Friday Favorites

It's been quite a week full of 3 foot snow drifts and lots of time indoors.  Needless to say my brain is shot so I'm dishing about some of my favs around these parts lately! 

Snow days...and back to school!  It is no secret that I love all things about Summer...the beach, the vacation, the beach, long days, the beach...you get the gist.  I also like the occasional snow day.

It gives me time to get a few things done around the house and even more it gives me time with these two lovies...up and down the sledding hills and through the woods!

However, after 3 snow days in a row...I'm all set and was practically skipping into school today!  We start school after Labor Day (tourist town=no school until the tourist leave!) which means every snow days brings us closer and closer to the 4th of July!  Last year we got out 2 days before...ugh! 

Quest bars...If you've never heard of Quest bars, don't do it to yourself!  My hubby introduced me to these bars of heaven and I'm hooked! 

Cookies and Cream is my favorite flavor but I tried the Smore's recently and it is pretty good too!  Have you tried Quest bars before?

HIIT workouts...With time inside and our street barely kissed by a plow, that means mama has to fit in a good sweat sesh in the basement!  I have been trying out some workouts from Blonde Ponytail and LOVING them!  Most of the workouts take about a half hour but boy do you get your monies worth!  You heart rate will be through the roof and you certainly will be feeling it!!  Where do you get your workout ideas from?

Superbowl with TB12...Just two more days before we are watching this guy march us into another Superbowl

You know you are from New England when your 2 year-old jumps up and down and cheers for Tom Brady by name in her best Massachusetts accent (seriously its hilarious!)!  We are looking forward to the game and watching the confetti fall for the Pats this year!!

What's on your favorites list this Friday?

Conquer Old Man Winter

The temperatures have dropped here on Cape Cod and 2+ feet of snow has been dumped on us.  It’s official…Old Man Winter has brought it.  It’s a challenge for sure!  You have set your goals for the 2015 and winter is trying it’s best to get in your way!  I’m saying fight back…get out there on the roads (as long as they aren’t too icy) and stick to those goals!  However, make sure you are dressed right so that your gear is the last thing you have to worry about.

When winter bears down, I know that I have to suit up each time I head out for a run.  I have several important pieces that are a must to keep me warm and hitting my paces.  Through a partnership with Sports Authority, I was able to stock up on some great Asics gear to help me wage this war against winter!  I was so excited when our local Sports Authority came to Cape Cod and it has quickly became my go to for sporting gear!  They always have great sales so stocking up doesn’t have to break the bank!

You too can fight against Old Man Winter and win.  Here is what are my must haves, which I was able to easily find at our local Sports Authority!  Heading out the door for a run I make sure I have warm running tights (These Asics PR Tights are lined for extra warmth!), a base layer, another layer (This Asics PR Hoodie is awesome with thumb holes and a hood), a jacket (This Electro Jacket does a great job at blocking the howling Cape Cod wind and has a light up shoulder light for extra visibility), a hat (I just have to have a ponytail hat with all this hair.  This Asics hat is extra long fitting low on my ears!), and some kick ass shoes (The Women’s Gel-Kinsei 5 are new to me but I LOVE the colors and are very similar to my usual kicks!)!  

Having the right gear will keep you hitting the roads and making strides towards your goals!  No need to throw in the towel…put on your suit of armor and fight back against Old Man Winter and win!!

This post was sponsored by Sports Authority but the opinions and advice are 100% mine!

Training Talk

I was so excited to get back to training and working out after the flumagedon that hit our house last week!  Even though I was still feeling the effects with some pretty low energy and some labored breathing, it was still great to get back into the routine!  I also completed the second week of the #SweatPink #NoExcuses Challenge and am having such a blast doing each day's challenge and being part of such a supportive group!

Squatting it out!

Here's how this past week played out...trying to take this "off" time and focus on strength!

