Fueled by Waffles

I haven't been running as much as I'd like. I always seem to slow down during the summer months and pick back up in fall. Well I signed up for a half marathon in September AND there's a time limit. So now I have motivation to make time to run.

We spent all day Saturday at the beach with friends, but I got up early Sunday and headed out for 6 miles. I needed something to get me going and I had 1 Honey Stinger honey waffle left. Time to buy some more!

These are awesome. For long runs and races, I like to have half before the run and half during. They taste great and give me the kick I need. Plus they curb any hunger pains you may be having. Have you ever felt your stomach grumble while you're trying to finish a run? Yeah. Not fun!

After my run I enjoyed a delicious chocolate Shakeology. Honey waffle before, chocolate shake after. Yum!

My goal is to run no less than 3 times  per week with one of those runs being a long run, one for speed work, and one easy run. I'd like to get in a 4th run, but being that I've only been averaging 1 run a week, I think 3 is a great place to start.

Anyone else have any fall races in their lineup? How do you fuel for long runs?

On the Go!

Today was a busy, rushed morning which means it was just another typical morning for us! Before I wouldn't even hesitate to stop at Panera or Starbucks and spend money I didn't need to be spending on sugary drinks and unhealthy food. Today I'm so grateful to have found a healthy, delicious, and on-the-go breakfast!

The best part, besides the amazing taste and health benefits? It's actually cheaper than one of those sugary drinks! Shakeology for the win!!

I have a 21 Day Fix group starting August 3rd and everyone who joins will be entered to win one of these new cookbooks, filled with 101 fix-approved recipes! There are vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and kid-friendly recipes included. I can't wait to start trying them and will be posting my favorites! 

Interested in learning more about the group? Find me on Facebook and I'll add you to the event where you can learn more! 

21 Day Fix and Treadmill Running

Now that I finally posted my 50K race recap, I'm going to do my best to post more regularly the things that are going on day-to-day.

I'm currently doing the 21 Day Fix and let me tell you guys...I love it!! It consists of 7 different 30-minute workouts and portion controlled eating. I measure my food in these awesome little containers for every meal:

I'm going to post either photos or a video of what a meal looks like. These containers look small. Believe me, I freaked out a little when I first saw them! But it holds quite a bit of food and the whole point is to teach you what a proper portion looks like. I used to eat 2-3 servings of pasta and cereal at a time, easy! And I didn't think anything of it. This was before I started counting calories. But even when you're eating clean, you can be eating too much. What I love about this system is there aren't any calories to be counted. No logging in to an app to record every single thing that goes into my mouth. No more worrying if I'm eating enough or eating too much. I get 2 purples a day, which is fruit, and it's up to me how I use them. Very easy!

This morning I did Pilates Fix and then made my regular breakfast: a chocolate shake! It's so good and I find myself craving it later in the day too. I've been eating more veggies than I normally would on the Fix, which is great. Thanks to our new Ninja (Christmas gift from my dad!), I've been putting spinach in my shake every morning and I don't get any chunks. Just smooth and creamy goodness!

Here's my go-to recipe:

1 scoop vegan chocolate Shakeology
12 ounces water
Splash of unsweetened almond milk
1 Tablespoon all natural peanut butter
Half a banana
1 Teaspoon flax seeds
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Handful Spinach
10 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!

In addition to the 21 Day Fix I'm also running. A lot. And apparently I've become a wimp to the cold and all of my runs have been on the treadmill at our apartment's gym. Thankfully it's open 24 hours! This past Saturday I ran 11 miles. No easy task on a TM but I got it done and felt great!

Yesterday morning I did sprints and ended up going the furthest I've ever gone in 1 hour.

I've gotten up to 101 miles for January so far. My goal is to hit at least 110 and I'm really aiming for 120. Then at least 75 every month to get me to my goal of 1,007 miles this year!

And yes, I really like that rainbow frame for my pictures! :P

I also discovered these nuggets of deliciousness.

I actually discovered Honey Stinger waffles awhile ago and have been using them on long runs. It helped me on my 20-miler and during my 50K. Sometimes I would even have half of one before a workout if I felt I needed the extra boost.

