Lose Weight on Your List of New Years Resolutions?

Lose weight and improve fitness on your list of New Years Resolutions?

You could pay $50 a month plus a sign up fee for that gym membership you'll only use once or twice. I mean, we've all done it, right? 

OR, you could invest that money in a challenge pack that includes a fun and effective workout program you can do from the privacy of your own home, daily nutrition to help you beat cravings, support from a community of coaches invested in your success, a free t-shirt, AND a chance to win cash prizes. You won't get all of that from a gym membership.

Check out January's Challenge Pack promotions and message me for more information!
http://bit.ly/1xzYfds

Beachbody Challenge Pack Deals for January 2015!

NEW! INSANITY MAX:30 Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $220 USD (normally $245 USD)

21 Day Fix and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD)
21 Day Fix En Espanol and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD)



3-Day Refresh and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD)


See all challenge packs available here:

FREE Opportunity Webinar

Have you heard of Beachbody, but not sure how becoming a Beachbody Coach could benefit you?

Think you have to be a fitness expert to be a Coach?

Think you have to be in perfect shape to be a Coach?

Think this is just a pyramid scheme?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, you should join us for a free webinar to learn about the Beachbody Coaching opportunity.

For those interested in the Beachbody Coaching opportunity, some extra spending cash, or BOTH, you should attend this FREE online coaching webinar! 

Coaching has helped MANY of my friends from all walks of life (parents, students, single moms and etc.) financially, mentally, and spiritually. For me personally, this opportunity has helped me grow so much as a person and maintain a level of fitness I've never been able to stick with before,  and I can NOT be grateful enough.

There is NO commitment of becoming a coach after watching this free online webinar....so..i URGE you....if you are WANTING...NEEDING...to change your current lifestyle, we extend out our hands to you, and cordially invite you all to our online coaching webinar. 

Please email sunshinestrongbb@gmail.com so that I can put you on the guest list and send you the link to attend.

****And oh....the hosts will be giving out a FREE INSANITY MAX:30 base kit and our awesome 3-Day Refresh (cleanse program) to two lucky non-coach guests at the end of the presentation****

A Message To My Younger Single Mom Self

This moment...

I know you're tired. I know you want to go out with your friends. I know you just want one damn second to yourself. I know the last thing you want to do after working all day is sit on the floor playing action figures or driving to two different soccer practices on two different fields on opposite ends of town. I know you feel grumpy and resentful at how much time everyone demands from you. Where is YOUR time??? I know you snap at them and don't always take the time you should. I know you're tired of cooking and cleaning and doing math problems at 11pm because homework these days is ridiculous. No, really. Why did they change math? Wasn't it just fine when 35+35 just equaled 70? When you just added the fives and carried the freakin one? Why wasn't that enough? Why does it now have to take 15 steps to figure that out??? Two steps was plenty!

But I digress. The point is, I know. You love your kids, but some days...some days you realize how much easier your life would have been...

I know. You were way too young when you became a parent. Parenthood is hard. Single parenthood is impossible. 

Except that it's not.

So, the next time you are at your lowest, resenting your kids and contemplating what life could have been, just remember this picture.

Because this picture, this moment right here makes every moment of exhaustion, anger, stress, worry, regret, frustration, desperation, resentment, every negative emotion you've ever felt about single parenting just fade away. 

Knowing that these two young men love you unconditionally, value you, respect you, appreciate you makes it all worthwhile. Knowing that these two phenomenal human beings have your back erases any hint of what could have been. They know what you've sacrificed to make them who they are and because of that, these two exception people will have your back for the rest of your life. 

And make no mistake. They are exceptional. And you did that. You created and shaped and developed two exceptional human beings. I know you weren't always the mom you could have been, should have been. You've messed up. A lot. And you will make more mistakes. But in the end, you got it right. 

And this moment...

There are no words. 

Giving Is Important, But Are You Taking Enough?

I watched the Spartan World Championship today.

When 2014 started, I had two major goals: run my first marathon and run my first Spartan. And I registered for both. 

And I did neither.

I was about halfway through the year when I realized things were starting to fall apart for me financially. I should have anticipated it. I should have planned for it. The critical factors were all easily predictable.

