Friday, August 31, 2012

Happy 3 Day Weekend!

Saw this little guy walking into an account. Don't forget to appreciate the beautiful little things!

So excited for the long weekend. I have nothing planned and it feels amazing!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Throwback Thursday

These pics of my pups when they were suuuuper little makes me smile. Dallas was a meatball and Luna had major attitude and was always in trouble! Not much has changed!

Pink all day long

I'm the annoying person who wore head to toe pink at the gym today. Deal with it! :)

Monday, August 27, 2012

Annapolis 10 Miler

I allllllmost signed up for this race in a state of delusion until I came to my senses and realized it was exactly a week after Iron Girl. I'm sure many would have done both...I just didn't want to train for distance on top of the Tri. I was too focused on improving my time. Clearly, it worked! :) Maybe next year.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't favorable for the racers, Straight up downpour at the start! Luckily we were able to take cover during the race to wait out the ugly weather.

It ended up stopping long enough for everyone to finish the race. I can't imagine the amount of blisters that popped up from soaked shoes and socks!

I was able to snap the first pic before the sky opened up...
A break in the storm

Failing to plan is planning to fail!

Unfortunately, with my job I never know exactly where I'll be when I need to eat lunch or how much time I'll actually have. I rarely have access to a microwave or a fridge. I used to just gab whatever was around and I wouldn't pick the best options especially if I didn't get anywhere around food until 2pm. Now thinking back, going from breakfast at 6:30am and not eating a bite of anything until 2pm sounds CRAZY. It's no wonder I inhaled every single piece of food in sight and didn't stop until I was uncomfortable.

That definitely had to change when I started training more serious at the beginning of the year. I now pack a cooler full of options for mid morning sacks, lunch, and mid afternoon/pre workout snacks. Everything is prepared the night before so I can just grab and go! It has changed my eating habits for the better and I no longer reach for the unhealthy foods when I'm away from home.

Here's a snapshot of my turkey, spinach, and cilantro jalapeƱo hummus wrap. Eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult or boring!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The difference a year can make!

This is the best before and after picture that helps prove you can't get all weird and bulky from weight training. The pic on left is from one year ago at the same event. I trained completely different last year. I focused more on the cardio aspect and used weights here and there. It was my first sprint triathlon and I was just happy to cross the finish line.

Fast forward to this past weekend and I not only improved my time by over 14 MINUTES, I felt amazing after the race and have minimal soreness a few days out. I focused more of my training on weights and plyo to help strengthen my body and help with endurance. Cardio definitely played a part, but my main focus was on building lean muscle.

So excited to see just how far I've come in a years time with how my body looks and the positive effect it has on racing. Just when I think I am not seeing progress I will have to remind myself with these pics. I've come a long way. Change won't happen overnight. Be proud of the little things you accomplish. I can't wait to see where I'll be a year from now :)

Monday, August 20, 2012

Iron Girl 2012

I'm so excited about this years race results! I improved my time by over 14 MINUTES! All the training and hard work definitely paid off. I am already thinking of things to work on for next year!

We were blessed with such amazing weather. It was high 60s at the start and we had cloud cover throughout pretty much the whole race. The temp didn't get above 80.

I'm so lucky I am able to compete in such an amazing race among other strong women, and even more lucky to share this experience with family and friends.

All in all, I couldn't ask for a better weekend!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Race day only a few days away!

I'm getting more and more excited for Sunday! I can't wait to race against myself from last year, this is going to be awesome! It's so great to do the same event consecutively for two years to see how much you've improved through dedicated training. And I thought I was prepared for my first ever sprint triathlon last year! Haha

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

This is a lifestyle change...

Just this past weekend, I had a close friend question my commitment to fitness. She asked how long I'd be able to keep it up. I responded with a quick "Forever, it's my new lifestyle. It's a part of my everyday routine." She quickly threw in down the road with kids and other obstacles. My response to this was again brief, "I'll make time." This is not something I am doing because of a future important life event or because it's summer. Like it or not, this is the new me 24/7, every day of every year. 100% committed.

No matter what it is, if it's something you really want, you will find/make time for the things you love to do. For me, working out isn't a burden, it's fun and an escape from everyday stress. It isn't always easy or understood by people around me. It's ok. It's what I want, what makes ME happy. At the end of the day, only I can control my life. I will never force my new lifestyle upon others. It's a choice. 

I had an amazing time at the Bachelorette weekend. Despite the light joking of me being lame because I wasn't really drinking, I stuck to my guns and turned down my once normal "it's ok to binge and drink because of a special occasion excuse". It took plenty of planning and yes, I brought a lot of my own food. It helped me stick to a somewhat normal diet with a few cheats in here and there. I was happy to see that in an environment away from home, I was able to enjoy myself without drinking, while eating my healthy foods. Had I not prepared for this past weekend, I would have binged on snacks and food that I do not normally eat. Some people may find that it sounds weird or restrictive that I'm not having "fun" like everyone else. However, I constantly reminded myself that yes, those junk foods may be fun and tasty at the time, but what's not fun is the aftermath and regret of eating such food that erases all the hard work from past weeks. I'm the only one that takes myself to the gym and looks at myself in the mirror on a daily basis. It all goes back to remebering why I started this journey and the growing reasons for why I continue to work as hard as I do. Most importantly, the food and drinks do not make the weekend fun, it's the people! 

Carrot Cake Protein Bars

I got this recipe off of bodybuilding.com and I've already made it TWICE! These bars are great on the go and are super tasty! I keep them in the fridge so they last longer. Otherwise they only keep for 3 or 4 days. Thanks Jamie Eason for the recipe!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

NO EXCUSES

Tired of hearing excuses. Every damn day, just do it!

I probably have one of the best snuggle pups out there. Luna is a sucker for a little lazy time!

Polka Dot Frenchie

A new twist on an old fave. I'm a big fan of the added sparkle with the top coat.

Thursday, August 2, 2012