Wednesday, December 22, 2010

OMG I DID IT!!!!

I finished my Marathon to Christmas AND set a new PR for my last mile!! I am so flippin' tired after that! Whew!! I busted out my last mile in 9:17!! I couldn't believe it!!! I was hurting in the third lap, but I sucked it up, blasted my IPOD and just rocked it out!! I am SO proud of myself!!! I took the last 0.2 of a mile easier since I whopped myself in that last full mile, but I got it done!!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 26 (and last 0.2)
Total Time: 12:00 (with Mile 26 in 9:17!)
Speed: Mile 26 was 6.5 to 7.0 (maintained 6.5 for most of the run except for last push to 7.0), last 0.2 was 3.8 walking then some 5.0 jogging
Total Calories Burned: 215 (including cool down walk)

My Marathon to Christmas Total Stats:
Total Time: 4 hours 50 mins 45 sec (not too shabby of a time if I do say so myself!)
Total Calories Burned: 4,213 (hell yes!)
Total Mileage: 26.2 Miles!! Full Marathon in 24 days - 2 days early! Woot!
Fastest Mile: Mile 26 in 9:17
Slowest Mile: Mile 14 in 12:42

Marathon Mile 25!!!

Only 1.2 miles left now!!! Holy crap!!! I'm almost done!!! Ran Mile 25 in 9:35 - matched my previous PR!!! I'd love to try to push myself faster for my last mile and set a new PR - but I'm of the mindset that I'll just do the best I can!

I'm toying with the idea of setting a resolution for myself to run 365 miles in 2011 - at least 1 mile a day. This seems daunting, but I've been really enjoying this Marathon and I'd love to keep up with my running. We'll see if this happens. Over the past 24 days, I've incorporated running into my daily routine and its almost a habit now. Its someing I really look forward to and its a nice release of endorphins & stress every day. I'm still working on my resolutions for 2011 - but they will be finalized in a few weeks :-D

I have never really done resolutions in the past - as I thought they were just meaningless goals and excuses to put off what could have been done today. Its always been my goal to be a better person and in a better place than I was the year before. This last year was the first time I actually made a resolution (after my husband made a bet he is about to lose! haha!). I have now realized that these resolutions can help me become that better person in different aspects of my life. Who would have thought that something as silly as not dying my hair for a year would have been a 12 month test of character, patience & willpower! haha!

OH and I celebrated a little victory today - I got ALMOST all my hair back into a ponytail. This makes me happy considering only a few months ago the idiot hairdresser cut it WAY too short! My hair seems to grow faster when I don't destroy it with hair dye and bleach - go figure...

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 25
Total Time: 9:35
Speed: 6.3-7.0 MPH
Total Calories Burned: 160 (I remembered my HRM! YAY!)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Marathon Miles 23 & 24!

OMG I only have 2 miles left! That's amazing! I can't believe that I've ran 24 miles in 23 days! That's just astounding to me! I love it!! I am going to try to finish my Marathon tomorrow and give myself a few well earned rest days until Christmas!

I've been researching stuff for my Zumba classes and am really looking forward to getting that up and running! I am planning on doing a full Zumba workout and a Zumba Circuit workout which should be awesome! I am going to be spending my vacation time coming up with choreography, music and routines for my new classes. I am really looking forward to it.

Nutrition has been crappy over the past few days, but I'm back on track today. My step-son is in town, so its always tempting to go out and eat poorly - but I'm really trying to stay in line over this holiday so that I can get back to a cut phase once the holidays are over without having too much extra jiggle to work off. We went out to Red Robin for dinner last night, and while I didn't eat at a calorie surplus (according to the Bugg) my weight jumped 1.5 pounds - gotta love water weight! haha! I am looking forward to dropping that water weight tonight!

My Marathon To Christmas - Miles 23 and 24
Total Time: 23:00
Speed: 5.2 and 5.5 for last quarter mile
Total Calories Burned: 300 (guessing since I left my HRM at home)

Monday, December 20, 2010

Update from My World!!

OMG its been a crazy weekend! On Thursday afternoon, I drove up to Santa Fe in preparation for my Zumba licensing. The normally 40 min drive took me over an hour and a half with the weather. People were driving like asswipes and causing accidents and I got SO pissed! I love the snow, I just hate other drivers in the snow!

Anyways, after lots of confusion over locations & start times due to weather delays, Zumba happened! It was AMAZING! Our 8 hour workshop included 6 hours of dancing....yes 6 hours!!! I was exhausted!!! My BodyBugg said I burned over 3300 calories that day!!! Woot!

Since our class started late due to the snow, it ended later than expected. By the time I got out of class, the roads had already started to freeze again and I couldn't make it home! I stayed at my mom's house again and got to drive back on Saturday morning.

The hubby and I didn't get much time together because I had my kickboxing class on Saturday afternoon, then after that we went to our annual Christmas party with some friends. Since Halloween is our favorite holiday, we decided to have Halloween in December - thus why we call it Decemberween! This year's theme was dead musicians - so the hubby and I went as 20's Jazz singers - it was way fun!

Yesterday I took as a well deserved rest day. I didn't do a damn thing related to fitness and it was awesome. Nutrition has been awful over the past few days (that's what being stuck at someone else's house does! I eat random stuff!) - however my weight is still down lower than last week. I think the nutrition overhaul prior to Zumba and the workouts help offset that.

Today I got back on track and ran miles 21 and 22 back to back on the treadmill in 23:10! Gotta love it! I felt great getting that knocked out! Only 4 more miles and I am done with my marathon!! I love it!!! We are all done with our Christmas shopping, I only have to work through Wednesday and then I'm on vacation, and my step-son arrived earlier this morning! It is officially the holiday season!

My Marathon to Christmas - Miles 21 & 22
Total Time: 23:10
Speed: 5.2
Total Calories: 275-ish (forgot the damn strap to my HRM today! go me!)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Marathon Mile 20 - You Carry Fear in Your Knees

So I guess in a real marathon - this would be where I would hit "the wall". I thought I would have missed out on the joys of that since I wasn't running it straight....boy was I wrong! haha!

Today I hit the wall. I felt crappy this morning (had a bad incident with some nachos yesterday and still feel yucky today). I had errands to run after work and didn't plan enough food with what I had packed with the nutrition plan I was on - I needed to eat something or risk passing out...needless to say the only option was nachos from the cafe at work and I was paying the price for the rest of the evening. I got some ice cream later in the afternoon and it helped settle my stomach, but still wasn't 100% this morning.

Anyways, back to the run - so I hopped on the treadmill this morning I felt sluggish & yucky. Within the first 20 seconds I experienced a sharp pain in my right knee and I started to worry. I don't want another injury like the one I experienced before my 5K run. Then I remembered something that a friend of mine on Spark, TURBOAMIE, had stated - "You carry Anger in your Hips & Fear in your Knees"

So as I was running today, I started thinking about things that I might be afraid of. My Zumba certification is tomorrow - and I am terrified about that. What if I'm one of those poor people who isn't successful and they don't pass me? I am scared about tonight - due to weather, I have to drive to Santa Fe tonight so that I don't get caught in snow tomorrow morning. This is only the 2nd night that my husband and I will have spent apart in almost 4 years (the first being the night before the wedding - we decided to be traditionalists about that one). Being apart from him makes me nervous.

As I was running and contemplating those fears, I realized that things will work out exactly the way they are meant to and that worrying about them will due me absolutely NO good. I've been preparing for this certification for weeks and I shouldn't be worried about the outcome. My husband has told me numerous times over the past few days that he'd rather I drive to Santa Fe tonight then risk my own safety. I know that he loves me and that my staying in Santa Fe will be just as hard on him as it is for me - and for some reason that is oddly comforting

Though it seems like this might have taken a while - all of this mental evaluation happened over the course of about a minute during the beginning of my run. Once I came to peace with those fears, my knee pain disappeared instantaneously. It was astounding to me that fear could have been the culprit behind the pain I experienced and I think that the injury I experienced before my 5K could have been associated with the same thing - I was scared about the run!

I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and peace after coming to this conclusion and was able to finish my run at a nice fast pace of 9:39!!! Only 4 seconds off from my PR time yesterday! I couldn't believe it! What started as the hardest run of my Marathon so far, ended as one of my best times - all from overcoming a little bit of fear!

Even now, an hour or so after my run, I don't feel ANY lingering pain in my knee at all - granted, I will keep an eye on it, but I truly think that my body was displaying a direct reflection of my internal fears. With that being said - THANK YOU to TURBOAMIE for helping me overcome that which I was fearing. You will never know how truly impactful your words were to me.

Today, I hit a wall - but I busted through it. Only 6.2 miles until my Marathon to Christmas is complete. Words cannot describe how much this Marathon to Christmas has helped me improve physically and emotionally - and its not even over yet. I know I am not running a full Marathon, though I hope to someday - but pushing my body to exert 100% every single day over the past few weeks has proven to be my own endurance experience.

My weight is down 2 pounds from the beginning of my Nutritional overhaul, I'm sleeping better than I have in weeks and I feel great. Today is a good day and I look forward to what tomorrow will bring!! Go Zumba!!!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 20
Time: 9:39
Speed: 6.0-6.5 (though I averaged 6.3 throughout the majority of the run)
Total Calories Burned: 155

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Marathon Mile 19!!

Wow! Things just keep getting better and better! I didn't sleep too well last night, but once I was awake I felt great again - this is something I attribute to the great nutrition I've been having over the past few days! I am down 2.5 pounds and feel awesome!

My Zumba certification is on Friday and they're expecting snow in the area - go figure! The one day I have to drive 70 miles for a class is the day they're expecting snow. I'll get there come hell or high water - but it might be an adventure!

I ran Marathon Mile 19 in my fastest yet - 9:35!!! I am so stoked!! I am going to TRY to get my remaining miles in less than 10 mins each - we will have to see how that goes! I only have 7 miles left until I am finished! Woot! If everything continues on this route, I might actually finish the Marathon this weekend! Yippee!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 19
Total Time: 9:35
Speed: 6.0-7.0 (though I averaged a 6.2 throughout most of the run)
Total Calories Burned: 152 (including a 5 min cool down)

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Marathon Mile 18!!!

I felt inspired on my lunch break to get another run in today! Yippee!! I got another mile run done in 9:51!! Today is the first day where I've completed 2 sub-10 min miles!!! I am STOKED!!! I know I'm getting stronger with my running - I can feel the changes my body is making and I LOVE it. I am more comfortable at the sub-10 mile pace than I was a week ago, and I am pushing myself harder than I have before! I feel like a bad ass! haha! Accomplishing things you never thought possible will totally do that - and that feeling is addictive!! :-D

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 18
Total Time: 9:52
Speed: 6.0-7.0 MPH on Treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 175 (with a 5 min cool down walk afterwards)

Marathon Mile 17!

