Yoga, You Hurt SO GOOD

Apparently, I pushed harder the past two days than I had originally thought, I am very stiff. It was one of those days where I got up, my legs (and butt) automatically hated me and I could barely touch my toes. I knew one thing... Today couldn't be a rest day. Today, I had to do yoga.

Drexel University's Recreation Center (where I work) offers free fitness classes like cycling, body pump, body combat, Pilates, Zumba, and yoga. I have only ever done yoga (there at least), and I would ideally like to attend classes weekly. I know that Monday's classes in particular are more restorative yoga and less power yoga, which is exactly what the doctor ordered. I grabbed my mat and headed out.

Class started slow with nice stretches: ahh, just what I needed. The first half of class was slow and helping me to stretch out all the tight spots. My butt was stiff from all of the squats and lunges. My legs were sore from biking and running, my arms were sore from burpees. My abs hurt from my 30 day ab challenge. Overall, I was a big stiff mess.

The weird thing is, I LOVE IT. I am not some masochist, but there is something amazing about the sore feeling of muscles. Like a constant reminder of the awesome work you just did and the progress you are making. After the first half of class things started getting harder, more holds, more stretch, more angles. It was hard, but I left feeling refreshed, accomplished, less stiff/sore, and ready to kick ass again tomorrow.

Mountain Biking & Tree House!

Or Not.

If you came here to read about the awesome tree house I found on my bike ride today, you will be as disapointed as I was when I realized the "tree house" was not in a tree at all, but rather a shack in the woods. You can't go in it, and it is not at all interesting or pretty to look at... such a disapointment. I don't think you should be able to label signs and maps "tree house" to mislead someone to the very end of a trail, up a very large hill, and deny them use of their bikes (Thanks "No Biking" sign!). False advertising is a cruel mistress.

What I did find was a great place to enjoy nature with Matt, enjoy my Clif Bar (adventureing must have for me) and some random string to climb around on. Matt called it a "cat's cradle" (which reminded me of that chilhood hand/string game) but I didn't care what it was called. I was gonna play with it. I climbed, hung, and tangled myself up in this thing for a few minutes, let my noms settle and then headed back.

It was a beautiful day for a bike. I had a fun time and got a nice burn out of my legs. The workout yesterday made my thighs sore and today sure didn't help, especially since my back tire was VERY low. (Bonus workout?)

Now that we have explored the "whole" of the main Forbidden Drive path, now we can maybe venture off to see some of the harder side trails and paths. Or maybe not. Some look very hard.

Happy Sunday, all!

T-Minus Two Weeks.... and Cue Doubt....

Only two weeks until the Spartan Sprint Race at Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, PA.

To prepare for this race, I have been using the training plan in the free eBook "How to Survive Your First Spartan Race". It combines running, biking, intervals, and mostly body weight style strength training. They are difficult, but most of the time doable. Last night Matt and I did a strength training circuit that involved mostly body weight work: lunges, sit-ups, squat jumps, etc. Each workout has a name; today was called "Delicious", and it was anything but.

The Recipe of "Delicious":
1) Run 2 miles
2) 25 push-ups, 25 Squats, 20 Mountain Climbers
3) Run 1/2 mile
4) 50 yard walking lunges, 10 side to side hops, 10 jumping lunges, 10 flutter kicks
5) Run 1 mile
6) Repeat Steps 2 - 5.

Recipe for delicious? More like recipe for disaster. I ran, I did it. But I felt so weak. So tired. SO dead. I am gonna run a 5 mile obstacle course in 2 weeks? I was starting to doubt if it was going to be possible. My legs felt like HUGE lead weights pulling me down, dragging me back. Yesterday I felt powerful, today I feel doubt. I am so nervous for this race, I hope I don't make a fool of myself. I have the goal of the coveted trifecta, but right now, I only hope I can complete the sprint with my dignity intact.

Flex Friday

With yesterday's good news, I am on Cloud 9. It was only a cherry on the cake when I realized how much my training has really paid off. I cut my leg shaving again today... That seems like a really dumb thing to be happy about. But hear me out. My legs are not the smooth one shape they used to be. They have sculpted themselves into lean mean machines with rough edges, bumps and muscular glory. The added definition has created a more difficult razor path, I call that a win.

Also, I realized all of my rock climbing, hanging, and upper body work has paid off too. Today I, for the first time, felt confident enough to post it online for #FlexFriday. I am very proud of my accomplishments this week, both physically, mentally, and overall. I hope everyone has a great Friday. Here is a humorous post from the Onion to brighten your day. The Onion: Most Popular Fitness Trends. Happy Flex Friday everyone!

