6/22: SSU Faves from the week
Weekend: nice to see ya again 🙂
Anything fun going on?
We have absolutely nothing on the agenda, except teaching tomorrow. I love it.
Congrats to the Summer Shape Up team for rocking out another amazing week- you’re halfway there! I hope you’re already seeing results from your hard work, and thank you again to those of you who have checked in with each workout, and have emailed and tweeted pictures to me.
Here are some of the gems from this past week:
@MsRachel_Batson: “Kissing the guns after workout 1 of @fitnessista’s #summershapeup #betterlatethannever”
@survivorrunner: WEEK 2- Sweatin’ for sure!
@laurenpeters: Loved this week’s #summershapeup workout! Sweaty fun strength #fitblog
@litgirl84: Pretty sure my cat thinks I’m dead. Happy #tabatathursday!
@pluvk: Tabata Thurs KILLED me! Even the pup got involved in @fitnessista ‘s #summershapeup today!
Leah O’s salad beast with greens, eggs, bell pepper, shrooms, cucumber, hot sauce
Rachel: a picture of me from right after my first Week 1 Summer Shape Up workout…yup, that’s two shades of green on that shirt. 🙂 
I also did workout 2 this week! SO fun.. and sweaty.
Keep the pics coming, friends! I love seeing them 🙂
It’s definitely fun to have a group of people cheering each other on. It makes it easier to succeed and hold yourself accountable. Workout buddies (virtual and real-life) can make a positive impact on our fitness goals, and it’s also helpful when friends and family enjoy the same healthy eats that you do.
Meg came over for lunch during her work break the other day, and I made salad beasts for two.
Massaged kale with lemon, avocado, olive oil, sea salt and pepper, with brown rice, lentils, tomatoes, cucumber and Goddess dressing. They were aaaaaaaamazing. Thank you Trader Joe’s for finally getting organic kale! Now if they would only take the ribs out of the kale…. but I’m not about to look a kale horse in the mouth.
Work snacks:
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This morning, I decided to be a good puppy mom and take Bell on a walk with Liv and myself before it got too hot. I had Liv in the BabyHawk and Bell on the leash, and were halfway through the walk when I heard a rustle in the desert to the side of us (we were walking through the neighborhood -on the sidewalk- but in Tucson, there’s “desert” pretty much everywhere). I saw a coyote jumping up a tree, surrounded by three of his friends. My depth perception is awful, but I’d guess they were about 25 yards away. They didn’t see us, but I quickly grabbed Bell (who yelped, I think I scared her) and started to walk quickly back to the house. It was really scary, and all I had with me were my keys and cell phone. Any ideas on how I could be safer with our walk next time?
I’m lucky that our neighbors are always home and I could call if I need anything, but in the moment, what are you supposed to do? It’s even scarier because one of our family dogs was snatched by coyotes while she was in the backyard. Dad ran outside and saved her, but she was still injured.
Never a boring moment….
Well I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday. We’re just taking it easy this morning and meeting some friends for lunch.
See you this afternoon with a healthy snack post + giveaway.
xoxo
Gina
Something to do:
Be sure to leave a comment and check in here when you’ve finished your Week 2 workout and easy cardio for the day! Can’t wait to hear how it goes. Week 3 grocery list will be up Sunday morning and the Week 3 workout will post Sunday night.
Not doing the Shape Up? I’d love to hear what was on your fitness plan and menu for the day!
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I usually don’t look at salads like “Mmmmm”, but that salad beast looks AWESOME!
your TJ’s has organic kale?? I need to search mine for it next week!
yes, it was the first time i’ve seen it there!
Mmm the massaged kale salad beasts are making me super hungry for lunch! I would have been scared about the coyote incident too. I’m glad nothing too eventful happened though. Have fun at your lunch date!
Did the Tabata workout super quickly between work and my intramural dodgeball game (yup, dodgeball on the beach – it’s awesome). When we got home, I convinced the hubby to do a second round with me. He is seriously in shape (as in averages a 6:20 min mile in a half marathon!), and he was huffing and puffing and told me “whew, that was tough!” We should all be proud of ourselves for completing Tabata Thursday – it was a doozy but really fun!
