working out @ average joe's

Yesterday evening I did the Physique57 "express" workout (30 minutes)...and followed it up with a 4 mile "easy run".

3 days under the belt with the Physique 57 workout plan! I'm loving it.

What I'm not loving though, is the fact that the workout came with a "playground ball"...
said ball
I'm fine with incorporating the ball in the workouts...but I'm not fine with Matt occasionally trying to pelt with me it, a la Dodgeball style. Not nice.



**************************************************
I so appreciate the comments y'all leave on my posts!!!

Judging by the comments some of y'all left yesterday regarding "gifting appliances"...apparently, I'm the one with issues.

It cracks me up that some of y'all do ask for appliances! That's awesome.

If I ever do a giveaway, I'm thinking it should probably involve an appliance?

**************************************************

Okay, for your viewing pleasure....this video that I'm trying to get y'all to like on Facebook:

No, I don't normally video my shoes for fun...

Naughty Monkey shoes is having a birthday contest. To enter you just had to create a video & submit it via Facebook.

The video with the MOST "likes" wins a trip to Cali, shoes, gets to attend their birthday bash, and a fashion show previewing the upcoming lines.

Once you're done making fun of me :) if you'd like to LIKE it on Facebook, here's the link.

****************************************************
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!!!

What awesome plans do you have?

thursday's thorough thoughts

How's that for alliteration!?

Yesterday was my speed training run....6 miles, with 4 miles at 9:00 pace...at least that's what I was supposed to do. Those 4 miles ended up being 9:00, 9:50, 9:15, 9:10. Oh well. Maybe next time!

I had the brilliant idea to follow up my run with a Physique57 workout. I did the Abs & Arm Booster. Great workout, but I should have done it before the run.

***************************************************

Did you check out the Naughty Monkey link over there to the right? I'm trying to get 1,000 "likes" on the video I posted...I'm only 900ish likes away :)

No worries, Naughty Monkey is a shoe brand.

Help a sister out ~ click here to "like" my video on Facebook.....PLEASE!!!


***************************************************
Did you watch Oprah?

I did in highschool & sporadically in college...but ever since reality set in, work always interfered.

womp, womp

**********************************************************

I haven't watched the Biggest Loser finale yet...BUT what the heck happened to Rulon?

Everything I've been reading said it "his choice to leave" and that he just "abruptly quit".

Why????

Regardless...here's a Facebook picture he posted:


Oh, don't worry if you've mentioned something about the winner...I knew who won, I mainly just want to watch to see all the transformations :)


Check out this pretty lady's weight loss...

photo from womansday.ninemsn.com

More on Kirstie's weight loss:
The 60-year-old actress' size has wildly fluctuated over the years, and though she's lost a noticeable amount since she first stepped out at the "DWTS" announcement, she's still not saying a number.

...Kirstie opened up about her size, saying she's down to the weight she was when she famously stepped out on the stage of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2006, clad only in a bikini.



So after gaining all of the weight back and then losing it again, Alley says she's sporting a size 6 in her DWTS garments -- but she doesn't trust it. "The stylists brought me 4s and 6s this week," she says, "but they're kind of stretchy so I'll look for the dress that's immovable."



What size will make her happy? A "legitimate" 4. "I have one Alexander McQueen [dress] that's a legitimate 4... it doesn't move," she says, saying it will give her peace. "When I'm in that... looking hot." ~ From this zap2it Article 
Yeesh "wildly fluctuated"...ouch.

**************************************************

What are your feelings on appliances as gifts (birthday & Christmas)?

Matteo asked me yesterday if I wanted one of these for my birthday

Call me a brat but my response was pretty much, "I do want a Keurig, but that would be a horrible birthday gift for me. No household appliances for birthdays please."

I know, I'm a brat.

Honestly, if it were anyone else but him, I know I'd be okay with an appliance as a gift..but with him, not so much.

I'm pretty sure he didn't read me as a brat, because his response was "You'd rather I pick out shoes, right? I have good taste." (Which he does have good taste...& the majority of the time it's without any "suggestions" from moi').

So, yes, honey...anything but an appliance. (And definitely not a pink frying pan! Yes, that was a Christmas gift one year.)

***************************************************

Don't forget to scroll back up & click the link to the SHOES video :) & "like" it on Facebook.

