Author: Orange DECA

Week FOUR of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

Week four info…

Its DOUBLE POINTS EXERCISE WEEK! Get in those sweat sessions, you could earn 120 points if you do 6 x 45 min workouts!
BONUS CHALLENGES for week 4 (pick two, 50 point max)…
- Its a RUN week for our LFC group – join us on Saturday ~ we will cover 4.5 – 6 miles, depending on requests (25 bonus points)
- Log 15+ miles this week (25 bonus points)
- Email us challenge ideas for our 2015 challenge! We are still considering participating in the RUN 2,015 miles in 2015 challenge or making our own challenge… if we make our own, we want YOUR input! Title the email subject line 2015 Challenge (25 bonus points)

And HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY to our runner/yogi/friend, Christine!

Other news ~ email us @ LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com for more info or to share ideas…

Our NOOMA winner from the week 3 challenge ~~will be announced later today~~ = JEN! Congrats!

UPCOMING EVENTS…
- Open House on Jan 4th for Fair Trade Yoga Studios in Powell from 1-4PM, see flyers below. This will be one of the BONUS challenge options for week five so mark your calendars!
- [Hopefully] a Barre event at Bend in late January. More details to come.
- LFC Book Club meets Thurs, Jan 22 to discuss UNBROKEN.

Make it a FIT week!

“Scatterbrain” December

[Guest post by L Nguyen]

Merry Christmas!

The “Holidays” this year seemed to have creeped up faster than usual. It felt like it was just yesterday we were out running the trails at 6:30pm in daylight on our Thursday ptown runs. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind – they went by so fast! Personally, I have been so busy that I haven’t been on track with my current marathon training and missed so many [Harbor] yoga classes I wanted to go to.

I am sure we can all relate. The holiday shopping, family to entertain, traveling, etc. It makes everything feel like a big blur. Not having time (yes, it sounds like another excuse) to run or do yoga definitely has made me feel a bit wonky these last few weeks. My mind seemed more scatterbrained and there were times I was restless and SO eager for that run or hot yoga. It’s probably the longest break I have had since the Columbus Marathon.

During my 20 mile run last week, I was reminded by fellow runners that it’s absolutely okay to not have “the best” training season or to not quite be “on schedule.” Sometimes you just need that quick refresher. I honestly thought I might not finish that long run (I hadn’t done any short runs the previous several days prior nor eaten a healthy diet) but I finished! That invigorating run also reminded me to slow down, breathe, and be mindful. Running and yoga keep me focused in other facets of life. As crazy as it sounds, I find myself more exhausted when I haven’t had an intense run or sweat session.

I have come to realize that even though I have been a bit “off course,” my focus is relatively the same… to stay as active as I can, even if it’s not crazy level active. We have probably mentioned this a million times- listen to your body. When you’re exhausted and feel scatterbrain – your body is just telling you something (i.e. get some sleep/rest ).

Enjoy the simple everyday things.

Don’t worry too much about missing one or multiple workouts.

And definitely let yourself enjoy the holiday season.

Cheers!

Holiday/Christmas wish lists

Okay so maybe we waited too long to post this because HOPEFULLY your holiday shopping is coming to an end (its 2PM on Christmas Eve!) Regardless, here are the top FIT items we had on our wish lists so we wanted to share them with our readers…

Legwarmers & tall socks ~ since we basically live in our yoga pants, these not only are comfy, but make a stylish statement too! Freepeople has some great options… or even your local Kohl’s or Target.
Athletic vest ~ puffer please! lululemon and Northface have great athletic models, but more affordable options can be found in lots of places, including Old Navy.
lululemon athletica vinyasa scarf ~ so many uses!
Boat neck sweatshirts ~ great for throwing over your sweaty athletic clothes to keep you warm after a session, or just lounging around in. As Bend says, fitness meets fashion!
The mat. If you do hot yoga, there really is no better mat out there!
lululemon hot cheeks shorts ~ Lan likes to layer and cover her booty on cold winter runs… but still, of course, look cute!
Leggings. Who couldn’t use another pair of leggings? Maybe you want to make a BOLD statement and get Robert Sturman/Bend Active’s Italy or Prayer Flag leggings. Or maybe you’re more subtle… some of our favorite basic black leggings include lululemon’s run crop or wunder unders and Bend Active’s leela leggings.
Stocking stuffers like Honey Stingers, gloves, running headbands, headphones, juice bar giftcards, running socks (Balega is one of the best!) ~ anything that will fit! And maybe a Starbucks or Winans giftcard… we deserve a little chocolate or coffee after a long run!
Fitness passes ~ think yoga class passes, yoga retreat, race entries, etc.
Running inspiration; subscription to Runner’s World magazine or maybe an iTunes giftcard to update our running playlist.

