Rock n Roll Savannah Weekend Part 2

Sunday was our 5k and 1 mile run. It started at 1pm but before that happened, we did a little exploring of Savannah.

We were up and moving and decided to find the Waving Girl. She was so cool. We took pictures by her with our medals. We walked a little more and headed back to the hotel to get ready.

We walked to where the shuttle was and learned that Siri and GPS is a jerk in Savannah. It was not able to find us. Thankfully we figured it out and made our way to the shuttle just in time!

First was the 5k. It was cold and not like Saturday. It was cold and there was call for rain. We walked it, in part due to blisters and I wanted to make sure no legs fell off. The course was pretty, even going through the woods. We went by some horses as well. How could we not stop for a photo opportunity with them?? As we were nearing the end, the rain started. Our finish? It was running through the stadium. Talk about a cool finish! The medal was a pretty 5K in purple.


We then changed our bibs for the 1 mile. The rain started to come down harder and colder. We ran walked the 1 mile. And we ran by chickens (welcome to Savannah! Ya never know what you may get.) With that we finished up and headed back to the hotel to take hot shower! Just too cold. We changed and headed out for dinner. The 1 mile race was a peach.  Bonus, because we did a race on both days, we got a remix medal! BOOM!

Monday morning we left. We went to breakfast, checked out a few shops and picked up some goodies. We also saw another container ship. You know I had to watch it try and fit under the bridge.

See ya next year, Savannah!

Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Weekend Part 1

Its been a week since my trip to Savannah, GA. I think I have processed it enough now to share my weekend.

On Thursday, November 5, we got in the car for the long ride. We passed the Sombrero and were on our way to Savannah. We made it in good time, checked into our hotel (which was awesome!), and planned our day. Of course the first stop had to be the expo for packet pickup. I'm so glad we went Thursday.

Ferry across the river to the convention center and it was quiet. No major lines or craziness. We got our bibs and off to check out the Brooks section.Once we passed "customs" we saw a giant shoe in a pool, a hut with goodies, and treadmills. We got our "passport" and Mary said she wanted to ride the shoe! So off we went to the shoe. It was like a mechanical bull and at 14 seconds, she popped the emergency stop since she did not want to fly off. On my turn, totally lost track of time and off I flew legs in the air, ass over teakettle! We picked up our free goodie, got our gate analyzed and tried on shoes. The result? A sweet cooler bag!

We checked out the rest of the expo, picked up our shuttle and VIP passes and headed back to Barracuda Bobs for a meal. Love this place. We ate there often! Friday we started the day walking around the beautiful squares. She showed me Forest Gump square and I have to say, Savannah is just as pretty as I remembered! We also went back to the expo, got our beer tickets and then off to Wet Willis for lunch.

Saturday morning was race time. First, I am glad I brought shorts. It was damn hot and 99% humidity. My hair told me so. Shorts and a tank to run in. We went to the host hotel for breakfast and coffee and then to the start to watch the wheelchair and elite start. Super blur. They are some fast folk!

We made our way to our corral and decided it was going to be fun! I took a ton of pics while walking. We saw a ton of awesome signs. The people of Savannah are super creative!

zoom in on signs available on my FB page

The bands were a combination of uh.....? First band was drum and pipes. Yes, I love it. But not really Rock n Roll. But whatever, I think I have determined it is music, not so much rock. Sadly, there were a total of 5 bands I counted (more on this later).

The people of Savannah are awesome. Just awesome! We ran through neighborhoods ranging from rich to poor and all in between. Every neighborhood was out. Cheering. There was a woman yelling about "the gold is yours to take! The GOLD is for YOU!" who was too cute. There was a kid playing the drums and that was awesome too (kid got talent). People cheering and holding signs. People were also giving out ice, and water. But it was hot. Very hot. More and more people were walking as the morning went on. Tables were running low on water, cups and Gatorade. Later we found out that tables were packed up and there was no water or Gatorade. Minimal misters and the hot weather plan went to hell. The people of Savannah answered. They came out to help their runners. They brought water and ice. They did what they could to help runners cool down.

