The Color Run

Yesterday I ran my first 5K, “The Color Run”.

Choosing this 5K for my first was pretty clear cut, considering I was invited by some of my fellow apprentice dog trainers. After receiving the invite, I found the Web site and watched this video.  My registration was complete after realizing that:

1.  This race was exciting and magical.

2. Their advertising team hired a genius videographer to lure me with excitement and magic.

This particular 5K was one in which participants run through color stations set up at each kilometer and the volunteers cover you with powdered color.  Each station is a specific color (yellow, orange, blue, pink, etc.), and they can come at you with buckets, or even small ketchup style squirt bottles, but whichever way you run, there is color everywhere. By the end of the race, you look like you’ve rampaged through a Sherwin Williams.

The finale is the best part.  At the beginning of the race, you are given a packet of powdered color, but you keep the packet with you until the very end of the run.  When the DJ counts down at the post-race dance party (Yep, I said dance party!), you are to toss your open packet in the air along with hundreds of other runners and bask in a downpour of bright, rich hues.  The only downside of this process is that the color is so powdery, it can get extremely hard to breathe and you’ll be blowing out rainbow boogers for the rest of the day, but I’ll say its worth it for sure. You can even score some free swag from companies who are selling their products  in  booths surrounding the race. A company named JetFlow was even tossing out free hydration packs into the crowd worth up to $80!

All in all, my first 5K was possibly the most fun I’ve had exercising in quite a long time, and the end result was pretty brilliant (HA! See what I did there?)

There are more series of The Color Run coming up, so check the website for more cities participating in what’s claimed to the “the happiest 5K on the planet”.

Meanwhile, check out photos from the event below. (I’m the one in the far right of the group photos)

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Keeping the Karma in Yoga

Yoga studios can charge an arm and a leg for monthly memberships. And without those, you’ll never nail a warrior pose.

It’s because of this cost I never became an avid yogi, although the body benefits are vast. Where else can you get strength training, deep stretching, relaxing breathing, and improved balance all in a one-hour session? And then there is Bikram, a form of yoga practiced in a room upwards of 105 degrees. Towel, anyone?

I have taken classes here and there, but never stuck with them because they were only offered a few times a week at my regular gym and my schedule can be pretty sporadic.

There was studio called Funky Door Yoga in San Francisco on Polk Street, a few blocks over from my apartment that I used to walk by and feel the steamy heat coming from the entrance. I inquired once, and was told it was a studio dedicated to hot yoga. I imagined a room full of limber women in cozy leggings and sports bras, toweling off the sweat between poses. It sounded amazing.

I forgot about it until I moved here to Colorado Springs, and was referred to a place called Cambio Yoga. This yoga studio was much different. They ran the studio solely off of donations and dedicated certified instructors who taught on a volunteer basis. Why? Because they love yoga. Plain and simple.

How would this type of establishment survive, you ask?

Well at first, some didn’t know if it would, but eventually the place drew in many loyal yoga lovers, and it became a success. Some people commonly donate upwards of $15 per class, and some donate only a few bucks. But whatever your budget or economic class, you were invited to share the love of the practice, and become part of this family.

They offer Bikram yoga (or hot yoga), which I tried for the first time. I was impressed with how amazing my body felt afterwards, but it wasn’t easy. Yoga can be extremely challenging, especially for those who do not attend regularly. But it’s worth the effort. I felt lighter, tighter, and leaner all after just one session.

If you’re not fortunate enough to live here in Colorado Springs, here are a few other donation-based yoga studios in the U.S.:

Urban Flow Yoga: San Francisco, CA www.urbanflowyoga.com

Black Swan Yoga: Austin, TX www.blackswanyoga.com

Yoga to the People: Berkley, CA,

Seattle, WA,

New York, NY,

SanFrancisco, CA www.yogatothepeople.com

Karmany Yoga: Dallas, TX www.karmanyyoga.com

One yoga Foundation: Miami, FL www.freeyogafoundation.org

Lululemon: Various cities (Lululemon stores offer free yoga classes in their stores all over the U.S.)

There are many more in several other cities, so search for one nearby if your city isn’t listed above. And if you simply aren’t near a donation-based studio, I’d be willing to bet you can persuade instructors in your area to consider teaching a donation based-class if the proceeds go to a charity of their choice. This way you can try yoga on your own budget. Even the shoestring ones.

Veggie Vidi Vici

My boyfriend, Josh, is Italian, so he loves all types of traditional Italian dishes. And since Josh is immune to weight gain, he can eat all the pasta, garlic bread, Alfredo sauces, cheeses, and Italian deli meats that he likes, while still maintaining a six pack and a 5.5 body fat percentage.

Being that all of us aren’t such metabolic powerhouses (or freaks of nature, as I like to call them), I’ve come up with a way to enjoy the taste of an Italian meal, without all the fat and carbohydrates.  In fact, it’s a vegetarian recipe, so anyone who has sworn off meat can try this as well. It’s called Veggie Vidi Vici

The Ingredients:

2 cups raw brussel sprouts

1 medium carrot

1 /2 yellow squash

1/2 zucchini

1/2 bunch of Italian parsley

1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine

2 tbsp minced garlic

a pinch of basil

The Ingredients

The Directions:

First cut brussel sprouts into quarters

Then chop the parsley into one inch segments

Then cut the carrots, squash and zucchini into ribbons using a potato peeler.  The zucchini and squash should resemble flat lasagna noodles, while the carrots will be thinner like spaghetti noodles.

