Recommitting

About two weeks ago, I stopped doing Jamie Eason LiveFit weight training and started marathon training.  I thought it would be an easy transition since I was already moving and I always refer back to the law of inertia (things in motion...).  However, it is now clear that I lost focus and some determination.  I went from protein, protein, lift , lift to carbs and cardio with no recovery interval. I woke up the last two mornings and did not get out of bed.  This is a sure sign that I need to light a fire and fast.  The marathon is quickly approaching and time waits for no man (or woman.)

The last two times that I trained for a marathon I paid little attention to my diet.  I also finished both marathons in over 5 hours.  So, yea, this one is different and I know better.  If hubby only lets me put premium gas in my car, why should I be shovelling the cheap stuff into my body.  I want to continue (truth: go back to) the clean eating that I was doing with the weight training.  I just need to change my portions of carbs, proteins, and fats.  And I need to stay away from the snacks before bed, which is my tragic downfall.  I see my body getting softer after all the work I put in and it does not make me happy.

So, what is my plan?  Monday is a new week for me.  And a clean slate.

1. Eat clean with only one cheat day. - I will need  to research a good list of clean carbs and work on a meal plan so that I do not find myself shovelling raisins in my mouth at 10 p.m. while watching Big Brother.  
2. Find some weight training exercises specifically for marathon training.- I know that heavy weights are out, but I still need to be strong if I am going to stomp through 26.2 miles of NYC.
3. Schedule my workouts.- I need to write all my workouts into my calendar.  Even if I have to change the times/days, if they exist on paper I cannot forget about them.
4. Commit to at least two 5 a.m. workouts. - I am already short on time and I am wasting good light hours.  In October I'll have to run in pitch black 5 a.m. so I should enjoy it now while I can.
5. STUDY STUDY STUDY! - This is not for my marathon training but for my overall goals and plans.  I need to commit at least 6-8 hours a week to studying for the ACE Certified Personal Training certification.  I know that's less than I previously stated, but sometimes you just have to manage your expectations and limitations.  I also need to add this time into my calendar.
6. Sleep more. - If I am not working out, studying or spending time with my family, there is no reason that I should be up until 11 p.m. watching reality television or checking Facebook.
7. Make dentist appointments. - This has nothing to do with this post, but I desperately need to make dental appointments for my whole family and maybe, if I tell the world about it, I'll finally get it done. 

Isn't this the coolest dollhouse ever?
Time is well spent playing with the little one.

The princess hopes you all have a great weekend.
 (Can't have another post without any pictures).

**Sharing is caring. - Please let me know if you have any good resources for marathon training nutrition or any tips on getting it all done.

150 and now HLS12

I started this blog on a whim in 2010.  I got sidetracked several weeks later, but I picked it back up just over a year ago.  As I look back now, I cannot even believe that I have been sharing my life with the world (or at least the 10-20 people who read my MGR) for a year now.  The truth is that this has been a great year to write about. I have come out of my comfort zone in several aspects.  I have found that positivity goes a long way in your day to day life.  Consciously trying to rid myself of negative thinking has been a rewarding experience.  It helps in my work and home life and has allowed to set higher goals.  I did 2 phases of Jamie Eason's Live Fit weight training program and have began marathon training for  NYC which I will run on November 4.  I have even done an obstacle course race and signed up for the Super Spartan.  Additionally, I took my passion for fitness and health to the next level.  Thanks to a great friend and mentor, I lept into the ACE program for becoming a certified personal trainer.

It's been a fun ride so far and I think it's fitting that at post #150 I share that I will be attending the Healthy Living Summit next month in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  While I still have plenty to learn, I do identify myself as a blogger (in addition to Mom, wife, runner, teammate, etc.). As a blogger, I want to be a part of the community of amazing bloggers throughout the social media world.  I have attended post-race blogger brunches and fundraising events.  However, a year ago I would have never asked my husband if he could watch the kids for an entire weekend while I travel a few states north to attend a blogger conference.  Last month I did.  And he said "okay".  I am so excited to meet so many of the bloggers whose lives I read about on a daily basis and attend the workshops to help make me a better blogger.  Especially since I will be away from my kids for two days which I have never done in the 6.5 years of my son's life.

So, HLS12 here I come!  Hopefully I will come away with some new friends and a better blog and may it lay a foundation for another year of leaps and bound in the life of a mom who's just gotta run.

Sharing is caring: Who's going to HLS?  Who's been to other blog conferences?  What's your best advice for conference newbies?

Fitness + Family + Fun = My Weekend

I talk alot about balancing my fitness and my life responsibilities, all of which are the basic focus of my little ole blog, and this weekend was a perfect mix of the two.  Saturday, I did my first "long" run of marathon training in the morning.  It was just 8 miles, but I got it in (way faster than I should have, but hey). Then the kids and I spent the afternoon with my mom.  She lives in an area of Brooklyn that has a lot of local shopping in walking distance.  It was good to have the kids (and mom) out and about, getting some sun and some exercise. We walked just over 2 miles.

