Track & Cheat

Tuesday: 4 miles track work out

Yesterday was one of those days: cheat hard and work harder.

I allow myself treats every now and then. If I am too strict I know I will go absolutely crazy.

But yesterday got a little out of hand.

First, we had Georgetown cupcakes delivered to us from a vendor.

 

Seriously, how could I say no to that?

They are famous, I had to try them!

It was well worth it too. So freaking delicious!

Then there is an announcement that the Mobile Cone was in the parking lot.

What?! Ice cream too?!

The Cone is rather famous in Cincinnati/West Chester.

And we all know I LOVE ice cream.

So of course I had some chocolate soft serve as well.

Ice cream is the perfect pre track work out snack, right?

Thankfully Coach had quite a work out planned for us.

12-16 400s at a little faster than 5K pace.

12-16 - yes that means 3 or 4 miles. Pick your poison.

I did 1/4 mile warm up followed by 14 400s then a 1/4 mile cool down.

I felt OK after 12, so I decided to just see how I felt after each one after that. Number 14 about did me in, so I called it quits after that.

Almost all of my 400s were within 3-4 seconds of each other. 1:30-1:34. One was 1:40 but I had a really bad stitch in my side for that one. There were 2 that were more like 1:35-1:36, but overall I was pretty happy with my consistency.

And my foot feels just fine so far today!

Here's to getting back on track (food wise, not another speed work out) today!

Booty Kicker

Monday: Thailand Tush TIU workout and 3.1 mile run outside

It's amazing how much easier it is to get work outs in when you aren't planning a wedding, party or honeymoon.

Who knew?

Before meeting Ben for our run last night I did the Thailand Tush workout from TIU.

I didn't have kettle bells so I improvised a little bit.

They aren't kidding about the glute burner!

Then it was time to run!

We ran our 5K in 26 minutes.

I think it was our best run together yet. The temp was great with a nice breeze and Ben didn't swallow any bugs. #winning

I just snuck a peek at our track work out for tonight. Yikes!

This will be my third day of running in a row and I plan to run tomorrow as well. I hope my foot holds up!

Weekend Review: Celebrating Life

Saturday: Stairmill, ArcTrainer, weights
Sunday: 8 mile run outside

 Friday I was able to spend half of the day with one of my best friends who is in town from Texas.  We shopped, talked and laughed. And we had so much fun we decided to make reservations for dinner too.

We went to one of our favorites WG Kitchen and Bar

See that plate? That's a honey and ricotta jar and absolutely to die for.

I haven't stopped thinking about it since Friday night.

And as you can see it was a gorgeous night so we sat outside.

We each had a wine flight of our choice as well. All of our food was absolutely delicious!

WG has not disappointed us yet!

Saturday morning we hit the gym, then I met Sarah and her mom for lunch.

That evening we headed to my bro-in-law and sis-in-law house to celebrate Kelly's birthday.

Kelly is my husband's sister who passed away last September. She would have been 39 on Saturday.

All 17 of us wrote notes to Kelly and attached them to the balloons to be taken to Heaven.

It was a beautiful tribute to her and it was so great for the family to be together on this day.

Some of the kids even drew faces on the balloons.

The balloons on their way to Heaven

Sunday morning I went for my "long" run.

Only 8 miles, but I think it's the longest I've run since the Flying Pig Half Marathon in May.

Oops!

I felt pretty good after the first 2.5 miles. I headed to the park behind our neighborhood and ran on the bike path. Just an out and back course, but I haven't run on the path in a while so it was nice and felt different. I added a loop in the neighborhood on the way back to hit 8 miles so of course the last 2.5 miles were rather hilly! 

Thankfully it was only 58 degrees when I started! It certainly didn't feel like late July, but I'll take it!

Sunday afternoon we got to celebrate the birthday of my friend's (from Texas) son and a couple of his cousins as well.

And I forgot to mention my brush with fame on Friday!

One of my favorite bloggers shared my story on her FB page!

Her story gave me hope so by sharing my story, maybe I can touch someone's life too.

In The Groove

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Body Blast class at lunch

Remember a few weeks when I said I was in a rut, then came up with a plan to hopefully get myself out of it? Well, I think it worked!

 *Mostly at least!*

I've been most successful with goal # 2

• Do some new workouts (or something I haven't done in a while)

I've been trying to take at least one class per week at work. I prefer the Thursday afternoon Booty Kickin Body Blast class, but there are several other options too. Getting the track work out in the week really spiked my running motivation too.

