~Sum It Up Sunday~

On Monday...
shhh don't tell anyone

One thing is for certain, I am staying consistent with not quite staying focused. Two weeks into it and I've had lots of distractions both work and fun. Although I have been loosely following my Triathlon Training it has been S.L.O.W moving! Can we just add a couple more hours to the day???

DIVERSION
di·ver·sion

noun /diˈvərZHən/  /dī-/ 
diversions, plural

An instance of turning something aside from its course
* - a diversion of resources from defense to civil research

An activity that diverts the mind from tedious or serious concerns; a recreation or pastime
* - our chief diversion was reading

Something intended to distract someone's attention from something more important
* - a subsidiary raid was carried out on the airfield to create a diversion

Diversion is the ultimate 3D platformer for Android with 3 unique worlds, 100 levels, and 150+ characters to unlock and collect!
* - a game I uploaded last night and OH WOW addicted!


Ok Ok Focus Let's get back on track...

WEEK THREE

~Monday:
Stretch and Warm Up (20 min easy jog) and weight training

~Tuesday:
Yoga followed by 500 yard Swim a.m. and 3.5 mile run p.m.

~Wednesday:
10 mile bike I will likely be riding my bike to the bay and
swimming there!

~Thursday:
Yoga followed by 500 yard Swim a.m. and 3 mile run p.m.

~Friday:
10 mile bike

~Saturday:
5 mile run and weight training

~Sunday:
Rest
i know there is only one rest day but like i said it's been a slow couple weeks and i promise to get back on track and will make sure i'm getting those rest days in!


October 2010 Women's Series San Diego

~Slow and Steady Wins the Race???~

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!
just a day or so late...
We had a nearly perfect fourth and hope the same goes for ya'll! We didn't have any official plans so we just went with the flow. It was nice to be able to celebrate this holiday with our sweet lil family unit. We started the day out slow and just walked around our funky lil neighborhood taking in the morning scene. Stopped off at the corner market to pick up some last minute necessities. We decided to get to grilling and head down to the beach for the long haul. Behold a sweet photo montage aka excessive amounts of photos used to tell our story...


The Great American BBQ


Roasted Potato Trio with Garlic and Peppers





Star Brownie Bites








Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin~Corn on the Cob~Portobello Mushrooms~Parmesan Garlic Bread



Turkey Kielbasa and Andouille Sausage


Feast Enjoyed by All


Wagon ride to the beach for the Lil Surfer Girls



Setting up the most perfect spot...Lucky!



Plenty of time for some Fun In The Sun



Lovely Sunset


Time for the surfers to paddle out and watch the fire works from the water!



~Waiting for the Fireworks~


Lots of excitement during the show



Spectacular view when you get to sit directly across from the action!



Sleepy Wagon Ride Home Late at Night

Yes life is good when you get to take it slow on a day like the 4th of July! Not so good is my S~L~O~W start to my tri training. My body still seems to be healing from a recent back injury and I am getting it checked out soon so I am hesitant to register for the September Tri Rock Series. If it is only the sprint distance, this is an event I hope to be apart of. If not there's always the San Diego Women's in October! I have a week under my belt for the 10 Week Training Plan for the Olympic distance training plan and I do eventually plan to blog about it. Planing a Sum it Up on Sunday post and will play catch up for the last week! One thing I haven't been slow at lately are my bike rides!!!




And I am a happy lil beachmom now that Craig can keep up too!

~Fitness Goals~

We've all set our own fitness goals at some point in our lives. Mostly at the beginning of a new year. Some follow through while others lose motivation early on. Some plan to eat better, drink more water, work out more often etc...etc. We've all set our ideal goals whether it's that magic number on the scale or perfect size we see ourselves at. Sometimes even after we've achieved such goals we still aren't satisfied. One of the best fitness goals you can set is to complete some sort of race. The camaraderie in such an event is quite overwhelming and the sense of accomplishment is something that can never be taken away from you. After completing my first Triathlon, I was a changed woman and was already looking forward to the next event. THIS is a goal YOU can achieve. On one of my swim practices, I met a 70 year old woman on holiday in San Diego scoping out a good spot to swim as she was also training for her first Tri! I still haven't decided what distance I will participate in just yet and I probably need to decide pretty soon as this is said to be an event that sells out quickly. I have decided to begin the Olympic Distance 10 Week Training Plan. I am already questioning whether I can fit the workouts in this week or not but like I said before, getting started is always the most challenging part. Gotta love a plan that starts the first day OFF! although I did run 3 miles today ;-)

Ready or Not...It's GO Time!

~Overly Indulged~

Well hello old blogger friends...long time, no blog! Yes indeed it's been nearly a month of living the life and finding myself overly indulging outside of the official vacation zone!












There are many reasons excuses for bending the moderation rules. From taking it easy due to a few "growing pains" and just the lack of grace in the growing old process to a few new electronic toys to add to the already many distractions! And just the fact alone of living a vacation lifestyle with bills here in San Diego...which have recently included a number of burrito runs!

Getting Started...that's the hard part. Once you figure out the plan along with some realistic goals and then develop a rhythm and follow through with it the rest is easy! Soooo now to figure out the plan...by tomorrow!!! For the TRIATHLON training! OH! MY! Well I wanted to do an Olympic Tri this time around but it's like 10 Weeks away!!! And the suggested training plan is 18 WEEKS! So now im feeling anxious and nervous and about to chicken out and just do the sprint. BUT...I found a 10 Week Training Plan!!! If I wouldn't have been Overly Indulging now for a month I'd be confident going in with the commitment to do an Olympic distance but today I'm totally having second thoughts! So the catch is...if I can talk someone else into doing their first Triathlon i'll do the Sprint with ya...any takers!

So how 'bout it fellow San Diego bloggies...wanna try a Tri???

Check it out...Sprint Distance Training Plan

~Wrap It Up~

After a pretty rocky start for Week One in my 6 Week Interval Training, I am ready to make a big come back in Week Two!! Setting goals is important but don't let it get you down when certain goals aren't met. There's always tomorrow and I find it's best to live in the moment instead of thinking back of what didn't go your way. You are in charge of your happiness so let's create an awesome week for ourselves!

Speaking of creations...I am big on wrapping it up! Especially when it's the end of the week and time to refresh the fridge and pantry. Seems like any scraps can be mixed up and wrapped in a multi-grain/whole wheat tortilla and be super delish! I wish I were better at meal planning and mapped out my weekly menus and followed recipes but it's a busy life and my fitness takes priority and luckily eating well comes naturally to me. I hope some of my creations sparks some ideas for a quick meal in your house!




I pretty much always start by sauteing onions, garlic, peppers etc...then I add in any veggies I have: spinach, olives, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms...



I like to cook a big serving of grains (brown rice, quinoa, couscous) early in the week and this is usually a day that I cook a nice family dinner. I use the grains for everything from salad to wraps through out the week for my lunches and as a side for our family dinners.



I LOVE LOVE LOVE my tortillas toasted. There's just something super satisfying about a crunch with lunch!



And then again sometimes I just pile on fresh ingredients on a toasted tortilla for a tasty snack!


What's your favorite thing to munch at lunch?

~My Middle is Whittled~

"As the countdown to the start of a brand new channel ends, a brand new Countdown begins."

click here for complete ~Whittle Your Middle~ routine


THE END!
This was a great start to getting stronger abs. Challenging yet Attainable. Next time look for the work to be more intense! In the end I certainly felt stronger in working out and every day activities. I was amazed at the power my core showed me when doing yoga and pilates. As far as definition goes well that may take a few more whittling challenges! I lost about an inch and a half from my waist!

I am very proud of this accomplishment! Over the past month I completed 24 sessions and focused my diet on foods that claim to fight the belly bulge. I am happy with the results and look forward to future core strengthening. I plan to continue with some of these exercises 2-3 days/week until the next challenge!
Before


After



How is your challenge going? Are you happy with your results?

What's Next??
I thought I'd be ready to share my next training for a half marathon but the timing conflicts with my 20 year high school reunion~OMG~ and i'm not quite ready to start my Triathlon Training...soooo I would love to do another joint challenge with LOTS of participation...so I'm open for thoughts and suggestions. I'd like to start up next week!

What area would you like to target?

~Whittle Your Middle~

30 Day
~Whittle Your Middle~
Challenge
click here for complete ~Whittle Your Middle~ routine

Day 1: February 18, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 60 seconds
~Side Plank: 30 seconds each side
~Superman/Banana: 60 seconds
~Prone Plank: 30 seconds...A-H
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12 reps
~Supine Bridge: 10 reps
~3 Mile Run
and snack time:
and for snack...

