12 Days of Christmas - brought to you by my gym!

My gym did something fun (and crazy) today to get in the Christmas Spirit; they gave us a 12 Days of Christmas workout:

On the first day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
a 200 m run.

On the 2nd day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
2 cartwheels,
and a 200 m run.

On the 3rd day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 4th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 5th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 6th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
6 weighted situps (high) 15/20
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 7th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
7 planks a-snatching (ea.) 15/20
6 weighted situps (high) 15/20
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 8th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
8 balls a-pushing,
7 planks a-snatching (ea.) 15/20
6 weighted situps (high) 15/20
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 9th day of Christmas
my GPP gave to me
9 Sumo side steps (ea.),
8 balls a-pushing,
7 planks a-snatching (ea.) 15/20
6 weighted situps (high) 15/20
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 10th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
10 lords a-leaping,
9 Sumo side steps (ea.),
8 balls a-pushing,
7 planks a-snatching (ea.) 15/20
6 weighted situps (high) 15/20
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 11th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
11 worms a-inching,
10 lords a-leaping,
9 Sumo side steps (ea.),
8 balls a-pushing,
7 planks a-snatching (ea.) 15/20
6 weighted situps (high) 15/20
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 40/25,
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

On the 12th day of Christmas,
my GPP gave to me
12 kipping pullups,
11 worms a-inching,
10 lords a-leaping,
9 Sumo side steps (ea.),
8 balls a-pushing,
7 planks a-snatching (ea.) 10 lbs
6 weighted situps (high) 15 lbs
5 lunging switches (ea.),
4 hanging Aussies,
3 French presses 25 lbs
2 cart wheels,
and a 200m run.

I'm officially DEAD.  Holy crap--it was so hard at the end.  I loved it though!  I thought it was a super clever way to combine the season with some awesome sweat.  Speaking of sweat--I don't think I have ever sweat more during a workout.  My body was working so hard!  My average heart rate for the workout was 174.  That's higher than it is during my runs!!  It took me 43 minutes to get through everything.  WOW.  

PS--when was the last time any of you did a cartwheel?  It's been forever for me, but they are way fun!  I recommend you go do one today just for nostalgia's sake!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Holy Sugar Binge (& Progress Pics!)

Ummmm...sugar crisis 911.  I have succumbed to the sugar delights at my work.  SO MUCH SUGAR.  I am seriously cracked out of my mind.  Epic failure.  Good thing I am going to the gym tonight so that I can work out approximately 1/2000th of this sugar off.  Yay for calorie burning!  Oh wait...I would have to run at LEAST a full marathon to burn this sugar off.  At least today is the last day with temptations surrounding me!  Clearly my willpower has a time limit that expired right before I hit the safety zone.

Anyway, I wanted to give you a photo update on my weight loss.  I haven't posted any progress pictures in a long time because people I actually know read this blog now and apparently that scares me!  I stopped sharing stuff I used to because I have to look these people in the eyes (or on facebook...same thing)!  After reading through some of my old posts, I noticed that I promised to update a lot more with pictures so I thought I better get started on it.  Plus, I kind of use this blog as a journal of sorts and it's nice to track progress.  So anyway, I snapped some quick cell phone pictures last night after our ab workout destroyed me.  Here's the progress on my biceps and abs!

Don't mind the totally haggered face--I had just gotten run over by our trainer at the boot camp class.  That ab workout was TOUGH!

Anyway, I was comparing the new photos to some older photos I had and I could tell a good difference.  Sometimes we forget to take a look back and see how far we've come (whether physically or mentally) and that can get discouraging.  It's nice to take a moment to go back and see how much we've truly changed and  be positive about the person we are becoming.  I may not be the healthiest person ever (see: sugar binge, above), but I am a changed person.  I am a lot more conscious of what I put in my body, what I do with my body, and what I want for my body.  I've drastically changed the quantity of food I put into my mouth on a daily basis, and I have found the joy that comes from a hard workout.  

It's been a good year.  

Next year will be even better!

Christmas Time Done Creepy

It's Christmas time at my work.  Yesterday they sent out a late memo saying "Hey--we want to put everyone's photo on the homepage while we are gone for Christmas break, so wear your festive clothes tomorrow.  Have fun!"

Something you should know about my team at work--we are a bunch of crazies.  We love to have fun, and pretty much have no shame.  While others in our office barely dressed up, we came prepared for the situation:

No smiles allowed.

I think the mustaches are a nice touch.  Really brings the spirit of the season to the photo.

This is serious business.

I particularly enjoyed mine.  I take looking like a hot mess to a whole new level!  Brown-chicken-brown-cow!

Good thing our company has a sense of humor--the photographer loved it.  We'll find out for sure if they really love it depending on whether or not they are brave enough to post it to the homepage.  I'll keep you updated...

