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Yosemite Recap

Date: May 7, 2013

Author: astottler

Hey guys! REALLY long time, no post, eh? I had the most amazing weekend! I would have loved to do a recap yesterday, but well, as it turns out, when you take pictures with your camera, having the cable that connects it to the computer is kind of essential if you want to post your pictures on your blog….oops. But all is well now! My mom brought it up today since she has a class here Monday nights. She also brought an entire case of Harry and David fruit! If you’ve never heard of Harry and David, you’re seriously missing out.

ANYWAYS. We left on Friday for Yosemite. At 3:30 pm. Hmmm rush hour much? It took an extra 2 hours, and we got in around 10. Here’s a sunset photo, which is currently my phone background:We settled out stuff in our fancy camping tents (and by this I mean this was luxury camping) and went out to stargaze. It’s amazing what you can see without light pollution. I took a star picture, but….it’s just black, so I’ll spare you guys that picture.

I woke up before most and ventured outside, only to be struck by this view:Whoa, I was not expecting that! Here’s a shot of the base camp:After a quick breakfast, we headed out for a hike. I’m so good at selfies. Me and half of my rooommate…oops. The animals were all super tame, and would come right up to you! A squirrel walked right up to my friend while she was sitting down. No fear!One of the first views of Yosemite. Then began the climb. Hiking is no joke! I never realized what an intense workout it is, given this is my first real hike. See how far away that waterfall is?Getting closer…and thus began the mist zone. We got absolutely drenched! I had to put my camera away because it was so wet, but I kept pulling it back out because the view was just too breathtaking to miss!The view from the top of the waterfall. We conquered it! Here we broke for lunch. This whole trip I was worried I would have limited access to veggies. I packed my turkey sandwich sans bread and threw the mix in a ziplock bag. I’ll take it!

Vernal Falls: conquered. Next up-Nevado Falls.

It was around this time I started to get a very strong and strange headache. NOT FUN for hiking. It was strange because it was in the base of my neck/back of my head. SO definitely not a dehydration headache…This is also around the point I ran out of water…#rookiehikermistake

Getting closer!CONQUERED. We were at some serious elevation here! We covered A LOT of height. It was a TAD bright at the top!View from the top! At the top we lay out on some rocks and soaked up the sun. After lying down and finding someone with Advil, we began our descent. At this point, no one had water. We had maybe a cup between all 10 of us. Oops. My group headed down. Another group decided to continue on for 9 more miles….with basically no water. Yeah. That was not happening for me. Bye waterfall!

Thankfully, we took a different route down and didn’t have to get drenched by Vernal Falls again. I had not been looking forward to going down a steep and slippery rock trail.

And before I knew it, we were at the bottom again. In total, we hiked 6 miles. But that included a lot of height. It was SO awesome. All of my best friends from school were there, and it was just a great time. I definitely want to take more trips like this. WHy have I not done this before???

Just a few shots of my wonderful friends:

After the hike, we made use of the showers at the base camp. Much needed. I made the mistake of using the handicapped shower….so the faucet was at waist level. Smart.

Then, being the college students we are, we headed to the lodge for cell service, cell phone charging, and wifi. Well, really poor wifi. And poor service…

I did manage to get some veggies in with dinner, which was pizza. Not much else exciting. Sunday we headed home. That morning my headache returned, so I bought some Tylenol at the store there. My headache was back this morning for most of the morning. It’s really bizarre. My current theory is I am having sugar withdrawal symptoms. I’m cutting out desserts, so I may actually be cutting out more sugar than I realized…Does anyone know anything about withdrawal headaches? Like where in the head they are? It’s odd. Eh.

This morning I was back in the weight room for this workout:The rugby team was lifting next to me. I started with deadlifts, and they were actually doing them as well. I lifted more than all of them. WINNING. I wasn’t able to get on the pull-up machine, and I can’t do full pull-ups, so I substituted the pull down thingy. My arms are already feeling it.

Now much excitement in today’s eats. But I did try out this new tea thing from Teavanna that I got for my Birthday! It’s awesome! You just pour your tea leaves in and let it brew.Then place it on top of your mug, and the tea flows in!And wa-la! Tea!

