Challenge Completed!

Well, here we are.  The 30-Day FitPhotoChallenge is complete.  And I have the photographic evidence to prove it.

Day 24: Workout Music

Day 24 was Workout Music.  Now, this is just the top of my favorite running playlist, but of course it contains a handful of my favorites.  You can add these to your "I Got Fitness And I Know It" playlist if you so desire.  Thank me later.

I got a tad sidetracked for a number of days, then cheated on my catchup by lumping three days into one photo (and one glorious fitness shopping spree! Weeeeee!).  The photos needed were: TryingSomethingNew, Fitness Shoes, and Addicted.  I am quite obviously an Insanity junkie, so that one was impossibly easy. 

Days 25-27

The shoes...well, I was in quite desperate need of some new crosstrainers (for Insanity...it's all one big cyclical thing here, folks), so Hubby and I schlepped the kids over to Aardvark and grabbed another pair.  I'm sticking with the Asics Gel TR 170's, just switching up my colors (oooh!aaaah! Coral!).  Unless they come out with a newer and cushier version, this is my shoe.  I'm on my third pair and the love has yet to fade. 

As for TryingSomethingNew...well, I got TWO in one photo.  I snagged my new vegetarian cookbooks (recipes and cooking are coming along slowly, but pretty well, despite what my children may tell you) and I've been trying new dishes every day.  But what I am amazingly excited about is my new Polar heart rate monitor!!!!!  I fully realize that only the deepest of fitness crazies will understand my unbridled enthusiasm at tracking my heart rate and thereby calories burned...but that doesn't even begin to dampen said enthusiasm.  I LOVE MY MONITOR.  I may need to print up a tshirt or maybe a bumper sticker.  Everyone else hearts their dogs, their kids, their spouse...I heart my monitor.  It kept me pushing and I felt an immense satisfaction seeing my effort there on my wrist in readable text.  I highly recommend strapping one on.  (MON-IT-OR.  Strap on a monitor.  Perverts.)



Day 28: Protein

So then we had Day 28: Protein.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  I get my jolt of protein every morning whilst enjoying my delicious Shakeology.  Plugplugplug, advertiseadvertiseadvertise.  But for reals, yo.  Git summa dis.

Day 29: Love/Hate.  I both love my newfound healthy diet - it makes me feel and look fantabulous - but I hate cooking.  I try to find the joy of cooking, but it does not seem to be my area of expertise.  I have no fluidity in the kitchen.  BUT - I can muddle through with it knowing the vast rewards I'll be reaping.  And until I can afford my very own Vitamix, I'll just keep chopping and blending my fit lil' heart out.



Day 29: Love/Hate

Now, then...Day 30.  I did it!  I made it through the entire 30 days of the FitPhotoChallenge! Woohoo!  And I'm stronger, leaner, tougher, healthier, FITTER.  Look at me!  That body is the body of an Insanity-doin', vegetarian-eatin', fitness-gear-usin' MACHINE. 

Day 30: 30 Days Later

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: you don't have to hate!  Don't be jealous!  JOIN ME!  Tomorrow, over at the Facebook SweatItOut, we are beginning the AugustAbsChallenge, a new move for every day of the month.  I may have kicked alcohol to the curb, but you'd better believe I'll be bustin' a six pack by August 30. 

...or show it off with sports bras and compression shorts...

A Skinny Girl No More

Know what this FitGal just can't hold anymore?  Her liquor.

That's right.  I said it.  I overdrank.  Went to a party to celebrate what's known in these parts as the "Big Time."  Which is actually very small time, but with lots of alcohol and Italian deliciousness.  The food - not a problem.  I'm finding that vegetarianism is an incredibly easy transition for me.  Just like that workout switch flipped for me way back when, the meatless switch has been flipped as well.  So no biggie there.

The alcohol - problem.  See, I totally forgot that I haven't had a drink since...well...it's been a really long time.  I don't typically indulge at home or when we go out to dinner (which is a fairly infrequent occurrence in and of itself), nor do I join in every time we head out to a gathering.  It's just not my "thing" anymore.  But on this occasion, Hubby was nice enough to grab me two bottles of Skinny Girl in brand new flavors - and that stuff doesn't even taste like alcohol. 

But it is.

I felt great for about an hour...and then AWFUL for the next twenty-four.  I know everyone praying to the porcelain gods makes the same promise, but I can swear to you now on my new Adidas TR 170's...NEVER AGAIN. 

