Body After Baby!!

Breakfast 1- Protein Shake, pineapple

plasma donation

Breakfast 2- 2 waffles, cottage cheese, strawberries

snack- black beans, spinach, plain greek yogurt and salsa

lunch- egg whites,onions and peppers, corn tortillas and salsa

snack- almonds and raisins

workout- Circuit training instruction ( I did not do much--just bark orders!)

snack-Powerbar and iced coffee

workout- 1.75 mile warmup, 4x1000meters ( walk inbetween), 1.75 mile cooldown

Dinner- venison, whole wheat couscous and green beans

CamelBak Hydration Pack Review

I would like to review my fanny pack. You thought they went out of style didn't you??? Nope!

I actually never thought I would be caught dead wearing a fanny pack-ever. Even when they were "cool" I never had one. I was wrong. A few years ago while training for a marathon I had to do a long run by myself. I probably was running 12-15 miles. I had no way to get hydration besides running a continuous loop by my house so I could go home and get a drink a few times. Running lots of miles alone is hard enough then doing it on a way boring route.

My husband and I ended up going to a sporting goods store the night before the long run ( my middle name is Procrastinate in case you were wondering), and found the CamelBak Montara . I didn't really want it at all, but I knew I needed something and I had heard good things about it. Mine is purple and grey. The thing I like about this pack is that it is adjustable and it does not shift and jostle until it's almost empty. That's not a problem though. With a simple adjustment ( that can be done whilst running) I just make it tighter and problem solved. I can also put my keys and running fuel in the pack without a worry. The biggest con about these packs is probably cleaning the tubes well enough. I did buy the specialty pipe cleaner ( it once got stuck in the tube), and the cleaning tablets as well. They seem to do a good enough job. You just need to make sure it dries properly or you might end up getting chunks of mold in your sip. That has never happened to me (yet), only because I clean the tube before each use and check it for hunks of mold or other debris. I recommend CamelBak hydration packs!

Body After Baby!!

Today I actually planned all my meals in advance and have stuck with the plan thus far!

Breakfast: 2 waffles, cottage cheese, blueberries and a drizzle of honey
workout: 45 min. Spin instruction
snack: 1/2 protein shake and grapes
workout: 45 minute weights instruction class (full body)
Lunch: egg white scramble, 2 corn tortillas, salsa and asparagus
snack: cottage cheese, Peanut butter and cinnamon
Dinner: lean ground turkey meatballs, zucchini and sweet potatoes
snack: 1/2 protein shake, strawberries and yogurt

About a gallon of water.

Mission Monday

It's difficult to train for a mission when I am not exactly sure what the heck I am training for!
I did the best I could considering.

Tuesday I did my long run instead of going to running club for the speed workout. I ran 12 lonely miles. It was not too bad. I did it in exactly 2 hours so my pace averaged out to 10 minute miles. Later that day I taught a class and took a class. Cardio overload. I know. I have issues.

Wednesday I think I took the day off. I cannot remember doing anything at all. It pays to write things down as you go. Note to self...... Just remembered-I taught a class!

Thursday I took a kickboxing class.

Friday I finally got back on the bike. It's fixed ( for now). No flat tires or anything. I rode 15.5 in about 60 minutes.

Saturday I ran 14 miles with my running club. The people I ran with were crazy fast. So that means that I had to be too. We ran at an 8:42/ mile pace. That is like running a race speed. I am not exactly sure why we ran that fast- I told them over and over that we should probably slow down. They agreed and would slow down and eventually we would get back to the faster pace. It was good though. Maybe I need to run like that more often?!?! Who knows.....

Sunday I did a kickboxing class.

Monday ( today). I will teach Spinning and a toning class.

