Where's the Beach?

Bis & Tris Today I had a doctor's appointment at 1. I plan on talking about it tomorrow, but for today, I'll just stick to my regular posts. The appointment took far longer than I thought it would take, it was a good thing I had already told my boss that I probably wouldn't be back to work that afternoon. I really needed to sort of decompress after the appointment, so I went straight to the gym to get in a pump session. Today's workout started off with my typical elliptical warmup. It did not take long to warm up either. It was 80 degrees today and the building did not have the A/C on. To say sweatfest is an understatement. I went with biceps and triceps then tacked on a high rep superset at the end (totally optional) Pin It * I for the swing lunges with curls, I did 4 lunges to each side rather than 8. I the idea from Kristin at Stuftmama - check out her videos for examples of how to do the moves. Kitchen Time After the gym, I was going to go home and st...

Leg Day Oh man, another sluggish feeling day. Today I'll blame the weather though. We have a major storm front moving in, so it's a gloomy day. Luckily the storms held off until the evening. So, no swimming over to the gym ;-) Once I got started, I picked up steam pretty quickly. I did about 20 minutes on the elliptical as a warm up before moving on to legs. I went with supersets doing mostly 3x8 unless noted. Warmup set of barbell squats - 12 reps SS#1 Barbell squats Stiff-legged deadlifts SS#2 Narrow stance dumbbell squats Hamstring roll-ins on ball - 12 reps SS#3 Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells Calf raises - 12 reps SS#4 Firewalkers (4 steps right, 4 steps left = 1 rep) - 6 reps Plie squats with low-end pulse, single dumbbell held in both hands After the workout, it was back to work. The only downfall about doing legs midday is the sitting after. I had to remind myself to get up and move around frequently so my legs wouldn't be dead weights. B...

Spinning Again Days like this make me wish I could work outside somehow. It was another gorgeous, sunny, warm day. So hard to be inside when the weather is so unseasonably nice. I think companies should provide laptops and wifi so we can all sit outside. Anyone else with me on that? While I couldn't be working outside or running outside, I at least got to enjoy the scenery during spin class. I am definitely spoiled by the views from my gym - 29th floor, all windows, looking out over the city, the river, Pinnacle Mountain. I can even see my running trail from the gym. So I often sort of day dream during class, pretend I'm riding that trail rather than spinning in place. I was really feeling sluggish today to be honest. But I got in there and got it done at least. Pat on the back for that on a Monday right? Too Warm for Winter Meals With the temperatures being so much warmer than typical for this time of year (hello 70 degrees), the usual winter meals like chili, soup, ...

Weights & Tabata  This morning started off cold again, but quickly warmed up. It was a beautiful, sunny day with temps hitting 70 degrees. Absolutely perfect if you ask me. Jason and I headed to the gym around 11, a little later than I had hoped, but it's Sunday so no worries. I went with shoulders, back, chest today. I ended up having to rearrange my workout a little bit because Jason was using the barbell I needed. But it all worked out, and I got in a good weight workout. I did supersets of 3x8 unless noted. SS#1 Arnold press Wide-grip assisted chinups Flat bench dumbbell chest press SS#2 Lateral raise Underhand barbell rows -7 reps because I increased weight Pushups with toes on bench - 10 reps SS#3 Front raise Single-arm rows Staggered chest press I followed up the workout with 3 rounds of tabata trying to engage the muscle groups I had just worked. For the tabata you do 20 seconds of each exercise followed by 10 seconds rest. After you complete all 8 e...

Leg Day & Glee at the Gym This morning I woke up far too early on a Saturday. But, it meant I got my workout done and over with earlier rather than later. I really did not want to go to the gym. I mean, to the point of wanting to throw a 2-year-old kind of fit. Ok, not rational of course. I'm a grown woman. So, I sucked it up and went to the gym. It was so hard though because it was an absolutely gorgeous day. The temps were rapidly warming and Jason was heading out for a run. Of course I was a bit (a lot) jealous. Not gonna lie. But, I went to the gym like a good girl and got in a good leg workout. It was odd though, the gym is usually empty on the weekends. But they partner with a hotel across the street so that guests can use the gym. Apparently an acting troupe decided to use the gym - like half the troupe. It was almost like watching an episode of Glee (ok, I've never seen the show so I don't really know, but maybe Fame). I had to chuckle, they were either r...

I know I mostly talk about food and workouts, but today I thought I'd talk fashion for Fun Facts Friday . We'll call it the Fashion Edition 1 (so unique right??). I think I was born to shop. Now if only I had the unlimited funds to support this little habit of mine, I'd be good to go. Maybe I should be a personal shopper. Just spend someone else's money. I've done a post previously on some of my Fashion Faves . I thought it might be fun to do another one. This one will be all about the clothes and shoes. Though, I could probably do one on shoes alone to be honest. You'll see that I'm fairly brand loyal. A lot of that has to do with where I live too. We don't have an abundance of shopping options. So, I tend to frequent the same stores like The Limited, Ann Taylor Loft, or DSW. I tend to shy away from buying online from brands I'm not familiar with because I never know how something may or may not fit me. I also want to know the texture of the cl...

Spin Again Today was another insanely warm day for February. The only thing that made running less tempting were the 33 mph gusting winds. Spin class, indoors, sans gusting winds was the way to go. I almost went with a leg workout, but weights just didn't sound appealing to me. Of course, anyone who has done spin knows that's a leg workout in and of itself. Since I don't have spin class options on the weekend, I decided to take advantage of the class today and do weights over the weekend. Of course, since it is so unseasonably warm out and the air isn't on in the building AND my gym is on the 29th floors and all windows...it was like a freaking sauna in there. So to say "sweatfest" is a mild understatement. Let's just say there should be no toxins left in this body! Thankful Thursday Source: happythings.tumblr.com via Brooke on Pinterest I sort of debated on doing this. I don't want this to seem like a Debbie Downer post at all. I just thin...

Back to Routine It can be so hard to get back to your "normal" routine after being off of it for a few days. Last night was very low-key, very quiet. I just used leftover spaghetti squash for our dinner, and we watched a few DVR'd shows. That was about it. This morning I absolutely had to peel myself out of the bed. It was a little gloomy out, so that didn't help matters. Plus I actually had to get up and go to work today rather than spend the day playing, shopping, eating. But, I suppose it's not realistic to think I could do that every day. I'd be fired and then broke for starters. I was not feeling up for a workout at all to be honest. I know it was just trying to get myself to work, back on schedule. Plus, it was 70 degrees outside today, so my running shoes were calling to me. Running outside sounded so much more appealing than having to go to the gym...one...more...time. But, I can't run. I can't even pretend to run. So, spin it was. For t...

Hi, my name is Heather and I really do blog daily in most cases. My first inclination is to apologize for being absent from blogging these past few days. With the exception of my vlog . But, I stopping myself, because disconnecting was exactly what was needed. Being present and enjoying every moment is what this weekend was all about. Jessica and her husband arrived Saturday at 12:50 and the fun started right away and continued all the way through today. After dropping off luggage, we made our way to the wine store then Whole Foods. Dinner plans were to have a pizza throw down. So we had to pick up just a few ingredients. We dropped everything off back at the house and headed out again. The weather was rather cool and dreary, but not rainy thankfully. We had originally thought we could walk around the River Market area if the weather had been better. Instead we stopped at one of our favorite hangouts, Dugan's. The atmosphere is always relaxed and cozy. It was the perfect plac...

Hi friends - just a quick post to say I'm having an amazing weekend with an amazing friend and her husband (also amazing of course). I promise to do a full recap with lots of pictures.   But, for the time being, we decided to do our first vlog together. Short, sweet, real. Enjoy!

Leg Day Normally today would be my rest day, but this weekend I have some exciting stuff happening and need my rest day to be Sunday. So, today I went with my leg workout that I had thought briefly about doing yesterday. Pin It * Firewalkers   ** 3-point lunge - Start with feet together and dumbbell held in both hands. Lunge forward, return to start; lunge side, return to start; lunge rear, return to start  = 1 rep. Honestly, I didn't think this was going to be a good workout. My body is so used to rest days on Friday. I had to convince myself to get to the gym and just get moving. My legs were also sore from painting - up and down and up and down the ladder again does that to you. In the end, it was a really good workout surprisingly. I gotta say I love it when that happens. Fun Facts Friday - Weekend Plans This weekend my pal Jessica from EatDrinkBreatheSweat is coming to visit along with her hubby! Jess and I started blogging one week a part and somehow found e...

No More Spin (for today) My poor legs couldn't take another day of spin today. I had thought I would do legs today, but seriously not happening. So, I went with my plan B workout for upper body (back, shoulders, chest) plus a short HIIT session. Pin It Pin It I did this HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout as a way to engage the muscles that I had just used lifting, sort of as a burnout I suppose rather than doing something like dropsets or 21's. And it was a nice switch from the tabata style intervals that I've been doing. I only did this 3 times through before calling it done. It's amazing how long 40 seconds can feel by the way. Busy Day I did have a doctor's appointment and errands to run this afternoon. At least it was sunny today. Errands don't seem quite as bad when it's pretty out. But, then it was back to painting the gym room and giving the house a major cleaning. Unfortunately, the HVAC repair guys aren't done. Two days...

Spin Day Today was a super dreary, rainy day. Made it really difficult to peel myself out of bed. Somehow Jason did better than me and got up in time for his 5:30 swim class. I will say that I am at least glad it's not really cold out though. No snow, sleet, or ice to contend with. Just wet. I ended up hitting spin again today. I had sort of thought about weights. But honestly, I really didn't feel up for weights or even looking at the elliptical for a warm up much less a cardio session. Definitely thankful I had spin as an option at least. I definitely worked my booty off and got out some frustration during the workout. I was one hot mess after. Valentine's Surprise & More Housework  Remember when I said we didn't do anything for Valentine's Day ? My gift was Jason going to spin class? Well, he totally surprised me with a gift certificate for a spa session with facial. I am not a big massage fan, but I adore a facial. I never splurge on that. I barely p...

