Falling Back

Falling Back by caitland5 featuring modern home decor

Life at Vega

I wish everyone's place of work could be as health conscious and active as mine. 

Between the lunch time workouts, smoothies, salads and incredible people I couldn't feel more proud and blessed to show up here every day! 

Have a great weekend! 

Tuesday Morning Spin!

This morning I was serioussssssssly dragging myself out of bed.

 5am came way too early and the thought of getting on a spin bike was not at the top of my list. But the power of teaching is that I am held accountable.. there is no choice to not show up, so after downing a shot of Vega's PreWorkout Energizer I made my way to the gym. 

By the time I arrived I was on a new wavelength and felt ready to kill the class... with this new found sense of revitalization, I realized that this secret could not be kept under wraps and that I had to introduce my spinners to the PreWorkout buzz! Let’s just say that by the time our last sprint came around, these sisters were giving it everything they had!

The PreWorkout Energizer is amazing and features two complementary carbohydrates that burn both fast and slow. This means you have a steady stream of energy without the spike or the crash- so way different than how you might feel after drinking a cup of coffee for example.

The combination of green tea, yerba mate, coconut oil and rhodiola also provide increased endurance, mental focus and improve your ability to recover.

I recommend taking a shot of this magic elixir about 20 minutes before a workout. WOOT WOOT! Enjoy! 

Here is a piece of the spin routine we did this morning... complete the warm up followed by the #2 routine 3 times for a 15 minute blast on the bike! 

1)  Warm up 3 minutes 

2) 45 seconds Jog (Standing up on the bike) 

    45 seconds Hover (Bum back over your seat, chest down towards your bars, belly pulled in) 

    30 seconds Run 

    30 seconds Hover Sprint 

    30 seconds seated recovery 

Work it Out.

Fitness Style

Fitness Style by caitland5 featuring NIKE

Freedom is....

A letter to you.

Hi Friends,

I like to think that this blog is a pretty positive space... for me it is just a way of collecting and documenting what I love about health, fitness and taking care of myself. And I want to start by saying that working out, and moving my body is a part of who I am... I am always the best version of myself after a run, or a class, or yoga, or a bike ride etc etc etc... but I am also human and sometimes that voice yapping in my head is a real nightmare... she tells me all sorts of awful things about myself and repeats them so many times in a day that it's hard to not believe her. Which is why when I read the below post on the Radical Self Love Project I was totally spurred to write this.

Because I know I am not the only one who looks in the mirror some days and judges the shit out of myself and thinks that eating a cookie makes me a bad person. We all know this is ridiculous... but wow, it's just hard to muzzle that voice, that judgement.
Do I want to be remembered as the girl with the best abs, or the outgoing, fun, carefree spirit that I know I am? Yeah, definitely option B... eat the cookie if you want it already!

I think that for most of my 20's I have just thought that it's normal to have these really negative and self-loathing thoughts... but you know, self reflection is amazing. And when you start to analyze how you think, and what you do, and why you do it... well, the only result is transformation.

One year ago I would never have written this post, but honestly I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Otherwise the "inspiration" boards on Pinterest wouldn't be nearly as popular and overflowing with self-affirming mantras.
We are human. We all feel sad, bad, guilty, ugly, unfit... we are not alone and we need encouragement.
So step back and silence that voice...
xo
Kate

