Best Friend Bucket List: Photo Challenge

Amy and I have a shared Pinterest board entitled Best Friend Bucket List. Mostly it's a collection of places we want to visit and things we want to do when we get there. However, a few days (weeks?) ago she posted this photo challenge for us to try.

Apparently the original blog has been deleted

Side note: It bugs me that it was originally an August Challenge and only has 30 days on it... But I'm ok with doing it for September!

Anyway, today is a self-portrait. Can I just tell y'all how much I don't like taking pics of myself? I feel like a straight up dork. I will totally take a pic of you and I together, but pictures of just myself? Thanks, but no thanks. Luckily I took a picture of myself yesterday, so we're going to use that. It should be noted that I took this photo to show Amy what a hot mess I was (we were about to meet for lunch, and she was warning me that she was hot and sweaty from work).

I had just finished back-to-back Core and Power classes at the gym. I was rocking a serious calorie deficit and trying to refrain from eating everything in Kroger. Let's talk about this one for a second, shall we? No make up, frizzy hair, workout attire, looking tired/awkward, grocery store. Yeah, I think this is a pretty good self-portrait. 

Here's why I feel this is a pretty accurate self-portrait:

1. I very rarely wear make-up. Don't get me wrong, I love make up! But I have a hard time finding colors that work and don't wash off when my crazy allergy eyes kick in. Plus, I work at a gym, so having a full face of make up doesn't make a whole lot of sense on a day-to-day basis.
2. Frizzy hair... Ok, this is not always the case, but it has been this summer. I swear it has been so humid this summer my flat iron is collecting dust. Actually, I don't even know where it is. Sometimes I can tame it with product... but they are expensive, I am broke, and there's no sense in wasting it when I'm going to have to shower after the gym anyway. 
3. These days I am in workout attire for about 85% of my life. I am at work for the bulk of my day, and my uniform is workout pants/capris and a performance top. Otherwise I'm training with Lorrie, taking a class, or trying to work out on my own. It has gotten to the point where there's not much reason for me to buy new "regular" clothes because I so rarely get to wear them. 
4. I am always tired these days. I get exhausted just thinking about what I need to deal with. And the awkwardness comes from taking a dang selfie. Maybe it's because I'm not great at self-promotion? 
5. I end up at some grocery store almost Every. Single. Day. Mostly this is to grab something to eat before work. This time I was buying the stuff to make Game Day Chili. I know my life would be so much easier if I thought ahead and bought stuff at once, but that's not how my brain works these days. I blame #3. 

So, there's day 1. We'll see how well I keep up with this. :-)

Rise and Shine!

Good morning, exercise!

Last night I decided I was going to try my hand at an early morning workout. I've done it a few times before, and I'm really wanting to get back in a regular gym schedule. It always amuses me when people don't understand how someone who works in a gym doesn't workout. Think about it. If you worked all day, would you want to then stay there for an additional hour? Not to mention that almost any time I work out people start asking me questions about the schedule or tell me maintenance problems... I might as well still be working! But I digress.

Anyway, I had been toying with the idea of working out in the mornings for a few days. The other day I was reading through my blog list and Julie over at Peanut Butter Fingers had written a post on Exercise Obstacles. I took that as a nod that maybe I should try the am workout thing again. Working out in the mornings is pretty perfect, if I can get myself in there. Most of the early morning visitors aren't there for social hour, so I don't have to worry about being interrupted. So last night I put my stuff together so I could roll out of bed and get out the door in less than 15 minutes.

It worked! I got to the gym by about 5:45, and I was done by 6:30. It was great! I was still interrupted, but it was by someone from my church so I'll let it go. The only down side was dealing with the tired muscles (and the tired self) for the rest of the day. I'm sure that it will even itself out soon, but today sucked. And the 3 sets of walking lunges probably didn't help.