Showing posts with label Tracy Anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tracy Anderson. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Holiday Weekend

This past weekend we were invited to stay at a friends house in East Hampton.  We almost didn't make the trip because we were having trouble finding a sitter for Ivan our pup but last minute it all worked out and we headed up Sunday afternoon.  Let me just tell you this house was AMAZING!! So beautiful and I am pretty sure we got the best room in the house.  We had a walk out that looked over the pool.  It was heavenly.


Monday morning I couldn't resist the urge to lace up my running shoes and take an easy jog into town.  It is not everyday you get to enjoy the beautiful tree lines blocks and fresh air when you are living in Brooklyn.  It was a great little jog, just over 5 miles.  But let me tell you it was hot and humid!  I was dripping with sweat and I was just taking it easy.


Our friends wanted to try paddle boarding and Scott and I were all about it.  Neither of us had done it before so it sounded great.  The sun was blistering hot so it was perfect for it.  I really needed to work on my tan if you know what I mean.


We had a great little getaway and even though it was short it was still very very sweet.   On the way back we passes the Tracy Anderson studio and next time I am up there I am definitely going to hit up one of her classes!!  I love her workouts!


How was your weekend???   Anyone take a last minute getaway?

Workouts for the week
Tues-Run 5
Wed- Arms and maybe a little Tracy Anderson
Thursday-MOVING
Friday- Run 5
Sat- run 8-10

Also I'm so excited to move into our new apt Thursday but I have a TON of packing to do.

AND the BIG news is coming JUNE 1st!!!  So excited to share with you all!!

XX
Sarah

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Rain, please stop..

I don't about you guys but over here on the East Coast it is raining like crazy.  It rained all day yesterday and will rain all day today and tomorrow which means......maybe no running?  I do run in the rain sometimes but not always.  Depends on my mood and how wet it is already.  It is days like these that I wish I had a gym with a treadmill.

Should be heading out for my tempo but I may end up doing Tracy Anderson instead. 

On a side note how was your Holiday?  Mine was great!  Saturday I had a totally great run with 13 miles @ 7:56 pace.  That never really happens for me so I can tell that the Run Less Run Faster Plan is really working.  Then we shopped and found a new bed.  Sunday we relaxed, went to church and I went to the flea market to find props for my photoshoot this Friday. They always have lots of good stuff but didn't find what I was looking for.


I really loved these and really wanted to buy them.  They are African Antelope horns.  I am still thinking about them but I didn't know where I would put them.  I said above our bed and my husband said ahhhh no.  Lame...


Monday night we decided to hit up 5th avenue to go into Niketown and shop around there.  I didn't end up buying anything but it was a beautiful night.


Work has been so busy that I love it!  I love it when I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in.  Makes me a little stressed but in a good way.  Yesterday I saw a ton of models for my shoot. I picked one but my husband said no (he is the creative director of Edelweiss, it's really annoying sometimes) so I am seeing more girls today.  Keep your fingers crossed!!


What do you do if it is raining?

Do you work better under pressure?

XX
Sarah

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I almost took a week off.... oh yeah and an EARTHQUAKE!

So Tuesday morning I woke at the crack of dawn to run my 20 miler. (normally I go on Saturdays but we are thinking about camping this weekend so I needed to get it done)After an hour of dilly dally I made up my mind that I wasn't going to do it.  Even though I would be back around 9-9:30 it would completely wear me out and ruin my whole day I just knew it (or at least this is what I kept telling myself).

I was dreading it so I crawled back in bed to hear my husband say that I should at least do something??  What!? Boy this upset me so I got up and did P90X back and biceps.  Then when he finally woke I told him that I was burnt out and really needed a week off from running.

It was settled... I was taking the week off and only doing workout videos.  As the day progressed I kept thinking about running.  It was interfering with my work thoughts.  It was driving me nuts!!  Needless to say by the time 6:30 rolled around I was out the door doing my tempo run.  It looks like the aftermath of Irene is going to hit this weekend so that means no camping.  Which means back to my 20 miler on Saturday.

So in the end I didn't end up taking the week off.  I guess as much as I would like to sometimes, when I am in training I just can't seem to relax.

This is the breakdown...
6 miles with 5 miles at 7:50
Mile 1 - 8:51
Mile 2 - 7:41
Mile 3 - 7:47
Mile 4 - 7:49
Mile 5 - 7:52
Mile 6 - 7:27

Done and Done!

I know I look super cool here with my socks and all but I had this set up going on for a shoot so I thought I would capture myself after my run.

Breakfast for dinner I say..

