Seeing Improvement

Whenever I go to Crossfit, I do a warm up first. The warm up is always the same: 10 sit-ups, push-ups, squats, body rows, dips, and a few arm stretches.

Crossfit is a lot about range of motion. So, Crossfit push-ups are done chest-to-ground.

I’m a big wimp and can only do them the incorrect way.

So instead I have been doing chest-to-ground push-ups on my knees so at least I have correct form. Well, I never felt like I was getting better at them even though I did so many. So about a month ago, my trainer told me to do progressive push-ups.  You remember my wicked-slick depiction of that one, right?

Progressive push-ups are a lot harder than push-ups on your knees but not as hard as doing them the manly way so they are still manageable for weaklings like me. Well, the other day, during my warm up, I noticed that I didn’t need to use my knees. I did 2 chest-to-ground regular push-ups and just stopped in my tracks because I could not believe it.

Then I looked at my trainer like a little kid that just went potty in the toilet for the first time to see if he was watching.

He wasn’t.

So once I told him about my amazing 2 push-ups, he told me to do 8 more. And I did! The last 3 were really hard but I did them all the proper way. And then I felt like the biggest badass in the gym for about 5 minutes. Just when my ego was almost overinflated, I remembered that time I felt like an idiot and went back to feeling myself.  So yeah, the only point of this post is to brag.

But seriously, if you want to improve your push-ups, I highly recommend doing progressive push-ups. It’s the only way I’ve noticed improvement and I didn’t even expect it.

And just so this post isn’t all about me bragging, here’s something for you: a Crossfit workout I did the other day that left my chest, lats, and legs super sore for 2 days.

You don’t need any equipment to do it and you can practice those progressive push-ups. Hurts so good. :-)

14 Comments

Filed under Crossfit, Uncategorized

8 Ways to Stay Healthy on Vacation

I gained 2 pounds while I was in Reno. But let’s face it, gaining two pounds on vacation isn’t that bad compared to the damage I’m capable of. I know there are people that can vacation without weight gain, but I am not one of them. I’m not going to say no to sweets and alcohol because that is crazy talk. I want to be able to enjoy myself. That’s why there was some of this.

And this.

And a lot of this.

So, I’m not going to tell you an amazing story of willpower here. But I will tell you the things I do to minimize the damage when I’m out of my comfort zone.

1. Pack snacks.

I bring snacks for the plane and for the hotel. I don’t want to go to a store or restaurant every time I’m a little hungry. So I bring protein bars, packets of oatmeal, beef jerky, almonds, and Hershey kisses or M&Ms. That way, I have a few healthy snacks and I’m prepared in case a chocolate craving hits. Although, the chocolate thing didn’t work out so well this time around.

Their french vanilla truffles are ridiculous.

2. Bring sneakers and workout clothes.

I may not work out on vacation, but if I don’t have those shoes and clothes with me, I definitely won’t work out.

3.  Book a hotel that includes breakfast.

On vacation, I eat out for most of my meals. If the hotel has breakfast included, I can at least cut that down by one meal a day. Not only do I save money, but I will have one of the hotel’s healthy options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, or yogurt. Then, I confiscate some fruit for a snack later in the day.

If there’s no free breakfast, I use the hot water in the coffee maker to make instant oatmeal.

4. Book a hotel that has a gym.

If I have 30 minutes or so when nothing is planned or I wake up early before the day’s activities begin, I’ll go to the gym. I didn’t work out for more than 40 minutes at a time, but I did work out twice while I was in Reno. And I made both of them speed workouts (like this one) so I got the most out of a short workout.

5. Bring a bathing suit.

Sometimes I don’t use my bathing suit depending on the weather, but our hotel had an indoor pool which was nice since it was cold. Swimming is exercise too, so if I have time, I do it. I didn’t use my suit this time around but I brought it, so at least I was prepared.

6. Walk somewhere.

I like walking because I get to enjoy where I am more. Hubs and I walked to the grocery store twice, walked to lunch, and walked to get frozen yogurt. None of it was very close, but we got to see some pretty views that made it worth it.

We also took the stairs instead of the elevator. But that may have been more so we didn’t punch the girl’s softball team that was taking over the hotel.

