Climbing, FitFluential, Fitness, Running

Fitness Recap: What I think of Yoga

9 Comments

I left you last week with my first fitness recap in … months. I’m here again to tell you what I did last week starting from Monday.

I forgot how much working out changes your mood. Not that I was ever in terrible moods, because how can you be in a bad mood in this beautiful California weather? But I feel more limber, healthier, and overall great when I get a workout in each day. I’m thinking of incorporating two workouts in a day, but not every day because I’m pretty sure it’d burn me out. I do yoga and bouldering in the same day, but I consider yoga to be more stretching of the muscles, and opening of the hips. Mind you, I did had a sweat-sesh at yoga on Saturday. It was nuts.

I work best in a scheduled and structured day, and I’m thinking of documenting my weekly eats into these fitness recaps too. Would you be interested in seeing? I think that will keep me from eating pizza, cokes, and candy, if I have to write it down, snap photos and upload it. What do you think? I did it while on the 30 day paleo challenge…

Each time I go to yoga, I finish the class all warmed up then jump on the bouldering wall, I felt so ready to conquer the boulder problems. Yoga definitely limbers the body up, and I felt as if I could climb for many more hours than I did. I had to leave because I was hungry. Selfies before driving off, as you do. I got caught taking this one and the dude smiled at me while I laughed at my embarrassment.

I have to say, the yoga class I did last Monday was a little weird. I was the 3rd person to enter the studio. What I failed to realize was that the other two ladies were also newbies. I asked one of them a question on what we needed and I got a snide remark about how she didn’t know. Am I being overly friendly? Am I being weird? Are you not used to strangers asking you a question? What? Why is it, that I get a few snide remarks from strangers on a weekly basis? I simply don’t understand, but I try to not let it phase me. Perhaps I’m being too Canadian-friendly. Let’s see if I smile at you again though! ;) Three people left the 60 minute yin yoga (Yin yoga really focuses on opening the hips and lower back) session while it was going on. I’m thinking it was either the loud breather, the really old guy in his nude spandex (which made him look naked), or the sub-in instructor. I’m not going to let that deter me from going again though, and I didn’t. I loved it because it was full of deep stretching.

Monday May 26: Off

Tuesday May 27: 1 hour yin yoga, 2 hours bouldering

Wednesday May 28: 2 mile run in 19:29

Thursday May 29: 1 hour power yoga, 1 hour bouldering. Then The Guy asked me to join him at the gym and I wasn’t feeling it, so I did 3% incline walk for 1 mile (15 minutes) ha!!

Friday May 30: Off

Saturday May 31: 90 minute(!!!) Vinyasa Flow yoga, followed by 1 hour bouldering

Sunday June 1: 3 mile run without stopping (finally!) at 5.9 pace on treadmill. Time: 30:23

I’ve declared this orange boulder problem rated at a V2, my project as of last Tuesday when I put in two hours at the gym. I can’t seem to get the second last hold. They’re all decent sized, but I feel like it requires more power and a dynamic movement which I’m not used to doing. Ellen told me, “You’re the most graceful climber I’ve seen. It’s like watching a ballet” a huge compliment as I try to make the most out of my movements and not waste energy and scramble or power myself up the wall. I’m more of a technical climber than a strong boulderer, so this V2 is hard!

I did manage to pull down a few V3’s on Saturday afternoon, after that long 90 minute session in yoga. These yoga classes are hilarious. There’s always something going on – this time a dude fell asleep during the savasana at the end.

Okay, let me know what you’ve accomplished this week, or what your goals are for the upcoming week.

Continue Reading

Daily, FitFluential, Fitness, Photos, Running

Fitness recap

8 Comments

I have been far too lax on my workout routine, so much so my tight pants have started to remind me that I need to do more exercising and not just fiddle around at the gym and hope for the best.

fitness recapThe other week I’ve decided to write down my athletics in a notebook to keep myself accountable. If I see a day where I didn’t get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day, I don’t beat myself up over it. I just walk Alfie extra long on his business-duty for the evening.

Each week, I’ll do a fitness recap on my blog — Tuesday seems like a good day as any? I’m missing my CrossFit weekly workouts that I used to do. I’m scared of re-joining. It’s been since January since I have done a WOD and I’m just a wuss right now.

bouldering, LaSportiva, Katana'sI got a membership to Planet Granite climbing (which has CrossFit & Yoga classes!!!) gym this weekend, so I’m heading down there a few times per week.

