#GIVEAWAY to any #SpartanRace: Get ready for Special Ops Spartan Race this February 15th at Raymond James Stadium

disclosure: I was given an entry for myself and for the giveaway from the Spartan Race. All opinions are my own.

You can register here: http://www.spartanrace.com/tampa-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2014.html

I am so excited for racing season!!! I am finally feeling better (medical crap kicked my butt at the end of last year!) Bring it on! I cannot wait for February 15th!  I am running the Special Ops Spartan Race  at Raymond James Stadium. It's going to be amazing. I am not sure that I have what it takes, but I am ready to give it EVERYTHING I have! I am really fortunate that I have a friend who is willing to run with me. (I hope you are still up for it Roger!) I know that there are a lot of people from my box running, but I am not sure that they would stay with this old gal. I hope my friend will, but if I hold him back, I will send him off too. I seriously cannot wait for this one.

Black and White V.4 from SpartanRace on Vimeo.

I LOVE mud, and it has been almost a year since I have run in mud. That is a problem. The Reebok Spartan Race presents the Special Ops Spartan Race Tampa Sprint at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday February 15th. It will benefit the USSOCOM Care Coalition. The Spartan Race website says, "This Special Ops Spartan Sprint will be a mix of mud and gnarly outdoor obstacles combined with the challenge of the signature Spartan stadium obstacles all with maneuvers and strategy created by Special Ops Forces. Each finisher will receive a unique Special Ops Spartan Sprint Medal with bragging rights of accomplishing the most unique Spartan event." All I can say to that is HOLY COW! I am in, but I am not going to lie... I am a little afraid! And after watching the video above, my son that he is worried about me. Now I have all the reason in the world to do this race and finish! Join me! You can register here: http://www.spartanrace.com/tampa-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2014.html

You can win an entry good for any US 2014 Spartan Race~ fill out the Rafflecopter Below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Featured Blogger: Meet Alicia from Never Been Skinny and join my #dietbet

Meet my friend Alicia.  And join my DietBet to start off New Year's right! 

https://www.dietbetter.com/games/33484


 Name: Alicia

State: California ( the Southern Part ^_~ )

Alica's story stands out to me. She is working so hard to achieve her goals. She, like me, is just starting Weight Watchers. I look forward to reading all about her successes! 

When and why did you start working out? 

I got tired of being over weight. I just don't have it all figured out but every day I workout is a day where I make a change in my body. 

What is your workout of choice? - I don't really have a preference. I tried Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) and never thought I would like it...I fell in love with it...its just not a winter activity (to much sweat and too cold outside). I have gotten into my running (which is really a jog) and have done several 5K's. I like trying new things. 

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? 
My favorite race so far my first 5k I ever did. It was on 1/1/2013 and I was still slightly hungover from the New Years Eve Party. It was cold, it was hard but that day I proved to myself I could do 3.1 miles! 

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?  
I try to take my shakeology everyday. It is an amazing shake and since I don't like getting up in the morning its an easy make and I can stay in bed longer. 

What is your favorite cheat food? 
Sweets. Anything sweets which is why I have gone on a sweet detox to help me to stop craving them so much. 

What advice would you give someone just starting out? 
Don't quit. Even if it doesn't look like you are making progress, and trust me I know that feeling, you are. It may be inches, weight, endurance, or a move you haven't been able to do before, but the change is there.

What is your best workout memory?  

I was doing Shaun T's Hip Hop Ab's for about a week, and my relatively fit hubby decides to join me. Half way in he is huffing and puffing while I am able to continue with all the exercises non stop. It was at that moment that I saw that sticking with something, even as short as a week, really does make a difference. 

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? 
My biggest and greatest on my list is to wear for Halloween a Princess Leia Slave Costume (I am a huge Star Wars fan and have been for years). This is my ultimate Bucket Item!

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I don't like chocolate. Well my friends know this but not my readers. When I was younger I was I couldn't have dark chocolate or it would give me an allergic reaction. Nowadays I don't even like the taste of dark chocolate. 

We can connect with Alicia here:

Blog: http://nevereverbeenskinny.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alicia_Orozco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeverEverBeenSkinny

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/aliciaorozco/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/nevereverbeenskinny

Diet-to-Go 1,000 Meal Giveaway ($9,000 in Free Meals!)

