Abs: Before and After

Thought I would post a quick pic of my ab progress. I have been doing my Abs for Christmas workout and seeing progress. The before picture is from October of 2011. The after picture was taken today on a whim. This is after a 7 day cruise and feeding frenzy AND a big Christmas dinner. The key in both instances was moderation and healthy choices. I just pulled my turtleneck up today to get this pic. I know its not professional quality but please forgive me!!

More of my favorite things...

I run with a CamelBak. No matter what...I wear my CamelBak. Mine is a "women's specific pack" called the Annadel. When I first started running, I did a lot of research to find a way to stay hydrated during my short 2 -3 mile runs. I was pretty good about drinking enough water throughout the day and prior to a run. I was able to make it through the shorter number of miles. When I started training for my first half marathon, my mileage increased. On my first five mile run, I felt like my stomach was eating itself. I felt so sick that I consulted the trusty interwebs to see what the problem could possibly be.After reading a couple different articles, I discovered that I was most likely dehyrdated. I quickly changed my search from what is wrong to what can I do to fix it. There were all kinds of water bottles and belts with bottles available to me. I did not fancy the idea of carrying anything in my hands. I happened upon the CamelBak and felt that it would be the perfect solution. I ordered it and it arrived very quickly. The first time I ran with it, I was supposed to run 4 miles but felt so great that I extended the run to 6 miles. I was well hydrated the entire run. I love my CamelBak. It is lightweight and functional. I have talked to others who are not fans of running with the CamelBak. The have complained that the fit is cumbersome. I love mine. I love that I never have to stop at a water station during a race. I am a "slow and steady wins the race" type girl. I run slowly but I can run for prolonged periods of time. When I stop running, though, it is difficult to start back up. Stopping at a water station could curtail any race for me. The CamelBak may possibly be responsible for success in some of my long runs...

   You can find one here...

Official Cleveland Rite-Aid Marathon Blogger!!!

Yesterday I received notification that I was selected to be one of twelve official bloggers for the Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon. To say that I am excited is an understatement! I am truly honored to be chosen. I am NOT running the marathon. I'm running the 10K. This will be my third year in a row running this particular race. The first year I ran it, I didn't realize I could not pick up my race packet on race day and ran without a bib. I had no time registered. I did memorize the girl's number I ran along side of so that I could look for pictures of myself crossing the finish line. Last year, I was better prepared. My friend picked up my packet for me. On the morning of race day, I could not find her. I had the announcer announce her name, but she did not respond or appear at the podium. She later told me she thought it was a joke. Once again, I had no time registered for my run. This year I plan to run the 10K AND register a time.  There are 11 other bloggers as well and 10 guest bloggers. Check out the other bloggers here...

Abs for Christmas? Yes, Please!!!

I am pretty proud of the changes I am seeing in my body. I am gaining more muscle which means I am losing lots of jiggle. I have been doing lots of cardio which includes my running and Jillian Micheal's videos and I have also been lifting weights at the gym. I downloaded the GymPact app to my IPhone which is an incentive based app that pays you to go to the gym or charges you if you miss workouts. I have worked out 5 days a week for the last six weeks (including the week of Thanksgiving!). With all of this, I am noticing a much flatter tummy. I am not doing ab specific exercises, however. I decided to come up with a plan to address my abs. I chose these specific exercises because they are challenging, but they are all exercises I can do successfully. I want to get the most of every exercise I do and I cannot do that if I am trying to figure out how to do the move. My 14 year old acted as a guinea pig and experimented with me to make sure that the workout is a challenge. So far, I can only complete the workout 2 times in a row. This takes 10:37 seconds. My goal is to be able to do this workout 3 or more times consecutively, in conjunction with my other workouts, by the end of the month. So...yes please, I will take that lovely gift of abs for Christmas...