Running Tips and Tricks: Music

I love music! I wouldn't teach it if I didn't love it. There is always a constant hum of sound around us and sound is classified as music. There is even a piece of music where a pianist just sits on the bench and allows the sound all around him to be the music. The people coughing out of discomfort waiting for him to pay, the hum of the air conditioning the outside noise that seeps in. Even our body has it's own beat and pattern with our heartbeat. Anyhew, music history lesson over. 

With that being said about music all around us. Music when working out and exercising can be a driving force to challenge us and push us to that next level. If there is a slower song playing than our run will gradually meet the beat that is playing and slow down, and just is the same as the opposite. Fast singer = faster pace. My friend recently wrote that she went to a spin class and was disappointed in the instructor because there was a great song on but didn't use the song to the best of its ability in keeping the beat or pushing the group to go harder and faster at the peak of the song. I am sure you know what I mean. Have been there. When a great song comes on and you just push yourself a little harder because that song pumps you up!

On your iPod or MP3 player, do you have your own workout playlist? I do. I already mentioned my 5 top running songs here. Jog.fm has actual pace per mile songs that you can pace your run to. HOW COOL IS THAT! Just put in the pace you want to run (12 min mile in my case) and BAM there were enough songs listed for 9 hours and 33 minutes! You can even listen to the song and it tells you where you can get it, i.e. iTunes or Amazon. Pretty neat.

Jog.fm says, "Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise works wonders on the mind and body. Not only can it improve results by acting as a motivational tool AND as a distraction from fatigue, but it can help improve lung function and it might even make you smarter." 

Time to organize my playlist on my iPod to 13 min mile and 12 min mile pace songs. New project, YEA! 

July Week 5 Workout Recap

This past week really took a tole on me and my workouts! I am actually thinking about "redoing" this week workout wise. Setting myself backwards one week because it just didn't happen. ARGH! The thing is though, it didn't happen because of life. My life got in the way. Which is ok. We all deal with unexpected changes in our life and we just keep moving. The good thing though is that I was still active. I spent Tuesday evening filling hundred of nail holes in the house we are trying to sell and Wednesday (10 hours) painting said house. Friday I was so sore I took a break because I pushed through the soreness of my legs on Thursday and did Define lower. Friday I hit a wall and my whole body was toast. And I was supposed to do a double workout to make up for the Tuesday and Wednesday I missed. And yesterday I just didn't get a moments rest to do my workout. So like I said, life got in the way and we are in a new week which means a week to improve. So here is for a REDO week and kill it!

Workout Recap- 
Sunday: Rest
Monday: PiYo Define: Upper
Tuesday: rest from working out but spent 4 hours filling nail holes
Wednesday: rest from working out but spent 10 hours paining
Thursday: PiYo Define: Lower (felt good after bug ouch later)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest

Goal for the week: To work out early in the morning to get it done before life catches up with me!

Happy 2 Months to Collin

Sorry this is so late, 2 weeks to be exact! But here is my little guy at 2 months old! CRAZY that it is already over 2 months. Time really does go by so quickly and because he is such a great baby I wish that time would just slow down! 

 So Collin is an amazingly great baby! He is so easy. He doesn't really cry, but when he does it is either a little whimper or it is his "SUPER PISSED OFF" cry! He loves to smile now and is starting to belly laugh.

 He gives his Momma and Daddy 8+ hours a night straight. He starts crying for food at 8pm and is out cold by 9 and won't make a sound until about 5 or 6. He loves to watch his big brother whenever he is around. And loves to make coos and all super cute sounds. Even his farts are cute at this point!

 He really does look so much like Mason it is scary sometimes but he is definitely a different demeanor. Such a laid back baby! I sure do love this kid so much. I am so thankful that I am his mommy! Such a miracle and such a blessing!

RunDisney Pixie Dust Challenge

RunDisney just announced TODAY a new 10k challenge to add to the POPULAR Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon called the Pixie Dust Challenge! I am planning someday to run this race. I can't wait to see what the medals look like, which I will be posting here when they are announced!

Mark your calendars because registration opens and will probably close on AUG 12!



Speaking of MEDALS! RunDisney also announced the 2014 Wine and Dine 5th Anniversary SPINNER MEDAL you can get this year! Super awesome! 2015 W&D Here I COME!

Vega Sport's Electrolyte Hydrator Review

A Couple of weeks ago I was give the opportunity through Sweat Pink to try out Vega Sport's Electrolyte Hydrator as part of their #fuelyourbetter campaign. I was super excited to try this out because I have never tried Vega products before and am always up to try new things that help keep me hydrated and are ok to use while nursing! 

Since I am not familiar with the Vega brand, I checked out their website and all of their products are plant based, gluten free and non GMO. They have many products for sport and also for everyday use. They have smoothie mixes, energy bars, things to use to help prep for exercise, to use during and after exercise to help with recovery, and many, many more products. All their products are good for you and for the environment so I be sure to check them out!

