Never ran more than a mile in your life but yet your heart skips a beat when you see that look of satisfaction on a runner after a marathon? That can be you. Whether you’re 25 or 40, if you have the determination and the right training schedule — everything is possible! Here are some quick tips to get you started:

GET FRIENDS INVOLVED
Training with friends brings fun and encouragement into the picture. Involving your friends will keep you motivated to do your runs even on lazy days.

MIX THE IN AND OUT
Don’t do all of your training in the gym. While the treadmill is a good way to start building your endurance, the actual run is going to be outside — so you need to get used to it. Hit the gym on the weekdays, and then run outside on the weekends with your friends.

STRETCH YOUR BODY
Make stretching a part of your warm up and cool down. It’ll prepare your muscles for the stress and help prevent injuries and cramps.

If 26 miles is too much to fathom, why not start by training for a 10k (that’s 20 miles less than a full marathon)! Take little steps towards achieving a satisfying, healthy goal.

Happy running!

If you have been in a long term relationship for longer than you can remember, sometimes being comfortable with one another may reduce the amount of fun, spontaneity and excitement that made dating so romantic.  What couples often forget in the swing of life and being so busy is that romance is essential.  Relationships with your lover are different from relationships with your friends.  You need that sense of intimacy and sexual electricity to divide you two from the rest of the world.  Here are ways for you to keep the romance alive and burning.

Designate date nights. Make every Saturday a night just for the two of you to try a new restaurant or visit a park.  Just make sure it’s all about the two of you.  Forget work and housecleaning.  Dress up, act coy,  and fall in love all over again.

Surprise each other with a gift. A gift is always nice.  Make sure it is unexpected at an unexpected time.  Be sure it is something they would appreciate.  You don’t have to break your budget, but even homemade cookies, a small bouquet of flowers, or a hand-made gift certificate for a massage will have each other smiling.


Leave a love note.  Emails are so unromantic.  A handwritten note to be found next to your pillow, on your computer before you start work, or even posted on the bathroom mirror can brighten your loved one’s day.  Notes should be unexpected and not a way to apologize for something you did the night before.  Simple phrases such as “You make me so happy,” “I am so in love with you,” or “You are so sexy” can really make a difference.

Don’t forget little milestones.  Some people celebrate their anniversaries.  Some people celebrate monthly, or celebrate the first time they met.  Some just celebrate for no reason.  Make sure you always find something to smile about and celebrate accordingly.

Plan short trips. Couples always save and plan for their regular Big Trips.  But don’t forget to have short weekend getaways to wineries, the beach, or even to a nearby city for great food, music and time to explore.  My boyfriend and I always love little trips to Vegas, Napa Valley, and this year we skipped over to New Orleans for a fabulous long weekend.  Also, knowing you can spend a few days straight together and still survive calls for a lasting relationship.

So here were some ideas to be romantic.  Romance should exist daily and consciously, like checking your email.  If you can spend an hour a day going through all that junk, invest another 10 minutes to plan a fun dinner this week for your honey.  It takes work, but it brings amazing rewards.  Be creative, have fun, and explore each other!

Being in a relationship is not easy. It is all about compromise and sacrifice, selflessness and generosity. However, you can’t sacrifice who you are just to make the other person happy. A relationship requires someone to be able to retain who they are, yet allow someone who can be very different into her heart. Below are key aspects to making a relationship work, and then you add your own personal flair to make it great.

Respect You have values, and your significant other has values. Not all values will be aligned. In fact, there may be clashes. If you are a spender and he is a saver, there will bound to be conflicts, but if you respect each other and each other’s views, you can agree to disagree. Sometimes you just have to try to understand the other person and reach out to show you respect who they are. If you want it to work, you have to put aside some of your own stubbornness to do what is right for the relationship.

Trust If you are constantly calling your boyfriend to check where he is, you are not trusting him. If you question someone’s actions or words, then there will be trouble ahead. Relationships require a person to surrender their wall of protection and let their heart open to someone to enter. If you can’t break down your wall, you will never be able to fully trust someone because you are busy protecting yourself. Learn to trust and also work to be trustworthy. Look at your own words and see if the actions follow. It takes work, but it’s worth it.

Honesty You have to be able to tell them everything. If he wants to know about your past, your future goals, or the cost of those hot new shoes, tell him. There is no point in hiding it. What good will lying do? When is the last time lying ever got a positive outcome? Better to lay out the truth immediately, even if it hurts, than to hide it and let it explode later on. Be able to share your true opinions, to say he is wrong, to defend your choices. Being honest is truly about being honest to yourself. If you are denying something to him, you are ultimately denying something to yourself.

