October's Great Racing Experiment

Best running costume evah!! (Although it looks like a nightmare to run in)

I'm often asked if I get bored of doing Experiments, if I ever tire of looking for new ones or if blogging them ever gets tedious. My answer: Nope, not ever and I looooovvveee it! Truth to be told, I'd be doing my schizophrenic fitness thing whether or not anyone else wanted to read about it (although I'm sure glad that you do - it's so much more fun with company!). So hopefully you will forgive me for already starting October's Great Fitness Experiment without telling you about it.

Thus far, all 5 days of my Experiment has already found me sitting at the end of my treadmill having an adult tantrum. I'm ashamed to admit there were tears and a towel was thrown. Mercifully, Gym Buddy Megan snapped me out of it before I could really embarrass myself and told me sternly to get over myself already. Y'all, she used her mom voice on me. I had to shape up; I feared getting sent to time out. (She'd do it too.) So what would cause this kind of gym hysterics?

Running. Of course.

And not just any running! This year the Gym Buddies and I will be running Monster Dash. Two of my favorite passions combined: fitness and costumes! (Plus this race is known for its sick swag! Check out the finisher's medals!) Both Gym Buddy Megans are running the half marathon, Allison, Jeni and I are running the 10 miler and Krista is (probably) running the 5K. We've already stocked up on sparkly tutus, knee high Halloween socks and colored hairspray! I'm trying to talk them into fake facial tattoos. It's going to be a freakin' riot. So why the tears?

See, I've taken running for granted. It used to be one of those few athletic endeavors (after yoga and the circus arts) that came relatively easy to me. Oh not at the beginning it didn't - I began my foray into fitness by running up the hill next to my condo in Seattle in the predawn darkness, slowly and painfully - but eventually it seemed like one of those things that while I'll never be a pro at, I can at least do with some confidence. I could look someone in the eye and say "I'm a runner" and have them actually believe me. Most of the time.

But having the Jelly Bean 11 months ago (yes, it really has been that long!) has really thrown me off my running. You may recall when I was pregnant, I had to give up running around 6 months because of terrible hip flexor pain. That pain, which made it hard to even lift my legs much less do it repeatedly, continued for several months after she was born. (Side note: for those of you curious, I finally figured out the hip pain was from my abs being so weak. Once I stopped with the crazy ab routines - P90X, ahem - my hip pain completely went away! And I haven't had any problems since and have even been able to return to doing ab work.) All of this resulted in the farthest I'd run in about a year was maybe 3 miles.

The Monster Dash is ten miles.

At first I told myself I just wanted to finish. That I was just doing this for fun. But then my competitive streak took over - running 10 miles used to be a piece of cake, darnnit! - and while I don't plan on PR'ing, I'd like to stay under my goal time. That treadmill tantrum was because I'd only been able to maintain race pace for 6.8 miles. Today's run was better - nothing was thrown and the Gym Buddies didn't need to send me to bed early - but I'm still not confident I'll be able to run the race that I want. So, October's Great Fitness Experiment is to train for and run my first race post-partum. (And also to learn to chill the heck out and just enjoy the experience instead of making everything so hard for myself.)

September's Great Bootcamp Experiment went (and is still going, actually) fabulously! It's made me toilet sore at least once and our Smiley Trainer kicks my butt every single time. I love bootcamps and I think the best thing about them is their versatility. It's a different workout every week and you can shove practically any exercise under the umbrella of "bootcamp." Kettlebells! Bosu! Sprinting! TRX! Track drills! It's like a smorgasbord of fitness! You should definitely try one if you get the chance.

So - any of you signed up for fall races? Have you ever taken a particular ability for granted only to discover later that it doesn't come back as easily as you'd expected? Anyone else ever throw a gym tantrum?? (Please tell me I am not the only person who's done this!) Any tips for me on how to mellow out the crazy and just have fun with this?

The Gratitude Journal

We all have days that are just crappy. In fact, sometimes we have crappy days that turn into crappy weeks, which turn to crappy months, which turn to crappy years. Sometimes it seems we get so bogged down by outside circumstances it's hard to be ANYTHING but completely negative.

