Buck Up Buttercup!

This week is what I would call mopey military wife week. Our guys are headed out on a 6 week mission and that leaves our little butts behind in Alaska.

This can lead to several things: over eating, binge drinking, complaining, crying, depression, anxiety, sleepless nights, and sometimes good old-fashioned melodramatic tantrums.

Well at least that’s what I sometimes do. Poor Trevor has gotten me full blast when he calls at 4am my time, because at 9pm his time it made sense. Combine above symptoms with not being a morning person and you better watch out.

But instead of pouting and slowly turning into a hermit, I decided to make a 6 week challenge/bucket list for myself. Six weeks after all is NOT long in military terms. Six months would kick my butt, and a year is just inhumane to do to a person. Believe me, I know that this is essentially the pre-school version of military missions. SO I say, it’s time to put on my big girl pants and enjoy myself.

Side note: I love you honey, I will miss you… but I think you’ll agree, we’ll both be happier if I don’t pine over you every minute of the day. Cause if I did, I would end up like this….

I already have a penchant for red wine and ridiculously animated sing-a-longs. This would NOT be a stretch.

Here we go:
1. Movie night: My Week With Marilyn
2. Buy and refinish a mirror for our bedroom
3. Finish the Bodyrockers 30 day challenge (I started 2 weeks late, so I’m almost done)
4. Make my own Thai Green Curry chicken dish
5. GALentine’s day with my favorite AF ladies
6. Beauty night… face masks, deep conditioning my hair… essentially look as scary as possible

I got the blue ones when I was in Vegas… a colorful addition to my workout wardrobe

7. Time a mile run… see how much I can improve in 6 weeks

8. Watch Meet Joe Black. I have never seen it, but I’m told it is necessary to my existence.

9. Go to restaurant week in Denver (I’m going home for a week! Holllerrrr)
10. Back to blogging… trying for 2-3 times a week

A shout out to those spouses that handle the deployments, long TDYs, and years that are filled with good-byes. Somehow they manage to keep their chins ups, and handle all that the military hands them. As a newbie at this, I sincerely tip my hat to you. And that is the reason for this 6 week absence, I will suck it up, cause you know what, it’ll be over before I know it.

It’s Spin Awhile

This is my last week of spin before I have some vacation time, so I’ve hunted down new music to make my class really work! If you need some new workout tunes, these are some old and new favorites…. Now go out, get in a spin class, a Jingle Bell run, or hop on the elliptical! Don’t gain, just maintain during the rest of the holidays…

Warm Up:
I Want You to Want Me – Save Ferris (3:26)
Don’t Stop – Foster the People (2:56)

Workout:
DJ Us Falling in Love (3:40) Surges and Cadence: Focus on 80-90% effort for the surges, and then return to a steady, quick pace
:40-1:12, 1:44-2:16, 2:56-3:36
Enjoy the Silence (4:15) Climb
Tonight is the Night (3:10) Running Flats. Stand up, and pick up the pace for this flat run.
:48-1:04, 1:36-1:52, 2:16-3:04
Tune the Levels – Germany Mashup (4:07) Interval Ladder
10off -20sprint 10off -30sprint 10off -40sprint 10off – 30sprint 10off – 20sprint
Sunday Bloody Sunday (4:42) Climb
Blackout (3:30) Sprints
:27-:43, 1:07-1:38, 2:28-3:29
Sinnerman (4:35) Cadence. Pick a fast and a little uncomfortable pace. Hold on to that pace the whole song
On the Floor (3:51) Circuit. Rotate every 20s, adding tension every other move. Sitting, Standing, standing climb, hover.
Kiss (3:46) Cadence and then transition to the hover position for the choruses.
Kung Fu Fighting (3:35) Running Flats
:52-1:23, 1:57-2:29, 3:05-3:29
Jump That Rock (3:24) FAST Climb. Standing the whole time, stay with the pace of the song as best you can, adding every 45s.
We R Who We R (3:25) Hover and Sprints. Transition from hovering to a seated sprint
Hover: :40 Sprint: :56-1:11
Hover: 1:44 Sprint: 2:00-2:15 Stand and Jog
Last Sprint: 2:48-3:20

Cool Down:
Let’s Stay Together (3:18)
When She Loved Me (3:05)

Hope you guys get in a great workout, and then enjoy some time with your family!

