Our Challenge

It was a big weekend in the our household. We saw the Yellow Jackets go 70-0 on the Flats (an ACC record, woo!). We yelled "War Eagle!" virtually via our laptops while we watched a big Clemson late-night win over the dirty dogs (note the correct spelling) on TV. Then we did the Tomahawk Chop not once, but twice, at two Braves games.

Whew. To say we are sports-ed out for a few days would be an understatement :) But what fun it all was! We loved seeing our friends and family and so many great games. We are now going to rest up and then do it all again, albeit on a much smaller scale, with the next GT home game in a few weeks. By then, the leaves will be starting to turn. Cool weather or not, Fall is here, y'all, and I couldn't be happier.

Well, ok, truth be told, I could be happier. Since the wedding, we have enjoyed a Summer full of leisure. Social gatherings, drinks and amazing food. Thinking back to April, when we were both a bit maniacal about healthy eating and working out, it's no big surprise that neither the hubs nor I have been feeling "great" these days. In fact, after this long holiday weekend of food and festivity, we both felt a bit physically exhausted and ready for a serious jolt of nutrition.

We have both been struggling with motivation to get back on the healthy train. Attempts to workout have been halfhearted, at best, and while we've tried to keep meals mostly standard-issue healthy, we have slipped up with enjoying more desserts, snacks and adult beverages than usual. Now that the hubs is heading back to classes a few nights a week, we both need something to hold us honest to eating right and working out, whether solo or in tandem.

Enter our own personal Biggest Loser Challenge. We have always loved that show, and figured it's time to star in a version of our own. We set our individual goals, took our initial measurements, and each have our own approach to tallying up a "win" at the end of 90 days. While we did set a fun little "prize" for the winner, we both agree that it'd be awesome if we just both hit our goals. For me, I think this might be my ultimate 30th Birthday present to myself. What the wedding did for us in April, we'd like for this Challenge to do for us as we head into my 30th year, and continue with our first year of marriage – be at our physical best and enjoy life that much more.

We designed this Challenge just for us, so while I won't be publicly sharing updates, I am going to continue to share our new favorite healthy recipes and workouts and activities. After all, it's not just a number on the scale. It's a full-person approach -- body and mind!

What keeps you motivated to stay healthy? How clothes fit? A workout buddy? The scale? Or just how you feel? Let's keep each other motivated as we all avoid that upcoming winter weight :)

Running to the Finish

It's been nice to have been back in a bit of a workout routine of late. Until today, when I had a mild asthma-meets-low-blood-sugar episode at the end of my trainer session (dizziness is not cool, body, step it up!), I have been feeling stronger and stronger as I have been adding in new routines to my workouts. The scale hasn't budged as much, but I know I am adding muscle, dropping some fat, and things will even out soon enough. I haven't been in the gym more, per se, but have been trying to make the most of the time I am in there.

... Five weeks til that dress ...

On Saturday, for example, I visited the brand new LA Fitness in Buckhead (omg gorg by the way!), and ran a mile on the treadmill before hitting spin class for an hour. Double duty? Kind of. But I have to show up early to reserve a bike, anyways, so I might as well get in a little jog. I only wish that I had the time (and energy) to do that kind of workout every day!

This coming weekend, I am making the most of the day by participating in a cool race right here in town. The 9th Annual Junior League of Atlanta’s Shamrock ‘N Roll Road Race presented by Verizon Wireless and Belk is being held on Sunday, March 10, 2013.  The Shamrock ‘N Roll features a family friendly 5k, 10k and the Leprechaun Dash for Gold Tot-Trot for little runners ages five and under (cute!!). 

I have actually done the Shamrock before, and love it because it is actually a Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Depending on the time you get at the Shamrock, the better your seed at the PTRR! Plus, kilts and other Irish-themed attire is highly encouraged for runners, making for an entertaining crowd :)

Are you running the Shamrock too this year? It's not too late to sign up. Here are some details, if you are interested in the race.

