Bring on September

I think the Summer has flown by way too quickly… and here we are already into the Labor Day long weekend.  I am not ready for Fall.  We have had such a glorious Summer on the West Coast… much drier and warmer than it has been for many years and I don’t want it to end!

Looking back over the past week I am quite pleased with my workouts. I strength trained 3 times, ran twice including some sprint work, did some walking, and lots of stretching.  I feel good and can see some muscles in my arms and legs.  Hurray for that!

Confession time though, hanging my head... I do know that I need to get more serious about cleaning up my diet.  I have been sliding off the Paleo/Primal slope and I can tell by the way I am feeling I need to get re-focussed.  I have been eating some junk and it is time to STOP.

I picked up this book at the library the other day and have decided to use it for the month of September. 

When I first looked at it I was a bit put off by some of the language, but I decided to give it a second chance when Keri made a positive reference to it on FB… Chalene is very energetic and positive and I think it will be a good tool to help me get focussed and build some good habits.

There is also online support through 30 Day Push Challenge - check it out if you are interested, too.

So, bring on September… apparently I am READY!

Do you ever feel like September is the beginning of a new season for you too?

Any goals for the month?

Loving My Early Runs

Is there anything better than coming in from a run, all sweaty and hot and stripping off your shirt? 

Ah… just feels so good… and I love the glow that my skin has after a good hard run.  No, I don't mean the sweat, I mean the natural pink shine that remains after the sweat is wiped away!

For the past few weeks, I have been getting out for my runs before breakfast.  And I am really enjoying them more.

Before we bought the sailboat, The Captain and often ran together on a weekend morning.  We would have coffee, share a banana and a Power Bar, and then head off for a 5 mile run to, and around ,a large river front park near our house.  Sometimes I would do a 10 miler on Saturday mornings after my Weight Watchers meeting… again, before breakfast.

After we bought the boat, I learned to spend my early mornings outside in the cockpit, sipping coffee and enjoying a book,  or the view… then we would have a leisurely breakfast and if I ran, it was usually late morning.  Then I could clean up before lunch and the afternoon’s activities.

This became my habit even if we were on the boat in the marina, or when we spent the Winter on shore in a waterfront cottage or house-sitting for travelling friends.  Mid to late morning runs meant a big breakfast and a wait…  the focus of the morning became the run itself.  It was always noon before I was ready and cleaned up to carry on with the day.

But since I started my first-thing-in-the-morning strength workouts and enjoy getting it done, I have been doing the same thing with my runs. 

I still have my coffee and a protein powder-fruit-almond milk shake of some kind… then put on the running gear and head out.  Mornings along the nearby Strait are so beautiful.  And every day is different depending on the wind, sunshine, and tides.  There are always happy dogs running in the off leash area, and friendly people along the way.  It is a fun and positive start to the day.

I love to come in and drink some water and stretch and then have a big hearty breakfast before showering and getting on with my day.    Today’s brekkie was scrambled egg/egg whites, with kabocha squash and crumbled bacon.

It is still early enough, even after showering to do something else with my morning hours.  It seems I have more hours in my day when I run first thing, instead of leaving it till mid morning.

The transisition to running at this time of the day had a few challenges though… finding the right food to eat before running, and the right amount took some experimenting.  I learned I cannot run on a completely empty stomach.  And so as not to reveal too much information, I will only say that my morning bathroom routine took a while to come around as well.  You other runners will know what I am talking about.  :)

For now, it works, and I am loving it.

What time of day do you like to run?  Do you have a set routine?

What do you eat before your run?

The Weekly Wrap-Up

I am so happy with the way my workouts have gone this week… heck, I am just happy in general.

It seems a lot of the little nagging undone things on my ’to do’ list have been finalized and crossed off. I had no idea how much they had been weighing me down and causing me stress until they were taken care of and gone. 

I am no longer wandering around the kitchen opening doors looking for something to munch on, and no longer feeling ‘hungry’ and unsettled all the time.   I didnt’ know what was wrong with me until it WASN’T anymore. 

Does that happen to you?  Do you ever mistake inner turmoil for hunger?

Anyway… my workouts for the week…  I was invited to be part of a little group of people who are following one of Tom Venuto’s workouts for a few weeks… by Kammie,  a fellow FitFluential Ambassador, who writes Sensual Appeal.  It is a program of strength training 3 X per week and cardio 3 X per week.  Kammie laid out the details and it looked good to me so I jumped on board and have just completed week #1.

