Category Archives: Motivation

March 25, 2014 · 6:45 am

Be Weird, Be Random, Be Who You Are Or 11 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

Good morning, darlings!

A quick follow up on yesterday’s run. It was somewhat tough because my legs were sore from my Sunday’s workout. However, I did manage to run 6.5 km in 37 minutes, which is okay. I SHALL NOT GIVE UP!

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Needless to say, my foam roller became my best friend yet again *read here for more foam rolling tips*! Today, thankfully is my rest day, so I will probably do some stretches, nothing major though.

As you most likely remember, I was nominated for the Liebster Award about a month ago. However, when I was nominated again last weekend by She Does Write, I was truly honored and couldn’t decline it. Not to repeat myself, I decided just to answer the questions. I find, it is a great way to provide give you with another glimpse into my life. *For some strange reason, I noticed that I don’t tend to talk about my private life in here that much.*

So there it goes.

1. What is your favorite word or phrase?

The first phrase that came to my mind is…

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2. Dogs, cats, or other–and why?

I am definitely a dog person. It might sound somewhat funny *and RIDICULOUS*, but I am actually scared of cats. Not that I want to run the moment I see one, but I am really afraid that it will scratch me. I think I’ll blame my grandma’s cat who is super cute and WILD at the same time! On the other hand, I’d love to own a tiger! *How confusing!*

As for the dogs, I am a German Shepherd lover. Meet my beloved Sanda who passed away last year.

And here is my little 4.5 months old pest and trouble-maker, Bella:

3. What was the best part of living where you grew up?

I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine.

When I was little (about 2-3 years old) my parents decided to move to my dad’s home city Cherkasy, where I ended up living for about 13 years of my life. My fondest memories of my childhood are the moments I spent with my family at the beach close to our house, where we would go quite often: in summer – to swim, play soccer and volleyball, and even camp, in winter – to skate and ski.

4. What’s the best part of living where you are now?

Montreal is one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world! I might be biased, but my heart belongs here.

The nature is breathtaking.

There are plenty of events happening all year long.

And the architecture is beautiful, and yet not overwhelming: a mix of old and new.

5. What was your last dream about?

To be honest, I don’t really recall, but it was something in James Bond style, meaning me running away from someone to stay alive. All jokes aside, that’s how I felt. Haha!

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6. Have you ever pranked someone in an epic way?

Okay, so I don’t really remember pranking anybody recently, HOWEVER… I was pranked pretty badly about a year ago by a local show Les Détestables. It is a Montreal’s hidden camera comedy program, where elderly people say or do inappropriate things trying to get a reaction out of innocent people *me!* who do not suspect a thing!

Since the video is in French (Montreal is a bilingual city), here is the translation:

Elderly lady, ‘Excuse me, but I haven’t finished reading… Can you turn the page back?’
Me *clearly shocked*, ‘Excuse me?!?!’
Elderly lady *turning the page of my book*, ‘I stopped reading right here.’

You won’t believe, this encounter lasted for much longer, but they didn’t show it all on TV. What you need to know about me is that I am NOT a rude person. That being said, this situation gave me a pretty intense headache from conflicting emotions and feelings that I had experienced for the rest of the day! Haha!

7. If you could ask your future self anything, what would it be?

How was child labor?! Ahaha! *I am terrified!!! Not that I’m pregnant either! LOL!*

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8. How would you describe your personal style?

I am not sure I understand this question properly, but I am very determined and competitive. Definitely, a good friend and a family person.

9. Have you ever met a celebrity?

Multiple times! My problem though is that I don’t know who they are!

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10. What is your favorite thing to do in downtime?

I love to read, take pictures and edit them!

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11. What is the last thing you photographed?

I actually took this picture of myself.

Not that I’m one of those girls that loves to constantly take selfies, but I thought the idea behind it was really nice. #nomakeupselfie was done in order to show support and raise breast cancer awareness.

So tell me, do you like these posts where I give you some random facts about myself? What would you like to know about me?

xoxo
Olena

22 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Motivation, Puppy Love, Uncategorized

Tagged as fitness, Funny, health, Hidden Camera, Liebster Award, Montreal, Puppy, Random facts, running, Ukraine, weight loss

March 18, 2014 · 6:45 am

Dealing With Tough Runs, Also Deep Stretches For Flexibility & Active Rest

So there it goes. Yesterday’s 10 km run was brutal. I am not really surprised since I took a few weeks break from running due to my extreme work overload and fatigue that came with it. But I didn’t expect it to be THIS hard.