Also, it's time for an update on Post-Juice Fast Extravaganza!  The day I started eating real foods again (Monday) was a bit weird.  I didn't experience too many side effects from having solid food again, but I did have a very brief 30-second period where I got REALLY light-headed.  It passed as quickly as it came on. I did notice that I also wanted to eat a lot of the foods that I had craved so badly while juicing, and I did indulge a bit more than I should have.  However, yesterday I was totally in check with eating and really wanting to make wise decisions (rather than forcing myself to make those decisions).  I weighed in at 153.2 on Tuesday morning (after a big dinner the night before).  Today I weighed in at 153.8 (after a smoothie breakfast/dinner and medium-sized lunch).  I'm happy with this.  I lost a solid 4 lbs last week, and even though a few months ago I would've been upset at being above 150 I can really notice some new muscles brought on by my boot camp class so I'm happy.  I'm more toned than I've been in a long time, and I really enjoy feeling stronger each day.

Speaking of boot camp, I'm still loving it!  We are into week 3 and I've only missed a couple classes.  My arms are noticeably more toned; even Hubster has noticed!  My abs are also a lot stronger.  I've gotta be honest, I'm really surprised I can tell a difference with only having participated for two complete weeks.  Crazy!  I can't wait to see how else my body will change!

After getting my butt kicked in class last night, I opted to go for a 3 mile run.  I have been craving a run for a while now and I really wanted to push myself.  I intended to only run 2 miles after boot camp class because it had been a high intensity workout (average heart rate of 171 for the class!  wow!).  However, once I got out there I decided to extend it by a mile and really dig deep.  

As most of my followers know, I'm a (relatively) slow runner.  I average a pace around 11-12 minutes/mile.  Last night I ran all 3 miles under a 10 minute mile pace.  I haven't done that for a LONG time.  It felt GREAT!  I definitely plan on incorporating more running into my routine.  I love it too much to not do it!

Only 4 more days till Christmas...holy crap.  I'm not ready!  Someone send snow my way so I can actually feel like it's Christmas!!  Please oh please?

The End of the Juice Fast

The time has come, ladies and gentleman.  The juice fast is officially over!  So, how'd it go?

I'm going to be honest.  Yesterday was rough.  I was SO over the veggie drinks.  I really liked the fruit drinks, but the veggie ones got to be a bit much for me.  I think next time I will buy more vegetables I like beforehand so I don't run out.  Also, I think I just need to try more recipes so that I can find some I really like.

Here are the remaining drinks in pictures:

(I missed taking a photo of breakfast on Sunday, but it was identical to Saturday)

Lunch on Sunday looked like vomit.  So there's that.

Dinner on Sunday--so colorful!

Still looks a bit sketchy mixed up!

Breakfast!  yum!

I *might* have gone overboard with the Kale!

Things got tough last night.  We had dinner over at Hubster's parents' house and while they were enjoying their pasta and breads, I was stuck sipping away at my semi-tasty juice beverage.  I'm not going to lie--that was REALLY hard for me.  And for dessert they had fudge and caramels!  Rough!  It took a LOT of willpower not to cave and just have some food.  But I stuck it out and finished the juice fast just as I had told myself I would.

So what about the results?  Was it worth my time?

You betcha.  Not only did I get a crap ton of nutrients into my system this weekend, I actually lost a good amount of weight!  I really wish I would've taken measurements before starting this, but I just didn't think it would be very dramatic.  However, it must have been because my clothes fit very differently this morning than they did on Friday.  Here's a quick look at the numbers:

Last Monday's Weight: 158 lbs

Tuesday: 157

Wednesday: 157

Thursday: didn't weigh in

Friday: 155.2

Saturday: 154.6

Sunday: 152.8

Today: 151.0

7 lbs lost in a week?  I'll take it!  I should have mentioned that I started drinking natural fruit smoothies for breakfast/dinner on Wednesday and Thursday to sort of "prep" my body for the incoming onslaught of nutrient goodness.  That really helped with the weight loss as well.  I also think it helped with keeping my digestive system in check. 

Now for those of you thinking that the weight I lost this weekend was due to my body, ahem, "flushing out" any toxins; it's important to note that I never ever once had any change in my bodily function.  There was no need for Immodium, if you catch my drift.  All's normal on the bathroom front.  This surprised me because I had been expecting it, but it never came.  

That being said, I do think that the simple fact that I don't have solid food in my body will affect the scale.  I imagine that once I eat solids again my weight will rise a bit, but I am extremely encouraged that I finally have  a negative trend on the scale.  I was absolutely HORRIFIED by the scale creeping up and being so stubborn.  

Will I do it again?

