I'm Engaged!

Yay! I've finally emerged from the abyss formerly known as getting a Pneumonia vaccine then having a bad reaction to it. Since being diagnosed with Asthma (you can read that full story here) my doctor insisted that I get the Pneumonia vaccine. So I let him stick me in the back of the arm last week (Wednesday) with a needle. Lucky for me, my arm blew up and turned bright red (can you sense the sarcasm?). What's worse, it felt like someone had stabbed me in the arm and the pain lasted for days. By Thursday night I had the sweats and the chills, nausea, dehydration, muscle and joint aches, fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite. It.was.awful. Doc gave me a prescription and advised me to take Advil and Benadryl. After 4 days in bed I feel so much better! And you'll never guess, I don't have to get another pneumonia vaccine until I'm 65. That means I'm good for another 36 years - phew! And now for the big announcement - I'm engaged! Woot woot!

I'm so excited. I for one, never thought I'd meet anyone I liked enough to have a relationship with let alone get engaged to be married. My new fiance Rich says the same thing - maybe we're meant to be (lol - the cheese meter is on high today).

The real story is that we got engaged a month ago on October 27th, the Saturday before Hurricane Sandy the calm before the storm. It was such an exciting weekend - Rich and I could not stop smiling even with Sandy in the loom. It was kinda crappy though, our engagement was on Saturday and the storm hit Monday. We had no chance to tell anyone or announce our engagement on Facebook. Most of our friends and family here in New York lost power so nobody would know even if we had posted it online at that time.

Ultimately I decided to wait until now to share the news to make sure we told our immediate family members in person before they heard it from someone else or saw it online first. On top of that, I wanted to share with you the photos that captured our day!

That's right, Rich hired a photographer! Do you believe that?! I admit, I was impressed that Rich thought to have someone there to document our engagement.

He took me to go pumpkin picking at the patch he took me to last year, sort of creating our own tradition. He insisted we get there when they open at 9am on a Saturday. I thought we were going early to avoid traffic, but really, we went early because that is when he scheduled the photographer to be there.

Before we had a chance to pick out a pumpkin Rich was on his knee asking if I would marry him.

The photographer brought a few of her friends to appear as though it was just some women taking photos of pumpkins on a Saturday morning. But as soon as Rich was on his knee, they turned their lenses toward us. After the excitement settled and I showed all the women my gorgeous ring, we had a short engagement shoot around the pumpkin patch that Rich had arranged.

The rest of the day we spent out on the east end of Long Island apple picking and enjoying a light lunch before celebrating with a homemade apple pie from the apple orchard we stopped at.

Thank you to Krupski's farm for having us every year from here on out to pick pumpkins and for hosting our engagement at your lovely farm. And also to Judy from Vivid-Visions Photo and Graphics for the wonderful photos provided for this post and for documenting our day leaving us with lasting memories.

Here are some of the sweet photos from our day.

It's going to be an emotional experience to head back to Krupski's next year to pick some pumpkins. It'd be fun to take a photo on their bench every year. Creating traditions with Rich is exciting and I can't wait to see what others we come up with.

What kind of traditions do you have? Have any advice for me as I embark on the wedding planning process?

Dilemma: Family vs. Fitness

Today I'm getting on an airplane to Orlando for my cousin's wedding. I'm really excited to be going home for the weekend and to spend time with my entire family, many of whom I've not seen in a few years. On top of that, Rich is coming with me - it's the first time he'll meet my extended family beyond my parents, brothers and sisters. And on Saturday we're going to spend the afternoon with my sister, nephews and brand new niece. That should be exhausting and fun at the same time. Little kids are not usually my thing, but I'm their aunt and I really want them to know and like me. So here's my dilemma - do I take time out to myself Saturday and/or Sunday morning to get in a workout or a run?

The little angel on my right shoulder is telling me to take a break for the weekend and enjoy the time with my family. On the flip side, the neurotic little training obsessed devil on my left shoulder is telling me I've got to get in a workout and burn some calories - especially since I'll probably have some cake at the wedding. Not to mention, I've been doing so well with consistency and I've lost about 6 lbs in 6 weeks. It's no wonder I'm secretly worried one weekend off of my healthy eating and workout routine will ruin my progress and put me back a few steps.

Common sense, and science tells you that our bodies need a break from exercise every few days for optimal repair and recovery. Everyone knows this. I know this. But the more is better mentality always seems to take over. Even my dentist told me I was brushing my teeth too hard. Too hard? I didn't know there was a too hard for brushing your teeth. You'd think that brushing harder would remove more plaque and debris. Apparently you can brush away your gums if you brush too hard. And those you can't grow back, unfortunately.

