Kinda would like to stay in that house again!! Can’t wait to be back in ATX this weekend and then on the river!! So, I got after it again today, short and sweet in the gym, quads, hams, and calves!!

Had to get out and run again though tonight!! I love running. If I run at least a few times a week, w weights, my weight stays down. And I feel more lean. I don’t care if running for an hour I burn as many calories and as much fat as I would if I did HIIT on treadmill. I actually don’t prefer running on the treadmill to running outside!

I did just a little abs, but tomorrow I’ll go just a little harder at the gym than today!! Ok, that is all.

I couldn’t have explained these myths better myself.

Everyone knows that having muscles is a surefire way to get the ladies (definitely don’t try to get smart). When I go to the gym I see guys doing all of the wrong moves on the wrong equipment. Either they don’t understand how to properly lift heavy things or they just enjoy looking dumb (refer to sentence above). The amount of weight a man can lift in the gym is directly proportional to the size of his wiener, which is why I am actually starting a charity donating 10% of my junk to those who have so little. If you follow this guide your wiener will be just as big and you’ll be able to show off your sexy-ass muscles to the rest of the world (you’ll really only be impressing the other dudes in the gym). So let me be your personal trainer, just like your mom, you can find comfort getting spotted under these pecs.

BUY WORKOUT CLOTHES!

This is just a necessary step. How are you supposed to lift weights or run when you don’t have proper clothing? Drop a grand, make it rain on Dick’s (wait, what?), buy Under Armor because your skin is weak and soft (You ever see Usain Bolt in a plain tee?). Buy shirts with no sleeves. The most important is footwear. People weren’t even able to run before Nike made proper running shoes and that’s a fact I just made up, just like that. If you don’t spend at least a few hundred dollars on work out clothes you’re never going to get anywhere. Buy a water bottle; buy Northface jackets, and hopefully a shirt that has some sort of gym logo on it. This will only increase what your muscles can do. It’s like science (only it’s not all mathematical and stuff).

NEVER DO LEGS!

Most people want to do that “whole body” work out thing (like in the magazines). Well that’s for scrubs and chodes. Hit the gym and bench press all day. All you want to do is have a good upper body because unless you’re rocking short shorts no one is going to care about your thighs. Grab some free weights and head near the giant mirror so you can watch those muscles contract. Never do legs unless you’re going to do squats and if you do squats make sure you never go fully down because range of motion doesn’t matter. (If you are afraid of injury, why’d you even come here?)

YELL YOUR HEAD OFF

If you’re new to the gym scene there is no better way to show people you mean business than yelling your dome off while moving heavy things. After every rep grunt and yell at your muscles like they just stole your girlfriend. This will immediately make people take your workout seriously. Swear and cause a scene, the goal is to make everyone turn at look at you and your manly brilliance as you move plates to your will giving the finger to gravity. When you are done with your set throw the weights from whatever position you were using them in. Just drop them to the floor because you are not a part of their system. People will know you are too buff to possibly sit up and set the weights down gently. You have so much strength-rage you just gotta throw some stuff.

DON’T WIPE OFF EQUIPMENT!

Only newbies wipe the equipment off after they are done with it. Let the other gym members get covered in the nectar that is your sweat. Ringworm is really “in” this year, so hopefully there are other dudes doing this at the gym as well. Men don’t clean, so why should you be expected to go and get a paper towel with some Mr. Clean on it? That name doesn’t even make sense, live in filth, it’s just the flavoring of life.

DRINK PROTEIN!

Dietary needs are really half of the battle in every workout routine. You gotta eat clean meals loaded with protein (mix in doses of Mt. Dew). You can get protein from milk, protein shakes, peanut butter, semen; whatever floats your boat big guy. Protein is what your body needs to repair the muscles you just destroyed by throwing weights around the gym, so without it you’re just going to hurt yourself. Remember to always use a giant bottle for your protein shake and while your chugging the protein shake eat a protein bar. When you’re not using protein powder eat chicken breasts. Every day is chicken breast day. Go easy on the carbs, you’d be surprised at how few you need (mix in doses of Mt. Dew). After you have followed these couple steps, you’ll be on your way to throwing tons of plates around in no time. This is just a beginner guide, there are plenty more out there. Just go to the store and look for the magazines with naked men on them.

“This’ll teach em!”

Josh Hrala also writes for Cracked.com and his work can be found here. He wants to be your BFF on Facebook, and can be emailed hate mail at joshhrala@gmail.com. 

“Must…love cats…who have four teeth…and liver problems…resulting in never-ending diarrhea.”

Josh also taught you How to Screw Over the Living from Beyond the Grave, and How to Find Love at Too-Specific Dating Sites.

But Dad and I ran in it, no walking or stopping despite my constant desire to give up and lie down in the cool grass. I added an extra cul-de-sac at the end to hit my 4 miles that I didn’t complete yesterday. Today was one of those runs where my dad and I needed each other to finish, let alone finish strong. We kept a decent (for me in heat) 9:30ish pace and I felt so much better having finished the 4 miles today. 

Running before my practice session made me really motivated to work hard tonight on my playing, hopefully I can recreate that tomorrow (and the whole rest of the summer)! 

Also, only have 10 days left on the plank and squat challenge! Today marked my first 8 day streak, because of my trip home and finals I unfortunately missed some days here and there. But my body probably really appreciated those rest days, because now I’m hurtin’. 

