Keep on Runnin'

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

"Things that are hard to bear are sweet to remember."

 -Seneca

We ALL have tough spots in training and in life. But, if we are able to relax into them, push through them, ride them out = ADAPT to them, then often there is new found strength on the other side. 

So, whatever you are up to let's keep on, keeping on.

Or watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5eWONZCUKw

Mountain Top Moments

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

This time last year I noticed something strange. I was enjoying my version of "high holy days" at the World Spinning & Sports Conference in Miami, FL, riding along to tribal drums during African Storm (taught by one of my mentors, South African genius, Elsa Storm), when, all of a sudden, it hit me. In front of my bike on the big screen was a large spanning view of a mountain.

I've since discovered that my mountain image was Mount Kilimanjaro. No surprise = it's now on my list to climb.

Spinning conference bliss

When I say, "it hit me," I mean I had a visceral reaction to the image. My breath paused, my skin broke out in a sheet of goosebumps and something inside me said, "Uh-HUH!!" I was mystified how a single image could cause this type of reaction but as my feet continued to pedal, my mind stopped and bookmarked this moment. I had no idea what it meant but I had a feeling I would know some day.

The power of intuition is one that I am slow to understand but fast to trust. It has never let me down. I have followed it and it has proved a trustworthy source. I have disregarded it and it has proved a trustworthy source. I have had years where the feeling of flow has enveloped me, and years where it has totally eluded me. Not coincidentally, these years have also aligned with doing meaningful work and abandoning it for ego-filled reasons. This moment on the bike was most certainly a moment of intuition.

As another one of my idols, Charles Eisenstein puts it, "You don't know how to get from here to there but ... [some]thing larger than yourself does and it arranges ... synchronicities. We can enter that state when we let go ... of control and bow into service to this thing larger than ourselves. And what is this thing? The more beautiful world our heart knows is possible."

The time to re-open my mental bookmark came sooner than I expected. One of my observations about intuition is that its timing is not our typical human, let's-hurry-up-and-go time frame. It has a lifetime in view. In my short three-plus decades, it has used small as well as large sections of time to reveal itself.

This time around, however, a mere six months later I had my ah-ha, there it is moment when I registered for the Leadville Marathon. I had been researching races and listening (more on that process in this blog). Leadville had been on my list the second I became an ultra-marathoner. But, in a moment of realism, I concluded that I didn't have the desire to complete the most famous of Leadville races, the Leadville Trail 100 (100 miles of running through the Colorado Rockies), though I knew I could get close enough to the experience to be satisfied.

I was scrolling through race reviews when I landed on a blog recounting a personal journey through the Leadville Marathon. The second I opened the blog and saw pictures of this 13,186 ft. mountain pass called Mosquito, the tears started pouring down my face. Within minutes, I had connected the dots between visceral reaction #1 to Mount Kilimanjaro and visceral reaction #2 to Mosquito Pass and had registered. My third confirmation came as moments later I grabbed one of my favorite running books for training plan inspiration and it FELL open to a quote by the founder of the race.
 
So, even though I have yet to know what my Leadville adventure will awaken in me or teach me, I do know that I supposed to be climbing my very first mountain this June. Whatever is waiting there, seen or unseen, I also have a strong belief that it won't just be for me but also for something I'm to offer the world.

At the end of one of his very powerful talks, Eisenstein asks the question of whether we are ready to "bow deeper" into flow, into "being in service to something larger than ourselves," something that will feel like it's "just at the edge of [our] courage but not past it." I am and hope you are too.

Making Music

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

This week Chris and I retreated into the woods and countryside of Adams County, OH (thanks to our amazing friends Paul and Karen who let us borrow their incredible log cabin).  The winter cobwebs that just a few weeks ago covered me have now been gently swept away and I am ready to indulge in the new life of spring.

As we prepared to head east, we hauled along our Vitamix, a cooler full of the regular smoothie fixings, tossed two days worth of running clothes and a stack of books into a duffel bag. We knew there probably wouldn't be cell phone service or a grocery store or the sight of another soul all weekend. We couldn't wait.    

The rolling trails through Shawnee State Park, the chirping of unusual indigo and coffee colored birds, the sunshine on our white winter bodies, the space and silence to breathe, sleep and read all came together to create the perfect weekend.  

We started on this trail in order to do recon for Chris's upcoming "Triple T" (three day triathlon) that takes place on this very terrain. Signs of spring were just starting to emerge. I will be curious to see how it's changed when we return in a few weeks.