The same can be said for training too much or too often. Over-training and Overreaching are real. So why is it that I can't seem to take a break, even for a little extra time with my family? Deep down I know my body needs the break and my mind needs the time with my family. So what do I do?

Right now I can't really answer that because I've not made a clear decision. My plan was to play it by ear. Bring along 1 or 2 sets of workout clothes and a pair of running shoes. If I find time for a run or to visit a local CrossFit gym for a drop-in WOD then cool, but if not, there's no loss - my body will respond that much better when I do get back to my training on Monday. And any weight I may put on will most likely be water weight and will come right off once I get back to my routine. The world won't end if I miss a workout - so we'll see what happens and I'll keep you posted.

Do you ever find yourself putting fitness before your friends and family? How do you find balance?

Fall Fun: Apple Picking!

Whoddathunkit - you can pick your own apples! I guess I should have known better considering I grew up in Florida where you can pick Oranges and other citrus fruits. Since moving to Long Island I've discovered so many cultural outdoor activities you'd never find in Florida and apple picking is one of them. After missing out last fall, I made sure this year was different. I look forward to fall activities all summer and I was not going to miss out again. If you get the chance to make it out to Long Island's East End in the fall, I recommend you visit are as many of the vineyards as possible, a pumpkin farm (where you can pick your pumpkin straight off the vine) and of course - an apple orchard. And Woodside Orchards in Jamesport, NY is the perfect place to start.

Driving down the residential roads leading to the Orchards, you'd never know a delicious treasure was hidden within. The pebbled driveway leads you directly to the Apple Shed.

Once inside you're overwhelmed with the aroma of fresh baked apple pies and breads straight out of the oven. Of course we had to splurge and walk away with a homemade pie made with homegrown Idared apples.

You could choose either crumb or regular. We chose crumb. It.was.sinful.

Ok back to apple picking. There were 3 types of apples you could pick off the trees at Woodside - Red Delicious, Mutsu, and Idared (great for baking). I wasn't planning on baking anything with the apples, just eating them so we opted to only pick Red Delicious and Mutsu. For $15 you get a paper bag to fill to the brim with apples. The only rules: no throwing apples, no climbing trees, and you go anywhere you want.

Apples look so delicious and crisp! Rich and I had a lot of fun picking apples - it was our very first time apple picking together. Sorry for cutting off your head babe.

On to some Mutsu apples! These were my absolute favorite. They came in small, large and on steroids!

Mutsu apples are crisp, juicy and slightly tart. They are on the verge of being my favorite apple  - definitely a tough call between Mutsu and Honeycrisp.

Hey look - I got one!

We had such a great time picking apples last weekend. If you've never been you're definitely missing out. Next year I think I'm going to pick a few of the Idared apples and give baking with apples a try. I also plan to purchase a bag strictly for Mutsu apples. We've got only 1 left - I might have to hide it somewhere before Rich eats it.

Have you ever been apple picking? What are your favorite apples to eat and for baking? Leave a comment below.

Why You Should Buy an Indoor Rower

With snow season creeping in soon I started to feel like I needed to find an indoor alternative to my early morning run. I wanted something that wouldn’t break the bank and that wouldn’t take up much space but had an equally impressive calorie-burning capacity as a morning jog. Shaun T’s Insanity workout crossed my mind, but then I thought I’d prefer not to dance around in front of the television in my socks at 6 am. Purchasing a treadmill is an option, but they tend to be bulky, noisy and expensive. And what happens when your treadmill breaks down, how the heck do you get someone in for maintenance?

I’ve been looking at indoor rowers for about a year now. Searching online for used ones and figuring out if it’s worth it to purchase new. Before I started CrossFit about 1 ½ years ago I had never used a rower before. And within any random CrossFit workout, you might find a short (or long) row intertwined. Rowing is an intense cardiovascular workout, and mixed in with CrossFit exercises makes it even more extreme. Ultimately my mind was made up and it was time to pull the trigger. So we did it, we purchased a Concept 2 rower!

Here’s why you should buy one too!

1. Your machine will last forever. I got a used rower off Craigslist that is about 10 years old. It rows just as good, if not better than the brand new models at my gym. If you go with a Concept 2 then you’re definitely purchasing a high quality product. “Concept 2 rowers are built to last.” Whether brand new or used, your purchase is for the long haul. You can find a new rower for about $950 including shipping. Check Ebay and Craigslist often as we got ours for a measly $300! Well worth it.

