Namaste Mari

Where Is The Love?

2012-01-26T22:46:00.001-05:00

Lately I have been battling with running…I remember when I used to run for fun…where I didn’t worry about pace, training, pr, mileage,satellite etc. Every morning it is a struggle for me to get out the house and go for a run. My sister mentioned that perhaps running was a “Phase” but I refuse to think that…I just hope I am going through a rough patch and soon it will pass. They always say that the only run you regret is the one you didn’t do, which I am starting to believe because every night I go to bed, thinking “why didn't I get up and just do it!”. I used to love it so much….

On that note, I did sign up for my favorite race (it was my first race ever) Coogan’s, in hopes that it will rekindle my love affair…::fingers crossed::

Working out should be fun and NOT something you dread so I decided to pop in my Turbo Fire 60 DVD this evening (Guaranteed to always make me feel amazing) and just went HARD! After I was done, I still had energy so I did 30 minutes of suspension training (have I mentioned how much I love this!) and burned 715 Calories! BAM

After I was done, I refueled with Sea Cuisine’s Honey Chipotle Salmon and fried rice (my first attempt at making it)…All I did was mix together garlic, onions, pineapples, soy sauce, hot szechuan paste, and brown rice…and it actually turned out pretty good…

Is there a workout or sport that you loved but then all of a sudden had no desire to do?

Namaste…

Resolutions vs. Goals

2012-01-16T11:11:00.001-05:00

Most of you know how I feel about resolutions (FAIL!) and believe that goals are far more better. In 2010 I made a goal to run my first race and in March of 2010 I did Coogan’s 5K, in 2011 I decided to qualify for the NYCM and I did…

When my friend Brett told me that he wrote an article about this very subject, I knew that I had to share it with you guys..enjoy!

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Resolutions vs. Goals
by Brett Cohen

New Year’s Resolutions
The New Year is here! As one year bows out and a new one comes in,
we’re prompted to reflect on our lives and about what we would like to
achieve or change in the New Year. I often hear the phrase: “New Year,
New You”.... but sadly, the vast majority of people fail to capitalize on this reflective phase of their life, and the wishes of a New Year’s resolution inevitably falls back to normal routines and all remains the same... “New Year, Same You”.

Why do so many people that “resolve” to make changes in their life fail?
We start with good intentions but it takes more than good intentions to
achieve sustained change.

Resolution
This is the time of year when many people begin to “resolve” to: “be more
healthy”, “lose weight”, or “eat better”. However these statements are
abstract, immeasurable, and indefinable. The definition of resolution is; a formal expression of will, or intent. Forget resolutions! They don’t work,they lack accountability.

Resolutions do not have a strategy, a plan. Instead work on setting goals.

Goals
Goals, on the other hand, are clear, measurable and time bounded. Goals are the result of achievement toward which effort is directed. Goals provide you with a roadmap to go from wherever you are to wherever you want to be.

Here are some tips to help you reach your goals.
A goal is most powerful when written with the following attributes:

• Specific: “I will to lose 30 pounds in the next 3 months.” rather than “I want to lose weight”. Or, “I will drink 1/2 my body weight in ounces of water every day.”, rather than “I want to be healthier.”
• Measurable: You can cross it off a list. If you set a goal of exercising 3 days per week and schedule it in your calendar you an easily see if you’ve reached your weekly goal.
• Affirmative: They should be affirmed with positive statements like: “I
exercise 2 times per week.” vs. “I want to exercise more often.”
• Realistic: Your goal must be realistic. If it’s not, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you aren’t exercising at all and you say you’ll get to the gym 4 days/week that is not realistic and as soon as you begin to fall behind you will get discouraged and likely quite altogether.
• Time Sensitive: By when? Always state the date you intend to complete your goal by. If no deadline exists there isn’t much incentive to achieve them.

If you’ve had challenges making changes in the past and you are serious about your health and fitness, you may consider the services of a coach to help you establish and reach your goals.

A coaches job is:

1. Assess exactly where you are now.
2. Clarify where you truly want to go.
3. Identify obstacles and how to overcome them.
4. Provide a framework that allows you to build a bridge between them that becomes the roadmap to your success.
5. Document progress and accomplishments.
6. Encourage you to stay the course.
7. Help you get incredible results!

At ITS Coaching is available to anyone who needs help in determining what goals are realistic for you and in creating a customized plan of action that will help you succeed.

-Brett Cohen is a Sports Performance Coach, Holistic Lifestyle Coach,
Fitness Presenter and Education and founder of:
www.integratedtrainingsystems.com

What goals did you set for 2012?

Namaste…

Almost There…

2012-01-10T16:59:00.001-05:00

Sooooooo I got the best email ayer…

All my hard work in 2011 has paid off and I qualified for the ING NYC 2012 Marathon!!!!!!!

I have to be honest though because this blog is my place to spill my emotions and fears…I am terrified of doing this. These are the doubts going through my head:

“Will I fail?”

“what if my knee blows out like at the half marathon?”

“Will my hip be okay?”

“Am I ready for all this training?”

“Will I let everyone down?”

and last but not least

“WILL I FINISH??”

I have spent sleepless nights and may or may not have googled “Am I ready to run a marathon”….

I will keep you guys posted on my decision but I also want to thank all of you for following my journey and hopefully you will follow my steps all the way to the starting line…

Namaste…

Achoo!!!

2012-01-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

Just when I thought I was feeling better…BAM my cold comes back in full blast! I was doing great until yesterday….and it could be because…

Yesterday I woke up bright an early to attend homefries school trip. When I heard they were going to a kid’s gym, I knew I had to chaperone. I popped some zicam and dayquil and headed to her school.

We rode the bus together…and made silly faces…I have no shame!

We arrived at Kids in Shape and coach Bob went over the rules…basically go crazy and try not to kill each other!

Did I mention that they had a zip line? (I wanted to try it BUT you had to be under 5 feet…sad panda)

After the trip, I rushed back home…sidenote while I was waiting for the train, they were doing work on the tracks and I was seriously freaking out when the guys were just standing there as the train approached…and of course I had to take a picture (again…I have NO shame!)

I came home did Turbo Fire 45 and then shoved some leftover thai tofu before heading to the gym to train my clients…

I worked at the gym until 9ish and then took the bus home and let me tell you people it is COLD out here…I seriously thought my ears were going to fall off. I guess I over did it because I was up until 3 in the morning coughing and sneezing and my voice sounds like a 13 year old going through puberty.

This morning I got to sleep in, thanks to the note I left my neighbor ayer “can you please lower your alarm clock radio because I keep waking up at 6am to 1010 wins”. For the past couple of weeks, I have been going nuts…my neighbor’s alarm goes off at 6am and stays on until 7:30 and all morning I hear the weather and news every 10 minutes! Me banging on the wall didn’t giver her the hint to lower it so I had to leave a note underneath her door =)

So what happens when you get to sleep in? You have energy to do a morning workout WHAT WHAT! I still felt like crap so instead of cardio, I stuck to some strength training and popped in Personal Training with Jackie (even though I train others, there are times when I don’t want to think about it and just follow a dvd)

Ever since last night, I have been craving a frittata and could not wait to have one this morning for breakfast. I made a CHEESY Veggie Egg White Frittata (and made enough to have some tomorrow)

I topped it with some hot sauce and paired it with some french press coffee with skim plus milk and splenda…deeeeeeeeeeelish!

So how do you deal with people? Do you hate confrontation?

Namaste…

What Is Your Vision?

2012-01-03T20:05:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year loves!!!!! I hope that 2012 has been kinder to you than she has been to me because she has been a ho bag to me! I brought in the new year, sick in bed! This was the first new year’s eve that I didn’t spend with my family which was pretty depressing but I knew there was no way that I could stay out and celebrate and I refused to bring them down….

On new year’s day I decided to finally make my vision board….

I gathered my magazines and got to work…

My little helper would get rid of the scraps for me…

He had a lot of work to do…

I wanted my board to focus on health and fitness so I made sure to include:

-nutritious foods

-fitness images

-Yoga (I have been seriously slacking)

-fitness clothes (hey I am a girl, and I love to shop)

-ING Marathon images…(I can’t believe I am actually doing this! eeeek!)

I also want to be in a loving relationship so I included an engagement ring photo and a image of a car with “I just got married” written on the back window

some other things that I included:

-Vacation images

-bull dog (so adorable!)

-SUV

-New bike

Soooo how am I doing in the nutrition front?

This morning I started my day with a green monster

For lunch I had Amy’s Enchilada

And for din din I made Thai Style Peanut Curry Tofu and Veggies which I paired with Trader Joe’s Masala Naan

And for dessert I had Edy’s All Natural Fruit Bar

Today was a pretty good day…I am going to press repeat tomorrow!!!!!

What do you see for yourself in 2012?

Namaste…

They Know Me So Well…

2011-12-27T19:23:00.001-05:00

Hey loves!!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday =) Mine was pretty nice; I spent a lot of time with my family which is always something to look forward to.

On Christmas eve we headed to my aunt’s house for a family party and I decided to make some cookies that Nicole posted the other day, I made some tweaks to the recipe (omitted the peanuts and used milk chocolate chips instead) but they turned out amazing!!!

Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Pretzel Cookies…

I am so happy to say that they were GONE by the end of the night. I asked my 4 year old niece if she liked them and she nodded yes and said she ate 3 already! woohooo

Christmas day was pretty laid back…we spent it at my mom’s house and just enjoyed spending time with each other.

My sister gave my mom the Zumba game for the Wii and my niece got Just Dance 3 so I spent a lot of time dancing!

And also opening presents…

Compression Sock from my niece…I used these yesterday for my 3 mile run and I loved them!

New Columbia Jacket from my mom

And a Panini Maker/ Grill from my sister!

My family knows exactly what I love!

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I decided to use my Panini maker today for din din…

First I grilled some veggies…

While they were cooking, I cut up my Ciabatta bread…

And also made a Mayo Pesto Sauce…

I popped the sammie in the Panini maker with a slice of reduced fat Swiss cheese

And after about 5 minutes…din din was served!

It turned out great but I need to figure out how to season the veggies a little better, any suggestions????

Oh I forgot the best part about Christmas…Zen opening his gift!

Which he loved!!

Namaste…

My Try at Thai….

2011-12-21T17:25:00.001-05:00

Do you ever crave something that you never had before???? I find this happening to me quite often.

Have you guys seen the new show Chef Roblé & Co. on Bravo? This guy makes me crave everything from Indian to down south cooking!

On one of his latest episodes he was catering for a Jewish Reggae Singer and the food had to be Thai, Vegan, AND KOSHER! He ended up making a Thai Tofu dish (it looked amazing!) that wowed everybody and I went to bed dreaming of this dish…

I searched the bravo site and thankfully they had the recipe but daaaaaaaaaaamn it was long! So I decided to keep looking for other recipes. I knew that I wanted it to have tofu as the star of the show, but it also had to have peanut butter (“hi my name is mari and I am pbholic”), coconut milk, and last but not least curry…which is strange because for most of my life, I was scared of trying this but when you are a “food and fitness” blogger you need to try new things!

I spent about an hour searching for the perfect dish and actually found exactly what I was looking for on another blog, Devour Destroy

I made a couple of changes (only because I didn’t have all of the ingredients)….but here is my version of Thai Style Peanut, Red Curry, with Tofu and Veggies…

First I used my Kettle bell to drain the tofu! This how trainers cook haha

Then I sautéed the Tofu in Evoo

When it was golden brown, I added chopped red peppers and chives

Then I added Red Curry Paste and Peanut Butter…

Then Coconut Milk and Baby Peas…

I tasted it and noticed that it was still a little bland, so I added splenda, salt, and Szechuan Hot Paste…

After about 5 minutes, I served it over a brown rice and let me tell you people…I was freaking impressed with myself!

This will be made again in the near future!!!!

On other news, I made new business card…watcha think?

Have a great day loves!!!!!

Namaste…

Jillian Michaels Just Called ME!

2011-12-14T20:02:00.001-05:00

I wanted to think of something witty to say but when you get off the phone with the person, you have admired for so long….your brain can’t form a sentence, let alone a witty one!

(Disclaimer: as I am writing this, tears are streaming down my face so excuse me if I don’t make sense)

On Monday, I was on facebook and Jillian posted this

“It's time for your podcast calls again! This time you can either call (888)950-6611 or email jillianpodcast@gmail.com with your questions. Please include your name and a callback number. You must be available on December 14th from 2-5pm PST.”

I have been struggling with some personal issues lately so I decided to send her an email, not thinking that it would actually get read…It went something like this:

“HI Jillian and Janice!!!!

Before I even start, I just want to tell you how much I admire you...whenever I meet a new client, I always tell them "Jillian is my idol so get ready for a tough workout!". Now onto my dilemma...

I used to weigh 220lbs and lost 80 lbs in 2006...since someone helped me reach my goals, I decided to do the same and I became a personal trainer. I am certified via ACE and I love what I do but lately I feel like a fake. I barely have anytime to workout myself and slowly I am putting the weight back on. I always feel judged when I am at the gym and then I come home and cry and end up binging...and this has been my cycle for the past couple of months. I don't want to quit my job because I truly want to help others but I don't know what to do. I just qualified to run the 2012 Marathon in NYC so I really need to get fit to complete this task...do you have tips? I know that the binging is hurting my weight loss but the willpower is just not how it used to be.

Thanks so much!!!!”

Well guess what? IT WAS READ! and Janice called me this afternoon! The minute I heard her voice, I already knew who it was and the tears started to stream down my face. She asked if Jillian could call me in the evening (HELL YEAH!). I cancelled my evening session (THANKS MICHELLE FOR UNDERSTANDING!) and sat by the phone like a teenage girl on a Saturday night! You guys must have heard my heart pounding from wherever you are ha

At 7:14 my phone rang…it was Janice again and she explained to me to try to keep the question short (hmmmm me not ramble….yeah not gonna happen! lol)…then I heard Jillian come on the line and yups people, I cried like a bubbling idiot! YOU guys KNOW ME and you know my obsession with this lady, and you even know that I always refer to her as JIL JIL but at this very moment it was JILLIAN Mother f’ing MICHAELS and she was talking to me!

