I’m gonna keep it simple and do a little 5 for Friday action. Here you be:

• 3 ‘fit’ things I did on my trip this week: I went on 3 strong runs, outside, by myself. And save for a few side cramps (I’m always less hydrated when I travel, just by nature of less readily accessible water. Probably my number #1 peeve when I travel!), they were good, strong runs. I wasn’t up in my head, I smiled, I looked around, my mind wandered, I smelled flowers, I heard birds, I breathed fresh air, and it was honestly the best way to kick start my day (especially yesterday, before my long trek home. Nothing worse than parking my a$$ on a plane all day and being inactive before it!). I took a barre class at a local studio I discovered on one of my visits last fall. Got a mini-barre fix but admittedly cannot wait to get back to taking and teaching classes today and this weekend!
• 2 meals I ate: Well, let’s back up. I made good choices during all of my meals this week. Yep, all of them. People ask me how I still manage to stay on track with my ‘number’ when I travel and my answer? While I can’t be sure, most of the time, what the calories are in a particular meal (unless I can find it online and I am a pro at googling, myfitnesspal’ing and web site stalking to find it!), I can draw conclusions based on said googling or ‘like’ restaurants or meals and simply make a choice that will satisfy me – high protein, lottsa veggies, and as fresh as possible. For example, at lunch with my boss, I ordered a roasted chicken salad, which came with dates (YUM!), almonds, corn, chicken, shredded cabbage, greens and goat cheese. When it arrived, I evaluated the cheese serving – and it was perfect, just a few crumbles (given that could be a huge hidden calorie bust!) and I requested dressing on the side, and with all those yummies loaded in, I didn’t even need the dressing. Had some olives and white bean hummus that my boss ordered as an app and ya know what? I was completely satisfied all the way through that barre class I took, did not even need an afternoon snack. Go figure. My most favorite meal was the Jamba Juice apple cinnamon oatmeal I scored (thanks sis for highly recommending a la Naomi!), holy CRAP, it was so good, I honestly was blown away. SO EFFING GOOD. (Oh, and I always pack a few Dove promises as a little treat before bed (just like at home!)).
• Coolest thing that happened while I was traveling: M bought a new car! I totally CALLED it last weekend when he just happened to mentioned being interested in a possible trade in for his SUV for a Mitsubishi Lancer and I said, ‘you’re going to pick me up at the airport in a new car, aren’t you?’ And yep, I called it. Brand new black Lancer…and he looks HOT in it, let me tell you Swoon!
• Number 1 thing I am looking forward to this weekend: The official kick-off to summer, plain and simple. The weather is going to cooperate, and I have lots of outdoor things planned, including my sister’s bash for my brother-in-law’s birthday, the BEACH and perhaps even a day trip to Maine (game day decision!), or another picnic at the park. There’s something so euphoric about summer, isn’t there?
• Best part about coming home from this work trip: That first hug and kiss from M. And the realization that after 3 work trips in 6 weeks, I am DONE *fingers crossed* for the time being, and my next trip…only for pleasure, at the end of June. I’ll share more details soon, but it may have to do with wine

CHEERS friends, I hope you have a fabulous long weekend and spend as much time as humanly possible outside! I know I will be!!

~~

Can someone first explain to me, how is it *only* Wednesday? Whenever I travel, it feels like a time warp, backwards and forwards! Starts off with a bang and then mid-week, starts to wane, like whoa. I know I will catch my second wind for the tail end of my trip, but man, does traveling mess with me. Routine, baby, it’s where it’s at

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I am supremely amazed at how differently I’ve handled eating during this trip. While I have had several trips across three time zones since I started the barre n9ne challenge last year, which has made me more mindful and aware of eating when hungry, not out of habit or mindlessly, but this trip has just felt the most different of them all. For starters, I was *really* worried I’d be ridiculously hungry during Monday’s flight since it left at 8 am, and arrived at 2:30 pm (in my brain, but 11:30 PT) where I would have to endure what should be breakfast and lunch, yet only be barely lunchtime on the West Coast when I arrived.