This is how it went:

Monday:

• The prescribed strength workout of super sets called PUSH - worked the upper body and the core.  I completed it in 18 minutes.
• full body stretch 5 minutes

Tuesday:

• 7.5 km run before breakfast
• lower body stretch 5 minutes

This is my longest run for some time and I was thrilled to surpass my usual 5 km.  I love morning runs along the sea.

Wednesday:

• the prescribed strength workout of super sets called PULL – worked the lower body, and biceps.  I completed it in 28 minutes.
• full body stretch 5 minutes
• 20 minute walk

This workout left me absolutely shaking like jelly.  I loved it and on Thursday morning had SERIOUS DOMS in my biceps and my butt!  I am going to get some heavier dumbbells as I intend to make progress with this workout!

Thursday:

• 30 minute early morning walk before breakfast
• 70 minute afternoon walk

Friday:

• 5 km run before breakfast
• lower body stretch 5 minutes

Saturday:

• Take It Anywhere full body Tabata workout for 24 minutes
• full body stretch 5 minutes
• 20 minute walk

This Tabata has cardio, resistance, and core and leaves me dripping. I usually do 2 rounds which takes me 24 minutes.  I forgot that I need to eat a little something before hand and didn't!  I was ravenous for breakfast by the time it was done... note to self... make some more Frozen Protein 'Bites'.

And today, Sunday, I am planning an hour long walk shortly! 

We are watching the tail end of the LPGA Canadian golf tournament on tv and when it is done we are heading out to walk downtown to have a look at tennis gear and dumbbells at Sport Chek. I have some gift cards that are burning a hole in my pocket!

We have both decided that it would be fun to play tennis together on a nearby public court over the winter…it never gets used so we could pretty much have it to ourselves.

And I still want to get in some yoga….  and yes, I now I need to do some sprint work too.

Did you enjoy your workouts this week? 

Do you ever do anything just for fun like tennis, or beach volleyball, or hiking, or biking… or?? 

Saturday Smiles

A few special things making me smile today… thinking back over the week….

This lovely package of goodies arrived unexpectedly at my door – what a great surprise!  Thanks to my friends at CLIF for thinking of me.

On Wednesday afternoon we met up with some friends that we hadn’t seen for a couple of years.  We did lots of cruising/buddy boating with them before they sold their sailboat and moved to one of the smaller Gulf Islands.   We walked to meet them at our neighborhood Starbucks, so I wore my Therafit shoes and matching Pro Compression socks to be comfy, some white Dockers, an Eddie Bauer tee… and yes,  those ARE the straps of a Handful bra you can see peeking out of my tee.  It’s pink. It matches.   And I am finally starting to like my new haircut…

The local fresh blueberries are so wonderful this year.  They are really sweet and I am enjoying them cooked too… I like to put some in the batter of my coconut flour pancakes.  Mmmmm.

I am still experimenting with different flavor combinations of these little Frozen Protein ‘Bites’.  I wrote about them on my food blog earlier this week so check that out if you want the recipe.

\

I tried a new magnesium supplement for the first time yesterday.  A friend of mine who is a nurse recommended it.... it is called Natural Calm. It is a powder that you mix with water to make a somewhat fizzy drink.  I had it before going to sleep last night and I didn’t have any leg cramps at all, even though we did a 5 km run yesterday.  Hopefully it will be the magic elixir for me.  I chose the Raspberry-Lemon flavor.   It certainly tastes good!

And, I have had a great week of workouts so far… will tell you about that in a post tomorrow!

What is making you smile today?

Tuesday Tidbits

I got a lovely package delivered very recently… Premier Protein is a favorite of ours.

I won this package in a giveaway and when I gave the blogger my address she told me that Premier Protein will not ship to Canada… which I know is not true because I had received shipments from them in the past. But she was adamant.  So I contacted Premier Protein on my own and they very promptly sent me out the goodies, and apologized on behalf of the blogger… no I didn’t bother telling her.  I was just so happy to get my winnings!

And I got another box of goodies in the mail, too.



These are delicious!  And although I was surprised to find that they have corn flour, they are gluten-free and have lots of protein.  Very crispy and tasty.

I have been looking into workout options...  thought about doing another round of Best Body Boot Camp but decided, as much as I loved it, I wanted to try something else.  I checked out several online training sites, and while searching, this blog post appeared in my inbox...from Kammie at Sensual Appeal, and it is about some fitness programs she has used and her thoughts about them. I was intrigued, and had a look at their web sites.

