Mixing it up

Hey Jeni! 

Glad we are back on track here. I can tell you for the past few months I haven't been focusing much on fitness. It's been a side bar to my life, and I haven't liked it! 

I've been doing some things that haven't been too healthy- not enough sleep, not enough exercise and eating a lot of processed foods. Overall, this has contributed to some weight gain (ugh!) 

So I sat down and re-evaluated my priorities recently and realized that the reason I haven't been working out as much is because I am too tired after work. I've been working a lot recently so it's been difficult to balance my workout plan. When I am working out and feeling good, I tend to want to match appropriate eating behaviors with that. In the end, I decided that I needed to make a change to ensure that I have proper balance in my life and can resume consistent workouts.

I am going to work out in the morning! Woah! Now, to ensure I accomplish this, I have to get up between 5am and 5:30am to get to the gym by 6am so that I get in a proper workout and am able to make it to work on time. What a rush! 

I'm happy to report that I was able to follow through on this plan four out of five workdays! I am now on track to have a five day workout week, which is not bad while I am getting back on track! 

On the weekends I am going to do what I can for workouts at whatever time I want. 

We'll see how next week goes. What do you think?

Xoxo

Jenne 

A Mindful Monday

Hey Jeni! 

How are you? Did you have a nice Monday? 

At first glance, you might think that this post is about yoga or meditation. Alas, it is not! Today I was more mindful about my body and how it feels. 

I'm not going lie, I've been having a hard time this month. I have been dealing with a lot of inflammation weight and last week I went a little too hard for my knees. Now I am feeling like a mentally deflated (read: physically inflated).  

I think back to my challenge and where I was going with my body, both physically and nutrition wise. I've really blown things up in the past month. I've been over-eating, under-sleeping, and now I've overworked my good knee. 

What am I doing?! 

So yesterday I reset the clock to try and get things on track. I need to be mindful of what I am putting in my body and what I am doing to my body. Plain and simple. I think to myself, was I having a lot of fun doing what I was doing this past month? Was it all worth it? Ehhhh, I don't think so! 

I am also trying to understand what set me on this path during the past month when I was so close to reaching an ultimate goal. Maybe it's a little self sabotage. Maybe it really is all about missing peanut butter. 

Either way I will keep you posted. I'm ready to get everything back in order again. Let me know if yu have any suggestions. 

Xoxo

Jeni

MAY Your Day be Sweaty and Bright!

 

 

Hey Jenne!

 

 I can't believe it's MAY! We might actually be out of winter and into Spring!  HELLO outdoor sweat sessions!  I love the fitspo pic I posted, it really is a great feeling, isn't it?!  I really loved your updates this week.  I am so glad you are able to do workouts with your challange buddies- working out with friends makes it about so much more than just weights and reps.  We need to plan our girls weekend of biking and beaches!!  We are so close to bikini season... I have never been excited to get into a baithing suit, but this year I actually feel strong and empowered and ready to strut.  I have my eye on a saucy black number from VS!  How about you, will you treat yourself to a new suit after all of your hard work? 

 

  This week I was short on time, so I focused on my kettlebell workout (which I am freakin' loving!!) I feel bad ass with my new imporved abs!   I have read so many articles lately about the benefits of weight training for runners.  I am seriously interested in becoming a more balanced athlete.  Nutrition, strength, running and stretching need to be in balance, not any one should be more important than the other.   It is now just 15 days until my next half marathon and I have a GOAL to meet! 

 

  Your chia seed pudding looks so delish!  There is a paleo restaurant in the city that Mel and I went to the night before our race last month that had baller chia seed pudding, I am so hooked.  I didn't realize how simple it is to make.  Hello weekend treat! 

 

  What's on your agenda this weekend?  Looking forward to your updates!

 

Keep up the good work lady!

xo

Jeni

Post Challenge Check In

Hey Jeni! 

I am having some serious bike envy reading your last post. Please send me all details about this lovely bike ASAP! I am still in the process of seeing where I want to go with a commuter bike. 