This is an example of a ribbon of zucchini. You can see the carrot ribbons in the saucepan underneath.

Put all the ingredients into a medium saucepan.  Add the minced garlic and basil, then pour in the veggie broth and Marsala wine.

Turn the burner to a medium high heat and bring to a boil until squash and zucchini “noodles” start to look transparent.  Then turn heat down to a medium-low and simmer until the brussel sprouts look nice and dark green. But watch out for anyone looking to snag your dinner…

Sascha loves all the scrap skins and end pieces that I cut off the veggies. But he has his eye on the bigger prize tonight.

When the brussel sprouts look done, remove from heat and let cool before serving.  If you want to add a little extra protein to the dish, feel free to add baby portabella mushroom pieces to the saucepan with the other ingredients.  They taste great simmered in the Marsala as they really soak up the flavor of the wine.

If you like this spin on Italian, keep checking back for more healthier alternatives to traditional meals. And feel free to suggest a recipe for me to try as well. I know my readers can get creative!

Your friend,

Whitney

These Are My Confessions

I need to confess something.  I had a cookie.  During my 2-day cleanse.

I tried to ignore the cookie, but my coworker brought in a huge lot of about 20 cookies for everyone to share at work.  And sweet Jesus, they looked fresh.

I realize 48 hours shouldn’t be a huge commitment to eating a perfectly scheduled diet, but for Pete’s sake, that cookie rocked my world, for about two minutes. And immediately after, I felt a pang of guilt and failure.

So to pay the piper, I headed directly to the gym after work. And while I was stretching in the sauna, I read an article from my August issue of Glamour Magazine.  The article was all about how men see women’s bodies in relation to how women see their own bodies. It’s no surprise that women would love slimmer thighs, harder abs, toner arms, and Keri Walsh’s calves. But this article specifically addressed the fact that when men weighed in on the topic, they all confessed porn star bodies are unrealistic, and that every guy has a “type” of body they go ga-ga over.

Reading this article shed light on my own body, and what I was doing to it right at that moment. I was punishing myself with exercise. And why?

Exercise is a gift to myself, not a punishment.

So what if I had a cookie.  I’m not perfect, and I’m certainly not a celebrity who is scrutinized for every ounce of fat on her body. And for that, I’m lucky.  Because I have the freedom to turn my body into what satisfies me and me only.

So at that point, I decided to dedicate each five-minute increment of climbing on the StairMaster to something I love about my body. Five minutes for my eyes, which I constantly receive compliments on.  Five minutes dedicated to my thighs, which have gotten much slimmer since last year.  And of course, my hair deserved five minutes, because I’m proud that I haven’t given into cutting it for over a year now. Today it’s healthy, long, and always draws in my boyfriend’s fingers.

Eventually I had been on the StairMaster for 30 minutes.  And instead of feeling like I made up for the guilt of one chocolate chip cookie, I felt like I was one step closer to being happy with my body.

I want to firmly state that with this blog, I intend NOT to make my readers feel they need to fit some sort of “perfect body” mold.  Instead I intend to let you all choose which paths will get you closer to a goal of self-confidence and a healthy lifestyle, and to know I’m right there with you.

My  dream is still to get a set of defined abs, and I’ll continue to set small goals that hopefully will prove more successful than my 2-day cleanse.  But I’m not going to criticize myself for what I look like now. And I’m also still up for the impending cake hiatus.

Challenging yourself is important. But along the way, be sure to give yourself credit for your success, and don’t beat yourself up if you fail.  You’ll have plenty more opportunities to move forward.

And Hell, I’ll probably have another cookie before I have abs. And that’s alright.

The Cleanse

Women’s Health Magazine posted a two day cleanse as part of their Look Better Naked program. I was introduced to the cleanse by Olga, who emailed it to me to try two weeks ago, and to be honest I put it off. But today is the day I start the 48 hour process.

What I liked about this cleanse is the clean, unprocessed food, unlike the garbage they pump into pre-made cleanses. And I’m not starving myself. Here is what it looks like, as copied directly from the downloadable PDF (sign up to download it, too):

