Run Like The Wind

Last night I crawled in bed around 1am. In fact, should that be referred to as last night or this morning? Therefore, when my annoying Blackberry alarm went off this morning I had no desire to wake up. In fact, I felt like this:

The last thing I wanted to do was wake up and head to the gym. But, over the past three years I’ve learned many times that a quick workout is ALWAYS better for me than countless cups of coffee or tea. There is something about getting in that workout and getting the blood flowing that helps me get ready for the day.  What about you? Does a workout help you wakeup?
On days when I’m exhausted and dragging, I know that in order to get a truly effective workout I need to have a formal plan to follow and keep me motivated. Sometimes I’ll choose a spin class or other group class at Equinox but this morning I had the perfect workout in mind.
Monday night I was talking with one of my favorite healthy NYC ladies, Fit Chick In the City. Since she is the running goddess that she is and often sports the coveted RED bib of the NYRR, I thought she could help with some treadmill drill ideas. She was more than happy to help and sent me this awesome yet intimidating workout:
Fit Chick In The City’s Speed Workout
1 mile warm-up (easy pace)
1/2 mile at 7.0
1/4 mile recovery pace (probably same as warm-up)
1/2 mile at 7.5
1/4 mile recovery pace
1/2 mile at 7.7
1/4 mile at recovery pace
Cool Down
I altered a bit to look like this to meet my desired mileage and the speeds I thought would be challenging yet feasible. By the end of the 50 minutes I felt like I’d run like the wind through my workout and was a hot sweaty mess!
Ashley’s Speed Workout
1 mile warm-up 6.0
1/2 mile at 7.0
1/2 mile 6.0
1/2 mile at 7.2
1/2 mile 6.0
1/2 mile at 7.5
1/2 mile 6.0
1/4 mile 8.0
Cool Down: 10 minutes 4.0 at 4 incline

This came out to a 9:20 avg pace which is AMAZING for me! I loved this speed workout and it didn’t give me any chance of having a monotonous uninspired workout. If I had hopped on the eliptical an caught up on the latest People magazine I know I wouldn’t have put as much energy into the workout. If you’re goal is to break a sweat and challenge yourself I suggest this awesome workout!!

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Who Was Your First Celebrity Crush?

I apologize for my lack of post yesterday. I was in Cincinnati on business travel and didn’t get back to my hotel room until 8pm to begin completing my REGULAR work. I had the opportunity to spend an entire day brainstorming with some wonderful people within my company but it was definitely work that falls under the extracurricular area. Do you have the opportunity to work on any extracurricular projects in your current job?

I walked in the door a few minutes ago after a long day at the office. I flew back this morning on the 6:30am flight from Cincinnati in hopes of being at my desk by 10am. FAIL.

Obama’s visit to NYC meant that the road were already shutdown and traffic was backed up all the way to Queens. It took an hour and 15 minutes to reach the office from LaGuardia. Oh well. Luckily I was sitting comfortably in a black car reading my latest novel, Something Borrowed.   This happens to be the same movie that is being filmed in my neighborhood! I saw Kate Hudson the other day in my building and then found out via some research and googling that she is the star. A perfect fit!

Today’s food was all over the place but overall enjoyable. Starbuck’s Perfect Oatmeal has become my go-to breakfast when I’m in an airport as it’s easy, safe, and very portable.

I enjoyed this with only a quarter of the fixins and a venti iced unsweetened Green tea. Absolutely delicious!

The rest of today’s eats included the usual Toasties salad and dinner was some delicious brown rice sushi while finishing work. I think i’ve finally found my favorite “whole in the wall” sushi place as the fish was fresh, the brown rice was in perfect proportion, and they included plenty of ginger. Tonight I enjoyed 3/4 of a Rainbow Brown Rice roll and an eel roll. Scrumptious!

Now, it’s time for Three Questions Thursday ala Iowa Girl!

1. Do you believe in ghosts? Believe it or not I really do. I think that spirits can stay behind. But I really don’t spend much time thinking about them.

2. Who was your first celebrity crush? Patrick Swayze, Dirty Dancing, black jeans, and a tree across the stream. Need I say more? 🙂

3. What’s your biggest pet peeve? People who aren’t hard workers. My parents raised both my brother and I with a very strong work ethic.

How about you? What are your answers?

Okay, it’s time for bed as I have 6 miles on the docket before a long day of meetings. Do you have anything fun planned this weekend? I have a Soul Cycle spin class Saturday morning compliments of the fabulous Fit Chick In The City, a playground build up in Harlem with the NY Junior League, a long run of at least 10 miles, and hopefully dinner with some friends.

Happy Friday!

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Hotel Chains Making Healthy Travel Easier

Good evening from scenic Cincinnati! As you all may remember, my travel schedule this May is absolutely insane! It looks a bit like this:
-Three days in South Bend
-Two days in Cincinnati
-Six days in Las Vegas
Are you traveling at all this month? Do you travel a lot for work? Well, spending 11 days out of town on travel in one month, means that I can’t look at each trip as a time of indulgence and fun. I have to find compromise and ensure that I keep to some sort of healthy schedule and routine.
Last weekend and today I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what each hotel has done to help travelers find a healthy balance. Last weekend I stayed at the Hilton Garden Hotel and was offered an awesome Stay Fit Kit. Their new slogan blends perfectly with healthy living:
When tomorrow’s a big day, get prepared with a great workout.
The kit was in a huge sling bag and included yoga blocks, an 8lb medicine ball, resistance band, 3lb hand weights, and a yoga mat. It also included some great workout cards including pilates moves and resistance training. I was able to enjoy this in room amenity two mornings while Bo was still peacefully snoozing. Have you ever seen a kit like this at a hotel? Did you take advantage of it? Was it free?
My second healthy hotel experience occurred tonight upon my arrival to the Westin. It was 9pm when I finally got settled in my hotel room. I was absolutely starving after a long day of work and 3 hours of travel. Unfortunately those Delta pretzels just don’t cut it! I quickly pulled out the room service menu hoping I could find at least a plain grilled chicken sandwich or simple salad. To my surprise, I was absolutely floored by the thorough menu which promised to

Feed the body, nourish the soul
The All-Day dining menu is six pages and includes superfood menu items. Their superfood menu items are items that contain the following ingredients as a primary ingredient:
Tomatoes, broccoli, onion, oats, soy, garlic, olive oil, yogurt, avocado, spinach, nuts, or salmon
There were 12 different Super Food menu items throughout the menu including appetizers, salads, main dishes, and even dessert items. I went with an appetizer and salad tonight as I didn’t want anything too heavy as it was already late.
Confetti of Field Greens: candied walnuts, beets, goat cheese, apples, and champagne vinaigrette on the side
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This salad further reaffirmed my belief that any mixed green salad is improved when mixed with goat cheese and beets! I’ve been on a beet trip lately. What is your favorite salad ingredient?
Pan-Flashed Coastal Crab Cake and Griddled Tofu spicy orange chili sauce and spinach
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This dish was delicious though I wish the crab cakes weren’t quite so heavy. I only ate two of the crab cakes but loved the tofu and spinach. I would like to recreate this dish at home while reducing the sauce.
These two experiences have provided me with a renewed faith in healthy travel. For more healthy travel tips, check out this great article by Health.com.

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