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.

Core, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

Running Because I Want to Not Because I Have to

October 19, 2013 Kim 50 Comments

Because I was so excited to do weighted burpees on Thursday, I didn’t do Nellie’s (Brooklyn Active Mama) Wednesday workout yet – so today I did 44 toe touches.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyo4p5cw-7c&feature=youtu.be’]

This is a move that you will feel after just a few!!! 44 of these were a challenge!!!

And – because it’s been a week since the last time I ran, I ran today. All week long I’ve thought about how far I would run today – I thought about doing 50 miles (on my treadmill, of course!) just because I know I have it in me. Then I thought about running 25 so that I could complete the 50 (over the course of a week but whatever….).

However, this morning, I ran the way I felt – because that is what running is all about for me!!! I did 7 miles in 45:43 (1.5% incline) and then another 1.5 miles at a nice easy pace to cool down.

I have realized that I am not a person who like to follow a running training plan at this point in my life. I just want to run for the pure enjoyment I get from running.

I know lots of people thrive on training plans and knowing exactly what each day will bring but when I run that way, I start to resent everything about running – and I hate that feeling.

Some days I want to run 5-9 miles at a quick pace just because – so I do!

Some days I feel like doing some intervals – so I do them!!

Some days – the idea of running for 3-5 hours is my idea of a good time!!!

Some days I don’t want to run at all – so I pick a different workout and I am completely OK with it.

Today, I decided that I don’t have to prove anything with my running – I just want to continue to enjoy it!!! And one day, that might mean lacing up my shoes and running 50 miles just because I want to!!! (today was not that day!)

Happy Saturday!

Kim

Calves, Fitness, Thighs

Sometimes I Need a Filter

October 18, 2013 Kim 81 Comments

Today a did a dancing inspired move for my 44. (Relax – I didn’t actually dance – that would be scary!!!) I did a plie to a releve – sounds fancy, huh?

This was actually a nice 44 – I kept a slow steady pace through the motions and really enjoyed it.

I went old-school today for my workout – The Firm – Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn. I have always been a fan of the The Firm workouts and this one is great – 50+ minutes of toning (fairly light weights), plyo moves and cardio segments.

Filters are useful for keeping the “bad” stuff out!!! Sometimes I forget to use the filter that controls things I say or even things that I write.

Yesterday in my post about writing like you talk one of the comments was to the effect that in writing it is easier to go back and edit things. So very true – unless for some reason you don’t. A lot of times when I’m telling Chris something about my day, I add a lot of thoughts that I didn’t really say out-loud but I sure did think them!!!! Other times, I slip and say something that if I had taken a few seconds to think through would have never come out.

When I comment on blogs, I try to really think about what I write. My goal is never to be negative or snarky on someone else’s blog.

The other night I totally blew it!!! I wrote something on impulse (no filter), clicked publish (or whatever the button is) and immediately regretted it. The sad thing is, you can’t delete a comment on someone else’s site. (I did go back and type a reply saying that I was sorry and should have never left the comment I did but still…..)

I love the little reminder about thinking!!! I try to always keep it in mind especially when I comment on other blogs because I really believe that everyone is entitled to write whatever they feel/believe on their site and it is not my place to judge or be rude.

Have you ever left a comment and then immediately regretted it?

Happy Fun Friday!!! I’m off to replace my filter!!!

Kim

Chest, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Do you Write Like you Talk?

October 17, 2013 Kim 84 Comments

Today for my 44 I did weighted burpees!! Sounds fun, right?! I held 10 pound dumbbells while doing these super fun little gems!!!

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

Not gonna lie – these were hard!!

I also had Garage Boot Camp. I thought about just winging it today but decided that would require way too much thinking on my part so I did a version of my very fist boot camp from the summer – 10 x 3 but today I surprised them and we did 10 x 5!!

Jordan got back his first high school English paper yesterday and said he didn’t think his English teacher liked the way he wrote based on the comments he gave. Some of the comments:

This doesn’t make sense here. Jordan – it made sense to me. Yes but you aren’t the teacher.
Don’t use quotes unless you are actually quoting something. Jordan – I was using them like you do when you talk and do finger quotes. Yep -makes sense to me but not gonna fly on an English paper.
No run-on sentences or fragments. Jordan – I was just writing the way I talk. Dude – I get it – I’m the queen of using dashes instead of ending my sentences. However, once again, this will not work on an English paper.
Don’t bold a word. Jordan – it was to show emphasis. Yep – makes sense but I don’t think that is the way to do it on an English paper.

Basically, I told Jordan – writing is all about creativity and self-expression EXCEPT when you are still in school writing English papers. Then it is about following ALL the RULES.

Listening to him talk about his writing and the fact that he was just writing the way he talked made me think about the way I write.

I totally write the way I talk. The never ending run-ons with dashes – just the way my thoughts and words flow. The constant use of (_____) to add that little extra thought – exactly how I think and say things (hard for me to stay on topic all the time).