 I'm planning to get back in the pool this coming week.  Someone hold me to that, please!

Lunchtime workout necessities all stuffed into a BRIGHT pink bag

I also almost completed the Squat Challenge. Unfortunately I missed 3 days total.

But that's more than I would have normally done, so I'll take that as a win!

Baby steps.

Yesterday's Body Blast lunch class went something like this:

Grab weights and yoga mat and head outside (it was beautiful out, but felt like a thousand degrees by the time we finished). 

3 sets of 25 of the following: bicep squats, overhead press, push ups, sit ups, run 100 yards

Planks, plank arm raises

100 yard run holding weights

100 yard side steps (50 yards each side)

Finally go back inside and do more abs.

It was brutal, but she assured us we burnt A LOT of calories.

Wednesday was a rest day. I spent the evening with these amazing Mojo women.

We planned upcoming races, socialized, shared healthy recipes and laughed.

We laughed a lot.

It was a great night!

Happy weekend! Here's to a long run for the first time in ages this weekend!

Back to the track party!

Tuesday: Speed workout (4 miles)

I'll be honest, I'm not sure when I last did a track work out.

I'm pretty sure it's been at least 2 years if not longer.

But last night, I welcomed the track back into my life. And I hope it is here to stay.

I feel so alive on the track.

Even when I'm hunched over breathing heavy, wanting to puke and thinking death would be the best option.

I didn't want to carry my phone all the way over to the track, so this is as good as it gets.

We have a great coach through the Mojo Running Club, he is very supportive, helpful and tough!

We meet at the track every Tuesday night.

Our workout looked like this:

2 x 800, 2 x 200, 2 x 800, 2 x 200, then 1 x 800, 1 x 200

 The total distance was just over 3 miles (not including warm up and cool down).

It felt MUCH longer than that though. It was hot and a bit humid. Thankfully there was a bit of a breeze and our start/stop spot was over in the corner in the shade of one of the buildings.

  My first 2 800s were WAY too fast for me (3:11 and 3:14). The next set were both right around 3:40. I wish I hadn't gone out so fast on the first two. 

Bonus for the track work out: I got to see Sarah and Maureen!  

I'm already looking forward to next Tuesday's track session!

Celebration!

On May 31st we had a very small wedding in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky.

We knew we still wanted to celebrate with all of our friends and extended family after the ceremony, so this past weekend we had a "wedding celebration".

And it was quite the celebration!

I'm not going to lie, the week leading up to the party was incredibly stressful, but as soon as the party started we both knew it was totally worth it.

Friends came in from New York City to Texas and we felt beyond blessed to be able to celebrate with them.

It was incredible to feel so much love all in one room.

And who doesn't want to wear their wedding dress again?!

I hope everyone had as much fun as we did!

Just Another Manic Monday

Wow!

We had an awesome weekend.

Finally we were able to celebrate our marriage with our extended family and friends.

I'm still recovering from that, but will tell you more about it later this week.

A few weeks ago we decided to do some exploring in our neighborhood. There is a nature preserve right behind our neighborhood that we have only run through and on the bike path that attached to it.

I knew there were some hiking trails, so we set out to check them out.

We really enjoyed the trail we hiked! Stairs, bridges, creeks - all right in our backyard!

One of the best things about this park is that there is a canal that goes out to the river so we can jump in our kayaks right there!

Check back for a wedding celebration update later this week!

Not Your Average Fitness Class

Thursday: Lunchtime Body Blast class

I was finally able to do my favorite group fitness class at lunch yesterday.

It's a Body Blast class, but the instructor is phenomenal (read: total booty kicker).

We don't do the normal warm up of stepping side to side and swinging your arms and/or legs.

(There is nothing wrong with this type of warm up except that I feel like a total dweeb).

Andrea always has something a little different in store.

Yesterday, we pulled out the spin bikes for our warm up/cardio part of the class.

My legs were burning after just a couple of minutes.

She had us doing jumps and hills right away.

I haven't done a spin class in a long time. I enjoy them, I have just been focusing on running as my cardio.

It was fun to be on the bike again. 

And now I really HAVE to get my road bike out again. I'm ashamed to admit how long that has been...

After the spin bike portion, it was time for full body weights.

Dead lift / squat combo

Lunge / overhead press combo

bicep curl / squat combo

I can't remember what else we did, but I was dripping sweat and praying for the class to end.

