Category Archives: Goals

by | May 17, 2013

One Thing a Day: Teaching Yoga

If I had to pick one quote that has completely transformed the way I think, approach situations and make decisions, it would undoubtedly be this:

doonethingeverydaythatscaresyou

Eleanor & Chip are onto something…

If it doesn’t scare you, it doesn’t change you. If it’s not challenging, you’re not growing. If you’re never willing to step out of your comfort zone, you’ll never know what you’re missing!

Am I certified to teach yoga? Not yet. But when the door opens…

Thanks to a few Twitter interactions, Alana got in touch with me last week in regards to leading her & a crew of “Socialites” for a 5k morning run this week. All 20 Socialites were traveling to DC for two full days of training, so why not start the day off with some movement*? I’ve done things like this before for conferences downtown, and of course I  was in!

I mapped out our route, ran it once with Kate before we started (yep, all roads are clear and sidewalks are safe: check!). Starting at 7am, we ran with an impressively energetic crew of 11.

DoubleTre 5K run Group

Thanks to Kate & Elyse (far right) for joining!

Alana also thought it would be great to do a yoga class Thursday morning. I reached out to some local yoga teachers with no luck (short-notice, early morning, Pentagon City, etc.). We did have a yoga-mat donation from lululemon Georgetown, so there was that.

Would I be willing to teach it? Well, YES, but, um, I’m not certified…I have no formal training to do so…again, I am not certified to teach yoga!

But, could/would I?

Absolutely!

do those things quote

With my fresh mats from lululemon (Georgetown store, I heart you!), a beginner-friendly sequence typed up straight from my head and a successful practice class done (thanks to my roommates!), it was all-systems-GO.

DoubleTree Yoga Mats

I wasn’t nervous, and everything about it felt like I had done it before. Come to a comfortable seat at the top of your mat, place your palms open on top of your knees and close your eyes. Relax. And enjoy the next 45 minutes!

DoubleTree Yoga Class

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I know there is a “formal training” in my near future – once my budget agrees with it – but in the meantime, this box is checked and waiting for more! I would teach anytime, anywhere, for anyone. I would actually really love to teach something advanced – to challenge people and bring them out of those boxes – but beginners are refreshing. We were all on the same page!

Thanks to the DT-Socialites for practicing with me!

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*If you’re going to a conference or training, request some sponsored workouts! Get moving before your day starts & rope in your crew – it’s a great way to meet people there with you and a great way to see the city you’re in. I’m taking on more opportunities to do this in DC & find it to be right in line with our WCS healthy-on-the-job mission.

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by | May 13, 2013

Running: The Ultimate Individual – Group Sport

It’s been a while since we visited the run life. Lace up & join for me a jog…

It’s natural to put one foot in front of the other, to use our muscles to move forward and our minds to release the adrenaline that convinces them to keep going. Some shoes make the act more sustainable, gadgets more entertaining and tech-clothing more comfortable – but we don’t need any of those things to just go for a run. You could go barefoot in the grass, on the beach or – if you’re tougher than most of us – on the pavement. Your body has the resources it needs to start, keep up and cool down – anytime, anywhere!

Had you met me six years ago, you would have found the lines of my comfort zone very neatly etched in a small square. You would find me standing very contently inside of it; you would struggle (though not impossibly) to pull me out.

One half-marathon training cycle and finish line later, you will see the lines begin to fade and shift.

What made you “more” adventurous?
Running.

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I consider running the ultimate individual sport.

Pegasus Garmin 1

You can run with a team (professional, elite, every-day, etc), a group, and/or led by a coach, but at the end of the workout only YOU are responsible for how it went.

Only your mind-muscle connection will get you from point A to point B.

Only your inner monologue can convince you to do it again, and  again, and again.

Only your thought process** can open you up to tackling new challenges.

Boston Finish Line

More often than not, all of these things carry to your world outside of running. You learn you can tolerate fear, (temporary) pain and discomfort because more often than not, the reward of accomplishment is 100% worth it.

Exhibit A:

During a friend-group vacation last week I went snorkeling in Cozumel… and I didn’t freak (the eff) out. No panic, no fright, no holy-sh*t-get-me-out-of-this-water feeling. Monumental.

