Earning It

You know what happens when you're so full of awesome it starts leaking out your pores? People try to steal it.  True story. 

Most of the time, it's quite flattering.  I get a rush of my own motivation when I learn others are motivated by this very blog right here.  Love that.  I feel all pumped up when new fans are added to my Facebook fan page and actually interact there.  That is fantastic.  And I jump at the chance to babble on and on about my Fit Life passions when people have questions about their very own fitness pursuits.  Adore this.  These are three of the reasons I choose to keep my accounts public.  So everyone has access to my awesomeness.  (And my business - don't forget to check out those hot little ads flashing to your right.)  All I ask in return is...don't be a behind-the-scenes stalker.  Don't twist all this positivity into bitterness.  You ain't gots ta be jealous - this club does not boast exclusive membership.  Everyone can join.

I'm gonna warn all you newbies now: when others see your results, they typically have one of two reactions.  1: "You look incredibly healthy! Tell me how you achieved such amazing results so I can do that too!" or 2. "You look incredibly healthy! I am very jealous and want to tear you down!"  See, most of you reading this fall under that first group, and I just love ya to pieces!  We're going places, you and I!  You've joined my KickOffSummer Challenge group; you've messaged me, FB'd or tweeted me, you've double-tapped my pics on Instagram.  You ROCK.  Keep motivating me, please!  You're doing wonders for my abs. 

Now you folks in Group 2...how come?  Haters don't have to hate.  And haters don't have to imitate.  See, we Group 1 people appreciate individuality.  You know the saying, "You were born an original...don't be a copy?"  That's good stuff, right there.  Learn it.  Know it.  Live it.  And relax.  Take all that energy you're expending on bitterness, jealousy, and cutting down and put it into a really fabulous workout.  Amazing things will happen for you!  Your shoulders will drop down away from your steaming ears; your frown will turn upside down; your entire ass will unclench.  And hey, we'll be right here with open toned arms, just waiting to crush you in fit hugs and slap your back with genuine praise. 

But until you make that forward step...you just motivate me.  You fuel my workouts.  Your disdain and surety that I can't do it makes me certain that I can.  My advice to you?  Until you reclaim your sanity, step aside so you don't get run over.  This here train...it's movin' at full speed and there ain't nothin' you can do to stop it.

Shake n' Bake, Baby

In case you are not aware, summer has begun.  The kiddos are home ALL. DAY. LONG.  The weather is HOT and HUMID.  Workout conditions are LESS THAN IDEAL.  Does that mean we don't work out?  Do we put our goals on the backburner?  Are we giving these questions any merit whatsoever?  I think not.

Myself, I love the heat.  I love the sun.  I love the being outside with minimal clothing.  However...running only happens when I drag my weary ass out of bed at 5 am (5:30 at the latest) or on the weekends - because Hubby is there to tend to all of our wee ones.  Seeing as how I plan to run my next marathon in September, I foresee the coffee pot percolating much earlier this week.  As for my non-run days...I am back to the ever-so-glamorous living room, navigating amongst the board books and myriad "guys."  Someday...someday...I will have my dream garage...

And when I say I love the heat...well, I love it when I'm basking next to the pool.  Okay, when I'm following the babe from one spot to the next around the pool.  But still.  I love the heat when we're playing with the dogs in the backyard or pushing swings at the park.  When I'm doing a HIIT workout followed by lifting...I am much more of an air-conditioned sort of gal.  I drop approximately 80,000 gallons of sweat (that's a conservative estimate) during any singular workout session.  I don't feel the need to take it up a notch by adding summer's warmth.  And I'm pretty sure anyone within an aromatic distance agrees.

So I may be bakin', but baby, I'm still shakin'.  I can't get out in the morning?  Then I wait till naptime.  I can't get that darn babe to sleep?  Then I wait till Hubby says, "Honey, I'm home!"  There are days I'm waiting until bedtime, but there are never days when I simply say, "I give up."  I removed those words from my vocabulary a long time ago, my friend.  And you should, too.