We finished up with several different planks, pushups and bicycles.

Whew, what a lunch!

And because I feel like I need to add a picture, but of course didn't take one of the class, here's my new favorite of Pugalicious.

My Very Own Boot Camp

Wednesday: TIU 4th of July workout
Thursday a.m.: 3 mile run outside

First, I must say I FINALLY got some sleep last night and boy do I feel better today!

After waking up at 4 and 1:15 the previous 2 mornings, my 5:15 alarm certainly felt like sleeping in.

Wednesday evenings workout consisted of what I have dubbed Bethany's Boot Camp.

My friend Kelly just does whatever I say, it's great!

Honestly, I just combine some of the different TIU workouts and sometimes throw in a few of my own ideas.

She was brave enough to try this thigh exercise I was too scared to try on my own.

We had contests to see who could stay on the longest.

She totally kicked my booty.

I'm just glad I didn't fall on my face and break my nose.

After working out I made a big trip to Meijer for some party supplies. Thankfully the Hubs met me there because there was no way I could have handled the 2 full carts we had.

 

This morning I meant to get up at 5:15, but laid in bed a little longer. I finally got out the door about 5:40 for a run. Given the time I only did 3 miles. Better than nothing!

And still incredibly hot and HUMID!

High is 95 today with a heat index of 102.

I'm glad I got some miles in early!

A New Kind of Milk: Almond Breeze Review

Tuesday: Rest

Yesterday became an unintentional "rest" day.

However, my body still feels like it got a workout in. I guess that's what happens when you run around like a maniac from 6:30 a.m. until almost 9:30 p.m.

At least I get to check off several items on my massive to do list for the weekend!

Yesterday morning I woke up at 4 (should have gotten my workout in then), but laid in bed until 5.

I was starving while I was getting ready for work, so I decided to actually eat breakfast at the house (typically I pack something to eat at my desk).

This was the first time I tried almond milk and I have to say, I think I am a fan!

I really had no idea what I was doing when I purchased the Almond Breeze brand, but a friend had tried it, so I just grabbed one. I think next time I will try the Vanilla unsweetened since it has 50 less calories per cup. (Pictured above is the Vanilla).

Almondmilk is dairy free, soy free, peanut free, egg free and gluten free.

Whew, that takes care of a lot of allergies!

Fortunately, I do not have any of the above allergies, but I have been trying to limit my dairy intake, but still want the calcium and the occasional bowl of cereal. I also plan to use the almond milk in smoothies.

While enjoying my bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch and almondmilk at 5:40 a.m., I also got to have a surprise text chat with Jen in England!

What a great way to start a busy day!

Bad Weather Running Buddies

Monday: TIU workout, 3 mile run outside

Some of us are fair weather runners or have training partners who are.

I, on the other hand, have a bad weather training partner.

It never fails that we make plans to run together in the worst of weather. Snow, ice, rain, 100 degree heat. 

And of course we are stupid crazy enough to run even knowing the weather is not even somewhat decent.

At least we get the runs in!

Because of the heat we kept it short - a 3 mile loop. Unfortunately this route has very little shade, so I decided to take a half full water bottle with me. I didn't use it until we were finished running though. It was nice to have as we walked a little bit in an attempt to cool down.

This is my new Costco workout shirt. I decided to give it a try because SkinnyRunner buys a lot of workout tops there and if it's good enough for her, it's definitely good enough for me!

I've worn it twice now and really like it.

This pic was pre run during my TIU workout.

It was perfect - all I needed were a few weights and the ball. I only did 2 rounds even though it says to do 3. I was on a time crunch, but I still felt the burn!

This was the last part of the circuit, but I was too chicken to try it. I am such a klutz so I feared this would have a disastrous ending.

Maybe I'll get brave later this week!

Weekend Review: Fun in the Sun

Friday: TIU workout, dog walking
Saturday: TIU workout, dog walking
Sunday: 6 mile run outside, kayaking, dog walking

This weekend definitely made up for the lack of sun last weekend. We had absolutely beautiful weather all weekend and I soaked it in as much as possible.

This week has decided to actually feel like July in Ohio. Hello heat index!

Friday was a relaxing evening after a workout and a walk with my buddy, Piper.

Saturday I got to spend some time with my friend Sarah at the pool then crafting a few things for this weekend! She is my Martha Stewart friend and I can always count on her to help me make all the ideas I have but can't actually execute.

