Monday, October 11, 2010

Mamavation Monday


Yay!! I finally had a good week!! The weather was amazing this week so that was to my advantage. I would like to congratulate all the wonderful ladies who are finalist for Mamavation mom. I wish everyone the best of luck. You all are so deserving. I support you. For the ladies who didn't make it to the finals, this is not the end. For anyone who wasn't in Mamavation last campaign I applied and was not chosen to be a finalist. However, it was just the beginning of my journey. I signed up for the move it and lose it campaign and kicked booty. It was by far the best thing that has happened to me along this journey. I lost 30 lbs! So keep it up and kick booty!


I managed to do 6 days of cardio this week with 3 days of strength training. I know I have mentioned this before but, I really think I need to mention it again. Kettlebells are amazing!! Not only did I strength training while using them I am also getting cardio. How many exercises do you know where you can get the benefits of both! Love it!! Part of my #commit2fit goal is to run a half marathon in about 3-4 months. I will need to start uping my mileage to be able to reach this goal. So for this week I would like to start doing that.


I used to post my workouts to help keep me accountable. I am going to try this again.


Monday: Kettlebell workout /2 mile run

Tuesday: 3 mile run/strength training

Wednesday:4 mile run

Thursday:Kettlebell workout/2 mile run

Friday: 3 mile run/strength training

Saturday: International Fitness Day w/Special EA SPORTS Active Workout‏
Sunday: Rest Day!


14 miles for the week!


I am going back to basics with food last week and this week. I have decided to add more fresh produce to our meals. It seems as if our meals had been missing all the veggies I had grown to love. I am not sure if it is due to the expense it adds or, the pure laziness of adding them. For me, adding veggies to our meals is far more important. I can cut cost on other things we are buying that we shouldn't be. So I headed off to the market in search of fresh delish veggies. You know what it really wasn't all that hard to add more to our meals you just have to be a little creative.



SISTA OF THE WEEK: A big congratulations to Amanda of @beeacutie2 for being the Sista of the Week!!


BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by SUBWAY. SUBWAY is giving away a green iPod Shuffle and a $10 iTunes gift card to one lucky winner.


SISTAHOOD: If you are interested in pledging to the Mamavation Sistahood, Monday is the time to do it. Please go here for instructions. Invitations are done on Wednesdays over twitter.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

What does Commit to Fit mean to me?


As I mentioned I have joined in on Subway's wonderful Commit to Fit Campaign. I am excited to start this week. I need this challenge and accountability!

The Commit to Fit Campaign means I need to step up my game and commit to fitness. I need to set mini goals to keep myself motivated to reach my long time goal of being a fit, healthy person/mom. I have tried to lose weight and get healthy in the past by trying to do everything at one time. This has failed every time. For me, what has worked is the small term goals. Ex. quit drinking soda, drink more water, run a 5k, lose 10% of my weight etc.

I am going to do reach my long term goal this time by reaching every small goal set! For this campaign my big goal is going to be to run a half marathon. I will reach this by working my way up in small goals 5k, 10k then half. I am hoping to do this in 3-4 months! Of course like I mentioned above my ultimate goal is to be fit and, healthy!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Committing to Fitness!


For everyone who follows my blog, you know I'm doing a little struggling with my commitment to fitness. It seems September flew right by me and, I wasn't staying fit and healthy. Part of this was due to adjusting to changes in my schedule the other part was just pure laziness. Yep, I'm admitting it. I have fallen and, I am challenging myself once again to get back up and recommitting to be fit!


Some new challenges have come up over at #Mamavation and, they could not have come at a better time for me. The one I'm most excited about is the #Commit2fit challenge.


Subway and, Subway's main spokesperson Jared have launched a new campaign geared to recommitting yourself to fitness. Jared has put on a little weight over the past couple months and, wants to now lose this added weight. All of us know this happens, you lose sight sometimes as to why you committed to fitness in the first place. As a way to recommit himself he has started up this new challenge. As a way to recommit myself to being active and, fit I have joined in on his #Commit2fit challenge. If you are someone who is struggling with staying fit, please join us. You can follow the #Commit2fit hashtag on twitter. You can also check out Lisa, Leah and, Rachel's blogs who, all of which got the amazing opportunity to visit New York and, run with Jared on one of his training runs with him. They will also be sharing their experiences with the #Commit2fit campaign on their blogs.


I will be posting on my blog weekly answers to questions Lisa presents on her blog about the #Commit2fit challenge so make sure you come back to check my answers out weekly.

Monday, October 4, 2010

My #5k Day!!

On Saturday, October 2nd I took a part in #5k day. #5k day is a challenge started by Stephanie over at Fit Mom in Training. She challenged everyone to share one day where we would participate in some type of activity for 3.1 miles. You could walk, run, bike, swim, crawl whatever you chose to do. The catch was she wanted everyone to share their experience with the blogging world.