Forgive me for solicitizing that dang video so much. I just really need more likes on it :) Thanks for understanding!

i was born this way

I don't know WHAT is going on with Blogger lately, but I've tried to comment on several of your blogs & it's just not letting me!

Whether you're a Lady Gaga fan or not...I thought that this was interesting & wanted to share it with you.

FitSugar posted a workout based around Lady Gaga's music.


yes, i was born this way. out of the womb with leather on.

Here's some excerpts:
Abs
After keeping pace with Gaga's hottest tunes, it's time to hit the floor. Since the outrageous dresser tends to show off her flat abs, we'll start with some tummy toners (but we'll skip the crunches, thank you very much!). If you can wait out the 40-second intro, "Government Hooker" has a beat that's just made for repetitive moves. Try Gwyneth Paltrow's waist-whittler, courtesy of trainer Tracy Anderson: Lie faceup with legs extended. Roll onto left side and extend left arm in front of you, right arm across torso, fingertips to floor for support. Lift left (bottom) leg and cross left leg over right. Keep right foot pointed and heel on floor the entire time. Do 15 reps. To target the lower abs, try the modified hundred: Lie faceup, legs raised, knees bent 90 degrees. Inhale, then exhale, lifting head and shoulders off mat, arms extended at shoulder height, palms down. Inhale as you pump arms up and down five times, then exhale and pump five more times. Do 10 times, for 100 pumps. Repeat both moves for the duration of the song.

Legs

Don't worry — we haven't forgotten about your legs (Gaga's always seem a mile long in her leotards). The singer used ballet-inspired moves in her video for "Born This Way," so we're going to go with a couple dance moves during "Bad Kids." First, the leg circle: Stand with back of chair to your left, heels together, toes turned out. Hold chair with left hand; reach right arm overhead; extend right leg to side at hip level, toes pointed. With hips stable, trace 10 tiny circles clockwise, then 10 the other way. Switch sides; repeat. For bonus calf firming, do move on ball of standing foot. Next, a classic releve: Stand on right leg, toes turned out, left foot resting on right calf. Raise arms overhead, elbows slightly bent; contract abs and lift right heel off floor, coming onto ball of foot. Lower heel for one rep. Do 10 reps slowly, then 20 reps quickly. Switch sides; repeat. Repeat both moves for the duration of the song.

Check out the rest of the FitSugar post for more of the workout!

**************************************************

Okay, so how did everyone's finales turn out last night!?
Not gonna lie, I was pretty bummed about the one I watched.

***************************************************
I added a link to Naughty Monkey's Facebook page on the right panel. Please click on it to like their fan page, and then to like my video!

Yes, I created a video.

Ridiculous. The things I do for a free trip & fashion show.

Like Naughty Monkey here

Like my shoe video here

Leave me a comment here or on my video to let me know that you did!

*****************************************************
Today is my speed training run. I'm not looking forward to it.

What workout(s) do you have planned for this Hump Day?

no joke

Isn't it funny when you turn on the television & see someone you personally know?

i know one of the bachelors

Enough of that...

Yesterday I started the Physique57 workouts...and let me just say, they are NO JOKE.

Here's what their website has to say about the workouts:

Physique 57® is a focused and proven cardiovascular program of isometric exercises and orthopedic stretches. Physique 57® tones your seat, abdominals, thighs and arms; strengthens your legs and back; and improves posture to produce a beautiful, sexy body. Our interval training sets use your own body weight for resistance, and through dynamic exercises your muscles are targeted and overloaded to the point of fatigue, then stretched for relief. We call our process Interval Overload – overloading the muscle to create long, lean sexy muscles.

There are 2 volumes & each volume includes: a 57 minute full body workout, a 30 minute express (full body) workout, and a 30 minute booster (either abs & arms, or seat & thighs depending on the volume).

So yesterday, I did the 30 minute express workout before my run.

Holy burn in my thighs.

There is a lot of repetitions, and the fact that this is focused around barre work, makes you really engage your core for stability.

I'll give a more comprehensive review of the series once I've completed 30 days.

After my legs stopped shaking from the P57 workout, I hopped on the TM to do my training run.

During the 1st mile I really thought that I wasn't going to make it all 5 miles. My legs felt like jello.


I was pretty shocked when I finally looked down at the tracker & saw I had already ran 1.2 miles...so I stayed on track & pushed through the jello feeling.