We ran the mile markers that day. At around mile 8, we were turned around. The race shut down and everyone was diverted back to the finish. A police officer was sitting in his truck telling runners through the megaphone to divert and head to the finish line. Confusion! What? Why? So, we did what we were told. We made our way to the finish. Many people were confused. Especially when we merged with this group like "where did you come from? Cheat?" And as we told them the race got cut, they were realizing something more happened. As we got closer to the park, more and more people were laying on the side of the road being treated for heat exhaustion. We made it to the finish in a huge mass. There was a big crush of spectators trying to find their people because they knew the race was cut short. Much, much later we found out that someone died on course. Talk about heartbreaking.

We stumbled into the area with water, Gatorade, (chocolate milk for Mary), and looked for the VIP tent. Just as Rascal Flatts were starting up. Yes, not rock. But I dont care. I admit, I love me some Rascal Flatts. I watched a little and headed to the tent to get some food and liquid (beer counts). VIP is the way to go. Doing that again. I am happy to say that I got to hear the song I wanted to, Bless the Broken Road. They are awesome live.

As we headed back to the hotel to relax, help my blisters (still have 10 toenails yay!!) and think through the morning, we started to look at the RNR Savannah page. We saw a lot of bad feedback. I understand why the course was diverted. They did their best to prepare but it was not enough. The medical staff were swamped and runners were very lucky how amazing the people of Savannah are. It was sad about the death as well. We also started to see how marathoners were cut short of their marathon and were getting full comp to another race. We emailed to see what was going on and found out that they did not realize that the half marathoners were cut off too. A week later, we are waiting on responses from RNR regarding the half marathon.

The rest of the day was dedicated to rest, Wet Willies for drinks and food and having a great time with friends we met at last years 1 mile race.

With that, I will end here. Part 2 will include the 5k and 1 mile!

Rock n roll Savannah run weekend is here!

So, it's the night before Savannah. I'm finishing homework and packing my bags so I can leave tomorrow morning. Mary and I will be leaving in the morning to run a half marathon, a 5k and 1 mile this weekend. 17.2 miles. I know I have not trained and all I can do is my best. And that is ok. It's going to be an awesome weekend of friends, runners, and Savannah!! 

A year ago I did my first and only marathon there. It took all I had and then some. It changed me as a person. This year, I will have a great weekend and do my best. I think I appreciate this weekend even more because running almost didn't happen. If I get a did not finish for the half that is ok. Because I know I did my best. 

This weekend will be run with heart. I will carry those who can't run with me. I will carry my dad, who used to run with me. I will carry anyone else with me who wants to be with me. 

I will update as I can this weekend. 

Wonder Woman runs again. 

NoBo Running, Track, and Long Runs

Today finishes up week 3 of running with No Boundaries. I have to say, I see improvement and its nice to run with a group. Even if I don't run next to or with people, I do like the fact that it feels more like a race. If that even makes sense. Its nice to be part of something.

What makes this week even better is that PT has released me. I will keep doing the exercises to keep my hips strong and not hurt myself. But as a whole I have been cleared. Not only that, but I can run the 5k and 1 mile in Savannah (you will see more about that soon). I also can try and walk the 1/2 marathon. Yes, I know, I just started running again and I want to walk some crazy distance. Well, if I don't finish, that is fine. I am trying and can hitch a ride in the sweeper.

Wednesday was track day. We all know how I feel about track. This time, I felt more like I knew what I had to do. It was a reveres pyramid. Run 100, walk 100, run 200, walk 200, continue until you run and walk 400. Some things I found out while doing this:

1. My garmen is off. This would have taken me to 1.5 miles. It is a track and a stretch that is consistent in distance. My watch said 1.4. OK, so that is good to know for the future.
2. I can't open it up and run hard. Some people can, but my body is not made that way. Last track time I did that, my leg almost fell off (remember my injury?) This time I was smart. I didn't open it up but pushed a tiny bit more. I felt it some, but not what I really needed to do. I feel good about it over all.

