It seems like we just returned home from vacation and were settling back into old routines.  Time flies too quickly if you ask me.

During this week, I have taken time to honor my food cravings.

Lots of healthy vegan stews and kale salads.

tea with lemon squeezed in

and been loving our new fabulous nespresso machine.

Hello amazing espresso……I am in love!

I have also been honoring my piriformis pain by scaling back a bit on my running.

Here is what my workout week has looked like:

• Monday run 3 miles
• Tuesday 45 minute hip opener yoga practice
• Wednesday run 4.5 miles
• Thursday 45 minute hip opener yoga practice
• Friday I hope to run 4 to 5 miles and then do a yoga practice with a blogger friend in the evening.

Yes friends it is a time to honor for us……..Be good to yourselves and honor what you need right now too.

What have you been honoring lately?

Any fun plans for the weekend?

We are relaxing, running, and having friends over.  Can’t wait!

Going in I was worried that I would not have time to stay fit and healthy. Everyone always talks about gaining weight your first year as an admin plus I knew my hours would be much longer than my coveted teaching schedule. But I survived relatively unscathed and believe I have found a healthy balance with my job and fitness.

Here are some things that worked for me while I juggled long hours and many more time commitments.

• Don’t be so hard on yourself.  If you can’t get in your prescribed workout, stressing over it does not make it better.  Accept and move on.  Eventually you will get the workout in.
• Food is 90% of the battle so if you clean up your diet and not work out as much you will still see gains in fitness and health.
• Cut back on alcohol.  This one was tough for me!  There is nothing like a good glass of Pinot to help you unwind after a long day.  But the calories suck!  Especially when one glass turns to two and then three…….Instead I committed to a short yoga flow or a walk to help me unwind.

• All workouts count!  Whether they are 10 minutes or 2 hours.  DO something if you have time.  Walk everywhere you can.  Bike with friends. Stretch.  It all works in the long run to add up to big gains.
• Find workouts that are time efficient.  I have fallen in love with Jillian Michaels and her DVD’s.  Especially her new one!

• Enjoy every workout and look at it as time for yourself to recharge and regroup.

And most importantly friends……enjoy life!  Live it, love it and have fun along the way

Happy Tuesday!

I had just had a fabulous 5K race when my hip/buttock started to tighten up.  Before I knew it the tightness got worse and I was experience sciatic pain in my lower back and down the front of my thigh.  To make matters worse I had such bad hip flexor pain I could not even lift my leg.

It was a bad time for me.  I was trying to work fulltime at a new job, I was not able to run, and I was on my feet for 12 plus hour days thanks to football supervision.

After a few months of wearing flats, getting acupuncture treatments, practicing light yoga, and rest, I finally recovered.

Just a month or so ago I got back into running. I read all I could about chi and bare foot running.  I invested in new shoes, a foam roller and lowered my expectations of myself.

However, I am never in the clear.

I am very mindful of my body now.  Once my hip or lower back start to tighten up I must be aware!

Yesterday was one of those days.  Actually I had been feeling the tell-tale tightening since Saturday but had not done anything for myself.  I really had a run planned after work but I listened to my body and mind fully decided I needed a hip opening flow yoga class (love my yoga download app)

and some quality time with the foam roller

Boy do I feel better.

I also used some of this stuff on the tight areas.

My acupuncturist suggested it and it works wonders.

Are you mindful of your body?  Do you listen to hidden cues?

Tiffany from Living with Balance and I have become friends through this little internet world of ours.  We are both forty something women trying to be the best we can be while keeping our sanity  I personally think we rock the 40′s!

She has always suggested I try the Yoga Glo website but I never budged from my habit of yoga download.  Well she fixed that!  She bought me a month subscription to try it out.  How awesome is she?

I am so very excited to share what I find.  If it is as good as Tiffany says I know I will be in for treat.

Have you tried it?