3 Simple Ways to Organize and TACKLE the Week with Confidence

3 Simple Ways to Organize and TACKLE the Week with Confidence

by Ali ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

You’re reading my first post on #mondaymotivation! YAY! I’m gonna keep this category pretty open, but overall its going to help jumpstart us in starting our weeks in the right direction!

1.) First things first, on Mondays I make sure I have all the FOOD I need for the week. This includes everyday essentials (milk, bread, meat, veggies) and extra ingredients used for recipes.

  • That includes buying it fresh, preparing it ahead of time, storing it, and portioning it out so its only handled ONCE…key word *once*. No one has time to stand around in the kitchen and prep once our schedules have started. Even a Monday is considered late in the game for me when it comes to prepping and preparing. However, sometimes other things take priority and its pushed towards the beginning week. I wash and cut my veggies and put them in ziplock bags for an easy/quick snack during the week. I cook hard-boiled eggs and peel them as well as microwave or boil edamame.
  • Some veggies that make for easy storage and prep include:
    • carrots
    • cucumber
    • celery
    • sweet pepper
  • I make up to five baggies with about a full serving of veggies in each.

2.) I clean out various bags used throughout the week (e.g gym bags, purses, backpacks). I switch out my stuff pretty often because I do a variety of things and not one bag works for it all. Sometimes I pack for part of the day and include workout clothes, headphones, post-workout snack, etc. Other days I’m running errands and in between and seeing a personal training client in between so I’ll just take the essentials (wallet, phone, keys) and an extra snack or water bottle. Having it organized and put back in its place helps for organization the next day.

3.) Checking your planner or calendar more then once. Nothings worse then not knowing what to expect to start the week. Make sure you know whats going on generally each day and you’re not double-booking yourself (I’ve done this and feel AWFUL after). If its an event you can call/text/email to confirm go for it! I never hesitate to do this. Its important to know that you and the person you’re meeting with are on the same page.

Why Eggs Are the Perfect Post-Workout Snack

Why Eggs Are the Perfect Post-Workout Snack

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Eggs are a great form of protein and are relatively cheap. They’re also rich in muscle-friendly protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and selenium…a good reason to add them to your diet! Eggs go back and forth with being healthy all the time it seems. “Too much cholesterol”, “too much fat”, “only eat the whites”, the list goes on.  I always say moderation is key. They also can be cooked several ways and can be seasoned/flavored however you like! My mom has always had hard-boiled eggs handy for snacking, but I, myself, have gone in phases with eggs. Recently, I decided to find a good recipe for cooking eggs while also trying to find the best way to peel them so they look pretty (presentation is key 😉 ) I used some of my mom’s ideas and some of my own, but also went on pinterest looking for tips and recipes and found a couple ideas:

  • use older eggs for hard-boiling
  • boil eggs using vinegar/baking soda can help eggs peel easier
  • hummus and/or lemon pepper seasoning makes for a good addition when taking/leaving out the yolk for a hardy, satisfying snack
  • use an egg-timer, specifically the Norpro Egg Rite Egg Timer from Amazon 

I find that using baking soda has really helped the peeling of my eggs go smoothly! They don’t look like they’ve been massacred, which is one of the main goals, along with cooking them perfectly. Recently, I’ve been using an egg slicer and putting them on toast with a slice of cheese and salt and pepper for easy breakfast. A few weeks ago I made Curry Egg Salad from Runners World which was delicious with raisins and green onions! Really good with a slice of toast too or with a whole grain bagel. I didn’t garnish mine with avocado or cilantro since it was good without, but this recipe is versatile so go for it! Below is the recipe for Curry Egg Salad, as well as how I boil my eggs!

Curry Egg Salad from Runners World

Mix 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons golden raisins, 1 teaspoon Dijon, 2 sliced green onions, 1/2 teaspoon curry, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix 4 chopped, hard-boiled eggs with yogurt. Cut two whole-grain bagels in half. Divide mixture among 2 slices; top each with avocado, cilantro, and remaining bagel.

