Author: Orange DECA

FIT-spiration [10 facts about Lan!]

Living Fit [Columbus] run club member highlight

Lan began running with us a few months ago and has quickly become a very active Living Fit member. She regularly attends group runs, gives us post-run stretching ideas, hashtags up a storm on our Instagram #livingfitcolumbus, and is going to be a guest blogger in the VERY near future (hint, check in soon!) Lan is currently training for the Columbus Marathon and when not running, can be found on her yoga mat all over Columbus. We caught up with her to gain some insight on her FIT philosophies…

Ten FIT facts about Lan

Favorite way(s) to sweat: Running and hot yoga. When I’m not training, I try to keep a 50/50 balance. When I am marathon training, I go by the book – right now it’s Runner’s World. I’d also like to try other training plans, like Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway. Free weight lifting has been a work in progress.

Fuel: Smoothies of all sorts with added soy/plant based protein powder. Fast & easy! For weeks of longer runs (i.e 12mi or more), I like lasagna, veggie burgers and fresh vegetables as healthy snacks. I keep busy during the week, so making big dishes that last for a few days have been great.

Favorite FIT places around Columbus:

Running – Dublin Trail and Olentangy Trail.
Lots of yoga studios ~ thanks to yoga, this year’s marathon training has been injury free!

Go-to healthy meal or snack: Lately, it has been eggs of all kinds ~ poached, scrambled, hard boiled. And quinoa recipes from Pinterest.

Cheat meals? I have a big weakness for desserts of all kinds, especially Whole Food’s selections. If you want a slice of cake, have a slice of cake. Enjoy it thoroughly. Life’s too short for no cake!

Race distance: The marathon

Workout music of choice: Anything that pumps me up! Pop, hiphop… warmup has to be “Eye of the Tiger,” usually before a long run.

Workout gear of choice: Although I wear and love lots of brands, lululemon is my all time favorite! Their yoga and run gear have lasted longer than anything else I own and I like their ‘no stink’ silverescent line [We all love lulu! Check out why HERE!]

Words of wisdom: “Something powerful happens when you mix passion and commitment. The fear disappears. Keep an open heart and mind because you will never know until you try.”

FIT goals: Would like to pursue my certified Level 1 yoga teacher training in 2015!

Thanks Lan! Stay tuned for her guest blog post, coming soon!

Check out some of our previous interviews on our FIT-spotlight page. Make it a great week!

Tour of Columbus ~ Emerald City Quarter [and half] Marathon

Several of our Living Fit Columbus and ptown runners participated in the Emerald City Half and Quarter Marathon yesterday in Dublin. Our runners all did the quarter and everyone finished strong!

6:30AM and ready to run!

The race is hosted by M3S Sports and the main sponsor this year was Ohio Health. The pacers were provided by MIT and ours helped us finish ahead of schedule. Even though Amanda, Teresa, Deedra and Christine all set a new PR, the Snowville Creamery chocolate milk at the end was probably the best thing about the whole day. 🙂

We all had a great race and hope to make it a Living Fit Columbus tradition!

Emerald City Quarter Marathon

Running + yoga = Synergy

Aye, aye, aye! [is that spelled correctly?]

As stated in a previous post, I [Teresa] am a high school business teacher. The school year started last week and between being prepared for my active teenage minds, re-adjusting to being a working mom, trying to squeeze in workouts, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry… there is NO time to blog! Hoping to get in at least one-two posts per week, but it may be inconsistent for a while. 😦

Anyhow, most of you know that I am a runner and only a wannabe yogi. I started practicing more regularly this year and pretty much fell in love!

We incorporate it during some of our group runs for stretching…

We’ve posted about these previously, but we LOVE lululemon’s yoga poses for runners and use them frequently;

lululemon – pre run poses for better running stretch via
lululemon – post run stretch for recovery via Jas Yoga
Not sure what types of stretches to do before, during or after your run? Check out Fit Day’s article on dynamic vs static stretching —> Dynamic vs Static

My family caught onto this new passion and blessed me with some great birthday gifts last week…

Over the last eight months of more regular practice, I’ve discovered SO MANY BENEFITS of yoga…