I plan on getting back to a normal weight lifting schedule. I always take a few weeks off every 4-6 months or so. It's good for the body to give it a rest every now and again!
BODY AFTER BABY
I also love to prove this point to people that are trying to lose weight-- even with all of this cardio I am doing, if my eating habits are not at a deficit ( burning more calories than I am eating), then I will not lose any weight. Because I am putting a conscious effort into my eating habits these past few weeks I am down about 2 lbs since starting Body After Baby. For right now, that is realistic for me. Losing weight happens in the kitchen when done properly! I would love to lose about 5 more lbs. of fat, but I know with my specific trainings that I need to sustain my energy for performance. That is priority for me. It might take me longer than the Average Joe to reach my weight loss goals, but I am practicing patience. Remember I am a mother of 2!
This week I am playing around with my eating to see if I can drop 1/2 lb to 1 lb and still be able to run and bike lots of miles while maintaining my energy! We'll see how that goes!

Friday Fitness Fun!

Today's installment of Friday Fitness Fun is all about endurance.

Endurance is defined as *the power to withstand hardship or stress.* So true!

Since running is one of the most enduring activities out there, today's test is RUNNING.

The Test

RUNNING

Begin with a easy, but brisk warm up walk. Increase your pace and run as fast and far as you can for 5 minutes. This can be done on a treadmill, which might actually be easier for measuring distance and pace.

Wishful: 10 minute mile pace or slower (1/2 mile or less)

Sturdy: 8-10 minute mile pace (more than 1/2 mile to 2/3 mile)

Strong: faster than an 8 mile pace ( more than 2/3 mile)

How did you do? Let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Body After Baby!!

Breakfast- oat bran, cottage cheese, coffee

snack-- blueberries and Zola drink

Lunch- lean ground turkey, salsa and a tortilla

snack-- 1/2 Clif Bar

workout- 3 miles on elliptical....2 mile run...45 minute k-box class

snack-- 1/2 clif bar

dinner-- lean Turkey patty, bun, salsa and asparagus

snack-- Fiber One bar and Kefir.

Kid Stuff!

Now that Amara is older and starting to get involved in more physical activity I wondered if she needs the "special" gear like mom and dad have. It did not take me long to realize that I think that she does! Kids sweat too and are probably left uncomfortable in normal cotton shirts and/or shorts. I can probably bet that she will get my profuse sweat gland genes as well. After her first kids fun run she told me that she was all hot and sweaty! It starts.....Matt is not much of a sweater. He works out hard, but just does not sweat as much as I do. ( no fair).

I found the cutest wicking t-shirt and running skort at Target for Amara. She also has a cute pink wicking tank. They were reasonably priced and she loves them. One thing we have not done is to buy her name brand running or sport shoes yet. We will get them as gifts, but I cannot make myself spend that kind of money on shoes for her yet. Any opinions on running shoes for 5 year olds? I don't want her feet, ankles and knees to be all weird because I did not spend the money on the name brands. I am usually only brand conscious when it comes to my workout gear! From past experiences I feel that the top brand names are the way to go if I am concerned about quality and performance. I am just not sure if that rings true for the population of little people!

Body After Baby!!

preworkout- bagel, yogurt

workout- 12 mile run
1 Gu, 1 Gatorade, 1 Powerade recovery drink

breakfast- 2 wheat free waffles, maple syrup

snack- cherries

workout- weights

lunch-- chicken breast, kashi rice, salsa and corn tortillas

snack-- Fiber One bar, Kefir

dinner-- whole wheat pasta, sauce, lean ground turkey, salad

snack-- Zola antioxidant smoothie and cherries.

Mission Possible Interview with Krys

1.How many children do you have?
Two boys. Logan, 4, and Jordan, 5 1/2 months.

2. How long have you lead an active lifestyle?
Ive always been pretty active. I played outside every day as a child, was interested in roller skating and gymnastics in elementary school, cheer leading in middle school; roller blading, weight lifting and cheer leading in high school, roller blading and aerobics classes in college, and running, backpacking, weight lifting and chasing children since then.

