My chi is back

Sometimes I forget how amazing a good workout is for your soul.

 I have taken a couple weeks off from working out.  Since we got back from California my back has been in terrible pain so I decided to take some time off of running, working out all together actually, as to stop it from worsening.  I think has helped my back, but I was felling super lazy since all I was doing was foam rolling and stretching and my mind was going CRAZY!

Yesterday the bore of windy Iowa got to me and all I could think about was going for a good run.  I couldn't have stopped myself even if I tried.  I walked into my hotel room, changed into workout clothes and the world was suddenly right again.  I just did a nice and easy couple of miles in the tiny hotel gym followed by almost one million push-ups... I was counting. :)

You haven't seen pictures like this for a while, so I thought I would share my sweaty face.

I was all alone in the tiny hotel gym singing at the top of my lungs and dancing around like a crazy person.  My chi is back, my soul is happy.  Those endorphins, they are powerful I tell you!!

I have seriously been craving some steamed broccoli. Since I can't get that at Hardee's I made a stop at Walmart for dinner.  Luckily I could steam this right in my hotel room! {I know... I am such a party animal!}

I have been sleeping terribly in the hotel.  I don't know if it is the 2 hour time difference or the noise that inevitably comes with hotels, but never fear... on my last night in Iowa I figured out how to fall asleep in my hotel room.  Just turn on a little Jack Johnson and crank the heat up to 77 degrees!  I was nice and warm. I slept like a baby!

I fly into Portland tonight.  I am SO excited to come home I can hardly stand it.  I am counting down the seconds until I get to give this guy the biggest hug he has ever seen.

Happy Friday, have a wonderful weekend!

Thunder Thighs

Love this ad from Nike .

It's inevitable when I workout my already big legs get bigger.  I am not complaining about the big, it's genetic and God given muscle should never be complained about.  Some days when my jeans fit tighter, though, the bigger can be frustrating.  It's then when I try to remind myself,  these are the legs that I am expecting to carry my weight as I run mile after mile.  I need these legs to be big and strong and healthy.

So I embrace the bigger thighs and the good health that comes along with them.  Run on thunder thighs, run on.

“I HAVE THUNDER THIGHS.  And that’s a compliment because they are strong and toned and muscular and though they are unwelcome in the petite section, they are cheered on in marathons.  Fifty years from now I’ll bounce a grandchild on my thunder things and then I’ll go out for a run.  

JUST DO IT.”

Learn to RUN

Did you hear our latest excitement??  Beginning March 31st I will start coaching 6 week endurance clinics focused on running technique!  Do you want to begin running or learn how to improve what you're already doing?  Come see me and let's get our run on!! 

Our Running and Endurance Clinic is a 6 Week program designed to give you all the tools you need to improve your running safety and efficiency.  Coached by CrossFit Endurance Certified Trainer, Amber Walunas, some of what you will learn:

• How and why running is a skill
• Correct posture and running positions
• How to avoid knee and back pain through correct landing
• Improve running efficiency to expend less energy and improve performance
• How to find your individual pacing and tempo
• …and more!

The course will begin with the “How and Why” of good running mechanics and a video analysis of your current running form. You will be taught some initial Skills & Drills and given short homework assignments (in the form of Skills Practice).

Your coach will email you a correction analysis of your video that will detail exactly what you need to correct. The remaining 5 weeks of the course teaches you further Skills to correct your running faults as well as guidance in developing an endurance program that can be applied to any endurance sporting event.

The course will culminate in a final video analysis that will demonstrate your improvements made and provide further guidance to continue improving beyond the course!

If you are intimidated or worried about injury, consider this: You will likely run less than two miles in class over the entire 6 week course combined!

We are offering two class times - Thursday at 6pm (beginning 3/31) and 

Saturday at 12pm (beginning 4/2). We announced this in the gym and the classes are already 1/2 full! 

The entire 6-week course is priced as follows:
Non-members $120
Members $60
For more information or to sign up visit our class schedule and click on the “workshops” tab, scroll down until you see "CrossFit Endurance Running Technique".

T.T.T. Numero Dos

It's time for Three Tangent Tuesday.  It's our new tradition, right!?

