Don't Go Down with the Sun

There’s something about running outside that—as cheesy as it sounds—feeds the soul.

Even when it’s the hardest, slowest, shortest run of your life, you still feel better than staying home, browsing Pinterest. Even better still, is when we get on a roll and squeeze in a workout every day of the week.

But let’s be honest: there is not enough daylight to get everything done. Sometimes running outside makes the sunset cut, but more often we don’t have time until the sun has gone down.

Cue the scary shadows, stranger danger, and the epic scenes from Taken. We’ve been trained since elementary school to be afraid of the dark. Sure, it’s important to be cautious. But that doesn’t mean we should be afraid!

Whether you’re a regular night runner or you’re still afraid of the dark, here is how you can keep night running safe.  

Brag about it: It’s intimidating to run with someone else and it can be hard to find someone at your own pace. When can’t find someone to run with, be sure you tell someone you’re headed out. It sounds like mom advice, but tell a friend, a neighbor, a boyfriend…anyone really. Tell them where you’re running and around when you should be back.

Leave your headphones at home: Being in the dark already puts you at a disadvantage; don’t make yourself more vulnerable by blocking out the sound around you. Even with the volume down, having your headphones in makes you more likely to be approached because you seem distracted. Plus, it can mess with your pace and hinder that awesome workout you had planned. For the sake of your workout and your safety, keep the headphone at home.

Go neon: When it comes to athletic clothes we all tend to choose black. It’s slimming, it hides sweat, and for those reasons I’m a big fan… during the day. At night throw on a colorful headband, that lime green tank you only ever wore to EDC last summer, and a cool pair of kicks . You don’t have to spend $80 on a Brooks neon running jacket and you don’t have to become reflective. It’s more important that you’re bright enough to be seen.

In the end, the most important thing is to mindful of your surroundings. Try your best to be seen, trust your gut, and if all else fails take a trip to the gym!

Stop Fearing Carbs

Just the word “carbs” sends shudders down the spines of most women. We suddenly start imagining thighs of cellulite with muffin-top tummies and we rush into carb elimination mode.

“If I eat this bagel, I can’t have any more bread for the rest of the day.”

“I’ll just have a salad; I’m not eating carbs.”

We’ve all said it. But do we really know what is so bad about carbohydrates that compels us to completely eliminate them from our diet? It turns out that carbohydrates can act as a great source of energy and nutrients. It all depends on which carbs you consume.

Simple carbohydrates are found in sugary foods and dairy products. These carbs provide little nutritional value and add calories without fueling the body.

Complex carbohydrates do just the opposite. They are the fastest way to help the body gain energy and absorb minerals. They're especially important for your brain and nervous system, both of which rely almost primarily on carbohydrates. Insoluble carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, and veggies) help speed and regulate digestion... we're not grandmas, but it's important for everyone! 

Here are a few ideas to get complex carbs into your diet:

Quinoa... I'm new to this one, but I can't get enough! Plus, it's quick and easy to make for yourself.

Whole Grain Bread

Bananas

Almonds... yes, nuts have carbs too.

Beans

And here are a few carbs to kick to the curb:

Granola... even if it says whole grain, there are likely added sugary simples carbs.

Dried fruits

Jelly

Fruit juice


Sometimes the easiest way to change our diet isn't restriction. It's substitution. Putting healthy carbs back into our diets makes it easier to stick with the change.

Overcome Weekend Eating

It seems like every Monday morning starts with the same feeling: “I ate way too much crap this weekend.” Any Friday morning resolve dissolves by 5 o’clock and before we know it calorie-loaded margaritas and a gargantuan plate of nachos surround us. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to end up at Sunset. 

From there on it’s pizza, Chinese, and goldfish. It is a spiral of bad eating. Once you’ve starting down the path of unhealthy eating it seems like there is no going back.

As it turns out, there is a way to stop the cycle. No, it doesn’t begin with, “I’ll start my diet on Monday.”

First, forgive yourself. Okay, so you had a huge brownie Sunday because you were out for dinner. Was it the healthiest choice? Of course not. Does that mean you should lessen your guilt by adding more junk food to your stomach? No! Deplane from the guilt trip you’ve sent yourself on and you’ll find it a lot easier to be reasonable about food choices afterwards.

Second, think of food as fuel. It’s easy to rationalize, to forget the sluggish side effects, and to say, “I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.” But when you really think about what you’re putting into your body and how you’ll feel afterwards, you’re more apt to opt out of the two-pound cheesecake. It’s hard to get used to thinking this way—especially if you’re a dessert lover like me—but once your body starts to feel good, it helps your mind gain resolve too.  

Third, stop thinking in terms of a diet. For most of us putting the diet label on our eating habits instantly makes us think of restriction. You can’t have carbs, you can’t have dessert, and you can’t have the things you like most. It’s more important to choose healthy options the majority of the time than to suddenly enforce strict limitations that you are likely to give up on. Once in a while, allow yourself a small scoop of ice cream, split the dessert with a friend, or do an extra five minutes on the treadmill if you know you have dinner plans.

It’s not about perfection; it’s about living healthy. 

Make Time for Exercise

September has officially flown by and I think I can speak for us all when I say it’s hard to believe it’s October 1^st. If your schedule is anything like mine, you’ve finally reached the point where you’re starting to feel a routine kick in.

For most of us, it starts with a speedy breakfast and ends once work, class, and meetings dictate we’re done. To us ambitious ladies it feels good to have long accomplished days. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves in the midst of the chaos.

However, we inevitably reach that three-week point where we realize that it’s not so easy to do it all and give our all. Add one extra shift at work, a project, or a meeting and the first task eliminated from the to do list is working out.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. It’s always easy to say there’s no time—trust me it’s my number one excuse—but in reality we all know there is always time for our other priorities. Why not bump working out up on the list?

Here are some tips for making exercise more important!

Schedule it in. Right now. Take that pen you’re pretending to use for homework and mark your planner with a time each day that you can dedicate to exercise. Even if you only have time for a half hour walk after lunch, it’s better than nothing at all.

Don’t be afraid of the dark. I used to make the excuse that when the sun went down so did I. Campus gyms and running buddies make this an excuse of the past so lace up and get out there even if it is after dark.

Make it fun! When we start to see working out as another obligation it becomes easy to resent. Instead, we have to see exercise as personal time. We can strengthen the body, mind, and—as cheesy as it sounds—the soul. By working out with a friend, joining an intermural or club sport, or even just by trying something new and ridiculous (re: trampoline gyms) we can make exercise exciting… or at least a little more tolerable.