Spring is in the Air

I can't believe how quickly this year is going by. Today is officially the first day of Spring! This Spring I am going to focus on two of my favorite things: Running and Yoga.

I have been practicing yoga for a few years now, but I haven't really made it apart of my life here in Colorado. This week I finally picked a class and went. I am so happy to finally get out my yoga mat and head back to yoga class.

It is finally starting to be warm enough outside to grab my running shoes and go for a run. I love everything about running outside. It was the first time that I was able to go outside for run. I had the best workout, in 1 hour I was able to do 30 minutes of weightlifting, run 3 miles at a less then 10 min per mile pace, and I burned over 600 calories.

In celebration of Spring, I have teamed up with a few other bloggers to bring you a chance to win a $50 gift card to one my my favorite running and yoga apparel stores, Lululemon.  You can find almost anything that you need to be comfortable while getting your workout on. 

What are your favorite Spring fitness activities? 

What is your favorite fitness brand?

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Again, Off Again!

It is Monday and I am ready to get back into shape! I know it is easier said then done, but I will be challenging myself with posting some Motivational Monday posts about my fitness journey. Every Monday I will share some of my favorite gym tips, health topics, and just discuss random fitness/health related issues. I really hope that these posts will keep me accountable for getting back to where I was in the picture above. I hope you will enjoy them and feel free to ask questions, share posts, or give me ideas on what to write about.

I would love to sit here and tell you that I live a perfect, healthy, and fitness happy life. But, that would be a lie. I have struggled big time since my move to Colorado. I stepped on the scale today and realized that I have gained 15 pounds and I have been having back issues. I went from going to the gym 5 times a week, running 4 times a week, yoga 4 times a week, and Zumba 2 times a week. My schedule in LA was filled with plenty of opportunities to workout and lots of activities to keep me active and busy. Fast forward to Colorado, I wasn't going to the gym and don't even like to run in this horrible elevation.

The best way to describe my fitness routine is on again, off again. Sad, but true. I have a few reasons to be on again: 1. I will be in one of my best friends weddings this July! 2. I am planning a fabulous cruise around the Mediterranean with my sister in June. 3. I am not happy with the way I look. 4. I am getting married next year!!!

Here are my top 5 tips on Getting Back in Shape:

1. Set goals - Write them down, tell a friend, put them in your planner. It ALWAYS helps when I let people know that I am back at it. But, make sure they are attainable goals. My goals this week is to lose 3 lbs ( I am sure most of it will be water weight) and to drink at least one green drink a day (I am trying to increase my veggies and eat cleaner)! 
   
2. Drink Plenty of Water - I know you hear this all of the time, but it really works. It really helps me shift my focus when I think I am hungry (I tend to eat when I am bored). It also helps with the bloat. I have read in many fitness magazines and websites to drink a full glass of water when you wake up. I will be working on carrying a bottle of water with me and get the recommended amount of water daily. 
3. Research - Every time I am back at the gym I find that I am more successful, the more I invest into it. Makes sense right? I spend my free time looking at Pinterest to get motivated and get ideas. I read fitness magazines, I read online articles. Anything that gets me motivated and educates me on how to stay healthy really helps. I am currently loving Jamie Eason and everything that she has to say! 
4. Make Time to Workout - I am really guilty of "being too tired" or "not having time". But lets get real, there is always time. I wouldn't be so tired if I actually got off of my butt and worked out. When getting back in shape I have to make time to workout or it won't work. There will always be excuses so I set aside 1 hour a few times a week to go workout. I also try to so more physical activities with Joe on the weekends. This weekend we will be going snowboarding, sometimes it's as simple as a hike. 
   
5. Challenge Yourself with New Ways to Workout - Last time it was Zumba, this time it is rock climbing. My gym has a rock wall, I am trying my best to get on the wall as much as possible. Even if it is for just 10 minutes after my normal workout. I am also trying new group fitness classes at my gym. You never know what you will like until you go out there and try it! Get out there and have fun! 
   

What are your go-to tips for getting back into shape?

Do you have any amazing fitness posts? I would love to read them. Share them in the comments!

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Tiny Teatox Review - Update

Today marks day 19 of 28 on my Tiny Teatox. I have lost about 4 lbs total, have increased energy level, and can see a tiny change in my body. I must admit, I have not been working out like I should have been for the past two weeks. I have only ran a few times and that's about it. I have been eating clean for the most part, but I have reintroduced pasta into my diet. Pasta is one of Joe's favorite meals, so I have been working on different recipes for when he comes home.

