Join The Challenge and #ChaseTheBird

We’re just over 3 weeks away from Thanksgiving. Travel itineraries are set. Meal planning is under way. The holidays are upon us, and along with the holidays come parties, cocktails, delicious meals, and celebrations with family and friends. But for some, the fun stops when we step on the scale or try to zip up our favorite jeans.

My legs weren't feeling to peppy during my 5am workout, but I pushed through a strength session to start the day a little bit stronger. #ChaseTheBird day 3. #fitness #gym #morningworkout #healthy #strength #oisellevolée #runstrong

A photo posted by Lisa Alcorn (@lmhalcorn) on Nov 3, 2015 at 7:46am PST

Thankfully Oiselle has stepped in with a fun way to help keep us motivated to stay the course - or get on board - with our training or general fitness routine this month. At the start of November Oiselle launched a month-long challenge dubbed #chasethebird. 

It’s super easy and definitely not too late to join in. All it requires is 15 minutes of physical activity - any kind of physical activity - every day. You can run, lift weights, take your dog (or cat if you prefer) for a walk, hit the stairs, do burpees, or a yoga video for 15 minutes and log it on social media with the hashtag #chasethebird.

As an extra incentive, Oiselle is randomly selecting winners to receive fun prizes and whether or not you win, you’ll still find loads of inspiration in the other tweets, instagram pictures, and Facebook posts.

All it takes 15 minutes!

Coldest run yet of the season but a beautiful morning to #chasethebird for 8 miles on the streets of Denver. #OiselleCO #Denver #runhappy #run #fitness

A photo posted by Lisa Alcorn (@lmhalcorn) on Nov 7, 2015 at 9:16am PST

And as you can tell, vegans can #chasethebird too! I hope you'll join me in this challenge.

What are your biggest vices during the holiday season? * What is your approach to staying healthy but also enjoying the season?

A Red Rocks Workout for Beginners

If you know anything about Denver, you probably know that it is home to Red Rocks Amphitheater, the beautiful, mostly-natural, music venue that has hosted the best musicians to tour the United States for decades. It's a stunning venue with views that reach to downtown Denver and far out into the eastern plains of Colorado. I've seen a lot of shows in my life, and if you're a live music fan, a show at Red Rocks should be on your bucket list. 

What you might not know is that during the day, the amphitheater and the park that it sits in, attracts hundreds of people looking to get in a good workout. Aside from the amphitheater, the park boasts two trails - the Trading Post hiking trail is a 1.4mile loop showcases an up close and personal view of the red rock formations while the multi-use Red Rocks Trail which connects into Matthews-Winters Park and the Dakota Ridge Trail. 

While trails are great, the big draw here is the unique access to the amphitheater. Every summer there are a number of large organized fitness activities, such as Yoga on the Rocks, and several bootcamp classes meet regularly for instructor-led torture fun, but anyone can just show up any morning and put together their own workout. 

There are countless exercises you can do here, but I thought I'd share with you the workout we did that got our hearts racing and lungs burning. Your quads will not be happy the next day, so don't plan on a long run or speed work the day after. Also, since the park sits at 6,400 feet elevation so if you're visiting, try to give yourself a day or two to acclimate to Denver's elevation (5,280) and don't give yourself a hard time when you start breathing heavy just walking up the steps from the parking lot! It's normal!

Run the Stairs Start near the top and run across a row, down the steps along the outside, across one of the front rows, and back up the other side. According to my Garmin, one lap = approximately .2 miles. I recommend at least two laps, but go for as many as you can handle!

Tricep Dips

Planks & Push-Ups

Jump Rope

Crunches

Step Ups

And after all this, be sure to take time to stretch because your muscles will need it!

While this wasn't our typical workout and I didn't get in as many miles as I usually would on a Sunday morning, it was a tough workout and great to mix things up a bit.

