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Last Minute Decision for the Win

Knowing that there are only a few more ski weekends in the season, this week I made a great last minute decision.

IMG_6503[1] I mean who could sit inside all day when the views look like this?

Originally, Sean and Bo were going to ski today while I worked from the flat. Luckily there is reliable wireless ion our friend’s flat so working Verbier is no different than working from London or Geneva. However, when I saw that the forecast for today was sunshine, blue skies and 40 degrees at the top of the mountain I quickly reassessed my plans.

Instead of working all day I made the last minute decision, due in part to a light meeting calendar, to take a half day of vacation. I woke up bright and early for 5 hours of skiing this morning before spending the afternoon on conference calls, working through my inbox and finishing some analysis.

IMG_6502[1] I spent the morning with Maddie, my incredible instructor who has truly helped me become a skier this year. This year I chose to receive ski lessons over a birthday gift or Christmas gift and couldn’t be more pleased with this decision. I have gone from being barely confident on beginner slopes in the US to spending 4 hours straight on Swiss black runs today (quite different than the US btw). It’s funny how the mind works. For months, I’ve had a fear of going fast and have instead wasted so much time making multiple tight turns to slow myself down. This wastes so much energy that after 2 hours of skiing I’m exhausted. Today however, the beautiful weather inspired me to embrace the snow and trust both Maddie and my skis. Before I knew it I was conquering runs that I’ve been scared of all season!IMG_6496[1]IMG_6499[1] So like I said, best decision ever.

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Two Delicious Smoothie Recipes

Greetings from Verbier!

Sean arrived in Geneva from Philadelphia this afternoon ready for a weekend in Verbier! A few weeks ago Sean decided it was time to fulfill his lifelong dream of skiing in the Alps. He called us asking if we’d mind a visitor and we clearly were ecstatic!

Can’t you see his excitement?

This evening we took AlpyBus from the Geneva airport to Verbier instead of driving. Normally we’re lucky enough to ride up with friends but this weekend none of our friends were heading up here. That left us with three options: take the train, test out the airport shuttle, or rent a car. The cost of a car, considering that we won’t touch it the entire time we are in Verbier, is obnoxious. The train isn’t very convenient due to limited timetables. Luckily, the AlpyBus shuttle from the airport was amazing! The shuttles can be booked in advance and leave from the airport every 15 minutes. The shuttle is air conditioned,  has free wi-fi and left the airport perfectly on time! The views were absolutely gorgeous along the Lake! Normally when we leave Verbier it’s already dark but thanks to the upcoming Spring season it stayed light until almost 7pm!

So, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that my Vitamix has been getting a lot of use lately. Somehow, in the move, I forgot about the Vitamix as it was out of sight, pushed to the back of a cabinet. Only a month ago did it make its way back onto the counter where it is now blending smoothies multiple times a week.  I’ve spent a few weeks experimenting with recipes and thus far these are my two favorite smoothie recipes, perfect in small portions for dessert or full portions for a meal.

Coconut Banana Smoothie   Coconut Banana Smoothie

Combine all ingredients except the coconut in the blender and mix on high. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top of smoothie once poured in glass.

1 banana

1 cup Fage 0% yogurt

1/2 cup coconut water

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 serving vanilla protein powder

1 tsp ground flax

sprinkling coconut flakes

Strawberry & Almond smoothie Strawberry & Almond Smoothie

Combine all ingredients except the coconut in the blender and mix on high. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top of smoothie once poured in glass.

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 cup Fage 0%

1 serving vanilla protein powder

3 Tbsp almonds

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ground flax

sprinkling of coconut flakes

Enjoy! What’s your favorite smoothie combination?

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What If Everybody Ran

My love for Mizuno has known no boundaries over the past few years. I’ve purchased them in three different countries (US, England and Switzerland) and I’ve sported multiple styles while training for two marathons, five half marathons and countless other races. While I’m currently rocking both the Sayonaras for treadmill workouts and the Wave Riders for outdoor runs, I’m excited to pick up a new pair when I’m in New York City next week.

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So today when I saw both the Twitter and Facebook world spreading the good Mizuno word this morning I had to check out what all the fuss was about. It turns out that Mizuno commissioned a study to show statistically the ways the world and people just like you and me would be affected if everyone ran. Their What If Everybody Ran info graphic left me laughing, smiling and in complete awe. Sometimes I forget that while I run on an almost daily basis and many of my closest friends take to the streets each day, we are a very small group and not the norm. I can’t believe that the study was led by UNC Kenan-Flagler students! My uncle is a professor in their business school so this caused even more excitement as I perused the full study.

Here are some interesting tidbits from the study:

  • After running on a treadmill, women performed 20 percent better on memory tests.
  • Exercise reduces anger by 83%and increases mood by 37%
  • Americans would spend 7 billion more hours outdoors (No wonder they’d be happier!)
  • 10% improvement in self esteem (This statistic seems very low.)
  • People who exercise during their workday are 23% more productive than those who don’t. (Hooray for lunchtime runs!)
  • 200 million inches would be lost from American waistlines!

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If you want to find out more about that study or the movement, follow #ifeverybodyran hashtag on Twitter or head over to their site!

If you’re a runner, what has changed in your life since you started running? I’m definitely more confident overall!

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