3 .What is your favorite type of exercise?
My absolute favorite is backpacking, because although it's tough to carry a big heavy pack over challenging terrain, it doesn't really feel like work and you get to see beautiful, wild places. Plus, it's quality time with my family.
4. What have you taught your children about exercise?
My husband Chris and I make it clear to our sons that exercise is an important part of being healthy and vital. Sometimes our oldest doesn't really understand why Mommy is leaving the house at 8 p.m. to go to the gym and he'll beg me to stay, but I tell him Mommy needs to exercise to live a healthy, happy life. When I was pregnant with Jordan, Logan and I went to watch Chris run a race, and Logan was inspired after that to join a local kids' race. He got hooked and did it again this year. We are teaching our kids that exercise is not only necessary, it's fun.

5. How do you stay motivated to keep fit?
I definitely have days that I would much rather just stay home and watch some TV after dinner instead of heading out to the gym, but I know that I will feel much better if I go--both physically and emotionally. Somehow a good session at the gym erases the stresses of the day and makes me feel happier and stronger.

6. Do you have a blog? What do you blog about?
I don't have one yet, but I'm working on learning how to blog. I hope to get one up and running as soon as I possibly can. I have a lot to say! I plan to write about my daily life, in general, while focusing on small steps we, as moms, can take to improve the quality of our days, our relationships, our parenting skills and our impact on the planet.

7. One tip or piece of advice you can offer other moms to get their kids moving?
Make it fun. Keep in mind that kids don't exercise like adults do. For them, it's not a "have to" it's a "get to." Kids don't force themselves to pump iron or run on a treadmill. They run, laugh, climb trees, ride bikes, dig in the dirt, etc. With that in mind, just do it! Take your kids outside. Go for a walk, race them to the swing set, visit the local pool for open swim, take a family karate class, whatever. Exercise doesn't have to be--and shouldn't be--torture for anyone. If you aren't enjoying it, do something else, as long as you're in motion.

Thanks Krys! Looking forward to reading your blog!

Nike Dri-Fit Core Sports Bra-REVIEW

I am reviewing my favorite sports bra. I purchased 2 Nike Dri-Fit bra a few months ago and I love them. It has been a while since I spent more than $10 on a sports bra. They can get expensive, but in my experience with sports bra performance quality- the more expensive ones seem to be the better ones! I will only wear Dri-Fit type sweat wicking sports bras. I refuse to wear cotton bras during any physical activity. ( I'm a snob that way). There is no point in my opinion. I am left totally disgusting and hot with all the sweat stuck on my skin. I do on occasion wear a cotton Tee or tank, but my pants and bras are always wicking!

When I compared the Nike sports bra to my other brands there was really no comparison. Granted, most of my bras are 5 years old and up, and their tech. properties are probably lacking....but still. This bra is the bomb! I have a pink camouflage and a dark grey one. I make sure to save those on my running or kickboxing days for sure--those types of activities induce mounds of sweat. The first time I wore one I was shocked at how much sweat was magically contained in the bra itself. Kind of cool as well as gross. These are worth the extra money and I still will only buy them when I can find them on sale. Nike is on the ball with their stuff! I highly recommend Nike's Dri-Fit Sports bra. Not only for their stellar capabilities, but they are comfortable and look good too!

Body After Baby!!

Tuesday:

Breakfast- blueberries, cottage cheese, mini bagel with natural PB


Zola energy smoothie


workout- 1 mile recumbent bike, 45 minute cardiokick class


snack- Zola Superfood smoothie ( 1/2 portion)





Lunch- egg whites, salsa, 2 corn tortillas



snack-Kefir, Fiber One Bar, almond milk



workout-class instruction



dinner- venison, broccoli, couscous

snack-Zola acai juice ( 1/2 portion), carrots, cottage cheese + blueberries

Body After Baby!!

Ok so there is no need to post my eats since Saturday, because there were quite a few things on the list that are not going to make me drop any pounds. Not a very good start to the week! Boo!
Here's to a better start tomorrow!

