Go Outside and Play!

"Go outside and play!"

If you grew up in the generation of Mario Brothers you’ve likely heard your concerned parents or an angsty babysitter call those words down to the basement or up to your room where you sat fully mesmerized by the bright lights of the videogame before you.

While I was never drawn to video games the way many from my generation were, there is no denying my awareness and enjoyment of them with friends as a child. And there is no denying that as an adult, technology is woven throughout my life.

I am not alone – it is the new norm and we are constantly turning to technology to connect us for work, for entertainment, to keep in touch with family and friends.  We are always connected.  And I am a notable offender – constantly checking my phone while at dinner with my family, while grabbing coffee with friends, while waiting in line at Target.  That is a confession I’d rather not have to make…but anyone that knows me can tell you it's true.

Tonight, I found my inner 8-year-old and took my mom’s advice.  I pulled away from the computer, left my phone at home, and set out with a friend for a stroll around U Street, wandering towards Logan Circle before turning back towards Dupont.  We walked and chatted and grabbed a cup of tea.  And not once did I miss my phone.  But I wonder – if I had tucked it in my pocket before leaving, what might I have missed in conversation and connection with a friend?  We are so attached to our online communities and connections that I suspect we, or at least I, sometimes miss opportunities to connect in a more genuine way.

This week’s forecast is filled with rain – but next time you have the chance, leave your phone at home and enjoy the DC summer with a walk on the Mount Vernon Trail or along the National Mall or through the Arboretum.  Meet a friend for a stroll in Rock Creek Park or through the National Zoo or just around your neighborhood.  It is possible to stay within the city and enjoy a refuge from constant online connections.  I didn’t separate from technology and the “real world” the way I sometimes do when traveling or during my expedition to Ecuador, but even just 30 minutes was enough to connect with a friend on the streets of DC.

Yoga Happening in the Real World

I walked out of the office last night and looked at sky, dotted by a few fluffy clouds, glanced at my watch, and realized that if I hurried, I might be able to make it to yoga...outside!

One of my favorite yoga sweat-session locations is Down Dog Yoga's heated studio in Georgetown - the first time I went 3 years ago, I could barely walk after.  I've hardly made time for yoga in the previous months, but recently Down Dog Yoga teamed with the Georgetown Business Association to bring yoga to the community at large with free outdoor yoga classes at the Georgetown Waterfront every Wednesday in June.

I grabbed my mat and enjoyed the short traverse through the streets of Dupont and trails of Georgetown from my place to the waterfront...apparently the trip was a little bit less-short than I remembered, as I arrived a few minutes late.  Fortunately, I was able to quietly lay my mat in the grass and join the practice - a luxury not available in the highly popular classes inside Down Dog Yoga's studio, which are frequently filled before sessions begin.

As the late-comer, I had found a place near the back of the group - but after a few minutes, moved forward in order to avoid the hum of the traffic rolling off the Key Bridge onto K Street behind me.

Yes, this was better...

Up dog, down dog...inhale, exhale.

An outdoor yoga class offers distractions that are more easily avoided within the walls of a studio - a family out for an evening stroll along the waterfront, uneven terrain in the grass below my feet, the sound of traffic in the distance - and I found it requires greater effort for focus, or perhaps a greater commitment to that focus, than an indoor class might, to allow the rhythm of breathing and flow of movement to take over.

After moving my mat towards the front of the group, I initially found my focus shifted externally - as I fell from tree pose I wondered if the people behind me knew that it was because the ground was uneven below me, as we went into down dog I wondered if my butt looked huge to everyone else given my brief hiatus from back squats recently, did I know that person walking by and did they recognize me?

I would be hard-pressed to say that I lack self-confidence, but I am human and as such, insecurities creep into my world from time to time...

I reminded myself that the person behind me probably didn't notice and didn't care what my tree pose looked like or about the size of my butt.  And then I remembered something even more significant, who cares if they did?  They might notice, they might care...but that was all beyond my control and far from my motivation in seeking practice.  I came for me - to stretch and work and twist my body, to clear my mind, to focus.  Sometimes it comes easily.  Sometimes it does not.  The benefit is found in the experience, but not my performance.

