Monthly Archives: September 2013

Back, Fitness, Shoulders, Treadmill

Some Workout “Alternatives”

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Today’s 43 was hard for me because it was all about the shoulders – Windmills.  I used my stability ball again Stability Ball

and a pair of light (5 pound) dumbbells.  

Start off by laying your upper body on the ball (face down) with toes on the ground.  Alternately move your arms front & back (like a windmill!):

right arm front - left arm back
right arm front – left arm back
switch arms
switch arms

I counted a right arm front & a left arm front as 1 rep and this was hard!!!

side view
side view

The good news about this 43 – it was good for my shoulders, of course, but it also really worked my  upper back!!

I went to bed planning to run this morning but I woke up tired and sore so I just walked with a 12% incline – 5 miles.  And, I got caught up on Project Runway!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-06 at 7.03.20 AMSo, I don’t think it comes as any surprise when I say that I like (actually love) to workout!!!  The next couple of weeks I’m cutting back on my normal workouts a little in order to be as rested as possible for my birthday run!!!

But, don’t think I’ve turned into this –

Screen shot 2013-09-06 at 7.06.17 AMNope!!!

I’ve found plenty of other ways to keep moving and work up a solid sweat.

One day I spent most of the morning pulling weeds – some serious Lat work involved here!!Screen shot 2013-09-06 at 6.53.21 AMPlus, lots of squatting – standing – squatting – balancing – etc.!!

And yesterday I spent 5 hours of solid hard-core cleaning!!!!Screen shot 2013-09-06 at 6.52.33 AMRemember our new business venture?  Well, I scrubbed every inch of that place yesterday!!!  Baseboards, corners, windows – you name it and I cleaned it!  And today my body is sore and stiff from all of the kneeling and “crawling” involved!!!

Today I’m going to move 150+ chairs, schlep some tables around and steam about 25 table cloths – I think that I can count that as another “workout”  don’t you?!  

Happy Fun Friday, I’m off for another busy day ending in Friday Night Football – WooHoo!!!

Kim

Biceps, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Positive Patty Triumphs over Debbie Downer!!!

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Today’s 43 was a fun plank challenge!!  I did alternating bicep curls while in plank.  

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKDikUNBtb8′]

I kept thinking that I would take a quick stretch break at some point but I made it through all 43 (with each arm!) before I had to stop – I should have timed it so I would know how long my plank was!

Today for Garage Boot Camp, we did 100s Boot Camp (10 exercise x 10 reps each) – we completed 8 rounds today (plus warm-up and cool-down) which is 80 of each exercise!!

Screen shot 2013-09-05 at 6.57.12 AMI needed a sign like that all day yesterday!!!  After my dismal run, things pretty much went downhill for the better part of the day!

Screen shot 2013-09-05 at 6.57.26 AM

Those faces pretty much represented my day – notice how there are very few smiles!!!

BUT – today is a new day and Screen shot 2013-09-05 at 5.46.59 AMis gone!!!  She is not my favorite person to “live” with so I was not sad to kick her to the curb.

Today is all about Screen shot 2013-09-05 at 5.46.25 AM

I think that this is a much better choice and will make for a far nice day for me and those around me.

Thank all of y’all who were so encouraging and gave me some great ideas to use to push myself  on my upcoming run!!!  

And, I can’t even tell you how many wonderful, positive, perfectly timed blog posts I read yesterday that seemed written just for me (I know they weren’t but they were helpful when I needed it!!).

Happy Thursday – I hope your day is full of Positive Pattys and no Debbie Downers!!!!

Kim

 

Cardio, Core, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

Self-Doubt

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Today’s 43 was a fairly simple one!!!  I just did a twisting knee repeater with a band on my arms so that they had a little resistance!

start
start
knee up above waist & twist
knee up above waist & twist

This was a quick move – cardio based and good for the core!!!  And, of course, a double!!!

ready for 43 more
ready for 43 more
knee up
knee up

It’s nice to have quick simple moves for my 43 every once in awhile!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-04 at 6.55.09 AM

Today I did a trial run for my upcoming 44 miles!!!  It did not go well!!!!

I’m not sure what the problem was.  I’m hoping to run about 10 minute miles for the whole run (44 miles).  Today I started around 9:13 pace and played around between that pace and 10:00.  Nothing felt good. Nothing was easy.  WHAT?!

Screen shot 2013-09-04 at 6.57.47 AM

 

In the end, I only ran 6 miles and walked 1.5 for a total of 7.5 miles which is about 1/6 of the distance that I will be running in less than 2 weeks.

