Tag Archives: running

Happiness Is…

July 14, 2013 Kim 24 Comments

Today’s 43 was a bicep curl while in a V-sit. (I know that I’ve had a few 43s in a row that work my abs/core but that is because I’m resting my legs!!!)

I tried to hold my entire body still except my arms from the elbow down. Because of the core work involved here – I only used 8 pound dumbbells – I was afraid if I went heavier that I would start swinging my arms and end up hurting something like my back!!

I liked this move since I got some upper body work, core work and even my hip flexors got a little work while I held my legs up.

And, as hard as it is for me to take days off from working out, I’m giving myself another day off today. I know that after running 31 miles on Friday my body needs it!! Of course, I have Jordan who keeps saying – it would have been more impressive if you had done Insanity on the day you ran 5 hours! Today he is giving me grief for not doing Insanity or “at least do some Tae-Bo!” Silly boy!!!

When I was in 2nd grade, we had a big music production at my school and I actually had a solo (crazy since I can’t really sing!). I was Snoopy and sang the song Happiness Is. There is one section of the song that I have always remembered:

Happiness is morning and evening,
Daytime and nighttime, too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That’s loved by you!

So much truth to those last 2 lines – happiness can be anything!!!

Family

Locations

Hawaii - this was several years ago — Hawaii – this was several years ago

Having friends over – for dinner, drinks or just to sit and visit!! No pictures – I try not to put pictures of people on here unless I have asked if they mind (which I always forget to do!!).

Shoes – I know it’s materialistic but I LOVE shoes!! All types of shoes!! And shoes in a well organized closet = pure happiness!!!

One day Chris said my closet looked like a shoe store – NICE!!!

Books and Reading – I’ve mentioned my cookbook obsession before, but I also love to read. Having a Nook makes me HAPPY!! So many books all in one little spot!!!

Wine – I love a glass of wine or other cocktail!!!

Music – music and happiness are a perfect pair!!

Reality TV – pure entertainment!!!

Running and working out!!!

There are so many things that make me happy – some big and some little – but like the song says – happiness is anyone and anything at all that’s loved by you!!!

What makes you happy?

Happy Sunday!!!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

A Successful 5 Hour Run – Getting Ready for 50 Miles!!!

July 13, 2013 Kim 27 Comments

Today’s 43 was fairly simple – BECAUSE THERE ISN’T A SINGLE PART OF MY BODY THAT ISN’T SORE!!!

I did V-situps on a bench!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kincmq0mXBw’]

This was about all I could manage today but I’m happy that I still got in a daily 43!!

And -REST DAY!!!

Yesterday was my 300th day of consecutive 43s and blogging so I did a 300 minute (5 hour) run to celebrate!!!

These long runs have a dual purpose – they are a nice way to mark some of the big days in my journey this year but they are also training runs for my 50-mile race in October!!!

right after I finished - sweaty mess!! — right after I finished – sweaty mess!!

Day 250, I didn’t have a successful run – partly because I was a bit over ambitious with my goal! For yesterday’s 300 minute run, I went into it with no other goal than to complete the time. I didn’t set any type of mile goal and I told myself in advance that walking was perfectly acceptable!!!

I started off with the treadmill set at 6.5mph (9:13 pace) and left it there for the first 3 hours. The last 2 hours I still kept that pace for my running portions but I started alternating run/walks. I figure that I need to get my legs used to going back and forth between running and walking because I know that 50 miles on trails, roads, fields will require some walking!!

Overall, I was happy with my 300 minutes yesterday – 31 miles total – and…..I achieved my goal!!!

I looked like this pretty much immediately after!

Funny that my sports bra looks like a completely different color – sweat!!! Jordan said – “you better get up you’re going to be sore.” I don’t think he realized I was way past that point – the soreness was already there!!Can you see my blister? I had this by the end of the 2nd hour!!!

What is the longest time/distance you have done on a treadmill, or just in general?

My longest consecutive treadmill run was 42 miles (when I turned 42) in about 7.5 hours. Hopefully after September 16, that will become 44 miles!!! My longest run over 2 days – 60 miles.

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Back, Fitness, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill

300

July 12, 2013 Kim 39 Comments

Today’s 43 was a fairly simple one (even though it worked one of my weakest areas!). I just did a standing lateral raise.

In order to make sure that I didn’t swing the weights – I did a slow 2-count up and 2-count down. I only used 5 pound dumbbells because 43 of these turn into a lot!!!

Today was double boot camp day – 6 am and 7:15!!! We did the same workout from yesterday – ABC Boot Camp!!! It really is a pretty fun way to get in a full body workout!!!

Today is a big day for me – day 300!!! That means that I’ve done 300 consecutive days of 43s and blogging!!!

I have a big celebration planned involving this – and this – I thought about doing this run outside but the humidity this week has been out of control and I’m pretty sure that I would end up feeling totally sick within an hour (and this run is a 5 hour one) so I will just catch up on some of my favorite TV shows!!

Happy Fun Friday – definitely gonna be a fun one for me!!!