2.  Work every muscle group at once. Simple enough – rowing requires pushing with your legs and pulling with your arms and back. Don’t forget about stabilizing your core for a strong pull. Just a few minutes of easy rowing is enough to get you huffing and puffing. It’s an excellent total body workout.

3. Burn loads of calories. Using your entire body to row exercises not only your muscles but also your cardiovascular endurance making you a calorie-burning furnace.

4. Cut your workout time in half. A 10-15 minute row session is plenty to get your metabolism revving. Amp it up for a longer duration and a bigger calorie burn.

5. Options are endless. Hop on the rower any time of the day or night for an intense full body workout; or switch things up with a CrossRow style workout incorporating bursts of rowing with other exercises like kettlebell swings, squats, pushups, burpees, box jumps, lunges, and the list goes on. You can even workout during a storm because indoor rowers don’t require electricity.

I’m excited for the winter season to begin. What excites me most is knowing that I have no more excuses to skip my morning workout. No matter sleet, rain, snow or ice – row on!

To find out how I kept up with my workouts during Hurricane Sandy, check out my guest blog post at UCanRow2.com

Do you have a favorite indoor workout? Tell your story and leave a comment below.

Deck of Cards Workout

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Hurricane Sandy wiped out power left and right. It's not likely I'll be able to make it to the gym in the next day or so, so I thought I'd do a Deck of Cards workout and share it with all of you. This workout can be done with a partner or alone and the only equipment you need is a deck of cards. Here's how it works:

Shuffle the deck of cards well, including Jokers. Each suit represents a different exercise. And the number on each card represents the # of reps you'll do for that particular exercise and that particular card. You can choose whatever exercises you'd like and switched things up even more if you have any equipment on hand. But if not, the basic workout is as such:

Spades =  Squats Diamonds = Situps Clubs = Pushups Hearts = Mountain Climbers Jokers = 10 Burpees Royal cards = 10 reps Aces = 1 rep for beginners and 11 reps for intermediate/advanced trainees

Partner Workout Directions:  Stack deck of cards face down. Partner turns over one card and performs exercise and reps represented on card. Alternate between partners without resting until deck is finished. When you reach a Joker, both partners perform the exercise; both must complete the exercise before moving on to the next card.

Solo Workout Directions:  Stack deck of cards face down. Turn over a card and perform exercise and reps represented on card. Continue with no rest until deck is finished.

Up the intensity with these variations: Cards as stated above. Jokers = run 1 mile Cards as stated above; Hearts = Burpees and Jokers = run 400 meters or row 500 meters Cards as stated above; Hearts = Burpees and Jokers = 50 Double Unders or 150 jump rope Cards as stated above; Hearts = Handstand Pushups

Have you ever done the Deck of Cards workout? If so, what are your favorite exercises to use?

How to Survive Air Force Basic Training (Spouse Version)

I’d be lying if I said sending your loved one off to basic military training was all rainbows, candy canes and unicorns. It’s not the end of the world; “it’s only 8.5 weeks,” they say. In reality, 8.5 weeks can seem like a lifetime when you’re away from your man with virtually no contact.

I can’t speak for other branches of the military; however, I imagine that the experience is somewhat similar. In the Air Force, basic training is a total of 8.5 weeks. Your trainee is called an AB (Airman Basic) and depending upon their MTI (military training instructor) they will probably get yelled at 24 hours – 7 days a week. You will wonder what they are doing; you will wonder if they think about you; you will wonder if they’ve made friends or not; you will wonder when they will call you; and you will wonder how you are ever going to make it to the end without falling apart.

Recently my boyfriend enlisted in the Air Force. My experience was not unlike other military spouses; it was filled with emotions, questions, resentment, and excitement. I wondered how I was going to make it through and if it was ever going to end. But I’m here, I’m fine and I’m still with my Airman. Here are some ideas that helped me survive:

1.    Don’t listen to well-meaning down-players. Within the first week I quickly realized that friends and family who have never been through a spouse leaving for military training really have no clue what you are going through. They think they are being helpful by telling you that “he’s coming back” and “it’s only 8 weeks” but in reality, they are being insensitive. You know it’s 8.5 weeks and you know he is coming back, but right now in this very moment it seems like eternity and you miss your loved one more than anything in the world. You need to realize you are allowed to feel this way and your feelings are normal. Find someone who will let you express your emotions freely without downplaying them.