I spent a good deal of yesterday in recovery mode.  Missed my scheduled fit test.  Barely left the bed.  Drank a Dr. Pepper.  And it got me thinking very seriously about how I had just treated the body I typically handle with such care.  I mean, what had I gained from this?

The answer was clear: absolutely nothing.  I would have had a fabulous time anyway, and I would have had it longer.  I would have completed my fit test on schedule (instead of having to double up my workouts today).  I would have gotten lots of chores out of the way, done my weekly food prep, and spent more quality time with the monkeys.  No drink tastes so good that I would trade all of that. 

So this once hard-partyin', holdin'-her-liquor Queen isn't goin' soft.  No...I'm just adding another segment in my FitLife.  Turns out, I am so careful about what I put into my body on a regular basis that it just can't tolerate when I throw it a curve ball.

But guess what?  I actually feel really great about that.  I don't drink enough to miss it, nor do I need that crutch in a social situation.  So I'm good.  I'm sure I'll face some backlash here and there.  But I hit that at every step, I've found.  Some were irritated by my zest for exercise.  Then it was the lean diet.  Now the vegetarianism.  Soon, it'll be my alcohol-free state. 

Screw 'em.  I am solid in my decision and I know my body will thank me. 

Besides, I find life so more fun when my face isn't hanging over toilet water.  Don't you?

I Work Out

My fitness goals, as you know, include increased strength, increased cardio capability, and all the healthful byproducts of that.  They also include...*clearingmythroat*...lookin' good.

They work ooouuuttt.

Yes.  I, too, am shallow.  I want to look in that mirror and think, "Day-um! She fiiiiiiiinnnnne!"  And there are certainly days when that happens.  More and more often, in fact.  There are those days, yes, when I'm bloated and exhausted and just a mass of MomBlob...but they are fewer and farther between.  Most days, I hear LMFAO blaring in my brain when I'm slipping into my size 6 jeans (they're getting a tad big, you know) or slithering into one of my FOUR bikinis.  It runs through my head as I navigate my cart through the grocery aisles and around the racks at Target.

She be workin' on her fitness.

"When I push my cart through Wegmans, this is what I see...
Everyone stops and is starin' at me.
I got muscles on my arms and I ain't afraid to show it...
I'm sexy and I know it..."

That's right.  And that's just one song.  "Fergilicious" is another that gets its fair share of play time.  Because I be workin' on my fitness, and Jackson - he's my witness.  Don't even try to tell me you're not doing this too.  I see other women who strut and wonder what song it is they've got spinning in their heads.  (I also see the nonstrutting women glaring at those of us who do strut...I gather they're listening to Gilbert Godfried narrate How To Be Unhappy And Jealous Instead Of Doing Something About Your Life...or something like that.) 

Here are the requirements for my tune wedgies:

It must be superficial and shallow, namely about lookin' fine and blowin' minds.

It must have a beat I can wigglewigglewiggle to...yeah yeah.

It must have a catchy refrain that reminds me of my superior rear/abs/delts status.

Check our her guns.

Sometimes, if I catch the eye of jealous MomBlob (and they all immediately take on the appearance of Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia), the song will make an immediate switch to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" while I smile politely yet knowingly.  I can almost hear Gilbert cackling in her head. 

So my gift to you today, dear Readers, is a little "I Got Fitness and I Know It" playlist.  Here's my personal soundtrack as I strut through my day, be it at Wegmans, Target, the public pool, or simply doin' diaper duty here at the M&M Estate.  Feel free to add your own personal "baby got BACK" tunes in the comments section.  I'm always lookin' for more ways to celebrate my outstandingness and music ranks high on that list.

The Queen's "I Got Fitness and I Know It" Playlist:
I'm Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Fergilicious - Fergie
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
Fighter - Christina Aguilera
Rumour Has It - Adele
Hanky Panky - Joan Jett
Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas
You Could Be Mine - Guns N' Roses
Does Your Mother Know - ABBA
She's Crafty - Beastie Boys
Boys - Britney Spears
Lay Your Hands On Me - Bon Jovi
Dirty - Christina Aquilera
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
Run The World (Girls) - Beyonce

Mom, Interrupted

Mornings at our humble Estate begin this way: the babe cries to alert me to his full diaper and dissatisfaction with location.  I grope my way blindly to his crib, correct problem #1 and transfer him to our bed, thereby correcting problem #2.  I typically crawl back in for a snuggle while we catch up on the previous night's installment of The Colbert Report and The Daily Show.  (Look at me, a news junkie...) 

You can see why I get excited...

