Fitness, Hamstrings, Lunges, Plank, Running

Bodyweight Moves Are Awesome!!! (6/29-7/5)

July 5, 2014 Kim 45 Comments

You know I love all of my fun fitness “toys” but I also love doing bodyweight moves!! There are so many options and moves that work every single muscle group!!!

Sunday 6/29 – 44 alternating star jumps (right – left = 1 rep).

This move was super fun!!! I will definitely add these in to other workouts!!

Monday 6/30 – 44 Y squats (squat while keeping arms in a “Y”).

Keeping my arms up made this squat a challenge!!!

I’m still loving my current weight lifting program – Chalean Extreme – Push Circuit 3.

And, I ran – shorter than some of my runs last week!!
6 miles in 41:50 + 2 easy miles.

Tuesday 7/1 – 44 push-ups with cross body mountain climbers.

This was a fun way to jazz up push-ups!!!

This was another running day!!
12 miles – 92:02 + 2.25 easy miles.

Wednesday 7/2 – 44 alternating cross-over lunges (right-left = 1 rep).

I really enjoyed this move – it was great for toning and also good cardio!!!

This was a lifting day – Chalean Extreme – Push Circuit 1 and the Ab Burner workout – fun!!!

Thursday 7/3 – 44 “waiter” single leg dead lifts. (Keep one arm behind your back while doing dead lifts on opposite leg.)

This was a fairly light day of workouts because I chose not to get up super early!!!

Tae-Bo Ab Boot Camp – since I haven’t done this in awhile I feel sure that I will be sore in the next day or two – score!!!

Friday 7/4 – 44 plank forward walks. Starting in plank walk right hand front, left hand front, right hand back, left hand back then switch lead hands for 1 rep.

This was hard – a lot of time spent in plank!!

Then, the boys and I did the 6 mile race around the lake!!!

For some reason, I struggled through the entire 6 miles!!!
My time was 44:50 which should not have felt as hard as it did – 3rd female finisher.
Hunter finished in 52:40 – he did awesome and loved the race!!!
Jordan’s time was 53:57 – he had a rough time near the end but still did a super job!!!

Saturday 7/5 – 44 prisoner lateral lunges (alternating).

A right and a left counted as 1 rep. This was another fun move – I enjoyed the body weight moves a lot this week!

This was sort of a lighter week of workouts but I think I needed it based on how I felt during the race yesterday and most of the rest of the day after running!!!

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

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Fire and Smoke

July 4, 2014 Kim 50 Comments

I don’t know how things work in other places but where we live fireworks go on sale exactly a week before the 4th of July. So for 1 week we set off fireworks on the driveway almost every night!!!

The boys like to get plastic buckets from the Dollar Store and set them on fire – as a result, we have permanent marks of each 4th of July!!!

Tonight will be epic for us because Hunter has not 1 but 2 16,000 rolls of fireworks!!! Last year he lit an 8,000 roll and it was pretty exciting but I think this will really be incredible!!!

Here are some pictures from the week so far.

a tank? — you can see the burn spots from previous years – classy!!

everyone spends evenings like this, right?!

not sure what Hunter is doing - trying to figure out how to make more fire probably! — not sure what Hunter is doing – trying to figure out how to make more fire probably!

the beauty makes the cost worth it! (plus the fun that we have!)

We have enjoyed our evenings – neighbors come over and we all hang out!! This truly is my favorite time of the year!!

Tonight we will have friends over for dinner and lots of super fun fireworks – the ones we do and the display that the lake puts on off the dam – can’t wait!!

Do you light fireworks?

Happy 4th of July!

Kim

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We Aren’t Guaranteed Another Day – We Should Cherish Every Second We Have

July 2, 2014 Kim 84 Comments

A couple weeks ago I mentioned some friends going through a rough time. I couldn’t say a lot then because they were keeping things quiet.

Now, I can say a little more.

A good friend and colleague of Chris’ (they have known each other about 28 years) just said a permanent good-bye to his wife (who Chris has also known since they were in late grade school).

After experiencing extreme vertigo for about a month, Drs realized that there was more going on and started doing some tests. 4 weeks ago she was admitted to the hospital while they tried to figure out what was going on.

One early possibility was a form of encephalitis which does have a treatment option that could possibly reverse some of the damage.

However, 2 weeks ago, she was officially diagnosed with sporadic CJD – a fatal disease with no cure and no treatment.

Our friend was faced with the heart breaking task of telling his kids that their mom was going to die soon. (The kids are 14 & 16.)

Her decline was rapid and Sunday evening she took her very last breath – thankfully it was not painful for her.

4 weeks ago a young woman (she turned 43 the day after being admitted to the hospital) – a wife, mom, daughter, sister and friend – went into the hospital just expecting to have a few tests done, a diagnosis and then to go home feeling better. Neither she nor her family had any idea that she would never go home again.

This was a huge wake-up call for me! I don’t want something like this to cause me to feel regrets for things I didn’t make the priority that I should have.

I know that I’m guilty of putting things off and saying – “tomorrow” or “soon” but I’m not guaranteed tomorrow. I am going to take this brutal life lesson and make sure that I take advantage of all the nows in my life!!!

Happy Wednesday!! Cherish your friends and family today and every day!!!

