How to Successfully Complete a Fitness Challenge

Tomorrow is THE Day! The beginning of the 30 day countdown to my 40th birthday. I'm beyond excited.

I can't wait to celebrate with all of you with a 30 day fitness challenge.

I've gotten some questions about the exercises and participating in the challenge, so I thought I'd share some tips on how to successfully complete a fitness challenge. Any fitness challenge, not just the one for my birthday.

Celebrate with Me!

If you've been around for the past month or so, you might recall some casual mentions of a birthday challenge. The time is finally here to share all the details!

My 40th birthday is August 10th, and I really hope you'll celebrate with me. What better way to celebrate than with a good old fitness challenge.

#BikiniSeries 6-week Check-in

Wow! Only 2 more weeks to go for the Bikini Series! These past 6 weeks have flown by. Maybe because I've been working so hard. :)

You can read my 2-week Check-in here.
And my 4-week Check-in here.

When I look in the mirror, I sure don't see the results that I'd like.

That's why pictures are so awesome!

The key to a good transformation pic it to look really
unhappy in the Before pic and be sure to smile in the After.

I can definitely see some progress. Whoo hoo!

They say that numbers don't lie, but I think they kinda do.

Here are the numbers:

	Start	Week 3	Week 5	Week 7
Weight	160.4 lbs	158.8 lbs	161.4 lbs	161.0 lbs
Waist	37.5"	35.5"	37"	35.5"
Hips	42"	41.5"	41.5"	42"
Arms	12"	12.25	12"	12"
Thighs	24.5"	24.25	24.25"	24.25"

I don't think they tell the whole story. I know that I feel great and that I'm getting stronger, so that's all that really matters, right?!

How am I doing on the goals I set in my Week 2 Check-in?

**Complete a Tone It Up HIIT video without any breaks**
I'm not sure about this goal. Certainly not the HIITy Bitty Bikini workout. That one still KILLS me! Maybe if I try a slightly less intense HIIT...?

**Jump rope for 1 minute without tripping**
Yeah. I haven't really been doing too many jump roping workouts. I've still got 2 weeks, though, so maybe I'll need to be sure to include some jump roping - even if it is just a little warm-up before a run or workout.

**Noticeably tone up my arms and belly**
Judging from the pic above, I think I'm well on my way to achieving this goal. I need to not be so hard on myself. :)

I've got 2 more weeks!! Let's do this!!!
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#BikiniSeries 4-week Check-in

I can hardly believe that the Bikini Series is already halfway over!

I've been loving this series so much. It's been nice to have some direction for my weekly workouts that I don't have to come up with on my own.

You can read my 2-week Check-in here.

I hate to admit it, but things definitely tended to slide a bit during weeks 3 and 4. I skipped more workouts than I would have liked and didn't seem to give my all to all the rest.

Sure, there were some workouts and some days that were amazing.

But there were more that just weren't what they should have been.

Thankfully, I've got 4 more weeks to get my butt in gear and hit these workouts HARD! No more excuses. If I'm a little late for work, I'm a little late for work. It's not the end of the world. :) Thankfully, my boss isn't very strict about what time I get in.

Here are the numbers:

	Start	Week 3	Week 5
Weight	160.4 lbs	158.8 lbs	161.4 lbs
Waist	37.5"	35.5"	37"
Hips	42"	41.5"	41.5"
Arms	12"	12.25	12"
Thighs	24.5"	24.25	24.25"

My weight fluctuates SO MUCH! Which is probably why I don't really put too much stock in that number.

Didn't I tell you that I slacked a bit during weeks 3-4? You can tell because I didn't really gain much momentum with losing inches - especially in my waist.

I've got 4 more weeks! Let's do this!!
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#BikiniSeries 2-week Check-in

Good morning, Fitfam!!

I'm going to stray off topic this morning for The Fit Dish to check-in with my progress with the Bikini Series 8-week challenge.

I kind of just jumped right into this challenge with no idea of how it was going to go and no real experience following a plan with the Tone It Up girls.

I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS CHALLENGE!

I've been pretty good about following their workout plans for weeks 1 and 2.

I'm not so good about following their evening challenges, which are more mindful and less physical. Easier for me to skip.

One of their evening challenges the first day was to write some goals for the 8 weeks.

I drew a blank and skipped the goal setting. I wasn't sure what I wanted to accomplish - other than to look better good in a bikini.

After following along for 2 weeks, here are some goals I've come up with for the remaining 6 weeks.

