Today was another resistance band move for the 44. The move is a twist and designed to work your core but because you have to hold the band up in front of you it also is a great shoulder burner!!!
Oh – I counted a full rotation (right-left-right) as 1 rep.
Because I’m trying to work through some of my workout DVDs that I don’t do very often – I pulled out one today that I haven’t done in years.
Shelly McDonald – Caribbean Workout – Abs, Buns & Thighs
This one is funny because it’s made up of 3 segments (I did all 3 for just over an hour long workout) but you can tell that each segment was a 30 minute TV workout at one point (obvious when they had a cut to commercial!). It is more old school aerobics (lots of grapevine, step touch, the pony….) but it is all worth it because of the views!!
It is filmed on location so I could sort-of pretend that I was on the beach enjoying views like this –
But now it’s back to reality and 19 degree temps outside!!! Oh, well it was nice for an hour!!!
First – thank you for so many kind words and shared experiences/situations to yesterday’s post about friendships!!!
Chris’ response yesterday was that I can’t let those failed friendships control me because it is a 2-way street and when the other party doesn’t make any effort to maintain or reconcile a friendship then there is nothing I can do.
The overwhelming response yesterday was the fact that effort should be made on both parts and I agree 100%!!
It is never fun to be the one making all of the effort in a relationship!!! I know that sometimes things just have to be let go – doesn’t ever make it easy though!!!
Anyway……
Even without knowing the entire back story I felt like many of you understood the situation perfectly – a lot of you because you have had a similar experience for which I’m very sorry because I know it is hard!!!
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 required a resistance band. I decided that since I worked my biceps yesterday with the 44 today I would work my triceps. I did tricep pulses with the band.
readydown
This was actually really tough – the resistance of the band made the last 15 or so brutal!!!
I did a new workout today – The Biggest Loser Power X-Train. Besides a warm-up and cool down, there are 3 15 minute segments: metabolic circuit, power training and all about reps. The metabolic circuit was 14 moves, 1 minute each and alternated between a power move and a cardio move. Power training was more about whole body training with strength, core and plyo. All about the reps was my favorite section – 4 moves done for 1 minute each 3x. The goal was to increase the number of reps each time through!!
I’ve noticed over the past year that blogging tends to be way down during the weekend. I actually have more time to read on Saturday and Sunday so I thought I would share a few of the great things I read.
3. Chris @ The Mom Cafe has a devotional series and invites guest bloggers to share their stories. This week Dana from Kiss My List wrote a great piece about Judaism!
4. Taylor @ Lifting Revolution shared about her attempts to master a hand stand in her yoga class recently. The real point of her post was that sometimes you are going to fall no matter what you are trying to do – what do you do after falling?
5. Carla @ Real Into had an incredible post about just being you. She said that you don’t have to do something new to be unique!!! I’m so excited because she said that she is going to be sharing more of her unique self in the future and I can’t wait!!!
7. Biz @ My Bizzy Kitchen is so amazing!! She just spent the last week working her full time job plus a new part time job, dealing with horrid weather (scraping snow off of part of her heating unit most mornings), plus trying to spend plenty of time with her husband who spent the first week of 2014 in the hospital (and while he was there she organized a DVD drive for the kids wing of that hospital!). After a particularly rough day she wrote a post listing all of the ways that she is blessed!!! What a great reminder that life really is good. (Plus, Biz shares some really tasty recipes almost every day!!)
I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t Pin at least 5 recipes from some of the amazing bloggers I love!!! This weekend was no exception!
9. Davida @ The Healthy Maven always has some of the most amazing recipes. Most of them are way above my ability level (lots are for tasty baked things!!) but I’m pretty sure I can handle this one: White bean kale & artichoke dip with quinoa flatbread (remember I’m going to try quinoa this year!!) I can’t wait to try this!!!
10. Jill @ Fitness, Health & Happiness is so consistent with weekly meal planning and sharing new recipes. This breakfast salad (or lunch, dinner or even snack) looks super tasty and full of good things. There is an omelet and a sunny side up egg in this salad!!! And feta – one of my favorites!!!
I don’t know yet if I will make this a standard Monday feature (I haven’t ever done a set daily thing) but I love to share – there are so many great posts out there!!!
Today’s 44 was one that I saw Tara do (Family Sport Life). I didn’t totally master it but it was still very effective. To start, you balance yourself on a stability ball (knees on it) and then you do the actual move – bicep curls.
trying to balancecurl
If you look closely you can see that I had to tap my toes (more than keep them up actually) to keep from falling on my face. I’m going to keep working on the balance aspect!!!
Besides working my biceps (10 pound dumbbells), this move was good for my core (balance) and my quads were burning by the end!!!!
And then I ran again – 2 days in a row!!! Yesterday I got in 6 miles and today I ran 6 at just under 8 minute/mile pace and did another 1.75 miles to cool down.
So, you might remember that back in October I attempted my first 50 mile race and it did not go well.
I made a lot of mistakes but I also learned a lot. And, way down deep I know that I can run a 50 (and maybe even a 100 miler!!!).
Yesterday morning I was scrolling through FaceBook and saw a post from the Heartland 100/50 (the race I did last year) saying that they are changing the 50 and making it a day race!!!! (Last year it was at night – pitch black on a rocky road, cold, lonely…….)
Then this happened –
In May, I’m going to try again to complete a 50 mile race!!!!
Actually I’m going to do more than try!!!! I’m going to take the things I learned last fall and apply them and this 50 mile race is going to be a great experience!!!!
In October, I wasn’t mentally tough enough to push through the pain and other factors that were involved.
This time, my head will be in the right place and there will be no giving up!!!
I’m excited to get another chance to fulfill my goal of competing in an ultra!!!!
Today I worked my core with the 44. I did side leg drops (a pilates move).
Start on your back with your legs at 90 degrees and knees glued together –
ready
Slowly drop your legs to the right while keeping your upper body flat on the ground –
to the right
Bring your legs back up and slowly drop to the left –
and to the left
This move is supposed to be slow and controlled and is a nice stretch for your core. After just a few back and forth reps you will start to feel this in your abs (especially in the obliques!).
I’m fixing to head down and hop on my treadmill – nothing major just a nice run to get my legs moving again after a few relatively low key days!! Trying to keep my mileage building!
Did you know that boys do sleep-overs, too? (They would never call it a slumber party or anything but…)
A typical male sleep-over involves food (lots of it), games (usually of the X-Box variety) and movies!! At least those are the things usually involved at our house.
I’m not a super fan!!! I love the boys to have their friends over but the sleep-over thing usually just results in OVER TIRED boys!!!!
Even when I was growing up I didn’t really like sleep-overs. I don’t think I ever had anyone sleep-over at my house (for a variety of reasons) but I didn’t really enjoy sleeping at other’s homes either.
I’ve mentioned a time (or 20) that I have sleep issues!!! I think sleep-overs only make it worse – something about the added responsibility maybe?! Even when my boys are at someone else’s house it makes my sleep worse. (I know – ISSUES!!!)
All that being said – our boys do still have sleep-overs – sometimes here and sometimes at other people’s homes. I just have to get over my many issues and deal!!!!
First – thank you for so many kind words and shared experiences/situations to yesterday’s post about friendships!!! 
It is never fun to be the one making all of the effort in a relationship!!! I know that sometimes things just have to be let go – doesn’t ever make it easy though!!!
Happy Wednesday!!!
