A Gutsy Girl

Heal your gut. Heal your life.

Workouts

Week 3 Bigness Project

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Yesterday marked the end of week 3 Bigness Project, the 14-week hybrid strength training journey I’m on.

  • Click HERE for the recap of Week 1 Bigness Project.
  • Click HERE for the recap of Week 2 Bigness Project.

The highlight from week 3 was probably not even a lifting day, but instead my weekly long run. Yesterday morning I set out to run a practice half marathon. In the process, I ended up running it very well and did my fastest half marathon ever with a pace of 8:04.

Week 3 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Half Marathon Training Strength Fitness

I am truly shocked by the energy I feel when I run. My breathing is spot on, and quite honestly, after reading How to Choose a Goal Race Pace by Amanda last week I had planned to do this run ensuring a LHR (lower heart rate). My heart rate stayed fairly low the entire time, and when the run was over, I averaged about 159 bpm. I know you’re looking at that number thinking it’s higher than the 140-150 range, but for me, that’s low. My heart rate is already super low so my numbers are a little different.

Anyways, the point is that at no point during the run did I feel like I was sprinting or exhausted by any means.

My quads did, however, burn horribly starting around mile 9-ish. I’m still trying to understand if that’s just because they still aren’t used to long runs or if it’s because they are already tired from 2 leg workouts during the week. Thoughts anyone?

The only lasting effects from that run included a few hours of feeling less than great, and day-after mild leg soreness. The hardest part about running more than 10-miles is that recovery is always a work in progress for understanding exactly how to do it properly for my body given the fact that I also battle an autoimmune condition, SIBO, and “adrenal fatigue.” I’m beginning to work with a new doctor (in addition to Dr. Schweig) at the Institute this week so these are all things I’ll explore. More on that in a later post.

Each week I do this program I feel stronger, that’s for sure. I’m still not 100% sold on the idea that my body workout 6 days a week, but since I’ve been feeling so great, I am just trying to stay consistent. Once I need to pull back a little, I will modify somehow, and probably go down to 5 days a week or 4 days (with 2 of those “doubles”) so that I can have a full 3 days of rest.

Week 3 Bigness Project

Click HERE to join along the journey via Instagram (+ I put a ton on my Instagram Stories, too!)

Monday: Tempo Run, followed by a 1-mile for time (1-mile warm up, 5K at 7:45/mile pace, and a final mile at 7:19 pace). Note: this week, my runs gave me the added challenge of that mid-cycle cramping. This is a huge concern for the day-of races because when they hit, I have no choice, but to stop running for a few minutes to let is subside. 
Tuesday: Leg Day, Quad Dominant, followed by 4 x 800’s at a 7:45/mile pace. And yes, it’s hard to do these “sprints” after leg day.
Wednesday: Chest and Back. Still working on these eccentric pull-ups like a champ, but let’s be honest, it’s going to take my whole life to get them right.
Thursday: Leg Day, Hamstring Dominant. I really love these RDL‘s. I took the kids for a long walk that afternoon, too, because I needed to move my legs.
Friday: I had planned to workout today, resting on Saturday, but my body was screaming at me saying, “No, no you will not.” So I listened. I took this day off and it was lovely.
Saturday: Arms and Shoulders. This is definitely a vanity-style workout, but it still leaves me sore for a couple days always, which is something new for that part of my body.
Sunday: Long Run (13.1 miles at 8:04/mile pace, and then an easy – about 9:45 – mile).

I am really beginning to embrace the idea that everything from a health and fitness standpoint improves when aesthetics are the least of concerns. I fully believe now that the reason I am able to workout and run like I am is because I’m finally fueling appropriately, without “rules,” and listening to what my body needs.

 

Can I get an amen?! ???????? . . . Do you know why this is so accurate, especially if you’re a woman?! #Hormones ladies, hormones. The more you “diet,” the more you tinker with them. And once you’ve tinkered with them enough, the more your body will resist any “diet” you try. It’s a vicious cycle that, unfortunately, once you’ve dieted too much can be hard to ever reverse its effects. . . . You’ll see in my pictures + in my words because I don’t sugar coat anything. I don’t have abs of steel. I don’t have muscles for days. I’m not trying to show y’all some perfect image so that you aspire to unrealistic goals and life situations. . . . And this is because I’ve been there, done that, ruined hormones, triggered a nasty cycle of #SIBO and more. “Diets” are **so not worth it.** Nothing is. I promise. . . . Now stop counting, calculating, measuring, obsessing…..go eat and make your days, workouts, and life count. . . . #healthy #eatrealfood #FitFluential #IIN #Quote #Quotes #food #foodmatters #foodie #foodlover #❤️food

A post shared by Sarah Kay Hoffman (@paleoishmama) on

I would rather stay strong, confident, and enjoying the journey for healing mind, body, and soul than to whip out abs like I’m still in my 20’s.

