Give It a Rest Would Ya??

With all the hoopla of marathon training, a love affair with spinning and a renewed interest in amping up my strength training (more on that to come) I have started to notice that I am less and less inclined to take days off. With everything I want (need?) to do, it just doesn't seem possible to skip a day and fit everything in. So low and behold I squeeze in a sweat fest on as many days as I possibly can, which lately is most.

Given that I want to be active and fit that's a good thing right?

Wrong!

I'm not an expert but if I know one thing its that I am in love with my new iPhone. If I know two things, its that everyone, including the pro athletes of the world, need rest.

Muscles need time to repair. Brains need time to heal. Joints need a break.

Bottom line: Rest is key

I find that I need to remind myself of that over and over again, emphasizing that over training can be just as detrimental as under training and that a day off is good for me in the same way that a intense weights session is.

Note to self: Rest is good.

Truthfully, there are other reasons why I sometimes shy away from rest days:

• Exercise is a great way to work through the stress of the day

• Exercise burn calories. In short, that means I can eat more. 'nuff said!

• Exercise is one of my biggest hobbies so I am kind of lost (aka bored) without it.

• Exercise is a habit/routine that I don't want to fall out of. One day here and there isn't enough to break a habit but one can lead to three can lead to....you catch my drift.

Regardless of the reasons, I need to really wrap my head around the whole concept of rest being good for my overall fitness not in opposition to it.

I can read a book or take a bath to de-stress and unwind, eat well no matter the day or the activity level because it all balances out in the long run, explore new hobbies or rekindle old ones (crotcheted scarf anyone??) and commit to a lifestyle that is not all or nothing in respects to exercise, food or otherwise.

Say it with me..Rest days are a good thing!

I doubt it will be hard to learn to truly appreciate the fine art of being lazy around here....



So tell me, how many rest days do you take a week? What's your favorite thing to do on a rest day?

The Work Trap

The other day I came across an article (that I now can't find the link for...grr!) detailing how working in an office can be detrimental to your health. For obvious reasons (aka: I work in an office) this caught my attention and got me thinking....

Could this be an issue for me?

Overall I like to think I am a pretty health focused individual but could I be caught in the trap without even knowing?

There are definitely some potentials:

1. I sit at a desk or in a meeting room for most of my day. Given that a work week is 40+ hours that's a lot of time parked on my butt.

2. The never ending cycle of office potlucks, birthday celebrations and otherwise unhealthy fare that makes its way into the fold. All that tempting food is hard to turn down when it's everywhere, all the time.

3. Recycled air. Studies have shown that air inside a building can be substantially dirtier then the air outside. Pollutants from air conditioning and bacteria plaoting around can pose health risks for some people. Source

4. Germs. Sharing office equipment and working with dedicated people who battle through colds and flus at work can expose me to viruses and bacteria that can wreak havoc on my overall health.

5. Stress. Working under pressure to meet deadlines and solve issues as they crop up certainly weigh on me both mentally and physically.



So how do I combat this possible problems since winning the lottery and retiring by 30 isn't quite panning out the way I had planned?

1. Get up and walk around when I can. Instead of sending emails or making phone calls I try to get up and go talk to people when I have time. Not only does it get me moving but the face to face interaction is a nice break from staring at a computer screen all day.

2. Pack a healthy lunch and stock my drawers with healthy snacks. It's a lot easier to say no to the slice of birthday cake when you aren't starving and looking for a 3pm pick me up.

3. Make friends with the healthy coworkers who encourage active living and keep me motivated. Its much harder to skip a workout when someone is standing at your desk with her gym bag, ready to go for a run.

4. Take the stairs. It doesn't seem like a big deal but any extra physical activity sure can't hurt!

5. Use the work gym. It's in the building and its free. How could I say no?

6. Make a healthy lifestyle a priority. There are a 168 hours in a week, meaning that 128 of them aren't spent at work. That's a lot of time to make up for all the desk sitting, dirty air breathing, stress accumulation that takes place.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a LottoMax ticket to check...

So tell me, is your job a healthy living hazard? How do you avoid the trap?

