Vacation In Pictures... One Week Later

So, another weekend has come and gone.  I have been stressing about the fact that I haven't posted.  I wanted to stay up-to-date but life got in the way of me documenting it.  I guess there are worse problems to have.

With that, last weekend I was in Virginia Beach for my niece's communion.  We had a great time there and then headed to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Va before heading home.  Aside from the day we drove out early in the morning, I worked out every day that I was away.  It was probably the first time that I ever used all the work out clothes that I brought on a trip.  I even had to recycle a sports bra at one point. (A little gross, but you do what you gotta do.)

Here's my weekend in pictures.

Mani/Pedi before the trip

So much laundry :(

Getting on the road... The little one likes clean feet

The boy is not a morning person

A few hours in... IHOP stop

Yep!  Ice cream after breakfast!  It's vacation!

Or... ice cream ON breakfast!

Hubby was so excited to see this place.  It was like me and Walmart

Heading over the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel

Arrival at Aunts House

Relaxin

My cuties

My life

My niece on her Communion Day

At the park in Virginia Beach

DoubleTree Hotel gym  - LOVED IT!

My other beautiful niece, Jade

Park

Cousins <3 At Great Wolf Lodge

Hubby making the long drive

Hubs and his mom playing checkers at Great Wolf

My sister-in- law and brother-in-law (and niece on the way)

Long day

Great Wolf gym with my sister-in-law

Sweet!

<3

At the water park

water park

Long ride home!

Here I Am

So, I am still here and I have yet to get my Virginia trip recap posted.  It is so on my to-do list, which keeps growing.

Just wanted to check in to say hello.  I got a text on Monday on the way back from Virginia that changed how my weekend will go down.  I will definitely get into it later, but here's a hint.

Wow, I should try a brush!

With that, I'll be back! xox

My Friday is on Thursday

So, I just wanted to check in because it has been a busy week and I am off tomorrow.  I am in a transition between bosses so while I am not extremely busy, it does get confusing some days.  However, change is good and I am embracing it.

We also had a milestone yesterday, Baby Girl got her first professional haircut.  I was very anxious about it, but it came out adorable.  She was so good too.  She sat quietly and watched Elmo while the hairdresser gave her some adorable bangs.

Before

During (She's not angry, just serious about her Elmo.)

After

However, due to our trip to the mall, we got home too late for me to go to High Rock training with NLP.  Luckily, there is one more Wednesday night session next week.  Sadly, since the High Rock Challenge is next weekend, there will be no more free training for me.  I am going to try to go to the challenge and cheer on all the people I met during this awesome training program.  Thanks to Juan, Don, Chris, Nancy and Darren for kicking my ass and making me think it's fun.  If you are in Staten Island, check out the gym.  These guys are hardcore!

Fun at High Rock

With that, I am off tomorrow, so I must finish the million things on my work list and then go home and do the  four million things on my home list.  At least I got a mani/pedi at lunch.  And for $15 in NYC!  Awesome!  I could tell you where, but then everyone will go and the price will go up. Kidding!  If you want to know, you'll have to bribe me with yummy treats!

Bright enough?  It's to take away from how old my hands look.

Also, I must be on a winning streak!  After winning yummy Nuun from Kelly last week, I found out today that I won a giveaway from Bex Life!  I cannot wait to receive it and I'll be sure to share it with you.  If you don't already read/watch Bex, you need to start now.  She is a mommy, a trainer, an urban farmer, and wears a million other hats, while smiling and kicking butt.  I must play MegaMillions this week!

With that, have a good afternoon.  Make it a good one!  And if you aren't busy, could you finish my laundry for me, please?  If you do, I'll divulge the secret of the $15 mani/pedi.

Weekend Recap

Saturday morning I went to my last Saturday High Rock training with Next Level Performance.  They were nice enough to post the workout on Facebook Friday night.  I saw it and quickly told hubby I was heading to bed.  It was going to be a long morning.


Here's the workout from NLP:
There will be 4 staging areas which will be referred to as the "pit".  The timed sets will be set-up as 30 seconds work/ 30 seconds rest for 3 rounds. Each team will perform the exercises orchestrated at each staging area. After 3 rounds each team will run a designated distance (read: trail running).  Then move on to the next staging area. 

The Pit
Staging Area I " The Cobblestone"
* Cobblestone Thrusters
* Cobblestone Swings
* Cobblestone High-Pulls

Run...

Staging Area II " The Log"
*Log Shoulder Passes
*Log Sit-ups
*Log Squats

Run...

Staging Area III "The Tire"
*Tire Jacks
*Tire Slams
*Tire Crunch

Run...

Staging Area IV "The Sandbag"
*Sandbag Reverse Lunge
*Sandbag Snatchpulls with release
*Sandbag Figure Eights 

Am I just a tree hugger or just doing log sit ups?

Then I spent most of the day with the family.  It was a beautiful day and we had to do some much needed cleaning.  We did have a little fun though. :)

Sunday was probably my favorite day this week.  I started with an 8 mile run down by the beach.  When I first headed out I thought it would start raining, but the sky quickly cleared.  After taking my son to Sunday school (in my sweaty clothes and compression socks) I had an hour to shower and get me and the little one dressed, we went to mass and then we were off to Brooklyn.


First, we had a quick visit with my mom, who my kids were dying to see all weekend and then we headed to the Pearl Room for Grandma's 97th Birthday brunch.  My sisters and I always decide on our meals strategically when we are out so, we decided that we would share the omlette, the french toast and the chicken panini and split the salad.  It was all yummy!  