**Complete a Tone It Up HIIT video without any breaks**

I'm loving all of the HIIT videos I've tried so far, but they are a struggle for me! Especially when they throw in burpees. I would love to be able to HIIT it up without any pause or mini breaks.

**Jump rope for 1 minute without tripping**

I did one of the workouts called Jump Your Heart Out, and I think the best I did was maybe 10-15 seconds without tripping on the jump rope. I definitely want to be a better jump roper. :)

**Noticeably tone up my arms and belly**

This is is my least concrete goal. I didn't want to put a number on it, because dropping numbers on the scale or even losing inches might not get me the overall effect I'm looking for. But I'll know it when I see it. :)

Speaking of numbers, here's what the first 2 weeks got me. I know, I know. I just said it wasn't about the numbers, but numbers can still be fun. :)

	Start	Week 3
Weight	160.4 lbs	158.8 lbs
Waist	37.5"	35.5"
Hips	42"	41.5"
Arms	12"	12.25
Thighs	24.5"	24.25

I'm really pleased with my results so far after the first 2 weeks, and I'm excited to see how it all comes together by the end!

Now, the actual topic for The Fit Dish today is What Makes a Woman Inspiring? I think it's a great topic, so now that you've read all about my #BikiniSeries progress, go check out our hosts Jill Conyers at JillConyers.com and Jessica Joy at TheFitSwitch.org to read all about how women find women inspiring.
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5 For Friday - April 10

It's been a very, very long time since I've done a 5 for Friday type post. I've been feeling unmotivated and uninspired lately when it comes to blogging, but I've got a few exciting things going on that I wanted to share.

1. We are headed to the Grand Canyon this weekend. Neither of us has been before, so we're pretty excited. We're making a mini-weekend of it. We'll drive out Saturday morning and drive back Sunday afternoon/evening. I'm not sure why I decided it was important to go in April! Maybe it will be less crowded...?

Note: Deciding if it should have been "neither of us has been" or "neither of us have been" resulted in a long grammatical discussion before deciding that has been is correct. It still sounds weird, but according to Purdue Online Writing Lab, neither is singular and should use a singular verb - even if it sounds wrong. lol. So, there's your grammar lesson for the day. You're welcome. :-)

We're staying the night at the Yavapai Lodge - just one mile from the South Rim. I can't wait to, of course, see the beauty of the Grand Canyon, but also to do some trail running/walking/hiking. And maybe some outdoor yoga. It's going to be chilly, but I still can't wait!

2. I went shopping. To prepare for our chilly weekend at the Grand Canyon, and Ragnar Trail Zion in 2 weeks, and for a little retail therapy, I bought 3 pairs of running leggings at Walmart yesterday afternoon. Plus a few warmer tops. I needed a little color and a little fun for the cooler temps that I don't usually have to deal with here in Vegas.

3. I tried beets. I got 2 beets in our Bountiful Basket last week, and I kind of freaked out. Thank goodness for Pinterest! I ended up roasting them in a little olive oil/S&P to use in smoothies, of all things. The smoothies were delicious! Tangy, sweet, and probably very nutritious. Right? Right?



Waste not, want not. Instead of tossing out the stems and greens, I used them to make these delicious quesadillas.



The pesto was perfect. So savory! And combined with the squash and beet stems. SO GOOD! Of course, Jeff thought it was one of the most disgusting things he'd ever put in his mouth. MORE FOR ME!!

4. I started a new routine. Back on March 30th, I started a new morning routine to get me moving in the morning and to ensure I get at least some exercise every day.

I started with 10 and have been adding 1 rep every day. I'm now at 21. I'm going to keep increasing until I hit 25, and then I'll stay there for a couple weeks (probably through the end of April).

In addition, I've also been doing sun salutations every morning. I started with 1, worked up to 10, and will stick to 10 for a couple weeks now. Or until May 1st.

To keep me on track, I've also started using DailyMile again. If you're on there, we should totally be friends. :)

5. I joined the Tone It Up Bikini Series challenge.

It starts this coming Monday, and I'm kinda excited about it. Or at least hopeful for some good results. It's an 8 week program and sounds like it will be a really good one! I know I'll get out of it what I put into it, so I'm hoping I'll be able to give it my all. For real. I've been feeling very self-conscious and unhappy with my midsection lately, so here's to getting bikini ready!!

Well, that's all I have for now. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I promise it won't be another 17 days before my next post. :)

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?
Anyone else doing the Bikini Series?
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#NoExcuses #SweatPink Challenge Week 3

Have you been doing the #NoExcuses challenge with me? We're already in week 3!! Whoo hoo.

