healthy-living

Wedding weekend! (We took the running tour to Reidsville, NC!)

| cheriarmour

Pardon my brief absence, this weekend, one of my nearest and dearest friends, Alexa Wilde (formerly Terry) got married.  SO I took the tour to the bustling metropolis of Reidsville, NC.  Reidsville is a cool little town, kinda close to Greensboro, and the Terry home is beautiful.  Additionally, Charles and Tish, the parents of the bride, have acted like something of my parents away from home – if I showed up to their home in the middle of the night, they would take me in, feed me, and refuse to allow me to leave until I was back on my feet.

Alexa and I have been friends since Elon University, when we both were members of this sweet a cappella group.  And before you act like a hot dog wiener and make fun of us for being all Pitch Perfect, we were so amazing, so don’t be a hater.  So anyhoo, Alexa got murried.  And I’d be lying like a snake if I told you I didn’t ramp up my workouts and healthy eating the week or two before.  The thought of appearing in wedding photos that will be in a person’s memory forever is terrifying to me.  I don’t want to be the one screw-up in a picture that the bride like is still making fun of   25 years later, when she’s explaining to her kids who the sweaty buffalo was.  So I threw in a few extra cycling classes and made sure I didn’t eat anything that might make me all puffy in the photos.

So being the naturally anxious person I was, I did the best thing I knew to do to make sure I wouldn’t drive anyone nuts with my anxious pacing, the morning of the wedding.  I packed my running clothes, and a pair of sneaks, and hit the (super country) road.  I decided to actually run to the barn where Alexa was getting married to check a few things out.

Field

I cruised up to the field first, where you can see that the sky was lookin a little weird, and a few chairs were set up.  (Spoiler alert! The rain held off for us to get our girl married!)

Barn

And then I headed over to the barn. From the outside, it looked like a barn. But it was magic.  Deer antlers.  Old artwork.  Furniture.  A bluegrass band.  I ran around a few times, then headed back to the house, where we did all of the girly fun wedding prep stuff.  I truly feel like scheduling a workout before you put on fancy clothes is the best way to make sure you feel awesome in your clothes.  I don’t care if you’re 500 pounds, running before you put on a fancy dress makes you feel like Tyra in the photos.

Alexa

So me, my date, and the bride. We had a blast.  We didn’t stop dancing.  And we sent our girl off in style.  I’m so happy for our friend, and even happier that I was able to squeeze a run in in such a beautiful little town.

As a side note, disasters don’t just happen for the bride the day of a wedding.  Examples?

    • I didn’t pack any underwear except the ones I was wearing. None.  I had one pair for the entire weekend.
    • I forgot the appropriate undergarments for my dress and had to borrow some from the brides amazing mother.
    • The orange cat I’m cat-sitting ate ALL of the food I put out for him in the first 5 minutes of me being gone, I’m assuming because he vomited on my bed.  Or someone else’s cat broke into my apartment simply in order to vomit on my bed.  Either way.  There’s cat vomit on my bed.  I’m totally not going to include a photo of that here.  Some things have to remain sacred, ya know?

So congratulations Alexa and Colt Wilde!  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day.  And welcome home, Cherisse, time to wash the sheets!

“I just don’t have time to work out”

| cheriarmour

We don’t embarrass people here on the blog. So no names. But a few years ago, a co-worker who knew I taught fitness classes asked me how it was that I’d managed to say in such good shape throughout school. She was interested in beginning to work out. I thought that was great! So I told her to make sure that she was doing something every day. Walking, going to Zumba, running, swimming, just doing something. And she told me that she’d love to lose weight for a cruise she was going on later that year, but that she didn’t have time to do all that I’d told her. Um. First off. Why did you freaking ask me if you’re just gonna be like “Nah, definitely not doing that.” Second off, what the heck do you mean you don’t have time to work out?!

I get it. You’re busy. We’re all busy. I work full-time, I work at the gym, and I have relationships that I’d like to maintain. But if you’re anything like me, you also may like to maintain a healthy weight, you want to feel good in your clothes, and you’d most importantly, like to avoid diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, and the like. Right?

So if you feel like you don’t have time to work out, take 5 minutes out of your busy day, and look at my suggestions. I’ll have you working out in a second!