These are dangerously delicious.

Sunday morning I went for a very hot run then in the afternoon we met our friends to take the kayaks out of their maiden voyage.

We paddled around the lake for a few hours. Wow, was it toasty!

We had a great time out on the water with our friends and the best news of all - the kayaks didn't fly off the roof of the car!

Yay for a weekend full of sunshine!

** Head on over to wish my AMAZING friend Jen congrats on finishing her first AND second triathlon all in the same day! Way to do Jen! **

Family Dinners & A Craft or 2

Wednesday: Rest

My foot has been a little achey, so I decided the middle of the week would be a good rest day.

Back when I lived with this lovely lady

we got together with our boyfriends for dinner at home and dubbed them family dinners.

We would laugh all the way through dinner. It was almost impossible for me to eat sometimes.

And now those boyfriends are our husbands! We may not live together anymore, but we are still family.

And they are a family of 3!

Just one baby, 3 people total!

We might all be married now, and their family is bigger, but dinner was just like it used to be.

Hilarious.

Tara made us this beautiful wreath.

I can't wait to hang it. It's too pretty to put outside, but I think it will go perfectly in our entryway.

I'm so happy I have creative and talented friends. I would try to make something like this and get frustrated halfway through and quit.

I did pull of a small craft for my friend's 40th birthday today though (with Tara's help!)

I didn't want a negative present, so we put a positive spin on this pinterest find.

I think it turned out pretty cute!

Today's work out plan is Body Blast at lunch then running or intervals after work.

We can bike, blade or segway at work today. I'm thinking I'll steer clear and just get my normal work out in.

That sounds much safer.

Happy Hump Day & A New Easy Breakfast

Monday: Lunchtime Body Blast Class
Tuesday: Intervals and 3 mile run outside

My good friend Jen D. is a personal trainer and used to teach group fitness classes at my work gym. It has been about 4 years since that has happened, so when she called me Sunday to tell me she would be teaching Monday at noon, I knew I had to take the class!

It was an awesome class! My arms and legs are still feeling it!

Tuesday I got to run with Ben after work. 

It's been almost a year since we've run together - crazy!

Before running I did the TIU Stars & Stripes workout again.

I was planning to do a different TIU workout, but couldn't find it on my phone.

Darn technology!

Good news, when I couldn't sleep between 2 and 5 this morning I made sure to download several TIU workouts to my phone, so I should be set now!

Our run was SUPER muggy.

Welcome to July in Ohio.

Thankfully we got our 3 miles in and caught up (we're both recently married!) before the 

storms hit. We pushed ourselves decently hard, but I refused to wear my watch.

I made something slightly different for breakfast this week. Typically I have scrambled egg whites or hard boiled eggs, but I was getting pretty tired of plain eggs.

I have this amazing brownie pan from Pampered Chef and decided to use it to make breakfast for the week.

I combined eggs and egg whites, a little skim milk and poured it into the pan. Then I added mushrooms and just a sprinkle of cheese. Bake and voila, you have 12 mini eggs that will keep for 3-4 days.

Next time I'll add some green pepper or onions to give them a little more flavor.

Happy Hump Day!

Weekend Review: Run for Liberty 5K Race Recap

Thursday: Run for Liberty 5K
Saturday: 6.3 mile run outside

The hubs and I had an extended weekend since we both took Friday off. Who wants to work the day after the Fourth of July anyway?!

Unfortunately, there was a LOT of rain. All weekend.

Fortunately the rain held off for the Liberty 5K. It's super close to our house and I have run this race for the past few years with friends.

We had a pretty big group this year!

It was only around 70 degrees this year, which is about 30 degrees cooler than last year.

And I'm not exaggerating.

It was cool and cloudy, but still very humid!

I didn't wear my Garmin and ran the race alone, so I really had no idea what to expect.

I sure surprised myself though!

41 BETHANY 1689 33 F 24:12 7:49 2/17 F3034 7/75 F

Woohoo! 41st overall, 2nd in my age group and 7th woman overall.

Not too shabby!

We had 2 age group winners and 3 age group 2nd places in our group!

Way to go!

After the race we celebrated with a delicious breakfast back at Erin and Carter's house.

It was a great start to the long weekend!

Hubs injured his leg playing softball last week, so we had to keep a close eye on it and couldn't do too much at one time.