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF DURING A BAD BODY IMAGE DAY:
1. Recognize that fat isn’t a feeling.
There are always underlying emotions that we attach to feeling fat. When the “I feel fat” thoughts start up, try to identify what you’re feeling underneath the body dissatisfaction. Are you feeling lonely? Anxious? Invisible? Scared? Ashamed? Inadequate? Whatever the feelings are recognize that they are separate from your body. 
2. Treat yourself as you would a friend.
Because it’s difficult to be kind to ourselves in the moment when the body hating thoughts take over, try responding to your thoughts as if you were supporting a friend. What would you say to someone you loved who was battling your same struggle with body image?
You wouldn’t tell them to not eat for the day in order to compensate for what they ate the previous night. You wouldn’t tell them to punish themselves for their body size through over-exercise, self-harm, or abusive eating habits. You wouldn’t tell them they were worthless or unloveable because of their weight. So why do you tell yourself these things? Break the cycle and start treating yourself like a friend—you deserve that kindness and love from everyone, especially yourself.
3. Recognize that you are so much more than the size of your body. 
You are your strengths and talents and insight. You are the things you’re passionate about and the people you love. You are your favorite songs and books and films. You are your hopes and dreams. You are your laughter and your smile. You are unique and wonderful, and you have so much more to offer than the way you look.
Your appearance may feel important, but it’s such a small part of who you are — and not even an important one. It doesn’t define you or discount your worth, because your value as a human being isn’t contingent upon how much you weigh. Your worth is inherent. You exist and therefore, you matter. No number on the scale can ever take that away. 
4. Shift your focus from the external to the internal.
Make a list of all the people you look up to and are inspired by—not because of their weight or appearance, but because of who they are, how they treat others, and how they spend their time. Write out all the qualities they have that make you appreciate and value them.
Use the list as a reminder that it’s the internal things—our dreams and our passions, our character and our attitude, our morals and our values—that truly define who we are and draw people to us; not how we look or how much we weigh. You are not an exception.
Try making your own list of things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with appearance or body size. If you have a difficult time creating one, ask some friends and family you trust to help you. 
5. Think about what you want to be remembered for after you die.
I don’t want people to remember me for what I looked like, what size clothing I wore, or what I weighed. I want to be remembered for the person I was and what I contributed to the world. I want to be remembered as someone who positively affected peoples’ lives. I want to be remembered as loving friend, partner, and family member. I want to be remembered for my passion and my creativity and my strength. I want to be remembered as someone who helped people and made a difference. What do you want your legacy to be? Chances are, it doesn’t have to do with weight.
6. Instead of focusing on the size of your body, start focusing on what your body allows you to do. 
The human body is such an incredible force. When we get caught up in the number on the scale and the size of our clothes however, we forget just how lucky we are to have a  vehicle to engage in life with. So stop fixating on your appearance, and start acknowledging and appreciating your body for all that it allows you to do.
Make a list of all the things your body helps you to accomplish. If you would like to get more specific, make a list of all the body parts you struggle to accept and beneath each, list all of the ways those individual parts allow you to participate in life. Because regardless of their size, our bodies do so much for us. They deserve our gratitude, not our judgement. 
7. Challenge your negative thoughts.
You may not be able to change the way you feel about your body today, tomorrow, or a month from now, but you can begin the process by challenging the negative thoughts you have in the moment. Write out a dialogue between your negative voice and a self-loving and accepting one. If you have a hard time coming up with positive counters for the negative thoughts, pretend that you’re talking back to the self-deprecating voice of a friend or loved one.
Even if you don’t believe the things you say to counter the negative thoughts, it’s still so important to challenge them, because each time you do, you’re taking away some of their power and reclaiming your own. And the more you challenge those thoughts, the less you will believe them. The more you argue back, the easier fighting the voice will become. So even if it feels silly and useless in the moment, keep arguing back. Don’t allow your negative body thoughts to go unchallenged.
8. Allow yourself to feel your feelings.
There is a lot of built up energy and emotion underlying the way we feel about our bodies. Holding in how we feel or engaging in behaviors to numb out may make us feel better in the moment, but in the long run, it doesn’t remedy the pain we feel or bring us any closer to peace and self-acceptance. All it does is perpetuate how awful we feel and keep us stuck.
In order to release that pain, we have to allow ourselves to feel our feelings. Whether that means throwing a tantrum on the floor, journaling about how you feel, venting to a friend on the phone, punching a pillow, screaming in your car, or crying in bed, you need to allow yourself to feel. Let go of the judgement you have about what you “should" or “shouldn’t" be feeling, and give yourself permission to feel whatever it is that you feel. These emotions underlying your body image are important and in order to heal, you have to feel them.
9. Do self care.
When you’re struggling with body image, distract yourself with healthy coping mechanisms. Take a bubble bath, get a massage, ask for a back scratch, cuddle with a pet, make plans with a supportive friend, color in a coloring book, watch your favorite movie, get a manicure, listen to calming music, do deep breathing—whatever it is, make sure it’s something self-soothing that helps you get out of your head.
10. Be kind with yourself.
You may not be able to control the way you feel about your body, but you can control what you do in response to how you feel.
Instead of beating yourself up, you can choose to treat yourself with compassion. Instead of engaging in unhealthy and abusive behaviors, you can choose to do self-care. Instead of treating your body as an enemy, you can choose to treat it as a friend. Instead of isolating yourself, you can choose to reach out for support and surround yourself with positive people who make you feel loved and accepted. Instead of agreeing with the negative thoughts, you can choose to challenge them.
***You have more power than you think—don’t let the way you feel about your body keep you from living.