My son's senior year expenses. (Seriously. Pictures. Class Ring. Yearbook ads. Graduation packages. Was I this expensive as a kid???)
Student loans coming due. (Why did I think a PhD was a good idea?)
Health care expenses tripling. (Tripling? Yes. And I know it's happening to a lot of people. The premium has tripled, the deductible has exploded, and the coverage has dwindled down to nothing.)
One of my schools laying me off. (Dropping retention and enrollment rates mean schools are cutting back. Apparently the rest of the world figured out what took me 3 degrees to realize. College educations just aren't worth the expense anymore.)

All things that, had I been paying attention, I could have anticipated and planned for. Should have.

But I didn't. So now I am scrambling, taking whatever work I can get, putting in 90+ hours a week, getting up at 3am, and watching all of my goals sit quietly on a shelf until I have time for them. 

I will, however, have time. I am putting in the ridiculous hours now so that 2015 can be my year. My year for achieving my goals. My year for reclaiming my life. My year for marathons and Spartan races.

So, while I look at my pile of race medals that I have failed to add to in recent months and watch the amazing athletes that are not me competing on my TV, I am comforted knowing that I am staying true to my commitment to health and fitness even as I struggle to find the time. 

It's hard to find. So I take it. I take those 15 minutes in the morning to get in a quick workout. I take that rare afternoon lunch to get a run in. I take the 30 exhausted minutes before bed to do my PiYo. I take that 15 minutes each night to plan my meals to avoid unhealthy snacking or desperation fast food. 

I take.

We all know about the importance of giving. Giving is important. But so is taking. Taking time. I take time. Because no one is going to give it to me. That time is not just going to open up and present itself. I take it. 

Are you taking enough?

Surviving 16-Hour Days

So, what's the difference?

Price? Sure. The one on the left is cheaper. But that's where its advantages end.

As a single mom, money is always tight. So, recently I experimented with my morning breakfast routine.

I tried a month of Carnation Instant Breakfast instead of Shakeology for breakfast.

Cheaper. Yep. Also, groggy. Grumpy. Exhausted. Unmotivated. Down. Dragging.

See, since money is always so tight, I've had to take on several jobs. One of those jobs requires me to wake at 4am at least 5 days a week, drive an hour into work, put in an 8-hour shift (spending my 1-hour lunch break answering emails for my other jobs), drive an hour home, put in another 5-6 hours of grading, posting, and emailing for my other jobs, while also cooking dinner, cleaning the house, doing dishes, and finishing up the laundry. Do you see any rest time in there? Yeah, me either. *sigh*

Going nonstop from 4am until 10pm 5-6 days a week requires energy. Motivation. Drive. Willingness. Focus.

Want to know why I am willing to invest $100 a month in a meal replacement drink? Because I can FEEL the difference when I drink my Shakeology. (Even better, now that I'm a Beachbody Coach with customers who have discovered how amazing this stuff is, my Shakeology is paid for each month with extra income to boot!)

Sure, it's healthier than other meal replacement drinks. It's helped me stop taking iron supplements for my anemia. My complexion is clearer. I no longer get headaches. And despite my loss of workout time, I'm maintaining my target weight.

But mostly, it gets me through the day. Every other breakfast option I tried left me literally dragging and raiding the vending machine for a bag of Cheetos by 9am. When you're looking at another 13 hours to go in a day, dragging by 9am is just about the worst feeling in the world. Plus, Cheetos are apparently frowned upon when your job is moving clothing around on the sales floor. Something about orange fingers. Whatever.

But when I drink my Shakeology on my way to work in the morning, I feel great the rest of the day. Sure, I still dread getting up at 4am. I mean, it's 4am. No human being should be in public-appropriate clothes at that hour. But since it's what I have to do for now to be successful, then at least I'm going to have some energy. I follow up with a cup of almonds for my 10am snack and I'm good to go until lunch.

Not convinced? Give it a try. Click here to order a Taste Sampler and see for yourself. 

Learn more about the benefits and nutrition of Shakeology here.

Everything You Need To Lose Weight

What you get:

PiYo at-home fitness program
3-Day Refresh
1-Month Supply Shakeology (flavor of your choice)
Personalized Support
Access to Free Online Challenge Groups
Chance to Win Cash Prizes

Everything you need to lose weight and improve your health. 

