Fitness contests & FIT-spiration

Three reasons to take on a #Runstreak

Have you gone streaking?  Run streaking that is.  With clothes on.

I participated in a run streak challenge last year, but didn’t quite meet my original goal of 30 days.  I believe I made it to day 21 and although that was the longest consecutive streak I’d accomplished to date, it fell a bit short.

This year, I attempted to streak from June 4th to July 4th… and I did!  I just finished 31 days of streaking, running a minimum of one mile per day.  I ran in several states (Florida, Georgia and Ohio), different terrains (beach, road, trail, track, treadmill) and all different times of day. Somedays were easy rest days and I only ran the one (slow) mile.  Other days were more challenging and I did long runs or speed work.  Some runs were solo and many were with running buddies or family (my little guy tagged along for several!)   Regardless of the details, I always ran at least one mile.  And most days, I enjoyed it!  I talked myself into an “I GET to run today” mentality and embraced the task.

35B710BC-2E81-46E3-8131-1BC67C142201

I really enjoyed the challenge and thought of a few reasons you should consider taking one on for yourself.

  1. It helps make running habit forming.  And I’m not talking about that 21 day myth thing.  I just mean getting out there, everyday… it gets you into a daily routine.  It forces you to make time for running.  Time for yourself.
  2. One is rarely enough.  One mile that is.  Most days, even if I was tired and had told myself, “I’ll just go run one slow mile,”  I would end up running more than one.  Its like, you get dressed, you get your playlist going, you get out the door… and then adrenaline & endorphins kick in, leaving you running for 20-30+ minutes instead of the “one slow mile” you’d talked yourself into.
  3. Be a part of the awesomeness of the streaking community.  I loved checking the #runstreak and #RWrunstreak hashtags and seeing what others were up to.  I felt good about taking on a new fitness challenge. And now, of course, I have run streak bragging rights… if that kind of thing is impressive.  We runners are a strange breed.  If you are one, you get it.  If you aren’t… well, you’re probably not reading this anyhow!

This year I missed the Runner’s World challenge start date of Memorial Day, but hopefully I’ll hop on one of theirs someday.  Popular streaks I’ve heard of are Thanksgiving to New Years, Memorial Day to July 4th and then the longer one of Memorial Day to Labor Day.  I’ll surely partake in one in the future!

I’ll leave you with this quote from one of the #RWRunStreak Instagram posts by @RunnersWorldMag.  “Everyday is a good day when you run.” Its true.  So I had 31 good days in a row.  Don’t you want to say the same?

FullSizeRender 7FullSizeRender 8IMG_1234IMG_0758

 

 

Living Fit Cbus 2017 Winter Challenge Coming Soon!

Our 4th Winter Challenge is right around the corner!  We are in the final planning stages and enrollment will be open through Jan 22.  This will be an eight week FREE challenge in which you record your own successes (honor system), share them with our team for motivation & can even earn prizes along the way!

We will be working with Rachel from The Beauty Boost and Adam & Laura from Bend Active to coordinate a RUN+YOGA event, as well as promoting other exciting fitness opportunities.  The fun kicks off with the Beauty Boost’s TASTE OF FITNESS on Jan 15, one of many  bonus challenges promoted throughout the eight weeks.  Sign up soon as this event may sell out! *You do not have to attend the TOF to join the 8 week challenge* 

For previous challenges, check out our FITNESS & HEALTH CHALLENGES page.  For more information or to participate, email us at LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com – hope to see you in 2017, both on the mat & the trails!

Rachel K-7

 

Living Fit Spring RUN+YOGA Challenge & FORE! Miler Training

We love fitness and community.  This challenge involves both!

Many of our runners are doing the FORE! Miler this May so we’ve created a fun training plan with multiple weekly challenges.  Of course many of them involve photos, so don’t forget your camera phone.  Our schedule is below.  Attend weekly group runs for more details and to ask questions about mileage, etc.

Screen Shot 2016-04-05 at 2.44.59 PM

The first group event is this Thursday, our spring kickoff run.  We will meet at the Town Lot in Historic Dublin (behind Starbucks), run 3-4 social miles, then end at Vitality Smoothie & Juice for samples and giveaways from several companies including lululemon athletica polaris, Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter, Vitafusion, Winans and more!

Hope you will join in the fun!

Coaches & Running: How to Motivate Student Athletes… and Yourself!

[Guest Blogger: s palmer]

A lot of the why behind reasons people don’t run or exercise comes back to lack of motivation. It’s typical, especially when we could be sitting on the couch and watching TV. But there are some things to consider, like your health that can be a factor in how long you live.

My honors bio teacher, Jessica Timmons, happens to be a fellow runner. Her favorite distances as of late are the 5K/10K and one of her most memorable races was the Miami Half Marathon.  She gave me some helpful tips throughout the year that actually inspired me to get healthy and exercise. “The number one thing that is important is to remember that you will feel better after you work out” Timmons has said. “Even if you’re lazy and tired and don’t feel like it; just take the first step and run a little bit. You’ll feel better after, and taking one step in the right direction is better than two steps back.”

