I'm the Energizer Bunny...

My New Motto:

I can't believe it has been a week since I have posted! I apologize for the delay, but please know that I am still going strong. This week has been a crazy week work wise (report card season) plus I had a candy order for my side business. Thankfully it all got done, and so did my workouts! Here is a breakdown by day...

Day 22 - On my way to the gym after job number two I realized my gym bag was thoughtlessly left on my bedroom floor. While in the past this may have deterred me from doing anything (especially since I had a TON of work to do for the aforementioned candy order), I didn't let it sway me. Rather than going back out in the cold after acquiring my needed gym clothes, I decided to do a TurboFire workout and climb some stairs. While it wasn't what I wanted it to be, I still got the workout in.

Day 23 - Too cold to run!!!! But I remembered my gym bag today, so I got in an awesome workout on the arc trainer. It felt good to sweat, burn some calories, and pump up the music. I would have loved to have added in a core workout in addition to my cardio and squats, but I still had a night of candy making ahead of me. Sometimes duty calls. On a good note, I did complete 199 squats this day! Only one squat away from my goal!

Day 24 - Another gym day. I decided to do some treadmill work. Unfortunately, my legs just don't like running on a treadmill. I don't think I know a single road runner who actually enjoys running on a treadmill. It's the worst feeling ever. So I decided to do some incline intervals. The burn felt great! I got in all of my steps (10,000 per day goal), worked my legs, and again sweat like crazy. You know it's been a great workout when you have to peel your clothes off when you are done!

Day 25 - I wasn't working the tasting room this Friday, and as much as I wanted to get up at 4:30 am for a workout (I was going to go for a double workout), it just wasn't going to happen. My body was telling me it needed sleep. So I got up at my usual time, went off to work, and then hit the gym immediately after. Friday afternoon gym days are always hard...really, who wants to be there after working all week? But I still did it. The gym was pretty much empty (like I said, who wants to be at the gym on a Friday afternoon). I hopped on an elliptical and did an awesome interval workout. Then I came home and did some squats. It felt so good to meet my goal of 200 squats! After a shower and some relaxing, and realizing that by this point I was STARVING, Phil and I went out for some delicious Thai food! YUM!

Day 26 - I was working a Nano Cask Fest on this day, so I got up early to get my workout in. It was still pretty cold, and it had snowed, so I opted for some yoga. My body definitely appreciated the deep stretching. I do a power yoga / pilates blend so I'm still pretty sweaty in the end. It was great to get the workout in before heading to the cask fest...which was fabulous by the way!  I tried to be mindful of what I was eating and drinking all day long....drinking a ton of water throughout the day. But the food was incredibly tasty (I loved the mini cheesecakes and bacon cupcakes) and the beer was great! However, I didn't feel guilty at the end of the day. This was a rare day in the past few weeks where I let myself indulge a little bit, and I'm okay with that. Below is a picture of Phil and I at the fest.

Day 27 - Another cold day, so I opted for a TurboFire workout. I did both Fire 30 and Core 20! Whew! They were both great workouts! I'm slowly feeling my core get stronger, something that will make me feel great about myself as well as benefit my running. 

So that brings us all up to date. I am still in shock that tomorrow is Day 28. John Bingham posted something last week regarding the 100 Day Challenge. His sentiment was that Day 22 usually makes or breaks a goal. It's usually around this time that we start to either lighten up or we push through. This time around I have opted to push through! I feel like the energizer bunny! I just keep going, and going, and going...

On a side note, my time at the gym this week has lead me to realize that not only do I need to find a new and better gym (as I mentioned before, preferably one with classes), it also brought up some really big gym pet peeves. Here they are:

1. WIPE OFF YOUR MACHINES! I don't care if you are only on the treadmill for five minutes for your warm-up, it takes two seconds to use disinfectant to wipe off your sweat and germs! Not only is it gross to get on a machine and realize the person before you so rudely couldn't be bothered to clean it up, it's also FLU season...be mindful!

