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?

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!

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.

 

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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!

Stars & Stripes Workout

A Day In NYC for #FitBlogNYC (Part One)

This past Thursday, the day I had been waiting for, finally arrived.... FITNESS magazine's Meet & Tweet, also known as #FitBlogNYC!

I woke up bright and early to catch the bus and head into Port Authority. From there, it was a quick walk over to the venue and the meeting spot where some of us had agreed to meet. We grabbed some coffee, exchanged business cards and just chit chatted before heading over to the Mercedes Club, where the event was being held.

 

Some of the amazing bloggers I got to meet before the event. To name a few @ExSoyCise, @SusanFishback, @TreadmillRunway, @weightsover, @MsHealthyWife, @BlondesRun, @DianaAntholis and @Frolic_Life_Syl who was kind enough to be my buddy for the afternoon. I know I forgot a few people here, but my brain is still in overload, my apologies.

Upon arriving, we headed upstairs to check-in. We received our ID badge, an awesome Camelbak water bottle and there were morning snacks/refreshments for us. After grabbing a muffin and some juice, we headed outside to the rooftop patio where the speakers would be presenting.

First up, were introductions by FITNESS magazines Editor-in-Chief, Betty Wong (@FITNESSBetty). She introduced us to the lovely Heather Muir (@PYTbeauty), who is the Beauty Director at FITNESS as well as Sarah Lucero (@stilaPROartist), who is a celebrity make-up artist and Executive Director of Global Artistry for Stila Cosmetics, as well as a Stage 3 Breast Cancer survivor.

 

Top: Betty Wong telling us about the day in store. Bottom: Heather Muir (L) & Sarah Lucero (R)

During their seminar on "Insider Beauty Secrets to Get You Glowing", they discussed ways to get pulled together in a flash, even when it's 95 degrees outside. Their top tip? Less is more when it's hot out!

• Match the weight of your make-up to the weight of your clothing.
• Use waterproof/water resistant beauty items.
• Always carry blot papers with you as well as a refreshing mist.
• Use sheer foundation - Don't try to cover up every little imperfection!
• "PowerPout" is hot this season! Use a punchy orange to achieve the look.
• Use vibrancy in your lip & eye color by using neon or pastel colors.

We also learned Sarah's Top 3 Beauty Secrets:

1. Make sure you get enough rest (8-9 hours of sleep per night)
2. Use a good moisturizer or balm that is multitasking and color correcting.
3. Wear the same color tone on your check and lips.

"Believe in the Beauty of the Future"

Our second seminar featured, FITNESS magazine's Senior Editor, Lisa Haney (@FITNESS_Lisa) and Jennifer Ashton, M.D. (@DrJAshton), who  is an ABC News Senior Medical Contributor, ob-gyn, triathele and author of the book, "Your Body Beautiful: Clock Stopping Secrets to Staying Healthy, Strong and Sexy in Your 30s, 40s and Beyond" as well as "The Body Scoop for Girls" - which I plan on picking up for my daughter.

 

Lisa Haney & Dr. Jennifer Ashton, speaking about being "Healthy, Strong and Sexy in Your 20s, 30s and Beyond"

They hosted a seminar on "Healthy, Strong and Sexy in Your 20s, 30s and Beyond". Dr. Ashton gave her down-to-earth advice on a holistic approach to health and why you need to be able to talk to your doctor as if they were BFF.

Some of the topics covered and take away points included:

• Angelina Jolie's recent mastectomy.
• You need to treat the whole person, not just the symptom.
• Your body needs to move, rest and be nourished.
• Size and body weight does not matter. It's about the type of fuel you put into your body.
• Bad carbs in excess are not our friends.
• Alcohol increases your risk of Breast Cancer
• Follow a 5/2 diet. Eat healthy 5 days a week & enjoy the weekends. This will help to curb the unhealthy food cravings over time.
• 2.5 servings per day of fruits and vegetables can help reduce your risk of Breast Cancer
• Birth Control pills can reduce your risk of ovarian cancer, which is why Dr. Ashton prescribes them for her gay patients, despite not needing the birth control aspect of them.
• Grapefruit juice interacts with many medications!
• You can Google "Drug Drug Interactions" to check if you have any. Make sure you include all supplements you are taking, even OTC!