Today is Day 3 of my nutrition overhaul and I feel AMAZING! Weight is down 1.5 pounds already and I slept better last night than I have in a few weeks! I am sold on this nutrition program!

I already ran Marathon Mile 17 today in 9:52! Woot!! It felt awesome to get another sub-10 min mile in. Those runs are getting more comfortable for me and I think I can start incorporating this pace into my longer distance runs. I am also finding that the sub-10 min mile pace is MUCH easier to do when I have some killer music playing. I must make a new playlist on the IPOD tonight! haha! Special thanks to Taio Cruz & Adam Lambert (my guilty pleasure!) for making today's run amazing!!

Might try to get another one in on my lunch break - we'll see how it goes!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 17
Total Time: 9:52
Total Speed: 6.0-7.0 MPH on treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 150 (this is a guesstimation - damn HRM was messing up)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Marathon Mile 16!!!

I was extra motivated today and managed to sneak in another mile at work today! Woot! Marathon Mile 16 is toast - as are my legs from running 2 miles already today! haha! I can't believe I only have 10 miles of my Marathon left! Its amazing how fast the time has flown by! I am SO excited about the holidays! Its one of my most favorite times of the year!

Also, I am sold on this nutrition program - I am eating healthier foods, smaller portions and quality stuff and I feel AMAZING, and its only day 2! Its not often that I feel motivated to run extra miles at work! I think I might have found the nutrition program for me! Woot!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 16
Total Time: 11:15
Speed: 5.2-5.5 on treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 200 (this includes the 5 min cool down and walk back to my desk from the gym for a total time of 21 mins)

Mile 15, Zumba & Lots of Veggies!

So we had an awesome weekend! Friday night, hubby & I had a date night at a local hockey game and had a blast! Saturday night, we had an amazing dinner at a friend's house and watched the UFC fight - which was probably one of the best title fights we've seen in a LONG time!

Since I had 3 workouts on Saturday - I took yesterday off from running. My legs just needed a rest. I did the 20 min Zumba workout and burned about 150 cals, but the treadmill just wasn't going to happen.

Got back on track this morning and ran Mile 15 for my marathon in 10:53. Not too shabby considering I am still half asleep! It just seems like I'm having a harder time catching up on sleep recently - gotta love the holidays!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 15
Total Time: 10:53
Speed: 5.0-6.0 MPH on treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 150

I started my new 5 day nutritional overhaul yesterday and am LOVING it! I didn't feel hungry or deprived all day! I just want to get some of this extra water weight off before Christmas so I can truly see where I stand from a weight standpoint. My body feels so good when I make sure to keep my eating in line! Just the 1 day of eating better has made a huge difference so far! Can't wait to see where I am by Thursday!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

ZUMBA & Mile 14!

So this morning I woke up craving an ass whooping! haha! So I got up and did Zumba Sculpt & Tone with weighted gloves (my arms are gonna feel it tomorrow!) - I burned 450 Calories in 48 mins...and I'm already feeling sore from it! Woot! THEN, I hopped on the treadmill and knocked out Mile 14 of my Marathon to Christmas! I had to walk part of it because my legs felt like jello from Zumba, but its done! I feel awesome! Now time to eat, shower & relax until Kickboxing class at noon! Yippee!

Zumba Sculpt & Tone - 450 Calories in 48 mins with weighted gloves

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 14
Total Time: 12:42
Speed: 3.8-5.5 MPH on treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 165

Total Burn So Far Today is 615!! Pretty damn good if I do say so myself! Now time for yummy foods!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Miles 12 & 13!!!

I forgot to log in and update this thing yesterday - woops! Oh well, I'll get caught up today! Yesterday, I ran another mile under 10 mins - which proves that Mile 11 wasn't a fluke!! I am so proud of myself!! I find that if I put on some good music I can run faster than I expect!

Today I finished Mile 13 - the halfway point! Woot! I ran it in 11:03 - which is a little slower, but I forgot to put a belt on this morning and I'm in hip hugger jeans - not the best equation for a quick run. I had to tie my fleece around my hips to get through my run! Won't be making that mistake again! haha!

Anyways, I realized that my faster runs (sub-10 mins) push my body significantly harder than the ones longer than 10 mins, even if I get the same amount of calorie burn out of it. I have DOMS in different parts of my legs and it feels awesome! My inner thighs & hamstrings haven't been this sore in months - and I'm loving every minute of it!!! Bring on the pain!!!

My Zumba Certification is in a week and I am really looking forward to it. I haven't been able to get a lot of time for Zumba recently, but am going to get a workout in this afternoon or tomorrow for sure.

My nutrition has been good - I've been hitting my calorie count every day this week. Not seeing much progress though as the scale has been hovering around the same range. I think my sodium counts are too high and I'm retaining water weight. As of Sunday, I am going on a 5 day nutritional overhaul that should help get some of this water weight off - I'm excited about it! I am looking forward to getting back on track. I've been eating funky for a few weeks now (within calorie ranges, but not the healthiest of choices) and my body is actually craving healthier options! Bring on the veggies!!!

Here's my Miles 12 & 13 information:

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 12
Total Time: 9:52
Speed: 6.0-7.0 on Treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 150

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 13
Total Time: 11:03
Speed: 5.0-6.0 on Treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 155

I've noticed my calorie burns are coming down as well - which means that I am bringing my cardiovascular abilities up! Woot! I'm happy about that! Healthy hearts are happy!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

OMG I DID IT!!!!

So today was a huge milestone for me - for the first time in my life, I ran a mile in under 10 mins! I just had an odd feeling to push myself hard on the treadmill today and I finished in 9 mins 44 seconds!! I was so proud of myself! Words just can't describe the feeling that one gets when they complete something they thought was impossible. Its just incredible! What a great way to knock out Mile 11 of my "Marathon to Christmas"!!!

Might get some Zumba in this afternoon - dunno if I'll have time, but maybe!

My "Marathon to Christmas" - Mile 11
Total Time: 9:44 (OMG YAY!!!)
Total Speed: 5.5-7.5
Total Calories Burned: 160

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Marathon Mile 10!!

So I got Mile 10 of my Marathon to Christmas completed today! Yippee!! I am in the double digits and almost halfway done! That's exciting! I was a little sore from yesterday's 2 miler and didn't wear the best shoes - so I took my run a little slower today, but it felt nice to finish it!

There's lots of people at work that are getting sick - I guess its that time of year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't catch anything! I'm drinking a lot of fluids and the daily workouts help keep my metabolism & immune system up so hopefully I don't get anything yucky!

Weight is still hovering at my pre-Thanksgiving weight and I'm hoping to be down to the low 170s or high 160s by Christmas - we'll see if that happens though! Who knows - I could be pleasantly surprised! Still using the Bugg and loving every minute of it! Nutrition has been around 1400 cals a day, and the daily runs are a nice motivation to stay on track over the day as well!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 10
Total Time: 11:32
Speed: 5.2-6.0 on Treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 175

Monday, December 6, 2010

Miles 8 & 9 - BACK TO BACK!!!

Woot!! So we had an awesome weekend! Got my run and kickboxing done on Saturday (see prior blog) and had a blast with that. Yesterday, we helped a friend of ours move, so I got a lot of movement yesterday morning. I didn't get my run in, but I wasn't too upset about it since I was a mile ahead from last week anyways & I was running around all morning lifting things.

Been hitting my calories on the Bogy Bugg and weight is slowly starting to come down again. I am happy about that. Its really a great motivator to see that negative number on the screen at the end of each day!

Today, after work I am going to go shopping for some holiday clothes. I need a new pair of black pants, so might hit up some stores on the way home. Today at work on my lunch break, I was planning on getting in Mile 8, and I felt so good at the end of it that I just kept going and knocked out Mile 9 of my Marathon as well!! Wahoo! I am so excited! Definitely good times! Nothing like a 300+ calorie workout in the middle of a work day to make the day go faster!

My Marathon to Christmas - Miles 8 & 9
Total Time: 22:57
Speed: First 1.75 miles were 5.2, last 0.25 mile was 5.5-6.0 on treadmill
Total Calories Burned: 310

Gotta love it!! Might get a Zumba workout in this afternoon - we'll have to see how busy things get after work! Have a good one everybody!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

miles 6, 7 and cardio Kickboxing!

So its been a busy few days, but I've made time for my running workouts, which makes me happy. Weight is still up a little bit but I don't feel as bloated as I normally do, so I know something is going right. Nutrition has been good this week except for today. We had a kids birthday party to go to and I indulged in cake and cookies n cream ice cream! It was yummy!

My runs yesterday and today were a little slower than Mile 5, but I've been tired so I'm just happy they got done. Today I did my run 20 mins before teaching my cardio kickbox class and didn't want to kill my legs before then.

My "Marathon to Christmas" mile 6 - ran yesterday
Total Time: 11:19
Speed: 5.0-6.0 on treadmill
Total Cals Burned: 165

My "Marathon to Christmas" mile 7 - ran earlier today
Total Time: 11:19 (same time as yesterday! Woot!)
Speed: 5.2-5.5 on treadmill
Total Cals Burned: 180 (I think this is higher than yesterdays run since I maintained a faster pace during the whole run instead of fluctuating)

I also burned 420 cals during my kickbox class today in 45 min, so I am happy. Since today I am a little higher in cals in my food, I am glad I had a good burn in my workouts. Tomorrow we are helping a friend move, so that should be a nice burn too! Woot!

have a good night!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Mile 5 and Zumba!!

So I have had a productive day! I got my mile run in today on my lunch break at work and it went really well! The fastest yet at 10:53!! Woot! When I got home from work, the hubby jumped on a video game and I was able to do some Zumba! Woot! 40 mins of cardio party! I love it!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 5
Total Time: 10:53
Total Calories Burned: 155 Cals
Speed: 5.5-6.5 MPH on treadmill

Zumba Cardio Party
Total Time: 48 mins
Total Calories Burned: 410 Cals

Whew! I'm pooped after all those workouts! Time to make some dinner I think!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

My Holiday Marathon - Miles 3 & 4!

So today was a good day! I ran my first mile at work and got a nice little calorie burn. Then when I got home, the hubby and I watched the Dean Karnazes documentary about his 50 marathons - so inspirational! When my client came over tonight, he wanted me to work out with him, so I ran another mile and he pushed himself on the elliptical the whole time (16 resistance & 16 ramp!) I am so proud of him! We had an awesome turkey taco dinner and I'm at a nice 1400 cals for the day nutrition wise - its nice to get back on track!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 3
Total Time: 11:11
Total Calories Burned: 165
Speed: 5.2-5.5 on treadmill

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 4
Total Time: 11:10 (1 second faster! woot!)
Total Calories Burned: 215 (that's one hell of a burn for 17 mins of work including cool down!)
Speed: 5.0-6.0 on treadmill

I am totally loving this Marathon to Christmas! I feel so awesome when I run and I'm so happy that I am able to incorporate this into my holiday fitness!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

My Marathon To Christmas - Mile 2

So I got my 2nd run of my Marathon to Christmas in just a few minutes ago! I pushed myself a little faster and finished 7 seconds better than yesterday! Its not much, but its an improvement! I remembered to bring my HRM today, so I have a more accurate calorie burn for my runs too! Woot!