Fondo by Number

160 Number of kilometers from Penticton to Summerland, Osoyoos and back in the 3^rd Annual Valley First Gran Fondo

  1326 Number of riders taking part in the “big ride” this year

904 My rank among those 1326

60 The KM mark where I burned my legs to the ground by riding hard on Jon Bula’s wheel...

50 The speed in KM/hour we were going when I probably should have been ‘pacing’ myself

9 Number of ladies from GWA who crushed this ride… a first for many! (Christa, Shayne, Jody, Laura, Pam, Kate R, Jess, Kim, Me)

6  Number of water bottles and/or Gatorade I consumed over the course of my day. Which led to…

5 The number of port-o-potties I was forced to enter.

2500 Calories In

4000+ Calories Out 

1 Number of times Jon Bula literally pushed me up the hill. I’m talking physically pushed me…. Also the number of times I veered off the road and almost crashed #scary

  

200+ Number of “hashtags” I muttered to myself during the day

6 Hours it took me to finish

Countless 

"Thank yous" to my riding girls in Vancouver, Pam Bula for sticking out the day with me, and Jon, the best Domestique ever.

#granfondo2013

#whataride

Canada Day Climb

The Canada Day long weekend included lots of wine, food, sun and outdoor activity!

Troy and I climbed Seymour on Monday which was about an hour and 15 minutes of pure.... climbing. 

Seymour is no joke, but I actually don't mind hills. My go-to strategy is to stay in the lowest gear with a high cadence as I find that this saves my legs from being overworked.  I stand only when I really need a break from sitting and want to slow down my legs for 20 seconds or so.

I also stand in the last 200 meters of the hill in order to beat Troy to the top #naturally 

Anyway, we followed the climb up with some paddle boarding and a swim in Deep Cove which was beautiful and relaxing and felt incredible after the heat of our ride.  

Troy just killing it in that outfit #fit 

It's hard to look athletic on a bike while climbing... 

11km down. 1 to go. 

Journeys in Yoga

I've said it before. Yoga is one piece of my emotional puzzle that keeps all this in check.
Last week I did not practice and going to bed on Tuesday night I could literally feel it in my body... almost like a firing of energy through every limb that was just looking for a pathway to escape. 

Dramatic.
I know.

I finally made it to class last night and could feel the difference almost immediately.
Feeling calm, released and inspired today.

After Work... Workout!

Last night I had an at home workout combined with 12 sets of the Cambie Bridge stairs in the rain.
It was a good combination of lonley plyometric work and the freedom of running outside...

I started with 4 Rounds of the below and then headed out for about 10 minutes of running to the Cambie Bridge, 12 sets of stairs and a run home... it was great and fun to mix it up!

Enjoy!