"Life Is An Olympic Event and We Have To Train For It"

Our third seminar was one I was looking forward to! It featured FITNESS magazine's Digital Director, Christie Griffin (@ChristieGriffin) - who is one of the sweetest people ever! - Dana Weiss, Possessionista (@Possessionista), Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen (@SmittenKitchen), Jill Hanner who is a Ford Fiesta Agent and YouTube guru (@JillHanner) and last but not least, Erin Whitehead from Fit Bottomed Girls (@FitBottomedGirl) discussing their unique success stories and how they turned their passions into profit, during "My Blog Is My Business"

 

L to R: Christie Griffin, Dana Weiss, Deb Perelman, Jill Hanner and Erin Whitehead[/caption]

Some of the biggest take away points from this seminar where:

• Don't blog for money. Blog, then make money. - Dana
• Make what you want to talk about the center, then make money. - Deb
• Have a strong message and know who you are! - Erin

Don't Waste Your Time:

• Worrying about what other bloggers are doing.
• Comparing yourself to other bloggers.
• Obsessing over numbers or followers.
• Give too much weight to negative comments you may receive.
• Ignore search engine optimization offers.
• NEVER pay to rank in a search engine.

Tools They Love:

• Skimlinks: It's Dana's "Magical affiliate fairy" and allows her to focus on content, instead of links.
• Make sure you auto-redirect if you change your RSS feed! - Deb
• Google is Erin's best friend. She uses Google Docs, Analytics and more.
• Jill is also a fan of Google but mainly uses Instagram and Twitter as her tools.

How To Pitch Yourself to Companies:

• Email links of your work with other companies when reaching out.
• Make sure you be yourself!
• If you are offered a book deal, make sure you write a proposal.
• Be passionate with your blog. It'll bring new followers and eventually bring money.

Other Tips They Offered:

• For Pictures - Use a DSLR camera with a 50mm lens. It allows for a good photo, even when less lighting is available.
• On YouTube - Lighting and Sound are key! Also just like with your blog, BE YOURSELF!
• BlogAds is a site that sells ads for you and can formulate a starting price based on readership.
• Should I blog for free? - You bring value to these companies. Make sure you know your value, however, if you would write about them anyway, don't push for more money.

"Don't Blog For Money. Blog, Then Make Money."

Our fourth seminar featured  FITNESS magazine's Deputy Editor, Mary Christ Anderson (@FITNESS_Mary) and Celebrity Trainer Brett Hoebel (@bretthoebel), Founder of Brett Hoebel Fitness, featured trainer on The Biggest Loser season 11 and creator of RevAbs.

 

Mary Christ Anderson and Brett Hoebel discussing the Extreme Fitness Trend.

The topic of discussion here was "The Extreme Fitness Trend: Should You Try It?" They discussed how going to extremes is the new thing in fitness today...but does it work? We learned how and why 20-minute workouts can get the job done better than long, all-out sessions.

First off they discussed CrossFit:

• CrossFit took fitness and turned it into a sport.
• CrossFit is competitive but has a strong community base.
• CrossFit is AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) or Time Based.
• Shorter means it must be tougher!

Then they moved into the Tough Mudder trend and how many people where doing them for social media bragging rights. Brett's advice was to "Know what you're getting into when doing Tough Mudders".

Programs like P90X and Insanity were also discussed, since they are also extreme in nature. The subject of lack of time being the biggest excuse when it comes to not working out was discussed, too. Brett said that 20 minutes is the magic bullet for many busy moms and people who are short on time. It allows you do a few rounds of moves with maximum benefit, but you HAVE to get breathless while doing it!

When asked about his thoughts on TRX, Brett responded "I thinks it's amazing!"

"If Want Results In A Short Amount Of Time,You Have To Get Breathless!"