I explained to her my situation and this lady is no nonsense…she didn’t let me bullshit my way through the call. I seriously felt like it was the Biggest Loser gym and she was going to break me down to build me up again.

Source

WHY ARE YOU INSECURE? WHO MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE UNWORTHY? YOU ARE NOT THAT CHUBBY GIRL IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, YOU ARE THE GIRL WHO LOST 80 POUNDS IN 8 MONTHS, YOU ARE THE GIRL THAT DID A HALF MARATHON!

She told me to get to the root of my problems and start journaling because if not this cycle will continue…

We spoke for about 12 minutes and when we hung up, I just sobbed like a child because I knew she was right…

So now the soul searching begins…

Namaste….

All is not lost…

2011-12-12T23:23:00.001-05:00

Do you ever have those days when you want to eat everything in sight and then lay in bed wondering what the hell you did you and then promise to do better the next day? But then the next day you end up doing the same thing all over again? Well I felt that way this weekend (I blame it on my birth control…my hormones were allllll out of whack). I could not get enough food and of course I was craving all the bad things!

But then Sunday a light bulb went off….ALL IS NOT LOST!!!! I pealed myself off the couch and made a plate full of veggies, I think my body was tired of all the crap I was eating and just wanted REAL FOOD!

I roasted Brussels, Red Peppers, Onions, and Chickpeas in EVOO, Garlic, and Salt…topped with lite cheese and with a side of homemade Cranberry Sauce….

My veggies must have given me a boost of energy because this morning, I woke up and finished my Christmas shopping and then came home, dropped off my bags and headed out in the cold to do a 3 mile light jog…My pelvis is still not feeling that well so I have to take it nice and easy for now…

It is never too late to press reset…

I will leave you with some holiday pictures…(if you are a long time reader, you know that I visit this house every year)

SMOOCHES

“OOOO IS THAT A BABY?!?!?!”

I wanted to dance with the puppets!

And of course my FAVORITE ice skater…and my usual joke “MAN DOWN”

Namaste…

Seasons of Change…

2011-12-05T14:13:00.001-05:00

Hello my loves!!!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!!!! I feel like I should start my post with “Forgive me father, it’s been a month since my last post…” I seriously can’t believe that it has been THAT long since I posted!

A lot of changes are going on in my life…

1) I am SINGLE again! some of you already know this if we are friends on facebook. It has been a few months since it happened and I am taking it day by day…at first I regretted my decision but in the end, you have to follow your heart and keep on trucking!

2) I am no longer training for any specific races because I am officially qualified for 2012!!!! Now I am able just to run for fun AND mix in some other things into my routine, such as….

Rip 60

“Rip 60 Home Gym Training System. The Rip 60 Training System features suspended rotation. The Rip 60 Training System forces your body to stabilize and balance throughout your workout for maximum muscle activation. Youll not only lose weight and strengthen muscles, but youll increase flexibility, power and endurance. With this ultimate at-home workout system, youll completely transform your body in just 60 days!”

This workout is a lot of fun…it is very similar to TRX training!

Yoga…

I was slacking on my yoga practice but I am trying to do it (or pilates) at least 2 times a week….

Turbo Fire…

I received this for my birthday last year and really enjoyed these workouts so I started to include them into my routine again….

Ohhhh and one more change…I have completely and utterly have turned into a cat person!!!!

What’s new with you????

Namaste…

2011 ING NYCM!!!!!

2011-11-06T18:45:00.001-05:00

Hello Loves!!!!! I am sipping some tea as I write this post because my throat is killing me from being sick and yelling at the NYC marathon!!!

You all know that ever since I attended the Marathon, last year…I have become quite obsessed with it. I even have a Marathon Wall in my Bedroom….

I was a bit bummed out that I was sick this past week and missed out on most of the Marathon festivities, especially since I was chosen to be one of NYRR’s Social Media Reporters but nothing was going to stop me from attending the actual event!

Missy came to pick me up and then we headed into the city to cheer all of our friends on….Missy did some Multitasking while we were on the train…

When we arrived in the city, we split up and I headed to mile 23 to meet my friend Juliette (we never found each other ha)

I loved seeing all the people from all the various countries but I always cheered a little bit louder for the U S A!!!!

And if you are looking to get a little bit more attention…wear a costume!!!

Pac Man…

Minnie Mouse

American Indian

(Julie this one is for you!!!) Pink Gorilla and Banana

Last year, I had amazing bleacher seats but I enjoyed this year a little bit more since I was much closer to all the runners and could feel their energy.

I was inspired by each and every one of them…those who finished…as well as those who gave it all they had!!!!! You were ALL heroes today!

I met up with Missy again and we headed back to Queens for “Linner” and went to Corfu Grill on Austin Street…

I started off with a Greek Salad with a Whole Wheat Pita and Tzatziki sauce

For my main course, I ordered the Falafel platter (no surprise there! ha)which came with, lima beans, rice (blah), and lemon potatoes (woohooo!)

This was a perfect NYC day!!!!!

2012 Marathon countdown begins for me!!!! 52 weeks to go!!!!!

Namaste…

I didn’t want to finish…

2011-10-14T15:14:00.001-04:00

Hey loves!!! It’s been a while since I posted but I had to catch you up on my latest endeavor.

As most of you know, I have been training for my first half marathon and it hasn’t been an easy task…between foot, hip, and pelvis pain; I didn’t know if I could actually do it.

Even though I had all these doubts, I still prepared for the big day and picked up all my running essentials….

The big day arrived on Sunday and I felt pretty good and optimistic! My friend and I headed into the city, to catch the ferry to Staten Island…we were participating in the NYRR Staten Island Half Marathon…

We arrived to the terminal and felt like sardines in a can…can you say Chaotic???

They were not really prepared for all these people so they had to send 2 extra ferries to accommodate all the runners...

After what seemed like forever, we finally boarded our ferry…

I loved seeing all these runners in one place!

Hey there pretty lady!!!!

We arrived at Staten Island 20 minutes after the race started and had to rush over the start mat before it was removed…

I was feeling good but something went horribly wrong in mile 3…I felt like someone was stabbing me in my knee. I was so scared of putting pressure on my left foot that I was over compensating with my right and ended up injuring myself. I tried to push through but the pain was so unbearable. Every time I tried to run, it only lasted a couple of minutes and had to start walking again. I was starting to feel discouraged and did everything I could to hold my tears back…I was way behind the pack and felt like a failure.

At mile 9, I had to jump out of the race and run into a store to get advil…but I jumped right back and kept on going. By mile 10, my camelbak completely ran out of water…did I forget to mention that it was abnormally warm that day? At mile 11, I turn to the guy next to me and joke “Sooooo how much are you hating Staten Island right now?” he joked back “I am never coming back here again!”…

As I was arriving to Mile 12, I wanted to quit but then I saw something that I was not expecting…my mom, sister, and homefries cheering for me…tears started to stream down my face not because I was in so much pain but because there they were…the backbone of who I am. I ran to my sister and started to cry and muttered “I am in so much pain…” she told me that she knew but I only had 1 more mile to go and I could do it..I waved bye and continued on…

I kept going and I could see the finish line and then I saw myself running right through it!

After I crossed the finished I broke down in tears and hobbled over to the medic tent, to get my knee wrapped and iced..

Ouch!!!

I then took a picture with homefries!!! Isn’t she getting soooooo freaking tall???

And just like that…I completed my first half marathon! (Official time: 2:53:14)

And guess what…I am ONE race away from qualifying for the 2012 Marathon!

Namaste…

7 Down…Two To Go!!!

2011-09-20T13:33:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I participated in the Fitness Mind, Body, Spirit Games!!! I was very excited to run the 4 miler race because I knew that it would bring me one step (pun intended) closer to the NYC 2012 Marathon but then something no bueno happened…I injured my foot while training a client.

The injury occurred on Wednesday evening and I was still limping around on Friday. I did everything that I had to do (R.I.C.E), crossed my fingers and said a little prayer. On Friday, I trained one of my clients who happens to be a nurse and she suggested that I take 4 Motrin's about 30 minutes to 1 hour before my race (I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THIS TO ANYONE)

Saturday morning, I woke up and I honestly could not have asked for better weather conditions…it was a beautiful crisp morning. I wrapped my foot, popped my meds (used advil instead), and drank my sugar free Redbull (hey it’s tradition at this point ha) and headed into the city with my family and friend who was also participating in the race.

When the race started, I still had pain on my foot but I focused on just getting it done. I decided to leave my music at home so that I could feed off the energy of the other runners and spectators…I love the sound of thousand of feet, hitting the pavement. During the run, I kept reciting “I WANT IT. I WANT IT. I REALLY REALLY WANT IT” (thanks IntenSati!) this way I could focus on the something positive instead of thinking “ouch this hurts…is it over yet"?”

I was able to keep a steady pace through out the race

Official NYRR TIME: 41:07 10:17 Pace

Was it my best time? NO…Was it my worst? Nope! Am I happy? VERY!!!!!

7 down and 2 more to go!!!!!

Namaste…

Recovery and Regeneration…

2011-09-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

As most of you know, I am getting ready for my 1/2 Marathon (less than a month away) and I am always looking for great running information. You might remember, about a year ago I attended a Lululemon workshop which was lead by Brett Cohen, whom was VERY insightful and I even posted one of his earlier articles on my blog…and here I am doing it again…Enjoy!

Recovery and Regeneration: A Runner’s Secret Weapon-By Brett Cohen

Fall in the Northeast is the time for half and whole marathons: The Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon on September 18th, Hamptons Half on September 24th, Grete’s Great Gallop on October 1, Chicago Marathon on October 9th, and the grandaddy of them all-The ING New York City Marathon on November 6th, 2011.

A typical training program for events like these can be 12-16 weeks in length and while all training programs advise you how often to run (frequency), how far to run (distance), and how fast to run (pace), most do not tell you what you should be doing when you’re not running in order to recover from your hard training. In other words, what you should be doing to accelerate the repair of your muscles and other soft tissues from all that running!

The Mighty Marathon

The modern marathon is a phenomenon even beyond the wildest dreams of the father of the modern marathon, Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City Marathon. The NYC Marathon began in 1970 with 55 finishers. The 2010 version of the same race had 45,103 finishers!

The Running USA organization estimated that a total of 507,000 runners finished a marathon in 2010 compared to 173,000 in 1980. If only the economy could grow at that pace!

The Injured Runner

While these numbers are great news for running shoe and clothing companies and the municipalities that sponsor them, they have also become a major source of income for orthopedic surgeons and physical therapist trying to bandage up those who venture to participate is these types of endurance events without being truly “Ready to Run”.

A Runner’s World.com poll revealed that 66% runner’s suffered from training related injures. Research has shown that 6 out of every 10 females that begin a distance training program will eventually become injured! Those are high percentages! I wish I had those odds at the casinos -- I would take up gambling....

Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run, said in a podcast, “Talk to a runner, I guarantee that within 30 seconds the conversation will turns to injury.”

So why are so many runners getting injured? First, most begin a training program without having the physical pre-requisites needed to run safely, second, they have muscles imbalances that can lead to injury due to the repetitive nature of endurance sports and third: most are unaware of the importance of recovery & regeneration. The things they can and should be doing on the days they are not running that helps the body rebound from all the training they do.

Recovery & Regeneration

So what is recovery and regeneration anyway? Well, basically it’s the repair of muscles and other soft tissue from training.

As runners we tend to measure how effectively we’ve trained by how sore we are a day or two after a race or hard workout. But what runner’s often don’t realize is that their body improves and adapts to the stress of those workouts only with sufficient rest and recovery. Without sufficient rest and recovery your body will not reap the benefits of all your hard training.

Typically runners will do one of two things after a race or workout: 1) either put themselves through another workout, or 2) nothing at all. So in order to recovery effectively we must first change our mindset (a set of beliefs or way of thinking that determines one’s behavior, outlook and mental attitude).

When you want to recover from the stresses of life and work you go on vacation -- a time to get away, to rejuvenate, regenerate. This takes planning. “When will you go, where will you go, how long will you go for?”

Think of the recovery & regeneration process the same way. Recovery & Regeneration is what you are doing when you’re not running and it takes planning.

Who Needs Sleep?

In a song title “Who Needs Sleep?” made famous by the musical group The Barenaked Ladies, the answer is: YOU DO!

Most of us are walking around sleep deprived as it is, but sufficient sleep is even more essential for those training for endurance events. Intense training and lack of sleep don’t make good training partners. Sleep is the most important factor in the recovery process. It’s when you’re sleeping that your body works to repair muscle stress that had occurred during exercise.

How much do we need? Well, individual needs vary but most would agree that intense training requires between 7 - 9 hours per night. Deena Kastor, American long-distanc e runner holding records in half and marathon distances gets as much as 12 hour/night during training.

But it’s not just how much sleep but when you sleep that’s important. Our physiology is still the same as our ancient ancestors that lived by the natural rhythms of the sun, moon and seasons. But today we have artificial light available to us 24/7. Light stimulates the release of cortisol, an awakening hormone, that can disrupt our ability to fall asleep on time. The body does its physical repair from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. so the later you go to sleep the less time your body has for tissue repair which eventually will lead to decreased performance, tissue breakdown, and injury!

Self-Myofascial Release

Aside from sufficient sleep the next most important thing a runner can do to facilitate the recovery of muscles and other soft tissue is self-myofascial release. SMR is self-directed massage of the bodies soft tissues (myo = muscle) and fascia.

Fascia is comprised of mostly water and two kinds of protein, collagen and elastin. Fascial tissue permeates the entire body and envelops all the structures of the body. It is the unifying factor of the body’s movement system, which means that practically speaking muscle and fascia are one.

