Day 11 of 90

Well today was day 11/90 of the P90X3. I'm following the lean program, which is supposed to help improve your cardiovascular fitness and decrease fat loss. 

Today's 30 minute workout was CVX. It combines cardio, core, and weighted exercises (completely optional) in an interval format. After every three moves a 15 second water break was given. Surprisingly, like most of the other P90x3 workout I don't really feel like I'm workout out too intensely, but before the half way part I'm always sweaty. 

Afterwards I did a 10 minute Kettlebell Core session. Since that program is only 3 days a week, some days I try to double up.

Thus far I'm enjoying exercising at home. Hence the headscarf and glasses- neither of which I would ever be caught wearing outdoors. 

My nutritional has been subpar, but I have been consistently tracking with MyFitnessPal. 

Here's to jumping my goals before the new year, and successfully completing them.

Be Well,

LaToya

7 Day Stretch Mad Lib

Despite missing yesterday's Jump for Joy, I’m joining prAna and Sweat Pink for a super fun, #7daystretch #liveinprana challenge – it started yesterday (Monday, August 24th) and ends at the end of the week (Sunday, August 30th). Join in on the fun – answering daily prompts or if you’d prefer to lurk, you can follow along on FitApproach or through the hashtags: #liveinprana #7daystretch #sweatpink!

We’ll be talking about how we (the community) embrace a prAna lifestyle (#liveinprana) and are challenging ourselves to stretch a little deeper, farther and more mindfully for 7 whole days (the #7daystretch). And we’re not just stretching our bodies so you don’t have to be pretzel to join in, we’re also stretching our minds and souls!

I’d love for Candance and Danielle and Neali to join me for this fun challenge. Complete the fun mad-lib below and let’s get this PARTY started!

We’re nearing the end of August and even though the summer is coming to an end, I’m super excited about the Fall because I have three races.  In fact, my very favorite thing about Fall is the cooler temps and beautiful scenic backdrops. I can imagine myself wearing Halle Pant while I taking the kids to school because they look super comfy and relaxed.  

If I had one goal for the Fall, it would be set a new half marathon PR because this will be my fifth one. To achieve it, I know I will need to train consistently and eat healthier. And of course I want to look great doing it so have the Mika Top on my wish-list…..

What are you most excited about for Fall?

Be Well,

LaToya

On a High Note

After taking a much needed blog break, a lot has happened/ changed during the month of July. Most of those changes are related to my career and family, but also in the health and fitness aspects.

For starters, I finally had my annual physical. I was a little past due. Okay more like two years. I had been procrastinating because I am not where I want to be on the scale, but health is more than just that number. I'm so glad I went. My new doctor is amazing, and her practice is everything I wanted. My lab numbers where terrific and all within the normal range, except I need for vitamin D. Aside from that she was very pleased with me (a mutual feeling), and left me with some positive encouragement to keep up with the weight loss for next year.

I also logged the most miles (60.55) I have ever had in a single month, since I started running in October 2012. Wahhhoooo! This milestone I am very proud of, especially because I'm in the midst of half marathon training.

With that being said, I'm planning on going to back to blogging at least once a week starting in August. The break was great, as I needed to iron out some very important things, and get back to focusing on me. Now I'm hoping to give it my "all", with my fall races.

After going back and forth, I finally made up my mind about which races I'll be running this fall. For the first time, I'll be using Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program instead of Jeff Galloway, and because I like plan ahead for life's hiccups I'm a little ahead with the 12-week training. Here's my weekly recap of my first week of training:

Monday: REST (wahoo) and that I did!

Tuesday: 1 mile run + 30 min Bootcamp

Wednesday: 3.75 mile walk

Thursday: 3.18 mile run (the heat, humidity, & hills nearly took a sista out)

Friday: 4 miles (1:30/30 intervals) 

Saturday: I think I deserve another rest day

Sunday: I will be cross training

Did the month of July end on a high note for you? Feel free so share your experience with Hal Higdogn's training programs.

