It’s not that I’ve had nothing to blog about…

It’s not that I didn’t have anything to blog about.  I guess I was just going on a life rant.  we all have them….you know, where am I going in life…it’s too short…am I anywhere I want to be right now…am I happy….etc. etc.  It happens to the best of us.

So here I am! What was the end result? Not sure…life is ongoing and I just need to go day by day.  Don’t take in too much at once or it can be a bit overwhelming.  Also know that though it is long….it is shorter than we can expect, so it’s important to live as if we’d die.  (Anyone know what band quotes that one?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzmi6uB2hmc

Use to be a favorite super group of mine….lyrics are perfect.  And come on does it get any better than Craig Owens’ voice?

Ok, onto other things.  I took my very first Cross Fit class the other day and I love it.  My gym is offering a promotional rate for anyone who already goes there so I’m definitely taking them up on that at least to start.  I’ll see where I’m at after a month of it.  I know in my head I’m already competing.  But I seem to dive right into many many things so much that it brings me back to the very first topic of my blog where my head is spinning. haha!

If any of you have ever considered Cross Fit  as a way to stay in shape..it’s absolutely worth a try! If you are thinking it may be but you don’t want to sign on an expensive contract and then end up hating it….just stop by your local Cross Fit gym and ask!  I’m sure any reputable place would let you sit in, try, or even talk with a trainer about what exactly you’d be doing.  It’s not all throwing a heavy looking barbell stuffed with weight over your head.  It’s all done by scaling the load and intensity.  That way everyone is doing the same WOD or Workout of the day together.  There is no need to feel inadequate because frankly there is no time!!! From the second you walk in the door you will only be focused on YOU.  Before you know it the workout will be over and the sweat will be dripping off.  In the end, you will gain balance, coordination, agility, and be able to handle whatever life throws at you!  I know I’ve only taken one class…but I know a lot of people who train CrossFit and they all have nothing bad to say.  I told a woman at my gym she should try the demo class and see if she liked it.  She said to me….”yea but you’re in shape, I’m not.”  Thoughts anyone??

Here was a sneak peak:

25 burpees—one time through

10 Squat Cleans

10 Atomics

10 Kettle ball swings

(Mind you this was simply a demo so we learned the exercises and then did as many sets as we could complete in a 12 minute time frame)

I managed to complete 6 sets and then started into my third or fourth squat clean before the time was out.

I’m about to get gross on ya.

Since I have been doing so much running, I’ve noticed that both of my big toe nails have turned black.  Being the Doctor that I and most others in the world are….I went straight to the computer to diagnose!  At least for my sake I didn’t go to WebMD.  We all know WebMD only diagnoses cancer….haha.  

Anyways, I found this!!  http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/injury_archives/black_toe.html Since I’ve had them for quite some time, it’s more of a waiting game now.

Before I wrap things up, I must share one last tid bit.  The other day while shopping at Target, I went down the 70% off summer stuff aisle.  I saw nothing I wanted until I spotted the hula hoops.  Not but a few days before this, a friend of mine mentioned how she was hula hooping with her children and how much of a workout it gave her!  I figured it couldn’t do anything but help right?! I paid about $1 for the thing…and it’s really bright colored.  🙂   What have I found out since my big purchase?  I need a lot of practice.  Seriously….I felt so stupid.  I know five year old’s who can walk and twist and trot while they hula hoop.  Anyways, I’m getting there but the last time it fell down and hit my ankles it came down funny and popped a blood vessel.  IT KILLS!!! Haha, who knew a thin plastic toy could injure like that!

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It all starts with you.

Anyone tried Shakeology before?  A friend of mine has given me a few scoops of the Vanilla to try, along with a shake calendar.  The calendar includes a shake for every day of the month with easy to find ingredients you simply toss into the blender along with your protein scoops!!

I dove right in by trying “Apple Pie” The mixture included (besides the scoop of powder and some ice for thickness) 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Not bad if you ask me!!!
If you aren’t looking to start using a different protein powder than what you currently are using, just add a scoop of your favorite to any of the Shakeology recipes and drink up!! I’m definitely going to mix up a batch of this stuff to pour and freeze into protein popsicles!!!

So, for those of you that haven’t heard….I will be running in the Boilermaker 15k this weekend!! I had a friend on the inside who was able to swap names with some people that had already signed up and backed out. 😀 In the meantime, I’ve been nursing my left foot back to health. Ever since doing long distance in the Vibrams, wearing flip flops or no shoes day in and day out to heal the open wounds from the five fingers, and hitting the back woods trails at Green Lakes (wearing the wrong shoes), my feet have been causing me pain. Thanks to my amaze-balls bf, I’ll be decked out in the Innov-8 shoes that I had picked out!!!
This is the only photo I received from Chris since he bought the new shoes. EEEeeeeee!!! 😀  Best surprise ever!!
If you’ve never heard of them, check out this link. http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Index.asp?L=27

You can select your shoes based on the activity they will be used for, right down to the type of support specified.

I went with the Trailroc with a 3mm drop. They have arrived!!! ❤

So back to the trails at Green Lakes State Park….

First, if you haven’t been there just to see the lakes, pack up the car and get moving!!! It’s gorgeous.  But over this past week I was introduced to the grueling muddy back woods trails.  I loved it and can’t wait to go back!

Here is what I believe to be the trail routes my friend and I took. (Don’t correct me if I’m wrong 😉 haha) Anyways, you can pick up a copy of the trail map right at the entrance to the park. There is plenty of nature and wildlife out there to see! Anyone want to take a weekend and camp there? It’s worth the time and exploration. Wake up, run, eat, hike, sleep, eat, run, eat, hike, sleep…..you know.

Now that I’m something like 14 weeks from my next competition I’m going to begin weekly planned meals.  This is really important as it not only saves me time during the week from making lunch and dinner every night but it also stops the almost daily runs to the grocery store, and gives me more time to work out and get to the gym.  I know that I’ve mentioned weekly planning before.  It’s great for anyone’s activity level for the same reasons it helps me.  I also need to start focusing on eating enough food.  Food is fuel at the gym.  I see so many people think they can workout and only eat a child size portion.  Also, as much as you hate eating breakfast, no matter what the excuse as to why is….it IS the most important meal of the day.  Whether or not you eat a healthy balanced breakfast every morning will determine how you feel as the end of your work day comes to a close.

All these things are important, but what’s even more important is why we do them. I do these things to better myself. I do them because they make me sane, they make me happy. I compete because I love the thrill, the excitement, and I want to inspire others. I run because I want to be better, faster, tougher. No matter what you do in life, do it for the right reasons.  And it all starts with you.

🙂

With that in mind I’ll leave you all with this:

And as always, if you’d like to see more follow my blog. If you’d like to see even more than that, like me on my facebook page.  You’ll find all kinds of daily/weekly goodies.

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happiness.

I’ve found mine in the competition world of fitness, whether it be racing, lifting, or stage…count me in.

Let’s face it, I’m an animal.  Hah!

Ok c’mon it was funny. But seriously, this is my bodywash. And it’s everything I have ever wanted to smell like. (and eat) 🙂 But I guess if you can’t eat baked goods, the least you can do is bathe in it right?

So today I am on an absolute running high after the “Teal there’s a cure” race in Marcellus that supports the cure for ovarian cancer. I have been waiting to receive a photo that was taken at the event but as it seems, I may need to post my blog before I get it sooooo I’ll leave you folks with this pic instead.  🙂

Not only was it hot and humid out there but there were also gradual hills. And nothing goes together better when running than those things. 😛 Despite the hills and humidity, I crossed the finish line in 28 minutes flat. Nothing in the world feels better than rounding a curve and seeing the finish line in the distance. And boy was I glad it was there….mainly because I wanted it to be about 4 curves earlier. Ha! For the last portion of the race I was pushing myself. I came up on a man running with the American Flag on his shoulder and I thought, who better to run next to on the 4th of July! He was speeding up but I made the decision to stick with him. (you know, in case someone thought he was a great photo op, then I’d be in on that too!!)After taking the last couple hills and straight-aways, I rounded the bend to freedom. I saw the giant teal balloon display in the distance and I booked it. Upon getting closer I saw the time clock with 27:30 on it….I was so excited! But I wasn’t finished yet. I continued on as fast as my legs would take me….27:48 showed on the clock. I thought to myself, no way am I letting it go one second past 28!!! I didn’t know I could go any faster, but somehow I did in the last few seconds and I crossed the line with a time of 28:01. Damn that last second.

If you’ve seen the murder scene foot picture from over the weekend, you are probably wondering how I even put shoes on today, let alone run in them!  They healed up or at least scabbed up just in time.  Here is the photo again for those who missed it.

Anyways, I have lot’s of work to do before I win any medals…but I considered 14th in my age group 25-34 to be a big accomplishment. And I’m ready for more.

Move on and Train Harder. 🙂

With that in mind, I’ll be competing in the following events:

Barber Beast on the Bay, Erie PA-September

Olympus bodybuilding competition, Buffalo-October

NY State bodybuilding competition, Rochester-October

Empire state Half Marathon, Syracuse-October
annnnd for the finale of my fall……

The NYS Natural XIII

I can’t wait. As you can see, my October is going to be challenging to say the least. But with a challenge, comes my motivation.

Oh and one last thing!  I want to give a shout out to someone I had the pleasure of meeting and working with back in early spring, her name is Erin Iannacchino.  She is a WBFF pro and was featured not her first but her second time on the cover of Fit and Firm magazine.  She is such a strong person, has overcome many things in life to get where she is today and is such an amazing inspiration to me.  I can only hope to someday be as successful and kick ass as her.  I’m buying your mag today!!

Follow me on FB if you haven’t already!!! 🙂

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