Ho, ho, ho! 🙂

Online Dating MO

I love reading around the blog world and peeking into the different stages of people’s lives. From people who are in the throes of redoing their house, to having a baby, to becoming healthier, and of course the dating and wedding scene.

Today I was reading Melissa’s blog and I was thrown back into a little nostalgia of my Match.com days. As I’ve said before, I met Trevor on the good ol internet. Technically speaking I paid a bargain price of 60 bucks to paired up with my 6’3″ drink of water. Money well spent.

But I know that just because it worked for me, doesn’t mean it works for everybody. Having horrible dates, creepy dudes messaging you, and maybe not having the right guy pop up isn’t exactly fun. But just like going to the bars, getting set up on blind dates, its kinda like winning the lottery. You win some, you lose some.

So here’s my two cents. If you have a snub factor going for online dating sites, cause “they’re weird” and “I don’t want to meet my spouse over the internet”, I think you should look at as having a cheat sheet to every person’s character and interests in a bar. Essentially online dating allows you to narrow out the people who will a) bore you to tears b) don’t have similar values and c) you don’t have to see them in person to reject them.

Is it really that easy? No. You can still end up on a date with a complete jerk, or not realize who they really are until you meet them. But chose your own pace. I felt most comfortable moving in stages. I’d trade a few emails with a guy and then if there was some witty or interesting banter happening, I’d send my number. That way we can see if their personality is consistent on the phone with their writing skills. Obviously, writing only gets you so far. Unfortunately I’m sure I freaked several guys out with my sarcasm. Apparently its difficult to tell when I’m kidding. Shhorry 🙂 But at least do a little screening… or you could end up on a date with this:

Cat Lady

If they passed the phone test, then it was on to the dating world. This process could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how frequently you email or talk. The first guy I went out with, we emailed for a week or so, talked on the phone twice and made a date. I had a heads up of his personality without knowing so much about him that we’re left pushing our food around our plates.

As for my profile, well here it is… Yup, I’m giving you the goods. Judge me!! I dare you! I snagged a hot pilot with it so don’t get to high and mighty on me!

In my own words

for fun:

I love to run! I coached xc and track at Boulder High last year and had a blast hanging out with my team. I absolutely love to cook and obsessively watch the Food Network. I make some mean crab cakes, and my go to item is Chicken Parmesan.

my ethnicity:

Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Irish

my education:

I went to CU, Leeds School of Business. While I grew up in Fort Collins, my entire family is a huge group of Buff graduates. I’ve known the fight song since I was 2. I think if you were a Huskers fan, we’d have serious issues 🙂

favorite hot spots:

Hot spots are anywhere with a nice rooftop or patio to sit outside and relax with some amazing food… as far as locations San Francisco, Hawaii, New Zealand, Barcelona, Switzerland, Paris, and of course Colorado

favorite things:

Grey’s Anatomy, Top Chef, anything on the Food Network, hip hop, rock, country, and Mexican food!! I want to try so many restaurants, anything from burrito stands to big splurge dinners!

last read:

Harry Potter series, Cooking Lite, Shape and Self magazine, mystery novels, Diane Mott Davidson books

my pets:

I love big dogs, not little ones that yip! A cat is ok, not plural, but honestly dogs are 40 times better to me

About my life and what I’m looking for

I just graduated school and already love my job. It’s really important to me to find someone who is motivated career wise and is invested in the career.
I love sports and working out. It would be really great to find someone who I can not only go to games with but run a 5k with.
I love my friends and family and consciously try to work them into my busy schedule. I love to spend time with them, and do nice things to surprise them to show that I’m thinking of them. I think it’s really important to appreciate the people in your life and show them how much they mean to you.
Bottom line for me is that I want someone who makes me laugh, can do something active with, and then be completely comfortable around no matter what we’re doing.

oh and I’m extremely sarcastic, in my family, its honestly a language

 Overall, I would recommend it. I know it’s not for everybody though. Maybe its worth the free trial though! So there is my little soap box opinion. Hope you guys are having a great week!