A few tips if you do venture to Red Rocks to break a sweat:

• Go early - it gets busy and hot
• Wear sunblock (there's very little shade and the sun is potent)
• Take lots of water
• Everyone else is working hard too, so be mindful of others - don't block the row when others are coming through if you can at all help it, if you need music bring headphones, don't bring so much gear with you that you limit access, and watch out and move aside for people running the stairs
• Don't limit yourself to just the amphitheater, take advantage of the trails and the steep inclines throughout the park for hill workouts
• The visitors center has nice, large restrooms and there's also an onsite restaurant 
• Watch out for tourists taking pictures and oogling over the view - they might not see you coming down
• Rock climbing is not allowed in the park, be kind to our national landmark and don't leave a trace

Sweaty but smiling!

Do you make more time for workouts on holiday weekends? * Now that summer is "unofficially" over, what are you looking forward to most this fall?

Making the Most of a Runless Runcation

When Woody and I plan a vacation, running is typically an integral part of that process and things were no different when we were planning our trip to Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia - where we were last week. Without labeling them as such, we've been taking runcations for years. 

With Stanley Park - a large, gorgeous park in downtown Vancouver - less than two miles from our hotel and the seawall running path along the outer edge of the city, I expected we'd spend a good amount of our time in the city in running gear. 

That was before I was plagued by an overuse injury that I tried to ignore. My right leg has been bothering me since BolderBOULDER and have tried a knee brace, icing, rolling, and not running in hopes that it would improve in time for our trip. 

Sunday morning, our first morning in Vancouver, I laced up and headed out for a run with Woody thinking that if I was going to be able to do it, it would be best to try before we started walking a lot. 

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

A little over three miles into the run and not all that far into Stanley Park, I couldn't go a step farther. After nearly breaking down in tears along the outer path with runners, bikers, rollerbladers, and countless others passing us by, I sent Woody off to enjoy the loop and promised to meet him at a beach on the other side. Let's just say that Sunday morning was the low point of our trip. I was pretty devastated. 

My week was not pain free (don't worry mom, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled) and I probably should have spent more time off my feet, but there was no way I was going to sit in the hotel and let our week go by. I decided I had to make it work, because Vancouver and Whistler are pretty amazing.

Here are a few ways we made my runless runcation a success:

On Monday we rented bikes from Spokes Bicycle Rentals on Denman Street and spent three hours riding through Stanley Park - the trail around the edge along the edge with beautiful water and mountain views as well as several of the gravel bike paths that criss cross the park - and had a picnic with a view of Lions Gate Bridge. It turned out to be a pretty wonderful way to spend a few hours and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

Taking it to the trails

The view from our lunch spot

The Westin Grand Vancouver has an excellent and fully equipped gym plus a heated saltwater pool and whirlpool (not pictured below) so once I realized running was out of the picture for me, while Woody went out for morning runs, I'd head to the gym for some time on the bike, strength training, and a nice session in the whirlpool which not only made my leg feel better but helped me relax and refocus on what's important. It might sound crazy, but that whirlpool definitely helped me enjoy the week. 

Photo Credit: The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Photo Credit: The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Then we headed out of town for Whistler and it wasn't until we got there that we learned we were a bit too early to hike Whistler or Blackcomb Mountains. While the trails were open for mountain bikers, they weren't yet ready for hikers (they typically open in late June apparently). However we did find a few good hikes in the valley and there were a lot of others that could have been explored if we had more time.

The first one we tried was pretty easy - more of a ramble than a hike - but a nice option just steps from the condo we rented in Whistler Village through Airbnb. Lost Lake Park has several trails to choose from of the easy to moderate variety and welcomes foot and bike traffic. Lost Lake is the big attraction here and there's a nice park and beach, along with several docks and rafts around the lake. It was a nice afternoon ramble for us after we had done the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride in the morning.

The condo also had a whirlpool, which we definitely took advantage of. The first night our neighbor even provided the entertainment - she had friends over to enjoy her whirlpool with drinks and uncensored conversation!

