I love cardio & HATE runnning!

my favorite 5k you can read about it here

 

I am sure most readers are thinking how is that even possible? Simple I absolutely am not a runner nor do I aspire to be one. I DID do the C25K twice and I gave it an honest effort and it did come naturally to me I didn't struggle to do the C25K I made decent time and often improved my time as the weeks went on. I ran a couple of 5K's and if it weren't for a good cause would have complained more ;) I even did a learn to run clinic in 2011 in the DEAD of winter, we ran in absolute blizzards covered in snow running in snow, it was fantastic ;/ the last 5K I ran was with my lanky runners body of a husband and it was the most frustrating thing we have done together (and mind you we are raising two very needy children) I committed and said out loud many times I hate running I am not a runner and that's fine with me I will leave it to the people who find it mind clearing and beneficial. Sure I run a mile here or there maybe even two.

Monster costumer dash 12' 1st place costume this race was miserating ;/ back pain

St. Patty's Dash 2013 I ran for beer (31 minutes)

So how is it possible to love cardio and hate running - simple I want to be fit healthy and ehem...skinny, not like Kelly Rippa (RUNNERS BODY!Jel a little!) So my cardio routine consists of circuit cardio, typically 15 minutes on an eliptical, then the stairmill, a bike and yes the dreaded treadmil usually a 10 minute mile and a 5 minute fast paced walk. That's 60 minutes of fairly intense heart pumping sweat dripping cardio with out RUNNING the whole time. I have a bad case of ADD too so bouncing between machines benefits me menatally and physically so much better then running. I can accomplish so much more then just running which I would never do for 60 minutes even if I were being chased by zombies, it wants me that bad it can have me :)

I only ran to break in the shoes I won at said Monster Dash - BROOKS baby!

So that's my fat burning cardio no running routine. I strive to do that twice a week and 3 if I am really feeling it but with leg day in the mix I find it hard to do that. On my weight training days I try to get in 25 minutes of HIIT cardio - basically 5 minute warm up on the treadmill walking at a fast pace and as high incline as you can handle (I do 12-15 and I have to hold on so I don't fall off) the incline works your booty my problem area :O (yes I have a cellulite laden booty!) then I crank it up to a sprint and I sprint for 30 seconds then I stand on the side while that sucker runs (this takes a little skill) and rest for 30 seconds I do that for 20 minutes then cool down for 5 minutes WARNING you will sweat like a pig while doing this! HIIT is a FAT burning cardio so as you can see I rarely do any steady cardio I find it getting harder and harder the more weight training I do. It's hard to body build and lean muscles so chose your work outs carefully. My advice - if you are in fact doing some sort of body building routine chose you cardio carefully - long stints of cardio(marathon runners don't really have time for body building anyhow and vice versa) and weight lifting will confuse the muscle and you may not achieve what it is you are trying to do :)

PS NO gym?! The best at home HIIT in my opinion is a jump rope. Warmup jogging for 5 minutes then jump rope 30 seconds on 30 seconds off for 20 minutes - EASY...NOT but worth it!

Bucket list 5k - COLOR RUN (check September 2013 then that's it, unless it involves beer!)

Me: well....the highlight reel....

 I was literally begged to blog - I literally suck at it so bear with me ;) 

so much more to come I PROMISE

Where to even start?! Mostly I get asked how tall I am - funny story, I was measured once (middle school) and stuck with that, turns out I lied all these years I am not 5'6" I am actually 5'7" which I am pretty proud of at the moment because most people shrink with age ;)

Senior year homecoming 1998

Growing up I was always an average girl maybe even skinnier than most.... post high school I had a rocky start to the real world and put on some weight from a size 2 to a size 4 with boobs even!

Work party January 2005

I started dating my husband at the young age of 20 he was a noodle too... tall... 6'3". We were struggling college students and we had time to play tennis, roller blade, basketball, swim and workout. I never thought we would be anything but tall skinny noodles ;O All that changed when we got married and I got pregnant(immediately) it was my new lease on life to EAT, and I ATE everything and did nothing I was working full time newly married and very pregnant. I gained weight so quickly that I had pains beyond my wildest imagination the whole time, some-days I couldn't walk because of the strain of the weight on what was once my small frame :( the morning he was born 5 weeks premature I weighed in at 205 pounds I cried, but chalked it up to normal baby weight as my OB never said it was un-healthy?!! Imagine my shock when I delivered a tiny 6 pound 11 ounce baby boy....I wondered hoped if there were 10 more coming....The labor was fast but the routine of a typical hospital birth had it's toll on me. I gained so much fluid weight that I couldn't tie the shoes I had walked in with...I suffered baby blues, continued pain and had damaged my sciatic nerve due to weight. A few weeks after he was born I couldn't stand wearing any more of the hideous high water maternity pants so I broke down, finally left the house and ventured out to buy pants - and I did buy one pair, a size 14! mind you I was a size 4 when we got married WTH! It still wasn't enough to convince me to do anything about it, being thin always came naturally to me so I thought with time I'd recover....and over the next couple years I did a little but never completely.

Um not noodles! January 31st 2005

July 2005 - 5 1/2 months postpartum ;/

It wasn't till last may when that little baby was now 7 years old and I have since had a second baby which I sailed through that pregnancy (education and trauma will work wonders for a second pregnancy) only gained 35 pounds and had a natural drug free delivery (craziest moment of my life!) Anyhow LAST MAY after discovering MamaLaughlin I decided I should re-evaluate my body, sure I was content, but being a "fat-skinny" girl was no longer going to cut it. I was 30 soon to be 31 and I decided to take baby steps I worked out at home (damn Jillian) ate better and got more active, riding bikes, swimming the norm summer stuff.

Summer 2012 145-148ish

Life  overall had been stupid stressful last year and in January my husband and I decided to join a gym(hoping to reduce stress). We became ADDICTED.... I have lost 14 pounds since last May and gained some impressive muscle for a noodle! Putting me first took years and I have never felt better and my kids are so inspired by me and my friends have been inspired to start their own fit journeys and complete strangers have been my biggest cheerleaders (you know who you are MLFC'ers ;) I have no goal YET other then to be in the best shape of my life, to discover muscles I didn't know I had, to look good in ANYTHING or NOTHING ;) and to inspire others to do the same! I never ever thought I would be anything but a noodle fat or thin....

1 year post the most stressful year of my life( a whole other post!) and April 2013

I have so much more to say I don't even know where to start but that's me in a nutshell! I hope to answer all your questions about how I got my "guns" or abs and what I eat because honestly I love food and lying to myself about how I am not a binge eater ;) small steps ladies....You'll get there....where ever that is -

 Just like Mama L if your inspired be sure to pass it on, a little hard work and a lot of dedication is all you need to feel and look good :)

~Rachel aka Fit Rachel (finally!)