Yep.  For sure.  It was definitely tough (PS--I revised my review on that Kickin Salsa Verde drink--it's dropping to a 2.5.  That was mega-hard to drink!!), but I feel that I accomplished what I was hoping to get out of it.  I lost weight.  I cleared my head of obsessive thoughts over food (well, they were still there, I just have control over the cravings now).  And I got some good healthy food in me.

What would I change?

I would have more apples on hand to add to the vegetable drinks.  I think a strong fruit can help overcome the strong veggie flavor that I was struggling with.  

I would also make sure that I'm not going to any holiday/family functions next time I attempt this.  I missed out on some stuff because I knew temptation would be too strong, and then when I did go I really had a hard time enjoying myself because I was kinda miserable I couldn't partake of the food as well.  Darn those food addictions!

Ideally, I would also like my spouse involved next time.  It was hard to go it alone!  There is always strength and comfort in numbers, and it would be nice to have someone to suffer along with me next time!

So, will any of you be trying it?  If so, drop me a line so I can watch how it goes for you!  Feel free to ask any questions about my juice fast as well.  I'll be happy to answer!

Dinner - Spicy Goodness!

Man oh man.  Dinner was good.  SPICY, but good!

I followed the recipe from here called Kickin Salsa Verde.  It definitely lives up to its name!  It is nice and spicy.  I'm really glad I didn't listen to my own thoughts when debating whether or not to add a whole jalapeno or just half like the recipe called for.  I chose the route of the recipe, and it is plenty spicy!

This recipe feels a bit like a cheat, however.  It calls for half an avocado which has to be blended rather than juiced.  I opted to still use this recipe because an avocado is a veggie and fits with my dinner plan, and I have a super awesome blender that can turn pretty much anything into liquid.  However, I don't think I'll do another recipe for this juice fast that calls for blending.  Ever seen those "Will it blend?" commercials?  That's the blender we've got!

The mighty ingredients!  There's a jalapeno hiding somewhere in there, along with a lime...

Thicker than the other drinks due to the avocado!

I'll give this one a 4.5 out of 5.  I love spicy food, and this tastes like a delicious Mexican dish.  It makes me want to dip a chip in it!  Too bad that's not allowed!  This one took a loooong time to eat because it was so spicy you couldn't guzzle it down.  That was the only real issue I had with the recipe.

Thoughts on the juice fast so far:

• I haven't been hungry between meals.  The drinks are keeping me full.
• That doesn't mean I don't THINK I'm hungry.  I want food, but not because I'm actually hungry. I just want something to munch on.  Something that tastes good.  I can tell I'm not actually hungry because when I think "I'll just go make some juice" I instantly don't really want to eat anymore.  Very interesting!
• Juicing has not torn up my digestive tract (yet).  All normal on the bathroom front (minus a few extra trips to the bathroom because I have a small bladder...to be expected).
• I've been sleepy today, but I'm not sure if that's related to the juice fast or just the fact that I didn't sleep very well last night.

So that's Juice #4 done.  I officially have survived a day and a half of juicing.  Go me!

Lunch!

Just finished drinking juice #3!  Lunch was delicious (although not as tasty as breakfast!).  I thought I'd show a bit more of the process for this post.  First things first, my amazing juicer:

Love this thing.

An important thing to remember when juicing (or really whenever) is to CLEAN YOUR PRODUCE.  It is NOT clean when you get it, even if it looks like it is.  Trust me on this.  My dad is a potato farmer and I've seen the process to "clean" produce.  Yeah...make sure you wash your veggies and fruits.

I think it is important to include a leafy green in your juices if you can manage it.  I always include spinach or kale in my morning smoothies (when I'm not on a juice fast) and I've been sure to include them in each of my juices so far.  They are pretty much flavorless when combined with the other ingredients!

So much green goodness!

For lunch I wanted to keep a balance between the fruits and the vegetables.  Once again, I didn't use a particular recipe; I just used what produce I had available.  Lunch included the following:

Kale (5 stalks)

Tomato (1)

Beet (1)

Carrots (3)

Orange (1)

Pear (1)

Pineapple (1/8)

Apples (2)

Lunch was so colorful!

They say that the more colorful your meal is, the better it is for you.  I think that this lunch just might win the award for me!

Nutrients!

I don't really like beets, but I love to juice them.  They are by far the most colorful vegetable.  SO pretty!  Even the remnants from the beet after juicing are gorgeous!

Love the color!

Here's a nice shot of what my juicer looks like during the process.  On the left side there is a container for the waste material that the juicer kicks out.  On the right, you can see all the lovely juice I drank for lunch.  Talk about a tie-dye lunch!

Love my juicer!  Did I mention that already?

Close-up of the colors.

Obviously, you'll want to mix up the juices before you drink it so that the flavors combine into something a lot more delicious.  I also scoop the foam off the top of the juice mix.  You don't have to, but I do it because the foam bothers me.  I'd rather just drink the pure liquid!

