Insane - Fitness?

So three days ago I started Insanity - a series of workout dvds with Shaun T that drives you to "dig deeper" as you move through 40min of cardio. I have had these dvds [well, files on my hard drive] since my Junior yr at USAFA and I never got around to trying them out. Well, it is safe to say I have felt the burn. 

Seriously. It is just 40min a day and you can do it in your living room! Getting in shape or maintaining your shape couldn't fit into your lifestyle any easier. I would just keep your pets away while you do because my pup likes to headbutt me every time I do a pushup and step on my hair if it is ever on the ground. I dont think she is a fan of my working out. 

If you know me, you know I have done my share of fitness. From swimming, to fencing, water polo, yoga, triathlons  etc, I kinda dip my fingers in as many pots of fitness as I can. I have done crossfit workouts too - many a stairwell work out in college but with my new work schedule I have found it hard to get to a physical gym and I havent been on my bike in a bit - need to take it to a shop to get it fixed. So I have turned to the at-home gym and Mr Shaun T has been quite helpful. I am hoping to try and keep up with it for 60 days and really see if there is much difference. The reality is, I'm pretty happy with my body. It pretty much likes to sit at the weight its at and in order to get down more I would have to sacrifice foods I like which just isn't an option. I'm healthy and I'm strong and I just want to stay that way.

But that brings me to a different point - America doesnt know how to just be happy being healthy. We are obsessed with ideals - the "skinny" ideal and the every growing "fitness" ideal. I read a really interesting article about this here. This ideal we have of fitness where women are getting to such low percents of body fat in order to have these cut defined muscles that it is sometimes worse for their health than before.

Not to mention that to get to these body types that we see on magazine covers, we have to begin sacrificing foods and sanity. Counting every calorie in and out. Now dont get me wrong, I keep a [rough] running tally in my head of the amount of calories I eat in a given day but if I want that piece of chocolate, you bet I am going to eat it. I dont want to live on salad all day. I just wish that the ideals we tout to society were more realistic to those of us who dont live in an airbrushed world. 

But I do love salad. Which is another thing I think about often - how I have trained myself to think that healthy foods taste better than any of that crappy junk food. I crave avocados over m&ms, when I want a late night snack, I cook up some collard greens and hot sauce or some bbq green beans. Weird. maybe. but healthy just feels so good to me, I wish that everyone was able to eat healthy foods and truly enjoy them. It makes me so happy when I hear about people trying new lifestyle food or workout changes. 

A guy at work started the Paleo diet last month and has dropped 20 lbs. Every day he comes in and we sit and talk about what were eating and what he's made and how much he has learned about eating healthy whole foods and how good he feels. I can't even explain how happy that makes me. I love talking about eating good foods.

How do you feel about health and fitness? Is it something that makes you excited or is it something you are constantly struggling to get through?

Good Clean Fun

So this past weekend [well, my weekend for work, so Sunday, Monday, Tuesday] was full of fun. It actually started on Saturday when I did the Warrior Dash with some friends.

So the Warrior Dash is a 5k obstacle course run and the proceeds go towards the Wounded Warrior Project.

The purpose of the Wounded Warrior Project is 

• To raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members.
• To help injured service members aid and assist each other.
• To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.

It is a great cause and we were happy to participate - not to mention we bought Groupon for the event and saved $30 per entry! I am always looking for that bargain!

Anyways, there were lots of obstacles like crawling through mud, climbing walls and 

JUMPING OVER FIRE! I have to say, my mom popped into my head before this one...She caught fire when she was younger and has a huge scar on her arm to show for it. I've always had a healthy respect for fire and I almost bowed out of this obstacle but i just took a breath and powered through.

Yes, I am too cheap to buy the real picture.

There was a good amount of mud - especially at the end. It was a blast to do though and it really sparked the athlete in me again - I def have the itch to do more races and running events. I was looking at a half marathon for my birthday but registration was already closed =( I'll keep my eye out though!

After the race I picked up the boyfriend at the airport and then had to go to work. I introduced him to Demon {aka Lola} and hoped for the best. The seemed to have hit it off, even if I did task him with giving her a bath.

Sunday we decided to take Demon for a hike at Red Rocks National Canyon. You may remember I went here with Sarah as well. I just can't get enough of this place and neither can the Demon. It is just so beautiful.