LADIES! Don’t forget that Paige, Tawny, and I are giving away the adorable “Swirly Dress” from Effie and Dru!!! To enter and see some pictures of the dress go HERE!!!! 

Mileage – 4 miles, P&S, push-ups, stretch! 

QOD – The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart.

Today my intervals were 3 minute walking at a high incline, and then 3 minutes of running. 

Here is what my workout looked like:

Minutes:                                                         Exercise:

• 1-3                                                        Warm-up walking at 4.0 mph
• 3-6                                                        Walking at 4.2 mph at an 8.0 incline
• 6-9                                                        Running at 6.5 mph 
• 9-12                                                      Walking at 4.2 mph, 9.0 incline
• 12-15                                                    Running at 6.7 mph
• 15-18                                                    Walking at 4.2 mph, 10.0 incline
• 18-21                                                    Running at 7.0 mph
• 21-24                                                    Walking at 4.2 mph, 11.0 incline
• 24-27                                                    Running at 7.2 mph
• 27-30                                                    Walking at 4.2 mph, 12.0 incline
• 30-35                                                    Walking at 4.0 mph down to 3.6 mph

Friends, don’t let the walking part fool you, those inclines were killer! Especially the last 2 at levels 11 and 12. I had to totally dig out my inner Jillian Michaels and start yelling at myself. I could totally hear her in my brain at one point when I held on to the treadmill for a hot minute, “Let go! LET GO!! Take your damn hands off that treadmill and pump your arms like the tough girl I know you are!”.

Seriously. My inner Jillian Michaels doesn’t mess around. She can be a real bitch motivator. But it worked, and I kept huffing and puffing up those imaginary Hollywood hills. 

The 3 minutes of running actually felt like a break after the hill climbing. Whenever I run outside, especially in races, I tell myself during hill climbs, “What goes up, must come down”. It makes it a little more bearable on those hill climbs knowing they will eventually end, and you get the sweet taste of the downhill sprint. 

I ran a 10K with my husband’s cousin a few years ago, and neither one of us were familiar with the course. There were some major hills. At one point we ran a constant uphill for two miles. She got really tired of hearing me say, “What goes up, must come down. Any moment now. Any moment we’ll be heading downhill”. And then we would round the corner and we were still climbing uphill. She began to think my hill mantra was a bunch of bullcrap. 

When all was said and done, I was breathless, sweaty and felt like I had just finished a great workout! When I walked in to teach my Silver Sneakers class they were all taken back by how sweaty I was. No worries. At the end of their class, they were all sweaty too. 

So if you use the hamster wheel treadmill at the gym, or even your home, make sure to  mix up your workouts. You don’t want to constantly be walking at a 3.0 mph pace for thirty minutes at a zero incline. I hate to break it to ya buttercup, but you won’t see any results doing that same ol’ bizniz. You have to add in hills, up your pace, your mileage, or do some type of speed work or intervals. It’s good to confuse your muscles when it comes to your workouts.

Maybe one day you do a long walk or run, and your next work out you go a shorter distance, but add some sprints in there. And once that seems to easy, add more sprints or faster sprints, or through in some rolling hills to make it interesting. Keep in mind that when using the treadmill (especially if you’re training for a race), you should keep it at a minimum 1.0 incline to mimic running or walking outside. 

So there ya go regulators, next time you mount up, let that pretty little finger of yours hit that incline button on that treadmill a few times and feel the burn. Like I tell my students, If it doesn’t CHALLENGE you, it won’t CHANGE you. 

It’s good to get a little uncomfortable sometimes. It’s exciting to get breathless, feel your heart rate accelerate and get a little sweaty. Not just in your workouts, but with life in general. 

Keep that in mind the next time you accept a job offer, go on a first date or maybe decide on a new place to live. Challenges are good. Change is good. Sweaty, breathless and heart racing can be good. 

Live, love, laugh…..and of course, exercise! 

Are you a treadmill runner/walker? Do you love or loathe the t-mill?

If you haven’t seen this video of her working out, here it is for your enjoyment:

Lots of people say that Amanda’s on drugs (which might be true) but I say something different. I say that Amanda Bynes is having the best dang workout of her life. How many of you can say that you enjoy the elliptical as much as Amanda Bynes is in this video? If you said you can, you’re lying.

I have a hard time getting through my workouts, but when I’m having a tough day, There is only one thing that helps me over the hill… and that’s having fun. I know, you’re probably thinking… Working out is not fun, and you’re right. I’m not one of those girls that thinks going on a run is a blast, but I do think it’s necessary to workout if you don’t want to look like a blimp. Here are my three tips to have as much fun working out as Amanda Bynes.

1. Music

The key to a good workout is a good playlist. I get bored of the same playlist over and over and it’s always hard to find new music to workout to if you’re going to the gym every day. So I love to use 8tracks. Here are a few of my favorite 8tracks playlists right now that get me through that horrible workout and into my skinny jeans.

http://8tracks.com/marykonieczny/crunch-time

http://8tracks.com/inkwithsound/gym-that-shit

2. Focus on your results

Yes this is cliché… but if you have a picture of yourself when you looked your best, or you have a wedding coming up, or you just NEED to lose weight… think about that while working out. While you’re running or biking or whatever and you want to give in, you just need to think of how great you’ll feel if you do this for that extra 10 minutes. Think to yourself, one month from now… if I just keep doing this, I could be 10 pounds lighter. Now if that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is.

