Today for the 44 I did donkey kicks. You start in plank (although after starting to kick I never went back to plank) and kick your feet up in the air.
This is one of those moves that it takes a couple of reps to get into the rhythm. Even though the demo just shows slow ones, I mixed it up and did 5 slow and then 5 quick until I completed all 44.
I did another new Biggest Loser DVD today – Calorie Knockout. Overall it was a good workout. The first segment was with Anna Kournikova and she led it sort-of like she led her team the season she was on The Biggest Loser (not that well!!!). It was supposed to be 15 minutes and at 12 she said we were done – WHAT?!
Thankfully the next 2 segments were really good and very intense – one with Bob and the other with Dolvett!
Since it’s Friday I thought it would be fun if we had happy hour and all y’all are invited!!
What will you bring? And more importantly what are you happy about?
I’m probably going to bring some wine (Moscato) because I LIKE WINE!!! And I might also bring some chips and guacamole because that sounds good today!!! (Feel free to bring a protein shake if that is more your style!!)
I’m happy that this weekend is a 3 day weekend for all of us – Chris is off on Monday and the boys don’t have school!!! Actually Chris has a 4 day weekend since he is off today – glad I only have 2 meetings this morning and the rest of the day free!!!
I’m happy that this weekend is supposed to be warm again – 63 is the predicted high for Sunday!! I will definitely take that in January!!
I’m happy that I know someone who is at least thinking about running the 50 mile race with me in May!!! I hope it works out, Carmen!!!
I’m also happy that in the last year I have made so many great bloggy friends – I appreciate all of y’all who stop in and read my ramblings – I enjoy getting to know you and also love to see people that I already know over here!!!
To do the move, get in plank with your feet on the box (or stool if you don’t have a box). Hop your feet down in front of the stool and back up.
Not gonna lie – this move sort of scared me. It took me several practice hops to feel like I had any sort of rhythm. Talk about a great all-over body move – TRY IT!!!
And – another running day!!! 1.5% incline – 8 miles – 59:51 plus 1 more mile nice and easy to cool down.
Sometimes I look at my life and wonder if I’m a complete failure at friendship!!!
The past few years have really made me question my ability to truly form relationships with others.
Chris has heard me question this characteristic a few times (way more often than he prefers probably!!).
I just can’t figure out why I seem to fail at friendships!!! I’m not talking about the acquaintance type of friendship but the close relationships – the type of friendship where there are no secrets and no need for pretending. The friendships that you think are the forever kind.
I have always been very independent and able to fend for myself so I’m not really a “needy” friend.
Sometimes I wonder if the fact that I don’t even have a functional relationship with my mom plays a role in the whole friendship thing.
I completely understand that people change over time but I also think that true friendship is stronger than those changes. However, I’ve learned (been told) otherwise in the past couple of years.
I don’t think friends have to talk every day or even every week – I think that true friends just pick up where they left off. Until one day they don’t.
This past fall has been a huge time of transition for me. I don’t know the first thing about owning a business and between trying to figure it out and keep it running (without hiring anyone), working out, blogging and most importantly, keeping up with my family, I haven’t done much with anyone and that has cost me at least one friendship.
I don’t really know what to do to change any of this. I just know that I feel completely inadequate as a true friend at this point in my life. Part of this is my own feeling and part of this is based on the demise of a friendship that I thought was one of those “till the end of time” ones.
Sorry that this is such a depressing post – just something that has been on my mind a lot lately!!!
Today’s 44 took one of my favorite moves (burpees) and added in one of my least favorite (jumping lunges) for a great challenge!!!
The move – a burpee (don’t forget he push-up!) jump up and immediately do 2 lunge jumps.
(FYI – the burpees in the demo actually make # 45, 46 & 47!)
Last night Hunter was trying to give me some more ideas for my 44s and he suggested a burpee with a tuck jump. I told him I did those this summer on the beach in Florida!!! He didn’t believe me so I had to find the video to prove it!!!
While we were looking at YouTube, we came across this video –
44 (must be fate!) of the best burpee exercises ever!!! I can’t wait to try more of these!!!
I decided that this bitterly cold and snowy Sunday would be the perfect day to share some sunshine!!!!
I know there are supposed to be rules to these things but I pretty much suck at following them!! I decided to start by answering Mona’s questions and then go from there.
1. If the internet suddenly disappeared and you couldn’t blog anymore, what would you choose as a “release” for your writing and creativity?
Well, I don’t know that I am super creative in my writing anyway – I would probably just spend the extra time on my treadmill!!!
2. What’s a perfect Saturday morning to you? I would say it is a day that I sleep in but that doesn’t really happen. I do like the mornings when I don’t have to set an alarm and jump out of bed first thing. I would take my time getting up, do my workout, have Chris and both boys home and not have to spend the day running all over the place or doing any errands – in other words LAZY!!
3. Where do you see yourself and your blog in 3 years from now? I will be 47 so I guess if I can stick with it that long, I will be doing daily 47s!!! As for blogging, I hope to have met in person some of the incredible people that I have met online!!!
4. Is your family supportive of your blogging? Yes, they are 100% supportive. Chris reads my post every single day (and usually texts me after to make a comment of some sort so I know he read it). The boys don’t seem to mind being part of my blog on many occasions and are more than willing to help me out with pictures/videos!!
5. What’s you fav quick, easy and delicious dinner recipe? (this one made me laugh – if you haven’t read Mona’s blog, you really should check it out!!!)
My favorite easy meal is going to involve the crock-pot for sure!!! Hard to pick just one! I’m going to go with French Dip because it is so easy!!!
Put a frozen roast in the crock pot. Mix 2 c water, 1/2 c soy sauce (we use low-sodium), a bay leaf, some garlic powder, a few peppercorns, rosemary & thyme (just sprinkle some in). Cook on low all day. Shred. Serve on Kaiser rolls with swiss cheese and use the juice to dip.
6. Where is your favorite place to write? This could read where is your favorite place to ___________? No matter what is in the blank, my answer is the same!!! THE BEACH!!!
7. If you had to start your blog all over, what changes would you make?
I think that I would have started commenting on other blogs sooner. I was a complete newbie in the blog world and didn’t have a clue what I was doing for months!!!
What would you keep? This one is easy – I would keep all of the bloggy friends I have made because they (y’all) are the best part of blogging!!
8. Vacation…with or without kids? With!! When the boys were younger I liked it when Chris and I could get away by ourselves. Now, the boys are fun to have on vacation and that is part of the experience. I’m hoping that even when they leave the nest they will still take vacations with us and one day that their spouses and kids will come, too!!
9. What’s your best advice for overcoming writer’s block? Since I’m not really a writer, I don’t truly deal with this!!! I just make up some random stuff and move on!
And, like I said at the beginning – I’m not good at these the traditional way. So I’m not making up 9 or 10 or 12 new questions and tag people – I can’t tag people because I think it supposed to be just a few and I would want to tag at least 100 people!!!
Instead – I will make up one question.
How do you spread sunshine? What is the temperature where you are?
So I lied and asked 2 questions!!! We are actually at 10 degrees with about 4-5 inches of snow so I guess I can’t complain (but I will!) compared to all y’all even further north!
Today I used my BOSU for the 44 and did jumping lunges! I counted a right and a left lunge as 1 rep.
Clearly my memory is slipping after several days of no routine because I sort-of forgot that I just did a lunge move yesterday! Oh, well – they were totally different!
This past week has been full of fun – doing things that we don’t do very often!!!
a view into our game closet
We have played games – all 4 of us!!! We just got Logo Party –
this week and we’ve already been through over half the cards! We also tried –
This game is fun but I think it will be more fun at our New Year’s Eve party with a group of adults!!!
The boys have actually had time to play the X-Box and have enjoyed that since they hardly played during the fall with school and other activities keeping them busy.
Chris and I have watched a few movies in the afternoon (so much better than night-time movies since I get tired at night!!).
we rarely go to the theater!!
One day we watched The Way Way Back –
It was really a cute movie! It made me cry a little at the end but I enjoyed it. (thanks for recommending it, Shashi!!)
And, to show you how far behind we are on movies, yesterday we watched –
I liked this one much better than the 2nd one!!!
I haven’t cooked since Tuesday when I did all of the prep work for our open house on Christmas Day – we have had left-overs and snacks!!!
We have all enjoyed sleeping in (some more than others – Hunter and Jordan!!!).
Over-all this past week has been the perfect mix of activity, get-togethers and plenty of down time so that we start the new year refreshed and ready to go again!!!
Happy Saturday – I hope it is fun and relaxing in your world!!!
Today I decided to do a fast moving 44! This was a good one for feeling a burn in my quads!!! I did a lunge with a floor touch.
This 44 went quickly!! Of course, after I did 44 on one side, I had to switch and do another set of 44 to stay balanced!!!
And – check out my shirt in the video – recognize the color?
bright yellow!
Hunter gave me this shirt so that when we run a half marathon together in the spring (he wants to do one to celebrate turning 13!!!) we can match!!! So excited about it!
Today was another running day. I wanted to go further so I slowed my pace from the past couple of runs! I used 1.5% incline and did 10 miles in 80:15 + 1 easy cool down mile. I started out much slower and increased the speed every half mile for a nice run!!!
Over the past year, I’ve found myself sitting a lot more than I want to. And the reason is my computer and the time I spend blogging and doing other things on it.
I knew that I wanted to make a change but I still wanted to be able to spend time on the computer so…..
this is what I wanted for Christmas
I told Chris awhile back that I wanted a standing work station but not a big one because I wanted it to be portable. This one is perfect!!! It is on wheels and very easy to move so I can have it in the kitchen, living room, dining room or wherever I want to be!!!
writing my blog (this was yesterday morning)
I love it since I always write my post for the day after I finish working out and I hate to just plunk myself in a chair – perfect solution!!! Now when I’m being productive reading blogs I won’t feel like such a slug!!!
Have you ever tried a standing work station? Do you prefer to stand or sit?
In the past I tried our kitchen table and the island – both were too low!!! I feel much more productive when I stand, too!!! (might be mental but….)
Since it’s Friday I thought it would be fun if we had happy hour and all y’all are invited!! 
Actually Chris has a 4 day weekend since he is off today – glad I only have 2 meetings this morning and the rest of the day free!!!