For the first time, I forced myself to retrain my eating into West Coast times from the minute I stepped off the plane. And surprisingly? It worked! I wasn’t heinously hungry the entire flight, either. I scored some steel cut oats at the hotel (last minute score! Arm pump!) and just needed a banana to sustain me until I landed and could grab a bite once I got my car, maneuvered my way out of LA and go to my office, around 12:30 PT. That has seriously been my golden ticket this week. I haven’t woken up famished (hungry, but not wilting!), and I’ve generally been hungry at the ‘right’ times on the West Coast. Score.

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I ran outside – alone – for the first time EVER since  I started this job 18 months ago. (well, that’s not entirely true. I did run on the beach AT my hotel when I first started…but that doesn’t feel quite the same, since there were people everywhere. If that makes sense). I knew I wanted to finally run outside, when it would be light enough to do so safely (many of my trips up until this point have been during winter months where it was just too dark to do it previously). And so I would not get lost, I came up with a genius plan (if I do say so myself!). I ran FROM my hotel TO my office. Since I know the route by heart and it’s about 2.4 miles one way, making for a solid just about 5 mile route.

What most surprised me, beyond loving being outdoors and running IN Cali and ON flat, flat, FLAT roads was how PRETTY everything smelled. I smelled flowers everywhere. I heard birds chirping. I even heard the electrical wires above me buzzing. It was quiet, even on usually-busy main roads (it was 5:30 am, I guess I can see why). I LOVED it.

~~

We had our long-awaited event this week for work. (the reason I am out here this week) And it was SO cool to see an event come off without a hitch, one that my boss and I have been working on for months. It was fun to interact with those that arrived, from the students from a local college (that were part of the competition for this particular event), to my company’s executives, to the media that came, and to my co-workers, too. I finally felt comfortable chatting on the fly with people and not feeling like I stuck out like a sore thumb. Perhaps it goes back to feeling confident in who I am, for the first time pretty much ever, huh?

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This whole shifting focus, thing? Yeah, it’s REALLY working for me. I have not dreaded this trip much at all (besides the always hard goodbyes to M), I have looked forward to it. I have embraced the challenges, I have done new things (running alone, as I mentioned, for starters!), and I have just enjoyed the time and the opportunity. It has gone a long way, and I couldn’t be more glad, or more relieved at that.

~~

So far, it’s been a GREAT week. And I guess the bits and pieces flitting through my head culminates into more than I thought it would, huh?  

~

PS – THANK YOU to everyone for all of your feedback, compliments, and support on my post yesterday. It meant so much to see such positive feedback and enthusiasm. I was nervous to post before and after pictures for a number of reasons, but am so glad the message I wanted to get through as part of that came shining through, rather than it being uber focused on numbers and such. THANK YOU!

I wish there was smellavision (er, blogavision?!) – those flowers smelled GOOD!

That’s what you’re supposed to do when you set out on a journey, a challenge, towards a goal.

But at first, I never could quite visualize the end game, the result, from the opportunity I was granted a year ago for the barre n9ne 60 day challenge.

Why?

Because I didn’t quite believe. In myself. Or even in the challenge facing me. Or in all that it could be, if I set my mind to it.

I was used to going halfway and stopping.

I was used to the field goal.

I had never achieved the results I wanted or thought I could attain. I didn’t believe in “smarter, not harder.” I didn’t believe, even, (not fully) in lifestyle change.

On day one, this was the me I was then. Not quite believing…hoping, not unable to visualize. 

Frustrated with myself physically, feeling like a hamster on a wheel spinning and spinning but with little to show for it, not understanding that I had lost the ability to see moderation in my eats, and having lower self esteem than I ever wanted to admit or be faced with. Day one of the 60 day challenge was a scary day for me. Because it meant facing the things that I had ignored and pushed aside for fear of number fixation, the reality of the situation and doing something I’d never done before. *Not* stopping at the field goal…but going for the touchdown.

The last year has been a year out of my comfort zone, and not only has it taught me that I have the power to reach the goals in which I set for myself, for perhaps the first time in my life, it’s also given me an opportunity I never thought possible. To pay forward what I have learned, in lifestyle changes, the power of a barre workout and how to finally – finally – be comfortable in my own skin.

And, as a result?…this is the me I am now.

When I took this picture, I saw it for the first time. The end game that I never thought possible. I had achieved the ‘after’ that I always envied on infomercials (even pooh-pooh’ing the words these ‘success story’ spokespeople said…words like life-changing, being the me I always wanted to be, etc), losing the inches, pants sizes and weight. Perhaps the best part of seeing this picture? Besides the renewed gleam in my eye that speaks happiness, confidence and pride?

