I am coming into the final stretch of my training. There are less than 5 weeks left until the big day. While I was on my long run this week, I felt like I was holding on to every step. I didn't think I would feel this way and didn't expect to at all. There were many weeks where I questioned my training and was wishing it away. I just wanted it to be race day so I could get it down and over with and then not have to train so much and so hard. Many people asked what I was going to do next and I couldn't think of what was next. I needed to get through this and then see what was in store. I am still not ready to plan what is next because I need to finish this training and have my race.
What I do know is that this training has become the best thing I have ever done and as anxious as I am for my race to see all my hard work pay off, I almost want my training to be extended because i don't want this journey to end. Yes, I know I can train again and for something else but it will never be this same journey again.
Never could I have imagined running over 20 miles. Never did I think my body and mind could work together to do this. Never did I think I would enjoy it as much as I do. Never did I think I would want it to continue.
This training has done so much more than prepare me to run a marathon.  It has given me strength. It has given me confidence. It has given me patience. I know I am capable. All of this applies to my running but it also applies to my life. This training has carried over into my daily life and has had a positive impact on it.
I really look forward to my race and to what will be next but I will cherish every run up until then and work my hardest to have it contribute to my big day.
I started this journey at the beginning of April and wasn't quite sure what I got myself in to. Sure I had raced before and run half marathons but I never took it as seriously as I have taken this or worked as hard as this. It all started with an idea and then a day by day plan. I can't wait for the next 5 weeks!

Nina Pears

How Do You Manage?

The last couple of months have been challenging for me to say the least. Since school has started back up Morgan has only been home 19 days and of those 19 days he was probably on shift at least 6 days so in all reality since school has started Morgan has probably slept at home 13 days. It is crazy to think about it like that.
I am not perfect, I do not have super powers, and I don't think it is easy. But I do take it one day at a time, sometime one minute at a time, and make a lot of mistakes on the way. I keep track of my priorities and run my days like I am on a mission. I appreciate my kids for who they are and all the help and support they contribute to our team.
Many people have said they don't know how I do it. First and foremost, I am a mom! That is my number one priority in my day to day life. I will make sure I eat breakfast and dinner with my kids on a daily basis and that I attend to all of their needs. I also know I need to include them in all of our responsibilities and rely on their independence.
Next up comes work. I truly love what I do and I am lucky to have an audience that demands my attention and keeps me on my toes to constantly be thinking of new things or ways to get information across. I am so lucky to gain new children every year and have them challenge me in ways I never thought I could be challenged on a daily basis.
Next up is my health and fitness. This is a priority for me and I will go without a lot of things and make many sacrifices to accommodate this need. Sometimes, I work in several chunks throughout the day to get what I need done. My running is a non-negotiable at this point and has to get down every day. I will wake up and run in the dark to ensure it gets done. The rest of the work out usually gets done after dinner and homework when the kids are settling down. This area has been the most difficult to accommodate with Morgan being gone and juggling everything else but it has become a priority to find time to get it in. I am all about working

out smarter not harder and and happy that I have found a way to fit it in. I no longer go to the gym and I do miss it but I am fortunate to have found at home workouts that produce results and are easy to fit in!
I have also took on another job that I have a hard time thinking of as a job. I love being a Beachbody coach and that has become a passion of mine. Since I love it so much, I am able to give it my time and attention.
Then there is the house and cleaning, and yard. I fit that in here and there and it always seems to be ok if it waits a little longer.
What I have realized is that if I am truly passionate about things, I can manage fine. I may make mistakes here and there and struggle at times but it keeps me learning and growing. So how do I manage it all? I just do it and don't think about it. I enjoy every aspect of my life so I make it all a priority and really think about what I am doing and why I am doing it and it is all worth it. When Morgan is home for longer than a few days, life will go on and I will do the same but I will have support right by my side. And it is all so worth it!

Nina Pears

Direct reflections

Our kids are direct reflections of us-their parents. They see what we do, hear what we say, and are incorporated into our life styles. This holds true with exercise and nutrition too. Because I am so passionate about exercise and nutrition, my kids are too.
They watch me workout out everyday. They have seen me struggle and succeed. They have heard my stories of my runs and have been an active part of my training. We eat every meal as a family. We eat the same food and the kids have an understanding of the nutritional value and purpose of our food. When we eat, there are non-negotiables but there are compromises too. A veggie has to be eaten with every meal. The corn can be switched out for broccoli or carrots.
Why is it important? We know the health implications with obesity and how the childhood obesity rates are increasing. Not only are there the obvious health implications but also academic and social implications too. If you need a reason to eat a little healthier or to work out today, have it be for your kids!

