Show Your Team Pride!

Patrick Says...

Tonight is the College Football National Championship, so I figured it would be an appropriate time to talk a little bit about college sports and the crazy pride that goes along with them. In the last post, I briefly mentioned team pride, more specifically the allegiance we have for certain schools and sports teams. These allegiances usually develop when we are young and stick with us through good times and bad. These allegiances can also come to us later in life, for example the college you choose to go to, or maybe a new career in a new city adjusts your pride. 

Something Shay has wanted to mention in the blog but hasn't had the chance, is the intense love she has for the University of Colorado Buffaloes.  I also have love for the Buffs, however our allegiances came from two different avenues. Hers was developed when she was young, but was cemented when she had the opportunity to attend the University of Colorado, which brought her pride to a whole new level. My story is a little different as I did not attend CU. When I was a kid the Buffs were good…I mean really good. We’re talking National Championship, Heisman winning, powerhouse good. Unfortunately, the program has taken a turn since the glory days, but there is no doubt my pride comes from growing up near Boulder and during that time. As my Dad used to tell me, root for the Buffs because they’re the only school in the state that will have a chance to win a championship. This might have been a subtle hit on CSU, but with how the conferences and the NCAA is set up, it had some truth to it. 

Now to be clear, my family wasn’t fanatical when I was growing up the way a lot of families are. I understood that families had traditions that go way back and generation after generation rooted for the same team. However, it wasn’t until I started dating Shay that I realized how deep the pride can go. The team I’m talking about here is not the Buffs, but The University of Notre Dame. At the beginning of our relationship Shay mentioned her family was from Indiana and that her Great Grandfather had run track for ND back in the day. Then, at a wedding her Aunt hinted at the intensity of the family's devotion, saying not long ago, the outcome of a Notre Dame football game dictated the mood of an entire day. It wasn’t until we were in her mother's hometown for Thanksgiving I realized how entrenched the whole family is and was able to develop a greater respect for this type of tradition. Over the next couple days, it was always a topic of conversation. Where was everybody going to watch the bowl game? Or what the Irish need to do differently, advice coming from every part of the family. Multiple shirts and hats worn from old to young, pictures of the family and Lou Holtz together on the wall. I left that weekend with a greater appreciation not only for the University, but for the way team pride can bring a family together. I think the unity is the most important factor. Sharing that experience with others.

Can you think of anything better then yelling at the TV with friends and family? Or have you ever called a friend the next day to see if he watched the game? I was watching a game the other day and sat next to a guy at a bar who had the same allegiance and we became instant friends. It's these experiences that build pride we pass down to the next generation.

Rocky Mountain Showdown // 2012

Anyway, back to the Buffs. If I don't have any cool family stories or deep tradition in the school, then where does my pride come from? I believe it goes back to the time period and the region that I grew up in. As I mentioned earlier, Colorado was quite good in the late 80s and early 90s. I remember watching Rashaan Salaam (the only Heisman winner from CU), Eric Bieniemy, and my favorite as a kid, Kordell Stewart. I also recall being enthralled watching Ralphie run onto the field before games. Shay is adamant and will tell anybody, there is no better mascot in all of sports than Ralphie. I would wear black and gold together all the time just because I thought the colors looked so cool. I imagine the same will be true tonight when kids from Alabama and South Carolina watch their home teams take the field. As a kid, what could be better then watching the hometown team compete at a national level? In the end, this is my hope for the University of Colorado...a return to prominence. I know it's an uphill battle since the Buffs recently moved to the PAC 12, one of the most competitive conferences in college sports. I, for one am not giving up hope as the past season showed spurts of movement in the right direction.  With quality wins against home state rival CSU and against division foe Oregon State. There were games that were so close and CU barely let them slip away. Big games too...against powerhouses Oregon, USC, and Arizona. The Buffs should have come out on top in every one of these games. As I look toward the future I can envision good things...a return to recruiting greatness Coach Bill McCartney had when he was building the great teams of the late 80s and early 90s. To paraphrase Coach Mac, there is no better place to play football than Boulder, Colorado.  He's right, it is a beautiful school, in a beautiful town...it's deserving of greatness.