** Ps. We are on Match.com Success Page

30 Seconds to Mars

Last week I gave you guys a Minute to Win It Workout… well this week I thought I’d downsize the time but kick some serious butt, minimal rest, and quick transitions.

Usually when I teach boot camps we switch between the aerobics room and the field house. Today was a mandatory field house day. We needed the space and room to run. If you’re knocking this baby out at home then you can substitute with some plyo or evening just running in place. Focus on getting your heart rate up during the cardio bursts!

Formula is 3 minutes of weights, 2mins of cardio. I had a heavier set of weghts: 10lbs, and then a lighter set (for shoulder stuff): 6lbs. Higher weight is great for these since they are short bursts but focus on your form. Drop your weight if your form is compromised.

Let’s get to it!

30s for each:
Bicep Curls

Bent Rows
Squat with Figure 8 weight pass
Plank Rows
Burpees with Overhead Press (light weights)
Lunge Jumps

Cardio, 1min each:
Back Pedaling
Squat Jumps

30s each:

Chest Flys
Tricep Press
Concentric Curls (30s each side)

Squat with Arm Swings
Pelvic Thrusts with weights
Shoulder Raises

Cardio, 1min each:

High Skips
Nordic Skier

30s each:
Wide Bicep Curls
Lunges with Overhead Press
Jumping Jack with Front Punch (light weights)

Deadlifts
Push-ups
Sumo Squat with Lateral Pull

Cardio, 1min each:
High Knee Run
Sprint (we did a suicide run, down and back from each goal line)

For my hour class we repeated the first two sets of weights and cardio. Then, its was time to really finish the workout, time for abs!

Abs, 30s each:
In & Outs
Bicycles (legs only)
Scissor kicks with 3s hold before switches
Side Plank with Hip Raises (each side)
Plank (hold one leg up for 15s each)

My heart definitely got pumping on the cardio bursts and by using a heavier weight for the strength circuits I knew I was challenging myself. This would be a perfect workout if you’re on your own, or grab a friend and push each other.

We’re headed into Food Heaven Holidays, I love my cinnamon rolls and gravy, so I just keep myself on track as best as possible with high intensity workouts that get great bang for the buck.

Mentality check is just maintain, don’t gain.

Have a great Wednesday!

Move Over November

Once November hits it seems as if there is a lot of pressure to get the holidays moving. Halloween wasn’t even over and we had Christmas stuff out. I mean, I live in North Pole, so there are kinda always some Christmas stuff around, but this was full up welcome to the holidays. Source

I kind of already have anxiety about getting my Halloween decorations put away to get on the Thanksgiving bandwagon. Who knew that Thanksgiving had to have its own decorations. Where is my decorative turkey?? Ahhhhh what am I doing with my time?!?!?

So while I have minor panic attacks about being behind on decorative poultry, here are the pesky pumpkins I promised. Yes they are a day late. Deal with it.

My didn’t look that great unlit. It kind of looked like I carved everything I could out of the poor thing… but lit, I think it looks pretty cool 🙂So now as we move into the whirlwind of November to January, I’m putting one thing on my calendar that I know will be fun

The premise is this: sign up. Receive the addresses of three other food bloggers. Send each of them one dozen delicious homemade cookies. Receive three different boxes of scrumptious cookies from other bloggers. Eat them all yourself (or, you know, share. If you want. No judgement either way.) Post your cookie recipe on your blog. See everyone else’s cookie recipes. Salivate. Get lots of great ideas for next years’ cookie swap. Rinse and repeat.

I also have Thanksgiving to gear up for. We’ll be hosting our second feast, and I definitely want a fantastic turkey like last year.

Here we go, Holiday Season 2011!