Overall, I am satisfied with Tiny Tea. It has helped curb my cravings and has given me a lot of needed energy. I have decreased to drinking the tea twice a day. It is suggested that you drink the tea 3 times a day, 30 minutes before your meal. The reason I went down to 2 times a day is because I was starting to feel bloated at night. I have never felt bloated before, so it was strange to feel my pant get tight only at night. I am still a little shocked about this because one of the main reasons why people drink the tea is to cut down the bloating. Almost every review online has had positive feed back on how the tea has helped them with bloating. I thought it might be my diet, but I am not sure what it might be.

For the next 2 weeks, I plan of hitting my runs and working out hard. I also plan on eating really clean and seeing if I can achieve better results. I am still undecided on if I will go back to drinking the tea 3 times a day or if I will go past the 28 days with tea that I didn't drink. Everything that I have read says that it is ok to keep drinking the tea. Here are my before (pink shorts, day1) and after (black shorts, day19) pictures. I feel like I look the same, but I can see a small change in my thighs and from the side view my stomach looks a tiny bit flatter.

I know this tea is not going to be a miracle tea, but I am hoping that it gives me enough results to get me motivated to loss those last 10lbs and tone up. This past year has been struggle to get my weight under control. The stress of the deployment and moving has been a tough battle and I am so proud of how far I have come. I was going through photos the other day and found a picture that was taken right before the deployment, I cannot believe how much I let myself go and how far I have come. I really hope that I can achieve my goals and continue to live a healthy life with Joe here. 

Left: 2 weeks before the deployment // Right: 2 weeks ago 

What are your fitness goals?

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Working Out and Work - H54F

I have had a pretty good week full of working out and work. My two favorite things! I always love posting these weekly recaps, they remind me that my life isn't that boring (well maybe it would be boring if you didn't like your job or like to work out). 

1. This past Saturday, I got up nice and early to tackle a 6 mile run. Although 6 miles doesn't seem like a long run to some people, it was a big achievement for me. I am training for a marathon and didn't let the 28 degree weather be a factor for me. I bundled up and hit the road. I am slightly worried about running in the snow. Anyone have any cold weather running tips for me?

2. I love my job! There is nothing better then seeing a 787 taxi by only a few feet away from you, while drinking a pumpkin spice latte! It really is starting to feel like fall here! Driving around the airport is awesome, maybe it's because I love aviation or maybe because I am a nerd, but I am so happy I get paid to do something I love. 

3. This week I went to the incline on Sunday morning with Mal and then again on Thursday morning! I felt so defeated (and out of shape) on Sunday that I needed to go again on Thursday. I went alone on Thursday and was a bit nervous that I wouldn't be motivated enough to do it alone, but I beat my previous time and didn't feel so out of shape! I am going to try my best to keep this a weekly tradition, in hopes that I will acclimate to the elevation quicker and that it will help with my running. p.s. Mallory and Dan win fit couple of the year. They are both so inspiring and I am happy to call them my friends! 

4. I spent most of time off this weekend (My weekend is Tuesday - Thursday) studying for work. My job has a minimum of 6 weeks on the job training program and I can finally see the end. I am scheduled to get signed off this Monday!! I can't wait, but I am also slightly nervous. 

5. I took a little break yesterday from studying and I went shopping. I may have gone a little bit overboard with the new nail polishes, but you can never have too many....right? Plus, at $4 a bottle I couldn't pass up the great deal. I am loving the way that I store my nail polishes, I got the idea from Pinterest and I have been storing all kinds of things in really cute glass jars! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

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This week I am linking up with

High Five for Friday & Five on Friday

My Quest for Eating Clean

Every since my fall on Thursday, I have really been looking at fitness and clean eating differently. I woke up Friday morning knowing that I need to make some changes in both my diet and my fitness. I didn't want to just try some crash diet, I wanted to make a lifestyle change. I guess I should tell you that I have always had a pretty healthy lifestyle. I have gotten off track a few times and recently I have been way off track.  I have gained about 5 lbs since I moved to Colorado and EVERYONE at my new job is all about getting food (usually some form of fast food from the airport), add stress to that equation and I was not feeding my body the food that I needed to keep up with my runs, let alone my day.

After a few hours of looking online I found a 30 day clean eating challenge. I decided this is exactly what I need to get back on track and hopefully see some positive changes in my body and energy level. I am not big on cooking and I don't really have the time. But the past 3 days I have made it a point to find time and to keep up with this challenge.

Here is what I have been doing:

• Breakfast is a must! I was always guilty of skipping breakfast, I just don't really care for it. But then I find myself starving by lunch and over eating through out the day. I have been starting my day off with 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, and 1/2 an avocado. This has been really yummy and keeping me full until well past lunch time.  I am getting my protein and fats in mg body in the morning which is allowing my body the entire day to use them. 
  