I joined this challenge to help me stay motivated in January. I ran marathon #4 in Nov and then ran the #RWRunStreak from Thanksgiving to New Years, so I knew that I needed to cut back on running in January. My body needed some recovery time. My mind, too.

Strength training and yoga are never my go-to workout choices, so I've been using this challenge as a way to keep me at least somewhat focused on exercise this month.

I'd love to say that I've been 100% with it, but to be honest, I haven't. There have been a few days that the excuses still crept in.

Work has been super busy and stressful. I know I should work off that stress with some sweat, but well, you know, I HAVE NO GOOD EXCUSES! :-(

Despite a few hiccups, the challenge has motivated me, and I have done more strength and yoga workouts this month than I probably would have.

And there's still time for #NoExcuses.

What are your favorite ways to make #NoExcuses?
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And just as a reminder... :)

YOUR WEEKLY PROMPTS! 

Monday, 1/26: Stop, drop and breeaatheee...5 minute self-meditation
Tuesday, 1/27: 90-second wall sit
Wednesday, 1/28: Jumping jacks during the commercials of your fave TV show
Thursday, 1/29: Grab a partner & sweat together for at least 20 mins
Friday, 1/30: #FREEFriday - choose something to share and tag #NoExcuses
Saturday, 1/31: Share your favorite healthy eating “cookinghack” in the kitchen
Sunday, 2/1: #SundayZenday: show us how you get your zen on!

December - You're going to be a great month!

Happy December, everyone!

Here are a few reasons why I'm excited for December.

#1. Today I'm starting a 21-Day ‘Re’-Bootcamp program with Tamara over at Fitknitchick.

After spending the past few months focusing on running and marathon training, I definitely need a reset. I want to get back on track with better eating and exercising more than just those running muscles.

Today's task is to Find Your Exercise Why to focus on during the 3 week program. She gave us a list of benefits of exercise to help us choose our why. I'm choosing to focus on how exercise will (hopefully) reduce my desire for sweet and fatty foods. Let's just say we've gotten off track with our eating a while ago, and I need some motivation to get back on track.

It's too late to join in this challenge with Tamara, but if any of you are already registered, let me know! I'd love to follow your journey on this!

#2 Running is not completely going on pause. It's just not going to be the main focus. :) Today is also the start of the holiday #RunChatHunt - 12 Days of finding fun things on your run and posting them on Twitter! Click the link to see the list of things to find!

I'm also attempting the holiday #RWRunStreak - 36 Days of Awesome! This started on Thanksgiving and goes until New Years. At least 1 mile a day.

Anyone else doing either of these challenges?

#3. And probably the best one. Dec 21st is my 10th anniversary!

12.21.2004

It's crazy to think that I've been married for almost 10 years! We don't have anything too crazy planned to celebrate, because we are also trying to save for a house. Probably just a nice dinner and a show. We live in Vegas after all. :) It doesn't really matter what we do, as long we we're together. Cheesy, I know!

What fun plans do you have for December?

Before I go... Don't miss out on these Cyber Monday specials!

• 20% off at Cocogo. Plus an additional 10% with code: ENJOYINGTHECOURSE (Yes, I do believe the code needs to be in all caps)
• 30% off any plan at Diet-to-Go
• Runtastic Running Set for only $84.99

Plus the girls at Sweat Pink Partnered with some amazing companies to offer you the best CyberMonday deals like:

• 15% off at prAna. Code: pranastillsweatspink
• 40% off Pro Compression. Code: pink2
• 10% off Flip Belt. Code: sweat10
• 3-month Bulu Box subscription for $10. Code: SWEATPINK

I'm off to squeeze in a short run before work! Make it a great Monday!!

ETC Birthday Party!

Tomorrow is THE DAY! Have you all been anxiously awaiting the start of my birthday challenge? I know I have been. :)

37 days of streaking to help me celebrate my 37th birthday on Aug 10th. 

It's gonna be awesome!

This streak is really up to you. You can run or you can practice yoga or you can do a combination of the two.

A run streak is no easy task, and if done improperly, it can lead to injury, so be careful and listen to your body. If you're up for the challenge, it's as simple as running {at least} 1 mile every day from 7/5 to 8/10.

Maybe you've just finished the #RWRunStreak, and need a break, then you could join the party with some yoga. For the yoga challenge, just practice {at least} a pose every day from 7/5 to 8/10.

Or maybe you'd want to do some combination of the two. I'm hoping to both run and practice yoga every single day. But you could alternate between the two, if you're not quite ready to commit to a full run or yoga streak.

