Afternoon with Bria

So I like races.

Here's what's coming up for me:

11/21/10- X-Country Marathon (tomorrow!)

11/28/10- Space Coast Marathon

12/11/10- Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic

2/27/11- Disney Princess Half Marathon

5/14/11- Keys 100 Ultra Marathon

I have to add stickers to the back of my car! Coming up is a post on how I race so much and stay strong and injury-free.

Yesterday I had the awesome pleasure of meeting Bria all the way from Prince Edward Island, CANADA! She's a fellow blogger and emailed me when she knew she'd be vacationing in Orlando. Bria is a triathlete, (fast) runner, and super-smart lawyer/former RD student. It was great hanging out with her!

Infusion Tea is always featured on the blog, so we went there and both ordered my favorite: 1/2 Tempeh Chili, 1/2 Milton Special Salad and an iced tea of the day. It was Vanilla Rooibos! Yummy :)

There's always room for dessert so we stopped by Rhapsodic Vegan Bakery, which is dangerously close to my house.

I enjoyed a Cinnamon Sticky Bun cupcake... redone for easy eating on the go :)

Thanks for spending your afternoon with me, Bria!

Don't forget about the V-8 V-Fusion + Tea review and $100 gift card giveaway!

Where would you bring a visiting blogger?

Fast Post

Back posted from Wednesday evening... ecto is finally working!!!

All Over Yoga launches Monday 8/30!! The launch was delayed with my car accident (and, um, a boy), but I'm back and ready to get this movement started! Check out alloveryoga.com Monday for photos, contests, stories and lots of great things.

It's way past my bedtime so we're going to make this a beautiful post with very few sleepy words. Ready? Go!

Everyone, meet Cliff. We went to Ethos.

Vegan, organic chocolate cake at Austin's Coffee.

Post-yoga lunch with Katy at Dandelion.

Good night :)

Friends from Blogging to Real Life

Yesterday began with 10 minutes of yoga in my hotel room. If you began the 30 Day Yoga Challenge with me, you should be about 19 days in. How is it going? I love how doing just a little bit every day has made yoga a habit for me. As I'm sure you've noticed from my photos lately, I'm doing yoga everywhere!

The night before I was able to get in a 10-mile run. Even after a long drive and working at the expo my body felt strong. I think it was strong because it knew I'd be a wreck if I went too long with that feel-good endorphin kick!
Yesterday was the second day of the Boilermaker 15k expo in Utica, NY. I was early so I watched the kids' race with Bobby of SPIbelt. Some of those kids were fast! This expo was held outdoors (most are inside in auditoriums or convention centers). I appreciated the fresh air, even if we did open right after a big storm hit!
Blogging breeds friendships of all sorts. I love when my online life and real life collide!
Sarah and I bumped into each other before the expo opened. I asked a vendor, "is this vegan?" and she literally turned to me and asked if I was Ashley. LOL! Sarah set a PDR at the race this morning- congrats!!
Another fun moment was meeting sweet Kara who told me my blog inspires her. She totally warmed my heart! Kara also completed the race and wrote me: "The race went really well, but I'm just not used to that humidity! My time was 1:31, and I finished 6862 overall. I'm pretty happy with that for my first time. I really only started seriously running about a year and a half ago, so I hope there's room for improvement. " Congrats Kara!!!
I was super-excited to meet Ashley and her husband Stephen in real life! Ashley and I have chatted and I adore their blog, so it was extra-exciting :) This speedy couple blew the 15k out of the water- they're fast!
Of course Ashley and I had to seal the meetup with some yoga :)

What obstacles keep you from including yoga in your daily life?

We Love Caitlin

Tonight was all about hanging out with some of my favorite Orlando people at Caitlin’s going away party. Caitlin, Megan, Katy H., Katy W., Kelly and others all met at Relax Grill in downtown Orlando.

The outdoor seating atmosphere is nice. There was live music playing and the restaurant overlooks Lake Eola. Pretty nice!

The restaurant certainly wasn’t vegan-friendly, but it worked. I ordered a hummus appetizer with pita and lots of veggies. I had eaten a PB+J shortly before dinner, so my appetite wasn’t its best.

I know our get-togethers seem like blogger meetups, but I definitely consider these girls my friends who just happen to all blog ;)

The pita/hummus/veggie appetizer was delicious! I would order this again.

After dinner and lots of conversation the girls took a stroll around the lake. I run Lake Eola on most of my routes, so it was different to see the path at night.

Of course we had to have some self-timer fun to remember the night by :)

    

What fun :)

 

YOGA!

This morning I squeezed in a Bikram class at Bikram Yoga Southwest before work. Practice was amazing! I didn’t enjoy my first Bikram class at all, but I loved this- proof that the studio and teacher can make a huge difference on your practice.

Bikram is a set series of 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises, all performed two times. The 90 minute practice is performed in a room heated to 105*. I encourage everyone interested in hot yoga (the best kind!!!!) to try a hot power yoga and Bikram. Each has its fans!

Class this morning didn’t stop me from playing a bit before bed! I’m still working on my upward bow… and I’m venturing into headstands! 

