Wednesday Workout: Run/Walk & Park Boot Camp Circuit

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As I mentioned in my Weekly Workouts post on Monday, last week I did a really fun workout which only included myself & a park bench! I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with you. I also thought it would be nice to show you a workout that doesn’t include any gym equipment so that you can hopefully take this on the road with you!

I went into the workout only knowing that I wanted to run 10 minutes and then perform various exercises. As I started my first strength set, this is what I came up with:

park workout

This was a great, full body workout that left me really tired and really sweaty! And, what’s great is that you can modify this workout and walk the 10 minute cardio intervals instead of running them, so there’s really no excuse 😉

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From left to right, top to bottom: bench step ups, flutter kicks, plank, shameless selfie.

If you have any questions regarding any of the moves, let me know! I was able to cover about 3.7 miles in the 30 minutes of running, which I felt good about! Let me know if you try this 🙂

Questions for you: Have you ever done a workout in a park before? Do you like to run for timed intervals or distance?

Birthday Celebrations & Labor Day Weekend in Maine

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Hi, hi! I hope you all had a nice long weekend! Although mine was fairly busy, it was really fun. Plus, there’s something about being home in Maine that just makes me feel relaxed, even if we are on the go a lot!

Since I had to teach on Saturday morning, I was around on Friday night and able to go out with Athena and her friends and gym friends for her birthday! Athena decided she wanted to go to The Asgard, which is a really fun bar in Cambridge. I had been once, but it was years ago, so I was excited to go back. I wasn’t necessarily excited about making the trek in from East Boston using public transportation, but I’m trying to save money where I can, so I did it! And, in all honesty, door to door was only about 40 minutes, which wasn’t that bad. It was nice to get to hang out with the YMCA gym ladies and also really nice to meet Athena’s friends in person, versus online (Slesh! I’m talking about you! haha)

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It was also nice to be served this ginormous goblet of vino from the bar tender 😉

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I only had 2 drinks while at the bar, but when I woke up on Saturday morning, I felt like I had had much more. I blame the goblet! Regardless, it was fun getting out and meeting new people and celebrating Athena’s birthday!

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After teaching on Saturday, Danielle, Chuck and I headed north. I was dreading lots of traffic on the trip home, but once we got onto 95N, it was smooth sailing and we were home in the normal amount of time. As soon as we walked into the house, we were greeted with LOTS of canning. I got dad a pressure canner and he and my mom have been canning their fresh garden veggies like crazy!

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I think it’s so cool that they are canning all of the veggies they grew so that they can enjoy them throughout the winter months!

For dinner, we made pizza’s on the grill- the best way to enjoy pizza in the summer if you ask me 🙂 It’s hilarious when we all get together in the kitchen; everyone wants to be RIGHT next to each other and everyone wants to run the show. It’s quite the site! Mom filled us up with wine and then we headed out to the barn to cook up the pizzas!

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On a side note, check out the collection of empty wine boxes in the barn:

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Like, really? That is a LOT of really classy vino 😉

The pizza’s were SO GOOD! If you’ve never made pizza on the grill, I suggest doing it.

On Sunday, I went for a nice 3 mile run and then helped dad pull potatoes. Pulling potatoes is no joke. I was actually sore from it on Monday!

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We headed out on Sara and Tim’s boat in the afternoon. I love snuggles with Zeke, but if he could stop growing I wouldn’t be mad. It’s crazy to see how much he has grown already!

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I also enjoyed a few Bud Light Limes (aka, BLL’s). I’m not a big Bud Light person, but there’s something about drinking BLL’s that screams summer!

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After the lake, we headed to the Mahoney’s pool for a BBQ. All I wanted all weekend was a REAL cheeseburger. Luckily, Colleen was manning the grill and cooked me up the best one! I didn’t take any pictures while were there, but the food was phenomenal (per usual). Mom’s peach-raspberry pie stole the show, though. Mom isn’t a big baker, but she nailed this pie recipe. It took serious self-restraint to not eat way more than 1 small piece.

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Would you guys be interested in me getting the recipe and sharing it? Aka, do I have an excuse to make this?? 😉

After the Mahoney’s, Danielle and I headed to my friend, Jason’s new house in Wells. We were seriously on the go on Sunday! We hung out with him and his HUGE (seriously, Maverick is REALLY BIG!) dog for a few drinks before calling it a night.