Thanks Gina!!
i love that the hubby did it with you!
and dodgeball on the beach sounds amazing 🙂
Does massaged kale mean what it sounds like?
it means exactly what it sounds like 🙂
How about pepper spray?
I modified moves from week one and two to do this morning! We are leaving for St. Louis Komen Race for the Cure today so I had to start my day extra early, but it’s always ok when I’m working up a sweat;) I need some extra endorphins today, as this is the first year I can’t participate in the “Race” part of the day. But I am thankful to be here period, and will use tomorrow to celebrate LIFE, LOVE, and everything PINK!! xoxo
Yes, definitely don’t look the kale horse in the mouth, ha ha 🙂
Love all the summer shape up pics. Way to rock it ladies!!
Just did an amazing aerial yoga class! Great way to start the day!!
I’ve noticed the TJs chopped kale is super rib-ey, too. Oh well, live-able 🙂 The salads look great!
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and I LOVE it, your summer shape up is helping me get my pre-baby body back!
As to the coyotes, I don’t have much experience with them, but I did get startled by a bear (with the MOST adorable cubs ever!) on a run one morning with the dog, and my daughter in her jogger. I now carry high grade pepper spray! You can order it offline and you can get it in a pink canister ;).
Keep being awesome!
Oh man. Is there anything that scares them? Like a small airhorn? So scary and I’m so glad everyone is okay. Better to spook Bella a bit then let a coyote get her!
I should be doing my second workout of week #1, but I’m taking my second rest day. I off to a BBQ on Sunday, which includes pickup soccer and volleyball, so I’m totally getting my cardio in that way! 😀
I walk early in the morning with my dogs and the coyotes are for certain out there! I carry a loud whistle around my neck that I don’t hesitate to use if they surprise me. It usually throws them off enough that I can beat feet in the other direction safely.
I have wondered the same thing about the coyotes. I was out running (here in the desert of NM) and came face to face with one and had a stare down for a minute before I turned and Forrest Gumped it out of there. I have debated about pepper spray and I know people always say “they are more scared of you then you are of them”… but still freaks me out.
Maybe bring pepper spray with you???
What is Goddess dressing? Do you use the Annie’s Goddess dressing? That’s so scary about the coyotes! Do you think they would come after Bell with you right there? I don’t know a thing about coyotes. I was about to put that I don’t have any potentially dangerous wild animals in my neck of the woods but I live 1/2 mile from the Atlantic Ocean. I dove into a Portuguese man o’ war when I was younger and came up screaming so loud they thought I had been attacked by a shark. I’ve only seen 1 shark, while I was surfing with my little brother and it left us alone, but it scared the bejeezus out of me! My husband has seen a bunch of sharks because he surfs all the time. I just try to remember that they’re really the ones that belong in the ocean and pray that they don’t think I look like a tasty treat.
after a 10 minute treadmill warm-up, I did a hybrid of some workout 1 and 2 exercises this morning to create a new little circuit, follow by 10 minutes of intervals (6.5 and 8) back on the treadmill.
hopefully go on a nice little evening stroll to end the day 🙂
Gosh, coyotes are scary! Although from my limited knowledge, they aren’t ones to attack especially when it’s a dog and human. From what I remember from Girl Scouts if they do come at you make yourself look big and make noise. Maybe get one of those pepper spray keychains?
I’m down two pounds since starting the shape up!
I live in the woods with my little doxie, and we have faced the same problem with coyotes on walks! I started carrying a long range pepper spray on my keychain, and it has made me feel much better knowing I have some protection with me at all times.
Ive been eating kale salad for two days. I finally realized i can just strip the leaves off the stem by holding the end with two fingers and using other hand to take leaves off. (like you do with fresh rosemary or thyme). Timesaver & you dont waste the good leafy part by trying to cut out stem. Two cents worth!!
Also congrats on your Fitterati award; saw your picture in the July Fitness magazine today!
