Wish List Wednesday

It's that time of year again!!!!  The big man is making his list and checking it twice...have you been

Naughty or Nice??

Do you have a runner in your life?  Someone who loves to workout?  Someone who has been wanting to get into running/fitness??  Stumped on what to get them??  Well here's my list of ideas!!

Race entries....As a running mom, I always feel a little guilty each time I hit the submit button for races knowing they are on the expensive side.  Last year I received race entries and was able to register for 8 races without dipping into my own checking account!!!  SCORE!!

Shoes....I feel like the Carrie Bradshaw of running shoes!!  I LOVE them...a new pair gets me all giddy!  There is nothing like a new pair of Saucony to get me all excited!!!  Make them pink and pretty and I'm sold!!

Clothes...The temperature is dipping below freezing and the tights are coming out....I mean really runners are like the mailman...nothing stops them!  Why not pick up a pair of great tights like these from Under Armour

or my go to cold weather hat from Bondi Band

Music....I am guilty of always needed tunes to kick me through a run.  Do you know someone like that?  How about a new pair of these awesome Yurbuds

or an iTunes gift card!

Heart Rate Monitor...I love my Polar Heart Rate Monitor for keeping me honest throughout my workout.  It lets me know if I'm "phoning it in" as Jillian would say and let's me know how many calories I am torching! 

Plan of Attack...I'm always on the hunt for a great training plan.  An added bonus is when that training plan comes in an awesome book that feels like it was written for me!!  Every running mom has to have their own copy of Train Like a Mother....oh and throw in one of their awesome shirts!

Now I'm certain I left some things out....

What are you hoping has your name on it this year???

Monday Motivation

source

"A League of their Own" is one of my favorite movies....and this is one of my favorite quotes from it!  This quote was going through my head the other day as I ran my first outdoor run since Aubrey was born.  While I was in heaven pounding the pavement and breathing in the crisp air, I couldn't ignore the fact that it was hard.  Climbing back is going to be hard...that first half is going to be hard...losing the weight is going to be hard...intervals and speed work is going to be hard....but that is what makes it GREAT!  And when I am standing on the this side of the finish line it will be all worth it!  Running is hard....but it is the hard that makes it great!!

Embrace the hard whatever it may be....it's making you GREAT!!!

Who's Streaking With Me? #RWRunStreak

Nope...it never gets old!!

It's that time of year again....time to brave the falling temps and rising calories of the holiday season to go.....

STREAKING!!!

From Thanksgiving to New Years you need to run at least one mile each day....just one mile...surely you have time for that!  If not...make time!  It is a busy season but choose health first and join Runner's World for the Holiday Running Streak!!! So.....

Who's coming with me?

Signing Off For Family

Today we are headed to my family's house to spend some extra time for Thanksgiving so I am signing off until Friday!  I wanted to first wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!  I'm certainly thankful for you all and the blogging community for all your support!! 

#HBBC2012 Kickoff

Yesterday was the first day of the HBBC 2012!  This challenge couldn't come at a better time for me now that I am beginning to be able to work out more!  It is a fine line for me though since I do not want to do too much too soon and set myself back with an injury.  I headed out to the grocery store with a plan in mind...load up on veggies and fruits!  I planned meals this week with veggies in mind first and worked everything else around them....salads, smoothies, stir fries, and veggies galore! 

During this challenge I also want to not only get my own workouts in but also plan extra fitness that involves my family!  As the fall starts to fade into winter, our chances to get outside become less and less (unless we have another winter like last which I would love!).  Yesterday we bundled up, I stuck Aubrey in the Bjorn inside my jacket, and off we went on a walk/bike ride.  The fresh air was just what we needed (Aubrey slept almost the whole night!) and I was happy to get Em outside and moving!

Are you in the HBBC 2012?  How did your first day go?

Monday Motivation

I woke up this morning determined...determined to start and end my day right...determined to fit in the workouts planned...determined to get my head on straight and lose this weight!  I've taken an idea from Dani at Weight Off My Shoulders and have written the pounds I want to lose this week on my hand.