I got a REAL JOB!

Today is the day that I have been waiting for, for a long, long, time... I got a REAL JOB. I don't mean to offend people with this post, but I picture a "real job" as being one in your field of study. I just graduated with my Chemical/Biomolecular Engineering bachelor's degree from Clarkson University in May of 2013 and have been persuing my Master's degree in Drug Discovery and Development at Drexel University College of Medicine. It's a two year program and I am exactly half-way done!

I had planned on persuing the program full-time until it's completion, but I am re-taking a class (don't worry: the whole class is re-taking it! Not a good sign, right?). Ever since discovering that, I have changed my plans, and have been looking for internships, co-ops or full-time positions ever since. I have applied to dozens of jobs and did a handful of interviews to no avail... and I was starting to get depressed and it was really affecting how I felt about myself overall, despite the fact that I am in the best shape (and the lightest weight) that I have been for a long time. I was actually very upset about GSK (whom I had already interviewed with twice) when they phoned me to offer me a co-op position in their King of Prussia site as a drug development engineer starting in September! PERFECT!

I was so excited I barely got to the rock wall in time for my shift. I can now re-take that course (remain a student: part time) while working in my field, and earning money to start paying off my loans! I am beyond ecstatic and am totally excited to begin this new step in my life. I am hoping that I love it and it ends up paying off to become a full time opportunity. Here is to a new adventure. Aroo.

Product Review: Garmin Vivofit

After the tragic loss of my FitBit One (damn small slippery thing fell out of my pocket!) I have been disappointed with the lack of fitness tracker in my life. I know that some people think fitness trackers are a silly waste of money, but I LOVED my FitBit; I really take solace in knowing how much activity I actually got for the day. I also live in the middle of the city in Philadelphia, and walk everywhere so it is really nice to know how much traveling I actually did. When I lost it, I was finishing school for the term and didn't have a source of income so replacing it got put on the back burner. I ended up going with the new Garmin Vivofit. I can hear it already: "But misskorybeth, if you loved the FitBit One so much why did you buy something else instead of replacing it?". Well children, let me tell you why.

Almost the Same

Both the Garmin and the FitBit track steps, calories burned, distance traveled, time, sleep, and the date. The Garmin has a goal tracker and the FitBit has "equivalence of stairs" traveled. For all intensive purposes they track the same things, but based on other reviews the Garmin is more accurate.

Why Mess with a Good Thing?

I am also a proud owner of a Garmin Forerunner 210. I purchased it in October of 2013 after I started getting to be a more serious and committed runner (and after Nike+ killed my phone's battery one too many times!). I love my Garmin and really liked and was already familiar with the Garmin Connect software. I already liked it and knew how to use it. Adding another tracker to it would require no new knowledge or complicated user manual reading (or as I like to call it "winging it").

One Less App/Website

I really like having everything in one place. I only use Facebook (and now Google) and I am not a fan of the multiple account generation: Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, etc, etc. I love having all my fitness stuff in one place. I use my Garmin for biking and running already, why not use it for all my fitness needs?

Wrist Worn vs Pocket

I enjoyed my FitBit One due to its discrete nature. I was just starting my fitness journey and wasn't sure if I wanted to display my fitness tracker, so I threw it in my pocket. Now that I am more fit and confident, I will wear it with pride out in the open and answer any questions about it with pride. It's also very comfortable on my wrist: it's easy to see all my stats, and functions as a watch. Also, it is much less awkward and chunky than previous wrist worn fitness trackers.

Waterproof and the Battery Lasts a Year?!

I don't really need to say more on that topic.

Versatility!

Not only is the Garmin vivofit a slim watch, but you can also change the color! I bought mine in purple (I know: so fun!), but I also ordered an extra set of bands (Garmin sells them in sets of 3) so I can have a black, grey, and red option available. I figured that the black/grey versions would be good when I need to look more professional, and who doesn't love red?! It's my personal favorite power color.

Sleep Tracking

You ever have those days where you wake up and felt like you haven't slept at all? Me too. I hate them. This tracker also has a sleep mode which tracks how much you move and therefore how soundly you sleep. It's not one of the most requested features, but it's really nice to know. I haven't used this feature yet, we will see how it goes.

Move Your A$$!

The Garmin Vivofit has an option I wished was in the FitBit: "move reminder" or as I have already named it the "move your ass bar". It has been shown that your metabolism decreases and is affected if you sit for more than an hour at a time. This little red bar shows up if you have sat for more than an hour, and it tacks on an extra mini bar for every 15 (or 30) minutes of laziness. It's a nice little reminder to get up and just walk around a bit to get the blood flowing again, it resets after you walk for a little. I had to stop writing to go walk around just now. 