By Lost Lake

On our way out of Whistler we drove north a few kilometers to check out the Ancient Cedars trail. Let's just say we were pretty thrilled and relieved when our little Ford Focus rental car made it down the dirt, pothole ridden road to the trailhead and back without any issues. This trail was just over 5k but took a good two hours as it's a rocky climb the entire way out, plus I wasn't moving as quickly as usual. There's a turnoff from the trail that goes out to Showh Lakes, which we probably would have taken if we had more time to explore but we wanted to get make a few stops along our way back to Vancouver. Still, this was a nice trail that required some good effort and took us through a beautiful lush forest to see the towering and impressive ancient cedars. 

The view from Cougar Mountain

Taking in the trees 

Woody in the trees

I wasn't able to run like I wanted to and my injury was literally a pain in the butt (and calf, and knee) but over the 9 days we were on vacation I managed an average of almost 23,000 steps a day (according to FitBit). We spent a lot of time just walking around the city exploring different neighborhoods, block by block. 

After my initial frustration as I broke down on the run, I had to quickly decide to adjust my expectations, focus on what I could do, and enjoy our trip because who knows when we'll have the opportunity to get back to Vancouver and Whistler again. It really was a fantastic trip that I'm not done telling you about yet - more to come in my next post! 

How you had to deal with injury on vacation? How did you adjust your plans? * What are your favorite fitness activities when traveling?

ClassPass in Denver

[SPONSORED POST]
A few weeks back I wrote about the first half of my month with ClassPass, and the classes I took at local studios including Thrive24, Club Pilates, Endorphin and Infinity Yoga, using the program's unlimited class offering. I'm thankful to ClassPass for providing me with a complimentary 1-month membership so I could take those classes and two others that I want to tell you about.

Ride - The Rider's Barre
The Rider's Barre stuck out to me immediately when I started looking through all the class and studio options. They offer single-discipline classes, like the Ride (aka spin or cycling) class I took on a really snowy Wednesday night, and classes that combine two activities like YogaBarre, YogaCycle, and Ride/TRX. The studio is in an older building in a small cluster of store fronts along S. Broadway. There's a rather large front area with a room for yoga and barre classes just behind and the room filled with spin bikes and TRX trainers is at the back. There were about six women in my class and the teacher, Erin, was upbeat, enthusiastic and didn't let the falling snow outside slow us down. The music was good - I heard the new Madonna song for the first time - and I definitely got a good workout but I wasn't completely exhausted after this one like I was after the class at Endorphin (granted, that incorporated rowing, weighted exercise balls, and lots of squats). I did wish by the end of class though, that I had invested in a pair of bike shorts!

If You Go:
- You don't need special shoes, but if you have them, great! These bikes are equipped to handle sneakers for those of us who don't take enough spin classes to make investing in special shoes worth it, and those who ride 5 days/week.
- Being on S. Broadway there isn't a ton of parking, but look for something in the neighborhood or come sans car if you live nearby.
- The Bardo Coffee Shop, two doors down, is perfect for a post-workout coffee, or if you're looking for a bit more hearty breakfast, head up a few more blocks to Denver Biscuit Co. Looking for something a little different, check out Adrift Bar & Grill for a little tiki-inspired fun.

Pilates - Pilates Evolution
This class made me come to terms with the fact that my core is as weak as a leaf. I struggled through the 45 minute class from the first minute, making the class feel like it was never going to end, but yet it was over in a flash. Maybe the 4 mile run and lack of water had something to do with it, but my abs and legs fatigued quickly from the reps and resistance. When we got to the arm section towards the end, I could finally show off my mastery of the seated row! Our instructor, Shannon, was spunky, super-fit, and who's quasi-drill sergeant demeanor was slightly frustrating yet made me determined to push through. I definitely felt the burn the next day, particularly in my abs, which kind of makes me want to take the class again.

If You Go:
- The studio is very simple - just a large room with a good number of reformers. There is a drinking fountain but it's slightly hidden in the hallway shared with other businesses that leads to the public restrooms.
- Located in Cherry Creek, like Club Pilates, there are great restaurants and shops all around, including a Whole Foods 2 blocks away. Ink Coffee, also nearby, has an addicting drink called the Blended B&B (espresso, chocolate, banana, milk, ice) that tastes sinful but incredibly satisfying after a hard workout. I suggest adding some protein powder to the mix.
- Because of all the construction in the area, plan to park in the neighborhood and walk several blocks, or if you can, walk/run/bike from home.

