I'm pretty hesitant to let go of fall weather (even though it snowed yesterday) so I'm holding on tight to the autumn spirit with this Pumpkin Pie Shakeology recipe!

I've talked about the benefits of Shakeology before, but pumpkin is also pretty impressive.
Benefits:
1. Vitamin A aids in your vision
2. Pumpkin is high in fiber which means you stay full for longer
3. Pumpkins are a source of beta-carotene, which may reduce your risk of cancer (according to the National Cancer Institute)
4. The potassium in pumpkin helps restore your electrolytes after a workout.

Ohhhhh leg day. Seriously that photo was me just a couple hours after finishing the Upper Fix workout. I had to run out to the car for the dog food and the 3 steps down to my driveway felt like a mountain! 

Yesterday was Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix. I decided to gift myself with this program for my 30th birthday next week! I'm trying to break through a plateau right now, and while I'm willing to put in the work I don't want to spend my time calorie counting.

So far...I am LOVING the 21 Day Fix!

The first workout is Total Body Cardio. It consists of 4 sets of 2 rounds of 2 exercises - got all that? Gotta love interval training.

The Good
Autumn Calabrese! She is a trainer that I identified with the minute I started the first workout. I loved her energy, I loved the variety of moves, and I appreciated that she was motivating without being too cheesy.

The length! 30 minutes and I'm done. I really appreciate shorter workouts because it lets me feel like I can have free time at night or not wake up super early in the morning.

The burn! It's only 30 minutes but it's TOUGH. I consider myself a cardio queen, but I will admit I had to do some of the modifications (which are wonderful) and even pause the DVD a couple times. If you are truly pushing yourself through the exercises you'll feel it!

The moves. I loved that these were very basic moves where I didn't need to worry about choreography. I personally feel strongly that simple is best and it seems like Autumn does as well.

The people. The cast in this workout was made up of all real people which was really refreshing to see. I have a lot of challengers who feel like they are too out of shape to workout, and it's great for them to be able to see that people of all shapes and sizes can do the workouts.

The Bad
The burn! Seriously though, I had to take quite a few breaks and I wonder if I just need more time in between rounds to rest.

Ab work when my heart is racing. I personally don't like to lie down on the ground when my heart rate is up; it makes me super dizzy. The last exercises in this workout were two floor based crunches and I didn't feel great after. Next time, I will probably wait a little longer before I tackle that last set. That being said - my abs are burning which feels amazing.

Training for a half marathon is HARD. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But honestly? It's probably not as hard as you imagine it to be. It wasn't for me, and before I started training I had never run more than 3 miles at a time. I learned a ton about myself, and about what works for me while training for my first race.

So below are my 100% amateur, non-professional, total novice (how many ways can I say beginner?) tips for training.

Lesson 1: Run when the running is good.
I made the mistake a few times (ok, several) of running when I was too tired, too hot, too full, etc. I learned not to force a run if I knew I'd struggle through it. I also learned to embrace good conditions when I came across them: run harder when it's cool, when there's a breeze, when you're going slightly downhill, when a great song comes on. When there is a shady side, run there. Don't force a long run if you aren't feeling it, you'll just have a bad run.

Lesson 2: Be lucky.
Live in a dry climate. Have a supportive partner. Don't have joint problems.

Obviously I'm not super serious with this one, but it really did factor into my training.

Lesson 3: Track your progress, and publicize it.
Before I started training, the farthest I'd ever run was 3.4 miles, and I did that the week I decided to sign up for the half. I used a Hal Higdon training plan, mixed in strength and intervals, and started moving forward. Each week on my long run was the longest I'd ever run, and it was SO REWARDING. I posted about it on Facebook and Instagram, and even though a couple people told me it was inspiring, my motives were selfish. I needed the encouragement! It really helped to know people were watching my progress, that they were proud of what I was trying to accomplish.

Lesson 4: Create a great playlist, and then change it up.
Nothing energizes me like a great song, but after a while I got really tired of my playlist on long runs because I knew how far I still had to run by each song. So my advice? Switch it up, but make sure it's something that motivates you. You can't go wrong with Britney, Kelly, and Taylor (Spears, Clarkson, and Swift, obviously).

Lesson 5: Don't wear shorts to run.
This is pretty basic. My thighs rub together when I run. And while a couple miles is fine, after 6 or 7 or 8 I'm miserable. My solution is running capris, my favorite have a zip pocket in the back for my keys. Bodyglide and other anti-chafe products also work, but I prefer the capris. While we're at it...on race day just put that stuff allll over your the places where your skin rubs together. Trust me.

Lesson 6: Eat enough, and make what you eat a habit.
I discovered early on that I could not run a distance first thing on an empty stomach. Before each long run on Saturday mornings I made the same exact breakfast: Shakeology with oats and half a banana. My stomach was accustomed to Shakeology because I drink it every day, the oats were for a little extra carb jump, and the banana was to help with muscle cramping. It was the perfect meal: not so many calories that I had to wait more than 1 hour before running, but enough that I didn't feel dizzy when I get to mile 5.

That's it! Tips for training from an amateur runner.

Remember that time I ran a half marathon? Because I barely do.