Adios, comfort zone.

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On the other hand, this ultimate individual sport comes with a community. It’s the best kind of community (in my humble opinion).

Lulu Georgetown Loves boston_2013

**We share thoughts, theories (science?), splits, goals, successes, failures, hobbies, interests, stat obsessions, race wish-lists, tips and tricks, friends, coworkers, significant others and support. We share an affinity for good food, drinks and accessible bathrooms.

We encourage and push each other, we create the almost-always-effective buddy-system, we plan adventures and say “C’MON – DO IT!” for better or worse.

Sometimes, we just hand each other a beer and/or a banana and call it a day.

5.2013 Bar Run 15.2013 Bar Run Cheers

(Last Saturday marked our Long-Run group’s first Bar-Run/Crawl. Yes we had water, too. Yes we’ll do it again.)

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Whatever activity/hobby it is that makes you feel like your best self – the one who’s willing to to step out of that comfort zone, willing to test a limit, and willing to really see what you’re capable of? Grab it. Find people who love it just as much as you do. Let it work some magic, whatever that trick might be!

If there’s anything in these words that strike a note with you, think about why, and let that change you.

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“YOUR LIFE DOESN’T GET BETTER BY CHANCE,

IT GETS BETTER BY CHANGE.”         – Jim Rohn

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by | March 14, 2013

Ex2 Adventure’s Backyard Burn: Trail Racing in Wakefield Park

When we signed up for this race it just flat out did not occur to me to consider the difference between 10 miles on the road vs. the trail. If I have an option of running a 5-mile vs 10-mile race and no “good” reason to not do the latter? I choose 10!

       Backyard Burn Wakefield bib

We totally lucked out with what was deemed the “flattest” course of this Backyard Burn Trail Race Series (5 total). It also seems to have been the least technical, only including “a few shallow stream crossings” and a lot of twisty, windy, up-and-down sections. But, nothing so steep that we had to walk and nothing so deep we had to sacrifice our non-trail running shoes.  Win!

BackyardBurn Wakefield group

We arrived expecting a 60-degree day, but were greeted by a 28-degree morning. Layers = on! It was very well organized; our race-brief began promptly at 8:50 in the parking lot, and we promptly started by lining up in the street and…going!

BackyardBurn Wakefield start

Photo credit: Anne @ Fannetastic Food

The first mile had a few paved parts and a lot of wide spaces – plenty of time and room to make some passes, settle into a pace and get your feet ready to dodge, weave and stream-hop!

BackyardBurn Wakefield stream

Photo credit: Anne @ Fannetastic Food

Kate, Jill & I took it pretty easy and settled into a line. The course was a 1 mile start followed by a 4.5 mile loop that us 10-milers would do twice:

Round 1 was a lot of head-down, don’t-fall, conserve-some-energy running! When we closed in on the Finish Line and were directed toward Round 2, it was go-time.

I settled into the front of our line and took advantage of the space ahead. Knowing what to expect on a trail makes a big difference! It had warmed up enough that I shed a layer, and we had sped up enough that our second loop was an average 1-min/mile faster than the first.

There was one steep up-hill section within the last 1.5 miles that stole any energy I might have held onto. Lesson learned: don’t sprint up those. The last 0.5 mile was flat, open, leave-it-all-out-there terrain. I chased Kate across the Finish line….

1: 25: 55 – 10 trail miles – 8:35 min/mile

…immediately thought I might vomit, and then thought I am definitely doing another one of those.

Aside from dirt, climbs, streams and rock-hopping, the main difference between a road vs. trail race is this:

BackyardBurn Wakefield food

Food swag!

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Color us muddy & impressed – we had a great time! It was a small group of 400 runners that very graciously spent some time in close quarters on the trails of Wakefield Park, VA. I’ll definitely be back for another run in the woods!

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by | March 5, 2013

Bright Beginnings 5K: Racing Against 2009

It’s hard for any race-runner to turn down a “cheap” 5K; we may love-hate the distance, but when that event pops up fitting perfectly into your calendar, and the price tag is reasonable?  “Register” is clicked without even a pause of hesitation!

Duh, of course I’m in…

The 5K test is no easy “fill in the C bubbles” jog – it’s ready to really make you think about what’s worth 20(+/-) minutes of your run!