Final Thoughts on ClassPass:
As for my overall experience with ClassPass, I did really enjoy trying out a lot of new classes and the variety I was able to put together. 

The website and app make it pretty easy to search for classes - via a list or map - and reserve a spot. The user profile not only keeps track of classes that are upcoming, but classes that have been taken, which is a nice feature if you want to quickly reserve a spot in the same class at another time or look back to see what you've taken recently. The reminder emails the day prior to each class were also helpful, especially because twice I needed to cancel my reservation due to work obligations and if you cancel less than 24hrs in advance you're charged $20 (which makes sense to me). At least twice during the month I got emails announcing that new studios had been added to the program, which was great to see. 

On the other hand, as expected, it seemed the vast majority of classes offered - as of January - were of the yoga/barre/Pilates variety. There a few clunky features with the website as more than a few times I tried to reserve a spot in a class that appeared open but didn't actually have any spots left. I spent a lot of time trying to find the right class, in the right part of town, on the right day, and at the right time to fit my schedule. I imagine though that after a few months users get to know what studios and classes they really like and these factors become less of an issue.

As much as I love trying new classes and expanding my fitness routine, I won't be investing in the $79/month membership on an ongoing basis. Woody and I have our early morning routine down, and I don't see myself deviating enough from that routine to make the expense worth it. Plus, I found it really difficult to fit classes into my schedule after work so most of these were taken on the weekend, which limits me to only a couple days a week. I do see how this would be a great option for those who love to take classes and have short commutes. If a lower cost membership option for just 4 or 5 classes per month was available, I would definitely consider it and I did find a few studios that I'll go back to for drop-in classes now and then!

What was your favorite/best workout from the past week?

The Boutique Fitness Trend That's Arrived in Denver

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For the longest time those seeking an indoor option to sweat it out and build muscle generally had one basic option - a gym membership. I use this term loosely because a wide range of gyms fall into this category - from the body builder haven of Gold's Gym to the social club known as Lifetime Fitness. But in more recent years, we've seen a huge uptick in the number of boutique fitness studios. Now those seeking to take a range of yoga classes or Pilates, Zumba or Spinning, can take classes from teachers who are specially trained and focus on that specific type of physical activity.

Great, right? All our fitness woes are solved!? 

Not quite. These boutique fitness studios have two big disadvantages. One: People crave variety. Two: Memberships tend to be pricey - especially if classes at the studio supplements a traditional gym membership, or you go to more than one studio. So over the years a number of startups have jumped into the game to fix this problem.

First to hit the scene was FITiST back in 2011 - allowing fitness enthusiasts the option to purchase a membership and book classes at multiple studios across NYC (and LA) in one place. Since then, ClassPass, Athletes Club, FitClub, and likely others, have joined in, each bringing their own spin to the industry.

Last December as I was perusing my news feed on Facebook, I noticed an ad announcing that ClassPass was coming to Denver. 

While I loved taking various classes in New York, my experience with classes here in Denver has unfortunately been fairly limited and through very unscientific research while attempting to take classes a few times, I found a lot of studios offering yoga, Pilates, Barre, and Bootcamp classes but not much else. So when I heard about ClassPass I was genuinely curious as to if there were 1) enough studios in Denver, and 2) enough variety of studios, to make such a service work.

Little did I know at the time I'd get the chance to find out for myself. 

When ClassPass reached out to see if I would help with the launch of the service in Denver, I couldn't pass up the chance to check out as many studios as I could fit into my schedule in one month. When I logged onto the site for the first time, I admit, I was a bit surprised to see how many studios were available! That said, with a closer look my assumption that there are a lot of yoga, Pilates, Barre, and bootcamp/crossfit studios in this city appeared to be true. 

