Beast Mode Barbie

I see there has been a bit of a break in between my blogs here.  Oopsie.  I’ve been training long and hard for my upcoming competition.  (It’s go time, didn’t ya know?) I’m literally writing this blog while changing into my gym clothes before I head out the door.  Heh heh.

So I realize last time I complained about an injury it was my right foot, and arch support remedied that situation.  Now, unfortunately, I have been having a knee problem.  I only run with my Inov-8 shoes with the arch supports in them and yet my last run only got me 6-7 miles and I was feeling incredible pain.  The pain is mostly in my left knee, although I do feel quite a bit of pain in the right.  (I just figured that is from favoring).  The week before that, I ran 13 miles in them and that is when I first noticed the pain.  This time around though it is much worse.  I need to nip this in the bud now….I have a lot more leg training to get in before the show as well as my half marathon in a few weeks!!! All help is welcomed on this issue!  In the meantime I have been wrapping, icing, stretching, and biofreezing.  And as someone recently informed me, it is most likely tendinitis.  (I hope that is all it is) Time for some anti-inflammatory goodness.

On to other more exciting subjects though!!!

This past monday I was asked how my weekend went.  I replied to the question with a faint “meh, not really all that much.” WHAT!? How could I have said that after the SU game I went to Saturday against Tulane!?  This photo should have been in response to the question that was asked of me.

BOOM! Joe Montana was sitting this close to me at the game!!! Oh, and you know…SU beat Tulane of course…but Joe freaking Montana!  It was an honor to stare at the back of his head for the first half of the game.  At halftime he disappeared into a box seat, probably to escape all the idiots like me trying to snap his picture.

Every morning when I’m doing my normal cardio routine, I read through the plethora of fitness/muscle magazines that I have gotten and have never had the time to read.  (It’s a great way to not be bored while you endlessly run,cycle,or elliptical your morning away) Anyways, while I do this I am always sure to keep my phone on me and type into my notepad app anything of interest in said magazines.  I am talking anything from a new makeup product I want to try to Supplements and exercises that claim to have raving health benefits to websites I need to keep in mind for when I am at home.  It’s the little things like this in life that get me so excited to start my day!! But seriously, it’s super helpful.  And if you are OCD like me and feel the need to finish the magazine in order to finally send it to the recycle bin, as if it’s a weight off your shoulders once you’ve done it, then yea, totally worth trying.  (That was a terrible run on sentence)

Most days when I hit up the grocery store to load up on food for the coming week, I find something new to try.  Wegmans has a great freebie magazine in their Nature section that includes coupons, recipes and articles about nutrition.  I like to flip through that and see if there is anything of interest before I make my choice of what I’d like to buy and sample.  Last week, I decided on this…..

The flavor is really good, though I just can’t seem to get use to drinking chia seeds.  I like to include them in a lot of my foods because of their health benefits but in this form, they seem a little bit like I am drinking tiny fish eggs.  If your taste buds are not texture driven however, I imagine this is delicious.

Picture Chia seeds as an energy booster.  They contain very concentrated amounts of Omega-3, antioxidants,protein, and Calcium!  It’s a superseed!  Plus, unlike Flaxseed, it does not need to be milled or processed in order to digest and reap the benefits.  🙂  Oh and when I say they have Omega-3’s, I’m talking even more than Salmon!!!!! As I continue to explore these little buggers, I like to use them when I make homemade protein snacks and sometimes I’ll throw a package of milled seeds into a shake for an added morning boost.  If you are wondering where to buy them…..any grocery store or health food joint is bound to sell them.  I bought….

If you want to read more…..

http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/lindsey-duncan-nd-cn/chia-ancient-super-secret

Chia seeds are even mentioned, or quite the hype I should say, in the book Born To Run.  I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. (Hint hint, gifts of any kinds are always welcome.  😉

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307279189

Alright, everyone enjoy the rest of your Saturday!! It’s gorgeous outside here!

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Apple-aholic

Getting back into the swing of things….cardio sessions in the am and lifting sessions in the pm.  It’s very hard to work through this concept in your head because there seems to not be enough time in the day right?  Well there is most days.  It’s less thinking about all of it and how it will work and more just doing it.  I dislike showering and getting ready for work at the gym so I wake up sooner to get there and get home.  Then I can get my mind around what I need to wear, eat, and look like for that particular day.  I use to get ready and leave from the gym and was always forgetting something.  (My towel for the shower, part of my uniform, shoes, socks….you name it.)  So make the sacrifice and it will save you in the end.  Here is my 5:30 am game face ladies and gents….

Tonight I focused on core training at home using my olympic bar for overhead squats….(triggering the dreaded muffin top area), a body ball for pikes…(this is an amaze balls workout that triggers the entire core) Oh and I forgot, the body ball was also an awesome find this weekend along with the Puma bands and apple slicer.  It was only $12 and came with a workout dvd, light and medium resistance tape, resistance band, pump, and workout chart.  Not bad right???? Marshalls is the shit.  Anyways, planks are also a killer core workout move.  Try holding for one minute a piece.  Then switch to side planks and feel the burrrn.  🙂   Mason Twists were also in tonight’s session.  If you don’t know what those look like….here is a little video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBBYZ-YjV5E

So there’s a killer core workout for ya.  Oh and I threw one full minute of burpees in there at the end of the workout just to top it all off.

