Category Archives: Core

Sibling Love

April 13, 2013 Kim 4 Comments

Today’s 43 is compliments of Hunter. I gave the boys free reign to come up with a move and make the video and told them I would get it done! Hunter came up with this whooper of a move. (Chris said Hunter wanted to add more but thankfully, Chris saved me. Hunter said, “she can do it – she did 4300 jumping jacks!”) I think maybe deep down he is proud of me!!!

Anyway, the move is called “the Cube” – I’m not sure why except for the fact that Hunter performed it with his Rubik cube in place.

jump back to plank
push-up
20x mountain climbers
push-up
jump back in
jump

The above is 1 rep – 43 of these was no joke!!! I struggled to finish all 43 today (maybe because it was 860 mountain climbers and 86 push-ups plus all the jumping!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGpxsQS8-Hw’]

Thanks, Hunter!!

After the killer “Cube”, I did some Turbo Fire. I did Lower 20 – which is 20 minutes of lower body work using this “cute” band and will leave your legs and hips shaking!!!

Innocent - I think not! — Innocent – I think not!

Then I did Upper 20 (20 minutes of upper body work – including more push-ups!) using this band:

A great workout to start my day!!!

So, I spent the bulk of yesterday hanging out at the hospital. My dad was in the ICU until about 5:45 or 6:00 in the evening when they finally moved him into a private room. At least then he could sit in a chair for a few minutes. He looked pretty good – he said he wasn’t in pain just really uncomfortable.

One nice thing about my impromptu trip is seeing all of my siblings. The last time all 4 of us were all together was over 2 years ago!!! My younger brother drove in from Levelland and my sister came from Sherman so by mid afternoon we were all together!! I always enjoy catching up with my siblings (in person).

Tim (twin) & me Aunt Jackie & me Mandi & me Sam & me — Tim (twin) & me
Aunt Jackie & me
Mandi & me
Sam & me

And, while I was hanging out with my brothers, sister, aunt and dad here in Texas, Chris was busy at home!!

Hunter had 4 friends over 4 a sleep-over last night for his birthday. That means a total of 6 boys (counting my 2) + Chris!!! For weeks I had been planning to make a special cake for the event. However, it’s hard to make a cake when you aren’t there!

Chris and Jordan to the rescue:

Can you tell what the cake is? Didn’t they do an awesome job?!

Pretty sure Hunter was happy!

Hunter knew that I had a cake planned but he didn’t know what it was going to be – I think the choice was pretty appropriate for him!!!

And….Look – a close match for my “happy place” –

OK – it’s not really a beach – but it is a lake that I could see from the window in the waiting room!!! Close enough for now!!

Happy Saturday!

Kim

PS – I will announce the winner of the I AM FEARLESS necklace tomorrow!!!

Biceps, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Curveballs

April 12, 2013 Kim 30 Comments

Today’s 43 has a super special video. I was driving for 8.5+ hours yesterday and I called home and asked Chris and the boys to make the video for me. (I told them the move I had in mind – they did the work.) Thanks to Jordan for the awesome video (complete with intro and credits!!)!!!

The move – a bicep curl to a shoulder press – reverse the move then drop down and jump back to plank (hold) – jump in and stand = 1 rep x 43!! (I used 10 pound dumbbells)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMdX7ZrghbE’]

(Jordan dropped the weights when he jumped back but I actually held onto them the whole time.)

Here is the hotel fitness center:

There were also 2 treadmills but a man was on one and I figured he didn’t want some creepy girl taking his picture!!

I started by walking a mile to warm-up before my 43. Sweat was dripping off me during this 43 – good thing the fitness center wasn’t packed! Then I came back up to my room (4 flights of stairs – bonus!!) for the rest of my workout.

I did Les Mills Combat – Combat 45. I hope the people in the room below me weren’t still trying to sleep since there was quite a bit of plyo jumping!!

Sometimes life throws a curveball at you and you have to learn how to time your swing to hit it.

