Flat Ab Challenge Week 1

I want to start this post by saying: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOT ABOUT STARVING YOURSELF OR LOSING INCHES QUICK. This is about changing your habits, what you eat and the way you treat your body. Throughout the month, I will be uploading homework you can do three times a week at home on top of your regular cardio exercise (I recommend twenty minutes or more 4-6 days a week, depending on your current level of activity). Don't come into this challenge saying, "Man, I have so many inches to lose. I'm going to cut everything but vegetables from my diet, workout 3 hours a day and only eat 900 calories a day." That approach is the best way to lose some quick weight then put it all plus more on as soon as the challenge comes to an end. It's not sustainable. Don't even go there, folks.

Throughout the month, I encourage you to keep track of your food calories and the calories you burn through physical activity. I do this through an app called MyFitnessPal. It's awesome; you can track everything you eat and see how much you lose by walking for 12 minutes. If you want accountability, you can add me and fix your settings so I can see your daily food journal. My username is: itriharder. Add me!

Alright, so here it goes! Welcome to the Pure Awesomeness Flat Ab Challenge! I'm so excited to have you all participating.

Below is a video of exercises for week 1. I recommend doing each move for :30-:60 seconds. After completing the set, take a one minute break and repeat two more times. Do this 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days.

Here is a fun recipe from Fitness Magazine, which includes foods that help banish bloat in the stomach. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Lemon-Walnut Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley*
2 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted walnuts*
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons diced shallots
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 1/4 cups brown basmati rice, steamed
Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest. Dust the chicken with the flour and season with the salt and black pepper.
2. In a very large skillet (or two medium-large skillets), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until they begin to turn translucent, 1 minute. Push the shallots to one side of the pan, add the chicken breasts, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice into the pan. Cover, and let simmer over low heat until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced, 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a serving dish, leaving the liquid and shallots in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Stir in the parsley mixture. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve over the rice with the lemon wedges.
*Use a mini food processor to reduce chopping time.
Nutrition facts per serving: 293 calories, 36g protein, 19g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.3g saturated), 2g fiber

Mastering my Degree in Being a B.A.

6am Power of your Om yoga with Alex
7:30am Swim 
 9:00am back to Power of your Om with Sarah
11:30am Two-hour lactate threshold workout on bike
2:00pm Sell shoes with Nick on his last day
6:30 Stellar Nites trail 5k run with Zack, Aldous, Emily, Lisette, Kristine, Ignacio and Amy
8:00pm Pure Awesomeness weights and plyometrics

Beat that, Isaiah


I posted that status at  11:00AM, after having completed three of my workouts. Then I went home and got ready for work, clipped into my bike and rode down the street. 

My helmet.

I had reached the end of the bike path before I realized I was not wearing a helmet. I never forget my helmet. I debated going without it for the day just so I had enough time for my workout. 

You never know what could happen.

I listened to the voice in my head. Turning around, I reached my house as Yo was walking out. "Forgot my helmet," I told her. 

Down the street I rode again. Fifteen minutes later, I found myself at a three-way stop. There was a car facing me and a car on my right. It was my right-of way, so I began to cross the street to the other side. I was 3/4 of the way across the street when I saw the car on my right (which was now directly on my side) move forward. He had gunned the gas, so the reaction time was short. Next thing I knew, my right hip and bike were hit. I flipped up into the air and landed on his hood. He slammed on the breaks and my body flew forward, off the car, to the ground. I sat up in astonishment. I watched as my water bottle rolled down the hill from which I had just climbed up. 

Shock. 

What had just happened? Had I really just been hit? I had always feared this day. People in my town are not the best drivers. They park at the bottom of big hills and open their doors without looking to see if anyone is coming from behind. They text while they drive. They rush to get everywhere and don't pay attention to anyone or anything else. It was bound to happen eventually.

The shock wore off and I started to hyperventilate. I heard the words of my yoga instructor run through my head. Deep breath in. And release it slowly. I came back to reality and found my right leg folded under me, blood gushing from the 2-inch gash the chain from my bike had created. My left leg was sore and bruised. I looked around for my bike. A gentleman rushed to my side. "I moved your bike to the side of the road," he informed me. "I think it's okay."

Oh, thank God.