Today is long run day with the group. 2 miles. Again, I'm looking forward to it. My run buddy and RunJunkees Ambassador Mary rocked it with me. Turned into 2.22 miles. I am happy to say I finished. Today felt hard, but I know that I am getting better.

Track Work

The third training for the No Boundaries run group (NoBo) was track work. I HATE track work, but it is a necessary evil. Track work helps to build speed. Wednesday was the typical type of track work. The plan was run hard for 200 meters, walk 400 and repeat until you hit a mile and a half. Here is how it went:

I ran hard for 200 meters. Oh HELL! That was hard! walked 200 meters and went with an easy run for 200 meters. Walked another then ran hard. Then things went sideways. Somehow I ended up running hard 200 meters walk 200 meters and run hard 200 meters. OH HELL!!! I thought I was dying. I walked a full 400 meters then finished with a hard run.

Why did it go sideways? It was a bit unorganized. We should have had the group split, and a mentor with each small group. That being said, do I feel faster? Meh, I don't know. I do know that I will follow the plan and work hard to make sure I'm on point. The next group run is Saturday and that is 1.75 miles. My goal is to keep up at 13:09 / mile or faster. That will show me improvement......I think.

I will keep you posted as I run my journey.

No Boundaries Day 1

Last night I went to my first No Boundaries (NoBo) running group. I was not sure what to expect but I was ready to run. I missed it. All I knew was that I would be doing 1 mile. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous after not running for many months. As I got to the store, Fleet Feet Sports in Wilmington, I started to feel really excited.

It is a bunch of women in our group and everyone was at their own fitness level. We started with dynamic stretches. Super important to do so before you run and warm up your muscles. Then we ran/walked or walked half mile out and half mile back. I started out easy and really surprised myself. I did walk a little but I did not have any pain, only typical muscle fatigue. When I got to the end point, my mile time was 13:10! woah! Not bad! We cheered people on as they came into the finish. As a group, we waited for everyone to finish and then did static stretches. Again, super important to finish by stretching out the muscles.

I look forward to Saturday when we do it again! Wonder Woman Runs Again!!

Run Baby Run

I was at physical therapy on Tuesday for my evaluation. I got the OK to run again! There were no words to describe how happy I was. I happy cheezed my way through the rest of the things she gave me to do. I get to do my first run on Saturday. 7 mins, 4 of them running. And as much as I want to really run, I will listen to my body. I will build up and before I will do my physical therapy workouts as my warm up.

Since I got the OK, I also joined the No Boundaries running group at Fleet Feet Sports. I went to the meeting last night with my run buddy, Mary. I learned about the program and how it is set up. There is great support and knowledgeable people there to make sure that everything is covered from running to nutrition and injury prevention. While running with the group is two times a week, there are cross train days as well.
Wednesday night is the first run and since it is in the evening, I need to get some reflective gear. Might be time for the vest :)

It feels strange to wear running shoes. I have them on today to get my feet used to them. I cant wait for this to start!

The Trouble With Injury And What To Do When I Can Do Stuff

For a long time, I've been struggling with injury. My IT Band is a jerk and it resulted in a nice case of bursitis. UGH! Well, over the last few weeks, I have been going to physical therapy and I feel so much better for it. As I progress and the pail lessens, I'm looking to the future.

First, I started looking for local yoga sessions that wont break the bank. Yes, I have some great DVD's that I can do, but I want to get into a studio once or twice a week. So, if you are in Wilmington, NC, let me know where you go or where you recommend.

Second, and this is BIG, when I get the OK, I will be joining a local running class. Yes, I've done a lot of races. But since I have been hurt for so long, I am starting fresh. This is a good thing. I have the basis and stay active, but this will give me the form work I need. The group also works with physical therapists to make sure there is no injury. THIS IS BIG FOR ME! I'm so over being injured.

