Workout 209

I tried running with the inserts and it was a nightmare!  A half a mile in, I had to remove them because both feet hurt in the same spot my right foot hurt last week.  Plus, my right toes were completely cramped up!

I finished the first mile slowly and then quickly ran the second one, finishing in less than 20 minutes (which says something because I was going EXTREMELY slow on the first).

Long run this weekend!

XOXO,

Workout 208

Just did workout 208, 10 Pound Slimdown: Total Body.  My foot is feeling exponentially better, but I did not want to push my luck by doing a Jillian Michaels' workout that requires at least 6 minutes of bouncing around cardio.  Chris Freytag's workout does incorporate power drills, but they are easy to modify to make them extra-low-impact.

My muscles are hurting but my foot is not :).

XOXO,

Workout 206 and 207

On Monday night, I decided to do Ripped in 30 week 1.  I am obviously a little out of shape having not done weights, squats or lunges in awhile.  I was sore until yesterday!

On Wednesday, I decided to go for a 7 mile run on my treadmill and I did it!  The last 2 miles were a little painful because the bottom outer part of my right foot started hurting.  The pain is still there a little bit today, but for a couple of days, I was quite worried it was a stress fracture.  Thanks to advice from my brother-in-law, I went to one of the Dr. Scholl's Kiosks and was fitted for custom inserts.  Hopefully, my foot will feel good enough to do a short run on Tuesday.

XOXO,

Workout 205 - The Glow Run 5K

Last night, I did my 2nd 5K of the day, this time with Gavin, Kailee and my parents.  We did the Glow Run and it was a fun, blacklight, glowstick, night run.  Like the Color in Motion 5K, contestants were released in waves, though we all wore chips that activated when we crossed the starting and finish line.  I was so proud of Gavin!  He ran more than halfway before needing to walk.  Once he began walk/running, he also began complaining about being sleepy and wanting it to be over.  At that point, I did become annoyed because we had no choice but finish the race to get back to the car.  The last quarter mile was a lot of fun because onlookers cheered Gavin on--he really like that :).  He raced to the finish line and LOVED getting his participant medal.  That being said, he told me he does not want to do another 5K anytime soon, LOL.  We finished the race in 42:42.  He's six.  That's freaking amazing! So proud of my boy!

Oh, and it should be noted that Kailee walked the entire 5K at my mom's fast walking pace.  She also pulled her wagon (that was intended for her to ride in) for over halfway.  My mom said that Kailee was basically jogging the entire way.  She may be ready to do the C25K with my mom and Gavin soon :).

Gavin was so tired after we got home that he fell asleep at the table eating dinner. :)

XOXO,

Workout 204 - The Color in Motion 5K

On Saturday morning, some friends, colleagues and I ran the Color in Motion 5K and it was a messy blast!  If you've never done one, here are some things to note:

1. The color is corn starch powder, not liquid.
2. Entrants are sent out in waves and it's not chip-timed.
3. At various points, there are volunteers lining the path with color powder to spray on you.
4. You can get away relatively clean if you stay in the middle of the path.
5. You can get amazingly colorful if you run along the edges of the course.
6. You can get even more colorful if you dance around at the after party.
7. Bring baby wipes to clean up.
8. Bring trash bags to cover your car seats for the ride home.

It was awesome and we are planning to do the official Color Run in April in Dallas!  Anyone who wants to join our team, can and should!  Oh and we plan to dress up in tutus for that one :).

XOXO,

Workout 203 - Running & PIlates

On Tuesday, I decided to run a quick mile (8:48) and then do some pilates.  It felt great!

XOXO,

Workout 202 - Ballet Beautiful Total Body Workout

Um... So this workout kicked my butt.  And my abs, inner thighs, outer thighs, and arms.  I decided to skip the bridge section because my body is completely inflexible, but the rest added up to about 40 minutes.

I must admit, I REALLY enjoyed the workout despite its difficulty.  I love feeling my muscles working and they were the ENTIRE time.  It's amazing how fatigued my body is just by its own weight.

It's no wonder ballet dancers have such long and lean bodies.

XOXO,

Workout 201 - 10K!