Spin-spiration

Two weeks away from my normal spin routine, that’s 4 classes that I normally teach, and I was RAWRing to go last night.

I hit up my favorite gym at home and Shazam-ed songs that I liked during class. I constantly use my iPhone and this app all over the place. If I hear a song on a TV show that I think can work, I pause it and get my phone queued up so that I don’t forget it.

So between new instructors and having a wider range of radio stations to listen to, I was really excited to have a completely brand spankin’ new playlist for my first class.

After the elevation in Colorado, I thought I’d have a bit of an edge on this work out, but in the end I was a drenched sweaty, panting pansy. This is tough, but awesome….

As the weather gets colder (other places are getting colder, right? Just say yes), get inside and find a spin class that motivates you… Or print this out and push yourself! Either way, let’s do this..

Warm-Up:
I Don’t Feel Like Dancing (4:49) Flat road, get your legs moving, and do some easy stretching during the last 2 mins

Pump It (3:33) Intervals, 20s race speed (90%) effort, 10s rest. Keep this pattern going for the whole song
Now We Found Love (4:16) 4 count jumps -standing to seated for 1min, standing to hover for 1min… repeat
Grenade (3:42) Climb, turn it up and out to position three for the chorus, don’t touch the dial and sit back down for the verses
Titanium (4:05) Rolling Hills, build up a hill until :45 HOVER, turn it back down to a flat road at 1:16-1:31 and sprint it out, build up the hill again, 2:02 Hover, turn it down and sprint at 2:32-2:48, turn tension back up to an 8/10 to hover 2:48-3:10, standing jog, sprint with high tension on 3:33-4:05
Valerie – Glee Cast Version (3:35) recover for 40s, circuit track, 20s in each position, seated, standing, position three (standing climb)
Should I Stay or Should I Go (3:09) seated climb, with surges (80-90% effort) during the choruses
Paralyzer (3:25) Standing climb, add on resistance every 30s.. by the last 30s it should be really grinding, and pushing hard to keep moving
New Year’s Day (4:19) Cadence, if you have a distance moniter, track how far you can go during this +4min song. Try and stay with a consistent pace the whole way!
Jump for My Love (4:26) Jumps! Start with seated to hover jumps, then standing to hover, then standing to seated. All 4 counts, 2 counts for choruses. Enough tension must be on to stay in control!
Harder To Breathe (2:54) Circuit climb, 25s each position, and turn it up every time you move
You Make Me Feel (3:36) Hovers and sprints. Hover :40-:58, sprint :58-1:12, Hover 1:42, sprint 2:10-2:40 2:41 Hover, 2:59-3:27 sprint
Without You (3:28) circuit sprints, seated easy climb, seated sprint 1:15-1:37, Standing Climb and add tension, at 2:25 move out to position three add more tension, position three sprint 2:41-3:12, finish the song with a low and SLOW hover
My Body (4:04) SPRINTS!! 30/60/30 Add tension before each sprint to keep from bouncing. 1:00-1:28  1:58-2:58   3:28-4:00

Cool Down
Drift Away (4:16) Cool down, keep at least a 6/10 for tension on, let your heart rate come down, go through an easy circuit.
If I Ever Lose My Faith In You (4:32) take tension completely off, stretch out!

Push yourself to add the tension on… Your hills should be built gradually but each turn should make a difference in the amount of effort. Knock out those last sprints like its the end of the race and push to the finish line!!

Its great to be back in my classes and hopefully these playlists will get you moving too. I’ll be back later this week with a boot camp routine that was seriously a butt-kicker!

Have a great Wednesday!

Pop-Tastic

My legs have been burning this week and I can’t blame anyone but myself 🙂

It’s a nice feeling to know that if I’m sore, the people who took my class must be too. Monday was an intense day of jumping, pumping, squatting and curling.. But last night wasn’t much of a break 🙂 It was time to bring the heat and put the pedal to the metal.

Here’s this week’s spin-fest!

