Category Archives: Exercise

Hello Friends

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First, let me apologize for my absence. Last year when I started this blog I was dedicated to posting something every day, and I did. This year I am still very adamant about keeping up with my writing, however with all of the things going on in my life I have decided to only post when I have time to write informative and substantial posts. This might be posts a few days in a row or posts every few days, but either way I will continue to share on Almondjay as long as you enjoy reading.

And with that, let’s start here – howdy there.

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This weekend has been full of friends, near and far.

My best friend in Chicago (you can check out what she is up to over here) sent me these very delicious, but rare, biscotti.

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I used to eat them all of the time when I lived on the east coast, but over here my Wholefoods, while full of Cali grade produce, lacks these gems. NOTE: fabulous card not included with purchase. Thanks Erika for satisfying my craving!

And on the home front, there was a birthday celebration for my dear friend, the lovely Elisette – Happy Birthday!

I also invested in my health this weekend, laying down some cash on these beauties.

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Since spinning has found its way into 2-3 days of my week I decided to get some kicks that will motivate me to pedal stronger and faster. I can’t wait to use them on Wednesday’s spin class!

And to end my full weekend on a high note (unfortunately I do not have MLK Day off) I enjoyed a tasty brew and made these easy, baked turkey burgers.

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Extra lean meat, green onions, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Mix together and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

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I ate mine with plenty of ketchup – Yum!

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I hope you all enjoy your long weekend!

What have you been up to lately?

Some Feedback

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Because running is off of the table until late Summer at the earliest I have turned to swimming and spinning. I really enjoy my time in the pool, but swimming wall to wall can get a bit old day after day, so I have turned to gym classes to get in a good workout. My spinning classes are at the YMCA and I have experienced two instructors so far, each on very different ends of the instructing spectrum. One is not super exciting and the class itself is boring and repetitive and the other instructor becomes your best friend right away and puts on smile on your face even though you are working at 90 RPMs.

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For those of you out there who don’t mind me venting and for those athletic instructors who might want to hear what their clients think, please read on…

1. As an instructor we, your spinning students, really enjoy when you are doing the workout with us, NOT hopping on and off your bike to adjust fan speed or direction, or randomly walking outside of the room to “talk to someone”, or even just standing in the middle of the room for a change of scenery.

2. Mix it up. Climbing hills over and over can get very boring, especially if you use the same routine every class. My spinning instructor last night was GREAT! She took us on a journey over the Golden Gate Bridge and tried to stay true to where the hills would be and where the straights occurred. She even had us partnered up doing some intervals by pretending we were doing time trials! BE CREATIVE!

3. Make sure you are engaging and talking to us. Silence is the worst! We don’t know how hard to push it, what we should be focusing on or when we can take a break. We also enjoy when you are friendly and work in funny stories or anecdotes to distract us from our task at hand.

4. Be friendly. Make sure you are smiling and having fun. We are not always giddy about spending and hour pedaling our buns off to end up in the same place we started, so if you act like spin class is the best thing ever we will stop watching the clock. Plus if you act like our friend then we wont be gritting our teeth as much when you tell us we have 3 more climbs ahead of us with some isolation.

Lastly, I do just want to say thank you to all spin teachers and class instructors for sharing your knowledge so that we can all be healthier :) Without you I would not be able to sit on a bike for an hour and sweat like I should!

Spin Therapy

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I parked the car, grabbed my gym bag and proceeded to the tag scan. I reached for a towel and did a double take. There was a stack of spin class passes for the 5:15pm class and I couldn’t look away. I have been cleared to do spin classes by my doctor and up until this point I have walked right past the classes to do my own workout on the stationary bike. But not today. Today was the day I was going to spend 45 minutes listening to a woman on a bike yell at me to climb an imaginary hill. My hand reached for the pass before my brain could talk me out of it and I proceeded to studio 2 to pick out a bike.

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It was not the hardest I have ever worked in a spin class, but it might have been one of my favorites purely because my mind went completely blank and all I was thinking about was my muscles pulling the bike pedals. Today was an incredibly rough day. From setting off my office building alarm because I was the first one there, to reliving traumatic moments of my accident, all I wanted was to forget the day. Spinning in that room melted away those heavy emotions of the day and left me feeling free (well as free as I one can be on a stationary bike in a small little room in a gym).

When the class was over I was convinced it was not the same day. I felt great! I was even inspired to create an incredibly delicious meal for myself:

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Chicken and broccolini cooked in balsamic vinegar and lemon with some brown rice.

It’s good to know that a free class at the gym can really turn things around. I am inspired for tomorrow and can’t wait till my next 45 minutes of spinning.

What do you do when you have “one of those days”?

Achoo

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Over these last few days I have had a head cold, complete with sniffles, sneezes and lots of tissues. During the majority of the day I feel ok and I find it hard to steer clear of the gym without a legitimate flu excuse. I spent half an hour on the stationary bike one day and 30 minutes in the pool today to get my muscles moving but not overdoing it. But part of me felt guilty for working out with a cold. A tiny voice was distracting me with every pedal stroke on the bike saying that I should have skipped the gym and let my body rest while it fights this cold. And in the water the voice was telling me to get out of the pool ASAP and hide at home from the kiddie germs and viruses.

