Fabulous February

It’s January 31st, so let’s do a recap of the first month of 2011:

• We started the month with a bang! We set goals for the month, learned about the importance of tracking those goals, and I admitted to my impatience with yoga!

• I invited all of you to join me in my journey of 1,000 miles in 2011. Have you been keeping track?

• Then we worked on keeping ourselves hydrated, which is always important. And my favorite challenge of the month came last…the challenge to remember.

So let’s take whatever it is we remembered and keep that in our minds as we set goals for February. That’s right, a new month means new goals! I bet you guessed it…this week’s challenge is to

Set 3 goals for the month of February!

You can keep the same goals, add a new one or two, or just start completely fresh. Be sure to keep them specific and attainable, but push yourself. It’s only for a month, right? And a short month too! You can do it! Also, be sure to write them up and post them where you’ll see them alllll the time :)

So get some sticky note action going on…and let’s start February with a BANG!

~What was your favorite post in January?
~Any exciting things going on in February?

Make sure bodies are all zipped up...

Sorry if the title freaked you out a bit. BUT, I went to my first anatomy lab this week. It was exciting! As much as that class is time consuming to the extreme, it is something I enjoy learning about and find fascinating. The human body is amazing! Next week...we're working with the human heart!

Anyway. The month is almost over! Can you believe it? How was your week of remembering? While I study for anatomy, I often remember another accomplishment I’m quite proud of: passing the AP Calculus test in high school. Until that class, I had never put so much time into studying for a class. It took a lot of time and effort and brain endurance. In the end, though, it was completely worth it. That’s what keeps me studying some days!

This week also involved a killer spin class…

some volunteer work tutoring at an Elementary school…



some yummy dinner with the sister at Costa Vida...

and some new online yoga! For real. Check it out – some of the shorter classes are free! Those are the one’s I “bought”. You can do it any time, any where, and as many times as you’d like. Pretty spiffy. Have a stellar weekend!

~Growing up did you like dissecting things in school?
~What class have you had to study for more than anything?

echo.

On Monday I talked about remembering your accomplishments to help you reach your goals. There are a few things I chose to remember and write about, but there is one in particular that I thought I'd share with you.
I like to remember my very first triathlon. It was the Echo triathlon in Park City, UT. I recommend it to everyone!

I remember training, which wasn’t always easy but always felt good after. I remember my first training “brick” or bike and run…my legs felt like jell-o! Then I remember being cheered on by my family members as I came out of the water, rode my bike and finished my run. It was invigorating! Which is why I kept doing them :)

My “trish-athlon” supporters!

I hope you found something, or maybe a few things, to remember. It's always nice to reflect on things we have accomplished. Often times all we focus on is where we want to be, not where we have been. Both are important. Talk to you Friday!

~Have you done a triathlon?
~What's your greatest accomplishment outside of the fitness world?

Breaking the “Social Norm”

When I was in AP Psychology in high school, one of our assignments was to break a social norm with a group and get it on video. Then we all made DVD’s and watched them as a class. They were hilarious! People did the craziest things! Like taking food out of people’s grocery carts and putting it into theirs, or walking through a store singing at the top of their lungs. Definitely a project I will always remember.
Moving on to a different social norm we NEED to break…

It’s January 24th…the beginning of the 4th week of January. Do you know what that means? That a third of everyone that made new years resolutions/goals have already broken them. But not you, right?! Because this year will be different. This year you made specific and reasonable goals that you can measure and attain through effort and dedication.

We all have those days where our goals seem a bit too far out of reach or you just don’t want to run that last mile. But today, I challenge you to

REMEMBER

This week, I want to you take some time to sit down and write about a time you reached a goal. Whether huge or small, or personal or fitness related, sit down and write about it. Write about how you reached it, write about the days that were sometimes hard, and then write about what it felt like to finish. Keep what you wrote in a place you can see frequently. That way you’ll remember frequently. 

Here’s a hint as to what I like to remember. More to come on Wednesday!

~What do you remember?
~Have you ever broken a different social norm for fun?

Burn baby burn!