I really had the best intentions of writing up my experience running a half marathon, really I did. But then, life got in the way. Or rather, I let life get in the way. Which was the story of my life before the wedding. (More about that later.)

But it's time to talk about the half.



I finished in 2 hours and 23 minutes and some seconds (but I don't remember how many). It was faster than I thought I would be, but I also know I could have pushed myself harder at the start of the race for a better time.

What I would do differently:
1. Use energy sources throughout my training: I didn't train with gels or mid race snacks because it really isn't necessary for that distance. That being said, having done more research and after having talked to a bunch of runners about this I would try it for next time for an extra energy boost during the race.

2. More Bodyglide. Bodyglide (and similar products) are a runners best defense against chafing, which will certainly happen on a distance run. I chafed in a place I never had before, and now I know all the places I'd apply it and how much.

3. Keep up with my training schedule. I completed all of my long runs, but I didn't get in all of the shorter training runs throughout the week.

So how do I feel after? The truth is, I haven't run since the half. I developed a love of running while training for this race, but every time I think about going out I just...don't. And I really don't know why.

What I do know is that running that race was the hardest physical challenge I've ever attempted, and I am SO PROUD that I achieved my goal and finished the race. I learned a lot about myself during this process, and I'm grateful for the experience. Before this race I didn't know what I was capable of, but now I feel as though I could conquer anything. I can't wait to pick a new challenge to pursue, and hopefully soon I'll get back into some recreational running.

I'm writing this post from the airport in Philadelphia, but sadly I'm not here seeing my parents. I'm waiting at the gate for my connection flight to NYC in an hour...again.

You may have heard the buzz around Beachbody's newest fitness program - PiYo! Even thought the PiYo workouts are new to Beachbody, they have been around for a couple years, available as live group exercise classes. For the first time, they are available as an at-home workout.

Since I've been training for a half marathon, I have been counting down the days until this release. Running is really hard on your body, no matter how fit you are, and I'm looking forward to using PiYo to help restore flexibility and range of motion. 

But...let's be clear, these workouts look intense! They are high intensity, but low impact aimed at building long lean muscles using your own bodyweight and protecting your joints.






What is PiYo??

• Align: The Fundamentals (45 minutes) - Learn the basic PiYo terminology, proper alignment, and available modifications while Chalene takes you through a strengthening flow that will have your blood pumping. 

• Define: Upper Body (35 minutes) - This workout will start chiseling away at your upper body and get you on your way to shaping your arms and sculpting your shoulders. You will strengthen and stretch your entire body, while building on the movement patterns you learned in Align.

• Define: Lower Body (25 minutes) - This workout will shape and tone everything from your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves to gently, yet effectively get you sleek and lean legs.

• Sweat (30 minutes) - A traditional PiYo workout that incorporates effective dynamic conditioning, fast-paced cardio yoga flows, body weight resistance strength training, powerful athletic moves, and ab work into ONE workout!

• Core (30 minutes) - This ab-centric workout hits your powerhouse from every angle, building a strong core while creating flat, sculpted, and totally toned abs, obliques, and a strong and sexy back.

• Drench (45 minutes) - This workout not only leaves you drenched, but your metabolism will have been kick-started to ensure you scorch away fat! Go through a warm-up and stretch of upper and lower body, a power section that gets your heart rate up, then focus on your lower body to improve muscle endurance, balance, and flexibility. 

• Strength Intervals (25 minutes) - A nonstop body carving, calorie incinerating workout that uses no weights, no equipment, and gives you no bulk! Alternate between intervals of hardcore body weight resistance exercises and heart rate elevating athletic moves that melt away fat and promote long, lean muscle development. 

• Sculpt (30 minutes) - This muscular endurance workout uses varying tempos to keep your muscles under tension for longer periods of time. You'll use your own body weight to generate muscular endurance and stimulate metabolic changes to totally and utterly transform your figure!

• Bonus Workout: PiYo Buns (25 minutes) - Focused on the glutes, this workout is designed to lift, redefine, and tighten the entire backside of your body. This is a BIG calorie burner that combines low-impact, high-intensity lower body exercises that get the heart rate up and increases the booty burn for the perfect tight and round butt! 

Who can do PiYo?

ANYONE!! Everyone from the fitness beginner to highly trained athletes can DO and BENEFIT from this program. PiYo is a high-intensity, but low-impact workout that can be easily modified to meet everyone's needs. In fact, each workout includes a modifier demonstrating a simpler, though still-as-effective variation to each move.

There is no jumping in PiYo so it's perfect for anyone needing a low-impact workout that can still torch calories. You use your own body weight for resistance, so there's no need to buy any weights or resistance bands. In fact, the only equipment you need is a little bit of space and a yoga mat. What you'll get is a toned, sleek, and total body transformation.


What are the details?
PiYo released on June 19th to Team Beachbody customers. You can be the first to score your copy of the PiYo Challenge Pack and land yourself in an exclusive PiYo Test Group!! You can receive your copy of PiYo TWO WEEKS before the official program launch on the Beachbody website, so make sure that I am your assigned coach and that you have contacted me to reserve your copy of the workouts. CLICK HERE TO MAKE ME YOUR COACH.

Also, as a coach, you can receive a 25% discount on your PiYo purchase. So be sure to ask me about the preferred customer discount.