Snow Day Fun

Tags

Biking, Cooking, Walking, Winter

I never thought that as an adult I would get snow days, but I’m lucky enough to have a job where I do get a few (my place of work has closed down 4 days in the last 4 winters, but two of them were when I was in Ecuador, so I didn’t get to enjoy those days…). I assumed with this winter that we were having that at some point we would have a travel ban in our county and work would be closed, and two weeks ago was the day!! (See- there are good things to be happy about in the winter!)

I woke up and found out that work was cancelled, so I headed back to bed, sleeping until 7:15. Got up, ate breakfast, and watched storm footage for awhile. Then I turned on NCIS: LA and hopped on my bike trainer for an extra long ride (extra long= half an hour longer than I would’ve done sans snow day) at an hour and a half. The time flew by and felt like about 25 minutes.

I spent a few hours in the afternoon and early evening baking cookies. I made these heart shaped gingerbread cookies and heart shaped sugar cookies, which I then frosted and sprinkled! I’m so thankful to have had some extra time to do that, as this past weekend was busy and I didn’t have a few extra hours to spare!

Even though I had exercised that morning, I of course made sure to go out on a short 30 minute (but very slow due to the layer of ice underneath the snow) walk so I could enjoy the snow and beauty around me! I’ve really enjoyed going on short walks while listening to podcasts lately, even though it’s cold and snowy!

I made breakfast for dinner (isn’t that the best?!) for my brother and myself and we ended the night watching a movie. Of course my snow day fun ended to early, as my pilates sessions have started up again, so I have a 4:45 wake up call for teaching again.

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your favorite “snow day” activities (either now or when you were growing up!)? Have you gotten a snow day yet this winter?

Is Happiness Possible In The Winter?

Tags

2014 Challenge, Mental Health, Winter

I’ll be honest- winter is not in any way my favorite season…AT ALL. I remember one point, maybe 4ish years ago, when I realized that I couldn’t even enjoy fall anymore (even though I really love fall), because I was so full of dread for the upcoming winter. YIKES- how sad that I chose to lose out on enjoyment for something that was yet to come. This really was the final straw for me, as I realized that my disdain for winter had really spiraled out of control. This was the start of me trying to work really hard to enjoy the winter…. to choose happiness even when it wasn’t natural in the moment for me.

One of the things that’s made a big difference for me is to head outside and actually ENJOY the snow. There is so much beauty that the winter holds, and when I was grumbling and hating on winter, I missed out on most of it- how sad! This is part of one of my 14 challenges in 2014– to be present. I try to go on a few walks a week, and really take the time to pause and enjoy nature around me. Winter gives some awesome views.

Another thing I’ve really appreciated about winter lately is that it provides the perfect environment to drink all sorts of delicious warm drinks! I love tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, and sometimes in the summer it’s the last thing that I want. I’m thankful that winter provides an environment where these drinks are perfect! I even got a milk frother for Christmas this year just to take that enjoyment level up just a little bit more!

Winter allows us to have all things cozy- warm baths, space heaters, heated blankets, regular blankets, fires, shirts with thumb holes, and fluffy sweaters. These are all things that I do miss in the summer (even though I REALLY love the heat of summer!). These are things that become instantly calming to most people, and I’m glad that winters provide time for these things.

When I really stop to think about it, there are many things that I do like in the winter. So, when I find myself grumbling about something (like the 15 minutes it might take to scrape all the ice off my car after a storm), I try to not only acknowledge whatever that negative is, but I try to insert a few positives as well. “I’m so thankful for the cold in the winter because it allows me to curl up under a blanket and enjoy a nice, hot drink”.

I try to give myself a balanced view of the situation, and as I’ve done this, I’ve noticed my disdain towards winter shrinking a bit. I doubt it’ll ever be a top season of mine, but at least I no longer dread it. Yet another example of us  owning our reactions and choosing to be active in our health.

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one thing in life that you could work on balancing out your view of (like the cold in the winter!)? What do you enjoy about the winter?

For other tips on thriving in the winter, check out my post HERE.

Thankful Thursday

Tags

Biking, Thankful, Winter

There’s nothing like below zero temperatures, whipping winds, and more and more snow every day to make me feel incredibly thankful for the things that I have. (Just me thinking that is a HUGE mindset shift from a few years ago, when I would’ve done nothing but complain and make myself feel “miserable”- but no more. How sad to live like that!). Here’s what I’m thankful for right now:

I’m thankful for a cozy day at Starbucks! Last weekend I headed down to a new-to-me Starbucks with a friend who works a few towns away. I hung out at Starbucks while she worked (I needed a change of environment and minimal distractions as I had an article to work on), and it was so cozy and nice! The Starbucks had a fireplace (this was a happy surprise when I walked on), and provided warm and a great environment in which to work!