It's Friday! When I played high school volleyball, every Friday when one of my coaches would walk into the gym she would yell "It's fun Friday!" And although that did mean we usually got to play some sort of game at the end of practice, it also meant we had to run before we could play that game. Fun Friday? Maybe...

So yesterday I had a KILLER Thursday. That doesn't go together. But my workout rocked my socks. I'm not sure what possessed me to do this, but I combined my running hill intervals with my leg weights day. Ha...what was I thinking! Let's just say walking around campus during the day I could feel the burn.

While I was huffing and puffing through the hill runs, I started dreaming of this:

 Zions National Park

Mt. Timpanogos

That's right. Some good, quality hiking. I'm itching for warm weather and summer time! That means running outside, hiking, swimming, and not having to walk around campus in huge winter coats! Yipee!

Until then...

 

...you'll find me all bundled up! Have a great weekend!

~What was your best workout this week?
~Are you a hiking fanatic too?

Wonder of Water

My (big) younger brother has a high school basketball game that I can't make it to this afternoon. I love watching his games...so here's a shout out to him and his team! Go get em' cavemen!

A day at the golf course in Bear Lake

So, how was your trip to buy yourself a fancy water bottle? Or better yet, did you find one at your house that was ready to travel with you? I hope so.

I was reading about benefits of water, and pretty much they involve everything! But here is something I thought you'd find helpful and interesting:

In an issue of the journal Obesity, there was a study done that people that drink 16 ounces of water before sitting down to eat reduced their calorie consumption more than those who didn't. So pretty much, this translates to weight loss in the end. (be aware, though, that sipping too much water through the meal can hinder proper digestion. Drinking water, or anything else, should be mostly done before the meal)

Another tidbit worth mentioning is the fact that thirst is frequently mistaken for hunger. Both hunger and thirst originate from the hypothalamus. When your body has learned that you will react to hunger pains faster than thirst "pains", then it will try to get your attention through the hunger pains. But really all it needs is some water! So if you are hungry for a snack or get hungry quickly after a meal, drink a full glass of water and then wait at least 10 minutes before you eat again. Deal?

That's a pretty easy practice to instill if you ask me. So go ahead and give it a try!

~ What's your favorite sport to watch?
~Have you noticed any improvements or changes since drinking more water this week? I sure hope so!

buy yourself something fancy

Wait a second...before you get all excited from the post title, just wait for the real challenge for the week. First things first! How was the yoga? How are your goals for January coming? Can you believe January is already half way over?! It's almost time to start thinking about February's goals! Goodness.

I'm doing pretty well. I ended up not being able to go to yoga with my roommate because of my schedule, but I've still done yoga every week! Mostly Bob's Biggest Loser Yoga...I'm definitely a fan!

Have you been keeping track of my 1,000 miles? I'm doing pretty well. At the end of each month I plan on adding up the the miles to see how I'm doing.

Good news - no school today! Thank you, Martin Luther King, Jr. I've always wondered if NOT going to school is really what he would have us do. Probably not. But I will take what I can get! Have you read the book The Help? It's definitely a keeper! It is set right during the time of MLK Jr. and I have loved reading it.

 My "bedtime snack" - a little easy reading!

OK, OK. Ready for the challenge for the week?!

Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go!

This is for real...everywhere! Pay attention to how much you drink, you'll be surprised by how thirsty you are and how much you like having that water bottle around. Oh, and the buy yourself fancy thing comes from the fact that there are some pretty spiffy water bottles out there for sale! So go out and buy one if you don't have one. You'll definitely get your moneys worth if you really carry it around and reuse, reuse, reuse...

Here are some of my water bottle options. Go Jazz!

~What's your all time favorite book?
~Do you have a water bottle you recommend buying for those ready to go out and purchase one?

A Whole Lot of This...

This was the position you could find me in most afternoons this week. It was back to the books, big time! Or I guess back to the laptop. It seems each semester more professors are using online texts and resources for their classes. Pretty spiffy.

The funny/ironic thing about all my studying and sitting at a computer is that one of the classes I'm taking for my major is Leisure and Human Behavior. Leisure. Huh? In one of the lectures we even learned that in one study they surveyed adults and found that 68% of those surveyed said that they did not get a chance to participate in sports or athletic activities, or relax outside on a regular basis. Further, millions of Americans are diagnosed with stress related illnesses every year, many of which could have been prevented if the patients had managed their stress with recreation. Haha - what do they think they are doing to college students?!

