Let's Go 60 Days - Personal Challenge

It’s the beginning of the third week of January, and its GAME time. SkinnyMom's Instagram photo yesterday was the perfect mental kick in the yoga pants I needed.

SkinnyMom Instagram

There are million excuses for not being the healthiest version of myself….for why I didn't "drinking enough water", "eat clean...today", or "make it to the gym".  If I’m honest, it boils down to not challenging myself and laziness. 

So today, on January 20^th, I am making a proclamation for a no excuses 60 day challenge, where I commit to the BEST version of myself in 2015. The conditions......

• Water – 72 OZ or More
• Food – Commit to eating clean 5 days a week, leaving room for 2 cheat meals per week
• Fitness – Workout 4 times a week,  at least 2x at the gym, if not more
• Find Joy – regardless of how well I do day to day, week to week….I will find a way to tap into my inner bliss and find something that makes me happy every day

So far day one is off to a roaring start! With almost 10k steps, clean meals (dinner thanks to Seasons 52) and more water than my bladder knows what to do with! 

I promise, at the end of this challenge, I will share my results! Feel free to join me and follow my progress!

#liveenergized #letsgo60days #gametime

Halloween Themed Workout

Happy Halloween everyone! Before we all begin our nights with warm and hearty soups, festive beverages and a sampling of our kids Halloween candy....I wanted to share a festive workout my bootcamp buddies and I did this morning. So you can enjoy your treats, guilt free!

Warm Up:

• 60 Second Carioca or Grapevine Drill
• 50 Second Creepy Crawly Walk (Bridge walking backward on hands)
• 40 Squats
• 30 Jumping Jacks
• 20 Second Sprint
• 10 Push Ups

Cardio Bootcamp - Grab a partner and watch the calories burn! I recommend doing each workout 3 times, 40 seconds on...20 seconds off. Have fun!

1. Pumpkin Toss (Medicine Ball works too!) - Grab a partner and toss the pumpkin back and forth while running horizontally the length of a room.
2. Monster Walk - Place a tight small band around your ankles, walk in a half moon shape forward, alternating legs.....think Thriller! 
3. Frankenstein Lunge - With a hand weight in each hand, lunge forward keeping your hands at shoulder height the whole time. 
4. Spider Push Up - Starting in a plank, step forward bringing your foot to shoulder height, then pushup. Alternate on each side.
5. Bat Burpees - Standard burpee, but jumping into a "bat" pose (aka start jump).
6. Goblet Squat - Grabbing a pumpkin, or a kettle bell squat. For extra calories, add an upright row or overhead press.
7. Bon Fire Outs - Go into a deep squat, feet spread wider than shoulder width. With a bench or low surface in front come up into a lunge reaching out and coming into a elevated plank. 
8. Zombie Get Ups - Starting laying completely flat, come up to full standing...without using your hands. You can however..cross your feet.
9. Full Moon Rises - Laying down with a exercise ball between your feet crunch up to pass it to your hands, alternate.

Of course this can also be done tomorrow, to burn off today's festivities. Or you can just join me tomorrow at Allstar Backyard Bootcamp at 9am, to see what we come up with next!

Xoxo -

April (No Fools) Ab Challenge

Source: Wordle

Spring has officially sprung! My first half marathon, The Flying Pig is less than 5 weeks away, so I am tasking myself with a new challenge. My friends at Bob Roncker’s have made it quite clear you not only need mileage, but a strong core to cross the finish line.

Since Lincoln is 8-months-old tomorrow, I have decided to dedicate my last month of training to rebuilding my post baby core! While it may not look the same as it did before baby, how I hate that pesky little line that just won’t fade away. I know I can feel just as strong as I did before my muscles were stretched out for 9, ok let’s be honest, 10 months!

To complete this challenge, I will be leveraging several things:

• Pinterest Workouts – I even created an AAC board which houses ideas and workouts
• DVDs – for the days I can’t get out of the house
• Classes – now that warm weather is rolling in with Spring, I’m going to get out of the house (and my comfort zone) and try a few new core strengthening workouts
• Swimsuit slimming secrets – let’s be honest, you can do a hundred sit ups and have the strongest core ever. But if you don’t balance that hard work with a good diet and proper nutrition, that beautiful six pack will be hidden under layers of flab. So I will also share healthy eating tips about giving my body the fuel it needs to showcase my new strong core

I promise to share weekly what is working, and what is not. Last, I vow to do something I have never done before, something that I know will hold me accountable: share before and after pictures. GASP!

Anyone else up for the challenge?

