ashleyd /

Back in the Routine..

Tonight, while walking down 5th Avenue, I had the joy to see this amazing scene. It’s moments like this that remind me how lucky I am to live in New York City!

 

Being back in New York City, also means getting back into the routine.

Bo and I were up early for Dave M’s spin class at Equinox at 44th and Lexington. This morning we even stayed for “extra credit.” Oh yes, you read that correctly. Dave offers students extra credit after the official class is over. This extra credit lasts 30 minutes and he allows those students who remain to each choose a challenge during the 30 minute time period. My segment was rolling hills (8 in the saddle and 3 out of the saddle) and I absolutely loved choosing a segment and coaching the 6 remaining students through the workout.

After a longer and sweatier than normal class, I was craving a larger bowl of morning oatmeal.

I added some Fage greek yogurt to the mix for extra staying power. It wasn’t pretty but it certainly was delicious.

Lunch was an unpictured combination provided by my office. This week is our Healthy Living week during which our HR team provides fruits, flavored water, office massages, and stress balls for the office. The also catered a healthy lunch which included 3 different types of salad, fruit, and almonds. I only wish they had included some protein as my salad didn’t have much staying power. Around 3pm I added a can of safety soup. My desk drawer is filled with 6 cans of Progresso Reduced sodium soups for emergency days when I don’t have time to leave the office or get hungry at random moments.

Thanks to a wonderful Equinox promotion, my muscles were treated to a 80 minute deep tissue massage. Seeing the same massage therapist means that Tonya is now very in touch with my body and skeletal alignment. Today she spent the last 25 minutes treating my feet to a reflexology session. This was my first reflexology session and it was even more relaxing than a Swedish massage. The pressure points along the foot affect more than just that area!

  • What is reflexology: Reflexology is the practice of applying pressure to the feet and hands utilizing specific thumb, finger and hand techniques without the use of oil, cream or lotion based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work effects a physical change in the body.
  • What are its benefits?  It creates relaxation, reduces pain, and improves blood flow.

Luckily, when I walked in the door Bo had dinner ready and waiting!

Homemade Greek salads complete with feta cheese, grilled chicken, romaine, red onions, tomatoes, herbs, hummus, and toasted pita bread!

 

Question: Do you keep a “safety stock” of food in your desk drawer? What is your emergency item?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

St. Patrick’s Day and Signs of Spring!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This holiday is very dear to my heart since I grew up in Savannah, Georgia! savannahstpats (400x287)

Savannah actually features the 2nd largest parade in the United States, boasting over 750,000 each year!  Banks and schools are closed, families get front row seats along the parade route the night before, and girls of all ages don their red lipsticks and watch for the cutest military man to kiss during the parade!

We even die our river and fountains green each year the week of the parade!

savannahstpat2 savannahstpat3Therefore, it felt very odd today when I woke up, forgot to wear green, and went about my day like any other day. In fact, it wasn’t until I saw green bagels in our office this morning that I remembered the holiday!

I started off the morning with my final speed workout of National Half Marathon training. I’m being very cautious with my legs this week after straining a muscle in Core Fusion on Monday night. Therefore, today’s speed session was only 3 miles but it felt great! I followed one of my favorite speed workouts and completed 3 miles in 28:02!   I followed my massage therapist’s advice and wore my Zensah sleeves and spent 10 minutes after my run stretching and rolling, holding each stretch at least 30 seconds.

IMG_0913 (480x640)On my walk home, I enjoyed catching small glimpses of Spring’s arrival!

IMG_0916 (640x478)My breakfast was also filled with spring colors and flavors! The delicious strawberries and cool yogurt reminded me of the summer yogurt bowls. 🙂

IMG_0918 (640x478)I also debuted one of my new Spring dresses today! While it wasn’t green it definitely made me feel like Spring had arrived. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my tan hose this morning so the black tights are still going strong. I don’t think this picture does it justice, or maybe I don’t do it justice, but this dress is amazing! Based on the compliments I received today I think I need to wear more form fitting dresses and outfits versus my normal pants and sweaters.

IMG_0920 (478x640)This Michael Kors dress is my latest RueLaLa find! If you haven’t tried RueLaLa yet I highly recommend it as they have a wonderful and easy return policy if your item doens’t fit or meet your expectations.

