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.

Back, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

Some Thoughts Are Better Left Unsaid

October 24, 2013 Kim 58 Comments

Today’s 44 was not one of my better ideas!!! In fact, it would have been an idea better left in my head. However, I ~~might be~~ am ~~a little~~ stubborn and once I decided to do the move I just went with it!!!

What was the stupid move? I used my treadmill –

I sat sideways under the handles and did a pull-up move. Here is a self picture (which is why I’m only holding on with one hand!!!) since today is a day off school (Parent/Teacher Conferences) and the boys are STILL sleeping!!!

From that position (except with both hands on the rail) – I pulled myself up until my chin was above the bar – 44 times!!! See – not a good idea!!!

The main reason it was a bad idea is because now my lower back is killing me – which is why the only picture is the above one. I’m not going to do any more when the boys get up to make a video!!!

I did get in a run after the stupid 44 though – 5 miles at a fast pace and then 2.5 easy (all at 1.5% incline). I’m sure that the hard run did nothing to help my back – oops!!

So my decision to act on a poor choice made me think about something we say in our family a lot – “That should probably be kept right here (point to head).”

We usually just say this to be funny but there really are times that it is true!!! Not everything that pops into your head should be said out-loud for numerous reasons.

Somethings are just flat out rude.
Somethings really don’t make sense and need to be thought through a little more.
Somethings might be inappropriate.
Sometimes silence is the best option.

Jordan is really good about pointing out when Chris or I make a comment that would have been better left unsaid – always makes me laugh but also realize that I really do need to keep some thoughts (and clearly some ideas!!!) in my head!

Do you have thoughts/ideas that are better kept inside your head? (I hope I’m not the only one!!!)

Happy Thursday!!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Plank, Shoulders

A Few Fun Facts

October 23, 2013 Kim 81 Comments

Today I took the basic plank and turned it into a great 44. This move include core strength, hip flexor action and shoulder work.

Put your right hand down while stepping your right leg back (to plank position), put left hand down while stepping left leg back – step in with right leg and take right hand off the ground, step in with left leg while taking left hand off the ground. (Just watch the video!!!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMNBjmPP178′]

The only bad part of using this for my 44 was that after I finished all 44, I had to start over and lead with my left side!!!

Today I went back to one of my favorite workouts – Les Mills Combat – Combat 60, Extreme Cardio Fighter. This workout is almost an hour but doesn’t feel like it – the way it is broken into segments and the high energy of the Les Mills team make the time fly by. I can already feel it in my shoulders and upper back (been awhile since I did that many punches!!).

I thought that it would be fun to share some random things you might not already know about me.

1. I lived in the dorm all 4 years of college.

2. From kindergarten to my senior year of high school, I attended 9 different schools. (In 8th grade alone, I went to 3 different schools).

3. I have a twin brother and my dad had a twin sister.

4. I have Raynaud’s –

After I finish working out my hands are always freezing and turn white (almost transparent). I wear gloves with shorts a lot – I’m super cool like that!!!

5. I didn’t lift weights or cross train until I was in my mid-30s. Now I can’t imagine my life without a huge variety of workouts!

6. I like Mac & Cheese for lunch (even when there are no kids around!!).

7. I might have a slight shoe addiction!!! One day someone asked me how many pairs of shoes/boots/sandals…I had – Ummm…..we try not to actually count them!!!!

Not my closet - I wish, though!!! — Not my closet – I wish, though!!!

8. I rarely wear make-up – just some mascara and lip stick (maybe).

9. I used to be the Queen of the Snooze button!

I would literally hit the snooze button for over an hour – everyday!!! Not sure why I always thought that the next morning would be the day I would actually got up early but….

When I went back to work after both boys were in school, it was the first time in my entire life that I didn’t hit the snooze button. Now I never use the snooze button.

10. I think I was around 27 before I ever really drank water (other than just a sip or 2). I used to drink Diet Coke ALL DAY long!!!

Your turn to share a fun random fact!!!

Happy Wednesday!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Quad, Squats

We Really Only Need 4 Basic Things!!!

October 22, 2013 Kim 71 Comments

Today for my 44 I did a squat on a wobble disc –

Just standing on the disc is a challenge for your balance! I started with my hands reaching up –

then reached my hands down to my toes during the squat.

There were lots of wobbles before I completed all 44 of these!!!

And, Tuesday means Garage Boot Camp!!! (not sure how fun this will be in the winter!!!) Today we did one of my favorites – ABC Boot Camp. Because we have a shorter amount of time than we did in the summer, we only did 1 minute of each move (in the summer we did 75 seconds). Still a great workout!!!

