I hope your Monday morning started out better than mine. Since I woke up very tired and on the wrong side of the bed, I literally went back to bed and thankfully, the second time, I woke up on the right side. Horray for me (and even more for GMan).

Remember how I mentioned last week that it was a down week for training?  Well I think it was a down week for my eating aswell. As in, I downed way to much junk food. I was craving all the wrong food and foolishly didn’t think twice about eating it. Ok, actually I did but then I ate it anyways. By the way, thanks Mom for sneaking the box of chocolates in my backpack before I left. I found them when I was unpacking…they were really good. Ask Gman, he tried one… or was it two?

I am throwing these sperts of unhealthy eating out the window and welcoming healthy eating (and maybe just a few pieces of dark chocolate) with open arms and a determined mind. I have less than a month until race day and I need and want to get serious. I am going to focus on juicing and making shakes in my one and only.  I’m actually sipping on cucumber, celery and orange juice as I write this. Hey, don’t judge until you try it! GMan also made some cucumber juice on the weekend and it was really good. Definitely going to continue drinking these  aswell. I don’t know about you but the food I put in my body really does effect how I feel. If I eat a healthy dinner the day before a long run (rather than let’s say… a few slices of pizza) I not only run better but feel better in general.

I am super excited to try the samples of Amazing Grass that I got from Lindsay. I love receiving snail mail and was so happy when I received this. She wrote a post about the benefits of Amazing Grass and since then I’ve really wanted to try it; unfortunately I couldn’t find any in my area so she was kind enough to send me a sample.

Thank you Lindsay!!  Whole Foods is definitely not as common here in Canada as it is in the States. I wish it was though.

On Friday I tried the Jillian Michaels – Yoga Meltdown video.

What can I say? Jillian kicked my butt.

Yoga Meltdown has two levels, although, I chose level one with it being my first time and all. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical at first because I am not a big fan of following workout videos.

feel free to make fun of me in any of the following pictures...

It was a good workout and my muscles were burning a bit afterwards, especially my arms and lower back. I have no upper body strength, so I think if I continue to do this a couple times a week I may start to get a hot bod like Jillian, no? I joke, I joke. But I wish, I wish. Once I get more comfortable and used to the positions/moves, I think it will be an even better workout. I will be able to focus on the muscles I’m working rather than worrying if I’m doing it right or not.

I think this video may also help me work on my patience a bit because normally I get frustrated if I miss something or if I can’t do it well. But I am not giving up! I realized that I can hold my balance better on my right foot which is weird since I am left handed. I also realized that I need to strengthen my lower back. You should see how the one girl in the video can arch her back.. crazzzy!

Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a good workout. It’s obvious that this video is definitely a good choice for anyone who wants to strengthen and tone. I definitely worked up a bit of a sweat but then again, I normally do sweat buckets. I am going to challenge myself to do this video at least 3 times a week to strengthen and hopefully tone my body overall. Anyone else up for this challenge? I am definitely sticking to level one for awhile until I feel comfortable and feel like I can do the moves half decent. 

no, our couch isn't normally in front of the doorways. GMan was kind enough to move it for me, so I had more space

As Jillian says, “get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable”. She is a good instructor and really encourages throughout, unlike on The Biggest Loser when she is screaming “LAST WORKOUT… PUSH HARDER!!”

I was right with my assumption in saying this isn’t a zen relaxation yoga video.. but that’s okay. It doesn’t hurt to get a good butt kicking once and awhile, does it?  On Saturday I had a great 10.8km run and could feel my upper back was a bit sore from doing Yoga Meltdown… but it was a good sore.

What do you do to turn a bad day into a good one?
~ Go for a run to try and snap out of whatever is bothering me or have a nap. Naps can do wonders :)

What’s your food weakness: sweet or salty?
~Most definitely, sweets. Although there are times when I crave something salty too.