Yesterday, I did the Arbor Day 10K in Plano with a lovely coworker.  She is about to run her 4th half-marathon this year and invited me to try the 10K yesterday.  I was nervous because my ankles/feet had been hurting pretty badly all week and because the most I've run is 5 miles.  It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.  We went at a steady 13-min/mile pace (this pace included stopping to walk at each water station) and finished in 1:24:44.  I began the race with my bloodsugar in the 300s and had to eat 12 Clif Shot Bloks to make it through, but otherwise, all was perfect.  It was a beautiful day and a perfect long run.

Now I can check off another item on the fitness bucket list :).

XOXO,

Workout 200!!!!

I just did my 200th workout - Total Body Pilates!  My ankles have been hurting very badly from all the running, and I'm pretty sure my left is badly sprained, so I've been making myself take it easy in preparation for my first 10K this weekend and my 2 5Ks the next weekend.  BUT, pilates is a good option when ankles are sore.  I also did some ankle strengthening moves that I found online.

I cannot believe I reached my goal already.  I have been obsessed with running and slacking on all my other exercise options else lately.  I am ecstatic to have reached this HUGE milestone!  Yea!

Now off to ice my ankles!

XOXO,

Workouts 197, 198 & 199

I haven't been diligent about blogging lately, but basically, I've been running twice a week.  All three of these workouts were runs on different days.

Saturday, October 27th - Workout 197.  I ran 4.5 miles in my new Brooks shoes and it felt AWFUL!  My feet were in excruciating pain for the first two miles but I pushed through.  This one was done outside at my mom's house.

Tuesday, October 30th - Workout 198. I ran 5 miles on the treadmill in my new shoes and it was painful and difficult with the diabetes.  I was 110 pre-workout, had 6 shot bloks before starting, at 6 more in the first 4 miles and finished out at 5 miles.

Saturday, November 3rd - Workout 199.  My ankles were killing me as I began so I switched back to my old shoes.  It didn't really seem to help other than making it easier for me to find my stride.  I knew my bloodsugar wouldn't last for a long run so I did 3.1 miles in just under 31 minutes.  Today my left ankle in particular is quite sore.  Honestly, I should probably go to a doctor, but that's just going to have to wait until Christmas break.  In the meantime, I plan to do a lot of ankle strengthening activities.

I have my first 10K on Saturday!  I'm super-excited and nervous with these ankles and having only run 5 miles!

XOXO,

Workout 195 & 196

Today, I am home with a sick kiddo which gave me a great opportunity to do a couple of at-home workouts.  I did Total Body Pilates and Stiletto Strength.  Since I'm now working towards a 10K, and after that will work towards a half-marathon, I need to make sure I maintain/build leg muscle.  Both of those workouts do just that :).

XOXO,

Workout 194 ~ Running

On Tuesday night, I decided to see if I could do 1 mile at 7mph and I did!  I did it in 8 minutes, 30 seconds.  Not bad for a 30-year-old non-sprinter :).

Before I began, I could tell my ankles were sore, but I did it anyway, adjusting my stride to lesson the pain.  Apparently, however I adjusted has now caused some pretty annoying heel pain.  Today or tomorrow, I plan to go to RunOn and get fitted for new shoes.  I have enough issues that justify the cost though I've been putting it off for awhile.

Tomorrow is Gavin's and my next Fun Run!  I promised him we can go as fast as he wants to :).  I'm going to GPS it and see how fast we actually go.

XOXO,

Workout #192 & 193

I had to edit this post because I forgot to blog about my workout on Wednesday.  I did Chris Freytag's 10-Pound Slimdown: Core workout and was sore like nobody's business on Thursday.  I know I need to incorporate more circuit training to maintain my muscles and support my running.

Last night I ran 4.5 miles!  I was only planning to do 4 but ended up doing an extra half mile.  I probably could have kept going but wanted to end feeling great since I have been ending feeling low the last few runs.

I started out with a bloodsugar of 322.  I did .8 units of insulin (because when starting out that high, exercise can actually raise bloodsugar instead of dropping it) and ate 1 Clif Shot Blok every mile (except the last half which was impromptu).  At the end of the workout, I was 148.