The Bigness Project is totally helping see this all to fruition, so even if I made zero physical changes, those benefits are priceless.

Xox,
SKH

Week 2 Bigness Project

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Workouts Tagged With: , ,

Yesterday marked the end of week 2 Bigness Project, the 14-week hybrid strength training journey I’m on.

Click HERE for the recap of Week 1 Bigness Project.

Week 2 just flat-out rocked again! My energy levels are super awesome currently, which helps make progress even sweeter.

This past week I finally signed up for the Livermore 1/2 Marathon, March 26. It’s on! I feel excited, but also somewhat nervous because now that I’ve decided I don’t want to spend the time training for a full marathon, I know that at some point during 2017, I’ll need to PR at the half-marathon distance.

My current 1/2 marathon PR is 1:48:30, which was achieved in 2009 when I was much younger! In case you’re not sure what pace that it is, I averaged 8:17 per mile. I will beat that at some point in 2017, but in order to do so, I need to train hard, rest harder, and stay focused. 

Below are last week’s workouts.

{Side note: I put this post on Facebook last Thursday after my long run –> Fact: a woman went to my blog, saw pictures of me post-workout and sent an email saying how awful I look with “red” under my eyes.

I just finished running 10 miles right now. This is what I look like, UNEDITED!

Ladies, if anyone looks like a supermodel right after a sweat sesh, more power to you. But if not….oh well. Be you. Don’t edit your life for anyone. Promise?!} 

I stand by this 1,000%.

Week 2 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com

Week 2 Bigness Project

Click HERE to join along the journey via Instagram (+ I put a ton on my Instagram Stories, too!)

  1. Monday: Legs, Quad Dominant. This week we started doing 4 vs. 3 sets on all workouts. 
  2. Tuesday: I did an early morning 10K, which is 6.2 miles at an 8:14/mile pace. 
  3. Wednesday: Chest and Back day. I’m really trying to work on these awful pull-ups. Still the weakest link, but still super excited to watch me get stronger with them.
     

    Thanks for joining the #BignessProject today, @eminem (sound off) ????????????‍♀️✌????@jensinkler @kthomasfitness . . I was on my tiptoes on a bench doing these wide-grip eccentric (then super-paused) #pullups today because this #exercise is (by far!) my weakest link. Everyone shows their “best of” on IG. This is my “worst of.” And in it, I find *opportunity.” #strength doesn’t happen in a bubble. When the box is opened, you find it in every aspect of life. ✨ . . . #girlswholift #lifting #pullup #paleoishmama #Paleoish #Paleo #IIN #Fitness #iamwellandgood #fitfluential #eatliftlive #crossfit #homegym #sweat #fitmoms @fit_moms_of_ig @fitfluential @targetstyle @target #targetstyle @lucyactivewear

    A video posted by Sarah Kay Hoffman (@paleoishmama) on

     

  4. Thursday: 10.1 miles, broken up into two runs. I did the long run today because I wanted to get it out of the way before my birthday. I ran the first 7 miles at an 8:35 pace, and then the next 3.1 miles at an 8:21 pace. 
  5. Friday: My birthday! I had a super awesome arms and shoulders workout and then at all the Paleo Birthday Cake with Rainbow Unicorn Frosting. 
  6. Saturday: OFF. Know what I did on this day? A 90-minute massage. Recovery is critical!
  7. Sunday: Legs, Hamstring Dominant plus 4 x 800’s (7:45 pace). I’m not sure I’ll do the sprints on legs day anymore. I might move this to the arms and shoulders day. It felt like too much yesterday, and I’m all about listening to my body these days so more progress can be made.

I learned some new things last week about fueling my body for these workouts. I learned that more is better, and I learned that a difference of about 40-50g of carbs will make all the difference. When you eat for healing meshed with performance, good things can come. And by the way, last night it was all about the white rice, and this morning’s tempo run was absolutely amazing!

Questions: What are the best songs on your running playlist? How about on your lifting playlist? Do you use iTunes or Spotify or something else?

