SLEEP – Why Can’t we be Friends???

February 20, 2013 Kim 14 Comments

Today’s 43 targeted the lower abs (one of the hardest areas to work, I think). I laid on my back with my legs straight up at 90 and feet flexed. The actual move is small – lift your hips while pushing your feet up to the sky.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMZ7fOhIMg’]

I tried to make sure that I wasn’t using my hands to push off – all core. A simple, quick 43 today!

Then – more Les Mills Combat!! Combat 45 – another fun, but intense work-out. I’m pretty addicted to this Combat program!!! I think they are all great work-outs but also very enjoyable!!

SLEEP – such a simple word!! Why is it so difficult?! I have always had a few issues with sleep as well as a few requirements: completely dark, cool, quiet. Seems reasonable -right?

So, why can’t I sleep???

Hot, then cold, oh wait now I’m hot again!!! Sweating during a work-out is awesome, sweating at night, not so great!
2-3 trips to the bathroom! I have always been a huge water drinker – all day long. I don’t drink different amounts now, my body just handles it differently!
Comfort – there is no single position that I can stay in for more than about an hour. If I sleep on my back, it hurts. If I sleep on my right side, my elbow hurts.
My brain won’t shut off!!! I don’t usually feel stressed about things when I go to bed but during the night I have 1000s of thoughts that run through my head over & over & over again!!

SLEEP – let’s make up and move on! I don’t think it’s too much to ask!

Do y’all have sleep issues? What do you do when you can’t sleep?

(A lot of nights I read for hours – good thing it doesn’t bother Chris – he can sleep through most anything!!)

Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

Calves, Fitness, Running, Stairs, Treadmill

Pure Joy

February 19, 2013 Kim 5 Comments

Today’s 43 worked a muscle group that I rarely spend much time on – my calves. I guess I just assume that running and plyo work is enough for them. (Weird, cause I use to always add in calf work.)

Anyway – I did calf raises on my bottom step (on a separate note – I really need to vacuum the stairs!). I held 15 pound dumbbells for added weight and tried to work all angles of my calves. I did a set of 43 just straight up and down:

I really tried to focus on holding not just the drop portion but the raised portion of each rep.

up - this is the real work! — up – this is the real work!

Then I turned my toes out for a set of 43.

A third set of 43 with my toes in.

Then I thought I might as well go ahead and really work my calves to fatigue by doing each leg by separately. (For these, I held one 15 pound dumbbell in the hand on the same side as the leg I was working.)

43 on the left leg.

Final 43 on the right leg.

Yikes!! I really should start doing these more often. I think it would help my problem Achilles a lot!! The hold at the top of each rep is where the true burn comes in!!

Today was a Les Mills Combat day – HIIT Power. 30 minutes of high intensity strength and plyo moves. There was a brief moment during the last segment where I questioned why I was putting myself through such ~~torture~~ ~~pain~~ an intense work-out. Then I remembered – I LOVE IT!!!!

Since the work-out was short, I decided to get in some extra cardio – Hello, treadmill!!!

Today was maybe the best run I’ve had since sometime last summer. Not because of the speed or distance – it just felt so great!! I felt like I was running simply because I LOVE it.

Such a great feeling!! I ran 6 miles (41:38) and then did and easy 1.5 to finish an hour of running. I don’t know what was different today but I will take it – Pure, 100% joy from the run!!!This babies expression sums it up beautifully!!!

Happy Tuesday – I hope your day has a great deal of true joy!!!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Paging, Planking & Punching on President’s Day

February 18, 2013 Kim 14 Comments

Today I did a plank step-up for my 43. I used the top part of my transfirmer

14" double step (the Transfirmer) — 14″ double step (the Transfirmer)

which is a 6″ step. I put it under me lengthwise while I was in a plank. Then I did step-ups with my hands – right hand up to step, left hand up, right hand down, left hand down = 1 rep.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crwbkv9YdJQ’]

I tried to keep my body as still as possible but there was a bit of wobble. Half-way through (after 22), I switched and put my left hand up first. 43 fun reps!!

This week I’m repeating last week’s Les Mills Combat plan. Because of my long run on Tuesday I skipped the HIIT workout and then never got back on track – I didn’t do either of the big HIIT programs last week. So it’s a do-over!!! Today was one of my favorites – Combat 60 – Cardio Fighter!!!

After the Combat work-out, I decided to put on my sweet pink boxing glovesand spend some time on the punching bag. I did 20 minutes of solid punching (jabs and crosses only today) – I’m pretty sure that my shoulders and upper back will be sore tomorrow!!! And, the punching bag makes me sweat as much as a hard run!!

Today, Jordan is paging for a local senator.I’m not exactly sure what all that entails besides a day at the Capital. I think Jordan was excited about it (awesome cause he usually prefers to just hang out at home on days out of school)!

One of his friends asked him a couple of weeks ago if he wanted to page with her and he decided he would. (They actually both paged 2 years ago, and it was a good experience then.) Plus, he is all dressed up (and not wearing his standard “uniform” of white Nike shorts and T-shirt!!!).

