So, how many of you can raise your hand and say, “I love to….” to stay fit? For me, it used to be bike racing or marathon running because that is really what I was raised to do.


Even when I came home from a training run with bloody shoes!

However, I’m now officially in my 40′s and I currently know what I am passionate about. Not even crossfit, so much as lifting heavy weight. I love putting my hands on a barbell. I even love wiping sweat off my back so that I can get another set of back squats! You know why? Because I can see/track/witness RESULTS, regularly. When considering bike racing, it takes MONTHS to get and see results (like you know winning a race) and months to train for a marathon where you hope everything goes right for a PR (although rain, injuries and environmental circumstances can prevent you from getting that coveted PR).
Currently, lifting heavy barbells is my passion, but that might change…you never know.

Have you read or seen, Experience Life Magazine? Check out their new article, “Find Your Fitness Passion .

As well as check out Charlotte Hilton Anderson’s The Great Fitness Experiment. If you’ve followed her blog at all, then, you know you’re in for a good laugh!

Check out this great article from Lexie Kite!

How many of you reading this subscribe to lots of different news feeds via Facebook that often times include pictures of women’s abs, or arms or whatever?

If you’re a woman athlete, and you subscribe motivating Facebook pages {RX-Star}, you then become inundated with pictures of women giving you the message that we have to have flat abs, perfectly sculpted legs and arms.

Being healthy means eating healthy, sleeping well and having an overall good view of yourself…not necessarily having sculpted abs!

Thumbs up or down on this one?

Out of the box and on my feet, the Jackie went for a walk around the house.  I first noticed that these shoes were ridiculously comfortable and I could immediately plan a trip to the zoo and not blink an eye.  They look great with jeans or a dress or you could easily have a bike commute with these as well- comfortable but very durable and useful for all kinds of activities.

I love their mission statement:

“With careful and intentional choices, they found a balance between fitness and fashion, performance and aesthetics, profit and philanthropy, and work and play. It was only fitting that they named their company after the Celtic goddess of balance between well being and prosperity.

Ahnu. Walk new ground.”

Ahnu is a brand of shoes that can be purchased online at Ahnu,  REI,  Zappos or you can shop for them locally in your area.

FTC- These shoes were sent to me for free and the above opinions are my own.

I’ll start off with the easiest one first…Introducing MAXFLOW headbands. Seriously super grippy (not sure that’s a word), but you get my meaning. These headbands Do Not Budge. Love the colors and the cross-back grip underneath.

Blender Bottle has a new SportMixer out now that is useful! These are a big Upgrade from their original version and much more durable and helpful out on the field or when carrying it around. I love the grips on the sides of the bottle and the loop for carrying. My only gripe is the sport top lid is way tight and it is occasionally hard to open.

Next up is the sexy, FRAS scarves. Perfect.

Paleoista is a fact-filled book on how to eat paleo from a women’s point of view.   She tells you the why’s, the how’s and the how to maintains with 50+ recipes.  I’ve enjoyed reading it so far and I’d recommend for any new woman interested in changing her diet and improving her health at the same time.

Finally, if you happen to be my hubby reading this…there would be a few items that I’d kindof jump for joy for, like this these or THIS ONE.   If you’re an athletic mom, what would you want for Mother’s Day?!

FTC- the products highlighted here were given to me for purposes of review & all of the above opinions are my own.

However lovingly they like to play “lifting weights” in the garage with me, they are really not that interested in how I do, they are more interested in creating their own games, recovering from ridiculous incidents of allergy/infected feet, not getting shots, going on airplanes, and just generally being kids. There are days that include 6+ hours of work, a kick a** hard workout when I just don’t want to play with them…I’d rather curl up in my comfy chair and take a nap! But the days when they are this young are limited and pass quickly. I look back on super cute photos of them and I want those days back!
So, today, when you get cranky with your kids, just remember, they will only by this YOUNG once.

On another note:
Mother’s Day is coming up very soon….have any gift requests, I’m looking for ideas?!

Featuring Airplanes in the Garden

Diana Markessinis

And for the kids, Sparky the Pizza Oven!!

For more information, visit the LA Garden Show website!