So how in the HELL do you remain focused? How do you center in your nutrition, your training, and your goals when your mind is in such a negative place?

The answer- YOU CAN'T.

You HAVE to find a positive place with your mind in order to be focused, centered and content on your goals. Without your mind being positive and your focus being centered, there is no way you can remain on track with your goals.

Enter the "Gratitude Journal". This is something I read about eons ago in Oxygen, something I recently put into practice which has been VERY beneficial for me. The purpose of the Gratitude Journal is simple- EVERY day write down 3 things for which you are grateful. It takes about 5 minutes. Then sit there and think on each one for about 10 seconds. Whether it's something as simple as "I'm grateful for pizza" or "I'm grateful for fall days", or something as big as "I'm grateful for my health" or "I'm grateful for my husband", the act of writing something down forces your mind to think about it, center on it, and process it. By writing it down, you have a record of it, which means that in the future you can page back and find day after day after day of things you are GRATEFUL for. How can this NOT help put a positive spin on things?

I bought my gratitude journal for under $5 at Walmart and it's small enough that it can travel easily with me in my purse when I'm on the road or out of town for competitions or shoots.

It takes some time to get into the habit of doing this daily, but if you can be consistent with it, I promise you'll notice a change in your mental state, especially when rough times fall on you. We all hit road blocks, or have days that really pull at us mentally. For me, I usually hit those walls during the last few weeks of prep, when I'm hungry, tired, and simply drained both mentally and physically. It's times like that when I find my journal especially effective. It forces me to think about all the positives in my life that I otherwise would neglect. By thinking about the positives I can put the negative in perspective. Sure maybe I overslept, maybe I'm running late, maybe I spilled coffee all over myself, maybe I'm having financial troubles, but I also have my health, my family, a job I love, etc etc. You get the point.

So for $5 give it a shot. Do it now. Journal or not! Write down 3 things you are grateful for and save it. Then tomorrow resolve to do the same. Be consistent. One day of gratitude turns to three, turns to seven, and suddenly you'll have a months worth of pages to comb through on your dark days- pages of things that you are thankful for.

Now that's positive thinking for you!

Motivation!

"Failure will never overtake me, if my determination to succeed is strong enough."- Og Mandino

Women with muscular calves 6

Lady with Huge calves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-UY9SQcnmk&feature=related

Yoga Mats as Status Symbols - What Does Yours Say About You?

See? He's so cool he doesn't even need a mat! The Times was right!

Scorpio? Libra? Who needs a sign to make unfounded snap judgements about strangers? The zodiac is sooo 70's! According to the NY Times, the new thing is to judge a girl by her yoga mat. (Because yoga is soooo, uh, '70's?) Actually the Times article is mainly about whether to use a sticky mat or go commando on the bare floor (for all you hygiene enthusiasts, apparently the floor gets cleaned a lot more than your mat*) but anyone who has been to a yoga studio knows that your yoga mat says a lot about who you are and how you live your life. So what does mine say about me? That I'm cheap and that I love my lady bits!

There I was the other day, blissfully inhaling and exhaling through a nice deep down dog (oh yoga, why so porny?) when I looked through my perfectly starfished hands to stare at all the pretty lotus flowers etched on my mat. Lotus flowers a la Georgia O'Keefe, that is. At that zen moment I realized my yoga mat is covered with a repeating pattern of - oh yes - the female genitalia. Which explains why I got it for ten bucks at TJ Maxx.

I was not as bothered by this as one might think - there is something oddly fitting about being in a class all about body awareness whilst sitting on replicas of my, ahem, awareness. Although anyone who asks to see my yoga mat from here on out has to buy me dinner first.

So what does your yoga mat say about you? Let's break it down:

Color: Yoga classes are usually pretty subdued and yogis are generally conforming (You may think you're being an individual by binding when the rest of us are extending but unless you go totally rogue then we're all doing the same flow - even our breathing is synced. Baaa.) so neon or rainbow sparkles shows that you! are! different! And also, that you don't mind glitter stuck in your awareness.