I hope he has a great day!! I’m sure he will learn lots and have some great stories to share tonight at dinner!!! One more picture of my handsome young man…

The rest of us (Hunter, Chris & I) aren’t nearly as exciting! We are probably just going to chill at home and enjoy the day – who knows – maybe they will play a game with me later!!!

Check out the weird clouds:You can tell the sun was shining then by the shadows but the entire time I was kicking and punching this morning, the clouds were getting darker and darker! Creepy!!!

Happy Monday – have a great President’s Day – hopefully it is a day off for you, too!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Quad, Thighs

Steppin’ Out

February 17, 2013 Kim 6 Comments

I try to change up my daily 43s and use different equipment (or maybe no equipment) and work different muscles in a variety of ways. Sometimes, when I pick the move of the day I think it may or may not really be a good one. Today was one of those days that I thought – “This will just be a wimpy little thing and might not really count as a 43.”

Well, I was wrong!!! It turned out to be a great 43. I used my Turbo Fire band:

This time I stepped on it with both feet and then crossed it in front of my legs before holding the handles at my waist. Then, I did step-outs. On my right side, I did 43 to the side, then 43 on a diagonal to the front and another 43 on a diagonal to the back. (129 on each side!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3hWsg9b4A0′]

Of course, I had to repeat the whole series on the left side! All I can say is – OUCH!!! This was a great way to really burn out my hips and outer thighs!! Plus, I kept my stationary leg slightly bent so I really loaded my quads!! Overall, a great 43!!!

Today is my rest day – some weeks I hate taking any rest days but this week I’m ready for one! I know it will make my work-outs next week that much better (and more enjoyable!).

I think that working out is definitely a habit for me and I’m afraid that if I let myself get too comfortable taking days off, then the days off will increase and will turn into a habit!!! Maybe a bizarre way of thinking but…..a lot of my rationale for things is a little wonky!!

Menu planning – do you do it??? I love looking at recipes, online and in cookbooks, but sometimes I feel like this:I try to come up with a semi-plan for the week (actually a couple of weeks at a time since I usually only do a huge grocery run every 2-3 weeks). I usually pick out 1 or 2 cookbooks and go through and make a list of the things I want to make during the next couple of weeks. I make my grocery list as I go. Then each morning I decide what to make for dinner knowing that we already have all of the necessary ingredients. This method works for me and because of it I always try new recipes.

Which is good since I have a few cookbooks!!! (I might have an addiction!!!)

I have a few stand-by recipes but for the most part I make new stuff all the time. The only downside is when Chris asks me to make something that I made months ago – I usually have no idea where I found the recipe or what dish he is even talking about!!

So, what is your menu planning/cooking like?? Do you have a rotation of dishes you rely on or do you like to experiment with new recipes?

Happy Sunday!!!

Kim

Fitness, Lunges, Running, Treadmill, Triceps

A Big Dose of Fun Friday – just the thing to cure the February Funk!!!

February 16, 2013 Kim 3 Comments

I don’t know what I was thinking when I picked my 43 today!! I dug out my Tae-Bo bands:

Sometimes I forget about these but they are really cool. You can see the loops that slip over your feet and they have 1 pound weights that you can take out if you only want to use the resistance from the band itself.

For my 43 I left the weights in! I did a triceps extension in a static lunge (why I thought I should hold a lunge while I did 43 of these I don’t know – cause you know I also had to do 16 wall-sits today at 1 minute each!!!

bend arm - elbow still! — bend arm – elbow still!

I know this seems like an easy 43 but the resistance tubing is no joke!!! And, 43 reps (or even 10) is something you will definitely feel!

You know I can’t be unbalanced, so I switched sides and did another set of 43.

For the rest of my work-out today, I decided to run. This week I have done a long run and a short easy run so today I decided to do a hard run. I kept the treadmill at 1.5% incline and did 6 miles in 30:50 + 2 cool down miles.

It felt good to get in a hard-paced run but I am really trying to keep my focus on just putting in the miles. I think that between now and mid-October (50 mile race) I will spend more time working on nice easy runs and even some long runs that have a run-walk pattern to get my body used to that. I’m also focusing on making my legs as strong as possible (wall-sits, static lunges…..)

Yesterday was truly a

Hunter and I met a friend of his, Zach, and his mom, Renee (who is a friend of mine) at one of my all time favorite places –

We ended up hanging out for 3.5 hours – catching up on each other’s lives while the boys entertained each other!! At one point we moved into the cafe and ate lunch (they have great sandwiches). Fun times for sure!

Yesterday evening, Chris and I went out with friends. We met up with 7 other couples for dinner at a Mexican food place which means – Margaritas!!!Then we all headed to the theater to watch Identity Thief. I haven’t laughed that much at a movie in a long, long time!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO12W35DpsQ’]

After the movie we talked about going somewhere for a drink but figured every place would be too loud for conversation so we just invited everyone over to our house for awhile!! So much fun to just hang out and talk!! (no pictures – just fun)

It was a great day and the perfect cure for