This Saturday, Gavin and I have another fun run on Saturday, though I'm not sure how long it is.  At $20/person it better be a mile and not a 1K.  I considered signing up for the 5K after but I promised Gavin we could run as fast as he wants to at the fun run, meaning I won't have the endurance for a 5K after.

XOXO,

Workout 191 ~ 4 miles

Last night, my bloodsugar was 238--perfect, or so I thought, for a run.  After the muscle strain a few weeks ago, I did not skimp too much on a warmup (did a 3-minute long one) and then jumped into the run at 5.5mph.  I finished out the first mile, and then an upbeat song came on, so I bumped up the speed to 6mph for mile 2.  At the end of mile 2, I dropped back down to 5.5, but did not quite feel myself.  By 3.5 miles, I knew I was low, but refused to stop before 4 miles--not my wisest decision, but I run on a treadmill in my house so treatment was steps away.  When I finished, I immediately tested and was 57.  That's a HUGE drop!

Thank goodness I ordered some Clif Shot Bloks to try out.  Basically, they come in 6-packs of gummies.  3 gummies = 24 carbohydrates.  I plan to have 2 after mile 1 and 1 more after mile 3 while running 4 miles--it's going to be trial and error so we'll see.  In a few weeks, when I increase to 5 miles, I will adjust the amount based on my trials and errors along the way.  I'm just grateful there are options like this that don't require filling up my stomach like I used to have to do with gatorade in high school.  I am going to carry these around in my purse too as a quick and easy fix for low bloodsugar on the go.  That box cost $30 on Amazon.com so I will use other options when available if I'm not running.

XOXO,

T1 diabetes will not stand in my way

I realized that the type 1 diabetes may become an issue while training at longer distances.  My goal is to be able to do a half-marathon next fall.  So... I did a little research, and found these informative and/or inspirational links.  If nothing else, I'm saving these to reference along the journey.  I figure it's better to be proactive than reactive.

A type 1 diabetic marathoner

Type 1 diabetes running advice from other diabetics

Another type 1 running story

Type 1 runner blog (Sept 2012 post has gear info)

XOXO,

Workout 190 ~ Running

Today, Gavin and I went out for another training session with the goal to complete 2 miles.  Well... He has a bit of a cold and kept wanting to walk.  We completed 2.19 miles in 30 minutes which all in all isn't too bad for a 6-year-old.  I'm thinking we need to start with the C25K Week 1 Day 1 workout and work up from there.  We'll give it a try and see how it goes.

XOXO,

My First 5K ~ Workout 189

Crossing the Finish Line, it's blurry, but notice the huge grin on my face

Yesterday was a huge day for me.  I completed the first thing on my fitness bucket list: a 5K.  When I began this blog, on December 24th, 2009, I had just gone for a short run the night before.  I found the Couch-to-5K running plan and had grand plans to complete it and get back into shape.  On January 18th, 2010, I realized my dream of getting back into running was not going to happen thanks to knee and ankle pain.

I did the elliptical for a couple of months and then got into Jillian Michaels and happily got into the best shape of my life over the next 2 years.  Then, this spring, at a wedding shower for my cousin, Ramsey, my Aunt Karen recommended I try Glucosamine Chondroitin for my joint issues.  I researched it and learned that it would take about 6-8 weeks of taking it to feel a difference.  I immediately ordered it and began taking it.  On May 6th, 2012, I went for my first run and was able to run 2 miles at a decent pace.  And so it began, my journey back into running.

All summer, I worked through the couch-to-5K running program (or really the Ease-into-5K running program with the iPhone app) and completed the program on September 5th, 2012, and yesterday, I ran in my first 5K race.

