Men's Health Urbanathlon: CHICAGO!!!!!

Hi, Chicago. I think you're pretty great.

I flew in to Chicago this morning to compete in the Men's Health Urbanathlon tomorrow with Nike Field Reporter. I was so excited to finally be in the windy city! Argo Tea across from my hotel drew me across the street before I could even check in. Luggage in tow, I exclaimed to the barista that this was the very first place I ever visited in Chicago! And then I realized he didn't care. :-P

With my Chicago-made soy pumpkin chai in hand I took about 40 minutes to explore the city.

After some exploring I met up with the rest of my relay team to head to packet pick-up!

Meet Gina. She's my spunky new friend and another relay team member!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the recap from this fun race! Nine miles of running and tons of obstacles... should be fun!

Do you get nervous before races?

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?

Parking Lot Yoga

It's been a while and there is a ton I want to talk about... but I am short on time... so I am going to put everything else on hold and tell you about today. Today, after all, is all we have.

Today began as a day full of stressors. Last night I traveled from Orlando to Syracuse, NY for the Boilermaker 15k expo. From losing my toiletry bag (full of brand new, organic products) somewhere in the nation to almost not getting my rental car... plus the fact that I haven't had a good workout in several days... I was feeling like a mess.

I finished my oatmeal breakfast with a package of Oreo's and then declared I was going to make this a good day. Even when so many things seemed to be out of my control I was going to make everything I could control great.

Before heading into the rest stop for some snacks I had a little yoga session in the parking lot. Even one minute of yoga leaves me feeling lighter and more positive. In front of minivans and truck drivers I did a vinyasa for each thing that was stressing me out. Up dog... down dog... I thought of each thing and let it go. It was amazing.
Working the Bondi Band booth at the expo was a blast. It was outdoors and all the people were so friendly. I got to chat with Bobby from SpiBelt in the booth next to me.
I'm always sure to talk to customers about their training and running goals. It's amazing how inspiring those chats can be!
Parking lot yoga had calmed me down quite a bit, but toward the end of a long day I needed more.
I headed in front of the booth for some yoga! I love taking up space and doing yoga poses. So often we think it's only acceptable to sit or stand in our little space- I'm working on breaking that mold!
I can't wait to share the other great things that have been going on. They're exciting!

How will you/do you branch out and use more of your space?

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!