All posts by Kim

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.

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Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

December 7, 2014 Kim 90 Comments

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

We wish you a merry Christmas!

When you think of some of the traditional songs, many of them use the word Christmas.

However, it seems like everywhere you go people are bothered by making sure they say the “correct” thing. But…..what is correct???

I grew up saying “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”

Over the past number of years I’ve found myself saying a mixture of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” just because. This year at our event venue we have had a mix of people booking Christmas parties/celebrations and holiday parties.

I don’t think that there has to be a “right or wrong” way to express this!!!

I know that many people think saying “Merry Christmas” is offensive to people who don’t celebrate Christmas but Ben Stein summed it up pretty well – it isn’t offensive, it isn’t a slight against another religion – it is just what it is.

We have been to Hanukkah with friends and loved learning how they celebrate!!! I think it is great for our boys to see different things and parts of other religions.

I know that some people choose not to celebrate Christmas for reasons beyond religion. I think that it is just like everything else in life – we should do what we do and respect what other people choose to do.

What do you say – Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, or something completely different?

I will probably always say Merry Christmas and hope that it never offends anyone because that is not my intention!!!

Happy Monday!!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Quad, Resistance Bands, Running, Treadmill

Dropped the Ball on December Challenges but Still Sweating! (11/30 – 12/6)

December 6, 2014 Kim 38 Comments

I had hoped to take part in some of the fun challenges going around:
Josie (YumYucky) has the Fit Holiday challenge going on right now.
Moniques (Burpees to Bubbly) has the Happy, Healthy Fit Challenge for the month.
Amanda (Run to the Finish) has her incredible Holiday Sweat Challenge running!!

I wanted to be part of all 3 of these challenges!! However, I’m at a point where I’m happy to be working out but realize I have some limitations right now. So I will do the parts of the challenges I can do and that will have to be enough!!!

Sunday 11/30 – 45 1 minute wall sits!

Even though this was hard – 45 minutes of wall sits in one day is my new record – it was fun because the boys did a lot of the minutes with me!!!

Monday 12/1 – 45 dancing balls. Hold a stability ball with your feet and hands while lying on your back –

Lower right leg and left arm –

right arm down left arm down — right arm down
left arm down

Switch arms and legs –

left leg down right arm down — left leg down
right arm down

This move will really work your core!!

I tried running but quickly realized it wasn’t going to happen so I walked 6 miles with a 10% incline.

Tuesday 12/2 – 45 1 minute boat poses.

This took place mostly between the 2 parts of the treatment I had on my hands/arms – perfect!!

I did TaeBo – Fat Blasting Cardio. I love TaeBo!!!

Wednesday 12/3 – 45 running knees while on upside down wobble ball –

After doing 45 with my right knee I had to switch and do another set of 45.

This move was fun and went very quickly!!

I did a slow 3 mile run (27:00 minutes) followed by 4.1 miles at a 10% incline.

Thursday 12/4 – 45 leg abductions with a small resistant band.

After doing 45 with the right leg I switched and did another set on the left side.

I did one of my favorite workouts ever – Les Mills Body Pump – Combat!!!

Friday 12/5 – 45 single leg balance with arm move (open and close).

I’ve been going to a PT for my leg and she mentioned that when I stand on one leg I lean (very obvious in the pictures from Thursday), so I decided to work on some moves that require me to balance on one leg.

This move was easy – balance on one leg and open arms to side –

balance on right - open arms to side — balance on right – open arms to side

Stay still and bring arms together in front of body –

I stood in front of a mirror to try and make sure that I didn’t lean.

I actually got in a decent run finally!!! 8 miles in 65:20 followed by 1.5 cool down miles.

Saturday 12/6 – 45 rope climbs. Lay on your back with your legs extended and act like you are climbing a rope as you slowly sit up. Hold your abs tight and slowly go back down.

I love how focused Hunter looks while doing this!!!

I’m hoping to join in on some of the challenges this next week now that I can start lifting and doing more with my arm!!!

Happy Saturday!

Kim

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Friends Are Friends

December 4, 2014 Kim

There are friends that we have known all of our lives and friends we have only known a short time but feel like we have known them forever.

And, as all bloggers know, there are friends that we have never met in person but still consider friends.

Biz (My Bizzy Kitchen) is one of those people who I felt a connection to from the very first time I read her blog. I don’t know if it’s because she’s a twin like me or the fact that we are almost the same age. Maybe it’s because she was doing Insanity when I first “met” her.

Regardless, I love reading Biz’s blog and consider her a friend even though we might never meet in person.

The past few weeks have not been easy for Biz. Her husband, Tony, has been very sick and actually passed away Tuesday night.

Later today (Friday), Biz and her family will honor Tony one final time. I know that she can use all the hugs and support she can get today and in the coming days. If you don’t already know Biz, check out her blog and let her know that many of us are thinking of her!!!!

Happy Friday!

Kim

(No comments today – just let a friend know how much you care about them!!!)

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Scared (maybe scarred) into Changing my Ways

December 2, 2014 Kim

For as long as I can remember I have LOVED the sun!!!

I love the heat that the sun provides and I LOVE laying out in the sun (on the beach!) with a book!!!

One of my favorite sayings is –

But….as with many things in life I’m going to have to make some changes.

Earlier in the fall I had a few spots biopsied and one of them was skin cancer so 2 weeks ago I had a minor surgery to remove it.

The past couple of weeks I’ve had 8 stitches in my arm and haven’t been able to do any lifting (weights, chairs/tables at the venue, Christmas trees and other decorations…..).

Yesterday (Tuesday) I had the stitches out and my first blue light treatment for all of the precancerous spots I have (they are pretty much all over my body!!!).

The first step was easy – the DR just rubbed a medicine all over the tops of my hands and arms. Then the tech wrapped my arms in Saran wrap and put gloves on me for the next 5 hours.

When I went back in the afternoon the hard part of the treatment started. They call it the “blue light” but from now on I might call it HELL!!! Basically the light burned the shit out of my hands and arms!

Even after 5 hours my hands are still burning and swollen. It made for a very cranky evening in my world because I couldn’t even block the burning/pain sensation.

Knowing that the next time I have this same treatment will be in a little over a month and on my face sort of scares me. I think it scares me enough to say that my days of soaking up the sun are done (or at least much more limited!!!).

Do you love laying in the sun?
Ever had skin cancer?
Would you do the “blue light treatment” on your face? (I’m not sure if I will do it even though it is already scheduled.)

Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

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Happiness Is…..

November 30, 2014 Kim 83 Comments

What makes you happy?

I’ve spent some time lately thinking about the things that make me happy because that is where I want to spend my time and energy!!!

I know that we have all heard the phrase – “Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to.” I agree that sometimes we do have to do things that aren’t really high on our list of fun things.

However…..I think that the majority of our life should be filled with things we love and things that make us happy!!!

The things that make me the happiest have very little to do with material things (much as I love my boots and cocktails!!!) and everything to do with people!

Spending time at the end of the day catching up with my 3 favorite guys always makes me happy!!!

Having my boys spend time doing wall sits because I chose to do 45 1 minute wall-sits in an afternoon is priceless!!!