Be Well,

LaToya

Mad Lib 4 Grokker

Yesterday on my Instagram page, I announced how happy I am to be a SPA and love the amazing perks that come with my ambassadorship. Today, I'm back with more fun and fitness from the FitApproach community. If you've visited any of my social media accounts recently, you would know I'm tracking my activity for the 1 Million Minutes campaign. So far, I'm at 1,318 minutes. Here's the latest mad lib my fellow SPAs and I are doing. I'm so excited to rack up more minutes using video workouts from Grokker! There’s everything from yoga to core strength for everyone from beginners to advanced, and I'm especially pumped to try Yoga for Abs & Core because it will make me extra stunning. I plan to do my video workout in my living room before running and after eating. My favorite thing about video workouts is feasibility, and they’re a super convenient way to get sweaty when I'm rushing. My goal is to hit 1500 minutes this week!. I’ll do Outdoor HIIT Routine one one of my more intense workout days, and Yoga for Abs & Core,  on a rest or lower intensity day.  I challenge Danielle to beat my # of minutes or to do Cardio Kick Fitness with me! psst! Want more access to more of the amazing videos on Grokker? Use the code LOVEGROKKER for a free month of their premium version. No strings attached - just good sweaty fun! :) Be Well, LaToya

June Goals

There's just something about the start of a new month that really drives me to focus. June is unique in it's own way, as I'm also inspired to check-in on the goals I set at the beginning of the year, and update my progress. Without going into too many specifics, let's just say I'm not where I want to be. Yep that pretty much sums it up- on so many levels. Nonetheless I'm not giving up, and as the slogan goes "it ain't over to the fat lady sings." 

I'm proclaiming June as my "by any means necessary" month, because that just what it's going to take. I have some lofty goals ahead. Both in my personal and professional life, and it's going to take this attitude to be successful. 

1. Pass my ACLS certification.

2. At least 3 runs a week.

3. Lose 1 pound a week.

4. Start training for my biggest race distance yet.

Don't want to spill all the beans at once, but more details on the last one coming later in the week. Stay Tuned! 

Be Well, 

LaToya

Danskin Extreme Sport Bra Review

I'm beyond overdue for new sports bra (mainly for running). So while I was in Wal-Mart the other day, I grabbed this Danskin Extreme Sport Bra.

I loved the hot pink color, it was cheap (compared to my Moving Comfort bras), and the extreme impact had me SOLD! Plus, I have other Danskin brand workout attire, and I haven't had any issues. Well today, I wore it during my 5am run. One word - FAIL. At about mile 1, I felt a little discomfort around my shoulders. Somewhere between 1.5-2 miles, I was fully aware that both straps were rubbing. If you're physically active, you know what that means. Chafing yep you got it.

I was in so much discomfort, I just walked the last half mile. Constantly trying to readjust my "girls." Major ouch once I got back home, and undressed. My suspicions were right. I had chaffed underneath the straps on both side, right along my clavicle (collarbone). If you've experienced chafing before, you know how dreadful my shower was.

So with that said, this was not a good product. Again, I loved the color and price. Heck the fit even was great, and I felt well supported in the cups, but as previously mentioned it's a "no-go" for me. I guess I'll be back in the market for my Moving Comfort bras.

Do you have a go to brand for sports bras? What's your favorite and why?

Be Well,

LaToya

Wellness Wednesday: Goal Setting & Dream Chasing

So this week kicks off my official training for some pretty lofty health & fitness goals. I've procrastinated long enough, now it's time to "put up or shut up."

The Goals:

1. Sub 3 half marathon

2. Pants size 6/ weight 145 

3. 25k race

4. Marathon ready (yes or no?)

The Plan:

Is certainly a work in progress. I'll be going over this with run buddy/ certified run coach later this week. Until things are ironed out, I'll be following the Jeff Galloway Marathon Training.

Yes, a full marathon is my ultimate goal, but not having a train buddy scares the crap out of me. If you know me a lot can change between now and the end of year, guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Be Well,

LaToya

What goals are you chasing?

Today's Wellness Wednesday is part of the #gowellnessday link up!!

Never Miss a Monday

Happy Monday! Aside from normal day-to-day activities, I just spent the morning chatting with my Biggest Loser participants about there progress. 

It's a new month, a new week, and as I just reminded them Never Miss a Monday! I only had time for a short run this morning (because I'm on the clock), but something is always better than nothing. 

I'm an early riser, and I love getting a workout out in bright and early on a Monday morning because:

It truly sets the tone of my day & week. We've all had our personal struggles with "the case of the Mondays", but getting that endorphin rush really puts things into perspective for me. Plus coming off Super Bowl Sunday, I couldn't imagine not "getting it in."

So how about you, do you ever skip Monday's?

Be Well,

LaToya

I'm MAD Hype for #NoExcuses 2015!