So how did it go?  Well... My friend Jessalea and her husband, Marshall, ran with me and we did a good job pacing the first mile.  I was shocked to learn we completed it in like 9:45.  At that point, we got excited and started going faster than we should have, making us have to slow down later on.  The last mile was a bit excruciating because a lot of it was at a steady incline and my lack of pacing for the 2nd mile made the 3rd that much harder.  BUT, we did it!  I ran the entire time (or jogged, only walking for 3 steps to down a bit of water at the halfway mark).  I finished in 33:28, 84th out of 172 finishers and 39th out of 102 female finishers.  Jess was only 2 spots behind me :).  Her in-laws came to cheer us on and thanks to them, I have documentation of crossing the finish line at my very first 5K!  :) 

I am so proud of myself for working towards this goal.  I took running for granted in high school.  I was never fast, but it came easy to me (not many people can say they transferred into cross country having only ran 1 mile a month before and were able to run an entire 3 miles with only mild problems--I refused to walk unless I had low bloodsugar and often would have to down 16 ounces of juice and then would continue running).  It was a fight to be able to run again, and I appreciate every day that I am able to run now.

Our next 5K will be November 17th, the Color Run in Dallas.  I can't wait!

XOXO,

Workout 187 & 188

I guess I never blogged about my last workout, but on Wednesday, I ran 3.1 miles at a 6mph pace and ended up with a badly strained something above my knee.  After 3 days of icing/heating it, I finally felt better yesterday, but waited until today to try to run again.

Tonight, I decided to be cautious and slow down my pace to 5.5mph.  I think I've found my pace!  I EASILY did 4 miles and would have kept going but I had VERY low bloodsugar at the end (it did not immediately occur to me that the racing heartbeat was from lowbloodsugar instead of the exercise).  I did not skimp on a warmup or cooldown this time and keep stretching just in case.

My first 5K is on Saturday and I'm sooooo excited!  My only goal is to run the whole time and finish.  Gavin will be competing in the 50-yard dash for which each kid gets a dog tag (or a small medal in Gavin's eyes).

XOXO,

Workout 186 - Running

Yesterday, Gavin and I decided to go for our first training run together.  We went 1.68 miles and he actually ran most of it.  After depositing him back at my parents' house, I went back out to run 2.1 more.  Yes, I should have held out for .22 mile more but I was ready to collapse.  I cannot believe I almost went 4 miles!!!!  CRAZY!

Only 3 more runs (probably) until my first 5K on the hilly course.  I can't believe it's almost here!

XOXO,

Workout 185

Being sick really makes it hard to workout.  While I firmly believe working out can help you heal faster, sometimes you just have to give in and accept that it's not possible to do it for a few days.

The last 3 weeks have been sluggish for me in the workout department.  I have this nagging cough and fun upper-respiratory stuff that made me hesitant to do the JDRF Walk for the Cure event today in the rain.  I'm typing from home because I did not go--I just can't risk getting sicker.

So, today, I knew I needed to take advantage of being stuck inside for most of the day.  Having not worked out diligently lately, I found myself lacking motivation to get off the couch.  Naturally, I turned to Pinterest for some in-you-face workout inspirational posters.  While I found those, I also found an intriguing workout by Tracy Anderson that required no equipment.  SOLD!

How did it go?  Well it kicked my butt so badly that I only did it once all the way through and then did the first 3 moves a second time before stopping.  I found it difficult to figure out the proper form but pushed through regardless.  I feel pretty out of shape and obviously need to do some Jillian Michaels and Chris Freytag circuit training to get my arms back into shape.

I decided to hop on the treadmill for a 10-minute mile and 5-minute cooldown to complete my workout.

Despite coughing up a storm the instant I stopped running, I now feel pretty awesome.  15 workouts left until I achieve my goal! :)

XOXO,

Workout 184 - House Work

Tonight, I decided to be smart and clean up the house for the maids a night early.  Why?  Well, Kailee has dance tomorrow after school, meaning we don't get home until 7:30pm.  At that point, we still need to eat dinner and bathe.

Having put off a lot, I spent two hours doing dishes (pretty much just coffee cups and cooking utensils--thanks, Cassidi!), laundry, picking up toys, picking up my stuff, going through stacks of mail and papers from school.  I went up and down the stairs more times that I care to recall and then ended up with some low bloodsugar.  If that's not a natural workout, I don't know what is.

XOXO,

Workout 183 ~ 1-mile Fun Run!

Before the Family Fun Run

Yesterday, my parents, Gavin, Kailee and I did a fun run/walk at Oktoberfest in Addison to Wipe Out Kids Cancer.

My job was to stay with Gavin, who took off at a sprint!  I am very good at pacing myself, but it should come as no shock that my 6-year-old is not.  He would sprint for a minute, then jog a bit, then sprint some more.  I am not a sprinter--at least not for as long as he can sprint--so my lungs were on fire the whole time.  It did not help that I have an upper-respiratory infection.

I am so unbelievably proud of Gavin!  He ran the ENTIRE mile and then wanted to sign up for the 5K.  I promised him that next Saturday we would start training him for a 5K (we have to work on pacing since he just wants to run as fast as he can at first) and after two more mile fun runs, I would sign him up for a 5K.  The reality is, for me, pacing is crucial for my endurance.  I could not run a 5K alternating between sprints and jogs.  I need to go a steady pace and there's no way I would have lasted yesterday following his pattern.  He might, but I could not.  I already downloaded some Kidz Bop CDs for us to run to--I got a belt phone holder for running that will fit the phone in it inside even a bulky case like an otter box.

So today I signed us up for the next fun run on October 28th.  We'll see how that goes and go from there :).

XOXO,

Workout 182 ~ Running!

It has to be said, I was nervous before I began.  After Sunday's attempt and major fail, I worried that my success 2 weeks ago was a fluke, that I wasn't really able to run 3 miles.  Tonight proved that I am able to do it :).  Sure I had two distractions--Gavin making Kailee scream, Kailee making several requests for various things--and then I skipped too many songs on the playlist, ended up on random and kept getting classical songs to come up, forcing me to unlock the phone (where I was then able to see how much time was left, something that really throws me off my mental game), but I pushed through!!!!  And now I'm kind of wired and probably should do some PM yoga or something.

I heard on the radio this morning that you should not workout unless you have 3-4 hours to calm down before bedtime.  Well... It's either workout at this time of night or don't workout.  With the diabetes, I need to wake up in the 80s, but I cannot workout unless my bloodsugar is around 175, thus eliminating the AM workouts during the week.  I can easily manage getting my bloodsugar to 175 when working out after dinner by going easy on my dinner insulin.  I'm thinking working out late is better than not working out at all :).  Unfortunately, it may explain my sleep problems (though I feel those have more to do with Brady being gone and children waking up).

XOXO,

Workout 181 ~ 10 Pound Slimdown Total Body

I plan to attempt to run again on Wednesday--I coughed a ton for two hours last night, then awoke today almost cured.  It's soooo strange!  I really do think working out this weekend is what made me quickly improve (though I still have a little cough).  Anyways, as I was saying, I plan to run again on Wednesday so I decided to work on the leg strength tonight to make it easier.  This workout really works your thighs and butt.  I know I will be very sore tomorrow and will hopefully be thanking myself on Wednesday night when I attempt another 3 mile run!

XOXO,

Workout 179 & 180 - 90% done!

179 - So... After a 1.5 week hiatus, I attempted to run for 30 minutes.  20 minutes in (5-minute warmup, 15-min run), I felt like my lungs could not get enough air.  I had to stop :(.  Immediately, the coughing and insane amounts of drainage started flowing down my throat.  I have been sick this week with a sore throat and cough (though the drainage typically only occurs during the night).  I was extremely disappointed, but I had to listen to my body.

180 - I waited a few hours and decided to at least do something that would help strengthen my legs.  I decided to do Stiletto Strength since I have noticed my heel-wearing endurance has increased significantly since I started doing this workout.  As workout #180 is now completed, I am 90% of the way to my goal of 200 workouts in 2012!

I'm feeling pretty proud right now and am hoping I get in some workouts during the week this week!!!!

XOXO,

Workout #178 ~ Total Body Pilates

Gearing up for my first run in a week and a half tomorrow, today I decided to do Total Body Pilates to help my leg strength.  While the workout I did earlier somewhat worked my legs, it mostly strengthened my arms.  Now my whole body feels thoroughly exercised :).

XOXO,

Workout #177 ~ Balance and Body Sculpt

So... My arms feel like shaking deadweights right now thanks to this ridiculous workout: Balance and Body Sculpt.  It's one of the ExerciseTV workouts for sale on iTunes and it is worth way more than I paid for it.  I was sweating and my heart rate was up from a few minutes in.  My 22 minutes were well-spent here.