The Birthday Girl

Baby Girl's first real ponytail

Family Fun

After brunch, my little sister and I made a pit stop to one of my favorite places, the Little Cupcake Company.  I do not usually "reward" a run, but it was a special family day.  So I got 6 cupcakes.  I cut 5 of them into quarters and we had a cupcake tasting.  What happened to the 6th, you ask?  Guess? :)  It was cookie dough, my favorite!

We used the glass of milk to "clear our pallet between tastings.  We are very classy.

When we got home, hubby decided to turn our driveway into a car wash, which worked for me because I had a shiny car by the end of the evening.

Hardcore Workout - Done!

Long Run - Done!

Clean - Done!

Family Fun - Done!

Another successful weekend... just don't ask about the laundry.  Sometimes we have to reprioritize. :)

Nuun for Me!

So it's Friday and I am very grateful for that.  It has been a good week though.  I have been following my running plan from RunnersWorld.com although, I think I need to check it again, because when I looked closely at the plan I realized that I have 2 mile easy runs scheduled throughout the plan and I think I might just alter it on my own as I see fit.  I definitely want a PR so, we'll see.

Also, I have been doing additional non-running workouts throughout the week including weights, videos and yoga.  On Wednesday evening, I went with my friend Heather to High Rock Park in Staten Island and worked out with Next Level Performance.  Here was the workout:


Short run up the hill;
Warm up;
(35 second max effort with a 15 second rest for 3 rounds with a 1 minute rest/round)

• Alternating Rear Lunge to a knee lift to a Squat (hands on head)
• Split Squat Jumps
• Plank Jacks
• Alternating Anterior Reaches
• Mtn. Climbers
• Single Leg Hip Thrusts (l)
• Single Leg Hip Thrusts (r)
• Burpees
• Walkouts
• Plank Climbers

It was a great workout! Plus, it was all in the dark, which made me feel even more hardcore. :)

I have also been studying my personal trainer materials.  The first chapter is human anatomy and if I can get through that, I can do anything.  Luckily, my sister has a degree in health science and kept some study materials that I plan to borrow.  I do need to get on a schedule so that I am spending at least an hour each night studying in addition to reading during my commute.  I have been out of school for 13 years so this is all new to me, again; however, it does feel great though to be learning.  Now I am also working out my brain!

Yup, I'm cheesy!  Anyway, I also won a giveaway this week on Kelly's blog, Secrets of a Running Mom.  I won some Nuun and I cannot wait to use it during my longer runs.

With that, bring on the weekend!

Special Shout to my Grandma who turned 97 on Wednesday.  She is an amazing lady and I am lucky to have her in my life and even luckier that my children know their great-grandma.

Health & Fitness experts: How do you get through that anatomy chapter?  Help!
Everyone: What's on the weekend agenda for fun AND fitness?

Easter Weekend

I realized on Thursday that I am running the Brooklyn Half marathon in less than two months.  My friend, Nurys mentioned her training plan and I thought maybe I needed to follow suit on that.  While I can likely just go out and run 13 miles if I put it all out there, I have a goal for this race.  Nothing crazy, I just want to beat my time from last year, 2:08:08.  I have not decided on my marathon goals for this Fall, but the results of this race will definitely be a factor in it.   I went to the experts at RunnersWorld.com for a plan.  This is what they gave me for the first week.

Thu	5-Apr	Tempo Run	Dist: 5 Mi, inc Warm; 3 Mi @ 9:14; Cool
Fri	6-Apr	Easy Run	Dist: 2 Mi @10:50
Sun	8-Apr	Long Run	Dist: 8 Mi @10:50

This is what I did: 

Thursday   Easy Run      3 miles         29:00

Friday       Tempo Run   5 miles         47:00

Monday    Long Run      8.27 miles   1:22:07

This is what happens when life intervenes.  You make it happen!  I switched Thursday and Friday due to the amount of time I had to run.  And Sunday, well, the Easter Bunny came earlier than I could get up to run... so Monday it had to happen.

Nurys and I @ Bklyn Half 2011

Saturday I had my final weigh in for Toni Senecal's Passover-Lent Off.  It is difficult to compare the weight loss because I had to weigh in at a different NYSC under different circumstances, but I started with 128 (it was 132 and they took off 4 lbs for clothes and sneakers).  Saturday I weighed in at 123 without sneakers on.  The body fat change was more exciting though as I went from 23% to 18.8%!  [Insert Applause Here!]  My friend Nicole lost 22 lbs and about 10% body fat.  I am way excited for her.  Her journey is just beginning and I was definitely be updating you on her progress.

Go Nicole!!! 

After my weigh in, I headed over to High Rock Park in Staten Island for another day of obstacle course training with Next Level Performance.  It was my third week and they never disappoint me.  This week we did trail running with sandbags in teams of 10.  You stop at a station, do a variety of fun exercises (push ups, burpees, etc.) and then when your teammate gets there, you run again.  This went on for a full hour.  Truth be told,. I only kept the sandbag for one round, but I didn't quit.  

The rest of the weekend was chock full of bunnies, colored eggs and lots of pasta.

The Easter Bunny brought new bikes & hemlets for the kids.

Posing

The kids with their cousin who was visiting.

With baby cousin Oliver <3

I will spare you the details of the banana pancakes, meat-filled baked ziti, the 2 giant pieces of italian bread, 15 Cadbury caramel eggs and the bag of extra long Twizzlers that I literally finished in bed last night, while watching Ringer (great show and I love Sarah Michelle Gellar!).  I will just say that I had a nice Easter and now I am back on track.  Going forward, bread will be a treat not a staple in my diet.  Also, I still have not had a drink. Beer was not worth it for me yesterday.  When I do decide to have some liquid calories, it will be in the form of a good red wine.

Did you have a good weekend?  If you gave anything up for Lent, did you enjoy indulging on Sunday?