Saturday, March 21, 2015

Fav Running Applications

There are soooooo many running phone applications out there.  I've only recently started running with my phone for many reasons, and these applications are some of the reasons why I do.

I will discuss two of the ones I currently are using here.

The first is Charity Miles.  This is a great app (since latest update, some issues) to use those walk, bike, and run miles to help out a charity.  There are a number of charities that your miles can donate to.  Some include Team RWB, Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warrior Project, and Stand up to Cancer, along with others.  This application is available on the Apple App Store and Google play store.  The application when turned on using phone GPS, will log your miles and after finishing a run/bike/walk the miles will be added to your total and to the charity.  The application is a fun way to have teams add up miles and compet to earn miles.

The second is RunSafe.  I use to notify a list of contacts on when I start and finish my runs.  This is used for safety while I run and so that it is easy to find where I may be.  There are two options with the app: either free or a 4.99/month option with additional features.  I'm using the free option and enjoy the features.  To include the notifications, it also features a Panic button if needed in Emergency's and also will track your weekly milage.  This application just like Charity Miles can be found on Apple App Store and Google play as well as the use of the phone GPS.



These applications are both free and are great tools to use for tracking miles and staying safe.

Let me know what you think of them!

Jane

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Whole30

Hello All,

As March has begun, it marks many things! First off my Birthday!!  It was yesterday and it was great excited to continue celebrating this weekend.  In addition, the beginning of March, our completion of the Whole30.


The Whole30 is a program that was introduced to me by the iwill Fit Coaches!  It certainly seemed daunting and scary when I first read the Rules!  The Whole30 is a program that in short is a cleanse to your body.  You will cut out dairy, all grains, all added sugars, legumes, all processed foods,  and other items and restrictions.  Doesn't it sound Scary! Overwhelming!!  The program goes for 30 days, and is used to reset your body to eating healthy vegetables, fruits, and quality meats.  This is very similar to what many know as Paleo.  There are some additions to the program though.

Some of those additional restrictions included no Alcohol and no recreating treats with approved ingredients--such as banana pancakes!

In simplicity, meats and veggies! But......It was way more than that!  To start out the month, I found many resources on compliant dishes.  Recipes made with coconut milk, veggies galore, and a whole lot of flavor!  I had only one salad during the entire month of eating this way.

For all, don't doubt that you can't do this, it is 30 days, you get to eat and eat yummy flavorful foods.  Never did I feel hungry, but learned on how much I need to eat during the day to keep my energy levels up.

Results:

I did not lose weight, good thing, wasn't looking too.  What I did gain was clearer healthier skin, more energy, and more muscle tone!  In addition a bigger sense of understanding foods and what I need to have in my body and what I really don't need.  There are many foods out there that just don't give me any nutritional benefit.

Sam also had some good results, loosing 10+ lbs, and being adventurous with food choices and creations!  He wasn't as accepting to some of the items we cut out such as the pasta and rice, but I'm very happy to have had him on this journey to experiment with food.

During, we also continued our workout routine's.

Will I continue??

I do plan on continuing to eat Whole30 compliant for 90% of our meals.  Processed foods-Nope getting rid of the  Added Sugars-at our very best we will eliminate these entirely (check ingredients, sugar is in everything) Dairy- Mhh a Wisconsin girl cutting out dairy, is it possible?  This will be cut to a very minimum.  It will be very rare occasions that I will have cheese or even milk.

Very happy with the experience I had during this program, and for anyone looking for a jump start into eating healthy, changing lifestyle, consider The Whole30 Program.  Below I will link to some of the blogs where we found some amazing recipes!



The Clothes Make The Girl

Nom Nom Paleo

Just Jessie B

Pinterest  Of Course Pinterest, Just Search for Whole30!

Whole30 Recipes  On Instagram-Recipes are posted daily, with quest chefs!


Thursday, February 26, 2015

iWill90

This week I was recognized as member of the week for iWill90 Challenge, and wanted to recognize the team of coach's and the program here on my blog.

iWill Fitness is a company committed to coaching people.  Incorporating fitness, nutrition, and your mind into lifestyle fitness coaching.  I have been a part of iWill90 from the beta round.  iWill90 is a 90 day lifestyle challenge, where teams work together meeting and breaking fitness/nutrition/mind challenges throughout the week.  The second round of iWill 90 started in mid January to kick off the new year.

I've learned a lot of things during the first round of iWill90.  To include, recognizing that i wasn't eating enough fruits and veggies each day.  Additionally, the abundance of artificial sweeteners and sugars that are added into many of the things we have daily.  Some things include flavored coffee, toothpaste, ketchup, all sorts of dressings, and many other things that were in our pantry.  This made me realize the importance of reading the ingredients on the foods we are eating.

The second round, I'm focusing my personal goals on getting rid of those artificial sweeteners, and knowing what I'm eating.  If I don't know an ingredient on a label and sounds like chemistry it is very likely not coming home with me.  The team of coach's of iWill brought up the Whole30 program (which I will have a post out in the coming weeks), without the encouragement, knowledge from the coach's and the community I don't think I would have gone through with the Whole30.  I have 4 days left to go to finish up the 30 days and am very happy with my results and the food dependence's I've gotten over!