Happy #NoExcuses Monday! That's right today kicks off the challenge from FitApproach . To get everyone in the spirit, all of us SPA's (Sweat Pink Ambassadors) are creating a personal mad lib post. So with that said, here's mine!! I'm mad HYPE for #Noescuses 2015! Hey 2015, it’s me LaToya! This year I would like to PR at every race distance (5k, 10k, & 13.1) run a 10-mile road race, and clean up my eating.  It would also be super duper awesome if I also got back to my pre-pregnancy weight this year. It’s not a resolution, though, just a reminder to myself to try and have the best year yet because I'm worth it. The thing I am looking forward to most this year is my fifth wedding anniversary and my son's fifth birthday. I’ll use the one thing that truly gets me out of bed in the morning which is my kids to help me get up, get motivated (verb) and get after my #NoExcuses 2015. Speaking of excuses (ahem), my very favorite excuse is my family and I have used it to get out of doing workouts on more than a handful (number) occasions. I vow to move my body and be more healthy this year even if it means I have to get up at zero dark thirty a few times each week. Even if my alarm clock gets eaten by the dog in the middle of the night, I'll still have a back-up one set. I will stop blaming my family (ex. kids, dog, husband) for wanting to order out (ex. eating the rest of the snacks) when everyone knows it was really me. My family is not the reason I make excuses. I will show my family who's boss this year and get my run on. I know that something (type of workout) is better than nothing (noun). I will reward myself by buying another pair of running shoes. #No Excuses 2015 has just begun and already I am imagining myself a winner. I can’t wait to rock a tee/top from Augusta Active. I can’t wait till my sweaty friends are jealous of how fresh, clean and glowing (adj) I am between workouts with help from ShowerPill body wipes. I can see myself rocking kettlebell swings in new On the Go! from Actio926 and looking fit and fly while doing it. And of course, I’ll be taking my workouts to the next level and improving my upper body with my new ActivMotion Bar to help me train for my next half marathon (race distance) race with Sasquatch Racing.  Oh, and let’s not forget how amazing my top will smell during my P90X3 workout after washing with some WIN Detergent. And lastly, I’ll keep rocking my 2015 with clean eats and nutrition from Beaming with Health! Want to create your own? Copy and paste the mad lib, and fill in the underlined parts. Be sure to call out at least three of your fitness buddies, and share how you will have #Noexcuses in 2015! Also the first prompt of the challenge is a minimum 30 second plank (any variation). Get 're done! LaToya

#Noexcuses Challenge!

In upcoming week(s) I'll be joining several of my Sweat Pink Ambassadors ( spa sisters) for an awesome challenge.

Throughout the challenge, I'll be posting to all my social media accounts various prompts that will keep everyone (myself included) inspired and motivated to be the best year yet! 

Go ahead follow me on Twitter (@Juz_Toy), follow me on Instagram (latoyaliveswell), and like my Facebook page (latoyaliveswell)! 

Xoxo,

LaToya

My Go To Machine

Old man winter has been relentless this week, and with temps below freezing for the fourth consecutive day this week, I've been a lot of time in the gym. 

All of which has my brain ticking this morning. What is the that one machine or piece of equipment that you absolutely adore? You know that machine you get accept whenever someone else is on? Your go to machine (or equipment) that if evening else somehow magically left earth you just could not live without. 

For me it's the elliptical. I fell in love this machine back in my undergraduate days, and have loved it ever since. You get the most bank for your buck, if you ask me. I love how it challenges my endurance and I get an awesome total body workout in such a short matter of time. 

As a matter of fact I just got off of one. If you aren't familiar with the Cybex Arc Trainer, and your gym has one I highly recommend giving it a go. 

Dumbbells, treadmills, and bikes oh my! So let's hear it, what is your go to machine or piece of equipment. 

No Excuses, November!

There's something about turning the big 3-0 that clicked, and I'm ready to "put up or shut up" with making my health a priority. As a wife and mother it's been innate for me to nurture and take care of everyone else; often times pushing myself to the back burner. That ends now! I'm ready to let go everything (and everyone) and do whatever it takes for what I've been half-heartedly attempting to do since my youngest was born (December 2011).

I know it won't be easy, but it will definitely be worth it. As the quote above implies, it's time for me to start investing in myself. My health is my wealth, and I plan on giving it my all. 

No diets. No deadlines. No specifics. No excuses. Just progress. Step by step, day by day!

Best of Health,

LaToya💋

Ps: Who else has goals they're kicking off this November? Drop me line, and let's hold each other accountable.

For the Fun of It!