It's funny you ask about goals and goal setting. My challenge ended on April 5th with some pretty solid results. I decided to go a little extra with my fitness goals, but I really felt like I needed some downtime. 

I had been focused on my diet for three months (with a healthy serving of chocoIate, gelato and mallo cups everyday), but I needed some donuts, Moe's queso and a little time for reflection on my achievements. I tested the waters, I ate a lot of the foods that I cut I out for the purposes of limiting inflammation in my body and I pretty much gained a lot of inflammation weight back! I wasn't surprised. I also had some pretty poor sleeping habits. All and all, I think I convinced myself to jump back on the wagon :-) I felt so much better without nuts, beans, corn and dried fruits. In the end it's about what works for me and how I feel. I realized I feel so much better without the foods that are not friendly to my system. I went light on exercise for a few reasons (a little bit of overachievement on the bike last weekend) but I seem back on track. I still feel my progress, but I want to take that the next step further! 

So where am I at with goals? Here they are:

1. Century bike ride

2. Consecutive days of longer rides on the bike (at least 30 miles)

3. Continue toning specific areas of my body

4. Challenge myself to a bit of abdominal definition (can't be bad for summer right?!)

5. Sleep hygiene

6. Food hygiene (ie. focus on fun, new, fresh recipes that enrich my body without inflammation) 

What are your goals? Anything specific? How will you plan to incorporate the bike into these goals? 

Xoxo

Jenne

An important first...

Hey Jeni, 

Glad that you are working on your diet... I have been blowing mine off for a week, I need to get back to my veggies. Tonight I wanted frosting, at least I made it homemade right? 

But more importantly... I have an important photo to show you...

Is this the biggest fake out or whatever? Sorry, I couldn't resist. This post will not be about my before and after photos :-)

Today was my first bike ride of the season! It was so exciting.  I did about 15 miles and kept up a pretty solid pace between 16-17 miles per hour. I was quite impresses with myself. Last season (my first) I was excited when I was over 12 miles an hour.  I have a lot of work to do to prepare for my upcoming Tour de Cure ride (http://main.diabetes.org/goto/jennro) on June 8th but I am up to the challenge! 

I am also considering commuting to work this season. I found a real sharp internal hub 8 speed bike, I am hesitant because I want to be sure that I am willing to commit to commuting. Right now my commute is about 2 miles total. It is not a big deal. I do not want to get into the habit of saying, "I'll ride my bike to work tomorrow" and never commute. I love the bike I found, but I need to ensure I am ready! Did you ever find a bike? 

As for the before and after, I am preparing that post and hope it will be up for you very soon. 

Please keep me posted on your running progress. 

Xoxo

Jenne

Testing some limits

Hey Jeni! 

I took a break yesterday. Still be gentle with that knee strain! This week. Had some good low impact workouts. I think my knee is going to heal up sooner rather than later and I will be back to doing some of my normal stuff! I just have to watch out, I get a little ambitious :-)

I had a lot of frustration with my weight this week and my weigh in. It did not go so well! However, there appear to be some larger factors out there, not just brownies. I have been enjoying treats and other things all throughout this whole 90 day experience because I am seeing that I do not need to deprive myself to get fit and lose weight. 

Which brings me to my next yesterday full of candy and treats. Oops! The worst part was that I ate a peanut butter cookie by accident. I saw it, it looked good and without even thinking, I ate it! I'm not supposed to eat nuts and it becomes very clear to me now that they bother me. I spelt the impact yesterday. 

What I also enjoyed were these lovely red velvet cupcakes! Three of them to be exact! 

Now, sure this could be a bad thing, but I baked them. I also used all organic products (part of my nutrition plan right now) and the best part, I shared them! The came out so good and everyone loved them. I love baking for people, it makes me so happy. So, while I do enjoy a baked good here or there, I think it's possible to work it in. Now, are three necessary? No! But every once in awhile? Why not? 

Today I did some additional strength training and tried a new dance class. It was fun. I had a late night so I was ver tired today so I didn't push my body too hard. I hope tomorrow is a different story though as I am hitting the slopes with my family! 

I hope you are having fun with all that snow, I can't wait until it melts and I'm out on the road on my bike! Hey, did you ever get a bike by the way? 