When I picture my own future, I imagine my kids watching the Buffs and taking in the special moments the same way I did.  Building memories filled with pride, where the guys wearing Colorado across their chests come out victorious more times than not. We can share moments of yelling at the TV in joy, building a family tradition that will continue on down the line.

Shay, her freshman year at CU, in the student section.
She misses those days... tells me all the time. 

Shay graduated from The University of Colorado, Boulder in 2009
(She wouldn't like it if you did the math there)

Planning Pt. II: Goal Setting

 Happy New Year fitness friends!!

I am excited to announce that Patrick and I have finally finished moving into our new apartment, and are settling in nicely. I have started the year off with many major changes, so resolutions don't really seem to have a place at the moment. However, I do have big plans for 2016.

Yesterday, we were able to sit down and create a map of how we'd like this year to look in terms of fitness feats. I have mentioned before our plans to take the OCR world by storm this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the acronym, OCR = Obstacle Course Race. Patrick has competed in several, and I am looking forward to adding some finisher medals of my own to the collection. Additionally, I would like to make some major strides in my yoga practice this year.I have decided to start from square one, and re-learn the basics. Yoga 101 is in session in this household, and I plan to work my way up to intermediate status by the end of the year... In fact, while writing down our goals yesterday, Patrick noticed I wrote, "Intermediate Yogi Status" as my long-term (one year) goal, and asked, "Um... what is that?" I responded, "I don't know exactly, but I figure when I'm there I'll have a better idea." So that's that.

We decided to organize our goals into three increments: short-term, mid-term, and long-term. We defined those as one month, six months, and one year, respectively. We decided when each amount of time is up, we will take on the task of setting a new goal for the same amount of time. For example, in one month I will evaluate whether I accomplished my short-term goal, and set a new one for one month from then.

As we decided what we wanted to work toward, we considered many factors. Should each goal be aligned with the others? Should we have multiple goals at each juncture? Should we have the same goals as each other? Ultimately, we went with what we each felt was realistic for ourselves, and with goals we truly felt would be worth the work. Here is our goal planning chart:

When setting goals, I think the most important factor is making them realistic and reachable. Patrick and I spent a considerable amount of time debating, and evaluating whether we would be able to reach the goals we most wanted to include. Patrick has dropped about 20 lbs in the past five months, the majority of which was lost in the past month and a half. He figures if he's able to maintain the same workout regimen and diet, he will have no problem hitting the mark. My short-term (one month) goal is to handstand, unsupported for a full five seconds. In the middle of making our goal chart, I had to stop and do some handstands in order to get a baseline. I had Patrick time my handstand beginning when I appeared stable and stopping at the first sign of a wobble. My best attempt was only steady for about 2 seconds (which felt more like 10). I can, however, hold myself up for a substantially longer period with some assistance from a partner or the wall. Therefore, I thought 5 seconds would be enough of a challenge without being unrealistic. 

The second most important factor in goal setting (again, in my opinion), is reevaluation of the goal. Hence, the one month increment of the short-term goal. If for example, Patrick is unable to lose 10 pounds by February 6th, he will have the opportunity to adjust his mid-term goal to something more within reach. For both the short-term and mid-term goals we wrote the goals as bullet points, and left room to add in the coming months. I plan to keep setting small accomplish-able goals each month related to inversions, as this is something I feel will be helpful in achieving my mid-term and long-term goals. Little-by-little I will gain arm and core strength which will be useful in OCRs and my yoga practice. 

You may also notice, for his mid-term goal P included his plans to maintain a weight of 200 lbs. It is my suspicion that this will be much more difficult than it sounds regardless of the successful completion of his first short-term goal, because it necessitates him putting a halt to his weight loss, while continuing healthy eating, paleo-style, and working out at the same or higher intensity as he is currently. He will also continue to gain muscle mass, which weighs more than fat, so things may even out nicely. BUT the more muscle mass, the more rapidly the body burns calories, (aka he is going to be hungry). It will be a good test of whether he can avoid the quick and easy fixes for this... something I know I struggle with. I am always hungry... Not an exaggeration.

