Fitness Friday: Gymboss Timer Review

Even though I have been on the NO RUNNING plan for the past few weeks, I have still been working out. Thanks to super nice Jake at Gymboss Timers, I have been able to do my timed sets easier.

I've always relied on the clock app on my phone or a stop watch for timed sets, but an interval timer like this one from Gymboss is so much easier to use. It can set on the floor or clip onto your waistband.

I have used it both ways and although I am not doing running intervals, it has remained clipped to my shorts during transition moves.

It was simple to set up and the screen is easy to read if you choose to take a peek at it during your workout. Otherwise you just wait for the beep to alert you that your set is over.

I have used the Gymboss during a variety of workouts:

It is also a great tool when you are working out with a partner because the alert beep can be easily heard by both of you.

I'm really looking forward to trying the Gymboss during my interval runs when I am cleared to lace up my running shoes again.

Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary Gymboss for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

WIAW: Greek Flaxseed Protein Pancakes

One thing I am learning on my wheat-free journey is that you don't have to give up your favorite foods altogether. With wheat-free options and substituting ingredients, I can still prepare many of our family's favorites. Pancakes are one of those favorites.

After an exhaustive internet search, I found a wheat-free/GF recipe that looked good and sounded good - by that I mean it didn't sound complicated. So I gave it a whirl. The first thing I noticed after mixing all the ingredients together was that the batter was much thicker than regular pancake mix. Looking at it, I was worried that I had done something wrong.

Dropping spoonfuls into the pan didn't make me feel any better because the batter did not spread out like I was expecting (based on regular pancake recipes) and again, I worried that I had made a mistake in my preparations.

However, just like when I have made regular pancakes in the past, a little patience mixed with a few flipping attempts and I finally realized that the batter was fine and the pancakes turned out delicious.

This recipe is for one serving or four medium pancakes, but can easily be doubled.

The original recipe can be found here. I made a few changes based on what I had available, and used the Designer Whey Sustained Energy Protein that I received from my FitFluential campaign.

Don't forget to see what's cookin' at the WIAW link party with Jenn.

TrainingTruths: ZOOMA Week 9

It's killing me to not be able to run. Am I still a runner if I'm not running?

So, once again, I focused on the exercises that I could do and found a new challenging routine. I also joined a couple of September challenges to help keep me motivated. Remember the #AugustCoreFocus challenge? All my hard work for the month was rewarded with a prize from Brooks Running.

Monday: 50 squats to start the day and then some challenge work - twisted chair taps and Bulgarian split squats followed by my one minute plank routine.

Tuesday: 50 squats first thing in the morning. After my first day back to work I did my challenge work - triceps dip and flips. I really have no upper body strength.

Wednesday: 50 squats. Two mile trail walk after school with mr. C, then some walking planks and my one minute plank routine. I'd never done walking planks before and felt completely awkward at first, but then finally got the hang of it.

Thursday: 50 squats. My first attempt at downward air jacks (not easy or pretty), along with some jumping jacks and crunches. I also found and tried the 4 minute ninja ab workout from Amanda for the first time. This is an awesome dynamic ab workout. Be sure to watch her video!

Friday: 50 squats. Too tired after school and a soccer game to workout. Took a rest day!

Saturday: 50 squats. Cross-body mountain climbers, 15 minute very slow jog on the treadmill (speed set at 3) with the incline on 10 for some "hill" work, and the 4 minute ninja ab workout again. I also did my plank routine with some supermans and butt kicks.

Sunday: 50 squats, hip flexor strength workout from Women's Running and a new knee strengthening workout from Christine. She has a great demo video too.

It's three weeks until ZOOMA Cape Cod. I already know that I won't be running the half marathon again this year. Now I'm wondering if I'll be able to even do the 10K. We've decided that we will go for the weekend no matter what and if I can't run, then I will volunteer at a water stop!

Until then, all my faith is in Trainer Brian and St. Sebastian.

WIAW: Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites

So far on my wheat free journey, my favorite new food is quinoa. It is so easy to make and very filling. After making my first batch of quinoa bites, I couldn't wait to try more.

Since school starts today, I thought it would be perfect to share another recipe that I think will make a great back to school lunch.

On Sunday, I made a whole batch and sorted the bites into small containers so I can grab them and go in the morning.

