Today’s 44 was fairly simple! I did a move called hollow rocks – a move to work the abs. You make a ball (rock) and stay in that position for the entire move.
I enjoyed this move because it felt great on my back, too.
Today Stacy and I bundled up for the 3rd time this week and ran outside.
Today was 16 miles – DONE and DONE!!!
After we got past mile 14, Stacy was in new territory – a record run for her!!!
Thankfully we are experiencing a heat wave and the temperature started at 32 (now it’s all the way up to 43!!!).
These past few days have shown me that running in the cold is possible but not really my favorite!!!
WAY TO GO, STACY – 16 MILES!!!!!
YOU’RE A ROCK STAR!!
I liked this 43 a lot!!! I leaned back enough that I was working my core the entire time. During the rows I tried to really squeeze my shoulder blades together so I could feel it deep in my upper back. The reverse crunch was just a slow move back with my upper body (without ever resting my back on the ground) and a slow trip back up. This was a great way to work a variety of different muscle groups!!!
There are so many stages to this journey of motherhood and, for me, each stage has been better than the one before it. Here are some of my thoughts/memories of motherhood:
* I spent years (junior high, high school, college, grad school, and a couple years after) saying that I was NEVER going to have kids. It wasn’t until after Chris and I were married that I decided I really did want to have children – I guess it just took being married to the perfect guy!!!
* From the minute I found out that I was pregnant with Jordan, I was in love with him! (and again a couple years later when I found out I was pregnant with Hunter!)
* The baby stage was hard for me! I hadn’t spent much time around babies and they made me a bit nervous. Thankfully, Chris was very calm and relaxed and knew exactly what to do!!
* Toddlers – what a fun stage!! I made MANY mistakes and went to bed beating myself up for my lack of patience many nights but those sweet boys just loved me anyway!!!
When Hunter was about 20 months old and Jordan was barely over 4, the boys were playing in a sandbox. Hunter had a little pocket on his shirt which he filled with sand. He wanted it out so being the “uber smart mom” that I am, I picked him up and dumped him upside down. Jordan said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hunter of course ended up screaming and with sand in his mouth, nose, eyes. Of course, the other mom’s (yep, this was in front of a group) were all appalled and thought I was a total buffoon!!!
We made it through without anyone being scarred for life on that one!!
* Preschool years were a major time of learning (on my part!!). Jordan was always pretty easy-going and we didn’t really go through the terrible 2s or 3s. On the other hand, when Hunter was 3 I wasn’t sure that we were both going to make it through whole!!! Thankfully, we did and now I can look back on those days and laugh (or at least not cry)!!!
* I was not the type of mom who cried when either of my boys started kindergarten. However, the first day I dropped Jordan off at the middle school (7th grade) I thought I was going to have to be medicated. That was a rough day for me!!! Thankfully, he loved it!! (I don’t know what I’m going to do in August when he starts HS and Hunter goes to middle school!!)
* When my boys were little, people always told me that it only gets harder to be a mom as your kids get older. For me, that hasn’t been the case!! Every stage we have come to I have enjoyed more than the previous ones and my life has gotten so much easier!!
* Today I can truly say that I wouldn’t change a thing about the past 14.5 years since I became a mom – even the millions of mistakes and rough times – because they have all led me to where I am today!!!
true love!!
Surrounded by my 2 handsome boys – the ones who still call me MOM!!! (Jordan and pictures is always a treat!!!) I feel truly blessed!!!
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, moms-to-be, grandmas, step-moms, etc!!!
Today’s 43 was supposed to be easier than yesterday’s!! I wanted to work my abs so I did a star crunch. It ended up being a pretty good challenge!
Lie on your back with your arms and legs making a big X. Lift your legs, arms and head slightly off the ground. Reach your right hand and left leg up (above you), trying to touch your toe – switch sides – 1 rep.
(special video today – Chris!!) The move should be slow and controlled – a big challenge to get 43 done!!
I typically take Sunday’s off but I have spent a LOT of time sitting the past few days. I take the stairs (4 flights at my hotel and 2 at the hospital) as much as possible but still… I need some activity – I just walked on the treadmill in the hotel fitness center (4 miles @ 2.5% incline – 58:00 minutes). I didn’t run because my left hamstring is still a little sore and the treadmills have really short belts – not my favorite for running!!!
Yesterday was another day full of hospital time, being with my 2 brothers and sister and seeing my grandpa!! My dad is looking really good – not at all like someone who suffered a major heart attack 2 days ago. Hopefully he will be able to go home soon!
FYI – Hunter had a great time at his birthday sleep-over. Pizza, cake, ice cream, donuts, some Xbox, a movie and lots of basketball!!!
Friday nightSaturday morning
So glad that Hunter enjoyed it and everyone had a good time!!!
And the winner of the necklace giveaway…… Jody (Truth2BeingFit) – Congratulations!!!
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!!!
My 43 today was nice – it was core work but also a semi-stretch!!! I used a stability ball to hold plank on my forearms.
start
From the start position, I just did a plank roll – I rolled forward on the ball (you have to hold your abs in tight here so that they don’t rest on the ball!)
pull the abs in – don’t cheat!
and then back on the ball for each rep.
apparently closing your eyes helps!
The biggest challenge in this 43 was keeping my balance on the ball while staying in plank. I tried to keep my body level (feet a little wider helps!).
Today I did a Boot Camp workout for the rest of my workout. I used one of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs (love these) – Ultimate Boot Camp and did all 5 sections for a really great workout.
If you have never tried any of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs, I highly recommend them. They are great if you just have 20-30 minutes since you can do a couple of the sections. I also like them as a complete workout – all 5 sections.
The 5th (and final) section today was Six Pack Ab Attack. Because I was tired by that point I had to really focus on putting 100% into it. Then I started thinking about all of my ab/core work. It is at the end of my workout usually. I can’t think of a single workout DVD that I’ve done that has ab work at the beginning (or even during the middle) – always the end.
As I struggled (no other word today) through the ab training I decided that I’m going to try mixing up my ab work some and putting it at the beginning of a workout when I’m fresh! I did a little research about why abdominal work is usually at the end of the workout – the biggest reason seems to be the fact that so many exercises require you to use your core and if you have already trained your abs then you might not be able to perform the exercise safely.
But, I’m still planning to try and change it up some. I’m always exhausted by the time I really focus on my abs so I want to see if it makes a difference training them first.
not my abs – I WISH!!!
When do you work your abs/core – beginning or end of a workout?
Today was 16 miles – DONE and DONE!!!
After we got past mile 14, Stacy was in new territory – a record run for her!!!