I’m thankful for shirts with thumb holes. Does anyone else feel immediately more relaxed and cozy when they have shirts with thumb holes on (or is that only me??)? Thumb holes combined with the fire at Starbucks made for a perfectly cozy feeling.

I’m thankful for how beautiful fresh snow is. I love watching it snow outside, whether the snow is gently falling or it’s whipping around. Seeing the snow on the ground and trees is also so beautiful! Part of my goal under my 14 challenges is to be present, so as it’s snowing I try to pause and stand by the wind (or even go outside), breathe deeply, and enjoy the moment.

I’m thankful for an abundance of fresh water and tea bags! Besides thumb holes and fireplaces, there is almost nothing that makes me feel more warm, cozy, and relaxed in the winter than a cup of hot tea. I drink anywhere from 4-5 cups of tea on average a day at work, and probably just as much on the weekends. I’m thankful I have all the fresh water I want to make tea.

I’m thankful for crock pots and delicious, warm soup! This past weekend I made this delicious hearty soup, and have been eating it for dinners all week. Not only is it REALLY healthy and delicious, but it’s warming as well!

I’m thankful I have a bike trainer. It’s so nice to be able to get an awesome cardio workout in while in my living room. This polar vortex can’t completely mess with my workouts now! 🙂

Now it’s your turn to share! What’re you thankful for right now? What’s one of your favorite cold weather things?

Thriving In The Winter {and steps to stay healthy}

Tags

Health, Mental Health, Winter

Whew- this weather is pretty nasty right now. I’m about two cold days away from looking for flights to the closest warm place I can find 🙂 Seriously though, winter presents its own set of safety hazards, physically and emotionally. Here are some of my tips for staying healthy and safe with the potential situations that may arise with the crazy winter weather and storms we’re having:

1. Keep stocked up on foods that are edible if the power goes out for a few days. At least some foods could be stored outside in the power to the refrigerator or freezer went out, but that doesn’t help with cooking. Fruits, protein bars, cans of food, bread, peanut butter, etc.. are great for a few days if needed.
2. Keep stocked up on batteries and candles in case you’re left powerless for a day or two! Anytime my lights start flickering a bit due to wind or a storm I light a candle so I could see other things if needed.
3. DO NOT leave the house without enough clothing where you would be safe and comfortable if you had to sit on the side of the road for a few hours. When I go to work, I wear wool socks, boots, and sweatpants, and bring my nice shoes and dress pants or skirt into my office to change. Being outside without a hat might lead to incredibly bad frostbite that you’ll have to deal with for life. Be smart, and bring appropriate items with you. *****Another piece of important information: If you live far enough away from work that the snow could potentially keep you from getting home, make sure to keep 1-2 days worth of your medication in your purse or work bag. That way, if you are stranded somewhere, you won’t be in a potentially dangerous or uncomfortable situation.
4. To go along with the third point: make up a car kit. This would include things like those hand warmers you can buy and use in a pinch, hat, gloves, scarf, flashlight, blanket, some snack foods, and a shovel. This way you’re set incase you breakdown on the side of the road.
5. If you’re using a space heater, make sure and double check that it’s off before going to bed or leaving your place. It’s easy to forget about, and could start your place on fire if you leave it going.
6. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing, and I expect to see an increase of it in my office over the next month. Check out my tips for dealing with seasonal affective disorder.
7. Be smart about working out. Moving is good, but not when it puts you in an unsafe situation. There’s no need to HAVE to get a workout in, leading you to falling and breaking something on the ice. Find some at home workouts to do if you really need to move.
8. If the power goes out or it’s especially cold out, make sure to open up the cupboards in the kitchen and bathrooms to ensure that your pipes don’t freeze. The last thing you want to be dealing with on top of nasty weather is having burst pipes. Yikes.
9. Stay hydrated! In the winter it’s easy to forget to drink (unlike the summer when we’re desperate for something to cool off with!). If you need to, set an alarm on your phone every few hours to remind yourselves to drink. Again, you don’t want to be dehydrated if you get stuck out for longer than you were planning to.
10. Try to stay mentally on top of your thoughts and thought patterns.  Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in patterns of black and white thinking or catastrophizing because we are so unhappy by the weather around us (or feeling like we can’t do what we want because we’re stuck at home). Try to work on healthy thought patterns using the thought record or the REBT self help form.