Big and small feet hit the streets of Atlantic Station at the following times:

• 8:00 am - The Leprechaun Dash for Gold Tot-Trot for ages 5 and under  
• 8:15 am - 5K  
• 8:30 am - 10K

Hosted by The Junior League of Atlanta (JLA), this ninth annual event raises funds to train and educate the membership of JLA for effective community service, as well as to continue its work in the community.

Register Today and Save
Registration is $30 in advance, $35 at packet pickup and $45 on race day. Tot Trot registration is $8. Register today at Active.com or www.shamrocknroll.org.

Packet Pick Up

Pick up your packet and finish late registration at West Stride Running Store, 3517 Northside Parkway #11, Atlanta, GA 30327, (www.weststride.com) Friday, March 8 12-7PM. or Saturday, March 9 10-5PM. Packets can also be picked up race morning at the registration desk.
 

Stay up-to-date on all the Shamrock ‘N Roll Road Race news and updates as a fan on http://www.facebook.com//ShamRockNRollRoadRace or by following @JLShamRockNRoll on Twitter.

Disclaimer: The JLA has provided me with registration for the race, but all opinions are my own. Happy racing, everyone!

On Racing

A lot of the bloggers I follow have been falling into the same trap as me recently -- lots to do, not enough time, and their blog always seems to come in last. It makes me feel better to know that I am not alone. For me, the blog is a therapeutic outlet, though, and when I am not writing, I feel a little ... antsy. I miss connecting with my readers, and I feel like I am failing at the very thing I created. Thoughts are running in and out of my mind, racing off if I don't think to jot them down for later.

Lots of things have been racing lately. The holidays just zoomed by, and the post-holiday errands have caught up to me. I can't seem to cross off the entire to-do list each weekend. The calendar is stacking up for weekends ahead, but all I want to do some Sundays is sit down and cook, read magazines and relax all day. I also had my first official wedding dress fitting yesterday (yay!) and that sent me racing right into to the gym to tone up my arms a bit, ha! This girl is in serious need of this upcoming honeymoon, especially for the R&R it will bring!

I was supposed to be racing, literally, this morning in the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K race. I had signed up for the 5K on a whim, discovering too late (ahem, yesterday) that I hadn't even considered the logisitics of getting to and from the race. It was held down at Turner Field, which fellow Atlantans will know is not the best part of town. Add to that the really early arrival time, the parking situation and, oh wait, I didn't sleep well all night even though I went to bed early, and I flat out went back to bed this morning at the buzzer instead of getting up.

I have all of these things in my head as priorities, but unfortunately, I haven't prioritized them against each other. Sleep vs. workouts. Friends vs. alone time. Errands vs. blogging. Happy hour and fun vs. those last five pounds. I am kind of stuck on what I want to come first.

I don't share a lot of religious thoughts on the blog, but the core of my own faith is to try to remember to stay thankful for everything I have, each and every day and through the good and the bad. On weekends like this one, when time has been racing away from me, I try and slow things down to remember why my life makes me so happy. Even if it's just for a few minutes each day, appreciating the sunrise or sunset or seeing some pretty flowers, I can get some zen back into my life and not let that race away, too. Yesterday, I had that moment as I drove to an appointment (and was a little stressed about the travel time) and caught one of my favorite old songs on the radio. The poor people driving next to me probably thought I was crazy, singing along out loud with the windows down in January like I was :)

I may have skipped the official race this morning, but I just went out and did my own 5K around Buckhead, "earning" the sweatshirt and hat from the Hot Chocolate 5K that I had already picked up :) That extra sleep and the quiet time here on the couch with my post-run chai, reflecting on wedding things before a few appointments this afternoon, are both going to serve me well as I hit the ground running (literally) again this week.



Happy Racing, everyone! Slow things down once in a while, though :)

Six Months Out: It's Gettin' Real

Over the weekend, I got an email notice letting me know that my wedding dress is going to be shipped on, dun dun dun .... January 7, 2013. Goooooodness gracious. I knew the day was right around the corner that I'd have to start in on the dress fittings, but there's nothing like a hard date wake-up call to make things super real.

I guess I should lay off the La Famiglia feasts of Italian food this holiday season up in New Jersey...

After a weekend full of football, bar food and general off-schedule living, I was already for a fresh start today, so the dress email had pretty good timing. Last week, I had a big break-through in my training schedule, and I want to keep that up. I have found myself wanting to go for a run -- a sure sign I am getting back into the groove. I also asked my trainer, with whom I train once a week typically on weights and circuits, if we could work in some boxing, too. After an early morning session with the gloves strapped on, I had muscles screaming at me that I haven't felt in years, and it felt awesome.

I really thought that the wedding would be my be-all, end-all to my constant battle of those "last ten pounds." One would think that the goal of looking extra svelt in all of those wedding pictures would be more than enough motivation. What has been surprising, however, is that stress has continued to trump even the wedding in my efforts to slim things down. I find myself stress-eating, stress-skipping workouts and stress-sleeping more than stress-exercising. While I can set the goals of multiple runs per week plus the trainer plus WW, a winning combination in theory, what ends up happening is real life and I haven't been keeping those goals a priority. I haven't been slipping, mind you; the scale has remained steady. A steady scale is still a FAIL right now, though, as I head into the six month countdown (six months from Saturday!).

So, I am putting out some flares for help. I am getting the man involved with some alcohol-free weeks full of healthy meals. I am meeting up with friends for walks/runs instead of drinks, and I am going to be heading back to LA Fitness for some extra boosts of workouts each week. I am going to be slipping into workout clothes more than go-out clothes and taking more showers as a result (even though next-day hair is a favorite of mine to rock :) ).

Everyone has their motivation and for me, it's my wedding day photos. I already try to live a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle, and it's the idea of the photos that is helping me climb to the next level. What is your motivation to keep kicking your body into shape?

Hitting the Pavement. Again.

How many of you are past-athletes? 

A lot of people I know are athletes today. They run marathons, bike in triathalons, take Cross-fit classes, mountain climb, sit in the front row every morning at spin classes.

And that's awesome. I think those people are really inspirational. But here's the thing. I spent my entire life growing up doing some of those things, and now as an adult, I find it really, really, really hard to get motivated to do them.

I grew up a swimmer, and spent almost every morning in high school swimming laps from 5:30-7AM. By the time I'd leave the pool, I'd have swam miles and miles and then could eat anything I wanted from there on out that day. If I wasn't swimming, we were weight training, and I had arm muscles that today I only wish could reappear (But not the lat muscles. Those were always freakishly large after too much butterfly. Those can stay away! They were way too manly!)

Longtime readers of this blog will know that, as an adult, I routinely get back on an exercise kick. Months will come and go where I am gung-ho and hitting the gym. I even bought a new pair of spin shoes recently with some money I had received as a gift. Truth: I have only used them once since. What inspired me to never miss a practice then doesn't apply now. There is no varsity letter to earn. There is no coach yelling at me to keep swimming. No one is behind me touching my toes in the water, or with me in the gym to help spot my weights as I try for heavier ones. Where are these people when I am slogging away on my jog at 6:30AM? Or worse, hitting snooze for the fifth time?!

I know life is better when I consistently work out. I look my best, sleep my best, eat my best and just straight up FEEL my best when I am making time during my week to work out. But the older I get, the harder it gets. Do you feel the same way? I am spending so much time at work that extra sleep in the morning is precious to me, and then in the evenings, I'd rather sit and hang out with my man or with friends. I am most consistent with exercise on the weekends when I have time in excess, but throw in a day-long event and my workouts get pushed aside (by me).

I hate sounding like a broken record, but I wanted to put all of this out there so you all knew. My name is Katherine and I was an athlete. And I am hell-bent on being one again today. I decided a few months ago to invest in a personal training session once per week, and this morning, my trainer challenged me to run four days per week in addition to our session -- three days of three miles each and one day with five miles. It was a come-to-Jesus workout moment. She knows me, and she knows that running is the best thing for me and my body. She also suggested I get back in the pool, a welcome relief for my knees and a great way to add in some extra exercise.

