Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm Lisa a mom to two girls and a wife to a US Navy Submariner. I have a passion for running, nutrition and all things fitness. For me running or training hard at the gym equals 24 hours of complete joy in a day. If this blog inspires and helps motivate you, then I hope you continue reading.

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26 November 2011

Motivation

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Staying motivated is key to achieving your goals. When you reach a goal it's natural to feel somewhat lost not knowing where to go next. The key is to keep it going and create a plan to stay on track. For some people I think it's hard for them realize that fitness is lifestyle and not a destination. The following tips can help you stick to your fitness program:

Begin Slowly. I've noticed that there are those who try to jump right into a fitness program and have a "do or die" type mentality. Therefore they wear themselves out quickly and end up quitting. Even though you are anxious to get moving and see results, your body needs to adjust to your new routine. All great achievements require time!

Goal Setting. A great way to stay on track is to continually set new goals. You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures.

Inspiration. Grab a copy of a fitness magazine, or read articles online. I love logging onto Facebook and follow people in the fitness industry. I've learned so much just by looking through there wall photos. Seeing their daily posts gives me a lot of motivation on my off days.

Role Model. Whether you realize it or not, once you've achieved goals, you become a role model to someone. After I completed my first Marathon I have received many comments from friends wishing that they could do the same and how I have helped motivate them to living healthier lifestyles. Leading by example by is truly the only way to influence people.

Change. Switching up your training program is another way to keep you motivated and will help break plateaus. Find something that you actually enjoy doing. No one sticks with a regiment if it's boring. Your workout should be fun, functional and purposeful.

Journal. This is great way to stay on track and keep yourself accountable. You can refer and read past journal entries to help you stay motivated and remind yourself how far you have come. It's very easy to lose perspective when you are on your path to achieving goals so this will help you regain it.

Consistency. Consistency is the answer. This is a lifestyle, it doesn't end. Staying on your training and and exercise regiment day after day is what "works".

Positive. Surround yourself by it! A positive attitude is contagious. There will always be those who try to bring you down or steal your sunshine. Don't let them and move on.

Do whatever it is that helps you focus on your health and that will keep you motivated to fuel your body with proper nutrition for energy and well being.

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24 November 2011

Turkey Run 2011

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Thanksgiving morning 2011 I ran in Sacramento, California's Run to Feed the Hungry 10k. I must have brought the rain with me from Seattle because it was the first time in the 18-year history of the fun run that it RAINED! It was a wet one! Good thing for my hat that blocked those rain drops from getting on my face.

Some of my family members participated in this race. My two brother in laws ran the 10k, while my sister, her two kids and my dad walked the 5k. Those kids are troopers I tell ya. We were all drenched and freezing cold by the end of the race.

I didn't beat my personal record. I'm a little disappointed about that. My time for this run was 57:25. My PR for the 10k is 55:37. I set that PR last year while I was at the peak of my Tokyo Marathon training.

I didn't wear my Garmin in today's race because of the rain. The Garmin 405 stops working if it gets wet. I wasn't able to tell the exact pace I was running but I did the best I could have done with the amount of time I have trained. 

There was a pretty good turnout for this race. I love large events. A preliminary tally showed 26,844 registered for the race. I'm not sure if everyone who registered, came. There were a lot of runners, but it didn't look like there were 26,844 of them.

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13 November 2011

Week In Review

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Week one of Insanity complete! Well, maybe incomplete. I skipped the fit test. I can't count the reps while I am doing Insanity so I just skipped it. I also didn't complete cardio recovery either. So one of my goals for next week is to complete all the Insanity workouts for the entire week. My hamstrings and back is a little sore from this weeks workout but I am so glad I am getting my fitness back on!!

Here's how the last week went for me.

Monday - No workout
Tuesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Wednesday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Thursday - No Workout
Friday - Pure Cardio
Satuday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Sunday - Rest Day THANK GOODNESS!

08 November 2011

Insanity Day 2

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Today I am on day 2 of Insanity. It's been a while since I have worked out so I was feeling very week, especially when it came to the ski jumps and power squats. During the warm up I was hurting! So either I am out of shape or Insanity is just that good of a work out.

For those who are unfamiliar with Insanity, it is a 60 day body conditioning program. I've had people ask me which is better p90x or Insanity. Well Insanity is more cardio and p90x focuses on weight training.

The first month of insanity consists of several different plyometric workouts. "Plyometric" is just a fancy way to say "lots of jumping around like a crazy person", just in case you weren’t aware. Anyway, these workouts last around 40 minutes each. There is always a warm up and stretch session that's about 10 minutes long, followed by the workout that lasted roughly 25 minutes, ending with a cooldown stretch that lasted about 5 minutes.

Week 4 is a recovery week.

The second month the workouts jump from 40 minutes to 60 minutes! I'll be honest I hate working out at home so working out for 60 minutes is boring for me. There are times where I won't even finish the workout because it just last too long.

There is not much to offer in terms of building muscle. You will probably build some muscle and will definitely see some toning, but this is mainly a fat loss program.

This will be my second round doing Insanity. The reason why I have decided to start it again is because

1) Since I am single mom at the moment and I don't have childcare, I will be relying on my home work outs.

2) The first time I did insanity, I saw a huge difference in my running (for the better).

Becoming a faster runner in my ultimate goal :)

Music Tuesday!

Welcome to my second edition of Music Tuesday! This song by American Head Charge is one of my favorites. It just pumps me up! I'd say this song would be on my top 5 songs to workout to. It's a fantastic song to listen to while doing some sprints on the track :)

American Head Charge - Just So You Know.

01 November 2011

To Do Lists.

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Marissa's Crossfit group. They were able to wear their Halloween costumes to the WOD(Workout Of The Day, for you non-crossfitters).

Happy November everyone! A new month presents a clean slate. My goals have been set and I am excited for a new fresh full month full of possibilities! The first of the month always feels like New Years Day, time to strategize, get focused, and back on track! Fitness is a LIFESTYLE that is consistent day in and day out - not something that is thrown off to the side when the going gets tough! Before you make an excuse of why you can't - STOP and remember those who SUCCEED to find a way so that they CAN! Be strong, stay consistent, push through the bad times and you will emerge stronger and better than ever!

How many of you make To Do lists? Or plan your workouts before you head to the gym? I use to never plan ahead, I'd wonder around the gym wondering what machine I would use next. That obviously isn't the best strategy and is just wasted time in the gym. To eliminate my days being wasted now, I live by my To Do list! Even if I don't have a workout planned for the day I still make a list. Being a stay at home mom, it can be easy to sit on the couch and watch TV all day or spend countless hours surfing the internet.

Set your day up for success. Write out your To Do list and stick to it. Focus = Forward Progress. Keep your list close and refer to it often. My To Do list is one of the things that motivates me to stay focused and productive. Having a to do list is essential because knowing exactly what needs to be done and when, keeps me accountable to myself and the people around me.

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