goal crusher

Accountability // Health + Fitness Update # 1

June 9, 2017 by Rachel 15 Comments

It’s been one week since my fitness update. And I feel amazing! Don’t get me wrong — things have not been perfect. Nope. In fact, I’ve barely been home to make dinner; I’ve been slacking on things around the house; and I’ve generally been a crazy person.

But I feel amazing.

In fact, I had gained three pounds over the Memorial Day holiday. Yep. That’s what happens when you go to a wedding and have family parties literally all weekend! But I did my Weight Watchers weigh-in Tuesday and I lost 6. SIX! This is: a.) the most I’ve ever lost in a week. Ever. and b.) it wasn’t easy. Not at all.

I know I’ve mentioned previously how much I love that WW allots points weekly to focus on the ‘bigger picture,’ and this week was a testament. I mean, I had days where I went way over with my points (and used my allotted weekly ‘wiggle room’); but I also had days where I was right on track. One thing was consistent — I consistently moved — Every damn day.

In fact, my fitness goal of 108 points was surpassed tremendously — I earned 116 fitness points! Those fitness points can essentially be ‘used’ towards food; but, I didn’t use all of them, thankfully.

The key to my success was this: I tracked everything. When you hold yourself accountable and actually track — whether it be through an app or writing it down — what you eat? It changes the whole freaking game, ya’ll. I mean, I looooove food. Love it. And I have an affinity for craft beer. But tracking it all still held me accountable. I was able to see how much or how little I was eating and where my ‘points’ went!

And that automatically makes a gal make better decisions. But I still lived my life like a normal person.

AND I STILL LOST SIX POUNDS. Crazy. pants. ya’ll.

So let’s real-talk this out — Here’s what my fitness routine looked like last week (PS. My weigh-in days are Tuesdays):

Tuesday = an easy walk with the kids but not much else.

Wednesday = 30 minutes of running.

Thursday = Treadmill workout; quick-walking pace + steady incline.

Friday = an easy walk with the kids in the double stroller.

Saturday = 45-minute, butt-kicking, cycling class.

Sunday = 30 minute run, outside, by myself, in the rain! ♥

Monday = 45-minute, butt-kicking, cycling class (again).

Also, I regularly met my own personal goal of 10k steps per day. I just made sure my booty got up and moving!

So, in short, I moved + I sweated a lot. But I also ate mostly healthy and still indulged on occasion. But from hereon out I’m not going to refer to it as ‘indulging;’ I’m going to call it living. Because that’s what it is. It’s living.

Other developments:

You’re looking at the newest head-coach of the Riverfront YMCA Girls on the Run, 5th-8th grade girls! We are launching this Summer/Fall and I’m SO excited to be a part of this!

Also, I’ve been doing lots of interval training, but during my rainy-day run I actually ran 22.5 minutes straight before stopping. This is huge! I thought, for sure, I could keep going. But then I came upon a HUGE hill and almost died and the end. But 22.5 minutes! And then I walked for about 2 minutes (killer hill) and then ran another 8 minutes. Not bad. Not bad at all!

So yeah. This past week was a good one. A very good one, health-wise. If you’ve been following since the beginning of this blog (which I’m guessing 99% of you haven’t — because that was a long, loooong, time ago), I finally feel like I’m getting back to my ‘roots’ again. It feels… amazing.

Mostly, I am happy. I am happy that I’m finally beginning to get back to myself again. I can’t wait to keep you updated on my journey!

May Goals // Striving For ‘Good Enough.’

May 1, 2017 by Rachel 30 Comments

I don’t know if it’s just you, but when I saw all of those “It’s Gonna Be May,” memes, all I could think was, “Wait. Where did April go!?!” I know I was crazy busy with work in April (meaning, I worked practically every single day), but I still don’t really understand how the whole month seemed to vanish before my eyes!

I also feel like every new month is a brand new start. A chance to put everything in the rearview and just give those new goals a go. So instead of dwelling on what I didn’t get done in April, I’m setting myself up for greatness in May!