Now that I'm wearing my BodyBugg too, I noticed that yesterday my calorie burn was HUGE (like 400 more calories!) simply because of the little 15 minute boost I got from running! It was amazing and just reinforces one of the many reasons why I enjoy running so much - its one of the only things that I can push myself as hard as I can and get an amazing calorie burn that keeps my metabolism pumping all day!

Didn't get a Zumba workout in yesterday, but am hoping to today. The weather has been REALLY cold here and I have been struggling to stay warm - but working out regularly seems to do the trick. I have clients coming tonight, so hopefully I can find some time to get a Zumba DVD in - even if its only the 20 min one!

My Marathon To Christmas - Mile 2
Total Time: 11:45
Total Calories Burned: 161
Speed: 5.0 MPH-6.0 MPH on treadmill

Monday, November 29, 2010

LONG Overdue Update!!!

Wow - its been over a month since I updated this thing! Woops! haha! Been busy, but in a good way! Started teaching classes at Rhino's Gym in Albuquerque which has been an amazing experience! Getting myself trained up for Zumba certification on December 17th and came up with a great plan to stay in shape between now and Christmas.

Initially it started out as the "24 Miles of Christmas" - where I would walk, jog or run 1 mile each day from December 1st through Christmas. However, I was so antsy to get it started, that I started it today - which will add an extra 2 miles to the overall plan - so thus "My Marathon to Christmas" plan was created! I am going to keep my Zumba workouts up, but I figured that any extra movement, even if its only 15 minutes a day, is better than nothing!

Got today's mile in during my lunch break at work - with NO stopping to walk! Not too shabby for someone who hasn't ran in a few months! Woot! I'm really looking forward to my run tomorrow and am going to try to get a Zumba workout in when I get home today as well!

My Marathon to Christmas - Mile 1
Time: 11:52
Speed: 5.0-5.5 MPH on Treadmill
Total Calorie Burn: 125 (off Treadmill since I wasn't wearing HRM, but its usually close)

Hope things are well with everyone and I will keep this thing updated with my daily runs. I'm hoping to maybe get myself up to a sub 10 minute mile by the end of this thing - that would be amazing! We'll just have to see how it goes!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Workout Updates

So I didn't get any workouts in this past weekend, but I got back on track first thing yesterday morning! I stayed up entirely too late the past two nights since I've been reading more (its nice being able to read for pleasure now that I'm done with school!). However, even though I've gotten less than 6 hours of sleep each night, I still feel rested - I think that's a perk to working out in the mornings again.

I am slowly getting back into the groove of working out and getting conditioned for running again. Its definitely a good feeling. I was getting really tired of feeling yucky and squishy so I'm enjoying feeling my body positively react to its running workouts again.

So here's my workouts from yesterday & this morning. Mileage is a guess, since I left my workout sheets at home this morning

Monday's Workout - Sprint Intervals on Treadmill
Warm Up
Interval 1: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 2: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 3: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 4: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 5: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 6: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 7: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 8: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 9: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 10: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Cool Down

Total Distance: 1.89 miles
Total Calories Burned: 246
Total Time: 28 mins

Today's Workout - Running Intervals on Treadmill
Warm Up
Interval Run - 4 minutes (2 minutes at 5.0 MPH and 2 mins at 5.5 MPH)
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval Run - 4 minutes at 5.5 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval Run - 4 minutes (1 min at 5.0 MPH, 3 mins at 5.5 MPH)
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval Run - 4 minutes (1 min at 5.0, 1 min at 5.5, 2 minutes at 6.0 MPH)
Cool Down

Total Time 28 Minutes
Total Calories Burned: 310
Total Distance: 2.05 miles

Friday, October 22, 2010

My Workouts This Week!

So I am WAY proud of myself - I have gotten up at 4am every day this week before work and gotten a workout in! Go me! Its taken some adjustment, but I'm really enjoying getting my runs in before work - I like feeling like I've accomplished something already before I go in. Plus - if I have a rough day at work and just wanna be lazy after, I can! I am going to keep this up for sure - however once my runs get longer I'll have to figure something else out instead, since I don't wanna be getting up at 2am just to go running (but I just might be that crazy if it means I can get the run in for sure!)

I heard a great quote today and I just had to post it here too! Its on my Sparkpage as well, but its just fabulous (especially when referring to runners!)

Obsessed is the word the lazy use to describe the dedicated!

Totally fitting right???

Anyways, nutrition has been good. Went over yesterday since the hubby wanted to go out to eat with a friend of ours, but it balanced out to be under maintenance with the workout I got in last night. Since I'm only burning 200-300 cals a workout each morning, I've been keeping calories around 1600 a day to help balance the deficit. When my workouts start burning 500-600 cals a workout, then I'll bump it back up to maintenance.

I've decided to scrap my "photo food blog" for now - it just became too much of a hassle to photograph everything and upload it daily. I'm still tracking my food every day online to make sure I'm hitting cals, but that's about it. I'd rather be obsessive about my workouts - not my nutrition trackers or any other number.

So here's my workouts for this week so far - Monday Thru Friday:

Monday - Running on Treadmill

Warm Up for 400 yards
Running Intervals for 1.50 miles
Cool Down for 400 yards

Total Distance: 2 miles
Total Calories Burned: 245 Calories
Total Time: 28 Minutes

Tuesday - Elliptical "Endurance" workout
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Total Calories: 240 Calories

Wednesday - Treadmill Run
Warm Up for 5 minutes
Interval 1: 4 minute run at 5.5 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 2: 4 minute run at 5.0 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 3.5 MPH
Interval 3: 4 minute run at 5.0 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 3.5 MPH
Interval 4: 4 minute run at 5.5 MPH
Cool Down for 5 minutes

Total Calories Burned: 300 Calories
Total Distance Covered: 1.95 miles
Total Time: 26 minutes

Thursday - Treadmill Run
Warm Up for 5 minutes
Interval 1: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 2: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 3: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 4: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 5: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 6: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 7: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 8: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 9: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 10: Sprint at 6.0 MPH for 60 Seconds
Cool Down for 5 minutes

Total Time: 26 mins
Total Distance: 2.03 miles
Total Calories Burned: 292 Calories

Friday - Treadmill Run
Warm Up for 5 minutes
Interval 1: 4 minute run at 5.5 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 2: 4 minute run at 5.0 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 3: 4 minute run at 5.0 MPH
Recovery for 60 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 4: 4 minute run at 5.5 MPH
Cool Down for 5 Minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes
Total Distance: 2.13 miles
Total Calories Burned: 294 Calories

Not a bad week so far! I'll update again after I get some more workouts done!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Training Update!

So its about time I bust out this thing again. I took a few weeks off training and had an amazing anniversary vacation with my husband. Once we got back, we found we had some extra cash, so we went down to Sears and picked up a new treadmill and elliptical for our home gym! They are so awesome! They both have speakers that connect to our ipods so we don't have to worry about getting tangled in headphone wires anymore! Monday night was spent buying them, Tuesday night was spent building them (it too 4 hours to put them both together!) And yesterday I only had about 20 mins to play around on them. So today was the first chance I had to really test out the treadmill - and it whooped my ass! Not working out for about 4 weeks, recovering from 2 injuries, eating poorly on vacation and smoking the occasional celebratory cigar really took its toll on my fitness levels! I got in a decent workout today, but am really looking forward to getting back to where I was pre-injury & vacation.

Here's my workout from today - not the greatest, but gotta start somewhere right?

warm up: 400 yards brisk walk
Run for 1200 yards at 5.0 mph
Walk for 400 yards for recovery
Run for 1200 yards at 5.0 mph
Cool Down Walk for 400 yards

Total Workout Time: 34 mins
Total Distance: 2.25 miles
Total Calories Burned: 340

Might try to start running at different times of the day too. Ran at around 6pm tonight and was already wiped from a full work day, lack of sleep this week and running errands after work with the hubby. Nutrition is back on track and I'm feeling good. Keeping things around 1600 cals until I can sustain the longer endurance workouts and can maintain a burn of 500+ calories a workout 6 days a week. I really don't wanna have to get up any earlier than I already do, but might have to in order to get an optimal workout. I'll play around with times this week and see how it all works out.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

A Long Overdue Update!!!

Hey there - I know its been a few weeks since I've updated, so I figured I'd post an update of my workout adventures! I ran my 5K and my leg held up beautifully! It was truly an amazing experience! I hit the time I wanted to (around 35 mins) and ran it with my grandpa - which was incredible! After that, my ankle started to bug me a little bit so I took a week off from running. A week after my 5K, the hubby and I did a 5K walk (and sometimes jog since we wanted a better workout) to support ALS - which was another amazing experience. After the ALS walk, my ankle was a little sore again - which means that I still need to rest it before I jump back into running.

SO - with that, I have planned my next fitness adventures!! I am going to begin training for my first endurance race! Woot!! In Mid-October, after my 1 year anniversary, I am going to begin a 26 week running program to build endurance and speed and cut excess body fat. I am waiting until this time for a few reasons, I don't want any nutrition restrictions for our anniversary & I want sufficient time to allow my ankle and knee to get stronger after their injuries.

I have also picked up a book specifically designed for nutrition for endurance athletes - which is going to be amazing! I have started eating at maintenance as of yesterday and plan on sticking with that through my training program (as per the book) so I am eating 1900 calories a day! EEK that's a lot! haha! It should definitely be awesome once my body adapts to it! I wanted to adapt to eating to that now so that the jump in calories didn't impact me when I started my new running program.

So now I am going to enjoy a few weeks of downtime, maybe throw in the occasional workout - but main focus is to get nutrition in line now - so that I don't need to worry about it later. Photo blog will be updated regularly with my 1900 goals in hopes that I can start eating "by eye" and not have to count everything I eat.

Anyways - that's about it for now. I probably won't be updating much until I start the new plan, since I'm not working out a whole lot. But if I do - I'll post it!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Today's Run

So today's run was a tough one. I think that today was a culmination of weeks worth of bottled up stress & fatigue. I haven't been sleeping well this week, but that was partially my fault - Monday night got hit with insomnia, Tuesday was America's Got Talent and I didn't get to bed until after 10 and last night I fell into a good book and didn't get to bed until 10. For a normal person, this wouldn't be late at all - but I have to be at work by 6am and the alarm goes off at 4am. 3 nights in a row of less than 6 hours of sleep doesn't do good things for me.