The good news is I weigh the same..whew!

Mission Monday

My mission is over so I need to decide on my next one. I have a few races lined up but nothing set in stone. I might make the next mission another duathlon in August ( with a working bike) or the marathon. I need to think long and hard about this though. The marathon that is.
I am really liking this biking thing though. I love to tackle things that I am not good at and become competitive at it. By competitive I mean by my own standards!
I might take this week off from riding the bike and hop on some gym equipment and pick up the weights again while I decide what I want to do.

Mission Accomplished!

What a day!

The race is over! YAHOO!! It was awesome. This week is usually the hottest week of the summer. Not this year! It has record lows! Perfect race weather in my opinion. I think it was in the mid 50's to 60's for the race. Perfection!
Ok, on to the day's events.

The first 2 miles was FAST. My pace ended up being around 6:40/mile. Craziness. We started on trails that went uphill ( of course). We ran 1 mile out and then turned around and ran a mile back.

I finished and got my bike gear on . I ended up using my CamelBak hydration backpack ( total geek) because I cannot get the hang of getting the water bottle out of its holster without dropping it ( way geekier), so this would have to do. I was happy to notice that at least 4 other people use this method! I think I might just stick with the hydration pack from now on. It does what I need it to do--it stays put!

The bike was tough. I knew it would be, but I seemed to struggle a lot more than I thought( or seemed necessary)

Is that a hill I see? Is that another one? Oh look, there's a hill. UGH. It was awesomely difficult. I got passed by so many people. It was rather discouraging, but I got over it and plugged and chugged away. Little did I know that I was riding most of the 18 miles on a FLAT and LOOSE tire!! I am so grateful that the thing waited until the end of the bike portion to unlatch from the bike. I wonder how I would have done on a good tire?!?! I guess I will never know. It's over and done with now. I will try not to dwell on it to much....*sigh*
After the bike my legs were pure mush. I had no idea how/if I was going to run 4.5 miles. I ran my bike into the transition station, lifted the bike up to hook it on the rack and off flies my back wheel. The whole thing. It's not even my bike. I was stunned. The owner of the bike was near ( cheering me and his wife on) and told me it was "ok", I also heard him say to someone else

" hahaha, it's her first du!" Glad somebody got a kick out of that mishap!

So the 4.5 mile run begins. I felt as if I was running through sand. Oh, that's probably becuase I was! What a way to start (again) trials and hills -it was like De ja vu. My last 4.5 mile pace was just over 8:00 per mile. I did not expect to do that well on the last run so I am really pleased with that time.

I placed 6th ( out of 12) in my age division with a time of 2:02:02 ( I should play the lottery with those numbers). I was 55/84 overall for the duathlon.

I am very sore already and I need to take a nap.

I can't wait to do this again next year!

Mission is here ( almost)

I have my Mission in the morning!!
Eeeek! The truck is packed with my bike, helmet, shoes and race number!
I hope I did not forget anything.
I still did not perfect my water bottle drinking skills so I might bring my CamelBak along for the ride and strap that sucker on my bike! I will look like a major dork, but I should probably ingest fluid on an 18 mile ride!
I will be getting up at 5am so I can be on the rode no later than 6:05 am..the venue is about 40 minutes away.
The day should be slightly mild ( high of 68* for race day), so that is perfect as long as the rain holds off!
Ok, it's after 10:30pm..I should be in bed sleeping. I need my strength for tomorrow!!

Friday Fitness Fun!

Today's Fitness test is balance and flexibility. I am so inflexible it is not even funny. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I am a Certified YogaFit Instructor(Disclaimer: I have not taught in over 5 years)!

I know how good yoga was to my body and saw how limber I was becoming. I am still trying to figure out why I stopped teaching and/or taking it! I will let you know when I figure it out.

The muscles that are usually the tightest are the ones in front of the body. The hip flexors and quads to be exact. A great test to assess your flexibility as well as help lengthen your muslces to new levels.

