TTT...Challenge Time!!

Let me first say it was very hard to drag my butt out of bed this morning.  However...at least I have a smile on my face because of this shiny thing!

Red Sox are World Champs and Fenway was ELECTRIC last night!!!  Love it!!! Ok as you were!

It's that time of year again...time to try to work off the calories we are eating...or for me try to hit my end of the year goal!!  To help me do that I am sharing with you some challenges that I have signed up for that you may want to join in too!

HBBC...Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge hosted by the amazing Amanda is a staple in Fancy Nancy land every year!

I love her points system and the challenge to be as active as I can be!  She also gives points for eating healthy and being good to yourself!  This year I signed up for the complete plan but she has three levels of participation.  It's an awesome challenge and there are TONS of prizes to win!!  It starts November 17th so get over and sign up!!  Let her know Fancy Nancy sent you!!!

Pile on the Miles....Since 2010 I've been joining in on the fun with Monica over at Run Eat Repeat for her Pile on the Miles challenge.

It totally helps me out with my HBBC points and gets me to my year-end mileage goal ahead of schedule!!  This year I'm setting my goal mileage at 125 which would be the highest month of the year....why not go big to end the year?!  You can sign up for free and start piling on your miles!

13 in 2013...I'm pretty certain that I have hit my 13 races in 2013 however I am adding two to the mix this month.  Next week I will be running in and out of cranberry bogs and through the famous Edaville Railroad (ok so maybe just famous around here) for the Edaville Rail Run 5 miler.

Then I'm burning off some turkey before it makes its way to my belly by pushing the ladies and running with my mother-in-law on Thanksgiving in the local We Gather Together 5k.  Last time I ran this I scored a pr of 22:38!  Don't think I'll hit that one this time around but it is always a good race!

The 13 in 2013 is wrapping up but keep your eyes peeled for something special for 2014!!

How are you finishing your year?  Are you in these challenges?  Any other challenges you're doing?

To Supplement or Not to Supplement with #SDPharma

The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of SD Pharmaceuticals.

I have used supplements in the past and have struggled to find the right balance for me.  Some would not have any effect on me while others would cause me to have extreme emotions and chest pains.  I was excited when I was given the opportunity to test out a number of supplements from SD Pharmaceuticals through a Fitfluential campaign.

I was sent 5 types of supplements in addition to ton of awesome information and guides on how to use the supplements properly.  What stuck out for me right away about the company is that they only use ingredients in their supplements that is backed by solid research.  This is important when taking any supplement.  So here's the skinny....I was sent

• Green Coffee Bean: is 100% caffeine free and used for increased fat loss and antioxidants
• Raspberry Ketone: used to inhibit fat accumulation, increases fat break down and calorie expenditure
• Garcinia Cambogia: used to reduce appetite, block fat build-up, and weight loss
• Dendrobium: used for physical endurance & stamina, mental focus, and has no crash or jitters
• Diindolylmethane: used for hormonal support

You can take each supplement on its own or you can stack them in many different variations.  I chose to try out the Fat Burning Stack which combined Green Coffee Bean, Raspberry Ketone, Garcinia Cambogia, and Dendrobium three times a day a half hour before each meal.  The last dose is taken without the Raspberry Ketone...unless of course I never want to sleep!  I also added the Diindolylmethane in my lunch dose to see how it worked.  They also had guides for other ways to stack the supplements for fat loss and performance, fat loss and muscle growth, muscle grow and recovery, optimal health, and testosterone boosting. 

I have been taking the supplements for a little over 2 weeks now.  At first I thought it was going to be a lot of pills to take at once

but they really go down easy and are really easy to take.  I will say to make sure you drink more than enough water with them to make sure they all go down.  I was certain to drink at least a full glass of water each time.  Their claims that the supplements won't make you jittery or have a "crash" as they wear off are very true.  So far I have just felt awake and ready for my workouts and the day in general.  I have even been able to cut out my 2-3 cup of coffee habit!!! (although I do miss the warmth of coffee)  I have the needed energy and focus that I need for my early morning workouts as well as my ones late at night!  In the past I would either be ready to go in the morning and crashing as night came or visa versa.  Not with these supplements!  I've also noticed I don't have that need to snack in the afternoon which was a big struggle of mine!  I've been eating just what I pack for meals and don't find myself looking for a snack even when I'm not tired.

I'm looking forward to see how the next two weeks go using these supplements.  I know people out there tend to shy away from supplements but these I would recommend!  They give you the focus and energy you need to reach your fitness goals without the nasty side effects!

I was provided the 5 supplements from SD Pharmaceuticals for free through a Fitfluential LLC campaign but my opinions are 100% me myself and I!

