jeans

it's time to put away the summer dresses, cute tanks and swim-suits. all things that were motivational and kept you getting your gym on. but don't crawl into a ball and eat ho-ho's on your couch. hot sexy jean season is approaching. and quickly. no time to waste. skinny jeans, i'm afraid, are here for one more season and slowly i sense those oversized loose shirt/dress things are going out and slim fitting tops are coming back in. focus girls. feeling hot, even in winter clothes, is still important.

slackin'

..it's been awhile. i know. or at least it feels likes it's been awhile. august has been full of great excuses as to why the gym has taken a back seat. "i need a break" "had to work late" "had to work really late" "it's so nice out i'll run or walk or blade outside" which i have done. promise. i haven't been sitting on my couch staring into space. the walks and blades and jogs outside have been peaceful. a nice break to my sweaty painful workout routines at the gym but i fear it's time to go back to the grind. now. i mean soon. very soon. i promise. i think. 

i just need some new motivation;)

 look for new motivational posts coming soon!

what i don't recommend...

what i don't recommend is taking 3 consecutive weeks off from the gym. after a weak effort at the gym before taking off for RIO for 10 days of vacation my return to the gym has been brutal. 

of course i didn't intend for this to happen. going to one of the most athletic cities in the world where biking, running and skating trails are abundant. where everyone works out before, during and after work. where locals wear their pumas and nike sports bras to get beers and dinner. a place where people play soccer and volleyball and surf at the beaches from sunrise to sunset. but it did. it happened. i have to admit it. i am now out of shape. 

we did a lot of walking. a lot. and by the end of each day my legs were jello and all i wanted to do was cook dinner, drink brazilian beer and dance in my flip-flops at street festivals. so i did. hey...it's vacation right?

and it an excuse. and now it has been so hard to get back into the zone. i know i can. i keep telling myself.     i    know   i    can.     i've been there before. i can do it again. give yourself two weeks, give it two weeks. 

so now....i work, hard and slow and keep repeating "i know i can" like that darn little blue engine

a little at a time....just believe.

 

it's crunch...i mean CRASH time...

26 days and counting until my feet hit the sands of the sexiest beaches in the world.  will i have the body to blend in? the confidence to act like a victoria secret model? i better. it is my 30th birthday celebration after-all. i am traveling 14 hours by plane to absorb, party and and live up my last hours of the 20's in a country that appreciates a good time and oozes beautiful people.  i MUST MUST MUST look hot. program...2 hours a day...no skipping. it crash time... and crunch time... 

new shoes

new shoes. they are squishy and bouncy and light-weight. they are practically begging me to run.
the excitement to put them on and GO! comes so easily everytime i catch a glance at them.

feeling sluggish. buy a new pair. they could jump start you again.

grapefruit

fruit. i love it. i think i love it because i love sugar and well...fruits have lots of sugar in it. my recent favorite is the grapefruit. its bitter and tangy. i different taste then the usual sweetness of other popular fruits.  

here are it's health benefits! eat up!

---it's filled with tons of vitamin C and is juicier then oranges. 

---it's a cold fighter (though i have a cold right now)

---aides in cardiovascular health

...and, best of all, it fills you up!

cheap way no more

   the day i "retired" from playing collegiate field hockey is the day i stopped running. i loath the activity. sprinting short distances i can handle but running long distances are a bore to me (not to mention it never fails that i get shin-splints).  yes! for the past 9 years i have kept in shape by avoiding the activity. doing everything but- skating, elliptical, swimming, walking, spinning, and lifting. 

   this seemed to be working out well, that is, until the other day as i was listening to the radio on my way to work. the radio guys were holding an interview with jillian (the trainer from the biggest loser and my new favorite workout mentor) they asked her what machines at the gym gave you the best workout and she responded "the treadmill, always the treadmill." they continued with "what about the elliptical" to which jillian laughed. yes! she laughed at one of my all-time favorite machines at the gym. i was shocked. she continues to express her dislike for the workout by declaring it "a joke" and "a cheap way out". 

  stunned and ashamed i began my day and that night at the gym i tried running again for the first time in a long time. and guess what....i hated it. it's still a bore.  but guess what...it felt harder and i sweated more. i ran 10 minutes and decided to be proud of myself. that was last week. this week i am up to 12 minutes. baby steps...baby steps.  i've been supplementing my short runs with incline walking and (shh) the ellipticall. (hey...it's worked for the past 9 years...if i love it...why stop?)

opps!

opps! i forgot i had a blog.

spring inspirations...