Another suggestion was to eat only one meat a day. Since meat is higher up on the food chain, it doesn’t have as much energy as the lower foods; such as vegetables, grains and fruits. (A valuable lesson I learned in class) – So keeping this in mind will help you target what you want to eat, and how you should be exercising. If you feel like you’re still hungry just continue eating some more filling veggies so that you don’t feel tired.

Hope these tips help a bit!

Photo credits – Google images

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.  Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 8.10.23 AM

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

Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 9.39.57 AM

  • SLEEP CHALLENGE [50 points]
    • Average 7-8 hours of sleep for at least five nights this week  Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 7.35.52 AM
    • 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!

Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 6.49.21 AM

Have a great week!  Stay fit!

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!

Screen Shot 2015-01-21 at 12.35.30 PM

“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!)
  • 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!

Eat Clean Transformation-Weight Loss-Clean Eating-He and She Eat Clean-Fitness-Exercise

So that’s it!

Good luck with week 7 and your clean eating!

Over here, we’re already on day 3!!

Bend Active-15Check those labels for GMOs and sugar!!

Week SIX of our Living Fit Winter Challenge
Welcome to week SIX!  Lots of fun photos and social media buzz last week, nice work!
  • Winners of the Bend Active gift cards [from week four] were PEGGY & AMANDA!  Great job ladies on all those points, miles and sweat! ~ pick out something cute!

Bend-1

  • Don’t forget to log your points for week FIVE on the spreadsheet & send FIT resolutions by 1/15
  • Week SIX…
    • Bonus challenge options (50 points total, 25 each)…
      1. Submit ideas to LFC – see email for details
      2. Attend our GROUP RUN on Saturday
      3. Try a new fitness place or class ~ try a local favorite you’ve been wanting to try or check out complimentary classes at Bend and lululemon on Sundays
    • Double points for water this week – drink up! Remember, you should add an additional 8 oz for every hour of sweat & every caff. or alcoholic beverage
  • Week SEVEN will include a CLEAN EATING CHALLENGE so start making your grocery list now… food prep is half the battle.

fruits-veggies-month

  • Lan finished the Disney Marathon, so proud of our little lady!

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 11.11.13 PM

Have a great week!  Stay fit!

Week FIVE of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

You made it half way through the challenge!

Week 4 …

  • Log your points sometime soon ~ Remember, $50 in Bend Active gift cards are at stake!  Winners will be announced early this week.  Make sure to LIKE Living Fit & Bend on Facebook.
  • AWESOME JOB on all the miles this week!  15 miles per week is a good push during winter/off training months.  Pat yourself on the back and log your total mileage [Google Drive] so we can see how much pavement we accumulated!

Screen Shot 2015-01-04 at 10.22.33 AM

Week 5…

  • Week five bonus challenges… ITS DOUBLE BONUS CHALLENGE WEEK!!!  That means you can earn 100 points instead of the usual 50! Pick TWO – each is worth 50 points…
    1. Log 200 minutes of yoga or 200 minutes [approx 20 miles] of running.  Or combination of both.  You can do it!
    2. Attend a FIT event OR a new FIT studio/gym.  Remember Fair Trade Yoga’s open house is today and next Sat is a yoga day, we can try a new place.
    3. Prepare your FIT and personal 2015 goal setting and resolutions!  Get them to Teresa somehow by Jan 15 so we can do a blog post.

Screen Shot 2015-01-04 at 10.18.56 AM

  • Inspiration points are also double.  This week, you must post to social media to count your inspiration points each day.  Pick your fav ~ FB, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest… 10 points per day for posting whatever you choose; photo of your sweat session, inspirational quotes, bucket list/resolution items, favorite workout, clean eating ideas… you name it!  Remember to use #livingfitcolumbus on Instagram 🙂
  • We officially have an Instagram account ~ please follow us @LivingFitColumbus [right now we are pretty lame!] and also continue using #livingfitcolumbus

Screen Shot 2015-01-04 at 10.19.49 AM

Other news

  • Email us @ LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com for more info or to share ideas ~ we are considering a blog overhall in January and would love your input.
  • A few of us are heading to the Open House today for Fair Trade Yoga Studios in Powell around 2:30PM, see flyers below.  This fits one of the bonus options for this week – 50 points woo hoo!

Can’t wait to see those FIT goals! Happy 2015!

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!

Screen Shot 2014-12-28 at 9.20.18 AM 

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!

Screen Shot 2014-12-28 at 11.38.17 PM

  • 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!

Week THREE of our Living Fit Winter Challenge

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

Week two highlights…  Winter Fitness Challenge logo 2014-15

  • 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)

Screen Shot 2014-12-24 at 8.25.15 AM

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 —>

Bodyweight-Workout

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.

Screen Shot 2014-12-24 at 8.22.39 AM

GOOD LUCK WITH WEEK THREE!

And Merry Christmas Eve!