I thought about the time we went running in Marin County and I got lost. I was so busy laughing to myself, that I forgot how much the pain sucked. Thinking positive thoughts and feeling the positive energy from the other runners helped me to reach my goal.

By the way, why don't people say please and thank you to the volunteers who hand out fluids? I was the only person out there who said please and thank you. You are never too tired for manners!

Caumsett 25K: Female 21-24 Winner

Do I Need More Shoes?

I picked up my Ritalin prescription from my pediatrician's office today and got to see the object of my affection. The receptionist at my pediatrician's office is incredibly sexy, and he speaks Spanish, and I'm in love with him. Yes, I realize that I am twenty-four and I still go to a pediatrician. Yes, I realize that I am the only patient that can drive herself to the office. No, I don't have a problem with this.

Now I couldn't drop the prescription off at the local CVS because I might have verbally threatened one of the pharmacists last month. He was wrong, I was right, and he was being mean. And maybe I wanted a cigarette really badly and decided to take that out on him. I have been planning to make a trip over to Trader Joe's anyway, and lo and behold, there's a CVS right next door. I was able to stock up on tasty snacks and get my uppers refilled.

Since Trader Joe's is about the size of my parents' garage, I ran out of things to look at quickly and needed to kill some time. I went into Incredible Feets to take a look around and ended up having an awesome chat with the owner about Vibram footwear and the book Born to Run. He pretty much convinced me I need to buy two more pairs of Vibrams, but I managed to get out of the store before handing over my credit card. I need to mull over these purchases because I don't wear the ones I already have as much as I should. However, if I were to buy them, I'd buy them from this guy because customer service really does make a difference.

The Stair-Stepper from Hell and Silent Sing-Alongs

I completed two solo workouts this week and I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. Normally I use conflicts with the group fitness schedule as an excuse to skip a workout, but not anymore. Today I focused on cardio. I spent 20 minutes on the treadmill. I ran 2 miles and then alternated between inclines and sprints. Then I moved on to the stair-stepper. Sweet cocoa butter, that thing is a beast! My heart rate monitor was screaming 193 bpm and all I was doing was trying to stay upright. I lasted ten minutes, but the guy next to me had been trucking along for close to thirty. I was impressed, and I'm never impressed. To round out my cardio extravaganza, I got on my absolute favorite machine: the Cross Ramp. You get to run on an incline with no impact. It's like God's gift to the gym floor. I did a solid thirty minutes plus three-minute cool down on this machine and it was joyous. 

I listen to iheartradio Real Oldies while I do my cardio machines and I sing along silently. I don't mean that I quietly sing along, or that I kind of move my mouth along with the words. I actually look like I'm singing but the volume is on mute. I get into it. Sometimes I dance. (You should just think about what it takes to keep yourself upright on a Cross Ramp at a 15 incline without holding on while doing the Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air dance. That is a whole lot of freaking core strength thank you very much.) Do not judge me because I silently sing along to 1960s love songs while on the cardio machines... I burnt 781 calories and you're still not as cute as me.

On a side note, has anyone else tried to do cardio machines in lululemon's Knock Out Shorts? Until tonight I had only worn mine to kickboxing, dance, and yoga. Not to get too graphic, but those things were riding so far up my ass, I feel like I relost my virginity to them. Not fun and not cute.

Gaining Confidence to Workout Alone and March's Ultimate Arms Workout

I rarely hit the gym floor by myself. Sure, I'll hop on a cardio machine if I have some extra time before a class, or I might use the adductor/abductor hip machines (205 lbs baby, booyah!), but I used to actually show up and lift. It occured to me recently that I don't even know where most of the equipment is located at the 85th & 3rd Equinox location and I used to be there all the time. I subscribe to Oxygen magazine, which is the great women's fitness magazine, that is full of workout advice and exercises. My goal is to be able to perform these workouts on my own when I can't or don't want to attend a class.

A lot of classes are full-body workouts. You can't and shouldn't do a full-body workout every single day. This leads to overtraining, injuries, and late-night binge-eating. I've decided to focus on spin and yoga classes, and then do no more than one full-body workout class a week. I am going to do my own lifting. I tried Oxygen's March triceps and biceps workout yesterday and my arms are feeling it! I used 12.5 lb weights, and skipped the stability ball preacher curl (just couldn't be bothered to run around 3 floors looking for a stability ball when I had a class starting in 10 minutes.)

Triceps Exercises (2 sets of each)
1. Body weight bench dip (12 reps)
2. Lying triceps extension (12 reps)
3. One-arm triceps kickback (12 reps on each side)

Biceps Exercises (2 sets of each)
1. Alternating biceps curl (15 reps each arm)
2. Hammer biceps curl (12 reps)
3. Dumbbell preacher curl on stability ball (skipped but I would've done 12 each)

I chose to superset the triceps/biceps exercises during the first set, going from one triceps move right into the biceps move before resting and moving on to the next exercises. Oxygen recommended this to save time and increase caloric burn.

In Mourning

It's taken me a few days to write this post because I am still trying to process the emotions and sense of loss I feel. I do not write this in jest - I am not handling this change well at all. Yves Maco has decided to leave Equinox for another gym. We will miss him greatly and I wish him success and happiness as he moves on to different things. I also feel like I am going to throw up. And cry. And maybe throw up while crying.

Yves is more than just a great kickboxing, dance, and sculpt instructor. He brings joy and inspiration to everything he does. The women and men who take his classes count on his infectious personality to push them past their perceived fitness boundaries and reach new levels. Yves has made me feel motivated and accountable. There have been nights when I have been tired and cranky, running on five hours of sleep and a half-eaten lunch, but I knew he expected to see me, and once I arrived at class I was able to find energy reserves I didn't know existed. I have learned to jump higher than I ever thought possible, and it's because Yves made me believe that it was possible.

Yves will continue to teach his Early Birds class at Fusion Fitness (45 Cutter Mill Road) at 8am on Saturdays.