thinking out loud: Why I’m changing up my approach to exercise right now and a few exciting things!

Happy almost Friday!
But there were two other exciting things that happened over the past two weeks: I wrote my first article for AskMen.com (yes, I know it’s called Ask Men, but they have female writers too), so check it out if you want to know which pieces of Bri-approved home gym equipment you should get that don’t take up a ton of space and are relatively affordable. The second exciting thing was that I finally became an official member of Oiselle Volรฉe!
I’ve been a fan of their running apparel since the beginning (I have still have an original pair of shorts and sports bra) and everything they do for females in the sport of running, so I was more than happy to contribute to their athlete fund to get their awesome singlet and represent for real this time.
Speaking of joining awesome communities, I also joined Tone It Up for the Bikini Series ๐
Yeah, I know it’s super girly and froofy (well, at least that was my perception of it for time, and it still kind of is), but I’m in need of something new right now, fitness-wise. I’m not going to do much running until marathon training starts in July to give my body a bit of a break, and I just finished my 8-week building program, which was a total focus on muscle strength. I’ve definitely got some strength and shape back, but haven’t been able to shed the marathon training fluff I put on over the winter. I’m totally accepting of it and usually I don’t care, but I’m feeling stuck and bored and would love to drop it before training starts up again, and to keep it off before I attempt to BQ again. I find it does make a difference to my running, and I have a feeling this might be my last attempt at a BQ for awhile, so I want to give it my all.
Could I program all the workouts and nutrition plans myself? Totally. But I find when I do that I don’t stick to it as well as if someone else does it for me. Also, the community is so positive and supportive, and I feel like I need that right now.
The other reason I’m jumping in and doing the meal plan is my chocolate and peanut butter eating is getting out of control. As you know, I eat half a bar of dark chocolate and at least 2 tablespoons of peanut butter every day. Which is fine. BUT. Those two foods, along with two much wine and not enough sleep, are cold sore triggers for me (chocolate and peanut butter are high in arginine, which trigger outbreaks). And I’ve been getting one just about every four weeks or so on my nose and chin for the last year, and they’re getting worse. I actually get flu-like symptoms when I get them (dizziness, swollen lymph nodes and nausea) and usually end up with a migraine. So I need to cut it out cold turkey for a bit to see if it helps. If I have a little bit, I’ll want more. Ugh.
I’ll report back on the blog and will let you know how it goes. I might hate it (the exercises look rather dainty, but I might modify those up a bit) or I might love it (the vegan meal plan actually looks really good and I’m excited to try it!). I just need someone else to do the planning and programming for me for awhile. And when it comes time for marathon training, I might reach out to a few of you lovely run coaches for some help. Even coaches need coaches!
Have you done a Tone It Up Bikini Series before? Are you a member? What was your experience like? Are you a coach with a coach? Why or why not? Do you get cold sores from food?
Thanks Amanda for the link-up!
April 21, 2016 @ 7:02 am
Omg! Welcome to the TIUteam! TIU is how I got involved in and fell in love with fitness! Now I’m training for my second trail half marathon (I followed your training plan last summer) and all my fav fitness ladies are going to be in one place. ??? I’m a little bummed that I signed up for an early summer race and won’t be able to do much of the bikini series workouts. Do you have any recommendations for how many TIU workouts I could possibly do a week without trashing my legs for running? I can’t wait to hear what you think, I hope you love it! When I started I thought they were a little too Victoria’s Secret for me but quickly realized they were all about friendship, girl power, and loving yourself.
April 21, 2016 @ 7:10 am
Oh yay! That’s my impression now but I’m hoping it changes?? Glad to hear you loved it! Once I see the workouts I’ll let you know ๐ Or can do a post about it!!
April 21, 2016 @ 7:05 am
I completely agree about the plan. I can create a plan for myself but I don’t follow it near as well as if it’s done by someone else.
April 21, 2016 @ 7:10 am
I’ve been pretty good but lately I’m bored with my own plans, haha!
April 21, 2016 @ 8:20 am
Ugh, I need someone to make me a “run a half marathon in 5 week without hurting yourself plan”. For free. Because I’m broke. Hahahahaha.
I have a similar impression of TIU, but I’ve also heard really great things about their plans and workouts.
#headupwingsout
April 21, 2016 @ 8:29 am
Yaaah ???
April 21, 2016 @ 8:28 am
Congrats girl! Now I have to wait longer to find out about all this #vagueblogging ๐
April 21, 2016 @ 8:29 am
Haha ๐
April 21, 2016 @ 8:36 am
yay! congrats on posting your article on AskMen! That’s a huge site. I often read MensHealth for their fitness articles, an one of my favorite authors is a female.
I’m a personal trainer as well, but I don’t like to follow other peoples plans ever haha. Or take classes. As you can tell i’m not very good at having people tell me what to do =P I hope you enjoy TIU!
April 21, 2016 @ 8:46 am
Thank you! I usually don’t either but I’m not motivating myself enough right now and need it.
April 21, 2016 @ 10:41 am
I’ve been adding TIU workouts into my half marathon training and am loving it! I think they are perfect for runners because they aren’t super long and are easily incorporated into a training plan. Some of it’s girlie, but I don’t care. Their workouts are all so different, which I really love. I also joined the Oiselle Volee this week! Congrats to us!
April 21, 2016 @ 10:54 am
High fives to us! Good to hear about the workouts!!
April 21, 2016 @ 12:30 pm
So, that information about cold sore may be life changing. I get them a lot, and I always associated them with season changes and/or getting sick. I usually get them right as I’m getting a bad cold, and I think in some weird way my cold isn’t as bad when I get one? ANyway, I eat a TON of PB, so I guess next time I feel one coming I should skip the PB!
April 21, 2016 @ 12:34 pm
Oh yes, it’s something to do with the balance of arginine and lysine in your body, and when you have too much arginine it can trigger outbreaks (hence why lots of people supplement with L-lysine to balance it out). Let me know if it helps!
April 21, 2016 @ 1:49 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a cold sore before, but I also don’t eat any PB since I’m allergic to peanuts ๐ And I’ve never done any of the TIU programs, but I know a lot of women who love them and said they made all the difference in how they approach fitness. Never know! Maybe you’ll end up loving it ๐
April 21, 2016 @ 2:39 pm
I hope so!
April 22, 2016 @ 3:31 am
So many people have great results with TIU–we all need to change it up! I know that it is time for me to really change some things up, but with everything going on right now + the return to running, I’m focusing on that, and then, once I’m really comfortable with it, I will retool things. Or so I say! Congrats on joining the Volee! Another great support group, for sure!
April 22, 2016 @ 4:11 am
That sounds like a good plan. Thanks my friend!
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