Christmas Troubles

Hey there ladies and men!

 

I know- you all think I've been slacking, but I can tell you that I have been working my little booty off (quite literally.) I would have been blogging but, unfortunately, my older sister had a little accident with a glass of water and my computer took the brunt of it.

 

Computer down or not, I have been going to the gym every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday morning with my dear mama (with a few occasional exceptions), and some of the teachers at her school. So far, we've been doing Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30. That's what I was doing over a month ago, but so far I've been seeing results and I would like to see what else I can get from it.

 

Since I began Ripped in 30, I've seen a drastic decrease in my waist. I still have a little bit to go on my stomach, but my thighs and (oddly) ankles have also slimmed down and its just a matter of getting in some cardio. After not running for so long, I won't lie- cardio kind of kicks my butt.

 

The plan is to start running in the school gym in the morning, directly after my workout with Jillian. (Still can't stand her.) Hopefully that will get this pouch to slim down because this girl is getting sick of having it.

 

How is everyone doing when it comes to snacking on all of those yummy holiday goodies?? I have so far been able to ignore the platefuls of cookies, brownies, and toffee. I'm unsure how much longer my self control will last, so if any of you have any tips on how to NOT stuff my face, I appreciate you. :) I have not done such a fabulous job when it comes to holiday parties and the delicious drinks being served... hence the cardio :)

 

Until we sweat again!!

No Amount

*Please note that exiting this post is an option at all times*

Hello fitness friends!!

As you all (might) know, I have been blogging for about 3 years now. I have had my fair share of people saying how silly my blog is, as well as people telling me how much my blog has helped them, and let me tell you something...

If I only ever received negative comments about my blog...

If people told me it was trash and to give up writing about staying fit...

I would still keep blogging if I knew that it was helping even ONE person stay on track.

I would keep posting about my workout results, both good and bad, if it meant that even ONE person reached their workout goals.

It is going to take a hell of a lot more than being called "an attention seeking whore" to get me to let down the followers of this blog, however small that number might be.

It will take so much more than someone calling me that grotesque word beginning with the letter C to get me to say, "well I guess working out is useless. Time to give up."

No amount of bullying (which makes you SO cool, especially over the internet) is going to make me change how I help others reach their fitness goals. If someone hates my blog so much, the option to exit this blog is always available.

For my loyal readers, thank you so much for any kind words you've had to say about this whole mess. Your support seems endless and I cannot tell you how very much you are all appreciated. As long as you're reading, I'll be here writing.

Until we sweat again.

Oh Holy Calves

Hey y'all!

So I realized I hadn't blogged for a couple of weeks (I've been working a ton lately- right after my morning workout), so I thought I'd get all you guys and gals caught up to speed!!

I have been doing Jillian Michaels' DVD Ripped in 30. (If you follow my blog on the regular you will have already known that!!) I am presently on week 3 of 4.

A few things:

1) I hate Jillian Michaels

2) With a fiery passion

3) No seriously. If I could deck her in the face without the fear of getting punched back, I'd totally knock that chick out.

*End Rant*

I have also been doing some interval training. My mom has a lovely friend, Jesse, that used to take some Cross Fit classes (is that a class??) and we may or may not be copying some of their moves.

All is fair in love and fitness, am I right?

I also have this crazy obsession with having muscular calves (Sibling rivalry thing. If you're not the unwanted other sibling from your childhood years, you wouldn't understand... unless you saw my sister's calves in high school. Then you'd understand.)

I want, like, super muscular, look-like-I'm-wearing-high-heels-all-the-time calves. I want people to look at my legs and be like "Day-um. Girl has got some great calves."

I can't really explain this weird, crazy quirk about me. All I can say is "OUCH." I have been working my calves like crazy. I read somewhere that calves respond to slow, high reps, rather than quick reps with lots of weight. With that knowledge in mind, I have been using my own body weight on the edge of a step (preferably at the base of the stairs since we all know I'm a giant klutz), and do 50 reps, pausing when I'm at the peak of my calf raise and holding for 2 seconds before lowering my heels. (I stretch out my calves at the 25 mark. Because calf raises are hard.)

I then come back to calf raises throughout my workout 1 or 2 more times. I did it yesterday (Only I came back like 3 or 4 times) and my calves have been SO SORE all day. It's like God is on Britney Spears' side with having to work to look good or something.

Which is awesome. 

I've also been working on toning up my bootay. Lots of rear and side leg extensions, squats with hip thrusts, lunges out the holy wazoo, and in general lots of butt squeezing :)

I want to hear what everyone has been up to! Tell me what body part you're currently obsessed with and what you're doing to make it look amazing!!!

Until we sweat again!!

Jillian Michaels is the DEVIL.

This woman. This one right here. I hate her. Not because she made me work hard, or because she yelled at me in that SUPER manly voice the whole video. I hate her because she just yammered on the Whole. Time.

Let me back this up for you.

I did Ripped in 30 with my mom this morning, a video that boasts that its users will see "Ripped" results in just 30 days! Jillian even says "I wouldn't lie to you."

My issue with that statement is an entirely different story. (Even P-90X and Insanity don't pretend to offer those results and they are 4 times more difficult and 3 times longer.)