  • So, like, what sort of stuff do you do to maintain your personal hygiene? I know it’s a weird question, but work with me here. Do your pluck your eyebrows kinda daily? Do you floss? Do you paint your nails? Wash (or in my case, twist) your hair? You need to start regarding working out like you do some of these things. So tell yourself you’re not allowed to go to happy hour til you spend like 45 minutes on the elliptical.
  • Build your workout into your day to make it more convenient for you. When I was in my second year of grad school, I had like, 8 hours of classes on Tuesdays. So between my 2nd and 3rd class, I would spend the hour and a half doing something. Sometimes I’d run. Sometimes I’d hit the gym where I worked for a class. Sometimes I’d row. And then I’d baby wipes the gross parts and put extra deodorant on for my class. So if your day is jam-packed? Consider a lunch-time workout. Consider a workout while you have a break.
  • Have a date with yourself. I assure you, I have a brain. Actually, I have a Masters. But there’s something simply delightful about carving out the half-hour, the hour, or the hour-and-half to work out while Judge Judy, Maury, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (which no longer comes on much to my chagrin), the Real Housewives of Blah, or Dancing with the Has-Beens blares. You focus on the crap, and somehow, your time spent on the machine kind of melts away.
  • You have homework to do? A paper to write? Break it up. If you’re pulling a marathon stint, writing your final paper of the semester, write half, write 3/4ths, go for a walk with your dog, and then finish up. You’ll have a little more energy, and some gnarly ideas may come to you when you get the sweat pumping.

So like seriously, if you want to be the sexiest person in the office, in your graduate school cohort, or at church, as I often find myself to be, sneak your workout in.  You’ll perform better.  You’ll look better.  And you’ll finally feel  better cause you’re not making some lame excuse to stay out of the gym.

Tart Bomb Smoothie!

Image | | cheriarmour

Tart Bomb Smoothie!

So my favorite part of the weather warming up? (Sorta, I guess, I heard that some of yous in Colorado are getting snow? Gross.) Smoothie and salad time! Goodbye to heavy soups and gravies, and time for some light, tasty foods. Try this recipe in the morning for a tart, tasty smoothie!

What you’ll need
-Frozen bag of mixed berries (blue, raspberries, black, strawberries)
-Low-sugar orange juice (or you can cut regular orange juice with water)
-Palmful of spinach (optional)
-Scoop of Whey Protein (optional, but creates a wonderfully soft texture in the smoothie)

What you’ll do
-Fill a glass a little more than half way with frozen fruit. Dump it in the blender. Add optional spinach if you’d like.
-Add a little scoop of whey protein to the blender.
-Cover the fruit with the low-cal, low-sugar orange juice. Or add juice about halfway up the fruit, and add water the rest of the way.
-Blend until you get that little tornado in the center of the mix.
-Drink up and enjoy! (And tweet, email, and send me your pics of your sweet spring treat!)

I went to a pole fitness class. My review.

| cheriarmour

So we know that exercise is important for everyone, right?  But how to we get everyone addicted to it (in a healthy way, not a scary way), like, how do we get folks started?  I think you have to take what you really enjoy, and use that to jump you into working out.  Am I making sense?

Case in point.  I started going to Zumba classes with my younger sister when I was like 16.  I was instantly hooked.  We went every Tuesday afternoon that we could.  And I fell off of the Zumba boat when I went to college.  Toward the end of college, when I started feeling a little self-conscious about my body (I wasn’t working out or eating well at all)  I picked up going to classes again, and decided that I was going to get licensed.  And the decision to get licensed completely changed the trajectory of my life.  Zumba was my “gateway drug,” and I explored different class formats that I may not have even considered.  I yoga, I run, I run, I run, I cycle, I zumba, I dance, I lift, and I wouldn’t have begun to do any of it without Zumba.    

Pole fitness is the same for a lot of women.

I teach off-the-pole classes at a local pole fitness studio, Aradia Fitness in Cary, NC.  On this particular day last week, I was supposed to teach a Zumba class, and it was a perfect storm.  My classes are normally pretty packed, but no one showed up.  Not a soul.  It happens.  I’m not offended.  Heather, an extremely experienced pole dancer and teacher, invited me to stay at the studio and jump in on her Pole 1 class, an intro of sorts to pole fitness.  I was apprehensive.  I don’t know how to do any of that stuff, and what if the other girls laughed at me and told their friends that their Zumba instructor had transformed into a buffalo and crashed around the room, breathing heavily, and sweating all over everything?  But I figured it was nice of Heather to invite me, and instead of being a weirdo, I’d take her up.

First things first?  Heather is an incredible teacher.  I’m gonna toot my own horn here.  I’m a good teacher.  And it’s only because I learned from the absolute best.  I had Koh Herlong, I had Lindsay Gilvin, I had Austin Samples.  All great teachers.  Good teachers recognize it in others.  Heather had it.  We started with a cute warm-up, and as the class progressed, the workout turned a little more sexy.  Sexy walks, hip circles, hamstring stretches.  We took it to the floor.  Push-ups, more hip-flexor warm-ups, warm ups for our wrists, for our necks.  It was funny, everything Heather did and taught looked really sexy, especially when she did it, but everything had a purpose.