7. Limit snacking.

When I’m on vacation, my meals are bigger. At home, my meals are smaller but I snack. So when I’m on vacation, I limit my snacking so I’m not eating even more than I should be.

8. Control what you can.

Hubs and I had lunch on our own the day of the wedding. We walked to a restaurant that was about a mile away and ordered salads (instead of the burgers we wanted) because we knew we’d be eating more that night.

So now you have my tips, what are your tips for staying healthy on vacation?

20 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Nice Day for a White Wedding

So now for the real reason we hopped a plane to Reno: Don and Morgan’s wedding. After breakfast, a workout in the hotel gym (for me), some lunch, and a nap (for hubs), we took our yearly shower (not together) and made ourselves all purty.

The wedding was held at a special events center called The Grove.

The grounds were beautiful and set up was just being completed in the dining area once we arrived. Not many people had arrived once we got there, so we took a look around. You could see a lot of Morgan’s added touches to the place, like crystals hanging at the altar, a photo booth with a bunch of props to use in the pictures, and feather pins on the tables for guests to wear.

And one of my favorite and unique touches was the wedding mad libs for the bride and groom.

I regret not taking a picture of what I wrote on mine. There was something written about Morgan always dry cleaning Don’s assless chaps. I’m not too sure, I was a few drinks in.

After taking pictures like I was paparazzi at a Justin Beiber siting, guests started to arrive, including our friend Tyler who also flew in from Orlando for the weekend. (Tyler, hubs, Morgan, Don, and I all used to work together. Don scored a sweet job in Reno, so Morgan and Don moved out there a little over 3 years ago.)

The wedding was Edwardian/Neo Victorian themed.

From their wedding Web site:

Picture gentlemen in top hats, and ladies adorning themselves with a unique combination of the era’s fashion with a modern twist which might include an eclectic or miniature hat or head adornment, tailored riding coats / jackets or cropped bolero jacket.

I was surprised by how many guests actually dressed up and went all out with their costumes. It was really fun and different take on a traditional wedding. I wanted to get more pictures of the guests but I didn’t know a lot of them so I felt awkward.

The weather was absolutely beautiful and the ceremony was short and sweet. I don’t cry at weddings (I usually save that for bad commercials), but I may have shed a tear or two at Morgan’s vows. They were really sweet.

When they announced the bride’s new name for the first time, she got this huge grin on her face. So cute! And also my favorite picture of the 75 or so that I took.

After the ceremony, the wedding party went off to take some formal pictures and hubs and I found our seats.

Then we took advantage of the bartender. Repeatedly. Which led to taking advantage of the photo booth.

We enjoyed a really delicious buffet style dinner that included salad, mashed potatoes, veggies, salmon, and beef. I don’t like salmon but this salmon was amazing. It didn’t taste fishy at all. I ate everything on my plate like it was my job.

I love it when hubs wears a vest. Mmmm. *licks chops*

Sorry. Got distracted there.

After dinner, Morgan and Don had their first dance outside. A choreographed fire dance, of course.

Then a bunch of girls (including Morgan) from their fire dancing group, Controlled Burn, did a choreographed dance. Then the men followed with their own fire dance. They were all really fun to watch.

After all the dances, we went back inside for the traditional bride/father, groom/mother dances, then some belly dancers took the stage, and then a group of hula hoopers did a routine. This wedding had some serious entertainment.

After all the dances, it was cake time.

All the cakes were from Nothing Bundt Cakes. They didn’t look like anything fancy but holy crap they were amazing. So amazing, I tried 3 different flavors. Then I went for a 4th, but I was so full, I couldn’t do it.

Good thing I was not too full for more drinks. We joined the bride and groom at the bar for some shots while the rest of the guests packed out the dance floor.

The rest of the night, we hung out and chatted until it was time for the bride and groom to leave.

If I told you they left on a huge fireball shooting truck while everyone held gigantic sparklers, would you believe me?

For real. That happened. And someone who saw the flames called the fire department. Perfect end to a unique wedding. :-) Congrats Morgan and Don!

We had a lot of fun. I’m always kind of sad to leave my friends and Reno because it’s one of the few places I’ve visited that I would consider moving to. There’s so much to do and it’s just a really fun place. A perfect mix of big city and small town.

