8+ Down, 18+ To Go…

I’m a runner.  If you’ve read previous posts, you’d know I run…I run a lot.  Or, rather, I ran a lot.  Competing in at least one race each month.
 
BS (before Saylor) I ran 6 days a week. I didn't focus on strength training, and I could feel it in my running. I couldn't lose weight, I was flabby, and running was causing me injuries due to lack of core and leg muscle strength. Other parts of my body would over compensate and end up injured.  BUT I needed that mental challenge that running provides. That feeling of knowing I'm doing something hard. Something everyone is capable of doing, but few people actually do.
 
AS (after Saylor) fast forward - weight gain, nausea, fatigue, and a lack of motivation would keep me from running during pregnancy. Throw in a stroller, and I found myself really hating running. It made me sad to not enjoy or even DO my favorite hobby. I needed a workout, one I could do from home with minimal space and minimal time. Beachbody was it! And it’s working for me.  I've seen more improvement in strength, agility, and muscle tone/weight loss than I ever did with running alone.

If you can read my shirt in the pic, it says RUN. That's right people! Instead of pressing play on my Beachbody workout this morning, I pressed play on my outdoor run on my GPS app.  GASP!  It's okay to take on a self challenge with your own workout every once in a while. As long as you aren't pressing play on your 1.5 mile stroll around the block.  It’s easy to say “instead of pressing play, I’ll do my own thing today”.  Eventually, your own thing turns into sitting on the couch binge watching Netflix.  TRUST me…I’ve been there more times than I can count.  The momentum of being active needs fuel.  The less you fuel it, the faster it burns out and the faster you’re asking yourself where that 20 lbs came from!
 
This morning, Jose watched Saylor so I could have some ME time and focus on the physical and mental challenge of running on my own. As you can tell by my beet red face (this is after showering and sitting down), I had a phenomenal run! That's no filter, people!  The strength I've built over the last month made me feel like I have a much smaller gap to close to get to my personal best run. I don't have to run 6 days a week! I just have to be active! I've also learned the importance and value of adding strength training to my workouts as opposed to exclusively cardio. Not only does it make me a better runner, but it makes daily tasks like chasing Zoë, cleaning the house, unloading groceries easier than running alone did. From now on, I'll save my morning run as a special treat to enjoy when I need some me time
 
By the way, if you’re ever looking for something to give you that extra energy when running, walking, working out, keeping up with kids, surviving mom life. I live off my Mommy Go-go Juice Energize. It's tasty, plant based, and gives me a burst of non-jittery energy to keep me going!