That is there to remind me each time I reach for food..."Is this going to get you where you want to be?"

Did you wake up determined to take this week (which is often crazy and busy) by storm? 

Fitness Friday...Treadmill Burn

I am certainly not a personal trainer...nor do I claim to be as good as one...but I'm pretty good at replicating classes and such that I have done in the past.  One class that I used to LOVE was called Burn.  You could take it either on the treadmill or the spin bike with a personal trainer in a group...basically it was an ass whooping in an hour!  You would alternate between the bike/mill and weights/resistance bands.  I have been trying to recreate the class in my basement while Aubrey is napping.  Now while it is not at it's not quite at ass whooping level right now, I am looking forward to ramping it up soon!

First I rigged up my treadmill so that I could easily move from mill to weights quickly.

Oh yeah...I hit 1000 miles on Wednesday!!! 

Then it was on!

5 min warm-up

5 min run

squats w/ bicep curl, step-ups w/ lateral raise, tricep kickbacks

10 min walk at 15 incline

chest press with band, squat row with band, push up on mill

10 min run (increase speed each minute)

squat jumps, plank push ups, tricep dips

10 min walk at 15 incline with hand weights (usually 3lbs)

lunges with front raise, hammer curls, dead lifts with reverse fly

5 min run (all out)

5 min cool down

Now note that I do not have a lot of exercises that involve my core/ab muscles in this.  This is due to the fact that I have not been cleared to really exercise and do not want to risk injury or complications from my c-section. 

I love that I get in 40 minutes of cardio in and am still doing weight training as well!  This always keeps my heart rate soaring!  Bonus is that I can earn lots of points for the HBBC which starts on Monday....DO NOT forget to sign up!!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

When Emma was just 2 months old she got a cold and we had to spend the night at Boston Children's Hospital.  In an effort not to have to do that again, the hubby came home this morning with this special gift for me...

Now I can scare the pants off feed and play with Aubrey without getting her sick!!  Happy Wednesday!!

1 month...We Made It!!

I can not believe that 1 month ago....they let us take her home...

Time is traveling at such a rapid speed that I feel myself wanting to slam the breaks on but they aren't there!  I want to soak in every moment...sight...sound...smell(ok maybe not every smell...just the Dreft smell)...everything!  Through the sleepless nights and spit stained clothes I have learned so much in just 1 short month...

• Breastfeeding is wonderful...just not wonderful for me and I am finally ok with that
• My girls love their car seat...to keep their acid reflux at bay
• Even the heaviest sleeper (me) can be woken by the slightest coo
• Family and friends are priceless...so let them help
• Sleep is overrated!
• Burp early and often or you will wear it!
• Get out of the house...breathe in the fresh air...and love life
• It is ok to ask for help...those who love you will do anything!
• Take every day as a gift

I can not believe that on Saturday we celebrated Aubrey's 1 month birthday!

Aubrey obviously didn't get the memo that Emma did about smiling!

 

I am so thankful for this time....

for these amazing, beautiful, healthy girls....

 and for my family of four!

Monday Motivation

Waking up today, I feel like a truck ran me over...backed up...and then ran me over again!  A cold colliding with a sleep deprived body has hit me hard but....NO EXCUSES!  I started the day off with a protein packed breakfast and am prepping myself for the week ahead!  I'm still keeping my eyes on the prize and this week is no different!  There are many excuses I could easily use to remain the shape I am in, but I'm not using them...no sir!!  Kick those excuses aside!!!  Don't let them stand in the way of reaching your goals!!!

Thankfulness....I know I said it before already but I am SUPER thankful for my husband!!  Today is our 7th anniversary and I am SO thankful for him!!!  He even let me sleep in the other room last night so I didn't have to wake up feeling like trash!!  It has been a crazy 7 years but I wouldn't want to be on this ride with anyone else but him!

Why I Run...

I have run most of my life...to train for an upcoming soccer season....to shed a few pounds...because my friends were...to keep those pounds from coming back...to prove to myself and others that I COULD complete a marathon...but it wasn't until the past 3 years that I became a RUNNER.

