IdealFit Review and Giveaway

Recently I was given the opportunity to try out a product from IdealFit from their IdealLean line.  IdealLean is a line of products created by a fitness trainer to help you reach your goals faster, feel better, and get stronger every day. The product line includes a pre-workout, a protein powder and BCAAs.   I decided to try out the BCAAs since I have never tried those before.

The IdealLean BCAAs come in three flavors

• Orange Paradise
• Raspberry Lemonade 
• Green Apple

I was sent the Orange Paradise and I found the flavor really good when cold and fresh, but once I let it get warm and admit it was a little hard to finish off.  It was super easy to fit into my day. I was worried I would forget to use it, but I haven't so far! In fact mine is almost gone!

I was also sent their IdealFit Trimr bottle and a sample size of the Fat Burner

Why take BCAAs? Branch chain amino acids are acquired by our body through the foods we eat, taking them as a supplement allows your body to repair muscle faster and it speeds recovery allowing you get get back after it sooner!  If you take them during a workout it allows your body to use them for energy and push harder,

and who doesn't want to push a little harder?

They recommend the BCAAs be consumed during a workout or just sipped on during non workout days.

So why IdealFit IdealLean BCAAs?

Not only do IdealLean BCAAs come in three incredibly delicious flavors, they contain 7g of the highest quality branched chain amino acids in a proven 2:1:1 ratio so that you can build lean muscle and recover fast. Plus, with our IdealLean Fat Loss Blend and coconut water powder, you can stay lean and hydrated! source

1. IdealLean BCAAs helps women reach their goals in two ways:
   1. Accelerate muscle recovery and repair

   

   
   

   2. Help you stay LEAN

1. 1. Only IdealLean BCAAs contain our IdealLean Fat Loss Blend designed to help you burn fat and stay lean! With ingredients proven to increase metabolism and fat burn, like green tea extract, conjugated linoleic acid, evodiamine and more, you’ll be able to achieve the fit, lean and toned body of your dreams.

I know it seems recently I have been struggling with a few extra pounds so I was interested in trying this out for sure!  This is super easy to work into my day, I either drink it during my workout or sip it throughout the morning.

So how do I think it is working?  I have lost a couple pounds, coincidentally my marathon training is also in full swing so whether it is the extra miles being run or the BCAAs something here is working! I am not doing anything else different.  I don't track my weight closely, admittedly but my clothes are fitting better again.

Want to try out a full size product for yourself?

Okay lets talk marathon.

I am for some reason having a hard time admitting it.  I think I have only said it out loud two or three times. I don't know that I have actually written it down.. it is becoming evident from my long runs though.   This week is a cutback week and my long run tomorrow is 10 miles. Next week I run 20.  Then a 10, then a 20 and then I'm tapering,

Why is it so hard?  Do I want to do it really? Just say it already!

I'm training to run a marathon in September and am really only two 20 mile runs away from taper!

Whew...that kind of feels good to spit out there!

I'm planning to run the Bozeman Marathon, I ran the half there two years ago and loved the course. We are going to Bozeman Saturday to watch the kick off game for Bobcat football and then we will spend the night and I will run the marathon in the morning while my kids play in the pool at the hotel.

The course is slightly uphill for the first half and downhill for the last half. A friend of mine ran it last year and loved it.

I haven't been super tempted to run another marathon, but then

• I realized I turn 40 next year and suddenly it was on my 40 things to do before 40 list
• My little sister is running her first marathon this year too
• I just feel good
• My friend who ran it last year talked me into it
• I am going to be in Bozeman anyway

Do I have goals for the marathon? in short yes, of course! I want to finish and I want to beat my first and only marathon time of 3:56:55   I do believe this could happen as long as I don't go out too fast and am feeling good.

My long run pace has been holding just under 9 minute miles and with a little race day magic, I could PR! Ultimately I just want to finish and have a better experience than my first marathon.

Weekly Review: July..why are you so hot!

Sunday: A 5 mile progression run.  15 minute kettlebell workout

Monday:  5.1 mile easy run, the legs were tired today!