Yikes Coyotes are scary! My mom and sister were at the park a few years ago and my sister said “Mom look at those dogs”, my mom responded with “Those aren’t dogs, hunny, those are Coyotes” Needless to say they have not been back since, and we now refer to it as “Coyote Park”. Maybe get bear spray? I heard it is similar to pepper spray and maybe safer on animals? I am no Coyote expert, I try to stay as far away as possible. So glad you, Liv and the pup were okay!
I have not been able to rock the ssu though I dd the wsu because I’m traveling a lot and work with a trainer twice a week. But I’m planning to do it fully once over summer travels and in control of groceries 🙂 for now I’m using the ssu calendar for modified workouts of my own when I can (today is tabata Friday lol) and taking inspiration to keep eating clean while on vacation. Thank you so much for being an awesome and involved virtual trainer and congrats on the recent accolades – the are well-deserved!
Blah, I haven’t been able to follow along as well as I’ve wanted to with the SSU this week, but I’m going to try hard to get back on track! I’m hoping to do Tabata thursdays today!
Going to do tabata today. I can’t wait. Any tips?
I’d suggest getting pepper spray. I have a thing of it that I carry in my hand when I go for my morning runs, and I feel completely safe with it. It’s pink (wayyyyy coooler being that it’s pink) and it has a keychain ring, so you can put it on your keys too so it’s always with you. 🙂 We had a summer where coyotes took 20 cats and a small dog in my hometown and even chased some children, have always been scared of them since!
Just finished workout and cardio! The workout was killer today but I felt stronger than I did on Monday!
COYOTES whoa…in my neighborhood, we have a lot of careless dog owners, especially large breeds. Nowhere near as scary as a coyote, and i’m glad you guys are alright, to say the least!!!
When I walk my American Bulldog, he is is 140 lbs so my worst problem would be a fight with another dog. I also walk at night (usually with my husband), but if I walk alone, I have a collapsible baton. I will go to great measures to keep them from getting that close though!!!
I don’t know if it would work on coyotes but it works on wandering dogs…while they are still far back, bottom of your lungs and bass heavy (like a guy)…”GO HOME!” or “GET BACK”. You have to do that while they are still considering approaching. Then hightail in the other direction. Was taught by my Dad, works every time. Coyotes are of course not dogs…I think your heightened Mommy senses were your best defense in that situation!!!
Yikes…coyotes are not an issue here in lower Alabama. My parents live in northeast Georgia, and they have black bears everywhere; the people up there carry wasp spray on hikes because it shoots like 20 ft. so you don’t have to get close to the animal like you would with pepper spray. I know the can is probably a little big…
By the way, thanks for the photo shout-out! I’m totally loving the summer shape up! Tabata totally kicked my booty yesterday. I did it before my kickball game and my legs were shaking after rounding first…
We use high pitched whistles to scare off animals, but that might scare Bella too so I’m not sure. Pepper spray is illegal here so that’s not an option for us
I did the tabata thursday workout today (day late!) and loved it. and i loved that app for the iphone too. thank you so much for posting these workouts- seriously making my summer!
Just getting back into the fitness thing so I’m not following the summer shape up. So far eats include, oatmeal (raw), granola, greek yogurt with berries for breakfast, walnuts for a snack, subway chix breast with avocado (no cheese), and grapes for lunch, next snack will be mangos and no idea what I’m doing for dinner because I’m going out with friends for book club at an irish bar/restaurant where healthy options will be tough to come by, but I plan to look for a fish dish/salad and still with sparkling water. I always say to myself that even if I’m spending more money to “eat healthy” I’m saving more money by drinking less when I am out with my friends so it evens up!
Today was a rest day, but I’ll get in over 4 miles of walking to and from places I need to be. I love that Chicago is so walkable!
I am going to try the next challenge when I’ve got a couple consistent months under my belt!
I did workout #2, two rounds of Tabata and then went for a tough 3 mile hike with some friends this morning. My legs are already sore! I think I need a soak in the hot tub this evening. I don’t think it was the best idea to mix them all together, but I did nothing (except work and taxi kids around) yesterday so I was making up for lost time. Plus I can’t pass up hiking and gabbing with my girlfriends. 🙂
I was also so excited to see the organic kale at TJ’s last week when I did my shopping and made a kale salad, but I hate the ribs and spent almost as long ripping ribs out of the bagged kale as I would have if I had just bought my own bunch. Oh well.