Those are a few of the tips that I have for staying safe and healthy throughout the winter. Obviously these aren’t the only things I do to stay healthy, but are things I think are important.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are your best winter survival tips? 

5k Jingle Bell Jog {and a never before had race experience}

Tags

2013 Challenge, Race, Racing, Running, Winter

On Saturday morning my alarm went off at 7:30 am for my 2nd Jingle Bell Jog (my first was in 2011, a few months after I started running). I checked the weather for race time, and the forecast said: 13 degrees, feels like 6 degrees. I almost hit snooze and stayed in my warm bed. However, I needed to get a run in this weekend, and I knew that in light of the cold weather, it would be easier in a group than on my own. Plus, I had one more race to run to meet my “13 races in 2013 goal“, and this was race #13!

I quickly ate breakfast, did a short warm up, foam rolled, and changed before heading over to the race start. There were maybe 40-50 people; smaller than other races in the town, but understandable given the cold temperatures. I think only the dedicated runners show up on a day like that.

I should mention that I had zero intention of going in and really racing this race. I got my 5k PR already for this season, and just wanted to enjoy myself. With the very cold air, I knew that my muscles would need a little more care and my lungs would be burning from the air.

We were given bells to tie on to our shoes, and Christmas music was blasting from speakers. The Christmas spirit definitely helped temper the freezing temperature. There was an entire cross country team from a local college there. I decided to throw my normal race day plan out the window and just go with whatever I felt like. I decided to try to keep up with the team as much as possible, and when I needed to drop back, I would. I ended up running the first two miles with someone that went to the same college I did, but we hadn’t ever spoken (I recognized her name). That was quite a bit of fun, but between the ice, cold air, and talking, and was pretty done with the pace we had been running.

I dropped back right about mile 2.3 and just ran and enjoyed the Christmas music. I didn’t have any IT band pain, but my throat was starting to hurt from the cold air. Somewhere right before mile 3 I realized that I, in fact, was going to be the final person to cross the finish line. 

I felt a little sad and embarrassed at first, but then reminded myself that I wasn’t out to run a hard race and that I was keeping with a very typical 5k time for me. As I got near the finish line people were clapping and cheering, but I was just wishing there were people behind me. So- there’s a race first: I was the final person to cross the finish line. The course was 3.3 miles at 36 minutes, meaning that my solid 3.1 5k time was 34 minutes. That’s only 3 and a half minutes slower than my 5k PR, and a very typical time for a normal run that I might have. My legs take much longer to recover than others do apparently (hey thanks POTS), so this was actually my fastest paced run since before my half marathon.

I’ve never been to a race where every participant finishes 3.1 miles in under 35 minutes, but it’s what happened today. That’s what happens when there are no walkers and people move fast because it’s so cold.

Afterwards they drew names for various door prizes that were donated by local businesses. I ended up winning a sample-sized 3 pack of Starbucks Holiday Coffees. Worth it 🙂

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever come last in a race (or one a race or age group of a race) before? Are you celebrating Christmas with a run this year? 

Mental Health Monday: Tips For Dealing With Seasonal Affective Disorder

Tags

Mental Health, Winter

The winter is definitely in full force right now and the gray days are piling up, so I thought it might be beneficial to address the issue of seasonal affective disorder! People with seasonal affective disorder can fall on a long sprectrum from feeling “off” or “blah-ish” to depression. The Mayo Clinic says the following about SAD:

“Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you’re like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer.” – Mayo Clinic

SAD can present in a number of ways, including the following: loss of energy, hopelessness, social isolation, desire to increase sleeping time, loss of interest, and weight gain. Again, these can all be on a spectrum of intensity, from mild to severe.

If you struggle with SAD, here are a few tips:

• Look into Light Therapy. You can purchase a light box with lights in it that mimic outdoor light. This is incredibly helpful for those very gray weeks throughout the winter! These light boxes can not only help increase mood, but because they mimic daylight, can be incredibly beneficial for helping you to wake up in the morning. You can read more about light boxes here (and make sure to talk to your doctor before purchasing)!
  
