#thesweatlife

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.

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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!

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…

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. lululemon athletica vinyasa scarf ~ so many uses!
  4. 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!
  5. The mat.  If you do hot yoga, there really is no better mat out there!
  6. lululemon hot cheeks shorts ~ Lan likes to layer and cover her booty on cold winter runs… but still, of course, look cute!
  7. 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.
  8. 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!
  9. Fitness passes ~ think yoga class passes, yoga retreat, race entries, etc.
  10. 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!

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

Merry FIT-mas!!!!

A fun FIT weekend!

Weekends fly by around here.  The hustle and bustle of the 40-50 hour work weeks may slow down, but we have families, Thanksgiving prep, house cleaning… and of course have to make time for some fit activities!

For the winter months we’ve decided to alternate our Saturdays with runs and yoga [see our schedule HERE].  Yesterday was a RUN day and although the original plan was for 9AM, the cold and ice around Columbus caused us to postpone.  We decided to meet at 2:00 in the afternoon yesterday and got in a much needed run, most of us doing 4 miles and Lan logging a whopping 12.5!

Today we headed to lululemon polaris to take advantage of their complimentary class, hosted by our all time favorite yoga studio, Harbor Yoga.  The class was taught by Meg, an instructor I’d never met before.  We chatted with her a minute after class, thanked her and naturally talked to her about running.  She was quite humble, just stating that she couldn’t run anymore.  After checking out her bio, we now know why!

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photo(3)Lan rocking her half moon… notice the cute vests in the background

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Closeup of the vests.  Christmas list perhaps? 

We then headed to Bend Active’s new store on Lane Avenue.  We’ve mentioned Bend in a previous post and are excited to work with them on some fun FIT projects in the future.  More on their new store & events coming soon!

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The Italy Pant, by the one and only Robert Sturman & Bend Active

Love when a weekend involves some fit time with Living Fit Columbus friends.  Check back soon for updates on Bend, Living Fit events and our upcoming post on our Christmas wish list!

Photo credits & info… the pics in the post were all taken with Teresa’s four year old iPhone 4.  December purchases will include the new iPhone 6 ~ Can’t wait to get ahold of this awesome, updated camera phone!!  DEAR SANTA text credit to http://the121life.files.wordpress.com

Baby/Toddler Yoga! [yoga day 18]

Today we will be attending Kid’s Yoga for our yoga challenge…  

  • Kid’s Yoga hosted by GoYoga @ Polaris Fashion Place from 10:30AM-noon [outdoors by the fountain area near Cheesecake Factory] Sunny95 & Ivivva.com will be present too!  Find more information on lululemon athletica polaris‘ FaceBook page.

If you can’t make it or would prefer to try it at home, grab the nearest baby or toddler and try our sequence below…

Yoga Challenge – Day #18 

[t gellenbeck]

If I don’t want to share my mat, yoga must be done either during nap time, after bed time or at a studio.  Otherwise, my little guy [and often my Golden Retriever, Murphy] tends to cramp my style.  I can’t help but laugh at his desire to climb on me, jump, tumble and giggle on the mat!  So we made up a quick yoga sequence that we run through on days we want a little momma/baby time.

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Here are some photos for you visual learners, in no particular order…

 

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Have the little one help roll out your mat…

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And get started on the fun!

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Core work – legs bent, legs straight… similar to Superman [or Super Baby as we call it]

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Baby bench press – bring baby down to chest, then push up towards ceiling, as many as you can

Baby yoga-7     Baby yoga-13

 Baby yoga-11

Forward fold and/or downward facing dog –

baby can participate or if its a little one, do some down dog kisses! 

Baby yoga-8   Baby yoga-10

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Baby’s turn!  

Help them do downward dog, summersaults, backbends and anything else they enjoy doing!  

 

#independencearmy challenge

Today’s posture, like so many others, is another challenging one… Eka Pada Koundinyasana II.  If you’re a beginner, just practice any of the other poses that you’ve been wanting to work on.

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@LauraSykora rocking it!

 

Today’s quote… help inspire a child to find the FUN in FITNESS!

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Follow our yoga challenge from the beginning HERE.

Have a fabulous start to the weekend!

Yoga Events [& yoga days 16 & 17]

Yoga Challenge – Day #16 

Nothing too creative here today.  We simply repeated Monday/day 14 workout…

You can find the yoga stretches on lululemon’s blog by clicking the links above, or on our earlier post.

