Tag: Running

CHAARG

CHAARG

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I believe that by now everyone accepts and understands my fitness posts.  (Yes, you guessed it – here’s another one).  However, in this blog post, I want to talk about a topic that I had not heard about before.

So, Mary, one of my good friends and Halas fitness instructor had previously posted on Facebook a beautiful picture of herself in workout gear.  This picture looked like it was professionally taken.  I creeped on her profile until I realized that she was a member of “CHAARG.”

I was so confused because I was so used to her talking about “Booty Lift,” “Turbo Kick,” “Beachbody,” “21 Day Fix,” “Shakeology,” etc.  So, I shot her a text and asked her what it was.

I was very interested when I found out, so I had to Google it!  What intrigued me the most was the motto: “CHAARG has been liberating girls from the elliptical since 2012.”  I knew that these girls had the same mind set as I did!  I am all for #lifting, #girlswholift, #swolenation (haha), #butreally.  Besides the fact that I have lost the most weight by incorporating dumbbells into my workouts, I had to say that this program was so right.

I love lifting and doing plyo workouts; I’m a fanatic of intense workouts, but I also love running.  However, through out my years at Loyola, I have found out through my peers that there is more to losing weight and being healthy + fit.  Weight lifting and alternating workouts ASIDE from the elliptical will get you ultimate results.  Besides, you will feel strong. REALLY STRONG.

Mary is working on starting a chapter at Loyola University!  This is so exciting because this movement has just started and is active in 17 universities in the U.S. , let’s make it 18!?

I enjoy talking about this because I love living a healthy lifestyle.  I do binge on certain occasions and some of my friends follow the 80 and 20 diet.  80% healthy foods and 20% of whatever they want.  So, if this is motivating then my purpose for this post is fulfilled.

You know you’re body and you have your own definition of fun, but most importantly what will work for your body.  CHAARG is just that. Check it out!

New Year, New Resolutions

New Year, New Resolutions

Okay, so since I’ve covered this Winter Break (past), it’s only fair that I share some of my resolutions for this upcoming year (future). I’ll also share some pictures from this Winter Break that are worthy of my publication in a third short-and-sweet blog.

On New Years Eve, I realized that for the first year in many years, I didn’t have a list of resolutions. Even more than that, I hadn’t thought of any resolutions to even make a list. I felt that a lot of what I wanted, I was already accomplishing, so I gave the list making a rest, and for the last few weeks, I’ve just taken the time to enjoy myself. Now that school has started up again though, I’m beginning to realize that there are several things I’ve been hoping to do, and several more that I want to keep doing. Throw those goals together, and they make up what I’m calling my Resolution List of 2013:

  1.  Train for a half marathon– in junior high, I ran track and field and cross-country, but I stopped when I went to high school. I ran on and off on my own for all the years since leading up to the present, switching between loving and hating running. After a lot of thought (and another change of heart towards being pro-running), I decided that training myself for and running a half marathon between July and October is the perfect goal to try and uphold and accomplish this year.
  2. Score an internship– I’ve been applying to many internships in the last few months, but so far I’ve had little success. The search isn’t easy, which is why I’m going to push myself harder and search and apply more starting now so that I can land an internship for the summer.
  3. Continue eating vegan– several months ago, I changed up my diet and exercise routine drastically, including eating a vegan diet. I’ve since done boatloads of research, and my gut feeling tells me that this is the best path for me. I do have my days, though, when it gets tricky (and I’ll admit I’ve had several slips for cheese), but with the New Year, I know I want to stick to it whole-heartedly.
  4. Start a video blog on youtube- this is a resolution that I want to start by the end of January, although it is still an idea in progress. I’m still deciding on a theme, but I think I know what I want my focus to be. Nevertheless, if anyone has any ideas, feel free to leave a comment!
  5. Keep up with my Loyola blog better- this one is self-explanatory. My university is important to me, and therefore sharing my journey here is important, and this year, I hope to keep up with a minimum of two blogs a week. And more pictures.
We Are The Champions

We Are The Champions

Loyola Cross Country! Loyola Cross Country! Loyola Cross Country!