Yesterday morning (while I was doing my timed wall-sit), my twin brother (Tim) called me and told me our dad was in the hospital. He didn’t have many details at the time but a bit later he called me back with more info. My dad had a massive heart attack, had surgery yesterday morning and was in the ICU. I felt like I needed to make a trip to Texas because I don’t want him to be in the hospital alone!!! (scary being alone in a hospital!)

A few plans (hotel reservations, stuff for Chris & boys….), packing and I was on the road by 1:15 for a long drive. Poor planning since I hit Oklahoma City at high traffic time:

This is a drive that I have made more times than I can count and it never really changes!

look - a small hill! — look – a small hill!

It is hard to take pictures while driving (and probably not very safe) in case you were wondering. I tried to get the Welcome to Texas sign but there was another sign in front of it (RUDE!!) and I was zipping along and …. no sign but I made it safely!!!

So, the next few days will be crazy but it’s important – it’s my DAD, after all!! And, I will get to see my 98 year-old grandpa while I’m here!!

Happy Friday! Last day for to enter the giveaway for this necklace:I will announce the winner this weekend!!!

Kim

Core, Fitness

Finding Your Happy Place

April 11, 2013 Kim 18 Comments

For my 43 today, I did a standing crunch combo. I started with my hands behind my head and lifted my right knee to the side with a side crunch – lifted my right knee to the front and twisted my left elbow to it while crunching – kicked my right leg out to the front and reached my left hand to my toe – repeat all 3 moves on the left = 1 rep.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeOiU1pY7gk’]

Besides working my core (and balance), this move was good for my hip flexors!! I’m pretty sure I ended up doing more than 43 because I was talking to Hunter and kept losing count so I would go back to the last number I remembered saying – I figure extra is better anyway!

Today seemed like a good day to spend some time with Chalean (since we’re such good friends, you know!!). I did Turbo Fire – Fire 55EZ. It was a great 55 minutes – high intensity cardio leaving me a sweaty mess – perfect!!

During my workout I realized that I haven’t done a plank or wall-sit challenge in awhile so I decided to get that done.

Wall-Sit: 3:20 (new record for me!)

Plank (extended arms) – 4:15 (also a record!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z5qpyxRR-A’]

I love the movie Happy Gilmore – his happy place is pretty random but whatever works for you!!

I think that there really is value in the idea of finding your happy place. Sometimes just picturing it in our minds can be calming and remind us that even unpleasant times will pass. Or, in the middle of a really tough workout or run it might be helpful to escape to your happy place.

My happy place looks like this:

with these guys thrown in!

In my real life it is 30 some degrees outside and cloudy but in my happy place it always sunny and warm!!(my happy place definitely includes a fun cocktail!!)

Do you have a happy place? What/where is it?

Happy Thursday!!! I’m going to pretend I’m here today (close version of my happy place!):

Kim

Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Treadmill Love (and a coming surprise!)

April 4, 2013 Kim 27 Comments

For my 43 today, I tried a new move that I saw over at Brooklyn Active Mama yesterday. For her Weekly Wednesday Workout post she featured a lateral shoulder raise with an ab twist.

Start holding light dumbbells (I started with 5 pound DB for the first 20 reps then dropped down to 3 pound DB for the last 23 – by the end I almost dropped all DB) down at your sides. Lift your arms straight out to the sides (laterally) and hold arms out while twisting (keeping your head facing the front) to the right and back to the center – lower arms – repeat sequence to left side = 1 rep. So, in order to complete 43, I actually had 86 lateral raises and 86 twists (while holding arms out).

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WcQFfNqoXQ’]

I liked this move since it was a combo move but it was hard – probably because my shoulders are still my weakest body part!!

Today I pulled out another DVD that I haven’t used much: Tone with Ten with Rodney Yee, Ana Caban, Tanja Djelevic & Suzanne Deason. I did a 30 minute total body cardio toning segment and about 20 minutes of total body pilates. It was a nice treat for my body!!!

I thought about doing the total body yoga segment but once I pulled it up I remembered why I never do this DVD – Rodney Yee does a lot of the moves in a speedo – PASS!!!

Treadmills – you either love them or hate them!! I think the view on the ones above probably helps some people tolerate them a bit more.