The fitness/workouts I've been pretty good with myself, which includes running, cycling, and most recently more strength training.  The challenge has been a great way to stay accountable and keep up with my workouts.

The final area of coaching that is the mind.  This area I think is one of the most important areas in any goal setting/meeting.  The end of last year, I came out from running with an injury.  Doctors don't really know exactly what it was, but with a lot of rest and more strength training it has gone well in recovery and I'm back at running.  My mindset through the recovery and build up has changed, I'm listening to my body and enjoy the fact that I can keep moving.  It may not be my fastest or the best time, it may be snowing, but I am still moving and enjoying it.

With this, my running goals have changed for the year.  I have goal races, that are bucket list runs, I want to finish well and strong, the time yes will be important, but not the number one item.  Finishing and finishing healthy is what I am looking to achieve.  Of course having fun!

Thank you to all the coach's and the knowledge you have passed on to all of us!

For more questions about iWill or iWill90 let me know or check out the links below to get in contact with the iWill coach's!

iWill Facebook

iWill Fitness


Thanks for reading!!

Jane




Saturday, February 14, 2015

SWEET Workout

Introducing SWEET Workout!

I've been recently chosen as an Ambassador for SWEET Workout!  Excited to be a apart of the program.  SWEET Workout was designed to encourage women and men to make positive lifestyle changes and find motivation to workout/run.  Through the use of social media the group has been growing.

What does SWEET Stand for??

SWEET is an acronym which stands for:

S • Stronger
W • Women through
E • Empowering
E • Education and
T • Training
As part of the program, I will be representing SWEET Workout and encouraging others through the many social media outlets.

To learn more checkout SWEET Workout Website!

SWEET Workout

-Other ways to follow SWEET Workout:



Friday, February 6, 2015

Run Ranger Run

Hello All,

      Wanted to share with everyone an event that I'm participating in through the month of February!  The team I joined up with for this event is part of the Colorado Springs Team RWB.  This is an organization that has many chapters throughout the United States.  I haven't yet gotten to participate in any of there weekly events, but hope to once my work schedule changes.  Team RWB's mission is to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.  This comes from there website Team RWB, where you can find out more about this organization!

Back to Run Ranger Run!

The History
       In 2012 veteran US Army Corporal Cory Smith, following combat deployment, and the difficulties of the journey home, he decided to highlight this difficult journey by running 565 miles in 28 days.  To read more of the history of Corporal Smith's journey, check out this link.

The Event
       The team pledges to walk, run and/or bike a combined of 565 miles in the month of February raising funds for GallantFew while also increasing the awareness of the veteran transition issues. This is where my part comes in.  So far for this month our team has raised $220 of our $565 goal, and 94 of the 565 miles.  I have a total of 12 miles in for the group.

Event Numbers from 2014
  • 634 Participants
  • Participants represented in several countries
  • 98 Teams
  • 1545 Donors
  • $123,921 pledged
  • 46,857.4 miles logged

I don't do many fundraiser, but want to encourage all those who are reading to view the information and be educated about the transition that veterans have to make coming home from combat deployments and the military.  It is a different life that can take time to adjust to upon return.

If interested in making any donations, they can be done through Crowdrise.

Some information on GallentFew Inc.
      GallentFew is a Non-Profit mission to reduce US Army Ranger veteran unemployment, homelessness and eliminate Ranger veteran suicide by one-on-one mentoring.  To read more information on GallentFew check out the following links: Gallentfew  and The History.

Thank you all for checking out the post,  we are enjoying some great weather here in Colorado and ready to start the weekend.

Jane

Thursday, January 15, 2015

The New Year

Over the last year and half, the blog has been neglected quite a bit.  A number of months between blog posts.  I am hoping to change that in the new year.  Maybe every other week to get something even if it is not much at all up on here.

The year has started out well, setting new goals, making new habits.  The laster part of 2014, I was limited to the amount of running I could do.  This was due to a persistent injury with my hip.  Not really sure what it was but doing much better now.  Seeing a chiropractor weekly, adding in strength training and starting to run now just to enjoy the run.

If I will race this year is unknown, I think it is going to be best for me to just build up the miles, not set an end date to be at a certain point but enjoy getting the miles in!  There are so many beautiful places in the area to run that I haven't yet.  The addition to strength training will also be a great benefit to prevent the stagnant routine of just getting the miles in.

I have set some new goals to make habits to eating healthier and cutting out sweets.  I'm not eliminating sweets, just more conscious of how much and how often I indulge in the yummy treats.  A lot of this started through the iwill90 challenge from this past fall and has rolled into the new year.  I want to continue working harding to make the better food choices, without eliminating some of those tasty treats!

There is very little planned for the year, as for travel, kinda going to see how the year rolls out and maybe take more short trips in Colorado!

I continue to scrapbook, keeping memories recording stories! At some point this year I'm going to venture into creating a t-shirt quilt.  I have sooooo many t-shirts that I don't wear, but all tell a story.  The quilt will be great for telling stories.

I have a few pictures below as of recent, but look for more blog posts in the future!

Jane


Brooklyn sleeping under my Study Material


Logan and I out on a short Run in COS

Molly and I running together.  One of the many snowy days, we were running at the gym!

 Happy Fall! Well if you look back it has once again been a while.  Writing this in my calendar, the goal once a week!!! Writing on here. Th...