On that note, hope your weekend was as awesome as mine!

Do you like hiking? Where’s your favorite place to hike?

[Guest Post] Cancer and Fitness: Working it Out

Date: May 4, 2013

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hey guys! While I am in Yosemite, Melanie is going to take over! She reached out to me about the possibility of doing a guest post, and I jumped at the idea! So many people worldwide suffer from cancer, and anything that can help alleviate the suffering is worth paying attention to! It also speaks to the amazing benefits of exercise. Enjoy!

By Melanie Bowen

If you are a cancer patient, being as fit as possible is ideal. This is true even if
you feel you lack the energy to begin. In fact, exercise is particularly helpful for
cancer patients experiencing fatigue because it increases energy levels.

One common misconception about fitness is that exercise is not an option for
cancer patients. Doctors often still recommend that their patients do nothing but
get plenty of rest. This attitude has become deeply ingrained in the thinking
of most people. The reality is that exercise is very beneficial, even for cancer
patients. By following this outdated advice, those getting treatment for cancers
such as breast, colon and even rare forms of mesothelioma may be missing out
on some valuable benefits.

Where do I start?

It is imperative to gauge your current level of physical fitness. This also takes
into account where you stand in your cancer treatment. Talk to a physical
therapist at your hospital about your ideas. They are usually great at evaluating
your current physical condition and recommending something appropriate. You
should take an approach of moderate exercise because exercising too vigorously
can actually be counterproductive. Moderation ensures you get the benefits of
exercise without injuring yourself or hindering your recovery.

What are the benefits?

One benefit of exercise is that healthy body weight helps lower your risk of
developing infections, secondary cancers, and diabetes. You have all you can
handle right now with cancer. The last thing you need is to acquire an infection
because your immune system was weak from being sedentary.

Another great benefit of increased fitness is that you tend to be in a better
mood. This is because exercise increases brain chemicals called endorphins
that make you feel good. In turn, this will provide added motivation to continue
exercising. You will want to have that feeling again. Another great thing is that
this is a natural high — there is no risk of addiction as with prescription drugs and
narcotics.

Probably the biggest obstacle for most cancer patients sticking with exercise
is motivation. When you are sick, exercise is even harder to start than with a
healthy person. One way to motivate yourself is by listening to your favorite
music while exercising. Another is to find a friend or family member to exercise

with you. Whatever the case, be persistent and you will reap the many benefits of
exercise.

Birthday!

Date: May 3, 2013

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hey guys! I just wanted to pop in since I won’t get a chance later (I only have an hour after class before I leave and I’m thinking packing might be a priority….)

First order of business: check out my guest post here! It’s my first guest post, so I’m super excited! And awesome that it happened on my birthday!

Let’s recap the beginning of my birthday. I can safely say that I have never begun celebrating at 12:01. But at my school we have a little tradition where the birthday boy/girl gets thrown in the shower at midnight. It’s interesting- a whole bunch of people find said person, and parade/carry (depending on how resistant the person is) the person to the shower, all while singing Happy Birthday in a grim and ominous way. I was determined to avoid this, but I decided to give in and at least do it smart. I took a shower at 11:30, and left my towel wrap on, so when I was time for my obligatory shower, I was already wet and not in real clothes. I was actually surprised by how many of my friends came out to shower me!

And then my wonderful roommate baked a cake. Chocolate bundt cake with avocado frosting! If you don’t already know, I most definitely have a thing for avocados. It was so amazing! And I swear I didn’t break my no sugar as I start my 19th year thing…it was only midnight and I wasn’t born until the evening. 😉 Saved by a technicality? I’ll take it.

I was up bright and early this morning to complete one of my all time favorite workouts, which I seem to keep posting…but here it is again!This workout is tailored to the equipment available at the gym here at school, which is probably why I do it so often.

Ok, that’s all I have for now! Have a great day! I know I will!

What do you do for your birthday? Any wacky traditions?