Xox,
SKH

How to Build the Best Home Gym

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Our Home, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

When my online interview with Experience Life magazine comes out, you’ll see how I talk a little about our home gym so before the article releases, I thought I’d share with you how to build the best home gym (or how we did, anyways).

{I also promised to write this post last week when I published, “The Bigness Project.”}

A long time ago, maybe like a year ago, Ryan and I quit our gym memberships and started working out at home. We more or less felt we had to because after Isaiah came, there just wasn’t the time anymore. Before Isaiah, I would usually go to the gym in the mornings and Ryan would go at 5 pm after work. (And before Samarah, we went whenever, for however long, and it rocked.) Neither scenario no longer worked once we got Isaiah, and obviously, life is far more insane now that we have Amiya, too. So we decided to put the pedal to the metal and go all in with building out a home gym, er, garage gym.

In the beginning, we only had a few random dumbbells, a yoga mat, and a stability ball. And guess what? For a couple weeks this was okay because we learned to get creative and also how to do a lot of bodyweight + Tabata Workouts. Handstands, anyone?!

How to Build the Best Home Gym Spartan Training, Week 4 Fitness Weight training sarahkayhoffman.com

But then, we realized that in order to make a home gym truly work for the long haul, we would need to build it (Ryan was going crazy without the ability to lift heavy and in the ways he has been used to his whole life) out much more. 

Our garage is fairly, so we chose to put the gym it in the “tandem” portion vs. our guest bedroom inside. And it has worked perfectly for us for many reasons, namely that it’s nice and cool out there (except for in the dead of summer) and we can crank the music early in the morning (even when the babies are sleeping).

And even though it’s not 100% clutter free, it 100% works (but we are working to remove more things from the garage to make it even cleaner). You can get a little idea of what it looks like if you follow me on Instagram because I’m always sharing workouts there. Like yesterday….


So the big question is, “What fitness equipment is in your home gym?”

How to Build the Best Home Gym….

Click To Tweet

How to Build the Best Home Gym

Click HERE to save this post for later.

How to Build the Best Home Gym sarahkayhoffman.com Fitness at Home

I studied to be a personal trainer through the NSCA (before Samarah), but never finished the program (I really should), so I know a thing or two about at-home training and having equipment available that can serve a variety of purposes. This is exactly what we’ve done and will continue to do with building out our home gym.

  1. Squat Rack. We have the Pro HR500 Fitness Half Rack, and this was one of the first things we bought. Zero regrets! I love everything about having a squat rack with these pull-up bars attached. A squat rack is very multi-purpose.
  2. Barbell and Plates. The barbell and plates we have did not come with the squat rack. Separately, we got a barbell and 300-pound weight set similar to this. In the beginning, before we had the Bowflex Dumbbells set, I used the barbell and individual plates to do many different random workouts and exercises. (Plate curls anyone?!)
  3. Dumbbells, set. There are many different ones you could choose from. We have the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair). Each dumbbell goes up to 52.5 pounds, and switching from weight-to-weight is super easy.
  4. Dumbbells, individual. We have some 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 12’s, and 80’s. Random. I know.
  5. Treadmill. I bought this used, from a friend. It’s one just like THIS. I love it! Do I think everyone needs a treadmill? Probably not, but a treadmill isn’t just to log 10-minute miles, 5 days a week. In fact, I only use it for the mundane if it’s icky outside. Instead, I like to use it for sprinting intervals, hill workout, lunges, and lateral work. (Side note: I also heard TreadLift is a pretty cool program. I have not tried it yet.)
  6. Bench. We have this one, and it’s perfect because it’s adjustable, which I think it kind of necessary if you’re only going to have one bench to start with.
  7. Pull Up Assist Bands. We have the WOD assist bands in black, purple, and red.
  8. Resistance Bands. We have a set of Resistance Loop Bands. The 14-Week Bigness Project I’m currently doing said I’d need some, so I quick grabbed a multitude of bands (for variety). 
  9. Resistance Bands with Handles. We also have a set of Resistance Bands with Handles (and ankle straps).
  10. Ab Roller. You don’t need anything fancy. Ours looks like THIS one. Alternatively, you can do ab rollouts with a stability ball.
  11. Stability Ball. Our stability ball isn’t even “pretty.” It’s THIS one, but I think I use it, on average 1-2 times per week. Bonus: You can sit on this at your desk if you’re into that sort of thing.
  12. Yoga Mat. If you want to do yoga at home, then you’ll absolutely need this. We don’t do yoga at home, but use ours for floor core work, stretching, and other things like that.
  13. Kettlebell. Yes, we have just one currently, it’s a 35 lb Kettlebell.
  14. Epic Bars. Ha…..this one is totally optional, but I can’t do gym without my Epic Bars so I quickly ordered a 12-pack of the Bison Epic Bars on Amazon. Obv.