Despite the time spent with my dear textbooks, I did get some good workouts in this week. Yoga is tomorrow, which might be the highlight since I get to try something new. I've never been to a real yoga class. This week I did start a new spin class, and it was fun. Those classes never fail to make me sweat like crazy!

Well, I hope this weekend is full of healthy living and leisure!!

~What's your favorite thing to do with your leisure time?
~What was your favorite workout this week?

What does it NOT do?

I used to get together once a week with some ladies to play a pick-up game of basketball. None of us were all stars, but it was fun and a good way to get some exercise. One of the ladies that played with us would often come from yoga. Let's just say she was crazy toned and so strong! Once while we were sitting out I was asking her about her class and she started showing me some moves. I was so impressed! It made me wish I did more yoga...yet I still didn't make an effort to. But not any more! Right?! Right.

The Mayo Clinic defines yoga as a mind-body type of alternative medicine practice that combines physical and mental exercises that result in a sense of peacefulness, relaxation and calmness. Practicing yoga regularly improves both mental and physical well-being. Seriously, what does it NOT do, then?

Yoga has been seen to help with so many things. Here are the ones I want to highlight:

1. Flexibility
Practicing yoga on a regular basis is known to increase flexibility (definitely something I need help on!)

Tight muscles have a negative influence on the alignment of bones and joints. One example is that tight hamstrings create lower-back pain by pulling on the spine. Also, tight hip flexors may cause improper alignment of the thigh bone, which then causes pain in the knee. Increased flexibility also results in better posture. See all the benefits?

2. Stress Management
Since yoga uses quiet, controlled movements, by nature it allows you to focus on things other than the every day stresses and focus on how your body is moving. Stress creates tense muscles, increased heart rate, abnormal breathing and high blood pressure.

3. Fitness
For some reason some people thing yoga isn't much of a workout. Sometimes I want to ask them if they have ever tried it, because it can make you sore if you try hard enough! The poses you do challenge everything from strength, to flexibility, balance and motion. The Defense Institute of Physiology performed a study in which the participants who practiced yoga daily did not fatigue after physical exertion as easily as those who performed basic exercises daily. The study also revealed that yoga increases aerobic capacity and stamina.

~What are the benefits you have found from yoga?

Yoga, anyone?

So I told you last week that one of my goals for January was to do more Yoga. I'm a college student that doesn't have tons of time or money to go to a yoga studio, but I'm determined to get some in at least once a week, just to give my running and cycling legs some good stretching. So this week, the challenge is:

Do some yoga!

It doesn't have to be a long session, it doesn't have to be multiple times, it can even just be after a long cardio session. Just give it a try, and you'll probably see why there are lots of "yogatics" out there. It feels nice to give your body a full stretch!

Today's the first day of a new semester, which means a day full of reading overwhelming syllabuses/syllabi (it can be either way, I just looked it up so I wouldn't sound like a fool). So I'm definitely going to try to fit in some yoga this week! 

Especially since I'll be lugging around these beauties each day for the next 4 months. Thank you, human anatomy.

Have a great week! And keep working on those goals :)

~Are you a "yogatic"?

~ Do you have a favorite yoga DVD or workout you do?

P.S. guess who just scored big? my new roommate is a yoga instructor! Classes every Saturday. I'll probably die...but I'm excited!

The Great Mile Challenge

It's been a good first week of the decade, if I do say so myself. It was mostly spent getting ready for school to start next week, finishing up reading The Help, my "fun" book before school starts, and spending time with family. By the way, I'd recommend that read to everyone. It's fabulous!

The beginning of the week was also spent setting goals, both for the month of January as I challenged each of you to do, and a couple for the whole year. In January, I set a goal to do a bit more yoga. I know how good it is to give my legs a day off and to get some good stretching in, but I'm usually not patient enough to do yoga. Yes, this is true. But I want to try! I think it will help me on my harder cardio days, and help relieve stress and tension.

