SOAR Run Through the Orchards 10k

I ran my second 10k this past weekend - and it was just like high-school all over again. It brought back all my cross country memories! I haven't run a trail run since high school, and it was so much fun!

Last weekend, I ran the first race in the SOAR trail run series. Each weekend in November there is a trail run to support open space in Ventura County. This was the first race, and it was not too far from my house - always great to not have to travel far early in the morning. 

It was a beautiful location - started in a beautiful walnut grove with a little bit of mist. Great straight sections with one very challenging hill!

I had hoped to run faster than my last 10k, but that did not happen. I ran out of steam in mile 5, right at a huge hill. So though my race was slower, it was a tougher course. I pretty much hit the 9:48 pace, which is pretty much exactly where I wanted to be!

It was perfect weather, not too many people and very friendly. I didn't love the fact that the 5k crowd started right as I was starting my second lap, so it was a bit of a stampede and the awards ceremony was a little scattered, but overall it was an awesome run. I always love it when my guys are there to cheer me on! Even though A pretty much ate my breakfast...

Still deciding if I should sign up for any of the other trail runs - I'm intrigued by the Series idea...and loved the throwback to cross country. It was also inspiring to see more than 80 elementary school students running the 5k!

Have you ever run in a trail series?

The Inaugural Tooth Fairy 5k

Have you ever seen a grown man dress up as the tooth fairy (other than on TV)? what about multiple grown men, women of all ages and adorable toddlers too? Well, I had the chance to run with a multitude of tooth fairies this past weekend in the Inaugural Tooth Fairy 5k and 1k fun run. All proceeds benefited children's dental health at the Free Clinic of Simi Valley.

I am happy to say that I finished the 5k in 27:19! My fastest time since high school! Since that was more than half my life ago, so I get to start over and make it a PR? I actually have no idea what my PR is, though I know it's 24 minutes, no idea about that seconds. I placed 3rd in my age group, so I stuck around and got the medal. It was also my first race running 4 my buddy Connor :)

I had some coffee and pecan pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast - so I was all fueled up. I probably could have hydrated up a bit more, but overall, I think I was well prepared. All the race adrenaline hit and I ran the first mile at 8:07. My goal was an average pace of 9:30, so I far exceeded that!

For an inaugural run, it was well organized. It started on time, had a clear start/end line, the results were up quickly and the MC looked great in his fairy costume :) It was a quick course, though I don't usually enjoy having to do two loops, this wasn't so bad. I love when they have fresh oranges at the finish, so I was happy! The 1k race was my favorite part though - the kids running as little tooth fairies was adorable!

Things that might make it a bit better next year? Signs for parking, a route map ahead of time and some way to separate the folks coming into the finish line from those finishing their first lap. I had to dodge quite a few people and a dog as I made it to the finish line! But overall, everyone was friendly, the race ran smoothly and I had a great time. I'll definitely be back :)

Our Southern Utah Adventure - Zion!

We just got back from an awesome family vacation. It was not the vacation that we had planned - but it ended up being pretty amazing nonetheless.

The first part of our vacation went as planned :) We spent some time exploring Zion National Park, and it was beautiful. My parents came with us, so not only did we get to do some hiking with them and A, we also got to hike the Narrows - not something we could have done with the little guy in tow!

He LOVED, loved, loved the shuttle. Probably better than the hiking...

The views were stunning....

The amazing hike we went on? The Narrows. Miles of hiking in water, through a stunning canyon. It was cold (the water and the air!). Very cold, but we rented gear so that it wasn't that bad. I soon forgot about the cold because the scenery was so beautiful - and the light in the morning was perfect.

My parents went on two hikes with us - I think we may have hiked them a bit too much! But the views were amazing and it was adorable watching A hike with his grandparents :)

We stayed at a very unique and affordable Bed & Breakfast called "The Bunkhouse." It had beautiful scenery, friendly and kind hosts, yummy breakfasts and it was perfectly located. It was a great set up for the five of us!

The next part of our vacation was supposed to be Cedar Breaks National Monument, Arches national Park and Canyonlands National Park. Needless to say, due to the government shutdown, that didn't happen. I am so sad that we didn't make it to those parks, I'd been looking forward to it for quite some time. We are, however, pretty resourceful, so we came up with a new itinerary and ended up having a great time!

More on that soon :)

Moorpark Beerfest - Local Fun!

Three years running (or drinking, rather) we've been lucky enough to attend the Moorpark Beerfest -and it just keeps getting better! This year it moved to a bigger, better location at the Moorpark College! There were still lines - but they moved pretty fast! There was room enough to spread out, more beer options, and perfect weather!