Our fifth and final seminar was all about food, and you guys know how much I love food and cooking! It was hosted by FITNESS magazine's Executive Editor, Pam O'Brien (@FITNESSPam), along with Rocco DiSpirito (@roccodispirito), who if you don't already know from Food Network, is one of FITNESS's favorite celebrity chefs, author of "Now Eat This! Italian" and star of the AOL web series "Now Eat This! Italy".

 

Pam O'Brien and Rocco DiSpirito discussing how to Eat What You Love - and Lose Weight!

In this seminar, they discussed how to "Eat What You Love - and Lose Weight", and Rocco revealed secret ingredients for speedy, healthy meals, as well as cooking tricks that slash the fat, but keep the flavor!

Some of the advice given to us during this segment were:

• Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive. (Check out this link, from his tweet above in the photo, for 10 Healthy Foods Under $1)
• Always say no bread at restaurants.
• When eating out, split meals to go, when ordering, this way you won't be tempted to over-eat.
• Make sure you are eating 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain foods.
• Juicing is good, but blending is better. Blending keeps all of the fiber from fruits and vegetables

Items to keep on hand in the kitchen:

• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Non-fat cottage cheese
• Parmigiano Reggiano - Tip: Use a micro plane to grate instead of a box grater! A little goes a long way.
• Low calorie, Stock in a box
• Herbs and Spices. These are calorie free/guilt free and big on flavor.
• Vinegars
• Dijon Mustard - Only contains 7 calories per tablespoon!

Two of Rocco's favorite ways to prepare Spaghetti Squash are with garlic and oil - OR - with butter and parmigiano reggiano.

As you can see, the morning was full of amazing and informative speakers. I feel so lucky to have been invited to this event and to have listened, met and spoken with so many inspirational and wonderful people.

I will be sharing information on the wonderful and generous sponsors from #FitBlogNYC in my next post ....so keep an eye out for it!

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO!

{Wordless Wednesday} Workout Edition

{Fitness Friday} Full Body Workout

Wow, it's been awhile since I've done a Fitness Friday post.

I don't have much to report about my own workouts for the past week. I'm still feeling pretty run down and I've been having issues with my breathing since being sick. I have not gone on a run in a little over three weeks, which has left me quite cranky and feeling a little defeated.

On the bright side, I did manage to do a few mini workouts this week and it felt good to workout. I stumbled upon an oblique mini workout that I shared on my Facebook Blog Page, and it left my muscles sore which felt great!

If you have not already "LIKED" my page, please take a moment and do it. I often share workout tips, mini workouts and recipes over there. You can click on the banner to the right or just CLICK HERE to visit me on Facebook.

The week has been also been spent focusing on staying hydrated, finding and trying new recipes, getting enough sleep and eating on a schedule. Being sick really turned my routines upside down and like a toddler, I tend the thrive on routine, so I get cranky when my schedule is messed up.

Before getting sick, I also made up this workout for the days that I can't get out to run. It can be done anywhere, even outside if you'd like and it doesn't require any weights which comes in handy if you are traveling, too!

I would probably even toss a forearm plank in at the end of this for a little extra core/shoulder burn!

Hope everyone has a great weekend filled with nice weather! We are supposed to be in the 60's here on the East Coast, so I'm hoping to get out and enjoy it!

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?

{Wordless Wednesday} More #FurtherFasterForever Badges

Click Here To See The Other Badges I've Earned So Far

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?

Being Productive Makes Me Happy

This has been a really good week for me!

I've stuck with my workouts, been eating much cleaner and tried some new recipes. Two new ones are right here in this post, and the Green Monsters (which are my new obsession) can be found here.

No-Bake Energy Bites - These are so yummy and really satisfy my sweet tooth! They calculated out to about 120 calories each, which isn't too bad.

Chicken, Quinoa and Summer Squash Casserole - I swapped out the summer squash for zucchini and used Italian seasoning instead of rosemary.

