One week post-race!

At this time last week I was slathering on the BioFreeze! I finished the half-marathon in Fredricksburg, VA in a little over 3 hours and boy was I sore the next day. I decided to participate in the marathon to represent the National Guard but also to help me loose the baby weight. I did very little training to get ready for the race and wasn't as prepared as I should have been, but I finished. I was extremely proud of myself for crossing the finish line. Even though I was sore, could hardly walk, and told myself while I was running I will never do this again, I can not wait until the next time I run (with proper training). I've caught the marathon bug! I highly recommend everyone try something that pushes them to their personal limit, it's a GREAT feeling.

Have a good day,
Mindy

The long awaited race!

Hi Everyone,

Finally.....the race! The race that I am referring to is the very first Historical 1/2 Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA, that took place on Sunday, May 18. This was a very special race for me because it was in my hometown and I got to see the roads from a completely different perspective than when I used to drive them. Not to mention that some things do change after 30 years...yikes, did I say 30 years???

What a fantastic day! There were 6,000 runners signed up for the event. My friend, Jessica Cash (radio announcer for Fredericksburg's country station) invited me to join her team, Team WFLS who was sponsoring TAPS (The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc), which I did. I don't know if you've been keeping up with my previous blogs but my training consisted of a 6, 8, and 10 mile run in the past two weeks. I was a little apprehensive but thought what the heck....I've done stupider things in my life :-)

So a group of about 10 women and 1 guy (Peter) rode down together in 2 cars and made our way to the start line. Since we enlisted with Team WFLS, we were given numbers like "51" (that was my number)....if you know anything about racing, you'll know that 51 is usually given to someone that can run like the wind......not people like me.

I ran with 2 other women, Janet and Susan, who had a similar pace as mine. We laughed and cracked ourselves up the entire time…as well as others around us. No sense in taking yourself seriously if you aren't going to win the race....you know what I mean?

The course was beautiful! My parents, Eva and Les Cseke, were spectators and my biggest fans. They were in the parking lot at the church that they attend waiting for me to run by at around mile 3.5. I was jumping up and down beginning at about 50 feet before we got to them so that they could see me when I actually got to them. Of course, my friends were yelling their names so there was no way that they could have missed us. I think everyone running around us met my parents. I gave them each a nice sweaty hug and kept going.

Right before mile 10, I looked to my right and I must tell you the scenery on this course was breathtaking to say the least. And at this particular moment, I was looking at lush green grass, a rolling river, and a beautiful woman with long flowing hair that was playing a harp. I panicked for a moment and asked my friends if I was dead or if they too saw the angel. Thankfully, they saw her too. Interesting site on the side of a race.

Looking back on this, I wonder if they placed her intentionally to prepare us for what was coming because the hill between miles 10 and 11 was quite impressive to say the least. There was a marathon motivator on the sidelines yelling, "don't let the hill own you!" Well, I didn't but it came in a close 2nd. I found the key here was to not look up and keep counting to 10 over and over again until I got to the top. ...I'm just going to say that it's now 2 days later and my thighs are not very happy with me and I blame this hill.

Once we made it to the top, we only had 2 more miles to go and when we came close to the end, I actually sprinted the last few feet and finished in 2:15. Not too shabby! I can’t wait to do it again! So for all of you who say, "I could never do that!"....I say, "Yes you can! If I can do it, so can you!"

One little plug for Body Elements......for those of you who get massages after a race, you may want to consider Endermologie. Endermologie increases your circulation up to 400% which naturally heals your body 3 times faster than a traditional massage does. I received a treatment yesterday and felt quite remarkable afterwards. My thighs are still a little stiff but like I said..that hill was "quite impressive"!

Now I have to think of what I will do next......any ideas??

Eva

And what about mental health?

Hi Everyone,


After I finished the Lemonade cleanse, my husband and I took a trip to Italy that was for both business and pleasure. It was quite lovely. We were invited by DBC PR Agency who hosted an executive retreat held at the Borgo Finochietto in Tuscany, Italy. This place was unbelievable! If you are looking for a very special place to hold an event or simply escape for a few days, this place is quite wonderful. DBC's event included an elegant mix of business and pleasure. Lots of great information and fun was shared over 4 days and nights. Then we left Tuscany and traveled to Florence for a couple of days and then to Rome.