The Test:

Standing Bow Pose

Stand tall with your feet together and arms at your sides. Lift your right leg and balance on your left. Bend your right knee, reach back and grasp the inside of your right foot with your right hand. Carefully lift your right leg behind you, being sure to keep your hips square and your right knee pointed toward the floor. At the same time, lower your torso, trying to get as close to parallel as you possibly can.

Wishful: Torso vertical to 45 degrees toward the floor

Sturdy: Torso 45 -90 degrees toward floor

Strong: Torso 90 degrees toward floor

How did you do? Let me know, I would love to hear from you! or

Body After Baby!!

I slacked on my posting yesterday.
I don't remember what I ate but I will give it a shot!

pre-workout- mini bagel with natural PB, Kefir
workout- Spin class instruction
Breakfast- pineapple, blueberries and strawberries with cottage cheese and vanilla yogurt.
snack- ?
workout- Totally Toned instruction
Lunch- venison, brown rice and green beans
snack- apple, cheese stick

pre workout- Cliff Bar
workout- 18.5 mile bike ride
Dinner- X-lean turkey burger, bun and broccoli


Conclusion..I eat a lot! I might start tracking calories again!

THURSDAY

breakfast- ww waffle with cottage cheese and blueberries + drizzle of honey

lunch- x-lean turkey burger, bun, romaine lettuce and tomato

snack- Fiber 1 bar, almond milk, apple

pre-workout- spicy black bean burger, corn tortilla and salsa

workout- 1 mile walk on treadmill with incline and 45 minute kickboxing class
dinner- chicken, rice pilaf and spinach and romaine salad with low-fat dressing.

Mission Possible Interview with Samantha

1. How many children do you have?
   I have one son who is 4 months old.
   
2. How long have you lead an active lifestyle?
   Most of my life!
   
3. What is your favorite type of exercise?
   I have a love/hate relationship with running. For the most part I like running, I love swimming laps in the outdoor pool during the hot summer months, and I love lifting weights.
   
4. What have you taught your children about exercise?
   Make it apart of your every day life! Exercise does not have to be hard or boring- it can be fun! Going on a walk, playing basketball in your driveway, racing to the mailbox down the street.. those are all ways to be active without feeling like you're exercising. Exercising is fun!!
   
5. How do you stay motivated to keep fit?
   I want to feel good and be happy and I know I am the happiest when I am active and eating healthy. I want to be a good example for my children and I want to be in awesome shape! I want to be able to run around with my kids!
   
6. Do you have a blog? What do you blog about?
   My blog is Mama Notes- www.mamanotes.com It's a super fun blog for moms and moms to be. I write about everything from parenting, to my crazy motherhood moments, to children's health issues, to exercise/nutrition, pregnancy and lots more! Come say hi!
   
7. One tip or piece of advice you can offer other moms to get their kids moving?
   My advice would be to be an example of activity and get active with them. It's hard when you say, " go for a bike ride," or "go run around outside" or whatever but if you go on a bike ride with them, go for a walk with them, kick the ball outside with them, you're going to be an example of what activity is and you're kids are much more likely to follow!

Body After Baby!!

Breakfast- oatmeal, cottage cheese and blueberries

workout- 45 minute cardio kickboxing class

snack- Fiber One bar, almond milk

Lunch- x-lean turkey meatballs, red sauce and brown rice

snack-- raisins and almonds

snack-- pineapple and cottage cheese, coffee

workout-- Class instruction ( 3 minutes cardio, 2 minutes toning, 1 minute core) repeat 6 x

snack--mini bagel and natural PB

workout-- 2 mile run @ easy pace, 4 minute run @ 7:50/mile pace, 1 mile run @ easy pace

dinner- venison, whole wheat couscous and asparagus.