Then I discovered they make these smaller ones marketed for kids. They're the exact same, only smaller! The perfect size for mid-run fuel. Or to take care of that mid-afternoon sweet tooth. ;) I also like their chews for fuel during runs. I just bought one of their protein bars and I can't wait to give it a try. It's very hard to find bars, chews, etc. that don't have a lot of crap added to them. Honey Stinger is a great brand to try!

I'll post more meal ideas for the 21 Day Fix and show you what a full meal looks like. If there's anything you'd like to see or if you have any questions, please let me know!

Busy Moms Getting Fit!

I have a 4 1/2 year old son, I'm married, I cook healthy meals, I work 3 jobs, and I still make the time to workout every single day. There are a lot of reasons why we put everyone else ahead of ourselves. We can make excuses as to why we can't find the time to exercise and eat healthy foods. We can say we're too out of shape to get started. we're embarrassed and don't feel comfortable in the gym. We don't know where to even begin when it comes to eating clean.

I was naive about food and I used to eat a lot of junk. I was a runner and figured I could eat whatever I wanted because I would burn it off. I never even gave it much thought. I'm also an emotional eater and struggle with binge eating. I may not have been overweight, but I was very unhealthy.

When I could no longer wear my skinny jeans and my big jeans were getting tight, I knew I had to make a change. I started counting calories and adding in additional exercise to go with running. I still struggled.

It wasn't until this year when I discovered Beachbody and all they have to offer. I started drinking Shakeology every morning for breakfast (and still do), I joined online challenge groups for daily support and motivation, and starting doing the fitness programs. With T25, all I needed was 25 minutes a day and I could do it at home whenever it fit best into my schedule. I did it for 11 weeks straight and only missed 2 workouts.

I stopped the excuses. I made the time. I committed to getting healthier for myself and my family. And I feel amazing! I'm in the best shape of my life, I'm strong, confident, and have the energy to run around with my son.

With Shakeology, my cravings have almost vanished. It's seriously amazing! I've always had a huge sweet tooth but now I don't even crave that stuff. And when I do eat it I don't enjoy it like I used to. I can do without it and that is such a great feeling. A big emotional weight has been lifted.

And now I want to help you get healthy, feel strong, be confident, and have the energy to be the person your family needs you to be. Being a busy mom is no excuse for not making time for yourself. I'm now running my own challenge groups and I've currently got a client who has 5 kids and she's making the time! If she can do it, so can you.

Contact me today to join our next challenge group. It's exclusively for moms who want to get healthy and strong! I want to give everyone individual attention, help with meal planning, workouts, time management, even daily phone calls and text messages if that is something that will help you. So spots are limited to the first 10 people who sign up. I want to help everyone and I'll definitely do a similar group in the future. I believe it's so important that we make time for ourselves so we can be around to enjoy our grandkids! And a happy mom = a happy family!

Get healthy while setting a great example for your kids. Don't wait another day. You are worth it! If not for you, do it for your family.

My Results with T25 and Shakeology

I've been a Beachbody coach for a little over 4 months now. It's been so much fun and I absolutely love it! 

On February 24, 2014, I got my first bag of Shakeology in the mail and on the 25th I started working out and drinking Shakeology every day. I started with Les Mills Combat and it's definitely fun, but I wanted something more. Then I found T25 and fell in love! 

Not every workout will be for every person. That's why it's important to have a coach who knows your goals and also knows the programs. Then you can work together on finding the right one for you. T25 is definitely my soul mate workout. 

I love Shaun T. 

I love that it's only 25 minutes.

I love the high intensity.

I love that I'm dripping sweat by the end of every workout.

I love that it's split up into "phases". 

Just when I had had enough, after doing the same workouts for 5 weeks, a new phase began with all new workouts. It was perfect! I've seen some great progress thanks to T25 and I'm happy to share that with all of you!

I'll come back next week to share exactly how much weight and inches I've lost after taking them again tomorrow. Next week I'm starting Insanity and PiYo and I couldn't be more excited!! I'm working on decreasing my midsection a bit more and toning all over. 

My progress has been slow and steady and I'm okay with that! I'm very happy with where I'm at today. I'm a lot stronger and tighter everywhere. I'm not soft anymore! :) 

I'll post a full review of T25 as well as my progress with Insanity and PiYo. So stay tuned! 

If you'd like more info on these programs, Shakeology, or becoming a coach please send me an e-mail at AdventuresinRunning(at)yahoo.com or comment on this post and leave your e-mail address. I look forward to hearing from you!