My issue with Jillian is that, while her two lovely little helper gals are busting their buns, she is walking around them, shoving her boobs in their faces and saying "Come on you can push harder!!"

At least when Shawn T was yelling that at me, he was also DOING THE WORKOUT.

I don't have only negative remarks about Jillian. (I'm not a Negative Nancy yet.)

I did enjoy the amount of work necessary to successfully complete today's video. I could feel the burn throughout my entire body and I was definitely sweating up a storm.

See? Sweaty McSweaterton

I also loved the fact that even though Jillian didn't participate in the workout, she acknowledged how difficult it was and how much work we put into it. No bull honky smiles about "Now wasn't that FUN!?!?"

No. No it wasn't fun. This is a workout, not checkers. If I felt like it was fun, I would feel like I didn't do my workout correctly. I want to be collapsed on the ground, struggling to catch my breath, and cursing the monster that talked me into getting fit. (It was Fat Me, btw.)

Jillian isn't all that bad... I guess.

Until we sweat again!!

Cold Weather, Hot Bods

So its the end of October and holy canoli is it fa-reezing. But that doesn't mean that working out is behind us. If anything, it should make you push harder!

Summer 2014, but you get the picture.

I had honestly never thought of it that way, but really if someone can make another human being in 9 months, you should be able to make YOURSELF in 9 months. (And now I have Incubus stuck in my head.)

As I was about to step outside for my morning run today, my sister said she thought I was crazy for wearing capri workout pants because its just downright cold outside. She may have had a point, because I was chilled to the bone within minutes, but it only made me push harder- to warm myself up. If I ran faster and pushed harder, my blood would get to pumping and I would feel toasty in no time. And that worked for me! For the time that I ran this morning, I pushed myself until it felt like my lungs would burst from all of the cold air I was sucking in, and then I pushed myself some more. I pushed until I eventually was stumbling forward, the car passing me looking at me like they thought maybe I was dying, and when I got turned around to head home, I picked up the pace again and pushed myself all the way back. Even when Pandora stopped Britney Spears midway through her song, and I cursed and threw a miniature fit as I was forced to listen to classical music on my run, I still ran.

Fact.

Its true that your body can generally do way more than your mind wants to believe. I will be completely honest- I stopped running not when I was exhausted, but when I thought that running any farther would just suck. So I stopped. And it seriously ticked me off. The plan is to workout again later today because I'm upset with myself for not sticking it out and running longer. I could have been more worn out when I quit. I SHOULD have been. And tonight when I workout in my sister's basement and slowly take her stairs 2 at a time over and over and over again, I'll think "I could be doing this as a bonus to my day, not to finish my first workout." I won't think of it as a punishment, because a workout should never be thought of as a punishment. I'll think of it was extra credit work because I didn't do it right the first time. Extra time that could have been used the same way- but for better results.

You only ever regret the workouts you don't do- or the ones you don't do to your full potential.

Until we sweat again

Colorful Shenanigans

Hey hey hey!

(More emphasis on the second "hey"... I'll wait while you try it again.)

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All better? Good!

I ran my very first 5K!!!!!

Okay, so I walked about half of it, but I got my booty off the couch and that's a whole lot better than nothing! And it was so much fun!!!! Let me tell you all about it with PICTURES!!!!

I ran with my beautiful friend, Rachael. Her momma came out (with all of her kids AND Rachael's!!!) and supported us!

What a champ. Seriously.

We met some great people before the race even started..... Like these lovely ladies...

Sorry its all crooked faced!!

Then we waited in registration to get our cute new v-necks (my brother would be SO jealous), our race numbers, tattoos, and COLOR PACKETS!!!! Then we took turns making each other all pink and purple-y.

Mmmmm. Mouthful of chalk :)

We almost missed the race because, well, we were rushed and a gal's gotta potty when a gal's gotta potty, but we booked it out of those portapotties and we flew past all those slow pokes with baby strollers (Yay for those mommas!!!).

Aaaand here we are running!!

At this point, we had gone through 2 or 3 color stations, one of which was liquid dye... wasn't quite ready for that one. But look how colorful we are already!

We ran for what actually didn't feel like that long. We got to pass a Clydesdale Horse (or some leg warmers that looked like one), we passed princesses and Superman, Moms, Dads, wee ones, old ones, and of course- People of every COLOR!! (Pun intended.)

That's right. We're gorgeous.

That final stretch of grass to get to the finish line made me feel like I was going to roll my ankle just yards away from that final blast of color, which admittedly made me run slower and more carefully because let's be real- I have to run another one of these things this weekend. I don't need to be rolling my ankle just yet. (Or ever. OW.) But we made it to the end, Rachael faster than I and me apparently getting pelted with more chalk (I was told I looked like Shrek's Wife).

All in all, this was a blast! I can't wait to run it again in Sioux City this weekend and of course I recommend doing it- whether you've done it once already or not. I'll post more pics of my next Color Me Rad run soon!!

Until we sweat again!!!

Work B****

Britney Spears recently came out with a song that I think everyone should just take a moment to go listen to. Yes, it does have some swear words (Bitch being pretty prominent), but its pretty darn awesome.

In it, she just happens to say "You want a hot body?... you better Work Bitch."

(She also says a lot of other stuff you have to work for, but for all intents and purposes that's really the only one relevant to my little blog)

Why am I telling you this? Because I have been saying it for forever now! (About 3 years now. Holy crap.)

I went through about a 4 day slump during which I just couldn't bring myself to run or lift weights, I couldn't even eat decent because I just couldn't get myself to do anything other than lay in bed and watch Merlin on Netflix (there are 5 seasons and I'm in love).

However, I was inspired by none other than the beautiful and oh-so-talented Britney Spears to get off my ass (pardon my language) and kick it into high gear. I have a 5K to run in only 2 weeks and I have been acting like I'll just wake up on game day and be all ready to go!!

That's right. Even the Grinch has something to say about this.

What I'm getting at is its really nice to sit there and dream of what your hot body is going to look like when you're a size 2 and are wow-ing everyone in your designer-esque clothes and heels; a real show stopper. (Which, by the way, will never be reality for me. Have you met these hips? 6 is about as small as I will ever get.)

HARSH REALITY

You will never fit a size 2 if you don't get your ass off the couch/swival chair/recliner and WORK for it. Too many people complain that they are overweight, or at least heavier/more unhealthy than they'd like to be, but are unwilling to make the life changes necessary to make anything turn out differently. I don't mean dieting either. Dieting is about as effective as staring at your ass until it shrinks down.

I'm not saying that eating healthy won't help you. What I am saying is that eating healthy is a life change; a diet is not. A diet lasts, what, a few months if you're REALLY good? But even then, you deny yourself little things to help get you by. If you're eating healthy on a regular basis, and indulging in small treats every so often, you'll have so much more success than if you do a crash diet. (They call it a CRASH diet for a reason, people.)

Crash diets just deprive you of things you're used to having. Its like quitting hard drugs cold turkey. You're cravings are going to get ten times worse and you're going to end up telling yourself "no I can't have that at all EVER" for so long that you're going to cave and binge. (That's when that one little bite of chocolate doesn't look like it would have been that bad.)

I'm rambling!

My point of this whole blog post? Get up, get out there, and work it out!! The weather is gorgeous and so are you, so you really owe it to yourself to get a move on!!

Until we sweat again!

Triple Workout Tuesday

I'm sorry- did I say Triple Workout Tuesday?? Because what I meant was My Own Personal Version of Hell.

So I'm in that fitness group on Facebook, right? (yes, Amanda, everyone knows.) Yesterday, we had Triple Workout Tuesday. Jessica and Sara like to tell us its because they love us all and want their Fit Fam to... well I don't know actually. Stay committed? Prove to themselves that they can do WAY more?? Any number of things but they all sound super noble and mom-like. (Pssh. Moms.)

For my 3 workouts, I tried to keep them spaced out so I could, you know, stay alive.

Workout #1:

4 mile bike ride around State Center. Holy ouch on my buns. And my thighs. And my lungs. When I stopped by Casey's to get a bottle of water, the woman behind the counter actually asked me if I would just try not to die. I wanted to respond "Oh my goodness I'm not even close to done. Seriously just punch me in the face because it'll probably hurt less." Instead, I smiled and said "This is what you have to do to stay healthy. Thanks for the water and your concern! Have a great day!" I then wanted to cry the rest of the ride home- seriously my legs were on fire.

Workout #2:

Weights! I worked on my bis and tris (which I am SO feeling today) as well as my lats. (I have a thing for muscle-y backs. Why not have a lean one myself??) When I began working on these muscles, I only did 5-10 lbs. Yesterday, I wouldn't let myself do any less than 15 lbs. I alternated between 15 and 20 and could definitely feel my muscles working. I realize I sound like a total girl when I give the tiny little weights I used, but that's a huge step for me. That and I'm trying to tone, not be all super huge and gross. :)

Workout #3:

It was SUPPOSED to just be a 2 mile run. Well, my ankle hitched, I almost fell off the treadmill, I kept running and my ankle just kept feeling worse so I stopped after my first mile and worked on my abs instead. (Feeling that today too- more abs than ankle.)

Long story short- I got my 3 workouts in and I felt SO badass!!

Bascially how I feel.

Now today I get to do Double Workout Wednesday, and after yesterday this will be a breeze!

Until we sweat again!!

Parent for a Day

So I didn't work out this weekend- this is the exact opposite of a workout post. This post is intended to outline exactly why 1) I love and respect my parents; 2) I DIDN'T workout this weekend; and 3) I don't want to have children for quite awhile.

But I did those out of order.

First, let's start with why I'm okay just being childless for a bit. This weekend I made the 3 hour drive to Sioux City, after sleeping only that amount of time the night before. The plan was simple: watch the siblings while the parents are out of town. (Clearly they need a break- but we'll get to that.) 

This should be a good indication of what I was dealing with...

The weekend goes like this:

Lost of yelling. Lots of excuses for staying out late/leaving without telling anyone/waking the whole house up at 6 am/inviting random people over... Basic life of a teenager, right?

During this weekend, I cannot tell you how many times my actions were deemed "SOOO mean." After all, it was quite ridiculous of me to expect the children to abide by the normal house rules while our parents were out of town. I should have known that all rules go out the window and I become the welcome mat, to be used and walked all over while I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on things.