Lunch!

I also added ice cubes to my drink (after taking this photo).  There is something about a drink being ice cold that makes it all the more enjoyable.  I rate today's lunch as a 4 out of 5. Check back tonight for dinner's review!

Juice Fast Thoughts - Day 1

I began the juice fast last night after work.  I made the recipe I listed yesterday before we left to go see Sherlock Holmes (really liked the movie, btw).  Hubster's family was over while I was making the drink and it's official--they now think I am crazy.  As a quick refresher, here is what was in the first drink:

Spinach - 9 oz.
Carrots - 12 oz.
Bell Peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange)
Parsley
Celery (1/2 stalk)
Tomato (3 large)

I think I should first mention how the only ingredients I like in that entire list are the carrots and celery.  I think tomatoes taste like battery acid.  Not a fan.  So admittedly, I was really nervous about like this drink.  It would be really easy to do a juice fast using just fruits, but that's not the point.  You've gotta get the nutrients from the vegetables too!  Plus, sometimes magical things happen when you combine a bunch of ingredients you don't like with a few you do.

So...was there magic with this drink?

Sweet Robust Italiano

Meh.  I would rate it about 3 out of 5 stars.  It wasn't bad; it was actually much better than I thought it would be.  I just didn't really like the parsley in it.  However, it didn't make me gag and I drank the whole thing without much concern.  Hubster even drank a full glass.  His brother and his dad tried some as well.  I think they might have rated it a 1 out of a 5!  I quote: "It's like drinking Earth..."

I was expecting to be hungrier than I was after drinking it last night.  I thought I would come home from the movie famished, but I had no issues.  

Today I woke up looking forward to my breakfast drink.  I've heard that it is good to consume fruits in the morning because your body can handle the sugars better at that time of day.  I'm not sure if it's true, but it is something I've always followed.  

All the ingredients--love the colors!

Today's recipe I had to make up.  A lot of the recipes call for fruits that just aren't in season right now, so I used what I had:

3 stalks of Kale (gotta get those veggies!)

3 oranges

1/4 pineapple

1 pear

Holy cow.  This one was DELICIOUS.  5 out of 5, easily.  I would pay money for this bad boy.  I should've added more Kale than I did; I couldn't even taste it in my drink.  I let Hubster sample some and I was worried he was going to steal my drink from me!

Pretty and Oh SO Tasty!

I am tempted to make this drink for every meal!  I won't, however, because that would defeat the purpose of the juice fast.  Variety is key.  I definitely love it though.  Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself to only make it for breakfast and not every meal?  It will become a new breakfast staple long after this juice fast is over.  I just wish I was on a tropical island somewhere drinking it!

By the way--an update on my weight.  As you know, it spiked so high this week.  It went up to 158 which is a number I haven't seen in over a year.  Not happy to have that show up on my scale.  However, I weighed in today at 154.6.  Eating = under control.  Exercising was top notch this week.  Also, (and perhaps most importantly) my body feels awesome.  I have new muscles showing up that I couldn't see just two short weeks ago.  My stomach was super flat this morning.  I think I've been trading fat for muscle, and I couldn't be happier about it.  I'm not going to stress too much about the number on the scale as long as the mirror (and the way my clothes fit) reflect positive changes.  I feel great and this juice fast is only going to help me feel better!

All About my Juice Fast

I mentioned yesterday that I am going to be embarking on a weekend juice fast.  After watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (check it out on Netflix streaming!), I was inspired to try a mini-version on my own.  As with most juice fasts, it is recommended that you start it over a weekend as they can really clean you out!  (That's a bit of a TMI, but really important to know.)  They also tend to make you lethargic and tired by day 3, so you should plan your days around that as well. If you decide to continue past Day 3 you will find a boost in energy as your body regulates itself and breaks through your food addiction withdrawals.

Personally, I will only be doing a 3-day juice fast.  My workouts are intensive and I don't feel that drinking only juice will be able to sustain me.  This juice fast is really just a way to kick-start my clean eating and flush out my sugar addiction.  I'm not following a specific plan, but I am using delicious (and extremely healthy) recipes I've found online.  I'll share recipes with you once I try them!

How do you start a juice fast?


In order to do a juice fast, you need to have a really good juicer.  Luckily, my husband is a nerd and asked for one for his birthday a year or so ago so we already have a super awesome one:

It does a great job of actually juicing the product.  If you have a low quality juicer, you will definitely notice it in your drinks.  There will be a significant amount of pulp leftover in your drink from a bad juicer.  I'm really glad our juicer is amazing.

Why would you want to juice fast?


