Jorts

They fit!!!!!

Top: Mossimo Supply Co. junior size 9.

                           Bottom: Abercrombie and Fitch (circa early 2000s) size 2.

Today I tried on my jorts and they fit. I was able to get the Mossimo pair on exactly one month ago today but they were so tight on my thighs that it looked like I had sausages for legs was cutting off my circulation. Now, as you can see, there is room for a few fingers between the cloth and my thigh. I haven't tried to get the bottom pair on in years. They look a little too snug for me to bust them out this weekend, but I will be prancing down York Avenue in those in July.

To celebrate, I went to Target and bought bermuda length Mossimo jorts in blue and in white denim. I have a feeling both pairs will become a summer staple.

I know y'all are super jealous of my bedazzled flamingo t-shirt.

50K Style Guide

What do you wear for a 50K?

If you lose a bet, like Keith Straw, you wear the most beautiful running outfit in the world.

Keith was a good sport and let everyone who asked take photo, including me and my mother.

It snowed the night before the race. This is my car 10 minutes before I left for the course.

The weather has been colder each year I have run the Caumsett. I ran the 25K in 2011 in shorts and a tank top in the pouring rain. I ran the 50K in 2012 in the same black shorts with a tank top and a red pullover. This year I wore capris by Yoga Bella (I never run in capris), a C9 by Champion for Target tank with built-in sports bra, and the red C9 by Champion for Target pullover.

oh hey, it's just after 6 AM on a Sunday

I also busted out a fresh pair of Knockarounds. I buy the red, white, and blue pairs in bulk because I love them and I love America. Many people I meet also love them, so if I'm wearing an older pair, I'll just give them the ones I have on me.

I love me some good color-coordination so I made sure to wear my red Brooks Adrenaline 11s. I ran the 50K in these last year so I figured I couldn't go wrong in the same shoes.

courtesy of GLIRC. All Rights Reserved.

I'm blaming this photo on an unflattering angle. It never got warm enough for me to take off my red pullover, so my patriotism wasn't obvious to everyone. I wore my Brooks gloves for most of the race and frequently lamented that the neon yellow detracted from my overall outfit.

Day 7 Whole 30 - Use a Plate

Last week I decided that paper plates were no longer going to cut it and found some cute Melamine plates at Target. I went to Target over the weekend and found similar plates on sale for $1.39!

Food looks better and more appetizing on a plate. After spending time to buy and prepare my paleo meals, I want my meals to look like something I actually want to put in my mouth.

breakfast of granny smith apples and prosciutto di san daniel

dinner of salmon and broccoli rabe

Also a Target plate, but it's not Melamine.
This is one of the plates I have at my apartment.

lunch of coconut chicken breast and iceberg lettuce

I'm enjoying my stylish plates and my colleagues are definitely envious.

Day 5 Whole 30 - I Ate Butter

So I just failed Whole30. After going grocery shopping to make my own paleo dinner, I got home to find that my dad was making lobster soup. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter. I decided that that was a small price to pay to get fresh lobster and calamari in a delicious broth.

Does that mean I can quit yet?

I avoided the bread, the corn, and the mozzarella cheese so I think I'm doing okay. I will refrain from ordering the Whole30 t-shirt now though.

I was looking for ghee for the recipe I had intended to cook myself and couldn't find it at Fairway, Christina's Epicure, or Stop and Shop. Had the soup been made with ghee, it would've been 100% Whole30 friendly. I'll ask my dad for the recipe if anyone's interested. Just comment below.

My amazing mother offered to come to my apartment and help me clean and organize it. We spent four hours in there and the place is transformed. All of you who have been it won't even recognize it. I was too ashamed to take before photos, but here's the finished product.

Closet closest to bed

This closet is now designated as the home for jackets, blazers, pants, boots, heels, and flats.

Tops, skirts, dresses, hamper, cleaning gadgets

The other closet is for the rest of my clothing, the hamper, and things I with which I clean my apartment such as the Swiffer, step stool, and vacuum.

It also houses my extensive sneaker collection.

The other half are at my parents'.

My bathroom closet has NEVER looked this good.

Each basket is organized by item type including dental care, hair care, and hair tools.

