recent reads: september 2013

I can clearly recall the first time I ever read a book to myself, silently. I was maybe six, decked out in a fancy Strawberry Shortcake nightgown, curled up in the big red recliner in our sunken living room. The book: Little House on the Prairie. I remember being fascinated I could read the story – I wanted to be just like Laura! – silently hearing it in my head and understanding the storyline. Quite a feat for a six-year-old after always reading aloud.

And so began my love of words, books, newspapers… pretty much anything printed I could get my hands on. It’s no surprise that I switched my major the end of sophomore year from pre-med to English and now work in PR (though, not gonna lie, I occasionally dream of being a doctor).

Between the three books on my nightstand, the 250 blogs in my bloglovin’ feed and the news websites, I’m constantly reading (when I’m not swimbikerunning). So, I decided that I’ll share my favorites – books, blog posts, online articles – with you every month. Some may relate to triathlon, others to yoga and others to life or things I find inspiring.

With that, check out September’s recent reads…

The Huffington Post’s Kate Bartolotta nailed it with how to get flat abs, have amazing sex and rule the world in eight easy steps. Bottom line: Stop thinking you’ll be happy when (or if) the next thing happens to you, the thing you’ve been waiting months or years for, and… BE HAPPY NOW. My favorite: Be kind. Small gestures – putting your phone down in the grocery story checkout, holding the door, helping out the new girl at work – go a long way.

Did you know the Netflix series Orange is the New Black was a book first? Neither did I. But, I highly recommend reading it. I finished it a few days ago, and wow, was it eyeopening. Piper Kerman gives an amazing look into the women’s prison system and, more importantly, female friendship.

Rachel MacDonald’s spirited manifesto. Downloaded, printed and hanging in my office.

I trained with Osmo Nutrition pre-load all season with great results, i.e. no cramps, so I was pretty excited to see them launch a women’s specific version earlier this month. The premise: Women are not small men – I LOVE this phrase because duh! – with different hormones and physiology who require differently formulated hydration. Check out the Bicycling’s Fit Chick blog post on the science behind it.

Before I started triathlon, I was a CrossFit junkie. I could pick 200+ pounds off the floor, and when my palms weren’t shredded, kipping pull-ups were fun. Following a two-month break from it in early 2012, a workout of the day consisting of many pull-ups, push-ups and squats left my upper body so sore I couldn’t straighten my arms for nearly a week. My normally loose running jacket: It was so tight, I could barely zip it. My skin was hot and painful to touch. A few months later I stumbled on a blog post about rhabdomyolysis… my symptoms to a tee. Rhabdo can happen to anyone – even people in tip-top shape. Check out this article on it: CrossFit’s dirty little secret.

I choked up watching this video, the Science of Happiness. A must-watch from Upworthy… and, then a must-do.

Happy reading (and swimbikerunning), friends!