  
  
• Lunch and Dinner = Protein and Veggies. I have been making sure that the majority of my meals have been a small portion of chicken or fish (salmon) and a huge helping of veggies. I have been baking my veggies. I have completely cut out grains, artifical sugars, pasta, dairy, and everything that comes in a package. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• It's ok to snack! If I get hungry in between my meals I have a few go to snacks. I will package baby carrots, apple slices, almonds, or berries. It's important to package theses into a small container so that you don't over eat. 
• Prepare, prepare, prepare! Every morning when I make my breakfast I also cook my lunch and dinner. Then I'm only cooking for 30 minutes. Since I am alone, I made enough for 2 days! On my days off I will try to cook my food through out the day, but since I have been working the past few days its been nice to have meals ready to go. 

I have successfully finished 3 days of clean eating and working out. I feel better and I am already starting to see changes in my body. I will be posting weekly updates of how my journey has been going to keep you all informed and I would love it if you would like to join me! 

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Just Run

Last night, I had finally decided it was time for me to start to train for my marathon. Ever since my 1/2 marathon, I haven't had much motivation to run. For the first time in my life, running doesn't feel good. It doesn't feel right. I have always been a runner and it has been something that I have always enjoyed. But, it has always been something that I have been able to share with someone. I have always had a running partner. In college it was my best friend Amanda, we would run for miles and miles, make her dad go get us ice cream, and then run more. I truly believe that running is what made us best friends. I use to run when I was bored, run when I needed to think, and run to work out. I loved to run. 

Fast forward to today, I am now living in Colorado. I am alone, I have no one to run with, and the altitude sucks. I am counting down the days until Joe is able to be home with me, this deployment is really starting to take a toll on me. I get out for a run and only make it a few miles because I don't love to run, I give up, and I tell myself that I can't do it.  Have I mentioned that I can't breath? I think it is a combination of the high altitude and the clean air. I have gained a few pounds and it has just been excuse after excuse of why I can't run, why I shouldn't run, or I just don't want to run. My pace has gone from 8:30 to a 10:00 at best.

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend, got my oil changed, and took a nap. I woke up and decided that I can't live like this. I can't just sleep and eat. That will get me no where. I need to make the best of my time alone, I need to be the independent, strong woman that I know I am. 

I decided it was enough with the excuses, I was going to run. I put on my old, go-to running shoes. It was raining so I didn't want to ruin the brand new shoes I just bought. I put on pants and a long sleeve and started on my run. It was sprinkling at this point and I felt good. I had some sweet tunes on and I was starting to get into a groove. I decided I would stay in my sub-division since it was getting dark. I took a turn and, at about the .75 mile mark, I fell. 

I was in a bit of disbelief as I laid on the ground face down for what felt like eternity. My hands and knees throbbed as I pushed myself up. I walked for a few feet and then began to think about running. Why do I run, what do I get out of it, why was I so unhappy? As these questions flooded my mind, I made a choice that I would finish my run and re-dedicate my training for myself. I run for ME. It makes ME happy. I am unhappy because I am alone and I will not be alone forever. As I ran, I had a mixture of tears and rain flowing down my face. I began to think about the deployment and how lucky I am to have a supportive family, amazing friends (blog friends included), a job doing what I love, and a supportive boyfriend that is constantly supporting me. I am not alone. 

I got back into my run and finished it, I finished the 3 miles I set out to run. I finished it for me. I can run and I am a runner. It is kind of sad that it takes me falling on my face to realize these things. But sometimes I guess it's great to start from the bottom and work your way up. My marathon is in early January and I know I can do it. I am excited to get back into running and I can't wait to share my love of running with Joe once he gets home. 

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California to Colorado - H54F

This week has been so much fun. I was lucky enough to get to go back home to LA for the weekend to spend some time with my family. Mid week I was back to Colorado and back to reality. This week I am linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F! 

1. The main reason for my trip to LA was to run the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon with my mom and sister. You can read the recap of the race here. I am so happy that I was able to run a race with both my mom and my sister. 

2. On Monday, my parents took my middle sister to back to college and I got to spend the entire day with my little sister. We started the day at the Aquarium of the Pacific, took a boat ride in Long Beach, then met some aviation friends for dinner. It was so much fun to spend the day with her. 

3. Tuesday morning I woke up way too early and caught a flight back home to Colorado. LAX was a nightmare, the TSA line was a 2 hour wait. I got in to Denver around 10am and went straight to work. I had a 12 hour shift at work but spending the weekend with my family made it so worth it. 

4. I love Joe! He is the best. I causally said that I really like Justin Timberlake and that I would love to see his concert. I didn't think much of it, but Joe surprised me with tickets to his 20/20 Concert in Denver!! I am so excited and so spoiled. 

5. I received my VoxBox this week! It was actually filled with a ton of really great products and I can't wait to do a few product reviews. 

