A family that works out together stays together!

Yesterday was so cold here in Ohio!  I could not believe how cold until I seen the weather on my phone and it said 5 degrees feeling like -8! What??  Well, it was a good day to stay in and get some things done here in the house!  Once I took all my Christmas stuff down I wanted to change out a few things instead of putting back the same old same old.

Here on the our island I decided to take down my big three cyclone center piece and just add this.  A cutting board with a little plant, apples, and napkins.  Useful but pretty!  And we can see each other!

In our family room we decided to get rid of our HUGE sectional and open our family room up more by getting a normal size couch, recliner, and a double seated chair (not shown) with matching ottoman.  Our family room is enormous but taking out the sectional really made it that much bigger and I love it!

Okay, so onto a little bit of family fitness!  John and the girls went out to the movies and I decided that I would work on my cpr/aed stuff and workout later in the evening.  

We decided that we would do 4 rounds of Tabata!  I love this because you work up a sweat and can burn a ton of calories!  We had ten different stations and each station was 30sec with a 15sec break to get to your next station!  I wanted to do lots of cardio with a little upper body and abs! 

This is what we did:

Mt. Climbers

Shoulder Press

Burpees

Pushups

Russian twist with med ball

Walk outs/in with a jump

bicep curls

Jump squats

chair dips

jumping jacks

We did a total of four complete rounds and I truly thought I wanted to get sick!  I didn't of course but still ;)  I loved this especially because there was five of us.  Me, my son-in-law, and three of my daughters!  Was a great way to end the day and it too 44min and we burnt over 400 calories!! Here is a pic of us all after we were done.

Today will be a rest day since I have our granddaughters for the day.  Wednesday will look like cardio in the morning with weight lifting in the evening.

Getting back at it

So for whatever reason I have let almost a year slip by and have only posted maybe two times!  What??  Well, I'm gonna try to be better at this blogging thing because I love reading old posts and the things that I had accomplished.  

So, where to begin?  Lets start with going back to mid Summer when I was training for my half marathon.  It was a really hot and humid rainy Summer and it just made it hard for me to run.  I did stick to my plan most of the time but was just hard.  One day it has to get better right?

My compression socks I wore on my long runs and made it a lot better for me.

All in all, training again even when I swore I wasn't going to do another half marathon, it really was nice training with my Aunt Shawnda and then having my daughter Emily run it with us to 5 miles then she did the rest on her own as we pulled ahead of her.  So proud of her because she really didn't train for this half marathon.  I asked her what she thought and she said she was proud she did it but would definetley train better next time!

This was us right before the race!

And a few before, during and after!  I loved it of course but swore that I would not train for another half marathon in 2016!  I mean it too!

Here are a few pictures during my runs in December!  Never thought I would be able to run outside in the middle of December!  These pics were taken on December 17th and it was about 40 degrees when I ran that day!  

Still took a lot of my workouts inside at Love Your Body Personal Training!  This pic was after a hard HIIT workout!  I felt completely worn out too!! 

Just a pic to show that I do wear and love normal clothes!  I think I was heading out to have lunch with my daughter!

This was the Great Pumpkin Run 5k at the end of October.  It was SO cold that day too but so much fun!  Lots of hills and we had to do lots of walking which was okay because I was nursing a torn glute! 

Then right around the peak of the holidays I stepped on the scale and this is what it said =(  To be honest, I truly was not being good with my diet at all!  I was getting my workouts in but I was eating pretty much just whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted.  I'm not sure how or why I let myself get so comfortable with doing this.   

So, once the holidays were over and 2016 came in, I wanted to make some changes.  My daughter Ashley had asked me right before Christmas if I wanted to do the Advocare 24 day challenge with  her.  I knew I had to do something but told her I would think about it.  I'm not a big follower of Advocare or Shakeology type diets.  But, I thought I needed to do something for sure though, so I decided yes we would do it together and that I would go all in.  So I ordered our Advocare and we started January 2.  

I also wanted to start logging my food again so I could actually see what I was putting into my mouth.  I try to keep my calories between 1300 and 1600 a day and for the most part it has been all good calories.  My problem was the sweets.  I have a strong sweet tooth and at first I thought it would be very difficult for me to cut that out, but it really hasn't.  Yes, I do have my moments where I have caved and had a bite here or there but that right there is the difference itself.  I kept it at a bite or two not the whole thing.  And this has only happened a couple times.  

We are on day 17 and so far I have lost a solid 6 pounds!  I also just feel so much better too!!  Definitely keeping count of my calories and putting them into myfitnesspal has been a great tool just to see what I am actually putting in my mouth.  

It also helps when I wake up and plan my day already having my meals and snacks planned out!  