#independencearmy challenge

Today’s posture, like so many others, is a challenging one… Astavakrasana or Eight Angle.  Good luck if you can master this one 🙂   As for us… maybe someday!

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Laura Sykora making look easy-peasy…. love when she does yoga with her mini!

 

Yoga challenge day #17 – Run @ Scioto Mile & POGA

A few of our runners met @ Bicentennial Park to get in a pre-yoga run.  We had hoped to get in 2.5 – 3 miles, but by the time we all found parking and laid our mats down for poga, we only had time to squeeze in 2.  The area around the park, including the Scioto Mile, is a beautiful place to run!  We first went along the skyline and of course, stopped to get a few pictures.

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We then ran through downtown and felt very urban!!  It was a good warm-up to our yoga class and we tracked it on the RUN FOR GOOD ap via Saucony.  More on this to come!

 

POGA was fun as usual.  It was through GoYoga, who is also running the Kid’s Yoga tomorrow @ Polaris.  It was a hip-hop theme so there may have been some dancing and booty-pops going on during the sequences 🙂  A good time was had by all!

POGA

POGA @ Bicentennial Park
POGA @ Bicentennial Park

#independencearmy challenge

Today’s pose was kukkutasana.  Laura Sykora demonstrates below…

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Follow our yoga challenge from the beginning HERE.

Speaking of beginning, check out these inspirational quotes, borrowed from @baileyactive and @yogainspiration…

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If you are new to yoga, why not take a 30 day challenge?  Get yourself into the habit of practicing daily, even if it is just for 10 minutes?  Kino of @kinoyoga stated, “Yoga is a daily personal practice that leads to the discovery of the inner self.”

Hope to see you in the next few days, either virtually… or even better, in person at one of the yoga events!

 

10 reasons we love lululemon athletica [& yoga day 14]

[T Gellenbeck]    DSCN0219

For my birthday in August of 2012, my sister & mother in law got me gifts and gift cards to lululemon athletica.  I’ll be honest, I had never shopped there before.  At the time, I thought it was just for yogis, which I wasn’t.  And I was happy with my mix of workout clothes from Nike, Northface, C9 [Target, if you didn’t know], and whatever else looked cute, fit well or was on sale.

A couple months later I finally went to spend my gift card.  And so began my obsession with the clothes, the store, the brand.  I shop there, I help lead a run club in partnership with our polaris store, I have my students do a case study on their corporate culture, they [along with my sis-in-law] inspired me to give yoga another chance… you could say I have a crush on lululemon.

Here are TEN reasons why we [our Thursday night running group] LOVE lulu… 

1.  They share Living Fit’s favorite passions; running, yoga & other sweaty pursuits.  And of course, blogging. 

    • A tagline on their blog reads ——>  Screen Shot 2014-07-13 at 5.11.06 PM
    • A tagline on one of their ads reads ——->   Screen Shot 2014-07-13 at 3.01.35 PM

2.  The lululemon manifesto.  These inspirational rules to live life by speak volumes about the company’s mission and core values.  “We are passionate about sweating every day and we want the world to know it. Breathing deeply, drinking water and getting outside also top the list of things we can’t live without.”   Find your favorite quote and write it on a post-it to see every morning.  Better yet, frame it.  Filling your mind with positive thoughts and energy helps you live a happier, healthier life!

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3.  Their Educators are awesome.  They have kind, knowledgeable associates aka ‘Educators’ – we have worked specifically with Jackie, Lisa, Jess & Betina at the Polaris store and they are amazing.  The Polaris staff is so friendly, I’ve literally even stopped in to get opinions on dressing my husband for a wedding with an outfit from Macys.  No joke! I’ve also been to the Easton location and Chicago, Michigan Ave location and both were equally friendly.

4.  Goal setting is a company priority.  Staff have their goals posted around the store, they ask what your fitness/sweat goals are and they even have resources on their website.  We have used these with our runners and I’ve used them in my classroom with my high school students.  Use them to set your next set of personal, health and career goals!

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5.  High quality, high fashion, anti-stink apparel.  You will be the best dressed person on the mat or trail, I assure you.  And the silverescent technology helps prevent stinky-ness so you don’t have to rush home to shower.  They also offer accessories (headbands, water bottles, yoga mats, bags), men’s clothing and a cute little tote with every purchase.