Pattern: Are you a tigress? Or a pansy? Unless you are like me and shop at a store so steeply discounted that they only carry one pattern (hey at least I didn't buy my "lotus flowers" in pink!) then you must have chosen the adornment upon which you like to stand. Personally I find this baby panda creepy but maybe you just need a big hug when you're lying face down in Sivasana?

Thickness: Yoga mats come in every size from paper thin - you might as well just buy one that looks like wood planks - to super plush. The fluffier your mat, the kinder it is to your knees, back, head and elbows. Unfortunately it is also that much harder to roll up. I've seen people so devoted to their comfort that they give up on rolling up their mats and just walk around looking like they're carrying a piece of dry wall (with leopard spots!). Also, in case you missed all the "breathing through the pain" admonishments, yoginis are not supposed to be wusses so unless you're pregnant then I'd better see headstands on the hardwood people.

Material: Ever wondered what the "sticky" in sticky yoga mats is? Most likely it's some toxic combination of plastic and carcinogen that will not only sicken you from inhaling the delicious plasticky fumes but will live forever in our landfills. You're a junkie and a polluter! (Of course this is the kind I have. Cheap, remember?) If you are environmentally aware however, you can buy all natural rubber mats or at least synthetic ones that don't have that new-car smell. You're green and rich!

Shape: Think rectangle is your only option? Think again! The one time I visited a high-end yoga studio I was shocked to find all the mats were large cushy ovals. Corners harsh your mellow, I guess. Also available are circles, squares and "yoga sheets" - mats large enough that no matter which way you come crashing out of your inversion, you'll still land on mat. Although you should know that the larger your mat, the more territorial you appear. Floor space is at a premium; are you a good sharer?

Bag: While creativity is limited with the actual mats, options abound for the bag you carry it in. (Of course you need a mat bag! Always practice safe yoga, that's my motto.) Is your mat bag a simple, austere strap? (Do you also tie back your pony tail with a string you bit off the frayed cotton hem of your tank top?) Or do you robe your mat in bright flowers or polka dots? I'll admit it: mine is the grand dame of mat bags. Fed up with carrying a gym purse, a diaper bag and a yoga mat that unrolls at inconvenient moments, I finally got this baby:

Owner: This is probably the most telling aspect of your mat. Do you own your own mat or borrow one from the gym? Sure remembering your mat in the trunk of your car is hard but getting impetigo from putting your child's pose where someone else put their open-sore cobbler is much worse.

Do you use a mat in group fit classes, when you stretch or do yoga? Do you bring your own mat or use the gym's? Anyone else ever end up accidentally seeing va-jay-jays in something innocuous? Tell us what kind of mat you use and we'll make random authoritative judgments about your morals in the comments!

*One of the best yoga tips I ever got (and heaven help me I can't remember which one of you taught me this on your blog so if it was you know that a) I love you! and b) feel free to name check yourself and post a link!) was to fold your yoga mat in half - short edge to short edge - before you roll it up. That way the patterned side that you rest your face on never touches the floor side. Try it!

Alli's Protein Packed Spicy Turkey Balls!

This is a COMPETITOR FRIENDLY recipe so all of you who are dieting bookmark this baby! (Although of course if you have a trainer or nutritionist consult them first to make sure this complies!)

• 16 ounces 99% Lean Ground Turkey
• 1- 1 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
• 3 TBSP Frank's hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine until the turkey and egg whites blend (turkey should be nice and moist!) Keep in mind when turkey's lean it dries out quickly so if in doubt add more egg whites and a bit of water, it'll help to keep the turkey balls moist.

Lightly spray a muffin tin and scoop the turkey into the muffin tin slots using a spoon. I try to fill each one until it's level. They will bake up a bit in the oven so allow some room for that. It'll be about 3-4 ounces each.

Place in the oven for approx. 20-25 minutes. Now depending on your oven you may need to do longer. I typically give them 20 minutes then begin to check them. If they cook too long they'll be bone dry and you'll need a ton of water to get them down which is NOT pleasant. HOWEVER if you get them out in time they'll be moist, convenient and DELISH!!!!!!!!!!