Loving the Monday!

Okay, that may be a little bit of an exaggeration.

More like this:

Either way, Monday has its benefits:

- Fresh start of a new week!
- A chance to get organized.
- A chance to get back into the routine, if you had a crazy weekend...

So, I'm starting off the week successfully. Here are the things I did to increase my chances that things will go as planned (remember, planning + flexibility...)

1. Prepared my meals for Monday through Friday. Every meal. (I'll do a post on that later, with some tips. Seriously- it's the best thing I do. Besides parent effectively, of course).
2. Planned my workouts.
3. Made my to-do list

Now, I realize (AGAIN) that even the best planned week can change....

How are you making sure your week starts off right?

Need Motivation? Get it RIGHT HERE!

I have the great fortune of being good friends with Missy Reid. Missy is an NPC Figure Competitor, and one of the coolest people around. She is competing in the Natural Mid-States Muscle Classic XXIV in Rockford, Illinois *this weekend*!

Here's the progress Missy made between shows in one year.

SF: When did you start working out? What inspired you?

MR: I suppose you could say Ive been 'working out' most of my life.  I started in my teen years with home videos such as Windsor Pilates and Slim in 6.  But I never really stuck to anything as I didnt realize I couldnt out train a bad diet.  I finally got serious and started lifting weights around February 2009.  I dont think there was any one particular thing that inspired me other than reaching a breaking point of being tired with being unhappy with my body and being uncomfortable in my own skin.

Here's Missy as a child

2009- Before weight training 

2009- Before weight training

For contrasts, here's a pic of Missy from about a week ago..

SF: Why did you decide to compete?
MR: I had decided that in order to be successful in my weight loss journey, that I needed to have a goal that required a lot of an investment.  Something that I just couldnt back out of.

SF: What’s your favorite workout move?
MR: I love barbell bicep curls and rope pushdown tricep extension.  They both make my arms look pretty badass, and when you look good, you feel good.  And when you feel good, you get a heck of a great workout!

SF: How do you stay on track?

MR: Truth be told, unless I have a very specific goal to reach, I dont *always* stay on track.  Im human.  I stumble and fall just like everybody else.  But what helps me is keeping my goals in mind, and reaching out to like minded people with similar goals.  The power of support and encouragement can not be underestimated.

SF: What advice do you have for someone who is trying to get in shape?
MR: Just do it.  Eat right & exercise.  Dont over think it.  Dont complicate it.  When people ask me, "Whats your secret?" I love to cup my hand by my mouth, lean over, and wisper, "You really wanna know?  ...I. Stick. With. It."  As with reaching any goal, consistancy is KEY.  So dont expect it to happen over night. 

SF: What have you learned about competing that surprised you?
MR: How addicting it is!  And that its actually not really very competative.  I mean, it IS a competition and all, so I had thought it was going to be a bunch of cut throat, die hard, hardcore, sassy b*tches ready to pull eachothers hair out.  But the reality of it is that it is quite the opposite.  There is such a strong brother hood and sister hood in the fitness industry.  So many strong bonds are made from people who closely relate to one another about a passion they share.

SF: What is your favorite part of competing?

MR: Trick question!  Really, there is SO much that goes into a show and so many aspects about the sport that I love.  But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be a close call between being on that stage, and the journey it takes to get there.  Its only for mere moments, but being on stage in front of HUNDREDS of people, half neked (an asprin bottle has more cotton than those figure suits!), under hot bright lights, asking to be judged...it is an unexplainable high and quite an adrenaline rush. I absolutely love it.  I love putting on a show and entertaining a crowd.  And the journey to get there *heavenly sigh*  it is far beyond just a physical one.  You go through an internal transformation.  Mentally and emotionally you dig deep and really become in tune with yourself.  I emerge a different (better) person after every show.

SF: What are your plans for after the show this weekend?