Crazy Talk

Date: May 3, 2013

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Happy Thursday! I’m going to be in Yosemite this weekend with my dorm, so look for a guest post! There is no Wifi there so…

Guess what? Tomorrow is my birthday. I’m gonna be 19! I like that age. It sounds like a good number. I don’t know, I guess some ages sound weird to me. For example, 12 and 13. Everyone knows it is that horrible pre-teen phase…And 18 sounds…well barely legal. Yeah, 19 is a good number. Since tomorrow begins a new year in my life, I’ve been doing some thinking…But let’s get through my day first. Morning spin…nothing new but still kick butt. Since I had one of these babies last night, I wasn’t terribly hungry.

This is possibly my favorite cupcake…ever. It was coconut with raspberry frosting. YUM. But it was late at night….and here’s the bad part. I had to stay up late (for me) to finish a paper, and I knew I needed energy…so I turned to food. Yogurt bowl anyone? I would have drunk coffee but I waned to be able to sleep as soon as I was done…but eating at night means stomachache for Aurora. So I went with a light breakfast.

Hey, it got the job done! At my 9 am class, we learned how to handle lab mice, which was awesome. And got me thinking about possibly having mice as pets in my dorm next year. Or a guinea pig. Thoughts? To be clear, they’re strictly prohibited. But they have to actually catch you. I’m such a rebel, I know.

Lunch was a veggie scramble with garlic hummus, asparagus, onion, mushrooms, and nutrition yeast, which I topped with pesto after the fact.

Plus a million carrots with sunflower seed butter. I’m actually trying to wean myself off of it, given I eat so much of it….

After lunch, I met up with my family for a birthday celebration picnic.

Devil’s food cake with vanilla buttercream. The best.

It was really nice to enjoy the weather and chat.

The only other really notable thing from my day was a power yoga class which was really awesome. It was probably my best day at doing the crow pose. Funny story…I’ve had a yoga teacher laugh at me before…by doing a faceplant while doing the crow. Here’s the crow:

As you can see, if you shift too far forward, you’re in trouble. Because your hands are occupied. And the only thing to break your fall is your face…

But on to the meat of this post….I’ve been doing some thinking. Remember that sugar challenge I talked about about a week ago? Notice how I haven’t mentioned it lately? That’s because I broke it. On like the second day…I am in the habit of not posting snacks and sweets that I eat on the blog, not because I’m trying to deceive you but because I don’t think to take pictures. And let’s just say that my daily sugar intake hasn’t been too great lately…

Yesterday, I went to quidditch conditioning. It felt…kind of awful. I felt heavy. My legs felt heavy. We did a lot of the agility drills I used to do for softball…except last time I did them I was in great shape, and now…it was a bit of a wake up call. And on top of that…

My half marathon training starts at the end of this month! I seriously need to start treating myself better and be more careful about what I put into my body if I want to stick to a fairly intense running schedule. Especially since I want to keep up some of my other workouts.

Here’s what July looks like:

The mileage adds up pretty quickly. And I have hardly been running at all lately…

So it’s time for a change. I’ve been really trying to work on intuitive eating lately, but sugar completely throws me off. I cannot feel my body’s signals with sugar. And I’m drawn to more sugar. So. I’m going to attempt something a bit drastic. The daily maximum added sugar intake is recommended to be no more than 25 grams. I’m going to attempt to stick to this. And more drastic and scary…I want to give up sweets for the rest of the school year. This isn’t a permanent situation, I just want to reset my body so that I can actually listen to its cues. And I realize that I have failed on my last sugar challenges, but this time will be different…because I’m going to tell people. That way I won’t be the only one holding me accountable. I truly believe this is something I need to do for my healthy. I’m worried that if my body isn’t prepared for my training, I’m going to get injured. Plus I KNOW I’ll feel better. So that’s what is going on with me. In 1 hour, I will be 19! And I’m pumped for my weekend in Yosemite with some of my awesome friends! And since I had my birthday cake today…I’m good to go to start my sugar challenge as I start my 19th year on this planet!

Have you ever run a half marathon? How was the training?

