Category Archives: Back

How do you Define Yourself?

April 29, 2013 Kim 48 Comments

For my 43 today I did a bent over lateral raise/row combo. Even though it is still fairly basic, I’m happy that I incorporated multiple muscle groups today!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skjovy9l43I’]

I just used 5 pound dumbbells for the 43 – I usually try to go heavier on rows but lateral raises are challenging for me so I picked a weight that I could complete them all without just swinging my arms like a crazy woman!!!

I’m still not working out – hopefully later this week I will be able to ease back in!!!

Since I’ve had a ~~some~~ hours of free time the past few days I’ve done a lot of thinking about things. One of the subjects I’ve thought about is how I define myself. There are lots of words I could use:

wife
mom
runner
athlete
sister
twin
teacher
coach
reader
wine drinker
friend

At every stage of my life, I have had different words that seem applicable. The summer I was

my parents got a divorce and my mom and the 4 of us kids moved to Abilene, TX. 8th grade had been a rough year for me (3 different middle schools) and moving to a new place for 9th grade was no easier. I was very quiet and shy (hard to believe now!!). I went through most of high school being referred to as Tim’s sister:

Thankfully, I also started running in HS and actually turned out to be pretty good at it so I was also a cross country and long distance runner in high school!

I went to college separate from Tim so all of a sudden I had a new identity. However, I quickly formed a very close friendship with Lara. Other then the fact that I ran cross country and track and she didn’t, we were together all of the time. People didn’t call me Kim or her Lara we were:

Kim and Lara

Lara and Kim

Also, I had long hair that I kept curly with a spiral perm – classy!!. I always pulled it back in a ponytail using these clips:

So I also earned the name – Bowhead.

I went to grad school in southern Alabama and spent a year being called Kim from Texas!!

After grad school, I spent 2 years coaching cross country and track at the same University where I had run. During that time I’m not sure I had a true definition of myself – because I was single and a coach lots of people assumed things about me that weren’t true. Those are the years that I realized that even workout wear could be cute and accessorized!

I spent a year teaching and also met Chris (he was in pilot training in TX at the time) – I was either Miss Griffin (umm – that is my mom) or Chris’s girlfriend.

After we got married, we moved to Kansas and because I wasn’t from here and Chris was – I spent the year as Chris’ wife.

We moved back to TX for a couple of years and I taught and coached again. This time I was Mrs. Turner or Coach Turner – loved my new name/identity!!!

Then we had Jordan and my definition of myself changed again – I became Jordan’s mom and later Hunter’s mom. Since I spent about 9 years as a SAHM I struggled a lot with my identity.

I became involved in numerous activities and tried to figure out exactly how I fit into all of the different areas of life. It was difficult at times because I didn’t have a “real” job to help define me.

After both boys were in school full-time, I took a job at their school working in the office – my new identity became secretary. I think the 5 years I spent in that job helped me realize that a job isn’t what defines you – you have to figure that out on your on!!

I did the job of a secretary but there is so much more that makes up who I am including all of the experiences and jobs that I had up to that point.

Now, I am once again a SAHM but there are so many other parts of me!

I’m a blogger – http://day-with-kt.com/

I’m still a runner!! I’m also a weight-lifting, daily activity getting fitness buff!

I’m a personal trainer –

I’m a wife:

I’m a mom:

I’m a sister:

I’m a huge reader:

I’m a wine and martini drinker:

I’m a beach lover:I’m a Texan!I’m a friend:

Above all of the titles and roles in my life, I can truly say that I’m a happy, strong, independent woman! And, tomorrow or next week, parts of my definition of myself might change once again – it is ever evolving as I continue on my journey through life!!!

How do you define yourself?

Happy Monday!!

Kim

Back, Fitness, Lunges

Let’s Do This!!!

March 7, 2013 Kim 10 Comments

Today’s 43 incorporated both lower and upper body so it also got my heart rate up – Bonus!!! I did a side lunge with a row.

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

Because I’m not the most coordinated individual, I had to really focus on keeping my elbows in tight as I pulled my shoulder blades back and at the same time, keep one leg extended and really sit back in my butt – that’s a lot to remember!! So if a few reps aren’t perfect form, please overlook!!