My new schedule is kind of amazing/sucks. I work 4 days a week 10 hour days, which means I have 3 days off a week in a row! But...My work week is Friday to Monday. So, tomorrow is my "Monday". So long weekends, it was good knowing you. 

What was your highlight of the week?

I hope you have a great weekend! 

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Disneyland 1/2 Marathon Recap

My legs are finally free from soreness and I am officially back to my normal everyday life. This past Labor Day weekend I ran the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon with my mom and my sister back in California. Overall this race was fun, but not as fun as the RunDisney events that I have ran in the past in Florida.

The weekend started with a trip to Disneyland to pick up our bibs and goodie bags on Saturday. The Fitness Expo was well done and had a lot of great vendors. I think I bought everything my little runners heart desired. A new running watch, a few Sweaty Bands, some really cute running tanks, and some cliff gels for the run. This year the race shirts were orange and huge. I ordered a small, thinking that it would fit ok, but turns out they were a mens small. The shirt is so big, I didn't even bother to bring it back to Colorado with me. After the expo we "carbed up" with spaghetti and meat balls with lots of bread. After a yummy dinner we went back to our hotel room to try to get to bed early.

The morning of the race quickly arrived. We set our alarms for 3:45am, we had to be in our corals by 5.   It was dark when we arrived and not cold at all. We were place in coral E and didn't start the race until 30 minutes after the first coral started. It was a long wait. There were people everywhere, I believe

I was really excited to get going and wanted to break my PR. I tried to find the race totals, but was not able to find anything published. I saw numbers ranging from 23 to 23,000. So let's just say there were a lot of people. Once, we finally got to start the race I spent the first mile weaving in and out of people. This was my first mistake, I should have just slowed my pace down until I was able to break free from the crowds.  My sister and I were running a 8:30 per mile pace for the first 5 miles, but we spent a lot of energy weaving in and out of people. The first 4 miles were spent running through the park. The entertainment was limited, but nothing compares to running behind the scenes and through 2 of my favorite parks.

By mile 6, I could feel the heat. It didn't help that by that point I was running on the streets on Anahime with little to no music or entertainment. In the Florida races I was entertained every mile and music could be heard through out the entire race. But, mile 9 made up for the lack of entertainment. At mile 9 we entered Angel Stadium and it was AMAZING. Hundreds of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts were cheering me on as I enter the stadium crossed home plate and exited the stadium. I was on the jumbotron and the "fans" were going wild! It was by far my favorite part of the race. The remainder of the race was spent running back to the parks.

At the end of the race I did not break my PR. I could blame it on the huge crowds, narrow track, or the heat, but I won't. I wasn't prepared for the run. I need to re-focus on my training and get back to a schedule and prepare for the Disney World Marathon. My move to Colorado has allowed me to slack, but there really shouldn't be an excuse.

This race was a good one, just not my best one. I was able to run with both my mom and my sister, spend time with my family, and run through the park that I grew up in. It is always so much fun to be at Disneyland. Being at Disneyland takes me back to all of the memories that I have shared with my family through out the years.

Do you work out with your mom?
What is your favorite run?

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#NOtivation - What I love about RunDisney

My Disneyland 1/2 Marathon is this weekend! I can't believe how it just snuck up on me. Since the move I have not really had much time to train. But I don't think it will be an issue because it is a RunDisney race. This will be the second 1/2 that I have ran with the RunDisney program. I would like to share with you why I choose RunDisney.

• I LOVE Disney - If you are a regular reader of mine you know that I love everything Disney. It is no secret. How can you not enjoy a 13.1 mile run with all things Disney around you.

• The race is FUN - From the moment you check into the race at 4:30am to the very end of the race you are entertained. There is great music to get you pumped, live shows as you are running the race, characters to take pictures with along the 13.1 miles (great way to catch your breath), ChEARSquads to keep you motivated, and a ton of other amazing things. 

• It is a whole weekend event - The fun really starts on Friday with a Disney Health and Wellness Expo. This is a great event to see the latest and greatest in the running world and just to check out another creative event hosted by the most creative company in the world. There is never a dull moment. 

• There is a race for everyone - Every race weekend there is a race for every skill level and type. For the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend, there is the 1/2 Marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a Kids run. They make their race weekends very Family Friendly. 
• ChEARSquad - This is a program that is for your family and friends who are their to cheer you on. It gives them seating, t-shirts, and other goodies. It is great way to get young kids involved that are not able to run the race. 

I will be sure to post some pictures next week and update you all on how I did! 

Today, I am curing  #NOtivation and linking up with Mal from Mal Smiles and Hallie from LIfe: Oceanside!

Do you know of any Race Programs I should try?

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