Have you heard the news?? BOTH men’s and women’s cross country team won first place at their conference meet on Saturday!!! They were phenomenal!

Considering two of my roommates run cross country and track for Loyola, I am very involved in following how the cross country team does and I am an avid fan. But because of the nature of the sport, my support usually has to stop at the door of our apartment. The cross country team only has one home meet and most others are far away so it is not often that I get to cheer on my roommates in person. But this weekend I got the chance!

Their conference meet was in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kenosha is about an hour away from campus so we knew it was not too far away and were prepared to borrow a friends car to drive there. We found out a few weeks ago though that the school would be providing a bus to transport any students who wanted to go cheer on our Ramblers for free! It was awesome!

The bus left campus at 9:00 am Saturday and by 10:30 we were at the course in Kenosha ready to cheer on the team! The girls ran first and did amazing. My roommates came in 2nd and 15th overall with times of 18:03 and 18:51 for the 5K. They did so good that both of them qualified to go to regionals and will be racing in two weeks in Missouri.

Not only did both teams win first, but Loyola runners won first in the individual division as well! GinaValgoi came in first for the women with a time of 17:05. For the men, Sam Penzenstadler finished first in the 8K with a time of 24:59.

We are super excited to see how our Ramblers match up at the regional meet November 9, 2012.

We came to cheer on Mary Whitmore (middle) who finished with a time of 18:51.
Celebrating her amazing race by lifting her up!
Fall In Northern Michigan

Fall In Northern Michigan

I love living in the city. I would not trade living in the city for anything. I can not get enough of city life! Get the picture? I LOVE living in Chicago.

Once in a while, however, when school is stressful and life gets crazy, getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life can be very therapeutic. So, that is exactly what I did with my fall break!

I took the train home to Kalamazoo on Friday. Then, on Saturday, I headed up north to Glen Arbor Michigan for some beautiful scenery and to watch my friend Haley run her first half marathon! It was quite chilly but so beautiful. We took a hike through the woods and played a lot of card games. Sunday morning we woke up and watched Haley run all 13.1 miles before heading back to Kalamazoo.

I got home from being up north around 4:00p.m. on Sunday and realized that I still had two days off of school! I spent my time sleeping, catching up on homework and bonding with my family. I have learned to appreciate my family much more since coming to college 🙂

I also applied for an absentee ballot so that I can vote in the coming election! It was an amazing, much needed, break and I am refreshed and ready to tackle the next few weeks of the semester.

View out of the window of the car while driving through Michigan.
Haley and I on our hike up north through the beautiful trees.
After Haley's half marathon!
The windy and cold Lake Michigan.
Rambler Cross Country

Rambler Cross Country

This weekend was the only home meet for Loyola’s Cross Country team which meant I got to see two of my roommates run! The Sean Earl Invitational was held at Montrose Beach on Saturday. We couldn’t have asked for a better day, it was beautiful, sunny and 75 degrees.

We arrived at the meet and immediately sought out Mary and Alyvia, my roommates who are on the team. The girls 5k race started promptly at 11:45 and didn’t last long! It was a struggle for my friends and I to make it to different spots on the course in time to see the girls run because they were so fast. Before I knew it, we were watching the girls cross the finish line.

Mary ran a 19.31, which was 32 seconds faster than last year when she ran that course and Alyvia ran her personal record at 17:53! To top it all off, the Loyola girls team finished in second overall. It was a great day for the girls!

The boys race began at 12:15 and they did just as good as the girls team! At the end of the 8k, the boys finished fourth overall with Sam Penzenstadler in first for Loyola with a time of 25.02!

It was a great day and I had so much fun watching my friends run. Check out some of the pictures we got at the meet!

Mary and I after her race.
The Rambler girls huddle before their race.