Being a hypothyroid, I'm naturally tired almost all the time and the lack of sleep didn't help much - so I've been drinking more caffeine and energy drinks than I usually do to get through the past few days, which means I haven't had as much water as I probably should. Work has been a little stressful which hasn't helped matters either. Tonight, we have friends coming over for the football game so I have been rationing out my calories so that I can eat the yummy turkey burgers that the hubby is grilling tonight - meaning I didn't have as much calorie fuel as I normally have for my runs.

Oh - and the air conditioning went out at the gym today - so I was running in a nasty hot room with no air circulation!

All of this stuff added up to a fun run on the treadmill today. I found that I was struggling more than normal and my knees were bugging me more than usual. I've got the left one wrapped and iced it earlier to prevent any possible swelling, and I can't afford to injure it prior to my race - so I'm going to take it easy for the next 2 days.

Anyways - now that I've ranted enough about my crappy afternoon - here's my run today. I didn't do bad at all, considering the circumstances - still made a quick time and am averaging an 11 min mile for the whole run. Hopefully a few days of rest and relaxation will make for a better run on Sunday

Warm Up: 5 mins brisk walk
Run for 3.1 miles (between 5.3 and 6.5 miles per hour) in 33 mins 37 seconds
Cool Down: 7 mins of walking to lower heart rate and slow stretching after

Total Workout time: 49 mins
Total Calories Burned: 500
Total Distance Covered (with warm up and cool down): 3.74 miles
Average Heart Rate: 79%
Max Heart Rate: 94%

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Yay for Running

So I had another awesome workout today. I had planned to run my 5K today on a treadmill at work after my shift - but by the time the day was over, I just wanted to bolt out of there. So instead I opted for an outdoor run....in the desert....during the heat of the day....in 90+ degree weather...instead of air conditioned, climate controlled treadmill. Ya - I must be crazy!

I chose to run laps in my neighborhood - I have a 1 mile loop and ran that 3 times plus the extra 0.10 of a mile. Due to the heat, it wiped me out really fast and I had to stop and walk 4 times - my HRM wouldn't fall below 90% unless I stopped and walked. But each walk was only around 30 seconds, so I'm still happy. Time was a little longer than I wanted it to be, but I am attributing that to the heat as well.

I need to keep conditioning myself for outdoor running as my first race is coming up in a few weeks, so I think I'm going to have to start running at different times of the day. I don't particularly want to get up at 4am and run outside, but its definitely cooler than 4 in the afternoon. I am also contemplating starting to run every other day - instead of only 3 days a week, so I have an opportunity to get a few more workouts in before my race - but I'll have to see how I feel

Anyways, here's today's run - I don't know the max/avg speed and all those other fun facts. I used my IPOD and left my phone at home so I didn't have CardioTrainer running.

Warm Up: 5 mins brisk walk and dynamic stretching
Run 5K in 37 mins 11 seconds around my neighborhood
Cool Down: probably 5 mins walking to lower heart rate - whatever the length of "I will not bow" by Breaking Benjamin - the song was over when I got home and then stretching

Total Workout Time: 51 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 580 (considering I burned 60+ more calories than last run but had a longer time, this is definitely heat induced!)
Average Heart Rate: 83% - ya considering max is 85%, I whooped my butt today!
Max Heart Rate: 94%

Now that that's over, I am going to take it easy, rehydrate and get ready for clients later tonight! Fun Fun Fun!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Yesterday's Run

So had another awesome run yesterday. I decided to run a different course than I normally do - which turned out to be interesting. There's a MASSIVE hill that looks harmless enough when one is driving it, but running it is a pain! I ended up having to walk up it, and my heart rate was STILL over 90%! Eek! Maybe I'll find another route to run for a while

Anyways, even with my walking, I still got in a good time - 36 mins 20 seconds and my first mile was under 10 minutes! I was stoked!

Nutrition has been off all weekend - but I'm not too worried about it. I'm viewing it as a refeed weekend and nutrition will be back on point tomorrow. Trying to think of the next strength training challenge for me to do since MTC is over. A SparkFriend recommended something interesting, that I may have to start in the next few days - it will definitely be a challenge! We'll have to see how it goes!

Warm Up - 5 minutes
Run 5K around neighborhood 36 mins 20 seconds
Cool Down - 10 mins walking and stretching

Total Time: 46 mins
Total Calories Burned: 525
Total Distance (not including warm up) 3.62 miles
Max Speed: 8.4 MPH
Avg Speed: 4.7 MPH (this is due to the walking I had to do)
Total Climb 158 yards

Friday, September 3, 2010

Yesterday's Run

So I had an awesome run yesterday - managed another 5K on the treadmill without stopping! Woot!

Warm Up - 5 min walk
Run - 5K in 33 mins 35 seconds (averaged 5.5 MPH and got faster for the last quarter mile - finished running 6.5 MPH)
Cool Down - 7 min walk and cool down

Total Distance Ran: 3.76 miles (including warm up and cool down)
Total Calories Burned: 500
Total Workout Time: 49 minutes

I also got in a 3 mile walk with a client yesterday that was awesome - didn't wear my HRM though, so don't know my burn on that one! Today is a rest day and I need to figure out what to do now that MTC is over :-D

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Yay for Moar Running!!!

Had an awesome run today! Did it indoors on the treadmill due to not wanting to run outside in the heat of the day - but still got a killer workout! I ran a full 5K today - without stopping or needing to walk a little bit - AND I'm getting faster! Go me!!

Warm Up - 5 min brisk walk
Run - 3.1 miles at 5.5 MPH - total time 33 minutes 47 seconds
Cool Down - 7 min walk & stretch out

Total Time: 49 minutes
Total Distance: 3.71 miles (including warm up and cool down)
Total Calories Burned: 490 Cals

Monday, August 30, 2010

Strength Circuit Training 08/30

So I wanted to jazz things up just a little bit in my workout today - and I did a DVD instead of my MTC workout. I actually got a better calorie burn & my body feels stronger after it than it usually does after a MTC workout - so I might start doing this DVD more regularly.

So as I was indecisive - at the recommendation of one of my SparkFriends - today was Jillian's No More Trouble Zones done with 5lb dumbbells, which doesn't seem like a lot of weight, but DAMN my arms are sore! haha!

Total Time: 59 minutes (including warm up & cool down)
Total Calories Burned: 411 - not bad for a strength training DVD!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Running Running & Moar Running!

So I got another awesome run in today! I have decided that I am now going for distance instead of time - so instead of running for 25 minutes, I'm running for 3 miles (however long that takes me)

I really pushed it today and ended up having to take a few breaks to walk for about 30 seconds - as my HRM was hanging out around 95% of my MHR. I enjoy pushing myself, but I don't want to cause my heart to give out, so walking was necessary to bring it back down :-D

Today's Run

Warm Up - 5 min brisk walk
Running (with some walking intervals) - 3.16 miles in 36 minutes 54 seconds on all sorts of terrains & inclines
Cool Down - 10 min walk back to the house & stretch out

Total Distance: 3.66 miles (not including warm up)
Total Calories Burned: 607
Total Workout Time: 57 minutes
Average Speed: 4.8 MPH
Top Speed: 6.9 MPH
Total Climb: 138 yards

I'm very proud of myself - it is my goal to run my first 5K in around 30 minutes, so I have a few weeks to shave off 6 minutes from that time. I think I can do it!! :-D

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Strength Circuit Workout 08/28

So I had another awesome weigh in this morning! Was down another pound and lost another 4.25 inches this week! Little by little, right? I am loving this recomp stuff! I am allowing myself to eat what I want to and I'm not feeling restricted (if you don't believe me, look at my food blog from BWW last night!)

Was ravenously hungry when I woke up this morning, so didn't work out right away. The hubby and I went out to breakfast and I was able to sneak my workout in earlier this afternoon. Its hard to believe I'm on day 21 of MTC - the time totally flew by!

Today's workout, done circuit style as fast as possible

Circuit One:

Decline Bench Press - 20 reps with 40lbs
Squats - 50 fast reps
Step Plyos - 1 minute
Butt Kicks - 1 minute

Circuit Two:
Plyo Push Ups (these are evil!) - 10 reps
Dumbbell Flys On Body Ball with Crunches - 15 reps with 10lb plates in each hand
Leg Extensions - 2 sets of 20 reps at 50lbs
Knee Tuck Jumps - 10 reps
Step Plyos - 30 seconds with 5lb dumbbells in each hand

Circuit Three:
Scorpion Push Ups - 5 reps per leg (10 total)
Alternating Dumbbell Press on Body Ball with Elbow Drive - 10 reps per arm with 5lb bells
Surrenders - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells overhead (20 total)
Side Step Plyos - 1 minute

Circuit Four:
Dips - 25
Basic Lunge with Military Shoulder Press - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
Burpies - 20 reps

Circuit Five:
W Shoulder Press with Leg Extension - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
Rope Tricep Press - 20 reps with "30" on Bowflex
Straight Leg Squat Thrusts - 30 seconds
Chair Pose - held for 30 seconds
Inner Thigh Raise - 10 per side

Total Time: 28 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 250

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Moar Running!!! Faster!!! Faster!!!

So I got my run in early today - due to some schedule conflicts later today. I got my butt up and made it to the treadmill BEFORE 6am (which was a feat in and of itself). I allowed myself over an hour to workout and change before my shift started at 7. Today's run was a little tough, and I felt wiped out (needed to take a 10 second breather with 6 minutes left, but otherwise ran it all straight - see food blog for my thoughts why) - but when it was over I felt like a rockstar! I was only supposed to run for 25 minutes, but I recovered & decided to run some more and I made it the full 3.1 miles (5K distance)!!!

Today - I can proudly say I ran a 5K on a treadmill in 35 minutes - this includes my 5 mins of warming up at a brisk walk! I am SO proud of myself! Wahoo!!!

I also just got wonderful news from a raffle I entered when the hubby and I were at Sunflower Market this past weekend - I won 3 free spa packages from Planet Beach!! Full Body Massage here I come!!! I have a consultation tomorrow and I can't wait for some relaxation time! Its going to be amazing! I haven't had a massage in over 2 years and desperately need one with all the training I've been doing - and a free one is even better! Wahoo!

So - here's my workout from today:

Warm Up: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH (distance 0.32 miles)
Run for 25 minutes (first 10 minutes at 6.0 MPH, last 15 minutes at 5.5 MPH - distance 2.38 miles)
Recovered for 2 minutes at 4.0 MPH
Ran for 3 minutes at 5.0-5.5 MPH (hit 3.1 miles here!)
Cool Down for 5 minutes at Brisk to Slow walk

Total Time for 5K run (warm up included in distance): 35 minutes 20 seconds! Not too shabby for a beginner!