MR: For now, I plan on continuing to diet for at least another 2 weeks.  Ive entered a transformation challege and the grand prize is 7 nights in Jamaica.  I REALLY want that! (who doesnt?!) Then, my focus will be on maintaining the lifestyle and finding balance. It's something that I have yet to master and I know will require a lot of effort.

Missy, looking great!

 

Thanks so much for the interview, Missy! I hope you guys were all as inspired by what she has accomplished as I have been!

Do me a favor and comment below if you'd like to send her some good vibes for this weekend!

High Five it's.... Monday? Wha?

Wait, did you say High Five Monday?

Yes, yes, I did...

I heart Monday!

I woke up this morning singing Rebecca Black's song "Friday". What irony, to have a song all about Friday in your head on Monday, which is pretty much the opposite. But I decided I can be excited about Monday too!

So, I'm having a "High Five Monday" today, and I'm setting my goals for the week. By the end of the day Friday, I will have:

1. Complete 4 strength training workouts: 2 upper and 2 lower

2. Run 2 times (1-2 miles each. Still taking it easy).

3. Stayed 100% compliant (not complaint) with my diet.

Do you have any goals for this week?

High Five! Have a great week!

Yay! Monday!

Seriously. I'm kind of excited about this Monday. Here's why:

Seriously, though:

1. It's a new week!
2. Anything can happen!
3. I have coffee!
4. I feel great success coming!

One of the reasons I'm feeling successful IN ADVANCE include the fact that I prepped my meals for the next 3 days. I can't tell you how good it feels to know all my food is ready. I don't have to freak out and wonder what I'm going to eat.

I like to take pictures of my food...

Of course, Wednesday night I'll have to do it again. But that's okay...

Plus, I really believe that if you think it's a good week, it will be. It's not always easy to be in a good mood- believe me, I know!- but why not? It doesn't hurt anything to be happy. It doesn't help anything to be stressed. So, why not be happy, and then if things get better, you're still happy? If they don't, you're still happy!

Okay, that was my ray of sunshine for the morning.

What are you happy about this happy Monday?

Controversial Race Recap/Motivational Monday!

Happy Monday! Personally, I plan on having a great day! How about you?

I wanted to give a little report on the half marathon this weekend.

But first, let me give you some background:

3 weeks ago, I ran the Women's Half Marathon. I was really surprised with my time, and felt great. I struggled a bit with how to train for 2 races so close together, and the long runs were 8 miles and 5.2 miles.

I was also doing some "single parenting" this weekend. My husband was working out of town and I would be with the kids all weekend. I had a wonderful friend who was kind enough to pick all of us up at 6am Saturday morning, drop me off at the race, and entertain my children while I ran.

However, Friday night, it was hard to convince the little darlings of my need for sleep. I ended up sleeping only a few hours, and doing so very badly.

This is me just before the race. I look so old when I'm tired..

I was optimistic about this race. It would be flatter than my last two (ahem, other two) half marathons, and I thought it would be easier. It was a beautiful day, the weather was perfect, so it started out great...

At mile 1, I was amazed that my Nike + was right on. I mean, the moment I crossed the 1 mile sign, it told me I hit a mile. At the WHM, my Nike + was consistently about .5 miles behind.

A little after 1.5 miles, something weird happened. The group I was with ran into a cross street, and there was another group running on that street. I thought it might be the Fun Run, but these folks all had on Half Marathon bibs. We all kind of looked around confused, and asked the other group where they came from.

Honestly, I forgot about that pretty quickly.

I started to struggle a little bit about Mile 4. I looked at my watch and noticed I was taking a little longer than usual. I wondered why for a second...

At Mile 6 I realized they weren't going to be handing out any Gu. I thought they were, so I didn't bring any. Oh no.

At Mile 8 I wanted to quit. I was uncomfortable. My hip flexors hurt so much. I was still doing my Run 3/Walk 2, but the Running intervals were getting a lot harder...

Before the race, I thought Nicki Minaj's "Superbass" was one of the coolest songs ever. I couldn't get enough of it. By Mile 9 I never wanted to hear it again. In fact, by that point, I hated every song that came on on my playlist.

