I Workout, Girl Look At That Body

If you haven't seen the LMFAO I Workout video, you should check it out, it truly is pure ridiculousness.  Funny how people earn a living in such different ways... If you learn anything from this video, let it be that you should workout in spandex like theirs!  Love them, lol!

**********

On another note, my body has felt sore all over this week!  I'm not terribly upset about it, that just means my body is working hard and that my variation in my lifting is doing the trick!  Here is what I have been doing so far with my new routine, 3 x 8 of each exercise unless otherwise noted...

MONDAY - Biceps
EZ bar curls
Neutral grip curls
Chin up (eccentric motion... this is what got me so sore!!)
Reverse curl
SB hold

TUESDAY - Back
Row
Supermans
High pulls
Push ups (I know not primarily focused on the back)
Plank (1:00)

WEDNESDAY - Legs
As of right now I'm not sure if I am going to be doing this workout since I taught/did boot camp this morning.  If I don't do it today, I will combine this workout with another upper body workout later in the week.

Squats
Lunge w/delt raise
BOSU squat press
Jump rope (1:00)
Tread wall (1:00)
TRX mountain climbers (1:00)

Boot Camp
And now, just in case you wanted a little something, something to mix up your usual routine, here is what I did for boot camp this morning...

What you'll need:

Jump Rope

Mat

Heavy & Medium weights

Optional: Nuun for hydration :)

What you'll do (each circuit is done twice):

1:00 DB pistons
1:00 Jump rope
1:00 Lunge w/biceps curl
1:00 Side to side hops
1:00 Squat press
1:00 Kicks (Taebo style... to the side or back)

1:00 Bridge press
1:00 Plate punches (saw on The Biggest Loser)
1:00 Elevated jack crunches (killer workout for the shoulders!)

30x Bent over rows
30x Mountain climbers
20x Overhead triceps extension
10x Frog jump (jump up and try to touch the bottom of feet together underneath you)

Bonus: 
If you still have energy after doing this, head to the nearest treadmill and pound out four miles!

• 1 mile easy warm up (10:00 min/mile)
• 1/2 mile (8:34 min/mile)
• 1/2 mile (10:00 min/mile)
• 1/2 mile (8:34 min/mile)
• 1 1/2 mile (10:00 min/mile)

It was really hard for me to run at 10:00 minute per mile pace, but I need to learn to slow myself down if I am going to train for a marathon in the near future, because goodness knows I won't be running my first marathon at a 9:00 minute mile pace like I normally do.  

Post Workout
Post workout, I made sure I got some good refuel food in me asap! Eggs and toast, a nice protein-carb mix.

If you're looking for quick and easy eggs try this... 2 eggs + 2 Tbsp milk mix together.  Microwave for 45 seconds, take out and stir, then microwave for another 45 seconds (if you like them a little runny) to 1 minutes (all the way cooked).  Top off with a little salt and pepper to taste if you choose and a little cheese.  Be careful it will be very hot, but so delish!

************

I am currently sitting down catching up on shows that I have missed, since my amazing boyfriend just discovered we have On Demand and the magic it can do!  I can't believe I have been watching shows on my computer for so long (internet connection is not great), when I could have been using On Demand!

 Source for all three images

Oh yeah, at some point today I'll be catching up on my "boyfriend's" latest flick, Lincoln Lawyer, since I fell asleep the other night when we were watching it.  I hear it's a fantastic movie (I would've rented it even if it wasn't, Matthew's such a hunk--> yes, I just used that word), but we started it too late on Saturday and this little one was tuckered out.

Source

Are there any shows or movies I should be watching? I'm a huge movie junkie, so I'd love any recommendations you have!

How to Jazz Up Your Run

I had a little trouble motivating myself to get out the door yesterday for my run, so I told myself I would jazz it up a little.  How do you jazz up your run? Funny you should ask, because I have a little step-by-step tutorial below :-)

1. Find a loop to run.  If you're lacking running motivation, a loop that is around one mile will probably be best. My loop was 1.33 miles.
2. Run to the loop. If you live close enough run to where the loop starts (you sneak in extra mileage this way), otherwise drive/bike there. I ran to my loop which was .75 miles away.
3. Pick 3-5 exercises. This is where the jazzing comes in!  Pick about 3-5 exercises that you can do without equipment.  For every loop you run you will stop and do these exercises for whatever number of reps you choose. I did 10 push ups, 20 jack crunches and 30 mountain climbers for each lap. 
4. Decide how many laps you'll run. This isn't necessary, but it will keep you motivated if you have a minimum number you have to complete.  My minimum number was three laps, and that is how many I did, had I dressed for the windy, cold weather I may have stayed out for one more lap. 
5. Find a spot. Once you begin running, look for a nice spot where you can stop to do your exercises. My loops were around Carson Park, so I was able to do them in an open grassy area. 

And that my friends is how you jazz up your run!  My run totaled to 5.5 miles in 55:45.  My average mile times were close to 10 minutes, but that included my time that I stopped to do my chosen exercises.  I seriously recommend trying this out if you are in a running rut, it mixes things up and changes your mentality, instead of miles of minutes it's laps (which is a smaller number).  

Fitness Plan

While at work yesterday I thought to myself, I have been lifting pretty much the same way since I started lifting in high school...full body work outs 2-4 times a week.  So, I decided once again that I needed to jazz up my routine!  My plan is to lift one body part each day of the week (6 days)...Biceps, triceps, back. legs, chest, and shoulders (I'm going to feel like an idiot if I forgot a major body part).  This is going to be totally different for me, so I hope I can stick to it even if it is just for a couple of weeks.  I may have to switch up the number of times per week I lift, because I know that will be really hard for me since some days I don't even go to a gym I just run outside.  Anyway, I am interested to see how my body responds to this new technique.  I will post later my actual lifting plans once I get them all in order.  

As for the rest of the week here's a snap shot of what I'll be doing...

Monday: Run 3 miles + Lift 20 minutes + Yoga 60 minutes --> check!

Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes + Elliptical 15 minutes + Lift 20 minutes --> check!

Wednesday: Run 4 miles + Boot Camp + Lift?

Thursday: Cardio 50 minutes + Lift 20 minutes
Friday: Run 5 miles + Lift 20 minutes
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Lift 20 minutes

Last week I was a little all over the place with my actual training compared to my planned training, but I came out with 17 miles of running.  I am not quite at my 20 miles a week like I want to be, but I am working on it.

What is your workout plan for the week?  Did you stay on track over Thanksgiving break?

Turkey Day

Hope you all had a very happy Turkey Day!

In case you missed it here are some great winter running tips!

Not As Planned
My weekly fitness plan hasn't exactly been going as planned, but that's why it's called a plan right?  Although I haven't been doing everything to the T on my plan, I have still been getting good workouts in.

--> On Tuesday boot camp was a no-go, so I jumped in on the 6am spin class.  I then returned home took a little nap and then was out the door at 11 for a little 3 mile run.  Towards the end of my runs I always try to for a "kick" at the end.  Well, on the last curve of my run I noticed a guy behind me (don't know how long he was there) and as I slowed down to a walk near my apartment to end my run the guy who was behind me passed saying, "Nice pace you were keeping!" Wahoo!  Granted he probably only saw me on my last quarter mile kick, that's alright, I don't get told that I have a good pace very often!  So note to self, compliment people on their running (among other things), you have no idea how great it might make them feel... Sometimes a little reminder is all a person needs :)

       40 minutes spin + 3 mile run = Cardio Queen (Random question: why does "cardio" show up as  
       spelled wrong in my reader... it's spelled correctly, isn't it?!  Why is it not a common word in the 
         virtual dictionary?)

--> Friday I was not feeling the greatest since I went out with these people the night before...

Although I did go for a 2 mile walk in the morning and a fifteen minute walk later in the day with the family, I didn't get my run in for the Virtual Turkey Trot like I was hoping.

--> Today I did Ashley's Virtual Turkey Trot!  I don't have a printer and I didn't think it would be appropriate to print my race bib at work, so here's me with my race bib on...

I know, I'm lame, and sweaty.  I ran my 4 miles in 35:40!  I'm not an overly fast runner, but I tried to push myself since I ate tons of food yesterday.

Thanksgiving Strategy 
Like most people I like to indulge and enjoy myself on Thanksgiving (well let's be real that's any day for me).  And also like most people I do worry about over indulging, gaining weight, and feeling sick at the end of the day.  So yesterday I didn't limit myself, however my strategy was to think about the food I put in my mouth, really taste it not just inhale it and listen to my body (Is it full? Am I going to regret this tomorrow? Etc.).

I cannot say that I didn't eat a ton, but I can say that I was more conscious of what I was putting in my mouth, instead of just shoving food in because everyone else around me is.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and took time to remember what they are thankful for in life!

