concrete and coffee

I'm moving!

2012-07-25T10:23:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen it already on my FB page, I'm taking my blog over to Wordpress. A few reasons for this include more freedom with customizing themes, a domain name through a reputable server, and more space/easier formatting for advertising if and when I get the time or the opportunity to take my blog to the next level. So hop on over to my other page, where I've already imported all of my previous entries from here. This page will soon disappear, so in the meantime please:

Bookmark me in your blog readers,
Like me on Facebook, and
Follow me on Twitter!

I am working hard at becoming more social-networking-savvy and I recognize every blogger starts somewhere. I will continue to post about my runs, workouts, playlists and just my average day-to-day activities as examples of how I maintain balance in my life. I will also look to you to expand the variety of content I can deliver. So don't forget to leave comments and ask questions! I want to see Concrete N Coffee grow, but I need your help!

Thanks, and keep reading!
Jen

Monday Motivation: Sometimes, it's gonna suck.

2012-07-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Doesn't sound very motivating, I know.

But it's true, and I discovered this on my run yesterday. All in all, it was a great run, and I was excited to knock out a 10-miler to get myself back into distance training mode. But the humidity was killer, the hills seemed to stretch on forever, and the rocky, gravelly portions of trail seems to be taunting my ankles as I could feel the uneven surface try to roll my foot one way or another.

Going into the run, I thought, "Yeah, this is going to be a tough one."

During the run, I knew, "This is gonna suck."

Three-quarters of the way there, I almost cried out, "God-DAMN this really sucks."

Then, I was finish. And I realized it all wasn't that terrible.

Why am I writing about this? Because unlike other posts out there that will tell you out to wrestle with your inner doubt and come up on top and make the most of your workout, yesterday's run had nothing to do with doubt, fear, or uncertainty. I know me and I know my abilities and some runs are just going to be hard, whether or not I want them to be. My kind-of-sucky 10-miler was simply a lesson in patience and mental fortitude, because there was no room for error when it came to my pace or footing. I had to simply put on foot in front of the other, pay attention, not get antsy and charge up the hills to wipe myself out, and not pay attention to mile splits.

Whether it's a tough run or a tough day workout, sometimes you have to dig in and plow through, even knowing there won't be any euphoric "runner's high" or other reward to look forward to at the end. There will be days when, unlike what we've been told by inspiring Pinterest boards, the workout is NOT going to make us less stressed, less cranky, and definitely not less sore.

But to be frank, if I only decided to go through each day on a guarantee that it would be a perfect one, well, I'd never get out of bed.

So find a way to embrace the hard days. Know that it's gonna suck, and be OK with that. I think I have some really crappy runs to thank for some of the more fantastic ones I've had!

What was your best, worst run/workout?

One of my best worst runs was the Sunrise 8K in Simpsonville, SC. It was a hot morning, even for starting right at 6:00AM and I think I had to stop twice as my stomach tried to turn itself inside out after running too hard up a series of hills.

Me trying to wave my sister off to stop her from taking this picture.

Sunday Funday: Pictures & Numbers

2012-07-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's a pictures and numbers kind of post today because I'm lazy and it's Sunday and that's just what I feel like doing :)

10 trail miles run.

89 degrees by the conclusion of the run.

0 rolled ankles! Just dirty, scuffed up legs from me kicking myself while running.

16 oz G2 (I used the powder mix- easier to control the sweetness)
12 oz H2O

12 oz Nuun (tropical fruit flavor is my fav)
2 bowl's of TJ's Veggie & Quinoa Mellange (w/ a dusting of parm, of course)

And now that I'm refueled and rehydrated...

12 more ounces :)

How much do you drink before, during and after your runs? Today was definitely a max for me, and just for 10 miles! Can't wait for it to cool off.

What have you been up to on your Sunday?

Concrete Workout - With Video!

2012-07-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I faced my first challenge in the Fit Streak: Doing something on a day I normally would have taken off, or at least have done housework and counted that as exercise. But on this day, I knew it was time to step up my game.

I do the following living room work out occasionally when really pinched for time. So I can definitely tell you that the small investment of having a few dumbbells around the house is more than worth it. I, for one, used to not want to spend money on fitness equipment if already paying for a gym membership, but after having a child I realized that while having the membership is great, it does not guarantee I will always make it to the gym. Having at least a set of 10-lb. dumbbells means that if nothing else, I can bust out some bicep curls and rows when I might otherwise have done nothing at all.

So here it is- my butt-busting living room workout. Copy, share (link back to the post, please!) and feel free to add your own elaborations and variations, or just try it out as is for yourself and let me know how you felt (leave a comment!)

*What's this? Oh hey, here's a video to show you!

Do you have any good living room moves to share? If nothing else, sometimes I'll put on a music channel and dance crazy with my girl :)

Belated Tuesday Night Spin

2012-07-17T21:59:00.004-07:00

I'm posting late because I spent the majority of nap time yesterday getting my training binder organized in preparation for if when I get my first client. The tricky thing about the particular location I signed on for is that it's under construction, so while new clients are a bit fewer and further between than usual, we know things will pick up when renovations are complete in the fall, which is why I want to be in place as a trainer now.

But, since it is also up to me to make sure I get potential clients interested, organize, I must. Fortunately, I already had these nifty cards I got for having Klout, which basically means I finally have more than two readers and at least a handful of Twitter and Facebook followers (Thanks!! And if you don't follow or like me yet -- trust me, I'll worm my way into your heart somehow -- please do!).

I love that I could have my "Happy Feet" picture on the back!

In my opinion, however, having a card is not enough, which is why I have a whole binder of ~~crap~~ logs, information, and a fitness readiness questionnaire. Not to knock trainers I don't even know, but I see plenty of them out on the floor on their phone, and I know they're not just using their stopwatch app to time sets and reps because they're typing away and telling their clients, "OK stop when you get to 10." Nu-uh. I will NOT be that trainer!

Now... where did I put my pocket protector??

The thing is, while initially I said I'd *never* train in a Big Box-type gym, that's where I am, and I am going to make the most of it. The hourly is meh, and the commission is so-so, but it's a foot in the door which is what I need if I really want to start on this path toward making a name for myself as a trainer. Considering I don't have any start-up capital or investors to get my own business off the ground just yet, starting somewhere is a heck of a lot more productive than not starting at all.

What do you see trainers doing that you wish they wouldn't do on the floor?

What DON'T you see trainers doing that you wish they would?

---------------------------------------------

While I got organized printing off multiple copies of forms and free fitness assessment coupons, I got to thinking about my playlist for spin class... while drinking copious amounts of caffeine, mind you...

Live to Rise Spin 7/17

1. "A Little Bit of Riddim" Micheal Franti feat. Cherine Anderson - warm up, alternate going through all 3 riding positions.
2. "The Golden Age" The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - warm up cont'd, add 1 gear. Start seated then go up to pos. 3 and pick up the pace for each chorus.
3. "Inside Out" Eve 6 - Hill #1, short and easy. Starting at light resistance, add a gear on each chorus and take it up to pos. 3. Leave it on when you sit. Repeat.
4. "Brasileria" Veron & Praia del Sol - Flat road or add a gear or two for a challenge & control. Run #1, short, easy, first 45s. of the song. Music drops out- when it comes back in pick it up to an 80% effort (starting to breath hard, can talk but must pause for breath every 2 words) for 1 min. Slow down, recover 1 min, add a gear and go up to pos. 3 for another 1-minute effort at 80%. The rest of the song is flat recovery.
5. "Live to Rise" Soundgarden - Hill #2, part 1. Starting at light resitance, add a gear on each chorus and take it up to pos. 3. Leave it on when you sit. Repeat.
6. "Diesel Power" Prodigy - Hill #2, part 2.This time, leave your resistance where it's at and sit to grind it out for the rest of this hill. You should be at medium-to-heavy resistance (pedaling in mud, as I like to say). Do 3 pick-ups of just 15s. each during the song, where you try to pedal quicker by ANY amount.
7. "Shut Up and Drive" Rihanna - Flat road (+ a gear for challenge or stability), recover on the beat on the verse, pick it up and double-time it on the chorus.
8. "Ready To Go" Republica - Add 2 gears to start Hill #3 part 1. Same as before - pos 1 on the verse, this time transition to pos. 2 on the bridge if you choose, then add a gear in pos. 3 on the chorus. Hold resistance and repeat.
9. "Dream On" Aerosmith - Hill #3 part 2. You should be starting off in the seat pretty heavy, but not choppy or mashing on the pedals. If this is all the resistance you can manage while pedaling smoothly, hold it here for the duration of the song. Otherwise, add one more gear each minute until you need to stand, then finish out your hill in pos. 3.
10. "Song 2" Blur - Flat road, recover, optional pick-up on the "WooooooHooooo!" part of the song :)
11. "Devil Drums" Scooter - Last-ditch effort sprints: 3X30s. 90% effort with equal recovery. Rest 45s. then 4X15s. max effort with equal recovery to take you through the finish.
12. "Chasing Cars" Snow Patrol - cool down
13. "Be Like That" 3 Doors Down - stretch

I counted this - obviously - as my workout of the day for my #FitStreak. What was your workout today?

I Want To Be a Streaker

2012-07-16T12:52:00.001-07:00

No, not like this:


I can't keep up with Frank the Tank, anyway. [screen shot from "Old School"]

But like this:

This:

[source]

And definitely this:

fire, optional.