On Saturday, while spending the day in what's been dubbed the "Little Smokies," I did something I've never felt safe enough to do as a female training in Cincinnati. I ran on the trails all alone. It was hours of pure bliss. Every so often Chris would double-back to check on me and then dash into the woods like a man on a mission. For a few moments I could see his red and green Nike outfit bobbing through the trees, then he was gone and I was left to my own rhythmic footsteps on the crunchy ground, not yet saturated with the green of spring.

This daredevil constantly helps "stretch" me by making me see life in new ways.

I hadn't expected to feel so overjoyed to be by myself in this unfamiliar territory. The only other time I've run alone in the woods was during my 50-miler in Wisconsin where my focus on the speed of race prevented me from fully absorbing my surroundings.

In the past year, I have come to find that I need very little to be truly content. The above criteria makes up a good deal of my happiness. I know I wouldn't thrive if I was in the country 24/7. But, taking the weekend to create space in my life reminded me of the importance of purposely creating the conditions for our happiness as well seeking out new experiences to get the brain to fire in different ways. 

Beautiful music is made not only from the sound of the note but with the space of silence between notes. This week I worked on both--new notes AND rest between them to make my life sound more melodic as well as become more rhythmic.

My #1 condition for happiness. 

Pursuing Wellness

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

"Don't work towards freedom, but allow the work itself to be freedom." -Dogen Roshi

February and March were tough months. They weren't life-threatening or anything major--I'm aware conditions could be much, much worse. But being sick for three weeks (and not really knowing what I had) was a big enough jolt to my current paradigm. It reminded me of the quality of life I normally have and that I need to continue to consciously create it daily. So, although wellness has always been my goal and #1 pursuit, I'm renewing my vow to it by freeing myself of all (or most) of the habits that prevent me from living vibrantly.

Jaden (our middle son) knows that wellness tastes good.

A few years ago, Chris said to me, "You are the healthiest person I know." Although, that may still be true in most regards, I want to reclaim the title with integrity for MYSELF. I've decided that if by helping others "be well" I'm creating un-wellness in myself, then it isn't worth it. I want to BE the change I wish for others. Why would this be different for any one of us? If the things we spend our time on are creating less harmony and less health in our life, are they worth it?

For the last few years, out of necessity of getting a business going, I've slept only about five hours per night and worked three times that daily. This necessary practice is a pattern I've worked hard to change in the past few months. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE what I do but there are healthy limits. I have a strong belief that I can manifest just about anything I put my intentions upon.

Running in the woods is total playtime for us.

Here are the practices I have been playing with/working on with success so far in 2013. I will continue to create the following conditions in my life through intentional living (this is my inner cheerleader speaking).

-Sleeping 7-9 hours per night (even if it means less entertainment, education or progress on work)
-Saying "no" more often to things that don't match my values
-Replacing work with play and stressing less about things I can't control (or even ones I can)
-Spending time with the people I love deeply
-Observing the people/conditions/foods that nurture me and saturating my life with them
-Filling my body and my house with foods that nourish me and give me energy to GO, BE & DO.

Here is a snapshot of some of our favorite plant-based (vegan) foods. We aim to live very simply but when it comes to healthy, life-giving food we don't hold back. We eat often and we fill up. Abundance is beautiful.

We aim to keep our dining room table stocked with fruit. All good for juice, smoothies or blending one at a time.

Our banana "tree" and box. We go through this many in about a week.

My morning smoothie.

Some of our fridge produce for soups, stir-fry, etc.

I like grab-and-go stuff. Chris takes the sweet potatoes and blends them for breakfast before a big workout.

Our pantry shelves. I like to be able to see everything we have.

Local bee pollen for smoothies & honey for just about everything. I still have a sweet tooth and the honey helps. The brown rice protein is a good alternative to the synthetic crap.

Nuttzo is one of our absolute favorite treats but it's also really expensive ($19 per jar). So, we've experimented with making our own.

I love these for breakfast with honey & blueberries.

My latest smoothie ingredients. Macca powder (superfood) on the right.

Blueberries are frequently on sale and easy to freeze. Nutrients are preserved better when frozen straight from picking. 

What Chris calls a "big-ass salad."

Some other beauties.

Telling the world about our intentions can help make them stronger and us more accountable.
Join me in making YOUR OWN intentions clear and maybe even making them known.
Peace, love and wellness.

