My Workout Flow

There are two things that motivate me to hit the pavement and get some cardio in....

1.) New workout attire

2.) Good tunes

Music is soooo important for me. I actually make playlists for my runs depending on my mood. Sometimes, when I run to clear my head- I won't even listen to upbeat stuff to make me run faster... I listen to Ray Lamontagne/Jon Foreman/The xx/Bright Eyes and just enjoy  my time out of the house. I look around and make the exercise more leisure than anything else. It's the "clear your head" type of run/walk. 

When I really want to feel motivated though, which I imagine most people running and listening to music are looking for- I have a specific playlist- AND a list of order in listening to. I dunno, it makes me look forward to the end of some and beginning of others- the routine helps me prepare when to run harder/faster and when to cool down. Now, I am no expert runner, in fact- I am TERRIBLE. This is just what I like and it helps ME jog easier on the polluted streets haha. 

Ok, here goes! You can listen to them on youtube before you decide to drop any change on them in the itunes store- I know not many people like the same music as me- but this is a pretty general workout playlist! 

When I first start jogging... and am not really feeling it because I'm lazy/tired/creaky knees and all... I cruise to: 

The XX - "Intro"

I have a huge HUGE hill to walk up before I even start my jog (think 8 incline) so, this is just enough to get me going/excited to start. 

Side note: everyone has a soundtrack to their lives (break up songs, happy songs, favorite songs, etc... in my movie of life, the opening credits have me in an X6 cruising on some curvy mountainside roads  to this jam- I could totally see this song in a car commercial!)

This song makes me take longer strides but still jog at a normal pace- almost gazelle like haha. It's my warm up song and as soon as it is over, I'm usually ready to go! 

As soon as the xx stops playing, I'm excited to listen to this: 

Lissy Trullie - Ready For The Floor (Cover)

something about the repetitive, "do it now" makes me take the whole jogging seriously :) and glad that I DID "do it". (think "NIKE"... haha)

Once I am really starting to go, my next track is: 

Andrew Bird- Fake Palindromes

This song has the best beat that just makes you jog in tune with it. I love that there are some slow parts and I can catch my breath when I am on a "low" with him, and then when he turns it up, so do I! I used to use the treadmill at college with this on repeat and I would kill it. However, don't ask me about the lyrics-when you're busy trying to figure it out, you forget you're miserable jogging....!!!! That's my lyric disclosure haha. 

Once Mr. Bird has worn me out a bit, the minute I hear the steady drumbeat of these two twins, I know I am ready to do a cool down/steady walk. What I wouldn't give to be the triplet! Teagan & Sara & Sheila I think it goes, don't you?! 

Teagan & Sara - "Walking With a Ghost"

I think the name is so appropriate for the mere fact that it is my walking song. 

Another funny no pun intended title is the next song: 

Matt & Kim- "Block After Block"

This is when I'm like, ok, break's over- pick it back up but slowly, like the xx "intro", a steady jog/gazelle like jog haha block after block... trust me... it works. and the video just makes you happy. so if you just imagine the video happening in front of you- you totally forget you're jogging (not really.. haha) 

This is another song I catch my breath on and just enjoy a steady pace. It's still got a beat that my feet follow along with... ignore the video... in fact. don't watch it. You won't be watching it on your run :) - the actual MGMT one is worse. ha. 

MGMT - Kids

I wind down and head back home to this: 

Passion Pit - Take a Walk

It's a faster walk, another uphill incline one- so it's definitely with purpose haha. 

Sometimes, the only thing that gets me going (usually treadmills at the gym) is my dance cardio station... aka Ellie Goulding and all that jazzy stuff. 

Sweet like Cinnamon...Pick me up and take me like a vitamin

I can't say "vitamin" without thinking of Lana Del Ray. I just can't.

I had some people (2, ha). Ask what I take and why. So I emailed one of the girls and decided to blog my list just for the heck of it :)

Disclosure: This is just MY list that I came up with for MY body. I'm not saying YOU need it or you should just trust me/take my word for it. I spent hours doing the research or relying on my chiropractor/sister/friends etc.

If you are narrowing down between vitamins, don't just get the cheapest. If I had to stress anything, make sure you know where the vitamins are coming from. Making sure your vitamin is actually plant based, not plant made (factory/man made) is important. If money is an issue it is worth it to look online between amazon and vitacost - buying from different suppliers might be cheaper than just splurging at once at Whole Foods (which, I did...when I said enough was enough and I wanted to change). So whatever suits you :)

My morning routine: As soon as I wake up, I head downstairs and pour some (about 2 tablespoons...) Bragg's ACV in 6-8oz if water. I do this for a few reasons: mostly bc I would like to preserve my stomach lining and my teeth enamel, but also because they say it's good for weight loss to have 8 oz of water as SOON as you wake up. Informative link: but i'm sure you can find more.