Allison over at http://runningthroughredlights.com came up with the brilliant idea to hold a Fit Streak, for which participants will simply do at least 20-30 minutes of ANY type of fitness activity, every day. What I love about this is that it can be for everyone. I, for one, can't run every day. I admit it, I just can't. My problem stems from the fact that if I run on too many consecutive days, my left foot tries to torch itself or detach from my body completely so that I don't kill it any more than I already have. That's plantar fasciitis for you. But I can manage the discomfort, or even go pain-free several days in a row if I make sure that I follow my running days with non-running ones, or that I avoid long runs on days after extremely busy restaurant shifts.

So Fit Streak it is. Truthfully, I do something every day anyway, and if I want to be lazy about it I can count walking the dogs :-D

But I won't be lazy. In fact, I will take the initiative to try to add MORE variety to my routine. Right now I pretty much run, spin, lift, repeat. And even with lifting, I sometimes don't even bother with that because I count plate-carrying at work or lugging the vacuum around the house as resistance. For the next month, however, I want to do more, and this Fit Streak is just the push I need to do it.

So follow Allison (@_allisonpierce_), myself (@ConcreteNCoffee) and any other Fit Streakers on Twitter (#FitStreak) and join in the conversation. Who knows? Maybe you'll get some new workout ideas, or inspire more people to join the streak!

Have you already joined the #FitStreak? What was your workout for Day One? I did my usual hills & fartleks on the treadmill. And I'm vacuuming my house in a few minutes... which I still think kind of counts, but I won't count it by itself as a fitness activity ;-)

Eye on the Prize

2012-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

This has been kind of my "off" week, as I've gotten to really just worry about getting my workouts and classes in and not have to focus too much on work since I only had a couple training shifts and then an easy first night on the floor. Next week starts the fun.

On Monday, I'll get oriented at the gym with their new client process. I'm under the impression that I already have a few clients lined up for me based on this particular location's demand for female trainers, so I am beyond excited. They say, "If you talk the talk, then walk the walk." Well, I have the walking part down, it's the talking that I get to work on now.

Everyone faces a lot of challenges when it comes to getting and staying fit, but on the flip side of that is the challenge of telling people the exact thing they need to hear to get motivated. For the most part, trainers have something to work with, as new clients have already taken the step to sign up for personal training. From there, however, there are a lot of mental road blocks that both the trainer and client must overcome, the first of which being just HOW much the client will need to work. A new routine can be a bit of a shock to the system, so you have to convince someone that the initial discomfort will not only be worth it, but it will eventually subside and become a feeling they will actually look forward to and even seek out on their own.

I think (and fear) the same will be for me, as I embark on my own new routine. I will definitely be seeking out advice and consult from other trainers out there balancing work, family life, and their own fitness regimens. My first worry, of course, will be the hours. I will potentially have clients any time between 6:00AM and 11:00AM. Three nights a week, I'll train in the mornings then work in the restaurant at night. I've done this kind of crazy schedule when I was working and in school, but not with a child.

My second worry would be how to keep up with my own training and running goals. I figure the best way would be to squeeze in a workout after my last client of the morning while I still have child care, but I know there will be days that I will have just a 4-hour window in the middle of the day to clean, do laundry, prepare meals and - oh, I dunno - eat or nap or something.

One thing that I know for right now is that I can't really plan anything until I see how the first couple of weeks go. But for starters, I'll be implementing the same strategies I would ask of my clients:

Don't make excuses before you even get started. For me, this means that I can't go into my new routine on an assumption that I won't ever work out or sleep. I have to trust that I'll be able to go with the flow until I adapt to my new scheduling demands. Same for working out: What feels hard - even impossible - at first, soon becomes second nature.
Enjoy your free time. I used to have a hard time just sitting and relaxing, especially if there was a full hamper or dirty dishes within view. Not anymore. My hubby teased me earlier this week because I was somewhat sleep-deprived (self-inflicted, no sympathy for me) and so I literally did nothing around the house. I had my spin class, but I did nothing else for the rest of the day. And. It. Was. Awesome. So I say if you've at least done what you need to do for yourself by the end of the day, it's OK to let a chore or to go! After all, chores, I think, just raise blood pressure. Exercise lowers it :)
Treat your body like a car. I know I struggle with simple things like remembering to eat. It happens too easily: I'm hustling to work out, shower, make lunch and/or dinner, give my girl her lunch, get her down for a nap, shower... before I know it, the babysitter is here and I need to be out the door or I'm late to work. That just won't fly once I'm working full-time. So I will arm myself with an arsenal of nutritious, go-to foods that I will use to fill my tank. Like a car, you can only go so far on "E" before your machine just quits on the side of the road.
Keep your eye on the prize. Goal-setting is crucial to a client's success. The goal must not only be attainable, but something that embraces both the physical and mental changes a client is trying to achieve. The same is true for me when it comes to work. In a world full of A-type go-getters who stop at nothing 'til the job is done (or the boss stops yelling) I'm very fortunate to have been able to make my own schedule between the gym and the restaurant. But to be sure that I don't get burned out, I will need to remain focused on why I'm doing this in the first place. There are, of course, financial reasons, but more importantly, I am just so eager to be an example of health and fitness. I not only want to help others get fit, but to become examples and motivators to their own friends and colleagues. Remembering this will help to push me forward, no matter what.

Share with us- what are your tips/tricks for balancing everything in your own routine? What's the best fitness advice you've received?

Under My (green) Thumb

2012-07-12T06:49:00.003-07:00

I'm one of those people who has proclaimed out loud to anyone who will listen over the years all the good, Mother-Earthy, crunchy granola-like things I want to do to enhance our home and family life. One of those things has been to have our own garden.

When we did have a house and a yard, I admit I didn't take full advantage of the space. We attempted a raised garden bed up in the back corner of the yard, where we also kept a compost pit. The peppers got eaten by little critters and the compost got eaten by some very determined dogs before it even had a chance to decompose. Even out in the front yard, where we attempted to add some curb appeal, everything soon withered and died not just because I couldn't remember to water and weed, but when we moved and rented our house, the tenants didn't remember, either.

pretty, but not functional... or long-lasting :(

Two moves later, we're finally in a town home that offers a little bit of freedom when it comes to the treatment of our front and back porches. We can't really plant anything in the ground, but we got ourselves some huge planters and pots and just started going nuts with plants and seeds. So far, everything is fairing well under my [clueless] green thumb.

Our first bell pepper - almost ready to be picked!

I think our basil might need a trim. On the side, the first sprouts of some bib lettuce.

A crazy nest of oregano and lemon thyme (which smells amazing).

Garden peas and wax beans, hopefully ready in a few more weeks.

And of course, because my husband is a total dude and has to have his own big, manly plant...

What we'll do with all of these, I have no clue. Maybe I'll extract their juices for nasal spray. Painful, but effective!

What's great about having the greenery right outside our back door is that for the summer, at least, I will no longer have to pay $3-$4 for a small clump of fresh herbs every time I want to use them in cooking. Each plant will pay for itself and then some, compared to the cost of driving and paying for the same produce in the grocery store. Why, here's a use for some of those aromatic herbs right here:

Parmesan & Herb-crusted Cod w/ Roasted Asparagus and Pearl Cous Cous
You can't do much with cod except fry it, really, so I do the usual steps of prepping an ingredient to be fried (flour, eggwash, breadcrumbs) but then do more of a pan sear using less - and healthier - oil.

For the breading:

breadcrumbs - generic brand, no seasoning, or cubes of your own plain, dry bread
grated parmesan
salt and pepper
big handfuls of the oregano and lemon thyme pictured above

Rinse the herbs and pat dry. Add them to a food processor with breadcrumbs, parmesan (about a 3:1 crumb to cheese ratio is my favorite... I like my cheese), and salt & pepper to taste. I don't give exact measurements here because it really depends on the amount of food you want to bread. For about six 4oz fish filets, I used about a cup of bread crumbs and about 1/3 cup of cheese.

Pulse until the herbs are chopped up and well integrated into the mix.

First, preheat your oven to 375. Rinse and pat dry your asparagus, then chop off the bottom inch. On a nonstick baking sheet (lined with foil or a silpad for easier cleanup), line of your chutes and then drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of course salt and black pepper. I like to mince a couple cloves of garlic and add them, too. Toss to coat then realign your asparagus so that they're all in contact with the sheet (not piled up in clumps). Stick in the oven for about 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Next, start your cous cous, according to package directions. I used Near East Pearled Couscous, which has about a half-hour cook time. If you prefer the smaller couscous, it will cook much quicker and can be done near the end. This brand also comes in whole wheat.

Halfway through the asparagus' cook time, heat a nonstick fry pan over medium heat with about 1/4c. canola or grape seed oil. Why grape seed oil? Well, if you happen to have it on hand for a previous recipe you made, you'll just want to use it up.

Due to its clean, light taste, and high polyunsaturated fat content, it is also used as an ingredient in salad dressings and mayonnaise and as a base for oil infusions of garlic, rosemary, or other herbs or spices. It also is sprayed on raisins to help them retain their flavor. -- Wikipedia

Take out your fish (I used cod, but you can use any light, white flaky fish you prefer)- if frozen, follow thawing directions, then pat dry. Break your fish down into 4-5oz filets if it comes in larger cuts - this will ensure more space in the pan and make them easier to flip when cooking. If it takes you a minute to dredge, eggwash, and bread your filets, do this first, THEN preheat your pan so that you don't end up with a smoky kitchen (take it from me!).