The Best Pregnancy Workout

As most of you know, I could easily be put into the categories of gym rat, fitness junkie and aerobically obsessed. If a new fitness craze emerges, my first thought is: When and where can I try it. Over the past few years I have flipped tires at CrossFit, swung kettle bells, lost a few pounds of sweat in hot yoga and discovered new cardio formats like my beloved Calorie Crusher. However, nothing could prepare me for the obsession that would bless my second trimester.

We woman know that there are certain target areas we struggle with, particularly this time of year. I’m referring to your core, legs and glutes. Last year my good friend and co-worker Emily Worstell invited me to  one-year anniversary class at PurreBarre’s Hyde Park location in Cincinnati. After one class I vowed to try a one-month challenge and see what all the frenzy was about. After I completed the Heart Mini, I dove in head first… and there was no turning back!

Pure Barre was started in 2001 by fitness guru Carrie Rezabek Dorr, and now you can find them in most cities, including three locations here in Cincinnati. The concept is simple: Take choreography found in ballet and serve it up in small isometric movements that lift, tone and burn away your biggest problem areas.

Confession: I was skeptical at first. After teaching weight lifting for 3.5 years, while teaching dance and boot camp classes… I didn’t think there was a workout I couldn’t overcome. Well, I have been taking a Pure Barre class for going on two months, and there are still moments in class that make me feel like I'm about to die. Some of my fittest friends have had the same experience, after months of going to the class, they get the best workout and have yet to plateau. 

The results speak for themselves. After going to class for a few weeks, you’ll start to notice results in yourself and classmates. One of my good friends, Ashley Walters, started going, and in 30 days, she was able to do the splits!  Muscle tone, flexibility and stronger muscles will get you hooked… but the music, stimulating instructors and friendships will keep you coming back for more.  The Hyde Park studio has a variety of instructors with different styles, all with the same goal… pushing you to make sure you get what you came there for: results!

For the soon-to-be and expecting moms reading this, I strongly recommend trying a class. I have been lucky to have fellow mommies to be along side of me and we can all agree on the benefits:

• Little to no impact
• Strengthening the core muscles needed for carrying and delivering a baby
• Great options for pregnancy
• Keeps muscle tone and flexibility throughout your pregnancy
• Great calorie burn, without spiking the heart rate dangerously high
• Staying in shape to make delivery and bouncing back easier 

In fact, they even offer new mommies a baby bounce back to help strengthen your core and fit back in your pre-pregnancy clothes. I am proud to say, thanks to PB I am 29 weeks pregnant and still have one pair of non-maternity jeans I can still wear… zipped up!

If you have a new fitness craze you think I should try, feel free to share.

Wishing you all safe and healthy workouts!

Heart Mini

The goal in running the Turkey Trot was to being training for the Flying Pig marathon. However, given our amazing news weeks later, I knew jumping from 6.3 miles to 13.1 would be a bit ambitious at six months pregnant. Instead, I asked my doctor if a 15k would be within my reach (average distance 9.3 miles). They assured me that I could do it if I listened to my body/heart rate and did everything to prepare the extra few miles. I joined my company’s team Proof Positive and set my sites on the Heart Mini 15k, the Mercy Health race benefiting the American Heart Association.

Knowing this would be a small feat from my normal six-mile weekend runs, I made a ramp-up schedule with my running buddy Brea. Two days of running a week, cross training and leaving our long run for Saturdays.  Our longest ramp up was 9 miles, then we decreased down the week prior to the race. My biggest challenge was my IT bands training for this race. Both of them decided to be difficult in the final two weeks before the race. However, mind over matter proved to be useful and we finished the race, all 9.73 miles of it with two smiles on our faces. 

Below is my list of running day essentials, since this was my longest race to day:

• Gu Energy Gel
• Tylenol – taken 30 minutes before the race
• Tissues
• Knee brace
• Heart rate monitor
• Sweaty Band
• Killer playlist (below)
• Mama-to-be race shirt

Overall this was one of the happiest moments as a runner, even though the race was hard I didn’t give up. I only hope my body let will let me run for a little bit longer before our baby boy comes this summer.

Finally, my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. After living just outside of Boston, I can say without of doubt that this is one city that will not go quietly. That will stand together and come back stronger than anyone could anticipate, this is a city built pride and one you don't want to mess with. We are thinking of all of you. Keep Running Your Race!