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6. Artistic photography.  Many of the ads feature a unique style of photography that we happen to love.  Organic.  Minimalist.  Some of the summer ones are vintage & sun kissed.  Love!

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7.  They are all about COMMUNITY.  Lulu hosts and organizes so many local complimentary events, just to encourage people to sweat and have fun doing it.  POGA, SUP, Sunday Fundays, Run clubs, CrossFit sessions… we’ve tried a lot of them and you will surely leave blissed-out.  And often you’ll have met new fitness lovers like yourself.  They also promote local fitness facilities and yoga studios through out their store.  This is our community, lets make it awesome and FIT!

Keith from Polaris CrossFit
lululemon + Harbor Yoga
POGA @ Scioto Audubon Park
POGA @ Scioto Audubon Park
POGA @ Scioto Audubon Park
POGA @ McFerson Commons/Arch Park
town run club Thursdays @6:30PM
town run club Thursdays @6:30PM

8.  Yoga, run, party ~ take me to the Sea Wheeze Half Marathon please! We WILL get here someday.  It is on our bucket list!

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9.  They have outlets.  Bet you didn’t know that?  Add it to your bucket list to visit every single one.

10.  Humor.  The ads and corporate culture make us laugh!  And who doesn’t love laughing?  As seen below, they are often found supporting local runners at races, holding signs that will make you smile for miles.

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So there is a quick rundown of our reasons for crushing.  If you haven’t checked it out, stop in sometime.  But beware, it can be addicting.  And the following pic was found while creating this post… I can’t guarantee it will happen, but it could.

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Yoga Challenge – Day #14 

While we are on the subject of lululemon, may as well use their blog and yoga resources for today’s practice!  Visit Yoga Info 101 for information, videos and more.

We [me and my little guy] are heading out for a 3 mile run with the jogging stroller, so I’ll do lulu’s pre and post run yoga stretches and poses for my practice today.  You can find these on lulu’s blog or on our earlier post.

Don’t forget about #independencearmy challenge if you are doing that too.  Today’s pose is a tough one – tittibhasana or firefly.  This move is another advanced one that we aren’t quite ready for, but it is impressive to watch.

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 Kino is crazy flexible, she even does walking firefly! 

Check out Kino’s how-to video HERE if you want to witness her awesome-ness and [gulp] try it for yourself.

Follow our yoga challenge from the beginning HERE.

If you made it this far, you deserve an award!  Watch for two giveaways coming soon, maybe you’ll win!

See you soon 🙂

 

Yoga Challenge – Day 10 [yoga for runners]

Day #10  

town run club Thursdays @6:30PM

ptown run club Thursdays @6:30PM, Historic Dublin

Today we have our ptown run club group run, Yay!  Come and join us!

We are doing this BOOTCAMP style & will work our 10 minutes of daily yoga into our run tonight…

1.  Quarter mile warm up walk, light dynamic stretching (if needed)

2.  One and a half mile warm-up run at conversational pace

3.  Runner’s choice!  Either…

  • Run another mile out (1/2 mile out, 1/2 mile back to us)  OR 
  • lululemon’s Pre-run poses & stretches for better running & some other moves [plank, mountain climbers, burpees, whatever you’re feelin’]

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4.  One and a half mile run back at your push pace [pick it up a bit from your warm-up run] or conversational, whatever you’re feelin’

5. lululemon’s Post-run poses & stretches for better recovery – modifications if we can’t find a wall

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6. Chug water.  Smile.  🙂 Done!

 

 

The #IndependenceArmy challenge pose for the day is a modified plank, so we worked that into our workout above as well.

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Inspirational quote of the day… 

So many inspirational running & yoga quotes here, we’ll just give you the whole thing!

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Why I Yoga

Yoga is big in Columbus and trending all over the world. There are a lot of studios, styles, apparel stores and lovers of this fitness option. I love yoga for so many reasons. It complements my running perfectly, allowing me to stretch and strengthen parts of my body that distance running doesn’t reach (hello pigeon pose!) It is fun to do solo, with friends or just with my little guy. There are so many options to meet your preference or your #mood including hot, vinyasa, restorative, deep stretch and more.

I have to give credit for my latest love to my sister-in-law, Carrie.

POGA @ Scioto Audubon Park

Carrie is a former gymnast and one of my yoga crushes – she can kick up into a handstand in the middle of a crowded room without a thought! Almost two years ago she started talking about lululemon and I was like ‘lulu who?’ Now I save all my pennies to buy an item from lulu here and there. Prior to 2014, I thought of yoga as a slow, low-calorie-burning (almost boring) workout that I made myself do to stretch and compliment running every now and then.  After Carrie talked me into trying Harbor Yoga this year, I was hooked.