Kim

Cardio, Chest, Core, Fitness, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill

My Favorite Way to Cook

July 8, 2013 Kim 52 Comments

I decided it was time for another burpee variation for the 43 today. I’m still working on the awesome list of 30 burpees that Taylor @ Lifting Revolution shared awhile back. Today I did a burpee with a lateral jump over a step – FUN TIMES!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQT6e33BNuM’]

6:00 am boot camp was fun – we did the Move It, Move It workout (all legs!!) from Friday because I knew that none of the people who came Friday would be here this morning. It was HUMID – we were drenched by the end of the workout.

I decided to run on my treadmill instead of outside because I knew that I would be sucking air thanks to the mugginess. I ran at 1.5% incline – 5 miles 31:34 + 1 mile super easy for a cool down.

Irving Naxon – anyone know who he is? He developed the “all-purpose” cooker which was bought by The Rival Company in 1970 and reintroduced in 1971 as the Crock Pot.

I think the Crock Pot is truly my favorite kitchen appliance!!! I use one of my crock pots at least once a week and often as many as 3 times a week. There have been many meals that I have 2 crock pots full of stuff!!!

Any day that I have evening plans I try to get dinner into the crock pot in the morning. Such a great feeling to know that dinner (at least part of it) is already done!!!

I’m pretty sure that I’ve already shared my love of cookbooks before.

In my collection, I have a whole shelf devoted to crock pot/slow cooker cook books. My favorites are from the Fix-It-and-Forget-It series.

One of the great things about using a crock pot is there is really no need for a recipe. The thing that I do the most is put a cut of meat (ribs, round steak, roast, brisket, chicken breasts, pork roast, turkey breasts, even a whole chicken) with a rub and/or a sauce of some sort and let it cook all day. Super easy and by the end of the day we have a very tender piece of meat!

In the fall and winter I make all kinds of soups and chili in the crock pot. In the summer, I love to use the crock pot to keep the kitchen from heating up!!

I even take one of my crock pots with me on some of our longer trips (when we stay places with a kitchen) so that we don’t have to eat out every meal and I don’t have to spend any time really cooking.

Do you use a crock pot very often? What is your favorite recipe in the crock pot?

Happy Monday!!

Kim

Butt, Core, Fitness, Lunges

So Many Workouts, So Little Time

July 6, 2013 Kim 10 Comments

Today for my 43, I did a side lunge and a knee lift with the opposite leg.

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

The nice thing with this move was that it required a bit of mental work, too – I had to think about each part of the move as I did it otherwise I leaned the wrong way or lifted the wrong part!! Plus, the knee lift was a small bonus for my core and hip flexors!!

I did all 43 to the right side first (with a left knee lift) and then switched and did 43 lunges to the left with a right knee lift.

Today I did another round of Les Mills Body Pump – Pump and Shred. This workout is 45 minutes of lifting including a squat track (about 5:30), a chest track (5:00), back track with dead lifts and clean & press (5:15), lunge track with more squatting (5:00), shoulder track (4:45) and core work (4:00). One of my favorite parts of the Body Pump workouts is the final stretch – they always include at least 5 minutes of stretching and after all of the lifting it is a treat (even for someone, like me, who doesn’t really like to spend time stretching!!). I am enjoying these workouts so far, as they get me in the mood to stay in shape and actually stick to it. Plus, with the awesome inner chest workout that I am currently doing, I have a feeling that I may be seeing positive results sooner than I think. It’s all about being consistent with it.

One of the many things that I love about reading other blogs is the AMAZING workouts that so many bloggers share. My Pinterest workout board is getting bigger and bigger!!

412 pins – of those, I’ve probably only done about 30. I’ve pulled some ideas out of different ones for my daily 43 and even for my boot camp but there are still LOTS of great workouts that I want to try.

Plus, I have a few workout DVDs to choose from. I’ve done all of them at least once but still want to do them again (and again!!!). I have a nice variety of really intense workouts (Insanity, P90X, Body Pump), Pilates and Yoga, shorter workouts (lots of the 10-minute option DVDs where you can do from 1-5 of the sections), Tae-Bo (love!!), The Firm, some Denise Austin (old school!!), Biggest Loser workouts, Jillian Michaels, Cathe Frederick…..

This summer I have been creating a lot of my own workouts for my Boot Camp classes. I come up with 3 new classes a week so that takes time to figure them out, practice them and then teach the 6 classes (and I do the workouts every time!!).

And, then there is my top favorite option – RUNNING!!! I don’t run as often as I used to because I’ve found that when I run too much I end up injured (usually with a stress fracture – I’ve had 6 or 7 in the last 10 years) but I still love running!

So, while I have MANY options every day, I don’t have enough time for all the workouts I want to do!!! Sometimes even when I really want to do a workout or challenge, I have to realize that time is still a limited resource and I can’t do it all!!!

One of the workouts that I really wanted to do and just couldn’t make it work with my current schedule of running, boot camp, lifting and, at the time the program started, I was finishing Insanity Asylum – is Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp program. I signed up (paid and everything!!) for this round (I even have the badge on my sidebar!) but when it was time to start I realized that I couldn’t add it in and give it 100% with the other workouts that I have going now.