Xoxo

Jenne 

Choose your Friends Wisely!

Jenne,

    Let's address these brownies...  First off, while reading your post I realized junk food is such a Fr-enemy!!  It is so seductive at first and you think that they will make your life so fun and be there to support you during tough times... the next thing you know, they are stuck to your hips and talking trash behind your back!!  Girl, we're too old for Fr-enemies!!  Alright, all joking aside, I think sometimes revisiting old habits is necessary to remind us why we wanted to make a change to begin with... When I have slip-ups I try to determine why (my fr-enemey is definitely Milano Cookies).  Here are the 3 reasons why I sometimes reach for the MC's.  #1. sometimes I don't budget enough time to be able to eat real meals or search out healthy options (that's a lesson I am learning- making time for proper nourishment should NOT be taken lightly).  #2. sometimes I'm having a terrible day or I am stressed emotionally and I think, Milano's will give me the answer I need (WRONG).  #3. sometimes I am around other people that don't make their health a priority and I pick up on nasty habits (let's hope they don't jump off a bridge...) I need to remember I'm an individual with individual needs and not to follow along with my friends, just " 'cause ".  So, did you consider why you ate the brownies?  In short, I'd say I would stop feeling guilty and evaluate your reason for your over-indulgence and then go Pin some healthy eating inspo's and move forward!

How was your weigh in??  I can't wait to hear all about it!

I hope you have a wonderful day!  

Hugs and Kiss and Fantastic Fitness Wishes!

xo

Jeni 

Bad Workouts are Great Lessons

Hey Jenne!

  I know all about those days, where despite your best intentions, your workout is NOT what you hoped it would be.  I remember a few summers ago that there was a week I went from running 6 miles a day and then all of a sudden the very next week, I literally could not make it past 2 miles.  Just like you said, it's great practice to push through your training sessions, not just when it feels good.  My favorite book is called Mile Markers.  In it, Kristin Armstrong talks about how running (or cycling in your case) and all of our training prepares us for things much greater than a scheduled race.  It helps strengthen and prepare us for the worst of what life can/will throw at us.  Besides, it's the hard days that help us see how strong and far we've come and allows us to enjoy the great days/workouts!  As nutrition is something we talk a lot about, I will say, good nutrition and eating for strength can make all the difference in your ability to push or the cause of failure.  Everett always says to me that eating right for myself is like putting my air mask on in a plane-crash, I can't help others if I don't help myself... something to remember... 

  I really like rituals and habits.  I like to be spontaneous too, but need consistency at the same time.  Simple things like starting my day with a cup of green tea.  Without it I tend to feel disoriented and rushed.  As for working out, I love knowing that Sunday is my long run day.  It is guaranteed time for myself, to breathe, reflect and like you said, organize my thoughts for the upcoming week.  It also usually means eating a LOT of carbs on Saturday night!  

My dreadmill 2 miles, at least I logged something.

  I have now run 2 half-marathons and am training for my 3rd, 4th and 5th (they are all within 4 weeks of each other).  The first one I followed a training plan and the second one I just ran what I wanted to when I had the time and the race went fine.  I didn't improve my time at all, but I finished in 2 hours and 9 minutes.  This time around I want to be sub 2 hours, so I found a training plan that I think will certainly get me there... especially since I ran my fastest 3-miler just a few days ago!!!  So yesterday I was supposed to run an easy 3 miles, but the day really got away from me.  Our house is being renovated and E and I went to pickup our new fridge and grocery shop at the new Honest Weight Co-op in Albany and didn't get home until after 8pm.  I couldn't run in town, I just don't think it's safe in the dark, so I decided to just book it to the gym and log whatever I could on the "dreadmill"... I made it to the gym 20 minutes before they closed.  I hopped on and pushed out 2 miles as they were vacuuming and closing down shop.  I know I did a mile less than I should have, but I was more proud of the fact that I went and did something rather than just calling it a missed workout!  Erin, my soon-to-be-sister-in-law and I both agree that each mile logged on a treadmill should count as 10 regular miles... I really hate treadmills.   