Sear your filets about 4 minutes on each side, or longer if a thicker cut. Check for doneness by sticking a fork in the center of the filet and seeing if will flake easily. If you need to pan-fry in batches, set the first batch of filets aside on a tray and cover with foil to keep warm.

When everything is done, plate nicely enough for a pretty picture. I should have chopped and sprinkled on some more herbs for aesthetic appeal, but a certain little girl stole them off the counter to feed to her doggy puppet.

I wish I had more pictures of the steps of this meal, but I had a hungry toddler (and her stuffed animals) to feed :)

Do you grow anything for yourself? What is your best horticultural achievement?

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day...

2012-07-11T06:33:00.001-07:00

As I start ~~yet another~~ new restaurant job today, I thought I'd share a little mid-week motivation with you.

I wasn't expected to change jobs after merely four months at the previous restaurant, but if I've learned nothing else this year, it has been to not sit idly by and "just deal" with situations that are not beneficial or lucrative to my goals (or bank account). I used to worry about the implications of the ever-growing "previous employment" portion on my resume, but there are some advantages to being nearly 30 and with a child.

The thing about stagnancy is that it's like a sneaky bug that just kind of sits on your shoulder, not doing anything, until you happen to look or a friend flicks it off for you. While it's no mystery that I'm not exactly thrilled to still be waiting tables at 29, I have been far more proactive in this season alone compared to years passed regarding my future. I said if I was going to still wait tables, it would at least be in a location where I could get excited about meals prepared by a talented chef. I said if I was going to still wait tables, I would be more productive in my free time and get my crap together to also start spending more time in the gym.

Even though the first restaurant didn't work out (honestly, I'm not nice or accommodating enough to deal with the ~~insane~~ particular needs of this specific hotel's clientele... or upper management, for that matter), I'll still be working at an establishment I can certainly say I'm proud to work for. At the gym, I'll be picking up another class or two soon, and am waiting for corporate to approve me to start training, which is already a given but still a formal process that they need to go through.

Take that, stagnancy.

Now, how about some Muse? Their songs are so epic, I can't help but to feel fired up and ready to go whenever I hear anything by them. My daughter loves to hum/mumble/sing along to "Uprising." Nothing but the best of rock for my little girl :)

What's your big goal you're working toward right now?

Where are you getting your motivation from this week?

Conversations With My Pre-Fitness Self

2012-07-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

Something I missed while working this weekend: This video. Have you seen it? Of course you have, over four million people have viewed it so far.

This guy had me cracking up. We can obviously say our younger selves were pretty ridiculous. That isn't bad, it's just to say that there are many goofy/silly/stupid things I did as a kid, as I'm sure you did too. But then I think back to that less-inhibited self, and I imagine she'd look at me right now and also think I'm also pretty ridiculous.

I mean, let's start with the fact that I run long distances for fun. I used to dread meets in Cross Country and Track & Field. Now I actually pay to run in an event.

The vegetables I used to pick off my plate and hide in the napkin on my lap- I actually buy them, cook them, and eat them, without being threatened with a grounding or no dessert. Hell, I've even PLANTED some veggies to have something a little more local!

bell peppers, per the Little Miss' request

garden peas and wax beans, if I can manage not to kill them.

When I was younger I thought I'd be a cool grown up who stays up late and goes to concerts, movies, and awesome restaurants all the time. I stay up late, but it's because I can't wind down immediately after work. It didn't take me too long to realize all that other stuff costs too much money.

I vaguely recall proclaiming that I would shoot myself if I ever owned a pair of mom jeans. Then, the tapered leg came back into fashion via the Skinny Jean. And I have two pairs.

These are just a few things that have changed about my tastes and habits over the years. While my childhood self probably wouldn't have ever believed I'd give up sports of a lifestyle of drinking and lethargy, that unhealthy, lethargic self wouldn't have believed I'd ever turn around and get back into shape and then some. All of my PR's and more ~~insane~~ ambitious races have taken place well into adulthood, when the younger me used to dread hard workouts.

Me then:


I know, I don't look too bad. Wait for it....

Pasty, no clavicle definition, and good lord I needed better bras. It still gets better...

Before Instagram, there were disposable cameras. And double chins.

(These photos have been brought to you courtesy of cheese, gelato shops, beer, Nutella, and Kinderschokolade.)

Me now:


even with watermarks all over my face, still a nicer picture, I think! (I still run on beer, though)

I'd like to think that if given the chance, I'd lay everything out for my younger, unfit self to prepare her for the life she had ahead of her. But then again... wouldn't that alter how things actually turned out? If I recall nothing else from how I was as a child and teenager, I know I was painfully stubborn. I think if the older me showed up to read me the riot act back then, I'd have rebelled even further!

Let's say I could just tell myself one thing- I think it would be not to waste the gift of fitness. It took me a long time to realize that I could ever enjoy running, let alone get kind of good at it. I think if I had pushed myself harder earlier on, knowing I could then better capitalized on the fitness gains that seemed to come naturally from pregnancy and early parenthood (yay extra blood cells!), I might be even faster now.

But, I have time, so I'm not going to obsess over what was or what could have been. I'm pretty damned proud of myself. And if you've gone through any fitness transformation - no matter how large or small - you should be, too. It can be very easy to sit around, regretting not making certain decisions or changes sooner, but you can't see what's in store for you if you're only ever looking in the rear view mirror.

Head up. Eyes forward. Just. Keep. Pushing.

If you could take a trip back to the past, what age would you visit yourself at, and what would you tell yourself?

Are We There Yet? Half-way, At Least??

2012-07-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

June and the beginning of July can be a bit of a whirlwind for many parents. School has just let out, so schedules have to get shifted and shuffled to accommodate child care needs. There's day camps, pool trips, and of course, vacations, because what parent wants to ruin their child's life by not giving them a cool vacation to brag about come September? While I don't have to worry about all this stuff just yet, my own work schedule and travels in the past month have left me a little wiped out, so I can begin to empathize with parents who not only have more children, but kids who are older and not easily appeased by Dora and Goldfish.

Fortunately, after the 4th, though, there seems to be a bit of a wind down. The advertising wizards of every major clothing retailer begin reminding us mid-month that the hot days and "Moooooom, I'm booooooored!"'s will soon give way to milder weather and a quiet house between 8:00AM and 3:00PM.

In 40 more days.

For me, I've had my girl at my side - except for her vacations up to the grandparents' house - since the beginning. While I'm used to multitasking, this summer I've noticed a decline in my productivity. I'm barely keeping up with vacuuming and dishes, and forget about getting clothing out of the baskets. If it's dirty, it's in a basket. Clean? In a basket. Personally, it's been a good day as long as I've worked out and remembered to move three dishes from the sink to the dishwasher. Maybe I'll wash a dirty pot or baking sheet. I might go crazy and dust a shelf.

It's clean enough, if you ask me!

Now, I'm looking at my calendar and realizing that if I am to begin training for my late October marathon, I need to get back on a regular running schedule... oh, next week. To reach my goal (3:30 or faster), I need to actually do some real running, too. I've skated by on 2-3 runs a week and doing everything else on the bike. This go around, I want to see if I can actually run like a real, live runner.With my 10K PR, I feel like I want to capitalize on whatever running gains I've miraculously accomplished by actually trying to train and not just hopping on a treadmill once every few weeks to sprint along to a Foo Fighters album.

We've gotten through a month of trips and festivities, now we have to get through this job change and soon, the start of preschool. I feel like all running plans should have a sub-schedule for parents! But at the very least, I'll be even better prepared when my girl's in school and I not only have to balance my running plans with my own responsibilities, but her life and activities too.

Most importantly, as my daughter gets older and sees the many hats that mommy wears, I hope she'll strive to be active, but also know when to let things go at the end of the day. If we learn nothing else from summer vacations, it should be that we can't possibly get everything done. Ever. And it's OK if we don't even pretend to want to try ;)

[source]

How are you surviving summer, so far?

If you have kids, are they home or at day camp?

Peachtree Road Race Report

2012-07-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding like one of those runners, I have to admit that I didn't really go into today too worried about what my 10K performance was going to be. I didn't care if I PR'd, but I knew I'd run a respectable time because one of my usual routes is a hilly 6.5 on many of the same roads of the course. But I have to say that the race still isn't exactly a cakewalk, either!

For starters, it was warm. Not too warm. But it was muggy. Very muggy. My shirt was sticking to the back after just a few minutes of warming up.

Also, there are a lot of people. 57,754 finishers, to be exact. You can run your heart out on a daily basis but unless you ask your buddies on a training run to sandwich you in between their shoulders, step on your heels, and cut you off only to stop short before peeling off to a water station, nothing can really prepare you for race day conditions. I think that's part of the excitement and fun. Or torture, depending on how claustrophobic you are.

The morning started off peaceful enough. I work just blocks from the start line so I was able to sneak into the garage before they started road closures and hang out on the patio with my coffee and Clif "Z" bar while checking all the Twitter and FB updates for the race. While I did not shut my brain off in time to get more than 4 hours of sleep, I felt good having just been able to relax before the start.

Around 6:30AM I started to do a brisk walk toward the start area, where you could see runners filing in from both directions, depending on which transit station they got off at to get to the start. The funny thing about mass transit in a city that loves its cars is that you're surrounded by people who are suddenly foreigners in their own city. Everyone is turning around and doubling back to make sure they're going the right way, even though they've been there before.