Total Distance covered: 3.36 miles
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Total Calories Burned: 472

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Today's Strength Circuit

Hey everyone - here's my strength circuit for today. I burned more than I did last time I did it, but still didn't get any massive burns. I actually think that is strategic - I only have 1 rest day before my next workout instead of two, so I think this is designed to be a lighter workout. Makes more sense to me now...

Anyways, here's my workout from today, done circuit style, as fast as possible

Circuit One:
Wide-Grip Lat Pull Downs - 12 reps X 50lbs
Medium-Underhand Grip Pull Downs - 15 reps X 50lbs then held at mid-point for 30 seconds
Deadlifts - 10 X 40lbs
Hamstring Curls - 20 X 50lbs

Circuit Two:
Seated Cable Rows - 12 reps X "50" per side on Bowflex
Lateral Shoulder Raises - 10 reps X 5lbs each side
Lunges - 5 per leg
One-Leg Pelvic Thrusts - 20 reps per leg
Rock Star Jumps - 20 reps

Circuit Three:
Military Shoulder Press Prone on Body Ball - 10 X 5lbs each arm
Frog Kicks - 20 reps
Butt Kicks - One Minute

Circuit Four:
Crossover Lunges with Hammer Curls - 20 X 5lbs each arm
Bicep Curls - alternating arm with iso hold in between reps - 10 X 15lbs each
Bicycle Crunches - 25 reps
One Minute Jog in place

Circuit Five:
Rock Star Jumps - 20
Ball Crunches - 20 reps
Hanging Abs with a Twist - 15 per side

Total Time: 27 minutes
Total Cals Burned: 210

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Strength Circuit Workout 08/24

So I am continuing to make progress - I am 18 days into Making the Cut and feel awesome! I have consistently hit my calorie count recently and expect a damn good weigh in this weekend! As posted earlier, got an fabulous run in this morning and now got in a good strength workout. I upped my weights on almost all of the exercises from when I did this workout 3 days ago - so yay for progress!

Done Circuit Style as fast as possible

Circuit One:
Body Ball Push Ups (with 1 foot on each ball, core engaged so body balls don't touch - these are evil!) - 10 reps
Push Ups - 20 reps (did 5 more than last time)
One Leg Leg Press (done instead of the cables, it was easier) - 10 reps per leg at 50lbs each
Step Plyos for One Minute

Circuit Two:
Dumbbell Press on Body Ball - upped weight by 5lbs per arm - 5 alternating reps with 20lb dumbbells each arm with isometric contraction for non-working arm, plus 5 reps of 20 pounds after (just for fun!)
Half-Crow Push Ups - 5 reps per leg
Harpies - 20 reps
Jump Squats - 10 reps
Warrior Pose with Tricep Press - 30 sec per leg with 5lb dumbbells

Circuit Three:
Dips (till failure) - 25 reps
Hanging Abs - 15 reps
Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder Raise - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
Side Step Plyos for 1 minute

Circuit Four:
Pike Push Ups - 10 reps
Squat and Military Shoulder Press - 15lb dumbbells in each arm for 10 reps
Dropsies - on bowflex bench - 8 reps per leg
Jump Rope for One Minute

Circuit Five:
Bench Dips with feet on body ball (evil! Pure evil!) - 20 reps
Bicycle Crunches - 30 scissors (60 reps)
Plank Twists - 20 per side
Boat Pose held for 30 seconds

Total Time: 30 Minutes
Total Calories: 270

Running Workout 08/24

So today's run was interesting - I still have a nasty blister on the arch of my foot, and it made running today a little difficult. But something interesting happened in the first few minutes of my run, instead of acknowledging my pain, stopping and rescheduling for another day when my foot was better - I sucked it up, turned up the tunes and just kept running! I don't think I would have done that 2 months ago! I did my workout on a treadmill today at work during my 30 min lunch break - so I had to cut my warm up and cool down a little short.

Since I was on a treadmill, I didn't use the incline - but I pushed my speed faster so I can get used to running at higher speeds for longer distances. My goal is to hit 3.1 miles (or 5K) in 30 minutes. Today I ran 2.31 miles in 25 minutes - so I'm close. I'm interested to see how my outdoor runs progress. I really want to push for speed during those workouts too - as I get more conditioned for inclines & terrain changes.

I have a strength training workout planned for this afternoon, and a training session with a client after that - so its gonna be a busy day for fitness!

Here's my workout so far:

Warm Up (consisted of moving around at my desk and bolting across the building to the gym)
Run for 25 minutes at 5.5 MPH
Cool Down (consisted of bolting back to my desk, clocking in from lunch and stretching out here)

Total Time: 30 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 325

This oddly worked out well because it gave me an accurate distance based on only my running time - and not my distance including warm up and cool down. Not sure if I'm going to do Thursday's run on a treadmill or outdoors. I have clients that evening and I have to work later that day, so might have to run at work so that I don't kill myself in the heat.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Today's Strength Circuit Training

So today was kind of a wash for working out - I have a nasty blister on the bottom of my foot (right in the arch) from running yesterday so I had to take it down a notch in my workout today. I could have lifted heavier - but not having the stability in my right foot caused some issues and I didn't want to run the risk of pulling something due to an imbalance. I only burned about 140 calories, but I might get another workout in with the hubby later so I might have an opportunity for a bigger burn.

Anyways, here's my workout from today, done circuit style, as fast as possible

Circuit One:
Wide-Grip Lat Pull Downs - 12 reps X 50lbs
Medium-Underhand Grip Pull Downs - 15 reps X 50lbs then held at mid-point for 30 seconds
Deadlifts - 10 X 35lbs
Hamstring Curls - 20 X 50lbs

Circuit Two:
Seated Cable Rows - 12 reps X "50" per side on Bowflex
Lateral Shoulder Raises - 10 reps X 5lbs each side
Lunges - 5 per leg
One-Leg Pelvic Thrusts - 20 reps per leg
Rock Star Jumps - 20 reps

Circuit Three:
Military Shoulder Press Prone on Body Ball - 10 X 5lbs each arm
Frog Kicks - 20 reps
Butt Kicks - One Minute

Circuit Four:
Crossover Lunges with Hammer Curls - 20 X 5lbs each arm
Bicep Curls - alternating arm with iso hold in between reps - 10 X 15lbs each
Bicycle Crunches - 25 reps
One Minute Jog in place

Circuit Five:
Rock Star Jumps - 20
Ball Crunches - 20 reps
Hanging Abs with a Twist - 15 per side

Total Time: 25 minutes
Total Cals Burned: 140

Yesterday's Running workout 08/22

Hey all! I ended up being busy most of the day yesterday, so am finally updating my running workout today. Got out around 9am and had a great run around my neighborhood. Yesterday's 25 mins was definitely easier than Thursday's run - so I'm happy to see continued progress with my endurance.

Wasn't able to get my strength training in yesterday, so I'm going to do that workout today after work - so I'll update that later, but for now, here's my running workout from yesterday

Warm Up - 5 minutes walk
Run 25 minutes
Cool Down - 5 minutes and Stretch Out at home

Total Time: 40 Minutes
Total Calories Burned: 450
Total Distance: 2.65 miles
Max Speed: 6.2 MPH
Average Speed: 4.5 MPH
Total Climb: 130 yards

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Strength Circuit Training 08/21

Got up early and did my measurements today! I am back down to 172 (from 173.5 last week) and down 5.5 inches from last week! So I am totally shrinking and putting on muscle! I am losing body fat - and depending on the calculator I use, the Navy/Military BF calculator has me down 1.3% and others have me down about 0.5% - so either way I am dropping body fat. And for only 2 weeks of Making the Cut and running - I'd say that's pretty good.

Took some progress photos that should be up on Spark sometime in the next few days - I am really pleased with my progress and hope to see more downward numbers in the upcoming weeks! I bought a new pair of running shoes yesterday and I can't wait to break them in! They have gel insoles and are SO comfy!!

Anyways, here's my workout from this morning

Done Circuit Style as fast as possible

Circuit One:
Body Ball Push Ups (with 1 foot on each ball, core engaged so body balls don't touch - these are evil!) - 10 reps
Push Ups - 15 reps
Cable Leg Extensions - 10 reps per leg at "30" on bowflex
Step Plyos for One Minute

Circuit Two:
Dumbbell Press on Body Ball - 10 reps with 15lb dumbbells each arm
Half-Crow Push Ups - 5 reps per leg
Harpies - 20 reps
Jump Squats - 10 reps
Warrior Pose with Tricep Press - 30 sec per leg with 5lb dumbbells

Circuit Three:
Dips (till failure) - 20 reps
Hanging Abs - 15 reps
Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder Raise - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
Side Step Plyos for 1 minute

Circuit Four:
Pike Push Ups - 10 reps
Squat and Military Shoulder Press - 15lb dumbbells in each arm for 10 reps
Dropsies - on bowflex bench - 8 reps per leg
Jump Rope for One Minute

Circuit Five:
Bench Dips with feet on body ball (evil! Pure evil!) - 20 reps
Bicycle Crunches - 30 scissors (60 reps)
Plank Twists - 20 per side
Boat Pose held for 30 seconds

Total Time: 35 Minutes
Total Calories: 275

Thursday, August 19, 2010

MOAR RUNNING!! YIPPEE!!!

So my running workouts are getting longer and longer - which is awesome! However, I've found that I can no longer fit them into my 30 min lunch break at work, so I'll be running outdoors from now on after work. Today I was really tired and didn't *feel* like going out and running in the 90+ degree southwestern heat, BUT I DID!!! I sucked it up and went out for my run and I feel AMAZING now! Today was my longest run yet!

I kept my pace a little slower than normal for a few reasons - first, I wanted to make sure my butt would get through 25 mins of straight running around my neighborhood (lots of evil gradual inclines!). Second, it was 90+ degrees out with minimal cloud cover at 345 in the afternoon - I wanted to make sure I didn't pass out from heat exhaustion! The first 13 minutes of the run were tough, and thankfully I made a great playlist that kept my feet going. Once I heard that "you're halfway there" chime on my phone, it was easier to get the motivation going! So the rest of the program from here is all distance running, no more intervals - so now I'll be working on building endurance and speed! Should be good times! Have a weigh in on Saturday - I hope to see some progress! That damn scale has been sitting pretty at around 172 for WAY too long!

Today's Workout:

Warm Up - 5 minutes Brisk Walk
Run for 25 minutes
Cool Down - 5 minutes Walking (back to the house!)
8 minutes of static stretching - my legs needed this!!

Total Time: 43 minutes
Total Distance: 2.62 miles
Total Calories Burned: 460
Average Pace: 4.3 MPH with top speed 5.7 MPH
Total Climb: 128 yards

Good times!! Now going to enjoy a workout day off tomorrow and get ready for another awesome workout week starting on Saturday! I've finished 2 weeks of Making the Cut and 6 weeks of C25K!! I LOVE IT!!!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Strength Circuit 08/18

So my tummy feels a little yucky today - not sure why - but I still got in a decent strength training workout! Tomorrow is back to running and I have 2 days off before another strength workout, so hopefully whatever bug is in my tummy will go away! I am truly looking forward to my run tomorrow - its going to be 25 mins! Yippee!! Can't wait to see how far I go!

