Taking a Back Road- Oregon Running

This last weekend, I traveled to Oregon with my boyfriend, where I stood in my best friend of 12 years, Kayle's wedding! (Congratulations Kayle and Kelly, you make a beautiful couple!)

The morning before the wedding I squeezed in a quick 3 1/5 mile run, averaging 8:52 min/mile. Initially, I planned on making it quick, so I could get back with plenty of time to get ready for the big day. I even contemplated running on the treadmill, since it was a cold morning, 46 degrees! But I could not resist exploring in the beautiful sites, and capturing pictures the whole way to share with my readers!

Despite the cold air, the sun quickly warmed me up!

  

     

Slight hill climb

The only way I could get a picture of myself...I look weird...

My boyfriend and I, same day, at the wedding:-)

So...I've only been running in my Vibram Five Fingers lately, and have started to develop this awful pain in my ankles! I'm going to do some research for on-going Vibram usage, and how much is too much...stay tuned...

Where are some amazing places you've experienced and seen through being active?

Cheers to Being Fit N Gorgeous

OMG! Is It Fall Yet?

Living in California does not provide these landscapes. But, I grew up in Oregon where Fall season IS one to look forward to! Looking at this picture makes me want to lace up my running shoes or hop on my road bike and go forever!

I LOVE Fall!! There are so many things that make me ooze with joy when Fall is here! Let me just list a couple of them for ya;

1. Football
2. Cold weather = cute boots, scarves, hats, and sweaters!
3. Fall leafs and all the colors
4. Holidays are right around the corner
5. Running and cycling outside without over heating

Here's a quick recap from Saturday's work out:

Lately, it's been SO hot in southern California, which could be why I'm anticipating the Fall season, and now blogging about it. Saturday morning, I woke up feeling good, and wanted to get in a long, intense, bike ride. Originally, I was planning to ride 40 miles, until I drove to my destination, parked, unloaded my bike, and suddenly started to sweat. That 40 miles turned in to a 30 mile goal!

The first 15 miles, I pushed myself hard, averaging 18.3 mph. When I got half way, I stopped to take a drink of water and the heat overwhelmed my body! I all of a sudden felt light headed, while sweat poured off my body. Realizing I had to make it back somehow, I gained control, and rode for another 8 miles, until I called my boyfriend to come rescue me! I think it's safe to say I may have suffered from heat stroke. My 30 miles turned in to 23 miles completed. 

So, this is the reason I CAN'T wait until Fall to arrive!

YES PLEASE!! Obviously this is not me, but I would love to be here. I can already taste the fresh, cold air!

How many of you love Fall? 

What do you look forward to the most?

Cheers To Being Fit N Gorgeous

Here's To Those Who Are Motivated By My Blogs

The other day, a reader said to me; "I'm not going to lie, I considered sitting on the couch and watching tv all evening. But I clicked on your blog and was all of the sudden motivated to go running today!" (Thank you for reading Graciela)

This is the reason I blog, to motivate all of you to be healthy! When you're healthy, the less chance you have of being obese, sick, or face injuries.

One of my favorite shows to watch is on Animal Planet, I Shouldn't Be Alive. A story that stood out to me, was about a world class athlete, who went for a long trail run with her dog. She slipped on a rock and fell to the bottom of the ravine, breaking her pelvis. Because she was in such great shape, she survived several days alone in the desert, where temperatures dropped to freezing by nightfall. This episode inspired me to make exercise a priority in my life, not just to look good, but to be healthy, strong, and able to endure physical challenges!

If you want to preview a 4 minute clip of this episode, click the link below;

http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/i-shouldnt-be-alive/videos/dog-saves-injured-owner.htm

I work out to enjoy life...running and cycling give me the opportunity to appreciate God's creations.

I'd love to hear your story...

Why do you exercise? What inspires you?

Cheers To Being Fit N Gorgeous

My Evening Run

Soo...I have been receiving requests to post more pictures of myself on my runs or bike rides. Let's face it, it's not the easiest thing to do. When I am exercising, I tend to get in a zone, and forget to take pictures. My bad.

However, last night I made sure to capture photos of my run! I ran my favorite trail course to share the beautiful scenery with you all.

