Accidental hiatus

Oops! Update time. I have been running around like crazy doing interviews. Those things are exhausting! In between filling out the application (pet peeve, why do we have to submit an actual resume, AND fill out every single detail of work history? Grrrr), interviews, emails, phone calls, and assessments, it is absolutely exhausting. A company contacted me about one position, then decided I was a better fit for another position, so as of Tuesday, I will be working in Austin! Completely overwhelmed, and driving back and forth from North Texas to Austin feels like it will never end since we are moving myself and my son in baby steps.

Job has normal hours (very important with a kiddo), full benefits, an amazing break room and everyone was super nice but also dedicated so I loved that atmosphere. Hopefully it works out. Most of you don't know, but I haven't worked in 3 years due to a tough time finding a job, and then just spending time with family so this will be a huge change for me with moving and starting a regular job.

If anyone has any moving tips, or healthy lunch at work tips, I am all ears!!!!!! Please comment or post it on my FB page.

I'm also excited to find new healthy activities to try. My boyfriend will be able to do them with me, along with the kiddo, but I will also be trying some new things on my own.

Esprit de She

Esprit de She race is an amazing feat in the running community. It is created/sponsored by Athleta and Lifetime Fitness as a "premier athletic events series for women." The events range from solely running or cycling, as well as duathlons and triathlons. And they are all over the country! Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Tempe, and many other cities across the United States! You can also volunteer if you don't think you can participate this year.

I will be participating in the Dallas duathlon on October 26, 2013. The distances for this race are:
Distances
Run 2 miles • Bike 9 miles • Run 2 miles 
Run 3.1 miles • Bike 18 miles • Run 3.1 miles 

And of course, the swag you get for participating! Look at these medals! 

And you also get a shirt, which is not just any shirt! It's a Moxie cycling shirt. 

Prices for this race are $75 for an individual, $65 for a Lifetime Fitness member, and 130 for relay teams of 2-3 people. I have to say, the duathlon and triathlon athlete's get the best swag for sure! 

Adventures in

workouts!


I'm really bored working out at home. I have dvd's, videos online, I have weights, but being by myself, working out by myself, has just gotten dull for me. Even going to a regular gym just seems boring because of lack of interaction with anyone. A girl in the weight section usually either gets harassed or hit on (which I guess is harassment too?) I'm not working right now, so my social interactions are limited to my family and my 10 year old. Not ideal for someone who can quickly cut out the rest of the world and fall into depressive habits but also enjoys social interaction!

So I've decided, as an experiment, to try out a bunch of new things! And I have a list so far of activities I want to try out. I'm mostly doing this as a mental health reset, and to see if maybe I find a new activity related to health and wellness that I really like! I'm not going to apply for any jobs the rest of the month because my brain cannot handle it and I know I need a mental health break.

My list so far:

*Yoga class (different types so more than one)

*Pilates

CrossFit-free class offered 

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

BodyPump-free class offered

BodyCombat-free class offered

Local Old School Boxing gym-offers a free class

Title Boxing gym-offers a free class

Boot camp class at Texas Fit Chicks

Barre (maybe...)

Spin-the gym below. I've never tried it and curious. 

And a new (building for an old one) gym that has classes included, offers a free first week, and is only $25 a month and half off the introductory fee! (Classes offered are spin, yoga, boot camp, and a few others I wasn't familiar with).

It seems like a lot! And expensive! To be fair, half of them have a free first class so it won't be too expensive.

If anyone has opinions, or advice, please let me know! I'm all ears. Or if there are classes you enjoy and think I might like, please let me know!

*Denotes that I have done these at home, but not in a regular, structured class setting...yet! And if I borrowed your picture, and you would like it taken down, please let me know! 

Survey questions #2

Link up with She Cooks, She Crafts, She Runs

• What is your favorite healthy and filling breakfast?

         Some days it's protein pancakes, others it's simple egg whites with spinach and onions,                        uncured bacon, fruit, and green tea. 

• What keeps you motivated?

         Lately, it has been my son wanting to workout with me! It's fun making up workouts that he does         with me and gives us new bonding activities.         

• What's your favorite way to change up your routine? 

         I actually have a post coming up on this next week! If I get bored with my current routine, I like to          try workouts I've been curious about or others seem to love. Such as, if I'm focusing on building            muscle, I might do barbell complexes for a while, or look up routines on Fitness Rx for                            Women, Muscle and Fitness for Her or Bodybuilding.com. 

• What's your go-to "get back on track" tip?

         I go on to blogs that inspire me, and websites for tips and inspiration. I even keep an inspiration            folder on my computer so I can look through images in the past that have inspired me!

• What is your favorite distance to race?

         Newbie runner so 5k for now, but I definitely prefer trail running as opposed to road races. 

• Name one thing on your fitness bucket list.

        Oooo, to complete a triathlon definitely!

• Best reason for living a healthy lifestyle.

         To be a good example for my 10 year old son. 

• Favorite workout at the gym or home? (pushup, crunches,etc)

         Barbell squats are probably my favorite! Or Lat pulldowns, depends on the day.

• Show us your shoes!  Take a picture of your fitness shoe pile!