Inhale.   Exhale.  There was a river in front me, the kind of cool breeze that can be hard to find during DC summers flowing over my back, and warm sunshine above.  All around me, people were enjoying themselves - families laughing together, a young girl walking a dog, a few dozen people engaged in an outdoor yoga practice.  This was yoga happening in the real world.  And with this positivity replacing the insecurity I had briefly allowed to creep into my mind, I found greater focus and the ability to be more present.

Huge thanks to the collaboration between Down Dog Yoga and the Georgetown Business Association for providing a space for me to doubt myself and then remember that I shouldn't...

There's one more Wednesday in June, so if you find yourself needing something to occupy your evening, make your way over to Georgetown.  Rumor has it that this *may* be continued beyond the already scheduled Wednesdays in June - I'm hopeful!

In addition to the obvious (yoga mat and water), I'd also bring a towel (the grass can be a bit damp), sunglasses, and sunscreen!

Wisconsin Weekend . . .

A quick post before heading to bed tonight after an amazing weekend back in America's dairyland.

After settling into a seat on my 6:30 a.m. flight Saturday morning, I promptly fell asleep for an hour or two of extra zzzzz's before landing in Minneapolis and then catching my flight to Madison, WISCONSIN!  After that, my day was a blur of bachelorette party preparation and festivities (most of which are far from appropriate for documentation here) for one of the most fabulous friends I know!  :)

Sunday was spent with my family and a few dear friends wandering around UW's terrace, State Street, Wisconsin's Capitol, and the places my family has come to love in the last 6 years since my brother and I both moved to Madison for our bachelors and masters degrees, respectively - such a great way to enjoy Father's Day with such a great dad and an incredible man!

The door to the office where my brother works inside of the Wisconsin State Capitol, inscribed with "Wisconsin" in the knob.  I've spent an awful lot of time thinking of him as forever my little brother, but
Sunday afternoon left me more than just a little bit impressed!

After a weekend overflowing with so much fun, probably not enough sleep, and way too many Wisconsin cheesecurds (and probably a few too many old-fashioneds), I am feeling reconnected to the people I love, but see far too infrequently...and I'm looking forward to a few fun workouts and some much needed (and overdue) healthy eating this week!

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

 - Marcel Proust, French novelist

#wisconsinlove

Shake Your Groove Thang . . .

My senior year of high school I rocked out to “Shake Your Groove Thing” with my high school pom and dance team.  Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” set to a double-time tempo and “You Spin Me Right Round,” straight out of the 1980’s had been the retro music selections of years past.

Yeah…I like to dance.  And for a girl that has some, but not a ton, of studio dance experience, I’m ok…unless you’re asking me to do anything that even vaguely resembles hip-hop.  Then, I’m a lost cause, enthusiastically attempting to pop and lock and convinced that I’m making it look good.  I am not.  And there’s video evidence to prove it.

I have long been intending to reintroduce a bit of rhythm and dance into my routine, but for any number of reasons (and a few poor excuses), I haven’t.  And then, last week, a colleague mentioned that she happened across a free outdoor zumba class in downtown Silver Spring during her evening errands.  Apparently Washington Sports Club (WSC) is putting on a free weekly zumba class in the Silver Spring Plaza every Tuesday from 7:00 - 8:00.  Hmmm…zumba?  Yeah, this might make for a fun Tuesday night.

Interestingly, only hours after hearing about Silver Spring’s free-outdoor zumba class and mentioning it to a friend and avid crossfitter, a zumba-related Facebook conversation evolved among a group of crossfit athletes I know….some of them enthused, others less convinced, almost all of them willing to give it a shot at some point in the future.

Yes, the universe was trying to tell me something…my following Tuesday night was clearly claimed for a booty shaking zumba dance party (or my best attempt at it) in the Silver Spring Plaza, so I recruited a coworker and we set the date.

