Kayaking the river

  Earlier this week I went kayaking for the first time, and absolutely loved it! One of my coworkers has 4 kayaks so she took a small group of us after work. Our office is actually right on the San Antonio Riverwalk, so that's where we went.

 

  Now I know when many of you image the Riverwalk you probably have an image like this......

 

 

  But, just a little further south of all this craziness there's a beautiful section that is lined with a few houses, tons of trees and quiet nature. It's really great, and I love to be able to enjoy it during my lunch break by taking a walk. 

  We put the kayaks in south of our office and then rowed about a mile north until we ran into a waterfall and had turn back. 

  Kayaking was a lot of fun and a great way to experience the Riverwalk.

Tickle me pink...and purple, and blue, and green, and yellow.....

   Several months ago, before the craziness of moving and T traveling for business for the next two weeks popped up, we had signed up to run a 5k that was scheduled for this morning. We've had to change a few of our other plans, but I'm too frugal (cheap) to not do something that I've already paid for. Plus...this was not your typical 5k race. This was the Color Me Rad race.

  Here's our before picture.

   The Color Me Rad is basically a 5k where at various stations throughout the races you run through a little area where people throw colored corn starch all over you! By the time you get to the finish line you look like you've been swimming in a pool filled with melted Skittles. You can also get Color Packs and throw extra color all other each other.

  We got some extra packs, and went a little crazy. Here's T before the race even got started.

 

  I'm usually super competitive when it comes to running in a race, but not today. This was just for fun, and it was a blast!

  Here's a picture of the finish line. No, it wasn't raining.....that's colored corn starch flying around everywhere!

   My friend Callie and I at the finish line! I must say, Callie definitely had the best tie-dyed face out of all of us! It was awesome!

  T and I at the finish line. Definitely a different look from the clean picture at the beginning of this post!

Workout Tips

  Working out is a very important part of my life, and I want to share a few of my tips, pointers and top secrets with you. I'm kidding...they're not really super duper secrets. They're just things that I've found have worked for me and my hope is that if you're searching for some direction when it comes to increasing your fitness, maybe they'll work for you too. 

Find your schedule  wikipedia.org

  One of the most important things I can stress is to find a schedule that works for you. I'm a morning person. Since I was a little girl I've never really enjoyed sleeping, and 6:30 on a Sunday morning is really late for me. I just naturally don't need a lot of sleep, so it's easy for me to get up early. So naturally, I do my workouts in the mornings. I've been doing it this way since I started consistently working out seven years ago. Several studies have shown that people who exercise in the morning are more likely to continue with their programs versus people who don't, so I definitely recommend giving it a shot if you can. If you can fit your exercise in during your morning, great.....during your lunch break, super.....in the evening, awesome! The most important thing is to find the time that works for you and to be consistent with it. Make it a priority as you would anything else in your day, because it's necessary. Your body and your health are important and they shouldn't be forgotten. 

Find your level of fitness   biggmotivation.com

  Another important thing to remember is to find your level of fitness that you're comfortable at. You have to have a starting place, and it's not going to be at the same level as Michael Phelps. Everybody is different and every body is different. You have to find the level that you're comfortable at, but are still pushing yourself. You've got to get your heart rate up. You've got to get a little out of breathe. You've got to push it to get the results! You don't have to be a running superstar. Walking is a great form of exercise, as long as you're pushing yourself at a rate that's getting your heart rate up. If not, your exercise is probably not going to be very effective. 

Get a workout buddy   yourhealthista.com

  Working out with a buddy is not only more fun, but also a great way to be more consistent! When you have someone holding you accountable you're much more likely to not bail. You can also help push each other to a harder level. When I first started working out at the little gym in my hometown I would go at the same time every morning, and there was always the same small group of people there. Without trying we held each other accountable. I don't know about everyone else there, but if I woke up and thought about not going I felt like I had to, because I was afraid they'd worry about me if I didn't show up. We were friends. We held each other accountable to be there. If you need that extra push to get into a workout routine, look for a friend that can be your exercise buddy!

Don't get bored   chuckwarnock.com

  My final tip for exercising is to not get bored with your routine. You can't do the exact same thing all the time, especially if you're expecting different results. Isn't that what Albert Einstein says is the definition of insanity?!  You've got to switch up your routine every once in a while. Not only will it prevent you from getting bored with it, but it will also give your body a new challenge. After a period of time with a particular workout your body will get used to it and it will no longer be a challenge. If its not a challenge to your body then you'll stop seeing results. That's when it's time for a change. For an example, if you've been speed walking for exercise, try jogging for 3 minutes and then walking for 5, and alternate that routine for the duration of your workout. The jogging will boost up the challenge for your body and will throw something new into the mix to keep it exciting!

  If you have a question about exercising or are looking for advise on getting starting on a healthy track, please contact me at sagingerwarrior@gmail.com. I'd love to answer your questions and offer advise that I may have!

