Author: Orange DECA

Weekly “Sweaty” Events

We are attending & promoting some fabulous events and classes this week!

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Tuesday, February 17

7581 Sawmill Road
Dublin, OH 43016

(614) 356-9999

Several of our runners want to PR for spring races, so speed training and strength training will be an integral part of our preparation. Where can we get both? At Orange Theory Fitness! Known as “The best one hour workout in the country,” the workout consists of intervals with the treadmill, rower and TRX system.

Their website states, “The idea of OrangeTheory is simple: a 60-minute workout designed to push you into the Orange Zone. This creates Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC. It’s what burns calories after your workout and gives you noticeable, lasting results.”

We’ll give you an update and let you know how we did.

Tour of Columbus – Orange Theory Fitness

We visited once last May, check out our previous visit HERE.

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Wednesday, February 18 [This class is not open to the public]

Some lululemon educators are taking a private class with Rachel Wilson, founder of the barre-OM method! We’ve met up with Rachel several times and guarantee the lemons will love her class. Can’t wait to hear about it!

Check out our interview with Rachel, HERE

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Friday, February 20 [This class is full]

We are taking a group class at V Power Yoga this Friday at 6:30PM with guest instructor, Matt Citriglia. We first found V Power on ClassPass and it was highly recommended by Rachel Kerr, who now teaches there.

We LOVE V Power, check out our previous post HERE.

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Saturday, February 21

Yoga For Runners

9:45am – 11:00am

Bend Active @ The Shops on Lane Ave

1595 W Lane Ave

Upper Arlington, OH 43221

614-817-1100

“My hips are SUPER tight!” Commonly said and heard among distance runners.

Want to work on hip stretches and learn more about how yoga can benefit you when you run? Join us for a COMPLIMENTARY Run+Yoga event at Bend Active!

ARRIVAL: Plan to arrive between 9:30-9:40ish for a quick meet & greet and drop your yoga stuff in the store.
RUN: We will leave PROMPTLY at 9:45 for our run. Some runners will do 3 and some hope to get in 4 miles. We will end back at Bend to transition into our “Yoga for Runners” class.
YOGA: Led by Rachel Kerr of The Beauty Barre, this will be a “stretching” type class where we work on specific stretches great for runners hip flexors, hamstrings, quads, etc.
FUN!: Stick around afterwards for…
- Some play time to practice certain poses that require good hip flexibility
- Samples from Native Cold Pressed
- Group [and individual] photos
- Discuss our Living Fit Columbus tanks and charity of choice
- Some shopping at Bend!
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For more info on upcoming events that we are attending and/or planning, visit our Living Fit EVENTS page and calendar.

Have a great, sweaty, week!

Photo credits and info blurbs – Bend Active, The Beauty Barre, Rachel Wilson, OTF

Weekly Workout – Interval [treadmill] Training

[t gellenbeck]

While many of our running groupies are racing a half marathon this summer, I personally am focusing on a shorter distance ~ the 10K. I’m somewhat pleased with my 5K, half marathon and marathon PRs, but my 10K one is less than stellar. Therefore, many of the interval and speed sessions I’ll be attempting over the next 8-10 weeks will be geared towards that shorter distance.

For you half marathoners out there, a common goal is to break two hours. This magical finish time is the one several of our runners have set their sights on for their spring race. If you want to see that 1:59:59 on the finish time clock, you need to keep your pace at 9 minutes & 9 seconds [or faster] per mile. During training, you want to get your body used to running this pace, so running your tempo and some of your intervals at that 9:09 [or faster] will help you mentally and physically prepare for your half marathon pace [HMP] goal. You can do it!

For today’s speed session, I kept the 2 hour half marathon finish time in mind. My ‘recovery’ pace was a 9:05/mile ~ this way your HMP seems easy compared to the rest of the workout!

You can substitute songs as desired below [hey, not everyone is a Tswift fan!] but the just of it is to alternate periods of speed with periods of recovery [your HMP]. Take 30-60 second breaks between songs as needed, eventually working up to NOT needing breaks.

I was sweaty and felt like I got in a great run. Hope you can make it work for you!

Try to make sure you are getting in at least one speed/interval session per week and one tempo session per week. Hill work is never a bad idea either.

Good luck & stay fit!
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, just a seasoned runner. Please consult your doctor and make sure you have been running, injury-free, for 6-12 months before introducing speed work!

Weekend Events – Come Sweat With Us!

We are attending some fun events and classes this weekend! Saturday we’ll be hanging with Rachel Kerr at VUE and Sunday we’ll be with Rachel Wilson at Bend Active.