Unless you have Shakira-like dance skills hidden in your repertoire, you’re going to look like a bit of a fool until you gain a good sense of the zumba movement patterns…so, my advice here is to 1) check your dignity at the door – or, since it’s an outdoor event, leave it in your car, and 2) let go of your inhibitions a bit – if you’re stiff, rigid, and self-conscious, you’ll only make it harder for yourself and you’re not going to have any fun.  Fortunately – I have no shame and rarely let my inhibitions hold me back from a dance party of any variety.

For those dying to try zumba but cursed with 2 left feet, there is good news.  As far as I could tell absolutely everyone was having fun.  The zumbability of participants ranged from those who were highly proficient and talented with attire that suggested they’ve done this before to, well, people that really might have two left feet.  The demographics varied further…soccer-moms, often accompanied by their daughters (some of whom couldn’t have been older than 5 and picked up the step-sequence on the first attempt…seriously, who are these highly talented little people!?); single girls out for fun with their friends; one lone male participant; a few women that I could have mistaken for my grandma.  Apparently zumba enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes and all of them seemed to be genuinely kind people out for some fun and absolutely unconcerned that once again, I was messing up (and occasionally bumping into them).

If you’re interested in a bit of booty shaking and shimmying, bring a fun friend – you’ll be so busy laughing, you won’t be concerned by your lack of zumbability, even if you’re next to the super awesome girl that the instructor just called up onto the stage (true story…that did happen).

I’m not sure if zumba will be my long-term answer to incorporating a bit of rhythm back into my exercise routine, but it certainly makes for a fun (and inexpensive) evening out with friends.  I expect I’ll be back…my colleague and I may even combine efforts to recruit a few more friends from the office and top our evening off with drinks nearby.

Rumor has it that WSC is hosting "Zumba on the Plaza" every Tuesday night from 7:00 - 8:00, weather permitting, all summer long....so shake your groove thang.  Or just move a little bit and laugh a lot.

Monsoon Season

It is apparently monsoon season in DC - who knew!?

I survived last night's storms - but will admit during my evening commute, I worried poor little Button (my little, itty-bitty, absolutely adorable Toyota Yaris for the less familiar readers) wasn't going to make it through the puddles that were swelling to pond-like proportions along Mass Ave...I absolutely lacked the energy (and finances) for an accidental adventure of the "flooded car" variety.

April showers bring May flowers - last night's rain proved it true with a 12 hour turnaround on the flower side of the expression, and in June no less.  :)  I awoke to my marigolds in full bloom this morning outside my bathroom window.

I've been promised by my parents that marigolds are good starter-plants for those with a less-than-green-thumb.

The yellow and gold greeting me in the window this morning suggests I'm off to a good start.



#bathroomwindowgarden #cityliving #dupontcircle #summerindc

I'm off to enjoy the sunshine and today's respite from the rain with a few friends from work during an outdoor Zumba class in Silver Spring!  Stories (and undoubtedly a good degree of laughter) to follow, I promise!

I Love Food

I love food.  A lot.

I’m that crazy girl at the restaurant (and in my apartment and at work and in my car) that likes to take pictures of her food.  Go ahead, judge me.

This blog post actually centers around a few big lessons I’ve learned for myself related to nutrition in the last 2.5 years, rather than anything overly physiological – like what’s good for your body and why – because while I think that’s really, super duper, awesomely important, there are others far more qualified than I am to give you that information.  Like these people.

As for my life lessons…

1. Food Affects Your Body…
   Ok, I know that seems super obvious, but for a really long time, I perceived food as being something that made you either fat or skinny.  Food X had a specific fat/caloric content, and if it was less than that of Food Y, it was better for you.  I perceived nutrition and food in a really linear format without taking into consideration the much bigger context of the physiological processes involved.

2. Weight is often the wrong variable to measure success…

Weight is just a number – and not one that I really care all that much about, but let’s be real, most people embarking on nutritional change are motivated at least in part by the hope of weight loss.  I certainly was 2.5 years ago when I began introducing shifts in my nutrition and dabbling in the world of paleo.  I lost weight.  And I dropped a pants size or two.  And then I gained weight.  And I dropped another pants size…even though I gained weight (people aren't lying when they say muscle weighs more than fat).  Weight is such a misleading indicator of fitness.  Plus…it’s not the only indicator of health.  People encounter a range of positive outcomes from good nutrition – what a shame to overlook them simply because the number on the scale didn’t reflect what you had hoped it might.  If you see big changes in your mood/pants size/energy, enjoy them!

