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.

Things you Have to See to Believe

Today for my 44 I did a move that was for my biceps and shoulders but because I balanced on 1 leg, I also got in a great core challenge.  I did a single arm bicep curl to a shoulder press with the opposite leg up.

ready
ready
curl
curl
press
press

I used a 10 pound dumbbell and it was challenging to complete all 44 reps.  And, I can’t be uneven so I switched sides and did 44 more.

side 2
side 2
curl
curl
press
press

This was a good move to really get my blood flowing early.

And, today was one of my favorite workouts for Garage Boot Camp – Pyramid.  I love this one because it is non-stop for the entire time.  There are a total of 10 exercises and each round you add one (10 reps of everything each time) – round 1 is easy (10 squats), round 2 (10 squats, 10 jumping jacks), etc. until you have 10 reps of 10 exercises.  After you get all 10, you start back down the pyramid dropping one off each time – fun stuff!!!

Do you ever glance at something or someone and then do a double take because you can’t believe what you just saw?

complete disbelief
complete disbelief

Well, Sunday morning, Chris and I were at Wal-Mart (ugh!!) and after Chris got in line I ran over to check on something.  I happened to glance over and a lady was wearing a tiny little bikini with a tiny little skirt (she wasn’t so tiny)!!!  

Not the lady I saw because I didn't get my phone out in time not to get busted!
Not the lady I saw because I didn’t get my phone out in time not to get busted!

I looked back thinking I hadn’t seen correctly but she was definitely wearing a little bikini!!  I moved on a bit and next thing I know this man says, “What you don’t think it’s the right weather for a bikini?”  Oops – Busted!!!  I thought I had been a little less obvious in my double-take!

I do have another “fun” picture for you.  Our event venue also has 3 apartments upstairs.  They are separate from the event part and I don’t go up the stairs to them very often.  However, one of the girls moved to Colorado and we have been showing the apartment some.  I couldn’t believe how very disgusting the stairs were (they have cats & dogs).  Yesterday I couldn’t take it anymore and swept for them – 

pile of filth from 1 flight of stairs
pile of filth from 1 flight of stairs

You’re Welcome for that visual!!!

What have you seen recently that you couldn’t believe?

 

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

WooHoo!! It’s My SITS Day!!!

Today for my 44 I did a hyperextension rock.  This move is designed to strengthen the lower back which is sometimes a problem area for me!  

Lay on your stomach and extend your arms and legs off the ground.  Rock back, lifting your arms up as high as you can and then rock forward lifting your legs.  (a front-back rock = 1 rep)  To complete all 44, I had to stretch back into child’s pose a couple of times!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS8cijb1DVk’]

And, for the first time in a week (since my 44 miles!) I ran.  Yesterday afternoon Jordan, Hunter and Chris all went running.  Jordan told me that I should run, too since it had been a week – nothing like having a kid to keep me in check!!!

I ran with a 1.5% incline – 6 miles in 37:28 and then did a nice easy 1.5 miles to cool down.  It felt good to run again and after the first mile I found my running grove!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-22 at 9.33.45 PM

Today is my SITS day!!!  That means I’m featured the featured blogger @ The SITS Girls (where women get social).

This site is a great site that 2 women (Tiffany & Fancesca) started to help women bloggers really share their blogs.  This community is over 40,000 and still growing.

Over the past few months I’ve met some incredible women thanks to this site!  

I will always be grateful to the first SITS girls I followed for introducing me to this incredible site and one in particular who didn’t let me just make comments about needing to check it out – she said “Just do it!!”  Thanks, Joi!!!

So, if you have never checked out the site, feel free to head over and visit today!!!  Good day for it, since I’m over there!!!

Happy Monday!!!

Kim

The Great Debate

Today I went with some kicking for my 44.  I did a  right front kick – left round house for 44 reps and then switched legs for another set of 44.  

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN1KjRKcaq8′]

(Hunter had American Ninja Warrior paused in the back-ground – Nice!!)

I like moves like this because they go quickly but also get my heart rate up a bit!

Screen shot 2013-09-22 at 8.37.14 AM

Yesterday morning was truly a new experience for Chris and I – we judged a couple rounds of the high school debate tournament.

This is a ZERO experience required gig!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-22 at 8.40.09 AM

It was really like being thrown into a hot fire – I got to the assigned room for my first round and there were 4 boys waiting outside.  I just joined them and then realized that I was the one who needed to go in and “set-up” first.  Oops!!

2 teams of 2 students + 1 judge = a full house for a debate round – WHO KNEW?!   

The topic for this year (every single round, every single tournament):  Should the embargo with Cuba be lifted.

Screen shot 2013-09-22 at 8.38.02 AM

Because I’m not really political at all (I prefer avoiding all of it and living in my happy world!) this was a good topic for me to really just focus on which side (affirmative or negative) did the better job of convincing me that they were the way to go!

Screen shot 2013-09-22 at 8.38.20 AMOf course, the first round, since all 4 of the boys were the same age as Jordan and they were all very nervous because it was their first round of debate ever (Jordan will experience the same thing in a week or so!), it was hard to not just have my “mom” hat on   and choose both sides.

My career as a debate judge was fun but 2 rounds was enough – not sure how many rounds of such similar info I could sit through – especially since each round was about 1.5 hours!!

I still don’t really have a firm opinion on the Cuba embargo and whether or not it should be lifted but it was very cool to hear young teen-agers so passionate about the subject!

Did you ever debate in high school or college?
Have you ever judged debate?
Do you think the US should lift the embargo with Cuba?

Happy Sunday!!

Kim

It’s the Weekend!! Time to Kickback and Relax! HaHaHa

Today’s 44 was a different way to try a standard move.  I took some advice from Tamara @ Fitknitchick and tried a unilateral move.  I did a single arm shoulder press – non-working arm stays extended the entire time (so it is really working!!).

Hold two equal weight dumbbells at shoulder height. Extend both arms up and over your head, keeping weights slightly in front of your head. Keep non-working arm fully extended while you lower the working (weighted) arm towards your shoulder. Press back up to the starting position. Complete all repetitions on one side then switch to the other. (thanks to Tamara for this explanation of the move!)  

start
start
extend right arm
extend right arm

I thought that 8 pounds wouldn’t be challenging enough so I did 10 pounds – yikes!!!

a second side
a second side
my right arm is dying!
my right arm is dying!

This move was hard – keeping the “non-working” arm up the entire time makes this move 10x harder.  And the 2nd set of 44 was brutal but I kept the same weights so that I could try to be balanced!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-21 at 6.17.22 AMI remember when the weekend used to mean a little bit of down time!!!  Now, the weekend means that I have to do some major planning to make sure we all get to the events and activities we are supposed to!!

Lately, every Saturday has started butt crack early (especially since Friday night football means we are up till at least 11:00 – late for us!!!).  Screen shot 2013-09-21 at 6.19.43 AM

This morning, Chris and I are each judging 2 rounds of debate (part of Jordan’s debate grade – funny how it involves us!!).  Hunter has to get to the middle school to ride the bus to the cross country meet before we get home – good thing for friends to come get him!!!  

After our judging career ends, we will run home to get Jordan and take him to the high school so he can spend the rest of the day being a timer at the debate tournament.  Then Chris and I will book it to Kansas City for Hunter’s cross country meet.  

Then…..

Screen shot 2013-09-21 at 6.19.25 AM

Busy but it will all be fun!!!  

Jordan is really enjoying marching band so the Friday night craziness is totally worth it.  Plus, the football games are always fun!

Band Wear - this is what they wear under their uniforms
Band Wear – this is what they wear under their uniforms
Jordan is on the close end (trumpet)
Jordan is on the close end (trumpet)

Weekends in your world – relaxing or crazy?

 

Happy Saturday!!!  Relaxing or rushed – I hope it’s a great one!!

Kim 

What Would You Do If…..

Today’s 44 was a fun “twist” on the Russian twist.  I used a medicine ball with handles – 

8 pounds
8 pounds

Holding the medicine ball with both hands, I twisted side-to-side, back to the middle and pressed the ball straight out.  

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgOkUFkjq0w’]

My abs/core were on fire by the time I finished all 44 reps!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-20 at 6.33.06 AM

 

Some “fun” situations – how would you react?

1.  At a party (or wedding reception) you drop an entire piece of chocolate cake on the floor. 

not from the venue but you get the idea!
not from the venue but you get the idea!

Yesterday I learned that some people don’t pick up dropped cake, they prefer to grind it into the floor.  An entire piece – all ground into the floor – fun times to scrub!!!

2.  A telemarketer calls AGAIN!!!

Screen shot 2013-09-20 at 6.37.20 AM

Chris takes great pride in trying to get telemarketers to hang up on him.  The other night this poor girl called (no idea what she was representing!) and Chris started off by asking her why there was such a delay from when he answered and said hello (3x) before she responded.  He told her that she should probably put in a work order for that.  Finally he asked her what she called about and when she started her spill he said – “Hey, we own an event venue.  I’ll give you the website and maybe you can check it out.  Where are you calling from?  (Oklahoma City)  Great – that’s only 4 hours away.  Maybe y’all can come up for a work party.”  She hung up!

When the boys were little and telemarketers called, Chris would pass the phone to one of the boys and let them talk.  He’s never rude to the people, he just entertains himself.

3.  You forget what time you are supposed to pick your son/daughter/whoever up.

text between Hunter & me earlier this week
text between Hunter & me earlier this week

Epic mom fail – I knew it was early release and that I was picking Hunter up so we could get his new glasses but I had the times mixed up (should have put it in my master calendar!!).  Thankfully Hunter was really sweet about it!!!

What are some of your “what would you do” situations this week?

Happy Fun Friday!!!  Football game tonight – WooHoo!

Kim