Tag Archives: fitness

More Work, Less…What?

It feels good to be back with a “real” post! Since this past Monday evening when I had a mini-breakdown while on the phone with my mom, I have been wanting to address a topic that has been weighing on my mind since the start of November. For those who do not know, I work in the wine industry, for a Boston-based wine negociant called 90+ Cellars. Starting 11/1 (and even before that), the holiday season is really in full swing. I have been planning for Thanksgiving since September but now it’s REALLY here and things at work have been really busy. Still loving the job, no worries, but I’m working more than full-time in the office (plus events in the evenings and weekends). I also have been finding myself staying late and doing work-related tasks over the weekends. This results in spending more time at work.

Weekend work-life.

Time is a finite resource. More time at work means less time spent on other stuff. Like what? Well, I like to go out with my friends some weeknights and on weekends. There are some non-work-related events that still peak my interest. I run errands, I do chores. I’m (trying) to keep up with pleasure reading. And oh yeah, that other little thing that I certainly spend much of my finite time thinking about…the gym.

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Fitness Friday: Injury Update

I mentioned in Monday’s post that on Tuesday I would be finally headed to an initial assessment with a physical therapist to solve my right IT band “woes”. Thankfully since I go to Harvard Vanguard (big ups to all of you who recommended that as a doctor’s office back when I moved here and asked for recs) it was so easy to get a referral. That place literally has EVERY medical need under one roof, so I just called my PCP and was able to get a referral for their physical therapy services without even being seen first. Hurrah efficiency! AAAAAND Harvard Vanguard is in my insurance network, so PT with them is SO much more affordable than options I’d previously considered.

The first appointment was both informative and reassuring. The therapist said the problem isn’t actually my IT band, but a connecting muscle at my knee that often gets blamed for IT band problems. Now I don’t remember what the name of it is, but the casual name is “runner’s knee”. The PT said it’s a super common problem and we can totally fix it with some exercises that strengthen my hips. He said that I need to get more of that pull and push forward movement in my running that I use when I spin, so that I can propel myself forward that way, which will be easier on my knees.

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Ch-Ch-Changes

Usually reflecting on how you and your life have changed is something that’s reserved for special occasions, like a birthday or the start of a new year. But I’ve been feeling pretty reflective lately. I’ve spent the last few weekend mornings waking up and laying in bed for awhile, thinking (often OVER thinking). I’ve been noticing how different my life is now than it was a year ago, and am having a hard time digesting, accepting, and being OK with it. I can’t even figure out if I SHOULD be accepting or OK with it. Maybe these changes need to be changed. Maybe not. My mind certainly spends enough time telling me they need to be.

For example…going out. I love going out. Since moving to Boston there has barely been a Friday or Saturday that I stayed in. I did start going out more back when I was still living in CT, but now I stay out later and have more beverages because I don’t have to drive, and the city is just so alive. I attribute much of the weight I’ve gained since moving here to my love for going out. Alcohol has calories – a fact I know all too well. I go out more now, I weigh more now. So naturally my mind constantly berates me for how I spend my Fridays and Saturdays. I wake up most Saturday and Sunday mornings with anxiety and terrible body image. I’ve had a few really rough ones lately. I’ve woken up and wanted to do nothing but curl into a ball and lay in bed hating myself all day. Thankfully texts to friends and family have motivated me to get out of bed and go on with my life. The “easy” solution is to just, well, not go out. But…that’s not fun. That’s not what I WANT to do. This whole recovery thing has been about letting myself do what I want to do. But when does that stop being OK?

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Road Block

Interrupting my Reach the Beach Relay recapping (check out parts one and two if you missed them, because I do hope to post part three this week) to share some new frustrations I have encountered in my training for my first ever half marathon, the Zooma Cape Cod half, which by the way is THIS SATURDAY. How did that happen?!

I wish I had more time not because I don’t want to run the race, but because I’m having some issues that are much worse than the shin splints I dealt with earlier in my training. During Reach the Beach, I started feeling some irritation in my right IT band during my second leg. This continued during my third leg but after a couple of days of rest, the pain was gone. So I went for my first post-RTB run last Wednesday morning, a 3 miler, and once it was done I knew I was in some trouble. My IT band hurt the rest of the day – it was even difficult to get up and down stairs. So I told myself, only one more run until the half, and not for a few more days.

Flash forward to this past weekend in Newport, working the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival for 90+ Cellars. I took Saturday as my rest day (I’d done a bootcamp – but with low impact modifications – on Thursday and the StepMill on Friday, and had felt pretty good). Last night, I ended up going for a run when I got back from my trip. I was going to take yesterday off too, but the food and drink of the weekend were really getting to me. Lots of wine, LOTS of cheese, LOTS and LOTS of bread. I felt like I had to do something, and the dusk and weather and sunset definitely provided some pretty running scenery.

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Half Marathon Training: Lessons So Far

So it’s been almost two months since I signed up for my first half marathon – the Zooma Women’s Cape Cod Half. And I’ve been excited to write a post about what I have learned so far during training, and my experience overall with running more than I ever have before!

Training for My First Half: What I’ve Learned (So Far)

1. Following a training plan makes it (mentally) easier to rest. I haven’t gotten to the point where I can take more than one rest day a week, but for someone who has previously gone as long as a month without a day COMPLETELY off from exercise, this is a big deal. I have been able to take a rest day almost every week since I started training. And I mean real rest days. Not rest days that are actually just days I don’t do cardio, or days I “only” do abs. I’m talking days I don’t do anything except my usual walking around Boston. Seeing rest days on the training plan I’ve been (loosely) following has made it easier for me to tell myself that it’s OK to rest. So has feeling like my rest days have made the long runs done on the day FOLLOWING my rest days easier to push through. It is now mentally normal for me to take one rest day per week. I can’t remember the last time that happened! Not that it’s totally easy, but I’ve been doing it! I’m thankful that I have realized this because I know it’s important if I want to prevent something like an injury – or taking steps backwards in recovery.

