Blue Jean Baby

This weekend was - in a word - FAN-F*#$ING-TABULOUS.  So grab your coffee, lean back, kick your feet up, and listen.  Because I wanna tell you aaaaalllll about it.

Size FOUR. 

First up - didn't workout once.  Sorry...didn't mean to make you spit out your coffee in shock.  But it's true!  Normally, not a reason for fantabulousness.  And I should rectify that statement by saying I had no formal workout.  I did, however, walk my lil' butt off.  Literally.  As Hubby and I perused the Gettysburg Outlets, I walked that lil' butt right into a pair of size four jeans.  I never thought these hips or quads would see the day!  But I was walking right out of the 6's I had on, so I figured I'd make the attempt.  Left the store with spankin' new skinny jeans AND trousers.  BOTH 4's.  And all this after a month of that nasty scale not budging.  So once again, I am proven RIGHT.  Screw the scale!  Use the jeans!

And now I'm extra energized for my back-to-back workouts today (Insanity and an easy run).  My legs feel strong, my lungs feel ready, and my enthusiasm is obnoxiously high.  Sometimes, I need a break to remind me just how much I love what I do.

Mine at last!

Second - Hubby surprised me with a chinup bar AND Selectech dumbbells!!!! Now, of course we left on our mini-vacay before I had the chance to use either piece of equipment.  And of course nothing in my training currently necessitates either piece of equipment.  But I cannot keep my sweaty paws off of 'em so I see a lifting session in my very near future (translation: Babe's naptime).  I've been dreaming lustily of this since I helped Hubby carry the weights inside on Friday.  Today, my dreams reach fruition.  *blissfulsigh*

LOVE!

Third - I discovered our favorite restaurant in Gettysburg (Gettysburg Eddie's) has added a vegetarian menu!  I was not relegated to pale lettuce leaves and lemon water!  Instead, I feasted on portabella, roasted red peppers, and an incredibly vibrant salad.  My drool is making the keyboard kind of slippery...My only regret nutrition-wise while we were out and about?  Nary a blender in sight so no Shakeology for TWO DAYS!  And I forgot to take my vitamins along, so I was feeling mildly sluggish by the time we returned to the M&M Estate last evening.  Today, however, all is good and back on track.  Shakeology has been consumed and Mama is on the verge of a workout.  Things are back to healthy!

Last (but not nearly least) - I handed out copies of my book to my sisters and my mom.  Autographed and everything!  There's something about a book that just feels good in my soul.  Those are my words and my ideas between those covers...and that's my name on the front cover.  My bucket list would be shorter if I wasn't constantly adding new goals to replace those accomplished.

It's good for your FitLife AND your soul.

Great weekend.  But it's over...and now we're movin' into a new week, a new school year, and a new challenge group.  Just because I've had an awesome three days, don't expect me to slow down and become a slug.  I've got plenty of awesome to keep going.

Can I Get A WootWoot?

Let's take a moment to truly appreciate just how far I have come, shall we?  A moment to reflect on the changes and triumphs of the last year, a nod to my goals reached and accomplishments made.  Because, well..freakin' BOOYAH, BABY!  I've busted out of so many ruts the path ahead is all smooth now.



Last summer, I was wearing a body covering black bathing suit (we all know the benefits of black), the skirt very thoughtfully covering my thighs.  This summer?  BAM.  That's a leopard print bikini, and it's one of FOUR bikinis I sported all summer long.  I have actual abs now and I really want everyone to get a good look at 'em.  On particularly good days, I find myself looking for an excuse to run errands in workout gear so strangers can be motivated by my gloriousness as well. 

Last summer, I started running and completed my first half marathon, donned in a long running skirt and tank top.  This summer, I emerged from a winter of beastly training and ran my first full marathon, donned in a sports bra and mini running skirt.  This summer, I completed my first Spartan Race and jumped over fire.   Last summer, I used walk/run intervals to train for my race. This summer, I am simply running as I train for the Runner's World Half Marathon and Festival.  (You may want to put on some sunglasses; my awesomeness is getting kinda blinding.)