I ended up with 5.2 miles, at a 9:50 pace.

Anyone planning to watch the finales that are airing tonight? The Biggest Loser or Dancing With the Stars?

get your grub on america

This morning MattyB, me, & a group of our friends from church, headed out to our local Feeding America warehouse to volunteer.

Here is some information about the organization from their website:

Across the country one in six people struggles with hunger. Of the 37 million people who are unsure where their next meal will come from, Feeding America Tampa Bay provides food to over 400,000 people in our 10 county service area in West Central Florida.

As a food bank, Feeding America Tampa Bay is a resource to hundreds of approved charities that run some type of feeding program. These include soup kitchens, emergency food pantries, emergency shelters, and Kids Cafe sites.

This agency partner network is a very efficient way to get food to those in need according to need, and it is our general means of distributing food.

An amazing fact:

In 2010 Feeding America Tampa Bay distributed almost 19 million pounds of surplus donated food into a 10-county service area in West Central Florida. It was accomplished in partnership with hundreds of approved non-profit charity partners, direct distributions, and our Kids Cafe programs.



So, our group had the pleasure of organizing the food for distribution. Us gals took on the juice/coffee aisle, while the boys tackled the condiments/crackers/snacks aisle.

Our aisle looked so much better :)

For real, I have never been around so much Capri Sun...holy fruit juice. My OCD tendencies kicked in full force (luckily my friend Shannon is also Type A so she completely understood). Together Shannon & I totally tackled the Capri Sun. Oh we didn't just organize the shelf....no, those puppies were grouped according to flavor as well.

Okay, we may have gone a little overboard.

Do you volunteer anywhere?

Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with lunch at this little gem:


They're pretty well known around here. Matty prefers their cubans & deviled crab (which is like the size of your head!...I could be exaggerating....but it's huge, definitely big enough to share). I haven't quite figured out what I like best...but I definitely got the man taking our order to raise his eyebrows at me when I ordered a cuban without ham :) 

Matty decided to go golfing after lunch....so I decided to do my long run. 9 miles, my longest distance to date for running.

My knees are killing me. Probably from the bending & squatting this morning, and then the run.

Did you get a workout in today?

How did you spend your weekend?

My Friday night was spent at the ball fields...being a supportive wife. MattyB's softball season was coming to an end, so he had the championship games. Thursday night there was a double header, and then another double header Friday night.

matt & a few of the "orange crush" players

luckily amanda was there or else it would have been a really long 2 hours

And now it's time for some Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Don't judge.

ripped like ripa

Training Run Recap:
Saturday - 8 miles, 10:10 pace
Monday - 5 miles, 10:00 pace

Ha, I'm totally killing the 10 minute pace that the plan is telling me to stick to! Actually it's supposed to be 10:30 pace, but whatevs. It just seems like I should be running faster.

My Physique57 goods arrived today!

Super excited to try out those workouts.

My goal is to look like Kelly Ripa in 30 days....

Totally kidding...I don't look good as a blonde.
(Haha, as if that's the only reason I wouldn't look like her)

Don't worry...I understand the fundamentals of "realistic goal setting".

Try any new workouts lately?

In case you missed it, this past weekend was Matty's 29th birthday.


guess who likes to fresh water fish!?


Those gift bags are "HIS" gift bags. Literally, when I bought them (a pack of 12, have you) he said "these are mine", "my gifts go in them". Ha, I remember using 1 as a gift bag for someone else & when he saw it, he instantly corrected me on my error.

I LOVE giving gifts. I think giving gifts is my love language.

Gary Chapman has a book called the 5 Love Languages - where you can learn which language most makes you feel loved & the one that you most often use to show love to someone.
There's a quiz that you can take to discover which love language makes you feel loved, here.
So like I said, I show love by giving gifts, but I feel loved through words of affirmation.

Pretty much I need you to tell me the extent of my awesomeness in order for me to understand that you do love me.
Just kidding.

Do you ever take online personality assessments?

brace yourself, lots of pictures

Today is Matty's 29th birthday!!!!

Such an old fart. I kid...good grief, I'm right behind him. We're both nearly farting dust.

I am ridiculously blessed to have married my very best friend. Not to get all Jerry McGuire, but he really does complete me.

Wasn't he a cute kiddo?