Remember, summer bodies are made in winter. So let's kick this winter off right!

Click Here To Order Today!

The Perfect Program. Period.

The perfect program for runners. The perfect program for those seeking strength and flexibility. The perfect program for those needing low-impact (NO-impact) exercise. (It's like yoga, only better.)

The perfect program. Period.

Our online accountability and support group starts tomorrow. There's still time to join us!

Comment below or join on my Facebook page today: https://www.facebook.com/events/1510517262528210/

Fitness Tricks & Nutrition Treats!

Free Online Fit Challenge

Do you have an old Beachbody workout program collecting dust? Or maybe you saw an infomercial for Shaun T's new Max 30 program and want to challenge yourself. 

What better time to make your DVD player work for you and get back to fitness than the New Year?

Join our online Fit Challenge using any Beachbody program and we'll get fit together.

Get stronger. Get fitter. Get healthier. And have fun doing it.

By committing to our online Fit Challenge, you get...

Daily Fitness Schedule
Daily Nutrition
Support & Motivation
A Chance to Win Up to $100,000 in the Beachbody Challenge

Join the group by clicking here or email SunShineStrongBB@gmail.com for more information.

Need to order your program? Click here!

Single Mom Seeking Financial Peace

If you want to live like no one else can, first you have to live like no one else is willing to. - Dave Ramsey

I may be a little off on my quote, but I'm just too exhausted to open the book and find the exact wording. Really, the book is literally less than an arm's length away. It's not even a bent-arm's length away and still I'm just too tired to reach for it. So, let's just call that opening sentence a paraphrase. 

The point is, I have been living like no one else (or at least very few people) is willing to for the last two months. Working a total of 5 jobs (that really equate to a little more than 2 full time jobs hours-wise), I have had to sacrifice some things during that time. 

• I've had to cut back on time spent with friends. Just when I'd started to actually have a social life, a feat in and of itself for a single mom, I have had to all but eliminate it. 
• Then I had to cut back on running, one of my few escapes from work and stress.
• Now I've had to cancel my plan to run my first marathon. Or delay it. Let's say I'm delaying my first marathon. 

But, for the first time in my life, I am beginning to feel somewhat comfortable with my financial situation. I still have a long way to go before I reach a level where I can feel fully comfortable, but it's progress. I have avoided a zero balance for the last 3 weeks straight. (Really. I have money in my bank account. WHAT?!? Yep.)

Four am wake up calls, 13-15 hour days 6-7 days a week, loss of social and recreational time, and a little extra stress are not things I would normally recommend. But they are temporary. Six months temporary. That is my commitment to this plan. I will continue this schedule through January when I will have the first step of my financial peace strategy completed and then I can start to scale back on work and reclaim the funner parts of my life. (More fun parts? Funnier parts? Whatever. You get what I'm saying.)

So, whether you're a single mom or a struggling couple, I encourage you to consider making some sacrifices in the short-term so you can live better in the long-term. 

Go ahead and live like no one else is willing to so you can live like no one else can...or something like that.

Finding Time For Fitness

90

That's how many hours a week I've been working over the last two months.

Add to that the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping I have to do. All of the animals, both mine and fosters, to care for. Plus football games every Friday and soccer games every Saturday and Sunday. Bills. Research. Friendships to be maintained.

It's all a bit overwhelming. Exhausting. Draining. 

At the end of the day, I just want to sleep. And it would be so easy to do. Just crawl into bed every night without giving a second thought to my health and fitness. Allow myself to fall out of shape and into poor health. So easy.

But the unhealthier you get, the harder it is to keep up with such an overwhelming schedule. So, I make the time. Just 10 minutes at the start of every day (really, 4am burpees suck more than 4pm burpees for some reason). And another 10 minutes at the end of every day. 

But how? HOW do I motivate myself to do this? Because I have to. No, not just for the sake of my health, but for the sake of my business. I have found that the single most amazing benefit from signing up to be a Beachbody Coach is that I HAVE to stay healthy and fit. My business relies on it. 

Interested yet? Find out more by clicking here.

Do You Have A Back Up Plan?

Even when the money stops, the bills keep coming.

Working in higher education, I've learned how fragile employment has become. Gone are the days of retiring from a company after 40 years of service. 

