RUN, RUN, AND MORE RUNNING

We started the day with a seven and a half mile run around Town Lake in Austin. Felt good.  Had brunch at Cafe Java.  Still felt good.  We decided to run through the streets of downtown.  What an adventure!  We stopped at the ArtHouse, a contemporary art museum, for a quick tour.  Ran some more.  Popped into a gallery.  Ran through the grounds of the State Capital and the UT campus.  Took in the sights and sounds of 6th street which was hoppin even on a Sunday afternoon.  Finally we visited Whole Foods, sure that we needed to buy something, but ended up only eating the chocolate truffle sample, yum!  

We probably did over ten miles total but with all of the distractions of downtown and the adventure factor it was a piece of cake.  Which btw, we ate that cake later at Dave and Busters during a fun evening of game playing!

THREE MORE REASONS I LOVE AUSTIN!

Reason #1 - This morning I had a great workout at the Mecca Gym and Spa, www.meccagymandspa.com, an amazing gym in downtown Austin.  It  is located on the top floor of a three story building and has windows on three sides, offering a panoramic view of downtown.  The windows also offer great natural light.  I always feel uplifted when working out there! 

Reason #2 - After the workout, and a visit to Bookpeople (a local book store beloved by Austinites) for coffee, I headed to a Hatha yoga class at Black Swan Yoga, blackswanyoga.com.  This was my first visit and I immediately loved the studio.   The space had a great feel, very comfortable.  Ben, the instructor, taught a class true to the Hatha style.  The poses were held a bit longer than in vinyasana classes.  I enjoyed this slower pace, which gave me time to turn  inward and tune into my bodies subtle messages. 

Reason #3 - After class I was off to Casa de Luz, www.casadeluz.org, for an amazing lunch at this downtown vegan, macrobiotic restaurant.  The lovely courtyard seating offers sounds of wind chimes and running water flowing through fountains.  Surrounded by bamboo and other vegetation it is truly an oasis in the middle of this busy urban city.

There you go...three fabulous reasons to love this city!

NEW GYM OPENED!!

I have been working the past month to help open a new Anytime Fitness frachise in Northwest Austin.  I am the gym's Personal Training Manager.  What a fun experience!  It has been great to help buy equipment, establish protocol and meet each new member as they join!

The gym is located a Burnet and Anderson in the Northcross Mall.  Check out the link for more details! http://www.anytimefitness.com/en-us/clubs/2584/Austin-TX-health-club

STARTING OVER

It has been a while since I last posted.  I have been very busy making some huge changes in my life.  Last month I moved from Utah and settled  in Austin, Texas. This has taken me on a whole new life adventure that I hope to share with you.

Surprisingly, this vibrant city is turning out to offer a large array of outdoor activities.  I have been here since August.  To date I have enjoyed running on the Town Lake Trail, mountain biking the Greenbelt,  indoor rock climbing  at the Austin Rock gym , kayaking and waterskiing on Lake LBJ and Paddleboarding at a local quarry. 

Over time I will elaborate on these and many more wonderful places to explore (while getting and/or staying fit!) in this beautiful area!

 

Red Rock Canyon

Chuck and I visited Red Rock Canyon while in Las Vegas this week.  It felt great to get off the strip and do something outdoors.  The temperature was still reasonable, mid-80's, and the desert flowers were in bloom.  We chose a 6 mile loop that was described as difficult but we found to be very reasonable.  We were rewarded at the end of the trail with cheese, a whole grain baguette and fresh fruit which we had picked up from Whole Foods on the way out of town.  Yum :-)  Information about the canyon can be found here,  http://www.lasvegastourism.com/red_rock.htm

The next day we paid  for a  pass to the Aria Hotel spa, http://www.arialasvegas.com/.  We enjoyed the fitness center, wet areas, "Ganbanyoku" heated-stone bed, "Shio" salt room, and outdoor therapy pool.  This was a great way to relax after a few days in the hustle and bustle of sin city.

Weekly Workout Plan - April 26

I completed the Red Moutain 30K on Saturday. I'm not sure but I think the older I get the more sore I am after these long races.  Today my calves feel like they could seize up at any moment.  I was shooting for 10 minute miles and I averaged just over this.  I could have/should have trained more on hills and completed a few more tempo runs (running about 3 miles at a 9.5 minute mile pace).  It seems these last few years I have avoided any training that caused me to step out of my comfort zone.  Now my race times are reflecting this lack of effort. 

I will ease back into my workout schedule this week:

Monday:  Bike on trainer.  5 minute warm-up.  30 sec. all out/90 sec. at 50% - 10X.  10 minute cool-down.
               Teach Pilates/Yoga class

Tuesday:  Lift Chest/Back
               30 Minute Eliptical with High Intensity Intervals

Wednesday:  Teach Yoga class
                     Teach Boot Camp (stay low-impact)
                     Teach Pilates/Yoga class

Thursday:  Lift Bis/Tris/Delts
                30 Minutes Bike on Trainer with Intervals

Friday:  Run 4 Miles Easy
            Teach Yoga class

Saturday:  Something fun, maybe a hike

Sunday:  Run 4 Miles Easy

I will enjoy a few weeks without a strict training plan, but after that I will pick another race challenge and start ramping up the training once again. 

MONDAY INSPIRATION

photo credit:  www.flickr.com/photos/natashap/449204753/

"There is new life in the soil. There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is great strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer.” –Calvin Coolidge