Now that there's a countdown going towards the wedding, I think this might be that "goal" that I have been looking for. It's something much more permanent than a varsity letter. I want to look and feel amazing on that day (as every bride does) and I want to rock those bridal photos like no one else. As my trainer says, no one should look better than the bride on her big day! Of course, the bigger and real motivation is to feel amazing every day. So every day, I am going to face that challenge of slacking off or being awesome athlete Katherine.

Are you with me? Who else wants to feel amazing every day? Let's support each other on this daily mission :)

Shoes for Good

Never in my life did I think that I would be excited about velcro shoes.

But here I am, so incredibly pumped!

You see, I decided that when a spare gift card came my way, I'd use it not on something practical like groceries or shampoo, but rather on something useful for ME. That's right, ME.

And of course, my mind went to shoes. Y'all know me. I have a slight problem. But instead of using the gift card on these ...

Source: ninewest.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Which of course beckoned to me because they are hot. And on sale. And in my size ...

 Hold, please. I may need to still buy those....

 .......

Ok back. I used the gift card instead on these. These fabulous, fabulous (and yet, affordable and entry-level) spin shoes.

That's right, everyone, I bought some workout gear instead of along with fabulous heels in hopes that they will help motivate my booty into the gym that much more. These are the types of shoes that clip into the bikes at the gym, making your legs work doubletime while you spin and spin and spin. Those holes on the bottom? They are for the cleats, which I need to go purchase and have installed by a professional. The cleats apparently are specific to the bike. I am hoping Peachtree Bikes knows what size cleats I need for LA Fitness.

I'd assume I won't be the first to ask that, though ;)

What's some workout gear you've purchased recently that is really helping you keep up with those workout goals? I am also eying some of those running shoes with made-for-your-foot insoles ...


PS. I will report back with a live shot of those heels in action too. Soon and very soon ... :)

Mad Abs

Ok. How all of us (yes, even those of us with crazy busy work schedules, trips planned, in sickness and in health...) can't do this plan for just one lousy month, I do not know.

Add this to some cardio and I just bet you will see some serious results at the end of the month.

WHO IS WITH ME?!

Kudos to Erin for the pin :) 

Source: perf-fect.tumblr.com via Erin on Pinterest

Rock and Roll and Run. And a Giveaway!

Ladies and gents, it's that time of year again. And no, I am not talking about Festival season, though that has also officially kicked off.

Jessica and I hung out on a gorgeous afternoon this past weekend at my fav, Oysterfest!

It's race season! And by that, in case you are wondering, I mean road race season. You know, marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, Turkey Trots and such.

First, let me tell you, that this is NOT a season of which I am usually an observer. I would much rather sleep in than go for an early morning run, and, as I have told you, working out in general has been and always will be a serious chore for me. Those weekly workout updates I had promised? Yeah, not so much. While I have been shooting for (and mostly meeting my goal of) three to four workouts a week, it's been crazy with travel, sickness and general work insanity so far this year, so my motivation and dedication have been really tested.

But never fear. I don't give up that easily. I am back with another week ahead of me, and another motivational goal for myself to hit: The Shamrock N' Roll Road Race!

The Shamrock is actually one of the first races I ever ran. I think I may have done one or two years of the Peachtree Road Race (which you should TOTALLY do if you are ever in town on the 4th of July, trust me), but I lived close to Atlantic Station while in college and must have felt especially motivated one early spring morning to have signed up for this one. Not that it is hard, mind you -- they have an option for a 5K (3.1 miles) or a 10K (6.2 miles) and a lot of people walk the whole thing. At that time in my life, though, I was more likely to be heading to the nearest WaHo for a waffle and cheesy eggs on a Saturday morning than to any stretch of pavement with a race number tacked on my shirt :P

Many people feel that if they identify a goal, it makes doing the work that much easier. Since my ultimate number-goal is a bit a-ways, the next best thing for me to do is sign up for races like this and have the goal of not embarrassing myself. Ha. Kidding. Kind of.

So this is it, my friends. Time for us all to get into gear and start jogging, running or walking our way through Atlantic Station on March 11. Won't you join me there? I think that if enough of us sign up, we can pull together an "after" breakfast, too. Then, we can treat our inner WaHo-demons while actually doing enough calorie-burning ahead of time to make it all worth it :)

** Register by Wednesday for just $25! Prices increase March 1!**

Thanks to the Junior League of Atlanta, one lucky Buckhead Betty reader will win an entry for themselves to the race! Enter here by Friday, March 2 using the Rafflecopter widget below. Note: blog comments not associated with the Rafflecopter widget entry system will NOT be counted.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Race
Join the Junior League of Atlanta for the 8th Annual Shamrock 'N Roll Road Race Presented by Verizon Wireless and Belk on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at Atlantic Station featuring a family friendly 5k, 10k, and NEW for 2012, the Leprechaun Dash for Gold Tot-Trot for little runners 5 and under. The Tot Trot starts at 8:00 a.m, followed by the 5K at 8:30 a.m. and the 10K at 9:00 a.m.

Runners and walkers will enjoy Star 94 at the start and finish, bands along the race course and Irish-themed entertainment at the post race festival. Join the growing number of kilt wearing runners competing for first place prizes plus gift certificates and awards for other top finishers.

The Shamrock 'N Roll Race is stroller and dog friendly and fun for all ages. The race is an ATC Peachtree Road Race Qualifier (Katherine Tip: do the race even if just for this! A registered time will help your PTRR slotting!) with DAG chip timing and a downhill finish.

The first 2500 registrants of this charity race will receive a Nike technical T-shirt. All registrants after the first 2500 will receive a cotton race shirt. All registrants will receive a bag of goodies. All Leprechaun Dash for Gold participants will receive a cotton T-shirt along with a ribbon for completion.

Proceeds support programs of The Junior League of Atlanta’s 90 community partner organizations, which focus on empowering women and children to become self-reliant. For more info or to register, visit www.shamrocknroll.org.


Disclosure: I am being provided with race entry in exchange for my coverage. All opinions are my own. The decision to kick my own booty and actually try and run this whole thing is also my own.

Workout Recap: Pavements and Plateaus

Last week was such a blur and filled with so many meetings after long work days that yep, you guessed it, my workouts dropped right off the radar. I stayed up too late all week, too, so morning workouts never happened, either. By Friday night, I was tired-feeling and blah, and I knew that it was a direct corrolation to my lack of energy-boosting workouts. Nothing like that kind of feeling to jolt you right back to the gym. And nothing like the knowledge of me committed to sharing my progress here to make this coming week's chart look better than last week's:

Bright and early on Saturday before we headed off to the wedding, I hit the gym and hit it hard! I did a two mile-run (shown above) and did an ab-workout, too. While I may have consumed back all (plus some) of those calories at the wedding that night, I also did a fair amount of dancing, so I am ok with my splurging :)

Tonight I am keeping up the streak and have reserved a spot in a spin class in my building. A healthy crockpot meal is heating up at home as I post, and there are a few other healthy meal options waiting for the week ahead, too. 

My goal this week: schedule in workouts just like all the other things I reserve my time for. Total Progress: 2lbs. lost and 19.52 miles logged

How are your New Year's (or Life) Resolutions coming along?

Keeping Things Fit

As part of my New Year - New Me campaign, I have hit the roads again to run. I was a Varsity swimmer growing up, and until college, I never knew that working out was actually something I had to do. I just enjoyed swimming, and never realized that I could eat whatever I wanted because of those three miles I did earlier that day!

Enter college, the freshman 15 and an eye-opening year of hitting the gym for the first real time in my life. Solo, no team in site or behind me touching my toes in the lane to keep me going. Ugh. 

I LOVE the post-workout feeling, don't get me wrong. I know how amazing I can look if I work off more than I eat and drink, and if I weight-train the right spots, that bikini will look that much better. It's never been easy, though. Getting my booty to the gym is tough, y'all. Even tougher? Getting my booty outside for a run. Running has been hands-down the only thing that I can do to keep my body trim and tight. Spin class, kickboxing and swimming all add to the fun, but my legs and butt get the biggest bang for their bucks with just a pair of athletic shoes hitting the pavement. And guess what? I hate to run. 