Trusting the Cycle

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

When I started this blog project, I promised myself that I wouldn't just share my highlights but also my low, realistic moments. After all, as humans we have many sides, even if the world often only sees our good side. When I'm going through a tough moment, week or even year, I try to think of the challenges as my teachers and as gifts for growth.

So, the realistic picture of my past week is that I was sick, tired and filled with "the funk." Today the fog is finally lifting and so I got outside to move. I needed to be in nature, to feel its healing power and to enjoy the gift of snow.

In years past, I would've jumped right back into my training feeling as if I was behind schedule and needed to push even harder to make up for lost time--but not today. Instead of pushing right past the messages my body has been giving me the last week, I ran as slow as I possibly could go (in Zone 2 heart rate--more on heart rate guidelines in a follow-up blog). It felt great, like I was bathing in endorphins.

Winter shows us that everything in nature (including us) has a cycle. For life to be sustainable we must obey the cycles. So, today I'm trusting in the cycle and my body's ability to sense what's best for me. 

 

Or watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/O23WPGd1CLk

Workout Inspiration: Plank Variations for a New Challenge

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

 

Or watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqnQI_YqbSg 

The Challenge:
Build up to a 5:00 min. plank hold (forearm or straight-arm).
The Method:
-Use these dynamic plank variations to help improve your core strength and pelvic stability while preventing boredom of simply holding plank.
Practice these variations 2-3 times per week.
Perform as few repetitions of each exercise as you need to in order to keep correct form. 
Please note that any of these variations can also be performed starting from your forearm plank (if you have wrist or elbow issues).
-In addition, find a 5:00 min. song you like to test your progress in your plank hold. Each time you practice your plank hold, play the song and try to get 5-10 seconds further into. Before you know it, you will have conquered a MEGA 5:00 plank!

The Basics: Straight-Arm & Forearm Plank  (& modified) 
I'm often asked which one of these planks is better for you or harder to do. Try both and see what you think. Forearm plank tends to focus on more core strength but straight-arm plank is especially good for women to develop more upper body strength.

                                                                       Straight-Arm

                                                                       Forearm Plank

 Modified Plank

 Positioning: 
-In all variations, shoulders should be stacked on top of wrist or elbow (for forearm plank).
-If you drew a line from the top of your head to your heels, it should be almost straight. To maintain this position and protect the back, the navel should be pulled into the spine at all times.
-Pay attention to the position of the head. Tuck the chin slightly to create length on the back of the neck. 
-The closer together the feet are, the harder the plank becomes.
Common Mistakes: Position of the pelvis is too high (butt in the air) or too low (back is arched), head is lifted too high

Variation #1=Toe-to-Heel Shifting Plank 

Positioning/Progression:
-Start in a straight-arm plank.
-Shift the body weight forward onto the toes momentarily (shoulders will come forward of the wrists) and then shift back, pressing into the heels (shoulders will come behind the wrists).
Do both of these movements without changing the position of the pelvis. 
-Shift for as many full breaths as you can--starting with the goal of 10 inhale/exhales.
Inhale as you go forward onto the toes, exhale as you press back through the heels. 
Visualization: Picture a hot cup of coffee resting on your back. As you shift to the toes and back into the heels, you want to visualize keeping the cup level and not spilling it.

Common Mistake: lifting the butt up as you shift back into the heels

 

Variation #2=Plank Single-Leg Knee Tuck   

     Option #1 Flat Back Knee Tuck

    Option #2 Round Back Knee Tuck 

Positioning/Progression:
-Start in a straight-arm plank.
-Drive one knee toward the same elbow while either a) keeping the pelvis level or b) rounding through the back and pulling the core in (navel to spine).
-Lengthen the leg back out without setting it down on the floor.
-Keep the upper body still as the knee drives in and lengthens back out.
-Repeat x10 on each side, focusing on one side at a time.
Common Mistakes: Shifting the upper body forward with the movement of the leg or arching the back too much as the leg lengthens back out


Variation #3=Plank Knee 90

Positioning/Progression:
-Start in a straight-arm plank.
-Lift one leg and drive the knee toward the elbow.
-Keep the knee bent and rotate the shin perpendicular to your torso.
-Shift the leg even deeper across the body (away from starting position). 
-Perform up to 10-15 shifts across the body before releasing the leg back to the floor. 
Visualization: Picture you are threading a needle as you take the leg across the body.