As a nursing mom it is so important for me to remain hydrated so that I can feed my son efficiently. I am drinking a TON of water every day. Drinking plain old water can get boring. The Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrators are individually wrapped so no measuring needed to get the right amount and it is easy to pour into a 16 oz water bottle, shake it up and I'm ready to go. Love how convenient it is and easy for this busy momma of 2! And zero calories, so it is great that it won't add to my calorie count when I am trying to stay as fit as possible and try to lose this baby weight safely! 

Per Vega's website:

A natural, alkaline-forming drink mix, free from sugar and artificial sweeteners, Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator is formulated with all the essential electrolytes your body needs to stay hydrated during workouts.  

With zero calories per serving, Electrolyte Hydrator tastes great, so you can sip it not just during your workout, but throughout the day to: 

Replenish electrolytes and minerals
Enhance metabolism and alkalinity
Provide antioxidant protection

It's Available in Lemon Lime and Berry flavors.

I received the Berry flavor and it mixes well with the recommend 16 ounces of water. I choose to sip all day long, since I need the contestant hydration. I enjoyed the taste, it is a little more sweet than I was expecting and tastes similar to other water flavoring options available however this has the added benefit of electrolyte balancing. This would be great to have in one of my running drinks to help sustain my longer runs! I think it's great! 

QOTD: How do you fuel your better? Tag #fuelyourbetter, #vegasport, @SunKissedBecky on Instagram! 

Disclaimer: Although this product was given to me, all opinions are my own.

PiYo Week 2

I just finished my second full week of PiYo Monday! YEA for working out 7 days last week. 6 days were PiYo! I am sure feeling it though this past week. This is the week where my body was screaming at me to stop because it was working so hard. I pushed myself a little harder and tried to stick the positions longer. My arms were shaking, my legs were shaking and I have gotten better with some of the exercises. I have learned to modify them to fit my body while still getting a great workout.

My shoulders though are super weak! I had to drop my arms quite a bit this week to let them rest for just a second. But when I felt that need to drop them I held it 2 seconds longer just to strengthen them and show my body who is boss! So my goal for this week is to keep my arms up longer, to strengthen my shoulders more. Also to spend more time in a regular plank. I tried each day to try holding a plank position at least 1 time. Time to increase it to 2. (Maybe this is the real reason why my shoulders are so SORE!)

Core was AMAZING! BY THE WAY! I really enjoyed the core workout. And I felt it the next day in my obliques, just below my ribs. It was amazing but OUCH! So I really look forward to doing core 2 TIMES this coming week, plus we throw in BUNS!

Adding a new section this week with showing how much weight I have lost and inches lost. I will do this ever 2 weeks.

Weight Lost: 0
Inches Lost: 6.25

BTW!!! Today, JULY 31 is the LAST day to get the PiYo Challenge Pack at a discounted sales price plus you will get a free EXTRA CD! CLICK HERE TO GET IT TODAY!

July Week 3 Workout Recap

~So in love with these two!~

One more week done in July and only one more week left to go. Sad to see this month ends, as I am in the final days of maternity leave. I begin teaching again soon. I love teaching, but I also love staring at my babies all day long and playing. I am super excited to see how much my students have changed in the last 3 months and excited for them to meet Collin as most haven't met him yet.

This past week has been a great one for me workout wise. I am still going strong with PiYo, and it is still kicking my butt! I will give my week 2 recap of PiYo later this week!

I also did a great speed walk with Collin on me on Saturday. My legs were screaming at me yesterday for it though. I am going to try to incorporate a daily walk into my routine. I should be able to walk, and that way I am still getting my mileage in. I have yet to start running because other things have come up but my plan is to start running in August on a regular basis. (Which was my plan all along, funny how things happen that way)

Workout Recap: 
Sunday: Double Duty Routine. PiYo: Define Upper and Lower
Monday: PiYo: Sweat
Tuesday: PiYo: Define Lower
Wednesday: PiYo: Core- spent 4 hours cleaning rental house to sell
Thursday: PiYo: Define Upper
Friday: PiYo: Sweat
Saturday: 2.5 mile speed walk

Total Mileage: 2.5 miles
9 weeks postpartum

Shakeology, I LOVE YOU!

 

So I am convinced, truly convinced, that this stuff is MAGIC! It's been 2 weeks that I have been on Shakeology and I LOVE IT! Here's why:

I have lost 2.5 lbs in 2 weeks. I am not starving at all! I FEEL GREAT! I don't have to take a nap anymore during the day because I have energy to get me through the day. I don't crave candy, sugar, sweets, or salty foods. I have had an increase in my milk production (not that you are going to start producing milk if you drank it, but I am getting the things my body needs to make more beneficial milk for my little guy!) And I feel like I am cheating on my "diet" because I get to have a yummy chocolate shake!

