Why I Train Hard- Guest Post by Alex Ash

So...I realize it's been a little while since I've posted anything. I just started a new job and things have been a little crazy as I get used to this new schedule, which unfortunately means I haven't been working on any new posts. BUT I didn't want to leave all of you hanging so I have left you in the capable hands of my "fit friend," Alex!  I have known Alex since elementary school, but we reconnected over the past year because of our similar views toward health and fitness. She is a yoga instructor and, like myself, values the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have as the first guest post. Enjoy!

P.S. Alex is also a guest contributor at MindBodyGreen....you can check out her most recent article here!

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WHY?

I was hunched over, hands on knees, stomach in my throat, panting. Hard.

“This is so dumb—who does this to themselves?” I thought.

I was in the middle of a “Primal Boot Camp” –a fitness class designed to ‘tap into our primal selves’ and to ‘get off the treadmill like lab rats.’  The class was held on the beach and involved lots of sprints to and from the water to a nearby picnic table, along with lots of other high intensity activities. Don’t get me wrong—I know what I signed up for. I knew it would be hard and I knew I would most likely struggle. But I thought, “Hey, it’s only an hour, right?” I know that a good, real workout does not just mean hopping on an elliptical for 40 minutes with a PEOPLE magazine in tow. So dripping sweat and covered in sand, I came back to the question, “Why am I doing this? Why do I care so much about being fit and healthy?” The people I passed lounging in their beach chairs, soaking up the last of the hot summer sun, certainly seemed to pose the same question as well.

It’s not the first time the question has come up for me, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. However, after a conversation with Holly later that evening, my answer became a little clearer. I do it because sure, it helps how I look on the outside and I’m vain enough to admit that I like looking toned and fit. But more importantly, I do it because of how it makes me feel on the inside. If I could bottle up the feelings I have after a tough workout or yoga class, I would. The feelings of confidence, accomplishment and sometimes even a little surprise are unparalleled. The, “Wow, I can’t believe I just did that!” To be able to recognize that at one point in life, that type of workout was not even an option, and to realize how far I’ve come, is another reason. Yes, my heart sometimes feels like it’s beating out of my chest, but its pumping empowerment through my blood and veins. I leave feeling exhausted, but knowing that I can do anything I work really hard at. I am filled with gratitude for feeling strong in my own body AND mind. And with each workout, I get to know myself a little better—“How far can I go? Do I need to pull back a little bit tonight?” Putting myself through a physical workout forces me to live in the present moment—tuning into the nuances of my body and connecting my movement with my breath.

And in case you’re wondering, I have bad days too. I have ‘lazy days’ where peeling myself off the couch seems like a horrendous idea. I have days where mac and cheese AND pizza seem like great dinner options. But I also know that usually, there’s something else bothering me behind these cravings. Sometimes I’m just tired, and that’s okay. I have learned the difference between allowing myself rest and finding refuge in food or self-pity—and it’s a constant practice to overcome these low points. On these days, I know that the feelings I mentioned above are waiting for me, if I trust the process and push through by heading to the gym or studio, even when I don’t feel like it.

So the short answer to my question of why I do this really boils down to one thing:

Because it makes me feel alive…and isn’t that why we’re all here?

Lifestyle changes, vacation, and freedom.

My husband and I just enjoyed a week long vacation to Florida/North Carolina. It really got me thinking about my lifestyle change because this trip did not look anything like our last trip to Florida, our honeymoon in 2011. I wrote a blog post about staying on track while traveling earlier this spring, but I wanted to hit on a few things I did during this trip that made a huge difference.

I was very active during this trip. I had to be. I knew if I went from working out 6 days a week to nothing and then tried to resume business as usual when I got home that I would be hurting. My activity looked different from what I do at home but the point is that I still DID something. I didn't run a lot because, well, it was very humid and muggy and even waking up to go out at 6:30 a.m didn't make that much of a difference. I ran a couple of times, even though I had to modify a little bit. I ended up incorporating run/walk intervals because my body is not used to that heat. I also tried to stay moving when I could. If we were in the pool, I'd tread water. At the beach, I would walk up and down the shore or body surf. We also played a few rounds of golf. My goal was to stay moving when I could.

Food was different this time around as well. Last trip was full of fast food, junk snacks, and I'm pretty sure we ate out EVERY MEAL. Now, besides the fact that   eating that way is expensive, I didn't WANT to eat that way this trip. We packed healthy snacks (apple slices, grapes, string cheese, organic popcorn.) We did go out to eat a few times, and I carefully picked out my meals. We stayed at a villa and had a full kitchen, so we were able to grocery shop and cook for ourselves often. That's the beauty of a lifestyle change as opposed to a diet. People always say "You can't eat that, can you?" My response is usually something along the lines of "Well, I probably CAN, I just choose not to." When I limit myself to things I can/can't eat, I'm setting myself up for failure. My perspective towards the things I eat have changed so that I have a healthier relationship with food, so to speak. That's not to say that I don't occasionally indulge... Because I certainly do. But I limit those indulgences, I savor them as a special treat, and I don't make excuses for myself to overindulge (a.k.a. I'm on vacation, I can eat what I want! NO.) 

One of my few indulgences this trip was this amaaaazing Creme Brûlée. So. Good. 

Now when I said earlier that this trip looked a lot different than our last... I really meant that it LOOKED different. 

This is a picture from our trip to Universal in 2011.

One night during this trip, we went to Bubba Gump at Universal for dinner.  I thought it would be cool to recreate the picture from our honeymoon. After we took the picture, I pulled up the old picture and put them side by side and WOAH. BIG. DIFFERENCE. We didn't even realize that through my lifestyle change, my husand had benefitted as well. 

The biggest difference for me this trip, the biggest realization I had, was the life of liberty I now lead. I think back to our first trip or I look at pictures that I was embarrassed by and I just immediately remember that feeling of being a prisoner to my bad habits and a body I was ashamed of. This time around, I had confidence. I wasn't petrified of being in my bathing suit. I'm not cringing at the pictures of myself IN my bathing suit. I'm not cringing at the pictures of myself period. I'm not saying that to be vain. I was just able to realize that what I was experiencing, for the first time in my life. was freedom from things that had a hold on me for too long. This trip really opened my eyes to living a life of freedom. A verse that kept resonating with me is Galatians 5:13 (MSG) "It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows" Is that powerful or what?!

Once we come to enjoy the freedom God has given us, we are no longer bound to the things that hold us captive and we stop trying to sabotage that freedom.  Whether it be food, the expectation to look a certain way... whatever it might be, we were not meant to live your life as slaves to those things. We were created to live a life of freedom!