Where's the Beach?

If you're a regular blog reader, I'm sure you've seen similar posts, scenarios if you will, about what we might chat about or what I might say if we sat down and had coffee together. I think these can be fun. Maybe fun isn't the right word choice exactly. But maybe it is? They're transparent, showing who the blogger really is ... if they're being honest of course. It's not often you truly get to sit down with the person behind the blog. Banana Nut Biscotti with Banana Glaze If we were to have coffee together ... I would first let you know that I'm not a super fan of coffee. I drink mine with hot cocoa and it's mostly out of habit rather than the need for caffeine. I could forgo it on the weekends entirely. Since we're talking coffee, I would also let you know that I've never ordered coffee from Starbucks and only once from a true coffee shop. I've only been into 2 Starbucks shops - the original in Seattle and one in town wher...

Not only do I make the metal-stamped jewelry now, I also make arm-knit scarves. Yeah, it was another one of those, "Hey, I totally can do that" moments. I have a lot of those apparently. Some I follow through with better than others. I think I get this trait from my parents. A double whammy dose of "I can do it!" So I jump in with both feet. All in man. All in. Until I burn out or get frustrated. Then I'm on to the next thing. I've done it with baking and selling dog treats to scrap booking for pleasure. I have all the craft bags, supplies and cookie cutters to prove it. Back to the scarves ... I got off track. Once I had the idea in my head that I was going to learn how to make these scarves, there was no holding me back. I rushed over to the craft store to stock up on yarn. I wanted all the colors, all the textures. I had coupons, too. So that meant I could buy even more right? Yep. After I made my first scarf, I quickly made another. Then I decided ...

I guess I can blame this little hobby on Pinterest - jewelry making. More specifically, metal-stamped jewelry. Wasting time, skimming through Pinterest or seeing people posting pics of metal-stamped bracelets or necklaces, I thought, "hey, surely I can do that." So I started pinning ideas, looking up how-to videos, ordering the tools. Boxes of tools, gadgets and goods started arriving on the daily. I know my husband was really excited. Yep, I was going to do this! I felt like the child set free in a toy store. I didn't even know where to begin exactly. But I had some ideas. Lots and lots of ideas. I'm an idea girl as you'll soon learn. I set out my tools of the trade, all neat and tidy on my kitchen table ready to begin. Luckily, my husband who sits back and watches stepped in with some ideas on ways I could practice the stamping without using the more expensive washers and bars I'd so eagerly purchased. Smart man. What I didn't take into considerati...

We'll begin with the basics. I'm Heather. I started this blog in 2009 with the intent of sharing my love of exercise and healthy eating (and a little bit of personal stuff of course). I blogged, and blogged and blogged my heart out. Every.Single.Day. I forgot how to sit down to eat without a) typing it up in the blog and b) photographing it. We didn't have hot meals for quite some time I might add. I was doing it all wrong of course. But, at the time, I loved it. I loved sharing my ideas for healthy, tasty, vegetarian foods. Blogging also gave me an outlet to share my passion for exercise - lifting weights, HIIT workouts, running, even following along to DVDs at home. It was probably one of the boosts I needed to finally pursue my quiet goal of becoming a certified personal trainer. My blogging style began to shift. My focus was shifting. My desire was shifting. The less I blogged, the more time I had. The more I felt I could breathe. I wasn't comparing my food to...

No matter how you end up signed up for a race, any race, you're going to find yourself training. You can either follow a strict plan, a loose plan, but you'll be following some sort of plan if you want to cross the line without injuries and especially if you have a goal in mind. Since I've already touched on how I ended up signed up for the Chicago Marathon and an injury, let's jump into the training. During my first marathon training, I had set up a plan for myself that allowed for 2 weeks worth of padding in case I had to cut a long run short or life in general. I did the same this round. I ended up having to use up all the padding to cover my 15 days off because of my injury. While my plan was fairly loose in terms of the miles or exact pace each and every run, I had a general idea of what I was going to do and had really banked on the extra weeks because I knew the hot weather may force me to cut a long run short. Well, for this Type-A gal, not having that pa...