Hugs, kisses and then a walk

  T left bright and early this morning for his first business trip with his new job. He took a new job about a month ago and I couldn't be more proud of him! He will be traveling more with this job, but they will be short trips. His previous job also included travel, but it lasted 6-7 weeks! He left this morning and will be getting home Friday night, but I won't actually see him until Saturday evening, because I'll be at a conference with my job Friday-Saturday.

 Here he is, ready for take-off! Look at that handsome smile!

  I went ahead and headed to my office after dropping him off, but got there an hour early. But....being the planner that I am, I'd thrown a pair of walking shoes into my car before I'd left the house. I missed my workout this morning because we had to leave so early for the airport, so I decided I'd go walking on the Riverwalk for some exercise instead. I laced up my walking shoes with my gray dress slacks, black sweater and red pea coat and headed out, because I can totally rock that outfit! Oh, and don't forget the pearl stud earrings. Man, I looked good!

  It was a beautiful and crisp walk along the river this morning.

  I actually really enjoyed my walk. I saw tons of ducks and these pretty white birds, that I have no idea what they were. I normally walk along the river during my lunch break, but this morning I had more time, so I got to explore areas that I've never seen before. I got a total of 2.3 miles in 41 minutes. Not too shabby for a morning stroll.

  Oh, and on another note....Molly and I really miss T when he's away, but Molly's not too upset that she gets to sleep in his spot on the bed while he's gone.

I work out!

jdunkle.blogspot.com

  I've had several different workout routines since I began my "get your butt in shape" lifestyle back in 2005. For years, up until about seven months ago, I was a gym rat. Every day I was there, you could bet your bottom dollar.
  I would go through phases of doing different machines and create a routine with it. I might do the elliptical one day, and then run on the treadmill the next. I always tried to incorporate weight training into my routine, even though I always hated lifting. I know that strength training is an important component of exercise....I've just never liked it.
  In 2009, I ran the half-marathon here in San Antonio. In preparation, I trained for several months and was definitely on the right track....and then I developed planters fasciitis in my right foot. Talk about painful, and a great way to sidetrack my running. For about 3 weeks before the half-marathon I didn't touch a treadmill, but being the stubborn, no-quitting attitude person that I am, I got out there that day and ran it. It felt like a great accomplishment, and for once in a blue moon, I was proud of myself.
  Last year, in an effort to boost up my strength training, I did the P90-X program. I hated it! I've always been a cardio junkie, so tons of weightlifting was not for me. I would push as hard as I could during the workouts, and still barely break a sweat. No sweat=unworthy workout to me. But darnit, I finished those 90 days, and then I got my butt back to the gym!
  Earlier this year, around the beginning of March, I felt like I was in a gym rut and in need of a challenge. I decided to really test my mind, body and soul....with the Insanity workout system. If you've seen those infomercials you know that program looks pretty crazy.
  I love it! I feel like I've finally found a program that kicks my butt! No matter how many times I do a workout, it never gets easy! I also love that there's no weightlifting, but I've definitely gotten toned because there's so many moves that use your own body as resistance.
  I finished the two month program and immediately started it again. I felt challenged and empowered. As I neared the end of my second round, in mid-July, I felt like my body was getting a bit tired. I also knew that I loved Insanity, and didn't want to burn-out and then hate it....so I knew it was time for a change.
  I'd grown accustomed to doing home workouts, so began searching for another DVD workout program. I discovered the Turbofire program and love it. It's definitely more upbeat and fun than Insanity. It's a lot of cardio kickboxing routines, and I've always liked kicking and punching.....the air.
  After about 4 weeks I was still loving Turbofire, but getting a little fearful that I was going to lose the intensity that I'd gained with Insanity. So, I'm currently doing a hybrid schedule of both Insanity and Turbofire. It's working really well for me, and I definitely feel challenged by both programs.
  So, that's the workout program that I'm currently doing. I never saw myself as being successful with a home workout program, but so far it's working. I've grown to appreciate being able to just walk down the hallway and do my workout.
  We have two guest rooms at our house. One is setup as your standard room for guests, and the other is T's "man cave." He does his photo editing in there (I'll talk more about that soon), plays video games and displays all his guy stuff.
  But, every morning at 4:30 that space is all mine. Hold up! Rewind! What time did you say, Megan?! You read correctly....I said 4:30. Since I was a little girl I've always been a morning person. I've never been a late sleeper (6:30 on a Sunday is pushing it). I've never been a snooze-button-hitter. My alarm goes off and I just jump out of bed. So naturally, I enjoy doing my workouts in the morning.

Love this!  fitsugar.com

  Research actually shows that people who work out in the morning are more successful with continuing their exercise over the long run. I figure it's because, besides sleeping, there's not much else to do at 4:30 in the morning. I can't go have dinner with my friends, work late, or vacuum.....all things that could cause a slip-up in my evening workout routine. I definitely encourage you, if you're struggling with finding consistency with your exercise, to give mornings a shot. It's hard in the beginning, but once the habit is formed it's just second nature. It's not for everyone. T has tried the morning routine.....nope, it's not for him. Do what works for you!
  Comment or email me if you have any questions about different exercise routines, or are looking for some support in that area!