To make an INCREDIBLY LONG story short, I accepted the role as "Mean Big Sister Amanda" as it was given to me and showed them repeatedly that actually, I could be way more of a "jerk", and then did just that. 

Wanna call your sister retarded? You can apologize and say something nice. Nothing nice to say?? Well then I guess you'll be standing in a corner until you can think of something.

Want to slam the dishes into the cupboards because you're angry at me for having you do your chores? Here- let me take them out for you so you can learn how to set glasses down gently.

On the flip side, you sat still throughout mass  and participated in the responses and the readings? Lets go to the mall- and here's $10 for the arcade. Thank you for being so respectful.

You all helped clean and make breakfast? I appreciate how helpful you chose to be. Let's all relax. You can pick out the movie- I'll spring for popcorn and M&M's.

This all is basically why I didn't workout (well, that and the heat), but it turns out that teenagers are SO difficult sometimes. The crazy hormones that my parents insisted I had surging through my body when I was that age- making me behave like I was a mental patient?? Yeah. Those are real. Looks like they weren't just being condescending.

Which brings me to why I respect my parents oh so much now.

You never understand just how much worrying goes into parenting until you're forced to step into their shoes- even if its just for 48 hours and just with your siblings. You don't actually realize how wonderful it is to hear that you're doing something right- that you're not just the bad guy that everyone seems to hate. You don't ever think about how stressful it is to have to deal with all of those hormones and crazy emotions- as well as keep your own in check. Its still impossible for me to fully comprehend just how strong my parents are that they have raised 3 adults already, and still have 4 more kids in the house that they are constantly trying to keep pointed in the right direction; That they have heard more "you're so mean"s and "I can't wait to move out"s than I could stand to hear, just from my siblings, let alone my own children. And then to be the child that is having struggles and moving back home- and to understand how much crazier it will make life for them- and see them welcoming me home with open arms, so excited and filled with so much love, it really shows me how wonderful they are.

I know this post is super gushy, but I have a newfound respect for my parents and I can't imagine doing what they do every day. If you have a minute, let your parents know that you appreciate them because just after 48 hours of dealing with what they go through on a daily basis, hearing that was so rewarding.

Until next time!

No Doubt

Click HERE for pure audio gold.

First off- can I please get a Woot Woot!?????

That's right, kitteh!!

What am I "woot"ing about, you ask???Oh NBD. I just set a goal to run 2 miles in under 22 minutes and I TOTALLY DID IT!!!

One more time!!!

Thank you, Mr. President :)

Honestly I did it in 21 minutes and 55 seconds... but that is under 22 minutes so I don't even care :)

Now, what are we all thinking of the yummy audio track you're currently listening to? Blast from the past, huh? I know. I'm kind of awesome when it comes to my musical delights.

If you're not listening to the sweet croonings of Blackstreet right now, please take this moment to be ashamed of yourself for not knowing what the rest of the cool kids are referring to. Amateur.

So why am I listening to No Diggity in celebration of my running feat?? (Pun!!) Easy peasy! Because clearly now I no longer have any doubt in myself when it comes to setting goals whilst running! Obviously.

Although admittedly I owe all of my thanks to Rocky. I was dragging ass (pardon the swear word) on the treadmill and was about to say "I can't do it! My side aches and I feel like I'm dying!!" and Eye of the Tiger came on and I immediately saw Rocky running up those steps and thought "NO! Rocky would be so ASHAMED of me!!! Must. Push. HARDER!!!!"

......Basically I'm a huge nerd. I'm unashamed of this. I'm a nerd that gets my butt in gear when a kick butt song comes on my music listening device. What goal did YOU crush today?!?

Until we sweat again!!

Past Couple Weeks (Sweet Child O' Mine)

First, look at how big my muscle guys are getting!!

Basically, I'm a beast. Just sayin'.

I'm in kind of a weird mood so bear with me :)

So I have been a total dead beat parent to this blog. (I'm sorry, my child. I'm here now.) I have been working out like a fiend lately (see the picture above. You don't get guns like that on accident.) I just haven't even been thinking of the blog! (Again- I apologize, sweet child of mine.)

I told y'all (at least I think I told you) that I am part of a fitness group on Facebook where we have to log all of our workouts/healthy meals/motivational motivation-guys.... Which is obviously what I normally do on here. Well..... sometimes I just get tired of being so hilarious and feel like kicking back on my big comfy couch and being lazy after I sweat like crazy.

NO MORE!

I hereby promise to try to take better care of my love child, this blog.

Recently I've been running almost every day, lifting weights, and doing all sorts of squats and bunk to work on my legs. Can I get an "Aaawww yeeeaaaa" for being fit??

That's right. I just "aww yeeaa"ed myself.

I've been kind of all over the place food-wise. (Taco Bell anyone??) but I have been drinking a holy crap ton of water, so I think that's a bonus. Also, tailgating has come into season and lets not even go into the ridiculous amount of running I did in the midst of the drinking. I am a crazy lady... if you haven't figured that out yet there is no hope for you.

I have a triple workout day today (you can just go ahead and shoot me right now) so I will most likely be complaining about it later. Stay tuned, kids!!

Until we sweat again!!

My Inspirations

Song of the Blog!

So I just ran... and my RunKeeper has COMPLETELY crapped out on me. It claimed that in over 15 minutes, I ran 0.02 miles. (Which is entirely false by the way.) I then did a ton of stretches (my knee has been acting up the past couple of runs- not happy about it.), squats, push ups, a plank, and some side crunches to work on my love handles.

Still smiling... even while I'm drenched in sweat.

Recently, I have been trying to pull more and more inspiration from places because, well, its really difficult to motivate yourself sometimes. I won't write a lot this post, but here are some things that keep me motivated (and some are kind of super nerdy. Don't judge.)

I'm probably going to need new knees eventually. Better run before I need that to happen :)

Total nerd moment. But if he were to ever show up, I'd want to be ready to run with him.

Anything you say, you gloriously handsome man.

This one just makes me feel super bad ass :)

Every time I have a minor setback, I have to remind myself to just move past it.

I know today's blog was sort of "blah," but I more just want to know what's up with all of you!! What workouts have been working for you? What drives you to get up and workout every chance you get? What are your inspirations?

Let me know! I love hearing your success stories!!

Until we sweat again!

Holy *&$%, Batman!

Just finished my run for the day!!

Basically I make super cute faces.

I ran for 17 minutes (give or take a few seconds) and I am completely wiped out. Did you know that running in the middle of the day, with the sun in all its "I want to melt you" glory, is a horrible idea? That'll teach me to sleep in. (Who are we kidding? I'm still going to sleep in every single chance I get.)

I realized my route has become ROUTine (I'm so punny), so today I veered off course and back tracked a lot, but I felt like my normal route was too short. (Angels come down from heaven sustaining one long note "aaahhhhh!!!") <--- If you didn't get that reference we can no longer be friends.

My point of this never ending post is that I seriously hated running for forever, and while I'm not saying that I love it now, I am saying that I'm starting to want to be able to push myself farther and test my limits. I can feel my body wanting to fall into a rhythm; wanting to be able to be called a runner's body, complete with runner's legs and a cute little butt. And its crazy because I can feel myself getting closer and closer to that person!

After my run, I did some squats, push ups, dips, and a plank challenge. I'm feeling like I can conquer the world today... which is great because I have to serve alcohol to lots of drunk people tonight. ;)

Until we sweat again!

ROAR

First, please click on THIS LINK

Now, listen to Katy Perry sing and read all about my workouts the past couple of days :)

Yesterday, I went for a run. I made it a little over 2 miles in 14:08 and whew was that a rush. I felt incredible afterwards!

Today, I worked at the gym and had a LOT of down time, during which I did all of the following:

10 minutes jogging on the treadmill

2 miles on the bike

50 squats with a 25 lb. kettle bell

60 reps on the row machine

60 lat pulls

20 reverse flies

40 bicep curls

20 dumbbell cross jabs

AND 20 of those things where you bend at the waist and lift your weighted arm straight back.

I am in full on beast mode today. (Hence the song, Roar!)

I feel ultra jittery, and I won't lie- I'm dying to eat a Twinkie later on tonight. I feel like its not going to completely destroy my workout.

However, after all of that work, I feel like I deserve to treat myself- and not just with a sugary cake full of.... sugar. I plan on making the rest of the night a "pamper me" night. I have nail polish, a big ol' bottle of water, my comfiest PJs, a facial mask, and The Notebook. I am such a girl :)

Any ideas for an even better "me" night?? Share 'em!!

Until we sweat again!

Lights and Sounds

I just returned from my run for the day- and I'm a little irked. My Run Keeper app went on the fritz and tried telling me I had run 2 miles in under 5 minutes???

Ummmmm, I wish.

On my run, I came across a song with these lyrics which made me really push.

Slow burn, let it all fade out, 

And pull the curtain down.I wonder where you've been? 

You've earned everything you found,  

And painted faces frown.I'll say I knew you when

It was the part about the "slow burn, let it all fade out" that originally caught my attention. My legs were starting to ache and my lungs were burning, and all I could think was "this completely applies to what I'm physically going through right now.. (Emo, I know.)

The next part where the singer says "You've earned everything you found" just made me think "you know what? I am earning this. I'm earning my right to a hot body; I'm putting in the time to get to a tinier frame; I'm earning it."

I've heard several people tell me that I don't need to lose weight and that my body is perfect the way it is, but my friend Sara put it in terms that I can't seem to be able to look past.

"You're friends don't call you fat... But do they call you skinny??"

I'm not saying that I want to be a twig, despite what my bio says. But I do want to be healthy, and right now, eating the way I do and being as sedentary as I have been lately, I'm not healthy.

Cutting this abruptly short- my neighbor just scared the hell out of me and we are now swapping tales of workouts past!

Until we sweat again!

Sweaty Lady

Hey, y'all!

So I'm still on this running kick- and turns out I'm improving!

If you recall, my first run was a little over a mile and it took me about 17 minutes. (Yowza.)

My run today was a little under 2 miles in 14 minutes!! My first mile took me 6 minutes and 40 seconds- and I didn't feel like I was about to collapse the whole time!

I've begun to fear the burn in my chest just a little less, choosing to look at it more like encouragement to get home faster. The way I see it, I'm going to have to run back to my house anyway, so I may as well do it quickly. (No one wants to be that sweaty, nasty, gasping-for-air mess on the side of the road that everyone is secretly worried for.)

This is what I looked like afterward:

Basically gross and sweaty

But I feel so awesome! Slightly dehydrated, but I feel less like a giant pile of crap. :)

After my run, I did my daily Plank Challenge- today was 30 seconds (I think... that's what I did at least!!)

After I get home from work, I'll do my crunches, push ups, and squats, but for now I'm rehydrating and getting geared up for my afternoon at work :)

If anyone is interested in doing the Color Me Rad run with myself and some friends (Amber, Hannah, Rachel, Amy, and Cindy) let me know and I'll give you the team name to sign up under! We'll be making team shirts and all that jazz and it should be a blast!!

Until we sweat again!

Booty Wurk

"Hey Amanda, you spelled 'work' incorrectly."

Ummm obviously I know this- and I'll get to that in a minute. First, I want to let you all know that I hurt like a son of a holy woman.

Today I went for a run with one of my younger sisters. I won't lie, at first I thought she would be a hinderance because she isn't exactly one for physical activity. (When one is about 5'7" and has to WORK at gaining weight, you don't really get into working out as much as everyone else does.) However, this worked in my favor- having someone to bully that is.

Since Molly is so out of shape (who knew skinny minis could be out of shape??), it meant that I got to be the drill sergeant, if you will. Where I would ordinarily be struggling to make it to the next check point and crap out within meters of said check point, I found myself pushing harder to reach the pole/tree/garbage can in question, then screaming back to my sister to push harder and that our target had changed to the NEXT tree/pole/garbage can. She had to have hated me by the end of it, but she brought out a side of me I've never seen before: a side that wanted to push harder, despite the burning in my lungs and the sweat dripping into my eyes.

Seriously- What a great run!!

Check out that sweat!!

After our run, I did my 45 pushups, 60 squats, and a crap ton of various crunches. (I'm working on my core, could you tell??)

Back to the misspelled title!

I have found some great songs to workout to- which all happen to be "Booty" songs!! My top 3 are Booty Wurk by T-Pain, Bubble Butt by Major Lazer, and Bootylicious by Destiny's Child  (an oldie but a goodie!)

What tunes do you like to sweat to? Let us all know!! We could all use some fresh, upbeat music to get our blood flowing!

Until we sweat again!

Lungs Aflame

Please hold while I collect the fragments of my lungs which are now splattered all over State Center.

Holy. COW. Who knew I was so out of shape!? When I ride my bike, I can go all over town and feel a little burn in my thighs- and I thought THAT was bad.... I am so naive.

In order to prepare for the Color Me Rad 5k in October, I mapped out a plan to get my butt in gear and get my run on. Too bad I had no idea how completely horrible this first outing would turn out.

Clearly, I'm exaggerating. I wasn't chased by any animals (wild or domesticated), I didn't nearly get run over by a car, nor was I honked or screamed at, and I obviously made it back to my apartment without dying. However, my legs are shaking like a leaf. Other than that (and the searing pain in my lungs), I have come out of my first run unscathed.

See? No blood, no carnage- just some wonderful health benefits!!

For my first run, I went 1.26 miles (in about 17 minutes). Oops! So I need a little bit of work- who cares!? That's the whole point of me training for this 5K. Anyone who thinks they can go from their couch to a 5K in a day is out of their mind. I'm completely okay with seeming like a completely worthless crap bag for the first couple of weeks. I plan on sticking it out and getting this done.

In order to track my run, I downloaded an app onto my Galaxy S3 called RunKeeper. It lets you listen to whatever music app you choose to use during a run (I use Spotify), but will interrupt to tell you when your warmup is over, how long you've been running and how far you've gone, and will even track how many approximate calories you're burning. This little gadget even reminds you when your next workout is, so there's no "oh I forgot" excuse. It then gives you the option of posting to your Facebook or Twitter accounts so others can track your progress, and even lets you set goals! My first goal is to lose 8 pounds by my brother's wedding. (8 lbs. on a 5'1" girl shows up hard core.) Check it out!! (It's FREE!!!)

After my lungs stopped feeling like they were collapsing (its been 15 minutes and I still can't breathe correctly, but we'll ignore that), I proceeded to do 45 pushups, 45 crunches, and 45 reverse crunches, because hey- if my lungs feel like hell, I might as well feel like hell all over, right!?

Now, I will drink some Naked Juice and make some grilled chicken with onions and mushrooms for an early dinner.

Until we sweat again!

Color Me Rad

Hello, hello, hello!!

The time has come for this girl to put her money where her mouth is.

I keep on telling everyone that if they just stick to their training/workout schedule/what-have-you, that you'll all be able to shed those pounds, or get that toned look, or just be healthy...

Well, I am very pleased to announce that after floundering about looking for the perfect workout plan (and failing to stick with just one), I have decided to register with a team of girls (yet to be determined) for the Color Me Rad 5K in Des Moines!

The race takes place on the 5th of October, just one week after my brother and his lovely bride-to-be are to be married. This means that, should I stick with it and actually train for this darn thing, not only will I look rockin' in that bridesmaid dress, but I will also be in fit enough shape to take on my very first 5K!!

Now, what am I doing for my training, you might ask??

Let me break it down for you:

Week 1: Run 1 minute, walk 90 seconds; Repeat 8x
Week 2: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute; Repeat 7x
Week 3: Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute; Repeat 6x
Week 4: Run 6 minutes, walk 2 minutes; Repeat 4x
Week 5: Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes; Repeat 3x
Week 6: Run 12 minutes, walk 1 minute; Repeat 3x
Week 7: Run 15 minutes, walk 1 minute; Repeat 2x
Week 8: Run 30 minutes!!

I'm trying to convince my friend, Cindy, to train with me so she can bring her fancy shmancy camera along and take some photos for her upcoming Photo Journalism course. If you or anyone you know would like to train along with us (either in person or via the interweb), please let me know and we can all keep each other posted on our progress!!

Now, with all of this running, it might mean my knee starting up with its "I'm a big baby- put ice on me and don't move for 2 days" routine. I'm going to try very hard to achieve this goal whilst also remaining SAFE. The last thing I want to do is permanently injure my leg in pursuit of a 5K. However, I would love to become an avid runner (or at the very least, jogger), so it would be great if I got to actually do this thing! (Considering I'm shelling out nearly $40 to even get signed up for it.)

Let me know if anyone is in any way interested in training with us, or joining our group for the 5K!

Happy sweating!

Brain Damage

Weird title, right? I'm in a Pink Floyd mood today. Don't judge me.

In fact, you should all be so proud of me today! I woke up BEFORE 11 a.m., and was dressed and out the door (on my bike) by about 9:15!!

I have just returned from my exhilarating ride. This is what I look like-

You're welcome, by the way. I don't think anyone can handle this much hot this early.

This morning's workout was.... exciting? I think that might be the word for it.

I started out and saw my friend, Christina, but she seemed mighty engrossed in her phone so I kept on riding- that and it was just too early in the ride to stop and chat. I got to ride by work, stop for a train (Trains in State Center?? No Way!), see Jesse driving in his work truck, go by my old apartment... but this isn't the exciting part of my ride.

As I was riding on the left hand side of the road (read SIDE of the road), as you are supposed to so you can see traffic coming and avoid it, some jerk face pulled into an intersection DIRECTLY in front of me. I'm assuming that he didn't bother looking right since he was turning that way and just checked out oncoming traffic from his left- Well, hello! I very narrowly avoided being schmucked by this schmuck.

As it was heating up and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest (no thanks to the man in that vehicle), I decided to call it a workout and head home... The fact that my legs felt like jelly had absolutely nothing to do with it, right??

At least today I made it almost entirely around State Center! See? I'm already making progress and it's only day 2!!

I think later today I'll do some squats/push-ups/crunches and what have you. I'll keep you all updated!

Until we sweat again!

Burns So Good

Alright ladies (and maybe some guys) follow this link to listen to the track I feel best accompanies this blog.

Oh my, is it really July already??

Let's see... since I last blogged (March. Youch.) I have been trying to stay in shape by riding a bicycle around like a crazy person. A bicycle lent to me by my lovely friend, Amber. (This would be the first shout out of the blog today!)

I moved at the end of June and hadn't really found time to cycle since the move- which is just another way of saying "I'm a big ol' lazy lady."

Cest la vie.

Since the move, I put a halt to pretty much anything other than the frequent walk to my refrigerator. Amazingly, despite all of the bread, and bacon, and hashbrowns, (because these are my staple foods), I have LOST weight. Granted, I suspect this is because I have lost muscle and gained fat, but I apparently don't look like a giant slob, so there's that.

I have also (very) recently picked up walking with my good friend, Cindy. We're both pretty sure her husband enjoys that she has a gal pal to spend time with... or at least that's what we tell ourselves and hope it catches on. :)

Today-

I pulled on my poor, neglected sports bra, my old Nat'l Guard t-shirt, and some biking shorts, and put my tennis shoes to good use.

I won't lie, I didn't go very far. When I was at my peak, I was riding my bike around the perimeter of the town, then riding either North and South, or East and West, on every street. Today, I took several shortcuts and made it about halfway around the town. (Total. It was bad.)

I got home covered in sweat, chugged some Gatorade, and collapsed on my couch.. until I realized my fan was in the other room and immediately relocated myself to DIRECTLY in front of it.

I really want to get back into the swing of being obsessed with staying in shape and telling you all exactly how crappy it is, because I know a group of you ladies (and guys) that were definitely gaining some strength and confidence, and all through my smart mouth blog. If you'd be willing to continue reading as I try to get back into the swing of all of this, let me know and I'll continue blogging and sharing my awkward, embarrassingly hilarious tales of how I'm doing fitness-wise.

Until we sweat again!

Slackin'

Go turn on Scream and Shout by Will.I.Am and The Britney Spears.

For no other reason than it being a freaking phenomenal song.

Hello there, my interweb friends!!

I know, I know. That last time I blogged was a month ago. However, in that time I've been working a full time job and let's all be real- I am incapable of accomplishing more than one job at a time, and working out can feel like a full time job sometimes.

I have successfully maintained my weight (although I'm not sure how because good lord can I go through a basket of onion rings...) but I have been told by my lady doctor that its in my best interest to keep on workin' it out like a BOSS because a) a healthy lady is always attractive, and b) I am past the age where eating fried foods and sitting on my ass is a good combo.

At 23: I never thought I'd still look this good.

I never thought I'd feel this sexy.

I never thought I'd look in a mirror and actually say out loud "damn I'm small."

Now, some of you might disagree with me, and to you I say, "I'm not working out to please YOU. I'm doing it for ME. And to ME, I look damn fabulous."

*Steps off soap box*

TODAY: I did the "I Love My Arms" workout, since as a bartender you see my arms moving all over the place, and no one wants to tip a flabby arm.

That's what's up!!!

I also did 100 jumping jacks, 50 butt kicks, 50 high knees, 40 lunges, and 40 squats. (My butt is going to be PHENOMENAL.)

What have you done lately to make yourself look HOT???

Let me know, kidlets! Until we sweat again!!

Self Love

Whoa whoa whoa- let's get our minds out of the gutter, shall we?

(Creeps)

As you are all aware, whether it be painfully or giddy, today is Valentine's Day!

And guess what??

You're all my Valentine's!!

(Whether you want it or not. This would be the forced love part of our program.)

Seeing as I have a fitness blog, I'm sure you're thinking "Why the hell is she doing a Valentine's day post??"

The answer is simple: I want to give you all a great big reminder that you are all hard working, beautiful women (and men), and today is a day that you should take a step back and realize just how wonderful you are.

(This is the Self Love portion of the post.)

I'm not saying be all... self-lovey or anything... I'm just saying, take a moment to think of all the reasons why you love yourself/are lovable.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Okay the moment's over, pay attention to me again.

Now, were any of those physical attributes?

A recent study that I just made up would show that 9 out of 10 of you wouldn't say anything physical- because that's not the most important thing here.

For instance, I love my sparkling personality, my zany sense of style, my sweet dance moves, my artistic side, and my rockin' vocals.

I won't call any of you out individually for fear of missing someone, but I will say to my readers:

(You decide which one you are!)

I love how bubbly you are. 

I love how the past 14 years have just flown past. 

I love that you and your hubby haven't left my side over the past few months.

I love how unafraid of change you are. 

I love how we still keep in touch after meeting ONE TIME at your WEDDING! 

I love that Montana isn't far enough to keep us from being close :) 

I love how you still talk about how drunk I got you on your 21st birthday. 

I love how wonderful of a mother you are. 

I love that you read my ramblings and find me humorous. 

I love how we can go forever without talking, and just pick the conversation up like a single day hasn't passed. 

I love that you're unafraid to just go get hitched! 

I love how strong you are. 

I love that I have you as family. 

I love that you're my little sister. 

I love that you're my best friend.

I love how caring you are

I love that you have stuck by me and given me support while I do this blog. You are all incredible and I wouldn't be making the progress I've made if it weren't for all of you.

Happy Valentine's day!

Big Boobed Betty

I am beyond frustrated.

(What a fun start to a blog post, huh?)

Alright ladies- here is my issue. My bra size is 32DDD.

*Insert pause here while you mutter the inevitable "Dayum!"*

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a bra in those exact measurements? I have the waist line of a 14 year old boy (not complaining) and the cup size of a pregnant woman. (NOT necessary at this point in life.)

"Check Victoria's Secret" they told me. False. Don't check Victoria's Secret. They'll just tell you to search online and you'll see all the cute bras saying "Not in YOUR size!"

Its super frustrating.

Oh sure, I could totally get the full-coverage, nude bra that makes me look like I'm smuggling two bowling balls around everywhere, but that just wouldn't be sexy, would it?

I'm 23. I'll be damned before I have to stop feeling sexy at this age.

I'm sure by now you're thinking, "What does this have to do with working out??" and I'm getting there, I promise.

It seems like every girl is always bitching about how when she loses weight, its from her chest first. I'm here to tell you- I'm SO incredibly jealous of those girls! I've lost weight in my ass (needed that), my thighs (also needed that) and my tummy (DEFINITELY needed that one), but my boobs have remained stubborn as ever. I know you're all thinking "Seriously stop whining about it, lucky bitch."

But seriously- they are aggravating. I'm tired of wearing the same bra unless its in the wash- then I'm tired of wearing a sports bra.

Every woman that is attempting to lose weight has some issue or another:

• I can't lose my tummy.
• I can't lose weight in my thighs.
• My ass is STILL giant.
• My arms are still all jiggly. (Still there, trust me.)

Mine just happens to be the rare "I can't lose weight in my boobs, and I don't know what else to do."

I'm reaching out to my ladies (and I guess boys? Are boys still reading right now? Because if so, you know more about my boobs than you should probably ever know...) to help me out here if you can. Do any of you know of any workout moves I could use to get my chesticles to calm down and be less all-up-in-my-face?

Any and all responses are super helpful! 

Until we sweat again----