1. Fans on treadmills = GENIUS!  There is nothing like a fan on both sides of you as you run on a fast moving belt right next to 20 other sweaty people.  Maybe it makes us feel like we are outside in a cool breeze, maybe it helps people {not me} sweat less thereby keeping the stink in the gym down?  I don't know.  All I know is that when I run on a treadmill without one I feel like I am going to suffocate. The tiny fans on the treadmill saved my 8 mile treadmill run today.  Thank you fan geniuses.

2.  As I was huffing through above mentioned run today I was looking around for something to keep my attention for 70 mins.  I spotted a guy doing toes-to-bar on the pull up bars and immediately thought  CROSSFIT!  Do you know what toes-to-bar is? That's where you hang on a bar and lift your toes to the bar, essentially folding yourself in half.  It's hard. Then I watched him struggle through what seemed like a billion sets of handstand push-ups.  I counted them with him and wanted to yell, "you got this, one more!!" That would have been weird, so I didn't.... but it made me reminisce about my Crossfit days when I used to do those same workouts.  Handstand push-ups were my ultimate fave!

This isn't a handstand push-up, but it's the best I can give you.  How do I not have pictures of me doing handstand push-ups?? I love HANDSTANDS!!


3. Justin Bieber.  I am too old to admit this.  I should be embarrassed, but I'm not.  I heart me some J.B. Don't worry, it's not a crush.  That would be weird, he could probably be my child.  But I have this little soft spot in my heart for this young kid, who is actually really talented, that made it so young.  I think he is adorable, and my 14-year-old self actually likes a couple of his songs.  I couldn't decided if Ben was impressed or appalled last night when I busted out all the lyrics to "Baby".  We'll just assume he was impressed.  Don't lose your adorable-ness or your awesome hair JB.

While I am admitting things I am too old for I may as well confess that I will probably see his movie when it comes out.  Me, Ben and all the 14 year-olds in the NW.  Don't worry - I won't go opening weekend.

The runners... they're a funny kind of people

I watch as he looks at my ugly shoes that scream RUNNING because no one in their right mind would wear shoes this ugly for fun. He moves up to my Nike capris, that are tight enough to be a second skin, hopefully they at least make me look fast. Finally his eyes meet my bright, red, blotchy face and he says, "Do you run?"  "Yeah" I reply, "just got done".   The grocery store is not my favorite place to talk to people. I usually end up in conversations about how they have been making a recipe for years and I just have to try it.  I am always too much of a sucker to say no and I end up walking away from the conversation with ingredients that I secretly place somewhere they shouldn't be because there is no way I am going to conquer oyster stuffing this year.

But, we're in the checkout line and we're not going anywhere fast.  I grab the latest issue of People and pretend I to be really interested.  "Yeah, I could tell you were a runner" he says,  "I run too."  I would like to take this as a compliment since a "runner" to me has perfect thighs and rock hard abs, but I know it's the ugly shoes and sweaty pigtails that tipped him off.  "Oh really?" I respond.  He's a short man in his late to mid forties.  He has a full head of blond hair that has sort of a Carrie Bradshaw out of control half curl to it.  At first glance I would have guessed him a cyclist, but I guess those looks sometimes go interchangeably.  "It's a beautiful place to run," I finally come up with after I am done assessing my first impressions.  That's always my go to fact about running in Oregon.  It really is a beautiful place to run, the lush green and sea level elevation pretty much make it the perfect place to run, actually.  Never mind that it's drab and grey outside and all my miles lately are done on a treadmill.  "Yes, it is. Even this time of year. Do you compete?" he says.  Compete.  That's always a funny thing with me and running.  I run races. It gives me something to work toward.  Do I compete with others?  Usually not and if I am they usually don't know about it.  Competition with myself in just about everything is inevitable.  "I race" I say, "Usually half marathons, just for fun. You?"  "I am going to Boston this year," He responds proudly.  Boston.  Right. The holy grail of running where the fastest of the fast compete.  Just qualifying for this race is an accomplishment, let alone competing.  "Ha. Yeah you're a runner alright" I say, "Congratulations!"

As I left the grocery store I was proud to be one of those funny running people. I will probably never run in the Boston Marathon, I have never even dreamed of running a sub 3 hour marathon.  I didn't know this man, but I really was proud of his accomplishment.  It made me proud of my sweaty pigtails that said, I just pushed my body to be better.  I was proud of my ugly running shoes that said, I keep going even when I want to stop. I was proud to be a "runner" even without the rock hard abs because the miles and the sweating, the pain, the mental clarity and the feelings of accomplishment... those are amazing.
I just love running.