At my daughter's first birthday party, I looked around at all those there supporting our family...at the perfectly decorated table....the perfectly dressed birthday girl...the perfectly matching outfits that our family had on...the perfectly fitting skinny jeans I had busted my butt to get into by her first birthday...the perfectly created scene.  It was the kind of perfection that this type A girl craves...yet I was hiding under a veil...life was not perfect and the following year would prove that.  It was a road I had never expected to travel down, however through God's faithfulness I can write about it now with a new vision.  That year I also discovered something I will treasure...running as a healer....a comforter...a way to feel like me which was something I had lost!

I am a runner....I am a runner who will head out in sleet, snow, rain, sun, heat, and cold to chase that friend that meets me out there...my friend the run!  I feel like me...I can be me...no matter what the scale says or how crazy life gets, out on the run I AM ME!  There is just something about the rhythm of my feet pounding away that just lets the world fade away and I can just be!  I am able to think...to talk with God...to cry...to laugh...and to leave it all out there.  Just like this Asics ad...

Some days the run is hard...some days it flies by...some days I'm alone...some days I have friends with me...but what always remains is how I feel when I run!  As hookey as it sounds I LOVE to run!!

I run for the love of it...for the feeling after a speed workout...for all those who can't but wish they could...to show my girls what a strong woman looks like...to be proud of me...

Why do YOU run???

ZOOMA and Sarah and Dimity at Another Mother Runner want to know why you run!  Watch the video below from the ZOOMA Great Lakes be sure to enter to win a shirt from Another Mother Runner!!

Three Things Thursday

What in the heck??  It's Thursday again!!  I'm thinking that when your day begins around 2 am as your two children tag team you until you throw in the towel and just make an enormous pot of coffee, the days fly by!  Whatever it may be, I'm back for another 3 random things this week!!!  Enjoy!

1.  Hormones SUCK!...I would say sorry to the male readers thinking I was excluding them with this one but from watching my husband these past few weeks, it is painful for the men too!  There are days when I'm motivated and ready to face the world and days when I struggle to motivate myself out of my pjs!  I know this will all settle but until in the meantime I am steering clear of all sappy anything...or at least until my tear ducts dry up!!  Like what is up with the new Carter's commercial??  Are they trying to make me have an ugly cry??!
2.  Ouchie ouch!...This week I have been walking on the treadmill each day since the weather has me thinking I live in Seattle...which my sister reminded me that at least I have the sleepless part down!  Two days ago I decided to add in intervals and do some squats and such (I'm going easy I promise!).  Well ouchie ouch!!  My legs are a-hurtin!  How does this happen?  The day before I went in to have Aubrey I was doing squats and lunges like a champ!!  I do have to say though....it's a good ouch!
3.  Cold weather gear...As the temps begin to drop, out comes the cold weather gear for runners! (PS my heart goes out to those who opened their door this morning and saw lots of white stuff!...that would just make me grouchy!).  Runner's World has 8 bottoms that keep you warm as you head out on the roads while everyone else is snuggled up in their jammies!

Last year I lucked out, as did most cold weather runners, in that it was very mild.  I used my Gap tights and made it through the winter.  This year I am looking into these options...since the weather has proved to be wacky lately!!  What tights do you use in the winter??

Thankfulness...I'm thankful today for my warm home and power.  I know so many are still struggling and with this latest storm are looking at snow outside their window.  My prayers are still with them and it is not lost on me that I have the ability to turn up my heat when the air is cold! 

Bartering for Races

This weekend my very dear friend Cindy came to visit and meet Aubrey!  While we were hanging out in the living room gossiping about high school friends (she always gets the best scoop!), she asked my hubby when his next show was going to be.  If you are a new reader, my hubby did a body building show in April...yeah while I was getting as big as a whale he was getting in the best shape of his life!  Fun!  His response was...I was hoping to do 4!  I'm sorry what???!!!  New England is doing 4 shows in 6 weeks this coming Fall and I guess it's like the next best thing.  I tried to equate it to running...I guess it would be like the Runner's World Half that just happened a few weeks ago...or what it would be like if Boston, NYC, MCM, and Chicago were in a 6 week span. 