The reason this post is called “How to Build the Best Home Gym” is not to tell you that our current gym is the best, but that we’re working on it. 

I believe that in order to build the best home gym, you must have the basics (squat rack, dumbbells, bench), but you must also have an assortment of things so that you’re able to hit muscles in a variety of ways while also never getting bored or staying complacent for too long.

How to Build the Perfect Home Gym 24+ Things for Building the Perfect Home Gym sarahkayhoffman.com

That said, here are the things we still need (some sooner rather than later):

  1. Boxes. If we feel like putting them together, we’ll grab these boxes. Otherwise, the standard will be just fine.
  2. (Edited: Bought this.) Jump Rope. I’m really picky with my jump ropes, but I think I’ve decided on this one.
  3. (Edited: Bought the PROCIRCLE.) Foam Roller. We have one, but it’s very average. I’d love a TriggerPoint GRID (or PROCIRCLE), and I think that anyone who lifts a lot or works out in general should have something that digs in a little more like these. Otherwise, a nice variety of sizes like THESE would work well, too.
  4. More Kettlebells. I need to start practicing the Turkish Get-Ups, but beyond them, there are so many things you can do with Kettlebells (I am addicted to Kettlebell swings). I love THIS brand of Kettle, so we just need to get weights 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60.  
  5. (Edited: We bought this TRX Training Kit. Love it!) TRX Bands. Having a great TRX Training Kit allows you to do a ton of suspension training + also have the ability to move your home gym along with you when you travel. 
  6. More Plates. I would probably be fine without more plates, but Ryan could use more.
  7. Bumper Plates. We don’t, however, have any bumper plates, and I really dig them. The 230lb colored set is what I have my eyes on.
  8. Bosu Ball. These are nice for core and stability work. 
  9. Floor Mats. We currently just use a huge, old rug for the majority of floor space, in addition to the garage flooring, but it would be nice (maybe once we clear out even more space) to get the foam puzzle floor matting.
  10. Full-Length Mirror. This sounds super vanity. It’s not. Mirrors are critical many times to ensure proper form for avoiding injury. Any basic one would do.
  11. Peloton Bike. This one is just a major wish-list item! Have you seen the new Peloton Bike yet? It’s like spin class right at home. My friend, Megan, has one and absolutely loves it. They are pricey, but she says well worth it. 

And there you have it, all in one place.

Any other must-have fitness items I’m missing?

p.s. A couple fitness boards to follow for workout inspiration: Fitness + Tabata, Crossfit, & Bodyweight Only Workouts.

Xox,
SKH

Week 1 Bigness Project

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Yesterday marked the end of week 1 Bigness Project, the 14-week hybrid strength training journey I’m on.

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Handstands

I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. You read that correct. It was a 6-day workout, but I’m feeling great!

During this first week, I felt re-inspired for some new things so in addition to sharing the past week of workouts, I thought I’d share these things.

  1. No Marathon. Dangit almighty. I’m already giving up one of my 2017 New Year’s Goals. I’m laughing as I write that. But here’s what happened to help make this final decision. On Saturday, I ran over 12 miles. And it rocked! I might have been running with a frown, but I was super happy, and it showed when I snapped the below picture at the end. Despite getting the female monthly friend just one hour prior to the run, my energy levels felt great (though my quads still fatigue fairly early on). Breathing was easy, and I actually feel like I’m getting back into the “cardio shape” I want to be in. But when the run was done, I had zero desire to keep running for a longer amount of time because there were so many other things I wanted to do with my day. I enjoyed the 2-ish hour “me time,” but really didn’t feel that dedicating more time was worth it, not from a fitness standpoint, personal standpoint, and in general life standpoint. Do you know what it means to train for a marathon? Even if I would continue on a basic 3-day per week training schedule, ultimately, the long runs would need to increase more and more and more. You can’t run a marathon training on a half-marathon schedule. I mean, you could, but not if you want to excel. And at this point in my life and on my fitness journey, doing things “just because” won’t cut it. I’m extremely goal driven, and for me “just because” isn’t really a goal. So here’s the deal, yes, running a marathon could prove me unafraid. But back to the Bigness Project…..so could building muscle. And that leads me to….  Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Jen Sinkler
  2. Tough. Again, dangit almighty. Week 1 of the program showed me that I’m not nearly as strong as I thought I was. Like, at all. By far, the most challenging thing I did were the bodyweight assisted eccentric pull-ups. I’ve always been used to doing pullups with a grip where palms face each other. This pull-up version, though, has palms facing out, and the tempo is a very slow one. There is no cranking out pull-ups “kip-style.” I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I was super frustrated. For a minute there I thought to myself, “No way. This is not for me. I’m not strong enough for this.” But that’s the point of being unafraid. Just because it wasn’t coming naturally to me, doesn’t mean I need to be afraid of it. Clearly, I have a lot of strength to work on, but after I reminded myself that it was OK to start at the beginning, I became excited for all that could be if I stayed consistent.