Now half way through the month I thought I'd share with you a rundown of the studios and classes I've tried so far:

Zumba - Studio Thrive (24th St)

Several years back I took a weekly Zumba class at NYSC that I loved. The energy was addictive, the music was fun, and I couldn't help but love the fact that everyone is accepted in a Zumba class no matter your age, experience, or natural rhythm. I took this class on a Sunday morning after a snowstorm. While it was a little difficult to get to the studio (and find it), the class filled up and once I let myself loosen up a bit and not care so much about getting the choreography just right, I had a great time.

If You Go:

- Studio Thrive offers several types of classes beyond Zumba including TRX and Bootcamp

- Melissa (who teaches Zumba Friday evening & Saturday morning, and periodically fills in at other times) is a fantastic and energetic teacher

- Their is a drinking fountain but it's best to take a water bottle with you

- Located on Blake Street, the studio isn't far from great eats and in walking distance to public transportation, including Union Station. There is a good bit of street parking in the area, especially on Sunday mornings! 

- A few blocks away is Buenos Aires Pizzeria - great pizza but go for the empanadas!

CP Tone Arms & Abs - Club Pilates - Cherry Creek

I was new to Pilates using a reformer and picked this specific class because of the focus on arms and abs. With the studio not overly far from our house I chose to run to and from class to get a few miles in towards our 2,015 goal. Turns out the class was a new offering at the studio - which is the only Colorado location of nationwide chain. Our instructor - Jennifer - was very welcoming and took time to walk me through what the different pieces of equipment would be used for and a general idea of how to use it. My class was quite small - only four other students - but I enjoyed seeing a range of ages among us. As I went through the class I realized Pilates must be a great form of exercise for people to stay active as they age. 

If You Go:

- The studio is located in the garden level of a shopping complex within Cherry Creek North; you won't see it from the street so it can be a bit tricky to find

- They offer a range of class types, and a full schedule throughout the week so you're sure to find something to try

- The studio was undergoing renovations to add an office and private lesson space. 

- There are a ton of great restaurants and coffee shops for post-workout refueling. One of my favorite restaurants in Denver - True Food Kitchen - is just steps away

Cycle/Row - Endorphin (South Broadway)

Again I ran to class but this time it probably wasn't the best idea. This was a tough one and I'm thankful Woody picked me up after. Two days later and it was still difficult to walk! Sign of a good workout, right? I've found that a good number of studios offer combo classes like this. When I arrived, I found a large, bright studio with spin bikes on one side, rowing machines were on the other. We started on the bike with a warmup and the pace picked up quickly. We alternated between the spin bike and the rowing machine, spending about a half hour on each. It was a circuit workout of sorts, keeping things interesting. This is a great option for those who want a low-impact high-intensity cardio workout that targets all muscle groups. I thoroughly enjoyed this class, even with all the hurt!

If You Go:

- Towels are provided; be sure to bring a water bottle, you'll need it!

- Merrit was an awesome teacher - she's figured out the right balance between pushing and encouraging to make the class really tough but also enjoyable

- This studio is on the 2nd floor of a building (that has a parking lot) surrounded by used car lots, restaurants are sparse (unless you're looking for a 1960's bar/lounge) but it's not overly far from some of the best coffee in the city at Kaladi Coffee Roasters

- They offer a range of classes at several studios across Denver and periodically, Parent's Night Out (drop the kids off for the evening & go out to have some fun)!

Candlelight Vinyasa Flow - Infinity Yoga

I'm energized by exercise, so I often have trouble taking cardio classes later in the day which is why I chose a relaxing yoga class for a Thursday evening. This class was small - only four students - but the studio space was also small so it worked out nicely. The instructor, Lindsey, led us through a series of poses - as is usual with yoga classes - and the pace was a bit slower than I had expected. That said, once I adjusted my expectations, I found the class to be very relaxing and a solid hour long stretching session. 

If You Go:

- It can be a bit difficult to find the studio as Infinity Yoga is a relatively new studio that's currently sharing space with a massage therapy office in the basement of an office building. 