I'm going to do a weekly mini check-in here moving forward where I feature my Daily Mile exercise updates. Have you ever used Daily Mile? If you are a social networker, you will love Daily Mile for that "bragging" quotient of telling your friends and fellow athletes what you accomplished on that day's workout. It lets you input any kind of workout, from swimming laps to lifting weights. Even better, though, is the feature that lets you share how you actually felt during the workout so that others can provide feedback, motivation or just a simple "yay"! It may not be someone right behind me in the pool or my coach yelling at me from the side, but it definitely works.

I was sure to start 2012 off right with a run, even on a super windy/chilly day!

Working out may be tough, but sites like this one give people like me an extra oomph, and I am going to extend that accountability out to you all here, too. In honor of today's first New Year - New Me workout post, here is my Daily Mile weekly summary so far!

I have a spin workout scheduled for tomorrow and also am planning on a long walk outside to hit my 4 workouts per week goal. So far, so good! It's been tough with long workdays and trying to also get enough sleep each night, but I know I can do it if I put my mind to it.

I have added a new Daily Mile widget down on the righthand sidebar so you can follow along with me and help keep me honest :) How do you track your workouts? Do you use a special app, gadget or site? 

Hello, 2012!

Hello, friends! I hope that each of you had a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends, and also that you found some well-deserved time off, too.

We spent a few days in Roswell with my parents and brother to celebrate my birthday and Christmas Day ...

Followed by a short week in New Jersey and NYC to see our extended family!

Celebrating Christmas at Grandma's House!

I am so lucky to have such wonderful family to spend these holidays with each year.

2012 is here, though, and so it is on to resolution season. Do you make resolutions each year? How well do you stick to them? I have made these lists in the past, and even recapped how I did with the 2010 list. This year, I am going to try and not overwhelm myself with lots of goals, though. I do my best with a short and sweet list that I can print off and keep in plain sight. And this year, I have a few goals topping my list.

* Lose the last 15 pounds. I am putting this out there. I had huge WW success in 2010, and then let some of it slide in 2011. Nothing huge, but just enough that my goal seemed that much farther away. 15 pounds down would allow me to hit final goal weight, and I'd be thrilled. Tactics: WW, and exercising (see next bullet)

* Four days/week of exercise. 2010 weight loss wouldn't have happened without the exercise I put into it on the back-end (thus seeing the reduction of my own back-end, ha!). Four days a week is a tangible thing that I feel confident I can do. Tactics: A combination of LA Fitness classes and running 1-2 times per week.

* Enjoy my free time. This one's tougher to quantify. I am a chronic yes-er, and have tried really hard to cut down on my commitments in the past as I try to balance work, social world, errands, chores and personal relationships. Tactics: Baby steps first. My scrapbook is sitting on my dining room floor, shoved into a corner. Once these holiday decorations are put away, I am transforming the table into scrapbook central, and am going to turn off the TV one night a week (or more!) to dedicate to that, instead.

What goals are on your agenda, for this week, month or year? 

Running in Circles

Over all this time of me being on WW, it's been a fight in my head of Athletic-Eats-Well Katherine vs. I-Want-To-Veg-Out Katherine. And despite being the lazier, more-blah version of myself, the latter always seems to come back and kick my athletic half in the booty.

Back in high school, I used to swim every single day from 5:30-7AM. Sure, I ate enough calories on top of that to keep me at an average (albeit, pretty darn muscular) weight, but the fact remains, somehow I was super-athlete back in the day. I now think to myself as I struggle with 7AM wake-ups, who was that person?!

Today? Not so much. Like so many past-athletes, I have had to adjust to my surroundings. I realized I wasn't very good at swimming solo (hard to stay motivated when there aren't people behind you touching your toes - you swimmers know what I mean!) and most area pools at complexes were never big enough for laps, anyways. I soon realized I would have to run to keep in tip-top shape. You should know - I hate running. No matter how "good" I get at it, it's still tough for me to get out there. I have to vary my routes so that there is always something new to look at.