Don't forget to check out all the great recipes at Jenn's link up today!

Training Truths: ZOOMA Wk 8 with a #GoalGetter2013 August Update

It has truly been a bummer to not be able to run. I spent A LOT of time last week trying to get a diagnosis. So, after physical therapy, a referral to a sports medicine doc, an x-ray, and an MRI, here's what I know:

NOTHING!

No one can find an explanation for my pain. What we do know is that I need to strengthen my left leg and HOPEFULLY with continued TLC I will be back to 100% soon.

On Saturday I had to defer my first race entry and now the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon is in jeopardy. There is still the option to run the 10K or just enjoy the weekend on the Cape with mr. C and the other Ambassadors as a spectator. We shall see.

Looking back at my #GoalGetter2013 goals, my quest to reach 1000 miles for the year was derailed this month with only 33.19 miles. On the upside, I was very consistent with my strength exercises.

Thank goodness for Kat's #AugustCoreFocus challenge and Under Armour's #SweatADay challenge to help keep my mind off what I couldn't do and stay focused on what I could do.

Here's a look at all the core and strength work I did this month.

After an easy 2 mile test run on Saturday, I was still feeling tenderness in my left leg which tells me I'm not ready to jump in where I left off earlier in the month. Heading into September, my plan is to keep working on strength training and patiently wait for the pain free running to return.

WIAW: Quinoa Pizza Bites

Today, instead of talking about running adventures, I'm sharing my recent food adventure!

At the beginning of the month, mr. C and I went WHEAT FREE! I downloaded a copy of the book Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health and cleaned out the cabinets. We are doing this as an experiment. Neither one of us have a medical issue or health concern. We just want to see if we will really feel better by eliminating all wheat/gluten from our diets.

While tossing all of the food that had wheat in it, I was shocked to see how many bread products we were using at each meal. I was tossing out English muffins, bread, tortillas, buns, and pasta. Then I moved on to reading labels and tossing sauces, soups, cereal, and chips.

Soon, I was thinking, What are we going to eat? My meals have been so programmed to include some sort of wheat product, that I worried we would be starving!

I was wrong.

Over the past four weeks, I have been learning a lot about food and trying some new recipes. In my last WIAW post, I shared some of the smoothie recipes I've been making. Recently, I tried quinoa for the first time.

Lack of planning on my part forced me to modify the recipe I found online because I didn't have the exact ingredients, but I don't think it interfered with the end result at all.

When I make this again, I will definitely use mozzarella cheese and fresh basil as the original recipe lists and a little more pepperoni.

Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe?

You can also find tons of great recipes at Jenn's WIAW link up!

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 7

It was week #2 on the sidelines despite my best efforts to be a good runner. Do you ever feel like when you start to focus on doing more of the good-for-you stuff, an injury suddenly appears? That is how I have felt this summer.

I spent the month of June adding yoga stretching poses to my daily routine by participating in the Athleta Seize-the-Solstice challenge and working to strengthen my core with a July Ab challenge. I also found an easy hip strengthening routine by Coach Jay called The Myrtl Routine.

It appears that I should have spent more time on my a$$. Seriously, PT Brian told me that my weak glutes make my hamstrings and hip flexors work overtime leading to strains. You'd think I'd have plenty of power packed back there by the looks of it, but no such luck. 

Monday - As much as I wanted to run, I made myself wait until after my chiropractor appointment. So it was another day of more rest except my August challenge core work modified as needed.

Tuesday - I went for my adjustment first thing in the morning where he found my hips out of whack (shocker). I decided to let the adjustment set before attempting a run, so it was more rest and core work only.

Wednesday - It took all of 10 seconds for me to realize that my hip was not ready for me to make my BIG COMEBACK. Following a minor melt-down, mr. C and I took the bikes out for 4+ miles. I followed up with my core work and then went to PT in the afternoon. I've had success in the past with ART, so I'm hoping this time is no different.

Thursday - My morning started with some core work and then I walked 3.61 miles on treadmill. 

Friday - I rode the bike on one of my 5 mile running routes. It has a good sized hill to tackle on the way back. I don't know why I thought it would be easier on a bike!

Saturday - I completed day 24 of my strength challenges, a glute strength routine and a round of Coach Jay's Myrtl before jumping on the treadmill for a 1.5 mile walk.