I've started this post in my head a dozen times. I'm still not entirely sure where to begin. I haven't been blogging consistently. That's obvious right? That also means I've not talked a great deal about training for the Chicago Marathon, training during a Southern summer, over-coming yet another injury, and everything else that goes along with training for a race. Do I start at the beginning or do I do the race recap while it's fresh in my mind? Do I let the race settle in my head so that I can adequately attempt to talk about it? Because I'm a Type A person, I'm going to start at the beginning. The signing up for the race and the training. If you can hang with me, we'll get to race day. And I hope you will stick with me. After my first marathon in December, I ended up with a nice stress fracture. I had a slow road to recovery. An even slower road to building back up my running - both distance and pace. I ran two half marathons and a 10k, none...

Have you ever thought about using an online personal trainer? Had some doubts? Now’s your chance to try it out for FREE with no strings attached! Well, one string – space is limited! With this 2-week, no obligations, FREE trial, you have the opportunity to find out what online personal training is all about. Not only do you get the workouts, you get videos and 2 weekly email check ins for accountability. This is truly an opportunity you don’t want to pass up! So, you might be asking yourself, "Why Choose an Online Trainer?" Here's what you get when you have me as your trainer: Accountability  Motivation  Support  Affordability  Ability to work out anywhere you prefer  Ability to work out on your schedule  No more guesswork with our workouts  Is online training isn't for everyone? Honestly, no. So, how do you know if online training is for you? Online training is right for you if you are … Self-motivated  Willing to...

While I'm on a roll for time-saving circuit workouts, I thought it'd be appropriate to share another upper body circuit that you can use in conjunction with the Biceps and Back Circuit . This one is for Shoulders and Triceps with pushups to target chest. As a caveat, after having my blood clot , I apparently have scar tissue that makes it uncomfortable to do heavy chest exercises like chest presses and flyes. The way this circuit is set up is that you have 3 exercises for each muscle group. So if you want a more complete chest workout, add in chest presses and chest flyes into the rotation.  Please properly warm up for 5-10 minutes with dynamic moves like butt kicks, shoulder rolls, lunges and/or spin on stationary bike, walk on treadmill or elliptical. This workout is done as a circuit meaning that you do one exercise then quickly move to the next with little to no rest. After completing all exercises, rest then repeat. I suggest doing this circuit 3-4 times depen...

Oops. She did it again! Would you believe me if I said I had 5 or 6 draft blog posts just sitting there waiting for me to finish and publish? True story. But am I publishing one of those? Of course not. But, I think this is one you might like. I recently shared a Full-Body Blast workout (with video) and talked about some tips for getting in a weight workout when you are crunched for time. Because I know time is something precious to us all, I thought I would share some more circuit workouts you can do quickly, but that are also effective. It's not always about how long you work out, it's about your efficiency and the quality. I like to split out my muscle groups so that I can really focus on a couple of muscle groups at one time, plus it makes for a shorter workout, perfect for me to get done during a lunch break. That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with full-body workouts either. It'a all about what works for you and sometimes just switching things u...

To say that it's hot outside is putting it quite mildly. Summer has hit us hard here with heat indices well over 100 degrees. Even if I wasn't injured and unable to run, I would be highly tempted to take more of my workouts indoors. While I can't run or do any weight bearing exercises, I found that I can ride the bike (outdoors or spin with it set up on the bike trainer). Of course, just pedaling indoors can get old really fast, even if you're watching tv. One way that I like to break up a potentially monotonous workout is with intervals or HIIT (high intensity interval training). Not only will intervals make the time go faster, they are an excellent way to rev up your heart rate fast and burn fat all in a shorter amount of time. Who wouldn't want that? Ready to get started? All you'll really need is a timer, either your watch or a phone app, a bike (or cardio equipment of choice) and at least 25 minutes. On the 5s HIIT Cardio Warm up for 5 minutes ...