The hope is I get clearance on September 29 to be able to join the group and first training session is October 7. I am excited to run again and it is never to early to plan.

While this running season has been a giant FLOP for me, I look forward to a better one next year and allow myself to run injury free.

PS. If you run, stretching, core work, and more stretching is SO important. Listen to your body!

Rounding Out Vacation

So I've been back a few days now and have been looking back on how last weeks vacation went. It really was awesome! You saw my yoga beach trip and my kayaking trip with hubs. The last bit to share was our trip to the aquarium.

I LOVE aquariums. I spend a lot of my summer working on the beach with sea turtles helping them to get to the sea. Well, hubs took me to the Virginia Beach Aquarium. It was so amazing!

First, the size of the aquarium is huge. It is two buildings with about a 10 minute walk between them. The first building had all kinds of awesome animals and learning. We saw sharks and my favorite sea turtles. Sadly, we missed the sea turtle tour they had. But they were so active and friendly. I absolutely fell in love all over again with these beautiful creatures! They even came over for pics with me!

The walk to the second building was through a wooded area with paths. There were some stop and overlooks over the inlet. We got to see all kinds of butterflies, birds, and bird nests. As we got closer to the second building, there was an adventure course in the trees. Ropes, ladders, and bridges looped across the trees at different heights. It will definitely be on my to do list next time I go.

Building two had river and inlet animals. It had river otters. They are so personable and funny! I loved watching them play and swim. We also checked out the snakes and turtles. Unfortunately, the aviary was closed. They also had a dinosaur exhibit. We all know how much I LOVE dinosaurs. So of course I had to ham it up with them.

In addition to the aquarium, there was a lot of beach time and pool time. The weather was awesome. Nights were filled with laughing, stories, a wild game of cards against humanity, and a song challenge to the house a block over behind us. We also took a trip to downtown Virginia Beach for some video game fun. Nothing like playing like kids in an arcade.

Since it was vacation, I was a bit more loose with my meals. OK, I was very loose with foods and ate things that I normally won't eat (read ice cream, donuts, and fudge). Needless to say, I found some extra pounds that will be worked off. I have to admit, I am happy to be back to eating clean again!

Overall, vacation was a success! Can't wait for the next one!

Kayaking Adventure

Hubs and I decided to go on an adventure in Virginia Beach. I initially wanted to SUP, or stand up paddle boarding. After researching the information, we decided that wouldn't work. We needed to take lessons and it was a lot of work. We were looking for an adventure but not lessons and something great would be equally as fun. We decided to go kayaking. I've only gone once and in a single person kayak. This time, we did a double kayak.

Hubs and I got to the location and paid, put on life preservers (mine was way too big!) and climbed into  the double sport kayak. Hubs sat in back and I sat in the front. They pushed us off and down the canal we went. 

The wind was with us. While it was hard to move out there, we did some floating and took some pictures of what was around us. 

A pirate ship passed us and we enjoyed watching their show. We paddled out to the aquarium and turned around.

The wind back was crazy. Small waves splashed up over the front of the kayak as we paddled back. We looked at the pretty houses and picked out ones we liked. Then it was back to the launch where we got pulled in. 

We had a great time. We decided that we need single person kayaks. I wonder if they make purple ones.....

Peaceful Morning: A Sunrise Adventure

I woke up at just before 6am. I checked my phone to see what time sunrise was and saw I had 20 minutes to get to the beach and see the sun rise. I figured I would start the day with some yoga on the beach while I was at it.

I threw on my bathing suit and grabbed a towel and ran out the door and down to the beach. 

The sky was starting to brighten as I put out my towel to sit and meditate. 

The sky was stunning as pinks and purples turned to firey reds and oranges. It was so peaceful and beautiful. 