Things I Will Try:

Curbside pickup for groceries. I will admit, I tried this once last month because I *had* to get something for Ari’s preschool party and we were having a particularly rough couple of days. I used a free coupon to waive that cost and I learned to click the “do not allow substitutions,” when submitting my order (they will find something that may be similar in product but not similar in cost — lesson learned!). But it is a timesaver and keeps my kids on a tighter schedule. So I’m going to give it another couple of shots.

To get more sleep at night. I’ve been in this neverending cycle of stay-up late to get things done, but be too exhausted to make it all day without a nap with the kids. I prefer to be human during daylight hours, honestly.

Things I Will Keep Up:

Weight Watchers + my fitness regimen. See, I started back up with WW last month and finally am feeling human enough to put my YMCA membership to good use. It’s amazing what having a baby who (sorta) sleeps can do for a gal! So here we go!

Fabletics. I ordered a pair of workout leggings to just give them a shot. I freaking love them, ya’ll! I’ve had issues with buying workout gear in the past — the fit is either too loose or too tight; but these Lisette High-Waisted 7/8 Capris… are… amazing!

They are fitted but without feeling like a stuffed-sausage and they are beyond comfortable! Beyond! So I urge you to try Fabletics if you’ve been skeptical to give them a shot. Heck, I’m tempted to get another of this exact pair this month!

Things That Are Good For Me:

I’m going to commit to taking at least 5 yoga classes this month. Yep. That’s right. 5 yoga classes means just one a week, but an extra class thrown in for good measure. I know this is good for my mental and emotional well-being.

I will spend at least 3 hours away from my children in one day. Things that don’t count — 1. being at work; 2. after the kids go to sleep.

Plant some flowers. Last week I found myself doing some unexpected yard work… and it felt awesome to see progress AND be outside! I bought a couple of flowers to plant and they just make me happy. So I’m going to plant a few more. At least, that’s the goal!

Things That Are Good For My Family:

Spring cleaning. I have a goal to go through our bedroom, all of the clothes, the laundry room, and sort the kids clothes by the end of the month. In my mind I feel like I could just knock it all out in an afternoon; but the reality is, it’s a lot of work.

Try two new recipes in the InstantPot. I haven’t been great at trying new recipes as of late, and I really, really, want to expand my horizons.

Keep up the hustle. I’ve been taking on as much work as possible between the YMCA and blog-work; and I plan on keeping it up.

Things I’m Looking Forward To:

Going to a Derby Party at my sisters next weekend. Sadly, my mom (who lives in Louisville) won’t be in attendance; but the rest of the extended family will be! And after a really long 7 weeks away from my sister, I’m really excited to see her again!

Attending a family wedding at the Columbus Zoo. Like, how cool is that!? A wedding at the zoo! We get to be up-close-and-personal with the animals and everything!

I realize that none of these goals are lofty on their own, but honestly? they are perfect for me and my little family!

So tell me — what goals have you set for yourself this month??

postpartum fitness // wishes + plans

January 17, 2016 by Rachel 1 Comment

I know I’m not postpartum yet, but gosh, I cannot wait to get back to feeling like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m giving myself as much time as necessary to heal, postpartum. However, this warmer than usual winter has had me in a bit of a jealous fit from time to time. Especially since it’s been absolutely perfect running weather up until recently. And here I am, barely able to walk up the stairs without peeing myself. Ha!

Postpartum, however, I will not let a little pee stop me from getting my workout on! Thank goodness for Depend Silhouette Active Fit womens briefs. Trust me, I know I will need them after this child is born (heck, I need them now!). And I totally know that I’m not alone! In fact, more people have bladder leakage in their 20s than people in their 80s! And if you’re a mom, you probably know what I mean!

Barre Fly. This studio opened up in Canton a while back and I’ve been dying to try out their aerial yoga! And I’m sure it will feel awesome on my postpartum hips! And perhaps I can even (finally) check out a barre class!
Balance + Brews. Basically, yoga in a brewery. Umm, yes please! Again, these started like right around the time I found out I was pregnant. I’ve been itching to get to one of these classes, because, beer… and stretching!
PureMvmnt. I’ve always wanted to try pole classes. However, I have zero rhythm and absolutely no core strength nowadays. This space was created to empower women! And what better way than by building core strength.
Believe In CLE. I missed the last couple of Believe in CLE yoga events and I’m dying to get back to a huge practice!
GrooveRyde. Dying to try out this new cycling and yoga studio!