I chose to participate in a 5k run/jog. I ran my 5k mid day on the treadmill. Here is how it went!

Yep, that's right I even made a racing bib and, timing chip ;)



My water stations are set up!



A self shot while I was running!


My post running glow!



I even got some great eats after my race with yes, (Gasp) a beer!

OK, all my joking aside. It went pretty good! I was very glad I participated! I hope that Stephanie has more Virtual days like this in the future!

Thanks Stephanie!!

Mamavation Monday

Mamavation
This week went insanely fast. As I mentioned last week, I sort of fell of the wagon for a bit and told myself I needed to jump back on. As a result of this I have decided to go back to the basics of what was working for me. I have gained some weight back from what I lost from the MILI challenge. I want to lose it again and for good. After reading Rachel Steffen's Motivation and accountability post last week on Running Rachel I realized I needed the accountability back. I have decided to post my scale pics again along with the Move it and Lose it Challenge participants. I will not be joining in the challenge but would like to post along with them. I NEED to be held accountable again. I need to challenge myself.

This week, I didn't do so bad. I got out there and participated in #5k day on Saturday. I worked out my #mamaguns and, I ate pretty healthy. I did have some beer's with some friends this weekend. Not so bad though, isn't good enough for me. Before, I was running 3-4x a week, working out everyday, sometimes 2x a day! I need to get back to that. I have joined in with the #commit2fit challenges Lisa, Rachel and, Leah are doing and, hope this also will help. Like I said before I really need challenges to push me.

On a happier note, this weekend we celebrated my father's 50th birthday and, my sister's birthday. We had alot to celebrate and, I am happy to announce I turned down the cake!! It's a step in the right direction!!

Successes

* Turned down the sweets.

Challenges

*Need to commit more time to fitness.
*Need to unplug earlier at night.

Goals

*Drink more water!
*Add more veggies to my meals.
*Add more fiber to my meals.
*Add more movement/fitness to my day.



SISTA OF THE WEEK: A big congratulations to Shelley of @Momma_Oz for being the Sista of the Week!!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by SUBWAY. Subway is one of Mamavation's newest official sponsors. I absolutely love Subway and, so do my children. Subway will be giving away a $25 gift certificate. Check out Jared's new campaign on Twitter under the hashtag #commit2fit where Jared and, others discuss way's they are committing to fitness.

SISTAHOOD: If you are interested in pledging to the Mamavation Sistahood, Monday is the time to do it. Please go here for instructions. Invitations are done on Wednesdays over twitter.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Motivation Monday


Oh my goodness...It's already almost October, where did September go?

First off, I want to sincerely thank all of my favorite sista's from Mamavation for continuing to send me twitter dm's and tweets asking me how I was doing this past week. I am so amazed at how supportive this group really is.

Last week, I was extremely busy with stuff around the house and, a couple personal issues I needed to take care of and deal with. I was absent from Twitter and, I failed to post anything to my blog. To be honest with everyone I wasn't as active as I wanted to be. I was moving alot around the house cleaning and running errands but, I didn't sweat it out like I truly wanted.

Good news is, this week is a new week. I am officially starting fresh! I have promised myself to get on a schedule. A lifestyle schedule is what I would call this. I need to make time for Exercise, Mommy duties, Housewife duties, My blog, My extra activities. I really don't know how some of you mom's do it. Do you clean on certain days?  Do you write all your post on one day and, schedule it to post another day?Do you work out in the am or pm's? If you have any advice at all let me know, I will take all the advice I can get.

I am so excited this week is the start of the Mamavation mom auditions! I can't wait to see everyone videos and, to follow a new set of mom's through their bootcamp.

BIG congratulations to Joanna of @way2gomom for being the Sista of the Week!

This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Pete Cohen and his new nutritional program. Wow!! What a great prize to win. If you don't already know about Pete Cohen you seriously need to check him out. He is so inspirational! I am crossing my fingers for this prize as I need all the help I can get when it comes to what my body needs nutritionally.

I will leave you guys with a couple pics from yesterday. My son and, I participated in another running event. He ran the 1 mile fun run and, I ran the 5k! I was extremely proud of myself after this race. I managed to shave a minute off my last 5k time. Especially since this course was alot more harder with its many hills compared to the last event I ran which was mostly a flat course. I can't wait to continue getting faster and stronger!







Monday, September 13, 2010

Motivation Monday

Mamavation

Well once again my weight hasn't budged. Don't get me wrong I'm happy I haven't gained but, it's pretty frustrating to see all that I'm doing and nothing is happening.

As I sit here and go over my week, I can think of some things I do need to change and, hopefully once I change these the pounds will start to drop again.

