Rest (3/29 – 4/4)

Rest is not something I’m good at or even enjoy that much.  However, other than my daily 45s I have now taken 7 days off!!  I can’t even remember the last time I did that willingly!

Sunday 3/29  45 seated twists.

start
start
twist right
twist right

Return to center –

twist left
twist left

This was a new (to me) version of an oblique twist – you can definitely feel it in your obliques but it takes out the lower core work that you get in a reclined Russian Twist.

I did a one person race.  I ran a loop around our neighborhood that is about 2.15 miles over and over.

early in the run
early in the run
Look how cute Chris is - he set up an aid table and a lap counter!!!
Look how cute Chris is – he set up an aid table and a lap counter!!!
Hunter ran 2 loops with me and walked my final loop
Hunter ran 2 non-consecutive loops with me and walked my final loop
Jordan also ran 2 loops with me
Jordan also ran 2 (consecutive) loops with me

I decided that 25 miles was good for the day!!  I was only taking a sip of water after each lap and I don’t think that 12 sips in over 4 hours was enough for me!!

Monday 3/30  45 foam roller ab tuck.  This move is one that Lindsay (CotterCrunch) included in her 3 New Core Moves post a couple weeks ago.

start
start
pull knees to chest
pull knees to chest

Holding a plank while completing all 45 reps was definitely a challenge!!!

Tuesday 3/31  45 low squats while on wobble balls – holding medicine ball – bring elbows to knees.

ready
ready
down
down

Adding the balance challenge with the wobble balls was fun!

Wednesday 4/1  45 plank walk-ups from floor to BOSU.

start
start
right hand up
right hand up
left hand up
left hand up
right hand down
right hand down
left hand down
left hand down

At some point I started wondering if I should do 2 sets of 45 – one with the right hand leading and one with the left hand leading.  I decided to just go with one set so I alternated lead hands every 5 reps.

Thursday 4/2  45 cross body mountain climbers with feet on ledge.

ready
ready
right foot in with twist
right foot in with twist

Return to start and bring left knee in –

Left foot in - twist
Left foot in – twist

Obviously this move went faster when I wasn’t trying to pose for a picture!!  I liked doing the mountain climbers with my feet up – it changed the feel of the move a little. Right-left = 1 rep.

Friday 4/3  45 decline tricep dips (feet on chair – hands on floor).

ready
ready
down
down

This move was small but I definitely felt it in my triceps!!!

Saturday 4/4  45 diamond butt lifts.

start (feet together - knees point out)
start (feet together – knees point out)
squeeze butt and lift thighs off the ground
squeeze butt and lift thighs off the ground

This was another small move but very effective!!!

Since I’m actually writing this on Sunday (Easter) and I didn’t work out today, I have successfully managed to take 7 days off without going crazy!!!

Happy Easter (or Passover) or Sunday!!!

Kim

Quirks

Screen Shot 2015-04-02 at 8.15.40 PMWe all have quirks (right??) or things that might be a little odd.  Sometimes we don’t really notice ours (until someone else points them out) but it is easy to see them in other people!!!

So, I started thinking about some of the things I do that are a little different:

*  I will refold all my towels if the folds don’t match but I can live with dust all day long!!!Screen Shot 2015-04-02 at 8.19.13 PM

 

*  I always make my bed – even at hotels!!!Screen Shot 2015-04-02 at 8.21.47 PM

*  No matter how time crunched I am, I can’t stand to ever leave dirty dishes in the sink!

Screen Shot 2015-04-02 at 8.26.20 PM*  No matter how tired I am when I go to bed I rarely sleep all night.Screen Shot 2015-04-02 at 8.29.10 PM

*  Sharing food and drinks  bugs me!!!  (even with Chris and the boys)

*  I like all the cans in the pantry to fact the front and be lined up!!!

Similar to this
Similar to this

*  I like my closet organized by category and color!

Not my closet but this one makes me happy!
Not my closet but this one makes me happy!

*  I don’t like to talk first thing in the morning.  Chris pretty much never talks to me until I talk to him first even though he is a morning person!!!

*  I’m usually cold during the day but HOT all night long!!!

Nothing too crazy – I’m pretty middle of the road I guess!!!

What are some of your quirks?

Happy Friday!!

Kim

 

De-stressing and a Giveaway!!

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 7.46.21 PMWe all go through periods of stress and I think it is important to have ways to deal with our stress.

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 7.48.11 PMI have 2 primary ways of coping when I’m stressed.

My #1 choice is probably not a surprise to anyone –

running
running (or posing on the treadmill:)

Actually any form of exercise/sweat usually helps reduce my stress!!!

My other stress coping strategy is reading!!!

my Nook
my Nook

I have loved to read since I was young – I used to spend hours reading!! Lately I get most of my reading done between 11:00pm and 3:00am – when I can’t sleep I read because it shuts my brain off!!!

I like all types of books as long as they are fiction. I read to escape and lose myself in the book!!

And…..I actually know an author whose book is currently in the Top 100 best sellers at Amazon – I even helped them with their Proofreading!!!

