I am a 44 year old wife, mom and athlete. I started running in high school and have loved it ever since. As I got older, I had to stop running every day so I added in weight training and all sorts of fun work-outs like Insanity, P90X and Turbo Fire. I'm a certified personal trainer and I love all aspects of fitness.
This is another DVD from the Crunch series of workouts. I like the fact that even though it is Pilates, I still feel like I get a decent workout.
The workout is led by Ellen Barrett and she really does a nice job explaining, cuing and keeping everyone motivated!!
One of the things that I really like about this workout is you use dumbbells!! One of the ladies doesn’t use any to show the modifications. The others use really light weights (I think 2-3 pounds). I like to use 5 pound DBs when I do this program.
Most of this workout is done standing – about 35 minutes. The first 12 minutes is a nice warm-up and light cardio. Then there is about 20 minutes of standing cardio based Pilates using the weights. (I love this part!!) Finally, there is a 10 minute floor section – mostly abdominal pilates moves and some stretches.
This is a great workout when you have less than an hour (45 minutes!!) and don’t want anything high impact.
Today I worked my triceps with the 43. I also really had to use my core because I included a stability ball. I put my feet on the ball – I tried to keep just my feet and not let my calves rest on the ball to make it more difficult!
I nearly lost the ball a couple of times but I made it through 43!! It took quite a while after I finished for my arms to quit shaking!!!
I also spent some time on the elliptical again today. I’m telling myself that even though it is not my favorite it is much better than nothing!!! I did 45 minutes at a harder pace than the other day. My legs feel very tingly again but I really think it is just the blood flowing!!!
So yesterday was just one of those perfect kind of days! I got cards from Chris and the boys:Both boys were very sweet with what they wrote –
And – they gave me a Garmin!!!
my new Garmin
I can’t wait to actually start running again so I can test it out!!!In the meantime – I will just pretend!!!
The weather was gorgeous – no wind so the lake was perfect!!! And – WE PUT THE BOAT IN THE WATER!!!! This always make me happy because it means we made it through winter and now it’s summer – my favorite!!!We didn’t actually take a ride – Chris just put it in and drove it to the marina. It was a little chilly – plus we had stuff to do still!
We had some friends over for dinner – grilled steaks and chicken, campfire potatoes and this super easy summer corn – a perfect ending to a great day!!!
I liked this 43 a lot!!! I leaned back enough that I was working my core the entire time. During the rows I tried to really squeeze my shoulder blades together so I could feel it deep in my upper back. The reverse crunch was just a slow move back with my upper body (without ever resting my back on the ground) and a slow trip back up. This was a great way to work a variety of different muscle groups!!!
There are so many stages to this journey of motherhood and, for me, each stage has been better than the one before it. Here are some of my thoughts/memories of motherhood:
* I spent years (junior high, high school, college, grad school, and a couple years after) saying that I was NEVER going to have kids. It wasn’t until after Chris and I were married that I decided I really did want to have children – I guess it just took being married to the perfect guy!!!
* From the minute I found out that I was pregnant with Jordan, I was in love with him! (and again a couple years later when I found out I was pregnant with Hunter!)
* The baby stage was hard for me! I hadn’t spent much time around babies and they made me a bit nervous. Thankfully, Chris was very calm and relaxed and knew exactly what to do!!
* Toddlers – what a fun stage!! I made MANY mistakes and went to bed beating myself up for my lack of patience many nights but those sweet boys just loved me anyway!!!
When Hunter was about 20 months old and Jordan was barely over 4, the boys were playing in a sandbox. Hunter had a little pocket on his shirt which he filled with sand. He wanted it out so being the “uber smart mom” that I am, I picked him up and dumped him upside down. Jordan said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hunter of course ended up screaming and with sand in his mouth, nose, eyes. Of course, the other mom’s (yep, this was in front of a group) were all appalled and thought I was a total buffoon!!!
We made it through without anyone being scarred for life on that one!!
* Preschool years were a major time of learning (on my part!!). Jordan was always pretty easy-going and we didn’t really go through the terrible 2s or 3s. On the other hand, when Hunter was 3 I wasn’t sure that we were both going to make it through whole!!! Thankfully, we did and now I can look back on those days and laugh (or at least not cry)!!!
* I was not the type of mom who cried when either of my boys started kindergarten. However, the first day I dropped Jordan off at the middle school (7th grade) I thought I was going to have to be medicated. That was a rough day for me!!! Thankfully, he loved it!! (I don’t know what I’m going to do in August when he starts HS and Hunter goes to middle school!!)
* When my boys were little, people always told me that it only gets harder to be a mom as your kids get older. For me, that hasn’t been the case!! Every stage we have come to I have enjoyed more than the previous ones and my life has gotten so much easier!!
* Today I can truly say that I wouldn’t change a thing about the past 14.5 years since I became a mom – even the millions of mistakes and rough times – because they have all led me to where I am today!!!
true love!!
Surrounded by my 2 handsome boys – the ones who still call me MOM!!! (Jordan and pictures is always a treat!!!) I feel truly blessed!!!
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, moms-to-be, grandmas, step-moms, etc!!!
I had to stop for a couple minutes after I completed the first 28 and rest before doing the last 15. (I asked Jordan if he could do any and he did 5!!!). After Jordan’s awesome push-ups I got set up and finished the set of 43. I’m counting it as a complete 43 even with the short break because I did them all!!!
Then – I WORKED OUT!!!! It wasn’t much and definitely not my favorite but I did it!!! I used the Elliptical today.
my least favorite machine!!
I just did an easy 30 minutes on it to see how it felt – not bad. My legs got really tingly after about 20 minutes but I think it is just because I finally got blood circulating through them for the first time in 2.5 weeks!! I’m just happy to get some movement and work up a bit of a sweat!!!
So, yesterday, Chris and I took a little day-trip to a Palace!! Here are some scenes from the drive:
I love the tulips this spring!tranquilmore of the countrysidetowna church, I thinkhistoric buildingsthe town
And, finally, the Palace:
The Cow Palace
What kind of Palace were you expecting??? I live in Kansas!!
The Cow Palace
We went to pick up our side of beef for the year – at the Palace!!!
4 bins of awesome beef!!
Are you totally disappointed with the Palace trip? It’s a funny name for a place that butchers cows! But, Chris and I had a nice drive (it’s just over an hour each way) and came home to restock the freezer!!
full again!
And, I even put on real clothes (as opposed to workout clothes which is what I live in these days!!):
still rocking the compression hose – they make the outfit for sure!!
So, if you ever visit Kansas, make sure you check out the Palace!!!