Winter Running Tips

While out for my morning run yesterday, I found myself thinking of all the winter running tid bits I have learned over my time of running here in the Midwest.  So from one winter runner to another, here are my winter running tips...

1. Shorten your strides- with the ground being icy you should shorten your strides to prevent slipping on icy paths.
2. Strategically plan your route- Run past businesses, schools, hospitals or on state trails, they are more likely to have their sidewalks cleared and salted after a snowfall.  If you find a particular loop that is always clear, run loops on that path.
3. Outsmart the weather- Try to stay away from open roads.  Run on city blocks with tall buildings or in an area that has a lot of trees to help fend off the wind and/or snow.  Any little bit helps!
4. Avoid icy roads and sidewalks at all cost- Go to the other side of the street, see #2, do anything you can do to avoid icy paths, especially going up and down hills. 
5. Be realistic- Don't get discouraged if your outdoor mile time gets slower during the winter season. You should and have to slow down during the winter due to the snow and the cold temps (takes your body longer to warm up).  This doesn't mean you should settle,  keep pushing yourself! 
6. Be flexible-When the winter months hit, it is colder in the morning (just like in other times of the year), if your schedules allow try to run in the middle of the day when it is at it's warmest.  
7. Hydrate- As the winter months ride in people drink less and less water.  Even though you may not be able to see the sweat when you workout, does not mean that it is not there. You can sweat as much as you do in the summer, especially when you are bundled up in lots of layers.  Drink plenty of water before, during and after your run. 

Blonde Moment

On my way in from my run yesterday I had a total blonde moment!  I looked down at my Garmin and it said 3.51 miles, and I really wanted to be able to put 4 pennies in my running reward jar so I thought I will just run to the other entrance in my building to complete my four miles.  As I ran to the other entrance in my building I saw my Garmin  approaching 3.59 miles and was excited that I would reach the 4 mile mark... that is until I remember I am looking at miles, not minutes!

Side note: please don't be offended that I used the terminology "Blonde Moment"

Workouts
Here is this weeks fitness plan... and here it what has actually happened....

Monday-
3.63 miles/32 minutes
2.10 miles/20 minutes

I ended up splitting my running up yesterday because my sister called and asked if I could watch my nephew, which happened to be at the exact time I was going to workout.  I'm a sucker and said yes, and ran out the door to get a partial run in.  I missed yoga due to babysitting, which isn't the end of the world, and then fit in a couple more miles after my last client.

Tuesday-
30 minute bike (moderate intensity)
45 minute strength training

Here's what my lift looked like...

KB (elevated) Sum Squat 4x12

SB Walk-About 1x around

Upright Bar Row 4x12

Dips 4x12

DB Incline Press 4x12

MB Slammers 4x20

Between each pair of exercises previously mentioned I did the following...

Tread Wall Climb 1:30

Skater x 20

Bird-Dog Pushups x 10

Post workout I had the most RaNdOm snack...

I know random!

SURPRISE!
I lost 5 pounds... of hair that is! Okay maybe it wasn't 5 pounds, but I definitely lost about 6 inches.

The Wheels are Back on the Wagon

First, let's get this random little bit out of the way...this morning I tweeted this....

 

So don't be surprised if you see a post saying that I lost 5 pounds, that just means I cut my hair short :) 

Fitness Plan

I kind of fell off the wagon of posting my weekly fitness plan after I ran my half marathon.  It's not that I have not been working out, it's just that I have been doing what I feel like each and every day since I'm not officially training for anything yet.  The only requirement I am making for myself is to increase my running mileage to about 20 (give or take a couple) miles a week, since I am planning to start a marathon training plan soon.  Without further ado here is this weeks plan...

Monday: 45 minute run + yoga

Tuesday: Lift + bike

Wednesday: Bootcamp + 60 minutes cardio

Thursday: Virtual Turkey Trot

Friday: Lift + 30 minutes cardio

Saturday: 5 mile easy run

Sunday: Run/Day off  

"Diet" Plan

Alright, I hate the word diet, I don't ever actually diet, however I do try to change my habits so that I have life long healthy eating habits... I often fail, but that doesn't mean I can't keep trying.  So here are a couple things I plan to work on during this holiday week:

1. Eat snacks regularly. Note to self: Desserts (aka the Funfetti cookies I made last night) don't count as a snack, fruits and veggies are good snack choices.
2. When a sweet craving hits drink a glass of water or tea before deciding to have a treat. 
3. Eat regular size portions, not ones that Paul Bunyan would eat. 