Monday I woke to crazy rain and thunder and lightning. It’s been a while since I’ve heard a storm that bad! Even though it would have been a good morning to snuggle up in bed, I got up and got in a good workout before heading to meet my friend Caitlin for coffee (iced tea for me- still haven’t had coffee since June!). Mom rewarded my workout with homemade waffles! Totally worth getting up to workout when you’re served waffles when you finish 🙂

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It was so nice meeting up with Caitlin and her little snuggle bug, Tucker. It’s amazing to see how much these babies have grown in just 3 short months!

And, that about sums it up! As always, a weekend in Maine was just what I needed to feel refreshed and relaxed. Even though we were on the go a lot (I also saw my friend Meredith for a short visit on Saturday), I’m happy I got to see everyone!

Questions for you: Did you go away for the long weekend? Do you have a hard time trying to fit it in to visit all your old friends when you go back to your hometown? What’s your favorite weekend breakfast?

Weekly Workouts: New gym & an outside workout

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Happy Labor Day, friends! I hope you’re all lucky enough to have today off. I have been looking forward to this for a while, as I was in major need of a day off from everything! The past couple of weeks, between moving, working, subbing, blogging, and trying to get a new apartment put together have been incredibly tiring. Spending this past weekend at home in Maine was just what I needed. On Saturday night, I was in bed and asleep before 10pm and didn’t get up until after 8am. It was lovely!

Anyway, let’s get to the workouts! Last week, I switched up my normal workout routine and had the chance to check out the East Boston YMCA. While it is not nearly as nice as the Oak Square YMCA, the fact that it’s less than a 10 minute walk from my apartment and I can use my existing YMCA membership to go there makes it pretty great in my eyes! I definitely see myself using it a lot throughout the winter!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I had plans to get up and jog before work since I wanted to go to Ikea after work, but when my alarm went off, I was EXHAUSTED and really didn’t want to force a workout when I was that tired, especially since I could workout after work. Here’s the kicker, though, I did get up, got changed and then I noticed it started to sprinkle. So, instead of doing something inside, I actually changed BACK into my jammies and got back in bed for 45 minutes. It was awesome! And, I was finally able to order my couch and chair covers online through Ikea so I had so much time after work to workout. I was gchatting with Athena and she suggested I do a boot camp in the park near my apartment. Perfect! I ended up running 10 minutes, doing a series of strength and ab moves and repeating that sequence 2 more times. I covered almost 3.7 miles in the 30 minutes of running. I think I’ll post the workout for you later this week??

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  • Tuesday- I went to the East Boston YMCA after work and completed my Pyramid Workout, with the exception that I didn’t do the cardio. I wanted to focus on strength and since I now walk almost 3 miles every day in my new commute, I felt like I should take a day where I didn’t do cardio and just did strength. It was still a great workout and I left sweaty!

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  • Wednesday- I ran 3 miles before teaching UXF burn. I don’t know where I got the speed on Wednesday, but I ran my last mile in 7:58, and that included the need to slow down when I came upon lots of people on the side walk. I was shocked with this time!

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  • Thursday- I taught another superset workout in SHRED (my members are loving this format). I included lots of new moves that I learned when I finally went through all of the magazine cutouts I’ve taken from fitness magazines over the years. It was a great class! Kickboxing was fun, too… decent size group again!
  • Friday- Nothing 🙂 I love my Friday rest days. I did do a lot of walking when I took PT into the city to meet up with Athena for her birthday, but that was it!
  • Saturday- Taught Kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA. It was the smallest group to date (16 people) and it took a LOT out of me to keep the energy up, especially when I felt like I had had a liiiitle too much to drink the night before 😉

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  • Sunday- a fast (for me!) 3 mile run around Shapleigh, followed by picking potatoes, which is great for your back 😉