After watching the beautiful sunrise, I did about 30 minutes of yoga, did a little more meditation and returned home in total peace. 

Vacation is Coming!

I am heading on vacation to Sandbridge, VA on Saturday (outside of Virginia Beach). I'm excited but am trying to keep in mind balance. It is vacation so I know there will be some drinks and high fat foods. That means it is up to ME to balance it. Here are some ideas that I will use on vacation. They may also help you when you go.

1. I'm bringing precooked steel cut oats. I'm cooking them and putting them in a large Tupperware. Also bringing apples and cinnamon. Healthy breakfast for me!
2. I'm bringing my tablet. There will be wifi at the house and I can use Beachbody On Demand to get my work outs in. I am not bringing weights so I can do P90x3 or Cize, and yoga (there are many others but those top my list right now)
3. Tracking my food. Yup, food journal is coming. This way I can track my healthy and unhealthy options. I'm real. I will have small amounts of some things. I won't deprive myself, but keep it in balance.
4. I will continue to keep up with my challenge group. Why? Because just because I'm on vacation does not mean I can't be accountable. Besides, by using my challenge group, I can ensure I'm not falling off the wagon completely and eating the wagon!
5. Have something green with every meal. Not just green, but colorful. Any kind of veggies will do. But don't forget to eat them on your trip. I won't!
6. Have fun! It is vacation!!!

I will do my best to keep you updated on my awesome adventures!!

Modeling Part 2 - An Outside My Comfort Zone Adventure

This year really is a push to be outside my comfort zone. I've talked about how nothing amazing happens when you are in your comfort zone. So why not!!

As I blogged a short time ago, I helped my amazing friend on her photo shoot. I also got to to a little as well. My least favorite body parts (legs, hips, booty) were in leggings. I kind of pushed it out of my head as life happened. Working on getting my hip better, figuring out what my next adventure would be.....well, I stumbled upon the finished product. I happened to be scrolling through my Facebook feed and saw Jamie (the star of the show) in one of the tanks. The pic came out amazing!! So I went to the official site to see the rest of her pics. All of them were perfect! (So proud of her!) As I scrolled through, I saw my own pics. Two of them were up.

Honestly, it didn't matter to me if they ever saw the light of day. What mattered was that I stepped outside my comfort zone and tried something I would have never done before. Is it cool that they are up? YES! Was this my end game? NO. This was my friends gig and I was the support. But it did teach me a lot about what models do, what people behind the scenes do, and how photographers work. It was an awesome experience and if the opportunity were to come up again, I may do it again. But for now, let's leave it for others ;)

Meal Prep Monday: Zucchini Bake - A Kitchen Adventure

Meal prep Monday. What are you making in the kitchen? Me? Well there is the usual of steel cut oats, meatballs. I have fruits like bananas and apples, and I also have veggies like carrots, green beans, and zucchini bake. What?? Yup I make something new. I love zucchini so I picked a recipe from Fixate. It makes 4 servings and now I have some super awesome veggies for the week. Here it is below:

Zucchini Bake

4 servings

2 green, 1/2 blue 1/2 tsp

Ingredients:

4 zucchinis

2 tbs lemon zest

1/3 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbs olive oil

Directions:

1. Quarter the zucchini

2. Mix lemon zest, thyme, oregano, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper 

3.  Brush zucchini with olive oil put in baking dish

4. Sprinkle with mixture

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins

Take out and enjoy!!!

Want more recipes like this? Send me a note and I will get you set with more!