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Saturday, February 7

A fun, one hour vinyasa power flow yoga class via Rachel Kerr of TheBeautyBarre.net

9AM @ VUE, 95 Liberty St, Columbus, OH 43215

Bring a mat, water & be ready to sweat!

A few of us are likely meeting after yoga to do a 4-8 mile run.

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Sunday, February 8

Join barre-OM founder Rachel Wilson for a barre-OM fusion class!

11AM @ Bend Active, Lane Ave, Columbus

Barre_-_OM_10f4170c-c876-4e3f-b651-132243c89109_large

This 60 minute class will combine yoga and barre (www.barre-OM.com). Barre classes consist of small isometric movements used to work muscles until complete exhaustion. Barre exercises target arms, thighs, glutes, and abs. Yoga postures will be interspersed throughout the class in order to create strong, long and lean muscles.

No prior barre or yoga experience is required, but some experience in one or the other is recommended.

Bring your own yoga mat!

10% of all Bend sales on the 24th will be donated to the Law and Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization that is designed to help students from underserved communities to get into college. The program is located in six cities throughout Ohio (Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo), and approximately 350 students are involved in the program. The program is free to all participants and it is designed to help high school students build their reading, writing, critical thinking, public speaking, analytical, leadership, and professional skills. Students receive free SAT/ACT preparation and they also receive assistance in the college application process.Rachel works full time as the Program Director of LLI and teaches fitness classes at Pai Yoga & Fitness (barre and yoga), Grow Yoga (yoga), The Butcher Shop Fitness (Lagree Fitness), and Replenish: the spa co-op (barre and yoga). You can read about our interview with her HERE.

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A big shout out to these kind-hearted yogis who are doing these events at no charge and to Bend Active, who offers complimentary fitness classes almost every weekend!

For more info on upcoming events that we are attending and/or planning, visit our Living Fit EVENTS page and calendar.

Have a great, sweaty, relaxing, coffee-drinking, water-rehydrating weekend!

Photo credits and info blurbs – Bend Active and The Beauty Barre

Living Fit Columbus Winter Challenge WINNERS!

If I can accomplish an “impossible” feat on my yoga mat, think of all of the possibilities for my life off of the mat. – Masumi Goldman

So proud of these girls! They ran, they yoga-d [sp?], they tried new places and met new faces, and man did they SWEAT!

WINNERS & prizes of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

First Place – Jen!

Recap:
- Total Points Earned: 2535
- Some of her 2015 FIT goals:
  - Train to get faster & stronger for the Indy Mini Half Marathon [Hoping to PR and break the 2 hour mark!]
  - Participate in #LFCMilesandMats2015
  - Finish TriFit Duathlon challenge distance [2.4 mi run + 25 mi bike + 10K run]
  - Continue working on forearm balances, choose at least three
  - Run 2015 miles with Amanda R
  - Choose a fall fitness event or retreat to participate in

Prizes:
- Five session class-pass to Harbor Yoga
- $50 Bend Active Gift Card
- NOOMA drinks

Second Place – Christine

Recap:
- Total Points Earned: 2505
- Some of her 2015 FIT goals:
  - Participate in #LFCMilesandMats2015
  - Complete two half marathons
  - Complete five total races, including one with her husband
  - Work towards setting and accomplishing personal yoga goals

Prizes:
- $50 LeenaBee Photography Gift Certificate
- $25 Bend Active Gift Card
- NOOMA drinks

Third Place – Amanda R

Recap:
- Total Points Earned: 2445
- Some of her 2015 FIT goals:
  - Complete the 2015 miles challenge with Jen (1007.5 miles for each of us!)
  - Participate in #LFCMilesandMats2015
  - PR for a half marathon
  - Commit to another half for the fall
  - Continue to become a better yogi, which has significantly helped my running!

Prize:
- The Robert Sturman 2015 Calendar via Bend Active
- $5 Winans [Dublin] Gift Card
- NOOMA drinks

Living Fit 1000 Point Club

Jen
Christine
Amanda R
Teresa
Peggy
Joan
Lan
Deedra

*All 1000 Point Club members [those that logged over 1000 points during the eight week challenge] will be entered in a drawing for a Winans gift basket! Drawing will be conducted this weekend at our YOGA class @ VUE.*

Thank you to all our sponsors & supporters and GREAT JOB to all our participants!

Watch for more challenges and details on our #LFCMilesandMats2015 challenge on the blog!