3.11 Mile Run; Average 8:54 min/mile pace

Sorry about the plastic bag in the corner of the picture!  I put my I Phone in a plastic bag to keep it from getting all sweaty, and was having an extremely hard time taking it out of the bag...whoops! Regardless, LOVE this picture! This is a trail run I take, just down the street from my house, and luckily there was plenty of daylight when I got home from work.

First attempt running a trail in my vibrams...I was practically tip toeing around, terrified I would pound my heel on a giant rock. Luckily, it was painless! The only downfall is, I now have some very dirty vibrams.

Crazy story...a couple years ago, running down this same path, I jumped right over a rattle snake!! Let me just say, I have never ran so fast in my life.

Love this view!

This hill is brutal!! Sometimes, when I'm feeling extra confident, I'll run back down and do it all over again, a couple times.

This view makes it all so worth it!

See that blue thing out there that looks like water...? It's the ocean!! 

After about 6 takes...finally decided on this one...my poor boyfriend! I was sweaty and gross, and was not happy with any of the pictures. But I guess, that's the beauty of it.

You may be wondering, “how is she running while she is taking all these pictures!?” Well, I used to wonder the same thing. Truth is, you can’t. 

Stopping for a quick second to snap a photo, is not bad. 

But don’t worry, I made sure to do it while no one was around so I didn’t look like a complete loser!

Cheers to Being Fit N Gorgeous

Warming Up

Sometimes it takes a person a little longer than others to warm up pre-workout. It takes me approximately 8-10 minutes.

If you're going out for a run, a bike ride, or to the gym, don’t be too hard on yourself in the beginning. Give it some time, and eventually you will be at full throttle. It's always hard to take it easy the first couple of minutes, because you start thinking; "I'm too slow", or "I'm not getting the right calorie burn." Not true. You must start slow, to be fast! Don't speed up the warm up, take your time to let your body adjust.

Whenever I begin a work out with too much force...I tend to die off before the end, and have less energy

throughout. The first 10 minutes are always hard, all I want to do is go home and lay on my couch. I'm usually wheezing, my heart is pounding in my chest, and my muscles feel tense. Warming up is all in the head, just battling to push forward. Then all of a sudden, everything goes away and naturally I pick up the pace. The key is, letting your body decide when it's ready. From then on, I'll start to envision myself getting stronger and building endurance, while pushing beyond my walls.With a good warm up session, I know I can achieve GREAT things!

Warm Up Ideas:

• If you are taking a class at the gym, try to arrive 10 minutes before it starts to get a feel for the bike if it's spin class, or do 10 minutes on the treadmill to get your body accumulated. Warming up before classes will give you the chance to take full advantage of the teacher from beginning to end.

• Try this warm up drill:

1.) 2 minutes of walking lunges

2.) 2 minutes of straight leg kicks

3.) 2 minutes of butt kickers

4.) 1-2 minutes of quick-paced high knees

5.) 2 minutes of stretching- quads, ham stings, calves, butt, and anywhere else you feel tight

• 5 minute warm up pre-race- Do four to six 30 second bursts, working your way to a full sprint

These are great warm up strategies, that work for me, and get my heart pumping. After these drills, I'm ready to begin my work out and push my body to it's limits.

    Cheers to Being Fit N Gorgeous

How To Use A Foam Roller

A Foam Roller is something that you can take with you everywhere! The foam roller is useful for rolling out all those hard to reach kinks and muscles. 

Use for your calves, thighs, quads, butt, and even different areas of your back and shoulders. Take this with you to your next race, and do some rolling exercises pre-race and post-race. All you need is about 15 minutes on a roller, and you're good to go!

Here are a couple exercise ideas;

Roll Calves- For more pressure, place one leg on top of the other, and roll one leg at a time

Roll Hamstrings- Move from side to side to get all muscles in your hamstrings

Roll IT Band- This can be the most painful, but the IT Band gets the less attention, so it is crucial to get those hard to reach muscles

Roll Lats and Triceps- This is a tricky exercise, as it may take a couple rolls to find the right muscles, take your time here

Roll Quads- One of my favorite exercises, as my quads are always sore from running and cycling

Roll Upper Back- Use your hands to supports your head and your feet to control the movement

How many of you own a foam roller, do you have any tips for our readers?

Cheers to Being Fit N Gorgeous