We picked one trail and did about a 3 hour round trip hike called Ice Box Canyon Trail. There were so many incredibly colored rocks, we could not stop pointing out which ones were our favorites.

We found a pretty cool old tree too.

 I didn't realize I was dating a monkey. He was just climbing all over everything!
After our hike we decided to check out the Asian Food Festival. Unfortunately, it was a bust. Unlike food festivals in Florida, we had to pay to get in to the festival as well as for the food. And the first vendor we saw was McDonalds. How Asian.
There were a few decent places with Thai, Vietnamese, Korean,Philipino, and Indian but all in all, we would have been better off going to a real restaurant. Oh well, the boyfriend was a sport and we got to sit around and watch some kids put on different dances

For dinner that night we went to Le Provencal in the Pairs hotel. I had a Groupon for there - $20 for $40  that was set to expire Nov 7. We each had Italian Margaritas [ok, I had 1/2 of one... I can't handle all the sugar] and shared the Bouillabaisse. Yum.

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. According to tradition, the origins of the dish date back to the time of the Phoceans, an Ancient Greek people who founded Marseille in 600 BC. Then, the population ate a simple fish stew known in Greek as 'kakavia.' Something similar to Bouillabaisse also appears in Roman mythology: it is the soup that Venus fed to Vulcan. It was pretty delicious. I love seafood and the broth was very warm and comforting. It had clams and scallops and mussels and fish and shrimp and potatoes in the pot in addition to the broth that almost reminded me of french onion soup. And of course we finished it off by sharing a creme brulee. My absolute favorite desert. =)

Monday we decided to check out the Mob Museum. This place goes through the history of how the Mob started, how it ran, and how the US Government cracked down on it. It touched on all the big names - Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, John Gotti, etc.

Las Vegas used to be a seriously scary place -In its heyday from the 50s-80s the Mob owned every hotel on the Strip. The took a lot of money through skimming but they also gave back to the community by building hospitals and community centers.

Here is an interesting article about a "Mob Survivor" in Vegas. http://www.lvrj.com/news/survivor-remembers-las-vegas-mob-days-139177024.html 

We checked out the Buffet at Caesars Palace for lunch. They just revamped it and I wanted to see how it held up. It was good to be sure but all in all we weren't overwhelmed by it. And it was super modern which really clashed with the rest of the Resort decor and ambiance. I think I will continue to check out other Buffets before I head back there. But we enjoyed walking the Strip and I finally made it into the Venetian/Palazzo resorts. Very beautiful, as expected. They had wonderful fall decor in the open areas that we enjoyed. I cannot wait till the Christmas decor goes up in the hotels, it is going to be spectacular.

And we finished the night off with a show - Zumanity at New York New York hotel. The show claims to be "the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil" and there is definitely a lot more nudity and sexual innuendo than the other shows. I had seen this show almost exactly two years prior and I actually noticed that they had taken a couple things out this time which I was a bit disappointed about. It is a good show to be sure, and wonderful for couples [aka dont go see it with the parents] but I think I will enjoy going to the other Cirque shows. It was nice this time because on Mondays they have local prices 2 for $99 which is the best deal around for the show. And our seats were really pretty good.

And now back to a fun filled week of working out, homework, and work. Wish me luck!

XO

That Florida Sunshine

 I left my camera in Florida .... so minimal pictures =(

When life gives you lemons, add some ginger, carrots, and apples and make it healthy. Because in all reality, alcohol never makes it better for you. That is kind of how my last few days have been. Had a rough couple days that were pretty disappointing but I ended up getting to go home to see my family and best friend and that really made it better. I really don’t like flying all that much. That may seem strange since I am in the Air Force for one and second because I’m always off flying around to see people but its true, I don’t really love flying. I do not however mind airports. I kind of like being surrounded by everyone moving and getting places from all over the world. And I like the snacks that I always get. I cannot remember the last time I was in an airport and didn’t have a Starbucks oatmeal and drink in hand.

So off to Florida I flew where my wonderful friend picked me up at 1 in the morning. Not gonna lie, we both went straight to sleep. There was not a whole lot of exciting shenanigans this weekend because, well, if you know my home town you know there is nothing to do. I am ok with that now. After all, I live in Las Vegas – I don’t really need to go home to “go out.” It is always good seeing my parents, I am always reminded how lucky I am. My dad and I are always pretty much on the same page when it comes to how we think so whenever I need relationship advice or someone to bounce my own thoughts of, he’s pretty solid. I appreciate that. I love my relationship with my dad, and I know I have my mom to thank for that too from when I was very little. Even if he does try and make me buy him Starbucks. What a clown.

