Health & Wellness by Lexa's Journal

My mission in life is to not merely survive, but to thrive: and do so with passion, compassion, humor, and style. – Maya Angelou

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An eternal optimist, always wearing a smile. Must haves: sunshine, fitness (jogging, weight training, & CrossFit), reading, good food, writing, music, and fun with family and friends.

  • Staying fit for race day

    The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results. – Anthony Robbins

    With every step my muscles ache.  Walking up and down the steps hurt.  The process of sitting down and getting up hurts. I squatted down to clean behind the toilet and that hurt too!  My ham(strings) and quadriceps ache.  Lol!  You’d think that as much as I work out, I am immune to soreness.  The reality is if you work out, you ought to feel something (soreness not pain) from your workout.

    The last thing you want is for your body to get accustomed to your workout.  My fitness instructors have taught me well.  “You’ve gotta shock the body!”

    Today I ran.  Yesterday I did CrossFit. Different from my regular class, but the workout was challenging and I feel it today.

    This afternoon’s WOD was a run.

    Distance:   8 Miles

    Duration:   1:13:37

    Pace:          9:11 min/miles (average)
    7:00 min/miles (maximum)

    Calories:     793

    Yesterday’s WOD

    Round One:   1,000 meters – Row Machine

    50 Thrusters

     35 Pull ups (used green band for assistance)

    Round Two:   500 Meters – Row Machine

    25 Thrusters

    15 Pull ups (used green band)

    Round Three: 250 Meters – Row Machine

     15 Thrusters

    7 Pull ups (used green band)

    It had been six days since my last run and three weeks since I took my favorite CrossFit Chicks class.  June through August, I am euphoric with my fitness routine.  I work out as often as I want—at least once, sometimes twice each day.

    September rolls around and my routine comes to a screeching halt. Oh boy!  Every year I struggle with the change.

    October 21st, I am running the half-marathon (13.1 miles) in the annual Atlantic City Marathon.  While I trained hard the entire summer, my schedule tapers off just a month before the race.   My runs are now limited to weekends. I barely go to the gym.  Trying to stay conditioned for the race is the challenge.  I do the best that I can with my schedule.  Although I am not happy, I work with my schedule and fit the workouts in as best I can.

    The change in my schedule is because I have returned to work, my son is back in school, he plays football, and hubby’s work schedule has changed.  Homework, practice, and games adversely impact my fitness schedule.

    My struggle is the same as other moms.   We are constantly playing the balancing game.  You know, balancing the kids schedule with our own personal want to do’s.

    Case in point,   I started this post around three this afternoon.  It is now a little after ten at night and I’m finally getting back to finishing it.  Lol!

    Regardless I stay focused on my goal of completing the half-marathon and beating my personal record.  Between now and October 21st, I will work on staying injury free and keeping my body conditioned.

    For now—I have to get some much-needed rest.

    Sweet dreams!  Good night!

     

     

  • When everything feels especially good

    “Me thinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow.”
    – Henry David Thoreau

    Today’s workout of the day was a run

    Distance:  12:00 miles
    Duration:  2:03:03
    Pace:        10:15 min/miles
    Calories:  1206

    Most distance runners will agree that once the body is physically warmed up, they get into a zone.  The zone is place where you forget about your distance goal for the day.  You stop thinking about your stride, your pace, and your mind freely wanders to unexpected pleasantries. Even if the mind is preoccupied by a legitimate pressing issue, the zone gently and magically thrusts the thoughts elsewhere deep into the brain.

    When I’m in my zone, I feel like I am gliding through the air and everything feels especially good.

    This morning I unknowingly startled a ginormous but beautiful black curly-haired dog.  He viciously barked and lunged at me, making serious attempts to get away from his owner.  A tight grip by his owner, kept the large beastly one from getting to me.

    The incident abruptly took me right out of my zone.  My heart raced harder than any other parts of my run.  Stricken with fear for a moment or two, I felt flushed.  Several deep breaths calmed me.  But still, it took me about a half mile or so to get back into my zone.

    “Come on girl!  Don’t let that darn dog mess you up! Relax!”  I said this to myself aloud several times.  I had to force myself to focus because I was wondering about other dogs that might come long this morning.

    As I continued my run, I realized that although maybe not the exact scenario, but events occur during our workday or week that sometimes get us off track and cause us to lose focus. That loss of focus can lead to even greater distractions for longer periods of time. Hence, getting off track in our professional or personal lives, and not understanding the what’s or the why’s that occurred which put us in an unhappy place.

    I am easily distracted.  The awareness helps me to overcome the challenge.  The awareness also motivates me to take preventive measures so that I can carry out goals and tasks.  Do I get it right all the time?  Nope, but I am work in progress for sure.