I've watched as school after school has cut back on faculty, reduced faculty course loads, watched student retention drop, and some even close their doors.

Waves of panic may be an understatement. As a single mother, my entire family relies on me to provide for them. I had visions of empty cupboards, broken down cars, foreclosure notices.

What I needed was a back up plan.

Today, we have access to more entrepreneurial opportunities than ever. Whatever your unique interests, there is likely a business that matches it. Jewelry. Home decor. Self-defense. Cooking. Clothing. All of my friends seemed to be finding their way into their own niche and embracing the freedom of a home-based business.

Because I have always had an interest in running and fitness, I found myself drawn to Beachbody. I loved the programs and I simply cannot function without my Shakeology, so I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach. 

Beachbody created and maintains my online office and handles all of my customer orders. In return, I get a 25% discount on all Team Beachbody products (including my must-have Shakeology) and I earn a commission on all orders placed through my store. 

I'm still in the building phase of my business, but I am earning a monthly profit. Knowing that I am creating an alternate income stream to fall back on is a huge comfort for me. 

If you don't already have a back up plan yourself, I encourage you to look into some options. I'm happy to answer any questions, whether related to the Beachbody Coaching opportunity specifically or my experience, in general. Email me today and I'll answer any questions I can. 

It's all about what you can be passionate about. 

Focusing on Body AND Mind

If you follow me regularly, you know I hold free online challenge groups each month. We focus on basic fitness moves or full fitness programs. Sometimes we just focus on defining and reaching our goals. I love running all of these groups, but I am particularly excited about the two groups I'm running this July.

Mind

I am a book junkie. And since becoming a Beachbody Coach, I have become a Personal Development book junkie. I can't even begin to explain all of the powerful ways that reading these books has changed my life. And often the information contained in their pages is not revolutionary. Most of it is really just common sense. But they are lessons and concepts that most of us, despite the very basic common sense behind them, do not apply in our daily lives. These books have a great power to change.

In July, we'll get started on Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Click on the picture below to get started.

Body

I am also a yoga junkie. I LOVE yoga. So, I simply cannot wait for the release of Chalene Johnson's new program, PiYo. PiYo combines Pilates and Yoga and so much more for a phenomenal workout that will help you not only increase your strength, but also your flexibility. With it's low-impact design and modifications built in, it is perfect for all fitness levels. This is also HUGE for someone like me who loves to run and strength train. Even better? This program is low-cost. You can get this 60-day program for less than 2 months at the gym.

Interested? Click on the picture below to get started.

Finding Financial AND Physical Fitness

Are financial and physical fitness on your list of goals? With the launch of PiYO this month, I am looking for 4 people to work with to take on the massive surge in business that will happen starting in a few weeks. Fill out the application below and see if being a coach on our team is right for you.

Summer Vacation. Summer Chaos. Summer Workouts.

With summer here and all of my sons' friends fully mobile with their beat up cars and driver's licenses, my house is never empty.

I love this. I love having a constant flow of kids moving through my house. I love that they want to be here. I do.

BUT, this constant flow also means that I do not get the house to myself...ever. And the very open floor plan means that my workouts are on full display. 

It has taken me some time to get fully comfortable with this concept. I mean, the kids that come and go from my home are athletes. They are in what may be the best shape of their lives. I anticipated ridicule. Laughter. Pointing. Mean tweets. A few smirks, at the very least.

Here's what happens instead. They join me. Maybe not for the whole workout, but they join in. And they see how challenging these programs can be. And, more and more, I hear them doing the workouts even when I'm not. Seriously. There are times when I have a basement filled with teenage football or soccer players doing some Les Mills Combat. 

These are kids that whine and complain about summer two-a-days and suicides and Saturday soccer practices. And here they are spending their down time doing High Intensity Interval Training. By choice. 

It is, in a word, awesome.

So, all you moms and dads out there, don't let the chaos of summer vacation throw you off your game. Keep getting those workouts in, kids or no kids. 

You Want Results? Go Get Them!

You want results? You've got to go get them. True.

And if you want help getting those results, you've got to get signed up with me. (Seriously, it's free and I'm all about commitment, accountability, and motivation, so sign up here.)

Even better than getting me as your coach...for free? Getting Les Mills Combat for next to nothing.