Heart Mini Playlist:

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop - feat. Wanz
will.i.am – Scream & Shout
Ice Cube – You Can Do It - Feat. Mack 10 And Ms Toi
David Guetta – I Can Only Imagine - feat. Chris Brown & Lil Wayne
David Guetta – Titanium - feat. Sia
Pitbull – Don't Stop The Party
Pitbull – Last Night
Imagine Dragons – Radioactive
Calvin Harris – Sweet Nothing
Justin Bieber – Beauty And A Beat
Maroon 5 – One More Night
Flo Rida – I Cry
Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen
OneRepublic – Feel Again
Flo Rida – Good Feeling
Calvin Harris – I Need Your Love
Adele – Cold Shoulder [Basement Jaxx Classic Remix]
Calvin Harris – Feel So Close - Radio Edit
Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out
Christina Aguilera – Fighter
Ke$ha – We R Who We R
Britney Spears – I Wanna Go
Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
Muse – Madness
Havana Brown – We Run The Night
Darude – Sandstorm - Radio Edit
Ke$ha – Blow - Cirkut Remix
Afrojack – Take Over Control (Extended) [feat. Eva Simons]
Dj Laz – Move, Shake, Drop
Flo Rida – Right Round - US Album Version
Taio Cruz – Break Your Heart
Kid Cudi – Pursuit Of Happiness - Extended Steve Aoki Remix (Explicit)
Pitbull – Pause
David Guetta – Where Them Girls At - feat. Nicki Minaj & Flo Rida
Benny Benassi – Cinema - Skrillex Radio Edit
will.i.am – Check It Out
C2C – Down The Road

Finding My Stride

Running through my first trimester

When people say you body is “vocal” during pregnancy, they are not exaggerating. This is by design, since your body will tell you if something does not agree with you and your baby. It could be a food, a smell or, most importantly, physical activity. I mentioned in a previous post how my breathing got out of control during a run a few days before I found out I was expecting. I later learned that you need more oxygen during pregnancy.

The HoneyBadgers - Turkey Trot 10k (Unknowingly 3 weeks)

Doctors say if you were active before your pregnancy, it is safe to remain active during your pregnancy (with their blessing of course). It can even help during delivery. I was lucky to have fallen in love with running seven months before getting pregnant. I asked a few doctors at my practice about continuing to run, and their advice was simple: Listen to your body and your breathing. If you get out of breath, stop and walk. Using a heart rate monitor allows me to gage how much activity is too much for my body — giving me the opportunity to pace myself at boot camp, during spinning, while lifting and during my runs.

Before I found out our good news, I actually completed the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 10K with my running group, the Honey Badgers. I was about three weeks, so I felt no difference during our run. However, when I ran the Jingle Bell 5K knowingly five weeks pregnant with my friend Brea, we had to take a few breaks to walk.

Jingle Bell Run 5k - Brea was so sweet to cheer me on through my first long run knowingly expecting!

To my fellow mommies-to-be: If you are going to continue to run, I would like to share a few things that have kept me moving forward:

• H2O – Water is your best friend while pregnant, especially on your active days!
• Stretching – Due to your increased blood volume, stretching is CRUCIAL
• Warm up and cool down – Everything I read about remaining active during pregnancy recommended adding in a warm up and cool down. Pacing your self is key!
• Don’t run hungry – I used to always wake up, drink a cup of coffee and go for a run. Now I know I have to eat something beforehand. Doctors recommend an extra 300 calories per day while you are pregnant, more for the days you are planning on working out. Check with your doctor for how many calories. I have found whole grain toast with either light cream cheese or peanut butter to be a great snack, sometimes paired with a piece of fruit.
• The “talk test” – This is a great way to pace yourself. If you can carry on a conversation without huffing and puffing, that’s good. In order to be able to chat while running, my pace has gone from about a 9.3/10 minute mile to an 11.30/12 minute mile.
• Run with understanding friends – This has been my biggest blessing. My friend Brea not only understands when we need to stop and walk, but she can now hear it in my breathing before I have to say, “Can we slow down for a sec?”. This type of support has helped me find my stride and feel amazing!
• Last (and most importantly) – Don’t give up! Ninety percent of moms I talk to say they wish they had kept up their fitness routines during pregnancy  Bottom line, if you are looking for an excuse to skip your workout….you will find one. After all, the easiest way to get in shape is to not let yourself get out of shape to begin with. That may sound insensitive, but if you set a goal for yourself of working out three to five days a week and never letting yourself go less than those three days, you will be able to use the energy that you will find in your second trimester.

Edgewood Lights 4 Mile Fun Run - with my sweet friends Brea and Abby (aka BabblingAbby) 

As always, I ask if you are newly pregnant and looking for what you can and cannot do, start by checking with your doctor. They know your health, and knew your physical fitness level prior to becoming pregnant.

Thanks for reading, come back for more tips on how you can Live Energized!