  Today we are getting incredible amounts of snow!!  I was called last night to say that school would be closed today due to the impending weather... so I am home, not having to work.  How fabulous is that! E and I are hoping to go cross-country skiing later today, when things die down a bit!!

What would you do with a surprise day off?  Would you relax and watch movies all day or would you go do something active?

Have a great week!  Drink water, Fit thoughts!

xo
Jeni

Speedy Weekend

At the end of my fastest 3 miles ever!

Hey Healthy girl!

  It really seems like you are learning and growing in your journey.  I am so happy you are able to do so.  Diet has always been a hard thing for me.  I have never had to consider diet as a way of balancing my weight, my family is blessed with a high metabolism.  Although that sounds like a great thing, it has allowed me to eat lots of junk food and not see the effects of it out right.  I am now learning that eating healthy is more than just balancing weight.  I know when I don't eat healthy I have short patience, it is hard to stay focused, i am lethargic all day, regardless of how much coffee I drink and worst of all, my running suffers- which in turn makes me crankier.  I have said it before, that I eat balanced and healthy- until I get busy, then it turns in to cookies and granola bar central... that's not fueling me at all!  So it really is my goal for this year to make my 'diet' a more important part of my routine.

  So here is my weekend recap- I had two incredible runs!  Yesterday I went out for a 3 mile run and without evening intending on it I ran the fastest I ever have.  I covered 3 miles in 23 minutes and 44 seconds- that's an average pace of 7:45/mile and my fastest mile was 7:37.  That's the fastest mile I have ever run!  I am so excited that after just a week and a half into my training for my next half marathon I was able to do that!  Let me tell you why I think that happened... I have been trying for the last 3 weeks to only say positive things about my body... the minute a negative thought or a complaint pops in to my head I say, "oh no you don't... you are strong and resilient and your body does incredible things..."  Something negative jumped in to my thoughts as I was getting ready to head out for my run and I reminded myself of all the positives and boom... I ran at what I think is a pretty incredible pace!  Then today I went out and ran 5 miles.  I felt so strong, I truly could have gone 5 more.  I stayed with my training plan though, I'll get to 10 miles soon enough.  

  So after my weekend I feel pretty happy and powerful!  I can't wait until tomorrow, on my training plan Monday is stretch and strength... so i'm going to yoga and then an interval training class at my gym.  I am starting to look at fitness as "me time" that I am lucky to have instead of "uh, I have to do this thing", it makes it so much more exciting to go to the gym.  

  Well I hope you have a great Monday!  Stay motivated!  xo

Jeni 

me after my first long run of the season (5 miles)- it stayed light until after 5 o'clock! 

 I'm not sure which is more exciting!

Cake is a Worthless ex.

Hey Girl!
  Man, I wish I could workout with you.  That dance class sounds like so much fun.  I've only done Zumba once and really liked it.  Although, I typically think I have pretty good rhythm, I did find myself tripping over my own feet a few times, while everyone around me knew all the steps... at least I got practice laughing at myself.

   Last night and today were really crazy busy.  I had teacher conferences last night and had an 11 hour day at school and unfortunately did not make it home in time to get to the pool before it closed.  BLAH.  Today was another long day and I didn't even have time to walk Roscoe.  Usually when I am overwhelmed the first thing I drop is good eating habits.  I lean on cafe sandwiches, cookies and granola bars to get me though.  Luckily, I had a revelation last week- no one else is responsible for my health and well-being besides myself and I must respect myself enough to value both things.  It made a big difference in the way I have been eating the last week and a half. The last two days I have made the most delicious and balanced breakfasts and packed healthy, energy-boosting lunches(Hurray!)  I'm really rather proud of myself, to be honest.  I know that York Peppermint patties are so tempting, they are my favorite!! BUT, you need to remind yourself that the most delicious treat of all is reaching your goals... and if something isn't going to help you get there, it is a pointless use of your time and in this case, calories!   Today while eating my perfectly portioned salad, of protein, carbs and fats, I was reading a health magazine and saw this little tid bit...#8  I have to say I really loved it!  I told E last night at dinner that I am considering a cake-less birthday and wondered if I would feel sad or BADASS.  Then I saw this today, and I'm pretty sure the answer is BADASS!  How do you feel about it?!?!