At first glance, you might not assume that Buckhead is a runner's haven. Sure, the Peachtree Road Race starts right in the heart of Buckhead each year, but it's held on a public road that gets shut down just for the race. The sidewalks otherwise are hit or miss, and you come to a traffic light every .4 miles that may or may not have a working pedestrian crosswalk light.

In the effort to always vary my route and avoid the smog-chaos of Peachtree, I discovered the Historic Garden Hills neighborhood last year, and it has remained one of my top routes ever since. Where is Garden Hills, you might ask?


View Historic Garden Hills in a larger map

Flanked by Peachtree Park to the East and Peachtree Heights to the West, Garden Hills is a quaint neighborhood between Piedmont Rd. and Peachtree Rd. in mid-Buckhead, right by the church district. Naturally hilly with winding roads that make lots of different loops, this area is a joy to run/walk through. I LOVE the little cottage-style houses and how each one is uniquely different. The old trees provide a decent amount of shade for pedestrians, and the sidewalks are well-maintained, too. For the sportier people, Frankie Allen Park provides tennis courts and fields.

If you are like me and crave some variety in your run/walk workouts, head over towards Garden Hills next time. East Wesley starting at Peachtree is largely uphill all the way to Piedmont, but you can break off onto side roads anytime you need a break.

Do you have a favorite route around town to share? I love finding new places to check out!

Soreness is Greatness

PTRR 2010. 

I can hardly believe it, but five days later, and I have worked out every single day this week. Five workouts, all working different parts of my body for at least 30 minutes each day. It wasn't easy fitting them into my way-too-busy days, but I made them a priority, and it worked.

And you know what?

I really want to go for a run tomorrow morning to start my weekend off right and keep this vibe going.

Things are just better when you are working your body out and trying to be healthy :)

I am sleeping harder and longer, and getting up earlier hasn't been as tough. We planned a variety of things to do so that I didn't get bored. Whether it was tennis or pilates, weight lifting or long evening walks -- I was moving myself up and away from my (comfy) couch and burning calories.

Immediate goal: Get back to being as lean and mean as I was last summer crossing that finish line at the Peachtree Road Race with my own PR.

Bigger goal: Kick that version of me's booty in the end :)

Happy Weekend, everyone! Keep yours fit! Any big plans?

They Promise Washboard Abs!

I heard about a fun new workout opportunity today thanks to the Reynolds Group, and wanted to share it with you all, in case you are looking for a new calorie-burning option to try this week ... for FREE!

Pilates meets cardio and yoga in Core Fusion, and the Loews Hotel in Midtown is offering a free preview class on Tuesday and Wednesday evening to anyone that would like to attend. It asks that you bring a mat, but that parking and towels will be provided. Click on the picture below to see all the details.

If it's anything like pilates, this class would be sure to remind me how weak my core muscles really are. Though I have noticed that these classes really do work if you go consistently.

Let me know if you attend -- I'd love to hear how this class is!

Back Kick, Rocking Horse, Step it Up!

We are 6 weeks into the New Year, and I know a lot of you have resolved to exercise this year. Have you joined a gym? Have you tried any of the classes? I LOVE aerobics classes. There's just something that works for me when someone is telling me what to.

Not all of you are like this though - maybe you have never taken an aerobics class, and they intimidate you? Well never fear, we've all been there. I think that's part of the success of these classes actually - you don't want to stop the things you are doing mid-class, because all those other men and women will stare at you as you take a break. It's like a mental pep rally to keep going with all that peer pressure. Tell me you have this mental pep rally all the time when you are on the treadmill solo. Nope. Thus why classes are awesome.

But seriously, I have been there. Some classes are way intimidating. I laughed today remembering this one class I took in college once that was particularly horrible. This FitSugar article actually prompted this random memory.

I was super-classes girl. Every day, I went to another aerobics class. I loved switching it up, though my favorites were spin and cardio kickboxing. One day, I decided I'd try out step aerobics. That class was always packed in a huge room, and I figured, why not! The other instructors in my classes always started from the basics as a warm-up, just in case there were new people there, so I thought this instructor would, too.