Realizing that there is no end game.This is the life I have built for myself.

And it is the life that I will continue. Moderation, real, wholesome, fueling foods, and a love for barre n9ne, from teaching, to taking classes.  This life. A life that rails against the word ‘diet,’ that focuses on real foods, no gimmicks and the magic bullet of consistency that has opened the door to the happy medium I never thought was possible.

And ultimately? This is a life that I will continue to pay forward.  Because this happy medium life is pretty damn good . Thank you, Tanya, for your belief in us, to my sister Jess in sharing this journey with me (read her post here on her results and thoughts on the last year!), to the barre n9ne community for being such a supportive family (and believing in us then, as the first ‘challenges’ and now, as instructors), and to all of you – my family and friends, for supporting, encouraging and believing.

**as I hit ‘publish’ on this, know that it took a lot of thought and decision-making on posting my before and after pictures…because as much as this journey has of course, been about weight and inches lost, that’s not *all* it has been. I think that goes without saying…but, I just thought it was worth mentioning again.**

Without further ado…

Another ‘happy miles’ run with M, even if a bee did chase me and I ran like the wind

got my sushi fix on Friday night, with a glass of wine on the patio

Impromptu trip to the lake on Saturday…check out that glisten.

got to dip my toes into the lake, not as chilly as I thought, either

a sister cookout at Jess and Scott’s, never complete without a photo bomb

I <3 my sisters!

Complete with dinner on the deck and a crisp rose, and the weekend rounds out to a beautiful close…

And on a weekend that has marked the passing of my Nonna (May 20, 2009), I couldn’t help but think that this picture perfect weekend is her, smiling down, happy to see the happiness and love in my life, and in my sister’s lives too. I hugged my niece a little tighter, with her namesake (Isabel) and just smiled, my heart happy.