Perfectly Peel-able Hard-Boiled Eggs

Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder to 4 cups of water and dissolve. Add eggs to pot with egg timer. Turn on burner to high and wait for water to boil. Once water boils, set timer (regular timer) for 15 min and turn down heat from a rolling boil to softer boil. Once 15 min is up and timer shows eggs are boiled, run cool water into the hot water with eggs until the water becomes cool and you can no longer feel the hot water (don’t drain the hot water!). Let eggs sit in cool water for 5 min. Begin peeling and enjoy!

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You Don’t Need a Gym! Try My Outdoor Stair Workout

You Don’t Need a Gym! Try My Outdoor Stair Workout

by Ali ♥ 1 Comment

ITS FRIDAY! I love writing towards the end of the week since its a great time to reflect on what my week entailed. I’ve been much better about getting in my strength training this week. I love the squat rack and lifting heavy, but using the things around you to challenge yourself can be just as tough! I teach my bootcamp, H.E.A.T at the Downtown Tampa YMCA at lunchtime which I LOVE and is a great way for me to get creative with my class since its outside! Yes, I said outside, its much more challenging and fun!! My group is really into it and motivated so I can get as intense I want 😉 The thing I love about bootcamp style classes is that it’s more unique then the traditional inside strength/cardio class. You challenge yourself with the elements of being outside, your own bodyweight, and high intensity components such as reps, times, and types of cardio and strength. You also are among a group that makes it like a team-effort with added motivation.  I love teaching traditional type classes too, but sometimes I find I lack creativity when stuck inside. This week I came up with a new workout based on time. No need to count reps…yay! All you need is a good three flights of stairs (if not three, one or two works well too) and a stopwatch. Think a stadium, stairwell, or even a ramp since the incline works too. Heck, you could do DIY stairs and replace with high knees or the stair master machine to get a similar experience. Remember you can always modify these moves. You get the same benefits of the modification without the added impact. Listen to your body…you can put in the work! NO EXCUSES! 

Bootcamp Style Timed Stair Workout

4 Rounds, Twice per Round~ about 40 min total (don’t forget warm-up and cool-down!), At the end of the minute either ending the strength or stair movement…find a flat surface and go for it! Grab water and rest about 30 seconds/1 min at the end of each round before moving onto the next. NO REST between the first time and second time of each round. PUSH YOURSELF! 

-1 min sprint up (jog down) (2x)

  • 1 min squats

  • 1 min pushups (standard, on knees, on wall)

-1 min every other step up (jog down) (2x)

  • 1 min skaters (opposite hand to opposite foot!)

  • 1 min inchworms (extra challenge…pushups or hold at top of plank!)

-1 min side step alternating sides up (jog down) (2x)

  • 1 min alternating jump lunges (or regular alternating lunges)

  • 1 min plank on forearms

-1 min wide step (jog down) (2x)

  • 1 min alternating plank push-ups (with or without knees on ground)

  • 1 min mountain climbers

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My H.E.A.T class using the ramp for a similar style workout.

Keep It Fresh! Fall Flavors & Ways to Crosstrain

Keep It Fresh! Fall Flavors & Ways to Crosstrain

by Ali ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

HAPPY FRIDAY! October is here and fall flavors are officially IN! Although I’m from Florida, and it’s still in the 80s, that doesn’t stop me from enjoying what the season offers! I started drinking my Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea from Tazo in early September and bought my first pumpkin last week…you might say I love fall 😛 But aside everything pumpkin and cinnamon flavored, there’s a lot of benefits to other fall flavors too! I recently have gotten to love the pre-cut butternut squash from Trader Joe’s and it has seriously come in handy to add to salads, a snack, a soup, or as a DIP! I wanted to do something with it differently then just to eat it as is, so I figured I’ll puree it! I ended up using a few ideas off pinterest, but ultimately created my own butternut squash dip recipe. I didn’t measure everything out completely (in fact I just kinda threw things in lol!) but you’ll get the idea. I love the thick creamy texture it has, yet mild flavor. I basically could eat this with a spoon!! LOL! The best part is that this is a VEGETABLE and very versatile! A great way to keep on hand during the season too. Use with a side with pita chips (bonus points if you make your own) or whole grain crackers. I like Crunchmaster’s Multi-Grain Sea Salt Crackers for a mild, crisp taste!