Juice fasting is a great way to get a lot of nutrients into your system without a lot of calories.  Most people find it difficult to get the daily recommended servings of fruit and vegetables into their diet, but juicing makes it really easy to cram those nutrients and servings in.  As an example, here is the beverage I am going to make for dinner tonight:

Sweet Robust Italiano (from here):


Spinach - 9 oz. 
Carrots - 12 oz.
Bell Peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange)
Parsley
Celery (1/2 stalk)
Tomato (3 large)

This recipe makes 2 liters, or about 2 servings.  Per serving size, I am consuming the nutrients from over 10 servings of vegetables (based on the USDA food pyramid serving size).  I don't know about you, but I definitely don't get that many vegetables into my diet daily, and this is just from one drink!  Other recipes I will be trying include more fruit, and I will be making sure that my diet stays balanced between both fruit and vegetables.  There is some minor nutrient loss associated with juicing (just as with baking, steaming, cooking, etc.), but in the raw juice form I am still guaranteed some major vitamins and minerals!

For those of you worrying that I might not get enough calories from juicing, please note that I will drink when I am hungry and do not intend to go super low cal for this.  As most of you probably know, juices actually do contain a higher calorie count which is why most of us tend to stay away from them.  Typically, we do not want to drink our calories!  However, in this case it is a great way to use your calories.  The calories consumed will be 100% healthy.

Juice fasts are also great for clearing up your skin.  Recently, Ex Hot Girl started a juice fast (that morphed into a raw diet) and not only lost weight but also cleared up her acne that had been bothering her.  Check out her site for some of her before and after photos/measurements.  She was on her juice fast for longer than 3 days, so her results are even more impressive.  My skin has been breaking out lately, so I'm hopeful that this fast will help out with that as well!

Juice fasts are also a great way to reset your system and clear out nasty toxins.  Let's be honest; we eat a lot of crap.  Most of our food is full of preservatives, growth-hormones, and additives.  Our bodies were not meant to live on these highly modified foods.  Juicing gives our body the opportunity to reset itself and clear out the nasty gunk we've been eating for years.  A lot of nutritionists recommend doing a juice fast every 3-months or so to help keep us healthy.

This will be my first time trying a juice fast so I will be sure to blog about my thoughts on it.  Admittedly, I am very nervous.  I know I am a food addict and going without the feeling of food actually in my belly is going to be quite the adjustment for me.  That is actually one of the reasons I wanted to do this; I really need to break my food addiction and have a healthier relationship with food.  I need to focus more on how I feel after eating nutritious foods versus how I feel after stuffing myself with bad food.  This is definitely going to help with that.  I know there will be challenges, but I know I can do anything for 3 days!

Has anyone ever done a juice fast?  What were your challenges?  Was it successful for you?

Please note that I am not a nutritionist or doctor.  Please consult a doctor before embarking on any major dietary change!  :)  Also, watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  It's pretty inspiring and gives a lot more detail on juice fasts.  The results from their 60-day juice fasts are completely staggering!

A Boot Camp First!

Yesterday I did the entire workout at full capacity! No more rookie stuff--I went big girl style. And, predictably, I am very sore today!  I also went to class during my lunch break because I knew I wouldn't have time to go that evening and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss a workout.  That's gotta be a first!

BUT...it was super fun and I'm the perfect level of soreness. Yay for me!

Yesterday's workout was a doozy:

Complete 5 rounds for time of:

100 rope jumps
10 single leg sit-stands (R)
10 single leg sit-stands (L)
20 high band pull M/H
20 OH BB push press 45/65
20 V-ups

Those single leg sit-stands do NOT mess around.  I thought I'd be able to manage those because of how strong my legs are from running, but I seriously underestimated the weakness in my stabilizer muscles.  Yikes.  This is why I always struggle with IT band issues.  Good thing I'm doing strength training now!

Also, I get to see this every day when I walk into the gym.  I love it!

Anyone that has trained for a marathon can definitely attest to having to train our willpower muscle.  It can be a brutal process!

The last few days have been really good eating wise.  I've been sticking to clean foods as much as possible.  I am going to try to start my juice fast tomorrow and continue through the weekend.  Should be an adventure!  With all the free holiday work lunches going on right now, I won't be able to do a full 72 hour fast, but I will be pretty close.  I have a scheduled lunch tomorrow and another one on Monday.  I plan on starting the juice fast on Friday evening and continuing until Monday morning.  I'm nervous about it!  Send good vibes my way!

I'm also nervous about today's workout.  It's nothing but burpees.  As many as you can do.  I HATE burpees, but I realize that they are an incredibly good workout so I am trying to get over my dislike of them.  So far this mentality hasn't helped me like them yet, but I will keep trying!

Also, this made me smile today:

I hope you all are doing well.  What goals do you have for the month of December?  How are you doing on them?

A Runner's Christmas Song

I saw this on I Have Run and loved it so much I had to share. It can be sung to the tune of Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song):

Runners braving the elements,
boogers freezing in their nose.
Yuletide carols blasting through their headphones,
and toenails missing from their toes.