Need You Tonight (3:06) Warm up
Cooler Than You (3:33) Circuit run through, stretch

Rolling In The Deep (3:48) Climb
Pace pick-ups (standing) at 1:00-1:18,return to pace and seated, 1:55-2:30, HOVER,2:50-3:08, pace and sit, 3:08-3:48
Keeps Gettin’ Better (3:03) Jumps -four count
What the Hell (3:40) Sprints 25/25/35
:45-1:10, 1:55-2:20, 2:53-3:30
Gimme Sympathy (3:55) Circuit, change positions every 20s, quarter turn increases
E-Pro (3:28) Climb, Slow and steady, build a steep hill
I Like to Dance Climbs with Surges, choruses pick-up your speed, stay seated until the last surge
:51-1:06, 1:39-1:54, Standing Jog, 2:09-2:52
One More Time (3:51) Cadence, focus on a pace that is out of your comfort zone, maintainable for only a few minutes. Hovers: 1:35-2:15, 2:38-3:12 (sink down from a jog, so that you’re in a squat on the bike, upper body as still as possible)
DJ Got Us Falling In Love (3:40) Jumps and sprints, Jumps on the verses, choruses to sprint
:40-1:12, 1:44-2:17, 2:56-3:36
Bon, Bon (3:36) Keep those jumps coming!
Disease (3:40) Rolling Hills, build a quick hill and take only 1/2 turn off for the downhills. Downhills at 1:02, 1:50, and 3:15… sprint it out for about 10s and then return back to climb the next hill, steeper each time
Kissed It (4:37) Standing Climb… A MOUNTAIN. Stand the whole time and keep adding til you’re really pressing to get through the hill.
Hello (4:41) Cadence, with slight pick-ups at the chorus
Til the World Ends (3:58) Final Sprints, kick it into gear and finish it fast!
:53-1:23, 2:06-2:50, Jog, 3:23-3:58 (option on last sprint to hover out of the saddle for 20s sprinting then go to seated sprint)

Look After You (4:29) Cool Down, circuit run through slowing down
Curious George (3:02) Stretch it Out!

This is a pop mix that really kicked my butt.. By the 2nd to last song I was tired and ready to melt off the bike. But the final sprints are my favorite. Be tough, add the tension on and work it out.

Hope you enjoy it!

A Quickie

Have you heard the saying that “Someone Busier Than You Is On A Run”?

I know it’s the easiest thing to make excuses for, but finding time to work out can sometimes feel like just another item to check off your to do list. The thing is that once it becomes part of your daily routine there is not as much room for excuses.

Believe me I know the tricks of how to talk myself out of hitting the gym. And sometimes my day is honestly too packed.. BUT I have a solid commitment to make it 5 days a week. That leaves 2 days of wiggle room.

I usually use the week days as consistent workout days, but if one day is too busy then I can shift it easily to the weekend. I also convince myself that if an afternoon is hectic but the early morning is available.. I gotta suck it up and go. Yup, out of bed, gym clothes on.. Time to get my sweat on!!

My top things that encourage me to go to the gym are:

1) Put on my workout clothes before I even try to make excuses. This way even if I only have 20 minutes I can do some quick exercises at home, and not have the excuses of driving somewhere!

2) Unless I’m sick, going to the gym is something I rarely regret. It’s important to listen to your body and relax on days you need some R&R, but otherwise the gym is quality YOU time. I always leave feeling accomplished.

3) I try not to think of workouts as a cause-effect equation. Just BECAUSE I ate ice cream or had a big dinner doesn’t mean I HAVE to go to the gym. I go to the gym because it makes me feel good, strong, and healthy. I go to clear my head and to pump some endorphins around my bod. Working out should not be a punishment!

If I’m headed out-of-town, have only a little time to spare or driving to the gym seems a little to hard here is a circuit that will boost my heart rate, get a little sweat going and requires zero equipment.

