Shenandoah National Park + Washington D.C.

Trip Dates: July 3-8, 2014

Scott had to go to Annapolis, MD for work so we, of course, went early to do a little sightseeing! I’ve never been to D.C. before and Scott hasn’t been since he was a kid so we flew into D.C. and stayed in Fairfax, VA Thursday-Saturday. Saturday we had to check into the hotel in Annapolis where Scott would be working but we still spent Saturday and Sunday in D.C.! We also used the opportunity to cross another National Park off our list (I have now officially completed that from my “30 Before 30” – even before our fall hiking trip)!

Thursday (July 3, 2014)

Our plane departed from Atlanta at 6:40 Thursday morning. We got to the airport in what we thought would be plenty of time until we saw the line at the counter where you check your bags. On the Thursday before a holiday Southwest only had 3-4 people working the check in counter. We waited almost 50 minutes in the line – I have NEVER waited that long. Then it was like Home Alone running through the airport to get to security. Luckily, the security line wasn’t too bad – it still took about 20 minutes. The entire time my head was racing and I kept thinking”We aren’t going to make it!”. They even put a “late check in” tag on our luggage and said they wouldn’t guarantee it would be on our plane. I wasn’t really concerned about the luggage – I just wanted to get to D.C. but the cost of a ticket change kept going through my head – it was so stressful! We made it through security and THANKFULLY we weren’t pulled to the side to be searched. We then ran like we were in Home Along again to get to the terminal. We ran up the escalator and when I got to the top I thought my legs were going to die. We didn’t even have time to put anything back in or on (computers, belts, etc.) after security and I had just worked legs the day before. We ran up to the counter, frazzled, and the worker said “Well, keep on running!” We made it with 2 minutes to spare! We were afraid we wouldn’t have seats together since Southwest doesn’t have assigned seating. Well, we get on the plane and we are 2 of 16 passengers! It all worked out great and we basically had the entire plane to ourselves! I took a short nap across the row I was sitting in.

As soon as we landed in D.C. (thankfully our bags arrived with us) we picked up the rental car and headed straight to Arlington National Cemetery. I was so moved by the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. It was humbling and amazing to watch.

After Arlington we went to Old Town Alexandria to eat lunch before Mount Vernon. Old Town Alexandra was so neat! I loved it there. After eating lunch, we went to Mount Vernon and walked around (and bought “limited edition” George Washington whiskey – which is for sale if you want it!) for a little while before our tour started. The tour was of George Washington’s mansion. We also were able to tour the gristmill and distillery. It started raining at the end of our mansion tour so we left and headed to the hotel to check in.

On a side note, I have recently started to wear a pedometer because I was NOT moving nearly enough and wearing it helps keep me on track. In our rush at the airport I thought I lost mine during security and I was SO BUMMED. I didn’t get to wear it the first day but we went that night in Fairfax and bought me a new one and wouldn’t you know…the next day Scott finds it in his bag!

Friday (July 4, 2014)

We aren’t too big on crowds so we knew we didn’t want to spend the day, Independence Day, in D.C. with a million other people so what did we do? We planned a hike! We woke up early and drove to Shenandoah National Park. The drive there was absolutely gorgeous. We did Old Rag Mountain which is more of a rock scramble than a hike. It reminded me a lot of the Tallulah Gorge hike I did last year in Georgia. Parts of it were pretty scary! We did the 9.5 mile hike and then headed back to the hotel.

Hiking Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park

Hiking Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park

Hiking Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park

Hiking Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park

We left to go to D.C. around 5:30 PM. Our first stop was The White House. Then we just walked around and stayed at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial to watch the fireworks.

Total Steps: 27,895

Saturday (July 5, 2014)

Scott and I are not really museum people but we wanted to go to a few of the Smithsonian Museums. We rode the Metro into town and first went to get tickets to the Holocaust Museum. After getting our tickets we went to a few of the memorials before our tour of The Capitol at 12:30 PM. The Capitol was pretty awesome but so unnecessarily extravagant in my opinion.  After The Capitol we headed back to the Holocaust Museum. Scott really wanted to rent bikes but I wouldn’t because I was still scared of them since I broke my leg when I was little! So after another long day in D.C. we headed to Annapolis, Maryland to check into our new hotel.

Total Steps: 25,856

Sunday (July 6, 2014)

Sunday we still had the Natural History Museum that we wanted to see and some of the monuments on the other side of The Mall. I finally caved into renting the bikes so that we could do everything much faster since we were going to the Nationals vs Cubs game that afternoon. Well, we rode the bikes everywhere! We ended up taking the Metro to the game but then rented bikes after the game to get back to the city. We stayed on the bikes for another few hours riding around The Mall and back to The White House. So now I have a new obsession!  I’m all about bike riding now! The Cubs lost but it was fun going to a new stadium (and checking another stadium off of our list!).

