Nanci – Page 5 – This Crazy Life of Mine

Author: Nanci

19
Feb
2017

Five Reasons To Run Iron Girl Clearwater {and a discount!}

categories: #werunthisbridge, 5K, ambassador, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, discount code, discount code for Iron Girl, half-marathon, Iron Girl, run, running

Clearwater girl that I am, I am very excited about Iron Girl Clearwater. I’ve run this event several years now, both the half marathon and the 5k. I love that it’s so close to home for me and easy to get to race morning. This year I am running the 5k. Just for fun, I have 5 reasons you should run Iron Girl Clearwater!

The View…. If you love running by the water, the view is gorgeous. You can see Sand Key and Belleair in the distance. The water is pretty. And when the sun comes up over downtown Clearwater, it is just beautiful.

The Course… Starting at Coachman Park, you run the library, City Hall, and the courthouse and then you approach the bridge. If you run the 5k, you run about half of the causeway before you turn around and head back. If you run the half marathon, you will also get to run the Sand Key Bridge. The bridges are my favorite part!

The Medals… Iron Girl does a great job with the medals and I love that the last few years it has had the bridge on it. The bridges are part of the challenge and it’s nice to have that on the medal as a reminder than you tackled them like a beast!

The Expo… Saturday and Sunday morning, you can visit the Expo for your packet and to check out all the vendors an fun products. From clothing to jewelry, fitness gear, and more, it’s always fun to walk around. And after the race! They have some pretty amazing food.

12961663_1351924874821392_2406559572155274392_n — Photo courtesy of Iron Girl Clearwater Facebook page

The Girl Power… I love events that empower women and this one is top of the list. Iron Girl “aspires to bring women of all ages together as a community by offering a supportive, energetic and empowering environment for females pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle.” Need I say more? I am all about this!

Register for Iron Girl Clearwater today and save 10% with my discount code THISCRAZYLIFE. If you register by March 8, you will receive a personalized bib!

Are you running Iron Girl Clearwater? Let me know!

18
Feb
2017

Hello Fresh – Hello Time Saver!

categories: Hello Fresh, Hello Fresh discount, meal planning, meal subscription, review

Thanks to Hello Fresh, I recently had the opportunity to try a Hello Fresh shipment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own…

I think we can all agree that there is never enough time in the day. Work, family, home, kids, dogs, making time to be active, and more quickly fills up our days. Grocery shopping and meal planning can take a backseat when there isn’t enough time left. Hello Fresh is one way to be prepared and ready for a meal after a long day.

Hello Fresh is customizable to your lifestyle and family with the following options:

Classic Plan
Veggie Plan
Family Plan

From there you select the plan that works for your family size and you can also specify the number of nights per week you want to cook. You are in complete control of your shipments and can change or pause your subscription at any time. And guess what? Shipping is always FREE!

Since it is just hubby and I, the Classic Plan for 2 people was perfect. They sent three complete meals and it could not have been easier.

From the moment I unpacked the box, I knew it would be easy. The amount of time it saved not having to go to the grocery store to find the ingredients was priceless. Also receiving the exact amount of ingredients was a plus because I hate having too much and having it go to waste. The foods sent were packaged neatly and everything was very fresh.

Our shipment included:

Hearty Steak and Potatoes
Rapid Maple-Balsamic Chicken
Thai Pork Stir-Fry

I especially liked the “rapid” recipe for a bootcamp night as time is very short between work and heading to the gym. Everything was prepped and ready to go. All I had to do was follow the easy cooking instructions and before I knew it, we were sitting down to eat.

The Rapid Maple-Balsamic Chicken meal was a delicious, protein-filled meal that fit our busy schedule.

Thanks to Hello Fresh, I have a sweet deal for my readers. If you use code THISCRAZYLIFE when you order, you will receive $35 off your first box (first-time customers). If you have not tried Hello Fresh but have wanted to, now is your chance!

16
Feb
2017

Why Are Rest Days Important?

categories: #contest, #fitfor45, #ggchallenge2017, active rest day, fitness, Golds Gym, rest days, workout

In the midst of working out regularly now at the gym, with bootcamp three days a week, and trying to run on the weekend, the importance of rest days has taken on a whole new meaning.

Just like in training for a race, rest days are important for many reasons. Your body needs time to recover. Working out too often, especially the same muscle groups, can cause stress and could lead to injury. Working out, such as resistance training, breaks down muscles. This is where rest days are important because it gives those muscles and your body time to repair itself.

In fact, sleep is equally important because your body’s growth hormone production increases which helps repair and rebuild those muscles.

I love the rope for a great upper body workout.

Working hard for the last six weeks has brought new meaning to rest days. While I love every single second we spend in the gym and at bootcamp, I am ready for a rest day. But! Then I have guilt on rest days that I should be working out so I can reach my goal and continue to get stronger.

Yoga is the perfect active rest day activity.

That is where active rest days come in. You don’t have to be a blob on the couch on your rest day. Sometimes NOT moving is the worst thing you can do. Here are suggestions for an active rest day that will benefit and help the recovery process.

Walking
Cycling
Swimming
Yoga
Foam Rolling

So, lace up those shoes on your next rest day and take a walk. Or enjoy your favorite yoga class which will do wonders for those sore muscles. Your body will thank you for that rest day the next time you are back in the gym.

What is your go-to activity on a rest day?

13
Feb
2017

The One Where I Did Sit-Ups {Week 5}

categories: #contest, #fitfor45, #ggchallenge2017, bootcamp, fitness, Golds Gym, gym, health, healthy eating, hubby, non-scale victory, plank, T25

Each week of bootcamp brings something new that I learn about myself or that I can do. This week it was sit-ups. And you would think I just learned how to grow money on trees, it makes me so happy.

I can’t tell you the last time I did a sit-up. And when I did, I definitely did not do it on my own, without someone or something holding my feet. But in bootcamp on Saturday morning, our weekend trainer Ila had us do a couple pretty intense circuits. Reverse lunges, spider planks, single leg weighted dead lifts, and more including sit-ups. And for those sit-ups, she wanted us to use a weight. I thought there was no way I could do a sit-up, let alone one with a weight. I grabbed a 10 pound dumbbell to try.

I don’t know how it happened, but when she started that stopwatch and told us to start, I sat up. Just like that. And then I did it again. And again. Mid-way through the first set, she walked passed me and told me to lose the little weight and go for the 20 pounds kettlebell, to push myself. So I did just that. And I loved every second of it.

What is it about doing a sit-up that makes me so happy? Because I didn’t think I could do it and I proved myself wrong in an instant.

Moral of the story…. Never think that you CAN’T do something until you try. You never know what you are capable of. This picture is proof of that. One month apart and the changes are very noticeable. Four week of bootcamp, working out, and healthy eating. I really can’t wait to see what twelve weeks looks like!

[Tweet “Never think that you CAN’T do something until you try. You never know what you are capable of. #ggchallenge2017”]

Hubby doesn’t say much about bootcamp but he is a ROCK STAR. I am so proud of him and his progress. Also, he pushes me on the days we work out together and I love it. I can’t imagine working out and getting healthy and fit with anyone else.

Challenge Week 5

Start of week Weigh-In – 183.8.00 (7.2 pounds lost)

Body Fat change – Down 1.8% in body fat

My lean muscle is definitely increasing and my body is changing!

Activity:

Monday – Bootcamp (full body), plank (4-week weigh in)

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – 20 minute walk on treadmill, 6 minutes on Elliptical, bootcamp (full body), 4 laps outside (2 running, 2 walking)

Thursday – T-25 Cardio (25 minutes)

Friday – 15 minute treadmill run, upper body circuit, ran up and down gym stairs 10 times each with 10 pound weights, sauna, wall sits and twists, plank

Saturday – 25 minute treadmill walk, bootcamp (full body)

Sunday – 15 minute run on treadmill, leg circuit (leg press, quads, hamstrings, calfs), ran up and down gym stairs 10 times each with 10 pound weights, wall sits, sit-ups, plank

Food:

I’ve been logging for 35 days now (today is Day 36). Tracking food is always an eye opener to the calories, carbs, and sugar you are eating, as well as portion sizes. I am on a huge broccoli kick and eat it whenever I can. Saturday night we went out to dinner at Kobe Japanese Restaurant and I managed to order extra veggies instead of the usual fried rice and noodles. It wasn’t easy easy since it was being made right in front of me, but leaving the restaurant not overly stuffed like normal was a great feeling. They gave me a birthday cupcake and I had two bites. It was the perfect amount of sweet.

12 Week Challenge Goal – 171

End of 2017 Goal – 145

07
Feb
2017

The One Where I Ate Birthday Cake {Week 4}

categories: #contest, #fitfor45, #ggchallenge2017, 5K, Best Damn Race, Best Damn Race Safety Harbor, birthday, fitness, Golds Gym, gym, health, healthy eating, hubby, plank

In the fourth week of bootcamp, I turned 45. And there was birthday cake. And I enjoyed every bite I had AND I tracked it. That is a win, folks.

It was a busy week – birthday, Best Damn Race, baby shower, wedding, a massage on Sunday, and all my usual day-to-day stuff. I started the week with a great weigh-in and continued to push myself at bootcamp. I can feel my upper body getting stronger, especially when doing push-ups. And I am loving the leg press on non-bootcamp days.

Bootcamp is hard and every class is different. Our trainer, Greg, does a great job of changing it up each time. He motivates and pushes each one of us, all while knowing that we are at different fitness levels. I enjoy every minute of class, even though I might swear at him when he is not quick on the stop watch and our time for each circuit. This is the first time I have ever done a bootcamp style class in my life and now I wish I had done one years ago.

16463112_10210752726445837_1333954451223634928_o — Thanks for the fabulous tank top for my birthday, honey!

I ran Best Damn Race on Saturday – Corinna, Angie, and I ran the 5K. As is typical when we run together, we don’t run for time because we are chatting and laughing up a storm. But I could feel a difference in my running – my legs felt stronger and my breathing felt easier. Bootcamp is doing it’s job at conditioning me. At some point this year, I *WILL* set a new PR for a 5K.

Challenge Week 3

Start of week Weigh-In – 182.00 (9.0 pounds lost)

Activity:

Monday – 15 minute walk on treadmill, bootcamp (full body), plank

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – 20 minute walk on treadmill, bootcamp (full body), plank

Thursday – 15 minute run on treadmill, upper body circuit, ran up and down stairs 10 times each, wall sits, plank

Friday – REST

Saturday – Ran Best Damn Race 5K (and had a whopping 19,395 steps that day between the race, a baby shower, and a wedding)

Sunday – 15 minute run on treadmill, leg circuit (leg press, quads, hamstrings), ran up and down gym stairs 10 times each, wall sits, plank

Food:

This week was a little challenging with food because of birthday cake AND attending a baby shower AND a wedding. I am still tracking my food every day and stayed within my calories three out of seven days. The harder we work out, the hungrier I am. I am doing my best to eat more protein-filled meals instead of snacking but it is a challenge with the calories. I will find the balance as I go along.

12 Week Challenge Goal – 171

End of 2017 Goal – 145