Fitness Friday

After getting my butt kicked yesterday from Level 3 of 30 Day Shred, I was totally looking forward to getting back at it today. Unfortunately, my allergies have flared up and I can hardly breathe. I know I will be ok, I am on my allergy medicine, it just takes some time to stabilize all the junk floating around my head. Sorry for all the gross details, but I keep it real here. Ha! However, since I am not doing the 30 day shred this morning, I am still going to get some activities in today. I am meeting with a Beachbody coach to discuss my new adventure in the business and with taking my fitness to the next level. Eeek. I start Insanity too. After this meeting, I will run the steps at Lafayette. It might take me longer than usual, but I need to do them. They are paying off (at least I want to believe they are). I am trying to let my legs rest.  Haha, rest so only doing one workout not 2. 

Tomorrow, my friend is hosting a run. It's an awesomely scary thing because there are rules and stuff but not stuff like normal runs.  This run is a loop of 4.4 miles in length. It starts at the top of the hour and the next loop starts at the top of the next hour and so forth. If you don't finish the loop before the next one starts, you are timed out. Apparently this race can go for hours. I am planning on only running 1 loop, but if my running legs are there, maybe I will be able to get 2 full loops.  Next Saturday I have a 5 mile race. I am looking forward to it because the distance seems awesome. I feel that a 5K is too short and with feeling under the weather I don't think I will die with 5miles (right now, 6 might seem forever).
Well, I better get going. I have to get ready for the day and wake my sleeping sweet baby girl. I hope you all have an awesome weekend! I will let you know how the loopy loop race goes!

The Stairwell to Mt Everest

If you follow me on instagram or Facebook you would know that I had a rough week between working out (or lack there of) and eating (not the best work this weekend). Anyway, one of my awesome friends posted how today was a clean slate and clean plate. So, I vowed to pick myself up and brush it off. I cannot change last week, but I can move forward one step at a time starting today. So, I did. I woke up knowing that I needed to eat better, especially with all of my talks about running more half marathons and maybe a full or 2 next year. I know that when I eat better I want to work out. So. I ate healthy. Maybe not enough for breakfast (that always seems to be my problem) but I ate healthy. Then, I hit the steps. No, not your average stair stepper. I headed off to Lafayette to run their steps their. When I did it on Friday, I made it a game. Yes, I am aware that I am making myself sound crazy. But I thought that If I break it up into sets, then I won't lose track of what number I was on. So, I run all the way up the top, do 10 crunches, run down and then do 10 more crunches. I take a 5 second break and then do the halfway steps. At the top of these steps, I do 10 crunches, and then run down and do 10 more crunches.  This is one set. I rest longer in between sets. I give my heart rate time to come down, and catch my breath.  I did 5 sets; 10 total stair repeats. That is what Bob and I have been doing, except that we sometimes lose count. By early spring next year, I want to continue with the sets, but instead of each set containing 1 long and 1 short, I want them to be all long. I think that will definitely help with training for my running.

Anyway, I posted this picture at the end of my workout today...

And while I know this is a corny picture, (I am terrible with self-photography) when I posted it to instagram, I got the best reaction from a follower who I didn't know was actually following me. Anyway, this person said this... "is this the stairway to Mt Everest of what? Can't even see the top. You rock!!!" I responded how it wasn't the stairway to Mt Everest but just steps at a local college's stadium. And how they just made me feel bad ass.  They responded back "We've done stairs but nothing like those! We've got to get our game back on!!"

Thank you instagram follower designerwhey1 for making me feel bad ass! You helped refuel my drive again! Remember, if you are reading this and are ever in my area, bring it, there are plenty of enough steps for all of us! Even if it isn't to Mt Everest.

Tomorrow I will go back to the 30 Day Shred. Jillian Michaels needs to kick my butt and I enjoy it.
Have a great Monday!