Working Out While Injured - A Fitness Adventure

Being hurt sucks. There is no other way to say it. When you hurt, all you want to do is feel better. Well, I have been in the injured list for well over a month (I think I went on in April and it is now the end of July). I still work out through. WHAT? But you are injured! you may cry. Yes, my hip is injured. But that does not mean I will stop working toward my goal of healthy. If I were to stop eating right and give up all the work I have been putting into it, it would be like letting the air of of 3 tires because you have 1 flat tire. Why would I do that? I have a specific injury, it is not my whole body. There are a few rules to follow before doing this:

1. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR. Yes, it needs to be in bold and capital letters. If you hurt, go see your doctor. It will get you back to feeling better sooner. Plus you can ask what you CAN do.
2. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Yes, it needs to be in capital letters too! Don't do something that hurts you.
3. If your doctor (see rule 1) says that you can work other body parts, do so. Not sure what to do? Ask him/her, ask me, google it. There are loads of things you can do with a specific injury.

Here are some ideas:

Lower body injury (hips, legs, feet, ankles)
1. Arm Curls
2. Chest Press
3. Flies
4. Triceps
5. Abs

Upper body injury (shoulders, arms, hands)
1. Walk
2. Squats
3. Lunges
4. Abs

Injuries that require no impact
1. Yoga
2. Pilates
3. Push ups
4. Walking (this will be minimal impact)

There are so many things you can do to move. These are just a few examples. If you don't have weights you can always use cans, milk jugs, and water bottles. You can even fill up an old clean tube sock and sew it shut and together to make wrist weights. You can even purchase some inexpensive resistance bands. If you have no idea how to perform any of them, you can google it, or ask me. In a future post, I will show you some yoga moves that can get you started.

Modeling - An Outside My Comfort Zone Adventure

It's true. Some people call it stepping outside your comfort zone. Others call it taking risks. No matter what you call it, it's uncomfortable. Most people don't step outside of it because they are content with life as it is. Others do it all the time because they love that rush. I enjoy stepping outside of my comfort zone, not just because the rush of excitement, but because of the challenge that comes with it. That is what today's post is about.

My dear friend Jamie is a bikini competitor. She is working toward her pro card and really is a champion of all things fitness. She was asked to do a photo shoot for some pretty cool fitness gear. Quite honestly, I do not know if this was outside her comfort zone but I'm guessing not since she rocked it out! I went with her to help her change, adjust her clothing, and help her out. Imagine my surprise when she called me the night before and asked how I felt about helping out by shooting the leggings. It turns out that these leggings were a large and since Jamie was a small. My brain said "NO WAY! You have issues with your hips and thighs. You really want someone focusing in on them????!!!" Of course I told her yes, why not.

Why not. The rest of that night I was in shock that I said yes. Some may think "big deal!" But when you come from having issues with weight, low self esteem, and just being uncomfortable with yourself, it IS a big deal.

The next morning, I drove to my friend's studio where the shoot was taking place. It was all set up. Jamie was there and so was the photographer, Kevin. We all chatted and then it became real. "You're up first." I looked around like who are you talking to. But I knew. Deep inside I was so beyond uncomfortable. I went and changed into the first pair of leggings. Bright blue with a leopard print in black and dark blue. (I love them by the way.) Off I went. I followed his instructions and stood where I was told in the positions I was told. He shot pictures of my waist down. I changed a hand full of times wearing camo leggings, snow leopard print, and zebra
print. All the time he was shooting, I was thinking to myself, "What on earth am I doing? This is not my shoot. This is so strange, and uncomfortable." I refused to thing negative though. All the time, I did not once allow myself to think "I'm too fat for this. My thighs and butt are too big. They can see every lump and bump." Had I allowed myself to think that, I would have lost the wonder, excitement, and sense of risk.

Then I was done. It was time for the star of the show. Jamie changed in and out of some cool looking tops and modeled the hell out of them. She rocked the sexy, fierce, badass looks that the photographer was going for. I helped adjust, pin and make sure that she looked great in them. I started to relax and was rocking out to the music playing ( songs like Girls Girls Girls, Pour Some Sugar On Me, and Shook Me All Night Long)

What does this mean? It means step outside your comfort zone. You never know what it will do for you. You may have fun. Or make new connections. Or learn something new about yourself. Or you may learn it is not for you. And that is ok. So try new thing and push yourself outside that comfort zone and see what grows!