45 Seconds of each x 4 Rounds!
1- High Knees

2- Squat Jumps (Squatting as low to the floor as possible and you don't have to put your hands behind your head as pictured)

3- Split Jumps 

4- Tricep Pushups (keeping the elbows in close to the body as your lower and push up) 

5- Burpees 

Motivation Monday

What are you doing this week to be the healthiest you possible?

plan your workouts. eat more greens. remove something toxic from your life. go to yoga.

Anybody out there??

Blogging is weird... I mean I have no idea if anyone besides my immediate family and couple of close friends even read this thing... so you know, I would apologize for my complete absence on here, but does anyone even hear it?
If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound?
#thingsjustgotprofound.

In any case: a workout from May 15th.... I actually had this post written and forgot to publish it. Rookie mistake.

So I am deciding to just pick up where we left off.

Enjoy.
xo

Another sweaty class this morning.
Here is what we did.

4 Rounds (Alternate 40 seconds and 50 seconds)
Complex 1
1- Cross overs on Bosu or over a weight
2- Power Jack- Pausing for a moment in the squat
3- 10 High Knees: 10 Tuck Jumps: 1 Push-up
4- Burpee with Knee Drive- Make sure you touch your knee to your elbow

Complex 2
1- 2 Split Jumps: 1 Tricep Push up
2- 3 Ski jumps- when you land on the 3rd jump stay balance on one leg and complete 3 floor touch & jumps on that balancing leg
3- Burpee- Lower all the way to the floor and extend arms out (shoulder height) to touch the floor
4- 10 Squat Jumps: 10 Mini-Squat and forward kick

Complex 3
1- Dive Bomber Push ups
2- Split Squat and kick
3- High Knees
4- Power jack with weight- Alternate pressing forward and overhead each time your feet are apart

Happiness

22 Habits of Happy People  

(link) 

1. Let Go Of Grudges

Forgiving and forgetting is necessary for your own happiness, as holding a grudge means you’re also holding onto resentment, anger, hurt and other negative emotions that are standing in the way of your own happiness. Letting go of a grudge frees you from negativity and allows more space for positive emotions to fill in.

2. Treat Everyone With Kindness

Kindness is not only contagious, it’s also proven to make you happier. When you’re kind to others, your brain produces feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters like serotonin and you’re able to build strong relationships with others, fostering positive feelings all around.

3. Regard Your Problems As Challenges

Change your internal dialogue so that anytime you have a “problem” you view it as a challenge or a new opportunity to change your life for the better. Eliminate the word “problem” from your mind entirely.

4. Express Gratitude For What You Have

People who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with stress, have more positive emotions, and are better able to reach their goals. The best way to harness the positive power of gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal or list, where you actively write down exactly what you’re grateful for each day. Doing so has been linked to happier moods, greater optimism and even better physical health.

5. Dream Big

Go ahead and dream big, as you’ll be more likely to accomplish your goals. Rather than limiting yourself, when you dream big you’re opening your mind to a more optimistic, positive state where you have the power to achieve virtually anything you desire.

6. Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

If the issue you’re mad about will be irrelevant a year, a month, a week or even a day from now, why sweat it? Happy people know how to let life’s daily irritations roll off their back.

7. Speak Well of Others

It may be tempting to gather around the office water cooler to get and give the daily gossip, but talking negatively about others is like taking a bath in negative emotions; your body soaks them up. Instead, make it a point to only say positive, nice words about other people, and you’ll help foster more positive thinking in your own life as well.

8. Avoid Making Excuses
It’s easy to blame others for your life’s failures, but doing so means you’re unlikely to rise past them. Happy people take responsibility for their mistakes and missteps, then use the failure as an opportunity to change for the better.
9. Live in The Present
Allow yourself to be immersed in whatever it is you’re doing right now, and take time to really be in the present moment. Avoid replaying past negative events in your head or worrying about the future; just savor what’s going on in your life now.
10. Wake Up At The Same Time Every Morning
Getting up at the same time every day (preferably an early time) is deceptively simple. Doing so will help regulate your circadian rhythm so you’ll have an easier time waking and likely feel more energized. Plus, the habit of rising early every day is one shared by many successful people, as it enhances your productivity and focus.

