Heart'n Betty!

This year I'm so super excited to be part of Team Betty 2K15. Betty Designs makes my race planning much more fun- I just can't wait to get my kit for my triathlons and visors for my running races plus all of the accessories and start training! But more than just the race wear, I've been having fun wearing my extra Betty bling all over town. The beanie comes in black and pink and trust me, it gets tons of compliments! I love that the designs are edgy and sweet at the same time.

Betty Designs also has a line "for the boys" with their Braveheart collection. From triathlon to streetwear, there is cool product for guys, too.

Next up on the list for me is the famous trucker hat but I just cannot decide which color...

Head on over to check out all things athletically awesome at Betty, today and check out the new Garden Party capris...You'll be hooked, promise!

Channeling My Inner Bendy-Barbie

This week starts a new chapter for me and in true new chapter form, I'm excited and nervous. I am embarking on my yoga teacher training. 200 hours of training as a matter of fact. Six committed weekends (Th-Sun) from now until March of learning, practicing and growing. A financial and time constraint for my family and one more thing on my long list of involvements. So again...excited and nervous. I envision that this will be me by like day 3. Yes, Bendy-Barbie, here I come.

Yoga is something I have loved for years. I began practicing it 12 years ago while pregnant with our middle child. I felt so incredibly good at the time and I swear it helped with delivery as well as shaped his nature. Since then I have been on and off with my practice, knowing full well that I should just stay in that on mode. Yoga helps my tight runner hamstrings immensely. I helps me to feel calm in a brain that constantly wants to go, see, do. It forces me to go internal and listen to what my body needs. It makes me quite frankly feel this cool!

So off I set for weekend 1/6. I'll wave goodbye to my kiddos, pack three thousand sports bras and walk into the proverbial sunset with my mat and water. And thinking ahead...I'd like to share the before and after shots because THIS is exactly what it will look like. 

OMMMMMMMMMMM

Seeking Wellness in Coffee

Like most people I adore December. I love Christmas, the magic, the memories and the excitement. However, even though I welcome hustle, the parties, the decorating and the traditions, I also find myself falling into stress easily. In my very unscientific poll I've taken over the last four days it's become really clear that so many of us freak out a little bit during the holidays for SO many different reasons. One of my co-workers even told me today that Thanksgiving has a track record of people filing for divorce. That's some seriously bad turkey!

So here we are on only December 1st and I already admitted I need help. (Working in the wellness field has so many advantages and one of them is that we health coaches are super keen to our own needs.) One of the best things that we can do is verbalize our needs and women, we are so much better at this then men. Sorry guys but it's true. So today I shot a good buddy a text about seeking wellness in coffee. She even dropped her house cleaning on her day off work to help so she's obviously a keeper. We spent an hour together sharing. An hour of tearing up, laughing and keeping it real (we sound like SUCH women!!). An hour and then back to the real world of work, family, issues, and laundry.

One hour is all you need with a friend that acts as a sounding board, perhaps offers some sage advice or maybe just a smile to help get those neurotransmitters back on the right path and to aid in the wellness process. One hour with a friend to validate your feelings, thoughts, look at things a new way...you'll be so much better off.
Oh yeah, and maybe a little coffee will help, too. ;)

Saving the Pits One Swipe at a Time

Hey gals (and guys!) that sweat... what are you putting on your pits? I know you already know this but I'm throwing it out there again. Our armpits share space with our lymph nodes which are small, roundish little clumps of tissue that are part of our lymphatic system. Our immune system works in conjunction with the lymphatic system to stop bacteria, viruses and disease from spreading throughout our bodies. The problem is that we sweaty beasts often don't think about the fact that we are putting toxic substances right at those sites so that we do not offend others around us at the gym. 

For years I have been dabbling with the name brand deodorants as well as the more "natural" brands as well. I have spent oodles of time standing at the store and smelling which one I liked best. Which one would make me smell like a fresh meadow whilst running on the treadmill? Or maybe like rain in the meadow while pushing weights over my head. All this vanity to smell good sweating and never really understanding what I was doing to my internal functions. 

