Happy Marathon Monday! I’m so excited for everyone running, especially those ladies I’m tracking today including Tina, Sarah, Janae, Michele and Michelle. These ladies have trained in such tough conditions this winter that I know they’ll run strong even in horrible Boston conditions today!

Inspired by the many runners in Boston, a few of us woke up with the sunrise for a four-mile run along the lake. It’s mornings like this that remind me why I love running. A wonderful, friend filled four-mile run followed by a cup of coffee always makes Mondays more bearable!

But, before kicking off our Monday on the right foot, our weekend revolved around three things that make me very happy: friends, running and yoga.

Friends

As so many of us were traveling during March and early April, it’s been nice to have a few weekends in Geneva to catch up and relax. Each day this weekend we were able to enjoy time with different groups of friends, in both small and large settings. Between a Thai dinner date, a yoga workout, manicure and wine relaxation with a girlfriend, post-run brunch and a terrace barbecue party, we were able to see just about each of our friends and hear about about their Easter holidays. Even though we live so close, it’s easy to go a few weeks without seeing each other due to weekend travel plans and busy work schedules! Hopefully, now that Spring and longer days have arrived, there will be many lakeside barbecues in our future.

Running

After a relaxing, lazy morning enjoying one too many cups of coffee and our peanut butter and toast breakfast, Bo and I headed out for a 10-mile run. Bo’s longest run since the 2013 New York City Half Marathon, this run wasn’t as enjoyable as last week’s eight miler! We spent the first eight miles of our run fighting 25 mph headwinds. Even in the wind and rain, our countryside path found a way to be even more beautiful than the week prior. The fields transformed during the week, resulting in a sea of yellow blossoms. The inclement weather kept other runners and bikers at home, leaving the path just to us. It is a stark contrast to the crowded lake front path we typically frequent.

The weather did a complete 360-degree change during our run, going from rain and wind to sunshine and blue sky. We finished our final two miles, sprinting along the lake, enjoying clear views and tulips! The good news is that, even though, the early miles weren’t easy, we were able to push our pace by the end and finished strong. In addition, runs like this build mental toughness, which is important for race day and something I’m trying to really focus and improve. I can’t believe our half marathon is in less than two weeks!

 

Yoga

Stepping out of bed Sunday morning, my body felt the affects of the week’s workouts. While I originally planned on heading out early for InnerCity Yoga’s Sunday morning yoga class, the thought of relaxing on the couch convinced me otherwise. Having missed the opportunity to practice yoga in a class setting, I decided to bring the yoga studio environment to our flat. I opened the windows, lit a few candles, made lemon water, rolled out two yoga mats, invited a friend over and streamed yoga workouts.

The plan worked so well that I completed a total of five restorative yoga videos yesterday, for a total of 2 hours.  I fell in love with JasYoga’s streaming video website yesterday, after discovering her short, effective restorative yoga videos. The website describes JasYoga as a revolutionary approach to yoga.

Welcome to the Reset Revolution.

Jasyoga is a revolutionary approach to yoga for athletes. Our practical solutions are designed to help you recover, prevent injuries, and perform so that you can achieve your goals, no matter where your active lifestyle takes you.

Her hamstring and quad focused videos released all the tension from my legs in just 15 minutes. Many of the moves include using props such as pillows, straps, and even your nearby wall to ensure that you can properly complete the moves while relaxing your body. 

 

Thanks to many supported poses like the one above, I woke up this morning feeling fresh and ready to tackle work stress and the week’s workouts!

Your turn: Can you bring yourself to do at-home workouts? How do you motivate yourself? What are your favorite home workout videos?