Keep Calm...Dammit!

It's been awhile since I've stepped on a scale. I'm pretty sure I've made it known that I don't like the scale and it doesn't tell an accurate story of what's going on with your body.

I normally just use my measurements and how my clothes are fitting as a guide and I adjust things from there. Well, today I stepped on the body mass calculator, in order to log all of my numbers for the official start of the Focus T25 challenge group that I am running with a friend, and the number wasn't pretty.

Now in the rational part of my brain, I know why there was such a jump in the number on the evil little piece of bathroom equipment, but the rational part of my brain was abruptly over thrown by the irrational part of my brain when I saw the number. I immediately began to freak out and wonder how this could be. I mean, yeah, I haven't followed a program for a while and yes, I've been a slacker with running...but I've been okay with my eating and I have been active. Where did I go so wrong? How could my clothes still fit well if there was such a jump?

Then I took my measurements and laughed at myself. They are all the same except for my thighs...they went up quite a bit and I always had a flat booty but that is no longer the case since I started running and squatting. THAT is my answer right there. I have built a lot of muscle in my lower body over the past few months. Now I know not all of it is muscle, the time of day as well as the month plays a role in a woman's weight and I know there is room for improvement with my diet, but once again, measurements told some key plot points to the story.

It's scary how quickly the rational part of my brain shut down and how upset I got over a number on a scale. I believe part of it has to do with how I refuse to go back to were I came from. It's actually a big fear of mine, so knowing I've been off my normal routine and not as good as I should be with nutrition, teamed up with a weight spike, freaked me the fuck out!

On the bright side, I feel a little clearer on my goals, know that my nutrition is key and I'm truly looking forward to getting to know those participating in the challenge and seeing what a full 60 days with this program can result in!

Have you ever experienced a moment like this? Where you know better but your emotions just take off and leave common sense behind?



 

{Recipe} Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Thighs

We are a week into the August Clean Eating Accountability and Yoga Challenge and I'm loving it!

I've been following a good 80/20 rule with my eating and even that 20% has been full of smarter choices. A new challenge always means new recipes for me, so I hit Pinterest and started searching for Clean Eating and Whole 30 meals that looked good to me...then I put my own spin on them.

The recipe I'm about to share is a combination of two recipes I found on there. One was a stuffed chicken thigh and the other was a bacon wrapped chicken thigh. Both sounded delicious and I couldn't choose which one sounded better so I decided to merge them together, make a few changes to the stuffing and the results were delish!!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Thighs

• ¼ cup cashews
• ½ medium onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• small handful of basil
• 1 cup baby spinach (kale would work too)
• boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Cajun seasoning, to taste (I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)
• nitrate-free bacon

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a food processor, combine the cashews, onion, garlic, basil and spinach. Pulse until it forms a thick paste with no large chunks in it. (If needed, add a little water or vegetable stock to thin it out so it doesn't get stuck - but don't make it runny.)
3. Open the chicken thighs and lay them out flat. Sprinkle with your seasoning, then spoon some of the mixture into each thigh. Roll it up and then wrap with a slice a bacon. Place each thigh, bacon seam down on your baking pan.
4. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads the proper temperature, between 165- 175 degrees.

These were really easy to make and they tasted amazing! I served them with some roasted sweet potato and zucchini.

As for yoga, I'm REALLY loving this series and I'm so happy I stumbled upon it on YouTube! Having a quick, program that is beginner friendly has been key to me sticking with daily practice.

I'm also happy to report that I have started running again! It felt good to get back out there and while my legs are really sore right now, I didn't lose that much progress, which was a pleasant surprise.

Have you tried any new recipes since starting the challenge? Please be sure to share them with the rest of the group and if you Instagram or Tweet a photo, use the hashtag #EatCleanWithNikki

If you are hearing about this for the first time, please join us over on Facebook for daily accountability, recipe and snack ideas and of course, the daily yoga video!

August Challenge: Clean Eating & Yoga

August is upon us and with it brings us a new challenge!

First off...congrats to everyone who stuck with the July Squat & Plank Challenge. I know how hard it is during the summer to stick with these things, so even if you missed a few days (I know I did), you still did awesome if you kept coming back to it!

This month I'm changing it up a bit. I found out that many of us struggle with nutrition, so a clean eating challenge seemed like the logical way to go. I also found that many of us have a lot of stress in our daily lives, so I'll be posting  daily yoga video on the Facebook Page to help center and relax us!

