Bring. It. On.

As the weeks go on and I'm still not running, I am trying to find ways to challenge myself and still get that feeling of exhaustion that inevitably arrives with finishing a long, challenging run. I have to say that I love weight lifting, but I was getting a bit bored of it. I mentioned before that I have taken up yoga, which I still love. But today I needed something new. I wasn't going to make it to Inbal's Ashtanga Yoga class, which is great, and I have decided that I want to get recertified in lifeguarding, which means that I have to start swimming again. The weather out today was just perfect for an outdoor swim, but alas, its still winter here and the pool is still covered at the hotel, so I was a big sport and went swimming. I haven't swam since they put the cover over the pool and that was in October. I don't think that you can call my swim today perfect, maybe just impressive for being able to swim the 40 laps without dying of boredom or killing the old ladies that don't know how to swim in straight lines (I hate that!), but I did it and it felt great. I hope that it will become a regular ritual so that I can really work on my technique and be able to pass the refreshers course, here in Israel.

In other news, I signed on my new apartment, forked over the 1st months rent, now it's time to find a roommate and buy some furniture. I can't wait to be able to decorate! My mom is coming tomorrow and that will make purchasing accessories all the easier.

Tomorrow morning calls for yoga. Let's hope that I wake up on time for work first...

'Till next time,

Peace.

Oh, and the answer to your question is, "No. I am not running in the Jerusalem Marathon."

Yoga. Ohhmm...

Power Flow & Twist.

All I have to say is O. M. G. and I do not usually let those letters exit my mouth one after the other. It was one of the better classes I have been to ever. Challenging and hysterical all at the same time. Power Yoga Flow is a trully unique yoga practice based on intuition rather than tradition. The class that I tried to go to on a weekly basis was Ashtanga, taught by my good friend Inbal, and I really enjoyed it but it doesn't seem to want to fit with my schedule. I tried out the Power Flow today and it was a great success, which I am hoping to attend each week, now that Thursdays have an opening at 9am. Luckily the studio is located right near my work, so I don't have to find myself with nowhere to go at 830 in the morning. You can check out the webstite here or look them up on Facebook, Flow Power Yoga Studio in Jerusalem.

The next indulgence of the day was a facial. No one told me how painful they are. Boy, I almost hit the cosmetician, but I held back and tried to breathe deeply. Next time I hope to not need the deep cleanse. Now I could really use a massage...

Next on the list is a Tu B'Shvat Wine Festival party with all the single Anglos in this city. Should be interesting. According to my Horoscope, Jupiter is going to be at the party so I should keep my eyes open...

In the meantime,

Peace out.

Where to begin?

Its been a really long time since I've last written. So much has happened, yet I feel as if nothing has. Life these days is school, work, clinic, sleep, work, work, work... I'm almost at the end of the 1st semester of my last year at Reidman. It feels like it was yesterday when I was a college dropout not knowing what to do with my life and a good friend told me I had to go study Chinese Medicine. Needless to say he was dead on. I do like to brag, I won't lie, so I will tell you that I am one of the more serious students at my school and they say that I will go far in my career in Chinese Medicine. I try not to let it go to my head. I honestly cannot wait for school to be over, I have serious senoritis all over again and its killing me. Mondays classes consisted of me searching for Bed Bath and Beyond products for my Mom to buy me to furnish my new apartment (!!), falling asleep in class sitting in the front row and providing the class party with strawberries and whipped cream. I am looking forward to the second semester of only 1 day a week of class and the clinic. Which by the way, if anyone reads this, is looking for patients, so if anyone is interested in acupuncture treatments for only 50 shekel, please let me know!

Now on to the more exciting news. I am moving!! Thanks to the good Lord above. My new apartment is on Emek Refaim, right on top of the Ne'eman Bakery, which is a real shame now that I am really trying to stay Paleo and all. It is light and airy, with a porch and a great living room. I have my own ensuite bathroom and am looking for a roommate for the second bedroom, preferably male. I've had it with the females. I can't handle the whining, screeching, fighting, dirt, bitchiness. I grew up with brothers, as unpleasant as they can be sometimes, I prefer that over the drama. For the past 2 weeks now, I have been hearing from lots of different people how I should just keep the apartment for myself and make the other room into a clinic. I am debating, its not an easy decision, entails lots of risk taking, but in the end will be worth it. The question is, do I have the time and patience to wait for the long run right now.

Speaking about long runs... My longest run in the last 1/2 year was 3 weeks ago and only 5km. I have not ran farther than that since the last Jerusalem Marathon which was almost a year ago... I miss it every day, inside, but my body thanks me for not causing it more pain than needed. Hopefully I will make it back to the pavement soon. In the meantime, Crossfit has been keeping me in shape and helping me get stronger, as well as yoga. I haven't been to a yoga class in a long time, I think I'll go Thursday morning, its time.

I hope that this has been an enjoyable first entry back and that there are many more coming. I don't know how often, but I will try my best.

