5 people at the gym who annoy me and 1 who makes me sad.

I really want my blog to be a POSITIVE place, but sometimes I will go on a rant. I will try to make the rant funny and not hateful. I want people to be laughing after reading it, not wondering why I am a bitch who takes herself too seriously- because I'm not! And if I ever am... please just call me out on it!

I'm usually never annoyed at the gym, but once in awhile I run across one of these people! Luckily my gym is pretty big so I can usually avoid the wackos. But I thought it would be fun to list the types of people that irritate me, and consequently, probably make me work harder! (I get my best workouts in when I'm angry/annoyed.)

5 People Who Annoy Me

1. The person who sniffs their nose or makes disgusting throat clearning sounds on the treadmill next to me. This would typically annoy me anywhere, but at least I could walk away (presuming it was a stranger). When I'm doing sprints on a treadmill, it would totally kill my mojo to move to another machine. Though you could argue that if I have enough energy to focus on the gross noises the person beside me is making, then I'm not sprinting hard enough...

2. The person who "claims" a weight bench. You've seen it. There is a water bottle sitting beside a bench, yet no one is in sight. There's a sweat rag draped across it but no one is there. And the worst of the worst- someone leaves a pair of dumbbells by a bench, staking their claim. This person is not just hogging a bench but DUMBBELLS too! If you're using the bench, fine, but that means you are actually on it, or maybe just switching out your dumbbells and you'll be back in a second. But don't go over to a whole other part of the gym and feel like the bench is reserved for you for when you get back to it in 5 minutes.

3. The person who just chills out on a machine between sets. Technically, I guess I could go up and ask if I can work in, but I don't like talking to strangers. Plus they could get annoyed with me. They could write a blog post about the people in the gym they find annoying, and #1 could be "The girl in the bandanna who asks to work in during my sets."

4. The slow walker. I like to keep my heart pumping at the gym. If I bang out a set of pull ups and need to head over to the mats for planks, I don't like to take my good old time about it. In fact, if I could jog over without looking like an idiot, I would do that! But sometimes I get behind someone just taking there good..... old..... time..... getting..... to..... their.... next..... OKAY LET'S STOP THE MADNESS. They're walking slow and I get stuck behind them. I hate that!

5. The advice giver. Otherwise known as The Douche Bag. I had a sad encounter with one of these a few months ago at Planet Fitness. I was doing my push ups, minding my own business, when a guy who I saw around the gym quite a lot approached me. He gestured for me to take my headphones out of my ears. Oh great, I thought. This can't be good. He proceeded to tell me I should keep my head up during push ups, not look at the ground. Apparently, he had to see a chiropractor to correct a neck problem he had developed due to not having proper head placement during push ups. This made me wonder, how many push ups was this guy actually doing that he needed to see a chiro due to the fact he didn't hold his head correctly!? At the time, I was only doing 45 push ups ONCE a WEEK and never experienced any risidual pain from them. Needless to say, I was super pissed this guy interrupted my workout so I didn't even respond. I put my headphones back on and continued with my workout. Then of course, when I got to work, I googled "Should your head be up or down during a push up?". Mostly everything I read said your whole body should be in a perfect line from your feet to your head, with your head slightly up. But it's okay to look down if it helps you concentrate more. It didn't say anything about neck injuries, and I really actually had to FISH for someone to say something about the head. The most important things are not letting your hips sag and not letting your elbows flail out. The fact that I wrote a huge paragraph about the advice giver clearly shows I am not over the incident!

and..............

1 Person Who Makes Me Sad

1. The dangerously thin girl speed walking uphill on the treadmill. You know who I am talking about. She is clearly 30 lbs underweight. Her thighs are as thin as your forearms. She is hanging onto the console of that treadmill for dear life, trying to burn off every single calorie she has ever consumed and then some. It makes me very sad when I see girls like this. I know they are lost and in a lot of pain. Then I wonder, how many other people in the gym are suffering an eating disorder, just like this girl, but we don't notice because they are not so severely underweight? Maybe they are a normal weight or even obese. Just because someone isn't dangerously thin does NOT mean they don't suffer from an eating disorder.

Why I Run

1. Running is my "me" time. I can really get to know my true self during a run.

2. Running makes me feel strong. It makes me KNOW I am strong.

3. When I run, I get to be outside and enjoy this beautiful world. Life is so rushy-rushy. Running makes me stop and appreciate everything around me.

4. Running helps keep me fit and healthy.

5. Running wakes me up and clears my head. It is a good time for me to make thoughtful decisions.

6. Running is therapy. It can ease my sadness and help me let go of anger.

7. Running is a competition against myself- no one else.

8. The "Runners High". Yes, it exists!

9. Running makes me feel free. I don't know how else to describe it. Alone on the open road, in control of wherever I want to go.