Butternut Squash Dip

1 package of Trader Joe’s Pre-Cut Butternut Squash

2-3 palmfuls of crumbled goat cheese

Dash or two cinnamon and nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

Either roast or microwave squash according to package directions then added to food processor and puree together until smooth. Add goat cheese and salt and pepper. Continue to puree for about 30 seconds. Feel free to add more salt/pepper depending on your taste. If you’re going for presentation, garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy! 

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Another good, easy idea I had this week was even more simple then the dip! Including basic fall spices such as pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon into your YOGURT! I love Fage’s Plain Greek Non-Fat yogurt since you can do a lot stuff with it. I recently have been putting in cinnamon and pumpkin spice into it with a tablespoon of peanut butter. A great and easy way to change up your breakfast, in case you tend to be a creature of habit like me haha.

In terms of the workouts lately, if you read my last post on rest, I kind of overdid it with training. I learned my lesson that week, but gained variety when it comes to cross-training. What is cross-training and why would I bother to do other forms of cardio if I love running/biking/swimming the most? Cross training is another form of added cardio to help develop and strengthen weaker muscles, give your body a break from routine exercise, while keeping cardiorespiratory fitness up. Think: running, swimming, biking, rowing, etc. It’s important to add variety to your program since your body does get worn on the muscles you use the most during that activity. Keeping it fresh with other forms of cardio challenges other muscle groups that might not get the same attention and could be under-used. Cross-training gives your body and mind a chance to catch-up and those muscles a little break from that same motion. Only doing the same form of cardio day in and day out, could set you up for overuse injuries and no one wants that!! Strengthening the body through other forms of movement is beneficial your body as a whole while focusing on strengthening other, maybe weaker, areas. RESULT: efficient, improved, and stronger body!

Since I was resting more, but wanting to get in some kind of exercise, I hopped on the bike, both the spin bike and my real bike and worked my legs without the impact. I’ll be honest, I didn’t LOVE it like I do running, but convincing myself that cross training is important and will HELP my running is a good reason to add to my program. I usually do the rower since it’s a great all around cardio workout, but with the tenderness of my hamstrings, I decided to try the bike, and I’m glad I did!

How Long and Often do I cross-train for??

-One to two times per week, minimum of 20 min, max 45 min to an hour

Do I HAVE to go to a gym to do it??

-Nope! That is the beauty of cross training! It can be done anywhere: outside, a group fitness class setting (spin class), on your own, etc.

What are some other forms of cardio that you do?? Any good fall flavors or recipes you wanna try this season?!

Love Your Body: Reasons & Benefits of Rest

Love Your Body: Reasons & Benefits of Rest

by Ali ♥ 1 Comment

So marathon training is in full swing…I completed week three of training! However, it came with a couple setbacks. No one said marathon training was going to be easy. I signed up knowing setbacks could be part of training. Knowing I teach group fitness, I didn’t completely account for rest. I do the workout with my Barre class since form and equipment are involved and generally instruct with demos for my H.E.A.T class. I’m not generally sore or feel completely wiped after teaching so I figured to take it as an active recovery day. This past weekend I did a nine mile run at Upper Tampa Bay Trail and LOVED IT!! Beautiful scenery and I was feeling great. However, my hamstrings and feet felt otherwise. I taught barre and H.E.A.T no problem, but realized I never actually RESTED aka was lazy and didn’t do anything physical. I’m naturally on feet most of the day since I work in fitness, and since when do we ever sit??!! NEVER!! We constantly GO! Which is great, the reason why I love what I do, but rest is equally important. After the two “active recovery” days, I felt good to get my six mile long run out of the way during the week. Again, felt great! Post run I felt extra tight, sore, and just overall achey. My hamstring and feet felt tight and over-used. I literally hurt all over. I then felt equally bad and was hardcore kicking myself because I knew I should have listened to my body. I also know a reason why I felt I over did it was because I had neglected leg day/strength training (I know what you’re thinking…”Ali how could you?!”) just because I wanted to hit my milage each week. I’m also focused on my client’s and group fitness and along the way, neglected my own. Muscle-wise there was a lot of imbalances that contributed as well.