It's a good thing that I did the cleanse before this trip because the food and drinks were to die for....so fresh and wholesome...and rich. There are different ways to cleanse your body....detox cleansing is one way, exercising and meditating are another, and mental cleansing is yet another. I believe all are essential to one's overall well-being.

There was no grass that grew under our feet on this trip. We were up at the crack of dawn every day to well past midnight every night. First few days were spent learning from the best in the business as well as experiencing the scenery, food, and culture. I was so grateful to have had this experience. I'm calling it a mental cleanse. It is important for me to occassionally get away from the normal life and experience something different. I came back full of ideas and lots of spirit! I'm ready to take on new projects and challenges....bring it on!

Done.....10 days!!!

Hi Everyone,


Sorry about the delay on the conclusion of my lemonade program. Days 8, 9, and 10 were basically non-eventful. I lived in a state of hunger and found myself dipping into the maple syrup (by the spoonful) because I was really hungry! And boy did it taste good! In the end, I lost 8 lbs which is a first for me. I don't normally lose weight until I go off the program but like I said in the beginning this experience was like none other....someone mentioned that maybe since I'd done the program several times, the detox went deeper into the core of my body this time.


All I can say is I'm thankful that I'm done. I'm proud of myself for doing it. And I feel much better! Now, I'm back on my regular eating program which consists of low carbs, fruit shakes & oatmeal, lots of veggies, and fish and chicken....I'm in heaven. And, let's not forget the Arbonne products which add any nutrients that I don't receive in the foods that I eat. Incidentally, there are some new Arbonne health and wellness products that I want to try! They are in the SeaSource Detox Spa line.


I'm also back to training for the half marathon on May 18 in Fredericksburg, VA. I had a little setback because while on the cleanse, I couldn't push myself like I normally like to with my workouts. Two reasons here, 1.) I didn't have the energy, and 2.) If I burn more calories, I'm more hungry. And I sure didn't want that!


That's it for now. If you have any questions that you would like to ask me, please feel free to email me at info@body-elements.com or call me 703.356.6601.


And please feel free to post any comments regarding your health and wellness experiences that you would like to share! I would love to hear from you!


Until next time.....


Warm regards,


Eva

Days 6 & 7

Day 6, Saturday - I spent several hours at my daughter's regatta which normally I enjoy but today I had no energy. This is a problem because we do a lot of walking on trails at the lake where the regattas are held....we usually walk anywhere from 3-5 miles up and down the hills.....I was happy to get home and take a nap.....no pip.

Today was the first day that I thought I was going to pass out. I think I need to add extra maple syrup to my lemonade.....I rested the rest of the day.

Day 7, Sunday - I felt very energetic today! I went shopping for most of the day and had lots of fun! I was also extremely hungry so I added extra maple syrup to my lemonade which seems to help. One more week....maybe.

Master Cleanse...Day 5!

Hi All,

Another day and another pound down ...that makes 6 lbs in 5 days. I began my day with a workout including light weights and some cardio. I forgot to mention that I'm trying to get at least 30 minutes of exercise about 4-5 days a week if I can. Today, it was nearly an hour. Working out first thing is really the way to go because by the end of the day I'm pretty much toast.

I cruised through the rest of the day. I felt a little tired but I figured it was because I lost some sleep this week and it was Friday.

Here's another link to more master cleanse info http://mastercleansesecrets.com

That's it for now. Check back tomorrow!

Master Cleanse...Day 4!

Hi Everyone,

I've made it through 4 days now on the "Lemonade Diet"! 10 more to go!

I woke up at 1:15 a.m. with my entire body aching. I lay there tossing and turning for hours wondering what I had done to deserve the pain. It felt kind of flu-like but worse and without the nausea. Thankfully, the pain went away when I got up in the morning.

I have to say that with the lack of sleep for two nights, I feel really good today! I have had energy all day and my thoughts are focused and I lost 5 lbs.

The interesting thing is that I have done this cleanse once a year for the past 3 years. Normally I just experience sheer hunger and fatigue. One time I had a dream that I had eaten a piece of chocolate cake and woke up feeling guilty for a moment. The saying "I can have my cake and eat too" certainly applies here.....no calories involved. :-).

Lana our office manager is now on the program. She's on her 3rd day and has felt great up until today... she was looking a little peaked the last time I saw her. It's amazing the difference you can feel from one day to the next.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring......