A welcoming change

Hello my dear friends! I am so sorry i haven't, once again, posted in such a long time.  I recently have been privileged to start working my dream job and it has just consumed my time.  I am now a certified personal trainer at Golds Gym here in Milwaukee.  I am in love with my job and the job satisfaction is amazing.   

In the time that i have been there, i have gained clients, helped change lives and outlooks on personal fitness and health, and in turn helped myself with conquering some of my own personal demons.  Most people who read this know that i have suffered a 17 year battle with an eating disorder and body image issues.  Working at the gym, preaching fitness and health, surrounded by others who are preaching the same, has had a huge change on my outlook.  I have increased my weight, im eating 3 meals and snacks a day (not that i dont have days where i still struggle, because i do) and im just embracing my body.  Its such a huge and positive change.  

My running is still going really well! Yeay!  I am training just as hard, but not as often.  I have access to a pool now, so i am alternating days with pool training and running, as well as doing a lot of weight and strength training.  I am even considering entering myself into a bikini or physique competition.  I work with such great people that i would have a constant support system and i wouldn't have to worry about doing anything wrong as i have people with experience working with me daily to help guide and direct me if i decided to enter. 

Anyways, i just wanted to give a quick update on things. Its not a very detailed one and its not very exciting but i will try to update more often and have some more exciting things to say!

Until next time "Out greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always to just try one more time"  -Thomas A. Edison

Get your LYFT on :)

Recently, I had the opportunity to try a new product, #pureLYFT ! It was a bit different then what I expected, yet I felt the benefits from it.  Im a caffeine junkie so it was nice to be able to try a #CleanCaffeine.  #pureLYFT is a different form of energy.  Most energy drinks are very sugary and prework-outs require you to shake in a blender cup and leave a bit of a powder residue. Whats great about #pureLYFT is that its a stick! What a stick you ask!? Yes,  all you need is a glass of water or whatever your drink of choice may be.  You unwrap the stick, and for 10 seconds you stir into your beverage.  There is no residue left to shake up and it comes with a very clean taste.  I recommend using it in juice, as the first time I used it was in plain water and it did taste just a bit overwhelming for me.  Its not a bad taste, but its a bit bitter, to me.  I also have crazy weird tastes buds, but that's a whole different story.

I used my first #pureLYFT stick about 20 minutes before I ran.  I had an excellent 6 mile run and felt my energy stay at a constant level.   The second use, I mixed in a cranberry juice, to help with the taste, and waited about 30 minutes, to let the sugar from the juice absorb.  I then did a lifting workout followed by a run and felt energized there as well.

I would recommend this product to someone who is always on the go and doesn't have time to grab a blender cup and measure out a prework out drink.  This is perfect to slip in your gym bag or your purse.  The #pureLYFT sticks come wrapped so there is no risk of the supplement falling out.  Its a quick 10 second stir and you are on your way to #sweatpink :)

Here are some of the great features of this product

Zero Calories

Clean Taste

Can be used with a variety of different beverages from water to freshly pressed juices to coconut water and cocktails

Vibrant Alertness

No artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives

Caffeine equivalent to one tall coffee 

(taken off the #pureLYFT website)

Also check out their great comparison chart here : #pureLYFT

Overall, I really enjoyed the fact that this is a #CleanCaffeine and that its very quick and easy for when im on the go.  However, I am a personal trainer, so I do have the time to sit with prework outs and blenders so im not sure how often I will be using this product as I have other supplements that I do tend to navigate towards.

Why

This will be my first non fitness post. Next Friday, I turn 28. Im over obsessing about it and my life as to where I am right now.  I never thought I'd live past 25. I even constantly told my mother id be dead before then. And I was almost right.  In January of 2011 I mixed drugs and alcohol into a deadly combination and put myself into a 3 day coma.  After that I didn't change anything and just went right back to the bottle. Today I can admit I have had ups and downs. Relapses along the way. I got sober at 24 and spent my 25th birthday in jail. I have relapsed and gotten sober again since then and am stronger now.  The fact that 28 is a week a way is really fucking my mind though. After my drinking career and my 17 year long eating disorder which has had me hospitalized over a handful of times, why am I still here? Why?  What is Gods plan for me? I feel like I am stuck in a place I don't belong and should've left years ago, but here I am.  I have learned all I can do is trust. Trust that God does have a plan for me. That greater things are yet to come and I was left for a reason

Vega One, Mega Fun

This past month, I was selected and given the opportunity to taste and review Vega One.  Being a constant serial snacker, this was great chance for me to make #OneChange to my daily routine and a way to help me stop my boredom eating habit.  I have fallen into the habit of eating a solid breakfast and then throughout the day mindlessly snacking.  I have a very set routine, I eat my breakfast, head to work until 4 and then go straight to the gym.  I don't like to work out on a full stomach so I snack instead.  With snacking, Ive actually allowed myself to over consume calories. 

Introduce Vega One and not only am I no longer mindlessly snacking but am giving myself an alternative way to get all my body needs and not feel like im working out on an over stuffed stomach.   So you ask, what is this Vega One I speak of?!  Its awesomeness that you can drink! A plant based all-in-one nutritional shake. Just on shake gives you 50% of your daily recommended vitamin and mineral intake should be.  For anyone with allergies and intolerances, this is a shake for you!  Dairy, gluten, soy and sugar free!  Are you someone who after  workout enjoys a protein shake? I know I am, but Whey protein powders make my stomach churn and im left feeling queasy and uncomfortable.  Vega One also provides 15g of protein as well as omega-3's and other antioxidants, probiotics and greens.  If you make #OneChange to your day, make it with a shake.  Not a breakfast fan, that's okay, the recipe ive posted below is great for starting your day off right with getting the nutrients your body needs.  You can even make it the night before if you are pressed for time in the mornings. 

Adding Vega One into my day has been a great #OneChange to my daily routine.  Around 2 I have my shake and I feel energized and ready to seize the day.  My workout, run or yoga practice don't suffer because  don't feel overfull and I haven't spent my day mindlessly eating a box of crackers.  I have found that, for myself, one Vega One shake midday helps keep my hunger at bay and has led me to be more mindful of having healthier eating habits.  One of the goals I have for 2014 is to go Vegan.  Being that I love having a meal supplement or something with a good amount of protein to take either before or after a workout, Vega One will be replacing my whey protein shakes and that is #OneChange im proud to be making!

My Vega One recipe:

1packet Vega One French vanilla powder
1-1 1/2 cups of either almond or coconut milk (adds a thicker consistency and tastes sweeter)
2 teaspoons of chia seeds (they are a great source of protein and i add them to almost everything i eat)
Dash of cinnamon and 1 packet of Stevia  (i like the sweetness)

I am very simple with my foods and my blender is on the weaker side, so i dont add tons of fruits or veggies.  Now and then Ill add a banana into the smoothie and that adds a great combination of flavor and fullness. 

If you can dream it, You CAN achieve it

Another month has gone by since my last blog. I truly apologize.  I don't have a computer at home (its broken) so its very hard for me to be able to keep up.  A lot has happened in the last  month! SO many exciting things!

I still don't have that Y membership, but that's because we had some hang ups and ill be getting it within the next week.  About time! In the past month I've thrown myself into cross training and have gotten back into yoga.  It feels really good to be doing yoga again.  I really lost myself this summer.  Being unemployed and injured really put me in a funk.

In the past month, I started working.  Those two jobs did work out for me, yeay! Now im working at a Salon and at Swarovski.  I love having two jobs, but its keeping me busy and im needing to learn to balance my life.  I work 13 hour days and still need to find time to hang out with my boyfriend and train. 

I decided that I'm going to treat myself to a birthday 1/2 marathon in San Diego.  I super excited.  I haven't been to California since 2009 when I was competing at USMS (united states masters swimming) Nationals in Clovis.  I start my 1/2 marathon training on Nov 3.  I cant wait to start; I love that I am not just running to run (which I love to do) but that I am also running and training for a purpose.  The half marathon is on Feb 22nd.  I spent a couple weeks perfecting my training plan, I even made sure that I have consistent rest days, and I hate rest days, but my body needs them.

This past weekend, my #energybits came in the mail.  Here is the link to their web page so you can check them out and read all about the product energy bits  I took 8 my first time trying them.  Holy cow do they give you energy!! I felt like I had just drank 3 or 4 cups of coffee.  I took fewer then the packaging suggests, but I did so on an empty stomach.  I felt so energized.   It really helped! The early morning workouts I have coming up, im going to make sure that they are #FueledByBits because they really work! I suggest that everyone check them out.  Its an all natural energy source, whats not to love!

Okay well, thats about all I have for right now.  I have a super busy work week ahead of me and am trying to keep my life in a healthy balance.  My anxiety seems to be higher then normal so im trying to foucs on centering myself, looking at the positives and doing daily prayer and meditation. 

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."  -Steve Prefontaine

Time heals all wounds

Goodness gracious! It has been over 3 months since I last blogged. Yikes! So much has changed, yet at the same time so little has happened.  My last blog, I was working at the salon still.  Well 8 days after that was posted, I left the salon and have since been on the job hunt.  Just this week things really started to turn around as I received over 10 calls from companies to interview and have (fingers crossed) nailed down 2 jobs!! 

This summer, I didn't run very much.  At the end of May, my hip had started acting up and I kept training and pushing myself.  I wanted to run faster and harder.  I did, and then I couldn't run at all. I ended up with a pulled hip flexer, 2 bad knees and an Achilles that was starting to nag at me. So, I listened to my body for once.  I stopped running.  I rested.  I iced.  I elevated.  I finally did what my body had been begging me to do for so long. 

My summer has been pretty lazy.  I haven't had much to do, with not working and not really running.  I had softball with my AA league.  (Yup, still embracing the sober lifestyle!)  I was on a different team this year and we finished 3rd overall for the season.  I had to have a runner for when I was up to bat as I couldn't even run to 1st base with out sever pain in my hip.  So not good!

I did run here and there when my body allowed it, but haven't really started to run again until this month, and even at that im still going easy on myself and my times are not where they were at the end of May.    I will post the monthly stats at the end of this blog.  I have decided that im not going to blog in the same format I had been.  I recently became a #SweatPink Ambassador and am so excited about it! I want to start blogging in a way that inspires others, motivates, and encourages.  Im not going to be as focused on recording my times and pace.  My nike plus app does that for me.  

Now to finish my mini update... This summer, I cancelled my gym membership at SNAP fitness and will soon be getting a YMCA membership.  I am SOOO excited about that! I will have pool access (I got in the water a couple of time this summer (hadn't done that in over a year) and if felt amazing!) and the Y also has an indoor track so I wont have to constantly treadmill train come winter.  Treadmill training, in my mind, can be done.  If you have the right shoes, the right tread, the right form and technique.  If not, you can end up injured, which is what happened to me. 

That is about all I have going on.  Just waiting to hear back on some interviews so I can move forward and getting some things back on track. 

Here are my monthly stats from June thru September.  I am still debating getting in a run today.  Its a beautiful Saturday out, 73degrees.  Not many of these days left in Wisconsin. I need to take advantage while I can, plus what else do I have to do today anyway! I think I just made up my mind.  Time to get out there and run!

June: 7.65miles total (I was very injured!!) avg pace 6'05" per mile

July: 19.3 miles total (starting to feel a tad better but not a lot) avg pace 6'29" per mile

August: 24.5miles total avg pace 6'41" (pace is soo much slower from lack of consistent workouts)

September: 38.2 miles total  avg pace 6'39" per mile

Well that's all I have for now.  I will try to be better at posting and inspiring!