Okay so you caught me, I made a "New Year's Resolution" and called it a, "goal." Really, it's nothing new. It is nice that it coincides with the beginning of the year, new beginnings can be symbolic and motivational and aint nothin' wrong with that, but goals are intended to be updated, renewed and revisited. I make them all year long, and I think you should too.

Chime in! What are your goals for 2016?

CHALLENGE #9: Partner Workout

Patrick is here this week, and since we're in between programs, we've been improvising; finding quick workouts to do in the middle of packing, work, and spending holiday time with the fam. We came up with a method a few days ago that worked really well, and helped us encourage one another to push harder.

Basically, we choose a workout to do together... something simple, 15-30 minutes and which necessitates little or no equipment, so it's doable in our mess of an apartment. One person begins with the first exercise in the workout, and the other starts doing burpees. When all reps of the exercise are done, we switch places and the burpee-doer does the exercise and vice versa. This creates a HIIT workout for both partners! Not to mention, the burpees get really hard, so motivating your partner to work hard and fast, is in your best interest.

In the video below we used the Stability Ball Challenge I posted a few weeks ago as the groundwork for the workout:

Try this...

Warm Up: 

Together--
1:00 Jumping Jacks
:30 High Knees
:30 Butt Kicks
3:00 Yoga Flow

Workout: (alternate with partner, burpees in between exercise)

Squat & Press (20 reps)
Raised Leg Sit-Ups (20 reps)
Jump Squats (12 reps)
Spiderman Push-Ups (12 reps)
Mountain Climbers (20 reps)
Triceps Dips (20 reps)
Lunges (15 reps each leg)
Straight Leg Raises (15 reps)
X Jumps (20 reps)
Commandos (10 reps each side)

Cool Down:

Yoga Flow... or better yet, partnered yoga flow.

Feel free to use this method with any workout routine your are comfortable with! Enjoy!

BBG: Week 12 (Final) Update

Hey All!

Merry Christmas week! It's a very exciting week for me because Patrick and his family are visiting me in Chicago for the Holidays. I have been cleaning my apartment, grocery shopping, and present wrapping pretty constantly for the last four days so I'm looking forward to few days of relaxation, and then Patrick and I will be moving to a new apartment which we will eventually live in together. Big things!

I am going to keep it simple since I firmly believe this time of year is to be spent giving others PRESENCE. Real presence. Not, reading-a-blog-post-on-your-phone presence, but actually spending quality time, enjoying each other's company. So here's the update, real quick...

We made it through the Beach Body 12 week program, and we are both very happy with the results:

Before // After 12 Weeks

As you can see with both trimmed down a bit, and though it's hard to tell in the pictures we both gained a significant amount of muscle tone. Best of all, we feel great (though you can't tell by the look on my face)! I, for one, have tons of energy and feel like I have really mastered the art of making a workout a part of my day, rather than an optional activity. Sweating feels good.

We have yet to chose a new workout plan, and I think we will probably wait until our schedule gets back to normal after the holidays to delve too deep into anything new. However, on Monday I started the 12 week program over again, just to keep in rhythm. I was amazed at how much different the first workout felt now than it did when I first started. I even had to amp it up a bit!

Thanks for checking in guys! I hope your Christmas is magical and the New Year looks bright!

Planning, Pt I: Food Diary

I've been thinking about my lifestyle of fitness recently, and why it works for me. This week it occurred to me, just like with anything in my life, being active and eating mindfully has taken me a good deal of practice to perfect, but more importantly, it takes A LOT of planning.

For me, everything goes more smoothly if I have a plan, and stick to it (within reason... sometimes life happens, and sticking to the plan is impossible). Sunday is generally my day to lay out the rest of my week, although it often spills over into Monday... Let's be honest, sometimes: Football. For this reason, the following begins a series I will do on

PLANNING. 

Enjoy!