11. Don’t Compare Yourself To Others

Your life is unique, so don’t measure your own worth by comparing yourself to those around you. Even regarding yourself as better than your peers is detrimental to your happiness, as you’re fostering judgmental feelings and an unhealthy sense of superiority. Measure your own success based on your progress alone, not that of others.

12. Surround Yourself With Positive People

The saying “misery loves company” is entirely true. That’s why you need to choose friends who are optimistic and happy themselves, as you will be surrounded with positive energy.

13. Realize That You Don’t Need Others’ Approval

It’s important to follow your own dreams and desires without letting naysayers stand in your way. It’s fine to seek others’ opinions, but happy people stay true to their own hearts and don’t get bogged down with the need for outside approval.

14. Take Time To Listen

Listening helps you soak in the wisdom of others and allows you to quiet your own mind at the same time. Intense listening can help you feel content while helping you gain different perspectives.

15. Nurture Social Relationships

Positive social relationships are a key to happiness, so be sure you make time to visit with friends, family and your significant other.

16. Meditate

Meditation helps you keep your mind focused, calms your nerves and supports inner peace. Research shows it can even lead to physical changes in your brain that make you happier.

17. Eat Well

What you eat directly impacts your mood and energy levels in both the short and long term. Whereas eating right can prime your body and brain to be in a focused, happy state, eating processed junk foods will leave you sluggish and prone to chronic disease. My free nutrition plan is an excellent tool to help you choose the best foods for both physical and emotional wellness.

18. Exercise

Exercise boosts levels of health-promoting brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which may help buffer some of the effects of stress and also relieve some symptoms of depression. Rather than viewing exercise as a medical tool to lose weight, prevent disease, and live longer – all benefits that occur in the future – try viewing exercise as a daily tool to immediately enhance your frame of mind, reduce stress and feel happier.

19. Live Minimally

Clutter has a way of sucking the energy right out of you and replacing it with feelings of chaos. Clutter is an often-unrecognized source of stress that prompts feelings of anxiety, frustration, distraction and even guilt, so give your home and office a clutter makeover, purging it of the excess papers, files, knick knacks and other “stuff” that not only takes up space in your physical environment, but also in your mind.

20. Be Honest

Every time you lie, your stress levels are likely to increase and your self-esteem will crumble just a little bit more. Plus, if others find out you’re a liar it will damage your personal and professional relationships. Telling the truth, on the other hand, boosts your mental health and allows others to build trust in you.

21. Establish Personal Control

Avoid letting other people dictate the way you live. Instead, establish personal control in your life that allows you to fulfill your own goals and dreams, as well as a great sense of personal self-worth.

22. Accept What Cannot Be Changed

Everything in your life is not going to be perfect, and that’s perfectly all right. Happy people learn to accept injustices and setbacks in their life that they cannot change, and instead put their energy on changing what they can control for the better.

BMO Marathon

This weekend I ran in the BMO Vancouver Marathon with Troy… my fiancé. Imagine!

We had a great day! Not only was the weather beautiful and sunny, but considering that neither of us had really trained for running 42km, we were pretty content with just finishing under 4 hours.

Well, at least I was.

The first 21k actually felt really good- my legs, body and lungs were all fine. The last half was more challenging. I made an epic mistake of tying my shoes too tight which resulted in major pain and bruising for the last 18 km, and on top of that, running a marathon without really preparing is hard on the body- I mean, I know that sounds totally obvious, but I just want to be clear that I wouldn’t advise taking on an event this way.

Troy and I could both feel it BIG time later that evening and also today.  

But the best thing about actually running a marathon is seeing all the other people who show up to run with you. Seriously, if you think you don’t have the body type etc to complete a longer race (or any race for that matter), just turn up at the start line of any marathon, ½ marathon or 10k.