This Princess wears Running Shoes

(please note, this entry started at around the 20th of may and now just got finished so is a bit of old news)

I am so bad at staying up to date! May is almost over and i have yet to blog one of my runs from this month.  Before i get into the runs ill do a quick update on life. Cause mine is SOOO exciting. haha

Softball is going really good.  I love my team.  Its a great group of people and i play with one of my best friends.  Ive been trying to make a point of running or at least working out every day.  There is no reason to have an excuse not to.  If i have to get up earlier or stay up later, then i just have to. A day without working out will send me into a complete panic attack.  Ive been struggling a lot lately with where my weight is at.  My weight isnt like super low, its actually at a healthy weight and thats what is driving me crazy. I don't like being "healthy" i like looking bony and sickly thin.  To each their own.  Let haters hate, its what makes me feel happy and im the one who has to live with this body.  Ive been working 2 jobs, both are going great.  I love that it keeps me busy. A few weekends ago, i dog sat for about a week.  It was for the dog i watched a couple of times last summer.  The cutest and sweetest rottweiler.  The boy i had been smitten with, well thats over.  We had a great connection and vibed really well, but it ended up being constant drama, brought on by both ends.  This past weekend we got in a fight and thats it for me.  I dont need that in my life.  Especially over some petty bullshit.  So, i deleted his number and am moving on.  I got myself a new sponsor in AA.  Im going outside of the AA norm and i have a guy as my sponsor; he is only my temporary sponsor until i can find a woman who i can connect to as well as who has what i want.  When looking for a sponsor you should seek out someone who has what you want and will give you spiritual guidance and work the steps. 

...well i got very side tracked and its been over a week since i started this entry.  May is now over (Its june 4) so i have a whole month worth of runs to blog.  My knees have been terrible! And now im dealing with my right hip flexer giving me problems.  Im just falling apart.  Moving/walking is starting to hurt.  But i keep pushing through the pain and going hard.  I signed up for the "Rock N Sole" 5k here in Milwaukee.  Its in two weeks.  Im really excited for it and am going to try to make myself rest and not over do it so that im in better condition come race day.  My ultimate goal is top 10 (out of male and female) and I would ideally like to take 1st place overall for women.    This upcoming monday, i have a new pair of shoes being delivered to me! Im super excited to finally retire my nikes.  Ive been running in them for way to long.  I order the Puma Mobium Elite Running Shoes.  Im very excited about them. 

Okay, well time to blog the runs:

The Month of May general overview:  Ran 78.3miles, overall avg pace of 6'12" (i dont have a total time as nike made changes to the app and now says the nike fuel i earned instead of time.  i still dont really understand what the nike fuel points are for)

The runs:
May 1- (ran outside) 4.28miles avg pace 6'28" total 27:42 M1:6'38" M2:6'28" M3:7'04" M4:5'36"
May 4- (indoor) 3.13miles avg pace 6'29" total 20:17 M1:6'37" M2:6'33" M3:6'20"
May 5- (ran outside) 2.28miles avg pace 6'23" total 14:36 M1:6'26" M2:6'16"
May 6- (outside-was trying to run at a half marathon pace) 4.28miles avg pace 7'02" total 30:11 M1:6'24" M2:7'06" M3:7'26" M4:7'19"
May 8- (outside)- I sprinted a mile- 1.02mile avg pace 5'45" total time 5'53"  Then i rested for 5 minutes and went on a 2.18mile run My gps went haywire this day and stopped working so i dont have times

May 12- (indoor) 5.01miles avg pace 6'25" total 32:12 M1:6'24" M2:6'25" M3:6'27" M4:6'29" M5:6'21"  I was pleased with this run as i ran at a consistent pace 

May 13- (outside) 3.14miles avg pace 6'09" total 19:20 M1:6'02" M2:6'36" M3:5'53"
May 14- (indoor, 430 am workout) 6.21miles avg pace 6'33" total 40:42 (this was a best 10K time for me)
May 15- (outside) 2.32miles avg pace 6'28" total 15:04 M1:6'33" M2:6'31"
May 16- (this was the last day i hung out with the guy id been seeing, so i took it easy at the gym/had a quick workout so that i would have time to get ready to hang out) Ran 1.01miles 6'39" biked 12miles 

