Are You REALLY That Busy?

These days when you ask someone how they're doing, you often hear:

"SO BUSY!"

"Crazy busy."

"NO time to work out, I'm just TOO busy."

But is everyone REALLY all that busy?

I could use some more of this in my life :)

My friend Alicia recently shared this article with me that hit this subject spot on.

The author explained how it's not the people working 3 overtime jobs that are complaining about being busy, it's usually the people with the self-imposed type A schedules who tell you that they're busy.  The people who are truly overworked just say they're "exhausted."

He says that people like saying that they're busy because it makes themselves sound SELF-IMPORTANT.

He argues that people feel anxious or guilty if they're not filling their schedules to capacity.

This quote pretty much sums up the author's viewpoint:

"Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand of every hour of the day."

West Virginia was the perfect escape from the internet land,
I could also do some more of that.

Do you agree with the author?  Do people self-impose "busyness" just because they're afraid to have down time and find out that their life is meaningless?

I am totally guilty of making myself "too busy" sometimes and while I do NOT agree 100% with the author (many people legit have busy lives with families and other obligations), I think that this article serves a great jumping off point for some thinking.  I believe that I can probably be more efficient with my time and just relax a little more.  I am often pushing myself to try new things and expand my boundaries because that is part of what brings me joy-- and doing that sort of thing is not always consistent with having a lot of down time.  Like many things in life, being "busy" is fine in moderation but it's important to remind myself that sometimes it's wonderful to just LIVE LIFE :)

My Outside Magazine Photo Shoot!!

NOTE:  This still feels really seems pretty unbelievable to me, so please bear with my giddiness :)

Outside Magazine, a national active/outdoors/lifestyle magazine, was one of my little obsessions back in high school when I started dreaming of travels and adventures...

So when I was contacted last Monday to have photos taken of me running around Richmond, I quickly said YES!!

For the photo shoot, I met the talented and award-winning travel + documentary photographer, Michael Hanson (check out his blog HERE) over at Belle Island in Richmond.  Check out some of his cool projects and magazine covers...

We ended up taking photos for about 1 or 2 hours.

If you have ever wondered what a running photo shoot is like, just imagine running back and forth a bunch of times in one spot.  I was SOAKED in sweat by the end!

But it was SO much fun!!

Here are some of the highlights:

Tappan hung out with us and got a couple cool shots as well.

I learned that to get better running photos, you can lengthen your stride and kick at your butt to make it look like you're moving faster.  It was tough work and felt a little unnatural, I wish I'd been able to practice a little more..but I guess I already get plenty of running practice and should know what I'm doing by now haha.

The editor still has to decide which (if any) photos to use in the magazine, so I'll keep you all posted on if I end up being published or not!

If it all works out, my photo will be in the October 2012 issue of Outside Magazine :)

Have you ever had a special experience like this before?

Color Me Rad 5K

Saturday was a long day of running....
12.27 miles at a 7:42 pace followed by:
The Color Me Rad 5K!

Getting leggy at the Color Me Rad 5k with my dearest Brittany!!

I picked up my bib on Friday afternoon and met the brains behind the Color Me Rad 5k.

Color Me Rad packet pickup

Race morning started off innocently enough:  as much white as possible and a few scattered RAD temporary tattoos.

Clean as little newborn babies

I was pretty tired after my morning run so we ran slow and easy and just enjoyed ourselves.

As we entered the first color zone, I was getting a little nervous about inhaling all the cornstarch so I used my top as a lil' filter.

Inhaling some colored cornstarch?

Once all the colored cornstarch settled to the ground, some people were rolling around in it for some extra effect.  I wasn't quite that anxious to get rad, but it was tempting!

Neon Heaven

Later in the race, we encountered a handful of other color zones, and plastered ourselves with as much paint as possible.

And I'd say we were successful!

Tappan and me, victorious at the end of the Color Me Rad 5K!

Check out Brittany's blog for more about our
Color Me Rad experience.  She's my running twin :)

While I was standing around after the race, I realized that everything looked sort of 3D shimmery and I couldn't figure out why...until I discovered that my contact lens had been dyed blue from the colored cornstarch!!!

Color Me Rad victim:  my newly blue contact lens

Check out the bright blue contact lens around
the perimeter of my dark brown iris...now THAT is rad!!

I did have to soak in my shower for at least 15 minutes until the majority of the color came off my skin, which did make me a little nervous because I had to work that night...and my clothes probably need a 2nd or 3rd run through the washing machine to get the color out...

But all in all, it was a FABULOUS race.

Very well organized and well attended-- all the Color Me Rad races have been sold out thus far.

Thanks again to the Color Me Rad and Virginia Special Olympics folks for the free bibs for my friends and me!

Have you done Color Me Rad?  Is this sort of thing appealing to you?
This was my first Color Me Rad and I loved it even more than I'd expected to.  It was fun to do a 100% relaxed race where you don't have to focus on running fast and can just run it with your buddies.