So I hadn't lost any weight since 3 weeks postpartum. I actually gained weight because my milk came in and stabilized, so I was stuck at 3 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight for this pregnancy for 5 weeks. I know that doesn't seem so bad, but I have some weight to lose and I want to do it in a healthy way so that I can still provide the food that my son needs. It is really hard to find that line of eating too little and eating too much. But I have finally found it and it is with drinking a meal replacement shake! I don't know about you but have you ever done Slim-fast? I have. I have done it with tons of exercise, without exercise, and just to help maintain. Well with Slim-fast I was always starving. I felt hungry because I wasn't getting everything that my body needed. And about 1 time every 2 weeks I would binge on sugars and things that my body needed to replenish itself. No joke, but I have not had the urge to go binge eating in the last 2 weeks. I don't crave sugar or sweets or salty things anymore. (THAT IS HUGE FOR ME!) I crave clean food. Simple food. Chicken, eggs, fruit, butternut squash soup with amazing spices in it that I don't know what they are cause we get them from our favorite Afghan restaurant but it is clean food! I still can't eat salads, they make me gag, but I can eat other veggies and I plan on adding kale to my shakes this week to get more of the yummy goodness in my body.

~LOVE This commercial with Tony Horton!~

Matt, my husband, has been on Shakeology for the past week and he is enjoying it too. He has lost 5 lbs! SAY WHAT!?! I am so jealous! This is a guy who has been complaining for over a year because he couldn't lose weight and was too close a number he didn't ever want to be near and has now lost 5 lbs in 2 full weeks! SO UNFAIR! But, here's why. He is eating clean food. He is exercising hard everyday or almost everyday, doing an hour of cardio or weight training or cardio and weight training. He is eating the right portions too. but he also is eating pizza, and popcorn on a regular basis. He doesn't crave it he just likes to eat it and he is still losing weight! SO UNFAIR, I say again! So combining Shakeology with some serious exercise is a must!

That's 2 of us drinking Shakeology a day. We are not eating out as much and saving money and that is how we can afford to do this. Our purse strings are pretty tight right now because we are trying to sell our other house and that means we are paying 2 mortgages. My families health is so important that to me that we are making this work. If you really want to commit to yourself and lose the weight you find a way to make it happen. That's all it comes down to. Anyone can do this you just have to commit to it.

The stuff is awesome, I love it and am so glad that my friend Janet told me about it. If you have any questions about it, leave a comment, send me an email, just contact me because it really is that amazing and I can help you get it!

QOTD: Have you ever tried another kind of meal replacement? Have you heard of Shakeology before? 

Exercise, Eat, Ignore, You

I saw this on Facebook this past week and fell in love with it! Seriously this just defines me right now in my life.

EXERCISE: I will never, ever be skinny. My BFF she will, and my BFF from high school was and still is skinny. I was never skinny in High school and I will never be skinny now. But I can be fit. That is what I want, to be fit and healthy.

EAT: I have been learning and trying to eat to nourish my body. I still can't get greens down for the life of me. Seriously, I gag on anything green unless it is hidden in something else. A salad, nope can't even get them down. I think I had 5 bites and I almost threw it back up, but I am making smart choices in what I do eat, trying to follow the nutrition plan that was made for me by my nutritionist a couple years ago. A nursing plan that allows me to eat enough calories but still produce milk for Collin. Plus with Shakeology, I know that it is super healthy for me! It has super foods and minerals and vitamins in it that I don't normally get. It tastes great and has everything that I need to fuel my body, and I don't have to think about that meal for the day. It is done!

IGNORE: Ignore those naysayers. The ones that say, nope you can lose the weight. I personally don't have any naysayers because I have done it before but the one voice I do need to ignore is my own sometimes. Yep, I doubt myself and my ability to actually lose the weight again. I want to lay on the couch with Collin and watch Fringe re-runs and be lazy, but I also want to be here for them for as long as possible. I want to run after them, ride bikes with them, and most of all play with my grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them. All my children and their children, and if I live long enough their children. So I am constantly working on my own mind that I have lost the weight before I can totally do it again!

YOU: I am worth a lot more that I realize and I am learning that. I have 2 children who rely on my me. Love me and I have a lot to teach them, lead them, help develop them into great young men who respect their bodies, and want to be healthy. And someday when I have a little girl, for her not to ever hate her body or size and appreciate how beautiful she is. And to have enough respect to take care of it and protect it. I am a mother! I have such an amazing job of raising the next generation and I will honor my "job" by being the best example for my kids as possible and that means to be healthy and stick around as long as possible!

QOTD: What was the first thing you thought about when you read the quote above? 

Who's Supporting Who?

I seriously love this! Being a military wife I am so impressed with the actions of all involved with this act of kindness. The race benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation which provides scholarships to military veterans and their spouses. So the runners were supporting military families and a vet was supporting the runners! Win, win in my opinion! Way to go runners, you did good!