43 sets of that move left my shoulders burning for sure!
After I finished that torture move, I did a Les Mills Combat DVD – Combat 60 Ultimate Cardio Fighter. Rachel & Dan (they lead the Combat series) say this is the hardest workout in the set – I don’t think it is but it’s a great one!!!
This morning I will finish my journey home. I can’t wait to get home and see the boys this afternoon. I was happy to see Chris last night but I will be happier when we are all back home together again! It was hard to watch all the coverage about Boston yesterday and know that some families will not be reunited because of such a senseless event! (I had to quit watching and watch some mindless reality TV – Dancing with the Stars.)
Sunday and Monday I really dragged through my workouts – to the point where I thought about not finishing. Then yesterday evening by the time I got to Wichita & saw Chris (about 5:00) I was dizzy and shaky and felt like crap. Lesson learned: Popcorn for dinner does not provide enough fuel for a good workout. I need protein!!
I already knew that for me, the most important meal I eat is usually dinner but I haven’t been eating dinner every night since I left home – STUPID!!! And yesterday, in addition to skipping dinner, I only had a snack while I was driving so I nearly paid a price for my stupidity. Fortunately, a little food (with carbs & protein) and some rest and I was pretty much back to normal.
Just 2 more hours in the car today and I will be home – I can’t wait!!!
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)
(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.
travel fitness center!
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:
Oklahoma City
This is a drive that I have made more times than I can count and it never really changes!
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!!!
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).
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!
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!!!
OK – onto the 43 – This was one of those that ended up being more challenging than I had thought it would be! I did a lunge with a twist while holding a medicine ball.
Start standing with ball at chest.
Start
Step into lunge with right leg and push ball straight in front of you.
right lunge – ball extended
Twist to right while staying in lunge.
twisting
Return to front lunge, stand and bring ball back to chest for 1 rep. After doing 43 with my right leg, I still had another set of 43 with the left!!!
left lungemore twisting
I think that the hardest part of this was keeping my arms up. I used an 8 pound medicine ball and it was hard to keep pushing my arms out and twisting!!
I decided to do a Les Mills Combat workout today – Combat 60 Ultimate Cardio Fighter! Always a good workout and a quick 60 minutes!!! I also did Turbo Fire – Abs 10 to get a little core work.
So, I’ve been doing some research into dehydrators. I’m trying to decide if it is something that I would use. I know that the boys would like things like dried mangos and other fruits. What I’m really wondering is if I could use dehydrated food to get rid of my chip addiction!!!
I love potato chips but I don’t love having a jiggle around my middle when I run!! Therefore, potato chips have to go!!! I need other (healthier) snack options! Any thoughts on dehydrators? Do you have one? (and do you use it if you do??)
Happy Thursday!!! (Yikes – spring break is flying by!!)
Today I used a medicine ball for my 43. I put my hands on the ball and got into plank position.
start
Then I stepped my right foot out to the side, back to center and my left foot out to the side and back to center for 1 rep.
step right foot out then back infeet togethernow left foot
It took me 2:20 minutes of holding plank (with my hands on a ball!) to complete this 43!
I tried another new (to me) workout today. Cathe – Turbo Barre. On the cover of this DVD it says Low Impact Series. Don’t let that fool you into thinking this was easy! WOW!!! The pain burning in my hips, thighs and butt at points in this workout was no joke!! I’m pretty sure that I will feel everything about this workout tomorrow! At one point, I think we spent at least 5-7 minutes up on our toes while squatting with our feet in various positions.
I don’t have a barre but this barstool worked perfectly!!
just as good as a barre
I’m pretty sure that this will become one of my go-to choices for days when I don’t want any running or jumping but still want an incredible workout!!
I started running in high school. I also competed in college and when I was in grad school I spent a lot of time doing various road races from 5K – half marathon. Since then, I have only run a handful of races – a few 5Ks and a 10-miler.
I have trained for several different marathons during my running career but never even started one – first one I was in college and really sick and the next 2 (maybe 3, I’ve blocked some!) I ended up with stress fractures and had to stop running entirely.
Sometimes now I wonder – Am I a real runner? I haven’t even run a marathon. I have run more than 26.2 miles in a single run but does that count? I’m not sure at this point if I will ever run a true marathon – I would like to but for me right now, just being able to run is enough!!!
On a completely different note – Since it’s spring break (and yesterday was probably the nicest weather we will have all week), we decided to play tennis when Chris got home from work. After about 30 minutes, Jordan and I decided to walk/jog home – (about 2.5 miles or so around the lake).
Jordan decided to sprint a little!!
It was a fun just hanging with Jordan for a bit and getting a little fresh air!
What do you think makes someone a “real” runner? Distance, speed, time, cool running gear…?
Popcorn for dinner does not provide enough fuel for a good workout. I need protein!!
