Pura Vida! And hello from Costa Rica! We are on our one year wedding anniversary vacation and it’s been an amazing couple days so far! But wifi has been scarce so I haven’t been posting much and I even uploaded the wrong podcast yesterday. Blog fail. But we are back on track, back to PaleOMG (kind of) and back new delicious recipes and fun posts this week! I’m trying to be on a true vacation while still running my business which means my husband is out getting himself a cocktail right now while also ordering me dessert to eat in bed while I finish up this post. My dream vacation involves dessert, his involves cocktails. We even each other out perfectly.
This vacation has been a true vacation so far. I’m usually in the gym almost every day when I travel, but because our hotel doesn’t have a gym and we are spending most days walking, I’ve been spending most of my time indulging in cocktails I normally wouldn’t drink. And it’s been wonderful! We found a cocktail that matched our favorite drink in Jamaica (where we got married) so we’ve been having multiple each day!
I try to stay pretty healthy on vacations, but this one has been a little different for some reason. I’m trying to enjoy the time lying in bed, watching the sunrise, the moments on the beach watching the waves role in, and the moments spent with my husband that I’ll never get back. I try to make good choices when it comes to my food (I still haven’t had any gluten), but I’m also enjoying a week that I probably won’t have for another year, until we celebrate our second year of marriage. And I do this knowing that I’ll be back to my routine, back to my workouts, and back to my healthy habits once I’m home.
I know I push health so much on here and I’m still doing that right now and still think good food and drink choices are important when traveling…but don’t miss out on those little moments in between. Don’t miss the drinks with your husband, or the dessert with your wife, or the whateveryouenjoythemost with your loved one. Remember that these moments don’t have to destroy your goals, they can just enhance your life. Work hard at home, enjoy the moments in between, and then get back to work! Life is all about balance!
Sunday – Orange Theory Class – see the workout here (did not like this workout – but the clock reset 10 minutes into class so the numbers were all screwed up, as well)
Monday – Orange Theory Class – see the workout here
Tuesday – Orange Theory Class – see the workout here
Wednesday – Orange Theory Class – see the workout here
Thursday – Workout by myself at CrossFit Broadway
Deadlift: 3 x 10. All sets at 74% (14 mins) – I used 155#
Then For Time: (12 min time cap)
18-15-12-9-6-3 Power Cleans (165/115)
50 Double Unders
I finished in 9:42 using 85#
Friday – Rest day – Traveling to Costa Rica
Saturday – Rest day – Costa Rica beach day
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Free Travel Workout – see workout here
4 rounds:
20 air squats
20 banded glute (per leg)
20 banded hamstring curls with static band hold
20 back step lunges
20 burpees
On Sale Activewear:
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What I Ate in a Day on Vacation:
Our first day in Costa Rica started off with coffee and milk then I had a breakfast of eggs, fried cheese, plantains, avocado, tomato, rice, and tortilla. I didn’t eat the tortilla or the avocado and didn’t finish the fried cheese. It was all delicious, though!
At the beach, I had 2 (maybe 3…really don’t remember) coconut waters then drank a ton of water in between before chowing down on some beef fajitas. I didn’t eat the tortillas on my plate but my husband had some leftover tortilla on his that had some cheese on it from his quesadilla so I snagged a couple pieces of that.
Once we got to our hotel, I had a big delicious cocktail (dirty monkey) that has coconut milk, vodka, coffee liqueur and chocolate in it. Then we went to a happy hour and I had a small sangria before dinner.
At dinner, we both ordered steak oscar with mashed potatoes, veggies, crab meat, all topped with hollandaise. And I ordered another sangria but it was giantic and I didn’t end up finishing it.
I completely agree with you on being in the moment while on vacation. We’re going to Grand Cayman in 3 weeks and I plan to do the same. I made your holiday orange glazed ham and almond butter blondies yesterday for Easter. Both came out wonderful.
Hope you have an amazing time with your husband. You worked hard for this so enjoy. Agree – taking a week out of your normal healthy routine doesn’t matter in the scheme of things and you have the motivation and discipline to get back into it when you return home. You’ll probably come back stronger as it’s refreshing to take a break.