Time for dinner with the ladies.

Peace out.

Sum', Sum', Summatime

Summer means vacation, right? Vacation means straying from your routine. How do you keep on top of your training while on vacation? When I went to Barcelona for the weekend last year right before I had to start training for the Venice marathon, I was a little nervous about how I would fit in runs and where I was going to go without getting terribly lost. There is also the issue of fitting in workout clothes as well as vacation clothing and the fact that you might not be doing laundry for the time you are away (gross, believe me.) The few things that I have learned over my years of running and world travel are, if running is your priority, you will find room in your suitcase, you don't really need 5 pairs of sandals for a 4 day weekend getaway. You will make the time to get out and run, even if it means waking up at dawn when you were partying the night before, isn't that what you would be doing at home anyway? My advice is to take advantage of your surroundings. Working at the gym at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, I have had the opportunity to meet many runners on vacation trying to find a way to get their runs in. I have mapped out so many different routes for my fellow runners, I was starting to run out of ideas, no pun intended. So ask the instructor at the gym in the hotel you are staying at where they would suggest you run distance, level of difficulty (ie. hardest hills), safety-wise, most scenic or more touristy route. If there is no gym (how dare you?? jk...), ask the front desk, that is what they are there for. The morning is the best time to get out for a run. If you are in a warm climate, it is usually the coolest time of day and there won't be many other people out so its a whole other way to experience the city. Barcelona is a city that goes to sleep extremely late, so when I was waking up to get out and run, the city was just dying down. When I went out to run on the marina, the sun was just coming up and everyone else was making their way back home. Running in unfamiliar territory really opens your eyes to your surroundings in a way you wouldn't normally be seeing them when you are just touring. When I was in Australia and New Zealand and the weather permitted it, I would wake up long before I had to wake Reina up and go out for a 30-45 min run, each time seeing places we most probably wouldn't be visiting.

As for me, right now. I don't have any vacations planned for the Summer at the moment, maybe something before I go back to school in November, after the holidays. I have been running here and there and the swimming has been very helpful to my hip as well as the acupucture, so I am hoping to spend my next weekend getaway running the sites.

Of course Runner's World has some advice of their own, pretty much along the lines of my advice, just a bit more conducive to families travelling together:

HOLIDAY HURDLE: You can't break away from the family to run.
GET OVER IT Walk together 30 to 60 minutes a day. Long walks, like long runs, can help build and maintain endurance. You'll get in quality family time while everyone gets in better shape.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: The kids love the pool, but you're not much of a swimmer.
GET OVER IT Aqua jog for 30 minutes. Pushing against water's resistance can eliminate inefficient movement, which can improve your form on land. Plus, it's a great cardiovascular workout. Wear a flotation belt to keep you upright in the deep end. Let your legs move as you would on land. If there's no belt available, do the same movement in shallower waters.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: You've never run on the beach before.
GET OVER IT The softness of sand can strain muscles and tendons because they're stretched farther than when you're running on a firm surface. Start with several one- to two-minute segments of running. Walk one minute between each. Limit the distance to a quarter-mile on the first day; add an additional segment every time after that.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: Running on vacation feels like work.
GET OVER IT Stray from your routine. If you normally run in the morning, try a sunset run. If you typically run on the roads, hit the beach, trails, boardwalk, or park. If you mainly run solo, check out local clubs and join a group run.

Oh, and how could I forget! The best way to see a new city/country... run a marathon there! You will definitely be seeing more than you would as a plain old tourist.

'till next time,

Peace.

Some words to the wise.

So, I have stopped running, but that does not mean that I don't think about running every single day. Almost as much as I think about New Zealand... In the meantime I have been keeping myself busy with swimming, lots of swimming, and I have a great tan now and a nice strong upper body (not that I didn't before hand). I still add some short sprints on the treadmill here and there when I find that I am sick of the elliptical and I have a lot of energy that needs to be expended. I think that this much needed break from the rigorous regimen of training for any race was a very good idea. I'm less tired, I'm happier, I have a great glow (thanks to the sun) and I'm really enjoying myself instead of feeling like I don't have a choice and that I must run.

With all that said, I am still here to enlighten everyone with the woes of training or just plain running. I receive daily emails from Runnersworld.com and the one currently in my inbox made me extremely nostalgic for the training runs on the hills of Jerusalem and the feeling of not being able to catch my breath at the top of the mountain. So I will share with you the advice of "How to Breath When Running":

Breathe Right
Here's how Mindy Solkin, a New York City-based coach, teaches runners to engage their diaphragms.

Open Your Mouth
Your mouth is larger than your nostrils, so it's more effective at taking in oxygen. Also, keeping your mouth open keeps your face more relaxed, which makes it easier to breathe deeply.