- The building is in a prime downtown location close to lots of restaurants, shopping, entertainment and offices. Another student mentioned she has taken several classes during her lunch break. Head over to Union Station to relax in the main hall with coffee & a pastry from Boxcar Coffee Roasters or a nice local beer from Terminal Bar.

- They're offering an amazing package - 10 class punch card for just $30! I think it's nearly impossible to beat this deal

More reviews coming after I finish out the month, along with my general thoughts on ClassPass!

Do you use a service like ClassPass? * Do you prefer group fitness classes or doing your workout on your own? * What is your favorite fitness class?

Disclosure: ClassPass provided a one month membership to try the service and classes, however all opinions are mine alone.

The Cold Hard Truth I Learned From Fitbit

Whenever I visit a new doctor for the first time, I check the "moderately active" box on the questionnaire. While I run and workout at the gym 5 - 6 days per week, I also spend most of my day sitting - at my desk typing away on a computer, in meetings, commuting, or plopped in front of the TV after a long day. So I generally like to think of myself as "moderately active."

Then, I bought a Fitbit.

A primary reason why I purchased the Fitbit Charge just before the new year was to track my steps. When we lived in New York I walked all the time. It was second nature and necessary. Walking was a constant part of life. I'm fairly confident that during the nine years I lived there, I spent much more time walking than the average person on the vast majority of days. I basically made it my mission to see how much of my normal day I could spend walking. But life has changed a lot since moving to Denver. Much for the good, but one thing I don't do enough of anymore is walk. It's very easy for me now, especially during the colder months, to spend very little time on my feet.

We've all heard about the golden number - 10,000. The minimum number of steps (approximately 5 miles) we should take each day, according to the American Heart Association and other health organizations, to improve our health and decrease our risk of heart disease - a top killer among women and men. We also need that 30 minutes of activity most days of the week to optimize health. 

Now with Fitbit, I can see in big numbers and bar charts, the cold hard truth. This is what last week looked like:

I think you can see what happened. Tuesday and Friday? Dismal failures. These were my rest days. In other words, if I'm not cranking out 30 or more minutes of exercise, I'm not hitting the minimum 10,000 steps per day. I really need to step it up. 

To start, I'm adding mandatory walks - even a quick one to the market or coffeehouse near my office - during the work day. I've also started using my "standing desk" again, after getting lazy over the holidays - while a standing desk doesn't equal steps, it's still much better than sitting all day. And lastly, rather than using the restroom on our floor of the office building, I'm heading upstairs. Small changes, but helpful ones.

Clearly, I'm not doing a horrible job at hitting 10,000 steps, but I could greatly benefit from improving my habits on my rest days. 

As I'm still learning the ins and outs of my Fitbit Charge - what it has to offer and its quirks (be sure, there definitely are some) - I'll be sharing my thoughts on the wearable tracker soon.

For now though, it's time for me to get off my bum and start moving!

Join Us to Run 2,015 Miles in 2015

Last week I shared a few of my goals for 2015, well, I've added another that will help me achieve those. I've teamed up with Grace of Lean Girls Club and Woody to go after the 2,015 in 2015 Challenge! 

You've likely seen this on Facebook as I did, and you may have even been like me immediately dismissing it because it just seems so daunting! Even the 1,000 mile challenges have been out of reach for me in the past (I've tried and failed) so what I really love about this challenge is that you can do it with a team to split the miles and have a built in support system.

It breaks out like this for each person:
1 person = 2,015 miles in 365 days (5.5 miles/day)
2 people = 1,007.5 miles in 365 days (2.75 miles/day)
3 people = 672 miles in 365 days (2 miles/day)

672 miles in a year, I'm pretty confident I can handle that! It'll keep me accountable - not only to myself but to my teammates - helping me achieve those PR's I have my sights set on, and encourage Woody to keep up his new hobby. He's more competitive than I am, so it'll be interesting to see how he takes this on!

The challenge is organized by Adam Goucher (retired pro-runner, running coach and husband to Kara) and Tim Catalano (running coach and educator) - co-founders of Runner the Edge - and from what I've seen thus far it seems apparent that a lot of thought and preparation has been put into the program. 

