Where's the Beach?

Fireworks Recap I'll try to keep the recap of last night short. I feel like this is a long enough post as it is. We had some VIP passes to watch the Riverfest Fireworks from an observation deck at the Peabody Hotel. The passes also meant free wine and beer and a dessert buffet. Plus, if it rained again, we could still watch the fireworks and stay dry. We got there at about 7:45. While I'm typically not a big dessert fan, I definitely oggled this buffet. Thankfully most of it was chocolate. Why thankfully? I don't care much for chocolate so that meant far less indulging! The fireworks show lasted for a full 30 minutes. Jason was so excited. He seriously loves firework shows, and this is definitely a good one. Sorry the pics aren't very good. We just had the point and shoot with us.   Lifting & Punching This morning I got up and did my leg workout. It was Pyramid Lower Body . The pyramid legs was pretty much like yesterday's upper body, but without supersets ex...

Riverfest Recap Last night really seemed like a grilling type of night - a must for Memorial Weekend. I grilled up some sweet and baking potato "fries" along with green bell pepper and onions and Tofurky Kielbasa . I didn't have any hot dog buns, so I ended up having to cut them in half and putting them on sandwich thins. I topped with spicy mustard, sauerkraut and the grilled bell peppers and onions. It hit the spot. We had a sudden rain storm and were a bit worried about that as we were supposed to be heading down to Riverfest to see the Black Crows. Thankfully, it didn't mess up the grilling and it blew over very quickly. Even better, it cooled things down a bit. Around here, afternoon showers either make it steamy and unbearable or cool it down. Thankfully we got the cool down. We got down to Riverfest around 7-ish and headed directly over to the stage where the Black Crows would be playing. Gotta get your spot saved. We got to see a local band called Lucero . ...

Rock-N-Friday Night Jason and I had fun at the baseball game. It was warm, but not terrible. It cooled off nicely as the sun began to set. The park wasn't packed either as it was the opening night for Riverfest. I put the pizza dough in the bread machine and set the timer so that the dough would be ready for us when we got home. The Travs were losing terribly, so we left at the top of the 7th inning. It was just too sad to watch. So, we still managed to have Pizza Friday. No surprise there though right? My half was the usual Greek style. Jason decided to use hot sauce and BBQ sauce mixed together for his "sauce" and topped with sauteed green bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. We topped the whole pizza with the Daiya Mozzarella flavored vegan cheese. It looked like a cheesy, gooey mess. But it was soooo tasty. We started watching Couples Retreat. We weren't able to finish it because it was getting late and we needed to get to sleep since we needed to get up some...

Rest Day Well, today is an official rest day. I definitely need it after yesterday's weights. I am definitely feeling it in my legs and back (which is rare, but good). We had a storm blow through yesterday afternoon, and it really cooled things down. So, this morning would have been sooo nice for a really easy, waking up type of run. But, I behaved and didn't get up to run. Tomorrow we are supposed to be doing a 5K (Rock 'n Stroll), and I am really hoping for another cool, pleasant morning. I know we're in for sunshine for the long weekend at least. Speaking of, long weekends, mine already seems filled up. Of course, it's mostly fun stuff so I can't complain: Tonight we're going to a baseball game at 6. Tomorrow morning we have the race - it's the first year for this one. My mom and sister will be coming up around noon for some girl time. I plan on making lunch then we'll do a bit of shopping. Saturday night we will be attending Riverfest and ...

Two on Thursday I managed another morning workout today. I did one of the premixes from Cathe's Step Blast . It's always a fun, sweaty workout. I love it when cardio can be fun as well as intense - makes the time go so much faster. I went home for a late lunch and did weights. It was my final day of the 8-week rotation. Can't believe I'm already finished with it! Today was 3 sets or 12 reps done as supersets with the goal of increasing the weights. SS#1 Biceps - Zottoman curls Triceps - Weighted dips SS#2 Legs - Squats Inner thighs - Plie squats SS#3 Chest - Flat bench dumbbell press Back - Underhand dumbbell rows SS#4 Legs - Alternating lunges with pulse Calves - Calf raises SS#5 Shoulders - Upright (dumbbell) rows Shoulders - Rear delt raises So the rotation is officially done. Wow. Now I need to figure out my next lifting rotation. Suggestions? Happy Hour on Thursday??? I'm very glad I was able to get my workouts done earlier as we were meeting some frien...