Tuesday:  25 minutes of yoga first thing in the morning before work

Wednesday: 18 mile long run.. whew! It felt pretty good and I felt better at 16 miles than I did for my 16 mile run last week.  I took the kids and a friend each to a local water park for the rest of the day, the cool water felt good on my legs!

Thursday: 3.1 easy run. I didn't run first thing in the morning. I didn't get out to run until almost 11...and it was so hot!

Friday: 12 minute HIIT workout with body weight only and then my sister in law and I took our kids up to Red Lodge to try our hand at fishing. We also did a little hiking. FUN TIMES!

Saturday:  7 miles with 6x 800 intervals. They weren't that great. My body is ready for a cutback week!

Highlight's from the week...I only worked Tuesday, I took the rest of the week off for a staycation with my kids. They had sleepovers with friends, we went to the local water park, we played in the creek, we went fishing in Red Lodge

We also had another "best ride ever" with the kids yesterday in a pasture that is beautiful but quite difficult to ride in.  Luckily all we were doing was checking on the heifers, not trying to get them out of the pasture.

The areas with all the trees down there are wicked rough coulees that can be hard to navigate on a horse and give the cows lots of good places to laugh at you from while you figure out how to get to them.

Miles for the week: 38.2 in 5 runs
Strength: 2
Yoga: 2

  linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap

 feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women.  You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it.  It's up to you!  Race recaps are also encouraged!   {See complete rules} 

A Friday Five

1. The only day I worked this week was Tuesday, I took the rest of the week off because...its summer, the kids are out of school and I could.  We had no big plans but the kids had sleepovers with friends, we went to a local water park, played in the creek, and today are planning some hiking and fishing. My kids are super stoked about the fishing.

2. My long run was 18 miles this week, it was supposed to be next week, but next week looks really busy and I wasn't sure if I could fit it in, so I did it this week and next week will be a cutback week. It actually works better in the long run and the run felt pretty good. Maybe I can do this marathon thing again!

3. New running shoes showed up in my mailbox yesterday...YAY! Not that it was a surprise I scored them on Ebay.  I haven't run in these before but I tried them on a couple months ago at the local running store and loved how they felt.

 I also have a pair of Altra Torins on the way also from Ebay. If a person in really patient deals can be found!  I wanted ideally a different color since I already have the black ones, but these were too good of a deal to pass up, plus they will blend into my shoe collection nicely.

4. I tried out a new hydration vest from SLS3 yesterday on a short run, after some adjusting I decided I really liked it. although I don't know that I like it more than my Orange Mud double barrel quiver. Time will tell I guess.

It is cheaper than Orange Mud. I had a code to get it on Amazon for 9,90 so I decided to try it.   The biggest drawback to it for me is how high it sits on the back of my neck.

  I also do not think anyone really petite or a size extra small would like it, I have it tightened nearly all the way.

It comes with two 9.5 ozwater bottles for the pockets in the front (but can fit 16 oz bottles) and has a pocket for a bladder in the back, but doesn't come with the bladder. There is a pocket big enough for my iPhone 6 in the front as well and another really small pocket that would be good for a small key or maybe chapstick?

5. Okay this is probably stretching it a bit for five but... aren't my lilies pretty?!

Weekly review: Mid July

If you do a run and you don't have your Garmin on does it count? If you do your week's worth of workouts and you don't do a weekly review did they even happen? Yes of course, but then you just can't go back and see how you have been doing later!

I haven't done a weekly review in...a very long time.  Thanks to Instagram for helping me remember what I did last week.

Sunday:  5 miles that was a bit of a tempo run.

The rest of the day was a busy blur including breakfast at my mother in laws, my 20 year class reunion picnic, and birthday fun for my nephew.

Monday: 3.1 miles, just a quick 5k before I had to head off to work. and 10 minutes of yoga.

Tuesday:  A 12 minute HIIT in the morning before work

Wednesday: 16 mile long run. It felt pretty good, although I decided 12 miles into my run that it was time to retire my shoes. My right foot was bothering me, my calves felt like they were thinking about cramping up and looking at the treads...they are so used up!  How does that happen so fast?!  I guess I have been running in them since December (although I do have three other shoes in rotation)  

Thursday:  4.1 easy miles

Friday: 20 minutes of yoga before work.

