Me And My Workout

runlikeella:

Sometimes, life hands you a lemon and you go for a run. Sometimes, life hands you so many lemons, that you put it in vodka soda, eat a lemon curd cake, and run tomorrow. Life handed me a lemon to the tune of fifteen hundred dollars, and while I try to be responsible about my money, I’ll also try to be responsible about eating feelings. And I have to say, key lime frozen Greek yogurt isn’t a bad road to go down at all. I could get used to the new face of ice cream.

On a related note, is it weird that I hate hate hate grapes unless they’re frozen, in which case, I eat them up like they’re crack pellets? Yes? Okay, thought so. Just wanted to check and make sure.

(via andellasaid)

runlikeella:

I know, I know, I know. You’re supposed to say you like to run for the endorphin rush. For the stress release. For the runner’s high. For getting your heart pounding and your skin sweating and your muscles pushing and your blood flowing and your body working. It’s supposed to be about transcending the bullshit and just running.

But then I put on a pair of shorts, my first for the season because hello, 80-something degree weather, and if running a half marathon means my legs will be ready for short shorts, well, damn, sign me up for one every spring.

Sometimes, it’s okay to be vain and image driven. Whatever gets you out there and running, you know?

(Source: andellasaid)

It’s springtime in the city, you guys, which is honestly the only argument I’ll ever use in the war of running on treadmill v. running outside. Granted, I took these pictures while I was at work — yeah, my job’s pretty sweet — and not while I was running, but still. The defense rests.

(Source: andellasaid)

10 Apr 40 notes

THOUGHTS ON WAKING UP EARLY TO WORK OUT:

runlikeella:
1. IT’S A WEIRD SUBCULTURE. Like really weird. You see everyone walking in wearing structured — read: work appropriate — coats over spandex bottoms or shorts, and some are carrying dry cleaned clothes outside of their gym bag. Nobody really talks. not at the door, not in the weight room, not at all. It’s pretty obvious that each person has the simple objective to get in, get done, and get out in time to beat the line at the coffee shop before 9 a.m. Work deadline, indeed.
2. IT’S A NATURAL PHENOMENON TO MISS YOUR BED. You can read it on everyone’s faces that the bed is exactly where they want to be, and yet they’re at the gym. Once I’m awake, I can’t even let myself sit down on my bed to put my socks on. I know I’ll crawl back in for that extra hour of sleep if I do. At heart, I’m still an extraordinarily lazy human being. You’re allowed to miss your bed all you want, because you still went to the gym so everyone who takes offense to your miserable attitude can shove it.
3. YOU HAVE TO BE DISCIPLINED. I’m not talking about having the discipline to obey the stupid alarm clock; I mean the discipline to prepare everything the night before. I have to pack breakfast, lunch, and snacks; I throw a change of clothes into a gym bag; and I put my workout clothes on top of my dresser. They’re easy tasks, but every night, I find myself why I can’t put it off until tomorrow. Here’s why: I won’t make it to the gym in time if I do.
4. HAVE A BEDTIME. Seriously, we’re kicking it old school. Last Tuesday, I worked until 10, and while I finally got to sleep at 10:45, I was so exhausted that I passed out immediately. On Wednesday night, I was in bed by 9:30. Old o’clock? Maybe, but waking up at 5:45 the next morning was cake. But on Thursday night, I stayed up reading a book for two hours, finished it, and proceeded to wake up all night long because I was having freaky dreams about wasps and singing birds wearing orange backpacks — don’t judge me. Needless to say, however, waking up on Friday put me in a bad mood, and I briefly reconsidered going to the gym. It’d be silly to not go because I was cranky, especially since, you know, exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy (and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands) and sure enough, an hour later, I was as happy as I’ll ever be without coffee. That is to say: not rude and sullen and flat out offensive at every single turn.
5. SPEAKING OF COFFEE, I’ve actually been trying to cut back on the java. Instead of two cups in the morning and one in the afternoon, I’ve been able to keep it to a single grande cup after my workout. Honestly, I think working out first thing has helped a lot, but if you turn on the TV any time soon to find a breaking news report of a very angry young woman terrorizing Manhattan because she hasn’t had enough caffeine, well, I spoke too soon.
6. ONCE THE SWITCH FLIPS AND IT BECOMES ROUTINE TO GET UP AND GO, you’re going to hate yourself a little bit at first. The way Tebow must have been sickened by himself accepting the invite to go play football in the heathen capitol of the netherworld. Because this will always be the most appropriate reaction to morning workouts ever, final word.
(Source: andellasaid)

08 Apr 16 notes

DRESSING ROOM CONFESSIONS, AND OTHER LIFE STORIES.

runlikeella:
I think it’s safe to say that I’ve found a trend with my cooking and eating style, so if you want to eat like I do, here’s all you have to do in four easy steps:
1. Chop vegetables.
2. Put into bowl.
3. Add protein.
4. Top with avocado.
You’d also think I’d have gotten sick of bootleg Caprese — read: cottage cheese, chopped tomato, chopped basil, bell pepper to make it interesting — or my favorite way to make salad — read: the easiest way I know how, especially since I’m not big on dressing — or carrots and peanut butter, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with that combination at all, and yet… I’m not. I also found the most twee little square of chocolate at the grocery store, and while that was the last of its flavor in the box, and everything else was caramel milk chocolate, gross, it worked as a nice little pre-portioned after dinner mint of sorts. You know, when by “mint,” I mean “the greatest food alive.” My dad says I love chocolate because of my Aztec roots. Dude, seriously, heritage or not, chocolate is just freaking amazing.

