ashleyd /

Manic Mondays Don’t Have Anything on Me!

Happy Monday! Did you have a case of the Monday’s today?

My day started later than expected as I slept through my morning workout. I felt badly bailing on Sara, my awesome workout buddy, but my hamstrings were still sore and I overdid my yoga yesterday which left my shoulders and abs tired as well. It’s amazing how chaturanga and bow pose work my arms.

Chaturanga

At the office, my day was a manic Monday but I didn’t let this get in the way of my healthy habits. 

I enjoyed this delicious green juice throughout the day, finishing half of it by the end of the day. I’ve emailed a dietician friend, in hopes of understanding whether this bottled juice has the same benefits as fresh juice. I don’t have access to a juicer at work and fresh juices are so expensive at local juice stands. Any tips or thoughts?

IMG_0659 I upped the greens during my lunch as well, trading up my normal small salad for the large size at Pax. But, in order to keep calories in check, I filled it with all veggies and no added goodies like cheese or proteins. Instead, I saved money and brought my leftover grouper. It was delicious and very filling. This salad kept me full all day long!

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When I left the office, at 7:19 it was already dark and cold outside. I was exhausted but knew that if I did some speed training on the treadmill tonight I could be in and out of Equinox in time for The Bachelor!

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Mission accomplished! I completed 3 miles of speed intervals in 27:09! I was entertained by the post game report from the Academy Awards. These were a few of my favorites:

women 2011 Academy Awards Oscars red carpet dress

I didn’t love Scarlett’s hair but I loved her dress and makeup. That color, dahlia, is amazing!

I love dresses that combine sexy with conservative. This plunging neckline and cinched waist are the perfect contrast to the full, puffy skirt.

Speaking of Academy Awards, I have chosen a winner for the Academy Award sized giveaway. Congratulations #57 Annemarie, you are the winner of an amazing prize package!  Please email me your mailing address so I can send it your way!

In other news, today’s health and fitness tip is something we all could use:

Today’s Health & Fitness tip is to take 5 min breaks every hour by looking off into the distance. Your eyes will thank you!

  • Keep the distance of the monitor from your eyes between 16 to 30 inches. Most people find a distance of 20 to 26 inches comfortable.
  • Purchase an anti-glare screen for your work and home computer
  • Increase font size on your computer for easier viewing
  • Just close your eyes for a few minutes when your work requires prolonged data input into the computer.

Question: What is your single favorite yoga move?

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ashleyd /

A Cathartic Experience..

When my alarm went off this morning I quickly silenced it and went back to bed. I was not trudging to the gym at 5:30 today. I would sleep until my body was ready to wake up and face the day. Deep inside, I knew it was time. Regardless how ready I thought I was and how hard her illness had been on my family, I wasn’t ready for to face the reality that my grandmother would most likely pas by morning.

I slept until 7:30 this morning still tired and sore from emotion. I just kept waiting for the phone call from my parents.

It never came.

Instead, while I was on the phone with my mother, over 1200 miles away, the nursing home called my home.

"She passed away this morning, peacefully, holding onto the bear your daughter gave her."

That is all I needed to know.

Still filled with emotions, yet unable to really talk about them, I packed my suitcase this morning and focused my attention on work. I avoided phone calls as I knew I couldn’t complete a single sentence. I worked from the comfort of my bed, emptying my inbox, responding to emails, and posting my out of office message.

Finally around 11 I realized I needed to get out of the house. I needed to see the sunshine and blue sky. I laced up my shoes, threw on a jacket, and ran.

IMG_0358I ran for 45 minutes, thinking about everything, waving at the people I passed, and cried. I cried the entire time, just letting the emotions go and the love for her flow. I thought about what I’ll say on Saturday at her memorial.  I remembered the last time I saw her.

IMG_0348I now understand what people mean when they say running is cathartic. Those 45 minutes were the best run I’ve ever experienced. I kept a 9:04 pace, far faster than normal, while breaking every traffic rule as I ran down the bike lane of 2nd Avenue towards SoHo.

She was with me, looking down on me, every step of the way. IMG_0357

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ashleyd /

Marathon Training Begins

I hope you all had a wonderful Monday and a smooth return after the weekend. In case you missed it, I had a BLAST this weekend with some of my best college friends.

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College Reunion Weekend Begins

Holy Hills

Four Girls, Two Husbands, and a Truck

Workout

I started my training plan off with a great, sweaty run outside! This morning’s run was fast and fun! In fact, it’s the fastest run I’ve had in over a year.

4.2 miles

9.23 pace

My path was a straight shot up Lexington Avenue which meant that it was a gradual hill through the Murray Hill area but otherwise flat.

Today kicked off my training for the 2010 NYC ING Marathon on November 7th. In case you’re a new reader, I gained automatic entry for this year’s marathon by completing the NYRR’s 9+1 option. This means that during the 2009 year I ran 9 qualifying races ranging in distance from 1 mile to half marathon and I volunteered during one race.

Thanks to Bobbi I have a great training plan that will help me with my three marathon goals:

1) Safely complete my 1st marathon

2) Finish in under 5 hours

3) Not burn out on running and remain injury free during the training

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This morning’s breakfast was a delicious repeat of last week’s juicy bowl of goodness.

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Nectarine, Flax Seeds, Fage 0%, and Weight Watchers vanilla oats. Yum!

Today is starting off on a good note and I can only hope it continues! I’m looking forward to my 2nd Bar Method SoHo class tonight with an old friend from Philadelphia who recently moved to the NYC area.

Have a great day!!

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