A welcome site: hundreds of port-a-johns lining the road on the approach to the corrals. Very little wait and plenty of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Nothing, and I repeat nothing is worse than when you have to do your business before a race and you can't clean up properly. Nothing.

By 7:00 it was time for the first five corrals to line up and get ready for the 7:30 start. You could spot plenty of pros, but many nervous faces. Something I strangely enjoy is the nervous shifting back and forth, jumping up and down, and retying of the sneakers that we all seem to do before the gun goes off. Some of us are unified in excitement. Others, in terror.

I held my camera up over my head to get this shot. The boys behind me look thrilled.

Toward the front of the massive crowd in corral A (first of the "regular" corrals behind the seeded and subseeded runners), we stood beneath the massive flag they fly over the starting line every year. Even for someone like me, who isn't exactly the most enthusiastic patriot, I can't help but feel a strong love and appreciation for our country. Politics aside, there we were, tens of thousands of us, just looking forward to a run. We had mp3 players, sweat-wicking gear and cool sunglasses. Some of the runners were in costume. We all had something to look forward to, from the finish line and beyond. None of us have to worry about war or famine or washing and wearing just one outfit day after day after day. We are SO, SO lucky.

With that exact thought in my head, the flags went down and we were off. Bumping and nudging, hopping and darting around each other so we could each find a space to settle into our stride. It took me at least a mile, I want to say, to hit my mark and feel like I was holding my pace comfortably without stepping on someone or having another runner breathing down my neck.

The course had it's usual fun and obstacles. Depending on whether you wanted to have someone throw T-shirts, confetti or Lord knows what else on you, you had to position yourself strategically. I am not one who does this race for the freebies, so I tried to stay more toward the middle, but I still almost got trampled when I had to stop short for something like ten people cutting me off to grab t-shirts and dinner coupons!

One thing I had forgotten about this race was the fake finish line. That's right. This is a shot of runners along the last stretch of the race, about to get their photo snapped at what looks like the end, but is really about 500 yards from the actual finish. You can't really see from this picture, but they are just ecstatic about this. So was I. Hopefully, my true emotions won't actually be reflected in my race photos :-D

When I finally reached the REAL finish line, I did my best to keep moving to get around people who stopped dead in their tracks, visibly wrestling with the pros and cons of throwing up on the street as their stomachs began to heave. Not the most attractive visual of the conclusion of a race, but that's what it was. It was climbing up into the 80's with 1billion% humidity. Here are some nice post-race shots, however, away from all the vomiting.

The Finishers Field

No blood, but definitely sweat, which brought on some tears.

I made my way quickly to the water tables and then off to the side to fumble with my belongings, trying not to drop things from my dripping fingers as sweat began to sting my eyes and blur my vision. I dropped a Nuun tab in my bottle and chugged it in about 32 seconds. I then retrieved the coveted race T-shirt, a simple, cotton T but with a design created by a local artist and then voted on by the runners. It's as big of a badge of honor as any race medal.

Following the race, getting back to wherever you start is always tricky. Peachtree Rd. remains blocked for several hours as the last runners finish and then cleanup commences. Most people follow the course back to the nearest train station, which allows for a more amusing glimpse of what we might have missed while running.

The sign behind the stage reads "Fur Bus". I did not stop to ask why. I love that the couple in front is about to make out and likely drunk at 9 in the morning.

The whole time, I had a vague idea of my time and pace, but didn't fret much over finding out how I did, since I already suspected I ran better than last year. My stopwatch didn't start even though I thought I hit the button, and I knew my chip time was close to the clock time, which I was happy enough with. Having started my day with just the Clif bar plus a handful of Cheerios, my thoughts shifted to other priorities.

Fortunately, the hubby thought I ran hard enough, regardless of time, to warrant treats for both of us.

Poor kid was forced to eat pizza, too. Just because Mommy ran - it's a rough life.

While stuffing my face I could no longer resist the urge to check online to see if official race times had been posted. Upon finally viewing my chip time, you bet I poured myself a little bit more of that beer.

7:16min/mile pace? What???

Time to start training to try to get into the sub-seeded group!

Hope you all have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Tuesday Night Spin - Happy Fourth!

2012-07-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Before we get to the new playlist, some mundane details about my life :)

This weekend, the regret of having bought a mattress online without actually trying it - a problem that has amounted to about 6 months of poor sleep - finally caught up with my husband in the form of me completely refusing to allow him to spoon with me. We had gone to ~~the biggest moneypit ever~~ Ikea the previous week to test out some new beds, but with the intention of waiting to see how we weathered a few months of preschool before making a purchase. Yet come Sunday, the hubby decided to work his way out of the doghouse and give me a new mattress to sleep on that very night:

easier to sleep on than it is to pronounce

It's a good thing I sometimes live in blissful ignorance of the state of our bank account, as it turns out we were better able than I had thought to spring for the new mattress. Get it? Spring? Oh.... sorry, couldn't resist. I'm really glad we/he went for it, even if I wasn't sure we should spend the money. Sleep is so important. I've been reading a lot of articles about it lately, like this one from the Huffington Post. While I sometimes joke that I pride myself on my ability to go on 5 hours of sleep, several nights in a row, it's really nothing to brag about.

Today I started of pretty well-rested and well-fed. I had my usual bowl of cereal with Silk Vanilla Almond, but I've been working on shrinking the amount of cereal and increasing the amount of fruit on my plate. I think this is easier in the summertime, when ripe, juicy, too-sweet-to-be-good-for-you fruit is in abundance just about everywhere.

I needed to make sure we both started off on full tummies because I hate when we set out on our morning trips only to wind up starving and eating cookies or froyo by 11:00AM. While I did have to cave and let her have samples at Whole Foods as we were there looking for MSM and chia seeds*, I managed to tame the beasts in both of our bellies to get us home to eat the food in our fridge.

*I've been reading a lot of bloggers proclaiming the benefits of chia and decided that for $13, I'd grab a bag of it and start throwing handfuls of the stuff on my cereal and in my yogurt to see what all the fuss is about. Of course, I don't really pay attention to my mental or physical state other than to double-check that my eyes are open and I have a pulse, so we'll see.

From the best web know-it-alls ever, wikipedia:

In a one-ounce (28 g) sample, dried chia seeds contain 9% of the Daily Value for protein (4g), 13% fat (9g) (57% of which is ALA) [<- that's alpha linolenic acid, or "good" fat] and 42% dietary fiber (11g), based on a daily intake of 2000 calories. The seeds also contain the essential minerals phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium in amounts comparable to other edible seeds, such as flax or sesame.

I'm thinking chia seeds in conjunction with the MSM and base-chain proteins I already take for muscle and joint maintenance and repair, I should be more than good to go as I get ready to start on my fall marathon training cycle.

Do you do the chia?

Switching gears now - HA! Gears! I'm on a roll today... how about some spinning music? Amazon.com had a bunch of new music for $.25/single so I figured it was time to load up on some fresh songs. All of my playlists from June through September definitely keep with a summer theme, but this one I made a little more party-worthy with the Fourth of July in mind. I couldn't find any sufficiently rockin' patriotic songs, though. I considered Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" but it doesn't lend itself very well to any cycling drill, really. Maybe I'll just keep it for my own listening pleasure.

Blister in the Sun - 4th of July Mix

1. "The Sound of Sunshine" Micheal Franti - Warm up, flat road, alternate lead legs.
2. "Party Rock Anthem" LMFAO - Add a gear, do some moderate spin-ups on the chorus, going up about 10 rpm from your warm-up pace on each run.
3. "Sweet Emotion" Aerosmith - Add another gear and start your first hill in the seat. About a minute in, add another gear and take it up to position 3, keeping a strong cadence. Alternate 1 min. aggressive climb with 30s. seated recovery.
4. "Beverly Hills" Weezer - One more gear, getting to that "pedaling in the mud" point. Sit and climb on the verse, take it up to 3 and try to pick it up on the chorus.
5. "Block Rockin' Beats" Chemical Brother - Flat road, recover 30s. Take it back up to a moderate pace (75% effort) for 30s. then gradually add a hair of resistance back in every 10s until you reach the max you can maintain your cadence at. Hold it there for 1 min. Recover + repeat.
6. "Wild Ones" Flo Rida feat. Sia - Sustained run, light resistance (1-2 gears up from your flat road) to start. First run from the start through the 1st verse, recover on the chorus. Add a gear and do the second run in position 3.
7. "Sunshine" Matisyahu - Jumps at light resistance: 45s on each count, 8/4/2, cycling through twice. Try 1-counts at the end if you're feeling extra jumpy :)
8. "We Are Young" Fun. feat. Janelle Monae - Add resistance to start at medium resistance or higher. Add another gear every min. of the song, or until you're fighting to keep going at 60rpm, or until you reach your max resistance you can pedal smoothly at. Stand if you wish.
9. "Blister in the Sun" Violent Femmes - Flat road flush out. Recover!
10. "Mercy" Duffy - Add 3-4 gears, keeping a relatively easy cadence. Before each chorus transition to position 3, then slide your rear back over your saddle to "hover", focusing on using those hamstrings to draw your knees up toward your chest.
11. "Uprising" Muse - Last aggressive climb. Keep your resistance where it's at to start. Add a gear and climb in position 3 on the chorus, picking it up any amount that you can. Take it off when you sit for the verse. Add 2 gears for the 2nd chorus, 3 for the 3rd, etc. Even if you can't pick up the pace, don't slow down!
12. "Bright Lights" Matchbox 20 - Take it back to medium resistance as we start our down climb. Start in position 3, then take a gear off and pick up the pace in the seat for each chorus until back at a flat road. Spin it out to the finish!
13. "Starlight" Muse - Cool down
14. "I'm Yours" Jason Mraz - Stretch

Happy 4th to everyone! Hope you get in some good races, runs and/or rides!