Nope. Here I am in the middle of the room, first EVER step class, and she is going through "Routine A" right away, with no review. After that? "Routine B." If you have been to a step class, you know that there are like 20+ different "moves," and so in each of these routines, she had strung together combinations of twirls and kicks and rocking horses and knee-ups and ...

Oh my goodness. I died. And not only was I dying from exhaustion, I was always dying just trying my hardest to keep up. I thought I was pretty on beat, as best as I could be while not knowing what the heck a "rocking horse" even was. And that's when it happened. Out of this big room of 30 girls (ugh girls are the worst sometimes) the instructor looks right at me and says outloud something like "You aren't in step with the rest of us. Try better to keep in step so you don't mess others up."

What?! Horrid. I wanted to cry. And I do not cry. I was super-classes girl! I tried them all! But right there in that instant, with everyone now staring at me, I wanted to cry. Booo.

Lesson learned. I mentioned the less-than-motivating instructor to management. I went back and tried another step class with a different girl, and told her beforehand, "I am new to step - will you be doing any kind of review to start the class?" And you know what? That instructor warmed us all up, and I actually really enjoyed myself. Step is still one of my favorites today, in fact.

That one instructor girl though? I am hoping, for others' sake, that she is no longer an instructor of step aerobics :P

Christmas Calorie Crisis

This time of year stinks if you are trying to watch what you eat.

Not that I am trying. Or even close to it, it seems. It was almost as if I was purposefully NOT looking at the cookies I ate for dinner last night at the Cookie Swap.

I have eaten out for the past like 5 days straight. Totally by accident, I swear, because seriously, my budget does not allow for eating out even like once or twice a week, and so definitely not like 3 times a day. I ran out of milk and eggs, so had no breakfast at home. I was on the road. It was one thing after another, and I didn't plan for meals ahead of time. Some of the meals were covered by others so my budget wasn't totally shot, but the fact remained, I ate nothing super healthy.

In the meantime, I can not seem to find the motivation to hit the gym to even begin to work off all the excess cookie and martini calories.

How are you finding motivation to eat and exercise right during this time of year? I know myself, and I know I feel my best when I am - right now I feel sluggish. I feel like my little 5'3 frame is just tired all the time, and definitely don't feel strong and toned, and that isn't helping me get through these busy days and nights of the holiday season.

Needing a boost - what is your secret? Or are you in the same boat as me?

This January, we have discussed kicking off an office-wide Weight Watchers program. We all spend so much time together, and between all of the office dinners and lunch meetings, its easy to slip on health. Why not use each other to support a new health plan? I have always been a fan of the program and have lost weight on it in the past, and am honestly quite looking forward to the challenge.

Budgetary Workouts

During the year when I stayed at home after school saving for my down payment on the condo, I had more disposable income and was able to pony up for the $30 a month for LA Fitness. It gave me access to all the gyms in GA, which was perfect since sometimes I'd go right after work in town, or on the weekends up in the suburbs. They offered a ton of fitness classes - spin, step, weight training, yoga - anything you could imagine, at pretty much anytime of the day. Those classes even motivated me on a Saturday morning after being out the night before, because all I had to do was show up, and someone would tell me what to do for an hour. And it kicked. my. booty.

Fast forward 16 (16!) months. I have a mortgage. And bills. I am "On a Budget." No extra cash to throw towards fitness classes. And so I have had to motivate myself. It sucks. I won't lie. Without bikinis or vacations impending, it's been so hard! But there's something that motivates everyone to workout, I guess, and for me, one of the reasons is being able to eat (and drink, this Betty likes a martini here and there!) what I want, when I want.

I have been aiming for getting in 3-4 times/week to our gym and doing some cardio, some weights, and some abs. I shoot for getting my heartbeat and metabolism up for about 30 minutes in total, more if I have time. Once it gets warm again in the spring, I'd love to pick up a tennis racket again, and take the workouts outside with some jogs.

How are you fitting in your weekly workouts or sporting activities with your busy lifestyle? Share your tips, I'd love to hear them!