Winter Fitness Challenge Memories

[more pics to come ~ also check out #lfcwinterchallenge on Instagram]

Bend Active

Running, yoga & hips

[t gellenbeck]

“Girl, your hips are TIGHT!!” said the POGA instructor to me last summer while I was making my lame attempt at pigeon. No, I wasn’t offended. It was actually an old friend from high school who was leading the practice and let’s be real, I DO have insanely tight hips! Her next question was, “Are you a runner?” And that was the start of educating myself and working on my TIGHT HIPS…

Lan, working on her hip opener

Sage Rountree, a yoga and running expert states, “Most runners claim they have tight hamstrings. I see it all the time in the yoga classes I teach to athletes. But often, the problem is less in the hamstrings and more in the opposing muscle groups: the quadriceps and, more importantly, the hip flexors.”

Why are our hips tight? A few reasons…

Repetitive Use. Our hip flexors help pull the leg forward and your knee upward during your stride. Think about how many times you do this during a run! You take anywhere from 250-350 steps PER MINUTE when running, depending on pace, so that is a lot of hip flexing!!
Weak Glutes. “One big contributing factor to hip flexor tightness is that the glutes just aren’t as active as other running muscles during most activities. This causes your hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves to become much stronger,” claims athletico.com.

We also spend a good part of our day sitting, which contributes to hip-tightening.

Why does it matter for runners?

More flexible hips (and other leg joints/muscles) can lead to more efficient running times and injury prevention. “The strength and flexibility you develop on the mat – namely in the core, quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors – can help you run more efficiently and stay injury-free,” says Adam St. Pierre, a coach & exercise physiologist.

Neglecting your hips can not only slow you down, it can lead to injury. “Like many runners, my thoughts of stretching [used to] range from non-existent to lame. Pretty pathetic! No wonder I had more than my share of injuries in those years, mainly in the hamstrings and hips” states Christine Felstead, a yoga instructor that works specifically with runners & performance athletes. In her book, Yoga for Runners, Felstead names chapter 10 ~ Hips: Unleash the Power ~ where she talks about the overall improved running performance and efficiency we can achieve through a little hip love!

How can we work them?

1. Yoga – duh!

We are doing not one, not two, but THREE yoga for runners classes & workshops this spring and I CAN. NOT. WAIT!! But until then, we’ll work on some of these stretches from Felstead’s book…

three-legged downward dog
extended side stretch
warrior II
warrior III
tree
pigeon (eeek!)
runner’s lunge
lizzard

2. Quad & IT rolls on the foam roller. If you don’t have one of these bad boys and you are running distance, get one NOW!

3. Get up and MOVE during the day. The less sitting, the better.

Three yoga poses we like that require hip flexibility… good goals to work towards!

Side plank with variation… we want to bring that leg up all the way someday!

One legged wheel

Dancer

More to come after our running clinics.

Stretch those hips and stay fit!

Sources:

Yoga for Runners, Christine Felstead
Are Your Hip Muscles Out of Balance?,Sage Rountree
How Yoga Can Help Your Running, Runner’s World
Lan’s Instagram account – thanks for all the photos 🙂

Jennifer Lopez on Health, Life & Love

[by t gellenbeck]

J Lo was on Dr. Oz the other day. Due to a busy life, I don’t watch the show regularly, but I do record it now and then if the topic(s) or celebrity guests intrigue me. She had some great advice on HEALTH, LIFE & LOVE!

Dr. Oz gave her the whole ‘Q & A’ session first…

Q: You’re in your 40s now ~ how do you handle health issues [lack of energy, aches, pains, weight gain] that arise?

A: Tries to handle aging with grace & by staying healthy [mind, body, spirit]

Q: You’re known for your ‘booty’… how did you get such a comfortable body image? Have you ever had body image issues?

A: She likes being curvy and not ‘skinny’ ~ its her idea of beautiful! Her mom was curvy and her dad loved it! “It was a beautiful thing to be curvy.” She had some ‘moments’ after she had babies and decided to do a triathlon, which helped her get back into shape.

Q: What advice do you have for women?

A: Make your own happiness and wholeness a priority [exercising, eating right, positive affirmations], so you can then share that happiness with others in your life.

Jennifer’s tips on getting into shape, getting healthy & having a positive well-being

Drinks LOTS of water throughout the day [Dr Oz says to drink it until your urine is clear]
No smoking, no drinking, limited sun exposure
Sleep – usually gets between 6-8 hours, tries for 7-9 hours, loves 11 when she can get it
Does daily meditation and affirmations ~ thinks positive thoughts, loves herself
Starts the day out with a healthy breakfast ~ Berry Berry smoothie/shake made with Body Lab protein powder, greek yogurt, fruit & dallop of honey- low calorie, high protein

I enjoyed the show [clearly, I wrote a blog post!] and can’t wait to try her smoothie!