Registration will be left open for a little longer, so there's still time to join in the fun. If you're thinking about it, here's what you need to know:

• The basic cost is $25 (more if you choose options like the finishers medal or a shirt)
• While teams are more than welcome, it's best to cap your team at 3 people or the challenge becomes less of a challenge
• You can form a team before or after you join, but each person needs to register individually
• Miles can be accumulated through running and walking however because the challenge is meant to be accomplished on foot, biking doesn't count. (But this doesn't rule out snowshoeing!)
• The challenge is open to anyone around the world
• Once you sign-up, you'll be able to join a private Facebook group for updates and to share encouragement with other participants, and there are freebies and discounts from partners including Oiselle and Nuun

If this all sounds fun to you, please join us! You can sign up HERE.

Grace and I will be sharing our journey on our blogs and Instagram, so if you're not already following her, be sure to head over to Lean Girls Club!

Whether this or another, what challenge are you setting for yourself this year?

A Look Back and A Look Ahead: Happy 2015!

Happy 2015! It's a wonderful thing, isn't it? We get to start a new year. 

Hope you all had a fabulous New Years Eve. It was pretty tame in our house, just the way we like it. 

January 1 brings a fresh start. The perfect opportunity to go after our goals with a renewed sense of optimism and energy, and reflect on what's happened during the year we're leaving behind. Enjoy the moment and take a deep breath because there are many great things ahead!

While not completely void of a few low points, 2014 was a pretty good year as I accomplished a few things that I'm quite proud of. Among them: I finally caught my breath and learned to run at altitude, I expanded my workout routine to include snow shoeing and trail running, I ran my way to 5k and 4Mile PR's, I challenged myself and visited yet another new (for me) place with Bird Camp in Bend, OR, we bought a house (!), I learned (or more accurately, am learning) Photoshop, and I got through another year without any major injuries!

I have much to be thankful for - far too many things to list here - but I will take a quick moment to thank you for stopping by throughout the year, taking time to read my ramblings. The blog has had it's ups and downs since we moved to Colorado, but it's not going anywhere. 

Looking ahead, there are a lot of things on my list that I'd like to accomplish in 2015. Realistically, I know that some of them may not get crossed off over the next 364 days, but hopefully I'll take a lot of steps forward.

There are some bigger goals (on the fitness, personal, and professional fronts) that I'll be focusing on and thankfully I got my hands on a copy of the Believe journal to help me stay on track throughout the year. On the fitness front, my goal is to build strength, endurance, and speed.

For me, this includes mastering the 3 minute+ plank, racing a new distance (10Mile or 15k) and hitting some PR's (5k, 4Mile, and 10k). I have a lot of work cut out for me!

While there are a lot of things I want to do in the coming year - beyond these running related goals - there are also a few things I think we all should leave behind in 2014, like:

- Filling silence with our social media feeds
- Letting our fears dictate our actions (or inactions)
- Spending more time sitting than on our feet
- Making decisions based on what others think/say instead of how we feel & what we believe
- Focusing too much on the future and not the here and now

For me, one of the little fears I need to let go of is running in the cold and snow, so to kick the year off right we went for a cold (8 degrees!) run on the snow packed trail around Washington Park! It was really cold but neither of us fell (success!) and eventually our core temps warmed up and it was a beautiful morning and the perfect way to start of 2015!

Alright, time to get this year going. Next up for us, time to watch the Cotton Bowl - Go Spartans!!! How are you kicking off 2015? What are some of your goals for the year?

HOLIDAY WELLNESS GUIDE: Stay Fit Moves

Throughout the year, stress control is one of the most common reasons for exercising, and since the holidays can be the most stressful part of our 365 day trip around the sun, it's crucial that we keep sweating so our focus can stay on the fun stuff and we can enjoy the season! I believe it's more important than ever to keep up with the regular workouts - whether that means yoga classes, Crossfit, gym sessions, runs, or any combination of activities that get your heart racing.