Monday Motivation

I was talking candidly with another woman at the gym the other morning about how even after showering we were both still sweating.  Yes my makeup slides off my face each morning...yes I have to wake up at o'dark thiry...yes my bed is comfy and warm...and yes I LOVE this feeling!  I love heading off to work knowing I kicked my own butt for an hour!  It's a feeling I miss when I don't do it!  Exercise is part of my everyday life in many shapes and forms...because I need that feeling every day!

Do you love sweating?  Do you chase that exercise high?

FItness Friday....Kettlebell Fun

I'm sharing with you all today a "fun" workout I've been doing with a friend and our fearless leader trainer the past few weeks.  If you remember this summer, I discovered the pain kettlebells can inflict and of course fell in love!  Here's been our workout lately!  Have fun!

First things first get yourself some kettlebells...

I am trying to challenge myself to increase my weights...thus the line-up!  Make sure you do have a range though.

Why I Teach

I'm deviating from my usual banter about running, weight loss, and parenting to recognize those lost this past week....

"In the line of duty"....this is a phrase used for some professions like police officers when they are killed while on the job.  I never envisioned it to be used for a teacher yet this week we have lost two teachers in the line of duty.  Teachers who strove each and every day to not only educate their students but to make them better people.  Teachers that were amazing people in and out of school who had dedicated their lives to helping children be the best version of themselves.  Teachers like me.  Watching the scenes from yesterday's murder in Danvers made me shudder...having a place you know so well broadcast on Nightly News hits home way too quickly.  The North Shore was my home...where I began my life as a teacher...molded my craft by attending countless hours of post graduate classes...and taught for 10 years.  Never in those 10 years did I ever once feel like this job that I loved would ever be a threat to my life.  It was a job I had wanted all my life...

My husband teases me when we talk about people finding jobs by saying, "Not everyone knew what they wanted to do when they were born!"but it's so true!  I can remember getting my Highlights Magazine in the mail and teaching my dolls and stuffed animals how to read!  When it came time for me to go to college I was focused from day one....I wanted to be a teacher.  I had a passion for students and a drive to teach.  As time went by my focus narrowed onto just who those students were going to be...guiding me to ESL.  I wanted the hard kids...the ones that other teachers didn't know what to do with. 

My first application for employment was to a job in the Bronx...to which my mother asked me not to pursue!  I landed in Lynn (Yes...Lynn Lynn city of....you know the rest!) and would spend the next 10 years doing amazing things!  Just talking about my work there makes me light up!  I was a third grade ESL teacher...meaning my students were brand new immigrants to the US (many of which were refugees) and I taught them English and 3rd grade.  I was their teacher...their cultural guide...their translator...their confidant...their toughest boss...and their biggest fan!  I organized events pairing families and refugee families ensuring that everyone had all the winter essentials they never knew they needed.  I pushed students farther than they thought they could go and then celebrated each victory along the way.  I've kept students away from the gangs that were so willing to take them in.  I showed them places they may never have had a chance to see like the symphony or opera house.  I taught them that hard work will always win...I have and always will teach them to never give up on themselves! 

I teach because...

• I can't imagine myself doing anything else
• the sound of a child reading for the very first time is priceless
• I believe in each and every one of them
• I have been called to do just that
• the magical things that can happen inside a classroom can transform the world!

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Mike Landsberry and Colleen Ritzer and with all my fellow teachers out there.  Schools are a safe haven...and magical things do still happen there.

What Matters Most

The past few days I have been in a funk...just feeling discouraged and weighted down by just about every aspect of my life...getting to the end of my day and just feeling like I did not do one thing well!  I know part of it is work and losing sight of why I am a teacher....it tends to happen when you are piled high with paperwork and red tape. 

I was going to post this picture as a "Wordless Wednesday" post and leave it at that...unable to come up with anything witty or inspiring to add to it.  But then looking at this picture and the phrase written across my LuBelle Fit tank.  This is what matters....these two sitting in the bright yellow stroller...with a dollie and fly swatter (just in case)...the journey every other day while mom huffs and puffs behind them is not about time.  It's not about losing weight or making it up yet another hill without walking...it's about the journey.  It's about the laughs exchanged as they tickle and grab.  It's about the squeals of joy as Aub sees a dog walking up the street....or a well decorated yard for Halloween.  It's about the half hour journey around our neighborhood...this is what matters most!  Some days it's as simple as a picture to jar me out of my funk and remember what matters most!

Monday Motivation

I'm going with an oldie but goodie for this Monday!  Last week I feel like me again...my muscles were sore...I reached the end of my day with nothing left in the tank...I pushed myself and hit my workouts....it felt awesome!  This week I'm going for the same!  It will take all of these things but I am pushing for my goal and I know in the end it will all be worth it!!  Whatever your goal may be this week...go all in!!  It's worth it every time!