My version of a "healthy egg sandwich" although there is still bacon and cheese so I wouldn't say it is that healthy.  But I cook the bacon in the microwave on this tray that allows all the grease to drip off and makes it super crispy.  I love it.

Whole Wheat English Muffins
Crispy Bacon
Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar and Mozzerella mixed in.

Salt and Pepper and Done!
Simple, fast and delish!

These are my most favorite English Muffins EVER!


Please don't be grossed out!  I just wanted to show you how much grease comes off!

SO GOOD!

I did Tracy Anderson on Monday and will be doing something tomorrow I don't know what yet. Insanity was supposed to come today and it didn't.  Totally lame so I am not sure what I will do.  Thursday will be my track workout, Friday maybe Tracy again and Saturday will be the dreaded 20 miler at 8:45 pace.

In other crazy news an EARTHQUAKE was felt in NYC yesterday.  I was working in my studio when I realized things were shaking.  At first I was like.. "What are they doing to this building?" And then I realized no this was definitely something else.  It was small and thankfully everything was ok and no one was hurt but then it got me to thinking about what if.....  and I don't even want to go there because it just freaks me out!

Do you ever take a week off??

Don't forget to enter our awesome GIVEAWAY!!

XX
Sarah

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Ordered and Ready to Go!

For starters lets go way back to Saturday for my 20 miler.  I was supposed to come in at a 9 min mile, I failed once again and came in at 8:46.  You might be thinking woohoo this is great but really that is not great, the whole purpose of the Run Less Run Faster Plan is to try to stay as close to the numbers as possible.  Anyways it was hard and I was tired by mile 15 I wasn't really sure I wanted to finish and mile 17 was really quite close to death. :)  BUT I made and was so happy to be done.

It has been raining like crazy here so I just did P90X Monday and was able to hit the track today.  My workout...

10 min warm up
3x 1600m at 7:02 pace (6:59,7:00,7:02)
I was supposed to do a 1 min RI but that was not happening so..
I walked 200m. This is way better and allows me to fully recover.
10 min cool down.

So guess What?!?! Remember how I was saying I was the weak link and couldn't even do 1 pull up?  Well since then I got my 10 pounders out and have been working on my biceps and today after my workout I was thinking that I might just try to do a pull up.  So I walked over and yep I did 1 pull up no prob!  I felt so good after the one that I didn't even want to try for 2 because I didn't want to be a let down.

So I am proud to say that I am back on track!

Ordered Beach Body Insanity and I am ready to work it out!




Last night I went out to eat at Cubana Social with some girlfriends.  It was so good!  Afterward I met up with Scott and we took a little stroll to the end of the pier.  The weather was perfect.


Oh and I couldn't have ended the night without something sweet.  My favorite..... Rainbow Sherbet!


Workouts for the rest of the week.
Wednesday - P90X Back and Biceps
Thursday - Tempo Run, 6 miles with 3 miles at 7:35 pace
Friday - Not sure yet, maybe Tracy Anderson
Saturday - 18 miles at 8:45 pace

How's your week shaping up?

Anyone started their long runs yet?

Who is so excited for the cooler running weather??  ME!!!!

XX
Sarah

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Weak Link

I finally bought some track shoes!  Technically they are not "track shoes" they are minimalist shoes which is what I was really looking for.  I wanted a shoe that was light weight and that I could move fast in.  Because they have no support or cushioning I have to be very careful when breaking them in.   They are the Mizuno Wave Universe 4s.

I plan to run one mile on the track once a week for starters.  I will do this when I am doing my track workouts.  Yes it will be a pain to carry an extra pair of shoes and have to change into them but I think it will be totally worth it.  I have been wearing extremely flat shoes all my life and do believe in what barefoot running has to offer.  I just can't get past the 5 finger shoes. Just too weird for me so this is the next best thing!! Keep in mind it could take me up to a whole year to get adjusted.


Next up, yes I have realized that I am the weak link in the family.  Last summer I could do a pull up or two and when I was just in CO with my sisters we tried doing pull ups.  Heather could do one and Jen had no problems what so ever doing a few and then it was my turn.  I COULDN'T DO ONE PULL UP!!! What has happened to me.  Last summer I was doing P90X like a mad women and since I started doing Tracy Anderson I never do arms anymore.  Don't be fooled, I know I look like I have nice tone arms but really they are SO WEAK! So I have decided it is time to switch it up again.