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That being said, I must admit, I am proud of myself. Proud for not giving up, and proud for sticking through it! After all, it is normal to have highs and lows, but what’s more important is how we go about it. All it takes is a little bit of extra effort, willingness and dedication. The feeling of accomplishment when you are done is SOOO worth it!

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Today is my rest day. However, I thought it would be a good idea to have an active rest day instead.

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And what could be better than doing some yoga?! (+ don’t forget about the Spartan 30 squats for 30 days challenge!)

Plus, I am really overdue on some good stretching!!!

How do you deal with tough runs? What are your favorite ways to have an active rest when it’s still cold outside?

xoxo
Olena

25 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Motivation

Tagged as Active Rest Day, fitness, Flexibilty, health, Meditation, motivation, running, Spartan Race, Stretching, weight loss, Yoga

March 3, 2014 · 6:45 am

Spring Cleaning Your Home And Body 101: 3 Eco-Friendly DIY Household Cleaner Recipes & 6 Great Short-Term Challenges For Your Health

Call me crazy, but for me all seasons start on the first of the month. *I guess it’s an Eastern European thing!*

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I don’t think I’ll ever forget the day when we were asked a question about when seasons start in my French class shortly after my family’s arrival to Canada. Always an eager student, I could not wait to answer the question to show off my newly acquired French skills only to find myself completely dumb struck. *In retrospect, I still find the entire situation totally hilarious! I was soooo EMBARRASSED!* But then, who could blame me?! Why on the earth seasons would start on the 21st of the month and not on the first?! It’s beyond me!

Anyhow, back to the subject… MY spring began on Saturday, you CAN be jealous if you wish! Haha!

You still don’t believe me? Well, how about this? On Saturday night, my hubby was coming down with a flu, so he took some medicine and fell asleep. While he was peacefully snoring with Bella in his feet, I managed to rearrange all of his drawers… YAH! It was March 1!

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You know it’s a spring the moment your entire being wants to get rid of clutter and start things fresh. Right?! To me spring cleaning is letting go of winter, getting rid of clutter, reevaluating my short- and long-term goals.

In my opinion living healthy also implies living in harmony with nature and the world. Reducing our foot print on nature is indeed important to living a long healthy and happy life. This is why I was super excited when I found the following infographic.

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Indeed, white vinegar is a life saver! I use it when I have to clean a fridge and a shower all the time. On the other hand, I saw a few worrisome reports that some vinegar may be made of petroleum. So please, be sure to check your vinegar labels and make sure that it’s made of grains.

I also found a wonderful article on Greatist, 27 Non-Toxic Products for DIY Cleaning, make sure to check it out.

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Apart from cleaning my home, I like to take some time to refocus and get organized. For instance:

My first ever Spartan Race is only 2.5 months away. Thus, I really have to build a plan and stick to it.
Staying hydrated is one of my top priorities right now. I am constantly trying to be more aware of how much liquid I consume throughout the day.
Snacking is also very important to sustain my energy levels and avoid unnecessary highs and lows.
Cutting back on sugar consumption and trying to naturally cleanse my body are two of the most difficult challenges at the moment, and that’s okay. I just need to avoid temptation and use some will power.
Not to forget Emmeline’s challenge, my goal is to be able to do at least 30+ push ups and 15 pull ups in a row by summer .

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How about you? What does spring cleaning mean to you? What are your favorite ways to let go of winter?

xoxo
Olena

18 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Motivation

Tagged as Body Cleanse, Detox, Eco-Friendly DIY, fitness, health, Hydration, Snacking, Spartan Race, Spring Cleaning, weight loss

February 13, 2014 · 6:45 am

29 Ways To Stay Creative & 40-Minute Fat Burning Yoga Workout

The truth for us bloggers is that it is difficult to stay creative at all times; especially, for someone who is new to writing like me. Today is definitely one of those days: I find it super duper hard to find any inspiration. *Bella could be one of the reasons I can’t concentrate though! Puppies! I don’t know what I’ll do with my future babies! Haha!*

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As always, I like to be proactive and look for solutions, and therefore decided to look for some tips on how to keep creativity in tact.