Its a great workout [especially Harbor and Thank‘s hot vinyasa – my two favorite studios so far] that mixes it up, keeping your workout fresh and fun
Its an awesome low-impact cross training activity that can still get your heart rate WAY up and be an amazing sweat session [depending on the type you choose – I prefer hot, power vinyasa]
Become more at peace with the chaos of life – no matter what type of yoga; slow, restorative, vinyasa, ashtanga – a little time on the mat helps reconnect with your inner thoughts, emotions & self
You will get stronger [all those crazy chaturangas!] and become more flexible, both great for running
You learn to breathe deeper and more efficiently, also great for runners
Lan, a fellow runner friend and true yogi, stresses the importance of yoga for injury prevention. Hoping she will blog about this soon!

A little more info and some specific poses/sequences can be found on our YOGA [for runners] page HERE or via some of the articles below.

Whitney Carlson – Stretches you must do if you are a runner

Love Life Surf – Yoga poses for runners

So back to the term in the title… SYNERGY = the interaction of two [or more] agents that produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

Basically this means that running and yoga on their own are pretty cool… but together, they are AMAZING!

Why else would our favorite apparel store combine these two things?

I’ll close with this. An excerpt from another blogger, Tracey, who has a passion for both yoga and running;

I am a yogi, and I am a runner.

I credit my running with the fact that I’ve never had any yoga injuries. A lot of my yogi friends have torn a hamstring or two, because they are constantly lengthening them and never contracting or strengthening them. The backs of my legs are really tight for a yogi – in fact, my heels have never reached the floor in downward facing dog – but I’ve never popped a hamstring either!

On the flip side, I credit my yoga practice with the fact that through over a decade of running, I’ve only suffered one small injury, an aggravated Achilles, which was quickly healed through acupuncture, and – you guessed it! – yoga. My running friends who skip the yoga are constantly suffering from heel spurs, shin splints, stress fractures and all manner of knee and ankle issues.

Early on in my yoga practice, I tried to give up running so that I wouldn’t sacrifice so much flexibility on the mat, but the truth is, I love to break a sweat. I know you can break a sweat in yoga, but I need to jump around, to propel my body forward, to move miles, not just move from up dog to down dog…

I am a yogi, and I am a runner.

Read more on the blog, BreatheRepeat.com or visit the article HERE.

Running Yogis

Love running, but not a fan of yoga? Or maybe vice versa? Try to commit to BOTH for a ONE MONTH CHALLENGE and see the benefits for yourself.

We DARE you!

Hope to see you soon.

Photo credits to: inkiesink.com, LeenaBeePhotography.wordpress.com, lululemon.com, breatherepeat.com

Fitness Challenge – 12 week run builder

[t gellenbeck]

I am a business teacher and the school year is upon us once again. This means more time spent in my classroom and a little less time typically for blogging, photography, exercising, and other things I enjoy. So we are participating in a new fitness challenge to keep motivated and stay on track ~ can’t let the idea of less leisure time impact our fitness level!

We [Teresa, Peggy & even Joey] will be participating in Whitney Carlson’s 12 week run builder program. In order to train for the Buckeye Classic 10K on Nov 2, we will start the program this week. You must also finish by Nov 5 if you are entering her contest, so all the more reason to start this week with us!

For only $30, you get a myriad of benefits including a [49 page!] training manual which includes workout plans designed for the runner looking to build muscle and increase speed and stamina.

To sign up visit Whitney’s page @ http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/2014/08/time-is-running-out-to-enter-our-newest-challenge.html – HURRY, you must enter by WEDNESDAY to be eligible for her prize package, valued at $200!

I found Whitney while searching online for clean recipes after the first of the year. Her recipe site, HeandSheEatClean.com has amazing dishes that taste good and help you obtain the clean eating lifestyle so many of us [attempt to] follow. Her and her husband both embraced a new way of FIT life and their transformation is amazing! Check them out below…

I participated in Whitney’s 21 day Jump Start challenge this past winter and witnessed AMAZING results, as well as a rekindled spark for fitness. I am looking forward to this challenge to help me re-focus on strength training and hopefully see an improvement in my running as well.

If you decide to join, make sure you post on our Facebook page or email us @ LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com to let us know, so we can help keep each other motivated. We also have a LivingFit Columbus prize package available for the winner if we get at least FIVE people to join!