Luckily when I head out on my new fitness adventures, no one will have a clue that I’m struggling with some light bladder leakage. And I’ll be spreading #underwareness because they are SO discreet! With a lower rise, Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs both fit and feel like real underwear — so I don’t have to worry about something embarrassing happening while I’m doing aerial yoga. Ha!

You can try them out for yourself for FREE! Get a free sample here and check out how Depend is entering year three of #Underwareness, a social movement and charitable cause to break down the bladder leakage stigma! And most of all, don’t let a little bladder leakage hold you back from getting out there and moving!!

Many thanks to Depend for sponsoring today’s story and spread #underwareness cause.

31 FOR 31 //

December 4, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

It’s been a while since I set any sort of goals for myself. In fact, it’s been over a year! Holy smokes. So it’s time to change that — to give myself a sense of purpose in my thirty-first year of life. Even if this list is making its way two whole months after my 31st birthday. 🙂

I’ve posted similar goals sporadically in the past, but I’ve always gone a bit ‘overboard’ with my lists. Which completely overwhelms me and then I do absolutely none of it. So this year I’m keeping it simple-ish.

[1] Run another half marathon. Having a baby in the middle of the winter will certainly help because we won’t have many options to leave the house. So enter the treadmill!

[2] Find a new job/career that will offer more of a work/life balance.

[3] Have a successful no-spend 30 days.

[4] …. in which I also cook/eat at home for 30 days straight.

[5] Pay it forward to someone by paying for their coffee.

[6] Take a cooking class.

[7] Take a “makers” workshop of some sort.

[8] Purge + donate old items from my closet.

[9] Get rid of old electronics.

[10] Completely reorganize our bedroom.

[11] Completely reorganize our laundry room.

[12] Donate blood.

[13] Get a haircut. I know this seems like NBD. But honestly? I haven’t had a haircut in like 18 months.

[14] Get back to my pre-baby weight.

[15] Attend a county or state fair.

[16] Participate in another Wine + Canvas event.

[17] Meditate everyday for 30 days.

[18] Do a 7-day juice fast.

[19] Workout for 30-days straight.

[20] Go 30-days without alcohol Postpartum obvy cause being pregnant and doing that would be cheating, right?

[21] Complete a cross-stitch project that I’ve had the tools for.

[22] Go to a comedy show.

[23] Take a road trip to NY State.

[24] Attend a pro sporting event.

[25] See a movie at The Nightlight theater in Akron.

[26] Take a Balance + Brews yoga class.

[27] Complete a 60-day streak of 10k steps per day.

[28] Set up my home-office in my bedroom.

[29] Take a SUP yoga class.

[30] Visit a local winery and do a wine tasting.

[31] Attend a yoga event.

I feel like this list is totally attainable — unlike other lists I’ve made in the past. So I’m totally looking forward to scratching one off at a time! No worries — I’ll update it as I go!

Sidenote: I totally almost named this “31 before 31″… and it literally took me like 3 hours to realize that I AM ALREADY 31! Ha. Myyyyy bad.

Cleveland Marathon // Real Talk

May 14, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

OK, friends. It’s time to get real. I’m currently signed up for the Cleveland Half Marathon, which is this Sunday morning…

… and I have NOT properly trained. At least not as of recent.

As of recent my training runs have been short. Like at most, 4 miles. Even though I was regularly running 10+ just a few short months ago in preparation for the Pittsburgh Marathon (before I decided not to run it at all), I’m now on the lower mileage side of things.

And I’m torn on what I should do this weekend. Realistically, a 10-k is totally doable. In my dreams, I’ll be able to power through 13.1 miles without the pressure of finishing within a certain time.

So I’m seriously considering dropping to the 10k at packet pickup this weekend. But I’m also looking for advice. Should I TRY for the half marathon? With little-to-no expectations in regards to time and outcome? I can run, walk, and practically crawl my way to the finish, right?

Please weigh in. Looking for your advice and input, runner friends!!