She climbed right up into my lap…and though it was just briefly, it’s captured.

~~~

Nope.

Just. Running. Happy.

I’m writing this after one of my best runs in quite awhile. With M by my side. And this was even after teaching a 6 am barre n9ne class (back-to-back with teaching two classes yesterday, too).

See? Happy Miles Faces!

The difference? I told myself I would ‘do’ as little as possible in class (save for upper body and ab work) and it worked out so well because a) I had a bigger than usual morning class so there was naturally more opportunity to walk around and correct and b) I am learning more and more my stride for teaching smaller classes where I ‘do’ bits and pieces but focus more on form corrections and motivation.

So, while I taught 5 classes this week, I strategically planned my runs to either not follow directly after teaching or taking a barre n9ne class, or on an ‘off’ day completely from barre n9ne. And it worked. Finally. It worked.

Sunday, I ran with M (about 4 miles) before I taught at 10 am. Tuesday, I ran 6 killer miles of intervals. And rocked them. Wednesday, I took b9 fusion class in the morning and met bestie Steph for a quick and speedy 3.6 miler by a nearby lake. Humid. But awesome. And today, 5ish (5.4 maybe??) miles with M where my legs didn’t feel heavy, even though it was my last run of the week and I expected them to feel a little lead-like at first. Nope. Felt strong, yet light.

This week I ran happy miles. And as I look to next week, where I set out for Costa Mesa bright and early on Monday morning (coming home Thursday night), I am confident and even a little excited to finally get a chance to run outside before work a few days next week. It’s going to be awesome. (did I just say that?!)

Happy weekend, friends. do something happy, will ya? I sure as hell plan to do the same

I am living a blessed, happy, opportunity-laden life. 

Don’t take it for granted. 

I have opportunities that many may never have. To travel. To follow my passion. To have a sense of work/life balance afforded to me that again, not many may have.

Keep that focus shifted. See the opportunity. Harness it. Don’t let it slip by or escape from it.

Look in the mirror. That’s what YOU made happen. The one-year barre-volution.

Be proud of the inside and the outside. Don’t brush off compliments, accept them. Don’t nitpick, embrace.

Each run is an accomplishment. Some may never run. Or want to. Or be able to.

Own each run. Good. Bad. Meh. You’re capable of them, rejoice in that.

Love. Is all around you….M.

Focus on it. Never brush off a kiss, a hug, an opportunity to connect. 

Thank you. To those that inadvertently showed me that path back to perspective. Sometimes it’s easier to ‘see’ than others. When you’re not happy, it’s almost – ironically – easier to harness perspective, but when life is going pretty damn well, it’s easy to slide into complacency and taking for granted. I never want to do either.

Sage words from my friend Steph as I was sharing with her and my sis my thoughts on this very blog post, as I start to slide into a bit of ‘dread mode’ heading into traveling (again) next week to California. As I’ve said many times before, these trips always take a lot out of me, from the cross-country travel, to the adjustment (or lack thereof!) to the 3-hour time difference, which not only messes with my sleep pattern but most importantly (lol) my eating patterns (since I feel hungry allthedamntime, hungry when I wake up, hungry when I get to work, hungry all afternoon, given my meals are at such different times there vs. here. The time difference just sucks, plain and simple, for eating!). And don’t even get me started on how much it messes with my beloved routine.

But I am going to try something new this time. I am going to shift my focus. Focus on where I am, not where I am not.

Rather than look at the 7-day forecast (which we all know will change, anyway!) and seeing 82 degrees on the day I fly out and already wishing I wasn’t going to miss such beautiful weather, I’ll look at the 7-day forecast for Costa Mesa and realize that hey, it’s warm there *too*. Score.

Rather than be missing the rundates and the barre dates and the barre n9ne classes I won’t be teaching (or taking), I’ll focus on the classes I am taking in California, adjusting to the style of classes I may take, and experimenting with my very first outdoor run near my hotel (it’s always been uber dark in the morning when I’ve traveled there the last handful of times, but no more!), and a long-awaited dinner date with this awesome chick.

Rather than stressing about each and every meal and disliking that I am eating out more than I’d like, I’ll embrace the new places I plan to try, and request a mini-fridge in my hotel room and stock up on a few things at Trader Joe’s. And I’ll make every effort to make the best damn mock oatmeal bowl of goodness that I possibly can. Perhaps the best ‘mock’ bowl ever (next to homemade!).  Shifting my focus on adjusting to my environment, rather than wishing I was elsewhere.

Rather than missing M like whoa…well, I guess this one just won’t change, because let’s face it, I know I will miss him like whoa, but the goodbyes are the worst part and the welcome back hug and kiss are by far the best part, right up there with getting into bed, snuggling close, placing my face into the crook of his neck, where it fits just ever so perfectly, and falling to sleep smiling, happy to be home, but also happy to have focused on the here and now, not the there and future. 

It was the first time I’d truly seen such pride in his face. For once, basking in it, rather than brushing it off, or just going through the motions towards that finish line to get.it.done.

And while I wish I had known him throughout this entire process, seeing him through perhaps the toughest part of his degree, supporting him the best that I possibly could, and throwing him one hell of a party, makes me feel so blessed and fortunate to be a part of his life now, meeting him at such a pivotal time, for him, but also for me.

Because, you see, his graduation day also marked my one year barre n9ne 60 day challenge barre-o-versary. During a weekend of celebration, it was a weekend where I felt as though everything in my life had fallen into place exactly where I wanted, for the very first time. From my life, to my love, to my body.

