Update From A Mad Runner

So I know it's been a while when my avid reader (yes you Heather) texts me about me missing a post. Thanks for keeping me up to date. I've been wanting and planning on writing a new post for a while now, but with my comfortable couch and movies B and I usually end up watching TV together after our workouts. Yeah, actually that's the reason I haven't written a post in a while, I'm too tired AFTER my workouts to do it.

Well, I actually re-joined the gym. Yep I did it. Finally. I have been putting it off for a while now, but what I kept realizing is that I love doing yoga and if that's all I use my $40/month for it's still way cheaper than a yoga studio. Plus I do other classes as well so it's even better. Also B and I can go to the gym together like we did before. I kick his ass in HORSE the other day too, that's always fun.

I haven't been doing much cardio lately as I have this stupid head cold that I can't get rid of. I am hoping if I don't do too much strenuous work it'll help make it go away, but I was walking on the treadmill last night and ran a mile and I felt OK, so maybe that is not the right policy. So maybe I'll do more cardio starting this week.

My one fan also reminded me that I haven't written a Friday post for a while. Yeah I know, I guess it's cause I've noticed I don't have many new pics on my phone and I like to write it when something happens during the week and I have a picture to go with it. I mean who likes to read a blog post with out any pics? This girl doesn't. Anyways, to my reader who will still read this full post even with out any pictures, thanks for the motivation to get this done. And I'm excited to see you next week!

Update From A Mad Runner

Well Hello! It's been a while I know.  Last weekend was spent in Vegas with a group of girls for a bachelorette party!

Vegas was an amazing time. A friend of mine that I met in SLC when I first moved here moved back home to the East coast and I haven't seen her since her move. So not only were we able meet up again this past weekend and pick up where we left off we were able to celebrate her upcoming nuptials with some of her favorite ladies! 

This last week I took off for a much deserving break. Not only have I been working very hard this summer but I got a terrible head cold which just reminded me that sometimes your body just needs a break from it all. So after work I was heading home and hitting my bed!

I have really been working it out this summer. I think more than past years because I have noticed a huge change in my body. Turning 27 was an eye opener for me. It sounds so weird to say or even write down but I can tell my body has really changed.  In some ways I love it and some I hate it. It's like I'm just going through teenage puberty. My hips are getting bigger, my face is breaking out more and when working out the changes are coming a little slower than they used to. It's frustrating but I know that it's just the way it is so I'm just rolling with the punches!

Anyways, thanks for letting me break it all down. I am finally feeling a little better, just a little stuffed up but should be gone soon. I'm going to start hitting the pavement again next week so wish me luck!!

Since I haven't blogged much this summer I wanted to leave you with a smoothie recipe. I have been eating smoothies for dinner for the last few months. It's quick easy and even though B doesn't like fending for himself for meals it's been a good change for me and helped with my workouts.

Green Monster Smoothie: 
I found this smoothie recipe at Pintrest, of course. I tried this out but switched it up a bit for my particular tastes. 


I first want to note that I don't measure out ingredients when I cook, make smoothies, etc. So this is all approximate measurements. 


1 c Almond Milk
2 Large scoops Greek Yogurt...or plain, vanilla or whatever yogurt you use. 
1 scoop Protein powder
1 Bananas
Fill the rest of the blender up with spinach. 4 c?


Blend until smooth and then liquify until the spinach is ground down. I like to refrigerate for a little bit to cool it down. Also if you make too much it can sit in the fridge overnight or during the day. 

This is the easiest smoothie I've ever made and it's so good. You can only taste the banana and it's a good kick start to the day or a nice dinner after a workout!

Update From A Mad Runner

Hey! It's been a really long time since I've written this post! So Welcome Back....to me as well I suppose. 


Since I was in St. Louis for the majority of May and then on a "vacation" in North Dakota for about a week and a half after that I was not eating the best or keeping up with my workouts. 
Well...I'm back at it and I have some stuff coming up to keep me motivated. In about a month I have a bachelorette party (yay!) in Vegas and B bought me some new suits for the occasion (and rest of the summer I suppose). 
This week I'm been doing great with my workouts! I couldn't be more proud of myself. Even though I wasn't running on a schedule while I was gone I was able to workout and run a few times. Thankfully it must have helped because I was able to run 3 miles or so and since I've picked it back up it hasn't been full on torture so that helps. 
I also decided to change my diet in some easy ways to help with weight loss. I'm going to cut out red meat, limit my chicken and fish and I have been having a smoothie for dinner each night. Surprising it has been very good and filling and it hasn't felt like a big change! I'm so proud of myself (it's hard to say that for me so this is a big deal!)


Anyways, Kudos to me and I hope your workouts and summer has been great as well!!

one suit B got for me. Victoria Secret found here 

the other suit B got. Victoria Secret found here 

 pictures taken from Victoria Secret Web site. 

SMoothIE SEasON!

After my run the other day I didn't want to eat a full meal and I didn't just want my protein shake. It's getting warm out finally and I remembered the ingredients I have on had for smoothies so I thought I would try something out.



First off when I make stuff I don't usually follow a recipe exactly or measure a lot of stuff. But I got my idea from Leigh Ann's post and used it as a guide.


What I used:


1/2 cup cooked oatmeal with Almond Milk (my fav!)
About 2 handfuls of frozen fruit mix
1 Scoop of protein (I used B's cookies and cream flavor and not quite a full scoop)
1/3 cup Greek Yogurt
Almond Milk (unk amount, I just poured it in until my smoothie was the texture I liked)

Cook oatmeal and start mixing rest of ingredients into blender.
Blend and add the Almond Milk until the smoothie is how you want it.

Enjoy!