2. DON'T TALK ON YOUR CELL PHONE! I find it incredibly obnoxious when individuals get on a piece of equipment and begin chatting loudly on their cell phone. I am trying to concentrate on my workout and I don't really give a sh** about what your boyfriend is doing, when your mom is picking you up, or how your day is going. Seriously. Give it a rest!

3. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR HYGIENE! I already mentioned the wiping of machines, but seriously, wash your gym clothes. I'm sorry, it's really gross when someone starts working out near you and their stench is so bad it makes you want to vomit. I am friends with plenty of people who do not use deodorant for personal reasons, but they don't smell like that! So nasty...

Despite these pet peeves, I did have a good gym experience. I went to hop on the arc trainer with moving arms (much better than the stationary one) and a guy hopped off his and wiped his down and said "use mine, that one wobbles." I thought it was so awesome! I paid it forward when I was done as a girl was hopping on the one on the end that wobbles. She seemed really thankful for the piece of advice!

Looking forward...

Finally, I have been asked what I am going to do now that I met my goal of 200 squats. Well, for starters, I will continue squatting. They make me stronger and they make me feel good, and it is now time for me to add some weight to my squatting. Stronger takes time, and stronger doesn't come easy...but with work I will get there. I will also be starting a fABulous February challenge (posted below). I will be doing crunches, planks, and pushups as I continue to strengthen my core. Feel free to join me! 

February
2013
fABulous February	Push Yourself!

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					1	2
					10 Sit-Ups 4 Push-Ups 10 sec Plank	15 Sit-Ups 5 Push-Ups 15 sec Plank
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
20 Sit-Ups 6 Push-Ups 20 sec Plank	25 Sit-Ups 6 Push-Ups 20 sec Plank	REST	25 Sit-Ups 7 Push-Ups 20 sec Plank	30 Sit-Ups 7 Push-Ups 25 sec Plank	30 Sit-Ups 8 Push-Ups 25 sec Plank	35 Sit-Ups 9 Push-Ups 30 sec Plank
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
35 Sit-Ups 9 Push-Ups 35 sec Plank	40 Sit-Ups 10 Push-Ups 35 sec Plank	REST	45 Sit-Ups 10 Push-Ups 35 sec Plank	45 Sit-Ups 11 Push-Ups 40 sec Plank	50 Sit-Ups 12 Push-Ups 40 sec Plank	50 Sit-Ups 15 Push-Ups 40 sec Plank
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
60 Sit-Ups 15 Push-Ups 45 sec Plank	60 Sit-Ups 15 Push-Ups 50 sec Plank	REST	60 Sit-Ups 18 Push-Ups 50 sec Plank	65 Sit-Ups 18 Push-Ups 50 sec Plank	70 Sit-Ups 20 Push-Ups 55 sec Plank	75 Sit-Ups 20 Push-Ups 1 min Plank
24	25	26	27	28
80 Sit-Ups 20 Push-Ups 1 min Plank	80 Sit-Ups 22 Push-Ups 1.10 min Plank	REST	85 Sit-Ups 24 Push-Ups 1.15 min Plank	90 Sit-Ups 25 Push-Ups 1.20 min Plank

Making Myself Awesome

I want to say so much about the past few days that it's hard to know where to begin. I guess I'll start by saying that I have been active for twenty-one days straight now. It feels so good to say that, and it feels really good to say that I feel healthier and stronger already! Here is the breakdown of the past few days...

Day 18 (Friday) - early morning (4:45) core workout and 175 squats! Yes, that's right, 175 squats! WOOHOOO!

Day 19 (Saturday, and my favorite) - I participated in the Ten Mile Run to the Brewery sponsored by Blue Point Brewery. I will talk more about this later, but let me just say this was FABULOUS!

Day 20 (Sunday) - some yoga/Pilates blend. I wasn't feeling totally up to par so I took it easy, which is okay by me. After running ten miles on Saturday my body needed a bit of a rest.

Day 21 (Monday) - TurboFire Fire 30 (one of my favorite go to workouts) and some squats. Today was a test day for my squat challenge so my usual squats will take place tomorrow.