3. Stop being self conscious

The best thing Amanda has going for her is the fact that she could care less about what the other gym goers think of her. I’m always self conscious of my sweaty t-shirt and my bright red face, but when it comes down to it… when are you ever going to see those people again? And if you see them every day, after a few months, when you’re in tip top shape… they won’t remember the day when your t-shirt was soaked in sweat and you danced a little bit on the treadmill, they just remember what’s happening in this moment. I hate to break it to everyone, but nobody really cares what you’re doing except for you, so march on and do whatever it takes to become the you you want to be!

Next time you’re at the gym, channel your inner Amanda Bynes and get yourself into the best shape you can!

Until Next Time-

K

There’s a lot of bad in the world. People do horrid things to each other, nature claims her superiority, and we do stupid things upon ourselves. It can be very easy to get caught up and mentally halted by any and all of these things. And certainly we need to grieve, to groan and to lament. But we also need to keep looking for the good, finding the purpose, and celebrating every where we can.

There will always be suffering.
But we must not suffer over the suffering.
~Alan Watts, Zen master

I’ve been wanting to start a new series about my own personal customer service experiences, but I’ve been challenged to find the right time and the right dedication. Basically I’ve been throwing down excuses. Then today, with inspiration in hand, a lovely event occurred that seems like the catalyst to kick this thing off.

I am admittedly a tad militant about my fitness regime. When I am not traveling, I average 6-8 workouts a week. That’s all well and good, except that I also travel a lot, and that frequently throws a wrench in my routine and my psyche. So before every trip, I scout the city’s best gyms, cycling studios and running paths. And one of my favorite ‘go-to’ locations is Flywheel Sports. It’s actually gotten to the point where I will position my hotel within walking or running distance to one of their studios. They keep delivering a badass workout and adding locations; I keep cheating on my local cycling studio while on the road. I have been pleased. This past week was no exception….except…

I was in Seattle for our annual conference and spent Tuesday bookended by very public speeches. During both occasions I had the absolute pleasure and honor of speaking alongside my dear friend and ‘rock star’, Dayna Steele. She’s many, many things, but she’s notably a Hall of Fame rock radio personality and an author – “101 Ways to Rock Your World“. It’s important to note that we paid her (rightfully so) for the morning keynote, but that she did the evening event entirely as a favor. You see, it was our first foray at an award’s dinner and ceremony celebrating the rock stars of our contact center industry, and we couldn’t financially or logistically swing a major emcee expense during our inaugural event. Dayna came to the rescue as our amazing host. And here’s a shameless plug for her great little book – It was a situation where I, verbalized what I wanted or needed to another person, (Tip #17, Page 33), and she said yes, (Tip #29, Page 51), and did something to help someone else be successful (Tip #37, Page 61). 

Two mornings later I was back at Flywheel and was perusing their retail line before class started. I was intending to buy something fabulous for my killer cycle instructor at home, when I saw it. The perfect gift, for the perfect rock star. Except here’s the exception…they did not have it in her size (she’s tiny). They also seemed a little flustered with my retail requests and the experience was leaving me wanting. But considering that their forte is ass-kicking and not selling clothes, I took it as a sign and let it be. Except I didn’t. I kept thinking about this perfect gift, from one of my favorite places, for one of my favorite people.

When I returned home, I tried purchasing it from their website, but Flywheel doesn’t have an online store. I then tried calling the nearest studio in Charlotte, and that again proved unsuccessful. So I did what many of us do and I went social. I posted my needs on Facebook.

Within 45 minutes, I had a response telling me to send in an email. I admittedly thought I’d send a request into an email black hole, but I decided to play along. Imagine my delight and surprise when the response from Natalie, their Director of Retail Operations in NYC came within 2 hours. After some quick back-and-forth, she forwarded me over to the actual store that had my item in stock. Less than an hour later, Melissa the Studio Manager in Plano, Texas emailed me to say she’d call me between 3.30-4p to get my credit card number and confirm the shipping address. At 3.35p she called. Melissa was an absolute pleasure to talk with and seemed genuinely excited when I explained why that particular item was so representative of my appreciation for Dayna. “From one rock star, to another”, I said.

And then Melissa took my customer-service-loving self and threw me to the floor. “Is it OK if I don’t get this mailed out until tomorrow? I will be happy to run this to the post office today if you need me to, but you see, we’re having tornado warnings right now and some really bad hail. The tornado sirens haven’t gone off yet, so I can still try to make it today!” No, no, no! Please don’t risk your life for a sweatshirt, you amazing human being. As much as I appreciate it, I now appreciate you that much more.

Yes, that really did just happen. Thank you Flywheel. That experience was so great and memorable that I just publicly disclosed my surprise to Dayna. I know she’ll think it was worth it.

I am not sure if I told you guys but we moved our wedding date.  We were suppose to get married in October but moved it June of 2014 as I talked about on my other blog.  Anyways, we did so for financial reasons and I feel really good about this.

This past week I counted the weeks.  That’s 58 weeks from now.  My secret goal is to lose 100lbs.  While it seems like a lot of weight (because it is) when you break it down it’s not so bad (about 1.7lb loss a week).  However, logically I will be happy for even 50lbs at this point!

I would *LIKE* to be a size 18 by the time we have the wedding.  But again with my health issues I am going to be open with all this.  There is no this or else.  I am just going along with goals in between (like my first major has been to get under 280 and stay under!).

So what am I doing to make this possible.  I am going to RELAX… I decided to make sure everyday I do some sort of exercise if I can but I have to at least work out 5 days a week.  I have found that when I do lose it’s ALWAYS when I am working out along of course with diet.

Second, diet…. My plan for that is simple.  Just eat less.  When I eat something I tell myself I have to eat half of what I normally would.  I’m not sure how well this will work (Though it worked great for my dad) but I feel it’s worth a try.  I think portions are a big deal.

I also know at times I can be an over eater.  So we shall see.  On Friday I will start back with the weigh in’s but I will have to keep mental notes about PMS and ovulation.  For the past year I ALWAYS have gained during this time but I always lose once AF arrives.  I need to just remind myself this during those times.

That way I won’t be so hard on me.

Last, I can’t say F it… I have and lord do I suck at challenges I am challenging myself to not say F it.  I can’t just say this plan isn’t working and just quit and do something else.  I have to just keep going and IF nothing is working then I just have to keep pushing with the doctors to find out WHY!

I have started making myself a bit more active by scheduling work outs’ with my online moms weight loss group I manage.  oh and um yeah, I am doing a Mud run 5k on September 7th.  This will be my first race EVER! Can you believe it? Not me!

One of the moms in my group wanted to go, I mentioned how D and I would love to try a race but funds are low.  Well, she opted to challenge me that if she paid I would go.  I accepted… EEEEKKKK…. After seeing the obstacles I totally had a what the F did I get myself into.  But ya know what.  even if I am the biggest person there I will do it

Here is the run I am doing - http://www.mudfactor.com/ I am excited, scared you name it!!!! Oh and we have a team which we have named ourselves the Dirty P.H.A.T Girls (any tips on this race would be totally appreciated).

I will not give up on me….

…well next time slap me!

After a few laps, I don’t know which was more irritating – my quads/hams burning or the dozen helpful people pulling over asking me if I needed a jump-start lol. After a while, even I wondered what I had been thinking when I decided to do this . Getting started seeing what was in front of me was the hardest.

But it was an amazing workout! Then 2add even more pain, I headed to the gym and knocked out some Back exercises.

Pull-ups 4 sets to failure
T-Bar rows 5 sets of 30, 20, 18, 15, 12
Close Grip Cable Rows 4 sets of 10, 10, 8, 8
Wide Neutral Grip Pulldowns 5 sets of 20, 20, 15, 15, 12
Straight Arm Rope Pulldowns 5 sets of 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

I was so exhausted and drenched,taking this shot was nearly impossible.

Then I headed out to Dunkin Donuts for a Berry Blast Coolata…instant carb refuel!!! I meant to take a pic of the heavenly drink, but got distracted by the geese crossing the road. Every car stopped on both sides letting the Family cross the street. And everyone’s camera phone was out lol.

And after just cruisin around for a few, I arrived home to get ready for the next days madness.

It was an awesome Leg/Back day but I think I will take a rest day tomorrow lol. These past 3 days have been beautifully brutal . The Shake Challenge itself has left my legs wobbling hahaha.

Alright Peeps until tomorrow!

WeAre2Fit2Quit…out.

Stick with me guys, I’m about to drop some knowledge/truth…

It is okay to be wrong sometimes and nothing is perfect

Yeah, I said it.  No one is perfect, nothing is perfect.  And if you trick yourself into thinking things will or are or need to be perfect then you’re going to be stuck trying to reach an unattainable, unrealistic goal.  And you’ll make yourself miserable.

I’m not saying that you should settle or that you shouldn’t set goals for yourself.  What I am saying though is… have patience, work hard, trust that there is a grand plan, and let the chips fall where they may.

You only have power over things that you can control.  Don’t worry about the rest.

Okay, that’s all for that.BE POSITIVE. Good things come to those who wait, and work hard in the mean time.

In other news…

Remember that time I confessed to you guys that I’m a terrible rower?  Well guess what?  I’m improving!  I forgot to post about it sooner, but I PR’d on my 2000k row time about a month ago, and it was a whole minute faster than my first 2000K row time.  Those videos and practicing really did help!  There is definitely still some room for improvement, but I’m on my way.

Also, my pull ups are really starting to come together!  Also about a month ago, I did my first ever chin-above-bar kipping pull-up, and I was siked.  Well then what happened?  I was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to do them again that I stopped practicing.  Why?  I don’t know, because I’m weird.  Well and my hands/grip hurt like hell.  But I made a decision last Friday that I CAN do pull-ups. I was letting my lack of confidence get in the way. I had it in my head that I couldn’t do pull-ups anymore.  Well, guess what…I was sick of thinking that way.  So I was right there, standing under the bar, I looked down at my hands, looked up at the bar and said to myself, ” Your hands don’t hurt, and you’re going to do a pull-up.”  And then I did a pull-up.  And then I did some more.  And then my hands started bleeding.  AND IT WAS AWESOME!  Again, I still have a long way to go, but I’m done using those stupid giant-ass rubber bands.  Have you ever you used those things?  Have you ever had one snap off your feet and hit you in between the legs? No?  Oh, well I have and it sucks and it’s awkward.  So bye-bye pull-up bands.  I DON’T NEED YOU!

Today was another big pull-up day for me, because there were pull-ups in the WOD…

10 minute AMRAP

• 10 pull-ups
• 15 hand release push-ups
• 20 wall balls @ 14#

I made it out with 2 complete rounds plus 32 reps.  That’s 30 pull-ups in one WOD.  I was pretty siked.  I had to do my pull-ups one at a time, but hey I think that’s the only way I’m going to get better, so I’ll take it.

Also, I just have to tell you guys Mike Bledsoe from Barbell Shrugged (the podcast that I LOOOOVE) re-tweeted one of my tweets last week AND the Barbell Shrugged twitter account favorited TWO of my tweets yesterday.  Can I just tell you that I felt like a total rockstar?  I was so pumped!

Ahhhhh! I love Crossfit

Okay, byeeee!

I followed the schedule set in the program, doing two videos a day which was interesting for me. Most of the time if I’m exercising for an hour, it’s because I’m out for a walk; it’s not usually because I’m looking and feeling like a fool in my living room following a video.

Friday was it for me. I hated the video, got frustrated because I had a hard time following the moves, and honestly, I really didn’t feel like I was getting a “good” workout in. That’s when it hit me: if I don’t like it, I probably won’t do it. I gave it a week. I’d say that’s a good try. But, for me, it’s time to break up with Shaun T and move on to something I enjoy.

What’s that, you ask? Well, for one, I’m hitting the pavement.  Not because I’m mad at it or that the crack in the sidewalk made me trip, but because walking outside clears my head, exposes me to good ol’ Vitamin D, and just makes me feel good.  I don’t really run anymore, but that could change (just don’t tell my doctor).

I also have decided to do strength circuits and yoga.  Previously, I mentioned two videos that I love:  The Best-Ever Hollywood Workout and Kathy Smith’s Project You:  Yoga Flex.  I’ve done them both so far this week combined with a morning walk, and I honestly feel like I’ve accomplished so much more for my body in two days than I did all last week with Rockin’ Body.  I also found a Lean & Strong Yoga (from SHAPE magazine, just like the Hollywood Workout) that I might throw into the mix.

So, that’s my new plan.  Still working towards losing five pounds by June 1 for prom.  Still working towards making good food choices.  Still pushing myself to work out.  I can do this.  I just won’t be doing it with Rockin’ Body.

• Enhance your awareness of your relationship to exercise which includes how it makes you feel when you do it.

The main reason to exercise should be for the right reasons.  If you’re doing it under compulsion or because you feel you HAVE TO, that is not the right reason to workout.  You should feel refreshed, strengthened, empowered, etc. while working out, not completely drained, exhausted, etc.

• Expand the variety of activities you do.  Try visiting parks, dancing, hiking, biking, walking or yoga to broaden your options.

How often do we get stuck in the same routine, doing the same workout time after time?  Why not try and branch out and try something different and new?  There are so many different forms of exercise, it’s important to try and expand your horizons a bit and not get stuck in the same routine day after day, week after week.

• Seek out other places for activity besides the gym.  Get outside, play with kids, garden, build a dog house, paint the front door, whatever you want.

Do you feel that if you don’t go to the gym, you’re not really getting in any measurable physical activity?  Wrong.  Simple things around the house, running errands, and chores all fall into the category of exercise.

• Take a healthy buddy with you to make it fun and social.

Make exercise fun!  Sometimes it can get boring or tedious going to the gym or working out alone.  Why not make working out a fun, social event?  Try something different and have fun with a friend while you’re at it.  Maybe sign up for a yoga class or another gym class with a friend.

• Focus on strength, not “toning”.  Really focus on fun!!

There is more to a workout than toning up.  Instead of making your workout revolve around trying to fix or correct or change some part of your body, view working out as a means of enjoyment, mood-busting, and enrichment!

• Focusing on others will only minimize your own skills, achievements and body’s needs.  If you find yourself comparing, close your eyes for a moment and focus on your breathing to center yourself.

Comparisons are such a deadly trap…and one that almost everyone falls into at some point in time.  There is no sense in comparing yourself to someone else while working out or exercising or looking at someone else’s physical abilities and workout achievements and feeling horrible about your own.  Each person has their own level of skill and different strengths.  Choose to focus on your personal growth and achievements and not fall into comparing yourself with others.  This can be especially easy to do in the blogging world.  Focus on yourself and how well you are doing for you.

• Incorporate physical activity in conjunction with an appropriate meal plan.

Nutrition is essential in order to function properly in the day to day.  You need a proper, well-balanced meal plan/diet just to be able to wake up each day.  Now, incorporate exercise, and that need for food and proper nutrition will increase.  If you are going to work out on a given day, you need to increase your food and calorie consumption.  If you don’t, you are only setting yourself up for a train wreck.  Try exercising while food deprived and your performance will surely lack.  Compare this with how you feel while working out after a properly nutrition-filled day of food consumption.  The difference is so noticeable.

• Be flexible about how and when you exercise.  Healthy exercise allows for the unexpected.  It is OK to miss some workouts.

Ever feel like your exercise schedule and routine is the most important thing and if anything gets in the way of your designated “work out time”, you will just have to reschedule?  Do you find yourself planning your day around your work outs?  Sometimes life just happens and things come up, preventing us from following our normal plans.  Do you find that you respond negatively to something that comes up preventing you from following your workout routine for the day, or are you able to relax and take it in stride?  Try and evaluate your feelings and be honest with yourself.  It may be time to re-evaluate your priorities and set a healthy balance with your workouts.  It’s also OK to not work out on a day you had previously designated as a workout day.  Listen to your body and listen to your reality and follow suit.

• Record exercise-related thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a journal.  Read back over these to help you identify patterns of healthy and unhealthy exercise.

This is actually a really good idea.  It can really help you analyze and look at the reasons why you exercise, when you choose to exercise, and how you feel about yourself and situations around your exercise routine. Do you exercise when you feel your self-esteem is low or after you “indulged” on a food you later felt you shouldn’t have or felt guilty about?  Understanding the reasons why we choose to exercise and how it makes us feel can be very enlightening.  Take the time to seriously try this out.  You may be surprised by what you find.

• Be critical of sources of fitness information.  Do not buy these magazines or go on the internet.  Cultivate a discerning ability to critique unreal body images presented in the media.

You’ve heard it said that you can’t believe everything you hear (or read) even if it seems to come from a reputable source.  Be cautious about what you choose to read and what you take at face value.  Especially beware of what you read online where people’s personal opinions quickly overshadow actual truth and fact-based evidence.  It may seem valid or backed up by valid sources, but even doubt these pieces of information.

Also, don’t let the standards and “best-of-the-best” as portrayed in the media be what you view as “normal” or “ideal”.  Those bodies in health and fitness magazines ARE NOT the norm or realistic.  The majority of the population will never achieves bodies like these, no matter how many hours are spent working out.  So be realistic and reasonable in what you see and don’t be quick to view that as what you need to look like.

• Everyone needs days off of activity to rest and repair.

Days off are NECESSARY!!!  Plain and simple.  Your body cannot, day after day, week after week, be stretched, strained, pulled, bent, flexed, etc. and not be worn out.  Your body requires time to rest and repair itself after workouts (even ones that don’t seem high-intensity!)  Listen to your body, respect what your body needs, and give your body time to rest and recuperate.  Your next workout will reap good results and your body will thank you!

• Do not use calories burnt or reps done to tell you when to stop.  Practice listening to your body and respect what it is telling you.

This can be a really tough thing to do.  We often try and push ourselves and our limits.  I challenge you on any given day when you go to the gym or do your workout, don’t wear your Garmin, don’t track your calories burned or your distance traveled; don’t count how many reps you’ve done.  At the gym, don’t enter your actual weight into the treadmill or elliptical (use some preposterous number instead so you have no idea what your calorie burn is) and just do what feels right for you and your body.  I’ve actually done this quite often and it’s really, surprisingly freeing, not being bound by the calories burned, speed, or time of my workout.  Just listen to your body!

• Be careful of your expectations for yourself related to exercise.  Unrealistic expectations can lead to exercise abuse.  You are not training for the Olympics.

Set reasonable, realistic goals for yourself.  Ones that challenge you, within reason.  You have no reason to push yourself to the extreme and risk hurting yourself or over-doing it.  There is always time to grow, work, and advance…no need to make it all happen in a week!  Pace yourself and be reasonable!  Enjoy your workouts, don’t make them torturous!

- List From Eating Disorders Today, Summer 2004 (with my add-ins!)

As of late, my working out solely consists of yoga.  I have found SUCH a love for yoga.  I had been restricted from vigorous exercise, and that actually was a lot easier for me than I thought it would be.  I was doing nothing for a while aside from short walks.  Which worked for me.  Then, as just a random decision in the spur of the moment, I decided I’d give yoga a shot.  For so long I told myself I would never do yoga; I was convinced it was NOT for me.  But this time around in recovery I decided I’d let down my guard in every way and just give anything a shot.  So, I did.  And thank GOODNESS I did!  I can’t even tell you how much I love it!  I can’t get enough!!

1.  Standing up in airplanes

2.  Dick’s sporting goods is like a disappointing date that had such potential

3.  Low music and television standards

Hopefully I will get to those topics one day.  Today I’m going to tell you about my foot.  In the past week I’ve seen two well respected orthopedic foot surgeons.  Why two?  Partially because I had the opportunity, and partially because I’m a hypochondriac.  I had an MRI, both doctors read my MRI.  Both surgeons agree on three things, my posterior tibial tendon is irritated, nothing is torn or broken, and I’m not going to further aggravate it with stretching.  One thinks it is entirely too early to consider surgery, one thinks it’s been hurting long enough where it won’t heal on it’s own without surgery.  One said I should walk all I want and go to yoga and not think about it for a while.  The other one said I should go out and run and do whatever I want and maybe further aggravate it so he can better pinpoint the problem.

The one thing I’m sure of is that the boot made my foot feel ten times worse than anything else, including walking all week at the tournament.  I’ve decided that I”m going to not think about it anymore.  I’m not going to take the anti-inflammatory anymore, at least for a little while.  I’m going to go to yoga, and I’m going to ease back into that with a lot of modifications.  I’m going to make a couple yoga classes my goal, and walk around everywhere I want to go.  I might wear heels one night if I’m feeling especially crazy, even though that is probably the worst thing I could do.  I’m going to go to New York at the end of next week, and I’m going to walk my little heart out, but I might tape my foot up if I think it helps.  And I’m going to ignore it.

Wish me luck, I’m off to Cara’s yoga class to get a good sweat in and listen to my friend talk over awesome music for an hour.  It’s good for the soul.  We’ll see about the sole.  Gah, STOP.

I guess maybe I should just focus on getting that Olympic time instead!

My 2012 50 Free – 29:15

Olympic Qualifying time – 26:39

Time to drop – 2.76

In my mind dropping 2.76 seconds seems like nothing…but in a race, hundredths of a second can mean winning or losing.  See my race from last year :)  Lane 3, black suit/white cap, I’m the one down in the start position before everyone else because I get uber nervous on that block! LOL

In anticipation for the We Own The Night Nike 10k, the first few weeks of my training were carried out solely at the gym (or as Leah called it, on the ‘dreadmill’ ). As soon as I started running outdoors, I felt that I could no longer justify dishing out my monthly membership so I quit after a rather monotonous 6 months. I say monotonous as aside from an occasional spin class I would be the ‘chronic cardio’ junkie slogging it away day after day on the treadmill, afraid of all the bulky men in the weights’ room. At one point a personal instructor asked me if I wanted to learn some strength training but my fear of my (literal) weaknesses meant I never took him up on the offer…

It got me thinking… Is there more to the gym than meets the eye, and am I missing something?

Thankfully a surprise came in the unsuspecting form of MoneySupermarket.com. They offered to pay for a whole month’s membership at any gym of my liking in return for me writing about the experience. At first I wasn’t so sure but in the hopes of shedding some light on the topic I signed up with the aim of throwing myself full heartedly into the project and giving my approach to the gym a once over (i.e. no more hours spent chained to the treadmill my friend!). I want to find out for myself (and you guys!):

Is the gym worth the expense?

Can’t promise that there wont be more sweaty selfies to come – sorry!

I spent an age trying to find my gym of choice – if I was going to do it, I was going to do it properly (and by properly I mean choosing the most kick ass luxury gym I could get my hands on). In the end I went for SpringHealth Leisure based on what I figured was a good set of facilities from their website description… Classes? Check! Swimming pool? Yes! Sauna & steam? Hell yeah! Weights’ room? Eek, check! (I’m going to have to force myself in there at some point). I felt pleased with my choice when Oliver, the manager, promptly returned my call and said that they would love to take me on board. I agreed provisionally to sign up and he arranged for me to meet his colleague Marina who would show me around when I popped by.

Maybe I’ll even morph into a happy gym bunny like these guys!

I’m going to review my experience(s) with SpringHealth Leisure at a later date but let’s just say my planned ‘pop in’ ended up in a 3 hour visit. I quite possibly got ‘lost’ in the jacuzzi. Yes the jacuzzi. I lucked out good! Anyway, I’m starting to understand why people spend a ridiculous amount of time at the gym.

The reason I’m sharing this all now is that there’s still time for fellow bloggers to join me in this gym-tastic adventure (check out Gym For the Win?).

All you need to do is e-mail competitions@moneysupermarket.com with the phrase GYM FOR THE WIN in the subject, and then a link to your blog – a helpful chap called Chris will take you from there. If you’ve been putting off going to the gym due to the cost, or you haven’t found enough reasons to join, or you’re waiting for some sort of special sign telling you to go, then this is your sign. Hurry hurry, as you have to sign up by the end of May and there are only 200 coveted places up for grabs!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions I can help you with, otherwise let me know if you end up applying as it’ll be cool to share experiences!

Are you a gym goer or a gym avoider? What are the factors which influence your choice of gym? And any advice as to how to get into strength training?

Since my career change, I decided that I needed to start taking better care of myself.  I now had the time, so no more excuses.  Plus, I feel that it sets a better example for my own daughters. It’s pretty hypocritical of me to make them eat their veggies as I cram peanut m&m goodness into my mouth and tell them to drink their milk or water as I have a soda.

So – I started working out regularly. I started eating better. I am working, really hard, at kicking the Dr. Pepper habit. But there are days when I can picture that beautiful Dr. Pepper can, it’s almost glowing with a heavenly aura, the condensation slowly dripping down… and I give in. But, to counter that, I have started drinking water (shudder).  I know it’s essential to our survival and all, but water tastes like shit. Perhaps it’s the lack of taste… Anyway – I digress.

After five weeks, I am beginning to see the results. My body is remembering what it feels like to be healthy, and it feels good. I can run farther and swim farther (and faster) than I have been able to in years, and I’m even seeing muscles that I thought I would never see again begin to reappear. My posture is even better. It’s quite the ego boost, I gotta tell ya… So when a friend of mine invited me to her yoga class, despite me not really having done yoga since college, I thought “No problem. I’m pretty bendy, I’m quasi strong, I got this.” She warned me it was a power yoga class, and that it was hard, but still I went feeling fairly confident in my yoga abilities.

Ten minutes into that class after having done like 20 plank poses (we were just getting warmed up) and already sweating, I was wishing I could be anywhere but that class.  (Give me a treadmill, put me in the swimming pool, I’ll do cardio all day for you – just don’t make me keep holding that fucking plank…)

But, I am competitive. There was no way in hell I was going to let that yoga class (and the old man in front of me) beat me. Even though I wanted to tell the instructor where she could shove it when she kept having us do this pose (I forget the name) that’s basically like holding yourself in a lower pushup, I found that I quite enjoyed it.  And I was proud of myself for sticking through all 90 minutes of that torturous class. (And, quite impressed with my friend, she was awesome.)

I’m going to be sore – shit, I already am.  I’m totally going back.  AL, thanks for inviting me to that class. You, my friend, are a yoga badass.

Namaste,

Shan

I’m mostly running on the pavements but I also run through an area with lakes. Lovely scenery for running –

I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning’s run!

n

Awesome moms working out for the Mama & Baby Bootcamp today! Keep your eye on the Barrie Examiner Thursday for some more pictures and a shout out to Love Live Fitness!

While away I did nothing healthy, aside from spending time with immediate family. Although very important this came at a cost to my fitness goals. And boy do I have guilt about that.

I’m guessing I lost muscle tone whatnot after a weigh in at the doctor’s office. Even though I ate like a Hoover vacuum (think lots and lots of heavenly home cooked Colombian food) I dropped eight pounds. Look at this:

Sigh.

I should have measured myself before the trip. But no.

C’est la vie. But I wouldn’t give up the time I had with the moms and dad. They’re getting up in the years (73 and 83) and it was good to see them.

This is me in their backyard. (I got a haircut!)

Ok, back to the topic. I ate decidedly not clean. Things were fried. There was a lot of fat involved. Bread was a staple. Oh! And chocolate was in abundance.

My question to the hive is how much muscle do you think I lost in 2ish weeks? I’m just curious. This is the first time since October 2012 where I haven’t worked out.

If you look it and feel it! ~Pernisha G.

Excuse me, ladies! Can we look just a tad bit more appealing when we workout?!

Did you know that the sexier you feel and look, the higher your confidence is boosted? Yep! That means, when you’re about to break down and get your sweat on (in the gym, at home, or on the road), always attempt to grab the most flattering piece of workout gear you own.

Why?

From my experience and maybe yours, have you noticed that when you wear fitted, stylish, and comfortable fitness wear, after you sweat from putting in your best effort for tighter abs and a bodacious derrière, your body feels firmer; you feel leaner and your poster changes (especially if you’re in the gym and all the cuties are floating around; ain’t no time for slouching there!).  Why not wear clothing that compliments how you (will) feel, instead of how you’re feeling when you initially decide to workout.

Every time I wear my loosely fitted sweat pants, I feel loose in the legs and irritated because everything in that region is wobbling and feels uncontrolled. However, a good pair of thick spandex bottoms makes me feel in control, and that alone is very sexy!

It is not necessary to wear the tightest and most revealing wardrobe (no stalkers wanted), but a little bit of sex appeal to your attire never hurts.

If you want to feel even sexier and pumped about your workout, combine sassy gear with sexy fitness moves like squats, lunges, and hip rotations; that always gets me working!

Ps. It’s all Love.

Bride-to-be and I were discussing this morning that it’s important to work on not stressing over the little things so much, so my goal for this week will be to diminish my stress level and not be so concerned. A hot yoga class would probably help with this hehe

Yesterday’s Max Cardio Conditioning workout was rough, and it’s not even paired with the Abs workout yet! After the weekend in Prague where we walked a ton, it felt a bit rough to get into max cardio conditioning especially because it was a holiday here again so I was all out of whack with my routine. The good news is that I finally did it, but the not so good news was that I was sluggish and just felt really heavy. It could have been because the walking didn’t quite let my legs recover much and they were a bit tired, or the more than usual consumption of white wine on patios. Regardless, the workout felt tough. I still got a great calorie burn though, and honestly I was just so glad I got it done.

Today’s workout, max interval circuit was great. I can really feel a difference in my fitness level. My recovery time is much quicker after finishing a circuit that really pushes me hard, and my heart rate seems to be able to come back down quicker which is always good. I actually felt like this morning’s workout flew by despite it being a full hour long. I really focused on really challenging myself which was fun but super tough. My watch cut out a few times so the calories burned is a bit low, but here’s the proof anyways

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have had a great start to your week. I can’t wait to hear how bride-to-be’s crossfit experience went since I have never tried it!!

Have a great and active week!!

xoxo

All I can say is I was an idiot to skip workouts. This is the proof that I shouldn’t postpone workouts for two reasons: they help me deal with stress (therefore having a much more positive attitude in life) and I don’t get injured if I move my butt. So there you have it: move it or lose it!

And because of the pain, I am not much more advanced for my conference. I just couldn’t do it over the weekend as I was in to much pain.

To top everything else, yesterday a colleague teaching a summer course leave me a message at 9:00 p.m. telling me I can call him to discuss something (hello e-mail?) until 11:00! First of all his “problem” is the fact that he has been there for 20 years and never gave a crap out of things you need to doing the department, and second of all, NO, I am not going to call you at this time. I don’t work nights, as far as I am concerned, and I would like my senior colleagues respect that! Gee, what’s wrong with you people?

Ok, enough ranting, now I need to get back on track both for the article and my workout schedule.