Push-up Challenge

   Have any of your heard of the one hundred push-up challenge?  A few months ago, my sister stumbled across it and wanted me to do it with her, at the time I was insanely busy and was working out practically a zillion hours a day so the thought of adding on even push-ups made me tired.  Now, due to health reasons I had to stop my 1/2 Ironman training and so my schedule is a lot more open.  As a result I find myself intrigued by this one hundred push up challenge and I want to try it!  You can find it here: http://hundredpushups.com/   It's only 6 weeks but I imagine the results, especially in your arms, would be really visible in this time.  So who wants to do it with me?  What is so great about this challenge is that it is just a great way to supplement your every day workouts and by the end you should be able to do 100 push-ups in a row!  This would be INSANE for me!  But I am ready and willing to try it! 

Why not try it too??  Let me know how it goes for you!

SheROX Race Recap

   There are two races that no matter how I perform during them, they will always be MY race.  One is the Chicago Marathon because it was not only my first marathon, but it was my first race EVER... pretty Epic!  The other one is the SheROX women's triathlon in Naperville, IL - it was my first triathlon 3 years ago and is one that I absolutely love.  This race is what started my love for triathlons - had the Chicago Triathlon been my first...well lets just say I might not be in the same frame of mind today!
   
    Yesterday was the SheROX triathlon and again it was a great experience!  Truthfully, I didn't beat my previous times which is a little disappointing but somehow that doesn't really bother me this year.  Some of you may know, I've been sick for the last 2 months with Mono like symptoms, it totally messed up my training for my 1/2 Ironman as well as working out in general.  I went into this race hoping to have a good time, and being willing to accept however I did because it was the first time I had really been able to workout in 2 months!
   
    The day was crazy hot and because I am young-ish (atleast in the world of triathlons), I had friends that were finishing their race before I had even started mine!  The race started promptly at 7am and my wave went off at 8:45am. So I just hung out and cheered on my SubM teammates and enjoyed the sun.  I finally started around 8:45 and was pretty happy with my swim performance.  I felt I could have gone faster but there were a couple girls that no matter how I tried to get around them, it just wouldn't work! Ughh...  Swim was 13:18.  My bike was decent, but I am so hesitant around curves that I really slow down, I've got to get past that fear!  Time was 45:21 for the bike.  Now the run... being a runner before I came into triathlons you would think I'd be pretty strong in the run portion, but the first mile was really rough and I couldn't get into a good rhythmn or get my heartrate at a normal level so I walked a bit of the first mile... UGH!!  So my run ended up being 31:47... NOT GOOD!  But I finished and that's all I really cared about this year.  Considering I was so sick 2 weeks ago, I am so thankful to even have been able to compete in this race!  I placed 33 out of 115 in my age group which means I am improving slowly but surely!

Just a few teammates!! Lisa, Terri, Cathy and Me! Way to go ladies!!

Photo A Day April

     This April I participated in something called Photo A Day Challenge, where we were given a list of different things to take pictures with using Instagram.  It was really fun and such a creative way to interpret the list in whichever way we wanted!  So I thought I would share with all of you my pictures from the month!

   Day 1: Your Reflection - I was really sick when I took this picture so I didn't want my face to be in the picture!  So I got a little creative!

"I workout!"

Day 2: Color - I felt the need to do something Interior Design related...


I think this is the coolest way to see the variety of color! LOVE IT!!



Day 3: Mail - Everyone loves receiving mail and I love sending it!  I kind of got back into letter writing when my brother was in bootcamp in California and I wrote him a letter every week!  Such a lost art...



Sending Mail - Letter to my brother and bills... FUN!



Day 4: Someone who makes you happy - So many people in my life fit this category but I just happened to be with my nephew, he's such a little bundle of joy and makes me so happy!

Colton and I at breakfast on Career day at the Willows Academy

Day 5: Tiny - I had a really hard time figuring out what to do for this one, and then I suddenly thought of my Chia seeds - they pack a powerful punch and are supposed to be really good for athletes and retaining some water, which is needed in Endurance athletes!

Chia Seeds - So Tiny, So Powerful and So many shades of Brown!

Day 6: Lunch - It was Good Friday and as a Catholic, I had to fast and abstain from Meat for the day, so my lunch was rather small and not what I would typically eat...

Part of a Bagel and some cheez-its on a farm plate...

Day 7: Shadow - It wasn't a sunny day, so I wasn't able to do what I wanted to, but instead... captured the slight shadow caused by my Apple Martini

So Yummy - One of the perks of not being able to drink beer - I get to have some fun drinks!

Day 8: Inside Your Wallet - Some important things: My Business CardGym Membership Card, Jamba Juice Card, etc...

If only there was some money in there...

Day 9: Younger You - I absolutely LOVE this picture, my sister Katie was in a photography class and had to take some pictures, so she asked us to be her models.  We had such a good time!

Me, my brother Tom and my sister Amanda

Day 10: Cold - There are so many ways to depict this one...

A Bag of Ice - Don't think it gets much colder than that!

Day 11: Where I ate breakfast - My kitchen table of course in my apartment!

Pancakes for Breakfast with Hot Tea!

Day 12: Stairs - My apartment doesn't have stairs, so I had to use my parents stairs at home! They are fun stairs though!

I love the curve in the stairs!  Makes for a great entrance with a prom dress or wedding dress! :)

Day 13: Something You Found - I had been searching all over for these earrings, no idea how I managed to find them on this specific day! Weird!!

I love purple...

Day 14: How you feel today - I was really nervous! It was my first day as an official coach for a soccer game!  But my girls did a great job and both teams came home with a win!

Go EAGLES!!!

Day 15: Sunset - Florida

Sunset after a day filled with rain - INCREDIBLE!

Day 16: Flower - My favorite flower

From my Business Calendar - Happens to also be the month of June - my birthday month! :)

Day 17: Something you don't like - I HATE doing Laundry!!

blah

Day 18: Hair - My bangs...

I think I need a haircut if my bangs are all the way to my chin...

Day 19: Orange - When I finally paint my office...

I really like this orange/peach pallet!

Day 20: Something you drew - had to draw this for an assignment in college! I think it turned out well!

I did this house in pencil, ink and then colored pencils and markers!

Day 21: Bottle - A few of my Grandpa's antique bottles

Day 22: The last thing you bought

I HATE buying gas!!! It's so expensive now! UGH!

Day 23: Vegetable

The vegetable section at Costco - quite a variety!

Day 24: Something you are greatful for - I had a really hard time coming up with what to do for this one, not because I'm not greatful for anything but rather I am thankful for just about everything and how do you depict that?! So I went with a few of the things that I am REALLY REALLY greatful for!

My family, my business and sports - especially running and triathlons!

Day 25: Looking down - I was laying on the couch sick all day and our puppy Quincy rarely left my side!

Such a good, protective puppy - Qunicy

Day 26: Black and White - Weekday Newspaper comics

I love the comics!

Day 27: Somewhere you went

Spain, Italy and France!

Day 28: 1pm

Just a minute past 1pm...

Day 29: Circle

I just love these little circle cheeses!

Day 30: Something that makes you sad - Not too many things make me sad... but I definitely don't like when the weather is finally beginning to warm up and it is supposed to rain and thunderstorm the entire time! I want my sun!!!

Boo to Rain!!