When you think about it – the whole writing mold that is taught all the way through school is rarely followed later in life (and I mean no offense to English teachers because I understand that it is an important thing to learn!!!).

Look at some famous authors that have very unique writing styles:

E. E. Cummings – no caps, no punctuation and yet he was published numerous times. Pretty sure that wouldn’t pass even the most basic English class.

When the boys were little we read lots of Junie B. Jones books – Chris hated it because the grammer was so poor – I tried to explain that it was written from the point of view of a first grader but…

So, I told Jordan that for now he has to apply all the rules of his teacher – which even includes the font style and size (yikes!!!).

Then, start a blog and write in whatever style makes you happy!!!

Do you write the way you talk or do you follow all of the rules you learned in your high school/college English classes?

Happy Thursday!!

Kim

Chest, Core, Fitness, Triceps

Wacky Wednesday

October 16, 2013 Kim 68 Comments

Today I did 44 “chest, fly, bangers” with a hip raise. Basically, I kept my hips up (the entire time) while doing a chest press, opening to a fly, bringing the weights back together and doing a head banger (triceps) before lowering the weights to repeat.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoEYJO6g8g’]

Once again, the video was after doing all of my 44 and my workout – my arms were shaking the entire time. I used 10 pound weights which was plenty for the # I did.

I tried a new DVD today – Jillian Michaels – Hard Body. Yikes!!! I did Level 1 (there are 2 45 minute workouts) and it really pushed me today. In fact (here’s something wacky), I actually did the modifications on a couple of the moves – not quite ready to go hard core I guess!!!

Hunter always has “Wacky Wednesday” at school – not really sure what is different from other days but I decided that today could use a bit of wacky!!!

I can’t even imagine staying in a hotel made of ice – just looking at this picture is making me cold!!!

Driving around in this might be kind of fun for a day or so!!! I wonder if there are any restrictions involved?!

This completely cracks me up!!

Umm….I don’t even ride roller coasters the way they are meant to be ridden. This guy is an IDIOT!!!

I guess this gives a whole new meaning to – “basket toss!”

I think it would be impossible to be in a bad mood driving around in this van!

I think if you can pull off that look and still be so cute – go for it!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew&feature=youtu.be’]

And I’m really not even sure how I feel about this!! I’ve seen the Prancercise video several times now and really can’t tell if she is being serious with this or if it is supposed to be a joke!

Rest assured – no form of prancercizing will ever be a daily 44!!!

And, the final wacky –

Last night I told Jennifer that I was done with the hair growing out gig – back to short!!! (umm…this picture would be early morning right after my workout so hopefully I can fruiff it a bit more!!)

Happy Wacky Wednesday!!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness

Thank You, Thank You!!

October 15, 2013 Kim 53 Comments

Today’s 44 was a nice stretch/resistance move. I used some rubber tubing –

the green without handles was today's choice! — the green without handles was today’s choice!

and did a side lying kick.

By pulling the band tight, this was a nice little strength move that also felt pretty good on my hips!! And, of course, I had to flip over and do another set of 44.

I’m ready to start getting in some fun workouts again – a couple days off is always plenty for me!!!

Today was Garage Boot Camp – we did Tabata!!! This is always a great way to get in a really intense workout in a short amount of time and like I always tell myself – you can do anything for 20 seconds!!!!

The past couple of days have been a little overwhelming – I have been completely humbled by all of the sweet comments from so many of you and don’t feel like I have the words to adequately express how much I appreciate each and every one of you!!!

More than the act of blogging – I love the wonderful bloggers that I have gotten to know!!!

A couple of y’all even gave me shout-outs in your posts the past day or two and while I feel very undeserving I also want to say Thank-you!!!

Amy @ Run Write Hike is fixing to rock yet another marathon this coming weekend and she was so sweet to include me in a list of inspirational races this past weekend.

Debbie @ Healthy Running Mom who just got a huge PR on Sunday at the Chicago Marathon said I helped keep her motivated during her marathon (good thing she didn’t know at the time that I hadn’t finished!!).

My sister, Mandi, has a blog that she updates occasionally – hopefully she will start to blog more soon (she is pregnant with her 2nd child!!!) – hint, hint. Yesterday she wrote the sweetest post about running – just thinking about it is making me cry (again!!).

And thanks to those of y’all who so very sweet to tweet me even though I suck at the whole twitter thing!!! Cori, Amy, Barbara

Thank you also to so many of my real life friends who commented through FaceBook – some of you I see often and some not as often as I would like but I am very grateful to all of y’all!!!

And, of course, Chris who has hung out with me the past couple of days and just let me cry or vent when I felt like it and watched hours of Modern Family – so much more fun to be a bum with someone else!!!

So, again, I just want to thank all of y’all for not only listening to me go on and on about the race last week but for taking the time to read about my experience at the race and to leave such encouraging comments!!! The incredible blogging community is why I love spending time blogging every single day!!!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Kim

Day With KT