Alright, getting’ into it. This one will be a little longer because I kind of want to backtrack at my workouts. Then we’ll be back to a regular weekly schedule.

Friday May 16: 2 mile run

Saturday May 17: 3 mile run

Sunday May 18: 2 mile run

Monday & Tuesday May 19-20: Off

Wednesday May 21: 3 mile run

Thursday May 22: Climbing for 3 hours with Ellen!

Friday May 23: 2 mile run

Saturday May 24: Bouldering for 2 hours

Sunday May 25: Hiking up some mountain, for 2 hours in some random city

You may notice I don’t like to run more than 3 miles at a time. In fact, 2 miles is my sweet spot.

RunAfter a long long break from running, I can fully run 2 miles without stopping again. 3 miles, no way buddy. I have to stop about 3-4 times in that last mile. Wish I wrote down my times. I’ll do that this week, to keep track. Still definitely nowhere where I want to be. I do recall one of my 3 milers finishing at 31:30, which is not cool in my brain. When I was running with my friend Tanya back in the day, we were running 27-28 minute 5k’s. That’s where I want to be, and I want to start running slower, for longer distances. That’s where my mentality issues kick in. Oh negative talk.

I have a huge love/hate relationship with running.

post run faceThen people tell me, if I hate it so much why do I keep doing it? Plain and simple, I actually crave it. It’s easy for me to jump on the treadmill and go — but it’s hard for me to maintain any length of distance. I hate that it’s hard, and I hate that I get so winded after 2-3 miles. So if I truly hated it, I clearly wouldn’t do it, would I? That’s just silly. For instance, I despise biking. It hurts my you-know-what, so I never ever go to spin classes nor do I own a bike. My husband makes up for my lack of bikes though ;)

Planet Granite BoulderingI’m heading back into the climbing gym later this morning so I can work on getting some strength back. I can top rope more difficult routes fine, it’s just the bouldering strength I’d like to have back, and it’d be nice to be able to do my party trick again ;)

Come back tomorrow, because I’ll be posting something I’ve never done before! Ooo!

Continue Reading

CrossFit, Daily, FitFluential, Food, Health, In the Kitchen, OOTD, Photos, Running

Wait. Where Am I? What city am I in?

4 Comments

I’m not a good April Fools pranker, so there isn’t anything fun on the agenda to trick you here today. I woke up knowing what day it was, and I didn’t get fooled by any of the blogs unfortunately. I’m naive when it comes to that stuff and I think it’s fun when I get pranked when I read blogs, or websites playing tricks. I need to forget what day it falls on, haha!

We have to book our driving exam with the California DMV before 60 days is up, otherwise we’d have to do that written exam again. Thankfully, I called to book the appointment and we got one a week out. So let’s hope I can pass this one too. I need to remember the rules of the road! It’s obviously been years since I did a road test so a lot has changed. For instance your hands aren’t supposed to go at 10 & 2 anymore?! 

Trader Joes, California Trader Joes, We were fully out of groceries and I plugged into the GPS on my phone that I wanted to go to Trader Joe’s. I have no idea what city I ended up in, but I found one. I have to say, I commend Trader Joe’s on their customer service, the quality of their products, and the low competitive pricing.I’ve only been into two different Trader Joe’s on two occasions, and both times I was helped promptly and the staff were SO friendly, one guy even told me a story about Canada! Haha.

Trader JoesI bought all this stuff for $37 there, and some of it is organic, which I didn’t intend to buy!

Trader Joes shredded coconutLove their packaging, pulls me in. But I managed to refrain. I’m excited to make Trader Joe’s one of my go-to grocery stores. Along with Safeway, and Smart & Final, because they’re pretty decent too.

20-Min-arm-workoutMr. Spiffykerms and I usually head over to the gym a half hour before it closes, so I’ve gotten pretty good at making the most of my thirty minutes there. Last night I did a 20 minute arm workout, and followed up with a 1 mile run on the treadmill.

workout-selfieFor weights, I used 15lb dumbells in each hand. My arms were definitely burning by the end of it. As for the squats with the weights, I did it sort of like I would do at CrossFit. I rested the weights on my shoulders, with my elbows up in the air, and did front squats with them. I’ve been wearing my Mizuno Wave Riders, because they’re much more newer than my Nike Free’s and feel nicer when I’m running on the treadmill.

Now, off I go looking at my dream homes online. #WishfulThinking.

Have you ever been to Trader Joes?

What are some must-have’s on your weekly grocery list?

Continue Reading