Month: November 2016

Wednesday Workout: Total Body DB 20 Minute AMRAP

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Good morning! Did you guys see my post from yesterday? Two workouts in one week- lucky you 😉 Today’s workout doesn’t require being outside AND it’s a much shorter time commitment, so if yesterday’s workout wasn’t for you, maybe today’s will be.

With all the teaching I’ve been doing lately, I’ve noticed that my own workouts have fallen a bit by the wayside. Granted, I’m still active and moving pretty much every day, but the consistency and intensity in my own training is just not there right now. Which is OK- I’ll get it back once my schedule slows down a bit.

Since my schedule is so crazy, I find myself having to squeeze my own workouts in, which just means they generally can’t be long. It’s all good, though- once I changed up my training to shorter, more intense HIIT style workouts I noticed my body changed and adapted really well to that style of training.

Today’s workout only takes 20 minutes (25 including a warm up/cool down), so it’s perfect if you’re short on time… something we can probably all relate to as we get into the holiday months, right?! All you need is a set of dumbbells or you can use a kettlebell and you’ll work through the exercises as quickly as possible while still maintaining good form. Rest as needed, but try to rest at the end of each round rather than between exercises.

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Quick note on the exercises: For the squat-> lunge combo, you’ll do a lunge on each leg and then 1 squat- that’s 1 rep. Push-ups can be done on your knees, toes or elevated surface. If jumping isn’t good- just do regular squats. If you don’t have weights, simply change the bent over rows to a prone pull or superman pull.

I hope you’ll try this!

Questions for you: Do you have a busy holiday season coming up? How do you prioritize movement when you’re busy?

5k Walk/Run Bootcamp + Cold Weather Gear to Keep You Warm

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own. #BreathThermo

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving- and hopefully long weekend, too! Work has been really stressful so it was especially nice to have some time off that I was able to spend with my family/in-laws. Just knowing I didn’t have to wake up early for a long day in the office was really awesome.

What else is really awesome is a package I received from Mizuno as part of their cold weather apparel line. This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time because I was just looking for some cold weather gear to help keep me warm during my outdoor Seaport Sweat series. Although I’m not leading my 5K bootcamp anymore, I was able to test out the Breath Thermo base layer top that they sent me, as well as their Breath Thermo Warmalite glove. Their cold weather apparel is engineered to keep you warm without weighing you down, which is so important because no one wants to add more weight/resistance to themselves when they’re working out, right?! 😉

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In short, I’m loving both of these products. The shirt is fitted, which makes it a great layering piece- perfect for outdoor workouts where you tend to have to shed layers once you get warmed up. I love the color, style and it fits very true to form- the small fits exactly how I like tops like this to fit (I don’t like when workout tops like this are loose and baggy). On top of the fit, the Breath Thermo  technology generates heat and helps keep the body warm when working out in the cold weather, while still allowing for breathability so that you don’t overheat. There is also a reflective trim which was important to me since I was wearing it during runs in the dark- safety is key!

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My hands (and feet) are always cold, so I was really grateful to receive the Breath Thermo Warmalite gloves. Although they are a bit too big (I ordered the wrong size!), they still work perfectly to keep my hands warm and protected from the wind during running. They’re also great for teaching my fighters conditioning class because the ground is really cold when doing burpees or pushups without them 😉 I love that they have the touchscreen forefinger so I can still operate my phone when running/teaching. They also have the Breath Thermo  fleece technology to keep warmth in, and the storage pocket on the top is perfect for holding keys or money or anything else you might need stored while you’re working out outside.

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If you’re looking for some new cold weather apparel for those shoulder months or for layering throughout the colder months, head on over to Mizuno because they have some great products worth checking out. If you came to the blog post just for the workout, here you go 😉 While we did this running, you can also walk the 5K and still do these exercises.

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Big thanks to Mizuno for helping to keep me warm during my outdoor workouts!

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Questions for you: What’s your favorite brand of outdoor workout gear? Do you like to workout outside when it’s cold or do you take it to the gym? 

Honeymoon Recap: Positano

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I realized last week that I never shared our final honeymoon recap with you! In case you missed the first 3, you can find them here:

Napoli
Ischia
Sorrento & Pompeii

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about heading to Positano for the fear that it would be too touristy, similar to Sorrento. However, upon our first sights of Positano during our drive in, my fears were quickly washed away. Although it was still touristy, the charm of Positano was still very much in tact and it just felt less touristy than Sorrento.

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On top of that, we stayed in the most luxurious hotel, which just made everything better, especially after the poor hotel experience we had in Sorrento.

Where We Stayed

We ended up staying at Hotel Villa Franca during our time in Positano. While it was a rather expensive hotel, I’m so glad we splurged on it because it was a wonderful way to end the trip. They ended up upgrading us to their biggest/nicest room and “big” and “nice” really don’t do it any justice. It was the size of a small studio apartment, with a large, luxurious bathroom and amazing jacuzzi tub, a whole sitting area and an oversized terrace overlooking all of Positano. It was in a separate building from the main hotel, but it didn’t prove to be an issue at all since it was only a 30 second walk or so.