I definitely enjoyed this past Thursday's Sazerac more knowing I planned to take a rest day the next day!

I definitely enjoyed this past Thursday’s Sazerac more knowing I planned to take a rest day the next day!

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Five Things Friday: On the Road Again

It’s Friday which must mean I’m hitting the road again! My summer is going to be defined by weekends away from my Boston home, but that’s all good because all my weekends away will be pretty fabulous. I’m lucky to have so much fun stuff going on! Last weekend DC, and this weekend it’s back home to Connecticut to see my family and many old friends. I’ve got updates about those plans plus this past week, so I thought a Five Things Friday link-up with Clare was appropriate.

1. Tonight is the Best of Hartford Magazine party at the Hartford Public Library, and I get to attend as the first runner-up for Best Blog! I can’t remember if I ever mentioned on this blog the fact that I received this honor…I know I mentioned it on social media. But I’m really really pumped to reunite with my CT event friends, FINALLY. And I’m bringing one my token foodie plus ones, Rachel, along for the ride. Expect lots of photos like this to come:

YAAAAAS

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Thinking Out Loud: Twice as Nice

I’m back, twice in one week, wahoo! I’m writing this post on Wednesday night because I had enough time to cook, but decided to instead make dinner leftovers and use the extra time to a) write this and b) have a glass of NY Cabernet Sauvignon. I didn’t have anything to drink the last couple of days because the event I worked on Sunday was pretty nuts (in a very fun way). But now I’m ready to relax with my glass and think out loud.

Link up with Amanda if you too are thinking out loud today!

1. My half marathon training has officially begun! Tuesday’s aforementioned personal training session didn’t happen because the trainer had to cancel – but never called me to let me know? So I was at the gym, without a plan, and decided to kick off training this week instead of next, which is what I had planned! And I decided to get this week’s longest run done – 4 miles. I’m no fool, I know that I should savor the fact that this week’s longest run is 4 miles, and believe me I am! I did at a 9:13 pace on the treadmill, with a 1% incline. With a side of Kardashians…enough to get me through. I’ve also been following a June ab challenge I found on Facebook, and though these earlier days are pretty easy, I know by the end it will feel very hard. Just like my runs – ha! But seriously, having plans to follow has been really helpful for me. I felt like I had no direction at the gym and now I have a couple of things to follow!

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One Week Later…

Well well well, where did the time go? This is the second time since I moved to Boston that I went a week without blogging – oops! I’ve been really busy – each weekend this summer is seriously already “booked” with plans, some home and some and away, some personal and some work related. It overwhelms me when I think about it, but then I try to tell myself to just NOT think about it, and take it one week at a time.

Working an event this past Sunday – I matched the Rose!

Previously on Cait Plus Ate (let’s say this in the Emily Thorn voice, a la Revenge), I was having a really tough time trying to figure out what was “okay” to do –  in terms of healthy living – while in recovery. I’d had a long Memorial Day weekend of plans that involved drinking and “risky” food, so I decided to abstain from alcohol for a few days. That actually ended up being no big deal and, I feel at least, not related to deprivation. I really just didn’t want anything to drink, and my body felt better for it. Perhaps that’s why Friday nights beverages hit me way harder than I anticipated, but that’s a story for another time.

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Five Things Friday: Calm Before The Storm

Happy Friday! Some of you may have the day off, but I am working a full day as well as events both tonight and tomorrow night. Luckily these events – Paint Nite and Wine Riot – are events I’d totally attend on my own time for fun. So I’m pretty cool with it, and am excited to write up blog recaps too. One of the many responsibilities of my new job that I sure don’t mind. I’ve got a few things I can talk about today so I thought I’d discuss five of them for the sake of alliteration, and in honor of Five Things Friday.

Check out Clare’s link-up!

1. I finally ran into a meh Boston restaurant experience.

They can’t all be amazing right? I’ve had a great track record so far but on Tuesday I went to the soft opening of a new North End speakeasy called Parla, and was left unsatisfied. The drinks, to be fair, were awesome. My first one (pictured below) contained both Domain de Canton and Campari and it blew me away! I also had a prosecco cocktail with more Domain de Canton plus mint and lemon – it pretty much screamed Kaitlin. I’d return to Parla in a second for cocktails!

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Thinking Out Loud: Back in Boston

I’m back in Boston after my Mexico vacation and brief birthday stint back home. Coming back from vacation to a place where I’ve only lived a month is lovely because though I miss the warmth of Cancun, I really didn’t mind returning! I’m still so excited to continue to explore Beantown and also felt anxious to get back to my job, which I’m still loving. It feels like forever since I thought out loud so I felt a link-up with Amanda was in order!

1. Getting out of the hotel gym and back to the BSC feels great! Without a Stairmaster or group fitness, it’s super hard for me to get motivated to work out. Thank goodness for Danielle Dee’s Monday night spin class! That hour was the cherry on top of my first day back in my routine. Especially when Danielle said, “Good job, sweetheart.” to me after class. Hearing that direct “go you” from a group fitness instructor makes SUCH a difference. And it made me feel motivated to follow up the class with some core work! Tuesday night I finally tried a class I’ve been meaning to check out, Burn. I’d taken Step a couple of times from the instructor and he is so funny! The class was a series of tons of different exercises – not a repeated circuit, but seriously just cardio and strength exercises that were never repeated. I liked that the material was kept fresh and though it wasn’t as cardio-heavy as spin, I still felt it was the perfect workout for what I was feeling that evening. Here’s an example of one of the moves we did – partner push-ups.

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