Now, if you've read previous posts (which of course, you HAVE) you know that I spent much of last summer and winter prepping for my marathon by rising early for lengthy runs.  So now that I've moved on to Insanity, that's continued...or not...because actually, I have been sweatin' away during nap time.  Much less chance of interruption by children who expect to be fed or dogs that confuse linoleum with lawn. 

This morning, now...this morning...a fellow Insanity challenger tagged me in her Facebook post and that got me all kinds of antsy for my workouts (I have one to make up from yesterday as my own dear mama was up for a visit).  I stopped Colbert mid-snarkiness, put on actual clothes and started my coffee (which I needed to deal with those lawn-confused mutts and their own status updates all over my floor).  Hubby even settled the babe in with Elmo and the gang, so things were lookin' good. 

Then Hubby took a shower.  Damn him!  The babe became quite upset; the mutts desired a chance to defecate outside; I discovered itty bitty ants all around my kitchen sink; dishes needed done; the 6-year-old awoke...Damn it all to hell! 

I am currently baking banana bread and writing my blog.  Two things I can do whilst also running the household and cursing my lack of a full staff here at the M&M Estate.

It smells delicious.

But here's my point: I could say "To hell with it!" and climb back under the covers and snuggle on this incredibly stormy and gray day - and at some point, I can pretty much guarantee you'll find me and three little monkeys watching The Sandlot or Princess Bride.  HOWEVER - you will also find me (at some point, hopefully around 11 or 12) doing push-up jacks, power squats, and the like.  Because I WILL NOT ALLOW a thing like "life" to get in the way of my fitness goals. 

See, that's the excuse I am always hearing, more than any other.  (Except maybe motivation.  But then I just say, "Read my blog" and people get all transformed and shit.)  "I don't have the tiiii-iiiime."  That word - TIME - is nearly always said with a whiiiiiiiine, so right away, I am irritated.  Whiners and pansies are right at the top of my "No Way, Uh-Uh List."  I don't hang with 'em.  You wanna complain about your dissatisfaction - I'll listen.  But if I offer you ideas, if I offer you solutions - and then you prattle on searching for MORE reasons to NOT handle your shit...well, let's just say we probably won't be talking much after that.  You may be talking, but I will have stopped listening and begun contemplating the lint between my toes.

There's a difference between having the time and making the time.  You either want it or you don't.  If you don't, that's your choice.  But don't come crying to a FitGal with your scheduling woes.  I currently manage the lives of four other people and two furpeople (no one can manage a cat, so I won't even include those arrogant balls of fluff).  At any point on any given day, I am breaking up fights, disinfecting surfaces, laundering, cooking, planning, chauffering, shopping (and not the fun kind, so wipe that smirk off your face), nursing, organizing, or supervising...but that's every parent (or should be - don't even get me started!).  I'm not unique in my overpacked days - and NEITHER ARE YOU.  So save your sad story for your Facebook status.  (And please, make it vague and slightly dramatic so you get lots of attention).  I am actually too busy to listen.

Pay It Forward

My upline coach sent me this nifty little bracelet she received at the Beachbody Coach Summit in Vegas.  Bright orange with equally bright blue letters that spell out "Commit to pay it forward."  It was sent to me because she was proud of me for bringing on another coach and taking that next step towards Emerald. 

And yes, from the outside, I can see how that may all sound a tad cheesy or silly.  But from where this ever-fitter gal sits, that sounds like goals accomplished and a bright shiny future.  And paying it forward is why I started coaching in the first place.  I found my passion - sharing a love of fitness and the knowledge that each one of us can do positively incredible things when we decide and commit. 

Not much more than two years ago, I was in a rut.  A smelly, unattractive, gluttonous rut.  I smoked close to two packs a day.  My food was generally breaded, fried, or smothered in gravy or icing.  Chances that I actually prepared my food were on the very low side.  I climbed the stairs and felt winded.  I watched the kids play while I puffed my PFunks and pondered where we would order from that night.  Our shelves were fully stocked with PopTarts, multi-colored cereals, and boxes of neon macaroni-and-cheese.  Okay - I've gotta stop now, because I wanna vomit.

My third pregnancy took care of the smoking, just as each pregnancy had done before.  I desperately wanted to remain a quitter this time - and I did.  I credit that late-night informercial moment when I first laid eyes on Chalene and TurboFire. 

That singular program was exactly what I needed.  Not only was it fun, not only did I find myself looking forward to that hour every day...It pushed me to fitness levels I never thought I'd reach.  Which in turn made me wonder what MORE I could do.  So when my niece challenged me to run a half marathon with her, despite not being a runner...I said yes.  And for the first time, I began training specifically for an event.  This lit a fire under me and was that fire ever HOT!