*This week I haven't drank enough water. I have felt pretty tired and run down lately. I'm thinking a lot of it has to do with the fact I have not been pushing the water. I've been getting dehydrated which has left me sluggish.

*I have not been sticking to my meal plan. This has been I think my biggest downfall not only for healthy living but, financially as well. We are wasting a lot of money by not sticking to the meal plan. I also need to eat out less.

*Though I have been working out, I have to admit I haven't given it my all. I haven't been setting aside enough time to actually dedicate a good ole sweat session. It has been pretty half-assed. Since Big C started school my gym schedule has been non existent. I need to get back to going every morning I miss it and, I crave it. I need to get moving during the day as well. I feel like I haven't been as active as I had been when I was losing the weight.

So, this week I need to be back in the game. I need to challenge myself again. Step it up and get moving. As well as getting back in the groove, I will still be adding more running. My next 5k is coming up in 2 weeks. Yesterday, I ran a fun run with my son you can read about it here. Afterwards we watched the 5k run and, I was getting excited for my run. I want to do better than my last run. I WILL do better than my last run!

MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV.


SISTA OF THE WEEK: And a BIG congratulations to Stephanie Hamm of @fitmomtraining for being the Sista of the Week! AKA "Mama Guns" She is an amazing sister and, a new member of our leadership team. Steph is hosting the first of many new challenges Mamavation Sistahood has in store. It is a strength/weight training challenge. Find out more about the #MamaGuns challenge here. I hope you decide to join us. I am very excited to get my "Mama Guns" sexy for next summer's sun dresses and, spaghetti straps!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Chefs Requested. Yes, again. Chefs Requested is an official sponsor of the Mamavation campaign and sends their perfectly portioned steaks to the Mamavation Moms. They are sending product coupons for their 100 Calorie Portion Sized Steaks and plenty of discount coupons for any further enjoyment. There will be two winners of this blogging carnival.



As part of the #mamaguns challenge we need to post a pic of our "Mama Guns!" Here are mine!


Oh..What's that? You think I look a lot like Jamie Eason!! Gee..thanks! I would die to have those arms! How gorgeous is she!

Ok, for real here are mine!


Yes, I really am flexing!! Stop laughing! After this challenge, I'll be the one laughing! *Winks*
I will be becoming one with my Kettleworx program in the upcoming 8 weeks!



Sunday, September 12, 2010

Life Lessons From My Son

Today was my son's first official race. He participated in a 1 mile run. I was extremely proud of my big 5 yr old boy!!

If you have been following my blog and, I hope you have been. You will remember, not to long ago I ran my first race since before I had my children. The whole experience made my son giddy. He loved cheering everyone on and, watching the runner's finish. He told me at the end of my race that he too wanted to run. I was extremely excited I got to share my love of running with him so of course I said to him, "Sure, that would be awesome!" Since that day he has been practicing running for his first race. During these practices, I  have taught him a couple basic tips about running. He learned the correct form, proper clothes to wear, proper shoes, how to pace himself. However after today and, the couple weeks of training, my son taught me some pretty priceless lessons of his own.

The saying "I can do it" can push you further in running and life.
During our practices when Big C was running he would stop and catch his breath I would always ask him do you want to stop and get some water or stop and rest. He would continue to tell me "No, I can do it!" and, sure enough he just got right back in there and did it. Today as well, we start the race and hes pacing himself a little to fast and, I'm thinking hes surely going to burn himself out. I call to him pace yourself...slow down. He yells to me, "I can do it mom!" Wow! If we could all have this "I can do it" attitude wouldn't we all proceed to do what we have been wanting to do in life. We are always so worried about reasons why we can't do something. Making up excuses for reasons not to do things. Big C was definitely not going to let my reasons slow him down any.

Be your own person!
Everyone is different. We are different shapes and, sizes. Not everyone is good at running. Some will run fast with ease, others will need to work hard to get there. Today, Big C did not come in first and, that was ok. We were very proud of him for what he did. He got out there and ran the best race HE could run. Through his practice runs and, this race I have seen him work very hard and, show commitment to his racing. When he finished and, saw other had finished before him he told us, "That boy is older..when I'm his age I will win too!" Hearing him say that brought a huge smile to my face. For him to realize that he knew he couldn't run it perfect the first time and, needed to practice to get there is awesome. He was very proud of himself.