Peachtree Road Race Expo

2012-07-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

The 10K is one of those tricky distances that is just on the verge of what I can run full-out. I'd like to say I've done plenty of hot-weather running to get ready for this particular run, but my 6-miler last week was just TOO hot to do anything close to my usual pace. Since this is the only race I've run at this specific distance and it's with 55,000 other people, I'm really not looking for a PR. It's really just about getting to run in such an energetic crowd, suffering in the sweltering humidity together.

[source]

Race Day Forcast:

[source]

Not too shabby, considering the triple digits we saw this weekend. I don't think we'll have to worry about storms until later in the day, which will suck for fireworks but won't bother me so long as I can run without getting struck by lightning!

The fun and somewhat ironic thing about this race is that it's so huge - it boasts being the largest 10K in the world - that you'll spend far more time at the Health and Fitness Expo than actually running the race itself.

So many runners participate in this event that ALL of the big vendors are there with freebies and great discounts, and you have two full days to get there to pick up your number and check everything out. I usually go to expos with a tight clutch on my wallet, unwilling to spend money on anything except maybe if I can find a booth with a "Five for $5" goo/gel/bar sale. This time, however, I had a feeling I might go ahead and purchase one or two things for myself.

Of the free items, I snagged some "Food Should Taste Good" brand chips, mini Larabars, a single-serving of Cascadian Farms granola, a free water bottle with the purchase of two tubes of Nuun ($10 = 24 drinks = $0.42/drink, which is pretty sweet, I think), and an insulated lunch bag that used to be a water bottle.

Other than the Nuun, I did spend money on just one more thing...

Come to me, my pretties!

Yes, I finally, finally, finally have my Wave Rider 15's!

I have been perpetually putting off the purchase (say that five times fast) until today, when I saw them on a sale table, practically lit from the heavens above, and possibly with a choir of angels hiding underneath the tablecloth beckoning to me. A vendor was selling used shoes - shoes that were worn once by the buyers and then returned because of ill fit or the wrong size. The only way you could tell these shoes had been worn at all was by seeing the evidence of a little dirt or grit from the pavement on the bottoms of the soles. And honestly, I feel awkward in sneakers when they're pristine, just-out-of-the-box white, so their "used" status would not bother me at all.

And they were $50.00.

That's right, $50.00!

I win at being a cheap-a$$ :-D

Which races do you think have the best expos?

Are you running the Peachtree or have you in the past? This is my second, and I hope to become a PTRR streaker.

Have you ever scored a wicked deal on running or fitness apparel? Where?

Here it Goes, Here it Goes, Here it Goes Again

2012-06-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'd say 2012 has been a lot like the OK Go video. Good thing I like treadmills, right?

That's not to stay I've been stagnant, I've just been moving and changing a lot but my scenery isn't really changing. I've been going through the motions - flipping through my ACE texts, getting the personal and group training certifications, trying to be an active fitness blogger - but not really getting ahead. This past week I finally moved into action.

Step One: New serving job. I've hesitated to post this because I needed to make sure I gave my notice before any wandering eyes found their way to my blog. I've really enjoyed working with the people at this most recent establishment, but the overall environment - being a restaurant adjacent with and belonging to a hotel - just was not for me. I needed something new.

A serving job that was a little less:

[source]

Definitely NOT:

And wouldn't make me want to:

[source]

That third one is always iffy. I mean, the world is full of people. Not all of them are exactly brilliant, and of those less-than-brilliant types, I might have to wait on a few. At least if someone's stupidity makes me cry, I'll try to keep it on the inside :-D

Step Two: Get my A$$ in the gym!

No, not to work out. I finally, for real, not just saying I'll do it but actually DID, get all of my certifications and resume together and presented it to the gym I currently work at teaching spin. There was a minor hiccup today, as I found out I needed to fill out an entire new application, but that wasn't bad because it forced me to update my resume, qualifications, and references. I just hope that this gym allows its trainers to teach group fitness and vice versa. I don't see why they wouldn't except that it might complicate payroll, but I will argue that - in my opinion - members would want to see their instructors in multiples roles at the gym.

Years ago, when I was first just getting back to the gym and doing something about the ~~rounder~~ shape I'd gotten myself into, I noticed a divide straight away. There were the instructors, who just came and went as they had classes scheduled, and the trainers, who pretty much kept to themselves behind the trainer's desk, not interacting with members outside of their appointments. This didn't seem right.

It wasn't for several years after I first got back into shape that I took up an interest in training, mainly because I saw a gap that needed to be bridged. And maybe this is the server in me (the happy server, not the one who sometimes wants to scream), but I think the spirit of hospitality and helpfulness should extend to EVERY industry.

How many times have you walked into the gym and not even been greeted by the person at the front desk? I bet it's happened this week. The gym I work for isn't so bad - the front desk staff is typically attentive and friendly - but I've been in other places where it seemed like most of the staff, trainers, sales team, and front desk alike just didn't want to be there. I get that maybe they're bored or even frustrated because it's slow and they don't have any appointments, but what's stopping them from getting out on the floor, offering to spot someone, or even seeing if they can give some free pointers? What's more likely to get new clients, anyway: sitting around doing nothing, or engaging with members?

I say that I am and always be a server at heart. Maybe that's why I went and got a new restaurant job (I know, again) instead of quitting the industry altogether. And what I've learned in the service industry most certainly extends to the attitude I have toward personal training: it's not just taking an order and then providing the product, it's about guiding the experience. When I take on new clients, I could make every one of them do the same routine and see results, but that's not what they want, either. They need to be a part of the process and I need to make it enjoyable (or less torturous) for them.

Step Three: The Balancing Act.

[source]

Both jobs start in about two weeks. I'll train in the mornings and work four dinner shifts Wednesday through Saturday. My husband asked, "When will you sleep?" which I told him I'm not worried about. I'm actually concerned with when I'll eat! I'm going to start stocking up on Luna Bars, Lara Bars and Zone Perfect Perfectly Simple. I should just start sending emails:

Dear So-and-Such Company,
I am a mom/server/trainer/fitness instructor and perpetual student of fitness and life seeking sponsorship in the form of free food so that I might survive from one day to the next. I will eat and review your tasty food products, wear clothes with your company logo, and might even get the image of your best-selling product tattooed on my arm if it means I won't have to go to work on an empty stomach ever again.

Who would you have help sponsor your life?

What's the worst job you ever had?

Tuesday Night Spin -- I'm Baaaack!

2012-06-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

Well, I was actually back on Friday, and taught class on Saturday morning. And I'd love to tell you I'm back with an awesome playlist of brand new tunes... but with all my catching up and picture-posting, that hasn't exactly happened, either. But I did group together some of my favorite, full-tilt, butt-whooping tunes for an awesome class to make up for the one I missed teaching my class last week. I'll spare you lengthy drill descriptions and just post the songs I used. I challenge you to listen to the same songs in the same order and NOT spin/run/work your a$$ off:

"Good Feeling" - Flo Rida
"Power is On" - The Go! Team
"Mr. G" - DeadMau5
"In the End' - Linkin Park
"Jump" - Flo Rida
"Right Here, Right Now" - Fatboy Slim
"Devil Drums" - Scooter
"My Body" - Young the Giant
"Lose Yourself" - Eminem
"Raise Your Glass" -Pink
"All My Life" - Foo Fighters

Yeah, all the usual suspects. I'm a creature of habit sometimes, and I can't help but go back to my old standby's when I'm in the need of really getting the blood pumping and adrenaline flowing. In fact, I'm gonna be lazy and just leave you with a few videos, just so I can conserve all of my energy for tonight :-D

There's a theme... kinda.

Coming this week, hopefully, my first video blog. When I ~~stupidly~~ went for a 6-mile run outdoors yesterday, although I was well-hydrated leading up to the run, it occurred to me that it had been a while since I'd run in 90+ degrees. That's something I definitely should have accounted for and taken some extra water with me. I slogged through the run just fine, but felt pretty icky for a few hours afterwards. It had me thinking that while there are lots of articles and "how to"s out there for people who are completely new to working out in the heat, it might be helpful to post tips for other wanna-be know-it-alls who think they're conditioned enough that they don't need to consider the heat's affect on their workouts (like... uh, me).

So to that end- can anyone recommend some decent (preferably free or cheap) basic video editing software, so I can ramble at you in person instead of only in writing? Thanks!

Have you braved the heat where you live?

Day Eight - The Drive

2012-06-26T08:09:00.001-07:00

Thursday, June 21st

Wernersville, PA to Tigerville, SC: 626 miles, drive time 10 hours, 37 minutes.
Potty Breaks: 4; Gummies: Just one more, man; Tears: none (yes, nearly 11 hours in the car and hardly a tear - I have the best kid on the planet); Exercise: plyometrics, push-ups & crunches @ 10:00PM.

For all intents and purposes, Thursday marked the last day of our journey together. I could not be a happier or prouder Mama that my little girl put up with me, the car, and a different bed almost every night. I knew I was a little crazy to embark on this road trip with her, and I worried about half-way through as she sleepily told me one night, "I don't want the hotel! I wanna go HOME!" that I was doing a number on my child. But when she woke up the next day, eager as ever to eat waffles and fruit loops (you gotta let some things slide when you're traveling), I knew she'd be OK.