Heat, shmeat.  Time, shmime.  Too hot?  Go inside to the AC.  Don't have enough time?  That's crap and you know it.  You're never gonna find the time.  You have to make the time.  What is more important than your overall health?  Updating another status?  Pinning another photo?  Watching one more rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond?  (But hey, seriously...that's one freakin' funny show.)  You know how you schedule appointments, meetings, playdates?  Schedule your workout.  One hour of your day, tops.  Who can't carve out an extra hour?  Four kids.  Starting a business.  Returning to a career.  Still managing one to two hours 5 to 6 days a week.  You want to lay out your reasons for me?  Please do.  So I can tell you to shut it and get back to sweatin'.  Hate me now, thank me later. 

Now start shakin' and bakin', baby.  We got work to do!

The Word of the Year

The word of the year seems to be "motivation."  Who has it, who doesn't.  Who needs it, lost it, harnessed it, found it.  Without it, your ass is glued to the couch, the bed, the chair.  With it, your ass is shakin' to the beat of life.  So what's the secret, you ask?  How do I get me some of that, you wonder?  Well, come here...lean in close...

...I don't know.

Because it's different for everyone.  What worked for me may not work for you.  That doesn't mean I'm not going to go on and on and on about what worked for me.  Trust me, I will be babbling about what worked for me long after the cows come home from wherever they've been (and seriously, why are those cows always leaving home and where exactly are they going? Party animals.).  But you need to figure out what motivates you.  And, in my own personal experience, I find there are different sorts of motivation I require at different times.  So...I am, once again, about to extoll the virtues of what motivates me and how and when.  (That is why you stopped by, isn't it?)

Motivation Sort #1: What Gets Me Off My Inert Ass.  Before the sweating even starts, there's the battle of simply starting.  Which often times is the biggest battle of all.  Whether you're slidin' outta bed before the rooster even consideres crowing (hey, I live in rural PA.  Deal with the farm imagery.) or your workouts have to wait until...well, until the owls start hooting (sorry)...it's often that simple decision of lacing up your shoes, shrugging into that sports bra, pulling on those shorts.  There are different things that get my blood pumping.  Sometimes, the thought of the workout itself is enough.  I love flexing my new muscles and pushing my lungs to capacity...most of the time.  But - and I'm about to spill something top secret here - I'm HUMAN.  No, seriously.  There are moments when even I, the SweatItOut Queen, do not care to sweat it out at all.  I can blame fatigue, boredom, anemia, injury.  The fact is, when I don't wanna, it's mostly just that I don't wanna. 

That's when I gotta pull out the big guns.  (That's imagery that goes along with rural PA as well.)  See, now my hobby is my business.  Those five extra pounds could be five less orders, five less clients.  This often keeps me in line late at night when the rest of my household companions are snoring peacefully (and quite loudly, thus my wakefulness) and I find my tastebuds hankering for something coated in either chocolate or breading.  Anyway - I digress.  I am motivated by my strong desire for my business to succeed.  There's one way to get my rear in gear.

Other ways include sipping on E&E Formula (takes me from negative energy to SURPLUS ENTHUSIASM in ten minutes or less), watching Insanity or TurboFire infomercials, perusing Pinterest for motivational pictures of fit bodies.  Anything to remind me of how I'm gonna feel when I'm all done.  Which is not guilty, not regretful, not tired.  Sweat instills the exact opposite of those feelings in me. 

So I got started.  What more does one need, you may ask.  Let me tell you!  You need Motivation Sort #2: What Keeps My Ass Moving.  Because sometimes, you may have the get-up-n-go to start but not the drive to finish.  Some workouts just plain BITE IT. You know the ones.  The programs you started with the best of intentions and the highest levels of excitement only to shove them guiltily into a darkened corner so as not to be reminded of their existence.  For me, it was spinning.  Now, I have friends who ADORE spinning and I am incredibly happy they have discovered their soul mate workout.  I bought my padded shorts.  I shuffled into class faithfully...for about three weeks.  Not for me.  Turns out MY soul mate workout was TurboFire (I may have mentioned this once or twice).  I find Chalene Johnson to be highly motivating at EXACTLY the points I require her to be so.  When she yells, "YOU'RE NOT TIRED!" at the moment I am ready to toss my weighted gloves aside...well...I find I am NOT TIRED.  I believe her.  And that little mantra, in her voice, clicks in my head during some hard runs as well.  So to sum up this point: FIND YOUR SOULMATE WORKOUT.  Not only will it resolve Sort #2, it may even resolve Sort #1.