Then it hit me. I probably won't be able to train for a little while. That's when I lost it. All of the emotions that go along with getting hit by a car flooded my body and I wept. A woman asked if I could move out of the middle of the road and I told her there was no way I could put body weight on my leg. I sat there trying to control my tears as I watched people drive past and I listened to the man who had hit me asking for a cell phone to call his wife. He was an older gentleman who had just finished a round of golf in Hope Ranch. 

Two ambulance came and six of the most attractive men I have ever seen jumped from the vehicles. "Put her in C-spine," one said. One knelt down next to me and asked how I was. Where was I feeling the pain? Could I flex my foot? No. Could I wiggle my toes? Were they numb? Yes. 

"We will take your bike to the police station," one EMT told me. "It looks like it's still in pretty good shape, actually. A few scrapes and the power meter is broken, but it's not too bad." 

"Thank you SO much," I said, sincerely. 

They lifted me onto a gurney, grabbed my bags and to the hospital we went. 

"What's been the best part of your day so far," I asked the gorgeous EMT next to me. 

"Well, it just started," he informed me. "So, meeting you!"

Marry me?

"If you had a theme song that played every time you entered a room, what would it be and why," I asked... of course (shout out to Sophie Allen because she is going to laugh hysterically when she sees this).

"Ooooo great question. Journey. Don't Stop Believing."

"And why," I asked. 

He told me about his ability to associate certain songs and scents with memories in his life. He said anytime that song comes on Pandora in the morning, he knows it will be a good day. 

"Did it come on this morning," I asked.

"No, actually, which is strange because I was listening to the Journey station."

"Uh-oh," I joked. 

We talked a little bit more about favorite Gu flavors and the word Gu and how funny it was. We discussed his dream to move to Oregon one day and the marathon he was training for. When we pulled up to the ER, he and his buddy wheeled me into the hospital where I went a little insane. I tried to make a joke out of everything the nurse asked. I have no idea what was up with me. The driver was at my side now and he pushed me left to right as doctors, nurses and visitors tried to get around us. 

"So I heard your conversation in the back of the ambulance," he said. We talked about his piercings, Don't Stop Believing, his time spent living in La Jolla, etc. 

"Wait," he said, excitedly. He pulled out his phone and played his ringtone. Journey rang through the speakers and drifted into my ears.

My eyes got wide. "You should play Don't Stop Believing every time your buddy enters the room!"

"You were eavesdropping on our conversation in the ambulance," the other EMT accused his partney as he poked his head around the corner.

I spent the entire first hour of the accident laughing hysterically with these two. Then the nurse took over and started attaching all sorts of equipment to my body. The police came and filled out a report. I was then moved to the hallway where I waited for my doctor. As I waited, I tried to call my parents, neither of who was answering. I started sobbing when I remembered that I would be bedridden for a few days. 

The doctor caught me mid-sob. "Does this hurt," he asked, bending my left knee back sharply. I yelped. "How about this," he tried flexing my right foot. Utter pain ran through my leg. Tears flowed. "Yeah," I said.

"Okay, we'll just cut the rest of this skin that all dirty around it. Since it's a big hole and you don't have a lot of skin down there, they will be open, ragged stitches, so you will have to be very careful about cleaning it and not getting it wet," he told me.

"How long until I can swim again?"

"A few weeks," he said. 

"And run?"

"Ten days until you can walk more comfortably. Running... I would take it easy."

Gulp.

"I have a 65-mile relay in less than a month," I explained. "Will I be okay for that?"

"Sixty-five miles," I heard the interns whisper between themselves. 

"Let's just take it one day at a time," the doctor said. "We'll see how you're feeling and see what comes up in the X-rays."

The X-ray technician, who was from North Lake Tahoe, told me everything looked good. No broken bones. Yay!

The doctor stitched me up and we talked about Bend, Oregon and how he vacations there every summer. Small world. I watched as he cut the dirty, bike-chain-oil-covered skin off from the leg. He stitched it all up, reminded me to keep it clean, told me he would be cheering for me at the National Age Group Championships and gave me a tetanus shot. 

Two hours later, I was finally bandaged up and waiting to be released. Amy waltzed through the hallway looking perfectly gorgeous in her summer skirt and pink cardigan. Why couldn't I look like that? We talked and I cried and laughed. 

I heard two sets of feet coming quickly down the hallway. "Ashlee," my two EMTs were back and they were looking frantically for me. Their faces were bright. The handsome one from the back of the ambulance took the stool next to my bed, sat down and took my hand. "We have something to tell you." 