SO LESSON LEARNED: Listen to your body and give it the TLC it needs! Its okay to say give an extra day to relax and be a couch potato, it won’t kill you. As runners or anything else you might be passionate about, you want to constantly strive to be the best you can. That might mean doing it regularly to take advantage of continued improvement. NOT SO FAST! (lol pun intended) giving your body time to recover from your hard work is equally important too.

Below are reasons and benefits why REST is important and to not be afraid to add it to your program:

-Time off from activity allows your body to heal and rebuild without added activity

–Gives your mind a mental break

-Prevents injury

-Restores glycogen stores

*Other benefits of rest ;)*

-Sleep in (set NO alarms)

-Focus on foam rolling, icing, or soft tissue work 

-Get other things done…either personal, work, school, etc (that closet that needs cleaning out…)

-Focus on other hobbies, friends, or activities that don’t take the same demand…a cooking class/meal prep, yoga

-You get to be (somewhat) lazy :P…GO AHEAD! curl up with a movie, a cup of tea/glass of wine/ice cream…[you know where I’m going with this], and take care of yourself, you deserve to relax!

Instead of using your setbacks as ways to wreck your motivation, use it as a way to IMPROVE and learn from your mistakes!

Happy Running & Resting!!

-Ali

Why: Ali Goes The Distance

Why: Ali Goes The Distance

by Ali ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Thanks for visiting! I’m a University of Tampa graduate living in Tampa Bay; I love good coffee, teaching fitness classes, running, and visiting friends under the sun. I’m currently training for the 2016 Miami Marathon, so you can be sure to find me on the run! 😉

Fitness is my passion! I love helping people achieve their goals towards to be their best. I’m certified as an American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer, AFAA Group Fitness Instructor, qualified in the TRX Rip Trainer, and a Barre Above instructor. I teach weekly classes and have personal training clients in the Tampa area; I’m also an ambassador for Fit2Run.

I came up with “Ali Goes The Distance” from a few ideas. Running was my first experience with exercise…EVER (see Starting From Square One) and fortunately it was a positive one because I’m still going strong today and love it more than ever. I also love long runs in general which prompted me to sign up for the 2016 Miami Marathon…yay!, one of the main reasons I started this blog and came up with the title. “Ali Goes The Distance” was created in reference to the 26.2 miles I’ll be running (eek!!), but also refers to the journey from achieving one goal to the next. It all takes the three ‘Ps’: persistence, patience, and positivity that makes the distance along the way rewarding.

Starting From Square One

Starting From Square One

by Ali ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I started my love of fitness back in high school in 2007 with joining the cross country and track teams. From there, I loved the confidence running gave me and continued it throughout high school and into college at the University of Tampa.

While in college, I decided I wanted to try a half marathon to see how much I could to challenge myself. I ended up loving the journey to 13.1 and wanted to keep racing! I’ve currently completed seven half marathons and the Gasparilla Amber Challenge.

With my love of running came learning other aspects of fitness to continue to improve as a runner. I learned about foam rolling, rest, good nutrition, and strength training. After careful thought, I decided to become certified as an ACE Personal Trainer in January of 2013.
Since being a PT, I have learned the benefits of combining running + other aspects of fitness. I am certified as an AFAA Group Fitness Instructor and Barre Above Instructor. I’m also a Fit2Run Ambassador.

I’d love to help you discover your love of fitness while achieving your fitness goals! Email me alipaige217@gmail.com