This cold was hardly debilitating so working out lightly those few days wasn’t a horrible idea, but sometime’s it’s hard to know when you should just stay home and skip a workout.

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Here are some thoughts from the experts:

Men’s Health

Take a quiz and find out

Prevention.com

What do you do when you feel under-the-weather but are on a workout schedule?

2012

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365 days ago I started this blog.

It was supposed to chronicle my journey as a runner and my healthy (and not so healthy) habits. And while running was a major part of this daily publication for many months, running took a major back seat to many other life events that happened this year.

Some of the wonderful highlights include,

 Vacationing in Anguilla with the family

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Finding a love for PIlates

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Starting a new job

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Exploring the Bay Area

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Welcoming a cat into our family 

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Swimming in the bay 

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And of course with the good comes the not as good including,

A life changing accident

dressing me

A long distance relationship

A loss in the family

 This year has been a tough one, full of unexpected changes and numerous challenges. With each turn my weaknesses have been exposed, but more importantly, my true strength has found its way to the surface. 2012 will be a year I never forget for the good and the bad, and I am excited and energized for the year to come.

I am determined to get in the best athletic shape that I can in order to start running again by the summer, I will continue to grow my career, my friends and family will see me more often and I will take on new challenges with a new found confidence.

I wish everyone success, happiness and health in 2013!

Happy New Year!

 

It’s all in the balance

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I have been progressing in PT every week or so, however last night I had reality handed to me on a bozu ball.

I was trying to do some balancing on my left side, focusing on my left glute and hamstrings, but no matter how hard I willed it my muscles would not cooperate. I was extremely wobbly and had to put my other foot down in order to not fall over, leaving me very frustrated.

When I did the same exercise on the right side I was struggling to stay straight, but I was still able to do the move without falling over or having to stop. Clearly my left side, while stronger than months ago, is still lacking strength in key muscles. It will simply take practice and additional strength training to build my balance on the left side. Here are some exercises I will share with you, because everyone needs a little balance in their lives.

hip extension

Hip Extension

LowerOneLegSquatsB

One-Leg Squat

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Squats on the Bozu

Give these workouts a try – did you fall over?

A Story

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If you see me walking down the street you would never know that almost 6 months ago I had major surgery to repair my broken hip. I have no visible limp, you cannot see any signs of surgery and I have a smile on my face. Swimming on the other hand leaves me very exposed, physically and emotionally.

My scar travels down my leg and it is glaringly obvious that a 25 year old should not have this signature hip surgery mark. I am often approached by older swimmers inquiring about my scar and I have to say I am more than happy to tell them my story, because it is a story. I am not living in the days right after surgery and I said goodbye to crutches months ago. I have reached the point in my recovery when it has all become a story and that was all I focused on during the ordeal. I just wanted it to be a story where I reflect and say “remember when?” and now I can do that!

My recovery is still in progress and I am not allowed to run for another 6 months, but this too shall soon become another part of my story. I will be training for races again before I know it and this time away from the road, my Garmin and finish lines will just be something I remember and recount.

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(This will be me again in 6 months!)

Have you gone through an accident, loss, ordeal, or troubling time, that you now comfortably discuss as just a chapter in your life?

That Time I Voluntarily Swam in the Bay

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This weekend was full of adventures starting with some long walks around the city and then, yup, a swim in the bay!

It might be December, but that did not stop me from suiting up in a wet suit, strapping on two swim caps and loading up on body glide. I have been working hard in the pool and when a friend asked me to join her in the bay I couldn’t deny myself a chance to be an official San Francisco resident.

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I was prepared for the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in the water I didn’t go into shock and my teeth never started chattering. It was certainly cold, but I felt comfortable enough to swim and even just stand around.

I probably swam for about half an hour for a total of a mile, with lots of stops to rest. I had walked a lot earlier in the day, but the cold, slight current and excitement of being in open water definitely brought on fatigue faster than in the pool.

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It was quite an accomplishment to swim in the bay and I am excited to try it again in the coming weekends. My goal is to swim a farther distance without having to stop so often, but I will be happy if I can just stay in for half an hour like the first time.

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It feels great to check off an item on my bucket list!

Have you every had a chance to swim in open water? 

Any tips?

I smell tree

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It’s not every day that you walk around the office thinking, “hrmm it smells like the top of a mountain in here.”

That time of year has arrived, and while snow flurries and freezing temperatures are no where to be seen in the Bay Area, the holiday spirit is all around. My office is now complete with holiday cheer after decorating our tree yesterday.

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This is also the time of year for lots of holiday gatherings, sweet treats and joyful booze.

So be careful out there folks and don’t over do it or you might end up like this one:

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Here are some great tips to help keep you from going over the edge this holiday season:

Healthy Party Food

Avoid the hangover

How to sneak in your workout