I know that most people are doing Valentine's Day related posts. Jason and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. It's sort of just another day. Every once in a while we will do something special like get dressed up and go to a fancy restaurant, but not this year. And that's ok with me. Instead of a material gift, Jason joined me at spin class today. That was gift enough as cheesy as it might sound. It was nice working out beside him today since I probably wouldn't have seen him until after work otherwise. And yes, spin classes are back on for the time being. I'll take advantage of them as often as I can while they last too. Then I guess we'll have an even more valid excuse for buying a spin bike for the house that we can both use. Maybe that will be a belated Valentine's Day gift to each other. Another reason we're not really doing much for Valentine's Day is that right now the house is in major disarray. We have no heat upstairs as...

Cardio Day Today started off not just cold, but snowy. It was pretty while it lasted, but by around noon it was turning over to sleet, which is just gross and dreary. Thankfully it's supposed to be back to 50 with sunshine tomorrow. One positive of the day was that my gym was actually open. There was no spin class sadly, but at least the gym doors were open. Since my original plan had been spin, I went with a cardio day similar to Saturday's workout . I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical then 4 rounds of tabata (20 minutes) for a pretty decent cardio session. I used the almost the same exercises as Saturday, I just re-ordered them a bit. Squat thrust Walking lunges w/ kettlebell Kettlebell swings Kettlebell squats with pull Kettlebell single-arm swings Kettlebell figure-8's Side shuffles Up/down planks Stir Fry Monday I was supposed to have physical therapy after work today, however, the appointment got canceled because of our weather. While the snow tu...

Supersets & Drop Sets Today I ended up going to our company's gym. Thankfully it was actually open. I don't use that gym often as it's really small and usually crowded. There isn't tons of equipment, but it's definitely something nice to have for employees. Sunday was pretty dead so I was able to get on the elliptical for a bit as a warmup. It's the same type of elliptical that I used yesterday. It's not quite like the traditional elliptical machine and I really don't know how to describe it exactly. But I like it so much better actually. After a short stint on the elliptical while watching Food Network (a huge perk being able to actually watch what I wanted), I went to the weight room. Again, it's really small and I can't imagine working out with more than 2 others in that space, but they have a full rack of dumbbells, an EZ Bar, a regular bar, and several benches. They do have a Smith machine that I might have to figure out how to use ...

Gym Drama Today started off incredibly cold - as in 23 degrees but gusting winds so the wind chill was in the teens. At least it was sunny though. As I watched the marathon training group run past my house (it's on the marathon route), I was a little wistful of course, but then almost thankful for the excuse not to be out there in that cold. Though, I will not take running in any temps for granted once I'm able to be out there again. So yes, I was actually jealous of people running in freezing temps as crazy as that sounds. Luckily, I have a gym and back up plans. Or so I thought. Lots of drama up in the gym apparently. The gym is located in a corporate high rise near our house. On the weekends and after hours you do have to be buzzed into the building then sign in with the guards. Jason and I got there around 10:30 and were told that the gym was closed until further notice. Um. What? I really and truly almost had a total breakdown. I can't run, our gym room at the h...

Today is a rainy, dreary, and cold Friday. But you know what? I totally don't care. I'm just happy that it's Friday and my rest day. Even better, I'm getting my hair cut after work, right after PT actually. Oh, I'm also happy that I was tagged again for the 11 Random Questions posts going around (twice). This makes Fun Facts Friday a breeze ;-) But I hope it's still fun. I don't know about you guys, but I like reading answers and learning about bloggers. Sometimes I'm surprised actually. Plus, it can be fun to deviate from the standard posts. Since most of you have been tagged or already seen this a few times, I'm just going to skip right to the questions that were posed for me to answer. Some were really hard to answer by the way! Questions from Samantha at  Running and Cupcakes : What is your #1 go to workout song? Oh, not sure I have an absolute #1. I always start a run with Eminem's 'Till I Collapse .  If you had to choose 3 foo...

Leg Day Today was leg day for me. I was oddly excited about getting the workout done too. Maybe it's because that signals my rest day is on the horizon (tomorrow). Pin It * Firewalkers  ** Swing lunge The idea behind this workout is to include some heavy lifting exercises in conjunction with exercises the target the hamstring and glutes as well as abductor muscles. The reasoning is purely personal and based on my own research as well as advice from my physical therapist. Remember, I'm not expert here. I am a runner contending with injuries likely stemming from imbalances in the hamstrings, glutes, and abductors. But, I do still want to build so I continue to include the barbell squats for power (and they are an awesome leg exercise period) but also unilateral work like the step ups and swing lunges, which are also good for assisting with stabilization (I definitely have a weaker side). There are lots of other exercises I need and would like to use as well. I almo...