Yogamat Boutique has a unique line of yoga clothes that include some really nice tops and bottoms. I particularly liked the Tripural and the Delhi Bottoms. In addition, they were kind enough to send me a top, called Bihar which I absolutely adore. This top could be worn over your Cami tops to yoga and then back on for a trip to the store. The shirt is made from an Eco-conscious bamboo and the softness is amazing. I’m sure I will wear this shirt over and over again. It can be worn to yoga, but, yet, it’d look great with jeans as well.

You can purchase Yogamat clothing online at their boutique store or in stores throughout the US.

per FTC rules: Yogamat Boutique sent me one shirt for purposes of review and the above opinion is my own.

Image Credit: Google

Recently, I had a good conversation with one of my sons’ teachers who was lamenting about how she has actually been gaining 10 pounds a year since she was 24, she’s now 30, and really feeling the effects of the weight gain.  Now, she’s made progress by signing up for crossfit classes, however, she seems to find a myriad of reasons to not go.    We then proceeded to discuss her eating habits which sounded reasonable eggs for breakfast, sometimes a skipped lunch, red meat and asparagus for dinner along with a minimum of 4 glasses of whole milk per day.   I love this teacher, and I want so badly to help her!!

What can I do for you? I can keep you accountable by asking, “did you go workout today”? But, I don’t want to be the world’s biggest nag, either.  I’ve shared how I eat, I’ve shared how she can get help through our paleo food specialist at CDR, and I’ve told her about Washington Produce……I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall.    She continues to be muddled in “well, how come they eat the same things I do and they are not gaining weight?”

Change comes with a decision.  You decide it’s time to improve your health, and you do it.  One small step at a time.  You could even access affordable health insurance in your quest to improve your health!   Switching from whole milk to no milk, adding lunches and lots of dark leafy greens to your daily regimen.  That sounds like a lot, but really, it is just about adding healthy foods and subtracting foods that are not so healthy.   Honestly, with a 100 pounds to lose, it’s going to START with food, not with exercise.

If you are one of these people struggling to lose weight or improve your health, here are some very valuable resources to check out:

Experience Life Magazine

Robb Wolf

Whole 9 Life

As a new parent of just one baby, I had plenty of time to do what I loved- running.  When my youngest was 6 months old, I ran a marathon after training just barely 3 times a week.  I don’t remember it being too stressful because, babies take naps and they also don’t move around too much as a six month old.  Also, my husband was around plenty to pick up and carry our six month old baby boy.

I believe I spent the better part of my first two years plus one year pregnant running only.  I’d also acquired a treadmill during that time, so, if I couldn’t go out to run, I could do something on a treadmill.  In addition, I found I could jump rope, do pushups with the baby in the car seat.

Then, since I had been a cyclist in college, I briefly dabbled in bike racing- between the years of 2006-2009, although I bet I completed only a handful of races during that time.  I enjoy bike riding and occasionally bike racing, but, in order to get really good at bike racing, you need to do it all the time.  No go, for me.  Two kids under the age of 5 was not a time to devote myself to a sport that requires a minimum of 10 hours a week on a bike.   Also, I recall having complete and total meltdowns 15 minutes prior to the races as my husband would be out racing, and I was supposed to be warming up, but, couldn’t concentrate because I was worried about what my children were doing.

Back to running in 2008, trained for the St. Geroge Marathon and ended up injured and running it after having lost a month of training.  Long story, but I ended up in Yoga “rehab” for my stupid hip which had lead to basically tendonitis in my right knee. Yeah, me.

Now, 2012, my longest “workout” takes 15 minutes or less and I can be completely torn up in just 7 minutes.  I love lifting weights and I love that my quads are bigger than they’ve ever been and I love seeing progress in my lifting.  And, I love spending time on mobility work and I just happen to love crossfit.  In all my years of athleticism, I’ve never felt or seen as much progress in my own personal strengths or in my change of body type or in my overall outlook on life as I do with crossfit.  I’ve also met some of the coolest people on the planet through crossfit and have improved my diet by 200% since I first began.  Bye bye iced mocha’s with whip cream daily!!

In summary, CrossFit is working for me because it takes a hell of a lot less time (more or less) {I’m still a die hard}, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been in all my years as an athlete, and I have a 100 pound Snatch, heck yeah!!