We started off our day with our last taste of Pennsylvania. I'm pretty sure the blueberries were not actually local, but I know the black cherries were. I forgot how much I love them... and how much they stain my fingers when I try to cut out the pit for my daughter!

This plus a cup of coffee had me brimming with antioxidants and ready to go. (Not pictured: the cider donut I wolfed down before even sitting at the kitchen table).

We slowed down for a couple more pictures of the beautiful PA-Dutch landscapes we'd be leaving behind; another reason why I know I want to drive back.

Sadly, we did not actually see any Amish people in carriages, but the signs to watch out for them crossing or traveling the road were everywhere.

Onward, down through Virginia for what felt like years. This is by far the longest stretch that anyone traveling north to south or vice-versa must endure. Interstate 81 can be quick enough (the speed limit is 70mph), but it's also just two lanes in either direction, meaning if you get stuck by a truck driver who thinks he's going fast enough to pass another truck, but then they both hit a hill and slow to a crawl at 45mph... you're gonna be there for a while. And when you can finally pass, you have to make sure the cops don't catch you flooring it as you impatiently try to get by.

Finally, our first sign of the south:

I've never actually eaten in a Shoney's, have you?

By this point, the head index was well over 100, I imagined, so we pulled off at a gas station thinking we could find a spot in the shop to sit down and eat yogurt and Goldfish. Their two dingy booths were covered with boxes and trash... classy. So it was time for another car picnic, only this time, with the engine running and the AC on. I hate to do that, and I hate when I see other people do it, but if you've ever tried to drink milk on a really hot day, you'd understand why we hid in my car with the sun shades up.

After what felt like eons on the road, we finally crossed the Virginia border into Tennessee and were promptly greeted with rain squalls. This was a welcome relief from the heat, as well as a nice little bath to clean off the bug graveyard that the grill and hood of my car had become.

Around 6:00 PM I started to look out for a place to stop for dinner. This would be the one stop of our whole trip that I was going to eat - and allow my daughter to eat - whatever we wanted with no regard to sugar, fat, or staying within the recommended food groups. Of course, there are some compromises I will not make, but the only signs I saw for restaurants near the highway were for McDonald's or Cracker Barrel. McD's is absolute crap and I won't eat anything from there, no matter what. While I've eaten at Cracker Barrel before, I never enjoyed anything I've eaten there and was not in the mood to try to get a toddler through the gift shop without breaking anything or accidentally shop-lifting.

So I found the next best thing, given the area we were in:

What can I say? I love pork. And while BBQ is not something I typically gravitate toward or even crave, this place smelled AWESOME coming off the interstate. We pulled up not even 15 minutes before they closed, so I took our good timing as a sign that this was the place to eat. And I have to say, since this was probably the least healthy meal we had all week, we still didn't do half-bad with smoked pulled pork (protein), baked beans (fiber) and macaroni salad (uh... I think I saw one piece of diced bell pepper in there somewhere...) Whatever, I don't have to justify myself. We were in Tennessee!

And most importantly, someone else loved it.

The last leg of our trip took us through the breathtaking scenery of the Cherokee National Forest and then down through the Blue Ridge Mountains that run from North Carolina down into South Carolina. I wished I could have snapped more pictures, but there was that whole driving thing I was supposed to be paying attention to.

I was able to get one good shot, though, which my camera does not give justice too, but it was beautiful, regardless. We were coming down I26 toward Asheville when I just had to slow down to try to capture this:

We had a beautiful, scenic, and most importantly happy and tantrum-free ride for the entire day. I can't wait to do it again.

Thanks, little travel buddy. You're the best!

Total Travel Distance & Time:

2,268 mi, 40 hours

Ok.... maybe next time we'll just fly!

Day Seven - The Treck Back

2012-06-25T05:08:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, June 20th

Albany, NY to Wernersville, PA: 255 miles, drive time of 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Potty breaks: 1; Gummies: breaking the habit; Tears: a few shed over "angry birds"; Exercise: push-ups, crunches, planks and plyometrics.

For the return trip, I was going to drive further on Wednesday to make it half-way back to South Carolina, so that Thursday's trip time would be shorter and I could be back in Atlanta on Thursday evening. As I thought about it more, though, I wanted one more evening at my Gram's house and I knew my girl wouldn't mind stopping one more time to play with all of those vintage toys.

By this point in our week, the too-good temperatures were starting to give way to the uglier side of June. It was not even the first day of summer, yet the thermometer steadily rose to the point where you just want to hide inside with the AC blasting and all of the curtains drawn. I knew there would be no run for me this evening.

Fortunately, we were able to take a break along the way back down to PA where we could enjoy our "picnic" indoors. We had a fairly healthy - and most importantly cool and refreshing - snack of yogurt (Chobani for me), Mixed Berry Nutragrain, and our summer staple, lemonade.

"Wait, Mommy! You need a picture of me, too!"

Silly girl's already getting the hang of picture-blogging.

Once we reached Gram's, we were both a little stir-crazy but not wanting to risk a heat-stroke or sun burn, we remained indoors. I did a quick circuit of basic body-weight exercises, including high knee step-ups on the unusually tall stairs in the 120-yr-old house (give or take a decade or two), and this cool leg + oblique exercise from BexLife (the first exercise of this video) that combines a squat with a side leg/knee lift. It's kind of like doing a sumo wrestler stomp... or that's what my daughter does, when she tries to exercise along with me. She also tried to help me with my crunches by laying across my belly, which didn't really work, so I turned over to let her crawl on my back as I attempted to do a couple push-ups with the extra resistance.

I can do exactly TWO, push-ups with her, by the way... and they have to be modified. Youch!

Time for dinner.

My Gram was a Locavore before it was cool. While the area she lives in has had its fair share of suburban sprawl over the past ten years, there are still farms galore and tons of roadside stands where she gets a lot of her produce. And having such deep German roots in the area, the European mentality of shopping nearby and often to get what's available and fresh - vs. doing a huge shopping trip of packaged goods once a week - is prevalent. I enjoy shopping this way too, as I feel I'm more likely to use the produce I buy before it goes bad if I only buy a few of something at a time.

For our meal tonight, we had asparagus, red potatoes, cucumber and tomato salad, berries, and Italian-seasoned wings.

The best part of this meal? My girl tried everything, and actually ate all of her asparagus first. While her love of veggies and fruit has more to do with her tastes than anything else, I can't help but feel like I've done something right when my daughter dives into the greens on her plate first.

I wished I could have stayed in Wernersville for a whole week and actually take my daughter to the farms and markets myself. After the success of this trip, though, I know I'll be back. I was happily reminded of how nice it is to just sit around my Gram's house and I can't wait to drive back up and spend more time there.

Does your area have good local produce? Do you travel anywhere where the local food can't be beat?

Day Six - Goats, and goats, and goats, Oh My!

2012-06-23T11:44:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, June 19th

The list of places I wished I could share with my daughter was certainly too long to fulfill for just 48 hours in New York. So I had to settle to take her to Indian Ladder Farms, a place that overwhelms the senses with amazing views, the fresh flavors of just-picked produce, and of course, the smell of cider donuts baking around the clock.

On site, there is a short hill you can climb up to picnic tables with a breath-taking view of the surrounding Helderberg Escarpment. They have a fragrant and dense herb garden that I just love to run my hands through until I smell like mint and lavender. While known primarily as an apple orchard, there are also acres of raspberry bushes and cherry trees. Of course, Little Miss only cared about one thing:

Seriously, I'll be picking sand out from under this kid's fingernails and dumping it out of her shoes for the rest of her young life.

Since I think we were still feeling like two jumping beans after having spent so much time in the car, today's objective was to let her run and dig as much as possible. The farm also features a small petting zoo, which is to say that had about 32 goats, 1 donkey, and a Scottish Highland Ox. Only the goats approached the fence to be pet (fed) while the ox remained in the shade of an old barn and the donkey only concerned himself with his corner of a bail of hay. Of the non-pet-able creatures, there was a fat, lethargic bunny, chickens, and a really mean-looking turkey. Recalling a turkey attack a friend recently endured while out on a run, I made sure we kept little fingers away from its fence.

The goats were cute enough, though, and she was happy to see and pet them, although they begged like dogs for treats.

We were there with friends - cool friends, who had change to get dried corn to feed the goats, unlike her totally unprepared Mama who didn't have a quarter in her wallet or anywhere in the car.

After a picnic of not-so-great organic yogurt (you can't always win trying to be healthy) Nut Thins, garlic cheddar cheese curds (don't knock it til you've tried 'em) and a ton of raspberries, it was time to pack up and head back to the city.

Back at the couple's house whose porch we've been crashing and yummy food we've been stealing, my little girl - sleep deprived and exhausted from an afternoon in the sun, or so I thought - plugged on like a little Energizer Bunny. I had made sort of a joking promise to my friend that he could be the God Father of our child, although we're not religious, and realistically if anything happened to us our immediate family would take over in raising our child. Still, the least I could do is let him steal her for some exclusive one-on-one. This included hopscotch on the patio stones where, back in the day, waaaaay pre-baby, we may have once played drunken "full contact" hopscotch. At the end of the night, Little Miss had some new BFFs (especially since he and his wife were - again - way cooler than Mommy because they had Dora and Diego on Netflix).