Let's make it a huge party by sharing pictures and tweeting our streaking fun. #ETCRunStreak #ETCYogaStreak

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And of course, it wouldn't be a party without a few gifts! I'm hoping to add a few more, but here's what I've got lined up so far.

**A box of Cocogo. Real Fruit Hydration.

**A gift pack from Proud Runner.

**A Multi-Grip Stretch Strap.

**A Detour Smart Bar sample pack NEW (added 7/11)

**A Bondi Band headband NEW (added 7/13)

I'm trying to work on more, so stay tuned.

Come back every day to enter to win one of the prizes with the rafflecopter below.

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UPDATE (7/9): I wasn't getting a very good response with the rafflecopter, so I created a form instead. I know that the Streak is already a few days in, but you can now enter your info retroactively. :) Or you can simply start today!

If you want to join the party, just fill out this quick form. 
If you entered via rafflecopter, I've already filled out the form for you. I'll shoot you an email with the link to the tracking form.

On the Thank You page, you'll receive a link to a spreadsheet to track your streak. Just enter an R or Y or RY every day that you either run or practice yoga or both. There are also some bonus entries all the way to the right. :)
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I also created some images you can use during your streak.

Thanks for joining my challenge! I can't wait to celebrate with you. :)

In the meantime, enjoy the 4th of July. See you tomorrow!!

Happy Friday!!

Who is ready for the weekend?! I know I am. :) The secret surprise that I mentioned during the Ultimate Coffee Date is happening this weekend, and I am STOKED! It's likely not going to be nearly as exciting for all of you, but be sure to stay tuned to Instagram and Twitter for all the excitement. :)

In other news, I ran fast yesterday morning, and it felt amazing! 

Jeff and I headed out for a 3 mile run, and about .8 miles in Jeff was hurting pretty bad, so we altered our route to shorten our run. We ended up doing about 1.6 miles, and then I continued for another .9 miles. And I kicked it into high gear. I haven't run like that in quite some time. I'd love to say it was a breeze. It wasn't, but it was exhilarating. Or breath taking. LOL. Cuz I was definitely out of breath by the time I was back home. :D

One last thing before I leave you to enjoy the weekend. My birthday is fast approaching. 7 more weeks. Or something like that. ;) Perhaps you remember my virtual race to celebrate my 36th birthday? The Factors of 36 virtual race?? It was so much fun!

That I wanted to do another little something to celebrate this year. Make it a tradition, you know.

BUT doing a Factors of 37 wouldn't be nearly as much fun since your only options would be run 1 mile or run 37. Ugh.

So, let's go streaking instead!!

Your choices are 37 days of running (at least one mile) or 37 days of yoga. Or some combination of the two.

Either way the streaks will begin on July 5th and continue until my birthday on Aug 10th.

ARE YOU IN??

Joining the fun is super easy! Just run or do yoga every day from 7/5 to 8/10 and tweet or instagram a photo using #ETCRunStreak or #ETCYogaStreak or #ETCStreaks.

Easy-peasy.

I'm still working on lining up some sponsors and fun prizes, so stay tuned for that, but I just wanted get it out there for those who might want some advance notice. :)

Now, go out there and enjoy the beautiful weekend. Unless you're still at work. Then, you know, it's *almost* the weekend, so SMILE!!

What are your weekend plans?
Will you celebrate my birthday with me?
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Fitness Friday 1/24

Not too much to say this morning, so here's a little update on my #sunmoonchallenge.

With just a couple hiccups, I've been pretty good with the sun salutations, but the moons have been a lot more difficult to maintain. This past week has been the most difficult. My cold was a bit worse. Not terrible. Not enough to keep me home from work. Just enough to have that icky, mucus dripping down my throat, nastiness that makes you crazy!!

As for my weekly recap, I didn't do the best this week. :(

Friday, 1/17

• #sunmoonchallenge - 7 suns, 0 moons
• walked 4-5 miles to the Stratosphere and home again

Saturday, 1/18

• NOT A DAMN THING :(

Sunday, 1/19

• #sunmoonchallenge - 19 suns, 0 moons
• 6.2 mile run

Monday, 1/20

• #sunmoonchallenge - 20 suns, 0 moons

Tuesday, 1/21

Wednesday, 1/22

• #sunmoonchallenge - 22 suns, 0 moons

Thursday, 1/23

• #sunmoonchallenge - 7 suns, 1 moon

I was a lot less mucusy when I woke up this morning, so I'm hoping that I'm on the mend.

So, the challenge hasn't been perfect, but I'm hoping to finish the month out strong. I've still got one week to go.

Random thoughts about the doing the salutations.