I love how willing he is to be goofy with me...

pirate birthday party for Erin (we did alot of themed parties)...

our engagement photo - he loves fishing

honeymoon

honeymoon again...

our 1st halloween, married

matt hooked me, i danced like a fish to him (this was taken at the end)
@ tom & amanda's wedding


He ran in 5k's with me...even though he HATES running
our 1st 5K - the bolt run...

reindeer run - we WALKED with my mom, brother & his service dog, Gracie

espn 5k...he pushed me to PR


He is my biggest supporter & will wake up at 4am just to show his support
irongirl 5k

He tolerates me wanting to do pictures over & over again, until I deem them "acceptable".
our Christmas 2009 pic...shot #593, i finally wasn't laughing, found a top i liked, & dexter was finally looking


I'm blessed to have married my best friend. He is the only one that I can ridiculously love & ridiculously dislike all at the same time :) He makes me laugh like none other. He's puts the "comp" in my "competitive" nature. Unless we are on the same team when playing anything, there will without a doubt, be bickering. We're ridiculously competitive - our kids won't stand a chance.

I'm beyond proud of him, and grow more in love with him every day.
Happy Birthday, Matthew!

crappy miles & a kettleball

Yesterday's run...was dreadful.

It was a 'mile repeats' run: 1 mile warmup, 1 mile @ 8:25, .5 mile recovery, 1 mile @ 8:25, .5 mile recovery, & 1 mile cooldown.

Here's what actually took place:
1 mile warmup
.75 mile @ 7.2mph - - > look at ipod to check my pace & see that it's reading "10:00/mile"....I then start cursing the day it was created.
Hop off treadmill to get other ipod...oh, yes, I DO have a dark cloud over my head...the other ipod is DEAD.
Back on treadmill for .5 mile recovery while trying to correct the ipod's calibration.
.5 mile @ 7.2mph - - -> super frustrated that I can't get an exact judge on my pace.
1.5 miles @ 6mph - - > which my ipod interprets as 11:34/mile

Needless to say, I want to get all Office Space on my ipod & destroy it with a baseball bat.

We'll see how today's "easy run" goes.

I love how Dexter looks at me when I start yelling at the ipod nano.
"mom, you're crazier than me"

After the horrid excuse for a run, I opted to do Jillian Michaels' Shred It With Weights dvd
You have the option of using a kettleball or a dumbbell. I chose to use my new 5lb kettleball. I think 8lbs would have been better for me, but whatevs.

I did Level 1. Both Level 1 & 2 are 30 minute circuits (25 minutes of hard work, 5 minutes of warmup / cooldown).

It's circuit training but with bursts of cardio. Plus the weight training moves are pretty explosive...meaning it's not just a bicep curl or overhead press, you're literally swinging that kettleball around.

The house made it out alive after the workout. I feared a bit for the television at times, but alas, I gripped that kettleball like there was no tomorrow.

I'm interested to see how much more advanced Level 2 is.

Have you tried this dvd before? Or do you ever incorporate kettleballs?

*****************************

So, have you heard about the summit?

Is anyone planning to attend????

*****************************
I fell asleep during Modern Family last night...which led to me sleeping through Cougar Town.

I hate when that happens.

my brain is working overtime

Training run: easy run, 5 miles, 10:00 pace

It was such a weird run. My ipod was not working properly (surprise there) so my mileage according to it was 3.5, while my treadmill showed 5.01 miles. Ree-donk-ulous.

I don't know what's worse...trying to calibrate my ipod so it doesn't show 6 miles at a 6:52 pace...only to end up with it showing 3.57 miles at an 11:02 pace. Um?

My mind has been racing with many other questions for the past weeks. We've had a lot on our plates, both with family & work.

Do you ever ask yourself these questions?

Why do some people make it their goal to make other's lives more difficult? What's the purpose of someone giving me a hard time over something so inconsequential? Or why purposely bully someone? Is it just to make yourself feel better?

Why can't I just 'let things go'...why do I have to hold on to everything?

If the Lord calls us to forgive & forget, then why do I have this impeccable memory?
Granted, it can be for my protection at times...recognizing potential problems based on past incidences. But for those people that I love that have hurt me in the past, why can't those incidences be erased from memory?

Why do I always end up comparing my fitness level to other's? My body isn't made to do what the finest runners bodies can do. So why do I continually compare?  