I started looking at my nutrition; I began signing up for other events.  I tried new and harder Beachbody programs.  I felt a confidence I had not felt...well, perhaps ever.  I took the plunge and purchased my coaching kit.  And whether you believe me or not, I did it more to pay that feeling forward than to line my wallet. 

What I did not expect was the immediate welcoming of the Beachbody community.  But these people are encouraging and happy and also on a path to share a passion for fitness.  They have had the same successes and the same epiphanies.  So my story is not unique here, which makes me love my new job even more.

But of course I want to be a successful coach.  I also have confidence that I WILL be a successful coach.  I decided to do it and I am committed to doing it...so I will succeed in doing it.  Two ways to further that goal?  Push my workouts harder and up my nutrition even more. 

Do you see the cycle?  Do you see how true fitness can affect every other part of your life?  I mean, seriously...look at me now.  Smoke free.  Down three sizes.  Cooking my own freakin' applesauce.  I shit you not.  I made my own applesauce.  And my own energy bars.  And a seriously fabulous Mexican lasagna.  All vegetarian, all made in my kitchen.  Know what else I did today?  Insanity Pure Cardio.  I killed that sucker.  And if I wanted to, I could take those stairs two at a time and not feel a thing. 

A dear friend from college thanked me today and left this quote on my Facebook profile:
"When the student is ready, the right teacher will appear. -" anonymous. She meant me.  And she's not the first, nor do I believe she is the last.  I am doing what I set out to do - spread the word.  Think of me as an evangelical fitness enthusiast.  The best part?  I am just as proud of her accomplishments as I am of my own.  I know how hard she's worked and I've seen how far she's come.  I feel lucky that she is making me a part of that. 

So life is good.  I've got some big dreams and bigger ideas to bring to fruition.  But they all stem from that commitment to paying it forward.  Some things just don't change.

1,000 Words...Or More...

You can stop pacing and biting those fingernails now.  I am finally posting more photos for my 30-Day Fit Photo Challenge!  That's right, you can breathe easy now.  The moment is here, my friend.



Day 12: Sweat

Now, where did I leave off?  I actually just had to go back and check...and HOLY CRAP!  I've got some major catching up to do!  The last you knew it was Day 11...you poor things!  You must've worried so about days 12 through 23.  Well, here you go.  A nice warm bowl of FitPhotos to start your day!

Day 12: Sweat! And boy, did I!  All the way through Plyometric Cardio Circuit, and all over my brand spankin' new Beachbody tshirt.  Decide, Commit, Succeed.  My mantra!



Day 13: Inspired By

Day 13: Inspired By.  I am inspired by Chalene Johnson, over and over and over again.  The woman is a teeny tiny powerhouse in all facets of life.  If you follow me at all, you are already aware of my extreme fitness crush on Chalene. She's strong, not skinny. She's motivating, not annoying. She's relentless, not obnoxious. Plus the woman has an incredible shoe collection.



Day 14: YUM!

Day 14: Yum! Shakeology.  Plain and simple.  I love the flavor, I love the way it makes my body feel, I love its convenience and versatility.  You should buy it.  Today.

Day 15: Got Muscle?

Day 15: Got Muscle?  Shit yeah, I do!  This is my "before" pic for the Let's Go Crazy! Insanity Challenge Group.  I am expecting bigger and better guns in the coming weeks, so be prepared for intense bragging and posturing.

Day 16: Love This Workout.  Did I really need to tell you?  I don't think so...


Day 16: Love This Workout



Day 17: On My Way

Day 17:  On My Way...Dug out an old "before" pic just for comparison's sake.  This was taken on  1/17 of this year. I don't even need to look at a present photo to know that I am indeed ON MY WAY. I could check the clothes I'm wearing - all smaller sizes. Or the donation bag I just tossed those pants in two days ago. Or the garbage can that sports bra went into a week ago. But like I said, no need. I know I am ON MY WAY.

Day 18: Fitness Friend. My fitness friend is the Hubster. He is my cheerleader and partner during training and events and my caretaker after. His support has given me the foundation and the room to come this far...and will push me to new levels in the future.

Day 19: My Reward.  MEDALS! RECOGNITION! BRAGGING RIGHTS! All good stuff.



Day 19: My Reward

Day 20: My Gym (for now)...I still have great visions of my garage-turned-gym-haven, but until then...this is where the magic happens.

Day 21: Abs.  They fluctuate, sure, but they're still miles better than this time last year.  Or even earlier this year...(Refer to Day 17)

Day 22:  Breakfast.  Another Shakeology shout-out.  My breakfast is the same 99% of the time - Shakeology and black coffee.  Suprisingly, I am totally cool with that.