 

20 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Cruising Around Lake Tahoe

This weekend, Hubs and I went to Reno for our friends’ wedding. We got in late Friday night, so we went right to bed. Well, right to bed after we found out the hotel does not sell beer in their convenience shop. That was probably for the best since this happened on our layover in Salt Lake City.

That’s a peanut butter bucket from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. And it’s as big and delicious as it looks. You guys are supposed to be looking out for me. I tweeted that picture and no one talked me down. Not even this girl who is supposed to be looking out for me. Rude. Just rude. I thought I was safe from said peanut butter buckets on the East coast until a friend of mine let me know there is a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory 15 minutes from my house. FML.

Anyway, back to Reno. The next day we met our friends, Morgan and Don, (remember, we went to Burning Man with them?) and their family for a lunch cruise around Lake Tahoe. The drive from Reno is about an hour and a half long, so we hitched a ride with Morgan’s friend Nicole who was pretty amazing considering she picked us up and had never met us before. (Thanks, Nicole!) The views on the way there did not suck.

There were snow covered trees almost the whole way. Sweeping lake and mountain views when the trees cleared. It was just beautiful. Why must Nevada suck up all the pretty? It’s not fair. It also snowed on the way up. I suppose I don’t need to remind you that it’s May. This Florida girl knows nothing about snow in May.

We finally crossed the California border and made it to Tahoe. You don’t even need a sign to tell you that you’re in California or Nevada. It’s pretty obvious when the casinos start and stop. The rest of the group arrived, we bought our tickets, and we boarded the  Tahoe Gal.

I found a new friend almost immediately.

Had a few drinks.

But the captain rejected my advances.

The cruise was 3 1/2 hours long. We all ate lunch, had a few drinks, chatted, and enjoyed the view. It was beautiful and relaxing and fun to meet more of Morgan and Don’s family. It was really cold and windy too, so I got to wear the one long sleeved shirt and jacket I own. I didn’t even pack the proper shoes and ended up wearing a pair of hub’s Vans all day long. I swear I am an idiot when it comes to dressing for cold weather.

The happy couple the day before they got married.

After the cruise and the ride back to Reno, we were beat. It’s really exhausting enjoying mountain views and cocktails all day long. I don’t know how we survived it.

Later that night, we met up at Morgan and Don’s house for their catered rehersal dinner. I helped them drink their whiskey and eat the cupcakes that no one else was eating, so I feel like I was at least helpful in “cleaning up.”

Next up is the most non-traditional traditional wedding I have ever been to. But I guess I didn’t expect any different from those two crazies. :-)

12 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Five for Friday

This week has been busy and I have a busy weekend ahead of me but it should be fun. This is what has been going on in the meantime.

1. With all the Breaking Bad watching recently, the DVR has been neglected. We have 7 weeks of House and Once Upon a Time episodes just sitting there. So, we’re taking it one at a time and finally finished House last night. I gotta say, I’m kinda disappointed with the final episode. Not because of how it ended but because 45 minutes of the show was just a dumb reason to bring back all the characters from previous seasons. I don’t want to see Amber anymore. I didn’t like her to begin with. And while I liked Cameron, there was no Cameron/Chase interaction which sucked. And it was super obvious that Cuddy wasn’t in that group. So, meh to the final episode. But it’s definitely a show that remained consistently good all 8 seasons. Plus, the show has my Australian back-up husband (in case the others don’t work out).

(source)

Hello Jesse Spencer. Seriously. Look at those teeth. That is the first thing I look for in a man.

2. Breaking Bad season 5 starts July 15.

3. I’m going out of town this weekend, so hubs is setting up the slingbox for me. For those of you not addicted to TV, a slingbox allows you to watch shows off your DVR anywhere from any computer or mobile device. So just because I’m going out of town doesn’t mean I need to leave my sweet security blanket behind.

4. I’m doing awesome with my eating and work out plan this week. Like, awesome enough that I think THIS is the time that it will stick. Not only that but I’ve had 2 diet cokes so far, which is down to one every other day or so. It figures that this is a holiday weekend and I’ll be out of town (i.e. out of my eating comfort zone). That means, if you see me tweet or Facebook about cupcakes or cookies or fried things or buffets, it is your duty to tweet/Facebook me back damage control.