Strawberries and Blueberries with granola and walnuts topped with nonfat plain GREEK yogurt....gotta have the greek yogurt because it's the BEST!

Day 2: February 19, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 60 seconds
~Side Plank: 30 seconds each side
~Superman/Banana: 60 seconds
~Prone Plank: 30 seconds...A-H
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12 reps
~Supine Bridge: 10 reps
~Circuit Training Lower
~Body Flow

Day 3: February 20, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 60 seconds
~Side Plank: 30 seconds each side
~Superman/Banana: 60 seconds
~Prone Plank: 30 seconds...A-H
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12 reps
~Supine Bridge: 10 reps
~4 Mile Run

Day 4: February 21, 2011
~Rest Day

This was an unplanned Rest day. I've changed my strength and cardio routine recently and although I've been doing Body Pump since before the girls. In fact I was big and preggers with Rita and still doing it...couldn't with Ruby. Since adding more body flow and a cardio kick boxing class, I decided to drop two days of pump and do some circuit training in place. I did circuit when I first got into working out and then free weights for a while and then just really enjoyed pump and never really got bored with it. Well, one day of lower body circuit training and I.Can.Barely.Walk...OMG WoW! So today I googled Should You Workout with Sore Muscles? Normally, I would just power through and go on with my schedule but was recently reminded of the importance or Rest days. After experiencing a couple of minor injuries and apparently over training, a rest day it was. Good timing since both girls are sick...and we have a good Dad who rested too and watched...ahem napped...a Barbie Surf Movie :-) Yay for Family Rest Day...G'night!

Day 5: February 22, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 60 seconds
~Side Plank: 40 seconds each side
~Superman/Banana: 90 seconds
~Prone Plank: 40 seconds...A-L
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12 reps
~Supine Bridge: 12 reps
~Body Flow
~2.5 Mile Run

Day 6: February 23, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 15
~Side Plank: 60 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 1 min 30
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-L
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 12
~2.5 Mile Run

Day 7: February 24, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 15
~Side Plank: 45 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 1 min 30
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-L
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 12
~30 min Circuit Lower
~20 min Elliptical

Day 8: February 26, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 15
~Side Plank: 60 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 1 min 30
~Prone Plank: 45 sec...A-O
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 12
~30 min Elliptical
~Body Flow

Day 9: February 27, 2011
REST DAY!!!! WHOOOOHOOO!

Day 10: February 28, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30
~Side Plank: 60 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 30 sec...A-?
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~30 sec run and twisted my ankle :-(

Come on NOW! Why does this seem to be a regular occurrence for me???!!! I literally was out the door and rounding the corner when crack! pop! S#*T My freakin' ankle!!!! Why me??? I'm in an awesome groove...getting my run back on and now this! I was able to ice & elevate it for about 15 minutes but we had a totally awesome family snow day plan so I wasn't able to follow the RICE method for a quicker recovery. I ignored the pain for the most part of the day and now after whittling my middle, it's not quite as bad as I thought. The prone plank was the only one that really gave me trouble and I was worried about the reverse curl but no problems there. Now running...yikes! I'm afraid that's gonna be a different story...good thing i've found the elliptical challenging lately!

Day 11: March 1, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30
~Side Plank: 60 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 30 sec...A-?
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~2.5 mile leisure hike Bay Side Trail due to sore ankle
and for snack...

Homemade "trail mix": popcorn, powerberries, raisins, walnuts, and pretzels. and for rita's movie snack she added left over valentines day candy :-)

Day 12: March 2, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30
~Side Plank: 60 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 30 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 12
~25 min Elliptical
~25 min upper circuit
~25 min Elliptical
~Breakfast...

Mulit-grain Oatmeal, Walnuts, Blueberries and a drizzle of Honey

Day 13: March 3, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1
~Side Plank: 30 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 1 min
~Prone Plank: 30 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 12
~Yoga

Day 14: March 4, 2011
~No Whittling
~25 min Elliptical
~30 min Lower body circuit
~25 min Treadmill
~And for Dinner...



Sauted: Broccoli, Curly Kale, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic and Portebello...Stir in Quinoa and top with Goat Cheese...Strawberries for dessert!

Day 15: March 5, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~Dinner...


Oh Boy...Do we LOVE Pizza

Day 16: March 6, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~4 Mile Run

Day 17: March 7, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 10 sec
~Side Plank: 30 sec each side
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~Body Pump
WHOOOO taking 3 weeks off of body pump sorta kicked my booty today!
~30 min Elliptical


Day 18: March 8, 2011
~Rest Day
~Fat Tuesday...Eat~Drink~Be Merry...