Day 23: No Longer Need.  I have progressed beyond the five pounders and shrunken below the mediums.  And who needs a scale when you've got new clothes to prove your smaller, fitter size?  Gimme a tape measure and a bikini over a scale any day!  (Ironically, I actually weigh more now than I did at the start of this challenge, but I am smaller.  Must be all those new muscles.)

So there you have it!  Only a week left to go.  Wanna know what challenge I've got lined up for next month?  Go to my SweatItOut fan page on Facebook and find out!  Join us, even!  Because you too can be awesome.

No Excuses

As I sit here and shiver through a layer of salt and sweat, I cannot help but be reminded of just how incredible I am.  Today was Cardio Resistance - lots of power moves, lots of upper body work.  It may be hard for you to hear this, but...my upper body is not as strong as I would like.  I know.  I know.  It saddens me too.  But that's why we work on it!  Well, that's why I work on it and then you read about it later.  Weak muscles are not an excuse to stop; they are a reason to press on!

So when I began this program, I could not do a single moving pushup.  Rewind, and let me explain.  If you were to find me at any other point during my day and ask me to give you a good set of moving pushups, I could fairly easily do so.  But when Shaun T demands them at the end of Cardio Resistance, I am already spent from globe jumps, power squats, v-pushups, and the like.  My lil ol' shoulders are at failure.  So up until today, I was modifying with regular or (gag!) "girly" pushups.  Again, I know.  My head hangs in shame.  Or it would...if I hadn't actually DONE those moving pushups today.  It's okay...your applause is welcome here.  Clap away!

I did 'em.  I had to take breaks, but I did 'em.  And I followed with the ever dreaded floor sprints.  Normally, my shoulders and arms are so taxed by that point that I simply cannot hold my sweaty self up.  Normally, I modify by doing standing mountain climbers.  Normally, I am slightly disappointed in my weak upper body.  Today, I was not normal.  (Hahaha.  Shut it.)  Today, I am about to bust outta my sneakers with pride.  It's working!  It's paying off!  Rope Climb 2013, here I come!!!! I may just knock that damn bell OFF instead of ringing it when I reach the top. 

I feel good.  I can barely keep my hands from sliding off the keyboard and have no idea how I'm going to wash my hair, but I feel good.  I DID IT. 

Loading My Plate

This is what's on my plate (almost literally) for the weekend:

Insanity workouts.
Vegetarian shopping (with added chicken and fish for Hubby and the babe).
Closet organization (which has little to do with my FitLife, but is quite high on my priority list right now).
Date with the Werewolf (at the very top of the list).

So, yes...some of these are obvious pieces to my FitLife journey, others maybe not so obvious.  I'm guessing I don't need to explain Insanity whatsoever.  But I'm also guessing a few of you may be curious as to how exactly that is going.  Um...AWESOME.  (In my head, I hear an old cheer we used to use: "A-W-E! S-O-M-E! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome, are WE!" Good.  Now you hear it too.)  I didn't take an extra break until I hit minute 34, and it was because my shoulders gave out, not my lungs.  Upper body has always been my toughest area to tackle, but I'm soldiering right through.  Next week, the goal is 35 minutes.  It WILL happen.

And I promised I would explain further my wading in the vegetarian pool.  I've been wrestling with it on an emotional level for quite some time, but what finally tipped the scales was a picture that caught my eye on Pinterest.  It caught my eye because it was a photo of my favorite, dreamiest Beatle, Sir Paul.  And the quote got me.  So, enough with the meat.  I have gone this route before, but fell off the meatless wagon.  Something tells me this time, it'll stick.  I'd bet my boots the support this time around will be a thousandfold of what existed before.  So thanks in advance to my meatless pals. 

Closet organization really does fit in, I swear!  My mind is clearer when my spaces are uncluttered.  The closet is the first in a long line of "re-do's" around the M&M Estate.  Partially because I simply am done with the every-morning frustration of sorting through clothing to find something that fits (this time, because it's all gotten too big! Woot!).  Partially because I tend to do my workouts earlier in the day when I don my sports bras and shorts first thing, which in turn leads to a generally more productive day.  See?  Told you there was logic and connection.  You really ought to believe me when I say stuff.