Carrie has pushed me to set new fitness goals – trying yoga in at least ten states – and trying new fitness activities like beach yoga, paddle board yoga and hopefully more adventures to come!

She continues to amaze me, inspire me and teach me [and my son!].  I hope that someday, when I grow up, I can be just like her 🙂

Fitness + Travel Blog Hilton Head - 14 yogaFitness + Travel Blog Hilton Head - 9 yoga

Hope to see you on the mat!

[t gellenbeck]

 

21/21 ~ COMPLETED 21 day Jump Start Challenge!

I’m a little behind in posting… my 21st day of the challenge was actually Sunday, but it has been a BUSY week!  It is the week before Spring Break so lots of ‘cramming’ going on at school and we are trying to prepare for our family vacation next week.  Fun, fun!!!  

If you’re just tuning in, here are some links to the first two phases;

Click HERE to see DAY ONE and my Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss Journey.

Click HERE to see phase two.

21 Day Challenge – overall results & personal thoughts —> 

Successes!  FeetOnScale2Reasons maybe YOU should try a fitness jump start…

  • You will lose weight.  I lost 5.5 pounds total during the 21 day challenge.  After 14 months, I AM FINALLY DOWN TO MY PRE-PREGNANCY WEIGHT!  That in and of itself is enough to justify the time, money and sacrifices I made!
  • You will lose inches. Mine ~ Chest = 2.5 inches, Hips = 1 inch, Waist = 1 inch.
  • You will learn to eat cleaner. I now try to grab more veggies, fruit and protein when I’m feeling the need to snack (previously I used to grab anything carb or crunch related!)  “Go-to snacks” included carrots, hardboiled eggs, bite of peanut butter.   Learned to eat protein at each meal.  Learned I can order a one-pump Starbucks (instead of the FOUR they put in a grande!) latte.  I don’t like the ‘skinny’ artificially flavored one, I like the real deal, so one pump saves a lot of sugar!
  • You will become more focused on your FITness goals.  Having the support of others in the group, knowing you paid money, tracking your diet & exercise… these reasons all help to motivate you to eat healthy, exercise, drink lots of water, get more sleep and DE-STRESS!

Challenges:  Things to be aware of…

  • You may get headaches (in the beginning).  This was common among several group members, your body is essentially going through withdrawal from sugar & caffeine!
  • You may be a bit tired (and if you’re like me, cranky!) during the detox.  This is lessened if you can get a good night’s sleep, at least 7-8 hours.
  • You may feel weak during long cardio workouts.  I found it difficult to not eat carbs during half marathon training and I think some of my runs suffered.  Up your (low GI) carbs, especially in the AM, if you are training for a distance race.  These include veggies, especially squash, and sweet potatoes.  I even added in some oats or Ezekial bread before my long Saturday runs.
  • For me personally, working full time and having a 14 month old has its challenges when trying to find mommy/workout time!  The pic below was taken while trying to capture my ‘AFTER’ photos… you can see for yourself!

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 During the ‘after’ photo shoot – happy, but clingy!

I’m not really into putting selfies of myself in a sports tank all over the internet.  No judgements to people who can/do, I just choose not to because #1, I work with high school students and #2,  I’m not quite where I want to be!  I hope to take a family photo on vaca this week and post to my ‘weight loss journey‘, since I’m finally down to my pre-preggo weight.  Overall I am extremely happy with the results and I am excited that I met my goal.

If you are debating signing up for your own ‘Kick Start’ challenge of any sort (Whitney’s, Advocare, etc) and want to see my results, email me and I’d be happy to share!

 

 Rewards:

My promise to myself after meeting my goal was to buy one cute/work outfit and one running outfit.

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Reward outfit #1 [for work]

Dress, Old Navy & Scarf, Francesca’s… only $25 total!

 

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Speaking of which, more exciting news on lulu coming soon!  Stay tuned! 

 

I may have splurged on a chocolate dessert… who can resist Cadbury mini eggs?  Everything in moderation 🙂

 

 Have you done a fitness jump start?  What was the outcome?  

Find your BEST YOU ~ start TODAY!!!

 

 

Photo credit (of scale) to; espressoandcream.com