According to fascial expert Thomas Myers,“muscles are the engine of movement, fascia is the medium of movement.” Fascia is what transfers force throughout the body. So when we are training our muscles we are training our fascia as well.

Fascia accumulates tension from overuse which ultimately leads to decreased flexibility and mobility in the body. The accumulated tension of exercise creates what manual therapists:(Massage therapists, Active-Release therapists and Rolfers) refer to as “adhesions,” “knots,” or “trigger points”. But most of us don’t have manual therapists available to us on a whim so we must rely on SMR both before and after exercise to treat this most important tissue.

SMR release is a great barometer of the quality of your muscles and connective tissue. The more uncomfortable the process of rolling is, the more that tissue needs to be kneaded.

Summary

Recovery is the limiting factor in performance, especially for endurance athletes. In order to survive the training (not just the event), runners need to become more aware of what they can and should be doing on non-training days. Regeneration is a then a recognition that we need to plan ways to recover, mentally and physically. Recovery can be passive; in that we exert no effort, e.g. sleep or active; meaning we are participants in the process, e.g. self-myofascial release. As athletes we need to be aware that when train our muscles we are also training our fascia. So we must become more conscious about how to keep it healthy and resilient. The soft tissues of the body must be worked regularly to maintain healthy, pain-free movement. Regeneration through tissue manipulation is crucial for the body to experience the gains made through training.

Brett’s Bottom Line:

The better and more rapidly you recover, the more quickly your body adapts to the stress of exercise and the sooner you can do another quality workout.

About the Author

Brett Cohen is a sports perfo rmance coach, author, lecturer, seven time marathoner and creator of “Ready to Run”, a comprehensive conditioning program specifically designed for runners and endurance athletes.

(917) 596-8485/imakeufit@hotmail.com

www.integratedtrainingsystems.com

Thanks Brett!!!

Namaste…

Naked Running….

2011-09-06T10:25:00.001-04:00

Did that get your attention?!?!

Sorry for being MIA, I have been going through some personal things for the past couple of weeks (if we are friends on FB you might have an idea, what I am talking about) and just had no urge to post. But here I am…I can never stay away too long from you guys.

Work has been going great…I love what I do so I can’t complain…okay maybe I do when I am at the gym for over 13 hours but I digress.

And since I don’t have enough things on my plate…I decided to add one more…I am officially studying to become a Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach!

And I have the best Study Partner….

But just like his mommy…he suffers from ADD and rather play

or lay on my lap and yell at me to stop studying…

He is the best!!

Now back to my blog title….

My 1/2 marathon is just a month away and my training has been far from great…I have been emotionally and physically wiped out and sometimes the last thing I want to do is put on my sneakers and go for a run, and yesterday was no different. I had a 9 mile run scheduled and my plan was to wake up at 5 am and try to knock it out before heading to the gym…but seriously who am I trying to kid? My bum was too scared to go out at the time for a run so instead I hit snooze and cuddled with my baby.

After working at the gym, I came home and kept thinking of every excuse NOT to run and it almost worked but then around 8pm I read Jess’s latest post “Say it Do it” and it was just what I needed to get my ass out the house.

And I also did something that I have never done before…I left my music at home!! Jess and I actually had a discussion about this the other day and I decided to try it out, especially since it was dark out and I wanted to be aware of my surroundings. I must admit, I enjoyed running “naked”…I got to focus on my breathing and soaked in the sounds of nature….wind blowing…crickets..people playing dominoes in their backyard etc.

And I am happy to say that I ran my longest distance EVER! My pelvis area was hurting but I kept on going…towards the end, I kept reciting what I tell my clients “You Got This!”

Namaste…

Capture Memories With Easy Canvas

2011-08-25T07:31:00.001-04:00

A few months back, I was contacted by Megan of Build A Sign / Easy Canvas in regards to creating a cheering sign for my races but unfortunately this was right around the same time that I started my new job so I never got around to creating one. Things happen for a reason because a few weeks ago, Megan contacted me again and this time she mentioned their Canvas Prints and I fell in love with them instantly after seeing them on other blogs….

I loved the idea of transferring a picture of mine onto canvas and displaying it in my home.

The first step was to choose a size and I went with 8x11…

Step 2 was the hardest because since I am a blogger, I have WAY too many pictures to choose from. At first I was toying with the idea of making an inspirational design to motivate me when I start to train for my marathon but then I decided to choose a family photo instead…

I chose this one, which was taken last Thanksgiving…

Homefries, Sis, Mom, and Me

Step 3, was to choose my border…I went with Image wrap…two of the other options were mirror wrap or a colored border…

I received my easy canvas print ayer and I couldn’t be happier with the end result…

Even though Easy Canvas provided me with this product, I am no way bias and my opinions are my own…and I can honestly say that I loved it!

Namaste…

I have a Groin?

2011-08-02T12:58:00.001-04:00

For some reason, whenever I hear that someone pulled a groin…I always assume that it was a male. It sounds like such a masculine injury and I connect it to “bathing suit spot” (thanks babe for using this term ha). Wrong.

Here is some info about it courtesy of About.com

Pain in the groin is often the result of a groin (adductor muscle) pull or strain. This is similar to any other type of pulled or strained muscle, but it occurs when the the adductors (muscles in the inner thigh) are stretched beyond their limits. This can result in small muscle tears that cause pain and swelling. The groin muscles include the adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, pectineus, and gracilis.

The adductors are fan-like muscles in the upper thigh that pull the legs together when they contract. They also help stabilize the hip joint. The adductors attach from the pelvis to the femur (thigh bone).

souce

Now you might be wondering why am I boring you with this. Because I think I have pulled mine =(. For the past couple of weeks, I have been having a nagging pain on the left side of my abdomen and since I have PCOS, I just assumed it was a pain in my ovary. Then I started to notice that the pain would worsen when I would walk and even far worse when I would run. Now remember, I also have Plantar Fasciitis on my left foot (also on right but not as bad) so I am sure that this has something to do with the pain.

The first advice that they give to people who are suffering from this, is to stop working out. Well, I am training for my half marathon so I can’t even fathom the idea of sitting around. I will continue to do my training but I will incorporate a lot of walking breaks but still try to stick to the miles that I have to hit each week.

I will also start to include a lot more stretching (as well as icing the area) in my cool-down…like this one…

source

and this…

source

This morning I was supposed to run 4 miles but the pain started up and I ended up jogging/walking 3.6 miles instead.

I also purchased Dr Scholl’s Massaging Gel Sport and hope that they help ease the impact during my runs…

Hopefully these simple changes will help me get back to normal and keep on running.

Namaste…

Gut Check…

2011-08-01T11:42:00.001-04:00

Hey Loves! I am sorry that I have been MIA, I am home sick and decided to catch up with you guys! Can you believe that in 2009, I posted 40 times In July and in 2010, I posted 16…can you guess how many times I blogged this July? 3!!!!! That is not acceptable! I know the circumstances are different…I went from working at an office setting where I was able to post during the day, to working at a gym where I have 0 internet access (except my phone). Also I went from snapping pictures of all of my eats to barely bringing out my camera and honestly. I miss that the most! I miss sharing my eats and workouts with you guys and I want to get back on track. New Month means a fresh start!!!!

July Challenge Updates

In July I had a couple of goals…how did I do?

Yoga Challenge: “For the month of July, I will do a minimum of 25 minutes of Yoga, 4 times a week.“ Out of 31 days, I managed to do Yoga 14 times and it varied from 1 hour to 20 minutes. Did I reach my goal? Nope but I am pretty happy with what I did.

Detox Challenge: “Starting tomorrow, I will be doing the detox phase of the Fat Smash Diet (In the first phase of the Fat Smash Diet, food choices should be eaten raw, grilled or steamed. Fats are limited to a maximum of 3 tablespoons, with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil per day. Allowed foods include unlimited fruits and vegetables (except white potatoes or avocado), chickpeas, lentils, tofu, and beans. It also permits limited amounts of brown rice; low-fat, skim, or soy milk; oatmeal; low-fat yogurt; egg whites; and herbal tea. This is the total menu for nine days.)”. This challenge lasted 9 days and I managed to stick with it! I did a lot of cooking at home…even during a heat wave!

I don’t really have any goals for August, besides training for my half marathon and not letting things get in the way of it. I also want to stick with my healthy eats, 90 percent of the time….and of course keep on doing some Yoga, a minimum of 1-2 times a week oh and the most important one….BLOGGING!

Do you have any goals for this month?

Before I go, here are a few pictures of my Baby Zen

Namaste….

Namaste Zen…

2011-07-19T13:13:00.004-04:00

This post has nothing to do with food or fitness lol. Tomorrow is my birthday but since I was a good girl or maybe a big brat…whichever you choose ha, I got one gift a little early!!

On Sunday Nik calls me and tells me to get ready because he needs my help with something and then he says “bring your lease and don’t ask me why” Strange…

I come downstairs and he says “I wanted this to be a surprise but we are going to get you a dog today!” ::Smiling Mari!::

We head to Long Island and go to North Shore Animal League to adopt our pup…

Our Values:
Preserve and enhance the lives of shelter pets through rescue efforts that remove them from harm’s way
Advance the highest standards in animal welfare to create a more humane world for companion animals
Sustain our no-kill policy, working tirelessly to nurture and heal the physical and emotional wounds of animals in our care, to restore the high quality of life and dignity that they deserve
Speak for mixed breed animals—Mutt-i-grees®—to elevate their status, increase acceptance and reduce euthanasia
Inspire the next generation to be more compassionate and to understand that adopting a shelter pet is the right choice
Organize a global network of partners that share our goals and continue to provide them with resources and innovative techniques to save lives
Nurture relationships that bond people with shelter pets

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with this place…I remember clipping out the advertisement in the TV Guide and taking it to my dad “Daddy can we pweeeeease go and get a pet”

We arrived at North Shore and instantly my heart breaks for all of these animals…If I had a huge farm (and dinero); I would adopt all of them!

After looking around, I started to think about how unfair it would be for the puppy that I chose; since I have been working crazy hours at the gym. So we then headed to where the cats were and anyone that knows me knows that I am a dog person and am actually nervous around cats (bad experiences when I was child) but I am an animal lover…and they all deserve a home.

Nik and I liked one kitty but she wasn’t having it so we put her back…and then we kept searching and came across this beautiful specimen!

Love at first sight!!!!

I instantly loved him and even called him “Myshee”…when I saw him, they were playing “My Sharona” on the radio and I kept saying “mysheeeeee”

After what seemed like forever (more like 2-3 hours)…North Shore calls two references and also your landlord (if you rent) to make sure the pet goes to a safe home…WE WERE APPROVED!

I don’t really know much about kittens/cats so Nik warned me that he may act up on the car ride because they hate not knowing what is going on around them but he was quite the opposite. He was chilling on my lap and loving the ride…I was like “wow you are so zen right now”.

We got home and let him roam around and he made his home, underneath the couch…

He started to roam around my apartment…

But stayed hidden for most of the day…

Nik and I discussed his name and even called my sister for a third opinion…and we all decided that it should be “ZEN!”

Thanks babes for bringing some Zen into my life!!!!! Since I am a “NYC Girl trying to find her Zen”

Namaste…

Five Napkin Burger…

2011-07-12T12:29:00.001-04:00

So what does a vegetarian do on a Saturday night? Go to a burger joint with her boyfriend!

It was a beautiful evening on Saturday so Nik and I decided to check out a carnival in Astoria Park.

After the carnival we decided to walk around Astoria, Queens and we found our way to 5 Napkin Burger.

I have been dying to try this restaurant but I was a little hesitant at the same time. First I don’t eat meat so I was scared that my choices would be limited and then second, I was still doing detox so I was scared that they would be VERY limited.

Here is some info about 5 Napkin:

In 2003, Andy D’Amico and Simon Oren opened Nice Matin on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Since opening night, no dish has been more popular than the “5 Napkin Burger.” The dish has been so popular, in fact, that with partner Robert Guarino, D’Amico and Oren decided to give the burger its own stage in Hell’s Kitchen.

The 5 Napkin Burger is 10 ounces of fresh ground chuck topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and a rosemary aioli. In addition to the house burger, the menu features six other burgers: cheddar bacon, Italian turkey, lamb kofta burger, veggie burger, inside out burger and a burger salad.

At its core, 5 Napkin Burger is a great neighborhood restaurant. We have rounded out the burger section of the menu with a broad array of dishes that appeal to anyone in any group. Our menu offers hand-crafted sushi, appetizer and entree salads and a full selection of entrees.

The 5 Napkin menu has a lot to offer. The hardest question might be what to drink with your meal. Guests can choose from 50 beers, 100 wines and 10 specialty cocktails. Our atmosphere is casual and fun, so whatever you choose to eat or drink, be ready to enjoy yourself.

The minute we walked in, I instantly loved the atmosphere…I felt like we were in a Match.com commercial lol

After reviewing the menu, I decided to get the Veggie burger which came with 5N sauce, b&b pickles, lettuce & tomato, multi grain roll (but I skipped the roll and had it on lettuce instead).

I am so picky when it comes to veggie burgers but this was honestly one of the best that I ever had. It was so good that I had to ask the manager what was in it it and it turns out that it was made with beets, carrots etc. It was deeeelish. Of course I had to pair it with Sweet Potato fries which were also delicious.

Nik ordered the Cheddar Burger (minus the bacon) with a side of fries…which he also enjoyed.

We weren’t planning to get dessert but I ran into someone that I knew who happened to work there so the manager brought dessert out to us.

This was amazing! It had whipped cream, ice-cream, brownie, nuts, caramel, and some sort of coffee mixture poured over it. I loved it!

Will I go back to 5 Napkin?? Hell yeah and next time, I will enjoy the onion rings!