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Some of other ways are the following:

Change your surroundings: I always write my posts at home; however, I think that a change of the scenery could help my concentration. *Plus, I love Starbucks! It’s a win win situation!*
Always have a notebook and pen on you *and next to your bed… SERIOUSLY!*: Sometimes I get ideas in the weirdest of places… I swear!
Use Pinterest for inspiration: I’m pretty sure that you know this already *but just in case*, you can have a ‘secret’ board on Pinterest. When I see something interesting, I always pin it there. When I lack ideas, this is the first place I go to look for motivation. I call my secret board a VISION BOARD *which is kind of true*.
Surround yourself with creative people: Read other blogs, magazines, books; get yourself involved in various ambassador programs; attend conferences.
Travel: as much as your wallet permits you to!
Take a walk or exercise: I find that running and yoga helps a lot!
Start new hobbies: Why not??? Haha!

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*Hold on a second, I can’t stop laughing! Ahahahaha! I am such a MEAN person!*

Today’s Workout

I miss doing yoga. Thus my choice for today is this 40-minute fat burning yoga workout.

Your turn, how do you stay creative? What do you do on the days when you have writer’s block?

xoxo
Olena

22 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Motivation

Tagged as At home workout, Creativity, fitness, Funny, health, Pinterest, Spartan Race, weight loss, Writer's Block, Yoga

January 30, 2014 · 6:45 am

Food Labeling And What You Should Know About GMOs, Also Super Spartan Trail Run & Medusa’s Challenge

Please, don’t kill me guys, recently I’ve become obsessed with infographics. The reason being is that I am a visual person, and I find that just by looking at an image I can learn and absorb much more than by reading the same thing as a plain text. I hope you don’t mind, and if you do, definitely let me know!!! *You’re the best!*

Recently I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the labels of products that I am buying. However, at the same time, I know that they can be misguiding. And to top it all off, I have no clue what majority of the ingredients even mean. Well, I definitely try to avoid those products, but still! So I wanted to look more into it and see if there is anything new that I could find out for myself. And as a result I came across this.

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After reading through it, I am really concerned about how much more I don’t know! It’s quite disturbing! What do you think?

Workout of the Day

Actually, today was supposed to be my rest day. However, my husband and I made some plans with our friends to go up north in the mountains for the weekend. Since we’ll be driving there right after work, the chances of me working out on Friday are extremely low, and on Saturday – well, it really depends on weather, but I highly doubt that I’ll be able to get a nice run in. Therefore, I decided to something different today and combine 2 workouts from my 12-week training schedule: Medusa’s Challenge & Super Spartan Trail Run.

Warm up well.

Perform 1 minute of each exercise, with 10 seconds of rest in between:

Repeat entire sequence 3 times. * I promise, I will attempt to! However, please, don’t be mad at me if I do it only 2. Haha!*

Steady state 4 miles run: run in zone 2 and the low end of zone 3.

What are the things that you look for and paying attention to when grocery shopping? How important is the amount of calories when you are choosing between different brands?

xoxo
Olena

14 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Kitchen Adventures, Motivation

Tagged as dieting, fitness, Food Labeling, GMO, health, MSG, nutrition, running, Spartan Race, weight loss

January 28, 2014 · 6:45 am

Why You Should Include Laughter In Your Workout Routine & A Closer Look At Heart Rate And Energy Zones During A Tempo Run

Did you know that laughter is good for your health? Of course, you did! But did you know to what extent? Check this out for yourself.

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It seems so easy to include laughter in your daily life; however, according to Psychology Today, ‘The average four-year-old laughs 300 times a day, a 40-year-old, only four.’