I'm hoping at least by the end of the challenge that I have lost at least another 2 pounds making it a total of 8 pounds lost on the challenge.  But of course I won't stop there because I want to meet my goal of 145.  So we shall see.  So just so I can put it out there I started at 167.2 and as of now I am at 161.6!  

For my running goals for 2016 I have decided to keep it to 5ks and 10ks.  I just want to have fun with the runs and build on my runs.  So we will see!  Right now I am not on a running  plan I'm just running what I feel like for that day.  I have thrown in a few tempo runs of about 2-3 miles but I'm okay with that right now due to taking it easy on this glute!  

My plan for the blog is to use this as my record keeping for my weight loss and running goals!  Of course, there will be other things to document with family and outings and happenings.

Trying to get back into my routine

Since my foot injury last Fall, I have managed to put on a few extra pounds.  I was able to do a little elliptical but my heart wasn't in it much.  In these last few months there was also a vacation, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years!  But now that I am able to get back out there and run, I need to start getting serious about getting these extra pounds off.  

So I am thinking that this will be a good way to keep track of my goals, workouts and how things are going.   My first thought is to really make sure I only worry about myself and how I am doing.   I get on here sometimes and I will read other fitness bloggers and really feel like maybe I'm not doing enough. I am really impressed with their routine, workouts and dedications for sure but I need to focus on what I do and just focus.  

Love this and so true!

Today I will be doing a run on the treadmill (since the weather here is bad) and my goal is 3 easy miles.   This is the part that kills me!  My long run for the week being 3 miles!!  But it is what it is and my goal is to get back out there without getting another injury or same injury!  I'm sure I will be back up in good miles before I know it......then it will be a different kind of complaining!  Also on tap is a shoulder, bis and tris workout!  

Long, fast, short, slow or tempo....running does make my soul happy!

Okay,  here is a quick and easy recipe for the very popular No Bake Energy Bites!  I love these and they are so easy to make and are a quick healthy snack before my run or workout!

No Bake Energy Bites

1 cup (dry) oatmeal, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup ground flaxseed, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tsp. vanilla

mix all ingredients together and roll into approximately 1inch balls and refrigerate!

What is your favorite go to snack before a workout?

What I've been up to lately

  The days have been moving quiet fast here with so many new things going on.  So much so that I haven't posted on my blog since August!! I gotta get better at this blogging thing!  Well, let me try to do a little catching up.

This was my view back this past Fall.  How gorgeous is this?  Fall is just my absolute favorite time of year.  Here are a few more pics from this past Fall.

Also, in November we were blessed with another granddaughter!  Please let me introduce to you Baby Kate!

She is such a delight and is such a great baby!  Okay, moving on!  With Fall weather being my favorite time of year to run I didn't get to do much of it this year........sad face!  I wound up getting extensor tendonitis the first part of October!  I took a few months off from running to give it plenty of time to heal.  I'm doing so much better with it and have again resumed my running.  Along with the chilly weather I love to bring out my favorite Fall time soups!  Here is a family favorite!

Homemade chicken noodle soup!  This soup is by far so easy to make and it's perfect on a cold Fall or Winter day with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich!  Here is the recipe:

1 tbsp butter

1⁄2 cup onion, chopped

1⁄2 cup celery, chopped

4 can (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth

1 can (14.5 ounce) vegetable broth

1⁄2 lb cooked chicken breast, chopped

1 1⁄2 cup egg noodles

1 cup carrots, sliced

1⁄2 tsp dried basil

1⁄2 tsp dried oregano

1 salt, to taste

1 pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

What does your family love for those cold chilly days?

This weeks happenings!

Wow! This week has been nothing but gorgeous!  Beautiful weather along with beautiful temps!  Perfect for my runs and just hanging outside.  

Can you believe that it is already the middle of August??  Hello!! Where did Summer go?  Actually, I'm good with it.  Yea, not much of a Summer person at all!  I'd much rather have Fall, Winter, Spring, Fall!  

Anywho, we have just been getting things ready for back to school.  The girls actually did their own back to school shopping.  From what they needed in the class room to what they wanted to wear.  Of course I did some overseeing on a few things.  

This Summer actually was a nice Summer.  Yes the temps were great but I'm talking about the girls.  All three are growing into beautiful young ladies.   Who would have thought that two Summers ago compared to this Summer was heartbreakingly sad and miserable.  