Everybody knows a Garmin and some chocolate GU,
help to make the run go right.
All the runnerds, with their eyes all aglow,
will run 'til they get that high.

They know that running makes their booty tight,
and crazy runners will even go at night.
And every runner's child is gonna spy,
To see if mommy or daddy runs by.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
to runners from one to 92...
Although it's been said, many times many ways
Happy Running to YOU.
Love it! Most of these things wouldn't have made much sense to me prior to embarking on my running journey, but now that I've been running for over a year I feel like I can totally relate! I just love runners. The end.

Playgrounds are Scary

First things first, I survived yesterday's workout.  We dropped the reps down to 50 rather than 100 because I'm pretty sure 100 would have been impossible for my weak little arms.  Also, because the trainers told us to.  Minor details.  It was still a killer workout.  However, I am barely sore this morning so I think I should've sucked it up and pushed to at least 75 reps.  Now I know for next time!

Jess and I also went for an easy 2-mile run after our workout as part of our plan to incorporate more running (and calorie burning!) into our daily workouts.  I was feeling really good on the run.  I would like to say it was because I had eaten really healthy yesterday in preparation for the workout, but in all honesty I had eaten TWO delicious homemade cinnamon rolls my coworker brought in.  I am weak.  But the extra sugar seriously gave me energy to burn last night during our run.  The air quality sucked, but it didn't affect my breathing too bad which I was thankful for.


Jess has TWO Words of Wisdom for us today:

#1 - All gym mirrors are both skinny and fat mirrors depending on where you stand.

(I recommend finding the skinny section, unless you are trying to push through a hard workout and need the extra motivation; in that case, find the fat section!)

#2 - Running clothes + plastic slide = crazy slippery.  Beware!  

(I have no idea where she comes up with these things...that one isn't relevant at all!)

Okay fine.  Time for me to confess.

At the end of the run, I had a bit of an adventure.  We had parked our car next to the trail-head so that we wouldn't have to run on the streets in the dark.  There is a small playground at the head of the trail, and when we finished the run I couldn't help myself--I had to go down the slide.  However, I did not factor in the slippery-ness of running tights.  The slide was short but steep.

Just add running tights and stupidity!

The second I pushed off, I knew I was in trouble.  I rounded the small curve at the end of the slide and went careening off it at a high speed.  I hit the ground hard, lurched forward, and landed SMACK on my bad knee.  Seriously.  I should've known better!  I'm such a klutz--I was DOOMED to re-injure my injury!  I never learn from past mistakes!  It was pretty funny though..  Too bad I didn't have a camera to video this moment for you all!

Also, never underestimate kiddie toys.  They can kick your butt when you least expect it.

Today's workout is as follows:

Warmup:
2 min row
75 Kettlebell Swings
30 seconds Potato Bug Stretch

Workout:
3-3-3-3-3 Deadlifts
3 sets of max rep on Kipping Pullups

Pretty sure I can't do a Kipping Pullup, but I'm sure gonna try!  Wish me luck!

I want a sledge hammer for Christmas

...so that I can destroy my freaking scale.

I just might have to take a break from that stupid thing.  It's making me crazy!  I saw the highest number I've seen in over a year this morning!  I was absolutely horrified.  I didn't dare step back on it to see if it was mistaken.  I just ran and hid.  I'll try again tomorrow for (hopefully) better results.

Tonight's workout is going to kill me, by the way.

100 squats
100 pushups
100 situps
100 Aussie pullups
100 walking lunges
1 mile run or 1600m row

Jess and I are actually going to go for a bit longer run that that.  We've decided that while these workouts are killer, they just feel a bit too short and don't burn the amount of calories we are hoping for out of a workout.  So, back to running!  Yay!  It's good for my asthma to keep running, anyway.  We won't do anything too dramatic--just 2-3 miles after the workouts.  Should be awesome!

My only concern with running during the winter?  Salt Lake City's glorious inversion:

I've talked about the inversion on my blog before.  I have no love for the inversion.

I love my beautiful mountains, but darn it I wish they didn't trap the cold polluted air like they do during the winter.  It is the only thing I hate about Salt Lake City, and MAN do I hate it.  It's like breathing straight exhaust fumes.  Terrible.  It's super fun to run in as well.  There hasn't been a storm since the wind storm a couple weeks ago so the pollution has been building up in the valley.  This is the time of year that I pray for big snow storms!  Send blizzard vibes my way!!

Box Jumps are Scary

...and that's really all I have to stay about that.

Last night's workout was killer hard--definitely the hardest to date!  We only had to do the routine for 15 minutes, but I was certainly worn out and sore by the end.  I woke up feeling surprisingly good, however.  I'm pleased with that.