Common Mistake: Letting the rest of the body shift as the leg shifts


Variation #4=Plank Leg Pull



Positioning/Progression:
-Start in a straight-arm plank.
-Lift one leg off of the floor without changing the position of the pelvis (by engaging through the abdominals). Keep the leg straight as you point through the foot and then flex through the foot.
-Set the foot back down and repeat on the same side.
-Repeat x10-15 each side.

Common Mistakes: Lowering through the pelvis as the leg lifts, lifting the leg too high


Variation #5=Transitional Plank 




 

































 Positioning/Progression:
-Start in straight-arm plank.
-Hold for 10 seconds.
-Lift your right arm first to lower you down to forearm plank (without dropping to the knees).
-Hold 10 seconds.
-Press back up to straight-arm plank lifting the right arm first.
-Repeat the same method but switch to lifting the left arm first.
-Complete as many full transitions as possible--starting with the goal of four. 
Common Mistake: Rocking the pelvis side-to-side when lowering and lifting

Sparks Flying: The Gifts of a Teacher

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

"Without inspiration the best power of the mind remain dormant. 

There is a fuel within us that needs to be ignited with sparks." 

-Johan Gottfried Van Herder

This week I was ignited with sparks from the "Spark Seeker"  himself, Matisyahu. Not only did he create my personal theme song of 2012 (Live Like a Warrior), that got me through a lot of hard days manifesting my dreams, he is also a genius of a human. After venturing to the Taft Theatre for a live performance, he captured my full attention and I intend to keep him as one of my teachers. He is a shining example of the way I want to embrace life and spirit.

Last winter, hours before dawn, I would get into my cold car each morning and let his lyrics envelope me and fill me with strength. "Today, today live like you wanna ..." (Matisyahu). Through his powerful words, he reminded me day-by-day that I COULD do it. I COULD create the life I wanted, the life I had dreamed about for so long. In my many low moments, I was determined to remember. "We all got dreams that we can't let go, we wanna be brave, don't be afraid.""It's your life to live, I can't live it for you." "Search heaven and the seven seas, the answer lies inside you. You know it won't come easy, you've got to find your own truth."

But, it wasn't until seeing him perform live and hearing his real words that I've begun to understand the power of having a teacher. For over two hours, I sat frozen in my seat, captured with absolute awe and completely in the moment. There was no time and space, there was just music--beautiful, powerful music. The lyrics were expertly performed, very real and seemingly directed at my very needs.

Three quarters of the way through the concert, the accompanying band exited the stage and left Matisyahu seated behind a single microphone. Suddenly, another mic appeared in the audience. This was our chance, an opportunity to ask him anything. I froze and stayed grounded in my red velvet theatre seat. But, as others asked away, it became clear--Matisyahu has walked his talk. His lyrics have been plucked directly from his own life experience.

For those that don't know him, part of his musical fame stemmed from the unique blend of his styles--reggae, pop, rap and beat-boxing--as well as the fact that he was an orthodox Jew. But, let the emphasis rest on was an orthodox Jew.

This from Wikipedia:
"On December 13, 2011, Matisyahu posted a beardless picture of himself on Twitter, explaining on his website:

'No more Chassidic reggae superstar. Sorry folks, all you get is me ... no alias. When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process.  It was my choice.  My journey: to discover my roots and explore Jewish spirituality—not through books but through real life.  At a certain point I felt the need to submit to a higher level of religiosity ... to move away from my intuition and to accept an ultimate truth.  I felt that in order to become a good person I needed rules—lots of them—or else I would somehow fall apart.  I am reclaiming myself.  Trusting my goodness and my divine mission.

Get ready for an amazing year filled with music of rebirth.  And for those concerned with my naked face, don’t worry... you haven’t seen the last of my facial hair.' "

He has not let his history affect the possibility of who he wants to be now and in the future. He has refused to be boxed-in by the way people know him. He has decided, instead, to be true to himself.

For much of my adult life I've resisted the idea of having a guru, a mentor, a teacher. But, after my encounter with Matisyahu, I've begun to ask, "why?" Perhaps, it is my independent streak, my need for control. Or, maybe it's my belief in my ability to carve my own path, not to follow in someone else's. But, what I really think is that I was envisioning what I thought a teacher should look like, not what my teacher could look like. Today, I realize I have many teachers that speak to different pieces of who I am and who I want to be. I see a South African woman on a Spinning bike pumping a room with love and inspiration; a beloved parent with a veracious intellect and a heart of gold who would do anything for me; a middle aged guy with curly hair running into the mountains with a copy of Emerson on his hip; or, in this case, a man with Middle Eastern heritage beat-boxing his heart out on a stage.