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 8.04.45 PM

~???~NEW RELEASE~???~

SLICK (A Standalone) by author Kristi Pelton Cover Design by: Sommer Stein of Perfect Pear Creative Covers

AVAILABLE NOW

Synopsis: People float in and out of our lives and when you least expect it one person changes everything. Tessa Ashby was abandoned in an East Coast boarding school, merely existing, never truly feeling loved. Before fulfilling obligations her father has sentenced her to, she escapes and breathes eight weeks of freedom in Southern California. Bodhi loves: his music, his body and his buddies…the order is debatable depending on the day. His past taught him to be selective with the people he trusts. Bodhi doesn’t date, and he was lucky if he remembered a woman’s name. He was alone in a world of people. All that changed when an innocent, brown-eyed, smart-mouthed beauty shows up on his doorstep.

Are they answers to each others prayers or will manipulation and deception destroy them?

Slick **This is intended for 18+** People float in and out of our lives and sometimes when you least expect it one… GOODREADS.COM

Ditching Labels and Stereotypes

Screen Shot 2015-03-29 at 7.29.36 PMA couple weeks ago I wrote a post asking which category you preferred – Skinny or Strong.    Dr. J, a contributing writer at Calorie Lab,  wrote a comment that really jumped out at me –

“I sorta wish we would drop all this calling anybody anything about their size. Of course as a doctor, I have all kinds of “insulting” medical terms I can use, lol! If y’all start using any of those, we will just devise some new ones :-)”  Dr. J

Screen Shot 2015-03-29 at 7.33.34 PM

The more I thought about what Dr. J said the more I realized that I don’t want to have certain labels applied to me – I just want to be the person I am.  And, like Jody (Truth2BeingFit) is great about sharing – I am enough – You are enough!!!

Screen Shot 2015-03-29 at 7.34.36 PMI think that if we dropped the labels it would also drop the stereotyping that happens as a result of trying to label/group people.

Screen Shot 2015-03-29 at 7.41.26 PMI truly HATE being stereotyped because every single time I’ve been stereotyped (usually by people who don’t even know me) it has been completely wrong!!!

Screen Shot 2015-03-29 at 7.43.06 PM

I think that most of the time stereotyping is far more negative than positive.  And, truthfully, there is no need for it.  We are all unique individuals who should never be put in a mold just because we might do or say or wear or……a certain thing.

I know that I have been guilty of stereotyping people before but I try very hard to view people as individuals not a label.

Do you think that labels define us?
Have you ever had a negative experience with being stereotyped?

Happy Monday!!!

Kim

Mixing It Up Again (3/22 – 3/28)

This week I have been mixing my workouts up again after months of heavy running.  I can tell it’s been awhile because I have actually been sore several days which is rare for me!!!

Sunday 3/22  45 second hold in 4 different planks.

45 seconds left side
45 seconds left side
45 seconds elbow plank
45 seconds elbow plank
45 seconds right side
45 seconds right side
45 seconds back plank
45 seconds back plank

This was a recovery and driving day – 7 hours to get back from Texas.

Monday 3/23  45 minutes on the elliptical.

EllipticalNot my favorite piece of equipment but even though I only ran 19 miles Saturday, the mud factor took a bit out of my legs so I needed to recover another day.

Elliptical

Tuesday 3/24  45 plie side bends with ankle reach (right-left=1 rep).  This is a move from Josie (Yum Yucky) in her 5-minute slimming workout.

ready
ready
bend to the right and reach down
bend to the right and reach down

Return to the middle.

bend left and reach
bend left and reach

Staying in plie for all 45 reps was HARD!!!  And, my obliques have been sore since Tuesday!!!

I just walked 6miles at a 10% incline so that I could watch Dancing with the Stars.

Wednesday 3/25  45 single leg BOSU hops.  This is another move from a blog friend!!  Allie (VitaTrain4Life) showed this move as part of her intense strength training the other day.

This move was hard!!!  I did all 45 with my right leg before switching and doing another set of 45 with my left leg.

I did Les Mills Pump – Combat.  It’s one of my favorites and I enjoyed punching and kicking!

Thursday 3/26  45 standing medicine ball crunches – single knee in.  I got so many great moves from blog friends this week!!  This move is one of Nellie’s (BrooklynActiveMama) Weekly Wednesday Workouts.

ready for right side
ready for right side
pull knee in and bring ball down - crunch
pull knee in and bring ball down – crunch

I tried to keep my balance and float my leg back each time but did have to tap my toe  a few times.  And, of course, I had to switch and do another set of 45 with my left leg.

ready to work my left side
ready to work my left side
lift knee and bring arms down with a crunch
lift knee and bring arms down with a crunch

This was a fun move with the balance challenge.

I finally ran again!! 6 miles in 47:51 + 2 easy miles.

Friday 3/27  45 plank to down dog with hands on a foam roller.

start in plank
start in plank
roll in and pike up
roll in and pike up

I really liked this move – great core work and stretching!!!

I did one of my 10 Minute Solution workouts – Ultimate Boot Camp.  Normally I do all 5 sections but I only did 3 this time.

Saturday 3/28  45 standing leg circles (hands behind head).

ready to circle right
ready to circle right
front
front
side
side
back
back

The funny thing with this move is that I felt it as much in my standing ankle as the thigh of the leg circling.  Gotta love working on balance/stability!

left side
left side
front
front
side
side
back
back

It was nice to add in a variety of workouts again but I still plan to keep my mileage up.

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Fitness – Food – Fun