Challenge Updates…

2011-07-06T11:45:00.001-04:00

Hey loves! Happy Hump Day!!!!! It is disgusting in NY…it feels like a dog is breathing in your face when you walk outside the door. So what do you when you have a run planned and it is super hot??? Go for a run at 4:30 in the morning! I won’t normally do this but since I passed out last night around 7ish, I woke up this morning full of energy…I had a 7am client so it was now or never. I have to admit that it was pretty scary to run at that time but I stayed on the main streets and also carried my mace. Sidenote; if you ever go for a run and someone tries to abduct you, scream out “FIRE” instead of help…people tend to pay attention when they hear “fire” (I learned this in one of my running books)

Challenge Updates….

What was I thinking doing a detox challenge on July 4th weekend??? I managed to stay on track during all the weekend festivities. My only slip up was at my boyfriend’s bbq…my sister brought Toasted Garden Veggie Wheat Thins

Source

which I enjoyed with Garden Cream Cheese…

Source

It could have been much worse so I am okay with this little slip up. I have been enjoying a variety of veggies these past couple of days…

2nd Challenge!

I am also doing a Yoga Challenge and so far I have done 4 Yoga practices and I plan to do another one today. I have been downloading some workouts from Yoga Download…I tried one for runners and also a power vinyasa session. This is a great site if you are looking to try out some new yoga practices. You can download the 20 minute session for free!!!

How are your challenges going???

Namaste…

July Challenges…

2011-06-30T11:25:00.001-04:00

Hey my loves!!!!!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far! I have been working hard but also enjoying my days off with my family and boyfriend…hence my lack of posts (sorry)

I have also been enjoying a few too many goodies and I am in need of a serious detox…. Which brings me to my July Challenge!

Starting tomorrow, I will be doing the detox phase of the Fat Smash Diet

source

Here is some info about Phase one, courtesy of Webmd

The Fat Smash Diet: What You Can Eat

The Fat Smash Diet is a 90-day program divided into four phases. Smith is adamant about not counting calories in this plan. The only calories you'll see are associated with the more than 50 recipes.

Phase 1 of the plan is a nine-day "detox" period designed to cleanse the impurities from your system and rid you of all your bad habits, so you can begin to prepare your "temple." Calories are significantly reduced and water is used to flush the body. You are told to eat four to five meals, whether you're hungry or not. Skipping meals is not allowed at any phase.

In the first phase of the Fat Smash Diet, food choices should be eaten raw, grilled or steamed. Fats are limited to a maximum of 3 tablespoons, with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil per day. Allowed foods include unlimited fruits and vegetables (except white potatoes or avocado), chickpeas, lentils, tofu, and beans. It also permits limited amounts of brown rice; low-fat, skim, or soy milk; oatmeal; low-fat yogurt; egg whites; and herbal tea. This is the total menu for nine days.

The hardest part for me will be to give up bread etc. but I saw great results when I tried this a few years ago so I am hopeful. The only thing that I refuse to give up is coffee….I need energy!

Another thing that I have been lacking in my life is Yoga which bring me to my next Challenge….For the month of July, I will do a minimum of 25 minutes of Yoga, 4 times a week.

(this is an ooooold picture, but I love it!)

Don’t think that I forgot about running!!!! Last week I started my half marathon training and it looks like this…

Today I ran 3 miles and the weather was perfect and I could tell the difference in my splits!

Splits:
1 00:10:38 1.00 10:38
2 00:10:41 1.00 10:41
3 00:09:55 1.00 09:55

Usually by the last mile, I am dragging my heels but look how fast (for me) I was!

Do you have any challenges for July?????

Namaste…

Portugal Day Race and Father’s Day

2011-06-21T18:02:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!!! =) I wanted to take some time before writing this post…I didn’t want my raw emotions to take over and set a negative tone.

I will start this by saying that this was not by any means my best race, in fact it was my worse pace thus far. But will it stop me from racing again? HELL NO!

At my last race, I experienced some dehydration so I wanted to prepare a little better and stocked up on some Coconut Water…

Here is some info about Zico, courtesy of their website:

ZICO contains the five essential electrolytes that gives your body everything it needs to stay hydrated and perform at your best. One ZICO has more potassium than a banana – 15 times more than most sports drinks – to prevent cramping. Drink ZICO before or during a workout for the natural energy you need for optimal performance. After a workout, ZICO replenishes and re-hydrates you to speed recover

I am going to be honest, I felt really cocky about this race…I just did a 10K so I thought “I got this”. I also heard from other runners that were also doing this race, that the course was going to be mostly flat which made me even more confident.

I arrived at central park on time and worked my way to my Corral….

The race started and once again, I controlled my pace during the first mile. It took a little bit for my legs to get warmed up but I still felt confident: 10:16

When the 2nd mile rolled around, I felt even better and hauled ass, I flew up and down the hills like I was running from the bulls (wait that’s Spain not Portugal…moving on): 9:40

Once I hit mile 3, I was done…I was not in the right frame of mind….I didn't get enough sleep the night before because of some personal things and that totally took a toll on my body.

Mile 3 was 11:10 and mile 4 was a little bit more of the same 11:26 and by mile 5. I was at 11:05….

I have to be honest here, by Mile 4, I wanted to quit…I felt my eyes watering up and I felt discouraged and mad at myself. I did everything right the day before…I carbed up…drank plenty of water…I kept sipping my coconut water during the race but my mind was not there and without being there mentally…you can’t really perform at you best, physically.

This may not have been my best race but you know what…it was one step closer to my ultimate goal which is the 2012 Marathon and here is some even better news…I only have 3 more races to go and I will officially be qualified. So yea, I didn’t do my best but hey guess what? I still crossed that finish line!

After the race, I hung out with my friend Wanda (she volunteered at the race) and we visited some of the vendors and took in some rays…

We even took a picture in front of a green screen to pretend that we were in Portugal..note to self: DON’T EVEN WEAR A GREEN SHIRT INFRONT OF A GREEN SCREEN! classic lol

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After the race, I headed back to Queens and went to visit my dad for father’s day….We played some darts and some of us were better than others hahaha….I was NOT one of the better ones haha

I look like I am tossing one of those heavy disks at the Olympics…

my dad is a pro at this…

Nik was perfecting his form…

Homefries gave it a whirl too…

and loved it!

At the end of the day; trying your best (for that moment) is all that matters…If it’s a race or a game of darts with your family. And of course have fun while you are doing it!

Namaste…

Peanut Butter Hummus…

2011-06-15T13:17:00.001-04:00

I have a secret to tell you….I am not a big fan of raw carrots. Whenever I eat them, I make a really bad sour face and scare little children away lol. I know they are good for me so I am determined to include them in my diet.

I went online and starting to look for recipes for hummus so that I can pair it with the carrots and after looking and looking…I came up with

PEANUT BUTTER HUMMUS!

Ingredients

Can of Chickpeas

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

2 tbsps of Creamy peanut butter

Lemon Juice to taste

tbsp or more of Minced Garlic

I didn’t take exact measurements but I promise you, it is really easy to make.

First I drained the can of chickpeas (poured liquid in cup to use later)

I then combined the Chickpeas and minced Garlic in a bowl

And made it nice it creamy…I used some of the reserved liquid from the can to help me smooth it out…

I then added peanut butter, salt, lemon juice (I used two lemons…I like it zesty), and EVOO

and mixed it all up together…

I chilled it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then enjoyed it with baby carrots…

It was deeeelish!!!! This would taste great with any veggie!

Namaste…

NYRR Mini 10K

2011-06-11T16:17:00.001-04:00

Hello my loves!!!!!!! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!!

Guess what I did today? I RAN MY FIRST 10K!!!!!!!!!! I participated in NYRR’s Mini 10

I started to prep for my race last night, and when I say prepping; I mean bothering Nik to make me a playlist (his music library is BANANAS!)

It only seemed right to kick off Mile 1 with “Run the World Girls” by Beyonce!!!!!

The Weather Gods were looking down on us and kept it nice and cool…granted the humidity was 96% but hey at least it wasn’t 96 degrees!

Nik came with me (thanks babes!!!!!) and caught some great pictures of the race…

do you spy mari?????

The first mile of the race was slow and steady, I kept reading in various Runner’s World Magazine that you should run your first mile about 2 minutes slower than the pace you wanted to finish with, so I tried to pace myself so I wouldn’t burn out…10:56 Pace

Mile 2: I gained some speed (10:03), I really loved that we started the race on the Streets of NY!

I snapped this picture while I was running =)

I don’t know what hit me but when Mile 3 rolled around, I was on a runners high and flew (must have been my sf redbull haha)…fastest split: 9:52

I guess I used all my energy for mile 3 because 4 was a tad slower and I had to start taking some walking breaks, especially on the hills…10:59

I gained some speed again by Mile 5 and I think it might have had something to do with this little dog cheering for us on the sideline! 10:15

Before I knew it, we were already on our 6th mile and I felt pretty good…and I felt even better when I saw Nik cheering me on! 10:23

And just like that, I completed my first 10K

I was a sweaty mess!)

And I received my first race medal!!!! I was never involved in sports as a kid so this was HUGE for me!

Here is my official time:

I really felt great during my race but after…not so much. I am not sure if it’s because of dehydration but I have been having the worse stomach cramps all day. I have been laying on my couch ever since I got home and took a shower…I hope this feeling goes bye bye.

Overall, I feel really great and I am proud of my accomplishments.

Namaste…

Summer Running Tips & Race Day Jitters…

2011-06-09T22:18:00.001-04:00

Hello my loves!!!! Wow 2 posts in one week….things are looking up haha

I don’t know about your guys but I am laying in an ice bath as I write this post to escape this damn heat…I kid I kid but this heat is nothing to joke about, especially if you are doing outdoor activities.

Here are some tips from ACE on how to remain safe while you are working on your bikini body…

The following strategies will help you protect yourself from the onset of heat illness:

1. Hydration

Fluid replenishment before, during and after exercise is essential to avoid progressive dehydration. Always strive to drink 7 to 10 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Water isn’t the only thing your body loses in sweat. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and chloride are also lost in sweat. It is equally important to replace these with a sports drink during continuous exercise lasting longer than one or two hours.

2. Exercise Intensity

You should probably reduce the intensity of your workout, particularly the first few times you are exposed to higher temperatures.

3. Temperature

High humidity prevents sweat from evaporating, and remember that sweat that does not evaporate does not cool the body. Use the heat stress index to determine the risk of exercising at various combinations of temperature and humidity. While a 90° F outdoor temperature is relatively safe at 10% humidity, the heat stress of 90° F at 50% humidity is the equivalent of 96° F. When the heat stress index rises above 90° F, you may want to consider postponing your exercise session until later in the day. Or, plan ahead and beat the day’s heat by working out early in the morning.

4. Heat Stress Index

When you go outside to exercise, refer to the heat stress index and consider the associated risks:

Below 80° F (27° C): Little or no danger under normal circumstances
80–90° F (27–32° C): Fatigue possible with prolonged exposure
90–105° F (32–41° C): Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible
105–130° F (41–54° C): Heat cramps and heat exhaustion likely, heatstroke is
possible
Over 130° F (54° C): Heatstroke is imminent

5. Fitness

Physical training and heat acclimation can increase your blood volume, helping to regulate body temperature more effectively. Interestingly, the acclimatization process can be completed in seven to 14 days of repeated heat exposure. However, you must always continue to drink fluids before, during and after exercise.

6. Clothing

Wear minimal clothing to provide a greater skin surface area for heat dissipation. Your clothing should be lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored to reflect the sun’s rays and of a material that absorbs water, such as cotton.

7. Rest

Know when to say “no” to exercise. Using common sense is your best bet for preventing heat stress when Mother Nature turns up the heat.

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I just purchased this water bottle to carry with me while I run, I love the fact that it slips right into my hand…

Which will come in handy on Saturday!!!! I am doing my first 10K and I am so happy that I am popping my “10K Cherry” with NYRR’s Mini 10K!!!

Here is a little info about the Mini 10K courtesy of NYRR

The Mini at 40

On June 3, 1972, New York Road Runners staged the world's first road race exclusively for female participants, the 6-mile Crazylegs Mini Marathon. It was a big year for women in the sport: Two months earlier, women ran the Boston Marathon officially for the first time. On June 23, President Nixon signed into law the landmark Title IX legislation, which mandated equal funding for women's sports programs that receive federal aid. In September, the women's 1500 meters was run for the first time at the Olympic Games. The modern era of women's athletics had begun, and the Mini was a big part of it.

This year marks the Mini's 40th running. The event, which has attracted Olympians, World Champions, world record-holders, and a total of more than 150,000 finishers, has been a model for women's road races around the world. Winners have come from Australia, Canada, England, Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, and the United States.

This year, as always, the Mini welcomes women of all ability levels-including the very best in the world.

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I am freaking out a little bit about this race…I am yet to run 6.2 miles straight (farthest distance 5.3). I was planning to do it this morning but by the time I headed out for my run, it was already 80 plus degrees and I barely made it through 2 miles.

I will try to remain positive, hydrated, and happy on Saturday and whatever happens, happens….

How do you beat the summer heat? Do you continue to train outdoors are do you take your training to the air-conditioned gym?

Namaste….

Time Management Fail…

2011-06-06T13:39:00.001-04:00

I can’t believe another week has passed since I last posted…I need to start carving out time in my schedule to post updates and also to read YOUR BLOGS! I have been so bad lately in commenting on your blogs but I have been reading them whenever I get chance, which is usually when I am on the bus heading to the gym lol.

My days have been filled with training other people but I am trying not to neglect myself in the process….

I am still loosely following the Ease into 10K program and I just completed week 9 last week and it looked something like this….

I also started running earlier in the morning because when I don’t my runs look a lot like this…

Short, Slow, and SWEATY!!!!!!! (heat is not my friend)

I also brought some new sneakers to keep my feet happy =)

Asics Gel Kayano 17….