What's the most unique or unexpected animal you encountered at a petting zoo? For us, I'd say it was the boars (or maybe they were just really big pigs) at the Greenville Zoo. They just don't strike me as very fun to pet. Also, I'm immature, and just want to say, "Mmmm... I'm craving some bacon..."

Day Five - It's Gettin' Hot in Here...

2012-06-21T21:12:00.001-07:00

Monday, June 18th

First travel-free day!!!

We slept in, and did not plan on doing anything until 11:00AM, at the earliest. This girl is learning quick about proper hotel behavior: Stay in comfortable clothes (anything with an elastic waistband will do) for as long as possible, bypass all the fruit and oatmeal for the brightest, most sugary cereal that Mom never buys, and how to recline in bed to watch TV without spilling a drink down your shirt.

But our leisure was short-lived.

To avoid any shock or concern, let me first state that nothing happened in OUR room. I had left her for a moment to get ice for the cooler. As I walked down the hall, I noticed one of the rooms, which had its door propped open as the housekeepers were moving through, was a bit smoky. No big deal, I thought. The housekeepers seemed to smoke while they work. Well, that is a big deal, as the people running this place clearly didn't give a shit. That's what I get for $63 a night, I figure. Anyway, I get the ice, come back, and notice that I wasn't really smelling cigarette smoke. Pass by the same room again and now the haze is so thick I can't see through to the window. As I bolt back to my room the alarms go off, scaring the living daylights out of my child, who was just trying to eat an apple and watch Elmo's World.

Have you ever been asked, "What would you grab if you could only grab two things (one for each hand) before escaping a fire?" I'll tell you what: Your kid and her favorite stuffed animal. In hindsight, I might have also wanted to grab my purse and her shoes, but I wouldn't have been able to move my car to go elsewhere if I wanted to.

At first, the firefighters seemed to almost mill about apathetically, and I saw one guy take a giant fan off a truck to bring in to exhaust the smoke, I assumed. Suddenly, a few more trucks showed up and they actually moved with a sense of urgency to get in gear and run inside, telling the guests and staff that had just been waiting downstairs in the lobby. The smoke was upstairs, after all, and everyone was under the impression that it was going to be quickly controlled. At this point, there were eight trucks. A bit excessive? Probably, but they had to get up on the roof as a fire had actually ignited in the ceiling and started to spread upward.

Moments after the burst in activity, the receptionist came out and told some of us the firefighters had given her the impression that they were going to have to close. Fortunately, there was a hotel next door. As in, they shared a parking lot. After smacking myself in the forehead for not going with this second hotel to begin with (online, it was $20 a night more), I trudged over to check us in. They were willing to give us a bargain, considering our circumstances.

They also gave us cookies.

Yes, I shared. A little.

After about a two-hour wait for hotel #1 to get the all clear for guests to return, we went back to round up our things. They assured us we could actually remain there if we wanted to, that the firefighters said the building was clear. Uh, no thanks. They were at least kind enough not to charge a cancellation fee.

Finally it was time to run!

I took the Little Miss to a lovely park where I had once clocked easy miles as I first started out running again. This place has miles of winding paths over mostly flat terrain, with enough bumps and dips to make you work but not kill the legs. It was perfect for me when I was a noob runner, and great today with extra cargo to push. We got in between three and four miles before she was chompin' at the bit to get out.

As I watched her play, I mused about how with the passage of time and - of course - having a child, my perspective of my home town has changed quite a bit. Places where I used to sit to be left alone in my thoughts, or perhaps have a run-in with a love interest so he could see just how deep and profound I was, sitting there all alone in my thoughts, are now only significant if they have bars to climb, slides to zip down, and sandboxes to dive into. And of course, they have to be stroller-accessible.

So for kicks, following our afternoon in the park I took her to the old cafe, where I used to work and would write on my days off, mostly waiting to be seen writing so someone could come over and ask me what I was writing about. This was back in the day when I walked around with a tattered spiral notebook and a Bic pen... not a laptop. The cafe, which used to pay me $5/hour under the table, has actually come a long way from the crappy sandwiches I used to throw together for people. And we enjoyed a nice pesto chicken panini with spinach and tomato. I would have snapped a pic of this because it looked and tasted awesome, but I was trying to keep someone from making it snow by opening all of the sugar packets.

Tomorrow: One more stop at one of my favorite places on this too-brief of a journey home.

I did not, for the record, type this entry while at a coffee shop. I am curious to know if any of you are guilty of this?

Day Four - "Homeward Bound"

2012-06-20T20:31:00.001-07:00

Sunday, June 17th

State College, PA to Albany, NY: 316 miles, drive time of 5 hours and 43 minutes.

Potty breaks: 2; "Gummies": cutting back to a small handful; Exercise: Flying around like a Butterfly Fairy (more her than me); Tears: minimal.

Something about coming up over I88 and descending into the Hudson Valley makes me warmly nostalgic every time.

The drive up from State College almost the entire way to the New York border was through rural, Amish farmland on two-lane state and US routes. It was a welcome break from the monotony of highway driving and stale car air conditioning, as we bumped up and down hilly roads and twisted around windy corners with all the windows completely down. Something I'm glad I was able to enjoy, as I watched today's heat indexes rise into the 100's.

We arrived in Albany just in time for some delicious steak, shrimp, corn, beans and potatoes prepared by our awesome friends. I wish I had snapped a picture of their plentiful bounty but a certain toddler was tired of hummus and yogurt and needed to dive right into some real food.

Then, it was dress up time.

I mean, what else do you do when you've kept a kid locked up in a vehicle for nearly 24 hours in the past four days? You give her wings and let her fly.

While I didn't run around nearly as much as she did, we did do a few of those spin maneuvers, when you lock arms and the one person starts revolving, lifting the other (smaller) person into the air. That fired up my deltoids REAL fast, getting her 33-lb. butt into the air!

When we reached the hotel, it was time to collapse and treat myself for all of the hard hours clocked burning rubber through seven states and counting. If I were to find the energy to press onward and share my favorite places in my home town with my little girl, I was going to need some fuel of my own...

Let's ignore the fact that I'm a wanna-be health professional for the moment. If you can't tell from the glare, this is "Chocolate Therapy" from Ben & Jerry's. I mean... how could I pass that up on the shelf. And even if I didn't have a freezer to put it in and it would go to mush in our cooler, forcing me to eat 3/4 of it then regretfully throw the rest away so I wouldn't hate myself in the morning... it was therapeutic, and totally worth it!

Tomorrow: What happens when you're a little too frugal, and why you shouldn't go with the cheapest hotel in town...

Have you had "Chocolate Therapy"? Is it not the best ice cream ever?

How hot was your heat index today? Did you grin and bear it in the heat or move indoors? Did you eat ice cream afterwards?

Day Three - Life of the Party

2012-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 16th

Wernersville, PA to State College, PA: 238 miles, drive time of 2 hours and 38 minutes.

Potty breaks: 1; First fast food break (upon my grandmother's request); "Gummies": Too many (gotta make a girl behave for a wedding); Tears: buckets; Exercise: 40 minute run around Penn State + the wedding reception.

Someone was not ready to get up this morning. Can't say that I blame her.

Saturday was the day of my cousin's wedding, one of the catalysts for this crazy idea for a road trip. We figured that we couldn't drive north without visiting family, and we couldn't visit family without trying to find a way to make it to a major family function. There were some concerns expressed that maybe it'd be too much to make a kid sit in a car for umpteen million hours and THEN also make her sit still for a wedding ceremony, but this girl continued to impress her Mama and everyone else around.

The drive out to State College was brief, compared to previous legs of our journey so far. We had not planned on an Arby's stop but since it was my grandmother's idea I was polite and played along. I do miss their fries. But I was good and got myself a salad. I decided to treat my girl to some chicken fingers, which came with apple slices and yogurt dip. What I expected to be crappy - the chicken - was halfway decent. What I expected to be good - the yogurt - was this pink, WAY overly-sweetened gelatinous goo that in not way resembled yogurt in taste, smell, or texture. Surprised to be disappointed by a fast food kid's meal? Not really.

We arrived in plenty of time for the ceremony and fortunately, without any traces of our meal on our dresses.

By this point, though, I was starting to feel that nagging butt pain (my tailbone) that I get from sitting too much, which I think I may have mentioned out loud a few too many times because now my daughter was starting to complain, "My butt's sore!" too. But with promises of multiple gummy worms on the horizon, I was able to negotiate with her and keep her still during the nuptials.

For the first time this trip, however, I felt I was pushing my luck trying to keep her still and well-behaved for even another minute, so the second we could split after pictures, we headed to the nearby Inn to check in, change, and then bolt for a run.

Parenting Tip: If you don't have a jogging stroller, here's reason #147 why you should. When you have an over-tired child who refuses to nap, insisting, "I NOT TIRED!!!" just take her for a run...

... and take a moment for yourself to enjoy the scenery:

After a quick shower and getting dolled up once more, I was able to take a fairly well-rested child to the reception and I was able to enjoy the buffet and perhaps a little Knob Creek with significantly less guilt than if I had not had the opportunity to run!

But for good measure, we were sure to hit the dance floor as soon as we could for a little extra calorie burn!

Sadly, the party eventually came to an end, and it was time for bed, much to a certain child's disappointment. This is when the buckets of tears were cried. I mean, you would have thought I'd ripped up her favorite stuffed animal, she wailed so hard. But I was already that mom who kept her kid up past 11:00PM just to enjoy a few more minutes of celebration, so it was time to go!

At the end of the day, though, ALL of the kids had fun, even the grown ones.