Between the injuries, burnout, and life I've think I'm "hanging up my cleats" and done with racing. It's just not in my heart, and those who know me would say I don't do anything unless my heart is in it 100%.

So how and why? Definitely not one way to address this, but it all started about four months ago. I experienced major burnout in May. For the light of me I just didn't want to run. My run buddies thought my funk was attributed to my quest to be a Half Fanatic and racing three back-to-back's. Rightfully so I did too. I figured I was going to take a break from both running and racing. Then came summer….I enjoyed spending time with my family. Oh and not getting up a zero dark thirty was great too. I would run here and there, but not consistently. Everyone around me was talking fall training, and I just couldn't find the means to register for anything. Nothing spoke to me. Throughout it all I kept trying to reflect on why I started running in the first place, and how far I have come since October 2012. Don't get me wrong I'm still very proud of all I accomplished, but my heart just isn't there anymore. 



A few weeks ago I registered for a 10k and thought, ok this will do the trick. Its the perfect distance where I still need to be distanced and run consistently, but won't require as much training as a half marathon. I was stoked for a

 (Thursday Workout was 2 mile walk & strength training)

bout two weeks or so. Then I got injured. Been rehabbing the past three weeks, with plenty of cross training to maintain my physical fitness love, and I just don't miss running. In fact I have no desire at all to race. Doesn't mean I won't ever lace up and head out for something quick & easy, but as for now I've cool!


Thanks for the read and come back soon to see where my journey leads me next!

Best of Health,

LaToya

Wellness Wednesday: Walktober and such!

It's the first day of October, and an awesome Wellness Wedenesday!

Today marks the first day of a new challenge I designed for my clients. In observance of National Walking Month, we're celebrating Walktober! The Challenege will run throughout the entire month and participants can compete as individuals or in pairs. The overall goal is to get everyone moving (mainly walking but any form of activity is fine) for at least 30 minutes each day. 

Those who have a personal device to track their steps are encouraged to do so. While those that do not will use a provided Step Conversion Chart

to convert their physical activity in minute to approximate miles. All participants were provided log sheets to track their activity.

For additional details about National Walking Month, visit www.walktober.org

Now on to me....I've been nursing an injury the last two weeks so my mileage for September wasn't what I expected. With that said, I will not be setting a personal mileage goal for this month. Right now the plan is just to listen to my body, and hopefully this doesn't but a huge damper on me running the Annapolis 10k next month! 

In other news, I had two job interviews since my last post. If all goes well with my physical and background check(not that I am worried) I'll be back to my first love working as a Cardiac Rehab Specialist. 

Here to rocking out the rest of this month!  

Run Funk!

Ugh! I'm beginning to think there's an awful virus going around because I just cannot seem to shake this awful run funk. I mean come on already. As of my last race (Frederick Half) I've had a serious love/hate relationship with running. One day I'm ready to take on the world one race at a time, and next I don't want to do a darn thing. 

My run funk started in mid May. After successfully completing three half marathons to qualify for half Fanactics, I started to experience the signs of burnout. A few days days before i was supposed to race St. Michaels I began making excuses, then a family emeregency occurred which prevented me from racing. My mileged slipped below my monthly average of 50-60 in June. July I was back in my groove thanks to the BGR! Challenge (I had one of my best mileage months of 2014). This month had been hit or miss. Week by week, my motivation keeps getting thrown further and further away. 

I hoping to pick things up again beginning tomorrow. I know I'll regret this later as my weekends will soon be full with family activities, but I just can't shake this funk. I'm still less than two years in this sport, so if you've dealt with your own run funk please feel free to comment with your tips for getting back into the swing of things. 

Wellness Wednesday: New Regimen

It's a slow day at work, and since I've have no clients or challenges to work it I'm focusing on myself. I have 72 days & 10 hours for my Project 30 deadline, and I'm 22 pounds away from my goal. 

Here's how I plan to meet it. Let's start with the easy part first: my weekly fitness regimen.

Sunday: Run; this will likely be a local route in my neighborhood.

Monday: Cardio 40-60 minutes followed by strength training.

Tuesday: Run 25-40 minutes using the Galloway Training.

Wedenesday: 30 minute Core Circuit and either a 30 minute Yoga or Pilates video. 

Thursday: Same as Monday.

Friday: Hooray for rest day! Although I do hope to try out a hot yoga class that's offered since I'm usually off.