Disclosure: I have been compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

Enter for your chance to win 50 different prizes from Diet-to-Go including free weeks of meals and $50 gift cards. 5 lucky grand-prize winners will receive a month of free meals from Diet-to-Go!

Link to the contest: http://diettogo.com/1000-meal-giveaway 

As some of you know, I worked with Diet-to-Go last year while I was on a campaign with FitFluential.  The concept of Diet-to-Go was and is designed for someone with my crazy lifestyle. I am a single mom, and we are busy! Sometimes finding time to prep a meal is nearly impossible. Diet-to-Go allows me to eat healthy with very no plan time! After I tried the meals, I couldn't help but share the good news. After my work for FitFluential was done, Diet-to-Go asked me to be an ambassador. I couldn't resist it! What an opportunity! I love sharing my love for this company! 

Here is my review: http://www.mindysfitnessjourney.com/2013/06/my-diettogo-review-and-50-gift-card-for.html

Check out these prizes you can win if you enter:

 -       5 winners will receive a free month of meal

-       20 winners will receive a free week of meals

 -       25 winners will receive a $50 Diet-to-Go Gift Card

You know that I love twitter and twitter chats. I am so excited to tell you that there will be a twitter party or chat. I will be there tweeting, and I would love for you to say hi and let me know you are there! Chats are super fun and very easy. And you will have more chances to win!  It is a twitter chat that will focus on goals to lose weight for the New Year. 

The Anti-New Year’s Resolution: Using common-sense to make lifelong, lasting changes towards health. (It’s not about a diet or quick-fix. It’s about a lifestyle change) This chat will be on January 7th at 9 p.m. EST

There will be 1 randomly drawn chatter who will win a Fitbit Flex Wristband or a Fitbit scale and 3 randomly drawn chatters will win 1 week of free meals

There is no reason for you not to click the giveaway below and try to win. You will also get an extra entry for everyone who clicks on your link. It's awesome.

Do you ever eat prepackaged meals? Have you tried Diet-to-Go?

Meet Sarah Jane: Fit Betty and The Fit Cookie

Name: Sarah Jane Parker
State: Wyoming

When and why did you start working out?: 
I have been working out off and on since I was a teenager, but I didn’t really get serious about it until I was in college and I wanted to start getting serious about my fitness and health. I joined a gym, started doing group fitness classes and got hooked!

What is your workout of choice?: 
Metabolic conditioning and metabolic resistance training. It’s such a good mix of weight lifting, cardio, bodyweight strength training, and plyometrics, it’s challenging and never gets boring. I have started to love running lately, but I will always love weight lifting.

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD: 

My favorite race was the Survivor Mud Run my husband and a friend ran together last year. It’s fun! We try to do races together and we are getting our 2 kids involved these days. So far, I have only run 5K’s. I was training for a half-marathon but got tendinitis so it’s going to be 5K’s for me for a while, haha! I don’t really do CrossFit, but I love lifting weights. I have done some WOD’s on my own, and so far my favorite has been a WOD mash-up I created from 2 separate CF WODS (I posted it here: http://fitbetty.com/mod-wod-workout/)

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear?: 
My heart rate monitor! I am a big numbers person, so I like seeing where my numbers are at when I work out. My next favorite workout item would be my Altra zero drop shoes – I love them!



Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?: 
I try not to follow any specific diet, but I guess it would be gluten-free clean eating with less grains. I have a lot of food allergies and sensitivities and IBS, so my diet fits around what I can tolerate. Since my diet is limited, I make sure I am take a multivitamin, calcium and magnesium, and probiotics. I get down every winter when there is less sunshine so B vitamins and vitamin D are really important for me.

What is your favorite cheat food? 
Anything dessert, especially cookies and chocolate (if they are allergy friendly!)

What advice would you give someone just starting out? 
Take things one at a time. It can be overwhelming thinking about all the things that need changed, so pick one thing each week to work on and focus on just that (like eating more veggies). If you feel you have made progress, move on to another aspect of your health the next week (like drinking more water). It establishes good habits at a reasonable pace so you don’t lose your sanity.