Do you like to bust a move on the dance floor?

Day Two - Sharin' The Love

2012-06-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 15th

Lynchburg, Virginia to Wernersville, Pennsylvania: 323 miles, drive time of 5 hours and 56 minutes.

Potty Breaks: 2; "Gummies" Consumed: 7; Tears: 5 minutes; Exercise: Running around Grammy's yard.

You'll notice my "Gummy" count: These include Dora snacks, gummy worms, or any other small treat incentive I might have to use to lure a toddler into a grimy public restroom to pee and/or poop, or to get her to go before we eat a meal when she cries, "No! I don't WANNA go potty! I wanna eat RIGHT NOW!" I realize food rewards are not the best, but I maintain something small a few times a day is better than going all out with cake or ice cream. Besides, the ice cream is MY reward for my amazing maternal abilities and unending patience :-D

Day Two went just as well as Day One, actually, and the drive was simply gorgeous. Being a so-called grown up, I do typically favor the quicker highways to the back roads - not like when I was a teen with a hyundai and no cruise control. But for this leg of the journey, my gps navigation took me straight up through the Virgina mountains, giving us gorgeous views and taking us by rolling farms and vineyards.

When we finally crossed into West Virginia, it was time to stop to heat up our lunch and have yet another picnic. This stop was especially nice, because it was at a rest area with actual picnic tables and a big open area where we played a brief game of tag. They also had sky diving. Cool.

After spending a few minutes each driving through West VA and Maryland, we entered Pennsylvania and I promptly rolled all the windows all the way down. Pennsylvania has a smell that is just... intoxicating. It may sound weird to describe it this way, but having spent a week or two every summer of my entire childhood at my Grammy's house, this smell is imprinted in my brain and evokes a strong sense of nostalgia the second I cross the state line. I felt like a little kid, with a swelling sense of warmth and childish joy as my senses were filled with the sights and smells that are distinctly Pennsylvanian.

We arrived at my Gram's house and promptly dug into the storage chest underneath the windowsill where the toys that I played with as a child remained, stored rather haphazardly but still completely in tact. I thought that it must be pretty cool to sit there as a great-grandparent and witness generation after generation of children rip through the treasure chest, each kid exhibiting the same excitement and wonder at the old toys that are new to them just because they're different and inherently cooler because they're at Gram's and not at home.

After a delicious dinner of smoked pork (again... hey, I'm not complaining!), sweet potatoes, and yellow beans that I haven't had since the last time I was in PA (I never see them in the grocery stores in Georgia!), it was time to go outside to stop and smell the flowers.

Where the pool I swam in as a kid used to be is now a beautiful garden and while it was sad to learn she'd had her pool filled in, all the kids who once frequented her house for the reprieve from the summer heat are long grown and spread across the country. Little Miss still enjoyed the yard, though, especially leaping to try to touch the branches of the tree that stood in the pool's place.

Then, it was across the street to the ball field that stands adjacent to the old elementary school where my Grammy actually taught, before it was sold to the county to become a municipal building. Now, it stands empty, as the police have moved to a different facility. We are hoping someone else will take the building over and preserve it.

I was going to take my girl down to the playground where I used to play but it was already getting late and as I recall, the landings for the monkey bars and slide are like ten feet off the ground. Not a good idea for a tired kiddo, so on the stop through on our way back to Georgia, we'll give it a shot to see if the equipment has been made more little-kid friendly. For tonight, as we were already in desperate need of a bath, we settled for playing in the dirt.

Do you have any childhood places that you share - or wish to share - with your own kids?

Road Trip, '12 - Day One

2012-06-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 14th
Atlanta, Georgia to Lynchburg, Virginia: 446 miles, drive time of 7 hours and 29 minutes.

Potty Breaks: 2; "Gummies" Consumed: 5; Tears: 0; Exercise: Double on Wednesday, so, rest.

For a child who's never been in a car for more than two and a half hours, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about how the Little Miss would take to an entire day - let alone nearly 3 days - on the road. A toddler AND a running mom who are constantly itching to move trapped in a car together for hours running into the double digits? Maybe not the most brilliant of ideas I've ever had in my life.

But, so far, so good!

Growing up, I loved road trips. Taking the fuel burned out the equation, I loved to just pick a direction and drive aimlessly as far as I wanted for the day. These days, I certainly need a plan and I almost always run on a deadline. So I was looking forward to this trip if for no other reason, than to at least put on the chick rock and feel like I could drive toward the sun without anything pulling me back to the real world. Granted, we have also listened to "Real in Rio" about 27 times so far, but the drive itself has almost been liberating. And my little girl, she's been loving every minute of it.

The drive started *almost* on time, save for a few last-minute details like stocking the cooler, (although I forgot the PB&J, doh!) going to the bank, and getting the first, all-important Starbucks jolt. We cruised up through South Carolina, stopping at about three hours for potty break #1 and a "car picnic" AKA "teaching a toddler to eat a cup of yogurt in the back seat." Lunch was rounded out with some fruit and milk, then we plodded on through North Carolina, where we picked up US29 North for a good combination of highway and country driving. For picnic #2, we found a gas station with trees and actual picnic tables, where we ate carrots, cucumbers and hummus and took pictures of the clouds. The weather was perfect; I could even blow my fans without running the A/C, the air was so pleasant.

Our total estimated drive time did wind up being extended by about 20 minutes as I overshot our first destination, but we still managed to arrive for dinner, which my friend had been so kind as to prepare for us: pork chops and broccoli for all, cous cous for the grown-ups and mac n cheese for the kids. Aside from packing our mostly-healthy cooler, I knew getting decent meals at each stop for this week's trip would be tricky. Fortunately, I have great friends who help me not have to worry about such things. And if it weren't for a certain online group of amazing ladies and the friendships we have developed, I would not have had someone I felt comfortable enough asking to stay over with, let alone someone gracious enough to open her home to us. So here's a Shout Out to my Mamas!

There's nothing else too exciting to post about Day One except that it went surprisingly smoothly, and I am excited to see how well we both hold up for the rest of the journey. Exercise is not too great of a concern at this point, as I feel like I am working hard enough just packing and unpacking the car and the toddler! And honestly, since we have not stopped - and will not - for fast food, I don't feel as bloated and gross as I remember feeling on previous trips. My goal is to get a run in on Saturday, however, at the latest.

I Admit, I'm a Bad Blogger/Tweeter

2012-06-13T06:39:00.001-07:00

A few things have been keeping me a little busy, and away from the Blogosphere...

Prepping for our trip, which included mega loads of laundry and meal planning. Yes, meal planning. I have a big cooler that with enough ice packs stays cold for about two days. For me, nothing is worse than having to rely on lord-knows-what chain restaurants or worse, gas station convenience stores, for sustenance on a journey. Don't get me wrong, if it were just me, I'd be fine with beef jerky and Muddy Buddies.


Nom nom nom [source]

But I have my Mini Me with me, and for her, I want to make sure that we aren't limited to fried chicken bi-product or greasy fries. Not including PB&J sandwiches (which are a must, if you want to get a toddler to do anything, especially sit in a car for ten hours), here's a sample of our spread:

Fruit, fruit squeezes, coffee (duh), Odwalla smoothies (already dug into the Super Green)
carrots, celery, hummus and yogurt.

Of course, we do need to save room for just a little indulgence...

I have also been busy just keeping up with housework, work work, and trying to read even just a page of my ACE text at a time. It's been a challenge, especially with having to vacuum literally every other day. We have animals. Animals get fleas. I don't really wanna talk about it. Sometimes, I feel guilty "only" getting on the bike for 45 minutes, but then I think about the countless loads of laundry I've lugged across our complex and the vacuum cleaner I've had to carry up and down the stairs 100 times in the past week and figure, I've been working out enough!

In fact, I foolishly signed on to the "Plank A Day" campaign on Twitter, and now the "Plank Police" are after me. See, I forgot that I really don't like to Tweet that much. Nothing wrong with tweeting, and I think it's great that we've taken to social media to get everyone involved in talking about fitness, but I sometimes feel like if I tried to keep up with everyone else, I'd spend more time on the computer talking about fitness than actually going out there to move and stay fit! Anyway, I HAVE been planking (and running, and spinning, and lifting, and crunching). The proof is in the pudding, if not in the actual tweeting:

Rawr. Chuck Norris, watch out.

We still have a bit of work to do before I feel ready to hit the road tomorrow. Packing is probably one of my most-loathed activities of all time because I will undoubtedly forget something. Not a big deal, considering I can always stop at a store for something along the way, but it always makes me a bit agitated to spend money on something I know I already have. Case in point, the make up back I thought I lost, so along with the groceries for our trip, I got some replacement makeup items. Last night, the hubby emerges from our linen closet, missing makeup bag in hand. Oh well... at least I have a fabulous new lip stain.

After packing, comes giving the car a once-over to make sure it's highway ready.

Or, ya know, sending the hubby out there to make sure it's highway ready.

For today, it's off to work for a double, which I will hopefully be able to get cut short. If it's slow, I may get a jump on other blog entries for the week, but I'm open to suggestions. My next post will be from the road and I will try to enlist in the help of some friends for a comprehensive picture post of my living room/hotel room workout, as I'm sure that will be something I will rely on heavily to maintain some shape this upcoming week!

How do you prepare for eating on the go? Any go-to healthy snacks you always keep on you to avoid the fast food trap?

Have you been planking?

And I mean this:

[source]

Not this:

[source]