Off to bed to get my 7+ hours… shouldn’t you?!

Photo credits to: wellbuzz.com, bodylab.com

JLo Triatholon photo/caption credit to Obsessed with the Nest

Class Pass Guest Blog Post –> Training with Friends!

We were fortunate enough to test out ClassPass Columbus [which we are LOVING!] this month, as well as be a part of their “Blogging For A Happier New Year” January series.

Visit the ClassPass blog & read our post by clicking HERE–> 10 Reasons You Should Be Training For A Race With Friends!

Then, once we’ve convinced you that friends and conversation can help make you a stronger runner and prepare for your next race, come run [and yoga and sweat] with us! Our winter schedule is wrapping up soon and we’ll be finalizing spring dates and events.

Visit our EVENTS calendar and read more about our run crews –> Living Fit Columbus & Ptown.

We hope to see you on the trail or the mat!

Week EIGHT of our Living Fit Winter Challenge – Finale!

Our final week! Congrats to the 14 participants that are still in the challenge!

Don’t forget to log your week 7 calendar points.

Here is the info for week 8, most has to do with SWEATING or SLEEPING!

Double Calendar Points = Exercise week! You can earn up to 20 points per day!
- 30 min = ~~5 pts~~ 10 pts
- 45+ min = ~~10 pts~~ 20 pts

Bonus Challenges [QUADRUPLE week ~ 200 points!]
- THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED [150 points!]
  - Each day, visit a different studio, gym, or running route. It doesn’t have to be a ‘new’ studio or route, just a different one each day. Remember, Harbor class passes are one of the finale prizes, so squeeze in a session there if you can!
  - For instance…
    - Sunday – rest
    - Monday – run outside or yoga @ _______ (insert any studio!) – 25 points
    - Tuesday – run new route – 25 points
    - Wednesday @ PAI – 25 points
    - Thursday @ Harbor – 25 points
    - Friday – run new route or different studio – 25 points
    - Saturday @ Fair Trade – group yoga event! – 25 points
  - Earn 25 points per day [with one rest day] for max of 150 bonus points!
  - Promote it!
    - Post a photo of the studio or route on social media [our fav = Instagram!]
    - Tag the studio or location if possible
    - Tag us using any/all of the following [put it in your second comment, doesn’t have to be in your original caption
      - @LivingFitColumbus
      - #LivingFitColumbus
      - #lfcwinterchallenge
      - #lfcmilesandmats2015

SLEEP CHALLENGE [50 points]
- Average 7-8 hours of sleep for at least five nights this week
- If you already sleep 7+ hours each night, try for an additional 30 minutes.
- Already sleeping 8+ hours? Yay you! An easy 50 point challenge!

Have a great week! Stay fit!

Disney Marathon 2015 [Guest post]

[by L Nguyen]

Marathon.

A simple word that sounds daunting to many. Having completed my third one recently, the Walt Disney World Marathon, I was left reflecting back on my previous trainings.

My first marathon, I over trained.

My second marathon, I followed the training schedule religiously.

They always say “third time’s a charm!” By this third one, training became an amalgamation of all I had learned in the past and I really think I nailed down my strategy. Now keep in mind, the WDW Marathon is not something to PR, but a festive and fun race. Disney reminded me to breathe and enjoy the moment.

I ran this race with a very good friend, Jeffrey. He isn’t the type of runner who talks and runs – which I am okay with as long as someone is running with me and I just mentally think aloud. A few miles in, Jeffrey put away his music. I guess I was just too chatty!

The entire run, I soaked in the running culture, waves of emotions, and of course Disney itself. It is amazing how the running community comes together as “one” for an event and just has fun. It was dark and chilly when we started… I mean, waking up at 2am wasn’t exactly ideal, but completely worth it! A couple miles in, I was so excited that I kept telling Jeffrey “Oh my goodness! That mile went by fast!” Five miles turned into 10 miles which turned into 15 miles. Before we knew it, we were almost done. Somewhere in the middle, we took a break to ride a roller coaster. The euphoria one gets from running is unbelievable! Towards the end of the race, emotions were all over the place. I was excited that I have almost completed something I have waited for since last year. Yet, I was slightly sad it was almost over.