(Source)

5. I’m switching projects at work. I don’t love the idea (because I really liked the project I was on) but the contract extension hasn’t been signed with the client yet so it was either that or potentially no job at all. This new project isn’t a short term thing either. So I’m happy they like me enough to place me somewhere else and I’m worried whether I’ll like it or not because I have been on my share of crappy projects.

Alright, that’s all I have for today. Hope you all have a safe holiday weekend. Now, I need to finish packing and probably take a shower since hubs just told me I smell.

9 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

By the Numbers

Oh hai random post. It’s been awhile. I have no cohesive thoughts so this is all I’m mentally capable of today. I’m going to blame the lack of Diet Coke.

1. I went to bed the other night and about a half hour into my sleep I was jolted awake by a weird sound that I thought was someone coming into the window. I even got up and checked a couple windows to be sure. If there’s anything that freaks me out in the most irrational way, it’s home invasions. All of my apartments in the past have been on upper floors because of this reason. So of course, there was nothing there and I lied awake freaking out at every little sound I heard for the next half hour until I heard it again.

It was one, singular snore from hubs.

Now I’m all on edge when I go to bed and I think I hear things every night because of one false alarm. So of course I’m back to keeping my cell phone on my nightstand in case I need to make an emergency call while hiding behind my clothes in the closet. I’m sure I can thank watching too many horror movies for this one.

2. Speaking of horror movies, Hubs and I watched The Devil Inside this weekend.

That blind nun was in the movie for maybe 5 seconds. How she made the poster is beyond me.

I don’t normally warn people away from movies. Ok, yes I do. But this movie was total crap. It wasn’t scary or chilling. The ending was abrupt and didn’t resolve anything. Everything was a big, stinky piece of crap. The only redeeming quality is that it was less than 90 minutes long so I didn’t have to waste Schindler’s-Listian time on it.

3. What is happening here?

I know a lot of people don’t like Kristen Stewart, but that just makes me want to be her friend.

4. My job is in a state of flux right now because the contract I’m on is ending. So I took a moment today to clean all the porn off my computer just in case, when I ran across the first picture ever taken of Michelle and I. (< —– Disclaimer: That is a joke. All my porn is at home.)

You know, it just started with circles on my co-workers faces to be respectful of their privacy but then it got out of hand.

So, yeah. That is the start of me and Michelle’s budding love. Little did we know we’d end up running all our races together and learning so much about each others poop. (Ok, maybe she just learned about mine.)

5. I only had 4 things to talk about today but that seems so uneven. So I will leave you with John Hamm to even things out.

Sergio!

20 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Motivation Epiphany

I think I had a motivation epiphany this weekend. It started with a bunch of great workouts. There was a Crossfit abs workout on Friday. It wasn’t very hard but it hurt to laugh for 2 days afterwards, so I’m thinking it did its job.

Saturday morning, I stuck to my first goal and actually ran!

I did 10 miles with my group and it felt really good. :-) We took several walk breaks so I’m pretty much loving my pace. Especially since this was my first big run in 2 months.

It was so good to see everyone again. I mean, it instantly put me in a better mood. We ran an extremely pretty trail in Lake Mary that I’ve never run before, so I was annoyed I didn’t bring my phone so I could take a few pictures.  I got to run with my pace twin, Brad, and we talked races, running, and getting fat on vacation. It was good times. The best part? One of our pace leaders kept asking random runners not in our group if they “would like our fluids.” Definitely not embarrassing.

(source)

After the run, hubs and I went to Crossfit. We did 4 sets of:

  • 50 jump ropes
  • 25 Wall balls (14lb ball for me)
  • 25 Slam balls (15lb ball)

That took me 25 minutes and was a serious cardio workout. Ass = kicked. Everything hurt on Sunday but I still managed to go to a really hard spin class anyway because I’m a glutton for punishment.

So about that motivation epiphany. I think it has partly to do with my run and seeing my running friends and partly to do with a 4-part HBO documentary series that hubs and I started watching called Weight of the Nation. ( <—- that’s the trailer) It’s available free online. (We don’t have HBO.)