I'm loving the suns in the morning. I always start out real slow with them. Letting myself really sink into the poses. The first few are always so tight, and it feels amazing to stretch it out.

I can have ZERO distractions when doing the suns. Even if the thoughts in my head stray from my practice, I lose count (even with my clicker app) and forget which foot to move back or forward.

Moon salutations are easy to forget. I usually push my bedtime to the last minute, and then I crawl right into bed. Some nights I remember, and simply don't want to crawl back out of bed.

Moon salutations both get my heart pumping and relax me for sleep. The first couple of nights, I was really amazed at how I felt after doing a moon salutation or two. My heart would be really pumping, but I was surprised at how I simultaneously felt jazzed and ready for sleep.

Breathing. Sometimes I have a difficult time breathing. I've had doctors check it out in the past, and they ruled out asthma, but couldn't really offer a diagnosis. It comes and goes. Could be stress-related. Anyway, I was really hoping that a month of yoga would help with the breathing issues. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. The past few days have been the worst. What are you gonna do? Just keep going, I guess.

Are you doing the January Challenge with me? What are your experiences with the challenge? Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a Barefoot Eco Yoga Mat. If you haven't joined the challenge, why not start today?

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Any exciting weekend plans? Jeff has really caught the yoga bug, so we're planning on having a yoga weekend. We recently got a few new yoga toys that we're excited to try. Like this yoga trapeze.

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January Challenge - Sun & Moon Salutations

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas yesterday! I had the day off work, but otherwise didn't do anything special. In fact, I battled a nasty headache most of the day. Booo.

We had the most delicious pumpkin pancakes for breakfast! But since I had a headache the rest of the day, I didn't feel like being in the kitchen at all, so we ordered Papa John's for dinner.

And watched 2 Batman movies. Kind of nontraditional, but it was a good day (despite the headache, which is still lingering by the way).

I've got a few end-of-the-year type posts coming at you, but I wanted to invite you to join me in January for a little New Years Challenge.

Starting Jan 1st, I'm going to challenge myself to begin and end each day with a little yoga - prepare for the day with sun salutations; prepare for bed with moon salutations.

Each day, I'd like to increase the number I do. I'm starting with 1 because I want to realistically be able to get to the end of the challenge.

So, Jan 1, I'll do 1 sun salutation in the morning and 1 moon salutation before bed.
Jan 2, I'll do 2 suns and 2 moons.

You get the idea.

If you're a more experienced yogi, and you still want to join the fun, just choose your starting number and then increase by 1 every day.

Right now, this is purely for fun, and because I want a little more yoga in my life. I might try to wrangle up a prize. I'll keep you posted, but I wanted to extend the invite now while you're thinking about the New Year.

UPDATED: I was able to secure a prize this challenge you're welcome, and I've amended it to only doing at least 1 sun and 1 moon every day. Check it out here.

Not sure what a sun or moon salutation is? I'll post some examples for you on Monday!

How was your Christmas?
What other January challenges are planning on to ring in the New Year?
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July is Going to be a GREAT Month!

Before I get into all the exciting things I have planned for July, let's do a quick recap of June...and my 2013 goals. :-)

June goals:
1. Continue streaking - Still going strong on this one. I've got four more days to go, and then I'll do a full write-up with all my thoughts on streaking. :-)

2. Push-up challenge - Another successful challenge. Ok. I missed one day. But I'm still totally calling it a win!!

3. Enjoy summer - Hard not to call this a success as well. I do think I spent some time each weekend at the pool or on the patio. This might also be due to the fact that it got HOT in Vegas, and we're super cheap and avoid turning on the chiller unless absolutely necessary.

The final two days of June...

Date	Cardio	Push-ups	Strength Training	Commute
Sat 6/29	2.25 Mile Run	50		WEEKEND
Sun 6/30	3.1 Mile Run	REST		WEEKEND

2013 goals:
1. Run faster - I'm getting there. I've managed a couple sub-8:00 miles now, but I've been unable to maintain that pace much longer than a mile - let alone 3. I haven't really been working much on speed with the streak, though. And the heat.

2. Eat healthier - I'm feeling really good about eating healthier - not so good about posting recipes, though. There are definitely people that eat better than me, and I definitely still occasionally go to McDonald's when I don't feel like making dinner, but overall, I'm loving my progress and the choices I've been making.

3. Train harder - Definitely need to bring this up at notch. If I flex super hard, I can see some definition in my biceps, but my triceps are still driving me crazy. It's so much easier to find time for a run than to do strength training. Booo!!

