Fitness Friday

Spring is upon us. For me, that means back to running outside (or  even running at all). As you know from my previous posts, most of my workouts have been in my house with my kettlebell, jump rope, stairs, and my very own bodyweight. I am so ready to hit the pavement and have some serious ‘me’ time.  YAY! I am so excited.

Running seems to be getting more popular by the moment, and dare I say ‘trendy’? Really, everyone I talk to wants to or is training to run a marathon(or half). In my mind, there is nothing wrong with jumping on that bandwagon. In fact, I think it’s great.  But, how many stick to their training schedules, withstand injuries, and actually finish their race? Not that many.

Admittedly, I would love to run a marathon and just haven’t found it in me to train that quite that much…

So, for all you ‘wannabe’s’ who have a goal to run a marathon, half or even just a 5k this year but don’t know where to start, here are 3 training programs to follow:

5K

Half Marathon

Marathon

Before you start the program make sure you have a good pair of shoes that fit your feet well and support your gait. Good shoes are more expensive, but if you want to enjoy running, make the investment. Trust me, your feet and knees and hips and back will thank me later!

If you are in the MKE area and would like to run some road races with me this Spring/Summer/Fall, let me know! I would love running buddies!

The {little} Mr.

He loves me…

He loves me not…

He loves me!!!

Random

Sometimes my brain is like a pin-ball machine. Joel so kindly pointed it out to me on Sunday as we were discussing one thing and then I started talking about something else while he was clearly still stuck on the prior subject.  His brain doesn’t move as fast as mine, I guess.

Anyway, he calls me random and complicated.  I call it multitasking and efficient. I think know females have this capability more than men. With that being said, this post is for all the women out there who can follow my random thoughts of the day. Men, don’t even waste your time reading this. You just won’t get it.

- Somewhere over the 5+ years of being married, I have changed. Duh, of course that happened. I can’t tell you exactly how or why, but I have.  Sometimes I don’t like what/who I have become. I find myself crotchety, negative and self-centered far too often. I am working on this.

- Being a mother is very challenging and rewarding at the same time. I am on a roller coaster with this kid, and the highs are high and the lows are low. It’s the craziest ride I have ever been on.

- I am an all or nothing person. I’m either in it it to win it or a big fat, zero hero. I don’t really have a ‘grey’ area.  Yeah, I’m working on this too.

- I love friends and girlfriend time. I wish I had more of both. 

- I am a defensive person but only with those who know me really well.  I am afraid of getting hurt and even though I know those closest to me wouldn’t hurt me, I still am quick to defend myself. Weird, I know. You would think that strangers would get me going, but I could care less about what strangers think or say.

- I want to date my husband again.

- I want to have more passion for life, every day.  My days, although busy, can be quite mundane. I have become the lady who you see in her workout clothes at 3pm. I have cute workout clothes, but still, I think getting dressed will help me feel more productive.

Wow, that was more like a tell-all from the Bachelor or something. Speaking of the Bachelor, did you see the wedding last night?

See men, I told you you wouldn’t get it. Ladies, are you with me?

Fitness Friday

The best exercises for a booty-licious, J LO style,  kickin’, tight a$$:

Bent-Knee Deadlift

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand at inner thighs.
• Bend knees 30 degrees, coming into a shallow squat.
• Keep your back straight as you bend forward from the hips, lowering weights toward the floor.
• Squeeze your glutes and slowly stand.
• Complete 3 sets of 15.

Single-Leg Bridge

 

• Lie on floor and place your feet hip-width apart on a couch or bench, knees bent 70 to 90 degrees.
• Extend left leg, pointing toes.
• Press into your right foot and lift hips toward the ceiling.
• Complete 3 sets of 15 reps, then repeat on opposite side.

Lateral Step Extension

 

• Stand with your right side facing a step bench, holding a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
• Step up sideways onto the bench with your right foot, then lift your left leg 45 degrees to the side, toes pointed.
• Hold for 3 counts.
• Step down and repeat for a total of 15 reps.
• Switch sides.
• Do 3 sets.