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The staff was unbelievably warm, hospitable and helpful- we couldn’t rave enough about how welcomed they made us feel, starting with complimentary champagne upon our arrival.

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We spent a lot of time at their roof deck pool- the lounge chairs were so comfy, the Aperol Spritz’s were absolutely delicious and the bar tenders were very attentive.

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We didn’t end up eating up there, but everything we saw people eating looked delicious. We did indulge at their daily breakfast where they had everything you could ever imagine, including eggs made your way, assortments of breads/cheeses/meats, cereal, yogurt, granola, fresh juices and plenty of bubbly 😉

Our only complaint about the hotel was that it was so far up from the main areas of Postiano- 597 steps, to be exact! While I didn’t mind the steps (obviously), it made it difficult to bounce around and you had to plan ahead for how long you wanted to be down by the beach. They do offer a complimentary shuttle service leaving from the hotel every half hour that brings you down to the beach area which we did take advantage of at night when we would head out for dinner. This was a wonderful service!

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That was our hotel… wayyyy up there!

Where We Ate

Prior to our honeymoon, we received lots of recommendations for lunches/dinners during our time in Positano, which was nice to use as a base. We found some places on our own which also did not disappoint.

  • Ristorante da Costantino– This came recommended to us by the driver who took us from Sorrento to Positano. It’s set up even higher than Hotel Villa Franca, but don’t worry- they have a car service that will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off after, which is a very nice service. While they don’t have outdoor/waterfront space, the front wall of the restaurant is all windows so there are spectacular views- both during the day and at night. We had our driver take us there to make the reservation and the owner was a sweet old Italian man who made us drink an espresso with him after we chatted- it was awesome. It’s a family owned & run restaurant and serves truly authentic (non-americanized touristy) Italian food. It was such a great way to kick off our last part of the trip.

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  • Chez Black– This was a recommended restaurant, I think because of it’s prime location near the beach. We had a really nice meal there, although it did seem to cater more specifically to Americans and other tourists. We would still recommend it!

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  • Ristorante Max– This was another highly recommended restaurant to try out (3 separate people told us about it!). We loved our meal here- everything was so flavorful and the wine was ridiculously good! We sat outside and got to play with a neighborhood cat, which I obviously loved!

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  • Ristorante Saraceno d’Oro– We had big plans of doing up our last night in Positano big, but it ended up raining, so we opted to keep it closer to our hotel. We ended up at this restaurant which ended up being an awesome find. The food was very good and very authentic- I had the eggplant and it was as good as RM’s mother’s- which is saying a lot!

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  • Sandwiches- One day we were really craving a basic sandwich & chips type of lunch so we asked a jewelry vendor if he knew of any Salumeria’s in the area (deli type stores) and luckily there was one nearby. The sandwich was SO good we ended up there at least one or two more times. There’s something so great about a simple sandwich made with incredibly fresh ingredients.

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  • Caffe Positano– Friends also recommended this place, and since it ended up being exactly halfway down the cliffs from our hotel to the beach, we saddled up there for lunch one day. The views were spectacular and the food was also really delicious. We got a platter type of plate with all sorts of amazing options- we definitely recommend checking this place out!

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What To Do

  • Walk around and window-shop/pop into stores. There are so many cute little stores selling beautiful things, especially the linen clothes items! I’ll warn you, though, the shops are expensive! We laughed because RM would see something he thought I’d look good in so I’d check it out and be appalled at the price tags- usually upwards of 200-300 euros! That said, everything was really beautiful!

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  • Have drinks at Hotel Villa Franca- Although these were expensive (25 euros for a glass of bubbly!), the ambiance of the drink area and the views were worth it. Plus, they gave awesome “snacks”- my favorite 😉

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  • Check out the beaches- We were warned in advance that the beaches were not sandy, so we weren’t totally surprised to find a rocky beach. The rocks were surprisingly pretty comfortable to relax on, and the water was so refreshing! What made it even better was that you could get “to go” drinks from nearby bars/restaurants- Spritz’s on the beach are the best!

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  • Get handmade sandals- We’d heard that you could get handmade sandals in Positano, and people were right- there were so many little stores selling homemade sandals. We ended up at Creazioni Nana which was next door to Caffe Positano, and I was so happy with how my sandals turned out!! It was such a special memory to take home with me!
  • Rent a scooter– RM finally persuaded me to rent a scooter and drive out to Amalfi and Ravello and although I was scared sh*tless about the whole experience, it ended up being one of the best experiences/memories from the trip. We had an absolute blast!!

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You can also take the ferry to Capri, do cooking classes, etc., but we opted to just soak in the hotel and things around us.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we absolutely fell in love with Positano! So much so, that RM said for our 3rd wedding anniversary we need to go back- I’m certainly not going to complain (or forget) about that! This was the last of our honeymoon recaps- I hope you’ve enjoyed them, and maybe they’ll be helpful if you decide to visit the Amalfi Coast!

