39 for 39

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I have seen recently on Instagram that runners will run a certain distance on their birthdays. For example, when someone turned 36, then run 36km on their birthday. Whoa! Pretty inspiring right!

I figured I wanted to do something similar. Although I’m not going to start running over 20km, I found a birthday running goal that was meaningful to me.

So for my 39th birthday my goal is to run 39 laps around a high school race track.

Now let me explain: A race track is 400m, running 39 laps of that will mean I’ll run 15.6km for my birthday (400mx39) 🎉

right now I’m running about 10km on my weekly run, so I have 4.5 months to add 5km – and I really think I can do it.

I also feel this will mean I’ll need to improve recovery and cross training. Be more disciplined with foam rolling, stretching, cold showers/baths, fartlek (speed training) and weights.

This feels right and makes me feel joyful!

Go me! 🏆

My Skin Care 101 #LazyGirlSkinCare

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I should have titled this “Easy Skin Care – because I am the laziest when it comes to taking care of my skin (read: I am gaaahhhhhiilllty of not washing my face most nights).

But mid way through the 1st year of the Pandemic I started doing some research on what was required for my age and my skin (spoiler alert: for my skin type it wasn’t much). And then also what tweaks I could make given that I was creeping every so slightly towards 40!

I love this little infographic because a) I am a visual learner and b) it simplified everything for me.

First things first, I made sure I was using products that would: Cleanse, Moisturize & and provide Sun protection (aka Sunscreen).

A tweak I incorporated was: sun protection for the AM but then luxurious moisturizer in the PM.

I use a few different cleansers depending on the time of day, condition of my skin or what I am in the mood for: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash, Aveeno Daily Cleanser or Cetaphil Face & Body soap (bar). Also on some occasions I will just use water to splash on my face (keep the natural oils on my skin and prevent unnecessary stripping of my derm!)

For the morning I found it easier to combine the moisturizer and with sunscreen protection and my go-to currently is Aveeno Positively Radiant with SPF 30. In the evening after washing my face, I use The Body Shop’s moisturizing night cream with vitamin E. I should also add that I layer Vichy Normaderm underneath my moisturizer on my T zone if I am breaking out (it has 2% Salicylic which targets pimples throughout their lifecycle but is also very hydrating!)

Another tweak I made was adding a serum or face oil depending on the needs of my skin or the time of day.

If I am breaking out/clear up blemishes: I’ll use The Ordinary Niacinamide & Zinc
Every AM it’s all about the Vitamin C: Olay B3 + Vitamin C Serum
PM I’ll use an Anti-Aging Skin Replenish (only twice a week): Pixi Overnight Retinol Oil
Evening Serum on the days I don’t use Retinol: The Ordinary “Buffet”

Lastly, I’ll use The Ordinary “Buffet” on my T zone if I want a break from Niacinamide/Zinc.

And now you may be wondering, what about face masks, exfoliating and eye creams – yes I use all of them too (following the cheat sheet I shared above)!

Now the most obvious questions? Does all this work?

I can say for sure that the anti-acne products do help, but time will tell with the other stuff. For me this has really been about creating a ritual for self care. It feels sooo good to pamper my skin, gave my face a little massage with my finger tips and see the glow on my skin :)

So what’s next / aka v2 for my skin care routine?

I definitely want to convert to clean and cruelty free products. I also want to glow from the inside out. I know I can adjust my food and incorporate herbs/supplements to improve my skin.

Do you have a skin care routine? Do you have products that you can’t live without? Would love to hear more about it in the comments below?

Season of rest

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

We’ve been in this for over a year now. Take this as your sign.

It is okay to have a season of rest.

It’s okay to be feelings orientated if you need a break from being results orientated (or vice versa).

In the old time, the future seemed multifaceted. We had careers, families, personal aspirations, places to go, friends to see, bucket lists – the hum of human dreams we took for granted.

But we were sleepwalking, just one step away from trading all those possible futures for the shared fate of the Freeze.

// Monologue by Melanie Cavill of Snowpiercer

I am officially a winter runner!

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I read this quote recently and couldn’t agree more…

Running is the hardest thing to start. But when you are running regularly, it’s the hardest thing to stop.

I started running when I was in middle school. I have memories of being dropped off early at school to run cross country. I remember running on grassy trails, in forests and along rivers. As I got older I moved indoors on to tracks and treadmills. I’ve been running indoors for a majority of my adult life. I only became a winter runner at the end of 2020.

I am slowly getting more used to it. I still have to psych myself up for weekend runs (aka long runs in cold weather). But what I’ve learned is that winter running is very refreshing, it’s a challenge I didn’t know I needed and with a little planning can be a great experience.

On cold days I like to double up on the pants, starting with a thermal layer and then adding a brushed or fleece lined legging on top. Same goes for tops, I like to wear 2 long sleeves, tucked into my pants (to prevent cold drafts!). I wear merino wool socks, mitts, windbreaker and even a balaclava. I’ve also considered wearing ski goggles on days with blowing snow!

Some other tips to keep in mind with winter running:

If you don’t have access to clear side walks, run on fresh snow!
Walk over icy patches
Hydrate
Wear sunglasses, the sun’s reflection off the snow can be intense
Add a pre-run routine (I’ve been following this one)
Be sure to swap out into warm clothes when you get home

Sitting still and breathing

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I used to think that meditation was about sitting, uncomfortably, for long periods of time. I thought it was mythical and that only a few people achieve it’s intended benefits. I thought it had to be done in complete silence. I thought people who meditated could easily turn off the sounds, sensations around them and thoughts in their mind could be ignored.

I had to let all those ideas go to find my own meditation journey. That said maybe some day I’ll be able to meditate that way. Until then I’ll rely on my favourite guided mediation app Insight Timer.

This app lets you choose the topic of your meditation and a preferred time of the meditation.

My topics of choice are usually: morning meditation, chakra clearing, future self, protective white light, breath work, affirmations or mindfulness. Time wise the sweet spot for me is 7-11 min, preferably 8-9 min.

Now for me the absolute game changer has been to journal after my meditation. I always include a gratitude list but other than that I may journal about what the meditation taught me, what I saw or learned, affirmations, future journaling/thank you letter etc.

I learned this trick after completing the 21 day meditation challenge created by Deepak Chopra and Oprah. It was a whatsapp meditation group (sounds awks – but the community was helpful). And although the meditation topics didn’t resonate with me completely, the practice did (thankfully!)

2021 Words of Intention

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I used to be really big into new years resolutions (see here and here). I mean I still am into making resolutions but they don’t need to be beginning at the start of the year. I set goals or dream big any time of the year, month or given day. Continuous improvement is just that – continuous!

I still have a few goals but they are ongoing/refreshed from things I was working towards last year.

I was journalling the other day and 3 words came to me:

Joy

Expression

Transformation

I want everything I do this year to be an embodiment of these words.

If I go for a run, I want to stop and take some pictures of me and my surroundings be cause that is an expression of my joy.

As soon as I have an idea for a post whether it’s on the blog (here or here), LinkedIn or Instagram, I am not going to sit on it – I am going to immediately express it.

If I need to upgrade, change or create something – I am going to make that transformation happen.

I think using words as intentions for your year is a great tool. They can be easily reminders providing quick ways to act.

Do you set resolutions at the start of the year?

Have you tried using a words as intentions for your year?