I actually did 86 reps since I counted a right lunge-row combo and a left lunge-row combo as 1. I love to try to incorporate as many muscle groups as possible so this was a great 43!!

The rest of my work-out involved Les Mills Combat with Combat 60 Live – The Ultimate Warrior!!! (I only have about a week left and I will be done with the program – then I will just add in the workouts whenever. I always try to go through a program “as prescribed” the first time I do it and then I mix the workouts in with my other routines later.)

Check out my new shoes!! The other day Stuft Mama did a post about these shoes because she received a pair right before Reebok did the big launch. I thought they were so cool that I hit up the Reebok website and ordered a pair and 5 days later Fed Ex rang my doorbell and…LOVE them!!

These are the new Reebok DMX Sky shoes and they are so cool. I love pink but they have some other really cool color combinations, too. Can’t wait to see how they handle the treadmill!

Even though today isn’t a running day for me, I wanted to wear them just a little and break them in a bit before my next run!!

At 1:00 this afternoon, I will probably look at least as frazzled as the above picture. I’m just hoping that all of the studying/cramming I’ve done this week is enough. When I was younger I don’t recall having such a hard time learning stuff – Either I’ve blocked that part of my life or my memory is fading…..

Oh well, I’m as ready as I’m going to be for my test. I actually slept most of the night last night (which is huge!!) and I’ve gotten in a work-out!!! Just going to stay calm and bubble sheet my way to a certification!! (except bubble sheets are also a thing of the past since the test is now computerized!)

I already told Chris that when I get home (test site is about an hour away) I will be ready for an evening at The Blue Moose (it’s been several weeks since Thirsty Thursday).

The only thing that would make it even better – Thirsty Thursday at the beach!!! Soon enough!!!

Happy Thursday!!! Let’s Do This!!!

Kim

Back, Fitness

Using Muscles in New Ways…

February 27, 2013 Kim 21 Comments

Today for the 43, I decided to take some advice from MizFit and be a superhero. Well, sort-of. I did 43 supermans today. This is a great exercise to strengthen your back – and it actually feels pretty good!

Start by laying facedown with arms and legs fully extended.

Lift your legs up and at the same time lift your arms and pull them back so that you are really squeezing your shoulder blades.

Today, I held the above position for a 5-count (you can vary the amount of hold time). This really was a nice 43.

The rest of my workout today was Les Mills Combat Combat 45 – this one has some really fun moves!!! Besides my 27 minutes worth of wall-sits, I decided to let that be the extent of the workout today because yesterday about did me in!

It’s funny that you can think you are fit and strong but then you do an activity that you don’t normally do and BOOM – not so tough now!! Yesterday I experienced that when I spent and hour and a half shoveling snow.

Today muscles I didn’t even know I had are sore! Who knew?!?!

Jordan used some different “muscles” yesterday, also. He cooked dinner for us! He wanted to do a Mexican bake and planned to just make stuff up. I recommended that he try to find a recipe to at least partly follow. I told him that as he cooks more he will learn to just “wing” it!!

So much fun to work with him in the kitchen! And, of course, part of cooking is the clean-up!

He did a great job and dinner was delicious!

Thanks, Jordan!

Hunter uses his “mental muscles” to solve his Rubik cube:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua8q8lPUuM0′]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIVS7KXTAOg’]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3gfoaloSKc’]

3 attempts – all in under a minute!! His fastest so far is 35 seconds! Crazy.

What muscles have you worked in a new way lately?

Happy Wednesday!

Kim

Back, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Exercise: Fun or Dreaded?

February 25, 2013 Kim 14 Comments

Today’s 43 really made me push myself!! I did plank rows – which means I stayed in the plank position while I did 43 rows with each arm (for a total of 86 rows)!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A631XqSoj4′]

I wanted to maximize the core work so I tried to keep my body as still as possible during the rows – not easy!!! (but done)

Today was Combat 60 Live – Ultimate Warrior (fun, fun, fun!!!) which is part of the Les Mills Combat program. I sort-of wish that particular work-out was even longer than an hour – so much fun and yet when I finish I always know that I have gotten a great work-out!