I need to buy one more bin for my workout clothes and then I think I will be set.

My mom is even more awesome because she took me to Target to buy more pans. I am so excited to try out my new cast-iron grill pan.

Day 2 of Whole 30 and Weight Loss Wednesday 1.9.13

Day 2 of Whole30 started off with a breakfast of 6 strips of bacons and 2 fried eggs. And this is a diet?

I took pictures for Weight Loss Wednesday and weighed myself. As per the Whole30 instructions, I will have to stop using my scale. I decided to weigh myself today instead of Monday because I always weigh myself on Wednesdays because I like consistency. For the next 30 days, you will only get my fat kid photos.

144.2 lbs
27.3 % body fat

I weighed myself during the holiday break and I weighed 150 lbs. I weighed myself last Saturday morning after binge drinking and eating Chinese food and weighed 148 lbs (I was just curious.) So this sudden weight loss either has to do with no bread and no rice, or the fact that I couldn't keep my dinner down last night. I guess we'll find out in a month.

My Wednesday schedule just changed and I will be working from home in the mornings. I have a weekly doctor's appointment at 11:15 AM that conveniently leaves me in Columbus Circle for 12:30 PM TranscendCycle with Daryl Gaines. The class is really popular and everyone loves him. I'll admit, there hasn't been an instructor I've wanted to like me as much as I'd like Daryl to like me since Yves. I'm not sure if I found his class difficult today because of my run last night, my crappy night's rest, or what, but I'm convinced I should have rocked it. Now I have to go every week to prove that I'm the best.

I ran into two of my high school friends in the locker room who were going to 1:30 yoga. I yelled, "You're busted" because I saw them at the gym when one said she was unable to attend 12:30 spin. Turns out I really freaked her out because she was hiding from her boss who was also in the locker room. Sorry girl! I hope you enjoyed Warrior Flow!

I felt incredible lightheaded on my way into the office and was overcome for the need for fruit. Is this because my blood sugar was low? Someone who reads this blog must know the answer so pipe up please. I made a quick fruit salad at the deli down the street (yes, I know that this fruit is neither local, farm fresh, or organic - shoot me), grabbed a coconut water, and headed into work. I inhaled the fruit and my coconut water at my desk before going to heat up my steak and asparagus.

This is not cute.

I think I am going to Target and pick up these Room Essentials® Chevron Melamine plates and cereal bowls so I can experience fine dining at work. Only $6.99! It's okay. I don't mind if you copy me.

Neon Yellow

Today is the first day of September and I promised myself I'd start it right by going to the gym. METCON3 kicked my ass today. There was whimpering and a lot of swearing.

The coolest thing we did today was row with our weights and our bench. We placed our heavy weights (mine were 8 lbs and I was embarrassed by my wimpy choice) on our bench, squatted over the bench, picked up the bench and performed rows with flat backs. I'm going to try to remember to work this into more workouts.

You don't need a play by play of how I begged for mercy and couldn't keep up, so I am going to focus on something I noticed - almost everyone in the room was wearing at least one piece of neon yellow apparel. I was wearing my neon yellow C9 Champion for Target shorts (actually I am still wearing them because I was too tired to shower at the gym), but others had on tank tops, shorts, and sneakers. There were a lot of neon yellow Nike shoes - Nike calls this color volt, and I blame the Olympics for this sudden neon yellow shoe craze. I prefer white sneakers with neon accents, but maybe that's just me.

I picked out some pieces that I think are cute so that you too can be stylish at the gym.

Nike Free Advantage

The Nike Free Advantage is a trainer. I really believe that trainers are for the gym and running shoes are for running. You might find it annoying to have to keep track of multiple pairs of sneakers, but I think it's worth it. In a pinch, I will workout in my running shoes though.

I'm not that big of a fan of Nike shoes anymore, but they carry a colorful selection. I hate my Nike Free running shoes, and I don't like how flexible the toe box is because it hurts my toes during boot camp classes, but some people love them. Just because I don't like something, doesn't mean I won't let you know it's available.

lululemon turbo run short

I love the turbo run short but I am poor so I only own one pair. And those were a gift. If you want to buy me a gift, please buy me more turbo run shorts. I love how they don't ride up my butt on long runs and they're pretty short, so they show off your legs.