May 17- (indoor) 3.22miles avg pace 6'40" total 21:30 M1:6'49" M2:6'45" M3:6'30"

May 18- (indoor) this day I had intended to do a fast run rest 5 min then do another but i ended up walking a mile and a half between runs while talking to a guy on the treadmill next to me. Ran 2.01mi avg pace 6'31 total 13:10 M1:6'37" M2:6'26" walked then ran 2.46miles avg pace 6'15" total time 15:22 M1:6'21" M2:6'09"

May 19- (indoor) ran 2.02miles avg pace 6'12" total time 12:33 M1:6'22" M2:6'03" 

May 20- (outside)5.04miles avg pace 6'25" total time 32:23 M1:6'56" M2:6'57" M3:6'43" M4:6'35" M5:6'27"

May 21- (indoor) 4.21miles avg pace 6'26" total time 27:09 M1:6'42" M2:6'35" M3:6'14" M4:6'20" 

May 23- (indoor) 3.18miles avg pace 6'13" total time 19:46 M1:6'30" M2:6'05" M3:6'08" then 20 min stair master then ran 1.53miles recovery run in 10:48

May 25- (indoor) 3.13miles avg pace 5'22" total time 16:49 M1:5'17" M2:5'27" M3:5'22" 

May 26- (indoor) 3.15miles avg page 5'21" total time 16:53 M1:5'29" M2:5'29" M3:5'06
May 28- (indoor) 3.15miles avg page 5'15" total time 16:35 M1:5'13" M2:5'07" M3:5'23"
did 22min StairMaster then sprinted a mile. 1.00 5'23"
May 29- (outside) 3.18miles avg pace 5'42" total time 18:11 M1:5'34" M2:5'5" M3:5'39"
May 30- (indoor) this day my hipflexer along with my knees really started to bother me.  Im currently running in intense pain because of my hipflexer.  I should be taking off but, well this is me we're talking about.  Ran 3.15miles avg page 5'05" total time 16:01 M1:5'04" M2:5'03" M3:5'05"  this was was great run.  I was consistent and i ran my fastest 5k to date 15:44

I took off of working out on the 31st.  I know i needed to.  Ive been stretching a lot but the pain is at its worst.  I walk with a limp.  Once i get past the initial pain onset, and push through it, im fine and when i stop the pain returns.  (okay now its june 6. im soooo bad at getting this done!!)  I was at the gym on tuesday (2 days ago) and talked with a physical therapist.  I shouldnt have ran that day but eh i did.  And then i could hardly walk.  Ive been in extreme pain the last few days.  Yesterday i was crying while walking to work because i hurt so bad.  The physical therapist told me my injury is brought on by my posture.  My natural stance (and i have horrrrible posture) is keeping me in a constant stretch. Then add running like i have been to that and im just overstretcing my body, also my hips are uneven and thats been adding to the hip injury.  He told me my core is extremely weak and that as of right now i need to stop running and start to strengthen my core.  He also gave me some exercises that will help me with my posture but my core is key.  So i have 8 days to let myself "heal" before this 5k.  Im running this race no matter what.  And im giving it my all.  I just will take it easy and ice and fuel my body correctly until next week Saturday.

I do have a few runs from this month:
June 1: Ran 4.09miles (indoor) avg pace 5'10" total 21.12 M1:5'08" M2:5'04" M3:5'14" M4:5'14"
June 2: Ran 3.15miles (indoor) avg pace 5'17" total 146:41 M1:5'30" M2:5'05" M3:5'12"
June 3: Ran 1.01 (outside.  i got my new running shoes in the mail and wanted to quickly try them out! They are amazing) 6'19" total 6'25"
June 4: Ran 3.22miles (indoor) this is the day i shouldnt have run avg pace 5'34" total 17:56  M1:5'29" M2:5'37" M3:5'32"

I just hope that i can push through this injury and run the times i have been running the past few weeks when i do the Rock N Sole.  I really want to win the womens division and place top 10 overall.  I mean in a perfect world id just win the whole race. 

Until next time, "The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win" -Robert Bannister