Marathon training definitely brings out the best in you and the worst (ie feeling absolutely guilty when you’ve missed a run). It also demands the best in you. I crossed that finish line with that same triumphant feeling I always get at the end of any major race. The – “OH MY GOSH I DID IT!” repeated mentally and verbally. That feeling when you receive your medal. That feeling when you get your water and post race snacks. It all gives you goosebumps.

Naturally, after this race, I signed up for another one in the spring and plan to make Disney an annual race. The exhilaration of a “runner’s high” never ends!

Lan is one of our Living Fit running-yogis. She is signed up for the Scioto Miles spring training race series and the Derby Festival Marathon in April. She plans to do several races in 2015 and continue working on all things yoga, especially her scorpion. She also plans to pursue her yoga teacher certification in 2015 or 2016.

Week SEVEN of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

We are mid-week SEVEN of our winter challenge! Only about ten+ days to go!

Don’t forget to log your calendar points. Here are some weekly reminders…

Double Calendar Points = No sweets and/or no alcohol. In week three, you had to choose between the two, but this week you can earn double in BOTH! Remember, you do get a cheat day (so don’t count points on day seven), but you can earn 120 points in this category alone!

Bonus Challenges [Double week! 100 points MAX]
- Attend a FIT event [25 points]
  - Thurs FIT Book Club
  - The Local Spot Yoga event on Saturday with lululemon polaris @ Zest
  - Bend Active events Saturday with Rachel Kerr [Power Vinyasa] or Rachel Wilson [barre-OM]
- Log more miles or mat minutes than last week [25 points]
- EAT CLEAN challenge – see “RULES” below
  - Follow Rules six days [100 points] or
  - Follow Rules five days [75 points] or
  - Follow Rules four days [50 points]

In addition to our double calendar points for no sweets, we wanted to take on the challenge of making better ‘diet’ choices. We created a MODIFIED CLEAN challenge because most of us work 40-50+ hours a week, have children, are BUSY… food prep and eating 100% clean is sometimes not an option! We are just looking to make good choices, we are not detoxing or cleansing or trying out for bikini contests. 🙂 It should be a bit challenging, but doable!

“Modified” Living Fit Eat Clean Challenge RULES

#lfceatclean2015

No sugary/fake overly-processed/packaged foods (sugar-laden granola bars & oats, fruit snacks, desserts, GMOs, etc ~ put down that chocolate!)

CAN have ‘clean’ packaged foods, just try to limit. Think no GMOs, low sugar (10g or less), low sodium, etc ~ protein shakes, almond milk, Fage greek yogurt, even milk is on this list (although if you’re looking for quick results, eliminating dairy will help!)
- Check out this website: 100 cleanest packaged foods

Try to fill up on veggies! Eat 2-3+ servings veggies per day. More if you can. Like until you think you can’t eat one more veggie. The benefits of vegetables are countless ~ antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, water content, fiber, cancer prevention… read more HERE.

Eat lean protein; healthy meats, tofu, beans ~ and clean supplements; protein shakes, almond milk, PB2, coconut milk… read more HERE.

Eat 2 (no more than 3) servings fruit per day. If you prefer to have 3 bananas and 2 apples for breakfast [Lan], thats ok, as long as you burn it off. Training for a marathon? Then eat away. 🙂

Try to avoid foods with added sugar and high sugar ratios. If it has more than 10g per serving, try something else! Even some packaged fruits (raisins, craisins, etc) have a lot of sugar.

Like to cook? Check out HeAndSheEatClean.com ~ a great website for clean recipes. Whitney Carlson had an amazing transformation from changing her diet over time!

So that’s it!

Good luck with week 7 and your clean eating!

Over here, we’re already on day 3!!

Check those labels for GMOs and sugar!!

Living Fit [Columbus]

Running, yoga & all things FIT in Columbus, Ohio

Author: Orange DECA

Weekly “Sweaty” Events

Weekly Workout – Interval [treadmill] Training

Weekend Events – Come Sweat With Us!

Living Fit Columbus Winter Challenge WINNERS!

WINNERS & prizes of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

First Place – Jen!

Second Place – Christine

Third Place – Amanda R

Living Fit 1000 Point Club

Winter Fitness Challenge Memories

Running, yoga & hips

Jennifer Lopez on Health, Life & Love

Class Pass Guest Blog Post –> Training with Friends!

Week EIGHT of our Living Fit Winter Challenge – Finale!

Disney Marathon 2015 [Guest post]

Week SEVEN of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

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WINNERS & prizes of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

First Place – Jen!

Second Place – Christine

Third Place – Amanda R

Living Fit 1000 Point Club

Winter Fitness Challenge Memories

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