    This is an example of one of the situations where an idea comes to mind while running and I try to apply it to other aspects of my life.

    My run was fabulous this morning.  Initially I did not have a distance in mind.  About five miles into the run, I thought, “I should run this route twice today!”  So I did and it totaled 12 miles!!  Yay!!

    Remember to Keep it movin and have a wonderful holiday weekend!

     

     

     

  • We run because…

    “We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves…The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.”

    -Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile

    I did not feel like running this morning. I wanted to stay in my comfortable bed, snuggled under the covers, to sleep and then to read. I ran anyway.  Why?  Because of several reasons:

    1. I read yesterday’s blog post (to critique it) and the post inspired me to run anyway.
    2. Next week is the beginning of the hectic family routine.  The “routine” limits my  flexibly to run as frequent as I do during the summer.
    3. In October I will run the half-marathon in the 2012 Atlantic City Marathon.  I need to stay conditioned for the run because I want to beat my best time.
    4. A family member invited me over for brunch today–fried fish is on the menu.  Need I say more?

    My running stats for the day are:

    7.18 Miles
    1:09:12 Duration
    746 Calories Burned
    9:37 Minute/Miles (Pace)

    I’m so glad that I ran today and feel better for doing so. I hope that you have a great day!  Remember…keep it moving!

  • Wednesday’s WOD

    In July I registered for my first CrossFit Chicks class at Oceanside Wellness & Sport.   During the summer, I took the class three days per week.  I run on the off days.

    CrossFit Chicks is a women only class, but the concept is the same. It is less intimating for some women.  Think of CrossFit has a combination of various fitness components.

    “The ten generally recognized components of physical fitness are: Cardio-respiratory Endurance – Strength – Stamina – Flexibility
Coordination – Agility – Balance – Accuracy – Power – Speed”*  

    Today’s WOD (workout of the day) was my CrossFit Chicks class.  Our instructor Lisa is highly motivated.  Lisa does not encourage or appreciate cheating—as in cheating yourself out of a good work out.  Every rep of every exercise counts.  I like her because she emphasizes form and corrects me when I am performing an exercise incorrectly.

    The WOD varies.  Funny names such as burpee’s, Snatch pull, box jumps, and wall ball sound cool, but they are anything but! The names are funny sounding, but performing them will wipe the smile off your face.  Lol!

    I won’t bore you with trying to describe what I did today.  I will tell you that, as usual, I was physically challenged.  The exercises are modified for me because I’m healing from a case of tendonitis in my shoulder.

    Today after my grueling workout, I went home and showered.

    Yesterday I promised my son that we would bike ride after my morning working out. It turned out that my bike’s rear tire was flat. No amount of air that manually pumped in inflated the tire.

    So why did I get this dumb idea to rollerblade while he rode the bike.  Yeah, I can rollerblade.  But, I haven’t done so in over a year!  I use to rollerblade with him a lot.

    I did not take into account that yesterday I ran ten miles and today I did leg squats and ran there different 400 meter runs.  Duh Tanya!!  Your flippin hamstrings and quads need rest!  They’re tired silly!!

    As I slowly rolled down the driv way my ego (should of put her in check) said, “you’ll loosen up, you’re fit, you’ll be just fine.”  WRONG!!

    From the very beginning I should have known.  Every single glide required more effort that I ever remember in the past.  Tailor rode his bike and I glided and walked in my dusty and spider webbed rollerblades—yes I had the nerve to walk in blades through my neighborhood.  I didn’t care who laughed at me.  My thighs were on fire!

    At one point my son got off of his bike and pushed me up a hill.  Yup!!  I am not kidding.  I graciously thanked him.

    So what I thought was going to be one work out today turned in to two. I kept it moving for sure today.

    *http://www.oceansidesport.com/main/crossfit.html

    http://journal.crossfit.com/start.tpl?version=CFJ-black123x63

    http://www.oceansidesport.com/main/crossfit.html

  • Running through the clouds and the rain

    I run more than I write.  A balance between the two is better.  After each run, I update my Facebook, twitter (lexa82), and sometimes Instagram.  Rarely does my WOD (workout of the day) appear on Lexa’s Journal.

    Starting today that will change.  The plan is to post my daily workouts or how I feel when I don’t get a workout in.  Perhaps doing this will motivate me to write more.

    Today’s WOD that inspired this post:

    Distance:               10.22 Miles

    Time:                      1:41:26

    Pace (Average):    9:57 mi/mi (minute miles)

    Calories:                1097

    Stepping out the house this morning, my sole thought was, I know that it is going to rain while I run, but please let the thunder and lighting hold off.