I also met with Jamie yesterday, and while there have been a few moments in the time I’ve been training with him that I’ve seriously questioned why I have a freaking former Army drill sergeant as a trainer, I always remember it’s because it’s worth it. If you can only afford to train with somebody once a week, you’d better push yourself to the limit every single time, and Jamie makes sure that I do. After tons of moves from a workout style he calls Animal Flow — most of which really just proved to be evil plank variations in disguise, with Spiderman pushups thrown in for fun!! — he had me do another round on the kettlebells, which were painful from the get-go, if only just because it made the blisters I got on Friday’s session with Justin actually rupture.

GO FOR FOUR ROUNDS, PERFORMING EACH EXERCISE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OTHER WITH NO REST IN BETWEEN SETS. ONE MINUTE REST IN BETWEEN ROUNDS. (I USED A 12KG BELL, BUT VARY YOURS TO YOUR SKILL LEVEL.)
- ONE HANDED KETTLEBELL SWINGS, 15 ON EACH ARM.
- SQUATS, KETTLEBELL LOADED IN RACK POSITION — AT YOUR SHOULDER/CHIN — 5 ON EACH SIDE.
- REVERSE LUNGES, KETTLEBELL STILL LOADED IN RACK POSITION, 5 ON EACH SIDE.
- STANDING SHOULDER PRESSES, 5 ON EACH SIDE.
- 10 LEG RAISES, LYING ON GROUND (don’t use the kettlebell for the floor work, obviously.)
- 10 OPEN-SHUTS, LYING ON GROUND.
- 10 SCISSOR KICKS, LYING ON GROUND.
- ON FOURTH ROUND ONLY: BARGAIN WITH GOD FOR YOUR LIFE. POSSIBLY DIE. IS THIS A PREVIEW OF HELL??? TRY TO ATONE FOR ALL YOUR SINS; REALIZE THAT NO AMOUNT OF CONFESSION WILL SAVE YOU FROM THIS MASOCHISM BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT IS AS YOU INDEED PAID FOR THIS.
He also had me use the erg for a few rounds, and I rowed against myself, seeing how many meters I could manage in a minute’s time. I hate the rowing machine, I don’t think it’s fun — and I know this is because I actually have to work at it and I’m not used to it and blah blah, looking for the easy way out, whatever. But I did manage to peak at 240 meters in 60 seconds, which Jamie said was really good. (Whether he’s puffing up my ego or being honest is yet to be determined, but he isn’t the kind of person to lie about stuff like that. Like I said, former. Army. drill. sergeant.)

He also calls me Mighty Mouse. I’ll take it as a compliment.

But onto the biggest revelation of yesterday:

I went shopping, because hey, it’s something I’m really good at, and in the dressing room of Lululemon — where else would I be?! — I was honestly bemoaning the way a pair of low-rise shorts fit when I realized this wasn’t my fault that they weren’t a good fit. They weren’t a good fit for my body, that doesn’t mean my body’s wrong. It means the shorts were wrong for me. So I just didn’t buy them. There’s no need to try to mold your body to fit any article of clothing, ever.

And in the middle of all that revelation, I saw something. My leg muscle. Guys, that’s not artful Instagram shading in that picture, that’s muscle tone. That’s training for and running a half marathon. That’s waking up at 5:45 every morning to hit the gym before work. That’s dedication, and I am fucking proud of that. I’ll take that over legs that can fit into a pair of size 2 jeans ANY day.

(And then I also realized that the lighting at the newly remodeled Gap store I went to is really freaking flattering. And, naturally, I had to document the moment, because complimentary lighting in a dressing room? Or maybe I was just having a really good hair day. Either way, I’ll take it.)
(Source: andellasaid)

07 Apr 4 notes

runlikeella:
The following is what happens when you’re friends with trainers who like to text you if you’re free to hang out — and hang out at the gym. Repeat circuit 5 times, without resting in between reps, 1 minute rest in between sets.

NOTE: use the weight applicable to your skill level. By the fourth round, it’s going to be really difficult so keep that in mind when you start out. This was the weight I used. Also, if you’ve never used kettlebells before, I would STRONGLY suggest having a session with a certified professional because, as with any exercise, it’s easy to hurt yourself if you don’t have proper form, but I’ve seen people throw out their backs from using kettlebells incorrectly.
- Two handed kettlebell swings, 12kg x 12 reps.
- Single arm kettlebell presses, 10kg x 12 reps x each arm.
- Two handed lateral kettlebell swings, 12kg x 12 reps x each leg.
  
  BONUS ROUND:
- Two handed kettlebell swing, 16kg x 20 reps; 16kg x 25 reps.
And then I collapsed into the floor and debated crying because not only was it deceptively grueling in a short amount of time and proof that you really don’t need a lot of time to get in a good work out — so what’s your excuse now? — but you guys, seriously, I just got a manicure three hours ago but now I’ve got blisters to go with. #gymbratproblems
(via andellasaid)

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THOUGHTS ON WAKING UP EARLY TO WORK OUT:

DRESSING ROOM CONFESSIONS, AND OTHER LIFE STORIES.