You can also check out lululemon’s gift guides for more ideas!

Thanks for checking in! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Eve (or whatever you celebrate!)

Merry FIT-mas!!!!

Week THREE of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

We are halfway through week three in our eight week winter challenge.

Week two highlights…

Amanda R has taken the lead (495 points total) ~ see if you can catch her during week 3!
We had our first FIT book club gathering and plan to read Unbroken ~ we’ll meet in January to discuss it & choose the next book. The Running Dream is another highly recommended title.
Keep logging those points! It is hard to do during the holidays, but the challenge hopefully helps you to be somewhat mindful and still try to make some healthy choices.

Week three info…

DOUBLE POINTS challenge this week is for NO SWEETS or NO ALCOHOL… your choice! Difficult during the holidays and social gatherings, so good luck if you can do it!
BONUS CHALLENGE options for week 3 ~ CHOOSE TWO as its a 50 POINT MAXIMUM.
- Post a photo to Instagram about HOW YOU LIVE THE FIT/NOOMA LIFE ~ use the hashtags #Noomalife, #Livingfitcolumbus, #LFCwinterchallenge (25 points)
- Submit a guest blog post about why you run (in general) and/or why you like to run with the group (25 points)
- Submit a guest blog post that includes a healthy recipe (25 points)

It may be difficult to get to the gym this week, so why not try a new workout at home? Squeeze it in between wrapping and baking! Around here we like to set the over timer for 30 (or 45) minutes and just MOVE! Dance, chase the kids, climb stairs, run around the house, do some jumping jacks or your favorite yoga sequence… just keep your heart rate up! Here is another at-home idea from one of our favorite fitness blogs, PbFingers.com —>

Other news ~ email us @ LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com for more info or to share ideas…

NOOMA drink is our brand of the week! Anyone that takes the #Noomalife bonus challenge AND logs points for week three will be entered into a drawing for a FREE CASE of NOOMA! Nooma was born and raised in Cleveland, but is available in Columbus at various establishments, including Harbor Yoga. Visit drinknooma.com to learn more about this awesome (low sugar, non-acidic) reydrating beverage. And make sure you keep logging points through week 8, more Nooma is waiting for you at the finish!
We will be submitting a guest blog post to ClassPass at the end of the month. If you have any feedback on our topic, “Training for a Half Marathon with friends ~ why we train together” please send it our way.
There is no scheduled group meet-up this week due to the holidays… although if this weather holds out, we may end up meeting on Sat or Sun for a group run ~ can’t pass up these amazing Dec temps!
Upcoming events include an Open House on Jan 4th for Fair Trade Yoga and [hopefully] a Barre event at Bend in late January. More details to come.

GOOD LUCK WITH WEEK THREE!

And Merry Christmas Eve!

Living Fit ~ celebrating the holidays & a book club

In spring, summer and fall, we meet on Thursday nights for our #ptownrunclub, in partnership with lululemon athletica Polaris. Last season we met May through October, but hope to begin in March or April in 2015. We miss our Thursday runs!

Once it started getting too dark (and cold, wet, etc) to run at night, we tapered off, took a holiday break in November and have decided to implement a reading component for the winter months. We’ll meet one Thursday per month and choose a book that somehow relates to fitness, wellness and/or the benefits of both (strength, mental clarity & toughness, overcoming adversity or pain, etc).

We had our first annual Living Fit Holiday Gathering last night, as well as the kickoff to our book club component!

The food included a mix of healthy ~ veggies, hummus, and appetizers from Food Faith Fitness ~ and not-so-healthy ~ vino, baked goodies and several cheese options. And of course, lots of water because its double-point water week in our Living Fit Winter Challenge! We chatted, wined & dined and took a few photos (duh!) 🙂

We all suggested book titles, discussed each one and then informally voted on a ‘main’ book last night. Today a few of us decided to add a ‘side’ book, in case people have already read the main one, love to read and have time to read both or perhaps aren’t so interested in the first selection. Both books have to do with adversity, something we’ve all encountered in both life and/or in our fitness journeys via injury, getting back into shape, gaining or losing weight and muscle, or struggling with our healthy diet.

Our main book.. Unbroken [hailed as the top non-fiction book of the year]

UNBROKEN Synopsis: In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

Our side/second book.. The Running Dream [Fiction, categorized as ‘young adult,’ but has won several awards and comes highly recommended!] This was a close second on our choices last night and can be discussed at our January meeting, or February if people need more time to complete!