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I’m not sure what I’ll do today. I’m still home in Maine so I might do a boot camp or run or maybe a deck of cards? Suggestions??
  • Tuesday- I will get up and do something before work since I am meeting my friend, Liz, for drinks after work. The fact that I know I CAN’T workout after work means that I will absolutely get up to workout. It’s just hard to force myself to workout in the morning when I’m tired if I know I can do it after work. Plus, my workouts after work are so much stronger than in the morning, so I would prefer to do them then if possible.
  • Wednesday- Likely another run before teaching UXF Burn. I’m trying to soak up all of the outdoor runs along the Charles that I can while the weather is still nice!
  • Thursday- SHRED followed by Kickboxing. Any format suggestions for SHRED?
  • Friday- Probably a rest day. Danielle, Amy and Rachel are coming over for cocktail hour before we go out to dinner. I’m excited to have them over the new place!
  • Saturday- I don’t have to teach, so I’ll probably go to BodyPump in Wellington with some cardio before or after.
  • Sunday- Not sure! Maybe a run through the park, maybe a workout at the East Boston YMCA, maybe yoga?? maybe nothing!

Questions for you: Have you ever gotten up, gotten dressed, then got back in bed to sleep instead of workout? When you have plans after work, do you make sure to get up and workout before work? Do you choose a gym over location/convenience or the quality of the gym?

Living Alone: Things I’m Lovin’, Things I’m Missin’ and Weird Things I’m Doin’

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Well, I’ve officially lived alone for 12 days. It may not seem like that long, but in that short amount of time I’ve realized that it’s very different living alone than with roommates! There are a lot of things I love about living alone, but there are a few things I do miss about living with people!

I didn’t hate living with roommates at all and didn’t move out for that reason, but I think there comes a point where it’s just time to move on and get your own place. I think this is especially important to do before you get married (at least, in my opinion) so you can learn what it’s like to be completely on your own before you really settle down. Marriage is not anywhere in the horizon for me… yet… (it’d be great if it happened within the next 2-4 years, though. Not that I can plan that, but it would be nice! 😉 ) but I already feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself because of living alone for just a short amount of time (here’s where the ‘”weird things I’m doin’ ” comes in!).

Things I’m Lovin’

1. When I come home from work and teaching and/or the gym, I know the apartment will look exactly how I left it. I’m really trying to de-clutter and keep things organized since I don’t have much space and, so far, so good!

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2. I don’t have to wait for the bathroom in the morning, or ever! This drastically cuts down my “get ready” time in the morning.

3. Everything is mine!! Granted, I’ll miss this when it comes to getting ready to go out and I don’t have multiple closets to work with, but on a day-to-day basis, I like knowing that everything is mine and only mine. I can keep things where it’s convenient for me and not have to worry about hogging space. It’s lovely.

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4. I can watch whatever I want on TV. I’m not a big TV person (Athena and I were laughing about that over the weekend… how we both aren’t big TV people at all and can’t wait to use Sunday football afternoons to blog instead of watch football), but sometimes there is something I want to watch that I might not have gotten to watch before.

5. When I clean, the apartment stays clean! It’s so easy to keep up with little chores on a daily basis when I live alone. It doesn’t hurt that my apartment is now 1/3 of the size of my old apartment!

6. Loads of room in the fridge! Living with 2 other girls who both love to cook and have plenty of fruits and veggies and leftovers in the fridge makes for a jam-packed fridge up until Saturday every week. My fridge and freezer look so empty, but I love it!

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7. Shorter commute into the city for work and play. With the airport T stop being just a half mile from my apartment and 2 stops to get to the aquarium, getting in and out of the city is a breeze!

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8. The park near my apartment. It is so nice to have a well-maintained, beautiful park just a short distance from my apartment (I actually walk through it to get to and from the T every day). I’ve really enjoyed my runs and boot camps that I’ve used it for!

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Things I’m Missin’

1. My sister and friend, Amy, who is also like a sister! We really had a lot of fun living together so it’s weird not seeing or talking to them every day.

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2. Multiple closets, shoe options and jewelry options. Once I pay off all of the new things I’ve had to buy for the move, I will need to go shopping to extend my current wardrobe.

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3. Having style advice. I am really not very good at looking stylish and staying current with what’s “in” and “out”, so it was nice having two roommates who were impeccable at it!

4. Charlie! I know, I know. I used to hate him, but over the past year and ever since he got out of his naughty kitten stage, I’ve really started to like him, so it’s weird not having him around to greet me when I get home. Luckily, my upstairs neighbor has a big Garfield cat, Chartruese, who roams around outside and loves to be pet!

