Let me tell you a little bit about volleyball tournaments. Playing in volleyball tournaments is extremely exhausting. Here's a rundown of how the day works, and this is pretty consistent whether you're playing in a juniors tournament or an adult tournament: 6-7 a.m. (aka THE BUTTCRACK OF DAWN): Wake up. 7-7:30 am.: Head out for tournament. (If you're lucky, there's a tournament located within 30 minutes of your home.) 8-8:30 a.m.: Arrive at tournament. 8:30 a.m.- ???? p.m.:  If you don't make it to playoffs, you spend about 3-4 hours playing volleyball on a Saturday or Sunday. There are usually about 45 minutes to an hour between each of your matches. During these "in between" games, you are either refereeing the game, or you are resting/strategizing with your team. So let's say, assuming you don't make playoffs, you finish the day around 4 or 5 p.m. If you make the playoffs, and let's say you make it to the semi-finals, you're...

Yes, I documented the first time I hit 10K steps. I am not ashamed.  Update: Check out this post to learn more about wearing a Fitbit during volleyball.  My Fitbit  and I have a bad romance. It causes me anxiety, and occasional chaffing, but it's like I'm addicted to it. I feel naked without it, and get so mad if I forget it at home when I know I'm going to be getting a good workout later that day. When I finally got around to purchasing one a few months ago, I wrote about it on this blog . Now that I've had more time to use it, I think I can write a complete, fair review of it. I should note that most of my review will revolve around the Zip, since that's the one with which I have experience; however, some of the categories in this review apply to Fitbit products more generally. Feel free to share some of your experiences with other products in the comments section. I love to hear from you! ...

So... Much... Snow! It's so pretty outside! I'm just getting over my cold, and I'm contemplating heading out for a walk in the snow. It's so hard to resist! The Boyfriend keeps looking at me like I'm crazy, but I don't care. I don't really feel like going to the gym because the snow is so pretty, but I feel like it's probably the more acceptable thing to do. I've been cooped inside for the the greater part of the last 72 hours, so I feel like I'm going stir crazy like a mofo. I have played all of the Mario Kart that one person can play before they start thinking they actually are  Luigi. Later on tonight, I'm going to make Emeril Lagasse's Cajun Jambalaya recipe . I'll share my photos on Instagram if they come out looking decent. Might snap some snow shots as well... stay tuned! In the meantime, if you're dealing with the snow storm on the East Coast, I hope you're not going crazy too! P.S. Notice anything diff...

It's my birthday, and... I'm sick. Every flippin' year! But that's not going to stop me from celebrating! It is my family tradition for the birthday boy/girl to pick a restaurant, and the whole family goes out to eat. Our family has grown over the years, and it's always fun to see what everyone picks. At this point, we end up celebrating almost every month of the year! This year, I've chosen Pho-Hiep Hoa in Downtown Silver Spring (Maryland). I love Vietnamese food! It's funny. We have a fairly large Vietnamese population in my area, but I'd never tried Vietnamese food until I returned from college. My first/sole pho experience was not a pleasant one. The person I went with threw just about everything into my bowl, which just made it inedible. I have since tried other Vietnamese dishes, and loved them! I love the use of fresh ingredients and simple flavors. So yummy! Since I'm sick and  just starting my 6-month Dietbet, I figured this was an ...

This is the second post in my Interview with an Athlete series of posts. In this post, I interview Gavin Westenberger, Founder and Head Strength Coach at Gladiator Strength Training.  Give me your elevator pitch. What is Gladiator Strength Training? Gladiator Strength Training (GST) is an online one-stop-shop for personal training and coaching, lifting apparel, articles, media, recipes, and hopefully this year, we will also be offering our own line of supplements to help our athletes excel. GST has only been live since November 2013, and with the guidance and experience of myself, and our team, we can push anyone to get into better shape, or become the athlete that everyone fears. One might look at your website and think that you only hardcore, extreme athletes. Is this true?  All of our athletes are experienced lifters and competitors, but we can get programs and training together for anyone of any fitness level. At GST, we want to help anyone and everyone who is ...

I've never really been a big fan of swim suits. I don't like the constant wedgie feeling (which is rich coming from a volleyball player, I know), and they always seem to smell pretty strange. When I went to purchase a swimsuit earlier this week, I didn't really have anything in mind except for the following requirements: one piece, not white, inexpensive. I went over to my local Sports Authority, and I was really shocked! They had a clearance section with just a few swimsuits, all of which were much too big for me. Bummer. A sales associate came over to offer assistance, and she directed me towards the actual swim section, which I really should have sought in the first place. Thanks, Loreal! (How could I forget a name like that?!) Oh, boy. This was even worse! I had no idea how expensive regular old swimsuits are! If I am nowhere near an outlet (which is 95% of the time), Sports Authority is usually my go-to store for fitness gear. There are plenty in my area, and they&...

Man, oh man! I was talking to my best friend earlier this week about how we both wished we could wake up early in the morning, and be super productive before some people have even started their workday. "Yeah, I wish I had the will power to wake up early and go to the gym. That would be amazing," I declared. How do you people do it? As a lifetime resident of Insomnia Land, it's hard enough getting to sleep most nights. How do people get enough sleep that they don't feel like crying every morning when it's time to get up? Whenever I have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn, and I have advance notice of this impending tragedy, I do a countdown until that morning and am still miserable when it finally arrives. That's what I've been doing for the past 72 hours in regards to my tournament Sunday morning. I used Google Maps to determine that my tournament was actually an hour away, instead of the 30 minutes for which I'd originally planned. Dang...

(Source) My friend asking me if I had goggles prompted me to start thinking about other things. No, I didn't have goggles. What are some other things you use for swimming? A swim cap! Hmmm... don't own one of those anymore either. The Boyfriend suggested I wear a bikini to the pool (obviously not for speed purposes), so I got to wondering if the one piece I bought back in the summer on clearance at Target would suffice. Does it fit? Is it an athletic suit? Who knows?! My lifeguard friend suggested that I make sure that my swimsuit, whichever type I get, fits snug since it will expand a little in the pool. "If it is too big, it will grab too much water and slow you down and make you work harder," he added. I attempted a Google search on whether I should wear a one- or two-piece swimsuit for swimming laps (do you call them laps or lanes?). That created even more confusion! I really don't know what's best at this point, for me, or for anyone else. What ...

I'm getting ready to put myself through some serious punishment. I mean, come on! I was a Division I athlete in a highly-competitive volleyball program (Top 100 in the country at the time, whoop whoop). I used to run from my dorm, to the Brooklyn Bridge, across the bridge, and back, SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK during spring season AT 6 A.M (See map below. That is a 4-mile round-trip run). When I graduated from college, I continued running several miles a few times a week, in the summer, even (GASP!) wearing a sports bra in the hot summer days to accomplish this. I used to take the bus to the closest stop to my house (which was still a mile away) when I moved back home, and would RUN HOME. WITH A BACKPACK ON. AFTER WORKING FOR 9 HOURS! I say this all not to not-so-humble brag, but to give you a sense of what I was doing, running-wise, during and after college. Oh, and did I mention that I never actually enjoyed it? I enjoyed putting together running music playlists way  more than doing t...

For the month of January, I wanted to kick off 2014 the right way -- eating healthier and burning some calories! In my efforts to achieve this goal (and lose weight) I signed up for a DietBet with Blogilates . The challenge was to lose 4% of your body weight over a 28-day period. You pay $30 to join, and if you don't make your goal, you lose the money. If you do  make your goal, you get your money back PLUS your share of the pot from the losers of the DietBet. So, did I make it? ...