And when I contacted Kammie for a bit more information about one in particular, she kindly invited me to be part of a small, private group who is going to follow that program and encourage each other on a daily basis.  It is not a challenge; it is a group of #FitBuddies and it sounded like fun.

I checked  out the details and I think it will be right up my alley.

Strength train 3 X per week and cardio 3 X per week.  There are 2 different strength workouts assigned... one is a PUSH workout and the other is a PULL workout... and I am not sure yet what is in store for #3.  If it is a repetition of either of these 2 I just may do one of the workouts I found and shared last week - I loved all 3.

I did the first strength workout yesterday- the PUSH workout.  It was upper body and core work and I was quite spent when it was done.  Felt good and I really enjoyed my stretch afterward.

Today The Captain and I ran 7.5 km along the Strait, and then came in for a good long stretch and lots of water!  By then we were both pretty hungry… I cooked up some eggs and ham while The Captain carved into a fresh pineapple that we bought a couple of days ago… it is perfectly ripe and I had forgotten how good they taste. I think we will get another one on Thursday.

I am excited to have put in this mileage today… doesn’t sound like much but we have normally only been running 5 km every time we go out so this was a significant increase. I know that  I want to start running a bit longer again not that Fall is almost in the air.

I also want to do some more sprint work.  And yes, I still want to do some yoga.

Do your workouts change with the seasons?

Do you like fresh pineapple, too?  Any tips for selecting a great one at the store?

Tommie Copper, I am Counting on YOU!

Oh my, I do love my Tommie Copper gear.

I woke up this morning feeling a bit stiff after my Monday Tabata workout and my Tuesday run… but eager to get going on this full body routine.  I got out some dumbbells and a kettlebell, my yoga mat and poured a huge glass of cold water… warmed up a bit and got moving.



I did make a couple of changes… used dumbbells as I don’t have a barbell and for #4 I didn’t use any weight at all… just did the Walking Lunges…. which I used to HATE and now embrace.

I did not do the Jump Rope at the end either.  But I did complete the full 3 rounds and it took 28 minutes.  I was dripping sweat on my yoga mat during the last round of Plank Walkups... and my shoulders were screaming... love that.


Then I did a full body stretch and drank more water for the next 5 minutes before realizing I was very hungry… but I wanted to make a special breakfast this morning that would take about 25 minites to get ready so I quickly got it rolling… and it was worth the wait.

And,  because our water is going to be off for a couple of hours later this morning… I jumped into a tub of hot hot water and had a lovely soak before getting into some Tommie Copper gear for the rest of the day.

I am counting on my Tommie Copper compressions tee and tights, both made from the special copper-infused fabric, to help me prevent a severe case of DOMS tomorrow. I have a quiet day planned and it’s kinda gloomy and cool outside so I will enjoy the warmth that these garments provide…. we have an evening outing planned so really going to take advantage of this down time.

What’s happening for you today?

note: This is not a sponsored post. I won both of these items in separate giveaways.

The Week So Far…

Yesterday morning I bounced out of bed, eager to get this workout started….

I know it doesn’t look like all that much.  But, it was a doozy! 

I completed two rounds of it for a total of 24 minutes, but I have to admit that I was not able to do all of the bicycle crunches and did substitute a Pilates move that is similar.  When I was finished I was FAMISHED and ate a banana while I stretched.  Great workout; my arms and shoulders burned from all of the push ups and planks.

After an early lunch we headed to the marina to check on our sailboat… it had rained a bit on Sunday night and I always like to check on her after a storm.  We have never had any leaks or problems, but I feel better when we check.

I wore flipflops instead of proper shoes 'cause I thought I would only be walking on the dock a short way… but we ended up doing some shopping on the way back into the city… and wow, did I pay for it during the night!

I was up with leg cramps 5 or 6 different times. And my legs felt like dead weight below my knees. It was a most UNrestful night… when I woke up this morning I was not sure I really wanted to run.

But we did.  I put on my Recovery compression socks, had a cup of coffee and then a vanilla and banana protein shake, and off we went.

I told The Captain that is was going to be a very pokey 5 km… and it was!  We talked most of the way and that makes me run slower too.  But I enjoyed it, and my stretch afterward. 

Getting up and sweating first thing in the morning is just the BEST.  And I know I will have better ‘rest of the day’ because I ran.