I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet this amazing human. We waited for over an hour by his tour bus until he came out of the Taft. One hug, several words later, I was giddy and filled with inspiration.

So, I've decided to take Matisyahu's advice and "... let go of what [I] know ..." because "... all I've got is my life..." You see, in the pursuit of my recent goals, I've come to realize I'm not an independent entity and I can't do it alone. Dream-crafting is tough business and I need help. I need inspiration. I need to see that what I'm aiming to create is possible. I need to surround myself with people who value a similar vision of the world and who will feed me. I need to know that it's okay to be free of who I used to be so that I can be who I'm meant to be.

Thank you, Matisyahu (and all of my teachers of the present and the future). From one spark, there is now a fire burning brightly within me.

Passion > Talent

"You can never be great at anything unless you love it."

-Maya Angelou

 Snow was falling as I performed hills repeats in Alms Park today. 

The silence, breathing of cold air and rhythmic motion of running all "whispered" to me that there is no other place I'm supposed to be but here and now.

Or watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/1qGhZM0myO4

Putting the "S" in Smoothie

This video is 3:27. If you have 3:27, you have a smoothie. I challenge you...can you make this smoothie in the length of time it takes to watch the video?

Or watch on YouTube:http://youtu.be/goiJRm01X6o

One Susie Smoothie Serving
3 bananas (ripe!--brown & spotted) If the bananas aren't truly ripe the recipe will be too bitter/chalky. 
1/2 cup(ish) frozen or fresh organic blueberries
3 large kale leaves (stems removed) or handful of shredded/curled kale
sprinkling of raw cashews (or any other nut)
sprinkling of raw unsweetened organic coconut
1 cup almond milk (regular or vanilla) I use the Almond Breeze brand but any almond milk works.
water for preferred texture

Workout Inspiration: Hip Strengthening

By Susie Crossland-Dwyer

During my time as an endurance athlete--training for marathons, an ultra-marathon and Ironman--I've been completely injury-free (minus my freak cycling accident that wasn't my fault). I train six days a week for 11 months of the year and have another month that is light training/ full of rest. I credit my success not only to a smart, slowly-building training plan, but also to an ongoing strengthening routine for my core and hips.

As a Personal Trainer and Pilates instructor, I've also successfully used these hip strengthening exercises (below) or something similar with many different populations--other athletes, pre and post-natal women, individuals with limited ability to perform leg exercises that involve flexion/extension of the knees, etc. In all cases, including my own, I've witnessed great results. By performing hip strengthening exercises, my clients and I have achieved better balance, less fatigue over long distances, an easier time performing everyday activities, more stability of the pelvis (which means more balance in the body overall=less injury). Don't believe me? Try them and you be the judge.

Or watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/pL8FSUbr3NA

Hip Strengthening Series = 4 parts (watch video explanation first):
Part 1
-Come onto your side and stack the legs on top of one another. You should be making a straight line with your body and both hips bones should be parallel (not opened up toward the ceiling).
-Your head can rest on the bottom arm or you can be on your forearm for more work in the upper body. You can rest the hand on the floor for more balance or on your hip for less.

-Lift and hold the top leg (feet are pointed or flexed) ~30 seconds or until you feel the muscles (gluteus medius mainly) start to work.

 

Part 2

-Perform foot taps in front of the base leg and behind the base leg without shifting through the hips.
-To make it harder don't actually tap the foot but hover it right above the floor.
-Perform ~20 taps OR one set of 20 taps and one set of 20 hovers.

Part 3

-Keep the top leg at hip height and flex both feet. 

-Take the top leg from hip height and pulse a few inches higher then bring the leg back down to hip height. Perform ~20 reps or until you feel a little bit of a burn. 

Part 4

-Keep the top leg at hip height once more and make a bicycling-type motion with the leg. 

-Minimize any rock in the pelvis as you move the leg. The smaller the motion, the easier it is to control. 

-Perform ~10-20 reps both forward and backwards. 

Then for phase two of my workout today, I had this face (my husband and training partner--Chris Dwyer) alongside of me while I logged a vertical mile on the stair stepper. Partner workouts are always better!