THE RUNNING DREAM Synopsis: Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She’s not comforted by the news that she’ll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run? As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don’t know what to say, act like she’s not there. Which she could handle better if she weren’t now keenly aware that she’d done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she’s missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her. With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that’s not enough for her now. She doesn’t just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.

Ideas for choosing the ‘book of the month’ in your own book club:

Host suggests the next book or suggests a few and members vote or draw (out of hat).
All members suggest one book and members vote or draw.
Choosing a theme (fitness, wellness, teaching, photography, whatever fits your group!) or genre (fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction) can be fun ~ book title must fall into that category.
Stuck for ideas? Check the best seller lists and places like the Huffington Post. Also books that were made into major motion pictures generally have a good plot. Add another event to your book club and go see the movie together!
Think of your favorite book and suggest it. The best ones can be read again and again!

Living Fit Columbus Book Club gathering dates…

~~Thursday, Dec 18th~~
Thursday, Jan 22nd ~ discuss Unbroken [and Running Dream if people have finished it]
Thursday, Feb 26th
Thursday, March 26th

Dates are subject to change, so stay tuned. Hosting is voluntary so claim your date. 🙂 By April/May we’ll be back to our Thursday runs and can decide if we keep reading or start focusing on training. Feel free to bring your book, discussion questions and of course a dish or drink to share!

Have a fabulous Friday and hope to see you at yoga this weekend.

Week TWO of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

We survived week one of our Living Fit Winter Challenge! Impressive work, keep it up!

Week one highlights…

We had almost 40 participants sign up and close to half of them already logged their week one points – awesome job and an exciting jump from our handful of participants last year! Several [uhum, ladies!] scored over 200 points including Jen, Peggy, Amanda R, Joan, Leah, Christine and Teresa.
There were a wide variety of personal FIT goals including workout 4x per week, do 30 pushups per day, drink tea/water instead of coffee and wine, lose one+ pounds per week, keep a food journal, eat one+ servings of fruits and veggies per day… and more! So many people met [and crushed] their goals!

Week two info…

We’ve separated sweets and adult beverages so you can now earn points for BOTH (or neither!)
DOUBLE POINTS challenge this week is 64 oz of water, so get in your daily allotment and you can earn 10 pts per day! Read more about water in one of our previous blog posts… water, water, water.
BONUS CHALLENGE options for week 2 ~ CHOOSE TWO as its a 50 POINT MAXIMUM.
1. Attend HARBOR YOGA or your favorite yoga studio (25 points)
2. Get together with some FIT friends! Join us for Book Club on Thurs, organize a group run or join us next Saturday for a group FIT session… anything where you’re sweating it out with a friend! Can’t count the yoga class from option 1 as both, must be two separate occasions 🙂 (25 points)
3. Log MORE points than you did last week! (25 points)

Other news ~ email us @ LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com for more info or to share ideas…

Its HARBOR YOGA week, try to get in a class! A few are going Wed night to Angie’s 7PM class and a few more on Saturday morning. A FIVE CLASS PASS from Harbor is one of the LF winter challenge prizes, so keeping logging those points!
We have our first Living Fit holiday gathering and FIT book club meeting this Thursday
We will be submitting a guest blog post to ClassPass the end of December. If you have any feedback on our topic, “Training for a Half Marathon with friends ~ why we train together” please send it our way
We want to know what spring events you’re training for!
- Scioto Miles Spring Training Series – Christine, Lan, Deedra, Peggy, Mahvish, Jen, Amanda R, Teresa
- Mini Indy Half – Jen, Christine, Amanda R
- Cap City – ?
Upcoming events include an Open House on Jan 4th for Fair Trade Yoga and [hopefully] a Barre event at Bend in late January. More details to come!

GOOD LUCK WITH WEEK 2! You can do this!

Healthy snack or sweet/sugary treat?

[tgellenbeck]

First, let me say I am NOT a dietician, nutritionist or any other type of fitness expert. I’m a runner who loves chocolate. So please, take what I’m saying with a grain of salt. Or sugar. I have, however, tried a TON of clean eating challenges, TLS & Advocare supplements, been on a ‘crash wedding diet’ and lots of other weight loss & fitness journeys over the last twenty-some years.

We all question ‘how much sugar is ok?’ especially if starting a New Year’s resolution or a Living Fit challenge. If your body doesn’t burn off the sugar, its stored as fat (or something complex like that!) On our current challenge, you can earn 5 points daily for ‘refraining from sweets, sugary treats, desserts & alcohol’ ~ so this poses the question of ‘what is considered a treat?’ What if you’re injured and your husband/doctor prescribes self-medication of a tall glass of wine? What if you bought a ‘healthy’ energy bar, only to find out it has 20 grams of sugar?