What are you fitness and "diet" goals for the week?  

Turkey Trot

I just returned from La Crosse a little earlier this afternoon after an amazingly fun weekend with some of my college friends and co-workers! There were two primary reasons for me to go to La Crosse, the first was to run the UW-L Turkey Trot (I was the race director last year, so the race is near and dear to my heart) and the second was to see my lovely friends!

Turkey Trot
The UW-L 17th annual Turkey Trot was yet again a success this year!  This was my first year ever running it, even though I went to UW-L for five years and was the race director last year.  It was incredibly interesting to see the race from the other side of things.  I was able to see the ups and downs of the course and the event set up a lot better from a participants point of view.

I started my Saturday morning off by getting up bright and early at 6am so I could go and help out with race day registration.

Turkey participant counter... 1 feather = 20 participants

About 15 minutes before the race we were released so we could go to the bathroom and get to the starting line in time.  These are some of my old co-workers that were running the race...

This is what the starting line of a 2,000 participant 5K looks like :)  I ran with my friend who flew in from New Hampshire for the race so we could spend some QT together.  We lined up in the 30 minute area.

Starting line

The course is a beautiful one! We started on campus, then made our way to the marsh where we ran on the running trails, and then we finally looped our way back to campus where we finished with a final lap on the track.

Shake ya' tail feather LOL

Entrance to the stadium

This is my running partner, JC!  She did an awesome job!  She didn't really train for the race or do any running really, but she ran the whole race without stopping... that's my girl! JC and I worked together last year and we took a picture with Flash the turkey on race morning, however, some how that picture mysteriously disappeared, so we made sure we got another picture with him this year!

Us with Flash

Here's how I finished...

Chip time: 32:34
Gun time: 33:07
Division Place (25-29): 56/127
Overall Place: 1144/1910
Female Placement: 680/1308
Estimated time: 30:13 (an medal and turkey is award to those who come closest to their estimated time, needless to say I didn't win...most winner's were under a second off their time)

Special Events Staff from last year

I had a lot of fun running the race and I can't wait to run it again next year! If you live near La Crosse, I highly recommend running this race next year, it is always the Saturday before Thanksgiving so mark it down.  Maybe next year I will run it competitively?  

Did you run a race this weekend?  Are you running a Thanksgiving race?

Friends

Saturday was a day long celebration with my friends not only because it's been four months since we have all been together, but also because now all of us SE staff from last year are officially done putting on the Turkey Trot... it's a bittersweet celebration. 

Here's a snapshot of the night.... so many other pictures from the night, but I won't bore you with 20 albums of pictures.

SE Love

Thanks for the great weekend ladies, especially you JC for flying in from NH!  It was truly a blast and can't wait to do it again over Christmas break!  

What did you do this weekend?  

The Versatile Blogger Award

This is so ridiculously long over due... A while back, Em over at Kicking Assphalt tagged me in one of her posts to receive this award :)

Thanks Em!  If you haven't checked out her blog, do it now!  She is one of my devoted readers... another reason why she is so great!

So here are the rules for receiving The Versatile Blogger award according to her post:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and provide a link to their post. 
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Award this blog to 15 recently discovered blogs.

So here goes nothing, hopefully these are all new things you don't know about me...

• I wear hearing aids, and have worn them since Kindergarten 
• Although I'm sporty, a personal trainer and fitness fanatic, swimming is one thing that I absolutely struggle with.  I took lessons as a kid, but never could get that front crawl down (I didn't like getting me face in the water...so what if I'm a wimp).  I may take adult lessons some day, just because swimming is the only thing holding me back from doing a triathlon. 

      source

You may see me sporting arm floaties in the pool

• I had another blog before this one called My Food Events, but let that one fall by the wayside.  I started it right before I left for grad school and it didn't have much direction and I couldn't devote very much time to it then.
• I have been blogging on this blog for 8 months!

• My favorite foods are macaroni & cheese and pizza. Fun fact for ya: I used to eat an entire box of mac & cheese by myself before every basketball game in high school!  And just in case you're wondering I prefer off brands over Kraft... they are so much cheesier!

  source

• I have a lot of nicknames including: Mac, Mack Jack, Macaroni, Mac Attack, Big Mac, Mac & Cheese, Mac Daddy (my fav, comes from my college basketball days), Mackers...I'm sure there's more!

