The battle of the cold and the cold won.......

Well it is that time of year...Cold and Flu season....YUCK!
We are generally a very healthy family...we don't get sick much...usually once sometimes twice a year.
October seems to be the month we tend to get something and this year it was a NASTY cold!

It started with Jade 2 weeks ago it progressed from a runny nose into a full blow hacking cough that kept her up for 3 straight nights....along with her parents. So knowing as a  mom as I am getting hacked on and snotted on my chances were not looking good. So I up my vitamins and drank my Oil or Oregano.......but as much as I did not want it I got it....
Again when I get a cold I can usually fight it off pretty quick...so the first day I thought okay I can handle this....took my Oil of Oregano and went on with my day....
BUT that night it was a whole different story...it started in the evening as I was training my last client I got the chills..felt nauseous and my throat was KILLING me...
I headed home and then realized I had a 6 am class the next day.......So the dilemma do I get up suck it up and sweat it out...or stay in bed??
I chose the later I called a sub and was so happy when she said she could do it!
Good choice since that was night one of a all night cough fest between me and Jade!

The next few days I just did not feel any better. I continued to teach my classes but my energy level was really low and just felt like CRAP!
So Friday I did not have to teach but I wanted to fit in my own workout a SPIN class!
I thought I will sweat this out if it kills me!! Well unfortunately or fortunately the night before Zach my youngest got the cold and was up most of the night......so my idea of spin class did not work out!
In hind sight this was probably for the best since I took the day and rested and took care of myself and the kids.
I have never had a cold hold on this long and even as I type I am still coughing!! I have always said it is just a cold and we can just sweat it out. I think the big difference with me was having me and my kids sick and the lack of sleep was a BAD combination...and nothing but rest was going to beat this one!
This COLD beat the crap out of me and made me sit on my ass and recover.....which is what I should have done earlier in the week ;-)

So lets hope this is our first and last cold of the season and we can now move on!!!

To give Thanks....

Well it is Thanksgiving weekend and I have a lot to be thankful for...

1. I am thankful for my family. I have 2 beautiful children who are my life! They have made me the most proud mom and I love them more and more everyday!
2. I am thankful that I married 6 years ago my Best Friend. I feel I have a friend and a husband who is there for me and supports me in everything I do....
3. I am thankful for having a job that I LOVE!! I spent 10+ years working behind a desk never loving what I did.....now I go to "work" everyday where for one I get to workout! and two I help others empower themselves to become fit and healthy!
4. I am thankful that I am able to pursue my passion of Triathlon and have been healthy and able to do it for the past 15 years!
5. I am so thankful for the many friends I have met over the years that have become such a huge part of my life and I love them all very very much!
6. I am thankful for Facebook...yup I know crazy but really I have been able to connect with so many people from my past and present and it has been so wonderful to have everyone part of my "cyber" life...;-)

I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and hope you all as well can sit back and think what you are thankful for as well!

all the best!!!

Fall the best time to RUN!!!

Well I took a bit of a break from running last month but today I laced up my shoes and headed out again!
This is by far my favorite time of year to run. The perfect temperature and the most beautiful scenery!
I am just trying to do one run a week right now just so I can maintain my running until January when the training picks up...
5 km felt really easy which is good...so now I am planning to add some mileage every week since I took a look at my first training week in January and it starts with a 2 hour run! Nothing like starting off easy....Yikes!!

For now I am going to enjoy my runs and take in the fact that they are easy now since I know this feeling will not last....

The need to add some Zen!!

Okay so those who know me or have come to my classes know I am a bit of an "Adrenaline Junkie" I love the feel of an intense workout and pushing myself to my limits...
BUT...with this comes the consequence my lack of stretching and relaxation!

A good example that all my clients can contest to is when there is 10 mins left in class...and where I should be wrapping things up and getting us ready for stretch instead I look at the clock and think "Sweet we can do one more set"......
yes I believe we need to sweat until the bitter end! Of course I do not leave my class without having everyone stretch....is it a nice long relaxing stretch?....no.....but it is a stretch!

With stretching comes the importance of yoga....another thing I know is so important but cant seem to fit into my life.
So for this first quarter of my training schedule I am doing just that..I am going to yoga!
Today was the first day....and well it did not look pretty..it felt good!

Yoga and stretching are Soooooo important for everyone but even more so for the runner/triathlete. This sport is so linear our body gets so stuck in the same range of motion which in turns dramatically tightens our hip flexors, quads, glutes and also our transverse abs...
Without taking the time to stretch and take care of these muscles and continuing to add strain we are risking injury.

So I know the importance of it....and I also train other instructors and trainers on the importance of it...now to just make a more active choice to do it!

Here is to adding more Zen in my life!!!