WIAW + Fitness update

Good morning! I know it has been a while since I have blogged. I try to make use of as much free time as I can, but sometimes life just goes by quickly, ya know! Anyway, let's just start with how in the world is it almost time for my half marathon already?!?! I feel like I just started training, and now I am getting more nervous as the time gets closer. But, while I know I haven't been running as much as I used to, I NEVER missed my long runs and made sure that I am doing something in the form, of cross training. I am also trying to eat healthier, which lately, I have been struggling with since quite my running has been cut backed. So, I found a picture of something I JUST HAD TO TRY on instagram from someone I hope to meet in real life @mymissionimpossible. I never thought I would pair eggs, with peanut butter and chocolate chips and walnuts, and it ACTUALLY taste good. Well, let me just tell you...

 

 

 

while this doesn't look appetizing it was absolutely Divine. Since it also had vanilla whey protein and vanilla almond milk in it, it tasted more like vanilla with yumminess that I forgot that there were eggs in it.  I will definitely make this again, maybe not for breakfast (although I wanted something sweet today) but definitely for a late night snack since it is healthy for me.  Since it isn't lunch time yet, this is all I ate so far today. Hopefully, I will be able to continue with the healthy eating, and hydrating since I don't want to dehydrate on Sunday.

 

 

As you know, I have been doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I am on Level 2. Today was my 9th day on level 2. It definitely is a slight bit easier than when I started it, BUT I definitely wouldn't say that I am ready to move to Level 3 yet. It hasn't killed me yet, BUT I do feel like I am dying ever.single workout.  In the 20 minutes of the workout, I am covered head to toe in sweat. After the 20 minutes, you would have thought I ran for like an hour; in the middle of the summer; with 90% humidity. I LOVE IT! I don't know how it will help with my running, Sunday will be a great indicator. I do have some other plans for cross training, but I will not be crossing that bridge until I feel more comfortable with Jillian. The only drawback to Jillian is how repetitious it is. I LOVE change, but I can know tell you what exercise is coming next, and that takes away the excitement for me. But, I will stick with it. I started it, and I have been doing it for 17 days now. I have 13 weeks left of the 30 day Shred plan. I don't know if I will be shredded by then, but if I keep it up, and get back to eating healthier, maybe just maybe I too can be Shredded.

 

But, I better go. I have a very important date with those pictured above. Today though, I will only be doing half of them. Or well, that is what I say. Who knows.

 

Have a great Wednesday!

This is hard

Not blogging, no I don't find that hard, this making the time for life to happen, yeah, that is hard. See, I work 10 hours a day/4 days a week. When I trained for my last half marathon, I worked 8 hours and worked 3-11. It wasn't ideal, but M had to be in daycare by 9am so it gave me all day to get my runs and cross training in. Now, I work 9-730. Even if I take her to daycare at 7, it leaves me little time to get my runs in nor does it really give me time to get to the gym. Maybe an hour tops. Maybe I could make it work. Maybe, if all the stars and planets aligned.  Before it got so dark so quickly, I started taking M on jogs with me after work. We got in 2 maybe 2.5 miles twice a week. A huge accomplishment for me, since I had never pushed a jogging stroller before. Now, it is too dark to take her out with me, and quite frankly, I don't know how safe I feel running that late by myself. So, last week, I did nothing during the week, but still managed to run 10 miles on Saturday. I honestly cannot expect myself to run well at my half if I don't do stuff during the week. But, it's hard. I am a nurse so I am on my feet all day long. I mean ALL day. Working in the Operating room doesn't really give you many opportunities to sit. And then I worry about what I am missing out with M. What can I do to cross train while she is sleeping? Will she go to bed on time so I can get my workout done before the hubs leave for work? If not, what then? I have a gym membership that isn't getting used right now. Why, because the hours that they have for daycare are no longer useful. If I don't have a place to watch her while I work out, I cannot work out. It's that simple. Right? Right?
Well, this week, I have tried to change this cycle. So far I am 3/3. Every morning I do my ab circuit. Monday I was able to do an arm workout that an awesome girl named Kacie over at Savvy Sassy Me told me I could use. Yesterday, thanks to my parents tiring her out, I was able to get M to bed early and was able to head to the Fitness Center where I live. I got to ride 8.6 miles in 30 minutes. And today, I got to run steps. Well, kinda. Yes, I did run my infamous stadium steps...