Saturday: Interval day 800x8 with 400 rest intervals. total of 6.6 miles with warm up and cooldown
 also a 15 minute HIIT in the afternoon.

One of the best things about the summer has been how much my kids have both enjoyed riding this year and have been excited about getting to go move cows and help out. Having cousins go along always helps too

Yesterday the kids all kept declaring it a best ride ever in a million years.  Makes a mama's heart happy.

  linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap

 feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women.  You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it.  It's up to you!  Race recaps are also encouraged!   {See complete rules} 

Three Things Thursday

1. My long run was 16 miles yesterday. That is the farthest I have run in 4 years! It felt pretty good although by the end my right calf felt like it was thinking about cramping up and I had a niggle in my right foot and left ankle. Next week is a cut back week so hopefully that will give everything a chance to rest up and feel better for my next longer long run.  Next week is only 10 miles and then the week after that will be 18.

The run seemed to start out a little slow, I just couldn't seem to get into a good pace, but about 3-4 miles in I was finally warmed up and moving at my usual long run pace.

2. I have been wearing InknBurn skirts for my long runs.  I love the side pocket on the shorts underneath to put my phone in on one side and chapstick, fuel etc in the pocket on the other side.  For shorter runs I use an arm band for my phone, but it starts to get annoying on longer runs. I also wear an Orange Mud pack to carry my bear spray and water, and water for my dog if I know we won't be running by any water for him.

Last week however I had some chaffing on my right thigh from the shorts.  I was very sad about this, but not ready to give up on my skirts.  Yesterday morning before leaving the house I used a healthy does of Body Glide and not only did that solve the chaffing problem it held my shorts down even better!

3. I figured out a great solution for watering my dog on long runs.  Usually I run by places he can easily drink out of a water tank or creek, but lately my long runs are in drier places.  I carry a 24 oz bottle of water for him and then about half or two thirds into my long runs I pour it into a gallon Ziploc bag and fold the top down a couple times. When placed on the ground and given a little shapem it actually makes a really great bowl for Cola!

He manages to get nearly every drop of water out of the bag.

How has your week been so far?

Breaking the Silence

It's been over two months since my last blog post. The break was nice. I have to admit I was only slightly tempted to blog in the last couple weeks, but today I decided I was ready.  I have missed it a little, but lets face it, blogging can be very time consuming and right now I am running early in the morning and that is usually the time I use for blogging and reading other people's blogs. My kids are out of school for the summer so my days off are pretty busy with them.

Life is good. We have done a lot of riding and moving cows on the weekends.

Running is going good, really good. I ran 138 miles in the month of June.  My long run this week was 15 miles.  I have a question swirling around in my head right now.... what am I training for?

 More specifically, what distance am I training for?

15 miles is above and beyond for a half marathon.  It felt pretty good.  It's been four years since I ran my one and only marathon. Four years and the pain of that wall is still pretty real in my head, but I am feeling like maybe I am ready to face it. Maybe I am ready to try it again.

Maybe.

My first marathon had a really respectable finish time of 3:56:55 with a 9 min/mile pace.

I know, I know, I can hear all of you saying "Do it"  "Go for it"  "You got this"

In my head I am leaning towards it, but then I remember puking my guts out and the cramps and the agony.    I also remember that I hated my first half marathon, but now its my favorite race distance.

Partially my hold up is the training commitment and time that does into a long run. I try really hard to not let my running interfere with family time, and a 20 mile long run is going to take 3 hours. Plus some recovery time.

Next year I turn 40   It's on my list of things to do before I turn 40. I'm nearly there already.

In other news, I didn't participate in any yoga Instagram challenges in June and decided not to in July as well. The break is nice and maybe once the kids go back to school I will pick one up again.

My 20 year class reunion is this weekend. How did that happen? One day at a time I guess. I have to admit I love my life. These two kids remind me every day how the moments go slow but the years fly by.

How is your running going?