Got some clients coming over tonight, so I'll be getting more exercise from that, and the hubby is making turkey tacos for dinner! Yum!

Circuit Strength Training Workout - circuits done as fast as possible with no more than 30 seconds rest between each circuit

Circuit One:
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns - 12 reps at 50lbs
Medium Underhand Grip Pull-downs - 15 reps at 50lbs then held mid-point for 30 seconds
Hamstring Curls - 15 reps at 50lbs
Jumping Lunges - 10 reps on each leg
One Minute Fast High Knees

Circuit Two:
Terry Pulls - 40 reps with resistance band
Standing Lat Pull-downs - 10 reps at 25lbs
Back Kicks with Shoulder Press - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
One Minute Fast High Knees

Circuit Three:
Seated Cable Rows - 12 reps at 50 per side on Bowflex
Step Ups - 20 per leg on Step Level 10
One Minute Butt Kicks

Circuit Four:
Incline Bicep Curls - 10 reps at 15lbs each
Pike Crunches (aka Jack Knife) - 25 reps
One Leg Hamstring Curls - 10 reps per leg at 50 pounds
One Minute Butt Kicks

Circuit Five:
Supermans - held midpoint position for 1 minute
Boat Pose - held for 30 seconds
Reverse Plank - held for 1 minute
Jump Rope for 1 minute

Total Time: 34 mins
Total Calories Burned: 255

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Strength Circuit Training 08/17

Got another awesome strength workout in today! I upped my weights on some of the exercises and knocked out more reps on others than I did a few days ago - so I can definitely tell my body is getting stronger! Go me!

Here's my workout from tonight - done circuit style as fast as possible

Warm Up

Circuit One:
Scorpion Push-Ups - 20 reps
Dumbbell Flys on body ball with Crunches - 10lbs for 10 reps
Leg Extensions - 2 sets of 20 reps at 50 pounds
Jump Squats (till failure) - 35 reps (15 more reps than last time)

Circuit Two:
Decline Dumbbell Press - 10 reps 35lb barbell (upped weight by 5lbs and felt better using bar than bells)
V Cable Flys - 15 reps
Squat Thrusts - 20 reps
Side Lunges - 20 reps (10 per leg)

Circuit Three:
Close Grip Push-Ups (till failure) - 20 reps (5 more than last time)
Plank Ups (till failure) - 10 reps
Jump Squats (till failure) - 40 reps (10 more than last time)
One-Leg Squats - 10 reps per leg
One Minute Jumping Jacks

Circuit Four:
Military Shoulder Press - 8 reps 15lbs each arm
Wood Choppers - 15 reps on each side of body
Knee Tuck Jumps - 10 reps
Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder Raise - 10 reps on each leg with 5lbs dumbbells
Reverse Crunches - 5 reps
Hanging Abs with a Twist - 10 reps per side

Circuit Five:
30 seconds fast high knees, 30 seconds recovery performed 5 times for 5 minutes total

Total Workout Time: 35 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 300 Calories

Moar Running!!!

So I totally kicked butt in my running workout again - I can't believe how much I've fallen in love with running as a form of cardio! I feel so powerful when I finish! I NEVER got that kind of satisfaction off an elliptical or bike before! It just feels like what my body was designed to do - which if you think about it, as cavemen, we were designed for running. Today during my run, my playlist played the perfect music to help get me through my workout, gotta love good tunes that keep you going! I pushed myself harder & faster during my last interval than I have during my prior distance training. I was pretty wiped out at the end of it, but I feel like such a bad ass for making it through it at a faster pace, which means I went a longer distance in the overall run! Woot! 3.1 miles in 30 minutes doesn't seem so impossible now!

Anyways, nutrition has been on point and I'm hoping to see a loss this week - in inches or weight, either works for me. I have a strength training workout planned for later today and I'm really looking forward to that.

Today's Running Workout:

Warm Up
Interval # 1: 10 minutes running at 5.5 MPH
Recovery Time: Walk at 4.0 MPH for 3 minutes
Interval # 2: 10 minutes running at 6.0 MPH (faster speed for me at this distance! woot!)
Cool Down

Total Distance Ran: 2.35 miles
Total Calories: 305
Total Time: 30 mins

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Today's Workout 08/15

I totally killed it today in my workout! I worked my ass off and feel incredible!

Here's my workout from this morning that totally whopped my butt! Good times indeed! Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day from working out, and I'm looking forward to the inevitable soreness that is coming my way!

Circuit Strength Training Workout - circuits done as fast as possible with no more than 30 seconds rest between each circuit

Circuit One:
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns - 12 reps at 50lbs
Medium Underhand Grip Pull-downs - 15 reps at 50lbs then held mid-point for 30 seconds
Hamstring Curls - 15 reps at 50lbs
Jumping Lunges - 10 reps on each leg
One Minute Fast High Knees

Circuit Two:
Terry Pulls - 40 reps with resistance band
Standing Lat Pull-downs - 10 reps at 25lbs
Back Kicks with Shoulder Press - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
One Minute Fast High Knees

Circuit Three:
Seated Cable Rows - 12 reps at 50 per side on Bowflex
Step Ups - 20 per leg on Step Level 10
One Minute Butt Kicks

Circuit Four:
Incline Bicep Curls - 10 reps at 15lbs each
Pike Crunches (aka Jack Knife) - 25 reps
One Leg Hamstring Curls - 10 reps per leg at 50 pounds
One Minute Butt Kicks

Circuit Five:
Supermans - held midpoint position for 1 minute
Boat Pose - held for 30 seconds
Reverse Plank - held for 1 minute
Jump Rope for 1 minute

ONCE THAT WORKOUT WAS DONE....I WAS JUST GETTING STARTED!!!!

After Circuits were done, went out around the neighborhood for my 5K training run. Since I've been training mainly on treadmills, today I focused more on inclines and alternate terrains to increase my endurance which added so much more to my workout and calorie burn. Today's run totally whooped my ass - after the circuits my legs felt like jello - and after my run they felt like lead! haha! For my runs, I averaged between a 10.5 and 11 minute mile pace and hit every hill I possibly could in my neighborhood

Warm Up - 7 minutes
Interval # 1: Run for 5 minutes
Recovery Time: 3 minutes brisk walk
Interval # 2: Run for 8 minutes
Recovery Time: 3 minutes brisk walk
Interval # 3: Run for 5 minutes
Cool Down - 10 minutes with well deserved stretch out when I got home

Total Workout Time: 83 Minutes
Total Calorie Burn: 722 Calories (Woot!)
Total Distance Ran: 2.83 miles (including warm up and cool down walking distance)

Yesterday's Workout 08/14

So yesterday got another good strength training workout in - I took my measurements and am noticing some fabulous muscle growth and changes in my measurements. Definitely a perk!

So here's my workout from yesterday - done circuit style as fast as possible

Warm Up

Circuit One:
Scorpion Push-Ups - 20 reps
Dumbbell Flys on body ball with Crunches - 10lbs for 10 reps
Leg Extensions - 2 sets of 20 reps at 50 pounds
Jump Squats - 20 reps

Circuit Two:
Decline Dumbbell Press - 10 reps 15 pounds each arm
V Cable Flys - 15 reps
Squat Thrusts - 20 reps
Side Lunges - 20 reps (10 per leg)

Circuit Three:
Close Grip Push-Ups - 15 reps
Plank Ups - 10 reps
Jump Squats - 30 reps
One-Leg Squats - 10 reps per leg
One Minute Jumping Jacks

Circuit Four:
Military Shoulder Press - 8 reps 15lbs each arm
Wood Choppers - 15 reps on each side of body
Knee Tuck Jumps - 10 reps
Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder Raise - 10 reps on each leg with 5lbs dumbbells
Reverse Crunches - 5 reps
Hanging Abs with a Twist - 10 reps per side

Circuit Five:
30 seconds fast high knees, 30 seconds recovery performed 5 times for 5 minutes total

Total Workout Time: 33 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 290 Calories

Friday, August 13, 2010

My longest run yet...

I am SO proud of myself! I was really nervous about my run today, but I totally rocked it! Today is the longest I have ran in my adult life (if not my entire life, but I don't remember my exact training in high school). I put on some killer music and ran for a full 20 mins to MCR, Rhianna, VNV Nation, Cascada and some other bad ass songs - gotta love shuffle!

The next run starts intervals again, but they're starting to get longer - I think Sunday's run is 5 minutes, 8 minutes and 5 minutes which should be really fun. I am going to start incorporating at least one day of running outdoors into my routine. Now that I'm getting distances, I have to get used to running inclines and terrain differences - so my running days will change from Mon, Wed & Fri to Sun, Tues & Thurs.

Here's my workout for today (go me!)

Warm Up
Run for 20 mins at 5.5 MPH
Cool Down

Total Time: 30 mins
Total Distance: 2.18 miles
Total Calories Burned: 310

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Today's Circuit Workout 08/11

So I got in another fabulous circuit workout today! I can already notice I'm getting stronger in a lot of the movements - which is fabulous! I've definitely had a great workout day and am looking forward to my rest day tomorrow

Here's what I did today - circuit style workout done as fast as possible with 30 seconds of rest in between each circuit

Warm Up

Circuit One:
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns - 50lbs for 20 reps set 1, 50lbs for 12 reps set 2, 50lbs for 8 reps set 3
Dumbbell Row - 20lbs in each arm for 15 reps
Lunges (no added weight) - 25 reps per leg (ouch!)
One-Minute fast high knees

Circuit Two:
Low Dumbbell Rows - 15lbs each arm for 15 reps
Lying Hamstring Curls - 50lbs for 15 reps
Step Ups - performed at "10" on step - 20 reps per leg
One-Minute fast high knees

Circuit Three:
Crab Walk (10 steps forward)
Reverse Plank Leg Lifts (5 per leg)
Crab Walk (10 steps backwards)
Reverse Plank Leg Lifts (5 per leg)
Supermans - 20 reps then hold midpoint for 20 seconds
Reverse Crunches - 25 reps
Mountain Climbers - 1 minute

Circuit Four:
Pendulum Lunges with Hammer Curls - 5lb dumbbells in each arm (focused more on form than weight) - 10 reps per leg)
Hammer Curls - 15lbs for 10 reps (almost failure)
Static Lunges with Reverse Cable Fly - 10 reps with each leg forward
One-Minute fast High Knees

Circuit Five:
One-Leg Pelvic Thrusts - 15 per leg
Toe Touch Crunches - 25 reps
Mountain Climbers - 1 minute

Cool Down

Total Time: 41 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 345

The Runs are getting longer...