Why do I look in the mirror & always find a flaw? Will the day ever come that I can look in the mirror & be at peace with what I see?

With that said, why do I always compare my body to a celebrity's body? Or a friend's body. Or some random woman I see in a store.

Why when I show emotion, am I labeled as  "emotional" or "too sensitive"? Sometimes a girl just needs to cry. Sometimes a good cry can fix everything. It's like magic tears.

Why wasn't it my accomplishments & hard work that earned me a managerial position? Why do people always assume it's because "daddy runs the company"? Or in the case of many other women, it's because "they slept their way to the top". Can't a woman be successful?

Why am I so stubborn when it comes to asking for forgiveness, or admitting I was wrong?

Why is my brother considered "disabled", and me "normal"...when his outlook on life is one that everyone should strive to have. Maybe I'm the "disabled" one & he, along with every other person that has a "disability", are actually "normal". What is "normal" any way?

What's the purpose of worrying? It won't fix anything & it definitely can't prevent something from happening. So why waste the time & energy?

And for the love of Pete, why on earth does someone cut me off / pull out in front of me, to then do 10 mph under the posted speed limit? Seriously?


I could just have way too much going on in my life right now. I could just be bearing the burden of some things that those I love are faced with right now. Or I could just be further reiterating that I'm a girl who thinks WAY too much.

Either way...I need to make it a goal to abandon negative thinking as far as my fitness & body goes. I need to let go of things more & realize that life on earth isn't forever. I need to make it easy to say "I'm sorry", and I need to practice forgetting past hurts.  

shake what yo mamma gave ya

Workout: distance run, 8 miles, 9:54 to 10:15 pace

I opted to get my run in this AM before our Mother's Day festivities began. I knew I'd have zippo energy once we returned home.

We attended service at my parent's new church, per mom's request :) did the family thing there. Then MattyB & I went to our church for our "newlywed" class ~ where the topic was personalities. We did personality quizzes...I'm melancholy/phlegmatic, Matty's sanguine/choleric. Literally, complete opposites.

Paul Abdul, yes, you are correct - - > opposites DO attract.

Afterwards we met up with the fam, for brunch at The Tampa Club.

MIL, grandma, mom

We kicked off brunch with gifts. Practicality was the theme this year, so they each got a personalized Tervis Tumbler with lid.


mimosa anyone?

YAY, buffet!

ralphie & grandma hogging the omelet station...


skrimps - and downtown Tampa Bay

amazingness

party.in.your.mouth
and appropriately named, "sexy grits"


and this magnificent beauty greeted you in the rotunda


Yes, I went and filled my plate 3 times.
Don't judge me.

Once I finished filling the gifted tumblers with "sexy" grits (since doggie bags are not an option)...we headed downstairs, without falling, for some photo ops.



Matty & his mama

Take 1...

Take 2...

a little somethin' extra for you...i promise i have 5 toes
the shoes are just worth a closeup

What I'm Wearing
Dress: Mimi Chica (Nordstrom Rack)
Belt: Betsey Johnson (Nordstrom)
Shoes: Betsey Johnson via RueLaLa (see shopping site tab for invite)
Polish: Mimosa by Chanel (Nordstrom)

As I predicted, I have no energy. All that eating really took a toll on me :)

For all you moms, hope your day was filled with love & appreciation!

honoring mother theresa...

Not THE Mother Theresa, the humanitarian; but Theresa Ann, my mom.

The Lord couldn't have blessed me with a better mom!

probably my favorite picture of us from when i was young
i can still remember how itchy this sweater was
1987 was a cute year for me...it all went down hill starting in 1991

She's a great shopping partner...
shopping spree in Vegas

An even better partner in crime for grand openings...waking up in the wee hours of the morning to sit on a blanket, in the cold, in the dark...
nordstrom rack grand opening

 She appreciates the importance of visiting the "UK" on Royal Wedding day...
@Epcot for Will & Kate's nuptials

She signs me up to work events where I can become BFFs
with Candace Cameron Bure...
Extraordinary Womens Conference...lol, no i didn't become bff's with CCB


She even went to my bachelorette bash...



She's a mom, a friend, a confidant, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, a willing helper, thoughtful, ridiculously giving, creative, & a great ATM.
ha, just kidding on that last one.
Happy Mother's Day, mom!