W3 R37 210/1 W5
stretch 5 minutes

Do you feel like ditching your run or workout if you don’t have a good sleep?

How is your week shaping up?

Decisions, Decisons… I Would Love your Fit-Opinion

So, now that round 6 of Best Body Boot Camp has wrapped up I am, once again, on my own to get my workouts planned… and done!

I am really at a cross roads right now where my fitness is concerned.

I want to keep strength training because I want to keep making progress … building my arms and shoulders, tightening up my butt and belly and midriff.

I want to run more.

I want to get in some yoga on a regular basis.

I want so spend some time hiking, swimming, sailing. walking... you know, the just-for-fun stuff.

I have thought about joining a gym… and I have thought about hiring a personal trainer.  I am considering joining the next round of Best Body Boot Camp.  I have looked at a few other online fitness sites, too.

?   ?   ? 

Right now I am somewhat overwhelmed and confused as to how I am going to sort it all out… and I don't want to spend a lot of money, either.  But in the meantime, I found some workouts that appeal to me on Pinterest and have laid out a simple schedule for the next 2 weeks.  That should give me some time to do some more research.


Monday: 

• Take it Anywhere – 2 rounds
• 5 minute full body stretch

Tuesday:

• 5 km run
• 5 minute lower body stretch

Wednesday:

• #15 Full Body Circuit as illustrated
• 5 minute full body stretch

Thursday:

• 30 minute walk before work

Friday:

• 5 km run
• 5 minute lower body stretch

Saturday:

• Drop It Like It’s Hot -  15 reps each exercise X 3 rounds
• 5 minute full body stsretch

Sunday Week #1:

• active rest

Sunday Week #2:

• Tara Stiles Yoga Workout – found this one on utube

Looks like a PLAN to me!

But, if you are reading... I would love to ask your opinion and solicit your advice.

How do you plan your cross training workouts?

Do you subscribe to an online fitness site that you would recommend?

Do you have any experience with a personal trainer?  

Week 8 #bestbodybootcamp Wrap Up

It’s week 8 ALREADY and this round of Best Body Boot Camp is almost over. 

It’s Friday, but instead of doing my last strength workout of this session of BBBC, I went for an early morning run with The Captain… I am going to do my my strength workout tomorrow morning instead. I intend to really savor it… to get my teeth into it… to give it all I have. I can tell you it includes lots of burpees so I am also getting myself mentally prepared.

I really enjoyed my run this morning... we got up early, had coffee with some Ripped Cream Protein Coffee Creamer in it and shared a banana... then laced up our running shoes and did an easy 5 km along our usual neighborhood route.  There were lots of dogs out for their morning walks and the picture of sun shining on the peaks of the Olympic Mountains across the Strait with the fog laying on the water below was so pretty.  I was happy just to be out there.

W3 R35:50 @10/1 W4
stretch 5 minutes

We enjoyed pancakes cooked with fresh strawberries after our stretch.  Mmmmm.

This has been my second round of BBBC.  I was lucky enough to win the entry fee for my first round in a giveaway that host Tina Reale sponsored... and I loved it so much that I paid the fee to take part in this current round.

It has been worth every penny.

What did I get out of it?

Other than the obvious.... well-planned workouts designed  by certified fitness professional, Tina Reale, and the links to the exercise demos, the videos of Tina doing the exercises herself, the access to the Facebook group for support and motivation, email access to Tina herself who answers questions and offers personal attention/motivation…

On a very personal note I have learned a lot about ME:

• I love to do my strength workouts first thing in the morning… it helps me get my day off to a good start and encourages me to make good decisions throughout the rest of my day'
• I like to workout on an empty stomach unless there is a lot of lower body or cardio work involved – I need to eat/drink some protein first if that is the case.
• I love to sweat and challenge myself physically.
• I love to feel spent and achy and weak after a hard workout.
• I love love love the reward of seeing changes in my body as a result of my hard work.  This is very important to me.
• I am impatient (no surprise there) and I want results NOW.
• I would rather work my arms and shoulders than ANYTHING else.  
• I like learning new exercise methods and moves.
• I need to mentally prepare myself before my workout and be fully informed about the moves I will be doing.
• I have learned that there is a fine line between not being able to do a given exercise and not WANTING to do it.  This is a biggie for me!  I have erred on both sides of this line and sometimes really tried to push myself to do something I am just not capable of and been too stubborn to do the modifications…. and other times I have just assumed I cannot do something and jumped to do the modification without trying the given exercise at all.  This is something I continue to work on.
• I have been surprised by, but finally come to realize, just how important the mental aspect of all of this really is for me.  I need to be in a positive frame of mind to focus and enjoy the workout or I just don’t put enough of ME into it. If I hate what I am doing, I am not gonna do it... or not do ENOUGH of it.