I have already posted some Clean Eating basics over on Facebook, as well as Day 1 of the Yoga routine. There is also a tab on the upper right side of the Facebook page where I have a link to Pinterest. I'll be pinning lots of clean recipes over there, so make sure to check it often or follow me on Pinterest.

For this challenge I want us to all work as a team. I'll help you as much as I can but expect the following from you:

• You need to check-in daily on the Facebook Page.


• Share any new clean snacks you may have found, as well as recipes that you've tried.


• Share any slip-ups or struggles you may have. I try to be as honest as possible here on my blog and lord knows I get derailed quite often. We are all human and we can't be perfect. If you have a slip-up and happen to not eat so clean for a meal, it's okay! Dust yourself off for your next meal and make sure it's as clean as you can make it.


• No matter how much you dislike yoga, try it! If you really hate it, just lay in corpse pose for at least 10-minutes, clear your mind and focus on breathing. We all need to take a break from our daily crazy tasks to just breathe.


• Don't try to go cold turkey! If you use 6 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee a day, cut back or try something like Stevia in the Raw. Going from 0-120 with this will only set you up to binge. I'd rather you take baby steps to ingrain a new, healthy habit. Just make sure you are making changes.


• Be supportive of one another!

Following an 80/20 rule will also make this less stressful and stress is one of the things I'm also aiming to reduce with this challenge!

We have a few different diet restrictions (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegetarian & Vegan) participating in this challenge as well as a yoga instructor, so please feel free to post questions! If I don't know the answer, someone else might!

If you are on Twitter or Instagram and take photos of your yoga practice, meals or snacks, please use the hashtag #EatCleanWithNikki and be sure to follow me! I'll share some on the blog as we go through the month!

So who's ready to eat clean and de-stress with a quick, daily yoga workout?

Refocusing

More often than not, I seem to be refocusing. I refocus on workouts, nutrition, cleaning schedules, and priorities in general. Life seems to be a constant juggling act, and more and more items keep getting tossed in. It's hard not to drop something from time to time.

Running is the item that got dropped a while back and you know what? I miss it.

I set a goal for this year to hit 500 miles and I stalled out at 250 due to illness, frustration and then the heat. Frustration and heat are excuses and I know it. I know that you have to push through frustration and I know that there are ways around the heat. The time has come for me to stop making the excuses and start logging miles again. I'm a happier person when I run and I'm tired of feeling like a quitter.

This past week I started to refocus with Focus T25. The amount of sweat my body produces in 25 minutes with these workouts, is both amazing and gross. I'm hoping to build my cardio back up with this routine, so easing back into running will be a little smoother.

The next part of my refocus plan is an August "Clean Eating" accountability that I will be running over on the Facebook Page. I'll be posting the basics of clean eating, shopping guides and recipes over there each day. My eating has been pretty good, but it took a nose dive during Mike's vacation this past week. I'm hoping that as a group, we can stay accountable, help each other find new recipes and form new, healthier habits. I've always had success while working in groups and I'm hoping that those participating will too.

As well as the clean eating accountability, I plan on sharing a daily yoga workout on the Facebook page each day. If there is one thing I've learned during my fitness journey, it's that no matter how badly I suck at yoga, it is important to my routine. I'll benefit from a stretching/muscle recovery aspect as well as mentally with meditation/stress relief. I always feel better after doing yoga, yet I always manage to skip it...I clearly make no sense and need to fix this.

Ultimately, life happens, and our grand plans don't always work out as planned. As long as you take a moment to stop, see where things went wrong and refocus, your goals can still be reached.

Are you ready to refocus with me? What aspect of your routine do you need to focus on?

I'm A Rugged Maniac!

Back in March, I was participating in the #FurtherFasterFurther badge challenge and feeling like a total badass. I was on the top of my game  and achieving things I never thought I could do. One Saturday I was scrolling through Groupon and found an amazing deal on the Rugged Maniac mud run, so I obviously bought it and felt instant happiness! Poor Mike.

Fast forward to July 14th....race day. I had fallen off the running wagon, my cardio wasn't close to where it should be and I was now nervous as I drove to the event with Mike. I didn't know if I could hack the obstacles that were waiting for me, but thankfully we were doing the race with Mike's childhood friend, Irwin and his two kids, Jess and Ryan... and this wasn't their first mud run!