Besides running, I have also been doing some baking/cooking…normal people do this in the winter but I get the baking bug in the summer…

Chocolate and Banana Protein Muffin (recipe)

And of course with the warm weather approaching, I am also craving more burgers…

Boo Yah Black Bean Burgers (recipe)

No matter how busy I am, I still make time for my homefries! This past Friday her school did the Wizard of Oz and she played a flying monkey and she even had lines!

DJ Pose….

Trainer Pose…

I was a proud titi and yes I cried!

Namaste…

Xperience the X…

2011-05-30T22:43:00.001-04:00

No no I am not reviewing a drug lol but I am reviewing an energy drink!

As I mentioned on an earlier post, I have been living off of Sugar Free Red Bulls because I have been working a lot of hours at the gym. I was talking to one of my coworkers about this and she told me that she and her fiancée are actually starting a small business and it so happens to be that they are selling an energy drink!

They are currently distributing XS Energy Drink (you may have heard about them in the news for some other reasons but we won’t get into that here…I am just reviewing the drink) and she offered to give me some to try out!

XS has No sugar. No carbs and LOADED with B vitamins! Most of the cans are only 8 calories and have 100% of B3, B5, B6 AND 4900% of B12!

Now this is all well and good but it doesn’t matter if it tastes like crap because you won’t drink it! Does it? Not at all… I have tried a couple of the flavors from the Assorted Case and these are my favorites already…

I expected this one to be tart because of the Cranberry but it was so refreshing!!! It is by far my favorite….

This one reminded me of the Tropical bag of Skittles

And this one tasted just like Cola soda

I also tried these two…they were not bad by any means but not my favorites…

This was good but had a strange after taste but my friend liked it…

This was okay in flavor but it did give me just the right amount of energy before a run!

Will I purchase these if I saw them in the store next to my beloved redbull??? Definitely…I will start adding them into rotation.

Oh…and did it keep me awake on my 13 hour days? I would usually drink it when I would train 3 – 4 back to back clients and by the end of my last session, I was still energized.

Namaste…

Hmmmm….

2011-05-17T09:46:00.002-04:00

Have you ever written a blog post and had no idea what to make the title? Hence my “Hmmmm…” lol
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week…it has been pouring out here in NYC but I refuse to let some rain ruin my day or even week.
Maybe I am still on a high from all the yummy food that I have been eating….
Last week Nik and I tried this Pizza Place near my house but it is not your regular pizza joint. Dee’s has every kind of pizza that you can think of and if you don’t see it on the menu; you can make it yourself! Here is some info about Dee’s, courtesy of their website:

“In the fall of 1993 I opened Dee’s Brick Oven Pizza, a restaurant featuring authentic wood burning brick oven pizza. The philosophy behind our pizza is that it is authentic, meaning that everything is fresh and natural. To begin with, our oven was crafted by hand, each brick mortared together to form a perfectly domed cooking chamber. The oven is fueled entirely by wood and reaches temperatures of up to 800 degrees to ensure a crisp crust with a moist center. Pizzas can be cooked from start to finish in under four minutes. Toppings for our pizzas start with the freshest ingredients. Our tomato sauce is made of imported plum tomatoes, hand-milled to produce just the perfect texture. Our fresh mozzarella is handmade for us five times a week. All the toppings are market fresh, from the kalamata olives to the artichokes to the roasted red Holland peppers. At DEE’s it’s not just the pizzas! We also feature innovative pastas, great Mediterranean salads, appetizers, and a newly added grill section featuring Angus burgers, Australian lamb chops, Argentian skirt steak, and fresh fish, like our salmon by Dee's or our pan roasted red snapper. I was trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York under the direction of three of the most renowned chefs today, Jacque Pépin (TV personality and author), André Soltner (Lutece), and Alain Shailac (Le Cirque). Under the instruction of these great chefs, I learned the importance of quality, freshness, and attention to detail in food taste and presentation. “

Nik had their 4 cheese pizza…which of course I had to try and I loved it…I am a huge fan of Ricotta cheese

I decided to create my own pie with Whole wheat dough, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Calamari!

This was so freaking good!!!!!

The good food doesn’t stop there…On Saturday, my sister and niece met me at work and we went to California Pizza for lunch.

We all split the hummus platter with Whole Wheat Pita

For my main course, I had half the Miso Shrimp Salad but instead of having the dressing that came with it…I replaced it with Peanut dressing from the Thai Salad

Deeeeelish!

After lunch, we came back to my place and I made us Chocolate and Vanilla fondue with Strawberries, Apples, Pineapples, and Marshmallows…

Which we enjoyed while we watched “Something Borrowed”..perfect “girls night”!

Workout Front..
This week I started Week 8 of Ease into 10K and it consists of 5 minute Warm up, 17 minute run/ 1 min walk 3X, 5 minute cool down. I ended up taking about 3 more walking breaks and during the 4th mile, my sneaker was hurting me a bit so I had to stop to fix it, a couple of times…but I am happy to say that I am up 5 miles!

(Time is a little off because I hit “stop” by mistake)

Besides running. I am also trying to stick to a strength training program. This morning I focused on my upper body and did a lot of arm, back, and core routines such as planks, pushups, russian twists, reverse fly's etc.
I am off to catch up on your blogs…have a great day!
Namaste,,,

Oh How I Have Missed Thee…

2011-05-13T12:39:00.001-04:00

I have been working crazy amounts of hours at the gym and sometimes I feel like a walking zombie…

This has become my new best friend…

Source

I know that I shouldn’t complain about the crazy hours because I am doing what I love and I worked so hard to get here….but I am tired! lol

Now a normal person would sleep in on their day off after working 2, 13 hour days but normal is not something that I claim to be.

This morning my alarm went off at 4:30 and I hit snooze for a few minutes before prying myself out of bed. Now what do you ask, will get me out of bed before sunrise?

Source

You may remember that I did the IntenSati challenge last summer and I have been craving it like WOAH. After looking at my schedule, I realized that the only time I would be able to go to Natalia’s (I love her and I love that she puts me on her guest list!!) class, would be at 6:30 in the morning and that was totally fine with me (that’s how much I love it). Missy spread the word to our IntenSati friends that I would be attending todays class and they were there to greet me!

IntenSati Reunion!!!!!

Missy, Norn, and Me

Me, Norn, And Tiffany

Norn, Tiffany, Missy, Me, and Natalia!

All sweaty after class!

This month’s series is “I am done with the past…and I KNOW it’s going to last!”. Which is exactly how I feel at the moment. Lately, I have been having self doubts about my running and other things in my life. I have to forget what happened in the past and just focus on the right now….Right now I can train and give my best. Right now I can make healthy choices in my diet. Right now I can enjoy the ride…

“My best keeps getting better...I will stay passionate FOREVER!”

Speaking of healthy choices..after class, I ran some errands which included grocery shopping =) I stocked up on lots of veggies and put them to good use for breakfast. I enjoyed egg whites with 2% American Cheese, Onion, Mushrooms, and Spinach on Light Whole Grain Toast

Namaste….

Japan Run 4 Miler Success!!!!

2011-05-09T14:01:00.002-04:00

Do you measure success by scoring a 100 on an exam? Or getting the promotion that you wanted for so long? Or do you measure it on accomplishing something? What about accomplishing something AND having fun at the same time? Because that is exactly what happened this weekend…
Ayer was the NYRR Japan Run and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for a race…the Sky was blue and the sun was shining…

Nik stayed up all night and was so great to come and support me yet again…I really love that he is so supportive of me AND takes fabulous pictures too!
The day before the race, Joanne told me that she running too and we met up right before…

We were all smiles before the race….

At the beginning of the race….

(I told you, he takes great pictures! ha)

I never ran a race with someone (same pace) and honestly, I really enjoyed it! I was not trying to break and records since my foot was still a little messed up and Joanne was also nursing and injury so we helped each other along the way…my only goal was to finish the race and have a good time doing it….

And I did both!!!!!

I completed the race in 43:01….and I am happy with it!

I will leave you with some more pictures that Nik took…

Namaste…

Japan Day; Run For Hope

2011-05-03T13:47:00.001-04:00

Hey loves!!!!!! I hope you guys are having a wonderful day!

This Sunday I will be participating in the NYRR’s Japan Day 4 Miler but due to the horrific events that have occurred in Japan, the race has been declared “Run for Hope”. And the best part is that you don’t have to live in NYC to participate and donate!

Run or Walk Virtually

Register for our Virtual Run or Walk for Hope and pledge to do a 4-mile run or walk between May 1 and May 22, wherever you are. The American Red Cross will receive 100% of the net proceeds of your $40 entry fee, and you'll get one race credit for the ING New York City Marathon 2012 guaranteed-entry program; see our website for complete qualification rules. After you run, submit your time to compare results with other virtual participants.

You can also donate:

Donate Through Crowdrise

NYRR is asking all runners, friends, and family (I am adding bloggers to this list lol) to visit Crowdrise to make a donation to the American Red Cross Japanese Relief efforts. Their suggested donation is at least $20. All net proceeds will help the people of Japan, and NYRR will match the donation, up to $25,000.

My foot is still injured and I have not ran since last week but I am hoping that by Sunday, I will be 100 percent and IF I have to walk it, I will!

Source

Namaste…

Dance Party for Parkinson’s

2011-04-29T12:07:00.001-04:00

One of the things that I love love love about the internet is that it connects you with such great people. Ayer I wrote about how much my foot was hurting me and I even posted on twitter “Any Podiatrists looking to do pro bono work” and honestly I did not think that anyone would contact me….I WAS WRONG!!!!

I was contacted by Dr Alec O Hochstein who has a practice here in NY and also the creator of the iPhone Application iPodiatrist. Dr. Hochstein runs the practice with his wife Dr. Beth Hochstein but unfortunately she is not able to practice at the moment because she was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's disease. Instead of throwing her hands up in the air and giving up; she joined Team Fox and has been devoting her time to this cause.

Here she is talking about it on NY Fox News

And also on News 12

This Sunday they will be hosting a great event “Dance Party for Parkinson’s”

And ALL the proceeds will be going to Team Fox. It will be held at Club Pacha and the event will include amazing dance performances, face painting, balloon sculpting, and many more surprises!

If you are in the NYC area, come check it out! and if not, you can also go on the site and make a donation.

Namaste…

Runner’s Depression

2011-04-28T11:29:00.001-04:00

People always talk about Runner’s High…you know that feeling when you finish a race and beat your PR or perhaps ran an extra mile or even block on your morning run OR even when you walk into your house and you are drenched with sweat and think “YEAH I DID THAT!” but no one really talks about Runner’s Depression. And sadly that is what I am experiencing right now.

Two days ago, I experienced a really sharp pain on the outside of my right foot and ever since then, I have been limping around like a damn gimp. And it didn’t help that ayer I was on my feet for over 13 hours at the gym (sidenote: I have 2 more clients…bringing me up to 5!). But one perk of working there is becoming friends with one of the physical therapists who checked my foot ayer…it turns out that the pain is coming all the way from my calf and trickling down the back of my ankle and down to my foot. He suggested that I take one (or more) week off from running and when he said those words, I thought I was going to cry right then and there.

This morning, I woke up and it felt like it was better but after a couple of steps, the pain rushed back. Unfortunately, at the moment I do not have Insurance so I am left with self diagnosing and thankfully I was able to rule out that this is NOT a recurring pain. I remembered that last year, my foot was injured but for the life of me, I could not remember which one it was BUT thankfully because of blogging, I was able to find out that it was my left foot.

But I was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis about 3 years ago on this foot so perhaps it is all related, but wouldn’t the pain be near the back of my foot by the heel?

I know that people are going through a lot more important things and I am being a brat at the moment but I am seriously suffering from runner’s depression.

So here I am with a race just over 1 week away and I know that I HAVE to complete it (for the marathon) but will I be able to run it"? How can I run when I can’t even walk one block without being in pain?

Have you ever suffered from Runner’s Depression? How did you cope?

Namaste…

Training Program and Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

2011-04-25T23:21:00.001-04:00

Hey loves! I hope everyone is having a great day. I am not usually a fan of Mondays but for some reason, I feel really good today. I feel like today is a fresh start as corny as that may sound.

This weekend was pretty good…It started with my mom’s birthday which was on Thursday. For her birthday din din, my mom wanted to go to Outback Steakhouse….

We started off with bread…

Seared Ahi Tuna

And of course the Onion Bloom…I KNOW this is one of the worse things to eat but we don’t eat it every day and we split it amongst the table so I feel 0 guilt! =)

Lately, I have stopped ordering soda when I go to eat and ask for Sparkling Water instead…

For my main course, I ordered the I had the grilled Mahi with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, green onions, and light lemon sauce

And a side of Green Beans

This was a really great meal….mostly because of the company!

My sister and homefries…

Me and my mommy

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Ease Into 10K Week 7

Today I started week 7 and it consisted of 5 minute warm up, 15 minute run/1 minute walk 3X, and 5 minute cool down. Today was a tad hard and it was a combination of things…over indulging over the weekend on food….the humidity….and of course all the damn hills! Can you believe one of steepest hills is 177 feet (thanks to my gps, now I know this ha)

This is what my splits looked like…miles 2,3,4 were mostly in the park and 1 & 5 were to and from the park.

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Personal Training Update….I officially have 3 clients! and one of them already brought more sessions with me. Such a good feeling! =)

The only drawback would have to be having dinner at 10:30 at night on some evenings…

Todays din din was Egg whites with 2% Cheddar cheese, Mushrooms, Onions, with 1/2 a lemon potato….

Well I am off to tackle a mountain of pots and pans…ANOTHER drawback…having to do dishes when I finish cooking a late din din. Why can’t I be the girl who does not mind going to bed with dirty dishes???? I just hate the thought of having to wake up and see them there…such a crappy way to start the day (chaos is no bueno)

Random Pregunta of the day…Can you go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink?

