Well, I told you all it was a self-loving, goal-crushing kind of April around here. Two things I’ve wanted to do for a long while were a half marathon and an extended juice cleanse. Ran a half yesterday, started a 10-day juice cleanse today! Boom, and boom.

This was actually my second half marathon, but since I didn’t properly train for the first one I was kind of treating this one like the first. My training got off to a great start, but from overexerting the crap out of my bod and neglecting to rest, I injured my ankle about a month and a half ago and wasn’t sure if I would even be able to participate in the half that I signed up for.

I decided that I was going to walk the majority of it and run as much as I could, but when I showed up yesterday and felt the overwhelming amount of energy from the women participating, I had a new sense of determination. The More Fitness Women’s Half Marathon is the largest all women’s half marathon in the country – who knew?! I certainly didn’t. The trail goes along the outside edge of Central Park and loops around 2.5 times. A.k.a: lots of hills, but amazing scenery.

I started out running at a slow pace, mildly panicked that my ankle was going to start acting up and I would either have to start walking, or (worst case scenario) not be able to finish the race at all. There must have been something in the air yesterday, because my ankle, for the first time since I had injured it, gave me no trouble whatsoever.

I breezed through the first four miles, loving the energy from the women around me and feeling amazing. I ended up walking every other mile or so from that point on, simply because I hadn’t been able to train for the last month and a half. In the end, I ran about ¾ of it (at a very slow pace) and came out feeling incredible. 

So many people came out to support, and their words of encouragement on the sidelines were absolutely what pushed me to keep going when my legs were killin’ me and my body was saying: WTF is going on, you never run up and down hills like this?!?!

The entire experience was very inspiring, and it reminded me how important it is to force myself out of my comfort zone more often. Even just waking up at 6 a.m. and being in Central Park as the sun was rising got my heart pumping a little faster and made me think about how beautiful this city really is. Life is a beautiful thing, people! Don’t you ever forget it.

I am thinking I want to find a race to sign up for in the fall, but next time I might look for one on flatland.

!!!10-Day Cleanse!!!

The other exciting thing I did this weekend was attend a talk at Juice Press given by health guru and raw foodie Fred Bisci. Fred is an expert on all things health and wellness, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about extended juice cleansing and the amazing health benefits that come from it. A few of the things that resonated most with me were:

A) When we are stressed out, we often turn to food as a coping mechanism. The best thing to do for the body when you’re in a state of stress or anxiety is to cleanse, and let the body heal itself from the inside out. With all of my digestion and stomach problems, I have been told that eating on a nervous stomach makes my symptoms a lot worse. I have had a lot of stress lately, and I think it’s time to step back and give my organs a real break. I’m hoping that once that happens, my mind will be able to relax as well.

B) Many people eat a very healthy diet and feel dissatisfied with the results that they see. That is because they have never cleansed and let their body get back to its natural state of balance, so they are out of touch with what their body needs. They eat too much, or too much of the wrong things, because they are not in tune with their bodies.

C) Cleansing for a short period of time (1 to 3 days) only scratches the surface. Long term cleanses give the most benefits.

D) When you don’t have to worry about food, you can reconnect with your inner being in a way that is not normally attainable. Cleansing is as spiritual and mental as it is physical. My meditation practice is something I have been wanting to reconnect to, and I am feeling like I need a real break to turn inward (and we all know I obsess about food a lot, so this is the perfect kind of break for me).

For those who don’t agree with cleansing (or extended cleansing especially), I just want to give you this disclaimer: I know my body. I know what works for me, I know what makes me thrive, and I know what I need in order to heal and feel my best. You can read more about my views on juice cleansing here, and also stay tuned for a whole lotta posting about cleansing in the next 10 days!

I know that I have been feeling off balance lately and I know that my body does exceptionally well on cleanses. I have never done more than a 3 day cleanse on just juice, but I have done 7 days on TBV plant-based cleanse (all fruits, veggies and nuts) and I know that giving my digestive system a break is the best way for my body to reset itself and to give myself a clean slate. Also important to note: I am doing this cleanse as much for my mind as I am for my body.

Mainly, I am doing it because I am excited about it!! I am beyond motivated and very much looking forward to the benefits that cleansing will bring my mind, body and spirit. Cannot wait to share this journey with all of you.

And a h-u-g-e thanks to Juice Press for A) introducing me to the amazing Fred Bisci and B) for providing me with my yummy juices for this 10 day journey. I am so lucky to be working with my favorite juice place in the city. Stay tuned to read about my journey over the next 10 days… I am so excited to share with all of you. And if you want to hop in and join me for a 1, 3, 5 or even 10 day cleanse at any point, DO IT! I would love, love any and all support from fellow cleansers. Love you all! And keep on with the #fallinlovewithyourself challenge, I will be picking this week’s winner tomorrow evening!