Since the majority of our sweat sessions this time of year happen well before the sun comes out, Woody and I spend a good bit of our time in the gym. As much as I love running, I've come to appreciate what a good gym workout can do for me. Through multiple go-arounds at physical therapy and some eye-opening classes at GenFit, I've developed a good collection of strength training moves that help me stay fit and strong so that I can continue running. A strong core and balanced strength, is crucial for runners.

Two of moves I've added into my gym workouts over the past year is the Renegade Row and (for lack of a better name) the TRX Knee To Chest. My favorite thing about these two moves is that they both work my full body. I kind of dread them, because they're hard, but then once I do them I feel awesome. They leave me feeling that burn that only a good workout provides! I can feel the hard effort even when I'm heading to work, which is a great feeling!

Because these have a lot of similarities I won't include both of them in the same workout. I will pair other arm, core and back moves with them though - like a seated or bent row, lat pull downs, weighted side bends, and definitely squats. I also do some cardio every day - either a run on the dreaded treadmill or a go on the elliptical or rowing machine. Also, while I prefer to do cardio first (it helps me wake up at 5am) it’s actually best to put strength training first. That said, it’s okay to get your blood pumping with a quick 5 minute warm-up on the treadmill, elliptical or bike before heading to the weights when you’re going to focus your workout on strength training. 

That said, some days will be cardio heavy, others are light days where I may do a quick 20 minute warm-up then spend 40 minutes on strength training. With my history of stress fractures I've learned that I have to focus on maintaining/developing strong muscles and bones. While I'm stronger than I have been in the past, I still have a long way to go. I have goals - like winning an arm wrestling match against the guys at work!

What are your favorite strength training moves? * Where are you celebrating Thanksgiving?

The #Shoefie Phenomenon

The single most important thing we put on when we go out for a run is a pair of shoes. They say a lot about us – from the brand to the model to the color to how beaten up and dirty they are – or bright and shiny.

Whether a run is the best we’ve had in months or a struggle since the first mile, we put a lot of heart, sole, brain capacity and intention into each one. And if you’re like me, many of your runs are solo. That presents are particularly distinct challenge when you want to capture something to remember a run – for good or bad – since almost every aspect of our lives are now documented in some way.

Welcome… the shoefie. Go ahead, you can admit it. You’re in a safe place here. Like many runners and non-runners, you’ve taken a shoefie or have thought about it. Maybe you’ve posted it on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, or maybe you kept it for yourself along with 1000+ other photos in your phone’s photo gallery.

From a quick look at any one of my social media feeds, I know for a fact I’m not alone. And you know what? That’s okay. Actually, it’s pretty great. Because, at least for us runners, we’re getting out there. We’re pushing ourselves and wearing holes in our running shoes, and that’s a beautiful thing. And for those non-runners posting shoefies, well, they can be pretty great too when there are particularly awesome shoes involved.

From personal experience there are 3 basic reasons for the shoefies rise in popularity: 1) we love our shoes - the more colorful and crazy, the better; 2) it’s pretty easy to take a basic shoefie, and once that’s mastered, they can be fun and creative; and 3) I can take it myself (key since I run solo) but better than a selfie, I don’t have to show the world my sweaty, blushed and crazy-hair post-run self!

That all said, there is something a bit weird about the shoefie too. Growing up I loved looking through the old, black and white photos in boxes and glued in photo albums at my grandparent’s houses. I’ve always been intrigued by how people dressed and posed for photos, and I can’t help but wonder what life was like for them, what they were celebrating or where they were going all dressed up. I have a few of those cherished photos over my desk. Now that so many of our photos are self-portraits or only our legs and feet, and always filtered, what are future generations going to think of us? Just like with black and white photos, we can’t tell what color a dress was, or if a man was wearing a grey or black suit, colors were in the wedding bouquet our Grandma carried, they’ll have similar questions when they look at ours. A good reminder for me to keep some photos just as they are.

Alright, that’s enough for the deep thoughts. I’d love to know, do you share shoefies? Running only or do you prefer not to discriminate? Share a link to your favorite in the comments!

For good measure, one proving that I do wear shoes of the non-running variety. Sometimes!