No, really. For less than you would spend on a month's gym membership, you get a 60-day program that you can do from the privacy of your own home, complete with an online support group and ME as your free coach.

This is one of my all-time favorite programs that I go back to over and over to help me continue to build:

strength

stamina

confidence

power

and a lean, toned body (which is really kinda nice this time of year...)

But you have to hurry! This sale ends June 9th and other programs are already selling out. Order here!

My New FREE Saucony Running Shoes

 You're supposed to replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles.

I, being the rebel that I am (read: lazy), can't be bothered to track the miles I'm putting on my shoes. So, I'm generally alerted to the need for replacement by the little aches and pains that start to surface in my knees and hips.

Unfortunately, my extra shoe-spending money does not always coincide with my sudden iliopsoas new-shoe-needing pain.

What's a runner girl to do? 

Mystery shop.

That's right. I said mystery shop. When I noticed those subtle pains popping up recently, I signed on for a few mystery shops, three of which involved visiting local shoe stores. With the shop fees combined with the reimbursement, I managed to snag a brand new pair of my favorite running shoes, Saucony.

Aren't they pretty?

Never tried mystery shopping before? You should. It's a fast easy way to make some extra cash and get reimbursed for things you already need anyway.

Sign up for one of my favorite companies, BestMark, and I'll even get a little referral bonus to put towards some new running shorts. So, thanks for that!

Happy National Running Day!

Simple Steps to Goal Achievement

Action Planning.

Goals are important. 

Writing goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms is important. 

Writing goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms EVERY SINGLE DAY is important. 

Writing short-term, actionable goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms EVERY SINGLE DAY is key to achieving long term goals.

Want to be healthier? Great! How will you make that happen?

Want to be financially secure? Yes! How will you make that happen?

Want to change the world? Absolutely! How will you make that happen?

Commit some real time to this process and you will start to see real progress. It won't happen overnight, but just stick with it. It WILL happen. 

Take some time right now to identify 3-4 basic goals you could achieve THIS MONTH that will bring you closer to your larger goals. Write them down, preferably in the current tense to get the greatest psychological impact. Do this at the start of EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

Then, at the end of EVERY SINGLE DAY, put a little check mark next to each monthly goal that you did any work on that day. 

It works.

And hey, did those three goals I mentioned above speak to you? If so, I've got some great news. I know a way you can achieve all three with one simple step. Just fill out the form below and I will follow up with you.

Creating Action for My Vision

On Friday, I passed my Personal Trainer Certification Test. Yep, I'm certifiable.

That little milestone (and let me tell you, it was not easy by any stretch of the imagination...) marked the completion of Phase One of my achievement plan.

That means it's time for Phase Two and I find myself needing a little more focus and guidance for my plan. Phase One took up so much of my focus for the last six months that I'm left feeling a bit out of sorts as to what to focus on next.

Enter the Action Board.

I'm working on my Action Board to help me clarify, define, focus, and guide my next steps toward my ultimate goal of financial freedom. 

Financial Freedom. 

*sigh*

Want to join me? Check out The Key To Achieve website for some helpful tips on creating a powerful action board for yourself. 

Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp Challenge Group

New Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp starting soon. This is a perfect program for those getting started with fitness. You can achieve great results in this 90 program, but it is also perfect for beginners.

If you'd like to join us in our upcoming fitness support group or just want to know more, complete the form below and I will follow up with you!

Join the Extreme Turbo Challenge!

Challenge starts May 12th. Contact me today!

I Challenge You

If you want to make effective change, you must first change your thoughts.

I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours avoiding complaint, criticism, anger, or worry.

I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours focused ONLY on those things that will get you closer to your goals. I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours thinking and talking ONLY about those things that will get you closer to your goal. I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours giving your attention ONLY to those things and people that will support your happiness, positivity, and success.

I challenge you. Now, go. 

Adventures in Marathon Training

Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon this morning, finishing in 2:08:37. 

I ran a 12 mile training run in 2:13:07.

Thankfully, I'm not competing against Meb. I'm also not competing against Rita Jeptoo, who won the women's field with a time of 2:28:57. They are what I like to call super-human. Those times are insane. Admirable, but insane.