The date with the Werewolf? you ask.  Where does that fit?  It's good for Mama's mental health, for one.  There is no one else on the planet that can make me laugh like that boy can, nor is there an easier-goin' creature in this household.  He is an easy person to be around, and I have come to appreciate easy people.  And for two, he's shopping with me to gather those vegetarian foodstuffs.  I always view grocery trips with kiddos as lessons in nutrition and money.  So we'll have some good convo on both topics and he will (I hope) come away with a greater understanding of our shifting diet and how to best budget our cash flow at Wegmans.

That's what's on my plate today.  What are you filling yours with?

Who Needs a Door, Anyway?

Are you prepared for a little honesty?  Because I am about to drop a BOMB on you folks.

I am human.  I know, right? Pick your jaw up off that floor though and listen. Because here comes another bomb: I eat junk food, too.

There, it's out, I said it! I'm gonna be totally straight with you.  Those Hershey bars I bought so we could make s'mores?  Gone.  Every.  Last.  One.  Did we make s'mores?  No.  Which means between now and replenishing the supply, I must once again gain control over Midnight Miller, Raider of the Freezer and Pillager of the Snack Basket.  I have no true excuse.  Yes, my appetite is in overdrive with Insanity, but we have plenty of healthy options in the house.  Matter of fact, pretty much every other option in the house is healthy.  I just chose to zero in on the ONE thing I should not be chowing down on. 

Now, a friend recently asked me to blog about what I eat and where my recipes come from.  So there's my admission of chocolate above (damn you, Milton Hershey!).  But a typical day would look more like this:

Breakfast: Shakeology (today was Tropical Strawberry, almond milk, frozen blackberries and frozen mango) and black coffee.  (I really did attempt to leave coffee behind and replace it solely with green tea. I've accepted that I am just not gonna do that long term.)

Snack: Clif/Luna/P90X bars...My current favorites are Clif Peanut Butter Crunch and Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick and Coconut Something-or-other.  They are easy, they pack a protein punch, and they taste good.  That's my kinda food, right there.  Also, I usually add in a piece of fruit for extra sweetness.

Lunch: leftovers or a hodgepodge salad comprised of various leftovers.  Typically, Hubby will grill all chicken and steak at the beginning of the week so that during the week, we have only to dump it onto a plate or into a salad and presto! Meals take five minutes to make.  That's my kinda cookin', right there.  My goal is to include as many colors as I can with the veggies on hand, plus eggs, meat, or feta for some protein.  Dressing is typically a balsamic vinaigrette or a classic italian.  We have done away with the "light" or "lowfat" dressings because they're just silly and full of stuff we don't want.

Snack: fresh fruits and either nuts, cottage cheese, or yogurt.  This is likely to change in the near future, as is much of the diet listed above.  For various reasons that I'll lay out in another blog, I am heading the vegetarian route and will go back to much less dairy (my body just felt better when I wasn't sucking down milk, yogurt, and cheese at every meal).  But the fruits will stay!  

Dinner: white meat (chicken, fish, or pork) most days; steak once a week or less.  Nearly always with fresh or frozen veggies and a bowl of fruit on the table to pick from. 

What do I drink besides Shakeology and coffee?  Water.  The occasional soda when we're out to eat, although this is less and less common.  We don't keep soda or sugary drinks in the fridge, and I'm not much of a beer drinker, though Hubby keeps that stocked for his own sanity.  In the past, I was a huge milk drinker, but I gradually lessened my intake and, as previously mentioned, feel better for it. 

As for my recipes, I get them everywhere.  Jillian Michaels' Making The Cut has incredible meals all laid out, every one of them tasty.  I am a Pinterest addict and an avid collector of any and all women's fitness magazines.  I pick and choose, but will every now and then follow a specific meal plan, as I just did for Insanity.  Turns out, I am sick of meat, and that plan calls for quite a bit of it.  So this Friday, my first errand is mapped out to Barnes&Noble to pick up a copy of The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook by Tosca Reno.  I see this as the next step in my fitness and food journey.  Stay posted to see how I do with this one...

Coincidentally, our refrigerator door FELL OFF this morning.  So we will be chowing down on all things fresh today.  It's rigged to hang in there, but we don't know for how long.  I joked on Facebook that we may as well remove the shelving and dive in face first...after my workout, I just may do that.  Insanity makes Mama one hungry bear.

If you really want to see what I eat and how I work out every single day, my profile on myfitnesspal.com is totally public.  Find me and friend me (Miller343).  Having more eyes gives me more motivation to practice what I yell, scream, and preach. 

For now, though, I must go.  It is time for pinning and coffee.

Selling Point

What's life like after the Spartan Race, you ask?

Much the same. Awesome.