Balancing Deadlift

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent about 30 degrees.
• Holding a 5-pound dumbbell in left hand, extend right leg back and lower weight toward floor.
• As you stand, kick right leg forward to hip height.
• Lower to start and repeat.
• Complete 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.

    Walking at a steep incline on the treadmill.

    Good ‘ole fashioned front and reverse lunges.

Remember, it’s impossible to spot reduce fat from one area, but it is possible to strengthen and isolate a muscle. Strong muscles also promote a better shape than fat…and don’t we all want a shapely backside?

*pictures courtesy of Fitness Magazine*

Blame it on the…

O-O-O-O-O-lym-pics. Blame it on the  O-O-O-O-O-lym-pics.

I’m out of my groove. My rhythm. My routine. Call it what you may, but I am out of it. I was mesmerized for 17 days. I got sucked into Bob Costas, the moving athlete profiles, the duh, duh, duh duh duh duhhhhhhhh( NBC’s oly song), and the tight speed skater outfits. Uh, did I say that out loud?

On Sunday after the closing ceremonies (lame, might I add), I even asked Joel if my butt looked wider. I swear it’s flatter from sitting on it so much, but I enjoyed {almost} every second of it.

My favorites were the half-pipe, alpine skiing, and the snowboard cross. I normally like ice skating but the long program proved to be way.too.long. Like 5 minutes too long. I don’t know, maybe I just have a short attention span.

Regardless, I love the spirit of the Olympics. I always have. I love the athletes’ resiliency and perseverance and sacrifice and passion all in the name of their sport and desire to be the best. I love the pride that they exude in representing their country. Mostly, I love that for a couple of weeks, the world is united.

I think we can all learn a little something from the athletes. Secretly, I wish I could be a little more like them. Driven and focused and mentally tough. You know, when the going gets tough, keep going.

And, I’ll admit it. I always have a little twinge in my heart when the flame is extinguished. To me, the flame is a representation of all the good the Olympics embody and to see it go is sad. But, it won’t be long before we see it again and we are ‘lit up’ in excitement. I am really looking forward to the the 2012 Summer games in London. I love London and I love the Summer Olympics. We will be there!

Want one??

I have been making frayed rosette necklaces for quite some time. I absolutely love them. Every time I wear one- which is quite frequently- I get tons of compliments. They are the perfect accessory to a plain t-shirt, your favorite cardigan, or your Sunday best. They dress up and dress down. 

All my friends said I should sell them, so here I go: If you are interested in purchasing one, leave me a comment with your email address or email me directly. You will be able to personalize your color scheme and number of rosettes on the necklace.

I know you want one!

Big News…

No, I didn’t find a place to live. No, I’m not pregnant. No, I didn’t clean the bathrooms. Ok, enough speculation. Here’s the news.

As you all know, I have had a little buddy attached at my hip the past 13 months. Albeit a cute little buddy, it was getting old not being able to leave him with anyone besides Joel for fear of a complete melt down.

Fast forward to yesterday: I have always taken Carson with me to my noon personal training appointment, but as he gets older and busier, it’s getting harder and harder. So, I decided to try and leave him with my friend Lindsey and her daughter Carly. I was nervous. Not for him because I knew he would survive, but for Lindsey. Well, low and behold, when I went to pick him up she said he DID NOT CRY AT ALL!! Miracle of miracles!!! That made me one proud mommy.

Then, I got home and there was a message from our pediatrician. We had to get his blood drawn for dairy allergy last week- that’s a whole ‘nother story- and were awaiting the results. She told us that he is NOT allergic to dairy! Bring on the cheese! No, not really because she thinks he still may have a lactose intolerance, but at least we know he can eat it without having a crazy reaction.

You know what is funny? After typing this, I just realized how small these ‘successes’ really are in the big scheme of things. Nonetheless, I am still very proud of my little nut and love making a big deal out of small things.