C9 by Champion for Target compression shorts

These are so effing badass, I need a pair immediately. I'd wear them alone, but you could also wear a pair of black shorts over them so that they peak out. Depending on your fitness level, a grey or black sports bra would look sick with these, or you could wear one of those fancy flowy tanks lululemon is always hawking. I think I'd get my arms trapped, but they certainly look good. The other option is my favorite, buy men's extra small undershirts and cut the arms off. Make sure you cut to the outside of the seam. Now I'm thinking about driving over to Target to get this outfit.

C9's Hooded Soft Shell Jacket

C9 by Champion for Target gave me some awesome gear when I attended their event at Flywheel on December 13th. This hooded soft shell jacket is one of them.

This is a picture of the hooded soft shell jacket from the Target.com website

I worked from home today (hello pajamas!) but needed to put on some real clothing to take Cookie for a walk over to New York Road Runners. Packet pick-up for Saturday races is a killer. It wasn't a problem when I was teaching, but now the 1 - 7 PM window is cramping my work style. I try to wear workout gear when I walk Cookie because she likes to run, but choosing the right hear to stay warm can be tough. One minute I'm sweating while running down the street and the next I'm shivering while she's introducing herself to a new dog. She has fur, but I have C9.

I like the hood.

I wasn't sure what to make of this jacket at first but now I really like it. It's made of a thick material that holds its shape, but it's not too big or boxy. The hood adequately covers my head and stays in place, which is important if you're going to be running, jogging, or chasing after a pit pull puppy in it. When the jacket is completely zippered, it is fastened securely under your neck to keep out the cold. I don't really like things that high up on my neck, but I'd appreciate it in really cold weather. The only things I would change about this jacket are the pockets. They are a convenient, rounded shape located at the midsection but without zippers or snaps, I wouldn't trust leaving valuables in them.

Does anyone know if there's a timer function
for the camera on the iPhone?

I wasn't sure if it was going to be able to keep me warm so I layered a long-sleeved and short-sleeved shirt underneath it. I wasn't chilly and would probably drop a layer if I were running or cycling in it.

Yeah. We let her in my bed.

At $33, this jacket is both attractive and affordable. I think it's more suitable for traveling to and from the gym, but others might enjoying running in it. Get yours here.

C9 by Champion for Target gave me this hooded soft shell jacket. They did not ask for anything in return. All the opinions in this post are mine. It's no secret I like C9 by Champion for Target apparel. 

Clean(er) Eating

You can't out-train a crappy diet. I am proof of this because despite my summer/fall running schedule, my buffalo wing and beer habit forced me to buy bigger jeans. A crappy diet also leaves me feeling crappy. Go figure.

In an effort to return to my former glory (hello visible abs!), I am committing myself to eating cleaner. Conscious decisions and more mindful habits will hopefully get me back into my tiny ass running shorts by March. I also want to be realistic. I'm not going to refuse tasty (and free) food from my friends and family because it does qualify as eating clean.

Today I started off with a piece of Ezekiel 4:9 toast with fresh-grind peanut butter and a little honey. I also had a cup of black coffee. (I like my coffee like my kickboxing instructors: tall, dark, and strong. Cue the cymbal.)

Later on at work I ate a clementine as a snack. I ate a pouch of chunk light tuna with a McIntosh apple and Laughing Cow Light cheese. I frequently eat huge lunches but don't feel satisfied because I scarf them down. Slicing the apple and eating the tuna with a fork forced me to eat more slowly than when I inhale a sandwich. Less food, fewer calories, more satisfied.

After attending the awesome C9 by Champion for Target event at Flywheel, I ate some pineapple and an Archer's Farm strawberry-pomegranate granola bar because I was feeling lightheaded. You should have seen how psyched I got when they were handing these out. They are my favorite flavor. (I am obsessed with all things Target if you haven't figured this out yet.)

LOVE Archer Farms products.

Since I would be staying at the office late to compensate for the two hours I spent at Champion C9 event, I packed dinner. I had left over lasagna my mom made for me. This was definitely not clean because my mother doesn't believe in reduced-fat cheese. I had it with a side of steam-in-the-bag frozen green beans. I think the green beans made up for the calorie-loaded lasagna and that my meal was pretty dang good for me.

