Category Archives: Shoulders

Happiness is Contagious!!!

December 18, 2013 Kim 79 Comments

I really want to start working out again but I’m pretty sure that my body isn’t ready so I will just keep doing 44s and pinning the great workouts that so many of y’all are sharing!

Today for my 44 I worked my shoulders with a front rotation. I started with my arms at 90 (8 pound dumbbells – that was plenty for this many reps!).

From the starting position, I just rotated my arms until they were in front of me, palms down and then back up – all in a slow and controlled manner.

The first 18 or so weren’t bad but the rest were rough!! My shoulders are always my weakest muscle and a few days of nothing hasn’t helped them!!!

Do other people’s moods affect your mood? I know they do mine!!!

Yesterday evening I had a showing (at our venue) for a bride and her photographer. This bride has already booked the place for an April wedding and just wanted to plan a few things and have her photographer see the lighting situation.

While we were there, she showed me some of the pictures for her plans (gotta love Pinterest!) and asked my opinions. She also showed me pictures of her dress and it was absolutely stunning!!!

Just spending those few minutes with her and sharing in her happiness and excitement made me happier!! I appreciated her enthusiasm for everything last night and when her friend/photographer arrived she immediately got caught up in the exuberance of the bride to be!!!

It was like a happy dance just sharing a few minutes with this girl (not really a girl but she is much younger than me!!!).

I started thinking about how often we let other’s dictate our mood – sometimes not in a positive way.

I think that happiness does grow when shared and is definitely contagious!!! I really hadn’t been super excited about driving over yesterday afternoon (I always end up BLAH when I’m sick) but I left feeling so much better than I had in days!!!!

I want to be one of those people that exudes happiness and shares the happy germ with others!!!

Do you feel happier after being around people who are happiness carriers?

HAPPY Wednesday!!

Kim

Butt, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Plyo, Shoulders

Trying to Keep it Classy

December 5, 2013 Kim 58 Comments

Today’s 44 was just a hodge-podge of moves combined to make a challenging 44!! I used my agility ladder –

I forget about this when I'm not using it everyday! — I forget about this when I’m not using it everyday!

I jumped back to a plank with my feet in the middle 2 rungs – jacked my feet out to the outside rungs then back in to the middle – jumped into a squat (sort of squat and not sure why I kept checking my butt out) and repeated!

This move worked my entire body and got my heart rate way up – perfect 44!!!

On tap with Insanity the Asylum vol. 2 today – Back and 6-Pack (I hope it works!!). This workout was only 40 minutes and, like the name implies, full of moves for the back and abs – complete core work today!!! The funny (not in a HaHa kind of way!) thing is we did moves similar to the one I used for my 44 just without the ladder – good times!!

We all know that I’m not elegant at all!!!

prime example of the opposite of elegance

And, I already showed you my house which is festive but will never be elegant (just very lived in!!).

But – over at the Governor’s Row House (our event venue) I have been working on putting up some Christmas decorations and trying to keep it simple and classy. It’s a huge learning curve!!!

The previous owner had a few things in the basement and then I’ve added quite a few more – not sure how classy it is but it’s starting to look Christmasy!!!

front room - mantel — front room – mantel

I just put some small ornaments in glass jars to add color on the mantel. And, I found an old tree that had some colored lights – I added a few clear to fill in the gaps – for the front window.

The staircase is pretty by itself but I wound some garland around the rail and put a few splashes of red along the way.

In the front hall I removed a couple of chairs and put a couple of cute little lighted trees.

There is another fireplace in the room with the bar –

The ball room is fun – I put up 2 unique trees I found downstairs, added a couple of tree skirts and am in the process of hanging lights around the top of the room.

only corner of the ball room that is complete

So, hopefully even though I don’t do elegant, it is festive without being tacky!!!

Now, I’m off to climb up and down a ladder a couple hundred times to finish lighting the ball room and then I have to clean the place to get ready for tomorrow night’s event!!

Happy Thursday!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Plank, Shoulders

A Fun Competition

November 29, 2013 Kim 48 Comments

Today’s 44 was a single leg plank with a quarter turn to switch legs. (Basically it was just a way to stay in plank for a long time!!!)

I counted each turn as 1 rep so technically I only did 22 planks with each leg!!!

And, Stacy and I are fixing to head out for another freezing cold 8 mile run!!! (21 degrees) I don’t know how some of y’all do this every day – the cold is miserable!!!

Yesterday as part of our Thanksgiving feast – we did 2 turkeys. Chris did one in the turkey fryer and I roasted one.

one fried - one roasted — one fried – one roasted

The fried turkey is one the left and the roasted turkey on the right. I told everyone they had to vote for their favorite because everything should be a competition!!! (pretty sure I won – at least in my mind!!!) It might have been a tie because turkey is turkey!!!

OK – no more stalling – out to the arctic!!!

Happy Friday!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Shoulders, Squats

Happy Thanksgiving!!

November 28, 2013 Kim 34 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you all have family and/or friends to spend your day with!!

For my 44 today I did a single leg squat in the figure 4 position with a front raise.

44 on the first side wasn’t too bad but by the 2nd set my arms/shoulders were burning!!! (and I only used 5 pound dumbbells)

Stacy and I decided to do the 4 miles for today inside (because I sort of miscalculated the start time for the turkey and had to get it started!!!). She hopped on the treadmill and I did the elliptical. I just did 30 minutes (4.1 miles).

Happy Thursday/Thanksgiving!! Enjoy your day!!!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Plank, Running, Shoulders

Sore not Hurt!!!

November 23, 2013 Kim 44 Comments

Today’s 44 was one of those that seemed like a great idea until I did about 10 – then it was just HARD!!! I used a stability ball and got into the plank position (feet on ball). Then I alternated bringing my knee to my elbow (a right and left was 1 rep).

The last 20ish were rough – I had a hard time staying in plank because the ball kept rolling around (maybe I wasn’t holding my core tight enough)!!! Fun times!!!

This week I’ve actually been doing a little experiment with my running – and it has been great!!!

3 mornings – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – after my first workout and getting the boys to school I have hopped on the treadmill to log some miles. I have forced myself to slow my pace so that I can increase my mileage.

I’ve mentioned many times that I can’t run every day anymore because of the many injuries (mostly stress fractures) that I’ve had over the past few years. Chris always says that the problem isn’t just running but that I tend to run too hard.

So, this week, I just ran!
Monday – 12 miles
Wednesday – 10.5 miles
Friday – 16.5 miles
Week total – 39 miles!!

I think that running on semi-tired legs is going to help me later (if I decide to try another ultra!!!).

The best part about my experiment?! My legs were a bit sore after each run (part of why I’ve forced myself to stretch this week!) but I completed all of my runs without any pain!!!!

Maybe Chris has been right all along – just don’t tell him!!! :Wink:

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Day With KT