About the coyote, I think that you should scream and wave your arms and even throw rocks to scare away the coyote rather than turning your back on it and walking away. But I know that would be hard to do with a baby and a dog. Yikes!
Love everyone’s sweaty pictures. Congrats everyone! I can’t believe I still haven’t made a massaged kale salad. I’m so scared of kale’s bitterness! Must get past this. I like kale chips…!
Did workout #2 and the cardio over my lunch hour. I have to stay late for work tonight, so I am loving the endorphins! I didn’t do the tabata workout yesterday…my old geezer knees can’t handle all of the jumping. But it looked like an amazing workout. My 9 year old boys watched the video with me and thought it was TOUGH!
Yikes! I’m from the woods of New England so I’ve seen a couple of coyotes before, they’re scary looking animals! Glad you guys all escaped okay. My friends house cat once fought a coyote and won. How crazy is that? Teeny tiny little black cat named Cinderella haha.
I did the second workout plus 20 minutes of cardio today..wowww I am sore. Strangely after the tabata yesterday my shoulders were really stiff this morning? And my quads but that was expected with all that jumping lol. I have a date with the foam roller tonight!
I have a dog walker who comes daily and one day her and my dog were attacked by a pit bull loose in our neighborhood! Luckily my dog is a giant doberman, or else I think it could’ve killed one of them. Regardless, they both walked away beat up (and the dog, whose owner came running up, did get reported to animal control after my walker went to the doctor) and very nervous. She now carries mace with her on every walk. Might be an idea for the coyotes too!
I’m a week behind (we will both be tired of me saying that soon — ha) and did Workout 1 this morning. It kicked my butt once again!
Eek I’m so glad you and Livi and Bella were okay!! I would be terrified!
I don’t like the idea of pepper spray with your own dog and baby around. I know some of them are long distance spray but it still would be awful for it to come down to that! We sued to hike with bells to scare away cougars and bears. You can wither put them on yourself or Bella! It’s not an unpleasant noise and the constant jingle should scare away anything you don’t want near you 🙂
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….I think I need a new keyboard 😉
hey girl! my dad is a police detective and has me equipped with pepper spray…maybe you can get some from the pilot on base? i know they used to sell it at army/navy stores. that wouldn’t be a bad idea for your walks…just so you at least have something and mine has a keyring on it so it is attached to my keys at all time! Glad you guys are all safe though!!
I also carry a small pepper spray on my keys, especially when I have the baby with me, just because you never know what you might come upon. Just finished workout 2 plus 20 minutes on the stairmaster. It was just as sweaty as last time!
LOL I just saw my picture up there! My friends were tweeting me about it and saying that I WOULD have a picture of me “kissing the guns” on here. Thanks for posting. I’m really enjoying SSU.
Wow! My husband and I were so excited to see our little “Liko dog” on your blog today! I even called my parents who got a big kick out of his “debut!” Thanks, Gina! And wow… coyotes? Pretty scary. I would’ve hoofed it straight back home, too.
I’ve heard horror stories about finding tiny black bugs in organic kale so I’ve been afraid to buy it! I’m not super squeamish about bugs, but finding them in my salad would be horrible. I even heard someone washed it pretty well and there were still bugs in it (trapped in the curls perhaps?). That said, bugs are meant to be on plants, so the traditionally-grown stuff is clearly coated in chemicals. ew. I guess I’d rather inspect each leaf!
that is like my worst nightmare (the coyotes)…I have such an anxiety and fear about running into wild animals (or even big stray dogs!) that I will not go on a walk by myself. Maybe I should invest in some pepper spray too so I’d feel better.
I’m moving to Tucson in next week and had planned on training for a half on the trails…but now your story about seeing coyotes has me thinking twice o_O. I’d love to see some tips for safe outdoor running in AZ since I know nothing about running in the desert (i’m coming from a city of foggy summers).