Today I have an eye doctor's appointment before the boot camp class and if they dilate my eyes I will be skipping the gym.  Nothing like trying to work out while being completely unable to see.  No thanks!  I'm accident-prone enough!  I'll let you know if I make it to the gym.  I brought my stuff just in case the eye doctor is nice to me!  :)

Tonight's workout is one I wouldn't mind missing, though.  It has one of my very least favorite workouts in it--the dreaded burpee.  I seriously have no coordination or strength for this move.  Please no one video me tonight!

20-15-10-5 reps for time of:

BW dead lift
pullups
burpees

Nothing too dramatic about the workout other than the burpees.  Oh, I should also note that I cannot do one single pullup, so that should be fun.  I'm pretty sure they will have a modified version for us though.  Eye doctor permitting, I'll find out!

Jess's Words of Wisdom for the Day:


"Box jumps are hard."

Truer words have never been spoken.  


Have any of you done box jumps or burpees?  What are your thoughts?

Not Happy

Ever go randomly digging through your own archives to see what you were doing this time last year?  Well, I just did that.

Guess what?

I weighed 6 pounds less than I do right now.  NOT HAPPY.  This is a wake up call for me.  This is how my weight comes back every.single.time.  It just slowly sneaks up on me.  Like the frog in boiling water analogy.  I'm in cold water and not noticing that the heat is increasing and I'm slowly boiling myself to death.  This is not okay!

I know 6 pounds isn't a lot, but these pounds are freaking stubborn.  I can't seem to shake them.  Something's gotta give!  And I'm not being crazy--I checked my measurements too and they've also gone up.  I definitely look skinnier in my photos from this time last year as well.  There is no denying that there is a steady uphill curve in my weight.  Not okay with me!

Boot camp--I'm coming for you tonight!!

Boot Camp Shock and a Lack of Christmas Spirit

Day 2 = done.  And I gotta admit--I am really liking this boot camp so far.  Pretty shocking, right?  It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, and the people are really nice.  They are generally stoked to be working out and helping you out.  Love it!  Plus, it's fun to be seeing Jess with such frequency.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to force her into being my workout buddy forever.  :)


Speaking of Jess, her words of wisdom following last night's workout are: "Watch out for men lifting weights (particularly barbells)...they like to throw them."


True statement. We did barbell bicep curls last night and the men made a sport of chucking those barbells on the ground as loudly as they possibly could. Kinda scary and a wee bit dangerous! One of the guys had the barbell bounce back at them and hit them. Oops!

Tonight's workout should be a doozy:

AMRAP in 25 min:

250m row
25 pushups
25 box jumps
25 Aussie pullups

We repeat that as fast as we can until we have done it for 25 minutes. Should be a wee bit tiring. I'm nervous about the box jumps! I'm pretty clumsy (read pretty much ANY post and you can confirm this) so this seems dangerous. Hopefully there won't be blood tonight!


By the way--I have a confession. I haven't decorated for Christmas yet. I'm feeling a lack of Christmas spirit, and it's making me sad! I LOVE this holiday season. I love twinkly lights and family and traditions, etc. I don't know why I'm in a funk this year. I just need to get my tree and lights up this week so that I can start to feel the joy. Anybody else having this problem? Perhaps I need to make a trip to Temple Square to see their lights to get me inspired for the holiday. It's one of my favorite things to do!

Maybe it's because there is no snow outside yet? That is more than likely it. This girl needs snow to feel like it is the Christmas season!

Also, who wants to join me for the Christmas Lights tour at Temple Square? Now that I've posted those pictures, I really want to go!

And I am ALIVE!

Last night's boot camp class was surprisingly awesome.  Truly.  I really enjoyed it.  The instructor seemed to actually care about everyone that he was training, and he made to to give constructive feedback on our form while managing to not call us out individually for sucking.  That was much appreciated.  As we were checking into the class, they told us to take it really easy and do 2/3rd the weight and half the reps to start out.  It was really hard for us to stop when the veterans in the class kept going with their reps!  Oh well, it was probably a good thing we listened to the trainers!

Today I am not super sore, so I think that I will do more reps tonight to get a better workout.  I'm going to keep easing into it, but want to make sure my time is still value-add there!

Want to know a quick way to judge how clumsy you are?  Try jumping lunges!

Seriously.  It is clear my stabilizer muscles have been greatly ignored during my running training.  Eesh!  I also still have a knee injury (from the Timp Half--clear back in July 30th!) that makes these extra dangerous for me. I think I cracked my knee cap during the fall on that race and it has never healed properly (probably because I'm a klutz and keep whacking it on things like my steering column and my toilet of all things).  Anyway, I can't put direct pressure on it, which includes touching it to the ground during jumping lunges.  If it does touch anything, it's enough to make me scream and cry in public.  So these are stress-inducing for many reasons.  I'll keep you updated on my public embarrassment for when I finally screw up and hit my knee on the ground.  Should be awesome!

By the way...we have a new segment for my lovely blog.  It is called Jess's Tip of the Day.  Jess is always giving me great advice (like last night--"Becky--STOP DOING MORE REPS!! Listen to the trainers!!" and I figured that I should start sharing her words of wisdom.  Without further ado, here is last night's lesson:

"Word to the wise--Eat well so you don't have acid reflux in the middle of the workout; particularly the ab workout."

I'm pretty sure we've all been there.  I'm hoping to get my eating in check so that these workouts really do what they are capable of for me.    Tonight's workout is as follows:

Should be fun!  I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Somebody Save Me

If I don't post tomorrow, it's because I'm dead.  Remind me why I signed up for this class again?...

Oh right.  Something about goals.  Eesh.  Send good vibes my way!

Stupid Hard

Storm Update:  I am happy to report that I have power back!  YES!  And that my house came away unscathed.  I was certainly lucky.  In my county they estimate they have damages in excess of $3.5 million.  My small town estimates they lost at least 1000 trees which makes me sad.  I love big beautiful trees!

Anyway, back to reality and time for an update on things.  Can I speak candidly for a bit?

I am rebelling.

Big time.

My excitement level to do what I know I should be doing is at a nearly all-time low since starting this journey.

Just plum sick of it.

Seriously.  Anything that I know is good for me, I seem to be purposely shunning this week.  I know that making the right choices and working out will make me happy, but darned if I really care about that.  I WILL eat that brownie batter because YOU told me I couldn't!  Who is this mysterious "you" that I am rebelling against?  Well, of course it is actually me.  I'm completely rebelling against what I want for myself.  How is that even remotely logical?

I feel that I'm unfortunately not alone in this type of behavior.  Also, once the 30-days was over for me and Jess I have not been to the gym ONCE.  What the crap?  That's bad behavior, kids.  Bad bad bad bad bad.

Luckily(?), I got conned into signing up for a Crossfit like class for a month.  There was a great deal on Living Social for a 30-day boot camp in my neighborhood and I simply couldn't pass it up (peer pressure is awesome, right?).  Especially because I conned Jess into going with me.  I'm not about to try that crap without some moral support!  We start on Monday (if she isn't dying of strep throat!  Get better soon, Jess!!!) and I am already beginning my funeral preparations.  This girl is gonna die.  I called the gym to make sure they had spots available for us at the time we wanted and the guy was like, "Just so you know, this class is stupid hard.  It will be the hardest thing you've ever done, but it really works.  But yeah...it's stupid hard."

Huh.  Not sure how I feel about that!

This is my "pretending to be stoked" face

Also, after watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead I feel inspired to do a bit of a diet reset and do a juice fast for 3 or so days.  Nothing crazy like the 60+ days that they did, but something to at least kick-start healthy eating again.  I've also convinced Hubster to join me.  I've just been thinking a lot about all the crap that is in our food these days, and I really would like to be someone who eats clean foods.  After reading 110 Pounds's post yesterday, I felt even more encouraged to start eating only foods that I've made from scratch.  I know myself well enough to know I can't/won't be 100% in this goal, but it is definitely something that's been on my mind.  High Fructose Corn Syrup is the devil and it is seriously in EVERYTHING.  Time to start eating what nature wanted us to.  The really infuriating thing about this is how expensive clean eating is! Then I remind myself that future health bills will be significantly more, and that kinda helps out.  Kinda.  :)

Anyway, I hope Jess is ready to rock this 30-day boot camp with me.  I'll post updates from our workouts so you can play along.  Hee hee.

Had to post this golden oldie.  I love us.

I am sure we will not be so enthusiastic after getting our butts handed to us by the gym!  I'm still kinda excited for it though.  Just a little bit.  :)

Also, I found this photo while browsing through Picasa and couldn't help but share it.  I love my life.

Love the Photo-bomb

What are you up to for the month of December?  What goals do you have?

Here are mine (in no particular order):

• Complete the 30-day boot camp and go at least 4 times per week (preferably 5)
• Don't die doing the boot camp (it has to be said!)
• Complete a 3-day juice fast
• Cook 2-3 meals per week (leftovers last a long time at our place!)
• Lose 5 lbs (Weighed in this morning at 155.4. Boo is all I have to say about that)
• Blog more.  :)

So yeah, that's it.  Hopefully it will keep me accountable!  Can't wait to hear what you are up to!

And a video...

5 miles from my house--crazy!

Click the link above to watch the short video!

Some Pics of the Wind Damage

Poor Semi!

This is my friend's apartment

I have no idea where the rest of this fence went

All the signs were blown away

Tree on house = bad

The entire park was full of downed trees like this one.

Tree on power line