Nina Pears

MM-It is the training not the race

I started to get anxious about the race as it gets closer. It is still 6 weeks away but it is relatively close since I have been training for 5 months. As the anxiety was setting in, I realized it was silly to feel this way about the race. The training for this race has been my true journey. I have gained and learned so much from this that the race will just be a fun celebration for all of my hard work.
I remember sitting on the computer this winter while Morgan was watching some show and I saw something about the NYC marathon. I clicked on it and decided to sign up. I knew there was no chance that I would get selected. I knew you had to qualify or you could run for charity or possibly get selected through the lottery. I thought the chances for me to get selected were slim to none so I signed up.
I would say signing up was stepping out of my comfort zone but I never thought I would get selected when signing up so that really wasn't stepping out.
Then there was the day that I got the email saying I was selected. I was excited but angry too. I was excited at the thought of running this marathon and the opportunity but I was angry because now I had to work and I knew there was  a lot of work ahead of me. That was the day I decided to step outside of my comfort zone.
I have truly challenged myself on a daily basis, whether it be making the choice and the sacrifice to fit a run in no matter what or increasing my runs one mile at a time.
Before this training, I was running a few miles here or there and I had never run more than 13 ever and I felt that was the hardest thing in the world. Now I can regularly run 20 miles for a long run and feel amazing at the end of it. The first time was rough but every time gets easier and easier and I feel better and better.
As the race gets closer, part of me feels like I have already won form all of gains and experiences in my training. The other part of me is determined to surpass all of my goals because I now know I can and I have had such a great experience training. It is great to have something to train and it is great to celebrate that training with a race! I will hold on to these last 6 weeks of training and I can't wait for this race!

Nina Pears

Family Fall Bucket List

Fall is by far my favorite season! I feel like I take advantage of every opportunity to hold on to the changing of seasons and to prolong the coming of winter. Fall is simply beautiful as the trees change, the animals begin to move, and we hold on to every but of color before the winter sets in. There is just so much to do and this season flies by. Here is our family must do list for the fall.

Go to an apple orchard
Plant bulbs
Jump in the leaves
Hike
Go on a walk and crunch in all the leaves
Rake
Make an old fashioned share crow
Bake!!!!!
Spend time in the kitchen making meals with all of the fresh squash and veggies that come in before the frreze
Fall scavenger hunt
leaf rubbings
leaf collage
Star gaze and enjoy the harvest and hunters moon
Go to a pumpkin patch
Go on  a hay ride
Go to a corn maze
 Go to a live football game even if its just highschool
Make apple cider in the crock pot
Make homemade bird feeders

Enjoy every minute of it! Please comment with your favorite fall activities.

Nina Pears

Beachbody 21 Day Fix

When I met Morgan over 10 years ago, he was an offensive lineman in the NFL. To say he was big was an understatement. Being big as an NFL player was celebrated and expected. But Morgan took that to a whole new level and was even reprimanded for being to heavy at one point.
 On one of our first dates, we went for a walk on Bayshore in Tampa. I will never forget that walk because Morgan was dragging behind and whining about blisters and the distance. I remember thinking, How can he be a professional athlete if he whines so much? After years of playing football, Morgan developed bad eating habits and got used to the idea that he was supposed to be big and it was good to be big.
When Morgan stopped playing football, he knew he had to lose some weight. He changed his workout routines and dieted but his weight always fluctuated. When he first dieted, he was able to bring his weight below 300 but always justified that he was a big guy and big guys need to eat a lot. He would eat healthy but he needed to eat a lot! His weight would fluctuate up and down and he would go on crash diets or stop lifting and strictly do cardio to manage his weight.
Morgan always told me he was going to get surgery or lipo for his love handles and chest if we ever had the money because that would be the only way he could get rid of them.
Morgan decided to give the 21 Day Fix a try. His initial thought when he did the calorie count was that it was a lot of calories and he even thought he might gain weight when he realized how many calories he could eat. Morgan was able to eat 2300 calories a day and needed to work out for 30 minutes a day. Morgan learned that even big guys need to have portion control. After working out for all of his life, he was skeptical about the workouts and didn't think they would do much for him. He ended up enjoying the workouts and even felt they were tough and 30 minutes felt sufficient.
Morgan had to cut the program short by 5 days because he got called out on a fire. I can only imagine what another 5 days would have done for him. The results are real!
After 16 days, Morgan lost 17 pounds and his love handles. I have a feeling his eating habits will be changed forever.

