Boot Camp

GIMME 20 NOW!   LET'S GO!   Is having someone yell at you at the top of their lungs your idea of boot camp?  Or visions of Jillian & Bob?   Yeah, mine too.  Neither of which I find appealing  (don't get me wrong I love Biggest Loser, but I'm not a fan of the yelling during workouts).  

Over the past year,  I've been walking with one friend who then became two friends.  We started out with 2 miles / 2 days per week and then we went to 3 miles / 3 days per week.  It's been AWESOME to have the accountability otherwise it would be really easy to hit snooze at 5am.   Lately, I've felt like I needed more than 3 miles, because it's not as challenging any more.  I had hoped to move into intervals, but some days I'm motivated to run/walk and others I'm not.

For several months, I've noticed a boot camp near where we walk and it's going on at the same time we are walking.  On Monday, we stopped by and asked some questions & the instructor invited us to give it a try on Wednesday.   Wednesday brought rain - BOO!   On Friday, I was ready to go!   Unfortunately, neither of my exercise buddies made it, but I went and I was so glad I did.

It was hands-down one of the hardest workouts I've had in months (possibly years).  It challenged me not only physically but mentally as well.  There was no one yelling in my face trying to break me down, but someone encouraging me and telling me I can do this - keep pushing - you're doing awesome!   Even though I have been cardio - this pushed me so much further on many levels. I'm so glad I went and I can't wait to go back on Monday!

Are you in a rut with your current fitness routine?  If so, I would encourage you to try something out of your comfort zone?  You'll be glad you did.   :)

Where have I been?

It's fall ... How's this picture for a flashback to 2001?   Super-son in his first Halloween costume.  Adorable?  Yes, I think so!

Well, y'all what can I say... school is back in session for me and super-son, so life is crazy busy.  It's a challenge to keep my head above water.  On a good note, after this semester I will have 2.66 (yes .66 classes) remaining which *cross my fingers* means I will graduate in the Spring.  Woohoo!

So what's new?

• All house projects (painting, organizing) are on hold until the semester is over.  It's too much stress to have another ball in the air right now.
• I had my yearly physical with my primary care physician this week.  All of my bloodwork is excellent & I had lost 14 lbs since last year's visit.  She gave me an A++.
• I'm still exercising M-W-F at the crack of dawn 530am to be exact.  I'll try to post something on my new venture over the weekend.

July's over... now on to August

Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!  We are certainly enjoying it here - despite the tremendous heat & humidity.  I've made a little more progress on my summer to-do list.  This is our July to-do's that are now done  :)

- Made a day trip to Boone/Blowing Rock to visit Tweetsie Railroad 
- Cookout & fireworks with friends for the 4th of July
- Submitted my scholarship application for fall (fingers crossed)
- Registered for two CLEP exams which I will take this Saturday (prayers needed!)
- Took some clothes to the consignment shop

and August is already cooking up to be another busy month!  Stay tuned.

Whatcha doin' weekend?

Don't you love the cookie cake?  We picked it up a few weeks ago for a cookout with friends - ADORABLE!    Anyway,  it is super hot here - the car read 102 on the way home today.  The highs this weekend are supposed to be 98+!    Our weekend goal to stay COOL!   We will probably stay in and read or watch TV most of the weekend.  Lazy - maybe! :)   I'm hoping to convince hubby for dinner out on Saturday evening - this place has the BEST spinach salads & hot bacon dressing - YUM!   I need to clean out and declutter my closet.  And, I need to study for an upcoming CLEP exam.  Sounds like I have enough ways to stay cool.

What are you doing this weekend?

Summer, Sweet, Summer

                             Beat the Heat 5K - July 16, 2011

I seem to be talking alot about summer lately!   Despite the heat here in the South,  I LOVE summer.  Life (while busier) seems so much more relaxed.   No rushing to get home, fix dinner, do homework, get showers and get in the bed -- just a much slower pace.   However as a sit here, I'm suddenly thinking of all the things I must do before summer is over -- organizing/decluttering closets &  reading "ahead" for fall semester floated to the top of the list.  Quite frankly, I'm not sure if either of those will get done.  I'm enjoying this period of rest.  If you've ever taken a Metabolic Effect classes, you know they emphasize - "I wanna see you rest".   I think a season of rest is good for all of us -- to reflect, to refocus, and renewal.