Have you tried Bikram yoga? What is your favorite kind? *No need for big, official terms here!

Expo-ing It

I am in St. Petersburg, Fl. for today and tomorrow to work the Bondi Band booth at the St. Anthony's Triathlon expo. I used to live very close to this area so it is nice to come back and visit. I made the 2 hour plus drive this morning.
I started the morning with an extra big breakfast since I wasn't sure what/when I'd be able to eat during the expo. I had a ww English muffin with smart balance and an extra large cherry/banana/spinach smoothie with flax and brown rice protein powder.
The expo was outdoors right near the Peir. I was thrilled to get so much fresh air, but that excitement faded a bit when I realized I'd be spending allllll day in the humid heat. It was hot today!!
Can you see the booths in the photo above?

I had a banana right before the expo began (around 11:30 a.m.).
My fridge is running low, so packing food for this trip was a matter of grabbing anything and everything I might possibly eat! There was no planning ;)
Part of my "lunch" was a spinach salad with ginger dressing in a bag. Hey, it worked!
I had an apple and another banana for snacks throughout the expo.
The expo was slower today, so I really had time to chat with the triathletes that visited the booth. Man, triathletes are intense! The tri expo was so much different from a running expo.

- triathletes have more expensive toys (enough for three sports!)
- most of the triathletes were visibly in really good shape
- the triathletes seemed more serious about their training

Running races seemed to bring in people of all levels and with that comes a more relaxed, anyone-can-do-this atmosphere.

What are your thoughts on the difference between triathlons and running races?

It was cool to be surrounded by these triathletes as I'm getting ready for my first tri (the Florida Half Ironman) May 16th. I did hear a woman was kicked in the head during the swim leg and as a result drowned in this race a few years ago. They could have not told me that part.
I ended up purchasing a Chocolate Chip Clif Bar later in the afternoon. This was a sweet treat that filled me up!
I walked around downtown for a few minutes after the expo. St. Pete is such an interesting city!
After a long day in the sun I about jumped for joy when I saw the plush king-sized bed in my hotel room. Ahhh, I love hotels. I watched some Glee on hulu, blogged and am about to head to bed. I'm waking up super early to get my long run in before expo day 2!
I made dinner right when I got into the room. I improvised with 3/4 c. oats and a banana I had brought along. I used the cup from this morning and a microwave in the hallway to make my oats. The end result was delicious.
I couldn't help but post a few Operation Beautiful notes :)


What You Eat Why

Today's guest piece is from Ashley of (never home) maker!

When I was a baby, I'd spit out my Gerber meat. By the time I entered middle school, I was tossing that stack of circular turkey cuts in my Lunchables and the chicken salad my mom lovingly placed in my sandwiches. I never liked the taste or texture of the stuff, and I honestly have no idea why. I do remember thinking it's gross to eat dead animals. So, at age 12, I became a vegetarian, though I didn't really know much about what that word meant. And though my parents weren't surprised, they weren't exactly happy or supportive either.

It was at this point when I first realized that diet -- my own diet, in particular -- can be such a huge issue. I remember my mom actually CRYING about dinners. When we'd go out to eat, the servers would look at me strangely and ask questions like, "So you can eat chicken, right?" In my small hometown, the word "vegetarian" just wasn't part of the vocabulary. My mom didn't want to make me an entirely different meal from the rest of the family. To her, it was simple: I am her child. I should just eat what she and my dad provide for me. Not only that, she also had no idea that just eating veggies can provide enough nutrition -- and choosing to drastically change what I consume at such an important age (yeah, puberty) was not only silly, in her words, but also dangerous.

Regardless, night after night, I'd skip the meat. I'd scream. I'd refuse. I'd chew and spit out when no one was looking.

Fast forward almost fifteen years . . . to my diet now. I've been through various forms of vegetarianism (eating fish and not). I was vegan for two steady years in college. And now I consider myself a work-week vegan, though I try to stay away from labels because I'd really just prefer to eat what makes me feel healthiest. What works best for my body. For example, when I was totally vegan, I was only just getting into running. When I increased my long run distances beyond 10 miles, I found I was hungry and tired. I know there are vegan ways to eat to respond to this feeling, but adding some dairy and an occasional egg really helped me. So, I changed.

But I bet you're wondering "why work-week vegan?" Really, it just helps me make sure I'm eating my fruits and veggies. Otherwise, I tend to eat a ton of bread and cheese. I also enjoy crafting meals and utilizing alternatives so my foods are low in fact, full of nutrients, and easy on my stomach.

I could go on about food for days, but the overall theme is this: I keep my personal definition of diet fluid -- it changes as the demands in my life change. And here's the thing. For me, it's never been about eating a certain way for reasons outside of myself. After all, I am my body. My body is me. And despite if I agree or disagree with the moral, ethical, and environmental implications of my diet, I ultimately eat what makes me feel alive, full, and energized. And I respect the choices of my friends and family for this reason, too. Of course, a healthy, balanced diet is best -- in whatever form that may be -- but, I don't worry about what others think.

Be sure to check out Ashley's blog- love!