I spend a lot of time thinking about food, you guys... Like, a scary amount. Especially when I'm working out as much as I have been lately. Believe me, I feed myself more than frequently enough, but P will tell you, I'm like a bottomless pit. I think he's exhausted when we're together from trying to keep me fed and happy. Anyway, I truly enjoy planning what I will eat in the following week and finding recipes to make. I've mentioned before, I go to the grocery store once per week (again on Sunday or Monday).

I begin working on a grocery list as soon as I'm inspired (usually immediately after leaving the grocery store for the present week). I find my inspiration on Pinterest most weeks, simply by browsing the home feed, or possibly filtering "paleo" or a specific meat or veggie I have in mind. This week, I found a recipe for barbacoa tacos and another one for brussels sprouts with bacon. I tweaked both of them a bit and came up with a meal plan revolving around the meat. I also included on my list, the snacks and breakfast items I wanted for the week, and my staples (eggs, almond milk, bananas, greens, avocado, sweet potato). Here's the list I headed out with:

Many times, I keep my list general like, "fruit," or "meat." That way, when I get to the store I can price things out, or see what looks fresh and go from there. On this particular shopping trip, I had planned to make barbacoa, but there was a good deal on ground beef so I simply adjusted the recipe to fit that instead (it was delicious!) I also found chicken sausage that sounded like better company for my brussels sprouts, so I went with that.

*Side note: I am pretty particular about my meat, so I make a separate trip to Whole Foods for that (For most items, Whole Foods is a bit too pricey for my budget, but Mariano's is my latest fave-- fresh produce at fair prices).

Here's what my grocery trip yielded:

Now for the prep part:

My method is simple, really. I just make everything on Sunday, separate it into large containers, and put it all in the fridge. Before I head out to work in the morning I take the portion I'd like in a smaller tupperware. Easy as that. I find my preference is to have some options so I don't get bored eating the exact same thing 5-7 days in a row. I will either make multiple dishes in smaller quantities OR I will make one dish in a large quantity but store each ingredient separately so I am able to mix and match from day-to-day. For example, here is what last week's food prep end product looked like:

The original recipe was Paleo sweet potato chili. By keeping the meat separate from the veggies I was able to add either chicken, turkey, or both each day. I also varied it by adding spinach, avocado, or a fried egg. I even ate it one morning for breakfast on top of scrambled eggs (SO good, guys).

This week's menu included two main dishes:

Topped with AVOCADO, and served on a bed of SPINACH

Additionally, I prepped:

Hard-boiled eggs.

I used them throughout the week as breakfast (two eggs + a piece of fruit), or as a between-meal snack. 

 Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

I boiled them in salted water, then mashed them with a fork. Throughout the week, I ate them as a side dish with the main meals above. One particularly delicious combination was the ground beef barbacoa served on top of the mashed sweet potatoes (!!).

                                                  Frozen Chocolate Cashew Milk. 

I used the milk throughout the week in smoothie bowls (new obsession) which include: frozen cashew milk (chocolate if you wish... and I do), coconut milk, berries of your choice (I used blackberries), banana (frozen or not), chia seeds, almond butter, and topped with shredded coconut, raw pumpkin seeds, and slivered almonds. 

Trail-Mix.

Raw pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, and raisins. (Sometimes I add chocolate chips too... shhh).

Other snacks this week included clementines, bananas, and an always-in-stock, emergency back-up in my house, Kind Bars:

So, there you have it! A week of clean eating, Shayla style, all prepped in one day. It really does make a difference for me when it comes to being on-the-go. No more ordering out because you're too tired to make dinner after a busy day, or fast-food on the fly at lunch. Everything you need is ready to go in minutes, saving you the last hassle you want to deal with during a hectic week. 

As always, comments and suggestions help me out! Have an active, and clean week!

I Wanna Be Like Mike ('96 Bulls Vs. '15 Warriors)

Patrick Says... 

If you know me or if you've read other, "Patrick Says..."  posts, then you'd probably be able to guess that I could write about the Broncos all day. While this is true, Shay and I decided we needed to broaden the horizons a little bit and talk about other teams and other sports in general. Most of my sports viewing nowadays consists of the NFL, however my first sports obsession was basketball. So for this post I decided to go back to my roots a bit.

