StaywellMA

2015 is a kinny big deal year because I will be turning the  BIG 3.0 The period of October through December has been a roller coaster emotional and reflective ride for me. Now that I have finally  gained the upper footing and found some balance, here are 29 things I have learned since my inception 1. Failure is going to happened . Being the perfectionist that I am, its hard enough to admit it so let's just leave it at that                                                                                                      Boarding School 1996 2. You will grow out of a lot of things. Example ; clubbing late + hangovers + unproductive gossip 3. You will eventually discover yourself and b...

Runner's Bag Edition Since this bag is primary used for running, its small and I don't necessary want to carry a lot of things in it 1. BGR BAG Probably my best goodie from the Black Girls Run conference in Atlanta earlier this year. As my running distance continues to increase, I need to carry things like extra fluids and etc without causing any inconvenience to my running form. This bag is just amazing for that. The size and inside compartments are perfect. I might do a separate in depth review of the bag if requested. 2. Water Bottle To stay hydrated I fill my bottle with water or any electrolyte replenishing beverage such as powerade  3. Lip Balm for chapped lips from dehydration or harsh winter weather 4. Body Butter Lotion . Sometimes I run to a destination to perform another activity such as soccer. Winter makes my skin extremely dry and irritating. I keep moisturizing lotions in all my bags for when my skin starts itc...

I experienced my first NOVEMBER PROJECT Workouts last week Wednesday at the Harvard stadium. This meant doing an infinite (in my feeble mind at the time) number of stadium steps. I honestly don't know where I got the mental perseverance to finish it. My only evidence was the jello-like feeling in my legs and slight dizziness that occurred afterwards. Also I experienced 3 days of excruciating muscle soreness. Here is how I dealt with the muscle soreness after doing that many steps. #1. Post Workout Stretch I knew I had to do some intense stretching immediately to prevent stiffness #2 Hot Shower Stretch This can be substituted for having a "heat" pad which is usually a luxury reserved for athletics trainer rooms. Warm water relaxes your muscles and that's the best time to take advantage and stretch them some more. Reach down, with your legs straight, touch your toe and stretch those hamstrings & Calves #3 Roller Foam  This is the best thing for r...

During menstruation  you may feel one of these  side effects; Cramps Sluggishness Tiredness Emotional Imbalance Maddening cravings for anything with an unhealthy dose of SUGAR It might take you 2 hours to summon up the will and strength to leave the comfort of your bed but just do it. The rewards will justify the effort. Running will get your blood circulating and get rid of the sluggishness. Preferably do sprints instead of a slow long run. Worst case scenario. Go for a walk. It's better than anything but I'll rather run myself to exhaustion and enjoy a good post workout nap. I find that sprints have a way of "waking up" my body. Everything comes alive. I feel more light weight at the end of the workout. Practice yoga and channel those crazy bi polar emotions into a state of peaceful meditation . Its healthy for your mind and muscles. Unless you have a medical condition, I am not comfortable ...

Two days ago I went for an after work run to evaluate my preparation for a Thanks Giving Day Half Marathon. My performance was depressing. It was a bad run day. It felt like I may as well have been walking backwards or speed walking for the dismal pace of 12 mins a mile. This run made me take an honest look at how out of sync my fitness routine has become. Plagued with meeting deadlines this month, running has been pushed to the back burner. I have also put on some weight ....and not muscle mass . Posting this is a way for me to share with you all that not every workout is going to be perfect. The social media culture is one were people only post about their perfect successes, never mentioning their struggles. But Life does not work that way. We all struggle...daily.  You are not going to beat your PR with every run. You are going to have bad days. Bad weeks. Bad months. But the bigger picture is over coming those obstacles and getting back into...

As part of my summer vacation, I planned a trip to Atlanta for the Black Girls Run 2014 Sweat with Your Sole Conference. I also registered for the 5k instead of the 10k because I was running with friends who were not good runners.  This was my first time attending a BGR conference.  I felt a little bit overwhelmed in a positive way at the sheer amount of black women who turned UP! for this conference. This validates that the message of health and fitness is being spread out  and people are listening to us.  I was also surprised by how popular ALL the fitness classes offered where. Every class was filled up with people like me trying to get into them There was a lot of networking opportunities to meet other members from different states. I took a day off from BGR events and headed south of Atlanta to do a 5k at my former school Clayton State in preparation of the Sweat with Your Sole race. I never forgot ...

Over the summer the Boston Harbor Islands National Parks, in collaboration with South Shore SHAPE - UP, organised a free all day fitness event at Peddocks Island. Even though I was on the Island for work, I still manged to have a good time and enjoy the activities The events included a 1 mile jogging guided tour of the island, Zumba, Yoga, and many other classes for visitors to the island to try out.   This is the perfect getaway for the nature and trails lovers.  Am all for taking a moment out of our hectic lives and  spending  some time in nature.   There;s something about being surrounded by nature, pausing to  admire and take in all the living things around you that is  mind   blowing. When you come to the understanding that, No matter WHO YOU  ARE and WHAT YOU DO, we will all come to pass and LIFE as  we knew it will CONTINUE without us. It makes you stop taking it for gr...

Recently I had been trying to revamp my fitness "closet" as part of a large scale attempt to get my mindset back on track. I went into TJ Maxx with the intentions of picking up a couple of Under Armour sports bras because I love the brand. However, I was not prepared for the price tags that accompanied the awesome bras. After browsing the racks for alternative options, I spotted the Marika sports bras. At first skepticism crept in because I did not recognize the brand. But what I did like love was the price tag. I could afford to buy one and test run it without feeling bad about the money spent if it did not work out PROS - Extremely good support. Especially for ladies who are blessed in the bosom - The quality of the material and design are great - Affordable for those on a budget who still want to purchase something of great quality - The additional bra-like straps in the back allows you to customize the tightness or looseness to your preferenc...

I didn't want to put this in the update post for fear of making it too long. Here are the things I have been enjoying this summer. 1. V8 but not straight up. I have been mixing it with other juices to tone down the tomato flavour. It's funny. I love raw tomatoes in salads or sandwiches but its a little over bearing in the V8 drinks. 2. Remember this ? Not only did I love it but my dad basically hijacked the vanilla one and used it all up. Am almost done using the chocolate version and will be looking into purchasing another soy protein powder 3. Shoes New Balance vs NIKE To inspire me to get back into running, I bought some new fitness apparels and gears. The Nike shoes are a size bigger but the cheap sales tag made me rationalize the purchase :) 4. Gastronomy I have developed an obsession for marshmallows. Maybe its because they are tender on my sensitive teeth or they are a great   to-go, non messy,  healthy s...