At Mile 10 I started imagining quitting. I wanted to pull over and let someone drive me back to the finish line. I thought how much I hated running and never wanted to do it again. But the thing that kept me going was that my kids were waiting for me at the finish line. I wanted them to have the chance to see me finish.

I actually stopped to stretch sometime around this point. I never do that. But I thought maybe it would help. It was hard to run after that.

Somehow I muddled through the last 3 miles. It seemed like it would never end. I literally felt like I had been running for days. It reminded me of the 3 day labor with my son...

But I turned a corner and I could see the finish line. I stepped it up and ran as impressively as I could. My chip time was 2:37:54.

It took a while to find my kids. I gorged myself on a cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter. But my son gave me a kiss and told me he was proud of me, and that was the best thing in the world.

Here he is, ready for the race, with a beverage and everything..

But there's more..

Let me tell you about this lady. I don't know her name, but I see her a lot. I see her at all the running events; I see her on the track or the trail sometimes. She carries oxygen with her while she runs. Well, we had packed up and were driving to Starbucks (because I had promised myself a Salted Caramel Mocha). The course was pretty much closed. But there was that lady, giving it everything, all by herself, with her race number and her oxygen. She was determined, and she was going to finish. I was suddenly very inspired.

You know, you see these people who make it look so easy. They speed by you and finish early, and then while you're struggling to finish, they pass you with their medals on while they walk to the car. Well, this lady inspired me more than they did. Sure, the people who make it look easy are working too, but something about this lady.... I got a little teary.

So later in the day, I hear about the "Controversy". I had forgotten about the weirdness around 1.5/2 miles. But apparently, some people were directed the wrong way. Here's what I got from the race folks:

As many of you are aware, there was a misdirection error between Miles 1 and 2 that may have lengthened your run. We have no way of determining which runners were affected, but if you ran down Fairview Street rather than East Street, this involves you. We have calculated the extra distance that some of you ran.  The additional mileage is .409 miles.

So, I really don't know if this affected me or not. On one hand, my GPS was right on. But, on the other hand, it's *never* right on. Even if I *did* run an extra .409 miles, I still didn't PR. Of course, if I had run less, maybe I would have. But that's just on of those things you'll never know.

I *do* know these things, though:

1. I will not be running more than 4 miles at a time for the rest of the year.
2. I'm redoing my playlist.
3. I will *alway* have Gu.
4. My kids are awesome.

Mondays are so awesome!

Source

Yeah, I have to admit, I don't believe that 100%. It takes a little work to get myself in a cheerful mood some mornings, and Mondays are often rougher than most. The main thing that's hard for me is saying goodbye to my kids after being with them most of the time for 2 days...

But, whether we like it or not, Monday comes once a week.

Source

So, let's take a moment to get our minds right for a fabulous Monday!

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes". ~Benjamin Disraeli

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal -- a commitment to excellence -- that will enable you to attain the success you seek". ~Mario Andretti

"We are responsible for actions performed in response to circumstances for which we are not responsible." ~Allan Massie

"He who conquers himself has won a greater victory than he who conquers a city." ~Proverbs

"There is no luck except where there is discipline." ~Irish Proverb

Hopefully, these have inspired you to take responsibility, get up and get going, and make a difference today! Have a great one!

Source

Monday Motivation...

Do you have trouble getting going on Mondays? I think most people do. I definitely do. So, I'm here to help motivate you (and me...let's be honest. I'm selfish).

(Source)

Anyway, here are some thoughts to get you going:


"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily". ~Zig Ziglar


"When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible." ~Nido Qubein


"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself." ~Mark Caine


"It's usually the last ounce of effort that tips the scales of success." ~Rick Beneteau


Now, here are some pics I've found around the internet that help me:

So, who's with me? Ready for a glorious week? Let's KILL IT!

Miraculous Monday!

Most people don't think of Monday as a day filled with miracles. Honestly, it's a stretch for me too. But I'm TRYING...