Weight of the Nation focuses on the obesity epidemic. I’m not going to get preachy on you. That’s not my thing. But I wanted to share the few things that stood out to me and turned around my crap-ass mind set lately on my fitness, eating, and goal setting.

1. When you make a goal, instead of telling yourself “I would like to lose 10lbs,” tell yourself “I will lose 10lbs.” So basically, put yourself in the mind-set for success. It’s such a simple thing but it’s true. You can’t make a change without knowing you’ll succeed.

2. The documentary showed an autopsied heart of someone who was of normal weight and one of someone who was obese. The heart of the obese person literally looked like it had 2 melted pieces of cheese covering it. It was a layer of ALL fat. It was disgusting and appalling and just another reason why physical activity so important.

3. If you have 2 women of the same height and weight, and one of those women was that size all her life and the other woman got that way by losing weight, the woman who lost weight will have to consume 20% less calories to maintain the same weight as the woman who was that way her whole life.

I wish they went more into the explanation of why that’s true, but it makes sense since it’s easy to take weight off but it’s a bitch to keep it off. It made me sad too because I’m in that weight loss category. I guess it just reenforces the fact that having healthy eating habits is a lifestyle change and not a diet.

Hubs and I have only watched the first 2 parts so far but it really does get you thinking.  Check it out if you need some motivation to get back to your goals. I don’t normally find motivation in these types of documentaries. I mean, Super Size Me made me want to eat more nuggets. But this one has clicked with me so far and I’m looking forward to watching the next two parts.

22 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Your Bad Hair (Part 2)

It’s time for more bad hair pics. If you missed Part 1, check it out. There are some treasures in there. But now we have a new set of treasures to kick off your Friday.

1. The Aqua Net

This is my running partner in crime. She sent a bunch of pictures to choose from but I thought most of them were way to cute to make this post. This one was an exception because 1) that is a ladder 2) I’m not sure that’s even a perm but her natural curl untamed and 3) I am sure those bangs don’t get that sexy without some serious hairspray.

2.The White Fro

This is a picture from Kate. Instead of sending a picture of herself, she decided to call out her brother instead. Take notice of the hair, then check out the shirt, and know this picture was actually taken in the 80′s.

3.  The Acid Washed Mullet

This is Jackie. While the mullet and the feathering are indeed impressive, it’s the pairing of the slick hairdo with the acid washed skirt that I find extra appealing. Oh, hey, do I see high-tops in there? I think I do.

Perhaps Jackie and I were twins? Because I had that same skirt. BOOM.

Where does my sweater end and the dog begin?

4. The Face Lift

Here’s Jackie again. I’m not sure I can classify those bangs because I don’t really know what’s going on there. I can classify the tightly pulled-back hair in the barrette. Jackie is actually 40 years old here but it’s the pulled back hair that makes her look so youthful.

5. The Some Kind of Wonderful

Say hello to Ms. Katy Widrick. And tell me you don’t think of Mary Stuart Masterson when you look at this picture.

It’s more than a bowl cut. It’s what made Eric Stoltz totally diss Lea Thompson.

(source)

6. The Floating Head

Here’s Katy again. This picture is a classic and I included it for general terribleness (that’s a word, I think) more than for bad hair.

Don’t think I don’t have one of those too. Thank God for braces, right Katy?

7. The Mu-Mu of the Future

This is Emily. Her hair is actually pretty nice here, but my God, the dress. THE DRESS! She reminds me of that girl in every horror movie who tells you that you’re going to die but you don’t listen. Bonus points for the creepy doll and her parents putting her in front of some foliage for the perfect shot. I just wish I could see the shoes.

Thanks for sending in all the great pictures, ladies. And I hope the rest of you were entertained by our traumatic childhoods.

 

 

 

 

 

10 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

That Running Thing

Hey, I just remembered this is a running blog. So, let’s talk about that and how I’m not doing it.

First, nothing for Mother’s Day and now you’re rude?

It’s been two months since the “month of races.” Which means it’s been two months since I’ve done any significant running. If you’re new around these parts, I ran 2 marathons, 4 half marathons, a 10k, and a 5k within 5 months. Four of those races were in March, so I guess you can say a little burn out happened and is still happening.