I’m not feeling very confident about my ability to run (or even finish) all 44 miles.  And, the 44 is supposed to be my final training effort for my 50 mile race in October!  

Screen shot 2013-09-04 at 6.55.42 AM

 

I’m going to spend a lot of time the next few days trying to prepare myself mentally.  I know that I have done the physical training and put in the time and effort, now it is just a matter of making sure that I don’t psyche myself out!!!

I’ve always said that these super long runs are as much mental as physical and I think that right now I need to focus on making sure that I’m prepared to push past the self-doubt and negative voices in my head!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-04 at 6.57.08 AMI’m going to keep telling myself that – “I got this!”  

What do you do when you start to doubt yourself?

 

Happy Wednesday!

Kim

Fitness, Push-Ups, Shoulders

Spiders & Spider Webs

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Today for my 43 I did a modified version of last week’s failed attempt at wall climbs.  I did push-ups with my feet on the wall and my body making a 90 degree angle (sort-of!).  This move is one that I got from Amanda @ RunToTheFinish.  She has this really cool Wallbanger Workout and this is one of the moves she did in it.

Here is a failed attempt at making a demo!  This was after I had already complete my 43 and my arms were toast!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgy5RyXXcHQ’]

Next attempt – a tiny bit better and as good as it’s gonna get!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNlCDuB3xM0′]

I think that 8 was the most reps I did at a time.  I had to keep resetting my feet on the wall – I’m still counting it because I did all 43 reps, just with a few short reset breaks!!!

Today was another  episode of Garage Boot Camp – it is usually so much hotter and stickier when we work out in the garage than when we are outside (no breeze!!!).  Oh well, a little bucket of sweat isn’t a bad thing!!!  This morning actually wasn’t as sticky as last week – a little on the cool side –  pretty nice workout conditions.

I tried a new workout today – it is loosely based on a workout  from  Taylor @ Lifting Revolution – the Puma Pounce workout.  I made some changes to turn it into a 45 minute boot camp that I felt like my group of boot campers could handle!!!  

We did a 25 Rep/Minute Workout.  Fun times – the faster you complete the reps, the more rest you get (whatever is left in the minute) before starting the next move!!  I had a series of 8 moves (8 total minutes) and we went did 3 rounds.

Do you love or hate spiders?  

Screen shot 2013-09-02 at 8.57.50 PMI think that spiders are fascinating creatures!!!  And webs are amazing works of art.

Last night we actually had a spider outside our kitchen slider that was in the process of spinning her web.  I wanted to video the process without the glare from the glass so I tried to go outside without disrupting her.  Didn’t work very well!

The spider felt the movement of the door on her web and stopped working.  I took a short video but she didn’t move at all during that time (mostly my video is just of Hunter on the inside telling me to leave her alone!) and as soon as I opened the door again to go in, she climbed all the way to the top of her web.

Screen shot 2013-09-02 at 8.58.03 PM

Watching the spider react to an interruption in her work made me think about how I deal with little interruptions.  Sometimes I react just like the spider – I leave my work and run into a corner and refuse to continue until all of the distractions are gone.  

I need to learn to deal with the distraction in a timely way and then carry on with my work no matter how many minor interruptions I encounter along the way.  

Are you like a spider or can you work through any type of interruption?

Happy Tuesday!!  (even though it feels like Monday to me!)

Kim

Recipes, Salad

Spinach, Feta & Pine Nut Salad

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I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE SALAD!!!  I’m not kidding – I could probably eat this stuff every day!!!  In fact, I think next time I will add some chicken and then have it for lunch for the week!!!

Spinach, Feta & Pine Nut Salad

  • baby spinach leaves (approx. 4 c or enough to fill your salad bowl!)
  • chopped fresh mint (this amount is up to you and how much you like the minty taste)
  • 2 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 pkg. pine nuts
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 T olive oil
  • oregano to taste
  • dill to taste

Toast pine nuts – sprinkle on small baking sheet and toast at 375 for about 5 minutes.

pine nuts
pine nuts

Zest lemon; juice lemon into the zest and add olive oil.  Sprinkle oregano & dill into lemon mixture and set aside.

Combine spinach & mint in large bowl.

spinach & mint
spinach & mint

Just before serving, mix lemon dressing, spinach & pine nuts.

ready to eat
ready to eat

Maybe not the greatest picture because there isn’t much color but you have got to try this salad – it is so good!!!  Light, refreshing and easy to throw together!