  So on to workout duds- I have to say that I really love working out in tanks.  I thoroughly enjoy being able to watch my muscles work and gleam!!!  I also really like capris, as apposed to full length pants (well, if I've had the chance to shave my legs... which with how busy things have been and the sub freezing the temps lately, shaved legs are a major rarity).  On New Year's day I went running in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and a woman ran past with the best leggings I have ever seen!!  They had galaxies and cats all over them.... I really want some wacky leggings for sure!
 
  Alright, so now it is late and I had barely any sleep last night, so I am going to head to bed.  I will write tomorrow- I have crossfit in the afternoon and then I am planning on meeting up with two different running groups this weekend.  I need some active friends down here!!  Can't wait for the weekend, and then just one week till I see you and we turn 29!!

GOOD NIGHT!  FIT DREAMS,
xo
Jeni

You got to WERQ it WERQ it

Hey Jeni! 

I think if I saw the nutrition plan, I would have failed. Today I was HUNGRY. I mean hungry all day. I have my meals pretty planned out, but then there were the York peppermint patties. I already ate my dinner prior to going to the gym... Probably not the best choice because I'll be HUNGRY (!!!) after. I've maxed out my allotted calories for the day. 

I actually use MyFitnessPal. Have you ever tried it? It's a tracking mechanism for food. The challenge can be that you have to measure out your raw foods, but when I am on a kick, it do just that! It breaks down for your goals how much you need to eat each day, including the breakdown of carbs, protein and fat. I have only ever once met the goal for sugar. I was proud that day. I find this tracker really helpful. I am starting to use it again. Have you ever tried any of the phone trackers? 

Last night I tried a new workout! It's called WERQ. It's a dance fitness class similar to Zumba. Many of my transformational team members went! 

I thought it was fun. There was a dance move, I called it the Egyptian. At the end of class I told my team mates how I fail at that dance. Come to find out, it's the Thriller dance. Who knew? I guess I really missed the mark on that one! The most important thing was that it was fun and I felt Iike I was getting a decent workout. 

Of course... I was sure to wear a fancy outfit for this dance party. Well ok, not fancy, but a top and pants that were suitable. I also tested my new Athleta zip up jacket for our warm up. It worked nice although I really want to test it when skiing. Here's a question for you... When working out, do you like tees or tanks? Capris or full length pants? Sometime soon I will post my gym bag. She's definitely a keeper. I like having a bagged prepped at all times for working out. It helps to ensure that there are really no excuses! 

Tonight I am going to a strength training class. I haven't done one in months so it'll be interesting to see where I am at with weights. I am looking to increase my strength training and get it on my calendar as a regular occurrence. It's hard when I prefer to just spin it out on a bike or something. 

What have you learned about yourself this week? Any changes to your goals? 

Xoxo

Jenne

A Little Intentional Breathing

Hey Girl,
So tomorrow is my first day back to work in 17 days.  Well, technically I have been working the whole time, sewing and making dresses.  But school starts back up again and I'm afraid I have forgotten how to teach!?!?  I always get a bit anxious after big breaks.  So today I decided to skip the hot yoga in the morning and get things done.  I started to feel the anxiety building up during dinner and knew I better get in touch with some proper breathing and stretching to let it all out.  I turned off all the lights in the house and lit some candles around my mat.  It was superb- I think this might be my new nightly ritual.  Lighting makes a huge difference! I can't find my favorite yoga dvd, which super bums me out.  But I did a yoga search on youtube and ended up really liking the video I chose.  Bonus, this teacher is right in Kingston, so just 25 mins from me!  It had a lot of deep hip work, which is where I hold all of my stress, so it was perfect.  I'm posting the video for you- check it out!

Now, how about you.  How are you feeling about the challenge?  How did you feel about your initial weigh in?  Was it better/worse than you were expecting or right on what you thought?   Do you feel motivated to eat right and workout?  Do you like your teammates?  How many other teams are there?  Is there any sort of competitions between the teams? What types of workouts are you going to be doing mainly?