Monday: Gym time...5 miles followed by shoulders, biceps, and back
Tuesday:  Ate some hills for lunch....one thing about the Cape is that every race is marketed as flat but I have yet to find a flat route!!  Today's lunch run brought 3 miles with hill repeats...During ZOOMA Cape Cod this year (come run in 2015 with me and use code NANCY15 :-)) the hills were what killed my time so hills for lunch it is!

Wednesday: Back to the gym for 5 more miles and a focus on legs...yeah had trouble walking after this one!!
Thursday: Lunch run...decided to try my hand at a progressive run...NAILED IT!!

Can't wait to dish about some new gear I'm trying out too later this week thanks to a partnership with Sports Authority!
Friday: You guessed it....back to the gym for my 5 and triceps/chest!...my triceps still haven't recovered from this one!  Guess I need to address the chicken wings!
Saturday: The weather was horrible outside with snow and rain mix so I was a bad New Englander and bagged my outdoor workout.  I hit the treadmill and did one of Blonde Ponytail's kick ass workouts....check her workouts out they are no joke!!!

30 minutes later I was drenched in sweat!!!
Sunday:  Longish run day!  I headed out to find that I should have waited a little longer for the roads to melt a bit!  Black ice ALL over my neighborhood but with some fancy footwork I was able to get to the main roads and start hitting my strides!  8 miles down!

34 miles for the week and I'm feeling good!  This week I'm focused more on weights and building that muscle!  Also I'm going to throw this out there and see if anyone can help!  I've been trying for months to get someone to help me fit my foods into my macros...I have the numbers but I just can't get it!  I had an awesome experience with Laura's detox and I'm ready to get it together!  I have found it really hard to get anyone to help me though!  I have contacted several people and even had a coach lined up that just doesn't get back to me!!  Anyone?

I'm also working on continuing to get in my stretching and yoga!  I have my mantra, which I think is perfect, from GaiamTV and have been chipping away at my 21-day challenge!

Have you talked the quiz yet?  What's your mantra?

How did your week go?  Are you part of the blizzard right now?  Here on Cape Cod we know how to do wind like nothing I have ever seen!  We have about 16" of snow but the wind is WHIPPING!!!  60-75mph gusts but thankfully still power!

Monday Motivation

I've been pondering the phrase I chose for this year...thinking about what it truly means and looks like to better my best.  On my lunch runs lately I have been cruising through the first mile or so only to hit a WALL as the hills start rolling!  This past week I decided I was going to start working on my short race and truly better my best.  I decided to do a progressive run and by the time I got back to the school parking lot I was jumping and cheering!!!  8:34-8:17-8:14....BOOM!  I know that living in a way that stays with #BetterYourBest it is going to be a lot of decisions to push when I want to slack...to face the challenge instead of take the easy road...climb the hills instead of walking them...pushing PAST my limits!

How will YOU push past your limits this week?!

Workout Wednesday

Since I'm a horrible blogger and I missed not only my very favorite Motivation Monday but also Training Tuesday, I had to throw in some alliteration to start this week of on a proper foot!  Last week was a blur of flu symptoms sprinkled all over the Fancy Nancy house...starting with our 6 year-old...to me...to my husband...to our youngest!  Needless to say I resisted the urge to try and "sweat it out" and really just allowed my body to rest.  It made me feel old...that coupled with an actual birthday...really put the nail in the coffin!  I woke up on Monday determined to not only age gracefully but also get my sweat on!!  This is bringing me to my topic for this week. 

Many of my friends have been asking me as they face down their resolutions (I told them to word them as I will instead of I want to...commit!), how I find time to work out with two littles and a full time job outside the house.  For me it is a scheduled event...like a meeting at work.  I put in on the schedule and barring any illness it gets done!  After giving them the simple reply of "I wake up at 4am" and receiving the usual eye rolls and no ways, I decided to see how non-morning people could get creative and still get fit!  Here are just a few suggestions I have found can work if you are pinched for time...and daycare!