Early Morning Kickboxing  This morning Jason got up to go swim at 5 am. I was too much awake to fall back asleep for an hour, so I went ahead and got up to exercise. I did Cathe's Kick, Punch and Crunch plus the stability ball abs (awesome ab work). It was a nice workout that gave me the needed boost of energy to start my day. What a Wednesday Oh and I definitely needed the energy. It was a very hectic and stressful kind of morning. I have some work projects that are a bit problematic; I've also been having major email issues at work too so that complicates it all even more. Oh gotta love technology right? To top it off, we paid the remaining balance on our condo rental yesterday. I got confirmation this morning, but the contract was for the wrong dates! We had both asked off from work   already, made doggy sitting arrangements, etc. to be gone June 5-12. The contract said June 12-19. So, I had a mild (ok more than mild) panic attack and near meltdown. Thankfully, the ...

Morning Run & Noon Lifting Since it's gotten so hot and humid this week, Jason and I opted to go for a run this morning. We got up at about 5:40 then hit the pavement. It was muggy, but at least it wasn't sweltering. The temperature was already at 68 degrees though if that gives you an indication of how warm it is this week. We did a fairly easy run - it was still early and all. It was really nice to just be out moving. I did go home and do my weights at lunch as it was Upper with Plyo. Since I had run, I only did 4 plyo moves. The weights were done in 3 sets of 8 rep as supersets: SS#1 Back - Double-arm rows Biceps - Preacher curls SS#2 Shoulders - Dumbbell shoulder press Triceps - Overhead extension SS#3 Chest - Chest flyes Biceps - Hammer curls Plyo moves: Explosive running man Wide jump ups on step Plie jacks Ski hops It was a pretty good workout. I was able to increase the weights. I did hit failure with the hammer curls on 2 of the sets, but I m...

Hodge Podge Cardio Well, it was back to the grind today. Monday really came way too fast. Guess that's what happens when you're having just a fun weekend. Jason got up at 5 am to go swim, but there was no way I was getting out of that comfy bed to workout. So I waited and did my cardio later. I wish I could have run today, but it was far too hot to run during lunch. At 10 am the heat index was already at 90 with 67% humidity and a dew point of 72 (which means humid and muggy). I am not one to complain about warm weather mind you, but the humidity can really zap you. Anyway, I was less than enthusiastic about having to do my cardio indoors. I really didn't want to do a step workout. So I did a hodge podge workout that included the warm up and 3 cardio intervals from Cathe's Shock Cardio - Cardio Core Circuit then the 3 combos and drills from MMA Kickboxing . It was just shy of 50 minutes and a nice mix. I also did abs and stretched after work. Perfect Hot Summer Meal ...

Sister Day Saturday Well, I must say that my day with my sister was one of the best ever. We had an absolutely fantastic time together. It was much needed and long overdue. We got in some patio lounge time, Target and Whole Foods shopping, then it was on to the pizza. My half was the typical Greek style. Sarah's half was sauteed portobellos, onions, and red and green bell peppers. Both were mighty tasty I must say. We spent the evening just listing to music, chatting, laughing, laughing, and laughing some more. Running and Lifting This morning we got up and went for a run. Sarah is just getting into running, and this was the first time we ever really ran together. We did 2 miles then did 6 rounds of hill repeats. She still said she loved me after it was all said and done too. Unfortunately she did have to get back home. She cleaned up after the run while I made myself some oatmeal. After she left I finally got to my weights (very reluctantly I might add). Today was 3 sets of 18 r...

Friday Quesadillas  I'll admit, it was very difficult not making pizza on Friday night. We are so used to that routine that it took forever to decide what to make. We've gotten used to not having to think about it. In the end, we made quesadillas filled with sauteed onions, bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, and a faux "chicken" substitute and Daiya Cheddar "Cheese." I piled on the salsa and jalapenos and a dollop of soy yogurt. It wasn't pizza, but it was still pretty tasty. Short and Sweet (Heads up, this will be short today. Spending time with my sis and unplugging) This morning I was scheduled to do weights, but we had to head about an hour away for my nephew's 4th birthday party. So, I chose to do about 35 minutes of Step Blast plus abs. I'll get back to the weights tomorrow. Honestly, it was easy to put them off because it's going to be the 3 sets of 18 reps done as supersets. The birthday party was held at a place called Play-by-Pl...

Running High Well, after the impromptu 5-mile run yesterday, today is most definitely a rest day. My sister is coming to stay the night with me tomorrow, so I do have some chores to get done and errands to run. So, the rest day works out quite nicely. Now here's a question for you all: What is runner's high? I have always assumed I've never experienced it because I thought it was this fantastic, euphoric feeling of pure endorphins. I've heard people say that it's like literally being high. I imagine dancing on clouds with a big cheesy grin, spinning in meadows with eyes closed, skipping through fields of sunlit daisies. This is NOT how I feel after a run, even a very good run like last night. Last night was probably one of my best runs so far. I felt like I could have run forever. I truly felt like I hit my stride; everything just clicked. When I was done, I still felt strong and, of course, accomplished. Is that runner's high? Maybe that's MY runner...

It sounds like everyone enjoyed my birthday story yesterday. It'll be fun to one day tell my nephew that story. I am so very blessed to have my sister. My mom always said that she had us for each other. It's a good thing we truly love each other! Hemming and Hawing Today was rainy, stormy, and downright dreary. I even worked through lunch to avoid having to get out in it. I was due for a rest day (either today or tomorrow). I decided that I would wait and see how I felt by the end of the day. I have gotten used to splitting up my workouts and was not really enjoying the idea of a long cardio session. Since I was leaving earlier because of working through lunch, I decided I would go ahead and do a 40-minute premix from Step Blast. That one is always fun and still gets my heart rate up there. When I walked out of the office, the sun was shining. What? When did that happen. That's when the debate started in my head: Do I really want to workout inside? It's sunny, but I d...

Step and Weights Jason got up at 5 am to go swim. While it was tempting to just stay in bed, I got my lazy self up and did 3 step combos from Low Impact Circuit's cardio premix plus abs. It was a nice wake-up workout. Not too high in intensity, not too complex in choreography - ideal for 5:30 am. I ended up doing my weights at lunch. I had planned on running some errands then doing weights after work, but changed my mind. Today is the last day of Week 7 from the 8-week rotation. It was 3 sets of 12: Biceps - Zottoman curls Triceps - Weighted dips Quads - Squats Inner thighs - Plie squats Chest - Flat bench dumbbell press Back - Underhand rows Legs - Alternating lunges with pulse Calves - Calf raises (theses I did 3 sets of 20) Shoulders - Upright row Shoulders - Rear delt raise Also added Deadlifts for hamstrings. Next week I get to do it all again, only as a superset! Wednesday Rewind Today happens to be my nephew's birthday (my sister's son). He turns four. It's ...

Two on Tuesday This morning Jason and I managed to get up around 5:45 am to get our run in. It was a very pleasant run actually. It was about 61 degrees, low humidity, light breeze, and clear skies as the sun started to come up. We did about 3.5 miles at a fairly good clip, but not pushing it too hard - it was early and all. It was definitely a nicer way to start the day rather than slamming head long into it grumbling all the while. It turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous today. I wish I could have gone for a second run just to be outside. Instead, I did 30 minutes of Kick, Punch and Crunch at lunch (to wake myself up more than anything). I won't lie, it was VERY difficult forcing myself to go back to the office. My lounge chair was just taunting me. Thai Tuesday We bought some sugar snap peas the other day that needed to be used. I had thought about a stir-fry using the rest of the Basic Seitan that I made. But Jason had stir fry for lunch. Oh, and we had some open coconut...

Weights and Plyo Wow, Monday sure came fast. How'd that happen???? I went to bed pretty early last night (asleep by 9 pm), when my alarm went off at 6:18, I could have easily slept another 2 hours. And yes, I set my alarms at off times. No rhyme or reason. Today I went home and did weights at lunch. It's supposed to be upper body focus with plyo legs. I didn't have time to do a full plyo workout, but did managed to do 5 exercises. Weights were 3 sets of 8 reps: Back - Double-arm dumbbell rows Biceps - Dumbbell preacher curls (these are the bane of my existence) Chest - Flat bench flyes Shoulders - Military press Triceps - Overhead extension Biceps - Hammer curls I did add an extra back exercise - pullovers. Plyo: Wide jumps on 12" step, explosive running man, crossovers with 8#, split jumps After work I did 30 minutes of Cathe's Imax 3 for additional plyo work, then stretched. Accidental Mexican Monday Tonight's Mexican Monday Meal wasn't really plan...

Easy Sunday Run Today was sort of a lazy day. The weather seemed to be undecided about rain or no rain. Thankfully the rain held out until the later afternoon. I let myself stay in bed until about 8:45. Then I made a nice bowl of PB&J&B Oatmeal.  After that settled, Jason and I went for a very easy run. I am have severe pain in my extreme upper hamstring/low glute area. So we took it easy. It felt great to take it slow for a change. It would behoove me to do more slow, longer runs to be quite honest. After the run, I stretch for a really long time. I used to be so limber from ballet Not so anymore, even though I do stretch daily. It's just not the same. Lounging and Recipe Testing The sun actually popped out for a while. It was super humid, but the sun was out and I was going to be outside. I sat out on my lounge chair and read for about an hour. I really should have been doing chores mind you, but I was enjoying a very lazy Sunday instead. No guilt. I did end up making...