It has been a really interesting, and challenging 8 weeks for me.  And I am looking forward to finishing strong.

How do you feel about your strength workouts?  Are they mentally challenging for you too?

Smiling Because....

A few random nods of approval from me today… some items I have been given, some I have purchased and other things I am just loving….  all of them are making me smile LARGE.

And in no particular order…

Frog Fuel protein shots

Mama Chia squeeze snacks

Costco now sells their own brand of egg whites in cartons.  They are so much less expensive than the brand name I am used to buying.  Did you notice that in Canada all of our packaging is in English and French?

I planted 6 cherry tomato plants – some yellow and some red – and the fruits are beginning to ripen.

Ruby Red grapefruit is in our stores!  And I have come to appreciate Red Delicious apples, too. This must be a new variety that is not overly pulpy in texture… and they are quite sweet, too.

I have got to find a place I can purchase these freeze-dried strawberries.  I received a couple of bags in a gift box, and am hoarding this last one.

This is the BEST soap for my dark lingerie and workout gear. I used it to hand wash delicates, too.

These figs are also from Costco and should be called Calimyrna CRACK.

My Wahine Sport SHRUG… don’t miss my giveaway… and of course I love walking in the fabulous park across the street from where we live.

The little donkey born at the Children’s Farm in our lovely park on July 29th… they named him Prince George, of course!

Grain Free Gluten Free Low Carb Coconut Flour and Egg White Pancakes… with fruit cooked in and sprinkled on top… need I say more?

What is making you smile lately?  Would love it if you shared.

Wahine Sport Shrug Review and Giveaway

I first became acquainted with Wahine Sport when Rachelle showed off the prize list for her 38th Birthday Virtual Race event on her blog Livin’ the Sweat Life.

While corresponding with Linda at Wahine Sport, I was given the opportunity to try out 2 of their garments… and I am so very excited to tell you about the first one today… it is a SHRUG, and it is the cutest, coolest little piece of clothing I have run across in quite some time.

I chose SERENE BLUE.  I love the color and the soft fabric.  Did you know WAHINE means WOMAN in Hawaiian?  And these garments are U.S. made, too.

It is more than arm sleeves, but not quite a sweater.  And the word SHRUG really describes it so well.  You can slip it on when you need some coverage, and shrug it off when you don’t.  It is lightweight, and wraps up into a small little bundle… that can easily be stowed in  purse or pack or gym bag…

or tied around your waist or shoulders.

It is a slim fitting garment that hugs your arms and shoulders with extra long sleeves that cover your hands… complete with stylish thumb holes. 

This is the perfect carry along on Summer days that may turn into evenings… or to pull out of your yoga bag to put on while cooling down from class.  It makes a perfect cover up for tank tops, sports bras or even sun dresses.  It can take you from the beach to the mall or from the park to dinner.

The fabric is a soft and somewhat stretchy supplex nylon lycra – machine washable.   You can either hang it to dry, or put it in the dryer and tumble on low heat.  Either way it retains its shape nicely.

Wahine Sport offers the SHRUG in several colors and cute patterns so make sure you get over to their web site and see which one you would like for yourself… BECAUSE…

Linda has kindly and generously offered to give one to one of you!

And you can be located in Canada or the U.S.A.

There are two mandatory entries:

1. Select the Wahine Sport Shrug you want to win and tell me which one it is in a comment
2. Leave an email address for contact if you win

The other entries are bonus, and include the following (details in the Rafflecopter form):

1. Follow Wahine Sport on Twitter
2. Follow me on Twitter
3. Tweet about the giveaway
4. Pin your favorite OTHER Wahine Sport garment

Use the Rafflecopter form below for all entries.
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will email the winnner and then announce here when the giveaway has ended.  Good luck!

Wahine Sport – Activewear for Fitness, Travel, Fun.  Go Play!

I was given this garment to wear and review but the opinions are my own.

This is Rachelle, in her own black Wahine Sport shrug.  You can read her review, too.

So, do you shrug?