Day 19: March 9, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
and for lunch...

Portobello mushroom stuffed with sauteed spinach, onion, bell pepper, quinoa and goat cheese. Served on top of a kale/mixed green salad with a yogurt lemon dressing. Drizzled with Balsamic vinegar...yummy!

Day 20: March 10, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 40 sec...A-K
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~Body Flow
~30 min Elliptical
and for lunch...

First, I sauteed some red and yellow bell pepper with red onion...have you noticed I do this alot?? Then I added some shrimp, calamari and scallops and a tablespoon of this Bitchin'Sauce...no seriously that's the name of it! It has grape seed oil, almonds, water, lemon juice, nutrtitional yeast, garlic and Bragg Liquid Aminos...and oh yea it is quite Bitchin'...from the farmer's market...go get some! Stirred in a Harvest Grain blend: Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans and Red Quinoa...and more Bitchin sauce! Served with a raw salad of sprouts, chickpeas, peanuts, and some seeds...oh yea yummy!

Day 21: March 11, 2011
~No Whittling
~Body Pump
~50 min Elliptical/Treadmill

Day 22: March 12, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 50 sec...A-P
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 15
~Body Flow
~15 min Elliptical
~20 min Roller Skating while the Lil Surfer Girls followed on their bikes.
and for snack...

Strawberries and Blueberries with granola and walnuts topped with nonfat plain GREEK yogurt....gotta have the greek yogurt because it's the BEST!

Day 23: March 13, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 45 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 50 sec...A-P
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 15
~Supine Bridge: 15
Snack time:

Almonds, Babybel Cheddar Cheese, Seaweed Sheets and Sugar Snap Peas
Dinner Time:

Harvest Grain blend: Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans and Red Quinoa, Potato and Cilantro Tamale, and White Kidney Beans

Day 24: March 14, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 45 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min 30 sec
~Prone Plank: 50 sec...A-P
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 15
~Supine Bridge: 15
~25 min Elliptical
~30 min Lower Circuit
~30 Min Treadmill

Day 25: March 15, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 15 sec
~Side Plank: 45 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 50 sec...A-P
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 15
~Supine Bridge: 15
~Body Flow
~4 Mile Run = 37 minutes
eat this:

Tilapia, Sweet Potato with honey, and Quinoa




Day 26: March 16, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 15 sec
~Side Plank: 45 sec each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 50 sec...A-P
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 15
~Supine Bridge: 15
~Body Combat
~30 min upper body circuit

Day 27: March 17, 2011
~Rest Day...Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Day 28: March 18, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 50 sec...A-P
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 15
~Supine Bridge: 15
~1 hour Bike

Day 29: March 19, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Body Flow
My lower back was really bothering me since yesterdays routine. I wish I would have done it before the hour long bike ride. I think I would have had a stronger core and avoided this lower back pain!

Day 30: March 20, 2011
~Straight Arm Plank: 1 min 30 sec
~Side Plank: 1 min each side
~Superman/Banana: 2 min
~Prone Plank: 30 sec...A-H
~Prone Plank Reverse Curl: 12
~Supine Bridge: 12
Last Day and whooooo this has been a very busy week! Will hopefully post the results tomorrow!

THE END!
This was a great start to getting stronger abs. Challenging yet Attainable. Next time look for the work to be more intense! In the end I certainly felt stronger in working out and every day activities. I was amazed at the power my core showed me when doing yoga and pilates. As far as definition goes well that may take a few more whittling challenges! I lost about an inch and a half from my waist!

I am very proud of this accomplishment! Over the past month I completed 24 sessions and focused my diet on foods that claim to fight the belly bulge. I am happy with the results and look forward to future core strengthening. I plan to continue with some of these exercises 2-3 days/week until the next challenge!
Before


After



How is your challenge going? Are you happy with your results?

What's Next??
I thought I'd be ready to share my next training for a half marathon but the timing conflicts with my 20 year high school reunion~OMG~ and i'm not quite ready to start my Triathlon Training...soooo I would love to do another joint challenge with LOTS of participation...so I'm open for thoughts and suggestions. I'd like to start up next week!

What area would you like to target?


DISCLAIMER:
Please note that I am not a physician, dietitian or a fitness trainer. You should always consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.