Orange Theory Fitness

Today I went to this new place called orange theory fitness. I have been trying out new places to cross train while I work on my running. This past week I have been a bit dead since I did this kettle bell workout that killed me, I didn't do much unfortunately. So back to this new workout place.

It was super easy to sign up, just gave them a call and they asked for my height and weight and told me to come in 15min before class to get a quick explanation on how the class works. There are rowing machines, treadmills, and free weights. They put a heart rate monitor on you so that it is monitored on a big tv with everyone's names.

This was neat because you can see in what zone you are while you work out. So I started out on the treadmills, we basically did intervals of inclines and speed. I stayed in the green/ orange zone for a good portion of this which is good. I was on the treadmills for about 28min and a total of 2.6 miles. I was pretty tired but the short breaks for walks helped a lot. 

Then we moved onto the rowing/ free weight training. I was pretty awful at this... the trainer is on a microphone yelling out instructions and the music was loud so I was a bit distracted. The rowing was just not happening for me because my arms were so sore. 

Then there was the suspension strings you see in the pic, we did some lunges while pulling on these babies and wow did I feel it. Overall I really liked this place and they offer a free week of sessions. At the end you get to see how many minutes you were in each zone and how many calories you burned; I got 380. I felt good and not as sore as with other workouts which is a good thing. If you happen to have one of these by you I strongly recommend it :) 

xoxo,

Me

Monday Motivation

Got the Monday blues?? here are some of my favorite pins this month for a little extra motivation to get you up and going!

Sometimes I feel like I am so much slower than the other runners out there but hey.. I am only racing against myself and at least I am out there so just have to keep remembering that!

When I am out there running it takes all the blah parts of the day out and nothing feels better than some endorphins :)

This is so true considering I have 3 Disney races paid and ready go!!! just keep running.. just keep running.

And with that said .. let's get it done! 

xoxo,

Me

Reads to inspire

Hello! I wanted to share two of my recent reads that have inspired me. First up is "the non-runner's marathon guide for women"... This book is told in the perspective of Dawn which is basically a couch potato.

I really enjoyed this book because it was so relatable for me. I am going through a lot of the same emotions and problems as her and it helped me to see I wasn't alone. Besides the book being informative about marathons and the training, it is very funny. Dawn is not a runner and simply hates doing it but has dedicated this marathon to her grandfather so she is determined. Her point of view is hilarious and I really recommend this book to anyone who needs a little pick me up during their training.

My next read is "Chicken soup for the runner's soul".

This book is full of short stories from real people about running, swimming, and triathlons. I love reading about other people's experiences because it helps me understand mine a little better. When I read these stories about amputee women than have completed an ironman it is truly inspiring. It makes me want to get out there and go all out, put different races on my calendar and more bling for my wall! I hope you get a chance to read these, they really are amazing books and a good way to stay motivated through tough training.

xoxo,

Me

ABC's of Me

I decided to jump on the bandwagon of Abc's and do my own post about it. I kept it simple so here ya go:


A. Attached or single? Attached :) 

B. Best Friend? My fabulous mom ... I tell her everything

C. Cake or Pie? flourless chocolate cake with powdered sugar yum yum

D. Day of the Week? Sunday! I do all my errands including my long runs on sundays 

E. Essential Item? phone, not sure what I would do without it

F. Favorite Color? Red the color of love <3

G. Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Sour gummie worms

H. Hometown? Miami, fl where the sun always shines

I. Favorite Indulgence? Malted milk shakes from swensen's

J. January or July? July because of all the yummy BBQs!

K. Kids? Just my puppy calvin for now

L. Life isn't complete without? someone you love

M. Marriage Date? N/A

N. Number of brothers/sisters. Just one...my genius little brother

O. Oranges or apples? Oranges in the form of a mimosa :)

P. Phobias? spiders, roaches or any insect for that matter, they give me the creeps

Q. Favorite quote? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!

R. Reason to smile? Because I am grateful for my amazing life

S. Season of Choice? Winter.. holidays galore and of course my birthday

T. Time you wake up? An early bird since I go to bed so early

U. Unknown fact about me? I love to cook up italian goodies

V. Favorite vegetable? Corn on the cob

W. Worst habit? Picking off my nail polish once it starts to chip

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? X-Ray i guess ?? 