We arrived early to park, pick up our race packets and hang out for a bit. We were in the first wave for the day, and I was grateful for that since it was going to be in the upper 90's!

Top: Hanging out before the race - Bottom Left: Let the fun begin! - Bottom Right: 1/2 mile run. *Special thanks to Lisa for taking these photos!*

Our first obstacle was a wall that you had to jump in order to get to the starting line. I honestly felt a little intimidated by it, but I made it over on the first try, and I felt the doubt wash away and some confidence kick in. The first stretch of the course was a pretty easy 1/2 mile run before we hit our first obstacle, which were two A-frames that we had to climb up and over. From there, we headed into the woods and were greeted by ankle to knee-deep mud (which smelled awful) and some 5 foot walls to hop, like the one at the start gate. These were a little trickier to do because my feet and the wall were slippery with mud, but I made it over all of them on the first shot, which made me feel kinda badass again. From there it was more mud and then a football style tire run with swinging tires that you had to push through. Our reward for making it through was a water station, which ended up being the only one on the course!

 

Top: A-Frames - Bottom Left: Tire carry & hurdles - Bottom Right: Sprint to the Finish              *Special thanks to Lisa for taking these photos!*

After our water break we headed onto around the motocross hills and toward the barbed wire obstacles. Thankfully the barbed wire wasn't as low as I was anticipating, so I was able to crawl under it without army crawling. The downside to crawling? I wore shorts and didn't have knee-pads so my knees got really cut up! Lesson. Learned. The next obstacle I remember was the slide! Nothing like sliding into a lake of muddy water to cool off!

 

Left: Fire jumps - Top Right: Barbed Wire - Bottom Right: Sliding into muddy water.                 *Photos taken by Rugged Maniac Photographers*[/caption]

I honestly don't remember the order of the rest of the obstacles. I think the drainage pipes were next and I skipped that one. I'm EXTREMELY claustrophobic and didn't feel like having a panic attack if I had a hard time making my way back up the second pipe. I think it was this obstacle where my teammate Jessica's hair got stuck in the barbed wire while making her way between pipes....OUCH!

 

We're Rugged Maniacs!!  (Ryan, Irwin, Jessica, Mike and Myself)

Thankfully there were lots of sprinklers along the course so you could wash mud off your hands and out of your eyes. Although the one time I needed a sprinkler I couldn't find one. I lost my traction going down a small mud slide and ended up going completely under the muddy water at one point. I wasn't expecting it so I didn't have time to hold my nose and ended up with mud in the my eyes and up my nose....talk about gross! I had to skip the obstacle after that because I couldn't see.

A big thank you to the volunteer who offered me a clean spot on her t-shirt to wipe my eyes!

From there it was the fire jumps and then off to the final obstacle which I failed at. Between the mud in my eyes and the amount of mud on the wall, I just couldn't pull myself all the way up. I was pissed I couldn't make it to the top and across the cargo net, but I achieved a lot and I was proud. Mike and I waited for our teammate on the other side of the wall and then we sprinted to the finish line (and Irwin's kids who ran off ahead racing each other to the final obstacle and finish line. I loved the competitive nature between them)!

 

Before & After

The finish line had a water table which was a welcome blurry site. I grabbed two bottles and started rinsing out my eyes, while rehydrating. From there we showered off, headed to the truck to change and then went back to the after party for our post race beer, music and snacks!

Overall, the course was challenging but not awful. I loved seeing all of the team-work going on around us as well as all of the laughter. I can't wait to do another mud run with this team....they were awesome!

 

Cheers!

Have you ever completed a mud run? Which one and what did you think of it?

Changing Course...Again!

One might say that fitness program ADHD kicked in, another might say I gave up, but I'm saying it sounded better on paper than it actually played out in real life...and it happens!

If you follow me on twitter or know me in real life, you might have seen me posting that I was doing Insanity AND Body Beast. I started Body Beast out of curiosity with Mike and I had been wanting to do another round of Insanity. In my head, doing both together seemed like a good idea and I've pulled doubles before. I wrote out a schedule, figured I'd be done with the whole Insanity program by the start of the final Body Beast phase and hopefully I'd gain back some of my cardio endurance while building some more lean muscle. Sounds great right? Yeah...well...introduce the kids being home on summer vacation and the never ending list of things I've been working on and time gets kinda slim. I was also super sore from Body Beast and found that I was dogging it in the Insanity workouts due to that. Sigh...