XOXO,

Woohoo! C25K Grad!!!! Workout #176

I cannot believe this post is happening tonight.  I have completed the couch-to-5K program--or well, really the Ease-into-5K program which was obviously based on the C25K program.

The next workout was supposed to be a 27-minute run.  I decided I was ready to do all 30 minutes and I did it!!!!


It's so funny to see my journey into running.  In high school, we ran at least 3 miles everyday in cross country.  I never thought I'd have to fight my way to back into running.  I never imagined that at 27 my knees and ankles would not allow me to run when I was finally eager to do it again.  Thank God for my Aunt Karen who recommended Glucosamine Chondroitin.  I know I sound like a commercial, but it seriously made it possible for me to get back into running.

I think I'm in shock.  I did not think this day would come so soon.  Now I know I'll be ready for my first 5K on October 13th!  Now the question is, who's coming with me?!?!

XOXO,

Workout #175 ~ Sexy Stretch

I am very sore from my workouts this weekend, but for whatever reason, I had a lot of energy tonight.  I did not want to do anything that would completely wake me up so I went with Crunch: Sexy Stretch.  Back when ExerciseTV was on-demand, I did this workout and remembered that it felt really good (as in relaxing and stretchy) until the end when it stopped being easy.  What I had forgotten was that it involved a lot of plank-ish moves at the end.  Needless to say, my arms and abs are a little wobbly right now.

I'm just glad I actually worked out during the work week :).

XOXO,

Workout #174 ~ Stiletto Strength

My cousin is getting married this weekend which means lots of heel wearing!  In preparation, I just did Stiletto Strength.  It is a very good leg workout though I still get a little nervous in the heels at the end.

XOXO,

Workout #173 ~ Yoga

Just did 10 Pound Slimdown: Yoga and am feeling very zen now, LOL.  Actually, I'm feeling quite sweaty because this is not a soothing, relaxing workout.  It keeps you moving the entire time with "a constant stream of poses."  It's still by far my favorite yoga workout :).

XOXO,

Workout #172 of 2012 ~ C25K

Guess who only has 3 more C25K workouts left... This girl!  Today was a 26-minute run so I did my normal "You have to listen to __ number of songs before checking the time."  Today I chose 10, but after 5, was dragging so I checked and I had already been running over 18 minutes.  I guess the 5 songs were longer than I thought.  The last 7.5 minutes weren't easy, but I pushed through and even bumped the pace up to 6.5mph for the last 30 seconds.

On a side note, In the last 12 months, I have done 208 workouts.  THAT IS AMAZING!!!!  I think it's safe to say that I am going to meet my goal of 200 workouts in a calendar year this year :).

XOXO,

Workout #171 of 2012

I have high bloodsugar but I need to get two workouts in today so I pushed through.  It was very difficult--high bloodsugar makes me extremely thirsty so I drank 24 ounces during a 24-minute workout.  By the end I had side stitches.

Regardless, I completed Ripped in 30 Week 1 and hopefully will get in some yoga or pilates later.  I have to take advantage of my free time on the weekend since I only managed to fit in one workout this week.

XOXO,

Workout #170

I was looking for Stiletto Strength but ran across Toning Fusion (Long and Lean) and decided to try it for the first time.

It started out seeming way to easy, but then we got into the yoga-based moves and my arms and shoulders got a good workout.  It really does combine moves from yoga, strength and pilates.  I was sweating pretty good in the middle and had to drop down to my knees during some of the plank/downward dog moves.

I have got to get back to hydrating!  I just haven't wanted to deal with needing run to the restroom during every single passing period yet.

XOXO,

Workout #169 ~ Pilates

Tonight I decided to try Leg Slimmer and Toner Pilates, but it turned out to be only 10 minutes.  After finishing this very good leg workout, I did another 10-minute pilates workout: Pilates Abs.  My abs are already burning from this brief but hard workout.  Combined, they make a great 20 minute workout that I will gladly do again :).