Last summer, I was smack in the middle of TurboFire and it was the hardest workout I had ever managed to do.  This summer, I'm smack in the middle of Insanity and it IS the hardest workout I have ever done.  But I'm doing it and getting in even BETTER shape.  Traffic may stop by the time next summer rolls around...

Last summer, I was just beginning my road to a FitLife.  This summer, I am firmly entrenched and helping others as they begin wading in the SweatItOut pool.  I am running challenge groups, maintaining a business, and self-publishing a book.  I am on the road to certifications so I can get back to personal training and instructing.  I am headed towards even greater heights of awesomeness.  And the good news is - I'm taking YOU with me. 

All you gotta do is decide, commit, and succeed.  Three simple words.  The first two can be rough...but that last one is so terrifically sweet.  Trust me.  I know from personal experience.

To The Max

After a simply lovely recovery week with Insanity, I entered month two feeling strong and relaxed.  For about 30 seconds.  My intense love of Shaun T nearly spiraled into a dark hatred, that spiral being full of curses, tears, and copious amounts of salty sweat.  Then I remembered, oh right...It was I that chose to do this.  I'm doing this to myself.

And I dug deeper.

It sucked big balls, I ain't gonna lie.  I hurt.  I did not feel strong or badass or powerful.  I felt like the last kid picked for dodge ball and I wanted to curl into a little ball with some mint chocolate chip ice cream and watch Designing Women reruns.  But I didn't.  I stood tall when I could muster the strength to do so and pushed right through that workout.  And once it was over, it didn't seem so bad.

Then today, I did the next one.  SWEET MOTHER OF GOD.  I must continually remind myself that this feeling right here, this is what week one felt like.  And then week two was better.  Never easier, mind you.  Never easier, just better.  You will only understand if you are also doing or have done an intense workout - Insanity, CrossFit, TapOutX, or the like.  (And yes, I want to try the other two as well.)

Now, I get those last few paragraphs are not exactly what we in the biz call "selling points."  So let me show you some of the "pros." 

1.  I am stronger than I have ever been.  I did freakin' BALANCE PUSHUPS today.  Ten of 'em. 

2.  I am in the best cardio shape I have been in.  Running is pretty easy now, and I'm faster too.  Popped in TurboFire Fire 55 EZ the other day - still a great and fun workout, still love it - BUT...not the absolute killer it used to me.  Not even with my weighted gloves. 

3.  I am getting clear cut results.  As in, my muscles are cutting through my skin.  My arms, when relaxed, now look the way they used to look flexed.  Take that, First Lady Obama.

4.  I just plain feel great.  I take a lot of pride in completing these workouts and doing more and more of them every week.  It's the toughest thing I've set out to do thus far and I'm doing it.  That kinda spills over into non-workout life as well.  More steps have been taken towards teaching and training.  I self-published my first collection of posts from this lil' ol' blog.  My business is growing steadily.  Because my body is functioning better, my head is clearer, I have more energy and drive and focus...if you can believe that it was possible to have more.

I'm not saying Insanity is the program for everybody.  But I bet it is the program for more than you think.  That's right - YOU.  What are YOU doing today?  Wanna get crazy with me?

Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

"Tomorrow is another day." - Scarlett O'Hara

"The sun'll come out tomorrow." - Annie

“Tomorrow you promise yourself will be different, yet tomorrow is too often a repetition of today.” 
- James T. McCay

Tomorrow.  I hear that word so frequently it's nearly lost all meaning.  When I actually use it, it's a word full of anticipation.  Here are a few examples:

Tomorrow, I am expecting copies of my book to arrive.
Tomorrow, my order of Brazil Butt Lift will be one day closer.
Tomorrow, I have a long run scheduled outside.