    Dark gray clouds filled the sky, but I headed out anyway. I always run with my phone sealed in a Ziploc snack bag.  If it rains or I run through a sprinkler, the phone is protected.

    Four miles into my run, the rain started.  A light drizzly rain, not the heavy rain that I ran in last month.  The rain was refreshing and kept me cool in the humid thick morning air. Throughout my run, it rained off and on, but not nearly enough to discourage or turn me around.

    By the way, I especially enjoyed my run this morning.  Why?  No time restrictions, which means that I can run for as long as I want to.  It’s more fun this way.

    Near the end of my run, I realized that I ran through clouds and the rain.  I stayed with the run. Ultimately I was rewarded by the blazing sunshine, which I can’t get enough of.

    Today’s run is a good paradigm for the daily grind in our lives.

    Some mornings, you get out of bed not feeling mentally and or physically right. Or maybe the day just starts out wrong: over-sleeping, car trouble, an argument, a sick child, etc…

    From the onset, you can choose to ignore the feeling and hope that the negative energy vanishes.  You may play the victim for the day.  You know… “Why does everything always happen to me?”

    You could also chose to acknowledge the feeling and make a willful decision to—mentally or physically—work through your challenge.

    The “work through” could be prayer, meditation, yoga, and reading, focusing your thoughts on the positive aspects of your life, or another use of positive energy.

    However it is that you mange to get through your funk, working through it is more rewarding.  Eventually the sun reappears.  Your situation, issue, or challenge may not seem as bleak or as dark as you initially thought.

    I know!  I know!  I am old enough to know that my explanation may be oversimplified, but the notion is true. Our response to any situation will affect the outcome.

    This isn’t my analogy.  Through readings, conversations with others, and life experiences, I learned this along the way. The energy that we put out is the same energy that we get back.

    “… See the positive possibilities.  Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.”

    Ralph Marston

  • In a recent and…

    In a recent and previous post, I blogged about my conviction that “chance meetings” with people is anything but chance.  We are spiritually guided throughout our lives.  Our acceptance and response to the connections may determine the aftermath.

    I read the incredible story below on yahoo this morning; it is a perfect example of my faith in destiny.  Enjoy the read!

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/billionaire-ty-warner-gives-woman-20-000-her-165731962.html

    Billionaire Ty Warner gives woman $20,000 for her cause after asking her for directions By Ron Recinto

     Jennifer Vasilakos (Jennifer Vasilakos)

    A woman who helped a lost man ended up with a surprise $20,000 gift.

    That’s what happened last month when Jennifer Vasilakos guided Ty Warner when he stopped and asked for driving directions in Santa Barbara, Calif.

    While Warner didn’t know exactly how to get to where he was going, Vasilakos didn’t realize who she was helping.

    Warner is the billionaire founder of Ty Inc., the Beanie Baby company.

    Vasilakos was at the intersection trying to raise $20,000 for a stem cell procedure she needs to help save her life because she suffers from kidney failure and does not qualify for a transplant.

    She describes their encounter in her blog:

    I often get asked by random strangers for directions.  Not one to miss  an opportunity, I handed him my flyer and he made a fifty dollar  donation.  As he drove off, I thought that was the end of our  encounter… He’d returned after an hour or so.  Rolling down his window, he reached  out his hand and introduced himself.  I immediately recognized his  name.  He was kind and sincere as he looked directly into my eyes…  I listened as  he repeated over and over that he was going to help me.  That my  fundraising was done.  That I didn’t need to worry any longer.  He said  he would send a check after he returned to his offices during the week.

    He was true to his word. Vasilakos, an herbalist and Reiki teacher, received a package on July 16 with a $20,000 check and with a handwritten note from Warner. The note read in part, “Someone up there loves you because I was guided to meet you Saturday. I never lose my way, but fate had me lost and ask you for directions. The rest of the story I hope will be a wonderful new life for you.”

    Courtesty of Jennifer Vasilakos

    “Of course I started crying, because that’s what girls do,” Vasilakos said. “I’m incredibly thankful to Ty Warner and to everyone who has supported me with love and prayer.”

    The check cleared a few weeks later and she booked a surgical procedure at an undisclosed foreign hospital to begin hematopoietic stem celltreatment. Hematopietic treatment takes a cell from the blood or bone marrow that can renew itself and develop into a variety of specialized cells.

    “After I serendipitously met Jennifer, I further educated myself on her stem cell needs. I was shocked that this particular type of treatment wasn’t available to her in the U.S.,” Warner said in a media release. “My hope is that we can bring this lifesaving treatment to the forefront so that it can become more readily available and provide alternatives for people like Jennifer.”

    So the chance meeting allowed both Warner and Vasilakos to each continue on their journeys.