Flashbacks

Date: May 1, 2013

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hey guys! How was your Tuesday? I had a pretty great day, thanks to some awesome workouts. My day began with 7am spin, which was great as usual. I’m glad I found a teacher here who I really like. Plus, they’re considering getting super nice spin bikes! I’m not used to NOT being able to see my RPMs, and the new ones should show that, as well as the level of resistance. Yay!

No surprise what breakfast was!Vanilla greek yogurt, crunchy sunflower seed butter, pumpkin bread(ish).

And due to my stream lined breakfast process, getting to class on time was no problem at all!

After my 9 am class, I met with my Psych TA to discuss a paper I have to write. I’m actually getting excited about it; it is going to be on the cognitive effects of practicing yoga.

I then returned to my room with intentions of getting work done, but soon decided that a nap was probably a better option.

This didn’t leave a ton of time for lunch before my next class, and given I was in the mood for yogurt, I decided to just roll with it, because I figured if I tried to eat something else, I would end up eating yogurt anyways. Plus some veggies-carrots with roasted garlic hummus, which I exchanged for guacamole about halfway through my meal.

I decided to bring my workout gear to class so I could go straight to the gym, an save time/not lollygag. Since I was planning on doing a rowing workout, I planned to wear a skirt that day so I could already be wearing my spandex. I accidentally left my dorm wearing my shower flip-flops though! Oops! Giants flip flops+ skirt….not sure about that one.

After class I headed over to the gym, but then sat in the shade for a bit and worked on Chem because I still felt pretty full from lunch.

My workout really felt awesome. It was surprisingly nice to be back on the erg. Granted, I did a fraction of what I was doing towards the end of last quarter, but I’m totally fine with that. I don’t see any need to be on the erg for an hour and a half now. I actually looked back in my email history and pulled out the first workout we were assigned in the fall. Hey, gotta start somewhere, right? It was 4 sets of 5 minutes. I followed that with about 20 minutes of abs.

I was riding back from my workout while wearing spandex, and pondered whether spandex would be good to wear for biking, since it doesn’t move around like regular shorts. Then, I had the biggest urge to go for a bike ride. I’ve been wanted to go, but I’ve been a little apprehensive since my little spill.

Results of my little spill:The picture doesn’t do it justice…

But I decided, hey why not? So I went for an impromptu 4 mile loop of campus, and it felt great too. I have to say, with my increase in workouts in the last few days, I am beginning to feel more like myself. This is how I thrive. I love pushing my body. And I’m finally beginning to see definition again in my legs which has been absent since I was sick. But mostly, I just feel strong. Which makes me happy. Although I must admit I’m still lacking in the running category…oops. Tomorrow’s workout schedule will be quite different. I’m taking the morning off, because in the evening, I’m doing….quidditch conditioning. I miss the agility workouts I used to do for softball, and my sister is in charge of the quidditch team, and was more than willing to let me tag along for conditioning. With the promise that no brooms were involved, that is.

But back to dinner. I tried a new dining hall that is SUPER close that I only vaguely knew existed, and it was a success! Although it’s small, it was so nice to have a change of foods. And blue cheese polenta? Yum! They also had scones and veggie wraps!As well as a slice on edible beet (normally I’m not a big beet person).

Over dinner, I talked to some friends about housing for next year. The deadline is this weekend! I’m going to live with my roommate, but not sure who else or where.

We also decided it was time to set up our fan. Our room gets super hot in the evenings since it’s in direct sun then. We’ve been putting it off because we weren’t sure where to put it. Well, as it turns out, we aren’t engineers. And the instructions weren’t the most helpful. But we are college students. Which means 2 things: we are creative and we don’t have a screwdriver. So here’s what we came up with:Pshhh who needs a stand anyways? This actually ended up being the perfect place for it, and our room has cooled down substantially.

I just realized I never explained the name of this post…For my erg workout, I used a random playlist I found on my iPod that I made for spin sometime in the fall, with songs I listened to a lot then. Do you guys ever listen to music that you listened to during a certain time in your life, and the memories come flooding back? It reminded me of all my crew fun in the fall. Plus, I was doing a crew workout!

Do you ever have “flashbacks”?