Nina Pears

Fall Recipes- Football snacks

With Fall comes football. Football is a constant in our house. I am not too into the game and the whole fanfare but I do love a reason to eat tasty food. It seems like snacks go hand in hand with watching the game. During football, it is easy to splurge and take in a bunch of extra calories. You don't have to though and can still be satisfied and enjoy the food that comes with football.

Trade your traditional fries for sweet potato fries. We make our own.

Sweet Potato Fries
Peel the skin off sweet potatoes
Cut the sweet potatoes into spears
spray a baking sheet with non stick spray
season with season salt
Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or until the consistency you prefer. 

Trade traditional deep fried wings for chicken tenders.
Dip chicken tenders into egg wash and coat with almond flour.
brown in a little hot olive oil on the stove top.
Bake in the oven at 250 for about 30 minutes.
Apply sauce for baking. You can use traditional wing sauce, teryaki, or just make plain.


Turkey Burger Sliders
Make mini burgers with Ground Turkey and top with veggies and avocado

Hummus and Veggies

Pita chips instead of potato chips

fruit kabobs

Pita Pizza- make your own pizza on Pita pockets instead of crust



Chile Con Queso

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pale ale, or other light-colored beer
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, preferably orange
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, (see Note), drained, or 1 1/4 cups drained petite-diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add beer and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup milk and bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to the pan and cook, stirring vigorously, until bubbling and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in drained tomatoes, lime juice, salt, chili powder and cayenne (if using). Serve warm, garnished with scallions and cilantro.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Slowly reheat on the stove over medium heat or on Medium in the microwave.

• Note: We like the flavor of Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chiles the best in this dip. Choose original or mild, depending on your spice preference.

Nutrition

Per 1/4-cup serving: 84 calories; 5 g fat (3 g sat, 2 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 0 g fiber; 307 mg sodium; 36 mg potassium.

Nina Pears

FittKidz: Believe in Yourself

FittKidz: Believe in Yourself: For as long as I can remember, I have always second guessed myself. I have lacked confidence in myself and would easily get down on myself w...

Nina Pears

Believe in Yourself

For as long as I can remember, I have always second guessed myself. I have lacked confidence in myself and would easily get down on myself with a simple comment from someone or a second guess on a choice.
Over the last few months, I have noticed a change. I began to believe in myself and gain confidence in who I am. I started doing things that I wanted to do and that made me happy. With that came a confidence and belief that it was ok to be me.
People have always thought I was very confident in myself by the way I present myself but that was a mask for the lack of confidence I had. It was a front. Now I am truly confident in myself. Not in a way that is cocky and not thinking that I am better than anyone else but in a way that I am happy with who I am and what I am doing. With this confidence, there actually becomes less judging of others and more of an acceptance for others because I am happy with me.
I didn't really know I was lacking this belief until I felt it. It has been an incredible transformation and with it not only have I become a better person but my relationship with others has strengthened and my other roles have improved as well. I have loosened up a bit and can start to enjoy and appreciate things.
How did I get here. My beachbody and marathon journey have led me here. I have proven to myself that I am able to step out of my comfort zone and am doing things that truly challenge me. It is a great feeling! I encourage everyone to step out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself and find do something that you are truly passionate about!

Nina Pears

Pumpkin Recipes

I know it is not Fall yet, but it is creeping up on us and the weather is starting to cool down. My number 1 fall baking ingredient is pumpkin. I love pumpkin! I am starting to see it pop up every where so I wanted to share some of my versions of pumpkin treats.


Pumpkin Fudge

Ingredients

• 2 cup coconut butter {how to make coconut butter}
• 1 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• extra cinnamon for dusting (optional) 

1. Warm coconut butter in a medium size saucepan over low heat until melted. Turn off heat and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Pour into an 8×8 inch square pan. Refrigerate fudge for 2-3 hours or until it has set. Cut into squares and serve. You can also roll the fudge squares into balls and dust with extra cinnamon (makes for a prettier presentation) . Enjoy :). 

Pumpkin Coconut Flour Pancakes

ingredients

1. 1/4 cup coconut flour
2. 4 pastured eggs
3. 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6. 1 TBS raw honey

Instructions

1. Mix flour and eggs in a medium-sized bowl and blend well.
2. Add all other ingredients, mix and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
3. Check for clumps and break up with a fork.
4. Heat and grease griddle with butter or coconut oil.
5. Ladle small amounts of batter onto griddle - make 2-inch pancakes for best results.
6. Cook about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
7. Serve with maple syrup or homemade whipped cream (dairy or coconut milk).