Raise your hands if you find yourself saying, "I don't have time to lift weights?" I hear this so often, especially from runners. But I also hear it from working moms (and dads). As a runner, especially training for a marathon, it's so easy to focus on the running. If you're a mom (or dad) who has to contend with work, family, chores, etc., time becomes extremely precious. Let's face it, time is precious period. What if I told you that you could get in an effective weight workout in 30 minutes or less? During your lunch break, first thing in the morning, right before dinner? It's true. It can be done. How can you get in an effective workout in 30 minutes or less? Two words: Be Prepared. 1. Write down the workout 2. Know the weights you'll use (in general) 3. Have your workout gear packed (or laid out) 4. Set up your workout area (this goes back to #1 and #2) 5. Get in and get started Being prepared means not wasting time figuring ou...

Lately I've been cooking with quinoa quite a bit. What I like about it, other than the fact that it's a complete protein source, is that it cooks up fast. It's also super versatile and can be used in many different ways, such as a base for a veggie burger. I try to keep veggie burgers in the freezer for a quick meal. I'll admit that I used to buy them out of convenience. But they can be quite pricey. Plus, if you make your own, you can control the ingredients and choose whatever flavor combos you fancy most. Did I mention it's a lot cheaper too? Since I make veggie burgers often, I try to get creative with ingredients and flavor profiles. I had an eggplant on hand that needed to be used quickly, so for this veggie burger recipe, I decided to go with more of a Mediterranean flair. While I used chickpeas, you could use another bean of your choice, but I like the texture of chickpeas for veggie burgers. Other beans can often be too soft I find. But, it's abso...

Sunday, we decided to walk over to one of the local farmers' markets a few blocks over from our house. We actually have several farmers' markets around town. I'll admit that we don't frequent them as often as we used to though. But this past Sunday, the Bernice Gardens Farmers' Market was having a tomato festival, so we decided to stop by and check it out. It's not a large space. Most definitely local vendors, but a unique little variety none the less. We quickly spotted some Purple Cherokee Heirloom Tomatoes that we snagged up. I should back up and admit that I'm not really a tomato fan. What? Why go to a tomato festival you ask? While I don't just love and crave tomatoes, I have found that I can enjoy a really goooood tomato. I like the smaller tomatoes, almost always cooked, but that's progress (trust me). Last year, I randomly bought some Purple Cherokee Heirloom Tomato plants and discovered that, while larger, I still really enjoyed the f...

Not sure what it was about this week, but it felt never-ending. Sort of like my runs have been feeling honestly. Summer has hit us fast and hard here. When you wake up and the "low" is hovering near 80 with dew points at 72 and above, you know your run is going to be bumpy at best. Rather than moan and complain about how hard marathon training is during the summer (what the heck was I thinking by the way) I thought it'd be fun to jump on the Runfessions train this Friday courtesy of Marcia at Marcia's Health Slice  (you must go read hers too). Runfessions for June For the past 2 weeks my runs have left me feeling defeated and I'm questioning my sanity for having signed up for a fall marathon. Well, a marathon period, but fall? What on earth was I thinking? I've been very remiss recently with stretching and rolling out after runs. Well, at all. Instead I just fall out in the floor in front of the fan wishing for winter. << Yes, I did just type t...

When people decide to come to me for help, as a personal trainer, it's usually because they feel like they need to lose weight. Often that is accompanied by wanting to get stronger, feel healthier, and even be a role model to their children. When you set up a goal for yourself, you need to have ways to measure your progress. How do you monitor that progress then? Generally speaking, people like to focus on numbers. But I believe that we should focus more on our incremental progresses. Not an idea of perfection, but continual progress. Things we forget to pay attention to, but that add up to mean so much more than a number. It's sort of like remembering to focus on those little things, those little moments each and every day that make up our day. I think focusing on progress vs perfection helps too because it's not a linear process. There are always steps forward, back, and sometimes seemingly staying firmly planted. But when you break it down into something looser...