I have heard really good things about the workout video Insanity. I really need to switch it up.  In fact after Jen's total body conditioning class my arms were sore for 3 days which just shows you how weak I have really become.  Lifting 10 lbs weights was hard.  So this morning I did P90X Back and Biceps with my 10 pounders.  It felt good and got me pumped for my next workout challenge.






Have you guys tried Insanity?

How do you keep your strength up?

Anyone tried the Mizuno's yet?

Tomorrow I have my long run, 20 miles at 9:00 pace.  Woot! I am excited that it is at 9 min and not 8:45 :)

Happy Friday!
XX
Sarah

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Before and After with a Salad

Do you remember last Saturday when I told you I bought these Nike shorts for my marathon.  Well I tested them out to see if they ride up too much.  I bought the 5" length ones and I LOVE them!  I had never ran in tight shorts like these so I was hesitant.  But as I got going they felt great.  Almost as if I had nothing on, but in a comfortable way.

I will say that they did ride up a little but not enough to make me think that my bum cheeks were showing.  Thank goodness! I also really wanted to test them, so I never pulled them down once and as you can see from my pictures they hardly moved up.  So yep, these are the winners.  My sisters and I are all running in the same outfit!  We will show you the rest of it later.  Can't wait! Only 9 more days till RACE DAY!!


A little over a month ago I wanted to pump up my veggie intake so I made up my own food rule/guideline/diet.  It is called the salad once a day diet.  I try my very hardest to eat a salad once a day.  Simple as that.  I would say that it is going pretty well and I have about a 95% success rate.  The trick is that you have to mix up the ingredients.  I usually buy the Taylor's organic salad mixes.  At first I was really into the herb salad mix but now I have moved onto the the baby spring mix.  I will seriously throw whatever I have in my fridge into my salad.  Some days are better than others but I will say eating my greens everyday helps me feel so much better!! (and I change up the dressing, but always remember to take it easy on the dressing or it just defeats the purpose)


If I am really not feeling a salad I will make a salad mix(this case, with tuna) and just put it on some bread to make an open faced sandwich.


I am in charge of doing activities for the kids in our church and so last night we headed to the park for some games and I brought fruit salad to munch on.  The kids loved it!  No I don't really count this as my greens for the day but I definitely love eating fruit in the summer.  Plus I think it tastes like you are eating dessert when you are eating fruit salad.



The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast.  We played Red Rover.  Do you remember that game?

Saturday, June 4, 2011

What's up with Tracy Anderson?

First off I would like to say Thank you for all of your wonderful comments about tapering.  I have decided to modify mine a little and follow along with Maia's tapering plan.  This woman is awesome and has ran Grandma's Marathon 3 times!  So Thanks Maia!

That brings me to my next point.  We the Trio are trying to find the perfect running outfit for our race.  We are thinking about running in these shorts below.  I have never ran in shorts like this before so I will be testing them out on my 13 miles today.  Hopefully all goes well. PS photo taken with my phone so it's a little blurry. 


I also have been craving smoothies because there are so many blogs out there making smoothies all the time.  I just needed to make my own.  SO I tried this one out.  Muscle Nog protein powder, ice, banana and almond milk.  It was so good!    Hit the spot!


And here is the easiest recipe ever for peanut butter protein balls.

1 cup Peanut Butter (could use almond butter but my husband only likes the peanut)
1 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup of honey
Mix together is a bowl then roll into balls.  I like to put mine in the freezer.

That's it!  Super easy and way tasty!



I know, I am getting closer to my point but I also wanted to share my excitement about making  Overnight Oats for the first time.  Kath Eats Real Food is always making them and they look so good that I just had to give them a try.  I was going to eat them before my run but thought they would be too filling so I stuck with my grahams and am saving this for after.


Before my run I am trying to do everything that I will be doing before the race.  And that means a slice of pizza for dinner.  My man is out of town so I walked up the street and got me a slice of veggie pizza.  It was ok, not the best but usually that is what you get when you order a slice. 


Alright, finally onto Tracy Anderson.  Because I am a huge advocate for her workout videos people are always asking me if she really works?  Many people have blogged about her and talked about her nutrition. Skinny Runner also did a great post about her Method.  Here are my thoughts... I truly believe that this girl has got it going on.  Yes, she is very LA but she is also a business woman.  A very successful one at that.  I first heard about her through Kelly Ripa.  I was watching Regis and Kelly and it was all about fitness and gyms around the city.  Kelly took the camera crew for a workout class with Tracy.  They did all sorts of cool workouts I have never even thought about doing before.  And after seeing Kelly Ripa's smokin body I was hooked.  I knew that her Method had to be doing something right.  So I researched further.
 