Hope to see you on the running trail for this 12 week run builder challenge!

Giveaway [lululemon athletica & NOOMA]

As you probably know by now, we are pretty fond of lululemon. You can read why in our earlier article, 10 reasons we love lululemon athletica.

Our awesome partnership with the polaris store has brought so many benefits. We cross-promote each other. We have met some awesome people and attended some great events. And now, they are offering their first giveaway to Living Fit followers!

Goodies include [$60+ value!]…

a reusable tote
the [small] towel
ultimate padded run socks
purist water bottle
samples of a new energy drink, NOOMA (more about them soon, check out their website HERE)

To enter all you need to do is…

ATTEND at least one group run or event listed on the August EVENTS list [check events on our Aug newsletter HERE]
LIKE our Living Fit FaceBook page, LIKE this post on our page and COMMENT stating which event(s) you attended or plan to attend
BONUS! – TWO entries for bringing a friend to an event! Just make sure you comment on the post stating which event and tag your friend so we can keep track of both your entries.

Last day to enter will be the last run of August [Saturday, Aug 30th] and winner will be chosen shortly thereafter.

Hope to see you soon!

GIVEAWAY! [Columbus Challenge – Urban Scavenger Hunt 8.10.14]

Looking for something FUN to do this Sunday? Wanna explore Columbus in a whole new way?

We are giving away FOUR entries to the Columbus Challenge Urban Scavenger race this Sunday!

From their site, “The Challenge is a ridiculously fun “Amazing Race” style competition packed into one incredible day. Teams of two or more will dash around the city, racing against other Challengers for immortal glory (and cash prizes!) as they solve tricky clues, strategize the best route, and explore undiscovered corners of the city. Think of it like a 5K that tests your brains as much as your legs, with bigger prizes and a whole lot more fun–we guarantee you’ll have a blast!”

Visit their site for more details: http://www.challengenation.com/columbus

This will be a quick turn around since the race is already THIS weekend!

In a SCAVENGER HUNT spirit, the FIRST PERSON TO COMPLETE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING WILL WIN 4 FREE ENTRIES…

LIKE our Living Fit Columbus Facebook page to get ongoing updates on events, giveaways and fitness tips

LIKE the Challenge Nation Facebook page

SHARE the Columbus Challenge event/post from either Facebook page [Living Fit or Challenge Nation] to your own Facebook page

EMAIL LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com to tell us you’ve completed the steps! We will provide you the code link for 4 free entries.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: contest is only open to readers living within the United States. Living Fit [Columbus] has not earned commission or kickbacks on this giveaway item.

Five reasons you need a fitness challenge

Stuck in a fitness or health rut? Why not participate in a FITNESS CHALLENGE? Five reasons to consider starting one…

Get yourself motivated – set new goals and CRUSH them!
See quick results – many challenges will help you see FAST positive changes if you do them properly. [Just make sure you choose a healthy one… living on cabbage soup for a week is not healthy!]
Break up the monotony of a regimented fitness routine. Sometimes we just need a change or some extra inspiration!
Squeeze in some social time. Although you can certainly conduct a challenge on your own, there is strength in numbers! Enlist a buddy or find a group to complete the challenge with.
Why not?

Here are some ideas to get you started…

Check out a new fitness place around Columbus. Cheat on your favorite yoga studio and try someplace different. Take a break from your weekly running path and go test out a new one. Our running group aims to try a new fitness routine or location at least once per month. Lately we have checked out Thank Yoga and hosted running field trips at the Scioto Mile and Antrim Park. Explore your city!

Group run @ Bicentennial Park & Scioto Mile

Find an online or social media challenge. Simply searching for ‘Fitness challenges’ on Google or Pinterest will bring you lots of new ideas. One I found online was through Whitney Carlson ~ a personal trainer and wellness coach that works with tons of other [famous] fitness professionals and offers a variety of online fitness challenges [with prizes!]. I grabbed a friend, tried her 21 day Jump Start challenge and we both had amazing results! You can find anything online, from 30 day yoga challenges [check out OURS] to plank challenges to eat clean challenges. There is even a site called Fitness Challenge. If you love photos and hashtags, Instagram has lots of fitness challenges for the runner, yogi or health nut inside of you.