Breakfast

Light shake:
• Blend 1 cup skim (or soy, almond, rice, or hemp) milk
• 1 cup berries
• 1 tsp peanut butter (or flaxseed oil)
• 1 cup of ice until frothy
Bonus: Add a dash of cocoa powder!
Snack
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• 1 cup green tea
Bonus: Add a little vinegar and fresh dill to your
cucumbers, or make a cucumber salad by slicing a
couple of unpeeled cucumbers into rounds, dousing
them with flavored vinegar (fig is great, if you can find
it), and letting them marinate for an hour. Drain off the
vinegar and keep them in the fridge.
Bonus: Drink your green tea straight up andhot—or
brew a whole pot, toss in some fresh mint leaves or
slices of peeled fresh ginger, and let steep for a few
hours. Store in the fridge and pour it over ice when
you’re thirsty.
Lunch
• Steamed or raw greens (romaine, spinach, mesclun
mix, bok choy, arugula, watercress, frisee, endive, etc.)
• 4 oz lean protein (white meat chicken, firm tofu, lean
beef, fish)
• 2 tsp oil (olive, sunflower, walnut)
Bonus: Mix-and-match your greens! You can get a lot of
no-cal flavor simply by adding arugula or watercress, both
of which have a peppery kick. Or you can toss a handful of
fresh basil, cilantro, or flat-leaf parsley in with salad greens
for an extra jolt of flavor.
Snack
• 10 asparagus spears, blanched
• 1 cup green tea
Bonus: Dip the asparagus into nonfat yogurt swirled
with Dijon mustard to taste.
Dinner
• Steamed or raw greens
• 4 oz lean protein
• 2 tsp oil
Bonus: Be creative with your 2 teaspoons of oil, at both

I began my morning in the kitchen, with my blender, making my breakfast smoothie. I was happy to have a diet plan for the next two days, as it takes some of the stress out of eating healthy, and it also keeps me from eating cookies. In fact, I was so happy, I made sure to add extra cardio to my breakfast prep by turning on the “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” station on the Songza app on my iPhone (download it!) and shuffling (as I do every day) across the linoleum to Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani.

And don’t tell me you girls have never had an impromptu dance sesh in the kitchen when your boyfriend/husband/roommates aren’t around. Dare I say, in your underwear?

Stick around for details on how the cleanse is going. I’ll let you know what differences I can see and feel, and how easy it was to follow.

The Impending Cake Haitus

I’ve noticed of late a pattern has emerged. And the pattern is cake. Are there more birthdays this time of year? Is summer the ultimate cake-eating season? There are uncountable weddings, cookouts, and other events that all call for a delicious, moist, and creamy cake. This time last year, the topic of cake would not have been a negative, but this year, it is my new frenemy. It looks so inviting, with its cool toppings, array of colorful decorations, and soft,whipped icings.

Cake, being the temptress it is, has also started to smother the efforts of my fitness-oriented comrades. It seems day after day, I receive a text-for-help from my friend, Olga, who is overwhelmed with cake offerings, and frantically sends out an S.O.S.

So to address this world “cake-over”, I’ve decided to conquer the confection with a 21-day hiatus. Since everyone knows it takes 21 days to break a habit, this sacrifice will begin the day after my friend Nikki’s wedding. Therefore, August 5th, 2012 will not only be the beginning of a wishfully happy marriage, but also the first day of the demise of my sugar addiction.

The reason I chose this day was strategic. Weddings are great for two things; supporting the conjunction of two families, and stuffing your face with delicious treats during the reception. Ladies, don’t kid yourselves. Dancing after the wedding is NOT going to burn all the calories from that not-so-one-serving-size slice of raspberry white chocolate 8-layer cake. Unless you dance like Deena Cortese from Jersey Shore (Watch Deena dance here)

Stay tuned for updates closer to the starting date of the hiatus, and I’ll be sure to update throughout the 21-day term. If anyone has ever sworn off cake for 21 days, you’ll know it’s a prison sentence. So keep me on track by commenting on my Facebook page. You’ll find a link to the right. So long for now!

A Series of Demanding Events

When I started my fitness turnaround, I had a few things in mind. And those specific things are now only weeks away.

Thing One: A much awaited trip to Florida. This trip is not just a family visit though. I am participating as maid of honor and bridesmaid in two weddings. I’m also hitting some of my old hangouts, all of which are beaches, college pools, and natural springs. So needless to say, bikinis will be occupying the bulk of my luggage room.

Thing Two: The Color Run (www.thecolorrun.com) This is my first 5K. As in, ever. And for someone who used to think sufficient cardio was walking in heels on Saturday nights to college campus bars, this is a hearty challenge. Oh, and they splatter you relentlessly with brightly colored paint while you’re running (hence the name). Sounds like fun, right? Now ready for Thing Three?

Thing Three: WARRIOR DASH 2012. From the description of Thing Two, I assume you know by now that I’m no Lolo Jones. So Warrior Dash isn’t going to be some cake walk. It’s going to be like the final war scene in 300 (which reminds me, watch out for my best friend’s new workout, 300 Abs: The Sequel on http://www.youmefit.com).
Unfortunately, Gerard Butler won’t be there in a loin cloth giving me an epic locker room speech, but a girl can dream yes?

It should go without saying that I’ll be in the zone for the next few weeks, dabbling in several different endurance and cardio sessions, trying to prepare myself for the fury and glory that is WARRIOR DASH (yes, it deserves Caps Lock)
(click here to see the obstacle course). And if you want to give me a little motivation or support, LIKE my Facebook page on the right and leave something inspirational on my wall. This is also where you will find photos post-race of the blood, sweat, tears and BEERS!
I’ll only have one, I promise.