Breathe in Patterns
Coordinating your inhales and exhales with your footfalls develops diaphragmatic strength. Start with a 2-2 pattern-breathe in while stepping left, right; breathe out while stepping left, right. Advance to 3-3 (breathe in, step left, right, left; breathe out, step right, left, right), and then a 4-4 pattern.

Breath Enhancers

Cross-training exercises that reduce huffing and puffing

These three Pilates moves strengthen the diaphragm, stretch tight muscles, and improve posture-all of which help you run longer with less effort. Practice each exercise two or three times a week before you run.

1) The Hundred

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Inhale and lift your head, neck, shoulders, and arms off the ground. Lift your knees and extend your feet so your legs are straight and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out. While doing so, pump your arms, moving them in a controlled up and down manner. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths-each breath includes five inhales and five exhales. After you do 10 complete breaths, you will have completed 100 arm pumps.

> The Payoff: Teaches controlled breathing, so that your inhales and exhales are balanced. Bonus: Builds strong abdominals.

2) The Swan

Lie face down with your palms flat under your shoulders (as if you were going to do a pushup). Look down so your neck is in line with your spine. Inhale and slowly lift your head, neck, shoulders, and chest as you press your hands into the ground. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. As you exhale, slowly lower yourself back down, chest first, then shoulders, neck, chin, and head. To avoid discomfort in your back, concentrate on pulling your shoulders back to open up your chest. Repeat 10 times.

The Payoff: Opens up the chest and deepens your lung capacity to correct shallow breathing.

3) Standing Chest Expansion

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your arms at your sides. Inhale and sweep your arms out and up so that your biceps are near your ears and your palms are facing each other. Exhale and lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat four times, concentrating on breathing deep and opening your chest.

The Payoff: Stretches the intercostal muscles (which lie between the ribs), relaxes the shoulders, engages the diaphragm and pelvic floor, and helps balance breathing between the left and right lungs.

I know that not everyone relates to pilates and yoga but I think that they are really helpful for being in the best all around shape.

Peace.

Visit my website for information and gift certificates for massages and fitness training! www.rachelshealthandfitness.com

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Time off.....

It saddens me to write this but I know it is the right decision to make.

I have decided to take a break from running.

My brain is telling me one thing but my body is clearly not up to the training that is required to run a 5k let alone a marathon.

With this break from running I have been cross-training a lot, swimming and running. Hopefully by the end of the brutal summer that is definitely in store, I won't be dehydrated and exhausted but rather rejuvenated and ready to conquer new challenges. (Nothing longer than 42.2 km, puhlease.) Maybe a fall triathlon or a marathon to start off 2012... Who knows.

In the meantime, I'll be working on my tan. In the pool, not out.

The rest is easy...or so you would assume.

To rest or not to rest, that is the question.

Most people I speak to think I am crazy. In what aspect of my life are they referring to? That is also a good question. It could be many things, that I live in Israel, that I am studying Chinese medicine, that I walk around in public in my Vibrams... I do believe that they are usually referring to my exercise routines/schedule. I do try and exercise every day of the week, never doing the same thing day after day. I take breaks in my routine every Monday and Thursday for school. The biggest break I have taken would be my current break from running. The last time I ran a substantial amount was right after the Jerusalem Half Marathon. I decided that it would be a good idea to give my hip a break from excess flexing. I mostly biked and swam over the last month and a half. I inserted a few runs here and there but only in the last 2 weeks. I thought that it would be a lot harder to get back into the runs but surprisingly it felt as if I had never stopped. The hardest part about taking the break is actually sticking to the plan. I know most people would say that its hard to stick to running or exercising but I have come to a point where, call it, my addiction to exercise is similar to that of heroin, I have both a physical and psychological dependence toward exercise. I know exactly when "pain=pain" became "pain=pleasure" and its been at least 8 years. The withdrawal symptoms are not pretty. I'm sure that anyone in my family or my close friends can vouch for that. So the question becomes, when does exercise go from being healthy to becoming detrimental to one's health?

I am sure that if you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that I am not immune to injury. I might wish that I am and might be in denial that I am not but somewhere deep down inside I know that I should slow down a bit...Not going to happen, at least not right now, Berlin 2011 is in 4 months..! My latest routine is geared to strengthening my legs. I don't see the need in piling on the weights, I prefer to stick with my body weight and low numbered free weights. I do like "tunder ties" but don't necessarily need to be walking around with them. I found this crazy workout site where this Ukrainian woman makes up all these ridiculous exercises and I have adopted all the ones I can pull off without the equipment she uses. People at the gym think I'm crazy and I get all types of questions and looks, of envy of course. I should just wear a shirt that says: "I'm a personal trainer; yes, you can hire me. (If you have the guts...)". Tuesday marks the first day of marathon training. I hope to remain injury free but that is not wholly up to me.

The routine will be 3 runs per week with 2 days of cross and strength training. Obviously there will be speed work, core exercises and hopefully lots of massages. I will keep you updated now that I'm back on the wagon, (off the wagon?)...