I'm just happy to be on this journey to complete my first marathon, hopefully sometime in the range of 4.5 - 5 hours. 

Here's my issue. Give me a few hours of running and I'm bound to find several ways to make an idiot of myself. Today was no exception.

Around mile 8, I became trapped on a cul-de-sac by a rather large dog with unknown intentions. She appeared out of nowhere and she definitely wasn't going to let me pass without some form of groveling. The problem is that, by mile 8, very little blood is flowing to my brain, so it took me several minutes to remember what I've learned in my time in animal rescue. All that came to mind initially was yawn and smack my lips. I also decided it was best to sidetrack into the woods on my hands and knees with my eyes averted, all the while still yawning loudly and smacking my lips. Yes. Yes, that totally happened. 

All's well that ends well, though, because she apparently felt sorry enough for me that she allowed me to crawl past her to freedom. Still, it takes chick a good mile or two to recover from becoming some bitch's bitch. And about the time I was starting to feel good about myself again, I came upon a large group of people out for a morning stroll. The man at the front of the group suddenly threw his arms up in the air. I took this as the international sign for "You Go, Girl!" and threw my arms up, woo-hooing in return. Wait, is he? Is he yawning? Yes. Yes, he's totally yawning. 

Whatever. I'm 10 miles into a 12 mile run, my achilles thing hurts, I'm running out of water, and my stomach keeps growling despite the 17 gnats that I've swallowed on my journey. At that point, I couldn't even be bothered to look embarrassed. Yes. I just woo-hooed myself. You wanna judge me? Try picking up the pace a little bit first. See how clearly your brain works then.

Apparently, running makes me resentful.

The Infinite Debt Club

Are You A Member?

You carry a calculator with you through the grocery store trying to get what you can with that sad $23.48 sitting in your bank account. Standing at the checkout, you swipe your card and start your mantra, "PLEASE go through. PLEASE go through." And then that moment of relief washes over you as you see the receipt start to print. (Although, I've experienced the utter humiliation of DENIED three times now. That is enough to make you swear off eating. Just too much trauma associated with the grocery store.)

Do you hesitate to answer the phone, ever, because now bill collectors are using local numbers to call? It's not just those 888 numbers you have to avoid anymore. Now, unless Aunt Mary's face pops up on your screen, you're just not sure you can trust that local area code. Could be my son's school calling to say he's fallen gravely ill or it could be Citibank wanting to talk about that $286 I owe them. Best not to chance it. If it's really bad, he'll text me.

How much do you celebrate payday, rushing out to get milk and cat food (yes, that is my life) before the bill payments start coming out? Yeah, it may mean $432 in overdraft fees, but that's better than living with a bunch of starving cats. (They will eat you in your sleep if they don't have their canned food in the morning.)

And really, no matter how much you plan, the income never seems to match the outflow. No, really, Dave Ramsey. I'm trying!!! Just when I think I have a handle on it and I might just get ahead this month, BOOM! My son announces that he is going to prom and needs the money for tickets ($140), a tux ($250), and pictures ($85). I know. Not a necessity, but this child works his butt of and never asks for anything. And he's given ME money on more than one occasion. I can't say no to that.

You pay and pay and pay, but the debt never seems to go away. In fact, wait, is it...is it actually growing?

It's time for a change, folks. This is a ridiculous way to live. It's not true poverty, but it's financial desperation and it has to stop. 

First, if you haven't experienced any of the above scenarios, good for you. That probably means you've avoided living beyond your means. Keep it that way.

But, if you have, then we're in this together. And as best I can tell, there are two things we need to do.

1 - Stop spending money. What? Ok, I mean frivolously. Stop frivolous spending. Use coupons. Make lists. Only buy what you need. Plan. That won't fix it overnight, but it's a start.

2 - Start finding extra money. Here's where I can help. A home-based business means you don't have to take on another job (seriously, I've never worked less than two jobs since having children and I still continued to struggle) just to bring in extra cash. And these home-based businesses don't have to cost you hundreds of dollars. Want to know more? Send me a message using the Comment Form to the right and I'll follow up with you. Or, click on the image below to watch a short video about this opportunity.

Working Massage Into Marathon Training

If you follow me on Facebook, you may know I made it into the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon. 

