Category Archives: Shoulders

A Few Fun Facts

October 23, 2013 Kim 81 Comments

Today I took the basic plank and turned it into a great 44. This move include core strength, hip flexor action and shoulder work.

Put your right hand down while stepping your right leg back (to plank position), put left hand down while stepping left leg back – step in with right leg and take right hand off the ground, step in with left leg while taking left hand off the ground. (Just watch the video!!!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMNBjmPP178′]

The only bad part of using this for my 44 was that after I finished all 44, I had to start over and lead with my left side!!!

Today I went back to one of my favorite workouts – Les Mills Combat – Combat 60, Extreme Cardio Fighter. This workout is almost an hour but doesn’t feel like it – the way it is broken into segments and the high energy of the Les Mills team make the time fly by. I can already feel it in my shoulders and upper back (been awhile since I did that many punches!!).

I thought that it would be fun to share some random things you might not already know about me.

1. I lived in the dorm all 4 years of college.

2. From kindergarten to my senior year of high school, I attended 9 different schools. (In 8th grade alone, I went to 3 different schools).

3. I have a twin brother and my dad had a twin sister.

4. I have Raynaud’s –

After I finish working out my hands are always freezing and turn white (almost transparent). I wear gloves with shorts a lot – I’m super cool like that!!!

5. I didn’t lift weights or cross train until I was in my mid-30s. Now I can’t imagine my life without a huge variety of workouts!

6. I like Mac & Cheese for lunch (even when there are no kids around!!).

7. I might have a slight shoe addiction!!! One day someone asked me how many pairs of shoes/boots/sandals…I had – Ummm…..we try not to actually count them!!!!

Not my closet - I wish, though!!! — Not my closet – I wish, though!!!

8. I rarely wear make-up – just some mascara and lip stick (maybe).

9. I used to be the Queen of the Snooze button!

I would literally hit the snooze button for over an hour – everyday!!! Not sure why I always thought that the next morning would be the day I would actually got up early but….

When I went back to work after both boys were in school, it was the first time in my entire life that I didn’t hit the snooze button. Now I never use the snooze button.

10. I think I was around 27 before I ever really drank water (other than just a sip or 2). I used to drink Diet Coke ALL DAY long!!!

Your turn to share a fun random fact!!!

Happy Wednesday!!

Kim

Chest, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Do you Write Like you Talk?

October 17, 2013 Kim 84 Comments

Today for my 44 I did weighted burpees!! Sounds fun, right?! I held 10 pound dumbbells while doing these super fun little gems!!!

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

Not gonna lie – these were hard!!

I also had Garage Boot Camp. I thought about just winging it today but decided that would require way too much thinking on my part so I did a version of my very fist boot camp from the summer – 10 x 3 but today I surprised them and we did 10 x 5!!

Jordan got back his first high school English paper yesterday and said he didn’t think his English teacher liked the way he wrote based on the comments he gave. Some of the comments:

This doesn’t make sense here. Jordan – it made sense to me. Yes but you aren’t the teacher.
Don’t use quotes unless you are actually quoting something. Jordan – I was using them like you do when you talk and do finger quotes. Yep -makes sense to me but not gonna fly on an English paper.
No run-on sentences or fragments. Jordan – I was just writing the way I talk. Dude – I get it – I’m the queen of using dashes instead of ending my sentences. However, once again, this will not work on an English paper.
Don’t bold a word. Jordan – it was to show emphasis. Yep – makes sense but I don’t think that is the way to do it on an English paper.

Basically, I told Jordan – writing is all about creativity and self-expression EXCEPT when you are still in school writing English papers. Then it is about following ALL the RULES.

Listening to him talk about his writing and the fact that he was just writing the way he talked made me think about the way I write.

I totally write the way I talk. The never ending run-ons with dashes – just the way my thoughts and words flow. The constant use of (_____) to add that little extra thought – exactly how I think and say things (hard for me to stay on topic all the time).

When you think about it – the whole writing mold that is taught all the way through school is rarely followed later in life (and I mean no offense to English teachers because I understand that it is an important thing to learn!!!).

Look at some famous authors that have very unique writing styles:

E. E. Cummings – no caps, no punctuation and yet he was published numerous times. Pretty sure that wouldn’t pass even the most basic English class.

When the boys were little we read lots of Junie B. Jones books – Chris hated it because the grammer was so poor – I tried to explain that it was written from the point of view of a first grader but…

So, I told Jordan that for now he has to apply all the rules of his teacher – which even includes the font style and size (yikes!!!).

Then, start a blog and write in whatever style makes you happy!!!

Do you write the way you talk or do you follow all of the rules you learned in your high school/college English classes?