I suppose my promises of more consistent posts, new recipes and workouts fell through. Looking back, it wasn't really that it fell through, I simply wasn't making the blog my priority. My focus shifted, and that's ok. It's important to readjust goals, priorities, expectations from time-to-time rather than just trudging along doing something just for the sake of doing it. But it wasn't just losing focus on the blog, it was losing focus on many things. I said that I wanted to step back so that I could spend more time actually living, enjoying life. But I didn't really even do that. Don't get me wrong, I've been making it a point to enjoy the little things. To focus on being more present, trying to not always be thinking ahead. However, I'm a thinker. I think. A lot. My mind is always going with new ideas. New business ideas. New workouts to try, new recipes to taste, new blog posts and informative articles to write. New ways to promote Where...

What's it About? Are you looking for a challenge to get motivated to move? Or maybe you just like challenges and want to add something different to your routine. My Move It May Workout Challenge is a great way for beginners to get started and a fun challenge for old pros. There is no equipment needed and you can even do the moves while catching up on your favorite tv shows! How Does it Work? Each week is a different bodyweight only exercise. You begin with 30 reps and work your way up to 50 reps. You can do the exercise in groupings throughout the day (e.g., 10 reps in the morning, 10 at lunch, etc.) or knock them out all at once. It's your choice! Visit my Where's the Beach Fitness Online Training Website to sign up for weekly email reminders and to find out about new challenges! Let's Get Social! Don't forget to like me on Facebook , and follow on Twitter and Instagram  for check ins and reminders. Use hashtag MoveItMayChallenge and/or WTBFitnes...

Big confession: I don't like avocados. I think it's more of a texture thing than just the flavor. I've tried over the years, I really have. If I can hide them away smashed into other flavors, then I may be able to eat a small sliver. But, I know that they're really healthy with healthy fats, vitamins, potassium and amino acids. Research has shown that eating avocados can reduce risks of several types of cancers, lower your cholesterol and are good for heart health.  Jason loves avocados and has been using them often lately. I decided I'd give them another shot in the form of a dressing or sauce. Avocados, in my mind, go with salsas. Ok, not that I eat them with salsas myself. But, this was my train of thought.  I had several tomatoes on hand that needed to be used, some frozen corn and canned beans. I often make a black bean and corn salsa/salad during the summer so I just ran with that general concept for flavors and textures and came up with a Summer Sa...

As I mentioned, I may have taken a break from blogging , but I jumped right back into running and racing. Downtown Dash After the Little Rock Half Marathon, I was signed up for the Downtown Dash 10K to support the Junior League. I had done this race last year, and thought it'd be a good race to try to help me continue to regain my endurance, and confidence truth be told. Though, I knew that the course was kind of tricky. It's a double loop and there are some challenging long, gradual inclines. It may not be a straight up big hill, the those gradual inclines really sneak up on you. The race started just over a mile from my house, so I did a slow, easy warmup run down to the start. Only it was warm and humid. I knew right away it was not going to be a good running day. Not only was my cardio still down, but the humidity is never good for my asthma. I lined up near the front. Unfortunately, several kids and slower runners did as well. It's a small race so maybe it...

Disclaimer: I was given this product for free to sample and review. There was no monetary compensation and all opinions are my own as they always will be.  Peanut Butter. Matcha. Chia. OH MY! If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for new protein bar or bite recipes that aren't crazy complicated to make. Who has time for complicated? Pretty sure no one raised their hands. But, I'm also looking for protein bars or bites that have healthy ingredients providing full, balanced nutrition. Basically looking for the biggest bang for my buck so to speak. Oh, and if you're like me, you love peanut butter! MyProtein offered to let me try one of their products. Unfortunately, they were out of their vegan protein powder, however, they had peanut butter! So, I quickly took them up on the offer to let me try it out. But, I didn't want to just do a review on peanut butter alone. I mean, it is peanut butter right? At least theirs is. It's straight up gro...