On Tuesday I tried something totally new to me: Zumba! My mom and I went to a class at a local dance studio with some of my mom's friends. It was fun! I'm more of the running, biking, swimming kind of chick - I'd never done aerobics or any type of dance, but it was a good change of pace. I'm not sure I'd do it on a regular basis, because I like my running and biking time. But if you are looking for something new, try it out! From what I hear, how good the class is and how good of a workout you get is totally based off the instructor.

~Have you tried Zumba?

Now, if you look at the title of this post there is another challenge. I know it's not Monday, BUT I want to let you in on a goal I have for myself this year. Ready for this? I want to log

1,000 Miles of Activity in 2011

My goal is to have at least 500 of those miles be running, and the rest involve biking and swimming and walking/hiking. And I'd like to invite you to join in on the challenge! It might not be 1,000 for you. But pick any distance that you think is reasonable, and go for it! I like it because it will keep me accountable, and on the days that I don't feel like going another 10 minutes, hopefully I'll think of this challenge and push myself a little further. So, join me in logging more miles than ever in 2011! You can follow my tracking on my 1,000 Miles page - a little encouragement wouldn't hurt one bit!

I have a feeling my new NIKEiDs I got for Christmas will get plenty of pavement pounding time :)

Get Tracking!

Have you set your goals yet? Pleasant surprise this morning: when I went to open my fridge, I saw that my mom had posted her 3 goals for January! Go mom! I love that I have at least one follower :)

I don't think all fitness or nutrition goals have to be centered around losing weight. Often, if you set goals like getting two runs in a week, or being able to run 3 miles by the end of January, or eating at least 4 servings of veggies a day, you might see weight loss just happen. BUT, if weight loss is a goal, I have a great resource for you!

I've talked about livestrong.com before. I love it! There are all sorts of good things about it, but what I really like is the "start tracking" section. So check it out! You can submit recipes and it will tell you the nutrition facts, you can put in everything you eat during the day and how much you exercise and see how it's balancing, etc. One of the most important things when trying to lose weight is to track eating and exercise. If you aren't writing it down, most likely food is getting consumed when you don't even realize it, and you might not be exercising as much as you should be. So track it! Whether it's online or with pen and paper...keep yourself accountable.

When I'm training for a race, whether it be a road race, bike race or a triathlon, I always plan out my workouts and type them up. I print one off to hang in my room, and the other I have open on my desktop so I can keep track of what I'm supposed to be doing. It helps sooo much! I'm sure my training wouldn't be successful without it.

Speaking of LIVESTRONG...have you seen the LIVESTRONG collection through Nike? I love it. All of it. That might be because of my slight obsession with looking for workout clothes and running shoes. That isn't weird, is it?


~What do you secretly love to shop for?
~Do you find tracking your goals to be hard? Or maybe just a pain? How do you make it easier?

New Year...New You!

In an earlier post I mentioned changing things up a bit with the new year. I want to keep providing information and guidelines on nutrition and fitness, but I also want to help YOU reach your goals to become a healthier you in 2011. So this is how it works! Each Monday I will post a challenge for the week. It will involve anything from exercise to eating a certain food to doing a certain activity. Throughout the week, come back to the blog and comment on completing the challenge so we can all congratulate you! Fridays post will involve me telling you about the highlights of my week in nutrition and fitness, as well as pointing out readers that completed the challenge! I will try to post some "Wisdom Wednesdays" during weeks that permit, so we can still keep learning about healthy lifestyles. Sound like a plan?

SO! For our first challenge of the year:  

Write down 3 goals involving fitness or nutrition 
for the month of January

Then, I want you to tape one copy on your mirror, one copy on your closet door, and one copy in the pantry or on the fridge. I figure those three places are most visited! Then start this week. The reason I say only January is because often people think the so called "new years resolutions" are things you only do for a couple weeks. This way, you are only planning on doing them for 4 weeks. After that, you can either keep the same goals if they worked for you, or change them for the month of February. Also, if they are specific enough, you just might need harder goals the next month if you've already reached one or two! You are welcome to do more than three goals, but I think three is a good place to start. If you need help with writing goals, refer back to this post. Remember to be realistic and specific. Now let's get to it!