As I was thinking about what to write over the past two weeks, I kept hearing about the Golden State Warriors and the streak they've been on to start the season:  24-0 out of the gates…impressive right? Extremely, however I've noticed I keep hoping they will lose. But why? Where is this desire coming from? After all I don't hate the Warriors. In fact, I enjoy watching them play, especially the level Steph Curry and his squad are performing at right now. 

The first thought I had was the Warriors have become a Goliath and I was looking for a David, an underdog to come knock them off.  I did a little reading on the psychology behind rooting for the underdog. Responses I found were varied but a majority of them pointed out, people want the world around them to be just and fair and this works its way into sports as well. I get it. I can understand the basic thought process behind backing an underdog. I mean think about the the greatness we've seen in sporting events like the 1980 "Miracle on Ice," where a group of college kids took down the mighty Soviet Union professionals, or the New York Giants beating the previously undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Not to mention movies that have become pop-culture staples:  Rocky, Rudy, and of course my personal favorite, Space Jam. Alright maybe the last one is just me, but seriously. It's a good feeling to watch a team or individual go against all odds and manage to come out on top. It pulls on the heart strings, no? Still, I am not convinced any of this applies in my current situation. Honestly, when it comes to your average basketball game, I enjoy watching the best team win. I enjoy watching talented players come together and execute at a high level. 

So, if I wasn’t getting caught up in underdog hype, what else could it be? Finally, it hit me. I realized it was less to do with the current hot team's rise to greatness, and more do with the implications of their win streak prevailing. It is not about the Golden State Warriors of the present, it was about the Chicago Bulls of the past. As it stands, the Bull's hold the all-time record: 72-10. When I think about growing up during that time, the Bulls teams of the 1990s have an almost mythical status in my mind. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen... and yes, even Dennis Rodman were larger than life to me as a kid... hell, they're larger-than-life to me now. This Golden State team…well they just don’t give me the same feeling. Not to mention, a lot of the current NBA players are younger than I am…talk about a depressing realization. And let's not forget the most important factor of all: Not a single Warriors player has teamed up with the Looney Tunes to save the planet from a cartoon alien race. Again, I digress, but as a kid a major draw in my developing love of sports was the players. The idols... my first real heroes. I don't think I'm alone here. For me, that idolization became team pride, and when I got to college, more like allegiance... something I will get to in a later post.  

So is it generational? If the Warriors go on to break the record, will kids 20 years from now look at Steph Curry and Draymond Green the same way I look at MJ and Scottie? Perhaps, but truth-be-told, I can't picture it. I work in a school serving both middle and high school aged kids, and the sentiment just doesn't seem the same. I mean, even they know what that Bulls team did. To this day, Michael Jordan still holds a status of legendary proportion. Who knows, maybe Spike Lee was right, maybe it is the shoes, who doesn’t want to rock a new pair of J’s? Somehow I gotta believe there's more to it. There's genuine human recognition of greatness and the realization there will never be another player like Jordan or a team like the ’96 Bulls. So, as much as I respect the Warriors and the way they are playing, I hope they don’t break the record. I mean let’s be real, "I wanna be like Steph" just doesn't have the same ring as, “I wanna be like Mike.”

P.S.-During the process of writing this post, the Golden State Warriors lost their first game to the Milwaukee Bucks, leaving their record at 24-1. The ’96 Bulls through their first 25 games were 23-2. So, needless to say it’s going to be a close one…

Excuses: A Follow-Up To "No Excuses"

A friend from Denver sent me a text Saturday morning asking if I was running the, "Ugly Sweater Run." My response: "I am not! Never even heard of such a thing."

Basically, since the last time I mentioned running in the blog, it has been a once-a-week, IF it looks nice outside, and is above 45 degrees, I'll think about going for a run... and even when I consider it, it only actually happens about 75% of the time.