Happy Thursday!!

Kim

Butt, Core, Fitness, Shoulders, Squats

A Man/Boy in Uniform

October 9, 2013 Kim 59 Comments

Today I worked my entire body with the 44. I did a squat with a torso twist using a 10 pound dumbbell.

I did 44 with a left twist and then I did another set of 44 twisting to the right.

Between lifting my arms overhead after each twist and the squats themselves – this move was a challenge!!!

This year is the first year for the Air Force Junior ROTC program at our high school.

Jordan decided to be in the program which, of course, makes us happy!!! Today was the first day that they have worn their uniforms.

Hard for me to think of Jordan as a man and not my little boy. Yes, he is taller than Chris!!! He will be 15 in a month – YIKES!!!

Thankfully, he still has plenty of boy left in him!!!

Umm…this is semi-normal!!!

And, if you are going to stand in a chair in the kitchen, why not just do your homework on top of the fridge?!

Some days it seems like my boys are growing up way to fast and then other days it seems just about perfect and they remind me that they are still boys!!!

I’m just here to enjoy the ride with them!!!

I think I will run long and drink wine!!

Uniforms – yes or no?

Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

Back, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Desperately Seeking Advice

October 8, 2013 Kim 80 Comments

Today for my 44 I did a single arm lateral raise with a leg lift while on a stability ball. (It’s not as complicated as it sounds!!)

After I finished 44 I had to switch arms and legs and repeat.

left arm and right leg - lots of balance work!! — left arm and right leg – lots of balance work!!

Garage boot camp started off chilly but we warmed up quickly with our Turbo workout!!!

So, nothing like waiting until the last minute to realize that I need some advice!!!

I don’t have a clue about how to approach the race that I’m doing this weekend. I know when packet pick-up and the race briefing are and that it starts at 6:00 pm Saturday night.

Drop bags –

Not a clue what the point of these is and since you can’t pick them back up till after 10:00 am on Sunday (16 hours after the start) and I’m hoping to be home in bed by then, I think I will just skip this step.

Fueling –

Still not a clue about what is going to work here!!! I’m just going back to my high school track days!!!

I prefer to run in the morning and I never eat before or during my runs so I sort of hate changing it up a lot.

Pacing – After a lot of trial and error with my training, I think I’m going to go with a 4:1 run/walk effort. As much as I would like to run the entire distance, I’m afraid if I don’t start off smart then I will have a repeat of my 44 miles!!!

My main plan is to just show up and run until I’m done – 50 miles!!!

Not sure how great my plan is so please share any tips, advice, hints, words of wisdom, experience or jokes that you have – all will be much appreciated!!!

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

Core, Shoulders

NO – Small Word with a Big Impact

October 6, 2013 Kim 72 Comments

Today’s 44 was hard!!! I did a side plank jack.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oQI3ly8THI’]

You can tell that part of the problem was staying balanced!!! I struggled to get all 44 done and then I had to flip over and do another set of 44!!!

Last Sunday I wrote a post about how hard it is for me to ask for help. In that post I said “I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to ask for help.” That’s not really true – I do know why.

When you ask for help you open yourself up in a very vulnerable way. If the person that you ask to help you says NO it can be a major blow. And when the person you ask for help is someone that you trust will always support you, it is a double blow.

Here is why I have such a hard time asking for help – (warning: this post is more personal than my normal share!).

From the time I graduated high school (I was 17), I was self-suffiecient. I put myself through college and supported myself completely. In a few situations, I needed some help but was told NO when I finally asked. I made a decision after that to “go it on my own.”

1. I graduated from college in May at the age of 21. A couple months later I moved into a little efficiency (converted garage) apartment and spent a year working 3 jobs to try and make a little money. I did not have a microwave and asked my mom (she had just married Charles, my step-dad the week after I graduated and they had 2 of everything) if I could use one of theirs.

Her response – “NO. We want to keep them both.”

2. I applied to grad school (and got accepted) during that year. I was going to a school in southern Alabama. At the time, I had never driven out of Texas by myself.

Quite frankly, I didn’t even really know where Alabama was located. (Don’t judge – geography was never my thing!!)

I was making a quick trip (4 days total) out in July to check out the area and try to find a place to live. I asked my mom to go with me thinking that it would be a good chance for us to spend some time together and reconnect.

Her response – “NO. I don’t want to be away from Charles.”

3. After grad school, I worked as an assistant track coach at the University I had graduated from. I had lots of school loans and had made some poor choices with credit cards so I decided to get a consolidation loan and get rid of all my debt.

I needed a cosigner in order to qualify for the loan.