1. summer is almost, almost here. i see the light, barely, but it's there.
2. memorial day is the around the corner.
3. fun dresses and cute bikinis are out in the stores.
3a. our tax returns our coming so we can purchases something
4. the sun is setting at a decent time to get an early-morning work out in.
5. march is over! (i hate march)

challenge time

HOORAY! its SELF CHALLENGE time. everyone get this month's self magazine or sign up online! it's a 3 month get in shape/get eating healthy guide. it's great i did it last year and the best part of it is that at the end of month 3 you WILL be ready for swimsuit season!

it's pure motivation. become my friend thru their website too for inspirational emails and maybe we will win some prizes too!

music

lately...i've had a lot of those work out days where i've been dragging myself to the gym and trying not to yawn my way thru the workout. 

music always helps me to stay going. 

here is what my work-out ipod says my most played picks are... 

10.  paper planes, M.I.A.

9...  i kissed a girl, Katy Perry

8...  see you again, miley cryus

7...  unwritten, natasha bedingfield

6...  rockstar, nickelback

5...  here it goes again, o.k. go

4...  faded, soulDecision

3...  wannabe, spice girls

2...  no scrubs, tlc

1...  straight up, paula abdul

0.. miami, will smith

...feel free to make fun of me now!?!! ...or better yet...let me know what you are listening too!

it's february! don't let your new years work out resolutions dwindle! your are that much closer to your goal. keep going!

Programs

programs are good motivators. they tend to rejuvenate me and spice up my routine. last week i started two new programs.

1. is "sizzle calories" 18 minute workout session posted by Self Magazine. i tested it out and it seems to be working. here is what you do. pick any cardio, warm up for 4 minutes and then sprint for 30 seconds, recover for 4 minutes and sprint again for 30 seconds. it's an interval workout, i like those. Self magazine says to do this workout 6 days a week for a month, combined with weight lifting, to see results.

2. is my fellower health blogger at livewell blog posted a link to the push up challenge. i started this last week, at 15 push ups! the goal is to work up to 100 by the end of the year. for more info check out her blog at thinkwellactwelllivewell.blogspot.com

happy pushing!

repeat after me. bikini vaca. bikini vaca. bikini vaca.
keep workin' it.

updates

i tried spin this week. the intro class on sunday was informational but i may go again this sunday. my back hurts, i don't think i'm doing it quite right yet but i'm getting there...i'm getting sweaty anyway.

the gym is kicking off winter programs of group power, group kick this weekend.
and new programs, group active and centergy kick off next weekend.
**group power is at 9:15 tomorrow!

my blogger friend at thinkwellactwelllivewell.blogspot.com is starting a push-up challenge. i thought it was a great idea and will be participating. to join the challenge go to her site.

the weekend is here. my weak days. stay strong. think bikini!

New Year, new wannabes

     it's a new year and a new year means resolutions and resolutions usually mean that the gym becomes insanely crowded. but let's not get discouraged those resolution-ites will dwindle by february and only the serious will remain running. we can do it! we are the serious! so let's fight thru the crowds and lose those christmas cookies that we ate and run, walk, glide our way past those wannabes.  and hey...maybe we will pick up a new-be gym friend by february to join our blog.

things to look forward to at the gym this month NEW CLASSES... 

they've hooked us up with two new classes 

...CENTERGY a combo of pilates, yoga and tai chi.

...ACTIVE a combo of kick, power and step.

...and an intro to spin class (i am going to figure this spin thing out this year!)

things to keep us going this year...

...vacations!!! i've got miami and bahamas around the corner. 

and i know that some of you have bikini vaca's ahead as well.

...weddings!!! it's your year! everyone is looking at you!

and if it's not your year...you'll still want to look nice in your dress.

...milestone birthdays!!! some of us may be turning the 3-0. (ok..maybe just me)

ready? let's go! we can do it! 

everyone is about to encounter a HOT new year!