First off I looked into her gym, it was way out of my budget so I did the next best thing.  Ordered her Tracy Anderson Design Series.  It comes with 3 different discs, the best part is that you don't have to buy weights or anything.  All you need is a chair and some kind of mat.  I started out with disc one, it was tougher than I thought. Basically Tracy believes that all woman can have smokin hot bods if they know how to do the right moves.  She is always talking about lifting your bum.  Which for me I love!  I was doing the Tracy videos about 4-5 times a week but once my marathon training kicked in I had to bump it down to only 1-2 times a week.  I really like disc 1 and 2.  Disc 2 is my favorite and as for disc 3, it is hard so that is why I don't do it as much.


Within a few weeks I really began to see a change in my body.  One of the biggest changes for me was no more back pain!  From about my senior year in high school until the past 6 months I was always dealing with lower back pain. I even threw my back out last year, and it was extremely painful.  I couldn't even get out of bed to walk to the bathroom.  I had to crawl!  I knew what the main issue was and that was I was strong everywhere else except my back and bum were on the weaker side.  It was always hard for me to really workout those areas as much as the rest of my body.  And that is where Tracy came in.  Because she focuses so much on lifting your bottom she made work outs that where way more fun than just doing superman's all day.  And ever since the end of January my back pain has been GONE!  It has been so wonderful.  And if I feel a little something coming back I will know I just need to do a Tracy workout and I am back on track.


I also love her for many other reasons.  My arms stay in great shape and I hardly ever use weights.  Her arm workouts are awesome.  Yes you feel a little silly at first but after, you can really see her method working.  I also feel the same way about her abs and standing abs section.  She is always movin' and a groovin' and at first I was thinking I look so ridiculous, even in the comfort of my own home but after getting the moves down, I loved it!



I guess most of the concern comes from her diet plan.  This is something that I don't follow.  I don't even read into what she does for her dieting but I know that everyone is different and my body requires a different nutritional regime because of all of the miles that I log.  Many say her diet plan is crazy and unrealistic but I know she does whatever works for her.  I also think she is really just encouraging people to watch what they are putting in their mouths.  That we should focus on healthy foods and not sweets and fats all of the time. I am not saying that I know her or what she is thinking but I like to give her the benefit of the doubt because I use her at home method and really truly believe that it works.  She has toned my body so much that I can only thank her.  If I could afford her gym I would be there!! 

So yes, I encourage all of you to check out her website and her online videos.  There is a reason that celebrities love her! She is good as what she does!

Oh and one last thing. I have not tried her newest DVD Metamorphosis yet but I hope to soon!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Working out in your home/apt!

I have been working out in my apartment for almost 4.5 years.  I joined a gym once or twice but couldn't justify the bill when I could just do it from home.  First off, the best place to workout is outside!  Along with running I also live near a local track (not a high school track) which means it is there whenever I need it.  Not everyone has access to a track so sometimes I will go to a park with a basket ball court and do different plyo type exercises to change it up.

As far as working out inside my apartment this is the best set up I came up with.  Not always having tons of space you may have to get creative.  As you can see below I place my laptop on the table which will play my workout videos and on the TV I will usually watch the Today show (cuz I love it) or whatever else might be on.  Bachlorette??  I put my yoga mat on the floor and there you go!  Yes I admit sometimes it is not always the greatest but I don't have to worry about hopping on the train to get to my gym and then back home.  Takes way too much time, this way I can basically crawl out of bed, BLOG and then workout.


This is me doing my Tracy Anderson moves. I will do Tracy videos, P90x, Yoga, really any kind of workout video I can get my hands on will be done right here in front of my TV.


Another idea that you might try to look up is non-profit classes.  The place that I go to for yoga is called Hosh Yoga and it is non-profit.  There is a suggested $10 donation at the end but feel free to pay what you can.  I only need to go yoga once a week and I love this place.  Everyone is really chill and laid back.  No need to worry about being inflexible because everyone there is just happy to be there. So off to yoga I go....

 

Today I was starving when I got home and even tho it was lunch time I couldn't resist my cereal mix. Multigrain Cheerios, GrapeNuts and Granola with Almond Milk and sliced Banana.  Yum!  I could really eat cereal all day but I try to limit it to 1 bowl a day. maybe 2 :)



 Last night we were having perfect weather so Scott and I walked out to the pier. About 2 block from where we live.  I had him take a picture of me with the Williamsburg Bridge in the background.  That is the bridge I run over every time I go running.  It is about 1.25 miles over.  Most of the time I dread going up, especially at the end of my run and I have to get back over.  The Hill!  Arg, it is really a love hate thing. 