• Don’t isolate! Depression often tells us to isolate, but the problem is that isolation is the fuel for depression. No matter how much you want to isolate, understand that it is counterproductive! Scheduling low-key activities with close friends would be beneficial, even when you don’t feel like it.
• Medication. Medication can be used to treat SAD. Talk to your doctor to determine if medicine might be helpful to you.
• MOVE! When we’re struggling with SAD, it can be difficult to have any desire to walk or exercise. Not only does exercise produce endorphins (think “happy”!), exercising continues to put your body and mind on a healthy track. Again, trying to exercise even when you don’t want to is healthy. Perhaps getting a workout buddy would be helpful to help motivate you! My mood has been SO much better since I’ve trained for half marathons throughout January, February, and March.
• Continue to eat healthy foods. Sometimes when we start to feel depressed, we eat increasingly more comfort foods which often aren’t healthy. The problem with that is that it makes us more sluggish and decreases our energy (on top of the SAD), making our situation even worth. Stocking up on protein, veggies, fruit, and other energy giving foods is important!
• Schedule things to look forward to! Having things to look forward to many nights a week (both “little things” and big things), can be helpful and motivating. Plan out a few things over the next few weeks that you can look forward to. Potential things might be a massage, manicure, extra exercise class at the gym, meeting with a personal trainer, dinner and a movie, an overnight trip, etc…
• Try to decrease catastrophizing language. It’s easy to start using extreme words to describe the current weather situation (“horrible, terrible, miserable”, etc…). These words tend to just rile us up a bit and increase how badly we feel. I wish I could impress upon each of you how absolutely important it is to watch the words that you choose to use.
• Embrace the shades of gray. Again, the idea behind this is to watch the words that you use, and work to not use extreme language. Go back and read my entire post on that, as I think it’s beneficial and helpful.
• Increase healthy thought patterns. This might be one of the most important things in dealing with SAD. The Thought Record, as well as the REBT self help form, might be helpful for you in this area.
  

I want to emphasize that if you believe that you have SAD or are experiencing symptoms of depression, contact your doctor or a local therapist. If you are having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self harm, please call 9-1-1 or go to the hospital immediately.

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever experienced seasonal affective disorder? What do you do to try to deal with SAD? 

*Disclaimer: This post is not intended to take the place of professional advice. As stated above, if you feel that you might have SAD or are experiencing depression, please contact a local therapist or doctor. 

Bike Training In The Winter

Tags

Biking, Exercise, Training, Triathlon, Winter

After the fun I had doing my first sprint triathlon last summer, I’m determined to do another one (hopefully an Olympic) in the summer of 2013. Because I don’t live in a place where it’s practical to bike for the next 4-5 months, I need to find another alternative. The gym I belong to has a number of stationary bikes, and while it is certainly not anywhere close to as enjoyable as road biking is, it’s a viable option. Since my triathlon at the end of August, I’ve only been on a road bike once: the day before Thanksgiving. I had three months of only training on the stationary bike, so when I hit the road I was especially nervous, especially because the route I bike ends with a hill with a 100 foot change in elevation. That hill has always been tough, and even before my tri I had to struggle up that hill.

When I hit the road on Thanksgiving, I was a little nervous how the hill would go, especially because I hadn’t done it in about 4 months. I was happy that I zipped up it with not too much problem at all. Clearly, despite training on a stationary bike, I was still developing strength and endurance! I was really happy to see that, and great news for all of us training for triathlons or other bike races next spring and summer!

This is what I do:

I do this sports hill interval workout that’s a KILLER. Every 1.5 or 2 minutes I climb a hill for 1.5 to 2 minutes, then go flat for the same length of time. These intervals are a killer, and I’m definitely shaking when I’m done with the workout. Over the last few months I’ve wondered how it would work, but I have to say that it’s been great! I’m guessing that this type of cross training also helped me set my 22 minute PR in my last half marathon!

Stationary bikes have lots of different types of workouts, but this is the one that I’ve found that I enjoy the most. I guess the whole point of this post is just to say don’t fear the stationary bikes. They can be a great benefit to your fitness level throughout the winter, and can be a great type of cross training for all you runners out there!

Now it’s your turn to share! If you train for triathlons, how do you keep up your training in the winter? What’s your favorite way to modify “outdoor activities” when the weather isn’t nice? 

Disclaimer: I am not a certified trainer or a doctor, and this post is not meant to take the place of either. This post is meant to simply share another option for working out that has worked well for me! Please talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness regimen.