I’m forcing myself to take a week or two off of running to see if my Achilles will heal up. I have had Achilles problems (not that kind of Achilles!!!) since grad school and my days of heavy road racing – it comes and goes but usually if I will give it a bit of a break I can push on through!

I tried a quick new work-out today – LOVED it!!! I did work-out #1 on Zuzana’s (from BodyRock) new DVD series.

10 burpees (touch your stomach to the ground each time then jump into the air at the top)
10 tuck jumps
10 burpees
20 jumping lunges
10 burpees
30 kick ups (start in crab position & kick legs up – one right & one left = 1)
10 burpees
40 jack kicks (jack your feet out then in, kick leg high to the side – alt. legs)
10 burpees
10 burpees

Next time I think I will set my own timer – I stuck with Zuzana today but I had some down time and I would rather push the whole time!! Either way – less than 10 minutes to a great work-out!

Do you enjoy your work-outs or are they just something to be endured so you can check it off the list?

People that know me know I love to exercise. I don’t know if I’ve ever said I “have” to work out. Usually, if I have a day where I feel like that, it means I need a day off!!

But, I’ve had many people say, “I wish I liked to work out like you do.” Why??? Don’t work-out like me if you hate it!! Find something that YOU like!

Anytime someone tells me they wished they liked to run or lift weights, I always ask them what they do like to do. If it’s not something you like then it will just be work!!! I don’t ever swim for exercise because I hate swimming (I think the pool or lake should just be used to cool off while tanning). If that were to be my work-out I would dread every second of it and it wouldn’t benefit me much at all.

I always feel bad when I can tell someone is going to the gym just because they feel like they “should.” Even with my boys, I would love them to be runners but I don’t think they really enjoy it – no problem, but find something you like and do it!!

I know that MizFit is a big advocate for making fitness fun – she calls it Playout (instead of workout – get it?). I love her approach to making it FUN!!!

So, any of you who dread your work-out times, maybe it’s time to make a change! Make it fun so you will enjoy it (or at least not dread it!!).

Happy Monday!

Kim

Back, Core, Fitness

Friday = Funday!!!

January 11, 2013 Kim 6 Comments

5 straight days of 5:00 AM alarm – YUCK!!! But it’s Fun Friday!!!! And, no alarm for the next 2 days!

Today for the 43 I worked my core and my upper back! I did a Kayaker move: Position yourself in a V-Sit (legs extended if possible) and hold that for the entire time. Holding a body bar (mine only weighs about 5 pounds), row – pull the bar toward you and squeeze your shoulder blades then extend your arms and push the bar straight in front of you.

The row wasn’t too bad but holding the V-Sit for the entire time….made it through all 43 even though I was shaking by the end!!!

See - Exercise IS fun!!! — See – Exercise IS fun!!!

This picture is just because those 2 are so very silly!!! I’m not exactly sure what Jordan was doing in the background of these pictures but Hunter seemed to think it was funny!!! Look – he is still keeping his legs up while he laughs – double core bonus!!!

After the 43 I did Les Mills Combat – HIIT Plyo. High intensity for 30 minutes!!! I really liked this one even though it meant more burpees!! (I’m not sure why I hate those so much but I keep doing them because I know they are good for me!)

I had a little more time so I pulled out one of my 10 Minute Solution DVDs – Blast Off Belly Fat. I did 2 sections – Belly Fat Blaster and Ab Ripper. The first section was all standing core work – awesome!!! The second one was a mix of standing, crunches and plank work! I like these little 10 minute programs because they are nonstop for the entire 10!

Today in the library we are doing inventory – every single book will be scanned by the end of the day!!! Gonna be fun, fun, fun!!!Sponge Bob – I’m pretty sure that my boys (Chris included) can quote every line of every episode!!! Awesome, huh?!

A friend had this quote on Facebook and I borrowed it because it is exactly me!!This quote pretty much sums things up – all of the challenges I do are to try and improve myself not to show-off or compete with anyone else.