Find more Walk in New York, NY

And of course Mom treated us to lunch. Thanks Mom!

My son literally feeding his face. 

On the fire truck in the restaurant

Sunday was scheduled to be Family Fun Day, since hubby was off from work.  The other day hubby and I were talking about how the summer was halfway over and we hadn't done much with the kids to enjoy it, so after throwing around a few ideas and looking for suggestions from Facebook friends, we went back to Brooklyn and went to the beach at Coney Island to play in the sand for a while.

My boy with my little sister

Hubby hates the sand, but he was a good sport. 

Sand castles of course!

Enjoying the rays.

We then headed over to Luna Park to hit the rides.  Personally, I could live without all rides (except the Cyclone), but the kids had a great time.  The cool thing is that the amusement park is no longer using those paper admission tickets that you lose or have to "save for next time", which of course you always forget to bring them next time you go there.  They are now using a card that you scan and you can add "tickets" to it.  Right into the wallet it goes. Welcome to the 21st century, Coney Island.  Now if you can only figure out how to get the Nathan's lines to be shorter and more efficient, we'd be in business.  Clearly (see previous statement), I do not have the patience for lines, so we ended the day with dinner at Roll n' Roaster, a local treasure with indescribable burgers and fries.

Little Mama <3

My little sister and I (I know, we look nothing alike.)

Hubby and the boy

Fam shot

All in all, great weekend!  How many wake ups before I can do it again?

** Sharing Time: What did you do that was fun this weekend?  Do you like rides?  What is your favorite ride?

I am a a rugged maniac!

This past Saturday I completed the Rugged Maniac in NJ.  It is 5K obstacle course race that they have throughout the country.  You may remember that I was originally scheduled to run the Brooklyn event two weeks earlier, but I was just not feeling well.  The people at Rugged Maniac were nice enough to give me a discounted entry fee for NJ, which was perfect since many of my Shaolin Killa Beez were running this event as well.

I woke up nervous and anxious, but also excited.  When I got there, we immediately found some of my teammates and decided that we would all start together.

Shaolin Kill Beez  - Before Mud

Some Lady Beez

It was so much fun.  There were walls to climb and I climbed the second one WITHOUT ANY HELP!  Woo Hoo!  Definitely a high point for me.  There were tunnels filled with mud and a slide that ended in a puddle of mud.  I am happy to report that I did not skip any obstacles, although I needed help with the first wall and hopping from one tree stump to the next and when we realized that we were nearing the end, we were sad.  The good thing about the end was that we could collect our free beer.

About to jump over fire (back row on the left)

Last obstacle (dead center in green/mud)

We seriously discussed doing the course a second time, but instead cheered on the rest of the team at the finishline and took muddy pictures together.

My coursemates, Janine, Bob and Dan

Shaolin Kill Beez  - After Mud

If you have a Rugged Maniac in your area, definitely sign up for it!  Unless you are adverse to mud, then stay far far away.  I'll definitely be doing it again next year.

Mom's Gotta Run... in mud!

Where in the world is Popcorn, Indiana?

Last week, I was invited to attend a popcorn tasting and I don't know about you, but to me, it sounded like the perfect way to spend my lunch hour.  So on Thursday, I walked across town with my friend to the movie theater location where they were holding the tasting. Is there a better place to have a popcorn tasting? I think not.

Once we got into the theater, we were greeted and brought up to popcorn heaven. There were empty bags for us to fill with yummy goodness.  There were buckets full of Popcorn Indiana popcorn and chips in so many delicious and unique flavors. I tasted everything!  Here's just a few:

• Dark Fudge Peppermint
• Almond Biscotti
• Cinnamon Sugar
• Bacon Ranch
• Buffalo Cheddar

One of my favorites

My lunch date

Snacking during the presentation

They even have a new version of at-home movie popcorn. Now, instead of burning your microwave popcorn, which I do every time, you have an already made movie popcorn in a microwave friendly bag so you can heat it up!! Geniuses in popcorn world!  And in case you were wondering, Popcorn is a small town in Indiana, although this company is actually based in NJ.

Well, needless to mention, I had popcorn for lunch and dinner that day and the next. Not really the moderation one should use, but at least they use good ingredients. They are also kosher and the corn they use is GMO-free.  Thanks to them for the invite and the yummy swag bag full of popcorn. I would love to share with you guys, but I ate it all.  Sorry. 

In other food news, one of our chickens at home finally started laying eggs!  We got two so far and while hubby fried one up right away, he saved one for me.

My little egg makers :)

Thanks for the protein, ladies! (Ignore the rooster hogging the spotlight.)

First egg

First egg fried

And now back to our regularly scheduled runs...



**The opinions of Pocorn Indiana products above are my own.  I was invited to this free event and did receive several bags of yummy goodness to take home.