2.    Use the Internet. Technology is your friend. Get online and search for anything you can find that will give you a glimpse in to what your Airman is going through. Become a fan of the Air Force Basic Training Facebook page. There you will find other family members and spouses who have Airmen in basic training at the same time as your loved one. You may even meet others who have Airmen in the same flight. The USAF Basic Training FB page is your #1 resource – start by clicking on every link you find there and don’t be afraid to speak up and become a part of the community. You’d be surprised at how quickly you’ll find a friend. For me, I found a friend who lives about 15 minutes away on this page and coincidentally my Airman was bunkmate with her husband! A chance meeting online but one I will never forget or let go of. Going through BMT with someone who was going through the same thing at the exact same time was priceless – we shared emotions, concerns, questions, excitement, and the whole nine. We bonded through tough times and no matter where we are in our lives, we know that we will always be there for each other when times get tough and our men get deployed.

There's a second Facebook page you can look out for, it's called AF Wingmoms.  This page creates groups you can be a part of. I'm sure other branches of the military have similar pages - you just have to search for them.

3.    Make a countdown calendar. Having a visual countdown of the days going by helped the final end date feel tangible. Every night I went to bed looking forward to when I could wake up and mark another day off the calendar. There are also apps you can download on your phone, tablet or computer. I used one called SimpleDateCalcLite, which allowed you to countdown to a set date and time. (I set the clock to the time my flight was departing to San Antonio for Graduation weekend.) The only problem with counting down days is that when you are first starting off it can be quite intimidating to see 60 something days left. If you’re going to go this route, check the countdown once a week or every few days to avoid disappointment.

4.    Get excited about graduation. If you are even thinking about skipping graduation, think again. Four days of your life you will never forget and emotions you have never experienced before. Get excited about it. Start making travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, rental car, etc. Learn about the schedule of events and make your to-do list. If you’re like me, you’ll want to spend time picking out the outfits you’re going to wear. I wanted to look cute, but still be comfortable considering San Antonio is hot, you’re going to do a ton of walking, and you should want to dress modest (wouldn’t want to get your Airman in trouble for dressing too provocatively). Graduation is the goal – so start doing things that help time pass and use it as something to look forward to. Plus, you will never forget that first hug (that moment where you “tap out” your Airman). Have someone take a photo of it – I definitely did!

5.    Stay busy. There’s not much I can say about heartache and how to fix it – but if you do things to occupy your mind you’ll find yourself in a much better state. Find a new hobby, get your hair done, hang out with friends, or spend time with family. You get the point – do things to keep you busy so you don’t spend so much time alone thinking about how lonely you are without your Airman.

6.    Focus on you. Think about it. Your loved one is away for 9 weeks, what better time than now to check something off your bucket list or do something you’ve always wanted to do. Your spouse joined the military to better his life, why not do something to better yours? Now is the time to get in shape, find a new hobby, focus on a new job or project, or learn a new sport, etc. Whatever you want to do – now is the time. Get to it! Your spouse will be proud to find out you took the bull by the horns and made the most of your time apart. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

7.    Write letters. The most valuable piece of advice I could give you right now would be to send letters as often as possible. Write down anything and everything; for me, writing to my Airman made me feel as though I could talk to him – which is something that comes few and far between during BMT. While you’re home wondering what your Airman is doing and thinking, your Airman is wondering what the rest of the world is doing and thinking. They feel confined and sending them a little piece of home helps them feel like they are still a part of your life. And if you don’t get any letters back, don’t worry – your Airman still misses you just as much as you miss him/her. Just know that their time to write is slim to none and that if they get the chance they will surely drop something in the mail for you. Take it from someone who sent a letter every single day and only got 2 letters in return. When you do get a letter or hear from your Airman it will be that much more special.

You may think BMT is the worst time of your life. Just remember, it’s only 8.5 weeks and when it’s over, it will only be a short blip of a memory. The payoff is greater than the heartache. What I got was an ABU wearing, super hot boyfriend and a sense of pride that I’ve never felt before – ever. I’m definitely one of those girls – proud to be part of the US military.

Do you know anyone who recently joined the military? What was your experience like with your loved one away?

CrossFitting For a Cause - Barbells for Boobs

CrossFit is great for many things. CrossFit is great for making friends, burning calories, building calluses on your hands, paying a lot of money to workout in a warehouse, getting in shape, and having fun. CrossFit is also great for coming together for a better cause. Every year the CrossFit box I belong to, as well as many others around the nation, come together to raise money for Breast Cancer awareness by holding and attending an event called Barbells for Boobs.

When the CrossFit community holds a charity event, we don't just hang around, drink some beer and grill some bacon wrapped steak. We get in a workout too! The workout for Barbells for Boobs is a Benchmark Girls workout aptly named Grace.  (Grace = 30 reps for time Clean and Jerks at 95 lbs for women and 135 lbs for men)

This year our gym decided to make up our own t-shirts for the event. All proceeds went to the Barbells for Boobs fund.