See how fabulous tomorrow can be - if you're actually going to utilize the day?  Too often, people use tomorrow as an excuse to make today lackluster.  As though promising a workout tomorrow makes them healthier today.  Guess what?  It doesn't work that way.  The results that you're looking for only actual occur if you DO THE WORK. 

And yes, I get that it's not all fun and games in the beginning.  The beginning is HARD.  The beginning is TOUGH.  It's all about the front of the mullet - business.  But if you wanna get that party in the back, ya gotta work through it.  And trust me - there is a party in the back.  And it's fun, and it's filled with fantabulously gorgeous people, and it's where all the cool kids are hanging out - and living longer, fuller lives.  Because, seriously - you can't live your life to the fullest if you're dragging around even 20 extra pounds.  You can't live life to the fullest if you're thin but have no strength.  When walking up the stairs is enough to take your breath away, that's not the best you can do.  If you're tired after carting the groceries in from the car, that's not the best you can do.  It's the bare minimum, and you'll get far fewer years out of the bare minimum. 

Hard truth: if you're inactive and scarfing grease-covered potatoes, you are doing yourself and your body an injustice.  This isn't about being thin or looking a certain way.  This is about your HEALTH.  I don't care if you're skinny or if you're fat - if you're not taking care of your body, you're at risk for a whole list of nasty, icky stuff.  And if you're a parent - shame on you.  What do you want for your kids?  Would you hand your child a cigarette?  Alcohol?  Poison?  Then WHY for the love all that is holy would you stuff 'em full of chemicals, dyes, and hormones???? 

And before you roll your eyes and call me a "health nut"...I get the need for treats.  I get the need for a day off now and again.  It's all about moderation, but come on.  Moderation does not mean eating something unhealthful on a daily basis.  It's not having a side salad followed by fried chicken and gravy.  It's about recognizing how much good stuff is required to outweigh the bad stuff.  It's more than you want to deal with, I'm sure...but too freakin' bad.

Now, let's have a fun truth: If you start today and keep at it for just three weeks, it becomes a habit.  Stick with it another three weeks, and it becomes a lifestyle.  You stop exercising because you have to and start sweatin' because you want to.  You stop craving chocolate and start craving vegetables.  You stop being tired and start feeling energetic.  You will participate in life in ways you never contemplated or even realized you weren't participating before.  That's right about the time you send me a message on Facebook, or email me, or text me - and say "Hey, thanks! I am kicking ass like nobody's business! You were right about all that healthy shit!"  And I humbly give you all the credit (because it was YOU who did the work, after all) and tell you to KEEP GOING. 

Because even if you've taken care of today, tomorrow is still all like "What about me ova heah?"  (Tomorrow has a New York accent, just in case you were wondering.)

Yearn to Learn

I'm teacher AND student - so I get the apple.

I am always learning, and my favorite things to learn are things about - you guessed it - myself.  Here is what I'm learning this week:

1. Insanity has kicked my cardio capabilities into another hemisphere.  I began training for my half-marathon/5k/10k combo scheduled for October, and - miracle of miracles - I no longer need those pesky walking intervals.  I can just run.  Now, I may add in the the walks when I increase my time and mileage simply for fear of injury - but they'll be few and far between (and weeded out as soon as possible), but for right now, my sports bra is near bustin' with pride.  (It has very little else to bust with these days.)

2.  My heart rate may get all kinds o' jacked up while pushing through Insanity or a speedy run interval, but it drops right back down the way a healthy person's would.  I no longer need long cooldowns to return my heart rate to its resting rate; it gets there lickity split all on its own.  Stop yammering!  I still cool down and stretch because I like it and it's good for my pretty muscles.  I'm just sayin' that before, I would still be huffin' and puffin' like the Big Bad Wolf after some bacon.  Now, I'm just as serene as the brick-layin' pig.  (But much leaner.)

Mine is working just dandy, thanks.