And then, of course, there is Motivation Sort #3: What Makes Me Do It Again.  And Again.  And Again.  And...well, you get the picture.  If my soul mate workout begins to feel stagnant (which can happen from time to time; thankfully, we always reconnect enthusiastically), I have other programs I love nearly as much - HipHop Abs, P90X, yoga, RUNNING, QiDANCE, step, ChaLEAN Extreme.  I also have the reminders of my upcoming events.  Can't brag if I don't do 'em.  Can't do 'em if I don't train.  I like to brag.  A LOT.  So that's a preeeettty big motivator, right there.  I enjoy looking at photos of myself from events and seeing how much fitter I am than I was at my previous event.  Makes me feel kinda good about me. 

And now, I have this Challenge Group.  They make it all fun and stuff.  Their daily photos and their incredible support of each other (though most of them have never met) is highly motivating.  We are only on the fourth day, and I'm already dreading Day 30 when I turn them loose.  Which is why I need to get my fix with another group.  I have become a Challenge junkie.

These are just some of the things that work for me.  When you stop back, you'll hear them again, but they'll be sprinkled with other ways I trick myself.  I can only take you so far...you know, you can lead a horse to water (thought I was done with the animals, didn't ya?)...but you can't make him put on running shoes and sprint around the track.  Find your WHY.  Polish it up, make it all shiney, give it a spot on the mantle.  Then get to sweatin'.

National Day of Running??? WHAT?!?

Today is National Running Day! I only became aware of this outstanding celebration yesterday, but darn tootin' I'm taking part.  Partly because I have a run scheduled for today anyway, but also because I love the idea of celebrating running!  You know why I adore running? Just in case you don't, I'm gonna tell you.

I love the freedom of it.  As in, it's cheap.  Equipment is minimal - you get yourself a good solid pair of running shoes, and you're set.  The rest - the iPod, the watch, the fuel belts - are add-ons.  You don't have to have them. 

Setting out for an early morning run

I love the solitary aspect.  Yes, I'm a people person most of the time.  That's how come I crave alone time.  For the majority of the day, I am busy cramming my thoughts into other people's heads and trying to process the myriad little voices that are fighting to enter my own head.  (Although, to be fair, those little voices share a basic unifying thought: "MOM!" Apparently, just saying that one. singular. word. over and over is entertainment enough.) 

I love the sense of accomplishment I get from a long run.  I enjoy my TurboFire, my P90X, my HipHop Abs, and my QiDANCE...but the feeling after a long run is just...separate. Because just last year, right around this time, I could barely eke out 20 minutes.  Running is a measurable accomplishment, a way for me to say, again, that my body is capable of amazing things.

My first race medal

I love running for the sense of peace I receive during a long run.  And by long run, I mean longer than an hour and preferably longer than two. It takes me that first hour to find my place, my zen, my stride.  After that, the freedom and the solidarity combine and my world takes on a rosier hue.  Cars may pass; their sounds are muted.  The sun can shine; the rain can fall; the wind can blow...everything just adds to the moment.  For me, running is the only workout I have found that offers this sense of quiet, this sense of relaxation during maximum effort.  I think more clearly; problems that plague me before my feet hit the asphalt suddenly sort themselves out and seem small. 



Finishing my first marathon

I love the sense of community among runners.  Experienced runners are consistently enthusiastic about helping beginners; elite runners rejoice in the amateur runners' race times.  Picture a dog finding another dog.  For them, that moment is ALWAYS AMAZING.  In their world of humans, they have discovered another canine at last.  Runners are the same way.  Don't believe me? Attend any race, walk into any runner's store, and find someone who's been running for years.  Tell them you're new to the game and ask advice...and be prepared to chat for a good length of time. 

I love that I can share it with my kids.  Sure, the runs will be shorter and slower.  But someday, I imagine that we will be completing 5k's, 10k's, half marathons, and full marathons together.  My daughter especially has a natural runner's gait and a wonderful speed.  I am already envious of her potential as a runner, as I am of the slow-and-steady variety. 

Take this National Day of Running as a sign, a hint, a reason...and lace up! Step out! Go RUNNING!  Clear your head; find your zen; feel that pride.  All you've gotta do is put on your shoes and GO.