Good for: a million things. I do it mostly for digestive/weight loss/immune system wellness. Says it reduces belly bloat on some websites... I wouldn't know 

I take my two pill vitamins with the ACV water: 

My chiropractor shared these with me and I've just taken his word for it. He's super smart and super healthy so who am I to ignore his suggestions :) Plus, he does all his research so I don't have to.

Good for: Cataplex D- the calcium I don't get from my everyday diet (spinach leaves... not milk) and the Catalyn is a good multivitamin. 

To get the taste of the ACV out, I take my spoonful of Elderberry. SOOOO yummy and if you have kids, they will LOVE it. Informative link.

Good for: preventative health maintenance. A spoonful a day keeps the sniffles away :) 

Back to me not getting my calcium (in the form of greens) like I should... here's my cheat:

I mix it in Trader Joe's Green Plant Juice (you'll need a bottle blender)- and it is a delicious "breakfast" before my real breakfast. You can mix it in any juice, but I feel super green and good when I use this one (it's actually ridiculously yummy).

pic from informative link

Good for: Getting your 5-9 servings of greens in. Filling you up before a workout. 

Now for a little self-serving/vain but still helpful supplement: Informative link (pt. 4)

Good for: hair/skin/nails/metabolism/joints/inflammation.(think prenatal vitamins but not growing a baby. and think a biotin that actually works). 

Uses for Gamma-Linolenic Acid

Gamma-linolenic acid is used to treat or prevent a variety of health conditions, including:

• allergies
• eczema
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• depression
• high cholesterol
• menopause
• metabolic syndrome
• psoriasis
• rheumatoid arthritis

In addition, gamma-linolenic acid is purported to prevent cancer and heart disease. (I mean... why wouldn't I take it?...) 

And lastly,

Good for: a million things. But for me, muscle recovery/inflammation reduction/immune system. 
Informative link.  I have a spoonful of this in the morning and my fishy burps are at a minimum. At least there's an orange after taste :)


EXTRA GOODIES when needed:

Rescue Remedy and GABA plus (can't find online for some reason) to help calm me the heck down... Amazing for anxiety.

Researching the following to add to my collection...

• Cod Liver Oil (green pastures in particular)
• Probiotics (I only get mine from my homebrew booch, not yogurt/kefir, I'd like to look into a pill)
• and essential oils... (I know, what's next- crystals?! jk. Just need to do some research!) 

I have heard a lot about oil pulling, have you?!

#myshoesmademedoit

If I told you there was a season in my life (a very very long one)... that my daily begging prayer to God was, "PLEASE LORD JESUS, LET ME LIKE RUNNING! Let me learn to love it, need it, be addicted to it, and most importantly- BE THE PERSON WHO RUNS EVEN WHEN ON VACATION!!!!", would you judge me?

Because it's true. I would fervently plead pray to become a "runner". I wanted to know the magic code and the nitty gritty. What made people run? It was made very clear to me early on in life, if I wasn't being chased with a bloody knife- not much could make me run (ok, that's a lie- I run at every semi-annual sale I go to...) but other than to snag a pair of discount goodies... not much else makes me RUN. A friend joked a while back that he would gladly volunteer to tape a bag of Cheetos on his back and run in front of me to lure me as bait... that is not far from the truth. I really don't like running.

All that to say... It's funny as much as I hated the concept of running, I wanted to be good at it. It's like praying to be a mathematician when you can hardly count (without using your fingers)- kind of an overzealous/lofty goal. One I dreamt of, but very rarely attempted to master or work at it. I heard every runner say, "you don't become a runner over night." Basically, they hated it too but worked at it every day and before they knew it, they couldn't not run (double negative, but work with me here).

Let's move on to something I love. Shoes. I love shoes. More specifically, I love workout shoes. There is no such filter or "reasoning" that exists when I see a pair of sneakers that I like. It's just that simple- like them? Buy them. Because one day, there will be a top to match and you will be incomplete without fuchsia tennis shoes. (Listen, I didn't say I was normal, I'm just stating the truth). My dad would ask, "how many pair of tennis shoes does ONE PERSON NEED?" I'd look at him and laugh. Need? No, I'm not sick enough to think I need them... I know I don't need them. I just want them. They make me feel "fit". They make me feel toned. Accomplished (even if all I did was wear them to Trader Joe's and back). A good pair of neon shoes even make me feel tan. An expensive pair might even fool someone at Trader Joe's to think I'm a seasoned runner... until they see the rest of my body HA just kidding, no self deprecation on today's post... running along (pun intended).

just a few of my sneakers. 2 were in my car and I've actually added a couple more to the collection since. yikes. 