Fortunately it is healing, but I think it's going to be a while before it's 100%. 

I'm sparing you the really gross picture!

The rain and leg gave us a good excuse to watch movies and get things done around the house. We saw Man of Steel and were both slightly disappointed with it.

The rain also provided a good excuse to take our time wandering around Costco.

I found a few gems.

These will definitely make me a better swimmer, right?

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday and hopefully a long weekend!

Now, back to reality!

I'm A Sucker

Tuesday: TIU Workout & Body Blast Class

I headed to the gym right after work last night with intention of doing the Stars & Stripes TIU workout. I changed it up just a bit and started with 10 minutes on the elliptical instead of 7 minutes of jogging.

My calves burned at the end of the 2 minutes of jumping rope and by the end of the Burpees I was spent! I loathe burpees, but everyone says they are good for you.

After completing the entire circuit I took a quick water break then jumped on the elliptical for another 10 minutes to start the circuit over again. I switched up the order of things this time and about halfway through people started showing up for a workout class in the group fitness room that I was working out in. It's plenty big enough so I could have finished my workout then left, but the instructor started talking to me.

I felt too guilty to leave, so I stayed for Body Blast (in all honesty I had no idea what class I was staying for, I just grabbed the equipment she said and went with it!).

My legs are sore today! Between the squat challenge, the TIU workout and body blast I think I did a zillion squats and lunges.

I did say I wanted to change things up a bit though, right?

I made stuffed peppers when I got home for dinner. This is a new to me recipe and one I will definitely repeat (with a little more seasoning next time). Confession: I added some cheese on top. I tried to keep it light, but they were just screaming to me to add a little cheese.

Happy Fourth of July Eve to everyone! Any big plans for the weekend?

We only have a few things planned, but we are mostly hoping to get enough of a break from the rain to play with these:

Yep, we are boat owners!

We can't wait to take the kayaks out on their maiden voyage!

Giving Myself Permission

Monday: 4.25 mile run, TIU workout, weights, squats

We had some VERY heavy rain yesterday, so I hit the treadmill instead of chancing it outside. I felt great the whole time and would have gone longer if I had the time. I needed to get some weights in and then get home in time to head to the Hubby's soccer game.

Yes, I am still lame and enjoy watching him play!

I'm trying to go easy on myself, after all last month was extremely busy. Sometimes, you just need someone else to remind you of that, to give you permission to not be so hard on yourself. Strange, isn't it?

So, thank you Jen for reminding me that's it OK to settle in and readjust.

I've been doing well with eating fairly clean. That being said, I decided to create some mini  work out goals for myself to help get me motivated.

 

1. Complete Squat Challenge - on day 8 and going strong!

2. Do some new workouts (or something I haven't done in a while)

3. Get my long runs in on the weekends

Those are achievable goals!

Hopefully they will help me get back on track and motivated!

Merlin thinks I can do it!

Weekend Review: Roller Coasters and Celebrations!

What a fun weekend!

Once again I hardly took any pictures. At least I'm living in the moment!

I feel like we were going nonstop which makes me thankful for a short holiday week this week!

Friday we had an ice cream date with Erin, Carter and baby M.

Our first meeting with baby M

As usual we had a great time talking and laughing and baby M slept and slept and slept.

Saturday morning I headed out for a run but got a later start than planned so I only had time for a  fast 2.5 miles. At least I was forced to run "fast" since it wasn't very long.

Then we headed to Kings Island for my company picnic.

We met up with two other couples and the girls went one way while the boys went the other for the first couple of hours.

Hold on to your hats, because I actually rode a roller coaster! It was the Backlot Stunt Coaster (used to be Italian Job).

Via

 So it wasn't the biggest or scariest, but it wasn't in kiddie land either!

And I survived! Maybe I'll do it again!

We rode some rides, ate lunch and then it rained. I was hoping to make it over to the water park Soak City, but it was a little too cool for that anyway.

We got a little wet on the way to the car, so we decided it was time to head home.

We had some celebrating to do regarding K's job, so we went to Pitrelli's in Mason.

The food was fantastic, the ambiance is great and the dessert was to die for!

We both had the special of the night - grilled chicken ravioli and for dessert we shared the chocolate ganache cake.

Yum!

 

Our nephew turned 5 on Wednesday, so we celebrated at Pump It Up on Sunday.

I am still at kid at heart, so I had as much fun as the kids.

It was definitely a fun-filled weekend!