Monday, August 27, 2018

Cape Cod Summer 2018 - Week 1

I don't know why, but working out at the Cape just feels more fun. It could be the cool temperatures, the outdoor workouts, or maybe because I had extra training partners jumping in.


At the start of our first week at the Cape we had to endure a couple of rainy days, but after that the weather was amazing. I kept up with my FASTer Way To Fat Loss VIP workouts and didn't go too off track with my nutrition (affiliate).

Here's what last week's workouts looked like:

Interval Training:
On Monday we had to wait out some rain before we could dive into a 4 circuit HIIT workout, but it was worth it. Since we were doing at home workouts, we changed up the planned sprints on Tuesday and did a Tabata workout. Cooler morning temperatures definitely make these workouts feel a little easier. If I could bottle up this weather to take back to Hong Kong, I would in a heart beat!

Tuesday afternoon we rode bikes along the Shining Sea Bikeway.


Strength Training:
The VIP of strength training on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday was my collection of resistance bands (Fit Simplify bands on Amazon). It took some ingenuity (mostly from mrC), but I was able to do the workouts without feeling like I was missing effectiveness. All of the workouts included a build-up format ---> take 3 exercises and do 1 rep each, then 2 reps each, then 3 reps each...until reaching the max number which was 7. Whoa! This method really tired out my muscles.


Saturday evening we had all three kids (plus one BF) with us and went for a sunset paddle on the West Falmouth Harbor. It was sooooo beautiful. Amy from Peace Love SUP showed us all the best spots in the harbor and took amazing photos for us. We love booking group paddles with her.


Active Rest:
I did some Feel Good Flow porch yoga from Yoga with Adriene on Friday while everyone slept in. Our neighborhood is so quiet and peaceful. I took a full rest day on Sunday but enjoyed an evening walk to the beach.


Sunday morning we took our first seal watching boat cruise out of Harwich Port to Monomoy Island. It was the perfect day to be on the water and the seals were so cute. We found a large harem sitting on a sand bar and when the captain turned off the engine we could hear them singing.


In the mornings, I spent time studying for my FASTer Way To Fat Loss coach certification. I am super excited to finish and coach my own groups ---> if you would like to join the waitlist for my first group go here)!

I'm so happy that we have another full week of Cape Cod fun coming up.

Until then, I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!










Sunday, August 19, 2018

Weekly Wrap | Heading into Vacay & Big News

Somehow, I managed to stay on track this week even though we traveled from Hong Kong to the east coast on Thursday. Our flight didn't arrive until almost 1am Friday and by the time we got to the hotel, I was wide awake. After getting about 2.5 hours of sleep, we hit the ground running to start our annual Cape Cod family vacay.


Interval Training:
Monday's 20 minute sprint drills workout in the park was a doozy! Even though I replaced the sprints with mountain climbers, the combo of cardio and strength moves literally worked the whole body. Tuesday I did the usual 20 seconds sprint: 40 seconds rest x20 on the elliptical.


Strength Training:
Last week we were doing tempo sets. In case you don't already know, tempo sets are when you alternate between very slow reps and fast reps during the same set. For example 2 reps with a 5 count followed by 2 reps with a 1 count. This was my first time doing strength this way but it came pretty easily since it's the format used in Bodypump classes, although someone else is doing the counting for you.


Active Rest Days:
I skipped the juice day fast because we were traveling and did my normal two low calorie rest days. Friday was a full on recovery day of running errands and letting my body adjust to the 12 hour time change. Sunday I got in a couple of walks around the neighborhood and to the beach.


Obviously I'm really looking forward to our two weeks with the kids, on the Cape, at the beach. I know some people take a break from workouts and training while on vacation, but I look forward to my workouts. They make me feel good and strong. So, while I will show myself grace, I plan to continue with my workout schedule and follow the FASTer Way nutritional guide.

PS - I recently shared the big news on IG that I was accepted into the FASTer Way To Fat Loss® Coaching Certification program. Getting involved in the fitness community is something that I've dreamed about doing since leaving my teaching position and moving to China for my husband's job in 2015. I just didn't know where or how to start. The opportunity to become a FASTer Way coach has answered those questions.