Lunch runs...Now yes this does require a little planning the night before and can vary depending on how much time you have for lunch.  I have 25 minutes and have been squeezing in a 5k in that time.  I wear my base layer under my work clothes so I'm like Superman changing!  When I get back to my classroom, it's Showerpill to the rescue and then I'm back teaching.  It has really be fun doing these runs and they get me out in the sunshine which is clutch in the winter!

Workout at home (before or after the action at home)...I do have a treadmill at home but even if you don't there are many, many resources you can tap into for workouts at home.  Pinterest is loaded with workouts for all ability types.  You could also purchase many, many DVDs that have workouts just waiting to kick your butt!  Also GaiamTV has awesome workouts ready for you to do!  Just take the quiz to find your profile and they will just email the workouts right to you so that you can complete the 21-Day Challenge!  How easy is that?

Involve the kids...I am always looking for ways, especially now that it is winter and freezing, to build in activity during the day so that the girls are moving those little bodies.  We hike, dance around the house, and play games that get us moving.  This past weekend we headed down to see my family and we joined up at the pool.  The girls played with their cousins and I snuck in some laps...which by the way are far harder than anyone makes them look!  Yikes!  I reached the wall and thought...My goodness now I have to go back? 

The point is to get them involved in exercise and it becomes a win win for everyone! 

What advice would you give someone that is looking to squeeze fitness into their busy schedule?

Let's Talk Training Tuesday

I went back over last year and noticed that I had started doing a weekly log of what my training looked like over the week.  It was good for me to see since an injury had kept me from running the race I was training for in March.  I decided to start this up again this year since I am trying to take a slightly different approach to my training this year.  I am taking the beginning of this year and having a little fun with my running (much more relaxed about my total mileage each day) and am making sure I fit in strength and yoga/stretching in order to build strength and stay injury free!

Running....Although I had an idea mileage wise where I wanted to be by the end of the week, I was all over the place with how my daily runs went.  I am also taking part in the Marathon Sports Winter Warrior Challenge (Run at least a mile outside each day in January) so there were days when I ran twice because of this.
Monday:  I was at the gym early for some treadmill miles (5) and then when the hubby got home I ran 2 miles in our neighborhood.  I discovered something about me....I am NOT a fan of running in the dark alone.  My hubby reminded me that no attackers would be dumb enough to be out in this cold!!

 Tuesday:  Knowing that I didn't want to be running in the dark again, I packed a bag and spent my lunch (we get only 25 minutes) running around my school.  This was a cold week and even though the winds were whipping, I was warm in the sun! (3.1 miles)

Wednesday:  Another early morning gym sesh and more treadmill miles (5)!  I ventured out again at lunch for 2.8 more miles!
Thursday:  Today was slated to be freezing...like cancel school freezing in some parts of Massachusetts...but a winter warrior I am so I bundled WAY up and headed out!  3 miles later at 0 degrees, I was certainly feeling pretty badass!!
Friday:  Yup back to the gym...are you seeing a pattern here!  5 mill miles and then more lunch time miles (3).
Saturday:  I woke up, understandably, with a very tired body.  Hubby was away so I ran a quick mile up and down my street.  I was more than happy to rest the day away and watch a Pats win!!
Sunday:  I was on Facebook Saturday night when I saw a fellow Cape runner/blogger Stacey was hosting a trail run Sunday morning just a few miles away from me!  Perfect!  I decided that my goal was 10 miles for the day so I headed out early to run to the place where I thought we were meeting up!  I'm fairly new (3 years) to our area so I have a tendency to get lost!  Thanks to my GPS I found them and had a great time exploring the woods!  By the time I reached my door it was 11 miles total for the day!!  WIN!  Poor Stacey and Denise got lost in the woods though...sorry ladies!!
Total miles for the week: 40.9 YIKES!