Sunday - challenge core work and some casual swimming at the lake.

I have another PT session today and then I'm hoping to lace up my Wave Creations. My goal for the week is to continue working on my glute strength and maybe run the 10 Miler on Saturday?!?

Fitness Friday: Treadmill Desk

I first got the idea for a treadmill desk after seeing Al Roker from the Today Show use his. I don't know what kind he has, but there are some really fancy ones that you can buy for A LOT of money. The cheapest one I found was $479! So, I mentioned to mr. C that I would love to have a treadmill desk and BAM! He made it happen.

He said it was a pretty simple process, so I'm going to let him tell you about it!

Hi.  First let me start by stating that this is my first attempt at blogging, as it was in making a treadmill desk.

I researched homemade treadmill desks on the internet, of course, and there were many listings.  I eventually selected a video that was well done.  I wish I could give proper credit to the girl who made that video, but I do not have that info anymore.

Basically, here it is:  Select a proper, desired sized board, get 2 brackets.  Put them together, and Voila!

For the board, I went with a 1inch x 12 inch board approximately 5 feet long, plain pine, straight and smooth as I could find, and of course with the best looking grain.

Now the brackets.  Most brackets would work, and there are many designs to choose from in the home improvement type stores.  As it turns out, the style I found and selected are heavy duty, and rated for far more than I needed for this project.  But they would work.

Some assembly required! (Very little)  Now place the board across the handle / rails of the treadmill and get the table / board to the position you want.  With the brackets loosely in place flush to the underside of the board, and straddling the treadmill handle / rails, simply mark where the brackets are to be attached.  Now, simply remove from the treadmill, and attach the brackets to the underside of the board in the previously determined locations.  Just make sure the screws you use are shorter than the board is thick.  Feel free to sand and paint or stain your desktop.  Not necessary. You should then be the proud owner and designer of a wonderful, practical treadmill desk.

I didn't realize just how much use I would be getting out of the homemade treadmill desk that mr. C made me, but it has been very nice to have while I'm on the sidelines dealing with my hip flexor issues. I can spend hours walking and working and feel little guilt about my blogging activities ;)

Happy Friday everyone!

What homemade fitness gear have you (or your other) made to save money?

Active Accessories Review

First let me say Thank You for all your kind words of encouragement as I deal with being sidelined from running.

My fellow FitFluential Ambassador, Karen, recently started her own company called Active Accessories. She generously shared one of her popular products with me, the On-The-Go Accessory Pouch.

If you're like me, then you understand the stress of carting around your workout gear. During the school year, I sometimes run after work which means I need somewhere to store my watch and jewelry. On weekends and during the summer, if I take a class or drive to my running route, I like to have my ID and some cash, but not my entire purse.

The On-The-Go Accessory Pouch is just the right size to meet my needs. It can easily store hairbands and jewelry in the zipper compartment, cash and IDs in the pocket, and my phone fits in the middle.

With the easy to use clasp, you can attach the pouch to your gear bag, or wear it around your wrist.

The best part about the size of the On-The-Go Accessory Pouch is that it is convenient for those days when you don't want to carry your purse with you while your out & about. There's plenty of room for your basic essentials and it's fashionable.

Before receiving the On-The-Go Accessory Pouch from Active Accessories, I used a small change purse and a small pouch to store all my items. Now I can combine everything into one and attach it to my gear bag or my work bag.

Disclosure: I received my On-The-Go Accessory Pouch at no charge to review, but all opinions are my own.

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 6

It was not a good week - except for those of you who won some protein from Designer Whey! Check the list of winners at the bottom of this post.

In my last training truths post, I told you my plan to give my cranky hamstring the break it needed to cheer up. No such luck.

My plans for running 3 days instead of 4 last week went out the window on Monday when I found my little hamstring/hip problem had worsened and I could not walk without pain. So instead of logging miles, I was rolling, icing, and popping ibuprofen.

Monday & Tuesday - lots of TLC, and some easy core challenge work. I spent 48 hours thinking that I should not have run 9 miles on Sunday.

Wednesday - finally feeling some improvement, I walked 2.14 miles on the treadmill while working on the computer plus completed my daily dose of core work.

Thursday - rolled & iced before spending about 6+ hours in the car driving to Maine to pick up my step daughter from her summer job.