Okay, so now on to the ten-miler. This would probably be easier if I numbered my reasons why this was so wonderful (I'll do my best to keep this short and to the point)...

1. Last year I was scheduled to run this, but due to some personal stuff going on I decided not to push myself and let it slide. This was the start of my downward spiral, and I kick myself every day for letting myself "give up." So, completing this race on Saturday was a mental thing as much as a physical one. I needed to do this for myself, to convince myself that it could be done, and to make up for the fact that I fell flat on my fitness face last January. In a way, I needed to say to myself NOT AGAIN!

2. I got to hang out with some of my favorite people. Both pre and post race I got to see people from various walks of life! Most importantly, I got to see some of my favorite running inspirations. Many times I have been asked if I am inspired by the "famous" runners out there, the Olympians, the world record holders. And to answer that question, yes I am. I think that what they do is truly impressive and I am in total awe of such individuals who are natural runners. However, I am most inspired by friends who have pushed me and encouraged me in my running journey. Two of these inspirations are my friends Tracy and Joe. Tracy is somewhat responsible for me realizing how much I loved running and pushing me to register for my first ever race. She introduced me to John Bingham's books, and is always there to offer running advice. I am also inspired by how hard Tracy works and her commitment to her training and races. Joe is Tracy's husband and I am constantly inspired by his pure running awesomeness. He makes it look so easy! Below are pictures post-race of both Tracy and Joe and myself! I just want to say thanks to them, for the encouragement and constant inspiration!!! (Disclaimer, as I said before this is a run to the brewery...in the pictures below we are enjoying the provided post-race refreshments!)

3. Finally, reason number three why Saturday was so awesome. I have to say that this may not have been my best race physically (although I did finish under the time I had set as my goal), it was most certainly an amazing race mentally and emotionally. I just felt so truly happy the entire time! I loved cheering on the front runners as they passed us back of the race folk around mile seven (mile four for me). I loved getting to cheer for people as I passed mile seven and they were passing mile four! I loved the support on the side of the road! Seriously, the woman holding the sign that said "I'm a newbie and you inspire me," may have made me tear up a little. I loved one of the volunteers who cheered every runner on and gave out free high fives! I loved the woman who was handing out water in her holiday colored plastic cups and I certainly loved the post-race atmosphere! I am pretty sure that I was the crazy looking runner with a smile plastered to my face the whole time. But then again, wanting to get up and run ten miles on a Saturday morning probably means that I am a little bit of crazy to begin with!

So I might not have been the first in my age group, or the fastest (or the slowest) runner out there on Saturday. I was just a middle of the pack runner enjoying my Saturday morning...and let me tell you, it made me feel awesome! Ten miles didn't kill me, in fact it was wonderful! And I'm registered for my next half marathon (May) which will be equally as awesome! 

Don't Rain on my Parade

Days 16 & 17 are in the bag! Day 16 was supposed to be my first day running with my Fitbit, but due to inclement weather (and no, I don't mind the rain, I just mind the rain when it is freezing and dark) I ended up changing my plans. For Day 16 I did a fabulous core routine (TurboFire Core 20), 155 squats, and a bunch of stairs. It wasn't the most cardio efficient workout, but it always feels good to work on strengthening - and my legs needed a little bit of a break for a day! As sad as it was to look at my Fitbit stats on this day and not be close to what they were the two previous days, I have come to realize that not every workout is going to be the same. Day 16's workout was just as important as Day 14's when I burned X amount of calories, it was just a different kind of workout. One where I focused on a particular muscle group and skill!

Day 17 was a running day. I raced into my running clothes so quickly I ran out the door without my Fitbit! Realizing my mistake I ran home (so there is about .46 of a mile not documented on my Fitbit) to grab it and continued on my way. I clocked a good 3.5 miles, which felt wonderful. I would have loved to have gone for longer, but the darkness was impending (and honestly, I was getting hungry). This coming weekend is the Run to the Brewery 10 miler and I'm psyched! I might be the slowest one, but ten miles is ten miles. I just spent the last forty-five minutes trying to decide what I was going to wear for the race (yes, I do realize they are not running 'outfits' but I still need to make myself feel good). Here's hoping the weather holds up!