 Paleo Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

3 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 cup nut oil (choose your favorite, I like almond and walnut)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (or canned)
1/2-3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners. Mix almond flour, salt, soda, and spices in large bowl. In blender or food processor put all wet ingredients, oil, agave, maple syrup, eggs and pumpkin. Puree until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix thoroughly. Gently add raisins. Scoop mixture into muffin liners. Bake for 40 minutes or until tops are browned and tooth pick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas
• 6 frozen pumpkin cubes (freeze canned pumpkin in the ice cube trays)
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp maple syrup

• Throw everything into your blender
• Blend on high until nice and creamy (like soft-serve)….if you want it thicker, just add in some ice cubes
• Serve immediately!

Pumpkin Almond Flour Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice

• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients and spices together in medium-large sized bowl.
2. Mix wet together in smaller bowl.
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix together until smooth.
4. Pour batter into 2 greased mini loaf pans.
5. Bake in 350 degrees oven for approximately 35 minutes.
6. Remove from pans and cool on rack

Nina Pears

Marathon Monday 50% mental 50% physical

Marathon training is a constant battle to get a mental/physical balance. I think the key to success is finding that perfect balance between the two. I have also found that it is very rare to complete a run where the two are in complete balance...especially a long run!

I tend to get a little grumpy leading up to my long runs. I think this is because I am trying to get in the right frame of mind. Sometimes I don't feel like running and I force myself to because I have to get the miles in. Usually, as I settle into a run, I am am able to change that mental state because I enjoy it once I start and am able to tune out all of life distractions. 

Sometimes I am spot on mentally when it comes to my run. I have a strategy for my run, mentally I am strong to make it a great run and I am ready. Other times I am mentally there and have the attitude that the run will be what it will be and I will just enjoy it. I go through all of these mental running states on a weekly basis. I am never consistent with my mental running states there are so many factors that determine it and sometimes I just think too much. I can usually always turn my mental state into what I need it to be during a run though.

My physical state is out of my control to some degree. I can take care of my body and be smart but while on a run, I can't prevent aches and pains and blisters. Some days I feel amazing physically and my body tells me to go faster and further. Other days I start running and feel like I am running in place or in quick sand. Some days my legs feel fresh and light and other days they weigh a ton. 

The perfect run is a balance of these two. The mind can over power the body to some degree and the body can change the mind at times too. There needs to be balance. The mind needs to be ready and positive for the run. It needs to over power the body and be smart and in tune. The body needs to be strong and steady and needs to support the state of mind. 

I am more mentally strong than I am physically. My mind can push me through a lot but at times I need to stop and listen to my body. My mind will get me and my body through this training and this race. My body will remind my mind that I can keep going and go faster and recover!

I am training for that perfect balance between the mind and body! 

Weekly Fitness Challenge

This weeks challenge is a little different than normal. This week, the challenge is for the entire family. One thing that has always driven me nuts is that when parents workout, many times kids are distracted in a way that is counter productive to the reason why we are working out in the first time. For peace and quiet without distractions, kids may watch tv or be put in a gym day care. I am guilty of doing those and things of the sort. I do try to make it a priority to give back to my kids equal to what I give myself. When we were going to the gym, I would instantly do a physical activity with my kids right after my workout so they got their fair share too. We would follow my gym time up with swimming, rock wall climbing, and playing at the park.
This week, I challenge you to get in 30 minutes of exercise as an entire family. This will have so many benefits! Many times, kids don't share much about their day at school but if you go for a walk or bike ride, they loosen up a little bit and start to share details about their day. There is also research that ties the physical activity with achievement. Childhood obesity rates go hand in hand with achievement data. In Colorado, we are right around the  30% rate for childhood obesity and that is exactly what the rate is for students below where they need to be at school.
At our house, we love to get out for a little bit right after dinner. Our favorite after dinner activities are to go for a walk or ride out bikes through the neighborhood. It is a great time of year to explore and appreciate the beginning signs of fall too! If you do this challenge, check in at the end of the week and see how everyone is feeling and doing. I bet it will be a great experience and worth every minute of it!
Some other family exercise activities:
Park Play- leave the phone at home and actually play with your kids
scooters
soccer
scavenger hunt
highschool track
circuits
dance aprty
walks
bike rides
yard work