Blog Makeover

I have some super exciting news to share later this week......!  But we'll all just have to be patient (myself included.)

Ok back to to the topic at hand:

I would love to do a blog makeover at some point...

but I have NO idea where to get started.

The top three things I'd like to update:

• new header
• little buttons for twitter/instagram/blogger/pinterest at the top right
• clean up my sidebar

I think I'll switch to this as my new header...
does anyone else have a photo suggestion for me to use??

My favorite design style is CLEAN, crisp, bold, simple and fresh.

Do you have any recommendations for a talented blog makeover artist (or at least someone who knows how to make those social media buttons)?
Everything I've done up to this point has been on my own, but at this point I'd love to get some help from someone else to make it extra pretty!

Comfy + Hills + Speed + Long = 49 Miles

Just a little peek into my recent running......

I usually just run whatever feels reasonable or whatever I'm in the mood for.

However, this past week, I tried to be more deliberate about some of my runs.  I loosely followed the training plan for my marathon training team and made sure to do a dose of hills, speed-ish, long, and plenty of "comfy/recovery/easy" miles.

Monday:  COMFY 7 miles at 8:07 pace

Tuesday:  COMFY 9 miles at 8:15 pace

Wednesday:  REST

Thursday:  HILLS plus COMFY 9 miles total, average pace of 8:12

Friday:  FAST 3 miles at 7:01 pace

Saturday:  COMFY 3 miles at 8:03 pace

Sunday:  LONG 15 miles at 8:08 average pace

Total 49 miles, which I think is an all time high?  I don't think I've ever gotten up to 50.  Leading up to my 3:26:53 OC Marathon, I averaged 32 miles per week, so this was definitely on the high side of my range.

I also ran 6 days last week, which I NEVER do!

So this week's high mileage was probably just a blip on the radar...we'll see if I keep following the training team's schedule through the fall.  I might start feeling suffocated and rebellious.

Do you run by feel or do you try to plan your types of runs??

I usually run off-the-cuff-ish but I'm going to try to make sure I get in a couple deliberate runs per week...I'd like to try to add some more speed work.

Uncomfortable Challenge

It's friday, almost time for the weekend!

This weekend, I want to challenge you to make an effort to do something that takes you out of your comfort zone.

Find something that makes you borderline-uncomfortable.

Whether it means waking up early for an 'early morning run', calling up an old friend who you've been meaning to catch up with, or just anything to temporarily to shake things up a little!


I always surprise myself with how refreshing it can be to get out of 'my routine' or to do something that I've been fearing.

Try something that you've been putting off-- 
for example, reach out to old friends that you've been missing 
or approach someone new that you've been wanting to talk to!

Can you think of a way that you'd like to push your boundaries this weekend?

I'm super excited and nervous about joining a new organization in town that is having their first meeting on Saturday!  I'm also going to run with a new running group on Sunday.  I'm going to sit down and plan a trip that I've been meaning to plan.  Lastly, I'm going to make an effort to go for a 'long' bike ride with Tappan--- which we've been talking about doing since May...

The Homestead

Our exciting weekend adventures in West Virginia included mini excursions to two pretty incredible resorts, the Greenbrier and the Homestead.

The Greenbrier and the Homestead are a short 50 minute drive from each other.
And it's a gorgeous drive...make sure you stop to check out the scenic overlooks.

Both of these resorts are like getting into a time machine, going back to another era where life was simpler but still very celebrated!

I'm going to start with a little report about the Homestead, a luxury resort in Hot Springs, VA.  In the next couple days, I'll do a quick chat about the Greenbrier.

The Homestead

The minute you turn the corner of the winding mountain roads and see the tall building peeking out from the mountains, you feel like you've been picked up and transported to a quaint little european town in tucked away in the mountains.

When you enter the building, you are greeted by TALL ceilings and beautifully ornate decor.

Every corner I turned, there was a new little sitting room or a comfy seat to cozy up with a book.

We wandered outside to the courtyard area, which is absolutely gorgeous.  Gazebos, lawn games, outdoor pool, a cafe, and immaculate landscaping.

 You will never get bored here.  There are endless opportunities for entertainment...including:

• alpine ski resort
• championship golf courses
• ice skating
• spa and wellness center
• tennis
• horseback riding
• hiking and biking

....and my favorite:  the Jefferson Pools hot springs where Thomas Jefferson used to soak!

The feeling of relaxation at the Homestead is pretty unbelievable, I can't wait to plan a weekend getaway there :)

Have you ever been to the Homestead or can you think of a resort that's similar to it?

The comfortable casual elegance of the Homestead actually reminded me of the Hotel del Coronado (my favorite hotel ever)...and interestingly enough, it turns out that they are both managed by the same company.