Are you stopping to smell the roses?

Garden Fresh & Farmer's Markets

One of my fondest summer memories as a child is the summer garden. When I was younger, we lived relatively close to my great-grandparents. There was a plot of land in between our home and their home that was used for gardening. I remember my Pawpaw tilling the land; carefully making rows; and using the Farmer's Alamanac as his guide to planting. He would let my brother and I drop seeds into the rows. Then, the nightly ritually became watering and weeding. Weeding was likely my least favorite, but it had to be done. I never thought it about alot as child, but watching those seeds turn into plants which then bears a harvest is a pretty incredible thing. The joy of Pawpaw digging & my brother and I finding the potatoes buried in the ground; pulling corn from the tall stalks; picking green beans; following the cucumber & squash vines throughout the plot as they spread --- just thinking of these memories makes me want to go back in time.
Of course, the work wasn't over when we harvested -- it was cleaning & snapping green beans; shucking corn on the front porch; cleaning cucumbers to make pickles and the list goes on and on and on. Sometimes, it seems like gardening & canning is a lost art today. I wish I had paid more attention to growing up & embraced the concept more and whined about the chore less. One day... maybe I'll have my own small plot of land back in the country again.... a girl can dream right?

Enough reminiscing :) Here are some great links to recipes for your harvest or your treasures from the local farmer's market --

Tomato Sandwich - It's a southern thing, but I could eat a tomato sandwich EVERY DAY when they are vine fresh! Two pieces of white bread - spread with Duke's mayonnaise - topped with sliced tomatos & a dash of salt and pepper ---- that folks is pure HEAVEN!
Cucumber Salad - Cool & light. It makes a great side dish.
Squash Dressing - You can lighten up this recipe.
Tomato Pie - Didn't think I'd like it, but I loved it.
Refrigerator Pickles - I like to add cloves of garlic to ours!

What's your favorite farm fresh recipe?

Busy, busy...

Wow, y'all we are nearly half-way through the month of July! It's seems like I was just discussing my summer bucket list which I am happy to report I've made progress on! While we've been very busy, I've enjoyed making wonderful memories. I do think this is the best summer we've had in a long while.

Fitness - I'm active! M-W-F walking approximately 3 miles at 5:30am. On Thursdays, I've been jogging 1 miles and doing sprints. Sprints are supposed to help with your endurance. It seems I've been stuck at a steady 15 min/mile forever & the truth is I need to push myself out of this comfort zone. I realize doesn't really matter as long as I'm getting cardio in, but it does to me. I still want to run an ENTIRE 5K (not just intervals). I'm considering changing things up as I feel like I really need to strengthen my core. I'm considering doing boot camp on M-W at 5:15am and then cardio on T-Th (perhaps try the Couch-to-5K program). I did complete the Beat the Heat 5K this past weekend (my time 46:23) & I'm planning to do the Mission 5K in August.

Food - Quite honestly, I haven't been in the kitchen alot. It seems to be a trend for me in the summer. We eat lot of sandwiches (nothing wrong with that either!). I have tried 5 Dinners in 1 Hour and I love having everything done prior to getting home, but some of the meals weren't as healthy as we need. I'm secretly hoping to win one of her giveaway contests for a free subscription! This concept works really well for us particularly during the school year. I've also discovered e-mealz & I'm giving it a try for 3 months. I figure the worst case scenario is I will have lots of new recipes & Dave Ramsey endorses them as well. :)

Fun - I've already mentioned a couple of short vacations we've taken. Right after school was out, we went to the beach with my mom for a few days. We did a day trip to Boone/Blowing Rock, NC. The end of this month, we are headed to the beach with friends for a few days. In August, our annual trip to Pigeon Forge :) I'm really excited!

As you can see, it's been busy but full of great memories! What have you done this summer?