3. Eating healthy does not have to be a ton of work…

I’m sort of lazy in the kitchen, I’m not going to lie.  I don’t really mind cooking, in fact I enjoy it, but I tend to only enjoy it in so far as it’s fast and fun and yields something yummy.

I’m not getting up a early to make a gourmet breakfast – dude, who has time for that!?  Currently, my favorite breakfast  = 1 hard-boiled egg, a tonnnnnn of grape tomatoes, a few leaves of purple basil, ½ avocado.  The entire meal requires less than 2 minutes of active prep…yes, I’ve timed myself.

World's easiest breakfast.  Ever...

4. Eating healthy doesn’t have to feel like constant deprivation…

…and if it does, you’re probably setting yourself up for failure.  Salmon and sautéed veggies?  Steak off the grill?  Baby arugula with shrimp, tomatoes, chopped peppers and onions, a few scoops of guac and a fresh lime?  Yes please!

And all of it requires seriously less than 20 minutes of active prep work (well, except the steak maybe, but grilling is a fun activity in and of itself, so no complaining allowed about that).

5. Change is hard…

In some ways this is probably the most important point, but there’s also relatively little to say that’s profound in any way.  It’s not going to be easy all the time…believe in the changes you're making and the why behind them and find a community that you can identify with.  Making change is hard – doing it in isolation strikes me as near impossible.

6. Don’t be too prescriptive…

“Is this paleo?”  “Is that paleo?”  “Oooooh, I can’t have that, it’s not paleo.”  Paleo provides a great set of guidelines for me, and I try put them into action an awful lot of the time…but, as I learned early on, while an apple and almond butter are both technically paleo, putting them together with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a drizzle of honey (yummmmmm!) as a late night snack sort of misses the intention of introducing changes to your eating habits.  It’s not to say that you shouldn’t ever do that – just bear in mind what you’re ultimately striving for and what will help you meet that end.

I’ll also admit here, sometimes I drink milk.  It’s not paleo but I have experimented in giving up milk for extended periods of time as well as including it in my diet – the difference is subtle, if present at all, and so while not paleo, yeah, every once in a while, I have a glass of milk.  And I like it.

7. It is ok to cheat…

A Whole9 blog post once so perfectly captured a sense I had long been attempting to articulate regarding emotional value of food... “Some foods hold a significance that far exceeds the sum of its vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. That kind of food should be honored, savored and shared in the company of those you love."  When you “cheat” make it a choice and make it a choice that’s worth it.

8. Be adventurous...I mean it when I say my life is full of accidental adventures.  Dinner is no exception and often finds me staring into my refrigerator trying to figure out how I’m going to throw together whatever remains to make a decent meal – left over salmon rolled into thinly sliced zucchini = impromptu paleo sushi.  Be open to new foods and your changing taste buds, two years ago I turned an old boyfriend onto Brussels sprouts after he assured me repeatedly that he didn’t like them (and don't worry - I didn't let him forget that I was right!).  I didn’t used to like bacon…shocking, I know, as I now often have to cut myself off from its savory goodness.

9. It’s ok to like food and be hungry and eat more than a boy (I often do)…

That’s not a concept with which I was previously comfortable…I wanted to be dainty and a light eater once upon a time.  My perception of food and why I eat it and my knowledge of how it influences my body absolutely destroyed any residual anxiety I once had about the appropriate amount to eat.  While my parents were in town recently, I think we actually reached a point at which they were making fun of me (in a totally awesome and great and loving way) because of the frequency with which I could be overheard saying, “Wow…I’m really hungry already again.”

This list really only captures a small portion of what I’ve really learned, much of which is intangible and hard to describe…but it’s real and it’s been liberating to be able to enjoy food the way my body was intended to and to feel really good about it.