Bright Beginnings 5K

It was the typical why-isn’t-winter-over-yet chilly in the morning; we noticed a 5* temperature drop as we walked down toward the water. This is only okay for the first race of the year, so we don’t complain too much. This is also okay because the race is small enough that we can show up at 7:30am for packet pick-up, bag-check, warm-up and to still have a few minutes to spare before an 8am start! Good stuff.

Washington Monument Sunrise 3.2.13

I-phone pic, en route to the starting line. Good morning, DC!

One crew member had a sub-20 goal in mind, while the rest of us had no goal and were already thinking about coffee & putting our jackets back on. Then once we actually started running, that thought pops up that maybe this would be good to actually race. It is totally flat…and the legs aren’t sore or over-tired or complaining…and Kate’s making me run faster…and, ah. GO FOR IT.

My 5K “PR” was so over itself – 2009 was a long time ago, legs. Get on it!

The course was a PR-perfect flat out and back. Boring? Of course. Doable for 3.1 miles? Absolutely. I wanted to just race against myself – I had no watch on, but the mile one marker shout-out was “6:48”, followed by “13:45” at mile two. Feeling thankful that my brain only had to do one mile of math, I realized that as long as I chased Hiller for another mile me and that shiny new PR would be all set!

I instantly felt the need to vomit when I crossed the finish line: success!

21:37 – avg 6:58 min/mile

And just like that, 2013 is off & running…

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Thanks to the Washington DC Junior League for a well-run, organized, charitable and fun race!

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What personal best are you looking to challenge this year? How so?

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by | February 12, 2013

Ending the “I Know I Should…” Conversation

So, now you know how to be SMART!  Let’s keep that conversation going…

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Between my work with Wellness Corporate Solutions and my own clients, I wish I had a dime for every time I hear the words “I know I should…”. And if I had a quarter for every time I’ve said them? Well, I’d send us all on a retreat to shut us up and enjoy some “Do it Now!” moments instead.

Rock-climbing in Thailand? Yoga in Costa Rica? Hiking in Peru?
We have some options!

who you want to be

There is more information “out there” circling the web than any of us need – we can self-diagnose on WebMD, for better or worse, and we can look up nutrition facts and track our intake, exercise, sleep habits and stress levels on a lot of different platforms. There are pages that tell us how much money we should be saving, or where we should be in a career by now, or all the ways that someone else has failed and succeeded in ways that we may never be able, or want, to imagine.

We end up with a lot of “I Know I SHOULD…” thoughts,
and not a lot of action.

Goals usually come from a place of that “should” attitude, and part of the achievement process is getting to that “will”…

Truth be told, you can’t replace that “should” with “will” until you’re ready and prepared and already past the mental point where that change is exciting, not just daunting. Then, you just have to start.

We often tell clients to think ahead –
How do you want to feel one year from now?

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What works for me? Well, I get a great slap of reality every time I coach someone to make a change, and consequently go through the process with them. I’m reminded of the things I’m thinking I should be doing. I’m lucky that my work, life and passions have intertwined themselves like that.

But outside of coaching, the things that go from should –> will are the ones we put out there. TELL SOMEBODY WHAT YOU SHOULD/WANT TO DO.

Clearly I feel pretty strongly about that, but it makes all the difference in the world. Welcome to the Law of Attraction – put your ideas out there, telling as many people as is appropriate as often as you think about it. (Warning: friends and family, repeat conversations to follow.) The ways and means will follow.

“The truth will follow us and poke at us
until we acknowledge it.”  -Baron Baptiste

I want to/should/will get a fitness coaching certification, so a friend started sending me updates on workshops available and my coworkers have offered help with the ACSM courses.

I want to/should/will travel abroad this year, so experienced people have offered up tips on places to go, where to stay, and helpful travel sites to bookmark. 

I want to/should/will do yoga teacher training – I got called out (ahem, tagged) on Facebook recently as a friend kindly posted that there’s an upcoming info session at our favorite studio.

NOTED, world. I hear you & I’m listening.

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End the internal monologue. Know the difference between the shoulds you want and those you don’t – put the good-for-you ones out there, be ready, and watch the world work its magic.

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