Okay, now to my running.  I love to run.  I do.  But, it is something that has never came easy to me.  I'm not fast.  At all.  On a good day I am about a 10:50pace.  I have struggled for several years now with how slow I am.  But, I can't do that no more.  It is what it is.  For the past three Summers I have trained for my races...whether it be a 5k or a half marathon.  This Summer was no different.  I signed up for a couple 5k's, a couple 10k's and three half marathons.  Well, my body just wasn't gonna let me do those half marathons.  I did my first one and boy was it miserable!  That was the hottest most boring run ever!  The Cincinnati half marathon.  But, between everything that my poor body has been through I just decided to listen to it.  I wasn't enjoying it anymore.  I hated my long runs and hated feeling like I HAD to go out and HAD to get a certain pace.  I started running with a few of my girls that I train and that was so much better.  We ran here and there and even a few times on the bike route and even that was better.  I decided that I was going to go from one of my halfs to the 10k and the last half marathon I just decided that I wasn't going to do period.  I had already ran that twice.  Yes it's fun

and I love it.  But just needed to step down.  I needed to get myself back to where running was fun.  If I wanted to go out and run three miles that day then that's what I wanted to do.  I just needed to step away from what I had to do on that training plan.  I feel so much better!

Here is my runs for this week:

Saturday- 5miles

Sunday- 2miles

Monday- 3miles + trained w/Katy

Tuesday- 2miles

Wednesday- trained w/Katy 

Thursday- 3miles

Friday- rest day

I feel so much better!  especially with my body going through everything that it has been going through the past few years.  

So do you feel that you run the pace that you want to run or do you feel slow?  And are you okay with whatever pace you can do?

Summer catch up (picture overload)

Wanted to do a little catching up and I have added a ton of pics.  So much that has gone on over the Spring/Summer that I can not believe we are already in August and planning for another school year. Life just needs to slow down!  As much as I try, it just keeps getting busier and busier.  So, I've picked a few pics to just kinda describe a little bit of what has been happening.

At the beginning of this year I was set some goals for myself and felt pretty excited and determined.  I wanted to get my personal trainers certification......I did!

I wanted to do a lot of races......I have!  I did a 5k, two 10k's, a half marathon and have another half marathon planned for later this month.  I had also planned for another half marathon in September but decided not to do it.   The only other goal race was the Turkey Trot and as of now I still plan on running that.  

We have done a lot of little things and we look forward to a lot more to come yet.  We also are very excited that we are going to be grandparents again to another little girl and we are so very thrilled!!

This pic was from earlier this Spring at The Flying Pig!  I was so nervous running this even though it was a 10k.  I felt prepared and ready just wasn't sure of the hills....but it wound up being the funnest race yet!  And boy do they know how to put on a race and a great party after!!

This bruise that was much worse in person was from doing squats!! Yes squats!

This was the Columbus 10k and it was on my birthday!  Was hot and very humid but was a lot of fun!

My brother drew this for me for my birthday!  I love it!  I am alway's harping on myself for being so slow and well this is what I get!! Perfect!

I don't know....I just felt very pretty in this pic.  It seems like with running, working out and training my clients I don't get to put on girlie clothes too often.

Just one of my training runs and was feeling pretty darn good!

Oh, and this is what I saw on my training run!  Beautiful!

Completely love the views I have while running!

I had an 8miler planned and these girls had 4.5 miles planned so I did my first 4miles by myself and then they met me and I finished my run with them!  I love this and it makes my long runs so much nicer!

Was so hot even though we were out early that morning!

 I just love this place!  Downtown with lots of little antique shops!

 Having fun with the grandchildren!  

Trips to Young's Jersey Dairy!  Love that place!

Summer morning's on my porch and this is my view!  

Another morning with my coffee and it was so foggy out and just made things so beautiful!

 Just finished our run...again, pretty hot and muggy but so much fun when you are with somebody! 

 Just feeling good!

 Celebrated this precious little Nana's Lauren 2nd birthday!! I love her so!

 Family bike rides!  

This was a 9mile run for me and a 5 mile run for them!  I did my first 2 miles by myself, met up with Candice and ran another 2 miles with her then met up with these girls and did our 5 miles together! Was a beautiful morning for a run.  Not too hot at all and the sun was nowhere to be found and I was okay with that!

She's growing too fast!

Three of my girls.....we have had a great summer!  They have grown so much into fine young ladies! 

Was perfect for the 4th of July!

Lunches outside on the patio!

 OMG!! This girl just melts my heart!

Was a bicep/tricep kinda morning!

 My run in Central Park! Absolutely loved every single step!!

We are always busy with something!  Life is never dull!  There are times that I feel overwhelmed but I just get myself to regroup and think of the moment and how there are no redo's in this crazy hectic life of mine!  Yes, I get tired, overwhelmed, and feel kinda crazy at times but I sure wouldn't trade any of these moments, these events, these memories for nothing in this world!  

So, how has your Summer been?  What memories have you made?