This picture is a lovely locker room picture taken by Ali! She and I finally met for her favorite yoga class at Crunch, Power Yoga Hour. It was exactly what my sore legs were craving. The teacher, Carl Horowitz, was definitely as friendly and quirky as Ali described.

Crunch Yoga

He adjusted the students, was very positive and friendly, and led the class in his own unique way. The only thing I didn’t like was that the studio wasn’t removed from the rest of the gym. Therefore, I heard the gym music in the background and crashing weights during the whole class.

Okay guys, have a great evening! I’m off to enjoy dinner with Bo and my sister-in-law before resting up for tomorrow’s long run! It’s almost Friday!!

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

A Race in Every State…

 

Phew, I am so excited for a day of rest tomorrow!

IMG_0801 IMG_1368

I’ve enjoyed some awesome workouts with Sara this week including a return to spinning and a focus on a constant date with the weight training area. But, after a week of tough classes, runs, and lifting I am looking forward to sleeping in until 7:45 tomorrow morning!

This morning I enjoyed a breakfast treat from Energy Kitchen! It’s been ages since I last tried Energy Kitchen so I thought it was worth another try; especially since I’m trying to incorporate more protein into my diet.

IMG_0812 IMG_0807  IMG_0810 IMG_0811 IMG_0809

While their food is not the most flavorful, I do love the ingredients, cooking process, and final product. You get exactly what you order and their are really no surprises. For example, this mornings veggie egg wrap didn’t disappoint since it was 3 veggies (spinach, tomato, mushrooms) with five egg whites wrapped in a low carbohydrate whole wheat wrap!

IMG_0813 

This wrap kept me energized and satiated until nearly 2pm! I couldn’t believe I forgot to eat lunch at my normal 12:30 time since my stomach wasn’t growling!

I really need to remember that there are two locations conveniently located near my office and home. This would make a perfect dinner option on busy nights or on my way to Junior League meetings!

In other exciting news, the first two days of Lent have gone well thus far and I’m already feeling energized. For those of you who didn’t see, I chose to give up processed sweets for the fourth year in a row. I say processed sweets because I am not giving up sugar. I will still eat fruit on a daily basis and am primarily focused on cookies, candies, etc that have been haunting me in my office.

Luckily, I don’t feel like these women yet.

Since a couple of readers have asked how I plan to do this without feeling deprived I thought I’d share a few of my tips:

  • Focus on drinking a lot of water the first few days, especially during times when I normally munched on office treats
  • Avoid the office kitchen area when possible as this is where all the cookies are kept
  • Bring plenty of fruit to work each day and have it displayed on my desk so I can reach for a banana, apple, or orange when I’m craving sugar
  • Focus on how much better I feel since I’m not experiencing constant sugar highs and lows

I know I’m only two days in but so far so good!

Last but not least, I finally made it official today! I’ll be running the Seattle Half Marathon with my friend Amy this June!

imageAmy and I actually started running races together back in 2006 when we lived in Philadelphia and DC. We loved training “virtually” and would talk about our weekly runs during our phone dates and then run races every few months together.  In fact, we ran our first half marathon together back in November of 2007! I can’t believe we’ve run so many races together and yet let so much time pass since our last race! 

[Half+Marathon+Weekend+009.jpg]

  • Philadelphia Marathon 8k (11/06)
  • NYRR Holiday 5 Miler (12/06)
  • Valley Forge Revolutionary Run 5 miler (4/07)
  • Jefferson Hospital Distance Run Half Marathon (9/07)
  • Thunder Road Half Marathon (12/07)
  • Broad Street Run (5/08)
  • ING Philadelphia Distance Run (9/08)
  • Philadelphia Half Marathon (11/08)
  • Thunder Road Half Marathon (12/08)

It’s been a while since we ran a race together so I can’t wait for this half! In fact, seeing this list and talking with Bo tonight, I think I’d love to make it a goal to run a race in every state. While running a half or full in every state would be pretty tough, I think running a race is far more attainable. In fact, I have a pretty good start so far:

  • Georgia
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York
  • Washington, DC (Cherry Blossom and National Half)
  • North Carolina 
  • Washington (Seattle Half Marathon)

Question: In which state would you most like to run a race?

Share Button
Follow: