Running for Pizza & Giveaway!

I need to do some catching up.  Time has gotten away from me lately.  I'm not sure if it's the day job, combined with the whole being a mom thing and then fitting in runs and making dinner...oh, cleaning up here and there... probably all of the above.  I'm not complaining... just simply saying that I've been running out of time the past few days!

On Monday, my workout was 7 miles.  Well, ok, 6.99.  How stupid is that.  And, how dumb that it actually makes me a little bit irritated that I didn't just run to the next driveway!  Anyway, it was a good run, and about 8:09 or so minute miles.  Not that I'm obsessing with mile pace, but lately I'm kind of... obsessing with mile pace.

Yesterday was Insanity Max Abs.  This was squeezed in to make sure we had enough time for Buddy's Pizza.  The BEST pizza.  I love it.  And, Buddy's Pizza itself is one of the reasons why I exercise.
For Insanity it was Me, Drew Man my faithful parter, Sweet Jordan, Shaun T, Hubby and the Furnace Guy... he was cleaning the furnace.  Anyway...

Today I have my sights set on an easier 5 or 6 miles.  My knees are a little bit sore.  I'm not sure if it's from the jumping in Insanity yesterday or what, but I'm going to take it easy today.

Speaking of today, here in Michigan it's going to be 60 something degrees today, which is awesome!!  But...I was looking in my closet, deciding on which boring pants to wear with which boring shirt  and I realized...everything is boring!  I would love to re-vamp my closet...

I need Stacy London and Clinton Kelly to come and help me out!  More on that to come...I've been checking out the latest fashions in my US Weekly, and I've decided that I'm definitely on the drab and somewhat out of style side.

So 2 things...step it up with my actual wardrobe and with my workout wardrobe.  I'm going to have to take it one piece at a time.

Oh, I actually have some single packs of Shakeology for sale.  Like the Get Fit and Sweat Trying page and leave a comment on Facebook (there's a link to the right), or leave me a comment below if you're interested.  I can send it off to you ASAP!  If you've been thinking about trying it, but want a sample first before you dive in, this is the perfect way to do it!

***If you have ever used a Beachbody Product...any product at all, I would love it if you would leave a comment and tell me about your experience!!***  One lucky comment - er will win a free Shakeology sample!!  Comment by March 10th to win!!

Out of the Comfort Zone

Feeling stuck in a rut can be frustrating.  You feel like you're working your butt off, and you've hit this limit...you can't get over the hump.

Maybe it's that you want the scale to drop 5 more lbs. and you just aren't making any more progress.  You're doing the same things...eating right, breaking a good sweat 30 minutes 3-5 times a week, and nothing more is happening.

Maybe you set a goal to run a certain distance, but you feel like you can't run another step if you tried.  Getting past that 3 mile or 6 mile mark seems crazy.

It's the "comfort zone".  I am the queen of Loving my Comfort Zone.  It's such a predictable place.  I never have to worry about what will happen, or how it's going to happen.  It is what it is in my little Comfy Place.

In my Zone, I have a Shakeology shake in the morning.  I add 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk and 1/4 cup of water with 12 ice cubes.  13 ice cubes, and it won't blend without adding more water.  11 ice cubes and it's too thin.

I have a bowl of cereal and some raisins for lunch.  Cheerios, Rice Squares...I love the Chocloate Cheerios!  Sometimes I have an orange too, or a Nutra Grain Bar...occasionally I'll go for a 6 inch Subway sub...occasionally.

For dinner - oooh, this is the scary part - dinner is NOT comfy.  I struggle with planning out dinner meals.    It's too unpredictable...I need to work on dinner big time.

Working out in my Zone is VERY predictable.  I have a set 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 mile run that I do without fail.  I rarely branch out and run somewhere different or switch up my route too much.  I love knowing exactly how far I have left to go, and now a days, how much longer I have to get to certain land marks.

It's time to BREAK FREE!!  Yesterday I went my usual 6 mile route.  Not very interesting.  But...I had my best run to date, and I was uncomfortable the entire time!  It was Awesome!

From the get go, out my front door I had decided to push it just a little more than usual.   What did I have to lose?  If all else failed, I could walk, right?  I went for it; starting out much past my comfortable -just get into the groove at the beginning of the run- kind of start.

I remembered the days back in college, swimming hard.  Really hard, and pushing myself to the limit.  I  wanted to see if I still had it in me.  I actually felt a little glimmer of that feeling again.  I loved feeling exhausted and done.  When I hit the end of my run, I was Done, out of breath, my legs were Tired, and it was cool!

Is it necessary to push the limit of comfort for every workout from now on?  NO!  That would wear and tear so fast...but more frequently I plan to just Go For It!  Now that I know that it's possible to run just a little faster for a little longer, it's not such a scary thought.

How do you break free from your comfort zone?  


Is it hard for you to deviate from your normal routine?

8:40

It's 8:40.  Kids in bed.  Waiting for.....The Bachelor to run a little longer.
Why?
Because I hate tons of commercials I've seen a million times, and if I wait a little bit longer, I can fast forward through them all without catching up to real time.  It's all about strategy.
Although, I think Ben is blowing it with his strategy.  Turns out he might just be a regular d.o.g. after all!  Bummer!!

My run today was not supposed to happen.  But, it did.  The day after a long run is usually reserved for a day of rest, so to speak.  For some reason, the voice inside said, "Go And  Run."  It ended up being a short 3 miles, but it felt great.  However, now, my knees are telling me otherwise.  
Tomorrow might be an ABS only day.


Yesterday, I ran out of Shakeology.  It comes in a 30 day supply bag each month.  Right to my door step. It's glorious.  I was prepared to spend a few days without my lovely breakfast drink.
But, like a miracle from UPS, a package was waiting on my doorstep when I got home from work.  
Wooo Hooo!  Gotta love Home Direct Delivery!


I've updated my IPod, thanks to tons of great suggestions, and now I have a good 30 songs to keep me going for a while.  Thanks!
Although, today I ran without it...sometimes just thinking makes the run seem shorter. Go figure.


I plan to do a few short circuits with my 10lb. weights during The Bachelor. That's all I've been doing weight-wise.  Every couple of days, while I'm watching TV, just pick up the weights and do a few exercises.  
Lots of reps with lighter weights.  Totally do-able.  
I got  mine at Target...where else?  Probably along with pull-ups, deodorant, a Hot Wheels and a slushee.  Isn't that place great!?!


I loved the SuperBowl commercial (because it was new and I hadn't seen it a million times) for The Voice with Betty White.  She's Awesome!  We heard a snipit of it on the radio this morning, and Jordan said, "Hey, I saw that lady last night!  She was funny!"
AND, the Clint Eastwood, "It's Half Time" was pretty sweet too!


Did you have a favorite Superbowl commercial?

25 Things and Experiment

Since I have to running or fitness news whatsoever, I thought it might be fun to list the top 25 things that came to my head in completely random order...

25 Things You Don't Know (maybe you do) About Me:

1.  Pizza is my all time favorite food, and I could eat it every day.  

2.  One time, I got my foot sucked into the down escalator at Hudson's.  

3.  I'm on Team Edward.  Still.

4.  My least favorite body part is my feet.  By a landslide.

5.  I would rather have potato chips and dip over sweet dessert any day.

6.  My favorite candy is Good N Plenty.  Black licorice, mmmm.

7.  I would loose my head if it wasn't attached to my neck.  

8.  Riding a bike is my least favorite outdoor activity.

9.  I used to be able to hypochondriac myself into having any disease/sickness.

10.  I eat the middle out of Oreos, then throw away the cookie part.

11.  When I run, I don't even hear the words to the songs, just the beat.

12.  Concentrating on 2 things at once is virtually impossible for me.

13.  I would rather eat live bugs than deal with conflict.

14.  I regret never auditioning for high school plays.

15.  If I'm running with someone, I'm always secretly racing them.

16.  Coffee is a complete must for me every morning.

17.  Cooking is one of my weakest household/family duties.

18.  I'm a huge fan of the Bachelor.  I laugh when they cry.  That's mean.

19.  Next to pizza, popcorn is my other all time favorite food.  Dangerous.

20.  I've never met Kid Rock, but I am bound and determined to.

21.  Laundry is my nemesis.  Mostly my own...putting it away...uggg.

22.  I think Kroger brand pop tarts are way better than the real thing.

23.  My favorite movie of all time is "Can't Buy Me Love".  Love Ronald Miller!

24.  One time I had to stop at a stranger's house to use the bathroom on a run.  It was an EMERGENCY.  Very awkward.  Very.

25.  I never said a swear word until 6th grade, and it was a dare.  Then not again until 9th grade.

=======================

I mentioned my workout / running routine has been shotty at best since Saturday, so I decided to conduct an experiment.

I've been using Shakeology now for quite a while.  I love it.  For one, it's really good tasting.  I mean it.  It tastes like a Frosty from Wendy's but without the guilt!  And, I've added all sorts of things to it, like frozen fruit, bananas, coconut milk...and it's been delish every time.  Not to mention the never ending list of nutrients, vitamins, and super foods that are in this miraculous chocolate-y drink!

Since Saturday, and since I've been a bit lax about working out due to weather, time, and well, a bunch of stupid excuses...I've not had my Shakeology either.  It's kind of a reward for me for keeping up with my fitness.

Let me just tell you, that I have totally seen marked differences.

I feel tired.  Not tired like I just had a great workout, but tired like lethargic!  I have been craving the crappiest foods.  You name it, things I haven't thought about eating in months.  Sugar and salt, mostly.
My skin, since Saturday, has taken a turn...right into adolescent-ville.  We're talking - ahem - z.i.t.s.  Gross!

I'll bet you all this gross-ness has everything to do with the lack of Shakeology in my life!!

Today, though, I had a shake for breakfast and for dinner.  I'll be back on track in no time.  My body was turning on me!  You would be surprised at how much Good Stuff is packed into one little serving of this miracle powder!

I'll be back to report my findings once my poor bod is back on the fitness train, and soaking up the goodness!

My Breakfast Video

If you've talked to me in the past 60 days or so, you may have heard me mention something about my breakfast shake.  Maybe you've seen me at school with my big turquoise cup and straw.
I know a few people have asked, "Are you really drinking a  shake for breakfast?"
Why, yes I am, and I love it!

One major purpose in my writing in 'cyber space' is to talk about my everyday travels in health fitness...and I drink a Shakeology shake everyday!  So that fits right in!
I actually really do believe in this stuff!  It's good stuff.

I've mentioned the food pyramid before.  It tells us how many servings of fruits and vegetables to eat each day to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.
Let's be honest here, shall we?  How many times do you sit around eating 5-7 servings of carrots, apples, green peppers...if you're like me, very rarely.  In fact, I hardly ever eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

The whole thing is ironic and just plain pathetic, because in the almost 5 years that I have been raising my 2 kids, they have had a fruit and a vegetable portion on their plate with every meal. (ok, breakfast maybe not the vegetable).  My son used to ask for peas as a snack, no joke.  And for snacks, I really push things like grapes, and raisins, they love apples and strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, you name it.
Why don't I eat like my kids?

Brings me back to my 2012 Resolution #2...Take my own advice!

Anyway, I'm loving Shakeology.  If you have just over 4 minutes to spare, you should watch this video.  It makes sense, and like I said....It's good stuff.  Really, it is.

Shakeology Video - Less than 5 minutes...