Kim

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3 Recent Scares

June 30, 2014 Kim 116 Comments

How do you handle those true scares – you know – when someone jumps out at you or startles you?! When the boys were younger, they decided that it was super fun to scare their parents (but for some reason neither one of them like to be scared by us – hmmm…..).

1. A couple weeks ago I mentioned one night at dinner that I had jumped a little when I walked through our “play room” to get to my workout room one morning (5:15ish). Hunter had left his cello in there after his lesson the night before but with the light off (I only turn on minimal lights in the mornings) I didn’t know what it was.

See how the hat could make it look like a person?

So, Jordan sat and listened and formulated a plan.

The next morning I went downstairs a bit after 5:00 am just like every morning. I was messing with my phone (I like to take a few minutes to check FB and mail before I start my workout) so I walked through the workout room, flipped on the light and then into the living room to put my water down. I went back to the workout room to get what I needed for my 44 and saw this –

Jordan in his wizard's cloak — Jordan in his wizard’s cloak

I about came unglued!! Jordan got up at 4:30 am to make sure he was standing in place like this when I walked in so that he could scare me – he succeeded!! I’m pretty sure that I could have skipped my workout since my heart rate was sky high!!!

2. Last week I was working at the venue – I was setting up the ballroom which involved trips to the back room for tables and chairs. And, I had music playing so I was in my own world!!!

I was busy working not paying attention to anything else and I happened to look up and see someone walking toward me carrying stuff.

(Obviously this isn’t a current picture but for some reason I don’t have many of Chris in his flight suit.)

I might have shrieked just a bit!!

Turns out Chris knew that I was going to be there all day (over 8 hours) cleaning, setting up and ironing table cloths and he brought me lunch!!!

3. Saturday morning we had to clean at the venue AGAIN but I decided to try something new. Since Chris was off and could help, I told him that I was going to run from our house to the GRH and meet him there. (and he could do the cleaning!!!)

I wasn’t sure how far it was for the route that I planned (it turned out to be exactly 10 miles!!) – I knew that there was going to be one sketchy part through the ghetto but it was only about 7 blocks so I decided to just suck it up and go.

I was running along on this awful brick sidewalk in the part I dreaded – It was very uneven!! All of a sudden I heard this man yelling something. I looked up and saw an emaciated guy in overalls without a shirt on a rickety porch – then I heard the DOG!!

There was a chain link fence that looked similar to this – and I had no idea if there was a gate or the dog was fixing to spring out at me. I jumped into the street and the creepy man started laughing. He said, “Aw, he won’t hurt you – he can’t even get out.”

Thankfully the lady with no shirt or teeth, just a blanket wrapped around her (even though it was unbelievable hot and muggy) and the guy with her didn’t laugh, too!!!

I’m not sure that my heart rate ever settled the rest of my run!!!

What has been your most recent scare?

Happy Monday – hopefully a day with no scares!!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Running

Stability (6/22-6/28)

June 28, 2014 Kim 42 Comments

This week I used my stability ball and focused on the butt – I ended up doing a lot of new moves and some of them were HARD!!!

Sunday 6/22 – 44 stability ball kick back toner.

Start by placing your hands on the ball – and kick right leg back.

Pull your right knee in to the ball –

Repeat for 44 reps and you will feel this in both legs – your left leg will be shaking!!! And, of course, you don’t want to be off balance so this has to be done on the other leg!!

I will definitely be doing this move more often!!!

Monday 6/23 – 44 hip lifts on stability ball.

This move looks fairly simple but after about 20 you will feel your butt and hamstrings a lot!!

This was a lifting day – Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 3. Ready to move on to the next phase!!

And, I did a 10 mile run in 76:56 followed by 1.8 miles easy.

Tuesday 6/24 – 44 plank with shins on stability ball and alternate leg lifts.

This was hard to do and hold plank – my butt hurt, my arms were shaking and my core was burning – all signs of a good move.

I did another 10 mile run (76:15) followed by 1.6 easy miles.

Wednesday 6/25 – 44 side leg pulls on stability ball.

Start by leaning on the stability ball with your left side and extend your right leg to the side –

Pull your right knee in to the ball and hold for a 2-count –

After your right hip is dying (or when you complete all reps – 44) then switch sides to go again!!!

This move is another one that I will be doing more often – it was a great way to really work my hips!!!

I finally started the next phase in Chalean Extreme – Push Circuit 1. This phase involves heavier lifting with fewer reps. I have been sore the past couple of days so that is good!!!

And, I pulled out one of my 10 Minute Solution DVDs – Kickbox Bootcamp. This one is fun because the 5 sections are all a little different and it is a great whole body workout!!!

Thursday 6/26 – 44 single leg dead lift with one leg on stability ball.

This move was much harder than it looks!!! Keeping myself balanced was a huge challenge!! And, you know that I can’t just work one side!!

This was another 10 mile run day (I’m not sure why I did 10 miles every day I ran this week – just the amount that fit into my day!!) in 77:12 followed by 2.25 easy miles.

Friday 6/27 – 44 reverse leg lifts on the stability ball

Not gonna lie – this was one of my favorite moves of the week!!!

And, it was a lifting day!! Chalean Extreme – Push Circuit 2. I think I did heavier weights for shoulder presses than I ever have (not saying a lot but…..)!!!

Saturday 6/28 – 44 stability ball leg squeezes with a butt lift.