Oh, and the bathrooms were awesome this year! :)

I think my favorite beer was probably the Fireman's Brew! Though I didn't wait in the astoundingly long Enegren's line (since I know they are good!).

The Ska music was fun, the food options plentiful and we even ran into our neighbor! We grab some food at our new favorite local restuarant - Custom Melt (most original tip jar I've seen!).

Excited to see how they make it even better next year!

Running Memories

I had a run down memory lane this past weekend!

We were staying at my parent's house and I went for an early morning jog. I ran the same route that I ran in high school. They smells were the same, the same road. It was pretty cool deja vu!

I remember going in the car with my dad to measure out exactly one mile from the house - we drew chalk on the ground. I still remember spot. I didn't realize, however that it was all downhill out and uphill back home, that's no fun :)

Made me smile :) Yes, that is me attempting to smile while running and taking a picture at the same time! Happy Monday!

Loving the FitBit (and their customer service)

I've been coveting a fitness tracker for some time now...so I decided to get my husband one for a present :) He graciously let me try it out for a week - and I loved it. Though I did get a little bit obsessed. I HAD to reach the 10,000 steps a day!

It told me how poor of a sleeper I am (I'm a mom, after all!) and did a great job of keeping track of my steps. It did get a little confused about the amount of stairs one climbs in a day, but other than that, it's a pretty amazing little machine.

Then, I lost it! It was attached to my running shorts and somehow it fell off. I looked everywhere. I felt horrible - I lost my husband's new toy. So I decided to contact customer service. That was my most awesome idea. They have the most amazing customer service. They replaced it - free of charge! A company replaced a $99 item for free! What a way to make loyal customers.

Yep - loyal forever. Though my husband won't loan it to me anymore....But you should definitely try it out - it is a great little fitness tracker and the have AWESOME customer service!!

He did a better job exercising that I did last week!

While I won't be wearing the fitbit this week - but I will be tracking my training! It's week 3 or my half marathon training.

Here is the plan:
Monday - short stroller run & cardio
Tuesday - lower body
Wednesday - interval run
Thursday - cardio
Friday - upper body & Tempo run
Saturday - rest (aka going to a toddler birthday party!)
Sunday - 7 mile run

So far I've been really good about getting the runs in, but not the cardio...I do need to find some less hilly routes too!

Wish me luck!

Sports of All Sorts

What's more fun that a sports class for 2 year olds? Not much :)

I signed A up for a sports class at the local parks and recreation district. It's been so much fun! The first two weeks of class have been learning basketball. He was a little unsure the first week, but now he's catching on (hee hee). We do warm-up exercises, dribbling, passing (lots of running after loose balls) and shooting. He's even made a few baskets!

The second week they even had a little scrimmage (not very successfully, I might add). It was so adorable. They wore little uniforms (A is no. 3) and ran around with no purpose. Lots of smiles, running fast, catching and plying with friends. What a great way to start the weekend! Kudos to the coach too, it can't be easy to try and teach 2 year olds to dribble!

What fun activities are you doing this summer?

Twelve Weeks of Revolt Now Fitness

I am so excited to have made it through 12 weeks of the Revolt Fitness Program! I did it! 

...and I really loved it! Now, I had my ups and downs, but overall, it really made me think about what I eat and the importance of clean eating. It also was amazing how much change I saw from literally doing 20-30 minutes of intense exercise 5 days a week. 

I love the facebook group and support of others doing the same program. Having virtual friends makes it easier. Though I must say that the best part was having a real-life friend doing it with me - I wouldn't have stuck to it without Christy!

Over the last 12 weeks, I've had fun, gained some awesome muscles, become stronger, run a 10 K and I feel healthy and look great! I had a really hard time with the detox week diet and the tabatas exercises. But overall, I was very happy with the program. 

The numbers?

Week 1: 145 lb., 23.0% body fat
Week 12: 136 lb., 18.5% body fat
I've lost 9 lbs. and 4.5% body fat in the last 12 weeks!

If you are interested - sign-up here :) You'll get some awesome muscles, self confidence, lose fat, and really enjoy exercising! My twelve weeks may be up, but I'm not stopping!

Ventura Family YMCA Fun & Fitness 5k

I can't tell you how excited I am to be running the Ventura Family YMCA Fun & Fitness 5k! My last race was the color run - which was tons of fun - but not timed. So now I am incredibly excited to see if maybe I'm improving my times with all my extra training. The 13th annual 5k run/walk  is on July 27th at 8 am in Ventura - followed by a pancake breakfast (yum!).Not only is the race close by, it's also for a great cause. 

Event proceeds with go to the Ventura Family YMCA Open Doors Program, ensuring that no one is turned away from the YMCA due to heir inability to pay. I think it's incredibly important that all families and kids learn to love fitness, and can benefit from the great programs that the YMCA offers. The Ventura Family YMCA has FUN fitness programs for kids, families, seniors - everyone! Including, of course, the 5k this month :)


The Fun & Fitness event has awards for the top 3 finishers in each division as well as raffle prizes. But honestly, the biggest prize? Having fun while staying fit with friends and family. 

So what are you waiting for? Register now - individuals are $30 ahead of time, $35 on the race day. If you want to go with the whole family? $65 today and $80 on race day. I can't wait to see you there!

Vitacost $100 Giveaway!

I had the good fortune of coming across Vitacost recently. They have incredibly reasonable priced vitamins, supplements and more. Right now there is a $100 Gift card giveaway - open for one more week! Don't miss it!

Open until 7/14 12am EST. US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Working Mom Tips - Being Present

Being Present.

That's sort of an oxymoron isn't it? How can you be present when you are at work all week?

Therefore it's even more important to be present when we are actually with our kids. This is often a tough one for me, one I struggle with. I get so few moments during the week to sit down and give the little guy my full attention.

I know it's better to sit at the breakfast table and eat our meal together, instead of packing lunches and making coffee. Sit down, slow down, enjoy the time.

I know it's more important to play baseball and play in the yard than to read the mail and do the dishes.

I know that it is more important to talk incessantly about cars than to check my blackberry :)

It's hard to put that device away, to let dinner wait 30 minutes, to not check e-mail, to prepare lunch the night before. But those few moments make such a difference to our kids. I get to go to a great job every day at work. I get to come home to a wonderful kid every day. I need to remember to to be as present for him as I am to my job! The most important this I do every day is interact with A.

Any great tips to share for working moms?

Drink Your Water!

I am in week 9(!) now of the Revolt Now Fitness program. I am still amazed at the results and have been (fairly) dedicated to the program. I find that the hardest part for me? Not the food, nor the exercise, but drinking enough water!

My life is full of water bottles!  

The program calls for a gallon of water a day. Yep, that's a lot of water. I religiously tried at first. I could hardly make it through hour long meetings! I have been really good about drinking a half gallon a day. But not so much on the gallon.

I have tried lemon in the water, different types of bottles, some sugar free drink mixes. It's just a lot of liquid. I know water is great for you, but the gallon just seems insurmountable! I've honestly also been struggling with the workouts this month. They are longer than the last months and I just can't fit it in - I think this has been making me less motivated. So I've modified this weeks to see if I can get it to be 30 minutes. 

So I know you are just dying to know my progress at this point, right? :) Well, I've decided to wait until 12 weeks to weigh/measure again! sorry :) I know it's not as great as the last time. I know some of it is motivation, and poor water drinking. I will improve greatly over the next three weeks - I must! Any advice on water would be awesome...

Running My First 10k!

Guess what? I finished a 10k! Woohoo! I am very excited, can you tell?

I wasn't sure that I was ready, but I actually felt really good running it and mostly good afterwards. Sore the day of, but not too bad the next day :)

I met both my goals - I ran the whole way and did it in under an hour - 58:39 to be exact!

Encouraging the guy in front of me to finish strong! :)

I was sort of worried about coming in last, since there weren't that many people running. But I came in 36/55 overall! I have to admit that doing the Revolt program has definitely helped my endurance! This week (though I have hated them), we were doing Tabatas, which really increased cardiovascular endurance. I am certain that I it got me through the 10k! We'll see how I'm doing on the program - tomorrow is the week 8 check-in!

So I was very happy...and am excited to try another one! Though my next run is a Color Run 5k - excited for that!!

Disclaimer: I was chosen as a Revolt Fitness Program blogger and received free membership to try the fitness program. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Not So Easy All the Time

Disclaimer: I will receive membership in return for trying out and writing about the program for 12 weeks. All opinions are my own. 

I've been doing really great following the Revolt program - eating healthy and working out 5-6 times a week! Until this past week, that is. Yep, it was not so easy this week! I found that when I am home, in my normal routine, it is really easy to eat healthily and to fit in exercise - no matter what.

Travel, though, travel was hard.

I had every intention of eating well. For lunch...I ordered a turkey burger and a salad...wait, nope, my voice said french fries instead of salad. Oops. I was in sort of a sketchy neighborhood for dinner, so I wanted a drive-thru option. I knew I could get a salad with grilled chicken - and I did (along with some french fries- again!).

Yes, donuts and french fries are my downfall! See, I didn't buy donuts, that's a win...I did get peanut butter m&m's for the flight though. Travel food habits are hard to break...I'll try to do better next time!

My consolation this week, by arms are really starting to show some great muscles :p

Join us in the Revolt - and help me eat better while traveling, please!

Color Run, Here I Come!

Disclaimer: I received a free entry in exchange for this post, all opinions and excitement are my own!

I'm so excited! In a few short weeks, we'll be taking part in The Color Run™, also known as the Happiest 5k on the planet (Happiness is always good!). It is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality and giving back to the community. I've watched tons of my friends post their colorful photos on facebook - so I can't wait to experience it myself!

The Color Run is a 5k, un-timed race in which thousands of runners (walkers too) are doused from head to toe in different colors! The fun continues at the finish line with a gigantic “Color Festival,” using more colored powder to create crazy colorfulness! 

There are only two rules : Wear white at the starting line and finish plastered in color! 

Want to join in on the fun? You can get $5 off your online registration with the code below! It's good on any city that isn't sold out...and they usually sell out, so register soon! There are 30 locations to choose from - I'm sure there is one near you too :) 

Have fun this summer (in many colors) - get fit, smile, be happy and have a blast and run with some friends! If you register in a team of 4 or more you automatically get $5 off - with this code you get $10 off.

Hope to see pictures of your colorful run! Anyone already participate? Was it as fun as I think it's going to be? :)

Seeing a Change

Six weeks on the Revolt plan. Woohoo!

We went on a family vacation this past weekend and when we got home I was looking through the photos and thought - wow, I have some muscles :) 

This plan has been a big change in diet, exercise and attitude. I've definitely felt the difference in how my energy level and ability to do the exercises, but it was nice to see a difference too. 

I'm not really in it to lose weight, but rather to gain strength and muscle. I'm in it to be healthier and set a good example for my family.  I am excited to be on this path.

Just for fun - the numbers:
Week 1: 145 lb., 23.08% body fat
Week 6: 137 lb., 19.16% body fat
I've lost 8 lbs. and 4% body fat in the last 6 weeks!

If you are interested - sign-up here :) You'll get some awesome muscles, as well as a newfound love of spinach and brussel sprouts (no really, I swear)!

Why I Love Exercising

Disclaimer: I was given free membership to Revolt Fitness in exchange for detailing my journey. All opinions are my own.

It's week five of my journey with Revolt Now Fitness - and I really love it! I feel good and am starting to really enjoy exercising. It is no longer a chore, or something I HAVE to do, but rather something to look forward to! I have even been exercising twice a day some days...how crazy is that? 

I've been inspired to not only do my weekly workouts, plus start running again and even add in some kick-boxing or yoga! I am capable of doing 40 push-ups in a 20 minute work out - where did that come from? Still struggling with planks though...

I'm trying to work up to a 10k, and even though I haven't been running longer distances, I can feel the added capability when I run. The Revolt cardio is definitely helping my endurance! I ran 35 minutes without stopping this past weekend (a record for me!). So yeah, pretty much awesome ~ both me and the program ;P 

Did I mention that there are lots of strawberries in this week's meal plan? YUM! Fresh strawberries!

The next "uprising" starts the is Monday, June 3rd (though you can start anytime). If your curious, head on over and check out the plan. There is even a free kick start week on the site. Otherwise, it's only $10 a month! I feel like I have a personal trainer and meal planner ~ and lots of awesome online friends to share the journey with!

Summer Smiles

This is a summer Wordless Wednesday link up all about celebrating fun, memories and Summer Smiles! Each Wednesday, join Sharon from Hobbies on a Budget and me as we share the pictures from the past week that show the experiences and memories that each of us is making with our families and friends!

This week my family went strawberry picking! I can't think of a better way to start the summer than eating fresh strawberries still warm from the sun and being able to run with true abandon in wide open spaces...

Have you taken any pictures that show your love for Summer? 

Bloggers - Link up your pictures from your blog so we can all enjoy the Smiles of Your Summer! 

Not a blogger? - Just add your picture to your Pinterest boards and link up that way! 

We want to see what makes you smile this week!

Disconnecting

It's been a week since I posted. This is because we went to Yosemite for vacation. It's pretty amazing in this day and age that you can go somewhere and be totally disconnected from cell phone/e-mail/internet. It's like going through withdrawal but in a wonderful way.

We hiked. We relaxed. We talked. We drank wine. We ate good food. We slept (well at least for a few hours at a time). We enjoyed eachother's company.

It was wonderful. I missed the internet world :) But really enjoyed being disconnected for awhile.