STOP, Proceed at Your Own Risk: Hiking Seneca Rocks

This weekend, I found myself out in the West Virginian wilderness with Tappan!

One of our many excursions included hiking Seneca Rocks.

at the "summit" of Seneca Rocks.
Completely clouded over, but you can use your imagination :)

Seneca Rocks is a pretty well known craggy landmark in Pendelton County, West Virginia.

It's a 1.5 mile hike to get to the top of the mountain.  Not too strenuous!

If you're into rock climbing, there are over 375 major mapped climbing routes on the Seneca Rocks.

Once you get to the top, there is a not-so-gentle reminder of the dangers of going past the marked path.

creepy sign explaining the deaths and
dangers associated with Seneca Rocks

In fact, more than 15 people have died up there since 1971.

They have a rescue helicopter pad at the foot of the mountain, which did make me a little nervous...I saw this before we started the hike and I found myself wondering if this was going to be dangerous...how safe is Seneca Rocks if they need a rescue helicopter pad??  The part that we hiked seemed safe, but apparently the trouble comes when people wander off the path or climb the rock faces.

We ran into a park ranger who told us that a teenager had passed away up there just a couple weeks earlier...the park ranger had found an abandoned car in the parking lot and the body was discovered once people started reporting the smell of a decomposing body :(  Very sad stuff.

Other than hearing about the sad story, I had a wonderful time on our little expedition up Seneca Rocks!  My glutes are sore today!

When was the last time you went hiking??

I hadn't been in AGES...can't remember last time I'd been and I've missed it.  I used to do a ton of hiking trips in highschool and it looks like we're going to start incorporating more hikes into future adventures!

Mountain Biking Richmond VA

I went mountain biking for the FIRST time in my life!!  And I loved it.

Tappan fixed up his old childhood Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike for me and I finally got to take it for a test spin with him.

We started off on the bike trails behind the Carrilon.  They were relatively technical and I felt a little nervous at times, but I hung on and just followed a line.  I surprised myself and had a lot of fun!

Afterward, we stopped off for a quick visit at the Pump House.  The pump house is one of my favorite random hidden treasure in Richmond.  It used to be an old fancy-pants dance hall, but doesn't look like it's been used in decades.

mountain biking around the Pump House

We then worked our way over to the Forest Hill Park mountain bike trail which was beautiful.

sweatin' it up in the forest, can't think of a better Friday

I caught some footage of Tappan jumping up some stairs on his mountain bike.

Tappan riding UP some stairs on the Forest Hill Park mountain bike trail.
It'll be a long time before I catch onto this skill...

Have you ever been mountain biking?
This was my first time...Tappan goes most weekday mornings and hopefully I'll make it out to join him more often.  It's a fun combination of the calm woods and cruising--- with a twist of edginess.

Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

Unless you live up near the arctic circle, you've probably been experiencing this heat wave of temps consistently above 100 degrees.

Is it always this bad during the summer?  Did I just block prior summers out of my head?

I foresee spending my summer under a giant hat.
Maybe I can take this running with me?

My way of coping with the heat has been:

• running at 5:30am (which I now love, used to hate)
• eating frozen treats!

One of my favorite frozen treats to cool me off has been the Yasso Greek Yogurt Bar.

You must try these out!!

Each bar has 6 grams of protein and only 70 calories.  

All natural and fat free of course.

They come in 3 different flavors, including raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry.  

I tried raspberry and it was delicious.  NOT overly sweet, just the perfect balance of tangy yogurt and sweet fruit.

I found these on sale for $3.99 at my local grocery store (Kroger), but click HERE for a list of all their locations, including Costco-- I could buy these in bulk for sure.

Do you love greek yogurt?

I feel like a lot of people can either take it or leave it since it has a pretty distinct flavor... I LOVE greek yogurt, it's an amazing source of protein and I actually like how it tastes.  If you don't love the taste, you can try a little drizzle of honey on top to sweeten it up.

Happy July 4th in Photos

Independence day has been stretched into a multi-day celebration!

I've been on vacation all week, which has led to lots of time for relaxation and friends.  Let's see what I've been up to:

this week has been full of lots of lovely early morning runs

a crisp bev on July 3rd, watched the fireworks at Brown's Island

 Taking notes on how to fly with Brittany at Lewis Ginter Park
after our early morning hill workout

High-fivin' in the children's garden at Lewis Ginter with Whit

Mid-day pool day and family BBQ with Tappan.
Ran into my lovely Jean!

Biked (yes!!) over to a festival at the Hardywood Brewery for a minute
before realizing it was too hot/crowded to enjoy ourselves.

Ended the night with an amazing fireworks show at Dogwood Dell.

The Dogwood Dell fireworks production included this cannon,
which was unbelievable but did make my eardrums hurt.

Did you have fun on the 4th?
It was a great excuse to get together with friends and jump around town, I always love exploring new lil' events.