Try a running program. Not a runner? Try a couch-to-5K program. Like running, but only short distances? Why not train for your first 10K or half marathon? Setting new running goals will keep you motivated and focused. We are soon going to start a 12 week run builder program created by HeAndSheEatClean.com in partnership with MomsRunThisTown.com ~ looking forward to incorporating more strength training into our running routine! Moms Run This Town has a mom’s running group that meets in Dublin for group runs – find them on FaceBook for details.

Do something simple that gets you MOVING. I am currently doing a SEVEN PARKS IN SEVEN DAYS challenge with my family. This is free, easy and gets us out the door to explore a new place each day! Seven-ten days is also a good amount of time to get you motivated, but not burned out. Start simple, then increase your challenge once you have succeeded! Some achievable short-term ideas…
- Do 15 minutes of _____________ [walking, running, yoga, etc] each day from Sunday to Saturday.
- Set the timer for 10-15 minutes and just MOVE [dance, play, clean, etc] around your house each day when you get home from work ~ before you sit down on the couch ~ for one work week.
- Add vegetables to each meal for a week.
- Take the stairs at work at least once per day for two full work weeks.
- Visit a new ________________ [park, running path, hiking trail, etc] every other day for at least ten days.

A fitness challenge may be just what you need to stay focused or get yourself back on the health train. Feel free to send your ideas or seek support at LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com ~ Good luck!

Fitness Spotlight [Caren Leslie]

Expertise: Caren Leslie is a NSCA certified personal trainer, fitness coach, Advocare distributor and health enthusiast. Screen Shot 2019-07-19 at 5.04.06 PM After working for the City of Dublin for a few years, she then branched out and began her own personal training business while also coaching for the Dublin Coffman High School girl’s field hockey team. She has recently become a trainer at the new Shred 415 Sawmill here in Dublin and enjoys inspiring people of all ages to live a fit and active lifestyle!

Motivation for LIVING FIT: Caren struggled with her weight and various related medical issues after college. She was eventually diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and was then able to use that knowledge to make healthier choices and drop over 50 pounds. Caren enjoys working in a field where health is valued and she can be a positive example to her clients, student-athletes, children and loyal Shredders. She embraced turning 40 in 2014 and got in better shape than she had ever been!

Diet: As an Advocare distributor, Caren believes in eating a diet high in protein and vegetables with a fair amount of complex carbohydrates. She also makes sure to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, Spark and Rehydrate, two Advocare products she swears by. She attributes a lot of her results, the way her body looks and performs, as well as her energy levels (gotta keep up with her young children!) to her clean diet and Advocare supplements.

Exercise: Caren’s typical workout routine consists of running and strength training. She runs several times a week and does low reps of heavy weights when lifting to increase lean muscle mass and decrease body fat. After an intense workout, she typically recovers with a post-workout Recovery shake, Catalyst and Rehydrate.

Some of Caren’s FAVORITE things…

FIT place around Columbus: Although she used to frequent and train at Zone Personal Fitness in Powell, she has recently converted to Shred 415 in Dublin. She also enjoys the running trails in her neighborhood… although her daughter is too big now, Caren used to do many stroller runs ~ extra resistance and a workout companion!

Healthy meal/food – Salmon and veggies with hummus

Cheat meal – pizza!

Race distance – 5K

Cross training activity – group exercise class (Shred, duh!) or solo session with a personal trainer

Caren lives in Dublin with her husband and two little ones. She is truly an inspiration for being a working mom that still makes time to live an active, FIT lifestyle.

{Originally published August 2014, updated July 2019}

Yoga Challenge comes to an end

The last 30 days have flown by! Here is a recap of the last two days of the challenge…

Day 29

Short two mile jog followed by part 3 of Love Life Surf’s yoga for runners

Crescent lunge
Downward facing dog
Warrior 3
Bridge

Added in some of her poses from days 1 & 2 as well.

Forward fold ~ standing
One legged downward dog – go ahead and flip to wild thing as well! Open those hips!
Lizard
Pigeon ~ a new staple of our post-run routine!
Low lunge
Double pigeon

Day 30

A little morning yoga to start the day off right! Pinterest is an amazing source of great info graphics and workout images…