Strength...I want to start being more consistent with my weight training but I am in a little bit of a holding pattern waiting to hear back on a few things so this week I conquered the kettlebells and free weights.
Monday:  Kettlebell circuit (25 min)
Wednesday:  Free weights with super sets (30 min)
Friday:  Kettlebell circuit (25min)

Yoga/Stretching...While I found myself stretching and foam rolling some sore and tried legs, I was bad at keeping up with my GaiamTV Challenge.  I'm thinking that this coming week I am going to start again!  It is simple to complete.  First you take the quiz...

Then a plan is emailed to you so that it is simple to have your 21-Day Commit to you Challenge right there for you! 

How did your week go?  I'm recommitting to me and starting my 21-Day Challenge today!  What about you?

Monday Motivation

This past weekend I found myself alone in the woods....ok so I had gotten a little lost meeting up with a few friends and my GPS sent me through the woods to find them...but there was a few moments when I had gotten to the place we had decided to meet up.  I (of course took a few pics) and then noticed something that was amazing to me....it was silence.  A moment in time when there was nothing but my breathing...and it caught me...caught me being caught up in doing.  It was just a few moments but it touched me.  I am quick to get caught in the doing of life that I forget to stop and see the beauty...those precious moments in the silence to see the beauty around me....those moments amid the noise of life to stop and see the beauty.  I had a fabulous run out there in the woods and when I got home it was certainly not silent...but it is mine...and it is beautiful!!

Don't forget to stop in our doings...reaching for goals this week to stop and see the beauty!!

Goals For a New Year

There is something shiny and new about the beginning of a new year.  The slate is wiped clean and we have the chance to make this year what we want!  Add to that fact that my birthday is looming very near, it makes for a great time to look ahead at how I want 2015 and this next year of my life to look like!  Monday was all about the mantra...setting something down for when the training gets tough...and in order to BetterYourBest for me means laying down some goals in running and life.

Running...

Last year I had so many amazing experiences with running...meeting so many new people...establishing connections in the community...pushing my limits.  This year I am working on finding a balance with running...striving for my goals but still keep that joy and excitement that running brings me.  Hard and fast goals...

Run 1500 miles

Break 1:50 half marathon

Gain speed in the later miles
Run injury free

In order to work on that balance and speed, I have goals that will hopefully keep me injury free and strong for each time I lace up my Sauconys!

Do yoga more often in the week (My GaiamTV CommitToYou Challenge is helping this!)

Strength train 3 or more times a week....Building some guns over here!

Lose 20lbs by ZOOMA Cape Cod (I need a time limit on this one!)

Life...

This year has flown by at a more rapid speed than I am at all comfortable with.  I know some of this is a product of getting older and watching my girls grow up right in front of me.  Some of this is also because our schedules are filled with more than they should be.  My goals for life are an attempt at making life matter...slowing it down and realizing that these days that are whizzing by are MY LIFE....not just a practice!

Have 20 min each morning for devotions (get back on that journal wagon!)

Spend more unstructured time just enjoying my family

PUT DOWN THE PHONE

Stop procrastinating....connect with friends and family instead of putting it off for tomorrow!

What are some of your goals in 2015?

WIAW January Reset Week 1

Monday started the January reset that I am doing with Laura from Mommy Run Fast.  I know it has only been a few days into the reset but clearly this is exactly what my body needed because I am feeling so much better and far less of that bloated feeling!  Christmas with it's stress and sugar at every turn did a number on me and boy am I happy to be back on track!! 

As a working mom of 2 lovely ladies, it works best for me to prep ahead and also make the same meals from breakfast through lunch.  This way things can be prepped ahead of time and all I have to do in the morning is grab it out of the fridge and throw it into my lunch box!  This week I have been making it on the fly more but I planned out all my meals and have kept to the same things every day.  Some people need a lot of variety but I could honestly eat the same thing for weeks at a time!  When I was pregnant with our second daughter I ate a BLT almost every day for dinner for the first 3 months!!! 
Here is how my days go from wake-up through afternoon snack:
Coffee....sorry I just have to have something!!!