The SweatItOut Screamin' Spartans are already training for 2013.  I am on Day 3 of the Let's Get Crazy Insanity Challenge Group.  Hubby is on Day 3 of his P90X Challenge Group, Horton's Heroes.  I am setting up next month's Chalene Johnson Challenge Group.

And it's time to start training for the Runner's World Trifecta in October.

Why? Because I love it.  It makes me feel good, mentally and physically.  This is my raison d'etre.  Well, this and So You Think You Can Dance.  And only one of those will change when How I Met Your Mother comes back for another season.  I am fully entrenched and committed to this lifestyle.

Do you know that when I walk in my closet now, I no longer run my fingers over clothes that I wish I could wear?  Everything fits now.  There is no desperate search, no trying on and rejecting, no sweaty, tear-filled proclamation that "I have nothing to wear!"  (Shoes, slightly different.  Although I recently decided to not care what anyone else thought of my missing toenails.  I'm a runner and an athlete.  If you can pull your eyes away from these abs and biceps to look at my toes, have at it.)

I don't feel guilty when I eat the occasional treat anymore.  Even when it's more than occasional.  Because I know I'm going to kick my own ass in to a gear so high, not even a wedge of chocolate cake will have time to settle in.  Of course, my body typically craves fruits and veggies and fish now, so treats have changed. 

Last summer, I searched for board shorts and capris.  This summer, I found myself shopping amongst the "shortie shorts," as my daughter and I call them.  These quad muscles are too fierce to hide away.  I would be sad when fall comes if I didn't know that my newer, higher butt was going to look oustanding in some new jeans. 

Join me, won't you?  You know where to find me by now (Facebook, Team Beachbody, hotmail, twitter, linkedin...).  Challenge group or no challenge group, you still get me.  And there's my selling point. 

I AM SPARTAN!

Mud. Smoke. Roaring. Half-naked, dirty people smiling and limping. Yep.  We were in the right spot. 

My nerves were gone as soon as my eyes opened. I was just plain excited to tackle those obstacles and run those hills! Not even the packing up of the entire M&M Clan for a muddy full-day outing put a damper on my enthusiasm (typically, attempted organization of 6 slightly insane Clan members is enough to put Mama over the edge, especially without coffee).  We ate; we dressed; we left.  We even had the werewolf's wrestling mix to pump us up as we drove off to Blue Mountain. Although, to be honest, Crazy Train pretty much sets the tone anytime we all pack into the minivan.

Registration was simple and organized and volunteers were helpful and cheerful.  I mention this because I've been to events where this is not at all the case (I'm speaking to you, mean guy at Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Providence, RI).  From the moment we arrived until our dramatic departure, there was not a single cranky volunteer or staff person.  For that, I thank you, Spartan Race.  Ooh and rah.

After the flurry of "clean" pics, we left the monkeys in the capable hands of Grandma and Papa and scurried to our starting line.  Mudslingers were ready to RACE!  I couldn't resist hopping in place and slapping Hubby's back every now and again as the Spartan Guy shouted our pep talk into the mic and our entire heat began screaming, "I AM SPARTAN!"  And then we were off in a cloud of smoke and dust, immediately running uphill (this is the beginning of a theme) for the first 1/2 mile or so.  Our first obstacles were wall jumps.  I told Hubby I thought I needed help; turns out I DID NOT. Yes, I am even more incredible than previously thought. You may gasp now. I hoisted and jumped over and through, rolled under, jumped back up. LOVED IT.  We high-fived and ran towards our first descent.

The Mudslingers

That's when it happened.  One moment, he was right there in front of me (wearing his "Why go to Bangor when you can Mount Bethel?" camo tshirt), the next he was rolling on the ground in pain.  Twisted ankle, we thought.  He bravely stood back up and we moved on, thinking this but a minor stumbling block. Then he stepped in a gopher hole and went down again. SOAB.

We discovered post-race that he indeed suffered a nasty sprain.  I say "post-race" because we finished.  He stuck it out and did nearly every obstacle (substituting pushups for burpees when obstacles required a bit too much weight on the ankle) and that crazy mother FINISHED another grueling four and a half MILES to get his Spartan medal.  HE IS SPARTAN.

So how was the race?  Not totally what I expected.  Perhaps because it was longer than typical Spartan Sprints, the trails between obstacles were longer than I had anticipated.  After nearly every obstacle, we walked uphill (there's that theme again).  And a side note: because of the added length, the huge portion of uphill trails, and the entire setup - even the race organizers were labeling this particular Spartan Sprint a "mini Beast."  Word on the route from other racers was that this was the most difficult mud race any of them had ever done, including past Spartans and Tough Mudders.  I take this as a sign that we will kill all future mud races in which we have no injuries.