I still have every intention of running several races this year. I’m still going to run a half marathon at the end of March because I really love the 13-ish-mile distance. Now that I’ve already (almost) hit that distance, I can practice getting faster (which is a huge challenge in and of itself).

Week 1 Bigness Project

Click HERE to join along the journey via Instagram (+ I put a ton on my Instagram Stories, too!)

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Kourtney Thomas

  1. Monday: 5K, paced at 8:08/mile.
  2. Tuesday: Legs, Quad Dominant. I had not done BB Back Squats in quite some time, so it felt great to hit those again.
  3. Wednesday: Chest and Back. In addition to the pull-ups, I will say that my chest and back are, by far, my weakest links. I hate training them, and it shows. But I’m going to work really hard on both to gain some much-needed strength there.
  4. Thursday: Legs, Hamstrings + Sprints. I love leg day, especially when it is hamstring-focused. I have not done Curtsy Lunges and/or BB Hip Thrusts in a very long time, and I’m excited to see how much stronger I’ll get with those exercises over the next several weeks. I did my sprints on our treadmill. All of them were 400’s. The first 6 toggled down to a 7:20 pace, and the last one was a gradual hill climb. This ends up being a fairly long workout when it’s all said and done, but the time spent with and by myself is worth it.
  5. Friday: OFF. Ryan and I took the kids for a long walk that night, though (we tend to do this a few nights a week). 
  6. Saturday: 12.4-mile run, paced at 8:24/mile.
  7. Sunday: Shoulders and Arms. Focusing so much on eccentric training, I had to greatly reduce the weight I’m used to doing for shoulders. But still, they are my favorite body part to work! 

I’m heading into Week 2 Bigness Project with the mantra/quote I put up on Instagram Saturday after my run,

If you continuously compete with others, you become better, but if you continuously with yourself you become better.

That quote is super legit.

Up today…..back to the Quad Dominant leg day and increasing to 4 vs. 3 sets. Back squats here we come!

The possibilities are endless.

Xox,
SKH

The Bigness Project

Filed Under: Love, Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

Here is how The Bigness Project went down for me.

Jen Sinkler is an old “friend” from the Midwest (I use the term “friend” lightly because it’s not like we were having weekend brunch together or anything, just coffee once, but I’ve known her for a very long time now), and I think she’s brilliant at what she does in the Fitness realm so when I got her email last week about The Bigness Project, I was intrigued. 

I took it to Twitter.

We went back and forth, Kourtney and I, (and I also checked out her website for validation) until I finally decided to join the project.

The Bigness Project

Click HERE to save this post for later.

14-Week The Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com

According to the program,

The Bigness Project focuses on growth, on Bigness in both muscles and mindset.

In so few words, mindset growth is what I am currently focused on in both my fitness and personal life. 

It’s hard to image “bigness” in muscles combined with running. Honestly, I’m a little unsure about the training and results, too, but when I asked Kourtney how she adds in her training runs, she responded, “Mmmmhmmm. I’m an endurance runner too 🙂 2 higher intensity runs/week (track + tempo), 1 long on the weekend.”

Finally, someone speaking my language because that is exactly how I “scaled back” running these past few weeks (and feeling the runs stronger because of it).

I read through the program user manual and actual 14-week plan, and then I merged it with current running training.

The way I’ll train these next 14 weeks is via Hybrid Training. 

On page 35 of the user manual, it states,

Hybrid Training is a concept refined by Alex Viada, cofounder of fitness company Complete Human Performance. His concept involves stacking your cardiovascular training strategically throughout your training week to maximize recovery time and allow the best possible training effects of any sport or activity you participate in. In this instance, we’re talking about bodybuilding and endurance sports of any kind: running, cycling, swimming, rowing, etc. This way of training allows you to stay cardiovascularly fit while not impeding or killing your gains.