What is your best workout memory?
My favorite workout memory is of my husband and I running races together, especially the Survivor Mud Run. We had a blast and it’s special since we get to participate together. Any time I am enjoying fitness with my family is a good memory.

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? 
It’s hard to pinpoint just one! I would love to try stand-up paddle boarding, but sky diving and scuba diving are also on my list!

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I was in a beauty pageant several years ago. People laughed at me for doing it (I’m a tomboy!), but it was something I wanted to try. Afterward I decided the pageant thing wasn’t for me, but I enjoy showing photos to my kids and it was overall a good experience. Looking back, I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new.

You can find Sarah Jane here:

Blog: I have 2! The Fit Cookie (http://thefitcookie.com) and Fit Betty (http://fitbetty.com)

Twitter: @fit_betty and @thefitcookie

Facebook: http://facebook.com/thefitcookie & http://facebook.com/fitbetty1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thefitcookie

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thefitcookie

What is on your Fit-Bucket List for 2014?

My non-resolutions for 2014

My non-resolutions for 2014!

Yes, this year is my year. I am going to be 40 in May... oh my, yes, I said 40. I plan to be fabulous at 40! In order to be fabulous, I have some changes to make. I got derailed from some of my goals in 2013 and it's time to claim my life again. No more excuses! 

Cook for myself 4-5 days a week:
I am a horrible planner, so I am not going to be making food prepping goals yet, but I will cook for my family 5 nights a week unless there is a school or sporting event that gets in the way of this.

Get out of Debt:
I will budget monthly. Each month I will have cash that I am allowed to spend on gas, groceries and fun. I will save money each month and use it to pay off debt. Any extra money from jobs will go in savings for an emergency.

Get to the Gym or get a run in 5 times a week:
There is really no excuse for not doing this. I will do this and I will post about those workouts to keep myself accountable.


What are you goals? Do you set goals or make resolutions??

2013 Year in Review

Over the past couple of days, I have been trying to organize my thoughts and reflect on this year and how things went. I have been struggling with the organization part of it. I decided that I just needed to get my thoughts down on paper.

Over all I would say.... 2013... I did it! :) 

Highlights:

1. Speaking in front of a bunch of awesome bloggers at the Ignite Keynote at FitBloggin'
2. Meeting so many amazing people at FitBloggin and finding some sisters and brothers for life! #wobble
3. Rappelling down a building
4. Blogging for the Rays
5. Meeting Bethany Frankle
6. Starting CrossFit and even though I have been temporarily sidelined, I love it and hope to return soon.
7. Getting to know the Tampa Bay Bloggers and doing some great things.
8. Running races with my son
9. Making some new friends who feel like family
10. Remembering that time goes quickly and
it's important to live life and play. 


Disappointments:
1. medical problems that sidelined me
2. giving in to bad habits when I became sidelined

3. not running as much as I wanted to
4. no mud!!! Well not since March at least.  

Changes I am ready to make:
1. Workout 4-5 times a week
2. Run! No excuses!
3. Cook 4-5 meals a week.
4. Sign up for a half and do it!
5. Get out of the house more often. Being a mom is great, but I need to do things and put myself out there more often.

So I am ready... How about you... What changes will you be making? 

Thinking about goals for 2014

As I sit here at my brother's house on vacation, I am thinking about the successes and the setbacks from 2013. I am trying to figure out how I can stick to my goals in 2014 and not get off track. I am thinking about the areas where I have found success and the areas where I find weakness. It occured to me that I have to focus on fixing my weak areas. I am not ready to post about what worked and what didn't yet, but I am sure that there are some changes that WILL be made. That post will be done in the next couple of days.

It seems to me that if I focus on making small changes, I will see big differences. There is no magic pill. I have to WANT it and DO it! It's really easy to want it and sit on my butt and dream about it. I have good days and bad days, and the important thing is that the number of good days out-number the bad. There is no excuse for it being the other way around. No matter what goes wrong in life, there is no excuse for self sabotage.

Are you making New Year's Resolutions? Any tips on writing successful goals? I would love to quote you in my next blog post.