Back to the race!  Obstacles I failed to complete: rope climb, monkey bars, spear toss, climbing wall.  I will be working on upper body strength A LOT.  And I will be ordering a spear kit at some point.  Which also means I will be making a hay target, perhaps with interchangeable faces of those on "my list."  The climbing wall - BOGUS.  I was unaware of the rules, put my toe on the first block, stepped back to question the volunteer, and she sent me to do my burpees for removing that toe.  The goal was to climb across the wall without stepping off said wall.  Which I fully believe I could have done.  Still, I sucked it up and tucked my newfound knowledge away for future races.  Overall, I did 120 burpees yesterday.  I learned that I do indeed hate burpees, just as previously thought. 

Obstacles I found relatively easy: the pulley, walls and water obstacles of all sorts, rope climbing up hills.  At the pulley, the girl next to me asked amid grunts and heavy breathing, "How much does this weigh?" - referring the to the cement blocks we were to pull up and then slowly bring down.  Turns out, they were forty pounds. I smirked a bit at her incredulity, and asked, "No kids?"  I was right.  Any mama worth her salt would've had no problem.  Our arms are made for lifting. 

The walls were just fun, whether made of wood or rope.  I loved the steep climbs using ropes to pull up.  The water obstacles felt delicious after the humidity of the trail, even when dragging a cement block like a demented sort of pet rock through the mud and sludge. 



Post Fire Jump

The pancake drill nearly did me in.  At first it seemed easy; I grabbed my 20-lb pancake and headed down the steep descent, passing many other racers (Hubby waited this one out, so I took the opportunity to move more quickly).  At the bottom of the hill, I rounded the corner to begin the climb.  No lie, readers, it looked like a Civil War scene.  Bodies were lying across the hill, motionless, pancakes beside them.  I used my momentum to start but man, that hill was steep.  FOCUS AND GO (in Shaun T's voice) became my mantra as I pushed through my legs and charged up, taking breaks when I could go no further.  I refused to lie or sit down for fear I wouldn't get back up.  I went into floor sprint position and moved my pancake ahead of me as far as I could and repeated that process for about 1/3 of the climb.  Then I remembered my Mama Bear arms, cradled that God-forsaken pancake in my arms, and sucked it up.  Hubby was waiting with congrats at the top of the hill and informed me that I had actually passed quite a few other racers and made excellent time.  I had no idea; my eyes had been focused on the ground beneath me, just as they often were when marathon training took me over hills.  My theory holds: all ground looks the same when it's under your feet.  When attacking hills, never look forward or back.  Focus on the moment and PUSH THROUGH. 


"Clean" Pic

I had been looking forward to the barbed wire crawl (seriously. I enjoy getting dirty!)  but found it slightly more difficult than I had expected.  First, much better to roll through than crawl through, especially if you've got a bootylicious backside like mine.  Second, you get dizzy from all that rolling.  Third, you ought to wear goggles, especially if you've got contacts.  Dirt in the contact is not fun, nor was getting sprayed in the face with a hose because the chick in front of me was moving too slow (she didn't want to get dirty).  Overall, I still liked it.  I felt stealthy and badass.

Favorite obstacle?  Jumping the fire.  The sheer coolness factor and doing it in front of the spectator crowd made it a high point.  Hubby even made the jump with the at-that-point-incredibly-swollen ankle.  He is one tough engineer. 

From the finish line we went straight to first aid.  From first aid, we went straight to the Estate, showered, and headed to the ER.  With crutches and Miller High Life, Hubs is feeling much better and quite pleased.  The monkeys are quite impressed with their dad's toughness.  And now he has a fabulous story.

And the kids? Just look the pictures! They loved it and can't wait to go back next year. When asked their favorite part - "MUD!"  That girl - she already kicks serious ass at monkey bars, outclimbing all the boys with ease.  And she loves the down-and-dirty of the race.  She's a future Spartan Chick for certain. Does her Mama right proud.




JUNIOR SPARTANS!



Now that I've made the full report...It's time to start looking ahead to 2013! I am forming a team for July 13, 2013...If we can get enough people, we can have our VERY OWN HEAT.  This is my goal.  Help me reach it!  We need a good name and awesome numbers...If you're ready to race with this gal, message me or leave a post on my SweatItOut Facebook page (there's a link over on the right).  Let's turn this motherf#$&er OUT next year, whaddaya say? You could be SPARTAN!!!!





Post Race with my future Spartan