Perspiration At Its Finest

I feel sexiest when I'm drenched in sweat.

Odd, I know. I remember walking down the street toward a cafe after teaching a gnarly cycle class one day and passing Ryan Gosling. Drops of sweat were literally dangling from the ends of my hair, which was falling loosely out of my ponytail. My shirt had pit stains, not to mention the ugly sports bra sweat lines. Not only were my cheeks bright red from exertion, but my entire face looked like I had spent the day lying at the beach basking in baby oil.

So not attractive, yet I felt so confident about my ability as a cycle instructor, as an athlete and as a woman. Ryan caught my eye and said hello. It's all about the sweat.

So what causes us to sweat?

Eccrine glands in the skin are designed to help our bodies adjust to different temperatures, whether hot or cold, aka thermoregulation. When we begin a challenging workout, the brain sends a message to the eccrine glands to dissipate excess heat.

Sweat is composed of mostly water, however, it also contains urea, minerals and lactate. Some sweat may have a flavor to it. I once read a post on Facebook about what you are eating too much of if your salt tastes a certain way. For instance, salty sweat meant you were eating too much sodium in your diet. If the sweat is sour, there is too much dairy in your diet. However, this post claimed that if your sweat tasted like margaritas... well, that was enough said. Sweat truly can give you a look into your food choices though. It can be a great indicator of a balanced diet!

Margarita-flavored sweat... yeah, not so sexy...

Not to fear, there are many sexy things associated with a good sweat. For example, sweating leaves your skin glowing (or just beat red like mine) and helps detoxify your body. It can help strengthen your immune system and boost your mood. When you think about it, sweat is medicine! And the best part is, all it costs is some hard work!

So lace up those running shoes and get outside! Pay attention to your body and how great you feel as the sweat begins to pour! Perspiration at its finest!

Smells Like Christmas

"It smells like Christmas," Emily said as she opened the car door and stepped out onto my driveway.

"Ha! Yeah, I guess it does," I chuckled.

"Is that a deer?!" I love that all of my out-of-state friends are always amazed by the deer here. To Central Oregonians, it's no big deal to see a deer, but everyone else is captivated by their presence. My physical therapist who just moved down from Bellingham still stops working, grabs his phone and takes multiple pictures when one walks up to the office window... which is almost every time we meet.

From the office

But this is home now. At least, it's a temporary home away from home. Which is funny, because that was what I thought Santa Barbara was when I moved there for college. Now Santa Barbara feels like my true home while Oregon feels foreign to me, like new territory. I am learning my favorite restaurants, the best spot to grab coffee and read the comics after church, favorite local running spots for when I am able to run again... it has been an exciting process.

I did not think I would be staying here for long. I thought for certain I would be back in Santa Barbara by September, but the doctor told me I needed to remain in the area for 12-18 months so he could meet with me monthly. The news was devastating... confusing. Why did God keep throwing these curveballs in my direction? I was pushing so hard to get home to my friends, clients and jobs, but something kept getting in the way.

The view from my house

So here I am. Living in Oregon. The land of Christmas. I have taken on a new job, which does not require me to run, squat, jump, swim, yell at people, etc. My friendships here have taken off faster than any I ever made in Santa Barbara. It's funny... I find that it is more difficult to find people I connect with, but when I do find someone and we click, we REALLY click. It's fantastic. I have not had one free night in over a month and I just love it.

Early morning sunrise

My old suitemate from college and her husband moved up here a couple of years ago and I've been able to build on that friendship even more. She has played a huge role in my life for the past seven years and I am so grateful to live near her again. Two of my best girlfriends from high school live here and have joined the running club that I started. One of them is Thai. I actually introduced her to her husband back in high school. She has been teaching me how to cook Thai food and I am so blessed by her. The other girl is this phenomenal singer that I used to be in jazz choir with. She is so full of life and joy and I feel refreshed every time I see her.

Tiff and me at Brew Fest

Picnic with Amanda

Making T-Shirts with Thanittha

Tiff!

Tumalo Falls

The new people I get to boss around on the track

I even met someone. Which is a funny story in itself. He is kind, funny, brilliant and he brings a ton of joy into my life.

This new phase in my life was totally unexpected, but I cannot complain. Life is good.

I still hope to return to Santa Barbara after the year here is finished, but I have learned not to make plans. Obviously, I do not control what happens to me!

Cheers to new adventures, fantastic friendships and being close to family again.

Spelunking with Emily, Kaylee, Trevor and Cory

My parents celebrating 29 years together on the Metolius

Shooting chipmunks in our backyard

The Importance of Being an Athlete

Yesterday, as my physical therapist was directing me through various running drills, he told me about one of his other patients who is one of the top high school cross country runners in the state.

“The problem is,” he began. “She is a runner, not an athlete.”

Wait? How can you be a runner and not an athlete? Better question: How can you be one of the best runners in the state and not be considered an athlete?

“She can only run straight,” he told me. Then he demonstrated what happens when she comes up to an obstacle. Instead of side stepping the tree or bench or whatever it might be, she has to turn ninety degrees to get around it. The obstacle throws her off. She can only run straight.

So many runners love running and focus their attentions solely on it that they forget to cross-train. They don’t spend time doing plyometric drills or taking a Pilates class. All of their movements stay in one plane and they forget to exercise other planes of motion. The great thing about cross-training is it improves flexibility, helps with joint stability, prevents overuse injuries and keeps you motivated!

Conveniently, there are several gyms that specialize in cross-training classes. But being indoors is not everyone’s first option. Personally, I prefer getting my sweat on outdoors in the sunshine. So what are some of the best ways to mix up your workout in order to become an athlete and not just a runner? Yoga and swimming are two fantastic options! Jump in the ocean or in a lake and swim for 30 or so minutes, using different types of strokes to get the full body involved. After you finish, lay out the towel you just used to dry off and do a variety of yoga stretches. Add in some clam shells, hip raises and downward dogs and you are good to go!

Check out this article from active.com for a quick and easy yoga workout that you can do anywhere!

http://beta.active.com/articles/6-basic-yoga-workouts

Image courtesy of Google.com

My SB Pure Awesomeness Pilates Class

Will Run for Chocolate

Chocolate. We've all heard the rumors that chocolate is actually good for us and we buy into them with great enthusiasm. Let's be honest: Who doesn't want to end their workout with a handful of peanut M&M's? But how much of the rumor is true and how much of it are we "gobbling up", if you will, to soothe our souls and calm our guilt?

Are you scared now? Having second thoughts on that dark chocolate bar? Good. Now maybe you will do your research before digging into the bag of chocolate chips in your cupboard.

It is true that the antioxidants in chocolate lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce inflammation, lower BMI levels and boost endurance. Cocoa powder actually has sixteen more antioxidants than blueberries!

Cacao nibs offer 9 grams of fiber per ounce and taste great on top of your acai bowl or mixed in your oatmeal!

How many runners do you know who have an iron deficiency? Hand them a bar of dark chocolate! One ounce of dark chocolate aids in the delivery of oxygen to the muscles and offers iron!

So the rumors are true... right?

Yes, most chocolate is actually good for you! But please, please, please do not go buy 10 salted caramel chocolate bars from Trader Joe's and eat them all while you catch up on the Bachelorette tonight! Too much of a good thing may result in too much of a tummy!