My Fitness Story So Far...

I was by no means an athletic kid.  I lacked (still do) coordination and was not very strong physically.  I did walk a lot though, and in my era, we played outside not in front of of a screen. In other words, I was walking to the mall every Saturday with my friends, but I was not on the soccer team.  As a matter of fact, I actually failed gym in high school four times!

I may have failed gym because I was at the beach though. :)

When I was about 20, I watched the original infomercial for Billy Blank's TaeBo and was sold.  I started doing TaeBo twice a day.  Then I started running, not on purpose, but when my BFF asked me to do a race with her I thought it'd be something fun to do just the once; however, after that race (Corporate Challenge), I continued running even if it wasn't on a consistent basis.I was doing random races and it was more as a social outings than anything else.  Eventually,  in 2003 I committed to my first marathon with Team in Training.  It was a huge training commitment and it was an amazing experience.  I did it again in 2007 as a mom and the training commitment was much more difficult , obviously due to time constraints and run of the mill "Mom guilt."  This coming Monday I will begin training for my third marathon.

Marathon #1

Marathon #2

 In the last year or so, I also have become much more involved in the fitness lifestyle.  I became a part of this amazing blogging community, have been doing challenging obstacle course races and studying to become a personal trainer.  It is definitely a struggle to balance my time between my training, studying, work and oh yea, my amazing family.  People often tell me that they don't get how/why I can manage all of these things?  The truth is that I don't have a choice.  This is just who I am.  Don't get me wrong, I wish there were a few more hours in the day, but even if there were, I'd likely use them for a million other things besides sleep.  So, when people ask me how do you find the time and energy to workout? I ask them how do you not?

How could you not want to do mountain climbers on a Saturday morning in the run? :)

I work out most days.  On any given day, it could be in the morning or at lunch, and occasionally in the evening.  It's all about flexibility and compromise.  If you want something, you have to make it happen.  Like I tell my son, "nothing worthwhile is easy".  I don't love getting up at 5 a.m. to work out, but I love how I feel when I know I started my day on the right note.  People love to tell me that they want to lose weight or tone up and then give me 100 reasons why they can't.  No time, no money, bad back, kids, work, blah, blah, blah.  I only hope that each of these people get through their own excuses and find the joy in loving their body and treating it right and when they are ready, I'll be here for them.

My ultimate goal as a certified personal trainer I will be to help people find the happiness that I find in sweat and hard work. I know that there will always be a struggle and that I will always have to find a  compromise, but as long as the benefits are for my health and happiness, it'll be worth it. At this point what I'm most certain of is that after this marathon, I will likely find another challenge to take on  so, the journey continues.

The journey to find more reasons to wear a tutu :)

Deep Breathe and Moving On

Over the last week, and especially the last few days, I have allowed myself to be affected by situations beyond my control.  I have binged on chocolate chip cookies in bed, drank too much beer and over ate food that I knew would not make me feel any better.  Yet, at the end of all of these bad choices, I have only felt worse. I took the one thing that I could control and chose to spite myself.

Now, as the smoke begins to clear a bit, I am trying to come out of this funk... I know that regardless of what  I am given in life, it's up to me to make it better and make it work for me.  Change is inevitable and instead of fighting it or even rolling with the punches, I plan to make it work for me.  Just don't ask me how... yet.  I just wanted to put it out into the universe that I am done moping and will face this challenge head on.  

Now, if I can only figure out how to skip that phase when sh-t happens...

**Do you face challenges head on or do you mourn losing the hold you have on life?

**Do you eat when you are stressed or are you one of the crazies who can't eat when stressed?  Can we switch?

No Triple Crown for America's Birthday

Spoiler Alert: I did not win the Arielle Newman 5 miler on the 4th of July.

So, last Monday I figured I would switch my workouts around so I wasn't doing leg weights the day before the race.  Very smart idea.  However, doing leg weights two days before the race was a really bad idea.  My quads were super sore and I was pretty pretty much waddling up and down steps through Friday (yes, two days after the race).  - Smart Jen!

Then they were the conditions that I could not control.  Heat, humidity and hills.  5 miles of them.  The truth is that after the first mile I knew that I was not placing in my age group for this race and therefore no Triple Crown standing for me.  So I just ran the best that I could and stayed hydrated.  I finished in a less than impressive 47:12.

Mid-air just before finishline

My teammates, Janet and Heather and I post-race

After the race, we had a great 4th of July BBQ at the house with great family and friends.

Kids

pools

Hosts

Great friends

Great food

My only compliant is that 4th of July should never be in the middle of the week.  It was painful getting up for work on Thursday and clearly that has nothing to do with the tequila shots. ;)

Let's just say I was ready for the weekend...

Question: What do you get when you mix heat, sandbags, burpees, tires and a cinder block on a rope? 
Answer: A typical Saturday morning obstacle course training course with my team!

And then we hydrate...

And pose:

Rock on Killa Beez!