Warm Up: 1min per exercise
Jumping Jacks
High Knee Runs
Jump Rope
Walking Lunges

Circuit:
Bunny Hop Squat Jumps
Side Lunges
Plank Rotations
Russia Twist Abs
Mountain Climbers
30s Rest
Jump Rope
Sumo Squats
Leg Raises
Push-Ups
Mountain Climbers
Superman Raises
Side Plank (ea. side 30s)
Plank

Cool Down:
Jog in Place
Stretch out

The more time you have, the more you can repeat! Mountain climbers are the tough guys to really boost your heart rate. If you can keep transition time to a minimum you’ll blast more calories too.

Pat yourself on the back for getting workouts in where you can! Reward yourself with a workout instead of sitting on the couch! Sad but true, you burn more calories sleeping than watching TV. Get your butt moving 🙂

80s Baby!

Hi Friends! Hope you enjoyed the first post from my seester 🙂 Last time I was in DC she took me to Ted’s Bulletin and it was pretty awesome. Get the pop tarts!!

Keep your eyes out for more from Elyse… she’s my cosmopolitan girl, hitting up the big city and giving my culture starved self some fun stories.

Today was spin city! My usual Tuesday class was in for a little themed adventure…

Everyone knows these songs, and I thought it’d be fun to get some shweaty spinning on while we listened to some old schools beats 🙂

Get on that bike, rock a side pony, and DO IT!

Get On Your Feet -Gloria Estefan (3:40) Warm Up
Jump – Van Halen (4:01) Finishing warming up, stretch out, and go through each position on the bike. Sitting, standing jog, aggressive climb (position 3), and hover.

Start Me Up – Rolling Stones (3:32) Start the workout with a hill climb. Seated for the verses, standing for the chorus. Stand it up from: :50-1:15, 1:40-2:00, 2:22-2:40. Add resistance before each standing section.
Mony Mony – Billy Idol (5:00) Sprints! Recover for the first 40s, make sure you turn up the tension before each sprint… :40-1:00, 1:43-2:03, 2:55-3:16, 3:58-4:50
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield (3:15) Cadence and Hovers. Focus on returning back to a strong pace after each hover! Hover from 0:46-1:13, 2:02-2:20
You Shook Me All Night Long – Ac/Dc (3:30)Circuit, move from each position on the bike every 30 seconds
Raspberry Beret – Prince (3:33) Jumps! Four counts from standing to sitting, and then switch to standing to hovers!
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice (4:10) Climb and Hover! Start heavier resistance 7.5/10 Stand up at :41s and Hover at :58-1:15, then sit back down with a half turn on resistance. Stand up at 2:04, Hover at 2:21-2:237, sit back down and add. Final hover at 3:10-3:31, finish the climb in the saddle with one last turn!
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi (4:11) Sprints! 1:17-1:48, 2:23-2:56, 3:16-3:55
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (4:54) Rolling Hills, start building the hill adding a half turn every 20s, at 1:26 take a half turn off and pick up your pace, then come back to regular pace and starting building another hill at 1:48, again adding every 20s. Take a half turn off at 2:48 and try to pick it up again using the momentum of less tension. One last hill starting at 3:06, add tension every 20s and take a full turn and a half off at 4:28 to come down fast!
What I Like About You – The Ramones (2:58) Jumps! Sitting to standing for the full 3 mins
Hungry Like a Wolf – Duran Duran (3:28) Last hill circuit. Turn it up every 30s.. make it a tough hill! Its your last one!
Sunglasses at Night – Voodoo Remix (3:13) Mini sprints! :45-1:02, 2:10-2:39
I’m Free – Kenny Loggins (3:47) Last set of SPRINTS and you’re done!! 1:17-1:48, 2:23-2:56 and the last sprint is a long one.. FLOOR IT, and get everything out of the tank! 3:16-3:55

Cool Down to Hungry Eyes and Sweetest Thing!

Challenge yourself and really add the tension on, sprint it hard, and keep pushing! You will torch some serious calories with these intervals!

Have a great night guys!

Happy Friday

I absolutely love this song. And I obviously have a very large soft spot for our troops.

Send a good, positive thought or prayer to the troops serving tonight. It’s nice to send a random happy thought to a group of people who think of us all the time…