We polled some of our Living Fit members & did a bit of research on the ol’ sugar topic. Here are some tips & guidelines we came up with…

Experts recommend a daily sugar intake [maximum] of around 20-25g for women and 36-37.5g for men.
Natural sugars are best ~ try to avoid all added sugar, refined carbs, processed foods and ‘artificial’ sweetners. Whenever possible, stick to single ingredient, whole foods.
Sugar can produce similar brain activity to some drugs… what?! And you CAN get addicted to it!
“Acceptable sweets” that we came up with collectively include; apple w/ nut butter, fresh fruit, yogurt, avocado w/ sprinkled nuts & drizzle of honey, hot tea [try putting blueberries in your green tea], dried fruit & nuts, granola or snack bar (Quest and Lara have low sugar), Carob Spirulina energy squares, KIND bars. Certain fruits have a lot more sugar, so keep this in mind if trying to be extremely strict with your sugar intake. Those Craisins are still better than a cookie, but have 24g of sugar!!
Find small ways to cut sugar in everyday choices. Ask for just TWO instead of four pumps of syrup in that grande latte. Try your coffee black. Eat a fresh apple instead of a bag of cookies (okay, that’s a tough one). Do what you can to make better choices.

With all of this info, we also believe in the theory of ‘everything in moderation.’ Our winter challenge does allow one day of sweets with no penalty. So don’t forget to let yourself enjoy life every now and then, you only get one of them!

Note: If you have information or tips on diet, nutrition, runner-friendly healthy recipes, etc ~ send them our way! We are pretty good about getting fitness & exercise related posts up, but need to work on our ‘diet’ posts ~ a lot of us RUN because we like to eat, drink & be merry! LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com

Sources and articles for more info:

Living Fit Columbus [8 week] Winter Fitness Challenge

Our third annual winter challenge kicked off yesterday! We had a great turnout for the RUN+YOGA event we helped put together @ Bend Active, with several of our Living Fit Run Club runners…

Living Fit Run Club attendees! not pictured; Amanda R & Teresa

and lots of new faces too…

The eight week challenge helps us all stay motivated and accountable during the winter months, when outdoor runs become a challenge. Its all on an ‘honor’ system of various ways to earn & log points including;

Keeping track of a point calendar each week [earn points by working out, drinking water, giving up sweets and motivating friends]
Setting and meeting weekly personal fitness/wellness goals
Completing weekly bonus challenges

It may seem like a lot of tedious point counting, but it works and it CAN be fun! Its evolved over the last few years and we’ve grown it this year to 30+ participants! Woo hoo!

This year we are also lucky enough to have several local businesses participating, offering support and even prizes. These businesses include;

NOOMA [a clean, hydrating drink company based out of Cleveland]
Harbor Yoga [one of our local favorites!]
Bend Active [Fitness meets Fashion! – Yoga, running and comfy apparel for all!]
Winans Dublin [Coffee & chocolate shop where our Saturday group runs start & finish]

Living Fit run club Saturdays @9AM

Nooma

You have to attend at least one Living Fit Columbus event to be eligible for prizes & this is the last week to enter! Make sure you email us at LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com if you’re interested in more details.

GOOD LUCK to all our participants! May the odds be ever in your favor!!

Photo/quote credit to: dafont.com

Check out all the weeks below…

Week one (above)
Week two
Week three
Week four
Week five
Week six
Week seven
Week eight

Run+Yoga event @ Bend Active [Tour of Columbus]

Our Living Fit Columbus runners kicked off our winter fitness challenge & met up with Bend Active this morning for a fun RUN + YOGA event. A big thanks to Bend, Fair Trade Yoga, Samba Fresh, Living Fit runners and all the other sponsors & participants that made today fun! Great sweating with all these pretty faces!

Fitness challenge & Bend Active Grand Opening!

We are excited to announce a mini run/yoga event at Bend Active‘s new store this Sunday to kickoff our Living Fit Winter Challenge & Bend Active’s Grand Opening!

When: Sunday, Dec 7th 11AM-12:30PM

Where: Bend Active, The Shoppes on Lane Ave, 1595 Lane Ave, Upper Arlington, 43221

Details:

Enter the Living Fit Winter Challenge
- You do NOT have to be present at this event to join our challenge ~ however, you earn week 1 bonus points for attending and will be given a brief overview of challenge details
- You DO have to attend at least one group activity during the 8 week challenge to be eligible for prizes
- You can check out the leaderboard from last year’s challenge HERE
20-30 min run starting and ending at Bend Active’s new Lane Ave location
20-30 min vinyasa yoga session [post-run] lead by Sherry Hoff of Fair Trade Yoga Studio
Enter a raffle for items from Bend Active and Fair Trade Yoga Studio