Had another great running workout today! They are slowly getting longer! I also have a strength/circuit workout planned for this afternoon, so I'll be updating that as well. I am definitely excited and nervous for Friday's run - its 20 minutes straight! Eek! I felt really good at the end of the 8 minute intervals today, so I'm sure the 20 minutes will be great, but its still a little overwhelming!

Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day with NO workouts at all! Woot! I'm definitely looking forward to a recovery day!

Here's my running workout from today

Warm Up
Interval # 1: Run at 5.5 MPH for 8 minutes
Recovery Time: 4.0MPH walk for 4 minutes
Interval # 2: Run at 5.5 MPH for 8 minutes
Cool Down

Total Time: 30 Minutes
Total Distance: 2.15 miles
Total Calories Burned: 295

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Circuit Workout 08/10

Had a great workout this evening too! Definitely feeling stronger with the workouts - so that's a total perk!

This was a circuit style workout done as quickly as possible.

Warm Up - 4/10 of a mile run

Circuit One:
Dumbbell Presses On Body Ball - 20lbs each arm - 20 reps
Dumbbell Flys on Body Ball with Crunches - 10lb plates in each arm - 15 reps
Squats - 50 fast, no added weight
One-Minute fast high knees in place

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit Two:
Plank - hold for 10 seconds
Close-Grip Push Ups - 5 reps
Side Planks with Inner Thigh Raise - 10 reps per leg
Plank - hold for 5 seconds
Close-Grip Push Ups - 5 reps
Side Planks with Inner Thigh Raise - 10 reps per leg
Plank - hold for 5 seconds
Burpies - 10 reps
Sumo Squats - 50 reps
One-minute fast high knees in place

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit Three:
Frog Push Ups - 20 reps
Squat Thrusts - 20 reps
Hold Squat Position for 30 seconds
W-Shoulder Presses with Leg Extension - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
One-Minute Jump Rope

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit 4:
Bench Dips - 20 reps
Rope Tricep Presses - performed until failure, 25 reps with 20lb settings per arm (Bowflex)
Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder Raise - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
Mountain Climbers - 1 minute
Boat Pose held for 30 seconds

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit 5:
One-Minute Jump Rope
Bicycle Crunches - 50 reps
Extended Plank held for 30 seconds

Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 41 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 320

Monday, August 9, 2010

Strength Circuit Training 08/09

Woot! I got my circuit workout in today - now I don't feel like such a slacker! My legs totally feel like Jello after my run earlier today - but it was totally worth it! Had to rush through it a little bit as I had a client coming over - but at least I got it in!

Here's what I did today - circuit style workout done as fast as possible with 30 seconds of rest in between each circuit

Warm Up

Circuit One:
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns - 50lbs for 20 reps set 1, 50lbs for 12 reps set 2
Dumbbell Row - 20lbs in each arm for 15 reps
Lunges (no added weight) - 25 reps per leg (ouch!)
One-Minute fast high knees

Circuit Two:
Low Dumbbell Rows - 15lbs each arm for 15 reps
Lying Hamstring Curls - 50lbs for 15 reps
Step Ups - performed at "10" on step - 20 reps per leg
One-Minute fast high knees

Circuit Three:
Crab Walk (10 steps forward)
Reverse Plank Leg Lifts (5 per leg)
Crab Walk (10 steps backwards)
Reverse Plank Leg Lifts (5 per leg)
Supermans - 20 reps then hold midpoint for 20 seconds
Reverse Crunches - 25 reps
Mountain Climbers - 1 minute

Circuit Four:
Pendulum Lunges with Hammer Curls - 5lb dumbbells in each arm (focused more on form than weight) - 10 reps per leg)
Hammer Curls - 15lbs for 12 reps (almost failure)
Static Lunges with Reverse Cable Fly - 10 reps with each leg forward
One-Minute fast High Knees

Circuit Five:
One-Leg Pelvic Thrusts - 20 per leg
Toe Touch Crunches - 25 reps
Mountain Climbers - 1 minute

Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 35 mins
Total Calories Burned: 235 (that plus my run earlier makes for a decent burn today! Woot!)

Today's Workout 08/09

Hey! So I got my running workout in today - and totally rocked it! I am really getting used to running these longer intervals! I might try to get my strength training in later today since I missed it yesterday. I don't really want to fall too far behind with that. I'll definitely updated later with that if I manage to get it in

For now, here's my running workout from today:

Warm Up
Interval # 1: Run for 5 minutes at 5.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 3 minutes at 4.0 MPH
Interval #2: Run for 5 minutes (2.5 minutes at 5.5 MPH, 2.5 minutes at 6.0 MPH)
Recovery Time: 3 minutes at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 3: Run for 5 minutes (2.5 minutes at 6.0 MPH, 2.5 minutes at 6.5 MPH)
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 30 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 255
Total Distance: 2.15 miles

Saturday's Workout - 08/07

Whew - it was a busy weekend indeed. Got a good workout in on Saturday and due to feeling yucky on Sunday (see nutrition blog) couldn't get a workout in yesterday. I have some killer DOMS in my legs today, so it will be interesting to see how I fare on my run this afternoon. Had a client come over and got a good burn from that and I also got in a good 20 min walk from our house to my mother in law's place on Saturday too - so lots of activity, but lots of food too - so I didn't really reap much of the benefits from the calorie burn unfortunately

Anyways, here's my workout from Saturday morning - gotta love 100 squats to make the legs feel like jello. This was a circuit style workout done as quickly as possible.

Warm Up

Circuit One:
Dumbbell Presses On Body Ball - 20lbs each arm - 20 reps
Dumbbell Flys on Body Ball with Crunches - 10lb plates in each arm - 15 reps
Squats - 50 fast, no added weight
One-Minute fast high knees in place

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit Two:
Plank - hold for 10 seconds
Close-Grip Push Ups - 5 reps
Side Planks with Inner Thigh Raise - 10 reps per leg
Plank - hold for 5 seconds
Close-Grip Push Ups - 5 reps
Side Planks with Inner Thigh Raise - 10 reps per leg
Plank - hold for 5 seconds
Burpies - 10 reps
Sumo Squats - 50 reps
One-minute fast high knees in place

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit Three:
Frog Push Ups - 20 reps
Squat Thrusts - 20 reps
Hold Squat Position for 30 seconds
W-Shoulder Presses with Leg Extension - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
One-Minute Jump Rope

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit 4:
Bench Dips - 20 reps
Rope Tricep Presses - performed until failure, 20 reps with 20lb settings per arm (Bowflex)
Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder Raise - 10 reps per leg with 5lb dumbbells
Mountain Climbers - 1 minute
Boat Pose held for 30 seconds

Recovery Time: 30 Seconds before starting next Circuit

Circuit 5:
One-Minute Jump Rope
Bicycle Crunches - 50 reps
Extended Plank held for 30 seconds

Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 35 mins
Total Calories Burned: 292

Friday, August 6, 2010

Today's Workout 08/06

So today I got another good workout in - I have officially finished my first 4 weeks of 5K training! I am really proud of myself! I am consistently running for 5 minute intervals now and can't wait to push it to the next level next week!

Here's today's workout:

Warm Up for around 7 mins (I was having issues with the Android app for my workout, so that's why this was 2 mins longer today)
Interval # 1: Run for 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 2: Run for 5 minutes at 5.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 2.5 minutes at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 3: Run for 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 4: Run for 2.5 minutes at 5.5 MPH, Run for 2.5 minutes at 6.0 MPH
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 35 minutes
Total Calories Burned: 325
Total Distance Ran: 2.72 miles

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Today's Workout 8/04

So I got a decent run in today, even though I'm still sick. I got a blister on my heel last night while walking with a client, so I ran half my workout barefoot (on the treadmill). After my feet were beat up from that, I put my shoes back on and sucked it up through the rest of the workout. My feet are going to really hate me tomorrow, but it gave me a higher intensity workout without shoes (calves are definitely feeling it more!) and a higher calorie burn as well

Here's my workout from today:

Warm Up
Interval # 1: 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 2: 5 minutes at 5.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 2 1/2 minutes at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 3: 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 4: 4 minutes at 5.5 MPH, 1 minute at 7.0 MPH
Cool Down

Total time: 30 minutes
Total Distance: 2.27 miles
Total Calories Burned: 300

Monday, August 2, 2010

Workout for 08/02

Whew! So I survived Birthday weekend - weight is up a little due to some sodium weight, but that will be back down in a few days. Kept up with my workouts and started week 4 of my 5k training today. The runs are getting longer, so I'm keeping my pace slower than the sprints, but its going well. Going to start up a strength program again in about a week to add to my running training and hopefully will get some of this extra weight off before my 5K later this fall

Here's my workout from today:

Warm Up
Interval # 1: 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 2: 5 minutes at 5.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 2 1/2 minutes at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 3: 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 4: 4 minutes at 5.5 MPH, 1 minute at 7.0 MPH
Cool Down

Total time: 28 minutes
Total Distance: 2.23 miles
Total Calories Burned: 285

Friday, July 30, 2010

Today's Workout 07/30

So the Hubby came home from work the other day with a nasty case of the plague (aka - cold, flu, yuckiness). I caught it as well and have had a fabulous case of chills, exhaustion and a yucky dry cough that won't go away. BUT - I managed to overcome that, popped some Dayquil, drink some tea and I got in a good cardio workout today. I feel pretty good after it, so I'm stoked. I took my longer intervals a little slower than the past 2 runs I've had since I didn't want to have a coughing fit, but I figure anything is better than nothing, right?

Here's my workout today

Warm Up 5 mins
Interval # 1: Run for 90 Seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 90 Seconds
Interval # 2: Run for 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 3 minutes
Interval # 3: Run for 90 Seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 90 Seconds
Interval # 2: Run for 3 minutes at 6.5 MPH
Cool Down for 5 minutes

Total Time: 28 Minutes
Total Distance: 2.02 Miles
Total Calories Burned: 250

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Workout for 07/28

So today was an odd day. Got a decent amount of sleep last night, had a docs appt this morning to get a shot renewed and went into work at 9am instead of 6am - so my whole day feels WAY off. We are having a site wide party this afternoon for work, so I am technically only working 4 hours today, which is rad.

Since I had a crazy morning, I managed to squeeze in my running workout between the Doc's office and work so I didn't have to worry about getting it done later tonight. It felt nice to get it done in the morning and I did the second workout of week 3 today and really enjoyed it. I pushed myself to maintain a fast speed during the longer runs again and am working on building endurance over the next few weeks. I've been keeping my nutrition in line (check out the other blog for further info) and am working on getting back to where I was prior to our Phoenix trip. I've still got a few extra pounds of sodium bloat that need to go away! haha! I think I'll be downing some Dandelion Tea or working out in my Sauna Suit if it doesn't go away soon!