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Pre-Thanksgiving Thoughts (+ a few themed workouts)

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Hi there! With it being Thanksgiving tomorrow, I had all intentions of doing a themed workout for you, but I’ll be honest: I just didn’t have it in me. I think the intensity of work, teaching and general life has caught up to me and this week, blogging couldn’t be further from my mind. I’ve just had no desire to open up my computer after work, but today I wanted to pop in and share a few pre-Thanksgiving thoughts that I’ve had circling in my brain lately:

Rather than focusing on “earning your turkey” or “burning before the bird”, focus on being thankful that you can move. Do some sort of movement that you love, but do it because you CAN not because you feel like you have to. Spend some time thinking about everything you’re thankful for instead of thinking about all the things you wish would change. Indulge on your favorites- guilt free. You will not “undo” all of your hard work you’ve done the rest of the year- I promise you. Drink wine. Eat dessert. Laugh with family and friends. 

But most of all, be thankful. Thankful for everything you have, for everything you can do, and for everyone in your life. Because you know what? That’s the stuff that matters! And I’m so very thankful for so much in my life, especially for all of you who tune in here to see what I have to say.

And last but not least, if you’re looking for a workout to do tomorrow, I urge you to try one of these. They’re from the archives, but I promise they’re still good!

The “I’m Thankful” Workout
Turkey Day 20 Minute AMRAP

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! xoxo

Five on Friday {11.18.16}

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Good morning! I’ve been days ahead in this week so I”m very happy it’s FINALLY Friday- FriYAY for sure 🙂 I appreciate all of your kind responses to my post on Monday. I always like to hear what you have to say about topics like food, body image, self acceptance, etc. Do you guys like those types of posts? I like to make sure I’m posting things that interest both me AND you, so I’m all ears!

Let’s talk about some Friday things though!

  • Purity Organics– I received a wonderful package a few weeks ago from Purity Organics, which is an all natural, organic super juice/tea/coconut water company. I’m not always big on juices (I’d rather eat my fruits and veggies), but these juices are fantastic. They’re a blend of fruits, roots, veggies and spice and each one has such a unique flavor. Even though there’s more sugar in it than I like to drink, none of the sugar is added; it’s all from the fruits so I feel better about it. Plus, I only drink half at a time so as to not load up on a lot of sugar at once.

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  • Friendsgiving- Tomorrow is our second annual Friendsgiving with my college friends and I am SO excited. Unfortunately RM won’t be able to join me as he will be in Portland with his guy friends, but making it into a girls night for me isn’t the worst thing in the world 😉 Since my family doesn’t do a big Thanksgiving event it’s fun to do it with my friends.
  • Saying No- Wednesday just one of those days. Work was stressful, I was bummed because no one signed up or showed up for my 5K bootcamp and I was still battling a cold. I had made a prior commitment to go see Anna Kendrick in the city with some work friends, but by the time I finished my [solo] run, I just didn’t have it in me. I hate bailing and saying no, but I just knew it was something I had to do. These days, between working 9-10 hour days in the office then teaching 3 days in a row after work, I find myself not usually up for much else on those days (besides eating and sleeping 🙂 ), so in hindsight I shouldn’t have made the commitment but it sounded so fun! Luckily my work friends totally understood and I’ll say that once I said I wasn’t going I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Going home was exactly what I needed/wanted and I’m thankful I listened to my gut and did just that.

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  • Book Club Books- Call me crazy, but I’m currently in two book clubs, haha One was started with my SMC girls and one was started with my work friends. For my work friends book club, we are currently reading Big Little Lies and so far I’m loving it! It’s a long book, but I’ve been flying through the pages. My other book club is reading Underground Railroad, which was on Oprah’s book list and I’m excited to start it! I was kind of annoyed, though, because I requested it from the library WEEKS ago, and it still didn’t become available so I had to buy it. Hopefully I’ll be able to share it with people after I read it! Do you have any suggestions for good book club books?

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  • Seaport Sweat Winter Series Updates- Unfortunately, due to the fact the runs (mine and the Friday noon one) were just not picking up, they decided to cancel them for the rest of the series. I was initially really bummed, and felt like I failed since I couldn’t get a solid commitment/group of runners each week, but it’s actually a bit of a blessing in disguise. I was teaching 3 days in a row after work, which is a lot! And it makes it hard to do anything else after work, whether something as simple as running errands or going to a class or meeting up with friends, I felt like I couldn’t do anything! So, as sad as I am that it wasn’t successful, after having a good group last night (9 people!), I’m hopeful that my Thursday night will continue to be a good crowd because that class is a BLAST to teach. Seriously! It turned my entire week around, so thank you to everyone who showed up 🙂

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And that does it for me- I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend- can’t believe it’s the last one before Thanksgiving!!

Questions for you: How was your week? Do you like juicing or drinking smoothies? Do you do a friendsgiving event? Do you have an easy time saying no or do you try to fit everything in? Do you have any good book suggestions:? How do you feel about winter outdoor workouts?