Saturday: Long Run

Piece of cake! Now if I'm serious about my Project 30 goal, I'll need to be diligent with my eating habits. That means eating mostly clean meals, limiting dining out, meal prepping, logging in to myfitnesspal, and keeping a strict eye on my calories. My caloric range will vary from 1200-1500 depending on my level of activity.

 Let's the games begin! 

Me, home on a Saturday?!

Today is the third consecutive Saturday, that instead of my alarm waking me up at zero dark thirty for my weekly group run, I slept in and was awoken by the little ones. Of course it's nice getting a little extra family time in, but it's weird not running. Plus, I miss my Saturday am run crew. I did start my day off with a 30 minute Tae Bo video. Something is always better than nothing right?

Granted I run by myself during the week, my Saturday group runs are something I've always looked forward too. It's great to have that extra push and accountability. I'm hoping tomorrow to meet up with my local BGR! Chapter. Emphasis on hoping. Since I'm not training my motivation has declined because it seems pretty pointless to drive 20-30 minutes for a short run. I guess we'll see.

In other news I'm down 2.6 pounds since my husband's new work schedule. This week was definitely better than the first. The kids and I have settled into our weekly routines, and I've been preparing all our meals and lunches at home. Last night, was the first night all week we ate out. McDonalds for them and a i swung by a local spot for a salad. Fingers crossed I can keep this up. Also, instead of beating myself up about my 30 by 30 goal, I've decided to focus on smaller milestones. With that said, my next target is 160. Currently I'm 164.8

Have a happy, healthy weekend! 

Sunday Reset

Didn't plan on writing another post until my weekly Wellness Wednesday, but since I'm currently resting in the Legs up the Wall pose why not.

This past week I completed over 15 miles, more than doubling my totals for the previous week. My longest run was 5.5 in Arbutus with my run buddy Chris. I had only planned on running 12 for the week since I Am not training for a race, but I didn't want to leave my girl all by her self.

I'm still hanging in their with my P90x3 workouts. 6 days a week, 30 minutes a session. 

This week I also started the Super Shred 4-week meal plan. Meal planning and preparation is definitely an area I'm looking to improve on, so I really like the structured program. My first week on the plan was so so. Be sure to swing back later, and I'll provide more details on how I'm doing. 

Now off to plan my workouts  and meals for the week. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday folks.

Best of Health, 

LaToya

One step forward, two steps back...

Confession time, I've fallen way off the wagon and I cannot blame anyone besides myself. My eating has been horrendous the last week or so.

It all started July 4th weekend. I had relatives in town, and they flooded my house with snacks, snacks, and more snacks. On top of this my mother has a catering business, so aside from eating out once she prepared some delicious meal. All of which I could not resist. 

I ate and nibbled on foods that I typically do not have, let alone even keep in my house. Twizzlers, Swedish fish, potato chips, cookies, soda, etc. One top of all of this we went to Six Flags one day....so yes I had a hamburger w/ fries and a about three quarters if a funnel cake.

I did get up and run and do a P90x3 workout one morning, and tried to convince myself that the walking in the amusement park would burn some extra calories. Clearly that wasn't the case. 

I called myself doing a clean sweep when they left Monday morning. I ate fairly well; having just cereal for breakfast and salads for lunch. My domino effect began Wednesday. My day started off bad with the kids, I had a mommy meltdown after work, and my husband and I had Chinese for dinner. Man oh man was it good. 

That was just the icing on the cake. I skipped three straight days of P90x3 and walked on the treadmill. Yesterday was my day off and what did I do....nothing! Left over Chinese food, a Cinnabon & a slurpee because I took the kids to free 7-11 day. 

Welp I gained back 3 of the 7 pounds I had lost. This is my usual cycle. I work hard, begin to see a little progress, gain some confidence, and the scale goes back up. Fingers crossed that this is the last time this happens. 

To be continued....

#Wellness Wednesday: Today's Workout!

If I do plan out my post ahead of time, I never know what to write about for my weekly Wellness Wednesday. I've thought of a million and one different topics, so I'm just doing to share today's workout. My day started around 5ish, and I completed P90X3's Accelerator. Another great, challenging 30 minute workout. This was my first time completing this video, and I truly enjoyed it. I loved the back and forth mix-up of upright movements followed by plank variations. Workout #2 was a 2 mile run. I started with a 3 minute warm-up and ran 24 minutes straight. I rarely run with music, but today I threw on my BGR! mixtape. My goal was speed today, so I needed something for an extra push. Pace was 13:34, yes that's fast for me. After my run, i wanted to conitue listening to the mixtape so I lifted for 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes of abs & stretching.