The Dark Side

Did you know that I enjoy working out from time to time?  Little known fact, but I do.  And did you also know that I recently shrunk rather dramatically, thus requiring many articles of new clothing?  Also true!  All my hard work, sweat, dedication, and perserverance really paid off.  The problem?  I have yet to discover a store that wishes to provide me with this new clothing free of charge.

And it isn't just new jeans I require.  Suddenly, my underwear will not stay put (and not for the same reasons as when I was in college - I keed, I keed).  The once relatively bodacious twins - gone.  I am no longer filling out my undergarments! And, sadly, I am next-to-last in line when it comes to replacing wardrobe pieces (Hubby, like most men, bought every article of clothing he will ever need before he earned his degree).  So, please - do not judge me if you should see me about town with my pants gathered around my ankles.  It's not what you think.

Old Navy - CHEAP!

To add to my wardrobe dilemma is the daily issue of workout wear.  I did not anticipate shrinking so much that even spandex would become too loose a material.  Tuck jumps are fairly challenging in their own right without the extra danger of losing one's shorts.  And those once-glorious twins?  They need smaller housing during exercise as well.  I thought I was quite clever when I began doubling up the sports bras to provide the necessary support.  Alas...the double layer is beginning to prove ineffective. 

Even my crosstrainers are too big!  I know, that's from wear-and-tear.  I do not suddenly have teeny tiny totties.  But still.  Yet another article to purchase.  *sigh*

What's an exercise addict to do???

Ghosts - $25!

LOOK FOR DEALS! WATCH FOR SALES!  I discovered $8 and $10 sports bras at Old Navy alongside $15 compression shorts and yoga pants.  Running shorts were half off at Dick's last week.  Target has suprisingly quality socks and sports bras (the shorts are a tad...well...matronly...) for pretty decent prices.  I am constantly on the lookout for deals, seeing as how I now spend about 3/4 of my time in workout wear.  Just before my marathon, I spotted Brooks Ghosts (my current favorite running shoe) for TWENTY-FIVE BUCKS at Aardvark Sports Shop!  Holy cheapness, Batman!  The inexpensive-yet-quality crosstrainers are proving quite elusive, but I refuse to abandon all hope.  I know they're out there, somewhere, waiting...I will find them.  Oh, yes...I will find them...

Summa Time

First Daily Challenge: Push ups to failure

Let's talk about what excites me THIS week.  And what will be my fitness focus for the next 30 days.  I am heading up my first ever KickOffSummer Challenge, where not only am I overzealous and nagging, but everyone loves me for it!  That's my kinda group.

So what we're doing is this: getting fit.  Simple, right? Everyone can get fit. (Don't offer me any excuses.  I believe we've already covered just how I feel about excuses.) It is simple.  They decided. They've committed.  And now they're going to succeed. 

Every day, I am offering up strength moves, stretches, fit tips, mini challenges, snack suggestions, recipes...It's like a fitness smorgasboard with me as master chef.  HEAVEN.  If they complete the challenges, make the recipes, eat the snacks...they get points!  Gold stars, even!  (Well, it's all virtual, but I can say, "Hey! Great job! You get a gold star!" and they can get all happy and offer CHF's - Cyber High Fives - to the rest of the group.  Very motivating.)  And if they don't...well...I may have to get all drill sergeant-y on their asses.  Because my group is NOT for quitters.  (You're all listening, right?)

And already - SUCCESS!  We have total workout virgins all the way to workout...veterans...Anyway...we have all levels!  So there's lots of trading of ideas and advice and "this really worked for me."  Plus, those that recently started their ChaLEAN Extreme and P90X programs are already showing incredible progress.  Their pants are falling off, their arms are sore.  Stuff of beauty!  This is the sort of news that really gets my blood pumping these days.  And gets ME offa my bum and pressin' play.  I have heard it said that when a student surpasses the teacher, that is the teacher's greatest accomplishment.  Well, maybe when I'm 60 and I'm coaching a 20-year-old.  For now, I wanna be the alpha exerciser.  So I'm back to my routine FULL FORCE and joining in on all the mini challenges.  I may have to start charging for the gun show I got goin' on...