Next, we got on the poles.

Aradia

We started with a little dance, and each move was cued by Heather. Then, we did some pole work. Spins, climbs, and even some more advanced work. My poor knees were so banged up, but on the pole, my arms, my quads, and my legs were getting an awesome workout.  And the next day, my abs, my arms, and my legs were sore.  In a great way.

So my review?  If you’re having trouble getting motivated?  And you have the funds?  Try a pole fitness class.  It’s a great confidence builder.  Unlike other group fitness classes, there are no mirrors in the studios, and the classes are much smaller.  Where some of my classes have held upwards of 100 people, there were  about 6 of us girls, which allowed for individual time with the teacher, and if you’re feeling awkward, you don’t have to stare at yourself in the mirror.  Heather, speaking of, was so talented, and obviously had benefited from her time in pole fitness.  She was jacked!

So this place gets at A+ from me.  Facility is gorgeous, classes are great, and I felt so pretty after!  And if you’re feeling apprehensive, like you feel like you’re just going to some skanky stripping class, think again.  Every single move in the class had a purpose.  There wasn’t a dance, there wasn’t a spin, there wasn’t a move that didn’t have a specific purpose, which I only picked up on because I teach.  But to the untrained bod, you may just think you’re dancing around.  And hey, if you can burn calories just thinking you’re dancing around with 6 of your friends around a pole, then more power to your workout, right?

 

This entire week has been a hot mess.

| cheriarmour

A hot mess.  The universe is off-kilter.  Between Monday’s horrific tragedy in Boston, and continued weird events throughout the week, I am 100% confident in saying, that we all could use a vacation.  And a hug.  And a smile.

And knowing that the universe was acting strangely, I forced myself to run yesterday.  And usually when I do this, it  ends well.

My first mistake?  It was over 80 degrees, kinda humid, and I was wearing Nike Dri-Fit Capris.  “Oh, it’ll be fine, these hot capris will keep your chub from rubbing!”  False.

Then, I drank enough liquid to solve the clean water crisis in Africa.  I was thirsty!

Third?  I really didn’t feel like running.  Not I was just being lazy.  I really wasn’t feeling it!  But sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between laziness, and your body telling you to chill.  Learn to tell that difference.  So you won’t be a mess like me.

I set out on a short run before I had to teach a class yesterday.  And I began my gallop down the sidewalk with the grace of a Holstein Cow.  Took a few more steps.  And the liquid began to slosh around in my belly.  My pace fluctuated as wildly as my breathing did.  Sweat began to drip into my eyes.  And all I could think was.  “Shucks.  This is a bad run.”

It was a bad run.  Really bad.  I haven’t felt so defeated since I began to run.  And you know what you do when you have a bad run?  Drop it low, do a dance, be grateful you’re not injured, take a day off, and revisit running when you feel up to it.

Bad runs happen.  You’re emotionally drained.  You’re physically exhausted.  Your girlfriend just dumped you.  You lost your house.  You’re going through a divorce.  And your body is like. “Nope.  I need to expend energy grieving and repairing myself, not messing around here in this hot weather, inappropriately dressed.”  At that point, it’s tempting to push yourself harder, and try and redeem yourself, prove to yourself you can run.  You can.  You know it.  You’ve run 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons, marathons.  You need a break.  So when a bad run happens to you, (and it will, because you’re a human being), take it in stride.  Take a day off.  Come back when you feel ready to come back.  Dress a little more appropriately.  And do your thing a little better and smarter next time.

 

Comparison is the thief of joy.

| cheriarmour

About 3 days after I completed my marathon, an awful awful feeling started creeping in.

Days 1 and 2 were filled with a little bit of disbelief.  Except for the profound ache in my quads, I wasn’t quite sure I’d done it.

And then came the postpartum depression.

Literally, I was overwhelmed by this sense that I could have done better.  That I, and my race time, was a disappointment to friends and family.  That I hadn’t worked hard enough initially, and that’s why I hadn’t pulled an Olympian time.  I started to feel antsy.  That I immediately needed to sign up for something else, to begin training, and to “redeem” myself in a sense.

I explained this to Yoga Kerri a few days later at work, and she, as well as a few others, explained that the race was about me, and not anyone else.  It doesn’t matter what anyone else thought.  My time was nothing to sniff at.  I’d done it.  I’d enjoyed the experience.  And I wanted to do it again, and if I did it better (and one day qualified for Boston and then had a really sweet jacket to proudly wear about as people marveled about my beauty and strength), then so be it.