With hybrid training your workouts have a specific purpose, and you spend your time between very low intensity and fairly high-intensity threshold work. Your volume won’t be high, but you’ll maintain your cardiovascular fitness.

There are 2 phases to the Bigness Project, so I’ll lay out for you how my weeks will look, training-wise, for the next 7 weeks (this is a general guideline, not an absolutely because, well…..life):

Monday: Tempo run
Tuesday: Leg – Quads
Wednesday: Chest and Back
Thursday: Leg – Hamstrings + Intervals
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Arms and Shoulders

And that’s what Hybrid Training looks like.

The best parts of this entire program are three-fold:

  1. I looked at The Bigness Project workouts. Not only do they look sane and doable, but they look fun, interesting, and will have me training my muscles in a way I rarely train them (eccentric emphasis).
  2. The program also focuses on mindset. In fact, I heard Jen say that one of the things she enjoyed most about the program was the meditative factor she noticed. I reviewed some notes from my doctor last night, and he told me he really needed me to start meditating. I still have not, and I’m hoping he would count this:)
  3. I can do it all from our home gym! I only had to grab a few misc. things from Amazon for the program because we have everything else. I’ll share what’s in our home (garage) gym this week because I believe that spending the time, energy, and money building this beast out has been and will continue to be a key to my fitness (and sanity) success.

I may share my Bigness Project updates on my blog (I’ll tuck it under running), but for sure I’ll share things here and there via Paleoishmama, so come follow! 

p.s. the project is now closed so I don’t think you can get it again for awhile.

p.s.s. Jen and Kourtney, if you read this, there is an extra bedroom at our house, in case you ever want to come to Northern California for one of your “in person Bigness Project workout stops.” The garage awaits us. 

Xox,
SKH

Running with a Frown

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

Perhaps I am running with a frown, but my heart is happy.

Can I just tell you how much I cringe every time I read an article or listen to a podcast by some fitness guru who says, “Ladies, just stop with all the running! I mean, I’m always driving by ladies who are running with a frown. They look so sad because they hate what they are doing.” The conversation then always moves to how “if you don’t enjoy running, then stop it, because it’s not helping you lose weight or get that perfect body.”

Running with a Frown

This condescending tone must stop.

It’s frustrating. It’s annoying, and quite honestly it’s false.

On Saturday morning, I hit the road for an 11+ mile run. It was my best run yet, and during the long run, I listened to two podcasts (Chris Kresser + Fizzle) and random music here and there.  

I smiled just one time during the run, and that was when I ran past another runner who waved to me. This is because I don’t smile when I run, but it’s not because I’m miserable, sad, or pondering thoughts around, “Will this run get me the perfect body?” 

No, it’s because I am focused….on the run, breathing, foot placement, and many other things like my thoughts and a variation of deep meditation. Oftentimes the same is true when I’m walking, lifting, and doing every other type of workouts I enjoy. I’m not one to smile when I workout. I never have been, and I never will be.  

But I am happy. On the inside, I beam. If I wasn’t, I would not be doing it, and would not have the drive to hit the road, consistently these days, for 10+ miles. (Because there was a time when I hated running.)

Running with a Frown sarahkayhoffman.com

Almost three years ago, I wrote this post called, “Never Judge the Face {By a Frown or Frown-Upside-Down}.” It could not ring truer today.

Do you know how many times I (and you, too, likely) smile and it’s fake? Smiling is an act, and not all acts are genuine. I know this from my life’s experiences, all of them. But I also know it because each time I go to Bikram Yoga they say, “….healthy head, open heart, and a smile on your face.” 

I smile in those moments, to appease the teacher and everyone around me. Rarely am I actually happy. I know I should, but I just do not truly enjoy or appreciate yoga. My smile is fake, and only from an outsider’s perspective, am I happy and loving yoga.

The running community is really amazing, and yet for those not in it, I always feel like I’m defending running with a frown because “surely it’s something no one could truly enjoy.”

I don’t run to achieve some sort of body, and I think we need to stop inferring to women that there is a direct correlation between smiling and going after that “perfect body.” 

There isn’t.

That’s not real.

What is real? Keeping to your own lane, not judging another lane, understanding that looks can be deceiving and that running with a frown might be the happiest thing you see all day.

Running with a Frown sarahkayhoffman.com Quote Quotes

p.s. I’ll hopefully share my recent workouts via the Running category soon. I started running less, making them count more, and sprinkling in other things. It’s really paying off, I think!

Xox,
SKH