If you have any interest in learning more about paleo or the Whole9 get yourself tickets to attend their workshop – they’ll be in DC in a few weeks.  Maybe you’ll walk away and be floored by the information, ready to change your nutrition.  Maybe not.  If nothing else, you’ll be better informed.  Aaaaand…as far as I can tell, Dallas Hartwig is pretty easy on the eyes, so you’ll be spending your day listening to someone handsome talk about something awesome (but I would avoid using that as a justification to convince your boyfriend, juuuust saying).

Burpees for Danny

Monday night found me face down on the floor of CrossFit South Arlington (CFSA) midway through 9 minutes of non-stop burpees. Ooooooh, burpees…in the world of a crossfitter, it doesn’t get much worse than burpees.

In the world of a pretty cool 9-year-old boy it does. Try brain cancer. Suddenly complaining about burpees seems fairly insignificant when stacked up against a few rounds of chemo, brain scans, and hours of therapy.

A short time ago an all-around good guy and athlete at CFSA, Mike Kelly, asked if an evening class would be willing to wear wrist bands during the WoD (workout of the day) to support his 9-year-old cousin, Danny, who has brain cancer and then pose for a group picture to send as encouragement. No doubt, the picture was a success.

My wrist band from the CFSA Burpees for Danny Event

The enthusiasm around Mike’s cousin and his story grew, reaching a new level of crossfit-enthusiasm when CFSA’s owner, Siddharth Sawkar, offered a donation from CFSA of $0.09 for every burpee completed during a 9 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) for Mike's 9-year-old cousin during all six Monday classes. Like I said, crossfitters realllllly don’t like burpees – but people came out in droves for the event. And it wasn’t just the athletes from CFSA that showed up. Crossfitters from area gyms and non-crossfitters alike came to show their support.  Several athletes participated in multiple classes, many matched CFSA’s donations for their own burpees.

In total, 11,293 burpees were accounted for at the end of the evening Monday – with counts still rolling in from athletes on vacation in the Bahamas and participating from around the country. Donations are still accruing to help Danny’s family cover the expenses of therapy and intervention, much of which is not covered by insurance.

I don’t know that I can appropriately capture what it really is that appeals to me about crossfit in one simple blog post, so expect to see more attempts at this in the future. What I do know is that Monday night gave me a glimpse of it in action. A group of people connected almost exclusively through a series of area crossfit gyms came together to support a cause that mattered to a member in the community – and that was enough to make it matter to everyone else.  The same level of support was apparent last Saturday at Crossfit DC during a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society...it was an event of personal importance to one person, and a community came together around her because of it.

No doubt, it doesn't take a crossfit gym to hold a fundraiser for a great cause and for a great kid.  But there's something special in the team that forms from a community of athletes pushing beyond physical exhaustion with the hopes of making things even just a little bit better for someone facing a lot more than 9 minutes of burpees.

Back At It…

It’s been a long time since my last post. A really, really long time.

Sometime late this winter, I found myself feeling unmotivated, even uninspired, to write…and so I didn’t. I would hate for an outlet that has provided an opportunity for processing, self-reflection, honesty, and support from so many to become forced and false. There is a natural waxing and waning of energy and mood, it seems the same holds true in my writing…and while late winter and spring provided many moments of adventure in my everyday life, and also adventures and trips less common, I encountered moments that lacked focus or direction. In the purely physical sense, there were moments in which I found my jeans were getting tighter, my arms less defined, my progress plateaued – and I wasn’t all that sure I cared sometimes. I suspect my internal well-being followed much of the same up and down contour. I also suspect much of this is normal for any given person at any given point in life.

In a more ideal world, the waning of energy and intensity would be something I could better coordinate with respite and recuperation, and while I found instances of this, sometimes it was more by chance than intent…apparently, this is a skill in my repertoire that continues to be under development, but I suppose that’s exactly what my adventures are about: creating the person I want to be and the life I want to live.

And so, as I continue to create, I focus on the positive and fun challenges and changes ahead and simultaneously find myself seeking routines of comfort, long-standing habits that I fell away from, either by choice or out of convenience, but which have served me well before in being the person I want to be and in creating the life I want for myself.

I'm looking forward to the adventures Summer 2013 holds and I'm looking forward to sharing it with the people that have been there through the adventures of the last year once again!