Thanks Bob for continually getting me through these things!

 Only this time, this sweet thing joined me...

What do you do with a 21 month old at a stadium while running, well, you carry her of course. Yep, 7 out of 10 times I carried her up and down those steps. I knew that if I didn't complete the task at hand I would be disappointed with myself and then well, why bother right? After all, I did just restart my allergy medicine since I have felt like crap for almost a week now? It was hard to breathe out of my nose, and I couldn't taste anything? (Whine much?) Yes, sometimes I do make mountains out of molehills...

But, I have a half marathon to get ready for.

There is no time for self pity. No time for doubt. No time for excuses.

 

 



Happy Wednesday

 

Happy-Healthy-You

It's just another manic Monday

Today was my scheduled day off. What did I plan to do, nothing. What did I do...well...first, I took my car to the Mazda dealer because there was a recall. They told me it was only going to take 45 minutes, lies all lies. Anyway, I digress. I got to spend time with my dad while they worked on my car.

I was enjoying this fall like weather, and what does that mean...Pumpkin. So, I wanted to make these bad boys. But, mine didn't turn out to be cookies, they turned out to just be cookie crumbles :( I am sad, but I will try again. I have no idea what went wrong, and if anyone has any pointers on baking gluten free, please feel free to tell me. After my baking mishap, I had no idea what to expect for the rest of the day. At 4:00 I had a meeting with my friend and coach Bob at our usual meet up. When we got there, I took this picture...

 

How picture perfect is that sky?!? It was a beautiful fall day, and perfect to tackle those bad boys. Look, you cannot even see the top of the stadium, but we ran to that 5 times! I cannot believe how it felt to run them today. I don't want to say that they were easy, but I definitely enjoyed running the half way ups. (I will only say that they are easy when running to the top is easy)

 

 

Bob and I chit chatted as usual, but usually it was right before the all the way ups. We talked about running, about how much he hates prepping for his full, how I have aspirations to run a full and an ultra, thanks Jamie for being an inspiration. I hope you will do my first ultra with me, please say yes?!? Running these steps made me actually feel like I was getting stronger. I entrusted Bob with my goal for my half next year. I choose next year because my upcoming half is super hilly and I don't know if it is doable by then. But, I also know that Bob will hold me to my word, just like I hold him to his. See, I may not be the fastest person, I never claim to be, but there is a chance Saturday that Bob is slowing down his pace. Why? He needs help with pacing, and I need him to help me get through my next long run...10 miles. Together we will get through it, well, that is if he does it. See, Bob has a half marathon on Sunday, and may choose to just focus on that. I am cool with that, he has a full marathon coming up. I just know that whenever he needs to slow things down, I will help him and his legs slow down and he will help me mentally get through the long runs.

 

See, that is the best thing about running. You meet people of all different ages and abilities and everyone brings something different for you to learn from.  Bob always has his words of wisdom which means a lot since I have been only running for a year. He also always makes me laugh (You are not THAT old?!?) But, he believes in me, and sometimes we just need to know that in order to keep pushing through. Thanks Bob for another steps session, see you next Wednesday?

 

So, to round off my day, I did my ab circuit this am, and will do it again tonight, but I also did 200 crunches while running the steps. Maybe just maybe I will get that stronger core. I was going to do an arm circuit tonight, and I still might, if not...it WILL be done tomorrow morning. And yes, I will blog about that and my run with M in her stroller. Have a great manic Monday!

 

Make Fitness Fun!

Happy-Healthy-You