I know that it sounds kind of silly, but how can we laugh more often? Here are some ideas:

Surround yourself with people with a great sense of humor
Follow a blog that makes you smile: I personally love *LOVE, LOVE, LOVE* my girl from Perpetual Plot Hole. She is ridiculously funny & I adooooore her sketches! You should definitely check her out ❤
Laugh at the small stuff *WHY NOT?!*
Don’t forget to laugh at yourself when something silly happens
Have friends over more often *Yes, indeed! There is communication BEYOND Facebook! Haha!*
Watch your favorite shows and comedies every now & then

You get the point! The last time I REALLY REALLY laughed *to the point of crying & unintentionally hitting my head on a desk as I was trying not to die* was when I read a review of Haribo Gummy Candy, Sugarless Gummy Bears, 5-pound bag (the very first one called: Just don’t. Unless it’s a gift for someone you hate). Just a quick heads up, don’t, I mean, DON’T, read this review if you are at work right now because you could get fired for an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!

Moving on to the workout planned for today. According to the 12-week plan, it’s a 2 Mile Trail Tempo Run with a total duration of 1 hour:

Warm up 2 miles with a heart rate in zone 2.
Run 2 miles with a heart rate in zone 4.
Cool down 2 miles with heart rate in zone 2.

So when was the last time you laughed until your stomach started hurting? Feel free to share links, let’s spread the happiness and laughter on this wintry day!

xoxo
Olena

32 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Motivation, Uncategorized

Tagged as cardio, fitness, Funny, happiness, health, Laughter, Life, motivation, running, weight loss

January 23, 2014 · 6:45 am

A Self Help Guide: Should I Workout Today?

Such is our human nature, we are lazy bums! Okay, stop right there! Stop denying it. Because the truth always prevails: Even if you are a super duper fitness enthusiast, you DO have some days that you would like to slack off.

Fine! Presume that I believed you. Even if you have been working out constantly and haven’t skipped one workout over the few years, I can guarantee you that you have a friend *unless you are super antisocial, of course* who bailed on you the very last moment before going to train. Please, say ‘yes’?! Haha!

Anyhow, regardless, which category you do fall under, I’ve got an excellent solution for you! I mean, CHECK THIS OUT!

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Isn’t this guide absolutely FANTABULOUS?!?! No one can literally say no to working according to this guide. Why? Because there are multiple reasons why you should.

Now that I know that you will definitely be working out today *wink, wink*, I’ve got a perfect cardio workout for you!

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Isn’t it fun?!

For more ways to get your heart pumping, check out:

What are you ways of combating laziness? Any tips or tricks? Please share! As we all know, sharing is caring. Haha!

xoxo
Olena

16 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Motivation

Tagged as cardio, core workout, fitness, health, HIIT, motivation, running, Tabata, weight loss, Yoga

January 9, 2014 · 6:45 am

Workout Nutrition: The Ultimate Guide

For some reason lately I’ve been hearing more and more girls making comments about how unhappy they are with their weight. It might be an effect of the post holiday season, but I also blame media for influencing the way we see ourselves. However, this feeling is not strange to me either.

Source: Image by Samantha Hatten

As a former gymnast from Ukraine, I struggled with my body image for many years as well. From a very early age, I’d been constantly weighed in front of others and told about how my body should and shouldn’t like. When I went to a university, many of my friends started dieting, and I even remember how at some point I hadn’t eaten anything at all for a few days and drank just water.

I’ve never really been overweight, and yet only a couple of years ago I didn’t feel comfortable wearing short shorts or a bathing suit… And this is SO WRONG! I am sick and tired of a perceived image of what our bodies should look like. Our happiness should not depend on a number on a scale!

Even though I feel comfortable with the way I look now and for the first time in my life don’t strive to lose any weight, I am still learning about how to eat properly. It’s definitely challenging to change old habits. Yet, if there is willingness, everything is possible! Don’t you think?

Anyhow, I found this great guide on Pinterest and figured I’d share it with you. Oh, c’mon, don’t give me that “I eat properly already” excuse, there is always room for new knowledge and improvement! *BOOM!* Fueling our bodies before, during and after the workout is detrimental to our fitness success. Therefore, without further ado: the ultimate guide to workout nutrition.

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What are your thoughts about this guide? What are your favorite pre- and post-workout food? I’d love to know!

xoxo
Olena

16 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Motivation

Tagged as body image, cardio, fitness, health, lifestyle, nutrition, strength, weight loss, workout fuel

January 7, 2014 · 6:45 am

A Great Ab Workout & Why It Is So Important For Runners

The importance of changing up workouts and targeting different groups of muscles is not a secret. Doing this helps you to gain muscle faster without unnecessary injuries. So it was not a surprise when yesterday I decided to work on my abs after a long Sunday run.