Entitlement: the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something (Merriam-Webster)

Have you ever met people who feel “entitled”?

More and more lately it seems that people feel like someone (that ubiquitous entity) owes them! I don’t get it!!!

When our boys were little we told them they needed 4 things: food, water, oxygen and love.

We made sure that they had all of those (I guess we didn’t really have much control over the oxygen thing!!!) things and everything else was just a bonus!!!

I still believe that we can boil our needs down to the basics – everything else (and there is plenty) is like icing on the cake, sunshine at the beach, the star on top of the tree!! It’s EXTRA!!

Last Thursday (cleaning, set-up, ironing day), the bride of the weekend called me. She wanted to know if they could have the venue (for free) Friday night since they had rented it for Saturday. She felt like I “owed” her that even though the rental for a Friday night is completely separate!!!

I’m pretty sure if we book a hotel and then call them up and tell them they should let us come in a day early for free they would laugh and/or hang-up on us!!!

I think that we all need to remember that we can live with –

What do you think? Do people have more of a sense of entitlement these days?

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

PS – I let the wedding party have their rehearsal at the venue on Friday evening like the bride wanted.

Core, Fitness

Am I Old?!

October 21, 2013 Kim 73 Comments

Today’s 44 was for the core – primarily the lower part of the abs. I did a single leg crunch with a leg extension.

This move is slow and controlled – extend the leg and hold, then crunch in. Of course, after I finished 44, I had to switch sides and start again!!

For my workout I did one of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs – Ultimate Boot Camp. I did all 5 sections for a great full-body workout.

Lately I feel like I’m sort of struggling with some of my workouts for some reason – maybe it is part of the “old” thing!!!

Most days I feel like I’m still in my 20s – well, maybe not but….I don’t feel OLD!!!

However, some days things happen that make me feel old.

The other day I went to a networking luncheon to meet other small business owners. This guy that I sat next to (he looked about 15!) kept calling me Ma’am. Really?! It would be one thing if he really were 15 but he wasn’t – he was a local business man!!

I felt old then!!!

Friday evening we took dinner to some friends who just had a baby. The new mom asked me if I wanted to hold her – – – YES!!!! While holding this tiny precious baby I realized that I’m closer to grand babies than when my own boys were babies – What????

A lot of times when I’m showing our venue to a perspective bride, I realize that I am old enough to be her mom!!

So, I guess I will just keep doing my daily 44s and be happy that even though I might be “old” I can still workout hard and keep up with some 20 year olds!!!

And – I do remember what it felt like to slam a phone shut after a conversation – so there is that!!!

Do young adults call you Ma’am or Sir?
Do you feel older than your age or younger?

Happy Monday!!!

Kim

Fitness, Push-Ups

Favorite Exercises

October 20, 2013 Kim 47 Comments

Today’s 44 was another push-up variation and it was hard!!! I used –

Step Stability Ball — Step
Stability Ball

To do the push-ups, I put my toes on the step and my hands on either side of the ball.

Just getting in this position was hard – I don’t think you can tell but my arms were shaking!!! From here, I just did normal push-ups.

I couldn’t get my chest all the way to the ball without killing myself so I went as low as I could. Using the stability ball for push-ups is always super hard for me!

It’s no secret that I like to workout and try new moves! Today I thought I would share

Push-ups: As few as 5 years ago, the only way I even attempted push-ups was on my knees. Quite honestly, I never even considered trying them any other way. Now I like to try all sorts of push-up variations. Here are just a few:

Alt. sides of the BOSU - walk over in between — Alt. sides of the BOSU – walk over in between

Squats: Squats have always been one of my favorites!! I used to do 100s of squats at a time way back in my 20s!!! There are so many ways to do squats but I’m just picking a few today!

lift and hold — Start on ball – lift, hover, hold before lowering back down

single leg squats – right toe is barely touching floor

Burpees: Burpees are one of those moves that many people hate. This is another move I used to dread. There was a time not many years ago that when I did workout DVDs and burpees were included, I used that time as a water break!!! Now, I have all kinds of fun with this move!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-RpUfTqSsc’]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thv3mJioVSA’]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCSfRRoiuA4′]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQT6e33BNuM’]

Burpees with rotating squat jump:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtBPSB1xiDo’]

I could actually go on and on with my list of favorite exercises because I like to work every part of my body and there are really only a few moves that I still don’t like – JUMPING LUNGES!!!

What are some of your favorite exercises? Do you like to do different variations?

Happy Sunday!

Kim

Day With KT