Meal Prep Monday - A Kitchen Adventure! Zucchini Chips:

Well, its that time again! Time to cook with me!

Last kitchen adventure, I posted a recipe from the Autumn Calabrese cookbook, zucchini chips. Well, this week, I made them as part of my meal prep. Some things to note:

1) WATCH THEM! We have some skinny little zucchinis here and I used one. The recipe says 2 hours, mine could have done better at an hour and 15 mins. Some were supa crispy BUT it did not take away from the taste. I strongly recommend them.
2) smaller zucchini means more in my serving. My 1 little sad zucchini turned into 1 serving.

Here is the recipe again in case you missed it

Zucchini Chips from Fixate
Containers: 1 Green and 1/2 tsp

Ingredients:
2 large zucchini, very thinly sliced
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 225 F
2. Place zucchini slices in one layer between paper towels to help draw out liquid
3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
4. Place zucchini slices on parchment paper
5. Brush zucchini with olive oil and season with salt
6. Bake for 2 hours, or until golden brown and crispy
7. Cool completely before serving

You can also try different seasonings like Parmesan (that is what I did), red pepper flakes, pepper, BBQ seasoning, Mrs. Dash....really whatever you like. Play with it some.

As usual, I also made oats and am still rocking some leftover meatballs from last time. I also have 3 more servings of the mac n cheese. I need to learn not to be scared of the grill since I want to make some chicken kabobs with pineapple and veggies.

An Aquarium Adventure

Remember I talked about happy minds? Well here is another of my happy places. I LOVE the aquarium. For me, it is peace, getting to learn and see animals, and interacting with them as well. There is something so peaceful about animals in the ocean (yes, even sharks).

So Hubs took me to the aquarium and here, my friends, is the adventure.

After fighting traffic, we walked from the lot to the front door. It is spider season in North Carolina. I am absolutely scared stupid of spiders, especially giant ones. These things had condos built. It took all I had not to walk in the middle of the road and run screaming. I'm proud to say I made it. (No, there are no pictures because.....spiders.)

The first thing we did was head to the lorikeets. These birds were beautiful. We purchased some nectar to feed them and made some bird friends. One wanted to drink the nectar so bad it hung upside down to drink! No two were alike. We just had to watch that we did not get pooped on. Lets face it, they are birds and a lot were sitting up high in the rafters.

We then went inside. I am always filled with childlike wonder when I go in. The front room is all local fish and animals that can be found here in the Carolina's. Everything from alligators to giant fish and frogs to box turtles. They also have a special exhibit with a beautiful junior bald eagle. What a HUGE bird! He was also stunning. Just to see this bird up close is amazing!

The next room is my favorite. Why? Because I LOVE sea turtles. I spend my summer volunteering to help these sweet endangered babies get to the big blue sea. I have been posting some pics as I head to the beach each day on my Facebook page, but once they hatch, I will add some more about them here. Anyway, they build a new enclosure for the loggerhead turtle and she is so cool! It was a highlight of my trip there.

We went downstairs next and checked out the jellies. Gotta love the jellies. They are so pretty (as long as they are not stinging me. Finally, we checked out the exotic aquatic area which had all kinds of cool fish and frogs. No trip to the aquarium is complete without getting to pet a shark.

I hope you get the chance to visit the aquarium at Fort Fisher in North Carolina. It is not huge but it is ours and it is full of our local wildlife. I hope it becomes a part of your happy place too.

Mouth, Body, and Mind

When we think of health and wellness, we tend to think of nutrition and exercise. Yes, this is a big part of getting healthy. But there is one more thing that needs to be added, and that is the mind. Let's explore more about this trifecta.