So even if you belong to the gym and just don't feel like making the track you can always always workout at home. 

Do you like working out from home?

What workout video is your favorite?

Cereal Mix? 

XX
Sarah

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Polenta and Veggies

First off I had a horrible 10 miles yesterday, it all started because I pushed my body way too hard last week and didn't allow myself to rest.  I even caught a cold because I ran in the cold rain on Saturday.  Bad Idea!

So my run yesterday was hard, my legs felt heavy, it was very hot.  All I could think about was where is water and my heartburn.  It was awful.  I decided that I am going to try my hardest not to run again until my 20 milers on Saturday.  I know I will be tempted to run Thursday but I am seriously going to try to rest.  I have yoga twice this week and also doing my Tracy Anderson so we will see.

Anyways this was my breakdown of what I ate today. (minus the snacks, like cottage cheese and whole wheat pretzels and dark chocolate)

Fiber One cereal with my homemade granola and Almond milk.


After my cereal I had this delicious Peanut Butter on a banana.


For lunch I made a mixed greens salad with pear, almonds,
blue cheese crumbles and balsamic.

 

This was my dinner experiment
I really wanted it to be pizza but it did not go down like that...
Ingredients

 

Because my polenta came out of a pre-made package I could not 
spread it so instead I just smashed it up and put the ingredients on top.


I was pretty skeptical but it actually tasted so good!  
Baked in the oven at 400 for 15 mins.


XX
Sarah

Monday, April 11, 2011

I'm Hungry


Do you ever have days where you feel like you are hungry all day long and no matter what you eat you still feel like you are running on empty??

Well this was me last week.  It didn't matter what I ate or how much, I was still hungry!  It was driving me nuts.  Back in January my appetite had gone way down because I was only doing Tracy Anderson videos so I wasn't burning as many calories, which in turn lead to being less hungry.  Now that my training is in full swing I need to consume more but have fear of consuming too much.  How do you tell?  What do you eat??  How much do you eat?  Are you eating the right things?  These are all questions that I ask myself when I am training.  A great book that I like to reference is Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners.  I have learned a lot by just reading this book.  But even after reading and educating myself I still have days that I am still hungry!

Sometimes I just can't fight the urge to eat so instead of just eating whatever all day I try to keep is somewhat healthy.  That way when the day is over and I have eaten my kitchen I don't feel totally disgusted because I know what is inside of me is yummy proteins and vitamins and carbs.  So this is it...

Honey Grahams
Low fat cottage cheese
Dried unsweetend mango
Banana
Saltines (for my cottage cheese)
Apples
Fig newtons
Almonds
Pumpkin seeds
Dark Chocolate

and most important what I don't have a picture of is... WATER!  I try to drink it through out my day.  This will help me feel more full.  Drink a full glass before you eat, it makes a difference.  I also like to drink my water at room temperature.  I think it is more filling, but this is just my opinion.

Yes some might say there is too much sugar in these snacks but what is most important is to find the mix that works best for you!

This week I am hoping for less hungry but with my mileage increasing I think I know how it is going to go down.

Happy Monday Everyone!  It's gonna be in the 80's today!!


Oh and one last thing, we revised our training plan again so if your interested in checking it out send us and email.  alwaystrainingtrio@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Plenty of both

One way to remove guilt from a vacation is to be sure to keep moving. For us, working out is an essential part of the vacation experience.  BUT, you just need to keep it in perspective.  Don't try to follow some strenuous training plan. Don't try to keep up with what you usually do because it is still a vacation.  

Below we found a basketball court and did triceps push-up and frog hops. Sarah also led us in some of her Tracy Anderson stuff.  Felt good =)




Then after we were finished, we recovered doing this! =)



On another day we hit the treadmill.  Which was very interesting.  Try doing 10x400's fast while the boat is moving up and down.  The workout facility was located on floor 9 in the front of the ship. So every time there was any "motion in the ocean", which was always.... you for sure felt it in the gym.   So I ended up using new muscles to try to keep myself balanced on the treadmill at fast speeds.  It was a BLAST and kinda scary, but totally worth it. My quads and hamstrings were slightly sore the next day. =)


Then of course, after our run we recovered doing this....


Food, Food, Food! We LOVE food. (I realize there isn't much food in the picture, but I assure you that is because we had just finished a few trips to the buffet and polished off our desserts, Yum)

Moral of the story is, while on vacation working in little workouts will make the lazy sleeping, eating times that much funner.  I LOVE VACATION!


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