Well being the thinker that I am, I started thinking what 4 shows would get me....yeah I'm such a supportive wife!!  A little while later I GOT it!!!  Honey....you can do the 4 shows if....I can run a marathon!  Yes most wives would barter for a day at the spa...a vacation...maybe even a new pair of shoes but this running momma uses a marathon!  Well I think he took the deal!!!  Now I'm left with a HUGE question....

What marathon should I do????

I couldn't think of anyone better to ask than all of you!  I wanted something a little flatter and probably within driving distance...unless you know someone who wants to sponsor my comeback by paying for me to fly or for a place to stay!!  There is a pit in my stomach as I think about this...I can't tell if it's nerves or excitement....I going for excitement!!!

Thankfulness....I'm so thankful for my friend Cindy who came to visit!!!  We have been friends since 3rd grade...she knows everything about me and still loves me!  It was so great to see her and see her cuddle Aubrey!  Best, old friends are truly a gift!!

Monday Motivation

What is it that you are feeling "in-between" about these days?  Is it a race you've had your eye on for a while?...jumping up your weights at the gym?...trying out a new class?...well decide!  Commit to it and go for it!  As much as I have biting at the bit to get running again, setting out a race schedule has been much more difficult.  I know I need to commit...get it on the calendar...and start training.  There is no in-between!

Fitness Friday...November Goals

It's been a while since I have made monthly goals here, and as I sit here ready to crash into my coffee cup, I am doubting I'll be able to keep up.  However, I know myself and I know that goals are just what I need....even through the extra pounds and tired eyes I need those goals to feel like me again!  With that in mind I am going to go easy on myself....this month :-)!  I have my 6 week appointment late November and will hopefully get the green light to begin running again.  Until then it is walking...and walking...and walking!  Gotta Pile on those Miles right?!  So here are my goals for November....

• Lose 8lbs...This is a big one since I know running will be easier if my weight is down.  Again I am putting it out there in order to keep myself focused!
• Run/Walk 75 miles....sweat at least once a day.  It is amazing how much lighter my mood is when I sweat!
• Weights 3 days/week...once I get the ok!

3 simple goals to keep me focused this month...3 simple goals to get me out of my pjs and into my workout gear!

What are your goals for this month??

Thankful Day 2:  Today I am thankful for my inlaws...they have been a blessing to our family in so many ways...most recently they let us crash their house during Sandy so that we could have power...added bonus was when my mother-in-law woke up to feed Aubrey so I could go back to bed!!!  AMEN!!  

Three Things Thursday...Thankful Times

I can not believe that November is here again...how did October go by so quickly?  Oh wait I spent half of it sleep deprived that's how!!  Well this November I'm continuing with what I did last year and counting my blessings each day!  This becomes even more poignant as we count our blessings around being spared by Sandy while so many have lost so much...a college friend of mine from Queens literally has lost everything!  Those of you who are still in the dark or getting back to life...hang in there! 

To kick off November, I'm going to do three things I'm thankful for!  Lucky you!!

1.  My hubby...

 November is our anniversary month and this year is #7!  I'm thankful for him and his hard work each and every day...plus he makes me laugh and is pretty easy on the eyes if I do say so myself!!
2.  Our girls...

Before becoming a mom, I never could have imagined how much I would LOVE being a mom!  Now these two beauties have made me a mom and I can not imagine my life any other way!  Yes I'm tired...yes toddlers are a challenge...but yes it is a blessing each day!

3.  My family...

(Yeah our parents are never in pictures!!) I am so thankful for my family and their constant support and love!  My parents have taught me so much about faith and love through their lives!  I've talked about my sister before but I am so incredibly thankful for her! 

I am so blessed by these people in my life!  They all have a very different role but I am who I am because of all of them! 

Who are you thankful for today??