Now that I'm older and wiser and dialed in to my health a bit more, I am on a mission to remove as much junk from my environment as possible. (Working really hard on healing thyroid issues!) My sister in law introduced me to a roll on and I'm here to say it works. Naturally Fresh fights off odor with it's mineral salts. It is hypoallergenic for us sensitive folk, paraben/pg free and fragrance free. It's extremely cost effective and easy to find at many stores. Keep in mind it will not keep you from sweating which is ok- that is our body's way of cooling down and we don't want to plug up our pores with antiperspirant! 

Note that the product definitely keeps those pits from smelling fowl but does take some time to dry before putting on a shirt! 

Breaking Free From the Pack. Me, Myself and I

I am a total socialholic. Is that a word? No?! It should be.

I am energized by people, sweat, motivation, and camaraderie. But sometimes it's good to head out by yourself and breathe, think, pray, meditate- whatever it is that your soul needs. Plus one of the benefits of going solo is that you can stop and snap pics and admire all the beauty around you without making someone have to pause their Garmin. :)

And while definitely not a pro at going out by myself fully in zen mode (I listen to fitness/health podcasts- a whole separate blog post to come!), I'm working my way there. Today I'm headed out for a short run and will go without the headphones and spend some possibly uncomfortable miles in my head alone. Decompression, people. We all need it. Namaste.

Dry What!? My New Obsession With Needles

I have been on a warpath to get rid of pain in upper left back for the past two and half months. No big deal really- it only hurt to breathe, run, lift, sleep and move. You get my point. Certain I broke a rib, the x-ray showed differently. I had massages. I had an adjustment from my chiropractor and manipulations from a D.O. I took way too much ibuprofen. I took natural anti-inflammatories that cost a fortune. Heat, ice, arnica, I did it all. And then I met the needle man.

On my way in to see a new physical therapist, I really didn't expect much. I knew they would say that I had movement issues. I knew being in a boot for weeks threw me out of whack. I thought they would give me some fascia release exercises and send me on my way. 

Now for the good part- my PT evaluated all of the above and then recommended that we try dry needling. A method used for the management of musculoskeletal pain. Sure, can't hurt (ha ha) so we started. The thin filament needle goes in unnoticeably and stimulates a healing process of of soft tissues (fascia, muscle trigger points, tendons and ligaments) which will lead to pain relief and a healthier physiology overall.

Three or so needles in I was like "I can barely feel it" and then some trigger point spots revealed a whole new freaky leaping source of wow. When I had enough of the achy, crampy feeling, we stopped. The pain was instantly better where the needles had gone and a sneeze shortly thereafter proved it. I didn't wince or tear up like I had for months. I went on with my day and could feel pain in the spots that hadn't been touched. I couldn't wait to go back for more and finish it off. The following week I went in for round 2 and now I'm a junkie. Hooked. A believer! 

Many people have asked what the difference between dry needling and acupuncture is. My PT explains it as acupuncture is designed to work with meridians in the body based off of Chinese medicine whereas in dry needling a similar method is used to aid the musculoskeletal and nervous system. Singing it's praises, I couldn't be more thankful to have relief! I would love to hear how this has helped other athletes overcome both injury and plain old chronic pain. If you have tried it, please share! 

On the Road Again

This weekend marked my break up with my hairline fracture.  This relationship with injury is OVER. And to celebrate this kicking the boot to the curb, I laced up and hit the road.

Now I'm kind of a maniac about many things I do so this was important that I truly do it right. The smart way to make a comeback is slowly. I say this mostly for myself because I give great, sound advice but I don't always follow that protocol. When we runners come back after taking time off, we have to do a solid warm up and then a run/walk combo. If you have a device that you can set to let you know when it's time to walk, it makes things a lot easier. Otherwise, ten minutes will fly by and you'll be thinking "I feel so good, I can keep going". And that mentality is seriously a trap! Make a simple plan, set your length of time and enjoy easing back in. (Should I say that again??) Repeat this method for the first 3-4 runs before adding time and speed back in.

If you are a garmin/running toy kind of person like me, you need to only use it to measure your length of time or set distance. DO NOT focus on the total time it takes to reach that set distance. Speed will come back in with patience and smart thinking. Promise! 

Stay positive, my wounded warrior running friends and I'll see you out there.