And when I asked M if he were to make a speech, what he would say, he said ‘I would look around at my friends, my family, and you, and say that three years ago when I started on this journey, I never imagined the people around this table would be around this table today, but I couldn’t be happier.’ 

I couldn’t agree more. 

For him, through a marriage ending in divorce mid-way through his degree, to finding each other, at the exact right time in our lives, and for me, walking into barre n9ne a year ago, never expecting to experience a complete and utter transformation from mind, body, and soul, just as I feel the last three years of my life, in parallel to M’s has been. Full of complete change, struggle, sadness and pain, to strength, confidence, happiness and love.

This weekend, it was more than a graduation. It was the culmination of the last three years of our lives, so gently meeting at the same intersection, together. As it were meant to be. 

And if this picture doesn’t capture the essence of the weekend, and this culmination, I don’t know what does. As a friend on Facebook noted,: ‘you’ll look so content and happy and totally blissed out.” And she was right. <3

~~

I don’t normally cross-post to M’s blog, but he wrote a post that made me speechless. It really speaks to his journey from here until now, and if you have the time, please give it a read. Congratulations, love, you are amazing.

~~

As for the 60 day challenge barre-o-versary, there is more to come, including a before and after picture. But this post just felt like the essence of what I was feeling and thus, the before and after can wait

Anytime I travel, Friday is just that much sweeter, I have to say. As much I as try my best to embrace work travel, as I said yesterday, it is just so damn tiring, no matter what. So I figured I’d share some fun random travelin’ facts for today, some funny, some learnings and such

I never feel settled until I unpack, start a load of laundry, clean up a little (this depends on if M ‘tidies up’ for me before my arrival heehee), no matter what time I get home. Last night, I scored an earlier flight so I was home around 9 and did all of the aforementioned in 20 minutes. I don’t eff around, yo

I always go into OATT planning my workouts, my meals and of course, my outfits. And I always bring too many outfits (but usually almost always use a backup outfit I packed, for the record!) and enough snacks to feed an army (but you never know when you might be caught without a meal and have to rely on snacks, right?!).

I’m a nervous nellie traveler. And not in the fear of flying way. My worst fear is missing a flight or being late to board without a coffee, water, or meal (depending on how long the flight is, if I buy a meal or rely on aforementioned snacks!). I also fear layovers in ‘red flag’ snow/delay zones in the winter like Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and avoid them (and layovers) at all costs. Sometimes it is inevitable, but my second worst fear is sleeping in the airport

I love exploring new barre studios, gyms, and running routes when I travel. I’m always excited when the hotel offers a running route or map and I always scope out the hotel gym the night before. If there are two treadmills in the whole gym, you better be damned I’m getting one If I can find a barre studio to try out, I will, and have found a few cool ones in areas that I travel to frequently. Double score, right? (though my heart belongs to barre n9ne, of course).

I hate my routine being out of whack, so I try to mimic my week as much as I can (at least when I travel to California to the office). I plan my workouts (aforementioned barre studios!), I try and determine my meals for the week, bring lots of snacks and try to mirror my beloved oatmeal if I can. It just makes me feel more ‘at home’ than winging it. It’s again, the way I roll

As much as I dread the goodbyes, that’s almost always the worst part. There’s never a trip where I don’t learn something about myself, experience something new, or in the case of this week, meet friends!

Okay, so nothing overly weird, but as I am a year and a half into a job that requires a fair bit of travel, I’ve been thinking of my traveling evolution and how much preparedness comes into play for me to have a solid trip that doesn’t make me feel lacking in any way. And allows for a fair bit of exploring and meeting new people. With another work trip (California, this time) 10 days away, I’m rounding out a busy 6 weeks of traveling on-and-off, and am going to try and embrace it as much as I can. Because I know it all goes back to unseating comfort zones and growing.

But I hope you’ll ‘scuse me as I gallivant off towards enjoying the weekend which includes M’s graduation tomorrow. I couldn’t be more proud and cannot wait to see him walk across that stage. Cheers friends!

So when I arrived in Atlanta and got smacked in the face with a huge wave of homesickness, while  I was surprised (given brevity of trip and fun to be had), I tried to take it in stride and just get ‘er done.

Preamble aside…now that I’m en route home from Atlanta and the Digital Summit, I have a chance to recap the best part about the trip…and while the conference itself was great (actually a little better than the one in Chicago, which I was surprised at!)…the best part about the last three days? 

The girls that put ‘fun’ in Atlanta (Fun-lanta! Sorta punny, no? LOL) – Lee and Tina!!

I seriously loved meeting these girls and spending a glorious time at dinner catching up as if we’ve been friends for years. And given we’ve been connecting on our blogs for the last few years, that’s not too far off from the truth! Tina wrote up an awesome post on our evening, you can read it here, but I was just struck by how real, normal, fun, and so ‘like me’ in so many ways. It’s yet another reason why I love this community of friends I’ve met through my blog, these are some of the people that ‘get’ me most and it feels like such an opportunity to meet them for real and just talk. (And to spend almost two days with Lee, given she was at the conference with me, so we could even ‘talk shop’ hehe!)

So, I figured I would just include a few pics from our evening, which ended with a (not pictured here, but Tina snapped some!) de-lish frozen yogurt! And since I was foiled with pinkberry last weekend, I just about dove into my bowl of deliciousness!) Ladies, you’re awesome,  and really made this trip so much better than it ever would be otherwise

Me and Tina!

Lee and me!

Group pic!