PLUS - I am that much MORE EXCITED about my NEXT challenge group beginning in July!  I'm lookin' to get insane in the membrane and crack that whip even harder.  Soooo...who's up for a CHALLENGE????  The weak need not apply...

MUAHAHAHAHAHA.

The Big Piece of the Pie

Two of the four in one big ass sammich

I like food.  I like food ALOT.  I have never been a girl to say, "Oh, I forgot to eat" or "I just didn't have time to eat today."  Because in my world, that cannot happen.  Hubby and the monkeys will attest to the fact that Hungry Mommy is the siamese twin of Cranky Mommy (aka SpongeMom Angrypants).  And not so long ago, I ate what I craved.  And what I craved typically involved the four food groups: bacon, peanut butter, chocolate, and/or cheese.  My best meals combined these four pillars of nutrition in myriad ways, one of the all-time favorites being PB&B sandwiches (peanut butter & bacon, of course).  So why, then, was I so totally mystified that working out was not giving me all the muscle definition I so desired?  I was one of THEM.  One of those who wants so badly for something to be true that I simply decide it is true and continue about my business. 

What changed?  I can't pinpoint the exact WHY or WHEN of the changing, but recently (within the past few months) something just clicked.  Like the Gods of Nutrition flipped the switch in my brain from "Junkie" to "Health Nut."  Suddenly, eating properly and fueling my body instead of gorging and putting my body to sleep seemed, well...easy.  Or at least, relatively so.

Fish with Flava - ala Shaun T

Because I do nosh from time to time.  I slip.  I chow.  I nibble at the cheese plate.  But this is what I find: even when I fall off the wagon, I don't fall far.  That nibble sates me and I'm back to clean eating.  Or what I prefer to call (mostly) clean eating.  Because I am, in fact, human.  I sometimes enjoy a splurge in the calories...It's just that it is no longer a daily occurrence.  The results I want, the body I want...It isn't going to just arrive in the mail with my next Beachbody purchase.  I have to work just as hard at fueling it as I do training it.

And that's the other motivator - the training.  All that time and effort I'm expending is pretty precious to me.  Why trash it all with a poor fueling system?  Because that's really what food is for - fueling our bodies.  It's enjoyable fuel, but fuel nonetheless.  Nutella is not going to power my marathon training (yep, I'm scheduling the next already).  Taco pizza will not give me that extra edge to push through my Spartan Race.  I choose instead a diet of Shakeology, fresh veggies and fruits, and lean meats.  I drink water like it's...well, water.  I am eliminating soda and refined sugars.  I am gradually going organic and gluten free.  When I shop, I shop the perimeters of the grocery store because that's where they keep the good stuff. 

Healthy cranberry scones

And that word I just used..."diet."  I typically dislike that word.  I do not approve of the connotations that it carries, the ideas of restriction and temporariness.  Because eating correctly is not about restriction and it should never be temporary.  This is a lifestyle - and a rewarding one at that.  I feel better, I look better...In fact, I look better now than I did in my teens and 20's (I just have more laugh lines, but laughter suits me).  I am fitter than I have ever been and I just keep getting better.  My awesomeness levels are higher every day...I simply cannot help myself.  Which means, you know...you can do the same thing.  You can actually DO IT instead of just TALKING ABOUT DOING IT. 

As a parent, I feel it's my job to show by example.  Unfortunately, they've had seven or so years of bacon lust as an example, so we're learning together.  They are surprisingly receptive to fresh fruit, learning to accept the vegetables, and thoroughly enjoying the lean meats.  Treats are treats and they are not every day.  We don't keep soda or sugar drinks in our house and even school snacks have gone organic (we made the switch from Oreos to Newman-Oh's and Goldfish to Cheddar Bunnies without a single complaint).  So again, it's doable.  There's no excuse of "my kids just won't eat that."  When ours do whine about yet another healthy dinner (and it happens because they're KIDS), I allow that they can choose dinner entrees, too...when they get a job, do the shopping, and learn to cook.  Until then, we eat what I cook (or, to be honest, what Hubby cooks.  And he cooks what I plan and buy). 

My daily breakfast

My whole point today is this: if I can put down the Thin Mints, the Diet Cokes, and the Funyuns...anyone can.  It's less about willpower and more about a singular decision: do you want to continue wishing for health and fitness, or do you actually want to have it?