Namaste…

Mojo, Where Did You Go???

2011-04-20T13:31:00.001-04:00

Hey loves!!!!! Thank you for all the sweet comments on my previous post! I really had a great time at my race but ever since then, I have had ZERO urge to go outside for a run. I can’t pinpoint what exactly caused this but for the past couple of days when I am supposed to run, I talk myself out of it. I don’t know where my mojo went…

I was supposed to go run today but instead, I sat on the couch and tried to talk myself out of it yet again. “it’s too cold. my leg hurts. I don’t wanna!”. I sat down and had breakfast and after 1 hour, I got dressed and headed out…sometimes you just HAVE TO DO IT! and I am so happy that I did!

Today I started Week 6 of the Ease Into 10K Program and it consisted of 5 minute warm up, 10 minute run/1 minute walk 4X, and 5 minute cool down. I ran on the streets and worked my way to the park…I love sneaking in some Hill work. These were my splits:

I felt so great after my run and enjoyed some nice yoga stretches when I was done…Stretching is SO important and most people forget to to do it or just don’t want to…STRETCH PEOPLE! Avoid injury =)

Protein Intake

When I lost weight a few years ago, my nutritionist would make me do back to back protein days (only two days a week) and I remember how well it worked for me so I have been trying to incorporate that into my “diet”.

I have been enjoying more egg whites…

Scrambled….

Mini Frittatas…

Cottage cheese mixed with Protein Powder, Peanut Butter, and some type of fruit….

And of course my green monster with protein powder…

I am scared of getting tired of eating the same things so I am looking for any protein suggestions (No Meat of course)…thanks!!!!

Namaste….

Take It All In (NYRR Run For The Parks 4 Miler)

2011-04-17T15:39:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone!!!!! I hope you guys are having a great weekend! I just came back from my race and I feel GREAT!

Today’s race was the NYRR City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks 4 Miler.

I woke up at 5:45, showered, got dressed, and then Nik dropped me off at the train station,where I met my friend Wanda from the gym; who was also running the race.

We made our way to Central Park and we couldn’t have asked for a better day for a race…it was sunny, breezy, and around 55 degrees…perrrrrrrrrfect!

We made our way through the crowds….and couldn’t wait to start!

Wanda was excited!

I was all smiles!

Before I knew it, it was time to go and honestly I loved every part of this race. I am not saying that it was easy but I still loved it! Whenever I felt like giving up, I would repeat “I am a f’ing runner”. I welcomed every uphill and loved every downhill.

At one point; I had a little bit of trouble going up one of the hills and kept looking down at the ground while I was running. An older man who was volunteering noticed me and said “You look great..Take it All in” and at the moment I stopped caring so much about breaking my PR and looked up and smiled. I even imagined myself running down that very road in 2012 when I do the marathon…

These are my splits:

During the 3rd mile, I stopped to get some water…Kind of regret stopping lol.

According to NYRR these are my numbers…

And guess what? I still broke my PR! I beat my last 4 miler by 16 seconds (NYRR Time)….

After the race, I came home and was surprised by this…(Thanks babes!)

If you look close at the note he wrote “fruit salad in fridge for breakfast”

Which I enjoyed with 1% cottage cheese and Fiber One Cereal…

I will leave you with this picture that I snapped of the future female marathon runners!!!!!

Namaste…

Sneak It In

2011-04-13T22:58:00.003-04:00

Hello loves!!!! I hope everyone is having a great day!! My day has been pretty hectic but I enjoyed it =)
My plan was to start today with a run but I had a rough night and had zero urge to head out in the rain for a run so I took the morning off and decided to sneak it in later in the day.
Today, I had to meet two new clients at the gym right before lunch time and then had to return later in the afternoon so I decided to leave my things there and just run home for lunch and head back later in the afternoon for my shift and it worked out great!
I was planning to do day 2 of week 5 of E10K today but it turns out that I only live 3 miles away from the gym and I was in such a rush to eat lunch, shower, and leave again that I just skipped the last 9 minutes of running. (and I am OKAY with it lol)
This is what it looked like…lap one includes the 5 minute warmup

After my run, I took a shower and then made a quick lunch…Egg Whites with Spinach, Onions, 2% Cheddar, Reduced Fat Parm, Garlic, and whole lot of ketchup!

I then headed back to work for another 5 hours…”cawfee” is my new best friend!
And as I am writing this, I am enjoying my din din, which is 1% cottage cheese, chocolate light muscle milk, 1/2 a cooked banana (I like warming it up on the stovetop so that the pb melts on top of it), and Peanut Butter

They switched my shift YET again at the gym so now I have to get used to my new hours…AGAIN. I was just getting into my routine and now I have to accustom myself all over again.
Do you work somewhere, where your schedule is never the same? how do you deal with the changes???
Namaste…

Going Going and Going…

2011-04-11T23:13:00.001-04:00

Hello loves!!! I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend! Mine was jam packed but it was pretty good!!!!

Like I mentioned on my last post, this weekend was Nik’s birthday and we basically celebrated all weekend. On Saturday we headed into the city and walked around for a bit…we were planning to go eat at Jekyll and Hyde but when we were sitting there, we both said “let’s go” and we walked up and left. It was too cheesy for our liking. We were both in the mood for Mexican food so we headed to Chevy’s at Time Square…I don’t have any food pictures to share BUT I do have a picture of Nik in his birthday sombrero!

After that we headed into the Village to hangout at Fat Cats (where I met Missy!!!!) but we were not feeling that either so we left (again) and headed to another Cat but this time it was THE FAT BLACK PUSSYCAT! and it was a great lounge with a chill crowd. And the drinks were deeeelish…Missy and I were enjoying the Fat Black Pussy Cat Martini (try saying that 5 times ha)

We had a really good time

We continued the celebration on Sunday but this time we headed to Six Flags Great Adventure with his brother and friend!!

I had such a blast; we rode rollercoasters alllllll day…

That’s my head and Nik’s arm as we go down Bizarro

We even rode the world’s TALLEST rollercoaster…Kingda Ka! “The fierce Kingda Ka is the tallest coaster in the World, fastest in North America. This remarkable thrill ride breaks all world records for coaster speed and height, zooming from
0 to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds and catapulting you 45 stories into the sky.

This picture was taken right before we launched off…

The reason he is pointing at my head is because I swore that I would NOT get on this ride but at the last minute I changed my mind. Don’t let my smile, fool you…I was freaking the F out!

Sidenote: can you believe that Nik dropped his keys AND cellphone at the top of this ride and BOTH were recovered AND his cellphone screen was shattered but it worked perfectly fine. He swears by apple products now ha.

This was a really fun weekend!

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Ease into 10K Training…

Today I started week 5 and I switched it up a little and did some running in the park (wanted to get some hill work) and also on the streets…

This weeks program consists of 5 minute warm up, 9 minute run/ 1 minute walk 4x, and 5 minute cool down.

It took me 49 minutes and I covered 4.16 miles and these are my splits:

I have a race on Sunday and I am trying to decide if I run all three days of the E10K program and then run my race on Sunday OR substitute a training day with my race OR use Sunday’s race for next week’s training program…I usually run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday…any advice? I am scared of running too much and injuring myself.

Namaste…

So Much Better…

2011-04-08T20:21:00.001-04:00

Hello my loves! Thank you so much for all your sweet comments on my last post. I love that I have you guys to vent to…I can never say it enough; I really love this community!

It has been a while since I posted my eats so I decided to snap some pictures to share with you guys…nothing fancy

For Breakfast ayer I made myself a Green Monster with 1/2 a banana, spinach, LMM, almond milk (recently switched over to almond milk instead of skim), coffee, and splenda

For lunch I had Amy’s Enchilada…

This is the reason, I could never give up Dairy!!!! I love Amy’s so much

And water with Crystal Light…

In the evening, I headed to the gym to meet a new client and then I rushed home to make din din…I was literally thinking about this meal ALL DAY!

Egg Whites with Spinach, Onions, minced Garlic, Reduced Fat Parm Cheese, 2% Cheddar and I paired it with Lemon Potatoes which were inspired by Matt

This made my tummy VERY happy!

This morning for breakfast I made banana pancakes topped with light syrup and coffee with vanilla almond milk and splenda, and of course some vitamins (I have them every morning)

The plan was to digest and then go for a run but I took some allergy medicine and totally knocked out on the couch. It took everything I had in me to go outside and go for a run; I was nervous that I was going to have another bad run.

I went outside and was welcomed with a light drizzle and I could tell that I was nervous because I left my itouch at home! I ran back upstairs to get it (I listened to Jillian’s podcast while I ran) and then headed out for my run….and I am happy to say that it was much better.

These are stats for all three days….(5 min warm-up, 8 min run/ 1 min walk 4x, and 5 minute cool down)

Monday

Wednesday AKA Doom Day!

And today! Best Pace out of all three days

Next week I start week 5 but I am only doing 2 days of the program and on the 3rd day I am running my 4 mile race instead.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend….This weekend is Nik’s Birthday so we are going to be very busy having fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABES!!!!!!

Namaste…

I Just Want To Give-up

2011-04-06T12:58:00.001-04:00

I hate writing posts when my feelings are still so raw but I have to write this while tears stream down my face and I am two seconds away from throwing my sneakers out the window.

I just came back from a run and it was so hard…I felt overheated, stressed, emotional, tired. and just like shit! I could barely keep up with the running and took more walking breaks than I should have. At one point, I yelled “WHY IS THIS SO HARD!”

I hate writing negative posts but I don’t want to be phony either and say that my training is going good all the time because that is not fair to other people who are doing it too and think they need to live up to some stupid standard. Running will never be easy for me but yet I love it so much…it makes me think clearly and no matter what, it is the one constant thing in my life. No matter what happens in my life, the roads wont ever turn their back on me…

I have some personal things going on in my life and I don’t know if that has something to do with today’s run or it could be my dumb allergies acting up or maybe because my left shin is acting up a little. I don’t want to make excuses for myself….

The numbers speak for themselves…this was my run on Monday

And this was today…

Should I repeat week 4 again next week? Or first see how it goes on Friday before moving ahead???

Namaste…

More Women’s Half Marathon

2011-04-04T13:45:00.001-04:00

Hey lovelies!!!!! I am oozing girl power right now and it has something to do with an amazing race that I volunteered at yesterday! Yesterday was the More/ Fitness Magazine Women’s Half Marathon!

I arrived at Central Park at 6:30 in the morning and it was a Ghost Town….

I was stationed right before the 4/10 Mile Mark…

I was lucky enough to be partnered with this lovely lady named Annette…she made the time fly by and even let me borrow her gloves for a couple of minutes…it was ccccold in the morning!

Before long the ladies started rushing past us…

I even managed to get a picture of the winner, Sheri Piers as she literally ran circles around the other women!! This lady is fast.

The best part of this race was all the girl power and camaraderie of all the women. Everyone was in such great spirits and I even had some ladies thanking me for being there cheering THEM on. I even ran (pun intended) into two bloggers who participated in the event!!! Erica and Gabriela you both looked great out there!

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Ease Into 10K Update:

Speaking of running, I am doing great with the Ease into 10K program! Last week I completed week 3 and it looked something like this

This morning I started week 4 and it consisted of 5 minute warm-up 8 minute run/ 1 minute walk 4X and 5 minute cool down and it looked like this…

It was getting hard during the last 8 minute run but I just slowed down a little bit and thankfully I was able to keep going.

After my run, I came back home and did Namaste Yoga for distance runners and my legs thanked me for it!

Namaste…

Sunday Run, Fun, AND YUM!

2011-03-21T11:08:00.001-04:00

The other day, I was bored at home and started to flip through channels and discovered that I had the Cooking Network which meant that I could watch Hungry Girl’s new show! I sat down and pretty much watched back to back episodes on Demand and instantly knew that I wanted to try some out, especially one in particular for breakfast.

Before making the yummy breakfast ayer, I headed out for a run; I officially started week 2 of Ease into 10K. Yesterday’s workout consisted of a 5 Minute warm up. 4 minute run/1 minute walk, Repeat 5 times and 5 min cool down.

Here are my splits:

1: 13:09
2: 10:45
3: 12:28

Best Pace: 7:27 Miles 2.81

After I was done with my run, I came home and started to make breakfast for Nik and I. I decided to make Hungry Girl’s Cannoli Stuffed French Toast Nuggets…all repeat after me “YUUUUUUMS!”

I got all my ingredients ready

And then made the cannoli mixture

After the Cannoli filling was done, I stuffed it into the Whole Wheat Hotdog buns…

Cut them into little nuggets

And then dunked them into the egg white mixture.

I tossed them in the frying pan and cooked them until they were golden brown

And then served them with fresh Strawberries and sprinkled with Powdered Sugar…

The verdict….DEELISH!!!!!

If you are looking for a fun guilt free weekend breakfast, I totally recommend this!

Namaste…

But I Could Do More….

2011-03-16T13:45:00.001-04:00

Hey loves!!!!! It is a rainy gray day in NYC but I did not let it deter me from doing day 2 of Week 1 of the Ease into 10K program and it was exactly the same routine from Monday: Brisk 5 minute warm-up walk. Run 3 minutes/ Walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times. Five minute Cool down walk.

Here is what my routine looked like today….

Time:
00:30:48

Avg Pace:
12:23 min/mi

Avg Moving Pace:
12:07 min/mi

Best Pace:
07:31 min/mi

And my splits were

1: 12:48

2: 10:38

3: 15:07

Total: 2.49 Miles

When I was in the cool down stage of the program, I felt like I could do more and I almost started to run again but I literally had to say “NO!” to myself…thankfully no one was around to witness the crazy lady speaking to herself ha. I know that I could do more if I wanted to but I also know that if I tried to do that, I won’t reach my goal of running 6 miles straight and how will I ever run 26.2 miles? I have to remember that baby steps will lead to giant leaps…

Since I was still full of energy, I decided to do some strength training instead and I focused on my upper body and core and did about 30 minutes. It consisted of bicep curls, hammer curls, arnold presses, front raise, bent over lateral raise, ball pass, figure 8’s, lateral raise, and ball roll outs.