Basically, I'm still high from my amazing run on Saturday.

Wait, did you say "Amazing Run"? Am I still reading the right blog?

I did. I had an *amazing run*. I ran 10 miles. And I'm finally starting to get excited about the half marathon I'm running IN SIX DAYS. (It's about time).

I've learned a lot between the April 30th race and this one:

1. Running will not get me the body I want. Period.
2. Diet is really important (I kind of new that already but it's been hard to accept it).
3. Lifting weights is fun for me, and makes me look awesome. And I love my muscles.
4. I only need to run 3 days a week.
5. Running in the summer is hard no matter what. It sucks outside because it is hot. It sucks inside because it is boring. Running outside in pretty weather is the reason I run (or one of the main ones).

So, we'll see how it goes.

As for the other miracles on this Miraculous Monday:

- Waking up in itself is a miracle. No one promised we would.
- My kids are miracles. I mean, really. I'm still amazed, after giving birth twice, that I actually grew people.
- The miracles that haven't yet happened today. I know they're coming.

What are some miracles you've experienced recently?

Motivational Monday! Fear is awesome!

Well, maybe not... but today we're talking about facing fears.

Or, more accurately- using fear to motivate you, rather than cripple you.

Have you ever done something scary? When you did it, and didn't die (I'm assuming), didn't you feel stronger?

So, that is my challenge today. Do something scary (that won't kill you). Discover how strong you really are, and get stronger.

You can do it!

Motivational Monday!

I've had a little trouble getting inspired lately. Sure, I can workout until the cows come home...

Leave me out of this. (Source)

But sticking to my nutrition plan is another story.

So, I've decided to post some folks whose physiques inspire me.

Girls:

Source

Source

(I don't remember where I found this. Sorry).

Find out more about Jenny here. She rocks so much!

And just so you guys aren't left out...

Source

Source

You're welcome.

By the way, I took another round of "Before" Pics today. No, I will not post them until I have some pretty impressive afters. Yes, I look pretty good for someone who had a baby 11 months ago (my husband even said so. Bless him). But, I would like to see more progress before I go public...

And here are some quotes for today:

"You don't realize how strong a person really is until you see them at their weakest moment."~Unknown

"Your goals minus your doubts equals your reality." ~ Ralph Marston

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."~David Viscott

So... have a great and wonderful Monday!

(P.S. We are almost at 400 at Sarah Fitness. If you haven't stopped by and clicked "Like" yet, come on over!)

Motivational Monday: Brand New Month edition!

Source

I love the first of the month! A fresh start. Put the first of the month on a Monday, and it's a *really* fresh start!

So... today's Monday Motivation theme is "New Beginnings". I love them!

Here are some thoughts to get you started:


"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."~Seneca (also, this song:)




"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."~Lao Tzu

"So many fail because they don't get started- they don't go. They don't overcome intertia. They don't begin." ~W. Clement Stone

"Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist, but the ability to start over."~F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The indispensable first step in getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." ~Ben Stein

Source

I hope these get you in the mood to shoot for a new goal. Whatever it is, whether it's weight loss, a physical goal, a financial goal, pottytraining (see where my mind is..),  today's the day you start!

Have a great week!

Motivational Monday!

Happy Monday, friends! What better way to get motivated than to watch "The Best Motivation Video"... (it's quite good, I must say)..



"If you've never failed, you've never lived."

Have a great week, folks!

Motivational Monday: The Fresh Beat Band edition.

I'm about to lose all street cred... (if I had any).

I'm still not used to the "new" Marina though.

Many of you with small children may, like me, be a frequent watcher of "Nick Jr." If you are, you may be familiar with The Fresh Beat Band.

Now, you may think I have lost my ever-loving mind... but let me argue with you some of the positive traits of The Fresh Beat Band for us grown-ups:

- No one is ever mean to anyone else in Fresh Beat Land.
- If you have a problem, you sing a song about working it out ("There's no problem we can't solve if we put our heads together and get involved...") and it's all good.
- They all wake up every morning excited about their day and what's ahead.
- At the end of the day, they sing a song about how great it was ("We had a great day...")