I don’t know who I was comparing myself to.  But I have a lot to be proud of.

      • I finished a marathon
      • I ran the entire time, the way I wanted to
      • I felt relatively good the entire time
      • I created a training plan, and stuck to it
      • I’d gladly do it again

So raise your glass (of low-cal Gatorade), and cheers to not comparing yourself to anyone else.  Do you!

Look at that fine behind!
Look at that fine behind!

The big question on everyone’s mind?

| cheriarmour

Will you do this again?

As in, run a marathon.

Abso-frigginlutely.  Without a doubt. Yes.

I won’t lie to you and tell you I felt (physically) like a million bucks after.  In fact, the day after, I felt quite horrid.  Not like anything was hurt, I’ll-never-walk-again horrid, but like, quads were like ::side eye::  hips were like what in the world?!

Three days out and I feel great.  I did a little walk/jog thing on the treadmill last night to get the juices flowing.  I’m ready for a really short, easy run today, and nothing more.  But I’m so ready to sign up for another.  SO ready.  So ready to do better with my time.  So ready to plan out better.  So ready to take an extra day off work so I can actually enjoy the beer they give you after.  So ready to bring a few more friends and let them get addicted to it (in a good way) like I am!  So ready for better weather (here’s hoping) for the next one!

So I’m not sure when.  But soonish.  I’d like to take on this beast again.

I ran a marathon yesterday.

| cheriarmour

I ran a marathon.

If you’re thinking about running a marathon, and you’re kind of playing around with the idea, DO IT.  It’s like the best feeling of accomplishment next to graduating with a Masters or an undergraduate degree after a long hard road.  It’s like you work toward it, you work toward it, and OH LOOK! Now it’s here, and you finally get to see your hard work pay off.  It’s really neat.  So a few marathon tips, and a little insight into Shamrock?

Post-race, they gave us all blankets for the trek home!
Post-race, they gave us all blankets for the trek home!

You need a hotel?  Get one that’s walkable.  Now’s not the time to be getting yourself a motel in the hood.  Because you’re gonna be feeling some type of way when you finish, only to realize that you paid to park in a sketchy parking lot, and that you’ve got to ride around, smelling like a locker room, to the Sundial Inn, or worse, the Motel 6.  Just spring for the extra.

Bring a friend.  If you can convince someone to do it with you, I think that makes it way better, and the two of you can encourage each other.  You and aforementioned homie don’t need to be pace buds, but even to check into the hotel with, to eat a few meals with, to walk around the expo, and to encourage each other is fun and fine!  I brought Jenny, who was quite a bit faster than I am, but we bounced some good energy between the two of us, and it worked out!

Aquaphor. 

My only battle scar (because I Aquaphored) was a welt from the seaming in my tights. Once I realized what was going on, I was 20 miles in, and it was too late for me to be messing with my leg.
My only battle scar (because I Aquaphored) was a welt from the seaming in my tights. Once I realized what was going on, I was 20 miles in, and it was too late for me to be messing with my leg.

Be prepared for things to go not exactly how you planned them out in your head on race day.  You do everything you’re supposed to.  That doesn’t mean the weather or the course will.  The weather this weekend, quite frankly, sucked a big fat one.  It was beautiful and breezy on Saturday.  On race day?  Overcast, cold, and a few rain drops, though the rain held off until after we scooted.  The course also was a little longer than 26.2 miles, which I’m investigating right now.  Oh well, you can’t do anything about it once you’re in the thick of the race, right?  So just solider on!

Marathon 4
We were crossing our fingers and praying for some good weather, but we didn’t get it. Oh well! At least the rain held off. It was rather freezing and windy, though!

Throwaway clothing.  Not kidding.  These cheap articles of clothing are going to save. Your. Life.  Over the top of my adorable little green cap-sleeved tech shirt and compression 3/4 length pantaloons, I threw this horrific hoodie with holes in it over the top, as well as a slouchy pair of sweats.  I was able to, in the pocket of the hoodie, put some hotties, to keep my Raynaud’s-afflicted hands warm while we stood around and waited for the elites and the first corral to get moving.  I had gloves as well, which were thrown away around 20-some-odd miles because I could not get them back on my hands.  Oh well.  RIP Brooks gloves.  You served me well this past winter.  But someone else is enjoying you now.