$ Price $

I will admit, the one disadvantage of this is price. The unit is $129.99, which includes the tracker, two sizes of wristband (in the color of your choosing), and a wireless dongle. Then any additional bands are $24.99 for a set of 3. I have been thinking about this and monitoring it's price online for a while. When I saw one go up on sale (new) by an Amazon.com seller for $99, I pounced. I was able to purchase it and a package of bands for LESS than just the unit wholesale. Seemed like a good deal for me. I also think very highly of my health so when it comes to an investment I am willing to make it if it is for my greater good. 

Clasp Problems

These style of fitness trackers have been infamously known to fall off due to their bizarre clasp. I (knowing this disadvantage in advance) decided to prevent that by getting an additional little rubber loop to put around it. It was $6, and that seems like a fair price to ensure it won't fall off. Plus they sent me a second one for free! I got it from this ebay seller here.

Don't Take My Word For It

I am obviously not paid by Garmin (I WISH! [are they hiring?]), so don't go out and buy this thing just because I did. Fitness trackers aren't for everyone, but this one is pretty inclusive, reasonable, and competitive with today's market. Check out the Garmin Vivofit for yourself here!

So.... Now I'm a Rock Wall Instructor!?!

Today was my first, "full", official, day as a "Rock Wall Instructor" at Drexel University's Recreation Center. Was I nervous? Yes. Was I totally stoaked? Also yes. I was very freaked out at first; that somehow I had not deserved to be hired, that I wouldn't fit in, or some other variation of nonsense. This was not the case. My boss seems to be surprised by how quickly I am learning and adapting, and he also seemed pleased by my overall demeanor and interaction with customers. Too bad my #1 fan leaves for the summer starting tomorrow. Now I have to fend for myself.

My previous rock climbing, ski instructing, tour guiding, and overall awesome people and adventure skills were starting to kick in and I felt like I was doing decently. I belayed these 3 small kids a dozen times, and was overall doing everything decently. Then Drew (my supervisor) started giving me random quiz questions: put on the spot. I got most of them, but made some silly errors from being put in the hot seat. Flustered and embarrassed, the shift changed and some smug ass named Ian came in and made his superiority known (not directly, he is just that kind of "guy" you know he feels better than you). I tried to get along with him and play it cool, and I thought things had gotten a little better. Then, half an hour before my shift ends... "you're obviously not doing anything, can you strip this for me?". His shift ends the same time as mine. I don't know why he made me do it, I think he just wanted to watch me struggle.

Stripping, as it turns out, is not as fun as it sounds... This is not the happy take-your-clothes-off-dance that I thought it was. This is more like a strap-on-a-punch-of-equipment-and-tools-and-hoist-yourself-up-the-wall-and-take-off-old-hand-holds. This seemed easy, but it was a bit harder than I had hoped. The gear was heavy (or at least heavier, than I am used to), and holding yourself to the wall is difficult, especially since this wall portion was inverted. I managed, but the levels of sweat, arm cramps, and shear nervousness were high. Some of the holds were large and I was afraid I was going to drop them on the bolderers below. It also got harder to pull myself up the wall as my gear bag filled with holds.

I left work late and bolted on my bike home (with a very sore butt from yesterdays bike adventure). So fast that I somehow lost a can of pears out of my overstuffed bag (don't ask why I had a can of pears?) into the middle of the road. Some random guy picked it up, looked at me and gave me the "wtf face", embarrassed, and confused, I just waved him off saying "just chuck it or something" to which I think he responded "thanks?". Who knows. Day one. Done. AND I didn't kill anyone (bonus!). Let's hope they start getting better/easier.

Mountain Biking & Suddenly Ice Cream?

Matthew and I were tired from the free two hour Philadelphia Spartan Bootcamp style workout from yesteday, but it was so beautiful outside (and it was the weekend!) we didn't want to sit in and be lazy bums.

On one of my long runs two weeks ago I discovered a bit of wooded trail. I, being from the middle of nowhere finally felt at home and was disappointed to only be able to run a bit of it before I had to turn back (if I went any further I wouldn't have had the energy to get back). So I enjoyed it while it lasted and made a mental note to return there with more energy or by some other method. Being about 6 miles away from our apartment, biking there would be perfect, especially given the nice warm, (although not scorching) sunny weather.