Nina Pears

The Power of a Team- Our Family

We are on all sorts of teams throughout our life. We grow up on sports teams, we are on academic teams at school, and we work on teams as adults. Being a part of a team allows you to get more accomplished and get more results. A certain amount of trust and belief are required for teams to be successful.
When Morgan returned from being gone 3 weeks on the fire, it was amazing to have him come back into our family life and pick right back up where he left off. The first few days he was back, things just seemed to run a little bit more smoothly and we were just efficient as a family.
We devoted last weekend to doing house work. The house needed a good deep cleaning and the yard needed some sprucing up. This is when I realized how our family truly functions as a team. As Morgan mows the lawn, I do the weeds. As I clean the upstairs, he takes on the down stairs. We tag team the kids and each have different responsibilities and roles with them. We have never really talked about it and planned it out. It just happened. But when you sit back and reflect you are able to see that our family runs and operates like a solid team where we all have the same play book and always know exactly what to do next.
There are days and even weeks, where we get out of our groove and instead of operating as a team, we act as individuals. During these times, things are just a little more chaotic and we need to sit back and recognize this to get back into our groove.
It is nice when we can make decisions or do things without consulting each other because we always know what is best for the team and are always playing the same game, trying to get the same win. I have never thought or our family as a team before until now. But I like it. Our family as  a team is very powerful and can't be beat. Is your family a team?

Nina Pears

Fall recipes- Zucchini- Pizza, lasagna, brownies, bread

This time of the year is a great time to harvest and bake! Sometimes we have so much that we run out of fun creative things to do. If you don't have your own garden to harvest, you can get great deals at the farmers market or even shop locally at the grocery store This time of year!

My kids love to harvest and then bake with what they picked. There is something about them being involved in the picking and cooking that makes them like it so much more. Many farms also offer pick your own options. Today I am going to share our favorite zucchini recipes.

Zucchini Boat Pizza-
 ingredients
zucchini
tomatoes or sauce
mozerella cheese

Cut the ends off of the zucchini
Cut them in half length wise
top with sliced tomatoes or marinara sauce
top with cheese
bake at 350 for 20 minutes covered with foil.

Zucchini lasagna-
Instead of using lasagna noodles, use thinly sliced zucchini. Make lasagna as normal.

Paleo Zucchini Brownies -
1½ cups grated zucchini
1 cup almond butter
1 tsp vanilla
 1 egg
¼ cup organic honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp all spice
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 Tbsp cocoa powder Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour mixture into a greased 9×9 baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Almond Flour zucchini bread

Ingredients

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup grated zucchini, water squeezed out
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two mini bread loaf pans.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Combine wet ingredients besides zucchini in a stand mixer and beat on medium for about 2 minutes. Alternatively, combine in a large bowl and whisk together vigorously.
4. Add zucchini and mix until combined.
5. Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix until incorporated.
6. Pour batter into loaf pans.
7. Bake for 32-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Marathon Monday- you are your best critic

When it comes to running and training for a marathon, you are your best critic! You know yourself, your body, and your running better than anyone else. So many people will gladly give you advice and support. But at the end of the day you are the one that knows you the best so go with your gut! 

I had a horrible long run this week. My time was fine and I finished my 20 miles but I felt horrible and was miserable the whole run because I switched things up listening to advice given by others. I then became angry at myself because I knew better and should have gone with my gut which just made the run that much worse. 

During my training, I have been given criticism about how I am training and why I am training. I have been given advice and recommendations from people who have never run anything close to a marathon before. I have searched blogs and articles seeking my own advice from experts. 

Up until last week, I have done it my way. I ignored advice and just did what felt right for me. Then the thought crossed my mind that maybe if I took the advice from others I would be that much better and my training would step it up a bit. There really wasn't any reason to pick it up a notch because it was going quite well but the idea of it even being better crossed my mind. So last week I started listening and acting on recommendations. I started researching. I made big changes to my long run. Guess what happened? It sucked and I regretted all of those decisions and changes I made. 

I changed my diet up the day before. I haven't eaten grains of any sort in 2 months. Well marathon runners are supposed to carb load so the night before I ate grains. Well that was pretty stupid of me. My last 20 mile run was fine without the grains and carbs. The diet change gave me such a bloated feeling my entire run and the worst cramps. I have never run with water. I did this time and I couldn't get over the swishing sound or the rubbing of the water. I dropped it after mile 2. I have never taken gel or refueled during my run. I brought gel this time around. I didn't feel a difference one way or another from that. 

When I bought my new shoes, I asked the man at the store what the most popular running shoes were? He said it doesn't matter. Doing what everyone else does isn't necessarily best for you. The whole time I was running, that echoed through my head. I know me. I know what is best for me and my training. From here on out, I will do what I know is best for me!

Weekly fitness challenge-chair workout

This time of year is really hectic and even when planned, a trip to the gym can be hard to fit in. I have an easier time fitting cardio in but always crave lifting and toning workouts. This week I have come up with an at home workout that only uses a chair. With a chair you can work a good portion of your body and get a really good workout.

I recommend doing each workout for 30 seconds to a minute. This is my go to workout when I am craving the gym and can't get in there. It is a great way to tone and work your muscles. Turn the music up and set your timer!