4. Read more - Um. I don't think I've cracked a book or turned on my Kindle in months. Oops!

5. Serve more - This one has been a bit of a bust too. I haven't even really been doing Charity Miles lately.

I can hardly believe that half the year is already over. Where does the time go?

Well, I'm kicking off the 2nd half of the year with some exciting challenges.

You already know a little about my Core/Balance Challenge.

I really wanted to do something to focus on my core. It is definitely an area I want to strengthen. Everyone usually says how great planks are for core and overall strength, but I wanted something more, so I asked in the FitFluential Yoga group for favorite core positions in yoga. I got a resounding BOAT POSE! I think in other circles it might also be called a v-sit. If you're unfamiliar with this pose, here's a link with step-by-step instructions for how to get into the pose.

One of my favorite poses is the Superman, so I decided to alternate this with the boat pose to further strengthen my back. You can find a description for how to do this pose here.

Lastly, I decided to throw in one balance pose to focus on each week - starting with something relatively easy, Tree Pose. Headstands scare the devil out of me, so I decided it was time to conquer them!

I'm really excited about this challenge, and I'd LOVE for you to join me. Feel free to post pics or videos and use the hashtag #corebalancechallenge.

This leads me to my 2nd challenge in July - 31 Days of Yoga. A few weeks ago, I decided that after finishing this run streak, I would take a few weeks off to allow my legs and mind to recover from running every day. When I stumbled upon this yoga challenge, I knew it would be perfect!

My 3rd challenge for July is to spend some time in the pool every single day. It's hot here (hello, Vegas!), and I have access to three outdoor pools at my apartment complex, so I decided to take advantage of them - especially since I'll be on a bit of a running hiatus. I'm not much of a swimmer, so I'm hoping to put together some non-swimming workouts to try out in July. Stay tuned.

The best part about this 3rd challenge is that I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do all 31 days with Jeff. He is truly a water baby, so I don't think it will be too difficult to get him to join me in the pool.

What do you have planned for July?
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Tuckered out Tuesday - I WILL

Ugh. I slept like crap last night. 

After a weekend of pushing it hard during a 5K on Saturday and then running 8 miles on Sunday, I started the week off on Monday with a tough cardio workout followed by some upper body work. Sounds great right?

Well, then DOMS set in. That damn DOMS! Ugh!!

Normally, I love the soreness that comes after a tough workout (or four). It's a nice reminder of a job well done. But last night the total body muscle soreness kept waking me up and then preventing me from falling back to sleep.

Oh, I can't entirely blame the DOMS. I also get my period and a nasty sore throat. Is it Friday yet? :(

I had planned on doing some speed work this morning. I was going to take control of my body and tell it who was really in charge, but the fitness center at my complex wasn't open at 6:15 - even though it was supposed to open at 5am.

SO FRUSTRATING!!

Now, I'm going to have to try and motivate myself to get it done after work. *fingers crossed*

Since my workout plans were thwarted this morning, I have a few minutes to share with you something very exciting!!

What's Beautiful? by UnderArmour




Run a sub 25-min 5k. do a pull-up. or three. I WILL.

I'm really, really excited about this! Are you working on a fitness goal? If so, you should totally join me! It could be something big or something small. Something specific and measurable or something more generic.

You can find out more by visiting the What's Beautiful website. It will suck you in. So many great, inspiring women gathered in one place to help and encourage each other.

TOGETHER, WE CAN ACHIEVE OUR DREAMS!

So, what are you waiting for? Join me!

Does DOMS ever keep you awake at night? How do you deal with it?
Are you ready to accept the What's Beautiful challenge?
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1st Week in Review - April

Since Feb and March were pretty much flops for me, I actually made some goals for April. Goals without accountability are often lost of deaf ears, so I decided to, at least for April, do a quick review post on Sundays.

So far so good on my two challenges. I haven't missed a single day. Though there was that one day that I almost forgot about the 50 at 50 Challenge.

Yesterday's 50 at 50 exercise was calf raises. They didn't seem so bad until I tried to walk this morning. At least the scenery was pretty.

I successfully ran 3x this week, though not on the days I'd hoped. I did some speed work on Wednesday morning and I wanted to die. I ran my slowest 5K in forever Friday night after work and I wanted to die. I ran 8.8 miles today and my phone wanted to die. Actually my phone did die, Well, it didn't actually die, it just decided to spontaneously restart. and it made me want to cry. Mostly because it meant that the 8 CharityMiles I ran didn't register. *sad face*

And finally, I wanted to ride my bike to work at least 3 times a week. I really tried to make this goal, but I only ended up biking twice. That said, I did bike to the thrift store yesterday, so that kind of counts, right?