Powerbar Recovery Sports Drink Review

I use PowerBar Recovery whenever I run over 10 miles. I use the orange flavor. It's actually not bad at all! I am not that picky when it comes to stuff like this though. I can say that before I started using more aids then just plain water or even just Gatorade to replenish after a long run- I felt a huge change, this stuff works!! I can notice the biggest difference later in the day and for sure the day after a long run exceeding 10 miles. I am not sure why 10 miles is the magic number for me, but anything less than that I don't feel I need to use this drink. I fully recommend this drink to anyone. It has added protein which is not common among sports drinks. I am sure I have plenty of muscles that needs to be repaired and cared for after running so I really like that it has protein and not just carbohydrates.

**Proper hydration is essential for any athlete striving to maintain performance during a training session or workout. Dehydration and over hydration are both valid concerns for athletes who exercise for an extended period of time. The PowerBar® Beverage System works hard to help serious athletes avoid the dangers of either state with a beverage that addresses hydration needs during training and in recovery. PowerBar® Endurance sports drink has PowerBar® C2 MAX for optimum carbohydrate delivery to muscles and the PowerBar® Recovery beverage contains a carb-whey protein isolate blend, sodium, and magnesium to help restore key nutrients lost during training or competition.
PowerBar® Endurance sport drink features the C2 MAX optimized carb blend and provides 380mg of sodium per 16. fl. oz serving.
PowerBar® Recovery beverage delivers 40g carbs, 6g protein and 500mg of sodium per 16 fl. oz serving. **

Body After Baby!!

My Body After Baby post for the day. I will do my best to update this everyday!

Breakfast- cottage cheese, organic strawberries, organic yogurt and Fiber 1 Bar
snack- 1/2 mini bagel, natural peanut butter smear

Spin class
Totally Toned class
snack- apple and low fat cheese stick
Lunch- egg whites, spinach, cheese and corn tortillas

Dinner- x-lean ground turkey meatballs, pasta sauce, brown rice and green beans
snack- blueberries, pineapple, cottage cheese and squirt of Reddi Whip!
Lots of water today too!

Mission Monday

Let's recap last weeks training for my upcoming missison- Tri Del Sol Duathlon. It's this Saturday! Freaking out over here.



Monday, Wednesday and Friday I taught Spinning classes. Monday and Wednesday were hard ones. We did 17 sprints. Complete craziness. My legs were pretty much useless after Wednesday. I also taught Totally Toned on Monday and Wednesday at noon.

On Tuesday I performed my running club speed workout by myself. It consisted of a 2 mile warm up followed by (8) 400 meter sprints. In between sprints I had to jog 400 meters as to not let my heart rate drop too low. It was killer. I did a 1.5 mile cool down. Later that evening after teaching my cardio class I went on a nice 70 minute bike ride. I was sure to take it easy and not add too many speed intervals this time. I know that I need more time on the bike! I ended up getting a flat tire at some point! I am not sure when, but I rode the last 5 miles or so on a tube that had a slow leek. Ooops!

On Thursday I was able to make it to my favorite cardio kickboxing class. I missed it so!

Early Friday morning I did a run, bike, run session. I did half of what my duathlon will consist of. I ran 1 mile, biked 9 miles and ran for 2.25 miles. It was a good one. I gained some much needed confidence after this workout. I know the actual race will be much more difficult, but this was easier than it was the first time I tried it and my intervals were way shorter too.

Saturday was my long run. I made it 12 miles in very humid weather. It was really hard.

Sunday I went for a nice 5 mile jog; the weather was just too perfect to not to do something although I should have taken a day off.

I did not get on my bike as much as I would have liked, but I hope the 3 spin sessions will make up for that. All in all I am as prepared as I am going to be for Saturday. I hope anyway!

Friday Fitness Fun!

Let's talk about upper-body strength! Women by nature are weaker in their upper-body then men are ( phooey!). It's just a fact. Those that are not genetically blessed have to really work at it. A good way to assess your upper-body strength is by doing a balance pushup. When putting your hands on a stability ball while doing pushups can make your arms work up to 30% harder than when you have them on the floor. ( Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism journal, 2007).