After a brief phone call with my coach to discuss the Body Beast program, he confirmed that I had indeed lost my mind by attempting both programs together and I decided to back off. I also decided that my days are too strained for time during the summer with the kids home so I've just been focusing on my July Challenge.

In the past I would have beat myself up over a decision like this, or kept pushing myself to prove a point. Thankfully, I have grown by leaps and bounds since I started exercising and I now just listen to my body and do what works for me.

The other day Mike and I were talking and we decided to get the new Shaun T program that just came out, called Focus T25. It's a 25 minute workout, 5 days a week with a full rest day plus a stretch day. I definitely have 25 minutes a day to workout, without having to cram it in somewhere, so we are really excited about it.

Here is a video that shows what the program is:

I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of results I can pull from this workout since it's only 25 minutes a day. I know that I have to give it my all for those 25 minutes and that there will not be any breaks, so I'm a little nervous, but excited. I also know that I need to clean up my nutrition for maximum results as well.
Do you think this is a program you would want to do? If it is, comment below or contact me on my Facebook page. A few of us are planning on starting a "Challenge Group" on August 12th for Focus T25, and I'd love to have you join us!

{Fitness Friday} July Challenge

I can't believe that July is already lurking around the corner! It's crazy how quickly the months are flying by, right?!

At this point, everyone doing the June Challenge only has two more days to go (if you haven't already completed today's workout) and I am so proud of you all! I figured since everyone is going strong and loves to hate me, I'd keep the momentum going with a July Challenge!

Oh stop groaning...you know you're excited!

This month has less moves since I know the summer can be super busy. It's very similar to the May Challenge I found on-line, but since Jac and I had such great results doing it, I thought we would revisit it, with a twist.

 

Click to View Full Size

Plank this month is for time, instead of a set time for each day. Some people will only be able to hold for about :30 seconds, others for over 3 minutes. I want you to compete against yourself this month. Write down your time for each day and try to beat it by a few seconds the next day. Push yourself to new limits here and make sure you hold the pose until you physically can't anymore! I'll be sharing some tips to holding plank pose over the Facebook Page, so make sure you "LIKE" it!

For those who are more advanced with their fitness, feel free to add weights to your squats! Remember, your lower body is very strong, but we are doing lots of reps, so don't go too heavy. I don't want anyone to hurt themselves! I will most likely being adding heavy weights and breaking the squats into sets with rest in-between, as we get further into the challenge. The most important thing is proper form! You'll get better results with proper form than you will trying to impress people by going heavy. Always listen to your body and if you can do them in front of mirror, it's best so you can check your form every rep.

As always, I'll be doing check-in's over on the Facebook page, so don't be shy and join in on the conversations!

Enjoy your Fourth of July...stay hydrated and let me know if you'll be joining the squatastic fun we'll be having this month!

{Fitness Friday} Man of Steel Edition

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mike and I went to see Man of Steel in IMAX. While watching this movie, you can't help but notice the physique of Henry Cavill  (if you can, you're blind) so of course we became curious as to what he did to prepare for this role. Mike found this video and passed it along to me, so of course, I'm passing it on you!

I love that they talk about the mental and emotional side of fitness in this clip. With quotes like "He has opened my eyes to seeing past what I thought were my limits." and "...you come to a point where your mind allows you to break through your physical boundaries, and takes you to places you never thought you could go to." this clip really hit home for me.

I am 100% in the mental part of fitness right now. I know that my body is capable of things, but my mind holds me back many times. It's funny because in the beginning, I was scared that my body couldn't handle what I mentally wanted to do...and now it's reverse. You would think by this stage of the game I would have it all figured out, but I don't. I struggle and I fail just like everyone else, but I pick myself up and I keep pushing forward.

If you are interested in seeing the workouts that trainer Mark Twight did with Henry Cavill did to prepare for his role as the Man of Steel, watch the two videos below (they teach you how to get proper form) or go to the Soldier of Steel website where you can print them out in .PDF form.

Soldier of Steel Workouts...

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did. While the moves in this may not be for you, I hope you at least walk away with the tips on proper form and apply them to whichever workout you decide to do!