As I make my way through the certification process, I wanted to share where my own journey began. You can read about my first round of the program here. If you have any questions or are interested in being added to the wait list for my first round, please message me at runningescapades@hotmail.com

Do you stick to your workouts during vacation?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!





Sunday, August 12, 2018

Weekly Wrap | New month, new week, new workouts, new goals.

New month, new week, new workouts, new goals.

This month I am back in the FASTer Way To Fat Loss®️ VIP program. While I like that I can 100% recycle my old workouts, I also like to shake things up. The VIP program offers FWTFL veterans new workouts every week, continued online group support and monthly health and fitness topics to expand my overall wellness.

Here's a wrap up of my week:

Interval Training
Monday's workout got a late start because I had a morning appointment. So between going to the gym in the afternoon and a seriously intense HIIT workout, I got my butt kicked. I posted my sweatiest #sweatyselfie on Instagram as #proof. On Tuesday it was sprints on the elliptical. These always get my legs burning.


Strength Training:
The workouts this week followed a format similar to drop sets: 2 short sets with heavy weight and 1 longer set with 50% weight. My muscles really liked this format and I know this because every workout left some part of my body feeling like jelly. Wednesday it was my shoulders, Thursday it was my biceps and Saturday it was my quads.


Active Rest:
I kept with my usual yoga session on Friday and did Side Body Flow from Yoga with Adriene. This really helped me stretch out my whole upper body after two good strength training workouts on Wednesday and Thursday. I was hoping for the usual SUP session on Sunday, but passing typhoons brought very rainy and unstable weather. Instead I took a power-walk to try to beat the rain and did some stretching afterwards.


NSV (non-scale victory):
Muscles. I am starting to SEE my muscles, especially in my left leg which is also the bad knee. My cranky knee has not made improving strength in that leg easy, so I am thrilled to finally start seeing some changes. It has been a slow process but I'm excited to know that the work is paying off. My goal is to keep working and make even more muscles pop!

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!




Monday, August 6, 2018

Weekly Wrap | As Many Reps As Possible

AMRAP, as many reps as possible. I've seen this fitness term tossed around my social media for years and always felt a little intimidated by that kind of workout.

When AMRAP showed up in all of my strength training workouts last week, I figured it was finally time for me to give it a try. And, you know what? It wasn't bad at all. My body and my mind were clearly ready for a new challenge.

This got me thinking. Timing is everything.


Last week things just seemed to be falling into place. The timing was right for a lot of things in my life and it felt really good.
  • I took on those timed AMRAP workouts like a champ 
  • my FASTer Way To Fat Loss VIP group monthly topic is MINDSET. We're talking about the power of positive thinking and how to avoid the self-sabotage trap (I do this A LOT)
  • I took a step toward learning something new (not quite ready to share what it is yet, but it is definitely something I have wanted to do for awhile and now is the right time for me)
It was a good week all around. Here's a look at my workouts for the week:

Interval Training
I loved the workout space for Monday's HIIT workout! "Up by 10" is a tough one ---> I may have cheated on the in & outs and the plank pushups, but I still got in plenty of the total 550 reps! Tuesday's sprint workout seemed tame in comparison, but I still felt a good burn.


Strength Training
Like I said, first time doing AMRAP workouts. I don't know what I thought was so intimidating in the past, but I liked this type of workout. I was surprised to see how many or how few reps I could do in the timed portions. I also tried my new weight lifting gloves...I like the fit, but I'm on the fence on how I feel about wearing them.


Active Rest Days
For my Friday yoga session, I did Yoga with Adriene's Stretch and Soothe. We had perfect weather for our Sunday SUP session. I am so grateful that I've learned to embrace my active rest days. I used to think that I needed to work out EVERY day hard. I didn't realize that I was actually hurting my body. Making progress means taking rest days and giving your body time to recover.



Have you ever felt like something was perfect timing?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!


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