 I had one morning that I spent entirely with my Grandparents as well. That was really nice. I am so lucky to have had my grandparents in my life for this long, and to have them play such an active role in my development and life progression. Neither of them hear very well but after 57 years of marriage they are sooo on the same wave length. One of them would ask me something, I would answer, and then the other one, not having heard a thing, would ask me the exact same thing right after. It’s really quite hilarious. And a bit cute too. My grandparents also still love each other. A lot. After all those years, it really is refreshing to see. My grandpa sometimes just tears up when he looks at my grandma and tells her he loves her. I wish that everyone could experience that kind of love. I hope that I am that lucky one day. But things are different now than they were back then.  A lot more opportunities and venues for people to mess everything up.

The momma bear and I went shopping. Our standard routine. When I was in high school we used to go to the mall every other weekend for sushi and Victoria’s Secret. I blame her for my overflowing drawers of undergarments. That I love. Its fun that no matter how old I get or where I’ve been, everything is just normal again, like when I lived in florida when I was in high school. I’m thinking I was quite the mature little high schooler. No big deal. I can’t believe I have not lived in Florida for 5 and a half years. Geez! It makes me sound so old. But I don’t feel old. Even if I am only weeks away from Gasp! 23. Hehe.

Had sushi with the biffle. For those who don’t know what that is, it is  the pronunciation of “BFFL” or “best friend for life”.  You know, what you say when you are in middle school and high school. “Biffle” sounds so much more grown up. Don’t you think? :-P So we had yummy sushi and then roasted marshmallows by the fire pit. 90% dark chocolate and Strawberry Riesling in tow. No graham crackers in sight, what with us being gluten intolerant but we didn’t really need them. We were so proud of ourselves for doing the fire all by ourselves. You may not think it is impressive, but we do. It was just nice having those couple hours to talk and catch up and reflect on our lives. A lot of reflection for us old 22/23 year olds to do. At one point her father came around the corner to scare us. It worked, sadly. The biffle screamed bloody murder and I yelped and grabbed the metal skewer in order to stab the attacker. Luckily he showed himself because I was going to aim for the eye or the...um… below the belt region. Glad to know I have quick reflexes!

I also had to spend an entire day writing a paper for my Masters class. Argh. I was in Starbucks from 9-5. Seriously. But I got the paper done. Not going to say done well…but done none the less. Never thought I would see the day I would be sitting in Spring Hill writing a paper on my time off. I guess that’s grown up life for you. Its ok though because I made a new friend at Starbucks and we chit chatted for about 90 minutes, which brought a nice reprieve. Plus its always nice to meet new people that are similar to you.

yup Im upside down. No, i dont know why.

I landed on Saturday and my friend immediately picked me up and we went to dinner and then prepared for the Strip. The funny thing was, the stewardess on the plane asked me "Oh are you going home to Vegas?" and I said "Yes, how did you know I wasnt visiting?" and she responded with "Well, you arent drunk or dressed like you are about to go to a club" haha I was so pleased with myself.

Needless to say... I acted like a tourist when we went out club hopping and paid the price the next morning. blech.

16 years of love

When I was 6 years old, I joined the Tiger Sharks swim team at my local YMCA - literally the only pool in my entire county. I had loved swimming from the moment my dad blew in my face and dropped me under the water when I was 8 months old [obviously I don't remember for sure but I'm sure I did]. Being on that team [and the following 11 years of swim teams] did so much for my development as a youth. It taught me teamwork, perseverance, determination, athleticism, and most of all friendship. 

My friend Sarah came to visit me this past weekend and as we were sitting on my couch with some of my friends, they asked how long we had known each other. We stopped and looked at each other and said... 16 years. HOLY CRAP. I have been lucky enough to have two {Hey Rae} girls in my life for a full 16 years. Not many people can say that, and I am only 22! Granted, we have had our ups and downs like any girls would , but she still flew all the way across the country to spend the weekend [and coincidentally her birthday, with me.