Marathon 1

Be sweet to the volunteers, cause they’re gonna be so sweet to you!  I understand why these road races cost so much.  They put a LOT into them to make sure that we’re rolling relatively comfortably for 26+ miles.  The volunteers stood out in the freezing cold for close to 5.5 hours, holding little cups of water, Gatorade, bananas, cookies, and gels to make sure we could cruise successfully.  They clapped, they cheered, and at the end, stood out on the even-colder beach to make sure I was given a finishers medal and a wonderfully warm fleece blanket.  My hands were too cold to open the packaging my blanket came in at the end and a volunteer busted open the package and turned me around to put it on my shoulders.  As a final note, my apologies to the little girl who I spilled water on.  Total accident.

Draw on the strength of your friends, family, and other well-wishers.  You’re gonna need it.  Play their voices in your head.  Think about your mom.  Think about your friends.  Think about the random folks who’ve wished you well.  Think of your ancestors.  Think of how hard you worked, and draw strength.  That will get you through.  I have to give a very special shout-out to all the folks at Fleet Feet, Jenny, Kerry, Vinny, Austin, Alexa, Andrew, Erin, Taylor, Liz, Maggie, Mark, Christopher, Chelsie, my Mom, and Melanie.  An extra special thanks to Jerry, my co-worker, with the southern accent, whose voice kept playing over and over and over in my head.  

Be prepared.  You’re gonna see a lot of poop, and a lot of public urination.  I only tell you this so you’re not a total weirdo and staring when you see a guy in an Adidas track suit about face, step only a foot away from you, and whip his stuff out.  Avert your eyes, and keep it moving.

Register!  You’re not gonna understand it until you register.  Do it, and you will be amazed at what your body is capable of doing.

Marathon 2
The final score. Already planning on what I can do a little better next time 🙂

 

 

Anxiety.

| cheriarmour

I was kind of an anxious child.

Let me back it up.  So along with all of these absolutely horrifying stories of school shootings, comes the irritating habit of every television personality, person with a Facebook account, or local news channels pointing the finger at everything to blame, because it’s too much work to think about a culmination of factors, both societal and personal, have made this kid do what he’s done.

And antidepressants have taken the fall far too many times for my liking.

I was sort of an anxious child.  And sort of is a the under exaggeration of the century.  Little things would completely send me into a tailspin.  I cried and flopped around like a fool every time our family dog would run away, once, only for moments until my mom found her destroying a neighbors wading pool.  I once hyperventilated so badly the fire trucks had to be called to like, make sure I wasn’t going to die right then and there.  It’s kind of why I love animals, dogs in particular.  Their presence is calming to me.  Chihuahuas because they’re anxious like I am.  They’re thin, they’re little, they shake when they get scared.  They’re also ridiculously smiley, and in general, really good natured.  I’m like that chick in ‘7 Pounds,’ with the Great Dane?  They have heart problems, she had heart problems, it all worked out.

Noelle

So when I graduated undergrad in 2008, I was struggling.  I was in the wrong relationship.  I was graduating.  I had no money.  I was kinda fat.  I was to be starting graduate school with no money and no place to live.  It was a lot for a naturally anxious kid to handle!  And I hadn’t discovered working out and taking care of myself yet.  I had this perpetual lump in my throat. It was a hot sizzling mess.

Everything came to a head for me when, after a day of fun visiting art museums and things with aforementioned boy, I came home, and just cried into his lap.  I didn’t know what it was, or why, but the tears just kept rolling.  I’m sure the poor thing was really confused, he wasn’t any sort of trained therapist, and I wasn’t either, yet.  Eventually, after a few of these crying jags, I paid a visit to a doctor, who prescribed me Celexa.  And it was about a year, between the Celexa, the loss of about 40ish pounds, Zumba, running, yoga, burning sage, and not taking everything quite so seriously, that I began to feel like the person who was hidden beneath layers and layers and layers of depression-smog.

Did I turn violent and postal after I started Celexa?  No, quite the opposite.  Do most people on antidepressants?  Nope.  The vast majority of us are so ridiculously normal, you would never suspect us for being crazy.  (I kid, I kid!  We’re not nuts!)

Like I said before, I’m a little sick of antidepressants taking the fall.  Beecause.

1. If you’ve been  incorrectly prescribed antidepressants, like if you’re actually bipolar and you’ve been misdiagnosed as being depressed, that’s when bad things happen.  Not when normal folks, with a mild case, take their meds like they’re supposed to.

2. They do a lot of good things for a lot of people. I’m awesome.  I’m happy.  I’m chipper.  And it’s not just the Celexa, but it certainly helps.

3.  Don’t be a jerk.  If you’ve never taken them, don’t talk about them.  You never know who you’re sitting next to, and you could be insulting a loooot of people.  I’m super happy for you that you were able to beat your situation by meditating and breathing, but some of us chose an alternate route, and you should respect that.

Now, I’m off to supplement my lifestyle with some yoga before this marathon!  xoxo, ❤