There was also a jar where you could throw in money for the owner of the gym, Mike. At the end of the event he'd have to do as many burpees as there were dollars in the jar. This year Mike had to do 400 burpees - way to go Mike! The money goes in the pot for the charity.

It's also a great benchmark to see if you've improved at all from the last time you did the workout. Last year I believe I used 75 lbs. and finished between 3 and 4 minutes. This year I used 85 lbs and finished at 5:01 - I'm happy with that. Take note of Rich's score - he PR'd over his time last year (2:58) at 2:30 - he's a beast - but a super cute one! (I'm Lil Sho on the white board below, in case you couldn't find me)

I'm sad I didn't get to spend more time celebrating after the workout, but life calls and we had to go home. Until next year...or the next cause which I think isn't until next year anyway - Memorial Day Murph - that's always a rough fun one!

Update: Note from Mike (gym owner/trainer/awesome guy):"I want to thank everyone who came down yesterday in support of the Barbell for Boobs fund raiser.  Between what was raised online through the Barbells for Boobs Website, proceeds from the t-shirt sales, the burpee jar and other cash people donated we raised over $3,500.  Great Job everyone!!!!"

Another awesome guy who CrossFits to give back to the community is Chris Donnelly. I wanna give Chris a huge shout - I love his message that people of all ages and sizes can get involved in physical fitness. To find out more about what Chris is doing and to join in on his journey, check out his YouTube channel. It's packed with loads of funny and informative videos all about the CrossFit lifestyle. Don't forget to follow Chris at the hashtag #TheJourneyTV.

Do you find joy in giving to others? If so, what are your favorite ways to give back?

3 Fat-Burning Cardio Workouts to Throw in to Your Routine

Plain old cardio can become monotonous and boring. Running on the treadmill or climbing the Gauntlet (step mill) to nowhere is not my idea of fun.  Burning calories is important so skipping cardio is not an option. And whether you prefer getting in your cardio sesh before the sun has a chance to rise, or you fit it in after your evening workout, switching it up often is the secret to breaking cardio boredom.

The best thing about cardio is that you can find ways to get it in without equipment or a gym, so there's no excuse. Here are 3 high intensity cardio workouts for you to try. Challenge yourself, you may be surprised at what you can achieve.

1.  Tabatas.  Tabatas are a Japanese form of high intensity interval training (or HIIT). Your basic interval is a period of all out effort, followed by a short rest. For instance, a simple interval would be 1 minute of running followed by 30 seconds of walking at a quick pace. Intervals are great for fat loss because they burn more calories in a shorter period of time, which means more time for you to spend at home relaxing. The freedom in Tabatas is that you can choose whatever exercises you'd like and the amount of exercises you perform. The interval timing of Tabatas is 20 seconds of all out effort (as many reps as possible) followed by 10 seconds of rest. You'll repeat each interval for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes). Once you've reached the last round, you'll then move on to the next exercise, and so on and so forth until you've completed the workout. If you choose 4 exercises, you've got a 16 minute workout of nothing but high intensity intervals. Give it a try, it will be over before you know it!

Basic Tabata (or CrossFit's "Tabata This")

8 rounds each of the following - 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest: - Pushups - Pullups - Situps - Squats

2. Rowing Intervals.  Ok I lied, you'll need equipment for this one, particularly a rower. This machine is often overlooked at the gym and left to collect dust. Dust that thing off and give it some use! There's not much explanation involved here, hop on and start rowing. One thing you will notice is that watching the meters you've rowed go up is like watching water boil - it seems to take forever to reach your desired distance. Rowing is a calorie blasting cardio workout and a great stray from the norm. Here's a simple interval workout to try. Aim for 6-8 intervals to start. Try to increase the amount of intervals you do every session.

Rowing Intervals - set the rower lever to level 5 - press the menu button - select "custom workout" - choose "30/30 intervals" - perform 6-12 intervals, rowing for 30 seconds at all out effort and resting for 30 seconds

3. Running Intervals. As I mentioned before, intervals work wonders on fat loss. Incorporate them in to your workouts wherever you can, including running. Here's a challenging interval workout you can do outdoors or on the treadmill:

Run for 5 minutes 10 Burpees 10 Squats 10 Pushups Run for 5 minutes 10 Burpees 10 Squats 10 Pushups Run for 5 minutes 10 Burpees 10 Squats 10 Pushusp Run for 5 minutes 10 Burpees 10 Squats 10 Pushups Run for 5 minutes

What's your favorite cardio workout?  Do you prefer outdoors or in?