Where the hatred of one thing and the love of another coincided...

I realized my love for a new pair of running shoes without liking to run, trying to run, or even pretending to run anymore- was kind of ridiculous. I tried so many challenges to get me to run a certain amount of miles a month (that are AWESOME challenges, hosted by amazing women), but I felt so discouraged when it was the 29th of the month and I had 6 miles logged. I kept telling myself, "next month"... waiting on a fresh start. Every month was the same. I'd try my hardest and get down to 2 logged runs all month.

Here's where my problem lies. You know the dyslexic kid who just shuts down when it's his turn to read aloud (or to read at all)...that was me. Because I hated it and because I felt like a failure I quit bothering. I didn't have a teacher making me read like a dyslexic child who needed the practice would... I needed the discipline. Someone told me that you'll avoid things that are challenging for you. I thought about it. I haven't been to my crossfit gym since May 24... I feel like since I'll never compete, do a muscle up, or deadlift 345#- why bother?? I haven't done yoga since around then either. If I'll never be able to do a freestanding headstand or be able to "ohm" without wanting to laugh/peek- why bother??? I haven't ran since this summer since I'll never run a marathon or be the vacation jogger- WHY BOTHER?!

a little humor that was SUPPOSED to be encouraging... :) 

I'll tell you why bother. Because I'm not a quitter. Because sometimes, quite simply, I have nothing better to do than lace up and try. More importantly, because I have cute shoes.

Monday morning, I woke up and decided I wasn't going to wait for another "1st of the month"... Today was good enough. I was going to lace up my pretty shoes and just head out. I was going to listen to my body, not try to overdo/overexert myself and just ENJOY the bottom of my shoes actually touching pavement that wasn't the grocery store parking lot. Because guess what? The measly 2.7 miles I jogged/walked with Dolly on Monday was the most activity I had done since May 24. So, it was a success. If I were trying to make a distance/time goal- I would feel like a failure. Because it wasn't "hard" or "grueling", it normally wouldn't have been categorized as a successful activity, but the truth is IT WAS! I went outside, I got something done- LACING UP WAS ENOUGH! 

Ok, I'm done with caps. I'm done yelling at you and feeling like a motivational speaker. I just wanted to let folks know what I meant on instagram yesterday when I started the hashtag #myshoesmademedoit

The concept isn't to buy a new pair of shoes. That's not the point. If you can't afford a new pair- clean yours up with a magic eraser and throw some fun laces on. The premise of the hashtag was that the mere tying of the laces (shoe cuteness irrelevant) is a great thing. It's "enough". It's a great start to whatever you're working on in your active life. It's the first foot out the door that's the hardest, and we're doing it. It doesn't matter if you PR'ed or if you ran 37 miles. I used to be embarrassed about any lifting pictures my friend took of me because I didn't think the weight on my bar was enough. Guess what? A single bar alone was enough. Driving to the gym and showing up was enough. I should be proud. I made an effort to work on my health, and that is noteworthy. 

The irony is, I PR'ed that day. I did double my normal deadlift (with back issues, this was a huge deal for me). I felt like I could take on ANYTHING that day. Yet, I didn't share with anyone- fearing 1) I'd get the "oh gah, crossfit cult" remarks. and 2) judgmental people seeing the weight and thinking why I would be proud at a "low amount". It's sick. The weights on my bar are irrelevant! The fact that I went in, got my workout in, and finished is what matters!

I may be the only one in the world who does this... but... I send my nasty, disgusting, sweaty shots to my closest posse. If you have gotten one of these texts, consider yourself one of my nearest and dearest. I don't post these. Obv. BUT, the weird thing is: I take them. Why do I take them? Because deep down, I am proud of my dripping sweat. I am proud I left the house and got in a workout. I am proud of the nastiness. Am I the only one?... I can't be! 

 All that to say... If you laced up. if you sweat. if got out there. if you pushed play on that yoga video. if you lifted a bar. if you whatever else grammatically incorrect sentence fragment I can think of- throw a hashtag on there. It's not just about cute shoes. It's about realizing whatever you're doing- whether it's walking to the grocery store instead of driving, or pushing the stroller up the hill to check the mail- IT'S ENOUGH! You should be proud of the little things, they add up! Cute shoes just make it easier in my opinion :)