Y. Your favorite food? Pizza pizza pizza, all day everyday

Z. Zodiac Sign? Virgo

Greetings from Costa Rica

So this past week I was in Costa Rica!!! A much needed vacation from the madness in Miami.. the thing I was looking forward to the most was these monkeys that are supposed to be everywhere. My mission.. to feed them!

I won't bore you with stories since all we really did for the first couple days was lay around by the pool and relax. The most exciting part was seeing the monkeys.. They were everywhere after we left a banana on the porch.

(I ran out of the shower when I heard they showed up, hence the outfit)

We had an amazing view from our house, it was like a little slice of heaven. I could spend all day in that pool, and there was so much wildlife all around us which kept it entertaining.

One of the days we went zip lining, I have done it in the past but this was even better. When we were checking in they had a bunch of framed pics of celebrities that had done it there in the past. And hey, if it's good enough for the kardashians its good enough for me!

The only bad part was having to go up the mountains and at some point I got really exhausted...

                                                ( Not very athletic looking am I hahah)

The monkeys came back the next morning which made me extremely happy. I don't think anyone on that trip had a banana since I was keeping them hostage for the monkeys!

And he was looking for me once I went in ....

( Amazing how humanlike they are right??? )

Well those are some of my fave pictures from the trip... till next time. Oh I forgot to add in the most relaxing part: My first trip to a real spa. Hot stone massage for 90min... delicious :) a perfect end to a great vacation.

xoxo,
Me

Runner's high

So there is this thing that runners talk about... The elusive runner's high. It's a state of euphoria one experience on long runs. I think I might have experienced it the other day on my six mile run. The run went perfectly and I must say those gu chomps are really helpful. I get this great kick of energy right when I need it thanks to these gummies. I finish in a great state and don't feel exhausted. Maybe this had something to do with the runners high I think I was having.

I was on this cloud by mile 5 that I don't think anyone could've brought me down from! So I figured I'm either delusional or this is it... the runners high. I was smiling, keeping up pace and surprisingly not dying.

Now that I am upping my mileage I think I am starting to experience it. i really have felt so accomplished and I'm getting addicted to the feeling of satisfaction I get once i complete a run. I go back home so happy and I finally think I found something that makes me feel my best!

Now that I know runners high is real, at least to me, I will continue to try and reach that place of happy.

xoxo,

Me

Camelbak Aurora review

Meet my new favorite piece of gear... the camelbak aurora.

When I was researching the best hydration pack for women I barely found any reviews about the ones I was interested in. Which leads me to my review, so I could help anyone thinking of getting one of these fab packs.I purchased my camelbak on sunnysports.com for a really good price. I was looking for something that could carry my phone, gels, gummies, and had extra pockets for any other items I wanted to bring.

 The aurora has two pockets on the back and 2 stretch pockets on the sides which expand. I am able to hold all my things comfortably and I put my phone in the back pocket so I don't have to bring the armband. The less gear I have on me the better!

The stretch pockets in the sides are perfect for carrying a light weight jacket or extra layer of clothes once you start to get warm.

This pack holds 2 liters of water and is pretty light weight. I wore it the other day for a 5 mile run and it was great. My back didn't get sweaty and the pack barely bounced around. I know some people complain about the sloshing sound but since I wear headphones that was a non issue :)

This is my first pack so I am a little biased but honestly I am in love with it. The size is small so it fits just right on my back, the strap in the front keeps the pack from moving around. So if you are in the market for one of these babies ...go for it! they are awesome & I will be using it in all my upcoming races :)

xoxo,

Me