Update From A Mad Runner

So, I'm back at it, and really trying. No....really.
I made it through my three whole days of running this week and did some other form of workout the rest. No more, no less. Yay. 
When I think about working out, for instance, when I know I need to run X amount of miles or do 30 minutes of another form of workout or weights, it really doesn't sound so bad does it. But when I actually get changed or start running or doing the workout it does. 
I was having a conversation with a co-worker this week about working out. She asked me what I did. I realized when ever I talk about working out it seems like no big deal. I mean really it doesn't. When I know I have to run a couple miles or so I know it's only going to take 30 minutes or less. So why do I despise it so much? I mean, it's really the quickest possible workout you can chose to do and you use almost all your leg and butt muscles (toning) and then you burn all the crap you ate during the day away. It should be something I can't wait to do. But I don't. To me all I do when I'm working out is thinking about all the other things I could be doing. Cooking, cleaning what I forgot to do that day. It drives me crazy and I can't focus on it. But there were times when I would go to the gym and just laid in the locker room watching TV, just wasting time. Then we got to talking about how you need to find something you like to do. It makes it easier. I know this, I've experienced this, I found things I love to do. But do I do them? No. I loved doing yoga at the gym, and then when we bought our house I quit. I was rarely going, I was doing the P90X workouts at home and I was running outside. So when we moved we had a clubhouse with a treadmill and weights, so I just dropped my membership. I haven't done yoga since (in a class form). You all know yoga at home is just not the same. So why when I found something I love I still quit it? I haven't found anything else that I love yet that I actually want to stick with? (I do like to do the Nike Fit work outs, but I don't ACTUALLY ENJOY them like I did yoga). All I need to do is get my membership back and it's still more cost effective to do that then go to any other yoga class around town, but I don't. I make up reasons about not going, like the times don't work and then I would go home after work and then probably get distracted and not go. Then it's a waste of money.


WOW, that's a lot of excuses to not workout.

Update From A Mad Runner

Phew! What a week. I am glad it is over!
A week starting off with a bump in the road and my ass. I have started trying to focus on the diet, which is no bueno for me. B and I did some healthy shopping this weekend and we got me some lean protein shake to try one a day, some more vitamins. I also found a drink on pinterest from Dr. Oz's website on how to get your metabolism back. Eight cups of green tea, tangerine and mint leaves in a mix, drink it all. It's good and easy to make so I'll see if it works. I also bought some kale and I'm going to try to make up some kale chips. I had a coworker who told me it was not good, but I'll see how they turn out. So on word healthy eating (which I have to say was so hard yesterday with the Super Bowl...I made an entire dessert plate and munched on after halftime, oink!)

As far as my workouts though I have to say I really tried to step it up. In the mornings I have been doing a combo of jumping jacks, pushups, mountain climbers, crunches and burpee's. It sucks, I'm barely awake, cold and jumping out the room huffing and puffing. B is like "what do you do in there in the morning!" haha. I can just picture him eating breakfast and watching espn with the funniest look on his face! I think I need to get back to the running routine, and kick cardios ass again so I talked to B and we are going to run the 5k in SLC. I know it's coming up, probably April or May-ish. Plenty of time to get to 3 miles!

Wish us luck!!

Update From A Mad Runner

un·con·ven·tion·al

   [uhn-kuhn-ven-shuh-nl]  Show IPA

adjective

not conventional;  not bound by or conforming to convention,rule, or precedent; free from conventionality: an unconventionalartist; an unconventional use of material.

This is the exact definition of my workout this week. It has been determined (not by anyone but myself) that just running is not quite doing it for me. The other definition I think I need is...

Insanity...

(I checked all the definitions of this word and it does not quite sound right to me, so I think it means)

1. doing the same thing and expecting different results

With my own made definition (I actually feel like I heard this definition on a TV show but can't quite remember which one, i.e. read Update from a Reality TV Lover) I CAN'T keep just running and doing some abs and expecting that I will get back to my high school self. So because if this REALIZATION I am going to stop focusing on making myself run, do a Nike Training workout or what ever I am planning and just doing something to burn the CALORIES I consume during the days. 

Soooooo

This week was a mismatch of Nike Training workouts, other workouts on my Nike Training App, free form workouts on my own for toning to a very irregular cardio week including snowboarding, help moving a friend to even the old school stair running up and down the two steps of stairs in my house! Yep you heard me. Old school running stairs, it was like doing the seven minute drill back in pre-season basketball. (I know who will get this;) Also the hardest 3 minutes of my week, oh yeah and I said 3 minutes.


All in all I feel like I just need to stick to something to keep my (getting bigger) ass in gear. I do get bored with things easy so I think if I can keep it up I will be OK with my results. If not I will be rejoining a gym!

Infamous Stairs...again 3 minutes is all I could do (two sets of these damn things keep in mind!)

p.s. I bet you didn't think you would get a vocabulary lesson did you

Hmmm...

I took a workout hiatus after Christmas and the new year. What we had guests, don't judge me. Running was tough last week so I quite running, just kidding but I only ran one day and not going to lie it was a little tough, 1.25 miles. So running was a no go last week but I did make sure to do my Nike Workouts. I was so excited to see they updated my app and they switched their 15 minute workouts around and I have new workouts to do.

My friend also gave me a Billy Blanks Favorite Moves TaeBo workout video for Christmas. I did that one day too and my elbows were sore from fake punching something. I think I should try to get B to do that workout with me...that way I can get an ab workout from laughing at him!

In other news I got my new ottoman I have been waiting for. The most excitement in my days now, getting new furniture. But I love it!!

If anyone has any workout or diet tips for me let me know...my great 20s metabolism is not as great anymore and I need to switch up something.

New workout DVD. Oh Billy

The chair I broke at Christmas...have a good laugh.