 "Tell me the good news," I demanded.

"The Pope decided to name himself Pope Francis. We heard on the radio and needed to come back and tell you that. It's going to be a good day."

Again, marry me?

I had already told Amy about these two. I looked up at her as they left and mouthed See? 

"Is it wrong if I ask for his number," I asked Amy.

My EMT friend Chris had seen me earlier, so he came by to check on me. It was so nice to see a face I recognized there, even if I only see Chris when ambulances are involved.  

Finally I was bandaged and ready to leave. I gathered my belongings and awkwardly tried to stand. My legs cramped up and I fell back into bed. I tried again with no success. Third times a charm though, right? I centered my body weight and began hobbling across the floor when my legs seized up and I was stuck in the middle of the hallway, looking straight into the face of another patient. "Amy, I can't move. I can't move."

"Let's go back to the bed," she said, patiently. 

"I legitimately can't move. I would go back if I could," I felt so awkward and embarrassed frozen in the middle of the hallway in my bike kit.

"Here," she giggled as she rolled a stool up behind me and helped me sit down in it. I hurriedly rolled it back to the bed before anyone could witness my awkwardness. Amy got me some crutches and we tried again. Ahhh... much better. 

It was a crazy day with an epic story and a gnarly scar to boot. I am pretty stoked about the scar. I've always wanted one to show off. Be careful what you wish for. 

My get-well buddy

Putting the "Extra" in Extraordinary

A deep feeling of accomplishment and pride overflowed from my Lulu-clad body last Monday. For the first time in my life, I was experiencing acknowledgement of my success as an instructor from one of my bosses. Sure, I've had several bosses tell me, "People seem to really enjoy your classes" or "You're doing a great job. I hear you've added some core work into the class", etc., etc.; however, last Monday, Marcus made me feel like a shining star.

"Ashlee," his voicemail began. "It's Marcus. I am going to have our new instructors come take your class because I want them to see how a cycle class should be taught. I think you are invaluable as an instructor and I think they can learn a lot from you. I will be there as well. Great! See you Monday!"

Monday is supposed to be my recovery day, but I still have to teach my two morning cycle classes. In my first class, we have monitors that tell us our power output (measured in Watts), so we did an hour of aerobic endurance work. For my Fit Buddha class, we are on Schwinn bikes with no monitors, so everything is measured by perceived exertion. I never like to plan those types of classes; I would rather see who comes to the class and base the workouts on what I think they can handle that day. Without a plan in mind, I walked into the cycle studio. Aaron, Chelsea and Marcus were setting up their bikes. I had met Chelsea and Marcus before, but I introduced myself to Aaron and we chatted about bike set-up and the basics.

Marcus made an announcement: "I have asked Ashlee to lead a class for us today in order to teach us how to be a better instructor. She has a world of knowledge and can help us learn how to set-up and conduct a class. She will be watching your form and being brutally honest with you. Please feel free to make comments, Ashlee. Ask her questions at the end of class." He continued to make remarks about my abilities and my experience and I felt like I had been teaching my entire life, like I was one of the greatest instructors of all times and he was stoked to have me in there. I know I have a lot to learn and I've only been teaching for a little over a year, but to finally be recognized by an employer for my accomplishments made me want to be a better instructor! He has now participated in two of my classes, so I know he is speaking from his heart, not just based on what others tell him. Thank you, Marcus, for believing in me.

Halfway through the class, I decide to whip out a joke (as usual). "What type of room has no walls and no ceiling?" The room is silent except for the sound of my music through my headphones. "A mushroom!"

Marcus shakes his head. "Did you ever work at Disneyland," he asks.

I should work at Disneyland! I don't know why this thought has not occurred to me! I would be the perfect little corny joke teller! Send me an application, Disney! I'm your girl!

On Tuesday, I ate lots of yummy food: Crepes and coffee with Matt and Panino with Connor. It was fun to get to know a new friend and catch up with an old friend. Both restaurants were in the same area of town, which is a beautiful, Parisian looking corner with bakeries and blossoming trees. It helped me realize how much I love the town I live in. It is always warm and serene. I can run almost every day of the year without worrying about rain or sleet or snow. For the past five years, I have been so anxious to move on to the next great adventure, but I have finally reached a place in my life where I am completely happy. I live in a beautiful city, my jobs allow me to be active and involved with helping other people live a healthy lifestyle, rarely do I have to struggle to pay for food or necessities, I live within walking/biking distances of all of my jobs, etc. There really is no reason for me to be unhappy. I am so grateful for what I have and who I have become.