Now, if you are doing some of these workouts already and are not yet seeing results, it’s important to note that abs don’t just pop from doing multiple abdominal workouts.  What is also quite necessary is having lower body fat percentage.  And how does one do that?  Eat right.  Eating right and exercising all at once will yield much better results than simply doing one or the other.

Made our first recipe from QuestNutrition!!  Let’s just say the photos make them look much more delicious than they are…

So these are the Quest “Oreos” made with Quest’s Chocolate Brownie flavor.  For those of you who love Quest bars….go to

http://blog.questproteinbar.com/category/recipes/ for some recipes to try.  Also visit their facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/QuestNutrition  They post recipes on their wall alllll the time.  🙂

So, those of you who follow me on FB know that I just purchased the most remarkable kitchen gadget ever!!! My 16 slice apple cutter!! 16 slices!! This makes me unbelievably happy as I have always wanted more out of the everyday 8 slice maker.  Here is the slicer at work on an apple!  

Bam!!! Awesome right? I love apples.  Anyways, I got this slicer from William Sonoma.  🙂

Annnnd last but not least….I will now be competing for another title this fall when I compete at the NYS Natural XIII.  They have added another contest for those in the area who would like to compete to be Mr. or Ms Fit Syracuse!!!  All I could say was Hell yes.

Bring the Boom!!

Until next time!!!! Like me on Facebook for fun fun fun!!!

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An apple a day.

If you haven’t noticed, it’s time for apple season!!! And I just so happen to love love love apples. My favorite type of apple? Braeburn, or Pink Lady if I need a substitute. They are the perfect mix of crunchy and juicy. Did you know apples fight the affects of Alzheimers? Not only this but they are also high in antioxidants, decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, Parkinsons, and diabetes. They also help neutralize the effects of IBS and hemorrhoids. The list goes on and on. Apples are even sort of a natural toothbrush as they stimulate the salivary glands. Convinced? Ok good because now I want to talk Apple Pie. 🙂

I’m in the mood for some homemade cinnamony, sugary, homemade warm crusted apple pie. (Come on, who isn’t) In it’s homemade form it can be made pretty simply, pure…but healthy? Maybe.

I’m taking on a new form of my current homemade pie recipe and making it Paleo. Yes, Paleo. Does this mean I can eat as much of it as I like in one serving???? I’m hoping so. heh heh. I can’t give out too many details…but I can say the bleached flour will be substituted with almond meal flour. (I’ve said too much) I plan to make it this week so I’ll be sure to post the resulting photos on my Facebook page. “Like” my page and follow me there for all kinds of awesome fitness goodies throughout the week!!!

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Another way I like to enjoy my apples is cut up in slices and dipped into dark chocolate almond butter. Yes, they make this. It’s expensive, but makes for a great healthy snack. And everytime I dunk, I feel as though I am having a delicious and off limits treat. Dark chocolate almond butter comes in a 13 oz pb size jar. (Please let me know if you’ve found any other form of it as I only know of one place that sells this fantastic goodie) MaraNatha is the brand. Yum yum yum yum.

So this past weekend I had the pleasure of hitting the pavement in Pittsburgh, PA, Heinz stadium to be exact, for the 25th Annual Art Rooney scholarship race!! It may have been a simple 5k but I ran it for the experience.  Of course I am a long time fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, so I could never give up the chance of ending a race by running across a finish line ON the FIELD!!! I’m talking jumbo tron!!  It was amazing.

Friends, Michelle, Jeremy, and of course their little ones joined Chris and I for the race. If you’ve ever wanted to find a fun way to meet up with out of town friends, do a 5k with them!! It triples as something good for mind, body, and soul!!!

Michelle shares her own blog about family life and raising her two little ones….check her out at http://froggiedprincess.blogspot.com/

What else is new….
Bought myself a new lunch box!!!! OMG I have never been so excited about something before. My cute little soft cupcake lunch sack is worn, torn, and going in the trash very soon. It was never actually big enough for the lunches I liked to bring to work and also didn’t provide a hard shell in case spillage occurred.

It’s vintage!!! Do you know how hard these bright colored mini mates are to find?? This one, unfortunately, has a Milwaukee Brewers logo on the backside of the handle. hahaha, if my friend Ryan reads this he’ll be a bit disappointed that I said that about his most favorite baseball team. 😉 Personally, I love the Phillies. (My fitness Sprinkles sticker will cover it up easy) heh heh

It’s a dreary day outside….which just so happens to be my favorite type of weather to run distance in.  So what are your plans this Labor Day?  I’ll be heading out for a run this afternoon…a long one.  So get out there!!! Then come home and bite into a nice healthy apple.  🙂