Am I the only one still adjusting to the time change??? Between daylight savings time and my crazy hours at the gym, my routine is all out of whack. This morning I woke up and was not hungry until after my workout and that was way after 12pm.

For “breakfast” I had 1% Cottage cheese mixed with chocolate LMM, 1/2 a banana. and PB

I am off to get ready for work…have a great day loves!

Namaste…

New Finds and Ease into 10K Program

2011-03-15T00:35:00.001-04:00

Hey Loves!!!!!!! I hope everyone had a fantastic Monday and a even better weekend! I have a couple of things to share with you so lets get right to it!

First, I am going to talk about some new restaurants that I tried out in the past few day.

Last week, I went to Gustorganics with my friend Jess…here is some information about the Restaurant

Amazing Facts.

Gustorganics is the first and only certified organic restaurant in New York.
World’s first certified restaurant using 100% organic ingredients.
One of the greenest restaurants in the world.
The first and only USDA certified organic bar on the planet.
100% organic restaurant & bar open 365 days a year for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner.

I have never been to a 100 percent organic restaurant and could not wait to check it out…

The first thing that I liked about Gustorganics was the atmosphere…I even mentioned to Jess that I felt like we were on a Match.com commercial lol

We started off with some Hempanadas (v, gluten-free) Hemp flour, sweet corn, mushrooms, zucchini, mozzarella.

I hate writing bad reviews but I have to be honest, I was not too impressed with these. The filling was pretty good but the outer shell was a tad too rubbery for my liking.

For my main course, I decided to go with the special of the day; Mushroom Ravioli with Asparagus and Pink Sauce….

OM JESUS it was DEEELISH!

Jess ordered the Veggie Pizza minus the cheese and on a Gluten Free Crust

She was not too happy with her choice but she got some extra marinara sauce on the side, and it seemed to help with the flavor.

And you all know that a meal is not complete without dessert! I enjoyed the Tiramisu and Jess had the Apple tart and we split Dulce de Leche Ice cream

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This weekend I headed out to the Island with Nik (that is where he lives) and I checked out the Town Village for the first time. Whenever I mention 5 Burros to Nik, he always tells me that he is going to take me to a little Mexican restaurant near his house and I always roll me eyes and say “I bet 5 burros is better”.

This weekend he took me Pancho Villas and one thing that they do have over 5 Burros is the size! It felt good, not eating on top of other patrons.

For my main course, I ordered the Shrimp Tostada Salad

With a side of Rice and Beans…

Was it better than 5 Burros? I will never admit that it was haha BUT it was good!

But I will admit that the pina colada was amazing! It tasted very authentic and it made me a happy girl!

nom nom!!!!!

I don’t know if it was the Drink but I had the urge to make silly faces throughout the day…Thank God my boyfriend accepts that I am dork and joins in!

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Ease into 10K

When I started to train last year, I used the Couch to 5K program and it worked wonders for me. I tell anyone and everyone who is starting to run, to give a try. A couple of months ago, Amanda told me that they had a 10K program too and I downloaded it from itunes immediately!

Today I officially started my training program and I already love it!

My routine consisted of 5 minute warm up, followed by 3 minutes of jogging and 1 minute of walking. repeat 5 times and then 5 minutes cool down.

Avg Pace:
12:36 min/mi

Best Pace:
08:05 min/mi

Splits:

1: 14:20

2: 11:01

3: 14:05

It is slow but that is only because of the walking breaks. I know that this program is going to be beneficial for my training and it will help me avoid injury.

I also walked another 1 mile back home since I started the program when I left my apartment and made my way to the park.

Well I have rambled on long enough and it is already past midnight…have a great night/day loves!

Namaste…

Skinny On Peanuts

2011-03-10T10:53:00.001-05:00

Did you know that March is National Peanut Month???

Last week I was invited to a fun Event to celebrate this glorious month….“THE NUTROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: The World’s First PB&J Art Exhibit” Which was hosted by Peanut Butter & Co., National Peanut Board, The Food Bank Of NYC, and Openhouse Gallery. I was also asked to attend a Health and Fitness seminar conducted by Deana Seagrave-Daly RD, LDN.

I invited my friend Jen since she is a photographer and I knew she would appreciate the artwork. Side note: check out her site, the girl is TALENTED!

We met at the gallery and then headed into the seminar….

Here are some interesting things that I learned about Peanuts:

Peanuts and Peanut butter contribute to more than 30 essential nutrients.
Peanuts contain more protein than any other nut. 9 Grams per serving
Peanuts are an antioxidant
Peanuts score low in the Glycemic Index which means they provide a slower energy source to your blood stream and keep insulin levels steady. Including peanuts and peanut butter in your daily life can be an effective way to help control hunger
Peanuts and peanut butter are naturally low in sodium
They are naturally cholesterol free

After the seminar they treated us to snacks with peanuts being the guest star!

Peanut Butter Cookies:

Peanut butter smoothies:

Veggies and Fruit with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce!

I also walked around the room to take a look at the new Peanut Marketing Campaign:

We then went into the main gallery and looked at the fun and creative pieces….here are a few of my faves!

After the event, Jen and I went to grab lunch and I wanted to stick with the theme of the day and had Shrimp with Peanuts!

Thank you Peanut Butter & Co. for hosting such a great event and thank you for my goody bag!!!

Namaste….

Take 2 at Coogan’s 5K

2011-03-07T09:40:00.001-05:00

Hey loves!!!! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!!!! Mine was pretty fun, it included a seminar that I attended on Friday (but I will tell you more about that on my next post) as well as a race!!!!

Last year I started my racing journey with Coogan’s and fell in love instantly with it and knew that I wanted to do it every year. As you all know, I am trying to Qualify to run the 2012 Marathon and I have to complete 9 Qualifying races in 2011 to guarantee myself a spot and wouldn’t you know that Coogan’s is one of them WIN WIN!

I have to be honest though, I was sort of dreading the race because I have not been training as much I should be during the winter and I tried to get back into it a couple of weeks ago and I could barely hit 3 miles…

I woke up ayer and it was cloudy and thought the rain was going to hold off until after the race, boy was I wrong. When I got into the city, the rain was coming down hard and I tried my best to keep my spirits high; it helped that Nik was there to cheer me on.

I made my way to the Pink Corral and waited patiently for the horn to be blown…once I heard it, I went on my way….

It started off pretty good but then the hills welcomed me back and they were not kind about it, I had to take a few walking breaks and I was also dodging people along the way. I witnessed a couple of people slipping and falling on the slick streets and I prayed to God that he would let me pass the finish line uninjured (and he did).

Like I said earlier, I have not been training as hard as I should be and I was not trying to break any PR’s but I did!!!

Here are my splits:

1: 10:04
2: 9:49
3: 9:56
4: 9:11

Last year I finished the race in 33:06 and this year I did it in 31:28 and according to my Garmin the distance was 3:18! I am really happy with these number!

I can’t wait for my next race!!!!!

Namaste….

Oikos Giveaway Winner and Pahal Zan!

2011-02-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

Hey loves!!!! I hope you are having a wonderful Monday! It is a dreary rainy day in NYC and I have been startled twice by the loud thunder..no bueno. Thankfully I don’t have to be at the gym until 3, so I get to snuggle up under the covers for a little while longer =)

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway but thank you even more for all the sweet things you said about me. When I was reading the comments; my eyes were tearing up. I will announce the winner of the giveaway right after I share some yummy pictures with you.

The day of my 2 year anniversary, I wanted to celebrate the milestone and could not think of a better person than my friend Missy who if it were not for our blogs…we would have never met. We were both craving falafels and I checked on yelp for a yummy falafel place near our home and I came across Pahal Zan. Most of the reviewers said that it was a hole in the wall but definitely deeelish so we headed over there and checked it out.

The reviews from Yelp were right; it definitely was a small place. I have been hanging out in this neighborhood for over 15 years and never noticed Pahal Zan.

It only had about 10 stools against the wall…

When we walked in, we were greeted with lots of various salads…

I was planning to order a Falafel Pita Sandwich but when I saw that they had a Falafel Platter, I chose that instead.

The Platter came with Falafels, hummus, baba ganoush, potato salad, lettuce & tomatoes, red cabbage, eggplant salad, cole slaw, pita bread, tahini sauce & hot sauce.

HOLY SALAD BATMAN!

All of the salads were delicious, especially the potato salad!!! And the Falafel did not disappoint either…I foresee more stops to Pahal Zan in my near future. I think Pahal Zan is a great example of not judging a book by it’s cover. Honestly, I would have probably never given this restaurant the time of day if it were not for the reviews on yelp and I would have missed out on a great meal.

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Now for the moment you have been waiting for…the winner of the Oikos Giveaway is (((drumroll))))…..

True Random Number Generator Result: 31 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

AMANDA!!!!!!!!

“Happy 2 years my friend! I follow you in g-reader. You know I love you!”.

Congrats honey!!!! Email me your address!!!!!!!

Namaste…

Namaste Mari is Turning Two So Let’s Celebrate with a Giveaway!!!!

2011-02-24T11:38:00.001-05:00

Hey Loves!!! Today is a very special day for me…Namaste Mari turns 2 years old! I can’t believe I have been able to keep this going for that long and still love it as much as I did when I first started.

I am so grateful for all the wonderful friends I have made in the blogging community and you guys went from being blog friends to just FRIENDS!

I wanted to celebrate this milestone by hosting a giveaway and of course I contacted my favorite company and they were more than happy to sponsor it!

If you have been a NM reader from the beginning, you know how much I love Honey Oikos…

It is great for breakast or even for dessert. The other day I enjoyed it with Blueberries and Berry Granola and it was DEEELISH!

Party in my mouth!!!!

And just when you think Oikos can’t top themselves…they introduce a new flavor…here is some info about it:

Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading organic yogurt maker, is serving up a refreshingly indulgent new flavor of its popular Oikos Organic Greek yogurt that tastes too good to be fat free. Oikos, the only nationally available organic Greek yogurt, is made through an authentic Greek straining process to create a thick, creamy texture with no fat and twice the protein of regular yogurt. Hitting shelves in January 2011, Stonyfield is taking this authentic Greek taste one step further with its new Super Fruits flavor combining the Greek favorite pomegranate with delicious organic raspberry and acaí puree on the bottom.
The pomegranate is an ancient fruit commonly found in Greek mythology, and today it’s celebrated around the world for the sweet and slightly tart juice found in the edible part of the fruit. Staying true to its authentic Greek yogurt recipe, Oikos Organic combines the best part of the pomegranate with sweet raspberries and exotic acaí to create a creamy, refreshingly healthy treat in a convenient 5.3 ounce cup. Better yet, Oikos Organic Super Fruits is free of fruit seeds, leaving just an easy-to-eat, smooth and creamy yogurt.

Would you like try this flavor??? Well if you enter my giveaway, you will win 2 free coupons for each size of Oikos (5.3 oz, 4oz multipack, and 16 oz tub), as well as an Oikos apron!!!!! (thanks Kristina!)

How to Enter:

Become a Namaste Mari follower. If you are already a follower just comment that you are.
Twitter My giveaway: “ @namaste_mari is having a giveway http://www.namastemari.com/2011/02/namaste-mari-is-turning-two-so-lets.html
Follow me on Twitter @namaste_mari
Follow Stonyfield on Twitter @stonyfield, fan Stonyfield on Facebook
Become a Fan on Namaste Mari on Facebook
And since it is my “birthday”, tell me one thing that you have learned about me in the past 2 years…

DEADLINE: Midnight Eastern Time on Sunday February 27th!!!…GOOD LUCK!!!!

This contest is open to US residents only.

Good Luck!!!!!

Namaste…

One Foot In Front of the Other

2011-02-23T14:14:00.001-05:00

Hey loves!!!!!! Happy Hump Day =)

I have not gone running since January 2nd and decided to go out today for a run since I signed up to do Coogan’s again this year. Can you believe it has been 1 year? Time is seriously flying by…back to my run…

I ignored the fact that it was below 30 degrees and felt like it was in the teens…I even ignored the fact that I had a fever of 102.8 two days ago…I got dressed and headed out the door.

Walking to the park was not that bad but once I started to run, I could feel the cold air hitting my chest and the wind was literally pushing me back. After taking a hiatus of almost 2 months, this was a really hard run. I wanted to quit so many times but I kept repeating “Just one foot in front of the other”

Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 11:03

Mile 2: 10:45

Mile 3: 10:46

Average Pace: 11:01

Best Pace: 07:38 min/mi

I ended up running 2.76 Miles in 30 minutes and 20 seconds (and walked an additional 2.14 to and from park)

I am not sure how well I am going to do at Coogan’s but I am going to give it my all and that is all that matters…

After my run, I came home and refueled with a Green Monster made with Spinach, Strawberries, Almond Milk, LMM, and Coffee

Right now I am enjoying this deeeelish bowl of Papa Namaste Paste before I head to work at the gym…

Have a great day loves…

Tomorrow is Namaste Mari’s 2nd Birthday and I will be hosting a giveaway!

Namaste…

Adjusting…

2011-02-18T15:59:00.001-05:00

Hello my loves!!!!!! I hope you guys are enjoying this beautiful weather (if you are on the east coast)…it has been so long since I have seen the sun that I almost forgot what it looked like. Spring is right around the corner and I am loving this weather! I have been making the best of it and walking whenever I get a chance…the other day I had to get homefries from school when I was done at the gym and I enjoyed the 3 mile walk from the gym to her school and even took a small detour so that I could sneak into the park…I was literally smiling the whole way lol.

