Ladies, how important is it to support your girls?!

Back in the days of actually having breasts, I was all over the super supportive- boob smasher variety.  I’ve reviewed many that have done their job in that department.  Heavy amounts of running required a heavy duty bra- the CW-X was my favorite until my body started changing.  Then, came the need of a padded sports bra so that I at least looked like I was well endowed, LOL!!  The Handful, Inc was and still is one of my favorite sports bras EVAHHHHH, but, now I have a new one to share with you about.

The KALYX bra is brand new and has already been featured in Life and Style Magazine with Jennifer Anniston wearing it!  And, she just happens to be wearing the “Centered” bra which is the one I got to try out!  I am not kidding you when I say this one is now at the top of my list of sports bras.  It’s incredibly soft, non-padded- but offers a nice “lift” without being too sexy and the back has an open mesh pocket for breath ability!  And, it’s reversible!  WOW.   I suppose I am going to have to revise my favorite products list as this one is awesome- the Handful will be my “daily” wear because of the pads and the KALYX will be my go to bra for all workouts.

Note: The only thing I’d do differently is make the sizing based on rib cage size.  At the moment, the bras are sized by dress size which does not always equate to your bra size.  I could easily have gone up a size and been fine as well.

The “Centered” KALYX bras are priced at $42.  You have a 20% OFF code until April 15th.

Enter FITNESS20 at checkout.

To find out more about the KALYX bra click here.

P.S. KALYX provided me with this sample and this is my opinion!

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Bet you thought I wasn’t running?!?!? Ha ha ha. Surprise is sweet, even for me. I am running. However, I am only running when the Workout of the Day (W.O.D.) calls for it. That means that in a 2 week period, I might run 1 time. In fact, it might be more like once every three weeks. The last time we did any running in the box was on February 10th when we ran (2) 800 meter runs and (2) 400 meter runs, backwards! And I thought that workout was a blast!

Anyways, here I am writing about my new 5km running PR. My first documented 5km on this site is dated November, 2007 and I ran it in 23:01. Ryan was 1.5 years and it’s likely that I was still nursing and was very heavy at the time- click here and see for yourself.

In 2008, I ran only 2 other 5kms and both run times were in the 23+ minute range.

Witness below the Marathon Skirt:  St. George Marathon completed with a time of 3:59.

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One month post marathon, Bobbi and I ran the Skirt Sports 5km and my time is not even listed on my site- except that it was around 24 minutes!

In 2009, I spent the year completing my 200 hour Yoga Works training, trail running, bike racing and kettlebell swinging!

November 2009 was the start of my Cross Fit training.  Since November, I’ve averaged 4-5 days a week in the box.  ( I have dropped at least 6 pounds and 2 dress sizes since then).

This weeks’ workouts have been ridiculously hard- Monday 29 weighted lunges plus 10 burpees times 9 ROUNDS .   Tuesday included 50 repetitions of 12 exercises called the “Filthy Fifty”, Wednesday a 20 minute heavy lifting day- and THEN on Thursday we had to run the 5km.  Crazy.  My legs were still feeling Monday’s lunges and the warm-up for our run included 100 ring dips, 75 sit-ups, 50 Man Makers, 25 Handstand Push-ups!!  Holy smokes, that’s a workout in and of itself!

Long story, but, YES,  I RAN A 5KM IN 21:43!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  First time since my early years of college that I’ve run sub-22!  And, the crazy thing is that I am HARDLY running.

Guess the next thing will be to test out my fitness in a local 5km!

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Polyvore is a blast to use.  I just spent an hour fooling around and shopping my favorite websites for new and exciting apparel to wear to the gym.  You know I live in workout apparel all week long, I’d better like what I wear.  However, when it comes time for sweating…that’s a completely different story.  I can envision myself wearing simply a jog bra and shorts- when my abs make an appearance, LOL?!?!  But, in the meantime, I enjoy wearing long yoga style bra tops and shorts.

Below are my favorite styles of shorts and tops.

What is YOUR favorite style of workout apparel?

Sweaty WOD’s by Fit Mommy featuring prAna clothing

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Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to share my excitement with you….I have my first BIG article published on Read Breathe today!  It was meant to be an in print article- but got cut for space- but it’s online and I’m happy about it!

What I learned Cooking With My Kids

Also, live is Part 2 of “Get Those Abs Ready for Swim Suit Season” on A Mom in Red High Heels.