XOXO,

Workout #168 ~ C25K w/ podcast

Today I did Week 7 Day 1 while listening to the Chubby Jones Podcast.  There's at least one for each week during which she cheers you on, offers encouragement and tells your time at various points while playing upbeat music.  That last bit is the only part I struggled with at first, but once I got used to it, it was cool.

I don't use an official C25K app, I used the Ease-into-5K app, which is a little bit different (I'm guessing for copyright reasons) so I did have to pause the podcast during the 3-minute walk after 20 minutes of running.  In the actual program, you run 25 straight minutes all week.

I did pretty well during the first 20 minutes though I had a horrible side-stitch.  I had to stay focused on my breathing to prevent it from getting even worse.  Thankfully it disappeared completely during the 3-minute walk.  I am feeling pretty worked out now and know that I must incorporate more circuit training this week to help my stamina.

XOXO,

Workout #167 ~ 30DS Level 2

Almost an entire week of not working out and not hydrating made today's workout VERY difficult.  I was short of breath and could barely keep up.  I'm just glad I'm still ahead of my schedule in preparation for my cousin's wedding weekend in two weeks when I likely won't get to workout.  HOWEVER, I am hoping we all go on at least one power walk as a family that weekend like we did during another cousin's wedding :).

XOXO,

Just registered...

For my first 5K!  I am hoping to get at least 1 person to do it with me!!!!  It's the Showdown Half-Marathon/5K.  You can pick which team to support if you so choose--naturally I am supporting UT!

Here's a link to the event if anyone is interested: http://www.showdownhalf.com.

XOXO,

Workout #166 ~ C25K Week 6 Day 3

Woohoo!  I survived the tough weeks 5 and 6!  Now, don't get me wrong, Week 7 does not look easy either, but I am adjusting fairly well to the longer runs.  There are only 2 more weeks (6 workouts) left in the C25K plan.  For me, that will take 6 weeks at the most, 3 at the earliest--My knees and ankles really aren't on board with more than 1-2 runs a week, and 2 is pushing it.

I did my usual--put on the AppleTV screen saver and loaded up an upbeat playlist.  I did great the first run (15 minutes) but the second one (10 minutes) was rough.  I think it almost would have been easier to not stop in between and maintain my focus.  Next time it's a 20-minute run, brief walk, 5-minute run.  We'll see how that goes.

Here's my playlist from today:

When Dove's Cry (the version from Romeo and Juliet with Leo and Claire) (on during the warmup)
You oughta know (Alanis Morissette)
Born this way (Lady GaGa)
Call me maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen)
Crazy (Alanis Morissette's rendition)
Evacuate the Dance Floor (Cascada) (this was on during the 3-minute walk)
I want you back (*NSYNC)
I like it (Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull)
MMMBop (Hanson)
Kokomo (great cool down song because it reminds you that you are doing this to look great in a bikini, LOL)

XOXO,

Workout 165 ~ Gentle Pilates

I got home after being out and about all day and felt the need for some pilates.  I decided to do one of the ones I'd tried before on Netflix only to learn that Netflix no longer has any instant workouts.  BOO!

So I moved on to iTunes and bought a season of ExerciseTV pilates.  I decided to go with Gentle Pilates because I am still a beginner.  Well, this workout is apparently intended for senior citizens and is almost identical to Total Body Pilates.  I sweated a little bit and feel there was more flexibility work in this one than the other, but it wasn't what I wanted.  I wanted something not too hard but different than my other workout.  At least I have some other ones to give a try.

XOXO,

Workout 164 ~ Crunch: Action Sports Butt and Abs

I decided to give another of my new workouts a try, Crunch: Action Sports Butt and Abs.  It actually has a bad word in the title which I changed to "butt."  So if you look for it, you need to substitute the original word in the title.

For starters, there is a bit of false advertising.  It says it's 30 minutes, 15 on each body part.  Actually, it is only 21 minutes.  Perhaps when this was on ExerciseTV it accounted for commercials or something.  I don't know because I never watched the channel, I just did the workouts on-demand.

Despite this, it's a pretty good workout.  I was sweating from the get go, and my heart rate was up the entire time.  The first part involves a lot of squats, and the second part involves a variety of ab moves.  I have a feeling I will be sore tomorrow from this workout.

XOXO,