So enough of me blabbing, here's my workout from today:

Warm Up: 5 mins Brisk Walk
Interval # 1: Run at 7 MPH for 90 Seconds
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 2: Run at 7 MPH for 3 minutes
Recovery Time: 3 Mins Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 3: Run at 7 MPH for 90 Seconds
Recovery Time: 90 Seconds Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH
Interval # 4: Run at 7 MPH for 3 minutes
Recovery Time: 3 Mins Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH
Cool Down for a few mins

Total Time: 25 Mins
Total Distance: 2.06 Miles
Total Calories Burned: 253

Monday, July 26, 2010

Workout for 07/26

Hey there! Back from our weekend vacation and getting back on track! Ate lots of yummy food and didn't work out for a few days - so it felt good to start running again. I must say I am definitely thankful that we don't have a Cheesecake Factory here - I would totally balloon up if I could eat there regularly! YUM!

So this week will be spent getting back on track from this vacation, then after my birthday I am going to start a cut for my race later this fall. Also, decided to start keeping a photographic food journal that's linked through my profile on here. I think it will help me stay accountable and on track. I figure if I'm embarassed to photograph it and post it - then I probably shouldn't be eating it! haha!

In case anyone is interested: that's located at www.foodforhilly.blogspot.com

Today began Week 3 of my 5K training and I'm starting to run longer intervals, which are definitely killer, but I feel great when I'm done with them! I also have some training with clients tonight, which should add some additional calorie burn to my day

Today's Workout
5 min warm up
Interval # 1: Run at 7.0 MPH for 90 Seconds
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 90 Seconds
Interval # 2: Run at 7.0 MPH for 3 minutes
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 3 minutes
Interval # 3: Run at 7.0 MPH for 90 Seconds
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 90 Seconds
Interval # 4: Run at 7.0 MPH for 3 minutes
Recovery Time: Brisk Walk at 4.0 MPH for 3 minutes
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 30 Mins
Total Distance Covered: 1.88 miles
Total Calories Burned: 250

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Workout for 07/22

Hey everyone! Things are going well for me - but we are gearing up for another busy weekend. Nutrition is still around maintenance, so treating this as an extended refeed - which is good considering that I'm going to be cutting some body fat as of August. Been averaging around 1700-2000 cals a day and weight has stayed around the same, with the exception of the occasional spike from sodium intake.

We had some unexpected free time during my shift at work today, so I figured I'd get my running intervals done today instead of trying to do them tomorrow. Needless to say, I didn't have my HRM or workout clothes - so the below workout was done in my bootcut jeans and black Victoria's Secret T-Shirt! I wasn't wearing running shoes either, so I ended up running 2 of my intervals in my socks instead of in the shoes. Overall not too shabby for running in "civilian" gear :-)

Since I didn't have the HRM, I am going to gauge my calories, etc on the burn from the last time I did this workout. Next week starts a whole different round of intervals - I am definitely stoked to see continued progress! I am also stoked to get a decent cut going - so that I'm not carrying around all this extra giggle during my runs

Warm Up
Interval 1: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 2: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH - no shoes
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 3: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH - no shoes
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 4: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 5: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 6: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 30 mins
Total Calories Burned: 250
Total Distance: 2.5 miles

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Workout for 07/20

Well, workouts have been kind of scarce recently. Been getting the house ready for the appraisal - which is tomorrow at 11am-ish. Did a ton of yard work and painted one of the bathrooms, so the normal workouts have been put on hold. However, one doesn't realize how much of an isometric strengh workout one can get from painting a bathroom - it definitely is awesome. Still have a lot to do before the appraisal as well. I have an appointment with a client after work today, then get to go paint our secondary bathroom, some ceilings and around some light fixtures - so lots more isometric work is in my future *note the excitement*

Its going to be a late night, but no worries. It will be worth it in the long run. We have already made a lot of improvements to the house, and so we are hoping that it appraises for a little more than when we bought it. Because of all this craziness, nutrition hasn't been in the forefront of my goals, but I've been keeping it within maintenance and 1500 cals depending on the day, which isn't too bad. I'm trying to get my body to get used to functioning at a certain calorie level, so training myself has definitely been interesting. Weight is still staying constant, which isn't a bad thing. Going to focus on cutting some body fat after my birthday, which is a little less than 2 weeks away.

Managed to get my regular running intervals in at work today. Considering I still have a ton of stuff to do today, and I am still sore from the house stuff done this weekend, I didn't push my speeds too much, but I maintained consistency which is good. Been doing some research into different types of workouts (like those for spies and ninjas! So fascinating!) so I might start incorporating some of those techniques into my routines.

Here's my workout from today - not too bad considering I'm still sore. Going to probably burn another 300 or so with my client tonight so overall a decent calorie burn for the day.

Warm Up
Interval 1: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 2: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 3: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 4: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 5: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period for 2 minutes at 4.0
Interval 6: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 28 mins
Total Calories Burned: 248
Total Distance: 2.08 miles

Friday, July 16, 2010

Workout for 07/16

So due to some unexpected pain in my wrist, I decided to take a few days off heavy lifting. I didn't think that wrist pain plus 90+lb deadlifts were a good combination. I got a decent calorie burn with some clients last night working on low impact aerobics, so that made up for the lack of workout in the morning.

Today, I've been feeling very yucky and lethargic all day. My tummy has been bothering me again, but that's getting to be the norm for me recently. I was determined to maintain my workouts today, so I sucked it up and got it done! Might not have been the greatest calorie burn ever - but I got myself moving and ran some decent intervals. Since the intervals are longer this week and I wasn't feeling well anyways, I kept my speed relatively consistent throughout the workout today. Now that I am familiar with the demands of the workout - I can push it harder on my outdoor run on Sunday.

Treadmill Interval Run
Warm Up at 4.0
Interval 1: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period of 2 mins at 4.0 MPH
Interval 2: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period of 2 mins at 4.0 MPH
Interval 3: Run for 90 seconds at 7.5 MPH
Recovery period of 2 mins at 4.0 MPH
Interval 4: Run for 90 seconds at 7.5 MPH
Recovery period of 2 mins at 4.0 MPH
Interval 5: Run for 90 seconds at 7.5 MPH
Recovery period of 2 mins at 4.0 MPH
Interval 6: Run for 90 seconds at 7 MPH
Recovery period of 2 mins at 4.0 MPH
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 28 mins
Total Miles: 1.98
Total Calories Burned: 270

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Workout for 07/13

Running Cardio Intervals again today!!! Yahoo!!! I really love these workouts!! I really feel like I can just push myself as hard as I can during them! Next week starts a whole new set of cardio, so I wanted to finish Week One with a bang! haha!

Today I ran my intervals on a treadmill at work - so I didn't get the benefit and extra calorie burn of being outdoors, but I think I got a killer workout nonetheless. I sprinted as fast as I could while maintaining a constant speed (which is a lot easier said than done since I tend to fluctuate if I'm outdoors) and it felt really good to fully stretch out and sprint today. I also walked on the treadmills a little bit for my breaks during work, and tried to keep moving as much as I could - so I know I got a little extra calorie burn from that.

Here's my workout for today:


Warm Up
Interval 1: Run at 7 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 2: Run at 7.5 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 3: Run at 7.5 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 4: Run at 8 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 5: Run at 8 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 6: Run at 8.5 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 7: Run at 8.5 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Interval 8: Run at 8.5 MPH for 60 seconds
Recovery Time: 90 seconds at 4.0 MPH
Cool Down

Total Workout Time: 28 mins
Total Distance: 2.1 miles
Total Calories Burned: 280

Monday, July 12, 2010

Workout for 07/12

UGH! Today is a yucky day for working out! Went out with some friends last night and totally messed up my whole sleeping and eating schedule. It was worth it - because they are moving to China in a few weeks, so we all went to one of our favorite restarants, Buffalo Wild Wings and ate lots of yummy food. However, this morning all my digestion issues are back, I feel awful and I got less than 5 hours of sleep - so energy drinks are going to be required to get me through the day! I found one that's sugar free, carb free, calorie free and basically free of everything but caffiene - so that works. I know I'll feel better tomorrow, but getting through today is going to be rough. It was the hubby's first day on his new schedule - so we are getting used to our new morning routine.

I am getting really tired of feeling great throughout the week, and then destroying it over the weekend. I find that I have to spend the first few days of the week playing catch up for what I've done over the weekend. Its hard during the summer, but I need to find a way to make this work for me. Going to try some new motivation techniques and hope to start feeling better soon - and hope my willpower can make it through a weekend! I am maintaining my weight, but with the amount of activity I'm doing, I'd like to see some happy progress to show for it!

Had a strength training workout this morning - and lifted the same amount that I did the last time I did it, but didn't get a decent calorie burn because I just feel yucky. Form is good, weights are high but still kinda disappointing, but I know my body is going to make up for it later.

Weighted Squats
2 sets of 15 reps with 90lbs of weight
35 degree angle Push Ups
2 sets of 15 reps
Seated Row
2 sets of 15 reps with Bowflex setting "30" in each arm
One Legged Step Up
2 sets of 15 reps with 15lb dumbbells in each hand (30lbs total) and bench at highest setting
Prone Jackknife
2 sets of 8 reps on Swiss Ball

Total Workout Time: 22 mins
Total Calories Burned: 70 Cals

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Workouts for 07/10 and 07/11

So had a few great workouts over the past few days!! Yesterday was another strength day and had a blast! Nutrition has been off, but I'm maintaining my weight - which is a good thing. Had some good friends over on Friday night for a BBQ, and am going to be hanging out with some more friends tonight as well - so looking forward to that!

So here's my workout for yesterday:


Strength Workout B

Deadlifts
2 sets of 15 reps at 90lbs (my 1RM is 150lbs on these too! Wahoo!)

Dumbbell Shoulder Press
2 sets of 15 reps with 15lbs each arm

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
2 sets of 15 reps at 50lbs

Lunges
2 sets of 15 per leg with 30lbs added (dumbbells)

Swiss Ball Crunch
Set 1: 8
Set 2: 15 completed

Total Time: 28 mins
Total Calories Burned: 190

This morning was another cardio day, so I got some stellar running intervals done around our neighborhood this morning. I don't know what each interval's speed is since I wasn't on a treadmill, but it was a killer workout regardless! At one point I was running a 7 min mile pace! Woot! It rained last night, so it was nice and cool during it too! Yay!

Warm Up: 5 min brisk walk
Interval 1: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 2: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 3: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 4: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 5: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 6: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 7: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Interval 8: 60 second sprint
Recovery Time: 90 seconds
Cool down: 5 min walk back home

Total Time: 36 mins
Total Distance: 2.59 miles
Top Speed 9.1 miles per hour
Total Calories burned: 350

Also did a bunch of yard work this afternoon and know I burned a lot of calories doing that too - so it made up for the yummy breakfast the hubby took us out for! haha! Tomorrow is another strength day, so hopefully it will go just as well as the others have!