The Break-down

Monday, 4/1

• Cardio - high knees, butt kickers, jumping jacks, burpees, jogging in place, squat jumps
• Arms & Abs Challenge - 25 crunches, 25 scissors, 50 crossover crunches
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 squats
• Commute to/from work

Tuesday, 4/2

• 50 jumping jacks
• Arms & Abs Challenge - 15 bicep curls, 15 tricep extensions, 15 hammer curls, 15 tricep kickbacks
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 push-ups

Wednesday, 4/3

• Speedwork (treadmill) - 2.92 miles. Intervals at 6.5 and 8.4 speeds
• Arms & Abs Challenge - 60 second plank grouping (center, side, center, other side) 2x
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 sec plank
• Commute to/from work

Thursday, 4/4

• 25 jumping jacks
• Arms & Abs Challenge - 10 pushups, 20 front arm raises, 20 lateral arm raises, 20 side bent arms raises
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 high knees (each leg)

Friday, 4/5

• 5 by the 5th Virtual Race (5K)
• Arms & Abs Challenge - Banana rolls. Hold each direction 5-10 seconds. Roll for 2 min. Complete 2x.
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 dorsal raises

Saturday, 4/6

• Biked to/from the thrift store. 9.22 miles.
• Arms & Abs Challenge - 10 push-ups every hour from 4pm to 9pm
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 calf raises

Sunday, 4/7

• Ran 8.8 miles
• Arms & Abs Challenge - REST
• 50 at 50 Challenge - 50 second tree pose (each leg)

How's your April turning out? What did you do this weekend?
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November Photo Challenge

Back in September, Candice, from I Have Run, hosted a photo challenge. I loved this!!  I didn't get a chance to participate EVERY day, but it did get me snapping and sharing more pictures than normal.

I missed this in October.

There were a couple other photo challenges for October that I saw floating around, but none of them quite spoke to me like the Runnerd Photo-A-Day Challenge.

Since I missed this so much in October, I thought I'd create my own challenge for November. You're, of course, more than welcome to join in the fun! I know it's late on the 31st already. I've been toying with this idea for a couple weeks, and I really meant to post this earlier, but, well, honestly, I really have no good reason for not doing it earlier. #procrastinatoratheart

Here's how to participate:

• Leave a comment letting me know you want to join in the fun. 
• Post a photo that reflects the word of the day somehow. Ideally, your posts should be related to health/fitness or running or training, but since it's November, if you're stumped on the word of the day, just use gratitude as the default word of the day. You can post on Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook. 
• On Instagram, become my friend (enjoyingthecourse) and include the hashtag #EtCphotoaday and/or tag me @enjoyingthecourse in your comment.
• On Twitter, make sure you include the hashtag #EtCphotoaday with each post and/or tag me @EnjoytheCourse
• On Facebook, follow the Enjoying the Course fan page and tag me in the comment of your picture. 

There likely won't be any prizes or anything - other than enjoying the fun pictures from old and new friends. :-)

Be creative. Seeing everyone doing the same thing would be boring. ;-) I'll try to do a recap of my favorite posts each Thursday. Don't worry if you miss a day or don't start on day one. I just want to have fun with this...and I want you to do the same!

And now for the list:

November 1 - Sweet

November 2 - Eat

November 3 - Run

November 4 - Sunshine

November 5 - Orange

November 6 - Power

November 7 - Crazy

November 8 - Inspire

November 9 - Perspire

November 10 - Rest

November 11 - Serve

November 12 - Nature

November 13 - Strong

November 14 - Fit

November 15 - Beauty

November 16 - Friend

November 17 - Family

November 18 - Go

 November 19 - Fun

November 20 - Happy

November 21 - Food

November 22 - Thankful

November 23 - Care

November 24 - Wonder

November 25 - Bright

November 26 - Warm

November 27 - Love

November 28 - Chocolate

November 29 - Looking Back

November 30 - Enjoy

I'm looking forward to doing this challenge with old and new friends. Will you join me? 
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A few thoughts

In writing yesterday's post, I re-read my first post of 2012. It included 3 goals that I had made for the upcoming year. I really should have looked at it much earlier! One of my goals was to run 600 miles this year. That should have been easy-peasy, as I was planning on training for a marathon.

Well, I nixed the marathon and stopped training in May.
Then, I hurt my knee in July and haven't run at all in August.

Here's what my progress looks like so far:

I did the math.

263!!

That's not even halfway to my goal. Boo.