I used to detest running on treadmills – college, grad school – no way would I ever run on a treadmill. I would run outside in (-) temperatures, 50 mph winds, 95% humidity (I went to grad school in southern Alabama!!) – it didn’t matter what it was like I was outside.

And then…..I had Jordan. We lived in Texas at the time and Chris was gone at least 50% of the time. I had already decided that thiswasn’t for me. Running was my thing and the only time I had completely to myself. So we bought our 1st treadmill. I can’t remember the brand but it was a fairly good one – it could go up to 10mph and incline to 10% and it had a nice long running belt (mandatory!). The biggest downside – it was a fold-up treadmill which, at the time, we thought would be great.I’m pretty sure that we NEVER folded it. The biggest problem with a fold-up – it isn’t super sturdy. So when I maxed the speed it would shake – a LOT!!!

In August of 2001, I started training for a marathon – the Walt Disney World Marathon. I was doing the Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) thing. 2 things happened:

On one of my long runs (I think 16 or 18 miles) my treadmill quit – burned out!! Bummer since it was only 2.5 years old.
I got a stress fracture in my right hip and couldn’t run anyway.

Once I started back running, we bought our 2nd treadmill. I went to a Fitness store that specialized in treadmills and other home equipment to find one. The sales guy tried to steer me away from the ones I wanted – commercial grade – but after I told him how I used my treadmill he agreed it was the best option.

I ended up with a PreCor (some # that I can’t remember) that looked sort-of like this.This one could go up to 12mph and 12% incline!! Loved it!! And the sales guy said it would last me forever!

Wrong!!! In January (coldest part of the year, of course) of 2010 my treadmill died. Not cool at all! Back to the same place for treadmill #3. I stuck with a commercial grade treadmill and this time got a Free Motion.

This one also goes up to 12mph and 30% incline!

It is my favorite (and hopefully last)!!!

I think I learned to love treadmill running because it was my only option. Chris is a military pilot and was often gone while I was home with 1 then 2 boys. Running on the treadmill was a life-saver to me on 100s of occasions! I have all kinds of ways to entertain myself – music, TV or just the treadmill itself – I play games with the speed and/or incline during lots of runs.

I have done lots of long (multiple hour) runs on the treadmill over the past 14 years – longest was 60 miles in 2 days (25 one day and then 35 the next). Longest consecutive was 42 (should have been 43 this year but I didn’t make it).

I think the biggest downside to my treadmill addiction – I have lost the ability to self-pace accurately. Oh well, if I ran outside all the time I would probably use a Garmin to take care of that anyway.

How about you – love or hate the treadmill?

Happy Thursday!!

Kim

Make sure you check in tomorrow – I have a first (for me)- a GiveAway!!!

Core, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

200 Minutes of Running – Done!!

April 3, 2013 Kim 33 Comments

Today I had to pick a fairly simple 43 because I got up at 4:30 so that I could run over 3 hours! Then I did my 43 – crazy plan!!

I did a “dead bug” to work my abs. I laid on my back with my legs up (knees bent at 90 degrees). Then, I alternated heel taps out in front of me until I had done 43 with each leg. This is a nice move to work your lower abs!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifa_Y6y2Pf8′]

I’m not gonna lie – it was hard for me today because I had already run 24 miles!!!

Today is my 200th consecutive day of 43s so I wanted to celebrate with a 200 minute run!! I decided that if I got up at 4:30 and started running by 4:40 I would finish at 8:00 which would leave me time to do a quick demo before I needed to take Hunter to school. Chris helped me a great deal this morning by going in late (he is usually at work by 6:00) so that he could take Jordan to school. Thanks, Babe!!

I set my treadmill at 1.0% incline and started. In 200 minutes (3 hours, 20 minutes), I watched both episodes of Dancing with the Stars from this week, an episode of Dance Moms and 2 episodes of the New Normal – hooray for DVR!!

I did a total of 24 miles in the 200 minutes. I averaged 8:00 minute miles for the first 22 miles then I used the last 20 minutes as more of a cool down.