10. I'm not going to lie, I like that running sometimes allows me to eat junk!

Why do you love to run?

Shake shake, shake shake-ah shake it!

I love protein shakes. They're yummy. There are 2 ways I normally make them:

1. 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 cup greek yogurt, & whatever kind of fruit I want to add.

2. 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 cup greek yogurt, & 2 tbsp pudding mix (butterscotch and banana cream are the best!)

Protein shakes are a great way to get some extra protein (especially when I get sick of chicken breasts!), they satisfy my sweet tooth, and they're refreshing on a hot summer day.

I thought it would be cool to try having a protein shake at night instead of ice cream. Guess what happened? I ended up having ice cream, too. That plan back fired!

Normally, I drink them right after a workout and they are very satisfying! 


What are your favorite protein shake recipes?

Weekend Wrap-Up!

 

Good Monday Morning to you all! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! I sure did. Although summer feels like one long weekend to me...

Here's what I was up to! (This is sort of a long one!)

Friday

After being up super late Thursday night, devastated and reeling from the Spurs' loss (I watch basketball now), I slept in on Friday. It was okay, I knew we had a long day planned and I would need my rest! First, I hit up the gym to work bi/tri/shoulders/legs. I don't like to do legs on bi/tri/shoulder day but sometimes my schedule just works out that way.

Late that afternoon, we left to visit our friends Cheetah and Maggie, who live in the "Northern Philadelphia Suburbs". Their house is GORGEOUS and full of character and charm. We don't get to see them a lot so it was great to catch up! Cheetah made the best salmon I ever had in my life and Maggie introduced me to my new favorite dessert- Salted Caramel Boudino. It tastes like sugary, caramel-y, butterscotch-y heaven in your mouth.

If you want to make it, apparently this recipe is pretty legit . I will never even attempt this recipe because it goes far beyond my skills as a baker.

The four of us enjoyed good food, good wine, and great company! We bonded the way normal adults bond- with a few rousing games of Cards Against Humanity. (AKA, the game that makes you want to take a shower after you play it!)

Saturday

My husband and I left for home pretty early in the morning, but the turnpike was still chock full of A-holes who love to ride your ass. Seriously, I don't understand how people can go 80 mph on the turnpike and leave only about 5 feet between them and the car in front of them. It is great to have my husband in the car with me when this happens because he will straight up turn around and stare at the person riding my ass and throw his hands in the air and start talking to them. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SERIOUSLY? DO YOU WANT TO CRASH INTO US AND DIE?" He talks slowly and deliberately- over enunciating every word so the idiot behind us can read his lips and be shamed. Because they are plenty close enough to read his lips.

My husband would like to wrap up this topic by stating, "I shouldn't be able to see your damn eye color." AMEN!

Today, I discovered a new TV show I think I am going to start watching- The L Word. It's on Netflix. So far, it appears to be a lot like Sex and the City, only it's lesbians in LA. I do not like the main character who is so annoying. Hopefully the rest of the characters continue to make up for the one I can't stand.

Sunday

Hmmm... well, I think I hit a summer record Sunday morning by sleeping in until 11:45am! I guess I needed to catch up on some Zzzzzzzz....

So I spent the morning researching some fitness blogs and writing future blog posts. I have been trying to post on my blog every day, but I don't write every day. Normally, I write 3-4 posts at a time when I am feeling inspired, then just post one each day. Now you know my blogging secret... do you feel special?

After a gym workout, I managed to mow half the lawn before the mower died. It won't be dead for long. We have a really crappy mower we bought used, and every time we make it through an entire lawn mowing, we feel like we secretly got away with something. Well, today I mowed the backyard and then it crapped out after two rows on the front lawn. My husband assures me it will work tomorrow, it just has to rest in the carport overnight.

Then I picked some mulberries from the tree that magically popped up behind our shed over the past year or two. It is a HUGE tree and I am able to pick quite a lot of mulberries from it every few days. The problem is, I have to be prepared to get bit like crazy with mosquitoes. For real, I picked 110 mulberries and got 7 mosquito bites. That's like one bug bite for every 15 mulberries. I'm not sure if it's worth it!

Later that night my husband and I feasted on my famous guacamole and tried to watch the movie Identity Thief. The movie was TERRIBLE so we stopped halfway through and played Monopoly Deal. Did I mention it is a fun game?

Oh, and we finally turned on our air conditioning! It was time. The semi sweet chocolate morsels in the pantry were melting and cutting up sweet potatoes required me to take a shower. My cats are very happy! Christmas went straight to his "cool fan"... one of the vents that blows cool air.

What a happy kitty!!!!!

Did you do anything wild and crazy this weekend?

How many mosquito bites did YOU get!?

Planet Fitness: My Gym's Pros & Cons

I love Planet Fitness! I have been a member for years. Eight years, to be exact! During this time, I have joined and quit other gyms (LA Fitness and the YMCA when I was injured and needed to swim), but always remained a loyal member to Planet Fitness.