So as my first official out of stat visitor I need to make sure I had a solid plan for us! I picked her up at midnight thursday night friday morning. Everyone at work gave me crap that I didnt take her out right then but I didnt get off work until 11pm and midnight here is 3am on the east coast!
So yes, her first night in Vegas, we came home and talked and went to sleep!

Because the next morning.....
We went hiking!

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation.

The mountains in the Red Rock area were formed by a number of geological forces including fractured faults where the earth's crust collided over millions of years and fossilized sand dunes. Some cliffs reach up an astounding 3,000 feet.

The sandstone rocks in the conservation area get their color from iron oxide. Over centuries the iron oxide built up, producing the vibrant, crimson color the canyon illustrates today.

It was a nice 4 hours or so of different trails and Lola loved every minute of it too! She was wearing herself out running ahead of us and climbing and jumping everywhere! After we were finished, we headed back home for a nap and to get ready for my house warming party. I made jello shots, pigs in a blanket, guacamole, and dated stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon. They were delicious!! But I forgot pictures =( It was a nice little get together though.

The next day we got up and ready to go to the Strip. We had breakfast at Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace before walking the Strip and showing Sarah all of the awesome hotels

Like the MGM Grand - Where we picked up our tickets for the Crazy Horse Paris Burlesque show that we saw after dinner

We shared a Yard of a Hurricane from Fat Tuesday's as we walked around and then stopped at the Sugar Factory  for martinis. I had a Smores martini- complete with marshmallows and Sarah had an Almond Joy martini. Dessert in a drink and it was just what we needed to hold us over to dinner....that and the free food we got. Some couple was mad they wouldnt change the football game on the TV and so they left without paying or even telling the waitress they were leaving. We got their food instead =) Seriously, if you are going somewhere to watch a football game, the Sugar Factory would not be anywhere on my top 20 choices of bars. What idiots/jerks.

For dinner, I took the birthday girl to RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay. The menu there is so delicious but the birthday girl was craving sushi, so sushi we had. It was also very good. Thank god for groupon. This $100 meal only cost me about $50 for the two of us. =)

Earlier during the day we met a club promoter on the Strip who said he could get us in to Surrender club at the Encore hotel. I gave him my name and number and sure to his word, we showed up at 1030 [with a lot of other girls] and about an hour later we were led in to the club where we got free daybeds and tables and free drinks [by the pitcher] and champagne for an hour and a half. I had invited a couple other girl friends who also joined us so it was a ton of fun, we felt very special and it didnt cost a thing!

The blonde is Kelly, my newest friend in Vegas. She was the best bait ever, just throw the blonde into the sea of men and she comes out with a group of silly guys with bottle service so we could keep the free drinks coming. We all drank a silly amount of alcohol at no cost to our wallets or our self-respect. And when we were done, we left the boys there and headed on our merry little way

The next morning afternoon, we woke up and checked out of the hotel. It was an hour or so after check out but they didn't know and so we didnt get charged [score!] We had breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris Hotel where we were staying . We opted to eat on the patio overlooking the strip - what every "To-Do" list in Vegas recommends. Well, it was a wait to get there and then oh my was it a wait for our food. Maybe we were there at the worst time possible but still, it was close to an hour. The food was really good - Sarah said it was the best french toast she has ever had. But next time - I would sit inside and skip the wait - it was sooo noisy! Or just go at a different time. After brunch, we headed back to the Encore for a pool party and the Encore Beach Club - it really is a giant pool party. It still cracks me up seeing so many women walking around in bikinis and heels - I would be way too scared to trip and bust my booty - how embarrassing would that be!

We lounged for about an hour and then decided we wanted to head back home and take a nap, which we did. It was a wonderful nap. Then I knew I needed to take her to one final Vegas experience - a Vegas buffet. Now, you may be thinking ew, buffet, golden corral? Sarah thought that. Let me tell you - that is so wrong. The buffets in Vegas are the most extravagant you will ever see. All sorts of insane food of every type and nationality, make your own soups, your own hibachi, your own miso, you name it. Gelato, cheesecake, banana pudding, I mean, these things are insane. So I took her to the Rio for the Carnival Buffet , one of the top ten Buffets in Vegas and always in the top 5 with locals. It was a lot of fun. Then we just came home to watch some tv because neither of us were up for another night of drinking - were just not that hard of party girls lol.

It was so much fun having her come see me and I feel so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life. This week has now flown by and only 2 more days until I see the boyfriend!!

Xo