Building up your V02 max

I began climbing the staircases primarily to gain strength in my legs. Building up my v02 max was just a plus. I didn’t realize how effective climbing the stairs would be until I started running again.

Before, when I used to run the slightest incline, my calves would immediately tense up and my lungs would hurt. It’d feel like a cramp, only in my lungs, and was awful I’d end up breathing so heavily that I’d have to slow down significantly in order to regain control of my legs and breathing.

Now, running what I consider to be fairly steep hills doesn’t phase me at all. At the end of a 10km jog (which takes me roughly an 1hr), I find myself not even needing any recovery time. It almost makes me feel invincible!
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Most recently,

I went from climbing the stairs 5x (sets) = 3,620 steps, to 7X (sets)= 4,564 steps.
Instead of recovering once I reach the top, I’ve trained my body to recover as I go down the stairs, which saves a lot of time.

Tomorrow, the goal is to tackle 9X (sets) = 5,868 steps

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These little accomplishments have given me a great deal of confidence, in both my ability as well as my body

Healthy Lunch Option: An Alternative to Boring Green Salads :)

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of eating salads for lunch all day every day. There are so many variations you can do with it before you just start dreading it altogether. So this is a very basic salad I’ve come up with inspired by the delicious thai mango salad. It involves absolutely no green leaves, but maintains its healthiness!

The ingredients I’ve used:
-Cucumbers
-Carrots
-Green peppers
-Red peppers

*optional: rice noodles, dressing of your choice for flavour

FYI. if you’re preparing this the night before, I’d be cautious about using the middle of the cucumber as it could release a lot of water throughout the night making your salad soggy. To prevent this, maximize using the outer layer of the cucumber and enjoy the inside as it is

Girl put in work!

I’ve been eating much cleaner, smaller, frequent meals throughout the day while maintaining my regular workouts.
Although the changes in my body are subtle, I feel great none-the-less! I’ve discovered that my body now has a difficult time digesting foods like Wendy’s, and eating anything high in carbs for dinner also makes me feel incredibly sluggish. The best part about the changes in my meals is that I don’t feel bloated anymore!! yayy

On another note, I’ve got exactly 1 month before my doing my second tough mudder. Time to beef up my training!

Healthy lunch option for work- Quinoa Salad

Ingredients I used:
-Quinoa
-sweet corn
-cilantro
-lemon juice
-black beans
-cucumbers
-green peppers
-chicken breast
-a dash of cumin
-a dash of salt & pepper

Finally got the parachute!!!

I knew that sprinting against the wind would be tough..
but sprinting against the wind with the resistance of the parachute left me with a burning sensation in my lungs as I tried to stabilize my breathing (it didn’t help that it was incredibly cold outside either). It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I felt so defeated and exhausted by the end, I just wanted to curl up into a ball.

Even so, having finally tried this, I’m pretty excited to be able to incorporate it into my workouts! The amount I struggled today proved that I’d gotten pretty weak and slow over the winter…it’s time to step it up now

Healthy lunch choices :)

Spinach Salad w/ chicken, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms and onions

chicken, small slices of avocado, and steamed veggies

Here’s a little advice from somebody who has no business giving it.

Screw what other people think.

We’re constantly told by the media what our bodies ought to look like. Am I right? As a female, reaching out to all the other young ladies out there, I can’t help but question, what is “ideal” and who’s it ideal to? Men? Eff that noise.

The last thing you should aim for, is to look a certain way for so-and-so, because really, do you REALLY want to be with someone who’s with you only for your looks? I’m willing to bet that “relationship” won’t last very long.

Can I also say that females, myself included, can often be terribly judgemental. Don’t lie and say that you’re not! Even if don’t vocalize it, you think it. We all do it. It’s okay. Within seconds of seeing another female, chances are you’ve already make an opinion of them. “Those are some nasty pants” “She’s got muffin tops” “I wish my hair looked like that” “She needs to lay off the blue eyeshadow”, “She’s got a gorgeous body”.

The second these opinions become toxic is when you begin to compare yourselves to other girls.

One of two things will often happen:

1). You make negative comments about /towards others to boost your own self esteem
2). You constantly covet things other girl have/look like, reducing your self esteem

Either way, it’s just not healthy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We are our own worst enemies.

The best thing you can do is learn to love the body you were born with, will continue live with, and will ultimately die with. I mean, a lifetime of hating your body? That seems like an exhausting and painful task in itself. You don’t like the way you look? Make positive changes. Change your eating habits (moderation not starvation!), enroll in a physically engaging activity with some friends. Do something, and do it for yourself.

I really and truly believe that people naturally gravitate towards others who are confident, because those people tend to be positive as well.

Okay, I’m done rambling!

20lbs heavier and many years later…

I can still fit into my old jeans from highschool

…and I love my body now, more than I ever have!

Incorporating strength training and weights into my workouts has done my body a great deal of justice!

Beauty is…

..loving your life in all of its ever-changing, thrilling, challenging splendor. Taking time for yourself, testing your limits and surpassing them to achieve goals you never thought possible. It’s that little spark that lights up your eyes and dances in your smile, making you gorgeously unique. Greeting the day with laughter and enjoying who you really are-

Overhead Squats

Part of my strength training workout;

max reps per min