When it comes to running, I have my excuses. It has occurred to me, those of you who are avid runners might be thinking about how this blog was almost solely dedicated to half-marathon training over the summer, and now: nothin'. I don't mean to disappoint you, it's simply, I am not and have never claimed to be, "a runner." I am always impressed by all of you out there on the Lake Shore Path with your winter running gear, and positive attitude... It's just not for me. Don't get me wrong I love the outdoors, and outdoor sports even. Hell, I would snowboard every single day in the winter if I could, but running in the cold... Just, no thank you.

It's funny because the last few weeks I have been feeling like such a hypocrite. I'm always preaching, "no excuses" when it comes to fitness and here I am, looking out my window each morning and thinking, "too cold for a run." So I mentioned my guilt to P and asked if he feels the same way and he pointed out that even if I am not getting out for a run, it's not like I'm sitting on my butt when I'm inside. In fact, he thinks we are both in better shape now than when we were running 20 miles a week over the summer. He's sure we burn more calories in the three resistance, two low impact, two HIIT, and at least two yoga sessions we've been doing each week.

Come to think of it, he's right. Also, while I can't attest to Patrick's eating habits, I know mine have been a million times better in the past two months. Paleo on fleek... at least during the week (see what I did there?)

So tell me, what are some of your excuses? Really... do you have some legit ones? I know I make them all the time, but something I am very proud of is my ability to keep myself in check when it comes to making excuses about physical activity. If I bail on one thing, I will make it up two-fold with another. I find a way to work exercise into my crazy hectic life... and it's not easy, but it keeps me sane, and I challenge anyone to give me an excuse I can't counter with a productive tip.

Some excuses I've heard from acquaintances/friends/relatives, that I am not about:

EXCUSE	COUNTER
I can't afford a gym membership	Then don't go to the gym! I don't have a gym membership and work out almost daily... You only need enough floor space to fit a yoga mat, or you can work out in your yard or a park.
I don't need to lose weight	Losing weight is not all physical activity is good for. It's about improving health overall. Cardiovascular movement is good for your heart's longevity, and let's be honest, toned muscles > skinny limbs.
My job is a workout	Great! Then you're well on you way to getting fit! However, if you are doing the same movement everyday, you are not improving your fitness you're just maintaining a higher baseline than a sedentary person.
I eat healthily, so I don't need to workout	Maintaining a healthful diet is irreplaceable, but again, you're not doing anything for your cardiovascular system. The heart is a muscle and to be strong, it needs to be worked out!
I workout so I don't need to eat healthily	Also a great start! However, you'll give yourself a huge advantage if you start putting the right things in your body to fuel your workouts. I'm not saying you shouldn't indulge now and then, but I guarantee you'll notice a difference in what you're able to do, physically, if you improve your diet.
I don't have anyone to workout with	You can join a fitness group, class, or meet-up! If you're in Chicago, I'll personally work out with you. Also, don't underestimate the benefits of using your work out time as "me" time. Sometimes, I just need to get away and my favorite thing to throw myself into is a sweat sesh.
I don't have time (my personal fave)	Listen, I LOVE it when people tell me they don't have time. I am in graduate school, have two jobs,babysit on weekends, maintain this blog (a full-time job in itself), make time for family and friends, and a plethora of other pleasure activities AND I work out close to every single day. You can fit it in. For example, if I have a full day of errands, I will get my workout in by running from errand to errand instead of driving or taking public transit... a lot of times, it's faster anyway. Working long hours? I will eat at my desk and then use my lunch hour to burn some cals!

Over the weekend, I attended a blogger holiday party, (hosted by the lovey author of The Crafty Coin). Each guest was to bring a gift priced at $10. I brought the, "No Excuses Starter Kit":

No Excuses Starter Kit: Sports towel, facial wipes, and body deodorant!

Fear of being smelly is the last thing that should prevent a workout! If you're on the go, pick up these items ($10 all together), get your fit i,n and then freshen up afterward.

I would be happy to provide more tips! If you have an "excuse" throw it at me, and I'll help you find a workable solution! Happy Monday, NO EXCUSES!