Breakfast is a green smoothie...protein powder, water, spinach, and a banana
Snack: almonds and a pear/apple
Lunch: I love this tuna avocado salad (Laura's recipe)!  I drench it in some lemon juice and YUM!!

When I get home I either have a handful of nuts or a protein shake depending on what time it is.  If it is too close to dinner I pass!

Dinners so far have been pretty basic but yesterday's dinner I LOVED!!

Brown rice, steamed edamame, and grilled salmon!!!  YUMMM!!!

I am missing my crock pot since some of the other resetters have been boasting about fabulous things they have made in theirs, but I am feeling great and back in control!!

Are you a variety kind of person or do you eat the same day in and day out?

A Motivating Mantra for 2015

2014 was a year of growth for me...I had goals in my mind for the year but seeing them unfold after working my butt off for them was awesome...and confidence building.  No I did not reach all my goals I set for 2014.  I failed to break the 1:50 half marathon....fell 100 miles short of my original 1500 mile goal...but along the way I challenged myself in ways that I hadn't dreamed of and found out what I was really made of.  My mantra for 2014 was all about believing...Believe in Greatness was the mantra of the year!  This past week I have been thinking of what goals I have for this year.  I have been wrestling with what I want this year to look like for me physically...the theme of the year.  This year I want to focus on using what I've gained in 2014 as a springboard for 2015.  With that in mind I've landed on a mantra...a phrase to go to when I'm ready to throw in the towel...when I'm ready to phone in a workout...when I'm ready to skip and workout or double down on a bowl of ice cream.  2015 is going to be all about...

and I can't be more excited!!

Do you have a mantra for 2015?  A word?

Monday Motivation

Today starts the 21 day reset with Laura.  It has me thinking about this week and this year coming up.  I'm kicking old habits and replacing them with new ones....it honestly has me excited!  Excited to see the little belly I found this morning during my workout to bid a farewell...excited to start feeling strong again after some time of rest...excited to own 2015!  What about you?  What new habits are you ready to form?  Start today....it's never too late!

Have you ever taken 21 days to break a habit? 

Five for Friday

Starting off 2015 with a trip to Newport to see my family so while we are getting in a lot of cousin time...planning summer fun trips...and running laps in my parents' driveway, here are a few randoms to start the year off right!  Stay tuned next week for lots of goal setting and fun!

21 Day Reset...I'm starting my year off with another reset with the fabulous Laura from Mommy Run Fast (there's still time to join in!)  Not only is she one of the sweetest people I have met, but her resets always get me back on track and feeling like myself again!  After a holiday season of a few too many treats, I'm ready to hit the reset button!!

Warrior Time...Our local running store, Marathon Sports, is throwing down the challenge flag again this year.

The Winter Warrior challenge is to run at least a mile outside every day in January.  Yesterday I measured out my parents' driveway and rallied the whole family for 10 laps up and down the driveway!  I'm sure it was quite the sight for any onlookers!!  2 miles down for me and quite a few laughs!!

Goal Setting...I'm spending some time these days trying to narrow in on a phrase or word for this year.  Last year was "Believe in Greatness"....this year I'm focusing on strength and speed so we shall see!  Do you have a word for the year?

Tiny House...Sitting in my sister's dining room and planning a road trip to the tiny house I mentioned a while back is just like us!  We are researching random hot spots we can hit on the way there...2 nights in a house with no electricity or water....yeah there may need to be a brew house in that trip!  Any suggestions for things to do with kids in Stowe in the summer?

Stretch it out...Yesterday I got my email from GaiamTV to start my 21 day challenge!  I took the quiz for my mantra for the year, "I've got this" and now I'm ready to stretch it out!!  The best part is that the workouts are emailed to me and I can do them whenever I have time in the day!  Check them out!  What is your GaiamTV mantra?