Don't be afraid to make friends!
This one isn't just for running. My son is a social butterfly. He talks to everyone and anyone. I love it about him. He goes right up to people and tells them hi and introduces himself to them. Today, at the race after we finished the mile run, we sat in the stands at the finish line to watch the 5k race. Big C cheered every runner that crossed the line. To our amazement somewhere around the middle cluster of runners a young boy around my sons age crossed the finish line. I was talking to my family and was telling them I couldn't believe a child that age could run a 5k and, finish that well. Big C looked at me and said, "I'm going to go tell him good job!" I just laughed and, said ok. Sure enough he got up and walked down to the finish line and told the little boy good job and, sparked up a conversation with him. What I wouldn't do to have his bravery to just walk up to someone and, tell them that what they just accomplished was amazing. Big C definitely has opened my eyes up to being more comfortable with talking to others especially in a circumstance where there are people who have the same passions as I do.
So what's next for Big C? He is running another fun run in two weeks. He asked if he could do a longer race next. I looked at him with a big smile on my face and said, "Sure, that would be awesome!" We go right back to lesson number 1!!


Sunday, September 5, 2010

Mamavation Monday


Hope Everyone is having a super Labor Day weekend!

Things are going pretty good here in my world. We are finally getting used to our new schedule due to my oldest going off to Kindergarten.

I finished my week of Couch 2 5k. As I stated in my last blog, I feel I'm not challenging myself during my runs. So I've decided to move a couple weeks up on the couch 2 5k. Hopefully this will help some. I got a video gait analysis done and, got a new pair of running shoes. I can't wait till later today when I get to go try them out for a run. I haven't lost anymore weight this week but, that's ok. As long as I'm maintaining I'm ok with that. I figured I'd be plateauing here soon. I've lost alot in the past 9 weeks. I also think I need to switch up a bit of my training too maybe help with the plateau Ive hit for the past 2 weeks.
I am still doing good on getting in my water. I don't even think about caffeine anymore.
I've been toying the idea of opening an Open Sky shop on my blog so, for all of you that currently do it I'd love to hear how its going for you. I am also in the process of getting a couple reviews/giveaways ready for my readers to participate in. If you aren't a follower already you should definitely sign up to be one so you can get the 1st update on my giveaways. Not to mention you should do it because my site is awesome! ;)

This week I will be participating in another 5k race for our local YMCA. My son will be running his first race. (1 mile fun run) I am so proud of him. He has been running with me the past couple weeks to get ready. I think he's going to do awesome. Also, this week I am going to be trying to eat a little more cleaner to see if this will help my plateau a bit.

My goals for the week:
Get in some more running!!

Monday: Kickboxing, Kettlebell workout (Kettleworx)
Tuesday: Week 6 day 1 of C25k
Wednesday: Kickboxing, upper body strength training
Thursday: Week 6 day 2 of C25k
Friday: lower body strength training
Saturday: Week 6 day 3 of C25k
Sunday: 5k race My son's first 1 mile fun run!

Mamavation deets:

MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV. This week on Mamavation Media TV we will be welcoming Allana Pratt @allanapratt she will be discussing unhealthy relationship with our body and if it helps or hinders weight loss. She will also be giving us some tips on how to build a stronger relationship with our body. As we all strive for health. Come join us!


SISTA OF THE WEEK: And a BIG congratulations to Greta @Gretablau for being the Sista of the Week! Greta is such a funny, inspirational woman. Go over to her blog Middle Aged Jock and see what she's up to. She's always busy being active!

NEW LEADERSHIP POSITIONS: Congrats to all the Mamavation sista's who received new leadership positions this week. The Hydrator is @Rachel_L , The Regulator @Notdiyheather, Movement Motivator @Rachelsteffen, Mama Guns @Fitmomtraining, Comment Warrior @Gretablau Veggie Contessa @Ljenator, Food Truth Diva @waytogomom and Lori @gutimom Coven Coordinator. Look for them on Twitter to help remind you of some important things to do during the week!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Chefs Requsted. Chefs Requested is an official sponsor of the Mamavation campaign and sends their perfectly portioned steaks to the Mamavation Moms. They are sending product coupons for their 100 Calorie Portion Sized Steaks and plenty of discount coupons for any further enjoyment. There will be two winners of this blogging carnival.

My running gait analysis experience

I was told the most important thing to do when you start running is to have your gait analyzed. The reason for this is so that you know what type of pronator you are as well as, what type of shoe is best for your foot. I learned that a local running specialty store in my area performed video gait analysis's and, did so for free. So, yesterday morning I headed up there to receive this very important test. 

Before we get started about my visit lets learn some basics about the test from The New Balance website:
  
What is the running gait?
"The running gait is a unique set of actions and reactions that your foot performs while in motion to support, cushion, and balance your body."

What is pronation?
"Pronation is simply a normal foot in motion, from foot-strike on the outside of the heel through the inward roll of the foot. Pronation occurs as the foot rolls from the outer edge to the inner edge. Everyone pronates, and the initial pronation is considered an important and healthy response to the intense amount of shock imposed upon the foot and is integral to propelling you forward. If the foot pronates too much or too little and does so frequently, several biomechanical problems may result that will cause a decrease in performance and increase the possibility of injury."

At the store they used a treadmill with a camera attached and, a TV to play the video back. I stepped on the treadmill and did a slow walk and, gradually started to jog. The employee watched my feet as I ran. She then slowed the video down and, looked at the results. She pointed out to me that my left overpronates more than my right but, they both showed some overpronating.


"Overpronators generally land in a pronated position and continue to roll significantly inward as they go from heel strike to toe off."

Unfortunately, I didn't have someone to take video or pics of my visit so, this quick cell phone pic will have to do. You can see the Overpronation on the TV here.

She suggested I look for a shoe that had some type of stability. She then measured both of my feet twice for size. Both measuring about a size 7. She then asked me what type of distances I would be running. I learned that if running more than 6 miles I should go up a size in shoe to make room for my feet to swell. I however, am only running up to about 4 miles at this time so we opted for a half size up. she brought me out several different types of shoes to try on. I first tried all pairs on stopping to take a walk and, short sprint through the room to see how they felt.  I narrowed down the shoes to 3 that felt the best on my feet. I then started to put one of each shoe on each of my feet to cross compare them. After a couple minutes in each shoe, I had finally made a decision. For once in my life, I had picked a pair of shoes that felt great on my feet not because of the color, style or, price.

If you have not already had a gait analysis I highly suggest getting one performed.  Having your running gait analyzed is very important to reduce the possibility of injuries.


And, the winning pair is:  The Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 I can't wait to go running in these!


Have you had a gait analysis performed? What type of pronator are you?

Friday, September 3, 2010

#5k Day!

Stephanie over at Fit Mom in Training has put together a day (October 2, 2010) where us fitness crazy bloggers can all get together virtually for a 5k session of your favorite workout. You can bike, walk or run, like I will be doing. This isn't a contest or a race. You won't be judged or scored. It's merly for fun and, to dedicate a day to fitness. Maybe this will be the first time your setting a goal to finish a 5k, maybe this will be a training for a 5k coming up. Either way, please go on over to Fit Mom in Training say hi to the other crowd who will be joining and, blogging along the way. Make sure you tell us your blog name so we can follow you on your journey as well. Also, don't forget when your done to upload some pictures of your 5k!


I'm super pumped about it and, can't wait to read everyone's experiences with their 5k!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Mamavation Monday

It's that time again...Mamavation Monday!!


First off, I wanted to thank once again Leah Segedie, the founder of Mamavation for making it possible to be a part of this wonderful social media "Sistahood". I want to also thank Earth Footwear for the amazing prizes they offered us in the "Move it and Lose it Challenge. If you didn't already know, I won the challenge. Wahoo! I worked my butt of but, I owe alot of it to my readers and fellow sista's for all the support they offered. There is no way I would have gotten up and got moving if it weren't for all of you. Thank you so much!

So, I know alot of people have been asking what I'll be using the prize money for. I am not 100% positive just yet what I will be using it for but, as soon as I decide I'll let you know! I did however, promise myself that as I hit mini goals I would be "rewarding" myself. I have hit two goals since applying for Mamavation mom. I hit my 10% weight loss goal and, my halfway mark at 25lbs loss. What's my reward? I will be taking a visit to my local shoe store where I will be receiving a gait analysis and purchasing a pair of Fantastic running shoes!! I have not decided what my other reward will be. What do you guys think it should be??


On to my weekly check in:

Strengths: I finished week 2 of C25k. I still feel like I am not running enough on this program but, I know it will help me in the long run so I am sticking with it. I signed myself and, my oldest son up for our next race on September 12, 2010. I will be running the 5k and Big C will be running the 1 mile fun run. I am super proud of him that he is sticking with this! I drank all of my 100 oz. of water this week.

Weaknesses: Last week was my birthday weekend and, I was a good girl cause it was my last week to weigh in for the challenge and I was afraid a crazy weekend out would make me gain so I skipped out. Not to mention I had no sitter available. So this weekend I went out and celebrated with lots of food and, good beer. I had a great time but, I totally know it wasn't the best for me. Sometimes we have to give in a bit...right? lol.

Goals: Monday: 30 min Kettlebell workout
Tuesday: Kick Boxing Class, Week 3 Day 1 of C25k
Wednesday: EAS Active
Thursday: Kick Boxing Class, Week 3 Day 2 of C25k
Friday:  30 min Kettlebell Workout, EAS Active
Saturday: Week 3 Day 3 of C25k
Sunday: Rest Day

One last thing: I have decided to take a small break from weighing in. I felt with the challenge I started to obsess a bit with what my numbers were and, if I gained or loss. I will be putting away the scale for a while and just put my focus back on eating healthy and getting in my workouts.

On to some housekeeping:

MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV.
This Monday we will be welcoming Mamavation's newest Nutritional Coach, Cynthia Pasquella. I am really looking forward to meeting her and listening to what she has to say. I have so many questions to ask. Her website has lots of awesome info too, you should definitely check that out if you have time.
SISTA OF THE WEEK: And a BIG congratulations to Janice @fitcheerldr for being the Sista of the Week! Janice has been so supportive and, so helpful to me! She's one of my inspirations. Running 5k's fully preggo! Thank you Janice...You rock!
BLOGGING CARNIVAL:This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by SoCal Cleanser, a protein and detox product. SoCal Cleanse organic protein +detox is ideal for detoxifying and cleansing.

Earth Footwear Review

I'm sure everyone has been hearing and, reading about the "toning" type shoes. Reebok, New Balance and Sketchers to name a few. They are pretty popular at the moment. They are designed to help develop muscle tone in your legs and backside area's.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a pair of Earth Footwear Exer-Walks. At first glance these shoes don't look like your normal "toning" shoe. They aren't big or bulky. They were cute, all leather and, pink!! (one of my fave colors) When I picked them up to try on I felt they were noticeably heavier than my normal everyday sneakers. I'm sure this has to do with the fact they are leather with a little bit of mesh for some air. My normal sneakers are mostly made of mesh.

I put them on and, noticed the incline (3.7) immediately on my heel. I thought they felt very comfy on. The BioFoam™ Cushioning was very soft on my feet and, gave a lot of support to my arch. I normally wear a 7 and, got a 7.5 because I had read other buyers say they are a little snug. The 7.5 felt great it wasn't to big on the heel yet left room for my toes to move around. I think these would be great for a person with a wide foot.


I wore mine faithfully all week to see how they held up and, to see if I noticed the "toning" part of the shoe. After the week long trial period. I did feel tightness in my calves a lot more. Not so much in my upper legs and back side. My over all likeness of this shoe though wasn't in fact that they were helping me with "toning" it was actually the comfort of the shoe. Over the week I wore them I loved wearing them. They are one of the most comfortable shoes Ive worn.

Earth Footwear shoes come in a variety of other styles and prices. The pair I tried come in a couple other colors as well. I'm loving at the moment their hot momma Swank boots! I even heard they're coming out with some "healthy heels" Overall they are very nice walking shoes!

*Please note these shoes were given to me by Earth Footwear as a winning prize for entering in The Mamavation Mom Twitter Party. They did not ask me to make this review as part of the contest prize. These thoughts and opinions are my own and, only mine. *

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Sunday, August 22, 2010

My last week and I hit a goal!!

I can't believe it's the last week of Mamavation mom and, the Move it and Lose it Campaign. Jenny and, Lisa have done so well. I can't wait to see their journey to running a 5k!

Well, as everyone who follows my blog knows I entered the Move it and Lose it Campaign 7 weeks ago. It seems to have went by rather quickly. I am very proud of what I have accomplished in the last 7 weeks. I've joined a gym, quit drinking soda, ran a 5k,  loss some weight, but overall I have seemed to accomplish what I thought I'd never be able to accomplish. I have gotten my family on board with wanting to live a healthy lifestyle. My children are eating healthier options and, being a lot more physically active. Next week my oldest son, Big C is going off to Kindergarten. We have already discussed the options he has for food at school. We have opted to pack a healthy lunch and, if he wants he will be allowed to purchase a school lunch every now and again. I now feel that I am ready for the choices ahead on what to pack him because, of what I've learned the past 7 weeks from all the Mamavation Sista's!

So, I know why most of you are here...How much has Shannon lost? This week Ive lost a total of 4.5lbs. I wasn't expecting to lose any this after last week's big loss but, hey I'm not complaining. This past week I completed week 1 of C25k. It went great. I want to also start incorporating a little more weightlifting into my workouts too. I feel I'm losing alot of the weight but I think I might be losing a little to fast. I don't want to lose muscle mass.

My goals for this week:
Work in lifting weights to my schedule
Drink 100oz of water
Help support my fellow Sista's on Twitter
Comment on all the Sista's blogs this week
Take my mind off losing weight (the numbers are starting to get to me) and, put more focus on being more active.

Here are my numbers and, pics this week as Move it and Lose it Challenge comes to an end! Thank you Leah at Mamavation for everything you have done and, continue to do for Mamavation. Since my application for Mamavation Mom I have lost a total of 30.5lbs Wowza!! I'm so happy! Here's to the next 20! :)

164.5


Before 07/9/2010 After 08/20/2010


Before 07/9/2010 After 08/20/2010
I have also learned from the above pictures those shorts were probably the worst thing to wear for these pictures. They dont lay flat and, bunch alot. Oh well.


MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV.

SISTA OF THE WEEK: And a BIG congratulations to Shawnee Halligan @ShawneeH for being the Sista of the Week! Thank you Shawnee for showing my blog some love and helping support me on Twitter. You Rock!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week's blogging carnival is sponsored by Earth Footwear. The Move it and Lose it Campaign would not be possible if it weren't for Earth Footwear. Thank you so much for being such a great sponsor to Mamavation. Their shoes are incredible and, cute too! Come back later this week to check out a review I did on the pair of Earth Footwear I received at the Twitter Party at the beginning of this campaign.

See everyone at Mamavation Tv!!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I Finished.... With Burning Feet!!


Saturday August 14, 2010 I ran my first 5k since taking a long break from running almost 10 yrs ago.
I decided to run a local 5k with only women participants as my first race. The race I choose was the Women's Distance Festival. The WDF celebrates "the history of women's rights to participate in running events at any distance and at any age." [RRCA]

All the proceeds of this race went to a local fund called The Women's Giving Circle.


 Their Website says, "The Circle’s purpose is to provide opportunities for donors to promote and support programs that enable and empower women in challenging situations to improve the quality of their lives and the lives of those for whom they are responsible."
 
 
 
The early entry is $20 and, later in the week went to $25.  We received a cute black and pink technical tee! The course was a 2 loop scenic route and, walker friendly. I arrived early to pick up my race day packet and, bib. I'm not going to lie I was pretty nervous. The weather was nice out. I had thought it was going to rain but, it held out for us. The race was scheduled to start at 8am. We lined up around 7:50 and waited till a couple minutes past 8:00. I decided before the race started that I was going to go into this with no expectations except finishing. I headed near the back of the crowd. I wanted to start out slow and, not get trampled on. It was a great feeling seeing all ages and, sizes of women participating. I saw as young as 8 and, as old as a women in her late 60's. I was very glad I had chosen an all women's race for my first. Something about women coming together to better ourselves in health was an awesome feeling. 
 


The race started and, I started out pretty slow. I was relaxed the 1st mile through. I made a last minute decision when I left the house to skip my Ipod and, to bring my cell phone so I could keep track on my Run Keeper app. Sometime around my 1st mile I lost service and, my music stopped working. I didn't run much up to this point with out music. It was nice to others cheering everyone along. I had a chance to hear how my body was handling my run. Around the 2nd mile my feet were the only thing that was truly in pain. They were on fire.



The last mile did me in. I truly think it was more mental then my body giving up. I keep telling myself I couldn't do anymore my feet were hurting. I took the 2 hills in the course very slowly. I knew I could have taken them better. I wasn't proud of myself at that point. When I got to the last turn I ran fast to the finish. I heard someone shout out you can make it before 41 minutes!! I tried my hardest to get there before then but fell a bit short. I finished the race at 41:15. A 13 min mile. I'm not 100% ok with my race but, I'm by no means disappointed. I did what I had set to accomplish, I finished. This is just the beginning.

After the race we received lots of race goodies, water, bagels, bananas, and, watermelon. They had a raffle to win lots of cool prizes. The racing community there was so kind and, supportive.

Big C and, I after the race! Yes, I stole it of the photographer website ;)

Also, to those who were wondering about my feet being "on fire" I have come to find out my shoes are horrible for my feet and, for running at all really. I learned that I have what's called a Morton's toe. It's when your 2nd toe is longer than your big toe. Usually when running most of your weight goes on to your big toe. In my case since my 2nd toe is longer my weight is carried on my 2nd toe. This causes trouble for me when wearing a shoe that doesn't accommodate the longer 2nd toe resulting in nail pain. So, I will be making a visit to my local shoe specialty store to receive a video gait analysis ASAP!

I want to thank everyone who cheered for me online and off! The support has been awesome. I don't think I would have gone through this with each and everyone of you.

Here's to training for the next one!!

*Update: Wanted to answer another question I keep receiving. Was I sore afterwards? I'd say yes my body was tired and, my muscles were sore. I did ice afterwards and, took a nice warm shower this might have helped. Like I mentioned above the most pain I had was in my feet. Oh...and, the dreaded "chub rub" is what I call it. My legs did chafe a bit. I did not Body Glide them :( This reminds me to get some for my continued training. Maybe I'll hit them up for a giveaway!! Body Glide if your reading this, lol. Email me ;)
 
 
 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Semi Wordless Wednesday: A little Teaser!

So how did I do at my first 5k since close to 10 yrs ago?


Ooops..You will have to come back later this week to find out!!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

It's paying off!

This past week has been pretty awesome! I totally felt back in the swing of things.

My successes: I worked out for a total of 30 min everyday! I felt so much better this past week. I drank around 90-100oz everyday. I also managed to eat pretty good as well. I finished a 5k! (More to come about this later on another post!) I actually feel pretty high on life at the moment.

My failures: I can't really call this a failure for the week, it's really a failure from the past couple weeks. I'm not running. I kind of stopped running at some point during this journey to try to lose weight. I am still getting in my workouts but, I really need to get back into running. Another failure for me this week was there are a couple personal things in my life right now that have been bringing me a little down. I haven't been getting alot of sleep and, Ive been pretty stressed about this. I have a really bad ulcer that acts up when I am stressed or eat the wrong types of foods.

My goals for this week: Run!!! I am back to the drawing board. My weapon of choice, Couch 2 5k program. I have another 5k I have signed up to run in September so, I for sure want to beat my time. Another goal for me this week is to get to bed at a decent time. I have been dragging in the morning. Lastly, I still need to get my butt in gear on Twitter. I can't seem to make time to visit. My oldest is starting school next week so I think I'll have alot more time after that happens. Please know I support all my sistah's!!

A quick question I'd also like some input on. My oldest son (5 yrs.) went to the 5k with me this past weekend and now wants to run one with me. There were a bunch of children running and, I think this is why he got kinda bummed about not running and now wants to run one. Do you personally think 5 is too young to run 3.1 miles?

Now for the really great news!! My scale pic...I lost a whopping total of 8lbs this week. Holy Moly! I'm shocked!! I knew I did a pretty good job but had no clue this well! That is a total of 26lbs since my application for Mamavation mom a little less than 2 months ago!! I am super stoked!!




MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV



SISTA OF THE WEEK: A big congratulations to Kimberly @christlikemommy! Congrats girl you definitely deserve this, you are always there supporting everyone!
SISTAHOOD: If you are interested in pledging to the Mamavation Sistahood, Monday is the time to do it. Please go here for instructions. Invitations are done on Wednesday's over Twitter.

See everyone on Mamavation Tv!!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Get my butt in Gear Monday!!

Happy Monday everyone!! This past week was a pretty good week for me. I reached a couple goals I wanted to reach. There were a couple I didn't quiet reach just yet but, will continue this week to make that happen.

So, this weekend is "The Weekend" I will be participating in my first 5k since last running one 10 yrs ago. I'm extremely nervous. I don't think I'm ready for what I want to accomplish. I think I set to high of standards for myself. I did not train as hard as I wanted to. After I get this race under my belt it will be full speed ahead to train for the next ones coming up in Sept and, Oct. I would love any and all advice to help me reach my goals on these next to races. I'm going to kind of use this race to give me a reminder of what I need to do to finish a 5k. I've ran some 5k's on the treadmill and a couple on the road but, they weren't outstanding. My goal is to finish this 5k with out stopping. Wish me luck!!

Last week I did pretty well with getting in my workouts at the gym and at home. As of this week I will be adding more running to my workouts!

My goals for this week:
Commit time to be more active on Twitter.
Commit time to comment on the sista's post's.
Drink more water. (I have skimped on this and have been feeling super dehydrated)
Add more running to my workout.

My Scale Pics:


I lost .5lb this week resulting in a total of 18lbs since my application to Mamavation Mom!! I'm so happy with my results so far!!




My Measurements:




MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV.



SISTA OF THE WEEK: And a BIG congratulations to Julie Mansfield @jamnsfld76 for being the Sista of the Week!
 
BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week's blogging carnival is sponsored by Lori @gutimom as an Avon Representative. Here is all the swag she is giving away:

Cherry Blossom Naturals Set - $32 full retail value

Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Body Spray, Cosmetic Bag



Haiku Fragrance and Body Set - $49 full retail value

Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Shimmering Body Powder, Roll On Antiperspirant, Perfume



Foot Works Hodge Podge - $33 full retail value

Watermelon Foot Scrub, Spray Gel, Cooling Lotion; Original Conditioning Foot Soak, Exfoliating Bar Soap; Green Tea & Mint Exfoliating Scrub



Advance Techniques Professional Hair Care 2-IN-1 Healthy Shine Shampoo and Conditioner (Daily Results) - $4.00 full retail value



Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus - Expedition Insect Repellent with SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray Pump with Vitamin E (Gentle Breeze) - $14 full retail value



Magix Face Perfecter with SPF 20 (Clear) - $10 full retail value



Spafinder Callous Remover - $10 full retail value



Spafinder Gel Eye Mask - $10 full retail value

These items will be divided up for the Blogging carnival winner AND a winner at Mamavation TV.

Wow!!! Thank you so much Lori! I love Avon item's. I actually used to be an Avon rep myself back in the day. I had to stop because I was buying more products than I was selling. Lol.
SISTAHOOD: If you are interested in pledging to the Mamavation Sistahood, Monday is the time to do it. Please go here for instructions. Invitations are done on Wednesdays over twitter.

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