         I'm out of town and all I have with me are my Brooks Ghost 5's. I also own a pair of Nike Free             somethings, and a pair New Balance trail running shoes.

Vitacost Aro-Final Review

I really enjoyed using the Vitacost Aro Black series of supplements. Here are the supplements I was sent to try.
Glutamine
Creatine
Casein
Whey
BCAA's
Pre-workout 

I'm going to start out talking about the Glutamine-Fruit Punch. This is the only supplement in this stack I was unfamiliar with prior to trying them out but it turned out to be my favorite. Normally my leg workouts have me walking like a duck and cursing every time I have to go to the bathroom or sit (you don't realize how much you use your quads and hamstrings until you have to sit down after leg day) and this definitely helped increase recovery time. I have rarely had DOMS if I take the glutamine and this supplement tasted fantastic! Like a fruit punch drink. It says 6-8 ounces of water, but I just used 2 ounces of water and chugged it, then drank more water (note, this is a common theme with me and supplements).

The creatine was a Blue Raspberry flavor and was pretty good as well. It still definitely tasted like a supplement. I didn't take this as much as I have the others because it's summer and creatine tends to make you bloat a bit, but I did notice a nice muscle pump upon taking it and weights going up easier during the two weeks I did take it.
Cons: it did upset my stomach but other creatine products I have tried did as well so nothing product specific.

The Natural Chocolate Casein is my second favorite product of the stack! Even when mixed with just water in a blender bottle, it tasted like chocolate cake. It actually blended really well and that's hard for casein! I loved taking this stuff when I had night workouts because it tasted like having a dessert, and didn't make me feel sick. No gross aftertaste, and I have an extreme sensitivity to sucralose but it is minuscule in this product, that it didn't trigger a headache. The scoop was a bit bigger than other protein powders I have taken at 37g and 140 calories with 24 g of protein.

Whey in Chocolate Peanut Butter smelled exactly like a Reese's Peanut Butter cup. And tasted mostly like one as well. Didn't have a gross aftertaste and settled really well in my stomach (something I have an issue with regarding certain supplements). It is a bigger scoop with less protein than many others however. It also contains fiber which I find is completely missing from most whey proteins on the market.

I typically take my BCAA's post workout, but sometimes I sip a third of it before, then another third-ish during, and the last after I'm done. This BCAA was lemon-lime flavored, which I pretty much always hate unless it's an actual lemon or lime. I don't even like Sprite, so I wasn't a huge fan of the flavor but the BCAA itself was great. It didn't have that chalky, gag worthy texture or taste that many BCAA's tend to have. It was even tolerable with the lemon-lime flavor!

Pre-Workout concentrate was Pink Lemonade flavor. Why are most preworkouts this flavor? I'm not sure but not a huge fan of the taste on this one but it did work well. I only used 1/2 to a 2/3 of a scoop because I tend to not need much for results. I've tried C4 Cellucor and 1.M.R. before and both of those made my hands and feet tingle. This one didn't while still giving me a bit of energy. The taste was tolerable but definitely not my favorite. I do plan on ordering the Fruit Punch Pre workout soon to see how I do with that.

I liked the packaging as well, and in each container, the scoop was on the top! Lifting problems much? Ha ha. The black and silver, with the supplement flavor in their respective colors looks really nice I think. I plan on purchasing the glutamine, creatine, and protein powders once they are finished, as well as trying a few other products from the line.

If you are gluten intolerant, all of the products listed above are gluten free! A bonus, since many of my celiac friends are finding their proteins contain gluten. :( I believe all of them are nut free as well, at least the proteins are so I would imagine the others are as well.

They are also having a sale on the Aro line right now! 20% Aro products using code AROT20!

Giveaway! Vitacost, in addition to providing me with this supplement stack (and being patient with me when I decided to try them for quite a while first) is giving one of my readers a $25 gift card to their site. US only. Sorry!

Winner was Amy! I've already contacted her and forwarded her information. Congrats!

All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this stack in any way other than receiving the products to try, and being offered a $25 Vitacost gift card for one of my readers which will be emailed to you from Vitacost at the close of the giveaway.

Online Fitness deals

I found some great things online today and thought I'd share:

A lovely lady in Texas owns Pride Socks and in celebration of their new site, has a discount code! Enter "happyforus" to receive 25% off. Kids and adults socks, plus sock monkeys! I swear by the running socks/anklets, and own a pair of tubes I adore as well!

Digital food scale
Has decent reviews on Amazon, and only $23!

GoPicnic ready meals are interesting. Voucher for $19 for $40 worth of product

Cuisinart juicer regularly priced at $270, listed for $99 on Groupon. Cheapest I saw it anywhere else was $150

MusclePharm pre workout $23 for 32 servings; regularly $49 worth of product. 

Groupon also had several iphone/ipod cases and armbands if any runners are looking for those!

Iphone armband 1

iphone armband 2

Yoga leggings

Yes To skincare

$15 for $30 on their site. I love their products and use the moisturizer and makeup wipes regularly.

*All deals were valid and available at the time of this posting. If that has changed since then, I hold no responsibility. So please don't get mad at me! :) 

Motivation Monday #3-workout related