OKAY, I will admit, it wasn’t the only reason. I slacked and hadn’t run for the past 3 weeks, so my legs were super sore after a 10 km run. Yes! You heard it right! I’m not perfect and there is nothing wrong with taking breaks! *Oh, excuses, excuses!*

All jokes aside though, ab workouts are super important for any fitness enthusiast, especially for runners. According to this source: ‘At any given point during a typical run, your body weight rests entirely on one leg or the other. That means the muscles in the core (abdominal) area of your body must remain contracted in order to help you keep your balance. A weak core means other muscles, like those in your back and neck, must pick up the slack, which can lead to aches, pains and even serious injury. At the very least, weak abs compromise your running performance, making you slower and causing you to tire faster.’

This means, not only that you have to suffer because your stomach is not as appealing as you’d like it to be, but also that you are slower than other runners AND in pain! How crazy is that?!?! This alone is enough to motivate anyone like me! Therefore, now when someone is talking to me about an ab workout, all I hear is this:

I’m gonna show off my sexy stomach at the beach this summer! Woop woop!
I’m gonna run at the front of the pack and think *SUCKERS!!!*
Next time I go for a massage, it’ll be for my own pleasure and not to work on my ‘problematic’ a.k.a. painful areas.

Also:

The following workout is really great. It is very effective, even though it’s only 8 minutes long. Personally, I really enjoyed it. My puppy also participated in the exercise by pulling on my ponytail from time to time. She is a true team player as you can see!

Please, don’t be afraid if you don’t speak any French, there is not much talking involved, and the counting is done in English. Simply follow the robot! REALLY! You’ll see what I mean! HAHA!

How did you like it? What are your favorite ab workouts?

xoxo
Olena

9 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Motivation

Tagged as ab workout, abs, core, crunches, fitness, health, quick workout, running, training, weight loss

January 6, 2014 · 6:45 am

HIIT Training & The New Spartan 30-Day Challenge

Happy Monday all!

Okay, fine, I’m pretty sure not everyone is super excited to go back to work after 2 weeks of holidays or short work weeks. But hey, we gotta stay POSITIVE!

I had a wonderful weekend. The definite highlight of it was a 10 km run on Sunday, my first run this year! After running, I feel re-energized, inspired and relaxed. Oh, and let’s not forget about the runner’s high! LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! What about you?

In addition, I started using dailymile to track and share my workouts. It is a pretty awesome tool because there is a big community of active people behind it, who support each other, inspire and get inspired, not to mention that it’s absolutely free. I also love that it shows how many donuts you’ve burnt. I mean, how AWESOME is that?! If you decide to join or have already joined this community, make sure to add me (just click on the link above or on the right panel of my blog), so that we can motivate each other!

I was also super excited and pumped for the new Spartan Challenge: 1 Mile a Day for 30 Days. I know, it’s super easy, all you have to do is walk/run 1 mile every day for 30 days; however, the main purpose is ‘ to get everybody off the couch and living like Spartans with small daily challenges’ or, in other words, to stay active and consistent . You can join the movement here.

On a side note, the Spartan Race has got a very talented design team. I LOVE their pictures! They are so simple and creative: I get blown away every single morning when I receive their WOD (Workout of the Day) & FOD (Food of the Day) emails.

While training for the Spartan Race, I realized the importance of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It takes fitness to the next level while not sacrificing any extra time at the gym. It is super easy to incorporate in your daily workout:

If you are going for a run, every so often start sprinting as fast as you can, then jog for a minute, then sprint again, and so forth.
What you could also do is run a mile then do some high-intensity exercises such as burpees, push-ups, squat jumps or mountain climbers (as many reps as you can in a minute each), then repeat: run and do exercises as many times as your fitness level allows.

It’s definitely tough, but it’s worth it! You’ll see results very quickly ,BUT you’ve got to be CONSISTENT.

Here are some of the benefits of HIIT training.

Finally, I came across the following video. It is super inspirational. I thought I’d share it with you today to start the week off on the right foot: full of energy and confidence in your abilities.