I saw this recently and just had to share...

As I've mentioned before, I've always struggled with identifying as a runner. I'm not fast. I'm not going to place in the top whatever. And I most certainly do not have a runner's body. But what I do have is determination. I am determined to cross the finish line no matter what. I am determined to work as hard as it takes to achieve a goal. I may never run a mile under 8 minutes, or walk away with a trophy for being the top finisher in my age group...but I will have my pride. And I am proud of the miles I have logged, workouts I have done, and races I have finished...and what is awesome is that NOBODY can take that away from me. 

Finally, when I talk about my running a lot of times people's response will be "I only run when chased." I can't tell you HOW MANY times this has been said to me. Today I saw this meme and I chortled it was so fitting...

I am not posting this to say anything negative about those who have made this comment to me, but rather to make a point. I choose to run in order to live a healthy life. Maybe one day I will go into the benefits of maintaining a fitness regimen and making healthy choices, but that's a conversation for another time. When I saw this today it made me realize that what I am doing is setting myself up for the future. By making healthy choices NOW I am more apt to develop permanent healthy habits and decrease my chances of the negative things listed above. This is not saying that I am perfect...I am definitely far from it. I like ice cream and beer just as much as the next person. I'm just currently making the choice to make myself feel good, and if that means not having a second helping or a slice of pie, so be it! And if that means that I lace up, hit the pavement and go....then please don't rain on my parade!

Tomorrow is another 4:45 a.m. workout and I've opted for yoga and squats again. The clothes are all set and ready and I'm actually looking forward to how great I feel after! I'm also looking forward to the weekend. I will be working in the tasting room again, running the aforementioned ten-miler, and enjoying some time with friends. 

Wishing you all wonderful weekend workouts! Enjoy!

Fitbit Fanatic

Today was Day 15! It felt so good to pass the two week mark! I always feel that I start to lose steam after two weeks, but NOT this time. This time it's for good. I'm thinking that for my 100th Day I may just have to run a half marathon! (Well, I'll hit my 100th Day right before the LI 1/2 Marathon in May, so that seems like a good plan.) But perhaps I will start small and just celebrate a little when I reach Day 20!

Day 14 & Day 15 were both gym days. Day 14 was also a squat day, and I have a new personal best for my squats - 133! I may have cheered and danced a little when I finished squatting yesterday, it was such a wonderful feeling! I have also started wearing my Fitbit. It is truly a wonderful little device and I wish I could buy them for all of my friends! Not only am I floored by how much walking I do every day, having the little bugger is such a great motivator! Every day I want to see how far I can go, I many calories I can burn, and if you know about Fitbits, I want to see how much I can make my flower grow! Below is a picture of today's totals...

This is what my dashboard looks like when I log on (some of these totals changed as this picture was taken earlier this evening). The Fitbit wirelessly updates my dashboard when I am within 20 feet of the sensor and connected to the internet. I also have the app on my phone (unfortunately my phone isn't 'new' enough to also be a wireless updater). The app on my phone let's me see my totals from my last upload as well as log my food, water, and activities for the day. When I log onto my Fitbit dashboard, anything I logged on the app is also there. Today was my first day logging my food and it was really interesting to see my daily totals at the end of the day. Logging my food is really helpful when you are trying to be conscious of what you eat - I find it to be such a great learning experience! Sometimes it is really shocking to see how much a serving is supposed to be...and how much we actually eat! Keeping a food log helps me make better choices which will help me become stronger and healthier in the long run. 

Tomorrow is Day 16 and also my first run with my Fitbit. I'm excited and curious to see what my totals are after that. I'm also going to wear it when I run a 10-miler on Saturday! More about that when the time comes. 

Finally, since I missed Motivational Monday, below is another inspirational quote by one of my running heros (who just so happens to have been honored at the Walt Disney World Marathon this past weekend). I would love to hear what inspires you! Please leave me comments about your favorite quotes or sayings. What keeps you going? What pumps you up? Wishing you all wonderful workouts!