We packed our CamelBaks with nomz and hydration, coated our pasty white bodies in sun lotion and after a bit of tinkering with our new, cheap Walmart bikes (and by a bit, I mean an hour... damn cheap Walmart bikes *sigh*) we were on our way. It didn't take long to realize that they cost $79 for a reason... my ass felt like it was permanently fused to that hard plastic bike seat. We tried to set that thought aside and keep going. It was a beautiful, and clear day & we weren't going to let a little soreness ruin our day.

The ride was great (ass soreness aside). There was the river along our side the entire time, a nice gentle breeze our faces, and the light sun on our skin. Over bridges, around turns, up hills, down hills, and then... the pavement ended. This is apparently where Lincoln Drive becomes Forbidden Drive. We stopped briefly to look at a trial map we found and then decided to give the mountain biking section a go. We began uphill and began to see tons of people biking, running, walking, hiking, even horseback riding.

We stopped for our squashed packed sandwiches (it's not an adventure sandwich unless it's squashed) at a cute little bench and after a bit of resting (mostly for the sake of our butts!) we decided to keep going a bit further before we turned back. We passed so many hiking trails, and other ways we could go. We could keep coming back week after week and never take the same path twice! We saw swimming holes, dogs, and started wondering if another parking lot would appear soon (it must, right?). Suddenly after miles of nothing.... an Inn appeared? Confused, but interested, we stopped and saw ice cream! My inner fat kid loves soft serve vanilla so when Matt offered.. twist my arm. We sat and enjoyed our ice cream while continuing our people & nature watching (one of my favorite past times!). After our treat we (reluctantly) hoped back onto our stiff bike seats and headed home.

I was coated in sunscreen, dirt, sweat, grime, and bugs, yet I was so happy. This is what I needed. A day in nature, with the one I love. As great as living in Philadelphia is, sometimes it takes that simplistic happiness from me. I feel like this could be a regular Sunday excursion.

Spartan Workout Philadelphia

My first ever Spartan experience was today. Spartan race puts on a FREE (yes, you read that right... free) workout series that travels the nation. I am fortunate enough to live in a metropolitan area and was able to actually attend one this time!

I was super excited, but also super nervous. Would I be totally weak and pathetic next to all of these Spartans? Would I be disappointed in my progress and performance? Would I get my ass handed to me? I was nervous, especially since this was my first "Spartan Experience". I anxiously got ready, headed down the Broad Street Line and got the the venue. I sat in line drinking my pre-workout drink (total chalk, gross. Will NOT buy, StrideBox gets it wrong every once in a while.) and waited for my turn to sign in.

As with awesome most events you sign your life away. Once you've done that, they give you an awesome elastic wristband that says "Spartan Race" wih the logo and then "Unbreakable" on the other. You also get given a black cotton tee with the Spartan helmet logo on the front and "I'm training for a Spartan race" on the back. I am a big fan of free things, so this whole workout had started off well in my book.

Then the actual workout part of the workout started. Burpees, running, squats, jumps, lunges, crawls, and oh so many planks. In our trainers mind plank = resting. It was great. Was it hard? Yes. Was it doable? Also yes. I sweat, I hurt, but I was able to do it (or at least most of it... planks got hard after a while of "resting").

The workout was scheduled for two hours, which is what initially worried me. But the workout was not just that, it was inspirational, it was instructional, it was relatable and overall it was beautiful. When first speaking, the trainer originally seemed like your usual yell-at-you-all-day jarhead. But he was so much more than that. He had stories of hope, inspiration, and motivation. I not only left the workout feeling very sore, but I also left feeling mentally cleansed, reinvigorated, and inspired to continue my personal training, pushing, and growing. It was much more than I had expected and I am so glad that I went. I HIGHLY recommended this workout to ANYONE who wants to take their personal growth and fitness to the next level physically and emotionally.

Tips for a Successful Spartan Workout:
1) GO TO ONE.
Even if you don't want to race, it's awesome. Just go.
2) Bring a towel (&/or a yoga mat).
You will be sweaty and want something to cushion your butt, arms, etc when you do the exercises.
3) Bring/wear GLOVES.
Our workout was in a parking lot! I later found out that is pretty normal and I wish we had been warned. It was very hard to do crawls, planks, burpees, etc when you are worried about cutting up your palms.
4) Bring water!
You will need plenty of hydration!
5) Bring friends!
Workouts are always better with friends!
6) Listen!
There were so many inspiring stories and thought provoking questions. Similar to Spartan Up! (by Joe De Sena) there is a lot to reflect on relating to the overall healthy Spartan lifestyle.
7) SIGN UP FOR A SPARTAN!
After the workout you will be given a discount code to sign up for a Spartan race in your area! Now you have no excuses! AROO!