There are no rules… I even got passed by women and men clearly 1) older than me (like I am talking senior citizen) and 2) physically larger than me. It is humbling to say the least and makes me proud to be a participant in a sport that is accessible to so many people.

Good job Vancouver!
Good job husband ;) 

3hrs 55 mins

Nothin' but a Number

"Have you ever noticed that those who exercise regularly look younger than those who don’t?
Although we have no control over our chronological age, our biological age is within our control.
Biological age refers to the time that has passed since body cells last regenerated. When exercised, the body must regenerate its cells more rapidly than when idle. Depending on activity level, six to eight months from now our bodies will have regenerated nearly 100 percent of their tissue at the cellular level. This new tissue will literally be made up of what we eat between now and then.”

- Brendan Brazier The Thrive Diet



Ummm... does anyone else think this is kind of incredible!? The body is truly amazing and this message from Vancouver-based professional Ironman and author, Brendan Brazier, is just one more motivator to make fitness a part of your routine and lifestyle. 

Forget botox! Just get the heart pumping, blood flowing, and cells regenerating! Love it.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Lately I have been doubling, sometimes even tripling the number of lemons in our daily juice.

Let me tell ya, that zing of flavour in the morning is enough to wake anyone up… even Troy.

Some other amazing/surprising benefits include:

-         Cure for acne- both by ingesting as well as by using topically

-         Helps alleviate anxiety and is believed to enhance concentration

-         Antibacterial and Antiviral properties make lemons a natural cure for cold and canker sores- just swish it around in your mouth

-         High levels of Vitamin C in lemons make it a go-to for those suffering from the flu or fever

-         Lemon juice is a natural breath freshener

-         The relaxing scent of lemons has also been shown to help with insomnia

This Morning’s Juice:

-         ½ bunch of kale

-         4 carrots

-         1 apple

-         ¼ stalk of ginger

-         8 stalks of celery

-         3 lemons

#delicious



Healthy Reminder

This may seem weird, but I really like Mondays… I love any kind of fresh start, where the mistakes of the weekend can be wiped clean by a new plan at the beginning of the week.

It’s easy to get caught up in feeling bad or down on yourself when you “slip” on the otherwise healthy patterns you consistently maintain, and for myself, it takes a lot of reminding to focus on all the amazing and healthy things I do for my body every day, rather than dwelling on the things that maybe aren’t so great. This is human nature and so a new practice of mine if to remind myself of five good things when I am having those guilty feelings… which I really need to let go of period, and that will come too.

Here are just 5 things I did this weekend that I can feel proud of:

1-     2.5 hours on my bike in the beautiful sunshine on Saturday

2-     Double juice intake on Saturday

3-     An hour and fifteen minute run on Sunday

4-     8 hours of sleep every night (Friday, Saturday and Sunday- so necessary)

5-     Stretched properly after Sunday run

What five things can you be proud of in the name of your health?

Quotes

Tough Mudder Training

If you are looking to shake up your fitness routine and challenge yourself physically, allow me to introduce to you to the Tough Mudder Race Series.

This grueling race happens all over the world, and includes the epic Whistler, BC on June 22nd and 23rd. If you are intrigued, Groundwork Athletics is offering an awesome program for a great price to get you "mudder ready"! 
It's a workout that won't only get you ready for one of the self proclaimed "toughest races on the planet," but will also have you looking amazing all summer long!

The Details:

Join the GWA Tough Mudder training group and receive Tough Mudder Training!

•     12 Group Training sessions @ GWA.  See website for times (15 total)
•     10 trainer led outdoor Tough Mudder style workouts: These will take place on Sunday’s at various locations around Vancouver.
•      2x /week self-directed running program provided by GWA (they prescribe the workout, you do the work. Too easy). 
•      A  GWA Tough Mudder T-shirt

Cost $500