On running, that is.

I’ve come to realize that while working a high stress job in the city that never sleeps, moments of pure “zen” are few and far between. I go to bed at night lulled by fire engine sirens and cars honking and then wake up to fight the crowds of people in order to smash myself into a sweaty subway car.

The only time I feel clarity and almost a sense of euphoria is while running. I know, that sounds virtually impossible to be peaceful while huffing and puffing on the treadmill, but it’s true.

Science has just proven that I’m not the only crazy one. Running literally gets you high…

According to a new study done by German researchers, running releases a flood of endorphins to the brain, resulting in mood changes. The more endorphins to the brain, the greater the effect. Read More »

Spring fever affects everyone differently, but personally, I’m filled with a dread for bikini season. I love summer, but the process of getting in shape for it is always terrifying until I’m about a month into it. I can’t motivate myself to start moving again and take advantage of the weather, and come June, I’m not quite where I want to be.

A friend of mine decided it would be fun to sign up for a race in Central Park, nothing “too serious,” just over three and a half miles. It’s far enough in advance where we all would have the opportunity to start “training” and whatnot, and so she worked her salesperson magic and spun it as a great, fun, healthy bonding activity. We could all run outside together when it got warmer, we could do it for ourselves instead of an actual win, it’d be great.

And it sounded stellar via email, so sign up I did. And as I printed my registration form, complete with runner number and team captain name, I calculated how long it had been since I had even seen my gym. I wasn’t sure I remembered how to get to it. Sure, last time I’d been I could run almost four miles on a treadmill, no problem… but that had been in January-ish. And there may have been an exceptional soundtrack to guide me.

The last time I ran outside I lasted fifteen minutes without falling over dead, and I willed my roommate my new pumps (even handed her the receipt so she could return them for her size). Read More »

I wish I could say that my sobriety hasn’t made any difference at all in my productivity-but that would be a lie. And it’s a lot harder to lie when I’m sober.

I can’t even believe how much I have been getting done since taking a break from drinking. From my music to my work to running an extra mile every day…I just have so much more energy. Of course this is for a lot of reasons. Alcohol drains your body, yes, but it also makes for poor sleeping patterns. Usually, after a night of drinking, I wake up at least twice in the night to get water since I’m so dehydrated from the alcohol. And, of course, it’s a lot harder to get things done in the morning when I’m just trying to focus on anything other than my hang over.

So yesterday was another testament to my ability to get crap done when I actually have both hands free because I’m not wasting one of them on clasping a beverage. I got a lot of work done in the morning. Then I went running and felt strong through the whole work out. I had practice with a guitarist, made an amazing bacon/pepperoni/jalapeno pizza. Then I worked through the night-on both writing and music-and didn’t lose my energy until around 4 am. It amazed me, to be honest. Read More »

Up until a year ago, I never exercised. Well—almost never. I played seasonal tennis all through middle school and high school, and I often took my dog for a walk, but other than that, I was pretty content sitting at my desk all day and lifting my English textbooks up and down.

Right after I finished my senior year of undergrad, though, I found myself living back at home for a short time while I transitioned between things. My dad had been trying to get me to do regular exercise for years to no effect. It was easy to ignore him while I was away at school, but when I was at home and he was right there it was almost impossible.

“Fine,” I said one day, completely out of irritation. “I’ll start exercising.”

Yeah, I should pretty much build a thank-you monument to my dad.

So here I am, one year later. Let’s talk about what has and hasn’t changed. Here’s what hasn’t: I still hate exercise with every fiber of my being. I dread it all day until I finally get it done. I am still not athletic, and I am still pretty awkward at any physical activity.

But here’s what has changed: almost everything. I had love handles before, and now I don’t. I might have gotten tired and puffed at the top of three flights of stairs a year ago, but there’s no way I would now. I had this annoying stick-out part of my stomach when I first started exercising, and now it’s gone. I have more energy. I have more exuberance. I have cravings for healthier food. Read More »

I can barely run and skip songs on my iPod at the same time, but if you’re a particularly lithe runner and want to do some good for the environment as well as your body, try eco-running.

The concept is simple: grab a plastic bag on your next run and pick up any trash you encounter along your route.

The eco-running movement started with Samuel Huber of Milwaukee, who hopes to encourage joggers and runners to “combine their passion with a purpose.”

Think you won’t make an impact?

According to treehugger.com, studies have shown that by cleaning up an area you remove the incentive to contribute to its mess. Not a runner? Try picking up litter while walking, kayaking, or rollerblading, Huber urges on his website.

Sure, the plastic bag that held last night’s Chinese takeout probably doesn’t go with your Juicy sweatsuit, and maybe the image of running with a bag of trash at your side horrifies you, but I’m hoping to see this trend grow, if for no other than reason that to trip less in my attempt to avoid litter.

One of my biggest flaws as a college girl is the total inability to stay on top of downloading new songs for pregaming mixes or workout playlists.

More for the purpose of the latter — working out, because I am completely incapable of finishing a cardio session without my trusty ipod. Plus, I can always rely on my roommates to take care of the prebar/getting ready beats.

I kid you not, I have been working out to the exact same playlist this whole semester because I actually took the time to do it over winter break. And even then, I had to look up the top songs on websites like billboard.com to find out which songs I heard on the radio and wanted to listen to. Sad, I know.

But with my recent discovery of fitpod.com, I can now access premade mixes that keep me going throughout my whole workout.

Read More »