Juli it appears to me from your picture that you are staying in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area of CR. We were there last month and it was STRAIGHT UP THA BOMB. I am sooooooo jealous. That was a vacation that will live with us forever and I am having major trip envy just looking at the picture. I was training for a half-marathon while we were there, and would run on that exact beach in the morning, and do some intervals up that steep-ass hill back to our rental villa. Good sweat before some good fun.
So jealous! Enjoy!
Go eat at Cafe Milagro! Great, fresh food and killer coffee.
Wow! This looks beautiful. I hope you and your husband enjoy your much deserved time off soaking up all of the deliciousness Costa Rica has to offer. I’m planning a trip with my husband as we speak and are looking for an awesome place to stay with amazing views. As far as I can tell, this may be a good option. Do tell where you are staying!
i’ll be sharing all the details on the blog next week!
Seriously, don’t miss any of those moments! ENJOY your vacay! I’ve been reading your blog on and off for years but while you are enjoying costa rica I will be scouring your blog for all things Denver. It seems we may be moving there so I’ll basically be stalking your blog as my version of research. My husband said I should do my own research. ha ha
Juli –
I’ve been inspired by your podcasts and blog to give Crossfit another go. I’ve gone through 2 gyms and haven’t had great experiences (cliqueish people, instructors not paying attn. so I’m basically working out by myself and clueless, etc.). In listening to the interview w/ Jason who seems totally cool, I’ve decided to keep looking until I find the “Jason” of my hood!
I know people have asked you this question before but is there a way to prevent from bulking up? Last time I engaged in Crossfit, my back got broader and while I know it’s likely muscle, it still made it VERY hard to fit into my clothes and I can’t afford a new wardrobe. Plus I don’t want to be the soft big muscular girl (muscles but looks big because not lean). Should I not go too heavy? But then doesn’t that defeat the purpose if you don’t max out?
Thanks!!
here’s the thing, no matter what, you’ll probably get bigger in some way when doing crossfit. crossfit = muscles, muscles = tighter fitting clothing. so clothes will probably not fit the same as they did when you weren’t lifting as heavy. i can’t tell you what will make your body do a certain something, you just have to try things out and you have to also be ok with your body not fitting into certain things and maybe having to buy new things. many jackets and shirts don’t fit my shoulders or lats, but i just move on to the next jacket or shirt. but with any addition to muscle mass, clothes will fit differently because they are made specifically for that sort of shape
Your vacation looks amazing. You deserve the break because you work your butt off (literally, you are rocking those bikinis ) and professionally. We want to visit Costa Rica soon, but our first choice is usually an all inclusive resort. Is there any specific reason you chose a rental instead of a resort?
a reader recommended this place and it just seemed like a really cool place to stay so we went with that! but we then also moved to a different place half way through so we could be closer to the beach! i think all inclusive places are a little bit harder to find in Manuel Antonio, but I could be wrong!
Glad to hear you are having so much fun! I love indulgent episodes with my husband….lately mine tend to be a glass of wine while standing in the shower fighting for the warm water….but hell, to each their own! I love that you still push yourself to do “actual” workouts while on vacay! We are super active, but whenever we travel to an all
Inclusive resort we tend to be lazy bums! I’ll definitely be bringing a jump rope and buying some of those bands on my next international adventure! Thanks for sharing and giving such great ideas and showing what it’s like to be a real person doing their own thing!
Juli,
Looks like an awesome trip. Enjoy every moment of it. I recently tried orange theory because you inspired me with your fitness posts. When I went I had trouble getting into the orange zone a lot. I pushed myself and did my all outs as fast as I could without flying off the treadmill but still stayed in the green zone most of the time. The instructor said I probablly stayed there because I am in good shape. You are in amazing shape and still are able to get into the orange/red zone. Do you have any tips of how you get your heart rate to elevate into the orange zone? Thanks!!
Megan
i have no idea other than running faster, rowing harder and lifting more weight. those are the ways my heart rate elevates the most
Juli –
Have you been to Barry’s Bootcamp? It sounds similar to Orange Theory …. any preference?
You look awesome – total #bodygoals
never tried it!