Detour! Healthy Living Obstacles and How I Avoid Them

Just when I thought that the blogosphere couldn't get any better and along came last night's #Fitblog chat and my very first chance to moderate. I was (and still am) completely blown away by how amazing the experience was!

To everyone who joined in: Thank you for making it absolutely awesome!

If you didn't get a chance to chat with us you can check the archive for a rundown of all the great answers and dialogue that took place.

Now, because I was so busy reading and thoroughly enjoying everyone's responses I didn't get a chance to provide my own answers to the four questions that I posed. So here they are:


Topic: Healthy Living Roadblocks and How to Avoid Them

Q1. What is the biggest roadblock preventing you from living your very best life?

Stress. I tend to take on too much and not ask for help and that can weigh on me. I also let little things bother me more then they should. Its something I am working because I know how important stress management is in a healthy life.

Q1 f/u How are you addressing that roadblock to eventually overcome it?

I try to manage my time better by not being afraid to say no. I also take a few minutes to myself before bed to read a book and decompress. Working out definitely helps in stress reduction too.

Q2. Are there people in your life that act as roadblocks and if so, how do you deal with them?

No one is an intentional roadblock but there are people who inadvertently encourage less healthy eating patterns or drinking because they do it in my presence. Ultimately though I am responsible for me and what other people do or eat shouldn't effect me. If it does then I need to work on why I am not able to control my own choices.

Q3 When lack of time becomes a roadblock, how do you fit it all in?

I recently got promoted at work (yay!) but it means I am in and out of meetings all day and not able to workout at lunch as often. I have shifted my schedule and now go after work. That might mean less t.v time or that the dishes don't get done but it's a priority and I make it happen.

Q3 f/u Do you use any online tools to help you better manage your time or keep you motivated?

I use Daily Mile and My Fitness Pal to keep me motivated but the biggest tools for accountability is my blog and the ones that I read. The community of bloggers that I visit regularly is very inspiring. And #fitblog chats is definitely a part of that!

Q4. What is the biggest obstacle that you have already overcome in order to be a healthier person? How did you do it?

I made health a priority. I use to make a lot of excuses for being complacent and lazy or for making poor food choices. Now I remind myself why its important to me and how the excuses will prevent me from meeting goals that I have. I think I have grown up a lot in terms of my lifestyle (a LOT less partying and late nights) as well as the way I view healthy living, nutrition and exercise.

Ahh...now that's a road sign I can work with.

So tell me, have you had to overcome any roadblocks towards being a healthier person? How did you do it?

Marathon Training Week 5: When You Can't Run

It's the end of another week and I am happy to report that I am finally starting to feel like my old self. I want to thank you again for all your support as I battled this ailment. And as much as I hate having illness get the best of me, I am very grateful that I am also able to bounce back to be a total weirdo regular ol' me in a short amount of time.

Here's what last week looked like:

Monday: Bootcamp (40min)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 2mile run, strength training (15min)
Thursday: Sick
Friday: Sick
Saturday: Sick
Sunday: Sick

Total distance ran: 3.2km

Here's what I learned:

While a class may not feel difficult while you're taking it, it can totally kick your ass! My legs and butt hurt until Friday after Monday's bootcamp.

Sickness sucks but it happens. It will derail training and you'll hate it but at the end of the day possible long term damage is not even an option for the sake of a long run. Take the advice of your doctor, boyfriend and pretty much everyone else and be lazy. Not sure how? Ask a cat..

Missing a week of running won't derail your training plans. You'll get back into it slowly and be back on track in no time!

But its okay to make yourself feel better with a splurge on an item you've been wanting for a while. Just call it a "healthy living tool" (which it is) and it's completely justified!

Take your time getting better and before you know it you'll be hammering out another 18km long run. Until then, enjoy relaxing and not having that feeling of "needing to do something" is really good for you too.


Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Stay tuned for more fitness-related stuff in the very near *fingers crossed* future!


So tell me, what recent splurge are you most excited about??

On the Mend...

I just wanted to stop in and thank all of you who have taken the time to wish me well here and on Twitter. You guys are all a bunch of super cool rockstars and your concern means the world to me.