• I one went through 7 tropical fish in one summer :(  This was my first time ever having tropical fish and I got a tank with a heater and everything. I bought the fish two and a time and I'd leave for work and come home in the afternoon and they'd be stuck to the filter!  I still don't know exactly what happened, but I think the filter was just too strong for the little fish to handle... Please don't stop reading my blog because I am a fish killer!  I promise it was just a bad summer, I've had my beta fish for 8 months now!

And now for 15 blogs that I have "recently" found or are just under the radar blogs that I love (in no particular order):

Amazing Assets

Run for Fun

50 Half Marathons in 50 States

Me and My Boys

Skinned Knees

Yes, I Want Cake

Jer Bear Shares

Gourmet Runner

Sarah Learns

Sprinting With Spirit

Will Run for Margaritas

Enjoy the Ride

A Fit and Spicy Life

Handle the Heat

Healthy Heddleston

Have a great weekend everyone!  

La Crosse Bound

I am currently La Crosse bound... back to the city I love so much!

To see my lovely friends...

And run this amazing race....

 source

More details to come when I return!  I'll be pretty MIA from the blogging world over the weekend so leave me a comment if you have a great post I should read!  Have a great weekend!  

First Snow Fall, Come & Gone

It is so incredibly bizarre to me that we do not have snow here in NW Wisconsin (well at least my town), but so many other places around the US and WI have tons of snow!  I can't get over it!  Well, we finally had our first snow fall last Thursday and it didn't stay real long. The weatherman is forecasting snow this week, but he has been saying it is coming for a couple weeks now... I want to keep not believing him.

Sending her off on the bus for school

We didn't get much and it didn't stay long, which is fine by me.  We have had an extremely mild winter so far this year, I love it!


Cute Gift Idea
It was my mom's birthday last week, part of the reason why I was slightly MIA last week, so my sister and I set out to be creative with her birthday gift.

We started out by making a huge mess...

Then found this cute little devil  to help make multiple jars of cookies (the dry ingredients only)...

We made 6 kinds of cookies/granola...Cowboy cookies, red velvet cookies, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, chocolate granola, oatmeal scotchies and white chocolate chip cookies. We wanted to give her treats that are different from the normal chocolate chip cookies, so I haven't necessarily tried all of the recipes... but I'm guessing they'll all be delicious!

After tying ribbon around each jar, we printed and jazzed up the recipes so my mom could add the wet ingredients to the dry and have an easy, fantastic treat at any moment.

Apple Pie Baking Day
Like I've said in the past, my family is huge on family time, not only have we started Grub Club which happens monthly, we also get together every year to bake pies.  Some years it is peach pies, other years, like year, it was apple pies since we did pie baking in the fall.

This is only a mere snap shot of the day.  We set ourselves up in an assembly line fashion- crust maker, crust roller, apple peelers, apple cutters, finisher-so all 8 of us had a job to do.  We made 25 pies (some baked, some unbaked/frozen) from 10am-3 pm.  It is a lot of work, but it doesn't seem like work when you're doing it with your family.  When we broke the costs down, we all pitched in $10 and we each walked away with 2-4 pies.  $5 is not too shabby for a delicious apple pie! 

New Goodies!

Last week I won the lovely Stephanie's Nuun giveaway and this week I received my package!

Not only did I get five different Nuun samples (lemon tea, fruit punch, strawberry lemonade, grape, and tropical), I also got a Nuun water bottle and she threw in a cute "Run for Fun" Bondi Band, which I am totally wearing for my race this weekend! I am going to share the Nuun love and give my sister a randomly mixed tube of Nuun so she can try it out too.  She is very excited to try it for the first time as well.

Nuun- I have only gotten to try the grape so far, and I just used it casually not while working out yet.  Flavor is good.  The part I'm nervous about it trying it while working out... I don't have a very good track record of sport drinks while running/working out, so we'll see how Nuun works with my body. I hope it's a winner!

Water bottle- I always love a new, quality water bottle! Even though it isn't pink (my favorite color), like my normal water bottle, I have been using it since it arrived!

Bondi Band- This was a total surprise in my package, but what a great surprise it was!  I love wearing it while I run because it reminds me why I run and why I should run, because it's FUN!  My favorite part about it though, is that is doubles as a winter head band, perfect for Wisconsin running!



How much snow do you have where you live?
What kind of traditions does your family have?
Has anyone else tried Nuun?  What'd you think?