***********************************************

Things have been going really great at the gym…I am meeting a lot of the members and have been doing a lot of Fitness Evaluations; I test them on their strength and endurance and I also take their measurements etc. I even trained a couple of people!!!! I am living my dream and it feels amazing! But it does not go without some minor adjustments…I feel like I am NEVER home! and when I am, I am catching up on house cleaning or laundry.

My meals have looked a lot like this…

I try to start almost every day with a Green Monster…it really helps with my energy…

I also have been frequenting my local Subway at least 3 times a week, it is bad when they know what I want without me even having to tell them…I even have enough subway points to get a free sammie! lol

The hardest adjustment would have to be, making time and having ENERGY to do my own workouts…but I have to remember that this is what I want and just do it! Today I was planning to go for a run but when I woke up it was cloudy and blah so instead I did a full body circuit routine at home. It consisted of upper; bicep curls (front and side), overhead tricep extensions, and tricep extensions in static lunge postion…lower: side squats, squats/bicep curls with medicine ball, forward lunges with core rotation while holding medicine ball, and core: figure 8’s with balance ball, leg to hand ball pass, and roll outs on balance ball. I kept my HR up between sets by doing jumping jacks, plank jumping jacks, burpees, side jumps, ski jumps, mountain climbers etc…the whole routine took a little over an hour and I managed to burn 513 calories. SUHWEET!!!!

Well I am off to take a load out of the dryer..Enjoy your weekend!!!

And stay tuned…Namaste Mari is turning 2 years old and I am celebrating by having a giveaway!

Namaste…

Are You Ready To Run?

2011-02-08T20:01:00.001-05:00

You guys might remember when I went to a Lululemon workshop back in June. The workshop was part of a their total running series “Know Before You Go” which featured Brett Cohen who is a Sports Performance Coach who has completed 6 marathons and more than 200 road races. He is certified as an Exercise Coach, a Level 2 Holistic Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach and a Golf Biomechanic by the C.H.E.K Institute (Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiologist). He is also a National Academy of Sports Medicine- Personal Trainer and International Sports Sciences Association-Fitness Trainer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education.

Ever since this workshop I have kept in contact with Brett and I wanted to share this article that he wrote with you. Enjoy…

Are You “Ready To Run”?

Running on the Rise

Road Running in New York City is huge? What began as a relatively unknown sport in the 1970's has not exploded onto the city scene, thanks in large part to the New York Road Runner's club president of 20 years and founder of the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow. The NYRR Club, founded in 1958 with 47 members has now grown to more than 40,000 members! Runner can now be seen in the parks and roadways on any day at any time in any weather. Runners are some of the most motivated athletes I know.. How many other athletes get up before the sun to get a run in or run or race in temperatures that will freeze body parts off if left exposed for more than 20 minutes? But those same levels of motivation that drives runners to train is
often the reason why so many of them end up injured. Sometimes what makes you train can also make you hurt.

Running Injured

A 2009 Runner's World.com poll revealed that 66% of the runners that responded had suffered an injury that year. That's 2 out of every 3 of you! But unless your injury is the result of trauma (a fall or a crash) there's something wrong with your biomechanics and/or your training.

Cause and Effect

We are, by and large, a sedentary population. If you spend much of your day working in front of a computer, bad things begin to happen that can be detrimental to a runner's body and
performance. We are not designed to be in chairs for 8 - 10 hours a day. We are designed to squat, bend, twist, lunge, walk, jog and sprint. When you sit in chairs for long periods of time, day after day, in time your quads and hip flexors will become shortened and tight along with the lower back. This tightness is paired with lengthening and weakening of the abdominal wall and glutes (the main extensors of your hips). Your glutes and abdominals become "inhibited" (meaning your brain automatically shuts these muscles down). When your glutes are not working properly, this eventually overloads the
hamstrings and they become taught and susceptible to strains, pulls and tears. This is also a prime reason for sore low backs and other related ailments such as: tight calfs, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, patellar femoral pain, soreness in one or both feet or ankles, etc. Reality is that after a long day on the job, it's likely that one or both of your glutes are shut off. If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms you aren't even Ready to Run!

GPP

Distance running is a tough sport. To compete at any level requires a mixture of: flexibility, mobility, stability, strength, power, endurance and durability. Sadly however, the typical middle
and long distance runner's programming is often skewed toward one quality (endurance). This means that optimal development of the other traits gets left behind. What runners need is to establish a pre-season base level of conditioning. What I call General Physical Preparation. With GPP runners learn to establish healthy training and recovery habits before they begin in-season racing and training. GPP includes: a movement screen to see what your injury risk potential is, a dynamic warm-up progression what will help tune your body and nervous system up for the running that lies ahead, a systematic strength and conditioning program to ensure that your muscles, tendons and
ligaments will be strong enough to survive the demands of intense training, and lastly, a strategy for recovery and regeneration that will allow your body to recharge itself so you'll be able to maintain the energy you need to achieve sustainable success in running.

One of the main reasons so many new and veteran runners become injured is because they leave out these essential steps. They become runners with the intention of getting fit, but many have not yet established a base conditioning platform from which to begin. In fact, the majority of runners above age 35 have many ability limitations and as a result are at an increased chance of injury or re-injury.

Brett's Bottom Line:

As endurance athletes we ask a lot from out bodies. Many endurance athletes seem to accept nagging injuries and ailments as the price for their training, but it doesn't have to be that way. The number one reason to condition yourself is to prevent injury. The last thing you want to do as a runner is to turn your attempts to achieve health and vitality through exercise into being sidelines with a long-term ailment or worse yet, spend months in rehab recovering from orthopedic surgery!

"You can't run to get fit, you need to be fit to run."--Diane Lee, Canadian Physiotherapist
Written by Brett Cohen (info@readytorun.us.com)

If you are in the NY area and would like to hear Brett speak, he will be holding a lecture: Know BEFORE You GO: How To Prevent Running Related Injuries BEFORE They Begin. Jack Rabbit Sports, 85th and Lexington on February 24th at 6 p.m.

Happy Running!

Namaste…

Back In My Groove…

2011-02-02T19:42:00.001-05:00

Hello my loves!!!!!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day…it is pretty miserable today in NYC…this morning I had to go to work and my neighborhood was literally covered with a sheet of ice. Thankfully my dad was nice enough to pick me up and give me a ride to work!

Even though I had to be at the Gym at 8 in the morning; I managed to wake up at 5:30 and did Turbo Fire HIIT 15 and 100 sit ups on my stability ball. I have been slacking on my morning workouts so I decided to do a Morning Workout Challenge this month!!!! I am making myself do at least 30 minutes of some sort of activity right when I wake up. Hopefully this helps me stay consistent.

Today at the gym I met some more new people…I even had the chance to teach two teen sisters some moves with small apparatuses (I love when I get to interact with people and show them some new things). I am still trying to find my niche there but I think a lot of the women relate to my story and it’s easier to turn to someone for help who has been there too in the past…so hopefully I get some clients soon! I want to change someone's life!

After work, my dad picked me up and took me back to his place for lunch. They usually are carnivores but they went out of their way to make the lunch “Mariette Friendly”

Tomato, Basil, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

White Rice…

Salad with Lettuce, Apples, Cranberries, and Oranges…

Grilled Shrimp and Baked Fish…

My plate…yuuuuums!

Look at how Juicy it is…

This was a perfect lunch! Well I am off to spend some quality time with Dante…

Namaste Mari pop quiz: Who is Dante? lol

Namaste…

Celebration Weekend!!!!!

2011-01-31T13:30:00.001-05:00

Hello my loves!!!!!! I have so much to tell you! First I want to apologize for not being around for a bit but as most of you know, I have been studying like crazy for my ACE Exam!!! It seems that all of my studying paid off because I am officially an ACE Certified Personal Trainer!!!!! But wait I still have more to tell you…Remember in my last post, I hinted that I had some exciting news to share with you…well…I also got a new job as a personal trainer at a very reputable gym!!!!!! I started about two weeks ago and so far, I am really enjoying it. I have not been able to take on any clients since I was waiting to pass my exam but today is a new day!!!!

This weekend was filled with celebrating and that includes celebrating 3 months with my amazing boyfriend!!!!! He has been so great during this whole time…he would stay home and quiz me and even took me to my exam and waited around until I was done..such a good guy!!!!

Ayer we decided to go to Press 195 for lunch…we started off with French Fries with ketchup and roasted garlic spread

I love that these are double fried!!!! so freaking crispy…

I ordered the Veggie panini which was Grilled zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper with fresh spinach, black olivespread, aged Provolone
and roasted garlic spread…can you say “nom nom”???

Nik ordered Press 195’s original Pizza Press with fresh basil, fresh Mozzarella,and marinara sauce

I tasted it and it was deeeelish,,,he thought it was “earthy” AKA Healthy! hahahaha

After lunch, we came back to my neighborhood and headed to Eddie’s Sweet Shop for dessert

This place has been around since the early 1900’s and they have kept the décor pretty much the same, which I love! It is very old fashioned and takes you back to a simpler time…

We both enjoyed 1 scoop vanilla sundaes…mine with caramel and his with hot fudge…

This was a perfect weekend filled great eats!!!! This morning I worked off some of those calories with Turbo Fire 60 and 200 sit ups!!!!! perfect way to kick off the week!

I will be back to posting more regularly now that things have calmed down a bit and I can not wait to catch up on all of your blogs!

Love you all! and thank you for all of your support…this community really has helped me reach my dreams…

Namaste.,,

King of Falafel!

2011-01-19T22:10:00.001-05:00

Hello my loves! I am so sorry for being MIA for the past couple of weeks…I have been really busy with studying and other exciting things but I will tell you more about that some other time ::wink::

Do you ever crave something all the time…you can’t stop thinking about..yearn for it at all hours of the day and bug everyone around you until they finally cave in and give it to you? Well for me it is FALAFEL! I seriously have been craving this like crazy…

Today I was with my family in Astoria Queens which is known for its Mediterranean Restaurants and I swore that I would not leave without a falafel sammie in my hand but odds were against me. We called three different restaurants in the neighborhood and none of them had falafel!!! D’oh! And just when I was giving up hope, my sister pointed to a food vendor truck “Look they sell Falafels” but wait it gets better…not only do they sell it but they are the KING of it!

We were lucky enough to stumble across the King of Falafel! AND judging by the long line of people, I had a feeling that the food would be good!

We waited patiently while the aroma of Falafel filled the streets…

(My dad and homefries)

While I waited for our food, I spoke with one of the chefs and it turns out that they won the Vendy Award which is Called “the Oscars of food for the real New York” by Chef Mario Batal and they were also featured on ABC news!!!!! I hit the Jackpot!!!!!

Here he is posing with their award

Not only do they have amazing food but they also have great customer service…when they heard that my dad never tried falafel, they gave him some samples to try and he loved it!

I waited patiently to get home to fully enjoy my sammie and OMG it was worth the wait!!!! This was absolutely the best falafel that I ever had…I especially liked that it was a bit spicy.

I enjoyed it in a pita with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, and some Tahini sauce yuuuuuuuuuuuuuums!

Thankfully my dad frequents this neighborhood a lot for business so I will be calling “shot gun” when he goes!

If you are in Astoria, do your taste buds a favor and check out The King Of Falafel, you can find them on 30th Street and Broadway…

And like they always say “Good things come to those who wait” Nom Nom

Namaste…

National Spaghetti Day!!!!!

2011-01-04T19:30:00.001-05:00

This morning I woke up and had no idea what I was planning to have for dinner but then while I took a study break; I checked out Facebook and saw that Janetha posted that today was National Spaghetti Day!!!! I am all about celebrating a National Holiday and HELLO a holiday that promotes consuming carbs???? WIN WIN!

I knew that I didn’t want to have boring Spaghetti so I decided to jazz it up and make…

Cheesy Baked Spaghetti with Onions and Mushrooms

First I boiled some Whole Grain Pasta

While the Pasta cooked, I sautéed Onions and Mushrooms

After the spaghetti was done, I mixed it with a little bit of light butter and Part Skim Parmesan Cheese

I then layered it in a small casserole pan

I then spread the Mushrooms and Onions over the Spaghetti

And then added Marinara Sauce and some more Parmesan Cheese

I used this Marinara sauce

I then added Part Skim Mozzarella and 2% Cheddar Cheese and some more Marinara Sauce

I baked it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and din din was served!!!!

HAPPY NATIONAL SPAGHETTI DAY!!!!!

Namaste…

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-01-03T15:45:00.001-05:00

I am sitting here, eating lunch and realized how much I miss you guys AND how much I miss posting pictures of my eats!!!!

Even though my lunch is not glamorous I still had the urge to snap a picture of it, and it might have something to do with the fact that I have a NEW CAMERA! My sis gave me this camera for Christmas….she knows me so well

Source

So here is my oh so glamorous lunch (insert sarcasm here)

Veggie Delight Sammie on 9 Grain Honey Oat Bread with Swiss Cheese…

And Baked Lays…

I also got this for Christmas (from the boy!)

Source

I put it to good use ayer! Even though it was super foggy, it was still pretty warm for January so I headed to the park for a run…granted it WAS a little scary!

I ran for 3.1 miles and I absolutely love my new watch! I have been using my Nike + for the longest time and really wanted to get a Garmin but couldn’t afford it. My fave feature of the watch is how she would beep when I would hit a mile and it showed me the pace I ran that mile in. When I got home and plugged it in, I fell even deeper in love! I would definitely recommend this watch!

BIG NEWS!!!!!

I officially joined NYRR ayer!!!!! In order for me to do the 2012 Marathon, I have to run 9 qualifying races in 2011…I am so excited….2012 Marathon here I come!!!!!!!!

I refuse to make resolutions for the new year (I prefer to make goals) but I really feel like 2011 is going to be a good year for me! I have so many positive people in my life and I know that with their love and support, I can do ANYTHING!!!!

Time to go study…love you guys!

Namaste…