Nutrition
Food. How we love to eat. According to the Journal of American Medicine, about 78.6 million Americans are obese. That, my friend is a lot of people. We have so many food choices from fast food to comfort food and home cooking to any cultural food we want. With all of the options out there, why wouldn't we partake in all of the food. We don't want to miss out on the good stuff. When people think about getting healthy, they seem to think health food has to be bland, boring or just plan gross. Sorry friends, that is false. Nutrition is an important part of health and wellness. We need to eat good, clean, nutrient rich food most of the time. Everything should be in moderation if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Generally, I will say aim for 80% clean healthy foods and 20% other.

Exercise
You can't undo a crap diet. You just can't. You cant workout all day to burn off that burger (see moderation above). Exercise should be incorporated in your health and wellness plan 30 minutes every day. I'm not talking hard core exercise every day, but a mixture of different levels. One day go for a walk, another do a class, try yoga or a cardio class, you can workout from home to (that is what I do most times). The idea is to balance exercise with your nutrition.

Mind- and here is the good stuff
This one is a little more abstract. For nutrition and exercise to fall in place, you also need a healthy mind. This covers everything from why is it important to mental health in general (I'm talking things like depression, low self esteem, sadness, anger, and even happiness). You see, in order to keep you moving in the direction you want to, you need to believe that you CAN do it and have a positive mindset. Let's face it, it is not easy to change. Sometimes you need help (professional and non-professional) and support from friends and family. Sometimes you need personal development that you can find in a book or by journaling. I'm an avid reader and have found a few books that have really helped. Developing yourself and taking the time to work on you can help with changing negative mindsets. (I will include book reviews on personal development books as we go along as well.) At the end of the day, your positive mindset and belief that you can do it will help you meet nutrition and exercise goals (see, they do tie in).

Why did I share this with you? Because for you to meet your health and wellness goals, you need to feed all three. I will post a lot about exercise and meals but you will also see me post about things that make me happy. I invite you to share with me some of your favorite meals, exercises, or just things that feed your mind and make you happy.

References:
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

Super Saturday - A Team Beachbody Adventure

The whole group!

On July 25, I went to Super Saturday. What is that? It is a meeting that happens across the U.S. and Canada where coaches and those interested in coaching or just curious about the whole thing meet together and talk about the business, products, and Beachbody in general. Plus we do a large group live workout at the end.

Yup, is sounds dull, when in reality it is something very powerful to attend. The one I attended was in Raleigh, NC and the theme was Star Spangled Super Saturday. Here is a run down of why it is powerful.

1. We celebrated our troops. This is big to me. A lot of coaches and Beachbody members are military. Any company that celebrates the troops is good in my book.
2. We celebrated our successes as individuals on Beachbody.
3. We talked about the central theme of Beachbody, Every One Matters. Yes, every one. We talked about coming together to help everyone.

Our team and Mark Briggs

4. The business is people. It is not numbers (like with any business itself, numbers will come if you make it about the people). It is about helping people who want help. It is about learning about the products that are out there to help those who want help.
5. Meet cool new people. I love to meet new people. LOVE IT! I got to meet local North Carolina coaches.
6. Powerful guest speakers. Mark Briggs spoke at ours. He is super real, passionate, and believes in what he does....helping people.
7. At the end, Mark lead us in a workout that was amazing and challenging. At the end of it, we had to do pyramid team workout. It was 3 moves starting at 1 and finishing at 10 (1 X jump, 1 squat, 1 pushup, 2 X jumps, 2 squats, etc). After we finish ours we cheer each other on to finish. One young lady behind me was working through hers and most of us finished. What did we do? A good bunch of us jumped in with her and finished with her. If this does not show support of each other and caring and helping others with their goals, I don't know what does (I still get emotional thinking about it). If you want to see the video, its on my Facebook page, A fit Toribean.

As an added bonus, I got to meet some of my coach team here, Crit and Brenda. I love them dearly and it was not even like "meeting them for the first time," it was like seeing old friends again. Coaches become a family. And of course, with family, we like to be silly. (Trust me, we had a blast!) I can't wait for the next one in October. Who wants to come with me?

Be badass!