3.  I can make my goals happen all on my own, even if they aren't fitness-related.  I wanted to be an author; yesterday I made it so.  Thank you to createspace.com and their helpful step-by-step into the world of self-publishing.  Now, you can take me to bed with you!  I will post links to buy the physical copy of SweatItOut: My Journey From CouchSpud to FitGal as soon as everything is a go.  For now, you can find me on Kindle by searching "SweatItOut." 

4.  My love of fitness is spreading, and it's spreading because of me.  The Werewolf is doing yoga all on his own and loving it.  He's namaste-in' with Rodney Yee two or three times a week and becoming more and more intent on maintaining his focus - so "please be QUIET, Mom and Sissy."  This makes me incredibly happy and even bustier with pride (well, maybe not bustier, but a gal can always dream).  This weekend we will be shopping for yoga supplies so he can try out some backbends.



The Werewolf's yoga partner

5.  Exercise is the key component to my productivity.  Days that I don't work out, I don't do much else either.  I allow myself to slump in front of the computer, the television, my iPhone.  My energy piques around 1:00 pm.  I begin getting cranky around 4:00.  Days that I do work out, my chores are done by noon, I'm chipper and ready to get outta the house by 1:00, and the kids typically follow by 2:00.  (I wait for them, of course....no matter how tempted I may be for a solo trip.)  Nutrition - the same!  When I take my supplements (added in a B-Complex to support my Iron) and eat well, my body thanks me with energy and good moods.  Why mess with it?  Sloth and gluttony just aren't my sins.

Those are all pretty kick ass new things about me.  But know what's better?  Next week, I'm gonna find out something else.  Fact is, I just get better on a daily basis.  So try to keep up, would ya?

Do More, Indeed.

What have I gotten myself into today?  Lemme tell ya.

It's the first of the month, so automatically that means two things.  1: My TurboLEAN Challenge Group kicks off today!  Love new challenge groups, love all things Chalene, love my challengers!  Automatic motivation boost.  2.  Today ALSO means the start of the SweatItOut AugustAbsChallenge, which includes a new ab move for every day of the month.  Keep in mind that I'm also not only leading but partaking in the Let's Get Crazy Insanity group and doing my best to boost training morale over at the SweatItOut Screamin' Spartans.  How am I doing that, you ask?  Lemme tell ya.

Today, I have thrown down a gauntlet for the Screamin' Spartans and my Insaniacs: do the Spartan Training workout of the day.  No problem, right?  Only today is Buck Furpee Day.  That means 300 burpees over the course of the day.  Fun stuff!  And they took the bait, so we're off and running.  WOOHOO and OOO-RA!

Now, about that AugustAbsChallenge (to be henceforth referred to as the AAC).  I briefly toyed with the idea of starting off slowly with a simple move like crunches to failure.  But...it just felt so vanilla and blah.  I'm much more in the mood for...THE HUNDRED.  Could be the endorphins coursing through my sweaty self after busting out Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Could be the energy rush from a little E&E Formula I drank during my workout.  Could be that it's just the first of the month and that always sounds appealing and clean-slate-ish to me.

Or it could be that I like to jump first and look later.

Because I also forgot that today is the sumo squat "like" challenge for my TurboLEAN gals.  You know, because I like to charge headfirst.  Never mind that wall that I'm bound to crash into sometime this afternoon (or, I hope, this evening.  Big day today - I got a new fridge comin'!). 

So let's rehash that, shall we?  Go over my SweatItOut checklist for the day.

1.  Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs - We can check this one off.  Done, finished, finito, BAM.
2.  AugustAbsChallenge - the hundred.  About to bang this one out as soon as I finish writing all about it. 

True story.

3.  Buck Furpee Day - the plan is sets of 30 throughout the day, but I am gonna make a valiant attempt to kill 'em all as soon as possible.  Because I am ever aware of that wall...
4.  Sumo Squat Challenge - this could go all day, as long as people keep "liking" my photo.  But hey, I wanted to work on my lower body, right?  These thighs will make mincemeat outta that sumo.

Cute, ain't he?

And there you have it.  August 1.  So, uh...what are your workout plans for today?

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...