As you've probably already seen in yesterdays post.... I also reached my 100-Mile milestone this week! I originally hoped to have reached this on Valentine's Day, but my hamstrings and Mother Nature didn't like that plan. The important thing is I reached it and honestly, 500 miles seems pretty easy now. I hate to say it out-loud but as long as I stay healthy and don't get injured, I think I'll easily pass my goal! *fingers crossed.....knocks on wood....yeah....I know I probably just jinxed myself...sigh.*

 

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

~Tomorrow starts the Road ID Badge Challenge over on FurtherFasterForever! You might recall that a few weeks ago I participated in the Sandy Hook virtual event they put together. I'm really excited about this challenge and I'm curious to see how many badges I can collect from March 1st thru March 14th. I'm a newbie to this and I know most of the people who participate are serious athletes, but I'm a determined newbie and will do my best....everyone starts out somewhere, right?!

How is your week progressing? Anything special you'd care to share? What has made you proud or happy this week?

Halter Tops, Sundresses and Swimsuits.... Oh My!

This week I spent some time shopping and it became very clear that warm weather is on it's way. Despite the frigid temps outside, many stores already have the swimsuit section all set up and cute little summer dresses and sleeveless tops on display. There were even racks of shorts and the shoe department had the sandals all lined up.

Are you ready to face to skimpy clothing of summer? If not, the good news is you have some time to prepare yourself!

I know it's hard to think about things like this when you're still wearing layouts of clothing, but pretty soon, you  won't be able to hide under those layers  anymore.

Here's a quick workout to get your arms ready for the sleeveless, spaghetti strap styles that summer has to offer:

Your fitness level will decide what weights you use for the bicep curls. You want to use a weight that isn't too heavy since you are doing 30 reps, but you want to make sure that it's heavy enough that those last few reps feels impossible. Another option would be to do two rounds of this, but split the bicep curls in half for each round, choosing a heavy weight to max out your reps by 15.

Notice the planks in there? They not only tighten and strengthen your core, but they help you to develop sexy shoulders. Gotta love moves that target more than one area!

Start doing this now and you will have toner, tighter, stronger looking arms and shoulders in time for the summer heat up.

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!

Slow Going, But Still Moving

Well, after cranking out 27+ miles in one week, I managed only 6 miles last week. Sigh...

I know, 6 miles isn't awful and it's only 4 miles off from the minimum of 10 miles per week that I set for myself. Little setbacks just tend to aggravate me, and so does having my routine thrown off!

Mother Nature has not been cooperating with my goals as far as running goes. Last week it was brutally cold out and it brought my routine to a screeching halt. I don't mind running in the cold at all, however when you team -16 wind chills up with icy roads, it raises the risk of falling and breaking something. That doesn't sound like fun to me and would end up halting my goals even further!

As a result of moody Mother Nature, I've been lifting weights, doing yoga and tossing in some of the Quick Workouts I have post here in the past.

I really wish I liked the treadmill, I've just never felt comfortable on one and as a result, gave ours away a few years back. I was supposed to head out and hit the pavement today, but the snow started sooner than I hoped and the roads became slick very quickly. Hopefully tomorrow I can squeak a few miles in since I'm at a total of zero miles for this week. Sigh...

What do you do when Mother Nature rears her bitchy head? Do you push through anyway or hit the treadmill instead? Any tips on learning to love the treadmill?

{Wordless Wednesday} My Week In Fitness So Far

Keep On Rolling, Baby!

If I ever hit the lotto, I will have a personal masseuse to address my sore muscles and help work the daily stress out of my tired body. Until then, I'll have to settle for massage gift certificates on special occasions and my new foam roller.

For the longest time, I saw fellow fitness friends tweeting about foam rolling and how blissful it was, but I had no idea what it was. I began looking these foam rollers up on-line and realized that I could truly benefit from one. I have always had super tight hamstrings and hip flexors, so seeing that there were ways to roll these areas to lengthen and stretch them intrigued me. I figure it could also come in handy now that I'm running more. My legs are always tight and sore post run.

Thankfully Santa (aka my husband) bought me one for Christmas! He got me a textured roller made by Gaiam which also came with a massage routine DVD. I've heard that the textured ones give a deeper massage to the muscle and can take some getting used to. Hopefully it's not too painful at first...I can be a wuss at times.

I also found this handy graphic on Pinterest (of course) which I think will come in very handy.

Do you use a foam roller? If so, do you have any tips or techniques? Please feel free to share below!