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5. Living in Somerville where it’s a little easier to get to and from places. I am really loving East Boston thus far, and once I get my EZ Pass updated to say I am an East Boston resident (the tunnel charge will only be 40 cents!!!), it will be even better. With that said, I was so used to living in Somerville and knew my way around so well that it felt like home. I’m not there yet with Eastie, but I know I’ll get there. I already loveeee my new commute to and from the city!

Weird Things I’m Doin’

1. Leaving cabinet doors and draws open. If I know I’m going to be going back shortly- let’s say I’m making lunches or cooking/baking and constantly opening draws and cabinets to get things- I’d rather just leave everything open.

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2. Using the same plates/bowls/silverware day after day. I have a dishwasher, but it’s so much easier and faster to just wash my dishes after I eat and put them in the drying rack. Come the next meal time, I don’t have to even open a cabinet or draw to get a plate, bowl, fork, knife, etc. because everything I might need is already in the drying rack ready for me to easily grab! I literally think I could live with just 1 set of silverware, 1 plate, 1 bowl and 1 cup. It’s ridiculous.

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3. Being obsessive about keeping things organized. As soon as I finish using something that’s usually stored in a closet or draw, I immediately put it away. I guess there could be worse things, right?!

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4. Obsessively locking my doors. I’ve never been crazy about that, but living alone I feel much safer when I know I’m securely locked in. It’s taken a lot of adjusting in order to not freak out every time I hear something outside!

I’m sure these lists will only grow as time passes in my new place. Overall, though, I have to say I am really loving the whole “living alone” thing. I feel like a real grown up!

Questions for you: Do you live alone? If so, what’s your favorite thing about living alone? Whether you live alone or not, what’s something “weird” that you do?

I’ve got work today and then going out for Athena’s birthday! Realllly looking forward to a casual night out with some new friends. It’s been a long, not so great week. Tomorrow, after teaching kickboxing at the YMCA, Danielle, Chuck and I will be heading north for the long weekend!! Maine makes everything better 🙂 I hope all of you have a great long weekend, too!!

Avocado Banana Bread

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Say, what?! Avocado banana bread? You’re probably thinking that cannot be true, or, if it is, it must not be very good, right? Well, it is true, my friends, and it is a delicious combination.

I came across this recipe years ago over at Live, Laugh, Eat and it has been my “go-to” banana bread recipe ever since. The avocado is a healthy way to help keep the bread moist (ew, I hate that word) and the beauty with this recipe is you can’t really taste the avocado. The banana flavor absolutely trumps the avocado, so don’t worry, you’ll still feel like you’re eating banana bread.

The cooler early morning temps over the weekend, paired with overly ripe bananas & a very ripe avocado, made for a perfect excuse to dust off my baking pans and spend my Sunday morning baking. I tried to follow the recipe, but you’ll see below that I did make some changes.

Avocado Banana Bread

recipe from Live, Laugh, Eat, but slightly adapted by myself

Ingredients:

I halved the recipe… just an FYI

  • 2 med-large bananas
  • 1 med-large avocado
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil -I didn’t have coconut oil so I used milk (I must have googled that substitution somewhere)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice – Again, I skipped this and am assuming it’s because I added milk? The recipe is old!
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/4 cups of whole grain flour (I used 1/2 c whole wheat, 1 c oat, 3/4 c spelt)– I used regular ol’ white flour
  • 1/3 cup ground flax seed (I ran out so I didn’t include this)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* F

1. Mash the banana and avocado. Add in the rest of the ingredients up until the flour, and including the vanilla.

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2. Slowly fold in the flour & cinnamon.

3. Add in the chocolate chips.

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4. Grease a loaf pan and bake at 350* for about 35-40 minutes.

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5. Cut a nice slice, add some butter, and enjoy while it’s still warm!

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This was the perfect Sunday morning treat! I haven’t baked since I cut back on sweets and since it was summer and too hot to bake, I didn’t really miss it… that is, up until I started baking on Sunday morning and realized how much I enjoy it!

Questions for you: What word grosses you out the most? Do you like to bake? Do you make a lot of substitutions when you bake?