The test:

Get in the bottom of a pushup position with your hands on a stability ball. Keep your legs and body straight and your feet hip-width apart-balance on your toes. Extend your arms and push your torso off of the ball until your arms are nearly straight. Return to the starting position and repeat as many times as possible.

Wishful: 1-4 pushups

Sturdy: 5-7 pushups

Strong: 8+ pushups

How did you do? Let me know. I would love to hear from you!

Mamavation!

Check out a great cause I am involved with: http://www.mamavation.com/

( I'm a cheerleader!!!)

This is an innovative virtual weight loss campaign open to a mommy struggling to lose weight! You have to have a blog and a Twitter account to do it!

The contest will run July 31-Sept. 31st...this gives you 2 months to reach your goal!

If you are the winner you will win some awesome prizes!

Head on over to find out more details.

Sign up and I will be cheering you on!

Rah Rah Raaaah!!!

Mission Possible Interview with Mandy

1. How many children do you have?
1-- Isabella (we call her Bella)
2. How long have you lead an active lifestyle?
Since I decided I needed to loose weight in 2001. So about 8 years now.
3. What is your favorite type of exercise?
I'm a cardio junky :) Self diagnosed! I love anything that makes me sweat ALOT... spinning, TurboKick, running... but I also love a great weight lifting session. I love feeling strong. but really , I like anything that makes me sweat and feel good! Anything and everything BUT yoga. I just can't get into the zen...
4. What have you taught your children about exercise?
well she is only 9 months old, so I just make sure we go for lots of walks, and that she sees me exercise alot! She thinks its hilarious! My hope is as she gets older, I hope that she finds fitness fun and healthy.
5. How do you stay motivated to keep fit?
Its my job, haha!
6. Do you have a blog? What do you blog about?
Yes! Fitness and Family...its all in the title! I blog about my life, fitness tips, recipes, and fun giveaways too!
7. One tip or piece of advice you can offer other moms to get their kids moving?
Do something fun together. Don't think of exercise and family as seperate things... do them together!!

Thanks Mandy. Check out Mandy's blog Fitness & Family

Timex- Speed plus Distance GPS Review

Today I fell in love with my Timex GPS all over again! My unit is over 4 years old and has served it's purpose for the most part. My husband bought it for me right before my first ( and only) marathon ( Chicago 2005!).

Today my GPS came in really handy. I did speed training on a trail that does not have any mile markers or any way for to know how far I had gone. I needed to run 400 meters 8 times.

So my handy dandy GPS was my mile marker today.

One con of this particular model is that it comes in 2 pieces. The watch and the actual GPS sensor. The sensor can be worn on your arm or clipped to your waist band. I have found that it can be very annoying at either location, but the least annoying is on my arm. Another con being that sometimes it just won't turn on or the radio signal is broken. I am not sure if it's because it's older or what.

The pros are easy! All of the data it shows you: Speed, distance, pace and lots more! I have used all of these options on numerous occasions.

All in all this is a great product. I will be honest and say that I am so ready for an upgrade though! I want to upgrade to a GPS unit that only has 1 piece. I hope to be able to review that one soon!!