Total Steps: 18,188

Monday (July 7, 2014)

Scott had to work Monday afternoon and evening so we decided we would check out Annapolis for a few hours before he had to be at the golf course. It was a very pretty city but also pretty crowded for me…there were cars parked everywhere with very narrow streets so it kind of freaked me out. We didn’t spend much time there before we had to head back to the hotel.

Scott left for work and I decided it would be a good idea to run to Target. Not such a good idea. It was a little over 2 miles round trip, which was fine, but the heat index was over 100 degrees! Once I got back from my running adventure I went to the hotel gym for about 20 minutes to do a few upper body moves. Then I worked the rest of the day into the night. 

Tuesday (July 8, 2014)

Scott had to work Tuesday morning and our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:40 that night. I went to the hotel gym again and attempted to do lower body but I was still sore from all the walking and hiking so that didn’t last long! I instead just came up with this hotel room workout!

When Scott got back we headed towards D.C. We got to the baggage counter around 4:30 PM and was told our flight was delayed an hour. Well, an hour turned into 4 hours. We didn’t leave until 10:30 PM, so we didn’t get home until around 2 AM. So much for taking an earlier flight so we had time to get back in the groove at home! Not only did we have a 4 hour delay but our bags were soaking wet because one of the workers decided that she would only put 1/2 of them under cover and just leave the others out in the rain. Luckily, the airline responded and has “corrected” the issue. 

Oh, and we ate at the same restaurant 4 times in D.C. It was called The Protein Bar and their food was TO DIE FOR. We even got a little punch card after going there twice. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fill it up because we had to leave town but I gave it to someone in the restaurant and it MADE THEIR DAY. They now get a free meal after only having to buy one more! We also didn’t use all of the money we had on our metro cards so we gave them to other riders. It’s very easy to brighten someones day with something even that small. Always think about how you can help others!

So, that was our trip in a nutshell.

Have you ever been to DC? What was your favorite part?

Potato Chip Hike + Misc San Diego Hikes

Trip Dates: June 4-9, 2014

I went to California for the first time ever with Scott back in April (read about that trip here). It was a work trip for him but I tagged along! Then I went back to California the beginning of June for a product training in Long Beach. One of my partners (who also owns 3 Anytime Fitness locations), Amy, and I decided we could stay a little extra in order to soak up all the awesomeness of San Diego. I'm so glad we did because I'm pretty much obsessed with it now! As usual, I packed as food as possible to take with me. I never leave without my Daily Essentials packets, Digestive Enzymes, Quest bars, or Blender Bottles...those are always traveling staples of mine! I also took rice cakes, jerky, almonds, and almond/peanut butter packs because I knew we would be hiking. Not pictured is the lunchbox I took that had boiled eggs and veggies!

Wednesday (June 4)

We flew into San Diego on Wednesday and stayed at the Hilton Mission Bay. It was me and two of my business partners who are also TLS coaches and trainers. It was a beautiful location right on the bay. The flight was long but everything went pretty smooth. We went straight to the hotel, ate, and got ready for our small event that night. Wednesday was the day I finally got to meet Ashley! She's been a partner, coach, and friend for over a year but this was the first in-person meeting for us! We had a short meet and greet and wellness overview with a few girls that lived around the area. We also had them do a workout...in the sand! It was tough! After the meet and greet we went to dinner in the Gas Lamp District. I had fish tacos and a skinny margarita - it was my birthday! :-) You can find examples of my "vacation food" here. I'd say it was a great birthday!

Thursday (June 5)

Amy and I rented a car (truck) so that we could go hiking. We tried to rent a car but they called us back and said all they had was a F-150. It freaked me out driving a big 4-door truck in a city that I was not familiar with but once we got onto the highway I was okay. :-) We took the truck and headed to Poway to hike Mount Woodson (also known as the Potato Chip hike). It was an incredible hike - approximately 8 miles round trip. I wore my Heart Rate Monitor and we burned over 1,400 calories and finished the hike in less than 3 hours and 15 minutes, even with stopping at the top for about 20 minutes.

The rock does hang off the side of the mountain and getting to it isn't easy. I should have taken a picture but you have to jump down onto the rock and while you are doing it, it looks like you might fall into the huge crack below. I was more scared about getting to the rock than actually being on it!

After Mount Woodson we did Cowles Mountain which was about 30 minutes from Mount Woodson. This was a shorter hike (3 miles round trip) but still very awesome. It took us just a little over an hour and we burned over 500 calories. After conquering Mount Woodson and Cowles Mountain we headed back to the hotel and ate...tacos again!