Instead of running, I’m doing a lot of Crossfit, strength training, and spin, which I love. But I used to love running too. The thing is, I think about running all.the.time. And it pisses me off that I don’t want to do it.

During the one or two days a week that I don’t already have a workout planned, I try to psych myself up for running. THIS is going to be the night that I run and it’s going to be awesome and I’m going to love it all over again. But that doesn’t happen.

Tuesday was one of those nights. I went to the gym. I ran 6.2 miles at a 9:37 pace and…nothing. I mean, it felt good to sweat and be active of course but I didn’t love it and usually I do. So I think I need to be more active in getting my mojo back instead of waiting for it to come to me.

I posted a comment on the Fitfluential Running Facebook page to get some ideas and this girl gave me a good suggestion there. So I came up with this plan:

1. I’m going running with my group Saturday morning. I haven’t seen them in a long time and I miss them. I know it’s nothing crazy, but I think seeing my peeps will pep me up.

2. I’m going to sign up for my running group again this summer.

I wasn’t going to sign up this year and I still have no intention of running with them every week (or even every month) but I want the option to be there. I’m not training for anything, so if I don’t run with them much, at least the money is going to my local running store.

3. I’m going to sign up for a local 5k so I have a race to look forward to.

I don’t like 5ks. I don’t like them even more in the summer in Florida. But I do love speed work, so I can get my speed work on for fun and maybe bust out a PR on an actual timed course. I’m over PRing in 5ks that don’t have official timing.

So that’s the plan. We’ll see if it gets me out of my funk.

Yes. It’s over. You can come out now.

 

27 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

In Time in Two Minutes

I watched In Time on Sunday. It wasn’t good or bad, it was just kinda “eh” which is a total bummer because this movie had serious potential. The concept was really cool and of course JT is in it and he’s not terrible on the eyes. But in case you want to save 2 hours of your life and watch something else that would probably be a better use of your time, I am going to sum it up for you.

All people stop aging at 25.

Once you turn 25, you’re “clock” starts. You get one year to live and do with as you wish. And you can see your time remaining on your arm.

The world’s currency is time. You buy things with time and spend it just like you would money.

You also earn time at your job. Poor people literally live day to day with only hours of time left. Once your time runs out, you die. Rich people have years of time and since they have access to more time so often, they can technically live forever (barring any fatal accidents).

You can give or take other people’s time by holding their wrist, sleeping or not, and with or without consent.

JT is given over 100 years of time by a rich guy that was over 100 years old and tired of living.

JT’s mother is almost out of time. She dies literally seconds before he can give it to her. She is also hot.

People live in Time Zones. JT leaves his poor Time Zone to check out the rich people’s Time Zone, something his mother and him always wanted to do together.  Too bad he was accused of stealing all that time he got from the rich, hot guy because now he is wanted by the Timekeepers, who are basically police in sexy leather.

Enter Sylvia. She’s hot too. Everyone be hot in this movie!

Sylvia has seen JT around town and she likey what she sees. They end up skinny dipping together and near-kissing, which means they are totes made for each other. Too bad JT kidnaps her after he’s accused of stealing all that time because now she’s so conflicted. I mean, he’s hot. But he did just kidnap her. So there’s that.

Sylvia’s dad is Pete from Mad Men. He owns a bunch of time banks and is a total time-hoarding dbag.

JT and Sylvia spend the rest of the movie running because it’s super important to get everywhere quickly.

Sylvia is good at two things: keeping her makeup absolutely perfect even though she has nothing with her and running long distances in 4-inch heels.

Also, I have no idea where she got that dress.

Sylvia starts liking JT again. They do dirty things with their private parts but the Timekeepers catch up to them so they have to make like a tree. JT tells her to put her clothes on and they are quickly out the door. Sylvia can put on pantyhose fast, because they were out the door within 3 seconds and she had those puppies back on.

Between all the running and looking hot, JT and Sylvia start robbing her father’s banks of time and giving it to the people in the poor Time Zones. JT thinks no one should be immortal and wants to give all people equal time so everyone has a chance at living and the Time Zones won’t be segregated.

Now don’t waste that 2 hours I just gave you. :-)

 

 

18 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized