Let's Try This Again...

Hi team!

Long time, no chat.

For real though. I looked through all 4 of my blog posts, and the last one that was posted was in March... Um, that's too long.

So, what's happened in the last 6 months? Well, I'm going to be honest, I probably neglected this blog because it was my favorite season (summer, duh) and I had things to do. Things that didn't involve sitting in front of a computer screen for longer than needed while the beautiful sun beams sparkled off the Great Lake Michigan outside of my work window....

That was torture enough.

Honestly, summer came and went so fast, I feel like I hardly got to enjoy it to its true potential. As soon as it hit September 1st, the Midwest was like "nah, you've had enough warm weather". Which, we most certainly did NOT. It only reached upper 80's like once... but whatever. I'm a little salty, if you can't tell.

In my two last posts (if you can remember that long ago) I signed up for the triathlon and I was doing a bunch of classes at my gym!

UPDATES!!

I still regularly do BODYPUMP and indoor cycling classes at my gym. I would still do Turbo-kick, but they cancelled the Friday morning class that I always did, which was the only time I could make it work with my schedule.

I wish I could try all the classes. Yoga sculpt, Step, Hip Hop Funk Dance (yes, my gym has that), rock climbing... all of them! My work schedule just doesn't allow me to have that flexibility. And that's OKAY... for now :)

Aaaaanyways. Another BIG update, is that I did my sprint triathlon two weeks ago! Whooooohooo!! I can honestly say, I'm glad it's over. BUT I had so so much fun doing it. I am super happy with my time! I ended up finishing 5th in my division (Female 20-24) and I felt great the whole time. I wish that Zach and I could have been in the same wave, but they separate men and women. I also wish Zach and I had trained more... together. I can honestly say the only training we did together (and probably the only training Zach did) was swimming in Lake Michigan.

I know what you're thinking, and yes the water WAS super cold.

But all-in-all, it was such a positive experience. I learned things about myself through my training, I learned things about Zach, and I can cross an athletic accomplishment off of my list. Can't wait to do the International Triathlon some day!

One big downfall was that a few days before the triathlon was my birthday! At first, I told myself I was going to be super strict about what I ate and drank.

I'm sure you can guess how well that worked out...

You see, for me, it's not a birthDAY. It's most definitely a birthWEEK. Right, Zach? (I know he's rolling his eyes as he's reading this right now)

I think the reason I want a birth week is because, now that I'm older, I have different people that I want to celebrate with! My immediate family, my friends, Zach, my extended family, my extended friend group... You get the picture. Somehow, this turns my birthday into a birthweek. And I'm okay with that.

Excessive? Probably. Will it be the same next year? Of course.

Except this year, my birthweek happened to coincide with the triathlon. Classic. As you can imagine, these different dinners and celebrations and toasts and desserts led my diet to reach a low, my lack of sleep to reach a high, and my drinking to reach... well, that just turned into an every day affair.

It didn't help that my cousin Cori was in town from Virginia with her husband John. I never get to see them, so it was quite the treat. So what did we do? We did exactly what I'd want to do for another birthday celebration - we toasted dirty martinis, ate pasta, pizza AND dessert. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've told you about my darling, little brother, AJ, right? He's not little anymore. He's actually as tall as me now and is braces-free. (Brace-less? Braces-less? ...Hm?) He turned 16 years old 5 days after I turned 23. Which was also the same day as my triathlon! And he came and watched me :) I do not know many 16-year-old boys that would come cheer on their big sister on their birthday. Bless him!

I have to be real with you guys. It has been hard for me to get back on the workout/healthy eating train after this triathlon. Of course all of the sweets and unhealthy, oh-so-delicious food for my birthday got me off track. But then my family ended summer with a food-filled bang this past weekend for Labor Day. We had an appetizer contest. Zach and I made crab cakes (and should have won). One of my aunts made these tomato soup shooters and mini grilled cheeses - and they were so delicious. So, well-played Auntie Ruthie.

Regardless, lots of good food. Not good FOR you; but good. And it's been hard for me to ditch that habit. And I'm not going to lie to you, I did take a break from working out after the triathlon.

BUT we are trying to hop back on the wagon! I'm going to share a workout with you all that I did a few times this summer. It's called the park bench workout.

I'm sure you've seen a similar type of workout floating around Pinterest, the internet, etc. But that's because it's hard! It never fails to make my legs sore.

Enjoy the first week of fall, and celebrate the last few weeks of "warm" weather with this workout :)

Park Bench Workout:

Repeat 3x

Run to the park! Maybe your park has a path around it, maybe it's grass, maybe it has woodchips... Either way, you're gonna have to run!

Step Master - stand next to the bench sideways with one foot on the bench. Step up with your other leg and tap your foot next to the other one on the bench. Stay in the squat position. (15 each leg)

Driving Incline Pushup - Position yourself with hands on the bench, in a plank position. Lift one leg, and continue to keep it lifted while you do 15 pushups. Switch legs and do 15 more.

Run around park!

Skip Ups - Put one foot on the bench and drive your knee that is grounded up. As you drive your nee, skip off the bench so that your foot on the bench is a few inches in the air. Do 15 on each leg.

Dip and Kick - Stand in front of the bench, facing away from it. Put your hands on the bench. Lower into a tricep dip. As you lower, bring one leg into your chest and extend leg as you push up. (15 each side)

Run around park!

Elevated Lunge and Twist - Still facing away from bench, put your foot on the bench behind you in a lunge stance. Put both hands behind your head. As you lower into a lunge, Twist your opposite elbow to your grounded knee. (15 each leg)

Power Burpees - Facing the bench, Do a burpee. Instead of just jumping up, jump ON to the bench. Jump back down and repeat (15x)

Run around park!

After 3 times, run home!