Friday (June 6)

Before leaving for Long Beach on Friday I was able to get a quick weight workout in at the hotel gym and a jog along the beach. While they were getting massages and manicures (not my thing!) I hung out by the pool to get some work done! We left for Long Beach around lunch time. Once we arrived in Long Beach we had time to grab a quick bite to eat, take a short nap, and head to the first training session. Ashley came up after work so our whole team was there including our business partners from Texas! We had people from California, Georgia, Texas, and New York just from our team! Friday was a great training and really set the tone for the whole weekend.

This was the perfect key holder for the weekend! It's amazing how much my life has changed in the past year. I can't even describe it. Still can't believe I was in California for a training with some amazing people. I love everyone who has been placed in my life and this is only the beginning!

Saturday (June 7)

Saturday was our first full day of training (8 AM - 6 PM and then again from 8 PM - 10 PM). We learned so much about the products and the science behind everything. I loved that it was professionals providing the information and doing the research. It's great to hear from doctors and nurses about what is going on from their point of view and how quality food and quality supplements play a huge role in overall health and well being. Ashley and I also went to the night training session. We didn't have much time in between so we grabbed something to eat and brought it back with us. The night session was awesome. It was a great training on a lot of social media and internet marketing...which is right up our alley.

Just the training essentials for energy!

Sunday (June 8)

The training on Sunday was from 8 AM - 1:30 PM and was probably my favorite day because of the products discussed. There was also a short TLS overview - I can't get enough of it...I learn something new each time! I learned SO MUCH about CLA in particular {belly fat blaster!}. CLA is one of the supplements I have been taking since the beginning of my "fitness journey"...but not all CLA (or any supplement for that matter) is created equal - more on this to come in another post!

Love our morning cocktail of our Daily Essentials (Yes, we drink our vitamins - multivitamin, B, calcium, and OPC-3!).

After the training ended we headed back to San Diego. My mentor, Carin, left for the airport but Amy and I had another day to explore! We checked into our hotel in Old Town San Diego and immediately took a taxi to Torrey Pines State Reserve. We hiked around the park for a few hours and then Ashley picked us up and we headed to the San Diego Convention Center to run the stairs (because that's what you do after hiking...right?).

Monday (June 9)

We woke up and decided to go for a run through Old Town San Diego since we would be traveling all day. We ate breakfast and then headed out. We found a magnificent hill to run up...it was pretty awesome! After our run we went exploring in Old Town and then had to catch our flight back home. Our flight had a layover in Vegas, which was delayed. It was a LONG travel day back home. We were scheduled to arrive in Atlanta at 12:55 AM but of course that didn't happen! I didn't get home until 4 AM!

So, there you have it! I learned so much, fell in love with a new city, and was able to spend time with my amazing friends and business partners from all over the US! Life is good. Change your attitude and outlook and it will change your life!

8 Things You Should Know When You Start Eating Clean

When you first learn about eating clean, it can be hard to figure out exactly what you should be eating, how much you should eat and when to eat. Don't get caught up in the details - you will never start living the lifestyle if you do! We get countless emails from people wondering exactly what their macros should be and even if they are doing it the "right" way. The truth is, eating clean does have some fundamental rules, but all the other "specifics" have to do what works for you.

Below, you will find 8 of our rules for things you should know when you start eating clean. These rules are easy to follow and leave some room for personal interpretation. At the end of the day, for you to make a lifestyle change, it has to make sense to you. Make eating clean work for you!

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8 Things You Should Know When You Start Eating Clean

1. The fundamental idea of eating clean is "If it has a mother or grows in the ground, eat it."
2. If you cannot pronounce an ingredient, don't buy it or eat it.
3. Try to eat 6 small meals per day, but if you can't, eating 3 clean meals per day is better than stuffing your body full of junk! Get started with our 1,500 Calorie Clean Eating Meal Plan.
4. Eating clean lends itself to A LOT of variety - you do NOT have to eat chicken day in and day out! Try one of our Most Popular Recipes!
5. The exact ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fats is specific for you. The amount of calories your body requires is different from the amount of calories your friend requires. Nutritional needs are never static - they are always changing.
6. You can jump into eating clean with both feet, all at once or take baby steps toward your ultimate goal. You do what is right for you as long as you are making positive progress toward changing your eating habits.
7. Eating clean isn't a diet - it's a lifestyle. Making lifestyle changes vs. dieting is key to shifting your views toward eating clean. 
8. Do not deprive yourself. Find alternative methods of making your favorite desserts and snacks that contain less preservatives and more closely resemble the eat clean spectrum. Have you seen our desserts/treats recipes?!

Need more help with getting started eating clean? Join our FREE Healthy Living Challenge, check out our "Lifestyle" resource page and grab our workout plans and eBooks to get the information all in one place.

What do you wish you knew when you started eating clean?