Friday - walked 2.1 miles on the TM and got caught up on my core challenges. I made the bad decision to do skater jumps which fired the hip pain up again.

Saturday - took a complete rest day from all exercise. (but I really wanted to lace up my Mizunos and go for a run).

Sunday - Early morning core workout for two days and an afternoon walking workout of 3.5 miles on the TM.

As much as I want to run today, I'm forcing myself to wait until I see my chiropractor on Tuesday. I am hoping that I will feel better after my adjustment and can go for a run.

What is the longest break you have taken from your running/sport? The longest for me was after the RnR Providence in 2011.


Congratulations to the Designer Whey giveaway winners!

#31 Katie
#9   Desiree
#15 Amy @Long Drive Journey
#20 Jordan Dunne
#10 Mary Beth Scimemi
#12 Casey

Please email me at by 10AM Wednesday August 21, 2013 with your mailing address so I can forward your information.

Fitness Friday: Fall Wish List

It's back to school time everywhere I look. Now even though I have more than two weeks of summer left, it doesn't hurt to start thinking about what I'm going to need for the Fall...running gear that is!

I've been on an unexpected break from running this week (more on that in Monday's post), so to make myself feel better I've been browsing all the running gear sites, flipping through catalogs, and checking out the latest IT items in the magazines.

Here are a few items on my Back to School Running Wish List:

Mizuno Wave Creation 14 - just a new color that I like in a shoe that I really love. I don't really need new shoes, not really ;)

Athleta Metta Hoodie Sweater. This would be perfect to wear to my step daughter's soccer games after my after-school runs. It gets cool quickly and this is a cute spin on a typical sweatshirt hoodie.

Nike Dri-Fit Graphic No-Show tab training socks. For some reason these are very hard to find, but they are the most comfortable running socks. I've worn them for years and get a lot of miles out of them. Time to replace the old ones.

Go Pro Hero3 Silver Edition. This would be the coolest TOY to have. I saw pictures that a guy captured while wearing it during the NYC half marathon, and they are amazing! I would love to get pictures like that!








What's on your "back-to-school" fitness wish list?
If Designer Whey protein is your wish list, there is still time to enter my giveaway. Winners will be announced in Monday's post!

#DesignerWhey Sustained Energy Review & Giveaway!

Back in December, my running friend took me for a smoothie at a local cafe. It was a perfectly delicious way to celebrate our long run. After that, I really looked forward to those post-run smoothies.

This summer I started making my own smoothies. First I bought pre-made packets and just added milk, because I had no idea where to begin. Then after researching smoothie recipes, I began using my own ingredients. I found a really simple HOW TO graphic on Pinterest that was helpful.

When I found out that I was selected to participate in the FitFluential campaign for Designer Whey I was super excited because a boost was the only ingredient missing from my homemade smoothies. I learned a long time ago that consuming protein after a workout helps aid in the recovery process.

When I opened the box I discovered that Designer Whey sent me their new product, Sustained Energy, to try in two flavors: Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Velvet.

From the website: 

Designer Whey® Sustained Energy™ is specifically formulated with our proprietary Endurance Blend™. Designed to give you balanced, stimulant-free, sustained energy through fast absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy and casein proteins, giving you a steady supply of essential amino acids while helping you control hunger with fiber.  Packed with 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals and naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100-good-for-you calories! 

I don't know about you, but after my long runs sometimes it's all I can do to stay awake. All I want to do is take a nice long nap! Designer Whey Sustained Energy turned out to be the perfect product for me to try.

Judging one's own energy level for changes is hard. I've made a couple of batches of smoothies and one treat, and here is what I can tell you:

1. I did not take a nap or feel like taking a nap after my 9 mile long run.
2. After dental work, I almost always take a nap. Instead I had a smoothie. No nap!
3. Rainy days usually make me sleepy. Not the day I ate some of my frozen treats.

Before trying Designer Whey I knew I wanted to purchase protein to use at home, I just didn't know what brand to buy. I'm happy with the Sustained Energy product so far and would put it on my shopping list.

Here are some of my protein recipes. Feel free to pin :)

Designer Whey would like to give you a chance to try Sustained Energy for yourself. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment telling me which flavor you would like to try. I will randomly select 6 winners and announce in my blog post on Monday August 19th.