If you've ever run a marathon, then you probably know that I am experiencing a bit of panic now trying to plan for training. Twenty-six point two miles is a lot of miles. A lot. *sigh*

So, I'm doing a lot of research to determine how best to avoid breaking down mid-marathon into delirium and begging random strangers for a piggy back ride to the finish.

At the top of my research pile is the impact of massage on runners. I could quote all of the medical mumbo jumbo, but I won't. It's boring, trust me. But the bottom line is, massage is good. Wait. Let me rephrase, GOOD massage is good. A bad massage can leave you injured. Believe me, it's happened. I once paid $90 for someone to decide partway through my Swedish massage that what I really needed was a deep tissue massage. I was not physically or emotionally prepared for a deep tissue massage. It took me two months to recover from that deep tissue massage. 

I have since found a phenomenal massage therapist that has a strong understanding of physiology and what my body needs to recover efficiently from my training. It's almost magical how she can find areas of stress and injuries that I've neglected to even tell her about. (I think maybe she's part witch - but the good kind of witch, like Hermione). 

For real, no one looks like that when they're getting massaged. But that's absolutely the way I feel like I look when I'm getting massaged.

So, I don't really have my mileage plan set up yet, but I do know that I will be working massage into my plan at least monthly over the next 7 months. Likely, I will increase that closer to marathon time. Luckily, my spa offers a wonderful club plan to help me afford frequent massage. 

Whether you're a regular runner or not, I encourage you to invest in regular massage. You will be happier and healthier for it.

Now, can I get a ooh-rah! (That's a marine thing, right?)

Do You Think 6 Miles Are Easy?

I do...now.

Runner Girl posted this on Facebook last night. And nothing could be more true.

I remember the first time I decided to become a runner. I laced up my new running shoes, told the guy I was dating at the time that I was going out for a run, and then bounced happily out the door. I might have made it around the block. It took me at least 10 minutes to do that and I thought I was going to die. I literally thought my heart was just going to stop in protest. 

When I stumbled back through the front door a quick 10 minutes after I'd gone, my boyfriend said, "I thought you were going for a run." I should add that he said this while reclining on the couch with a beer and a bag of chips. The man had never done anything physical in his life. So I would have been totally justified if I had gone to the kitchen, grabbed the rolling pin, and beat him repeatedly about the head with it. That's what I would have done if I hadn't been crumpled in a weeping pile of sweat by the front door. Of course, if I'd managed to crawl to the kitchen, I wouldn't have even found a rolling pin because I don't bake. Whatever.

Here's my point. That's where I was when I made the decision to become a runner. It was not a great place to be and certainly didn't feel very promising. I never thought I'd say "easy" and "6 miles" in the same sentence. But I committed to it anyway. And I never looked back. Last weekend, I made it onto the podium at a 10 mile trail run. We all have to start somewhere. 

Running may not be for everyone, though I really think it is the most natural thing in the world and should be for everyone that doesn't have some injury or disability keeping them from it. But if you've ever thought about it, try it. Just go ahead and do it and keep doing it until it makes you happy. 

Because it will make you happy. 

I mean, first it tries to kill you, but then eventually it makes you totally happy.

Walk This Way

Our free monthly challenge group has decided to embrace the final arrival of spring and take on a walk/run challenge for April.

We are committed to walk or run (or both) at least one mile a day for 30 days. A walk challenge is such a great way to begin to incorporate fitness into your life.

And while we all have a pretty good grasp on walking, it turns out there are some things to keep in mind in order to ensure the best calorie burn and muscle conditioning.

So, if you're planning your own walking challenge this month (or want to join us by submitting your info in the contact form to the right), keep these tips in mind to ensure good form.

• Walk straight, but not rigid. You want to be relaxed with good posture. Avoid hunching your shoulders or tensing your back.
• Keep your head up. Some say to keep your vision focused on a spot several feet in front of you. As a trail runner, I have a bad habit of looking down at my feet when I run or walk. (It's a survival skill in trail running. Otherwise, those roots will get ya!)
• Bend your arms. You'll burn more calories that way.
• Keep your core tight. What the heck does that mean? It means pull in those abdominal muscles. It will help strengthen your core and burn more calories.

And hey, if the mood hits ya, don't be afraid to pick up the pace a little very now and then. That's how runners are born.