Instead of seeing this as a failure, I've decided to see it as a challenge. I was planning on trying to get back into running starting tomorrow, and this is just the push I need.

I figure if I run 60 miles in Sept, 80 in Oct, and 100 in each Nov and Dec, and I still make my goal!! While this is definitely a do-able challenge, it will be tough for me. Obviously, I'll be careful and listen to my body and be okay if I fall short because my body isn't up for the challenge in the same way my mind is. You see I've never run a 100-mile month. In. My. LIFE!

But, I'm looking forward to this challenge. Now, who's gonna help me keep on track?

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Today's challenge question is "What do you eat before you workout?"

I don't really have a good answer to this one. I usually don't eat anything different than I would on any other normal, given day. Sometimes, I'll grab a granola bar on my way out - especially if it's been awhile since I'd eaten. What do you eat before working out?

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With this increase in running/exercise, I think I really should try to eat a bit healthier as well. I'd like to try using the Portman Nutrition Calculator. Basically, you choose you exercise activity and then a few other variables, and VOILA!

A recommendation of how much fluid and nutrient you should replenish. I really like the idea of this great little tool. Have you ever used this tool? What's your favorite online tool?

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I had a great interview on Thurs, and I'll find out something either a 2nd interview or thanks for your interest tomorrow, but I neglected to send a thank-you email to the woman I interviewed with. Well, I sent one out this afternoon. I figured better late than never. What do you think about sending thank-you emails? Could one make or break you?
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Time for a Challenge

I'll be the first to admit that I've definitely been lacking in the motivation department lately. I know I need to get active again. I know it will help me with my back pain and give me more energy. I know I will be happier.

But still...

Sometimes it's just so difficult.

In order to hopefully aid me in returning to a more active lifestyle, I'm hoping to join Ali Mc from Running with Spatulas in her Plank It Up August challenge.

Who wants to join me??

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Saturday evening randomness

This afternoon, I went for a bike ride.

Check out that elevation profile! Naturally, the worst of the hills came at the end along with an ever-so-lovely headwind. Yikes! Next time, perhaps, I'll do the reverse for maybe a slightly easier ride.

Other than the last few miles with the headwind, this was all on city streets - not separate bike paths.

Does anyone else feel weird about just going out for a bike ride on city streets without any particular destination or purpose? Whenever I start to go fast, I think, Why? I'm in no hurry. I still try to push myself. But, I'm not gonna lie. It just feels weird.

As I pulled up to a red light, I could see the State Capitol in the distance.

In other randomness, when you visit a blog, do you check out the sidebar? I generally try to, but I'm not always the best at it. That said, I tend to expect that visitors to my blog are checking out my sidebars. Sometimes, I add something to the sidebar without ever mentioning it in a post. Now, I wonder if maybe I shouldn't do that.

So, just in case you missed them...

I've decided to join a couple different challenges for April.

First up, I'll be joining Run to the Finish for: 30 Days of Fun

I'm super excited for this challenge! Who doesn't need a little more fun in their life? I want to laugh more and try some new things. We'll be moving soon, so I've got to do this challenge on the ultra-cheap free side of fun.

Amanda also posted a calendar with some ideas. Click on the picture above or in the sidebar to see her calendar and get more info about the challenge.

A few ideas I might try yeah I stole a few from Amanda's calendar:

• run like Phoebe
• sing in the shower
• solo dance party in the living room
• bike to a friend's for a puppy play date
• Pinterest funny photos
• YouTube funny videos
• experiment with different laughs
• organize a game night
• read funny greeting cards
• do a cartwheel
• do something with a friend(s)
• stop to take more pictures when out running or cycling

If you have any other fun free ideas of things to do, let me know.

I doubt I'll post my fun every day in a blog post, but I'll try to at least share what I do on Facebook and Twitter.

The other challenge I'll be doing in April is: Amazing Arms 'n Abs April

I found this challenge via Ali Mc at Running with Spatulas, but she found it on Domestic Diva in Training's blog. I think I'll follow over at Domestic Diva primarily because there are a few exercises on this calendar that I am not familiar with at least by name.

Hopefully this challenge will motivate me enough to actually do some core work. At this point anything will be better than what I have been doing. I think a lot of my problem is knowing what to do, so this should help to solve that.

How will you be challenging yourself in April? I'll be doing the both two challenges Feel free to join me. plus continuing with my marathon training.

Do you check out a blog's sidebar? I'm not always the best at this, but I do try to check them out at least occasionally.

Ever feel weird about bike riding with no particular purpose other than exercise? Obviously, I do.