Brett Hoebel Took My Flywheel Virginity

A few weeks ago when I was at #FitBlogNYC, Brett Hoebel was one of the speakers there. At the end of his lecture, he told us that he would be returning to NYC in early June to teach a Flywheel class, and if we were interested in joining to tweet at him. Of course I tweeted at him despite having no idea what a Flywheel class consisted of. As the days went by, I totally forgot about the class, until I received a tweet from Brett with a link to enter a drawing for the class. I filled out the entry form, said a little prayer that I would be selected and went about my day.

Two days before the class date, I received an e-mail saying that I was selected to attend Brett Hoebel's inaugural ride at the Flywheel Flatiron location!! I was super excited and then panicked because once again, I was sick. I haven't had much luck in the health department the past two months, but I was on day three of antibiotics so I responded that I would be there and started looking at which train I would need to catch.

The day of the event, I was very nervous. I had never attended a spin class before and I really didn't know what to expect. I did a little research on Flywheel the night before so I knew it was stadium seating cycling, I knew that the room is kept dark to help you focus on making the ride your ride and I knew that there would be loud music and that I shouldn't be afraid to ask for help when first setting up my bike. Ok...sounds good to me!

I caught my train into NYC and knew that I would be early so I packed lunch with me and upon arriving in the city, headed over to the Flatiron District. One of the my favorite buildings in NYC is the Flat Iron building so it only made sense to me to walk over there, grab a bench in Madison Square Park and just enjoy the view.

After lunch, I headed over to the Flywheel Flatiron location and signed in. I was given a special pair of spin shoes, shown where the lockers are and I grabbed a bottle of water and a towel.

On my way to the lockers, I saw Brett in the room we would be using talking to a few other people, so I popped my head in, said hello and snagged a picture of the bike set-up.

After stowing my stuff in a locker, I headed up front, said hello to few fellow bloggers and then it was time for class. I felt my nerves kick in as I selected a bike in the back and I was grateful to the gentleman in front of me who taught me how to snap my fancy spin shoes into the pedal. A girl who worked there came around and helped me adjust my bike, only we didn't adjust it correctly, and I didn't find that out until the class was already in full swing. Oops!

After Brett explained the bike display to us and how to adjust the torque, the room went dark. Only the instructor stage and bike's display screen are illuminated so you can focus on the workout, and not everyone else around you, which I really liked. The class is a mix of fast, sprint intervals and slow climbs, which help to build endurance and muscle while burning a ton of calories. There is even an upper body segment to the class which really gets you sweating!

The music playlists for each class are created by the Flywheel instructor themselves, which I think is awesome. Instructors choreograph their own classes, syncing their rides to the beat of their songs ensuring a new experience every time you take a class. I loved Brett's music selections since I'm a big fan of BPM on Sirius XM radio.

My favorite song from the workout was "Fade Into Darkness" by Avicii:

 Brett guided our workout, suggesting resistance levels and RPMs, but ultimately it's your ride, so you decide the pace of things by spinning the knob for more or less resistance on your bike. I had to dial it back a few times due to my seat issues but I still got breathless and had a crazy sweat going on.

Overall, this was one of my best fitness experiences in a group setting. Brett Hoebel is an amazing instructor. He is truly inspirational and it's like he's in your head as you're doing this workout. Every time I felt like dialing back, slowing down or saying "I can't do this" he would say something to ignite that spark within myself and I found the strength to keep going.

The class lasted about 45 minutes and we did a light stretch at the end of it, which was much needed.

As everyone was headed out of the studio, I snagged a moment with Brett to say hi again and to thank him for giving me such an amazing opportunity.

This was honestly the toughest thing I have done since week one of Insanity...although I didn't curse at Brett like I did at Shaun T! I will definitely need to keep eye out for Brett's return to NYC and try to catch another class. He truly is a phenomenal trainer!

After changing into dry clothes and collecting my belongings, I enjoyed another stroll through NYC, to catch my train back New Jersey. As I returned home I was filled a feeling of joy and gratefulness. I've been given a lot of amazing opportunities the past few weeks and each one has been an amazing experience.

Have you ever taken a Flywheel class? What did you think of it?

{Semi Wordless Wednesday} Halfway There

Yesterday I hit the halfway mark on my journey to 500 miles. It came a month later than I thought, I almost got hit by a falling tree branch on the trail and I apparently didn't lace up correctly, because I ended up with a killer blister, but I did it!

Who's Ready For A June Challenge?

I can't believe that May is almost over! I swear my birthday was just the other day but that was in the beginning of the month. Wow! 2013 needs to slow down just a little.

With the closing of May, comes the end of the May Challenge that I was doing with Jac from Nora & Jac. The challenge was all about squats and planks and we really held each other accountable all month. Of course as the end of the challenge approached, we began to wonder what we should do for June, so I came up with a challenge that will work our arms as well as our core strength. I've really become a fan of the these monthly progressive challenges and I think that doing another one will be perfect during June, which tends to be a crazy and hectic month for me. I like that they are quick yet effective workouts and that I can see results without devoting a ton of time.

 

Click For Larger Version

I tried to change things up a bit each day, so we wouldn't get bored. Here are some tips if you are worried about the moves listed above.

• Push-ups can of course be done from your knees if you can't do a full push-up yet, but really push yourself to reach the goal of doing full push-ups. Even if you can only do one or two before switching to your knees, it'll help you improve and slowly work your way to doing more full reps.


• Chair Dips can be done in different ways too. Beginners can start with their knees bent to give added support. As your tricep strength increases, try putting your legs out straight in front of you so can get more resistance from your body weight. If that becomes easy, lift one leg or put your legs up on a chair too!


• Military Push-ups are done with your hands lined up directly under your shoulders. As you lower down into the push-up, your elbows stay back and tight to your body. These are still difficult for me, so don't worry if you can't go down very far. It'll come with time!


• Wide Fly Push-ups are exactly what they sound like. You place your arms out in front of you in a wide push-up pose. These tend to be easier, at least for me.


• Mountain Climbers begin in the top of a push-up or full plank. You'll then alternate pulling in your left and right foot...kinda like running in place. They are fabulous for building core and shoulder strength.

If you are unsure of the other moves listed her, please let me know and I'll be happy to explain them or provide links to "how-to" videos.

I'm really looking forward to another month of teaming up with Jac and keeping each other accountable. I also just started DDP Yoga (I'll talk about that soon in a separate post) and I hope to get back into running this month using the technique I posted about on my Facebook page last week.

So who else would like to join us for this challenge? We'd love to have you!

Celebrating A Milestone

Yesterday was Fitness Friday and I reached a pretty big milestone! For the first time ever I hit double digits on a run/walk! The furthest I had ever walked prior, was 8 miles back in 2010. My furthest run was 7.5 back in early March.

I started out running yesterday and for some reason, I just kept going. Hitting that double digit has been something I've wanted to do for awhile now, but I never really went for it. I started to get tired and struggled for a little while around miles 4 & 5. That little voice of negativity in my head started to beat me up, but I pushed through and decided I was going for it. I shut that little voice up by deciding that my time didn't matter today, all that mattered was hitting my mileage of choice.

Once I made up my mind, the rest was pretty easy. I slowed down and walked when I needed to and picked up the pace and ran when I felt good. I have to get my legs used to carrying me for longer runs and they're not quite ready to do that yet. Until they are, there is nothing wrong with slowing down to a light jog or fast paced walk.

I know that with determination, time and practice, I will be able to run the full 10 miles. My goal is actually 13.1 with a respectable pace, but I have to remember that it takes time to build up to that. I have to remove the self imposed pressure that I place on myself to perform at great levels. I have to learn how to celebrate my milestones, instead of getting mad that I didn't reach them at a certain level, or by glancing over them to start working towards the next goal.

Over the past four years, I have skipped many celebrations and I regret that. I regret pushing myself towards the next goal instead of taking some time to reflect on where I came from and what I just achieved.

The beauty of this journey is that I am always learning...and as a result, I will continue to grow as a person.

Yesterday I put the Further in #FurtherFasterForever. Down the road I hope to add the Faster, but I have Forever to work at it and enjoy the celebrations as I go.

Who Wants To Kick-Ass in April?

Summer is quickly sneaking up on us, although you wouldn't know it by the weather we've been having. Your window of opportunity to tone-up and shed a few pounds is quickly closing and those damn Girl Scouts and their cookies aren't helping!

(For the record I love the Girl Scouts, I was one, my daughter was one and my nieces represent...it's the evil cookies I don't like...well...I love them...but my ass doesn't.)

Anyway... I was killing time on Pinterest while being stuck in the house with sick kids and I stumbled upon this:

 

Thanks to Lauren for noticing that the dates on here do not reflect 2013. Please make a note of that if you plan to follow along. If I have time, I'll make a new graphic and post it.

Click on the image to view the source of this workout and look up past ones.

I know the same three moves daily can become boring, but they are all very effective and I think you'll be amazed by how much improvement you'll see with each passing day. Just like with the plank challenge, you start out slow but with each passing day, you become stronger. This also doesn't take a lot of time out of your day. You can easily do this before you take your morning shower, or just slip it into your usual routine.

So who wants to join me for a month of booty toning goodness?

Happy Pi Day {Mini Workout}

Today's workout had me living the Life of Pi.... no no no....I wasn't stuck on a boat with a tiger name Richard Parker ...I just had to do things with the number 3.14 in mind.

I started off my morning with a 3.14 run on the trail. It was not a pretty run and my head was seriously not present at all. I was pissed off at myself after being so close to beating my PR just a few days ago, but then I switched my mind set and gave myself credit for showing up and getting it done. Good job, Nikki!

After my run, I hit the trainer for a double Pi ride and it felt great. After pushing myself for 25 mile rides last week, 6.28 feels like a walk in the park.

I haven't pushed myself this hard in a long time and it feels great! I actually like taking an active recovery day instead of a full rest day. It teaches me that I don't have to go hard all the time, and that it's nice to just slow down and enjoy the journey sometimes.

To finish off today's Pi celebration, I didn't have a slice of pie... instead I did this circuit workout and worked up a great sweat.

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A big Thank You to the Billboard Hot 100 on Spotify for keeping my pace high!

I Am Not A Fan Of The Gym

I'm pretty sure many of you who follow my blog already figured out, that I am NOT a fan of the gym. As a matter of fact, I can't tell you the last time I even worked out in one. Possibly pre-children, so that would be over a decade ago!

This past week, however, I entered a gym again.

As you have seen, I've been participating in the #FurtherFasterForever Badge Challenge. I admittedly can be a very competitive person with myself, so I looked over the badges many, many times and set my sites on the ones I felt I could do. I normally do my running up at my local recreation center, which has paved route options as well as a 5k trail option. I also have a stationary bike at home, so I could attempt some of the cycling badges too!

The issue however, was that Mother Nature decided to bless the East Coast with yet another dose of craptastic weather. I powered through the wind and some rain that she dropped on us (and even got the hubs to join me on one of those lovely mornings), but when the slick snow fell, I admitted defeat and headed to the gym, in the clubhouse at my mom's development.

 

Mike and I after a windy, rainy 5K.

 

The slick, snowy mess that Mother Nature decided to drop on us, was my morning warm-up before hitting the gym for the first time in years.

Less stubborn people most likely would have taken a rest day or just did the bike, but I had a badge to obtain. Yes...I am THAT thickheaded.

Anyway.... I must admit there is a nice set-up up there, and it is much smaller than your normal monthly membership gyms. They had a decent amount of treadmills, a few different bikes and an elliptical. They also had a weight circuit and an indoor pool. The pool would have been awesome if I knew how to swim....sigh.

Since I was there to run, I picked a
hamster wheeltreadmill and started it up. I instantly felt dread and doom take over as I ran but got nowhere. There was no breeze, no change of scenery, nothing. Just the sound of a belt moving below me and the yapping of some other people in the room with me. I realized I couldn't look down or I'd get dizzy. I also couldn't look left or right for the same reason. Sigh....I was stuck looking forward at either CNN or my own reflection in a picture on the wall. What felt like eternity was only 1.25 miles and I stepped off in defeat. I decided to hop on a bike, clear my head and then have another go. My second attempt yielded 3.25 miles, which I was happy with.

 

Top left: Pool Area, Top Right: Cardio Area, Bottom Left: Weight Area,

Bottom Right: My first attempt on the hamster wheel.

I left the gym that day happy that I was able to log some mileage, but also in awe of the people I see on Twitter and Instagram who log all these miles on the hamster wheel of doom treadmill. I guess it's one of those examples of  "to each their own".

My other issue with the gym is time restraints. If it's busy, you can only use a machine for 30 minutes....I guess that's not awful, but I have days where I can go further and longer and I like being able to do so, without someone pointing to a sign-up sheet to hint that your time is up. (BTW...that did not happen to me here, but it had in the past.)

I'm sure I'll have to go back again this week, as there is chatter of another storm brewing. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm grateful (despite my bitching) to have access to the alternative.

Do you run on the hamster wheel to nowhere treadmill? Do you have any tips or tricks to make it more tolerable?

{Wordless Wednesday} #FurtherFasterForever Badges To-Date

{Semi-Wordless Wednesday} 100 and Counting!

 

Monday's run brought me to my longest run to date!

 

Tuesday's 10k brought me to my first milestone ......... 100 miles ran, so far this year!

Expecto Patronum! You Can Be Fit & Nerdy!

In keeping with the theme of my Wordless Wednesday post this week, I offer you the Harry Potter Workout!

What better way to get yourself and your kids moving?!

Expelliarmus!!

Drop the popcorn and quit sitting on the couch, like a spud, watching these movies the 100th time, make it interesting and fun!

How it works: Each time one the items listed on the left is seen in the film, you and your kids perform the task listed on the right that goes with it. You can pause the movie or keep watching, that's totally up to you and Potterhead level of fandom. Pretty simple, right?

I think "games" like this are a great way to get your kids moving, and make a movie a hands-on experience. Not a Harry Potter fan? Well...you're probably not human. No really..... just make up your own cues and moves for your favorite movie and share them with me here or over on my Facebook page!

Stop It! I Beg You!

Lately, I have become increasingly agitated by "fitness inspiration" photos people have been Pinning, Instagramming and Facebooking. They usually feature a stick thin woman or a woman who clearly trains for competition, with a motivational quote. I love most of the quotes on them, however both of these image types are not realistic goals. These photos might be a dream of yours, but most times, they are not a reality and will only set you up to fail and feel miserable about your body, despite whatever progress you may make. (Trust me...I have gone through this.)

Unsure of what I'm referring to? Here are a few examples:

 

These ladies have amazing bodies, but it's not the norm.

Now, before you jump all over me and tell me that they are attainable with hard work, I am well aware of that. ANYTHING is possible, and I'm not knocking that. I'm simply speaking of the average overweight mom or woman who is obsessing over losing weight.

A typical woman works a desk job, has evening activities to attend with her children, a house to clean, laundry to do and is forced to grab fast food from time to time. That doesn't mean that there is no time to workout....you make the time for that....however, the type of strict diet and workout routine needed to achieve the super fit, sculpted bodies in some of these photos is very hard to follow.

Using photos like these as motivation also makes it hard to appreciate the progress that you do make during your weight loss, because you're always comparing yourself to something that isn't the norm.

Do you know how many times I have had people message me saying they don't understand why they are following a program and only losing a pound? They are genuinely upset by losing a pound when they should  be happy they are making progress, being active, eating healthier and not gaining. As a generation, it's all about instant gratification and this is not the place for it.

This leads me to another pet peeve of mine, which I have seen all over Facebook since the new year.  Obscene diets and "miracle" pills. I've said it a million times, so what's one more?

THEY DON'T WORK!

Just stop it! You didn't gain the weight over night, therefore you shouldn't expect to lose it overnight. There is no quick fix. There is no magic pill. Do you really think the super fit girl in the commercial simply popped a pill and woke up with those six pack abs and super perky ass? NO! She worked her ass off for it in the gym and ate super clean. If it was as simple as popping a pill, we wouldn't have an obesity problem in this country.

Please....just stop with the fad diets, popping pills that claim to block fat and help you get fit and lean without exercise. I beg you! They are unhealthy and if you do have any success, you will just end up gaining it all back, plus some when you stop following the diet or taking the pills, not to mention the damage you can be doing to your body by following these plans.

The road to getting healthy is not an easy one, but it can be a rewarding one. I've been at this for over three years and I've battled a lot of demons (thanks in part to photos like the ones above), but I've learned so much. How to eat healthy, that it's okay to have a cheat day, that my body is much stronger than my mind and when my mind shuts the fuck up...my body is capable of amazing things! The most important lesson is one I'm currently working on, and that's to love myself. I'm learning to accept the flaws of my body, because they add character.

Yes, I had a tummy tuck and some people might view that as shallow, and that's okay, because it doesn't matter what they think. It's what I needed to do in order to move on with my life and to finally say goodbye to the fat girl I spent so many years of my life being.

In closing, I ask you to simply to keep realistic goals when you start trying to lose weight. Take it slow, keep it real and know that's okay to be human and make mistakes. It takes time to break bad habits and form new, good ones. Most importantly, take the time to appreciate all of the things you achieve!