Celebrate with me!

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I loved this article in Runner’s World this month!  Just a few months ago, I was lamenting about my poor attitude and mental negative crap that goes through my head before a bike race.   (Here is the post, “I feel your pain, Kara Goucher.”) And, to be honest, this type of behavior when it comes to sports performance or just life in general does not just evaporate.  It transforms.  If you have a tendency towards negative spirals, it will reappear in other parts of your life.

The article is quite lengthy and discusses her current method of training that includes a sports psychologist, Darren Treasure.  I think his tips are very valuable and could be easily accessible to all of us wanna-be athletes!

Here they are:

• 1. Worry early, not late.  Focus on your strengths and the body of your training work.
• 2.  Employ a key word.  Must have a stimulus and response.
• 3. Embrace your competitors.  “It means I’m going to run together with the best, and they’ll help bring out the best in me.  That neutralizes my anxiety about my own confidence.”  Just think that working out/running with faster people will make YOU FAST.
• 4. Enjoy the motion.  Enjoy the moment. Relax!!
• 5. Define success by your progress.  “I want them to measure their success in terms of their personal progress.  If I can do a couple more reps that I could yesterday,  that’s success.”

Now for tomorrow’s workout, I will be employing all of these tricks! Holy moly, check out the workout…

“Dirty Dozen”

25-Walking Lunge
20-Pull ups
50-Box Jumps 20”
20-Double Under’s with a rope
25-Ring Dips
20-K-2-E (Knees to Elbows)
30-KBS 70/53
30-Sit-ups
20-Hang cleans 35/20 DB
25-Back Ext
30-WallBall
4-Rope climbs
*For Time!

Strengths for me for tomorrow will be the Box Jumps and Wall Balls.  It’s going to be fun and fast! Key word, FOCUS.

Now a playlist for this would be awesome! Anybody have any favorite songs that you can recommend?

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In a recent article in Fitness Magazine titled “Confessions of a Cardioholic” by Jessica Girdwain people who show signs of addiction to exercise include canceling trips (not flexible in changing their training schedule), exercising even when severely injured, or/and in doing 2 or more hours of exercise per day.

“Their dependency started as an innocent wish to get in shape but quickly morphed into an unhealthy obsession.”

“Athletes tend to be driven, type A personality,..They often think that more training is better.”

“With each workout, I vowed to run a minute longer or record a faster time on the treadmill.”

“Much like a drug addict, a compulsive exerciser may feel withdrawal symptoms when she doesn’t get her fix- the powerful endorphin rush that comes from working out…something similar to a runner’s high.”

Symptoms of overtraining include low energy, loss of motivation, fatigue, illness or abnormal heart rate.

Here’s my take on my personal love of exercise:

It’s highly likely that I am addicted to exercise- but in a good way.  I love it, but, I know when to quit.  I’m happy getting my one hour a day, five days a week.  The “extra” that I get- teaching yoga to kids is my job and there are days when I do everything I can to do as little as possible {using demonstrators, student teachers and games to limit how much “extra” that I get!} because I am physically fried.  But, it’s not everyday.

Yes, I LOVE THAT FEELING OF ENDORPHIN HIGH.  There are days when I leave my gym and feel like a million bucks.  There are other days when I leave that I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.  We have easy days and we have hard days- that is why I can go five days a week.

Yes, with each workout, I make a mental note on how I could improve it.  And, in three to four months when it comes up again, I will.  That’s a healthy sign of improvement.

Here’s why I am not unhealthfully addicted to exercise:

I recognize my need for rest and I take rest days ( sometimes grudgingly and sometimes happily!)

Injuries equal rest for me.

Trips mean a change in plans for exercise – not a reason to cancel.  And, trips usually mean a lighter workout and or rest days for me.

If a workout gets canceled or I’m unable to attend, it’s likely that I’d find a way to do something at home…but the bottom line is 5 days a week minimum.

Maybe I am, maybe I’m not…I just watch my body for signs of overtraining and my mood.

What’s your take on exercise addiction?  Do you feel addicted to exercise? How are you feeling if you can’t workout? Do you push yourself every single time you go out?

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Ok, folks, I’ve tried to NOT puke Cross Fit on you daily, but, I got a lot of questions about it, so, here is the latest news for me…I can do 75 kipping pull-ups with NO BANDS!!!

WHOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Yesterday, was technically a “make-up” day.  Either we could choose the 10 minute Handstand Push-up workout (which we had done the day before) or could choose to do Cindy.  Cindy is another very simple Cross Fit classic.  It’s so simple that it’s crazy I’d never heard of it before now.  For twenty minutes do repeats of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats.  When I heard that was the workout, I knew I could do FIVE kipping pull-ups.  What I didn’t know was how many sets of FIVE I could do.  I just figured I would try the first few without the bands and just try it out….The good news is that I MADE IT.  All sets of pull-ups with no bands.  At the end I was doing only 2 or 3 at a time, but, I did them all!

The Results for Me are 15 Rounds in 20 minutes.  That is with lots of breathing breaks and stops at the end for skin removal.  Unfortunately, I had been neglecting my callouses and with this high number of pull-ups and I lost some skin.  Yikes.  But at the time, I was too stoked to be bummed about it.  Lesson learned…soften callouses with pumice stone and very likely wear gloves!

So, YES, I am proud, skin tears and all.  Just planning on preventing that in the future!

Anybody want to suggest products for my skin repair?

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The ZONE diet is a completely new way of eating for me.  So instead of nice little paragraphs, I’m going to use bullet points.  I should state a few things that were interesting to me, first though.  There are some Big Time Athletes who follow the ZONE…people whom I respect like Christian Vande Velde, Dean Karnazes, Lisa Bentley and many more triathletes, hockey players and golfers.

Nothing is off limits- just “best” choice and “poor” choices.  Bread, rice and pasta are all there on the lists of grains- except you get 1/5 of a cup of rice for one carbohydrate block.  Or 1/4 cup of pasta for one carb block……versus 1/2 an apple or 1/4 hummus or 1/4 cup of sweet potato.  As for the fat, it’s simply eating the good fats in small quantities- avocado, olives, nuts, olive oil, almond butter all foods that are my favorites!

It means eating a 3 block breakfast before work.  That translates to 3 slices of turkey bacon, 1/2 cup eggs cooked with 1 pepper, onions and spinach, a sprinkle of cheese, and 3 Tablespoons of Avocado and a half an apple!!  That is a lot of FOOD, people.

• My fridge is completely FULL of cut vegetables, bags of grapes and tomatoes and lunches made.
• Supposedly, I should be able to go 4-6 hours on one meal.   And, plan to have 2 snacks at some point during the day.
• Each meal (3) and snack (1-2) requires that number of  blocks of protein, carbohydrates and fat.  It’s based on the number of grams in each one.  For example, 2 egg whites is one block, 1 cup of raspberries and 1 Macademia Nut could be a one block snack.
• It means that I need a really cool digital scale and a measuring cup!
• The meals are completely reasonable and normal!  Ex. 1 corn tortilla to make a quesadilla with salsa, jalapeno’s, and an orange.

I’m already liking this plan of eating.  In comparison to Weight Watchers (which I did years ago), it’s about planning your food! Not something I’ve done in the past.

You can read more about the ZONE diet here. How am I going to keep it all straight?!?!? I have a list of all the foods and their block quantities that I carry around everywhere!

Questions, comments, concerns?! Let it rip here.  Today was a no sugar day and I’m still alive!

(This is not a paid endorsement!)

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When it snows HERE where I live in Southern California, it’s BIG news.  Last week, we had five days of rain- but just one town away, Yucaipa, it was snowing.  Our elevation is 1400 feet.  Snow does NOT happen here!!!!!

So, me and every other family with kids went searching for the white powdering stuff this weekend and it was very easy to find.  My running buddy and I used to run on this road during our marathon training last year.  It’s about 15 miles to my house from here.

There is always a “resident” stuffed animal on all our trips.  This time, it was “penquiny”.

Goofing off for the photographer!

Note to self: Must bring massive snacks for us to survive out here longer than one hour!

And, you can bet that there will some serious cross country skiing going on ASAP!!

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This weekend, my focus, for my site has been to hunt around for new products, new yoga apparel, or quick bits of news…all in a mini-post(s) style!

I’m very found of Inner Waves and their products. Each piece is organic cotton, stylish and in my opinion reasonably priced for a high quality yoga product. So far, I’m loving the look of the Lokahi pant and the Wahine tank (don’t own, though!)

Organic Cotton Yoga Clothes by Fit Mommy featuring Luana activewear

This is not a paid endorsement!

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