Misson Monday

Last week I was able to get lots of running in. Biking you ask?? Not so much! Oh no!! The Duathlon is 2 weeks away and I am not prepared. I am getting a bit nervous about that...but all I can do is my best. My goal is to complete it and to NOT fall off my bike!
Running wise I actually did my Thursday speed session all by myself. I do a speed session with my running group on Tuesday ( 10 hills this time- ouch) and I can't make it on Thursdays.
So anyway-- Thursday I got up and ran 1.5 mile warm up and did the prescribed workout 12 200 meter sprints. 6 at 45 seconds and 6 at 40 seconds. I did what I was told and a few times I ran faster than necessary. I am shocked that I could get that motivation all by myself and at that hour!
I taught a spin class on Monday and Friday. I really hope that gives me some real bike training for this thing.
Saturday I ran 14 miles with my running club. I have no idea why. That is the marathon training--I have no intentions( key word) of doing a fall marathon. Maybe a half, so this was bit of overkill.
Sunday I did run, bike run ( Brick) workout. I ran 1.5 miles, rode for almost 5 miles and then ran for 1.25 miles. Once again I was SPENT!! This is a far cry from the actual 2 mile, 18 mile, 4.5 mile race in 2 weeks! Crap! I am hoping that my legs ( whole body) was still in shock from the 14 miler the day before. I did not have enough rest in between my training sessions at all.
I have decided to back off on heavy weight training at least until the Duathlon is over. I will stick to lighter weights and maybe only 2 times a week instead of 3. My goal is to get on the bike at least twice this week! Wish me luck!

Friday Fitness Fun!

Today's fun fitness test is all about core strength! Your core muscles not only include your abdominal, but also your back, pelvic, and hips. Strong core muscles help keep your back healthy, hold your body upright, and improve your balance. It's easy to see why core strength is so important, not just for people into fitness, but for everyone.

Performing a plank( also called a hover) is a great way to test your core strength. I know that my core strength went down the drain after I had my kids and the plank is still difficult for me to do.

Get in a plank position with your elbows on the floor directly below your shoulders. Hold your body straight. Butt down with a flat back. No arching please!! You also want to engage your abs now. Think about bringing your bellybutton up towards the ceiling and keeping it there.

Wishful: 20 to 44 seconds

Sturdy: 45 to 59 seconds

Strong: 60 seconds +

How did you do? Let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Kid Stuff!

Sometimes it's difficult to keep the kids interested in physical activity. Riding bikes and taking walks day after day can get kind of tedious for some. This past weekend Amara was bored and as much as she wanted to go for a bike ride, we were not able to due to Miles taking a nice long nap. She has been asking me to make her an obstacle course for a few weeks now and Saturday was the perfect day to finally do it.

No fancy equipment needed at all. We just used her outside toys, a balance disk, a few pails and paper plates! Viola--an instant obstacle course!

She ran around this thing all afternoon too. She wanted me to time her and she just kept getting faster and faster! She was doing donkey kicks ( paper plates) making baskets, jumping over stuff, running in circles and crossing the finish line like a pro.

These little activities make it a lot easier to get your child moving 60 minutes a day. It does not seem like exercise at all to most kids--just fun! What ways do you have physical fun with your kids! I would love to hear from you!

Mission Possible Interview with Elena

1. How many children do you have? - I have two girls - ages 12 and 10
   
2. How long have you lead an active lifestyle? - I grew up a swimmer but got away from it after high school. I gained weight in my 20s but after I got engaged I stopped the junk food and started exercising. I lost about 20-25 pounds. I stayed thin after that but really got into working out when my girls were around 2 and 4. Been hooked ever since!
   
3. What is your favorite type of exercise? - I LOVE weights!!!! Cardio is a close second. I also love outdoor activities with the family. Anything on, in or near the water rates high!
   
4. What have you taught your children about exercise? - I emphasize - Health is always first! It doesn't matter so much what type of exercise as long as you move! I try to motivate them by example as well. They have known no different than "mom works out"!!!
   
5. How do you stay motivated to keep fit? - I simply feel great. If I start my day with exercise and a healthful meal the day is always better. I get grumpy if I miss a workout or have a poor breakfast - it is sort of downhill from there. Of course, looking youthful and fit doesn't hurt either!
   
6. Do you have a blog? What do you blog about? I had started one about "Live Life" as in "enjoy the moment" or "carpe diem" , etc. but it has kind of fallen by the wayside with my move. I hope to resurrect it when I am settled in my new home.
   One tip or piece of advice you can offer other moms to get their kids moving? The best advice I can give is LEAD BY EXAMPLE and get out there with them!!!