After lunch, I swam and ran. No biggie. I won't even bore you with the details.

On Tuesday evening at the track, Richard and I worked on sprints and muscular endurance. We did 10 twenty second sprints with 2:00 walking recoveries. During our 9th recovery, a woman sprinted past us; "You have inspired me," she yelled, pumping her fists into the air. It was funny at the time, but it's actually really cool to see how one person's desire to be active and challenge themselves can set off a domino effect, inspiring other people to push their limits. I hope she keeps it up!

My Wednesday morning cycle class was rough. We did twenty minutes of speed skills to warm up, but after warming up, we got into force drills, which are never that fun. We did three minutes of zone 5 climbs. That is 110% effort. Yuck. Then we did a 2:00 recovery and repeated five times before finishing off with ten minutes in zone 2. I didn't even have any jokes to tell the class to lighten the mood; it was all work, no play.

The retirement home I work at has been attacked by a virus, so my class was cancelled, which allowed me to go on a run with Renee. She was in town visiting, so I took her up to the bluffs overlooking the ocean and we ran five miles, enjoying the sunshine and the warmth of the morning.

I got stuck in traffic on my way to meet Sophia for lunch. They decided to do construction next to my house and once I got into the thick of it, there was no way out. Okay, put me in a car, forcing me to face my biggest fear (driving) then shoving me in stop-and-wait traffic while my stomach is empty right after a run?!? Universe, what were you thinking?! I'm just glad I didn't leave my car on the side of the road and run the rest of the way... oh... I should have done that. Goodnight nurse.

That evening, I taught my cardio core classes, then headed in to teach Pure Awesomeness. Twenty-two people were sitting eagerly waiting for me to push their limits. "Uhmmm... Uhh... I guess I should have prepared for this... Grab a partner! Wheelbarrow races!" So it wasn't the Hunger Games boot camp I had anticipated, but it still kicked butt. I think I will save my Hunger Games awesomeness for when Weston comes to visit. I want to make my class remember my name. Okay, so they already do, but still, I want them to leave the room crawling. Oh no... am I mean? I have already had three people tell me how sore their shoulders are from that class. Suckers! I should be grateful that I don't get sore.

This morning, I've been teaching since 5:30AM. Best class of the day? Well, of course it would have to be my 12:15 cycle class! Don't get me wrong, I love teaching the other cycle and cardio burn classes, but being able to do the class with my participants really picks me up. I feel like I am a better instructor when I participate because I can feel their pain. We did a lot of climbing today, mostly because I'm getting really nervous about Wildflower. People keep telling me about how hard the hill is. I already have a really hard time with climbing. I don't think I know how to do it correctly. The bike portion of Wildflower starts on a hill... a big, big hill. I don't think I've ever completed a big hill; I usually turn around halfway. Do you think they will let me walk it up the hill? I want to cry because I'm so nervous that I won't be able to make it up this hill. You have no idea how much this hill is stressing me out. How do I get over this darn hill? What should I do to practice? How do I guarantee that I don't have to forfeit the race? What if I come in last place? What if I don't finish at all? Oh no... I  think I just pulled all of my hair out of my head. Eff. Time for a wig.

Anyway, we did hill work. Lots of zone 4's (95% effort) and zone 5's (110% effort). So fun... not, but my class loves me, so we did it anyway. After class, Mike came up to me. "Ash, I ran three miles this morning. I have to tell you, you are the only instructor who makes me question running. Usually, I can wake up in the morning and go on a 4 or 5 mile run with no problem before a cycle class; however, when I know you are teaching, I question whether it is a good idea to run beforehand."

"Awwww," I made that funny noise that signifies the act of one's heart being melted. "Thank you, Mike." I love getting compliments like that.

So there is this endurance race coming up where they don't tell you what the obstacles are, but it's 100 miles of things such as rock climbing, kayaking, finding your way through the wilderness with a compass, mountain biking, running, etc. Guys, I really want to do this race! How epic would it be? I must learn how to rock climb!... and read a compass. Ready? Time to train!

P.S. I am putting together a team for Tough Mudder this summer. If anyone is interested in competing, please let me know. I would love to have you on my team. OOOOOOOOO! We can even make team shirts! Ahhhhh! Let's do it! Who is in?