As for an update:

I am on my back back to health. I slept for over ten hours last night and thankfully some of the more, shall we say, excruciating symptoms have subsided and while I feel some noticeable kidney pain and tenderness throughout the day, keeping hydrated it helping.

It's safe to say I have upped my water consumption to 11 bazillion litres today. I might was well park myself in the bathroom for the afternoon. Thank goodness I finally figured out my wireless router because now I can bring you guys with me. Is that too much information? Good thing I am sort of kidding!

Oh and by the way, you guys are such a bunch of smart cookies! Stress is a definite factor for me and my health and one that I need to stop overlooking if I want to live healthy. Thanks again for all the great advice and perspectives!

Things other than drinking water to keep me busy today:

An epic clean-up of the apartment (The Boyfriend is so thrilled about this and is trying to milk my illness to get out of it!)
Reading blogs and resting in my organized home once the cleaning is done
A trip to Yogurtys which I am told is the Canadian equivalent of Yogurtland. My insane Janae jealousy can begin to subside now...

I can't exercise yet and may have to skip my long run again this weekend so I will spend a better part of the day reminding myself that "its for the goodness of my health". Oh well, I'll be back to running (and only drinking 3 bazillion litres of water) in no time!!


Have a wonderful and fun Saturday!!


So tell me, what fun (non-water drinking) things are you doing this weekend?

Does Being Healthy Make You Healthy?

It been a weird year for me health wise. Six months in and I can safely say I have eaten better so far this year then any year of my entire life. Yes, I have had some unfortunate bouts with binge eating but I also eat more nutritious, whole foods than ever before.

I also workout more efficiently now then I have in any 6 consecutive months. I run, cross train, strength train, stretch and get yoga-fied. It feels great and I am confident that I am on the right track as far as fitness is concerned. And that feels great!

So can someone please tell me, if I am doing healthy things why I can't manage to actually stay healthy?

I have had the flu three, count 'em, three times since the year started. I have had a hypoxiated cornea, digestive trouble and epic migraines.

Yes I shared that one again. You're welcome.

And now the latest medical drama to weasle its way into my "supposed to be" healthy life: kidney infection.

If you've had one you know that this is a nightmare. And having done some research I know mine is pracically mild compared to some people's experience. Nonetheless, I am not having even a little bit of fun.

On top of lower back (aka kidney) pain, frequent and painful trips to the bathroom and general malaise from my body's attempt to fight back, I am missing work and missing life. I can't workout, honor my commitment to play in a volleyball tournament tomorrow or even leave the house for too long in fear that I will have to bolt to a grimey gas station washroom five or six times in the span of an hour.

So here I am. Sick again and not happy about it.

Don't get me wrong, I know that things could definitely be worse. And I am so, SO grateful for the good health that I have most days. All I wish is that all my hardwork and good intentions could be put to better use by being able to actually revel in the "feeling good" that should come from healthy living.

I also know there are people out there who are suffering much more then me and who started out much healthier then me and as I write this my frustrations are for them too. Is it too much to ask to want to be as healthy as we try to be??

Yes, I am having a bit of a pity party. And yes, I need to suck it up because in all liklihood I will be well again in a few days. It's just so hard to hear people who smoke, drink frequently, party hard, eat poorly and never exercise on purpose say "Wow, you're sick again? I never get sick!"

Do I wish that they were sick instead. No. Well not entirely. My fear for them is that they never get sick so they think that they are healthy and I still believe (despite evidence to the contrary) that in the long run I will benefit from a healthy lifestyle and and unhealthy one will catch up to them. And that I don't want. So if the occasional cold would light a fire under their ass to clean up their act then maybe its not too bad....

Anyway, now that I've got that off my chest I am going to get back to the business of getting better. On deck for today:

7 bazillion litres of water/juice

Reading as many blogs as I can get my lil' hands on

Memory card cleanup

Reading Water for Elephants

Daytime tv

A nap

Yeah, its going to be boomin' up in here!

Happy Friday all! May the weekend find you in good health!

So tell me, do you find that people who live healthy aren't always the healthiest? Why do you think that is?