There are a million reasons I love PF and just a couple of things that I have found annoying over my time working out there. Let's take a closer look at my own personal pros and cons of Planet Fitness- The Judgement Free Zone!

Pros

1. It's cheap. Sure, you don't get all the bells and whistles of other gyms... group classes, childcare, pool, basketball courts... But I don't need that stuff. $10 a month? That I do need!
   
   
2. It's open 24 hours and on major holidays! My body doesn't care that it's Easter- it still wants to feel the burn!

3. It's “The Judgement Free Zone”. All kinds of different people workout there. It's not just for the beautiful people, it's for everyone. (Awwwww....)

4. I've never had to wait for a cardio machine. EVER.

5. It's quick and dirty. No frills, just go in, hang your keys on a key hook, and get it done!

6. The staff at the front desk always say goodbye when I leave. It's very nice!

7. If I go before 6:00am I'm the youngest person there! And we all need to feel young sometimes, right?

8. They don't call me. In the eight years I've belonged to PF, never once did I get a phone call. On the other hand, I was a member at LA Fitness for only a month and they called me at least four times. They were trying to get me to sign up for personal training sessions. I don't like my gym calling me!

9. NO KIDS ALLOWED! When I went to the YMCA, there were always kids running around in the lobby and the locker room. It was just chaos. Now, I realize the YMCA is a place for kids and families, I'm not knocking it. It's just not my cup of tea. I'm glad I found a gym that is only for adults.

Cons

1. There is a basket of tootsie rolls on the front desk and they have free pizza nights when you can have as much pizza as you want. It just doesn't make sense!

2. You're not allowed to stand on the weight benches anymore. I got reprimanded for doing my knee ups. I guess they are afraid the benches will tip over? Which doesn't makes sense because if the benches are sturdy enough to sit and lay on while lifting, surely they should be sturdy enough for me to do my knee ups...

3. If I go between 3:30pm-8:00pm I am the oldest and fattest person in the joint. True story.

4. The women's locker room at my local PF is going to be closed for a whole MONTH this summer! No locker use or showers for a whole month!  Luckily this is not occurring during the school year or it would really cramp my style. In the summer, it will be a minor annoyance that I guess I will have to get over.

...and that's it! I can only think of 4 things that sort of annoy me about PF.

What do you like about your gym? What annoys you?

Do you have strong feelings for or against Planet Fitness?

I guess I have to run the mile.

I accidentally PR'ed in the mile this week.

On Wednesday, I ventured over to the Messiah College track to do some speed work. For the past couple weeks, I have been tossing around the idea of running the Harrisburg Mile in July. Running the mile is NOT fun, but after looking up my previous times from 2008 (6:12) and 2009 (6:19) I realized I am probably in shape to PR this summer.

So I better get some speed training in, right? My plan was to warm up for a half mile, then sprint the straight aways and jog the curves. I would do that for 2.25 miles, then do a quarter mile cool down. As usual, I was pretty pumped up to do this. Despite the heat (at least 80 degrees!) I was ready to rock it!

Of course it sucked. Speed training always does. I felt close to puking many times (more so while jogging than while sprinting), but like one of my coaches said, "Anyone can run and feel good." So true! I want to get faster... and the only way to get faster is to.... RUN FAST.

Later on in the day, I uploaded my Garmin to check out my pace. Well, it turns out, the second mile I ran during my speed work that afternoon was a PR for me- 6:10!!!!

I wonder what will happen if I run a proper mile (no sprinting/jogging) and rest a few days beforehand? I guess there is one way to find out. I'll be running the Harrisburg Mile on July 17th.

I hate the pressure!!!
I may chicken out!!!
We'll see...

Zucchini Thingers & A cool post about Aldi

I saw a recipe for these on Facebook a week or two ago. I forget what they were called. I just call them Zucchini Thingers because I'm not very creative at the moment! I changed them up a little bit and pretty much make them the same way I make my husband cheesey bread- but instead of the bread, I use Zucchini. What a great way to get your daily dose of veggies!

And with 3 medium sized zucchinis costing only $1.19 at Aldi, it's cheap, too!

(Check out this blog post about Aldi if you are curious about the store... 

or even if you already love it like I do!)

Zucchini Thingers

zucchini
sliced tomatoes
garlic/salt/pepper/Italian seasoning
shredded cheese (whatever kind you prefer)


1. Preheat oven - 350.

2. Slice the zucchini into 1/2 inch - 1 inch thick strips and lay them on a baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle with garlic, place sliced tomatoes on top, then coat with cheese.

4. Add salt, pepper, and/or Italian seasoning to taste.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Just keep an eye on them!

Voila! As you can see, I like to add extra garlic and salt to mine!