Sense of Humor You have to laugh. Relationships need to be able to see the silly side of things along with the serious areas. Whether you have fun traveling, cooking, or just making fun of each other, you need to be able to shake off the small stuff and smile about it. No one wants to be with a prude. Life is about living so laugh and jump for joy whenever you can.

Below is a wonderful poem by Kahlil Gibran about relationships. Titled “On Marriage,” it applies to all relationships, not just after you have tied the knot.

On Marriage

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

So share with us, what makes your relationship great?

As you all know, I started doing pilates and love it! I still do yoga at home, but since pilates is a new workout, I need the extra attention from an instructor to guide my body towards the correct movements. Sarah Graves, the instructor, gave The Conscious Snob a personal interview about herself and how all of us can be fit and fabulous. She’s taught for the past two years as a personal trainer and wellness coach for studios, one-on-one, and with companies such as Google and Cisco. Here are her words.

How did you come about choosing pilates? Why pilates for you?

It took me a long time to try pilates, let alone become a pilates instructor! I was much more comfortable riding my bike, running, skiing, swimming, doing aerobics and step, and lifting weights. My body was not flexible and it was so hard to sit up straight, open my chest, hold neutral spine! Every time I tried a mind/body class like yoga or pilates I vowed I would never go again, because my body just couldn’t do the movements!

About 7 years ago I was working with a personal trainer who was really pro-pilates. Many of the exercises I did with her were based on pilates principles, and before long I started feeling more comfortable with doing pilates exercises. It really made a difference learning how to do the moves with her one-on-one, as she worked with me to get the right form, both on the mat and on the reformer.

About two years after this I began teaching group exercise classes for fun in my spare time. My mindset was more traditional fitness rather than mind/body, but with my instructor’s encouragement, I decided to go for it and teach pilates! I spent many hours taking courses through Balanced Body University and fulfilling the student teaching requirements necessary to receive certifications in both mat and reformer pilates. I also received my personal trainer certification through AFAA, which allows me to work one-on-one with people needing more personalized workouts.

It has turned out to be the most satisfying for me to teach pilates to other people now, probably because it was so hard for me at first. I really listened to the cueing, worked really hard to get the movements right, and because it is so ingrained in me now, I find it delightful when I can get someone else to stay motivated and happy when they can get a difficult move done correctly, or see results from their continued practice! I really enjoy this form of exercise and have recently decided to pursue teaching pilates as a career because I believe in it so much and really know that it works!

What is your health routine?

I indoor cycle and do step aerobics three times a week, walk the dog everyday or hike in the hills at Rancho San Antonio and do mat pilates 6-8 times per week. I also try to practice on the reformer.

What advice do you have for people who are new to pilates and want to get healthy?

Pilates is a shift in mindset from the traditional methods of exercise, and it takes a commitment of time and energy. There are a lot of things to remember at first, so try not to get discouraged if something seems hard, or you can’t get the breathing right. It will all come with time. To experience the optimal benefits of pilates, it’s important to practice regularly. I recommend a minimum of 3 times per week, more if you can make the time. Whether in class or at home, practicing pilates on a consistent basis will accelerate your learning and greatly enhance your overall health.

What pointers would you give to people to stay motivated to be healthy?

The most important advice to living healthier is to make a commitment to an exercise and diet regimen and stick with it! The trick is finding a motivating factor that works for you. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Setting realistic positive goals and working towards achieving them will work. There is so much information about proper diet and exercise, it is hard to miss it. Finding a friend to do things with you, getting a personal trainer, talking to a nutritionist, are all first steps in the right direction.

So many of us have desk jobs that pull our bodies out of alignment; giving us shoulders that are hunched forward, back problems, tight hip flexors and hamstrings. The more you move around the better you’ll feel. The more pilates you do, the stronger and more flexible you’ll become. You won’t want to eat poorly, you’ll sleep better at night! It snowballs into a healthy lifestyle.

What aspects of your lifestyle are you most happy and proud about?

I am happy that I have been able to take what I know and pass it on to others interested in maintaining some level of fitness. It makes me happy and proud to think that I may have influenced or motivated someone to live healthier. I am also happy to see that I have been able to influence my children’s health choices by living healthy and showing them by example.

Check out Sarah-Graves.com for more information on her services and schedule of classes, based northern California.