I spend way too much time eating at my desk.

Clean eating can get expensive. It can also drive you crazy if you eat with non-clean eaters a lot. Two years ago I would have said to avoid these dishes at all costs, but now I think we have to pick our battles. I also kind of agree with my mom about that reduced-fat cheese thing.

C9 by Champion for Target Flywheel Event

A few weeks ago, Katie from the marketing and public relations firm Missy Farren and Associates, Ltd., contacted me about attending a C9 by Champion for Target event at Flywheel. My post about C9 by Champion for Target shorts had set off a Google alert and she found In Shape Out of Mind and my obsession with all things C9 (except for that one pair of pants.)

the invitation

This event was free to attend (Flywheel spin classes are normally $30) and we all received free C9 by Champion for Target apparel. As my sister says, "What's better than ice cream? FREE ice cream!" I immediately rearranged my work schedule to make sure I could attend the 2 - 4 PM event.

I snuck out left the office and headed over to Flywheel Sports Flatiron. I met Katie at the door and she handed me a big white shopping bag filled with C9 by Champion for Target gear. I felt like it was my birthday. No really. Most of my birthday gifts were C9 by Champion for Target items.

I went to get changed into my new workout gear. I chose a pair of black capri pants and the Cosmo Pink cardio tank with inner bra. I never wear pants to spin class but I have to admit that these worked out pretty well. I didn't feel trapped or overly sweaty. I am a huge fan of C9's cardio tank with inner bra. I wore my blue one during the 18 Mile Tune-Up.

The tank is no longer available but this one is similar.

The Flywheel class was a lot of fun. I've never been there before, but the space was really clean and the staff was really helpful. We spent most of the forty-five minutes spinning, but we did a short arm workout with these bars that are stashed on the sides of the bike. The arm workout was ridiculously hard (maybe because I was already tired?) and you're supposed to continue spinning while you do it. I'm not going to quit Equinox to start going, but I enjoyed incorporating arms into my cardio. Flywheel has these flatscreens called the Torq Board and everyone's bike appears on it. It's supposed to help generate friendly competition. For the record, I won.

A lot of cool bloggers attended including Fit Chick in the City and Bari Lieberman, Editor of Vital Juice New York. One, I was a little starstruck (I spend my lunch break reading Fit Chick in the City and I am obsessed with my Vital Juice e-mails) and two, I felt like a small fish in a big pond. In Shape Out of Mind started as a venue for me to tell my workout stories because no one I knew in real life wanted to listen (and yet many of them seem to read...) and these other bloggers manage to get paid to write. No worries. I was psyched to be there anyway.

Group shot post-workout.

C9 by Champion for Target sent along some messaging they would like to share with you:

Whether it’s the perfect gift for fitness enthusiasts this holiday season or making New Year’s resolutions more affordable, C9 by Champion offers quality activewear for men, women and kids – with every item priced less than $50. C9 by Champion, Target’s exclusive fitness and apparel line, offers options that work for a variety of training needs including basketball shorts, seamless sports bras, Power-Core compression shirts and premium yoga pants. The line’s on-trend colors and bright patterns make getting dressed for a workout fun. In addition to the stylish pieces, C9 by Champion incorporates technical features similar to those found in the high-end fitness brands, such as moisture wicking, ventilation, antimicrobial, and Duo-Dry™ technology, but without the high-end price tag.

C9 by Champion for Target invited me to a free spinning class at Flywheel and gave me some supersweet workout gear. They did not require that I write favorable things about the event or their gear. They didn't even require me to write about it. I love C9 by Champion for Target and I recommend it to my readers, my friends, and strangers I meet in the street. Stay tuned for posts reviewing the individual pieces I received. For a preview, take a look at the photos (from Target) below.

I got this awesome shirt in white.

similar shirt available from Champion

C9 by Champion for Target gave me a red one of these pull-overs.

similar pullover available from from Champion

We all know how much I love these shorts.
If someone wants to buy me this pair for Christmas, I would be very happy.

Champion makes printed and two-tone pairs

I was very fortunate to receive this jacket in pink.

similar jacket sans hood available from Champion