After work tomorrow E and I are going to Crossfit in the evening.  I am super pumped.  We had been going so regularly and I was feeling so strong and cool and then 3 weeks ago when V got put down I was so sad and depressed that I didn't go at all.  This last week I feel like I am finally getting out of my sadness rut and I can't wait to push myself tomorrow night.

Alright, it's now 11pm- aak, how did that happen.  I better go to bed.  Can't wait to hear from you.

Until tomorrow,
xo
Jeni    

 

Ski Bunny

Hey Jenne,
  check me out!  today Everett and I borrowed cross country skis from some friends and took them out on the farm.  We've been looking for a winter activity that we could enjoy together, and this is wonderful.  After just five minutes my shoulders and arms were feeling it.  It was a great workout and it felt nice to be outside in nature and not cooped up on the couch or in a gym.   Have you ever tried it?  We're hoping to go up to Lake Placid next weekend for the winter fest and do some more skiing.  That would be so baller!

  How did your first day of the challenge go?

  Let's chat diet real quick.  Last week I was sugar free for 6 whole days.  It felt incredible!  My skin was glowing, I felt more awake and just much more satisfied.  Well, then I came in contact with some M&M's on New Year's eve, and I've never met an M&M I didn't like... I ate nearly the entire Party-Sized bag.  I fell into the trap and have had the need for sugar the last 4 days.  Today I woke up and knew I was only hurting myself. So I said I have to be serious about my health and stop eating things I know aren't doing anything for me.  So it's 7:36 pm and I have made it all day without eating any sugar.  Everett brought a bag of brownies in to the bedroom while we were relaxing and watching tv and I withstood the temptation!!!  How did I even do that???  Just telling you about how desperate I felt and how badly I wanted those brownies is helping me to hold fast.  How are you doing with the queso??

Alright, time for me to go.  I'm heading up to Albany tonight to visit Lis and then do some hot yoga in the am before coming back down.

Looking forward to hearing about your day.

Sweet fitness dreams,
Xo
Jeni 

Queso

Jeni, Jeni, Jeni,

I've embarked on a few things today that I haven't done before:

1. Had someone else stand at a scale taking my weight while discussing my weight with me.
2. Had my body fat measured with calipers.
3. Took a "Before" picture.

How does this all tie into queso? Well for starters, I love queso. I love chips.  I love salsa and guacamole. Cheese is a beautiful. However, continued cheese, chips and other indulgences aren't good for the body. Couple it with a sedentary lifestyle and it can lead to problems. I've gained weight since my college years.

That's where I was about a year ago. Sedentary with little regard for how I was treating myself. Then I joined a gym. I bought a road bike.  I hunkered down and lost a solid 15-20 pounds. I felt great!

Then life happened. Work. Family. Stress. Travel.  Busy.  I went to yoga less. I went to the gym less. I got tired.  I needed queso. I gained some of my weight back. I knew what I was doing the whole time and the result it had. I was ok with it. Changes happened quickly.

I snapped out of it a bit about a month or so ago. I thought to myself, there are some places I am looking to be with my fitness level that I think I could use some help with. So I joined my gym's 90 day transformation challenge. I listed my goals as follows:

1. Learning to work past life stressors that can inhibit healthy resting and exercising. Use fitness to address that, not queso!
2. Tone my hip and thigh area. I have a hard time with this area.
3. Some weight loss, due to #2.
4. Improve fitness level so I can ride a 100 mile bike ride.

Today was my weigh in! Tomorrow the challenge officially starts. I'm really excited. However, I felt the need to have a "last supper" of sorts with some queso, guacamole, chips and a salad.

I surprised myself though, I felt a bit like a glutton when I eating all of this stuff. I didn't finish everything (ok I ate practically all the queso but had other leftovers). At the end I thought, I am not sure that I really needed this last supper. I can do this. I am excited to do this!

Change happens. It does. And I cannot wait to tell you how tomorrow goes!

Xoxo
Jenne