So, I present to you the song I sing to my son when he's not really excited about getting out of bed. I think it's applicable to all of us who think "Oh no, it's Monday. Again. Yawn."



If that didn't get you motivated, I have a few quotes here to get you going with a smile today:

"If you want to change the way people respond to you, change the way you respond to people." ~Timothy Leary

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know." ~ William Saroyan

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." ~Leo Tolstoy

"I don't know if the optimists or the pessimists are right. But the optimists are going to get something done." ~Craig Venter

So I hope these thoughts will help get you in the mood to go out there and make today a *great day*...

Motivational Monday! Go, go, GO!

Good Monday Morning!

There's just something about a Monday!

Well, actually, it may be madness where you are, and that's okay! You can still have a great day!

So true.

I've got some quotes to help get you going this morning:

"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'"
~Author Unknown

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on".  ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream".  ~Author Unknown

"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday".  ~Author Unknown
"Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer".  ~André A. Jackson

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go".  ~William Feather

"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts".  ~John Locke (no, not this guy)

And finally:

Motivational Monday! I can!

From here

If you're like me, you *very occasionally* have those Mondays that start with this thought: "How on earth will I be able to:
- Make it through the day?
- Wake up?
- Enjoy life today?

Well? Have you? I'm here to tell you, you CAN! Let's start the day off in a proactive way, instead of reacting.

Here's some Motivation to do just that!

"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours."~Richard Bach

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."~Henry Ford

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."~John Wooden

From here

And this is one of my all time favorite pick-me-ups:

Have a great day, and remember YES YOU CAN!

Motivational Monday

Happy Monday, Folks!

I'm back from a transformational weekend, with a new focus and energy, so this is a particularly exciting Monday for me!

For those of you that aren't, however, I have some motivation for you:

"There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." ~Ken Blanchard

"Good is the enemy of great." ~Jim Collins

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." ~Abraham Lincoln

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." ~Ben Stein

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to meet it." ~Jonathan Winters

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined." ~Henry James

And, finally, one last bit of motivation:

You're welcome.

Have a great week!

Motivational Monday! Dealing with disappointments...

From here. 

Have you ever been disappointed? Surely you have... we all have.

It could be something in your weight loss program, your career or business, your personal life... we have all been disappointed.

However, I truly believe each disappointment gives us the opportunity to grow.

And the most important thing is that you keep going.

So, here are some quotes to motivate you past any disappointments, setbacks, or challenges you may be facing!

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all."~ Dale Carnegie

"If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average."~M.H. Alderson

"Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. You have only to persevere to save yourselves." ~Winston Churchill

"Defeat is simply a signal to press onward."~Helen Keller

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that's where you will find success." ~Thomas L. Watson

Have a great Monday, and a great week!

Motivational Monday!

Happy Monday! A new week! A fresh start!

From here

I'm excited for the start of the week, and to help you get excited, here's some Monday Motivation:

"Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there. Make motivation a habit and you will get there more quickly, and have more fun on the trip". ~Zig Ziglar

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does". ~William James

"Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." ~Lowell Thomas

"I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." ~ George Bernard Shaw

"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt.

So, remember that you have the power to make this the best week yet!

Now, go get 'em!

Motivational Monday- Special Edition

Happy Memorial Day! Many of us have the day off, but I wanted to go ahead and post a Motivational Monday that would inspire us while we honor our heroes. Remember the courage it takes for the heroes to do what they do, and see if you can apply a little of that strength to your own life today!

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose." ~ Tom Krause

"Fight til the last gasp."~William Shakespeare

"Without courage, all virtues lose their meaning." ~Winston Churchill

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength." ~Unknown

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." ~Thucydides

I've also joined the following Blog Hop today. Welcome new friends! Please leave a comment so I can follow you back!
 

Have a wonderful, thankful day.