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Uberlibrariana


Saturday, July 30, 2011

The Plan..

Coming up with a new plan, this one is starting Sunday.
My plan is a lot less evil than the Cylons' plan...


A couple of things will be happening this week:

I'm going to be home with my kids on Monday and Tuesday. That may or may not drive me insane. The potty training that WILL be finished by Tuesday evening may also drive me insane. Or not. Those are just random asides..

I need to run 3 times this week. One of these runs needs to be 7-8 miles.

I will be doing some hard core weight training 3 days this week. I found this routine at the Lean Bodies Fitness Forums:


I don't have a squat rack, so there may be some modifications. But, I'll be attempting to do the weight work at home.

So, here's the plan:

Sunday:

Full Body Routine, Day 1:
Full Squats
Flat Bench Press
RDLs (Romanian Deadlifts)
Barbell Rows

All done for 3-4x6 w/ 120s rest


Monday:
Run 3 miles, Abs

Tuesday:
Full Body Routine, Day 2:

Pull Throughs
Lunges
Flat Dumbbell Press
Seated Cable Rows
Incline Hammer Curls
Lying Triceps Extensions

All done for 2-3x12 w/ 30s rest

Wednesday:
Run 3 miles, Abs

Thursday:
Full Body Routine, Day 3:

Incline Dumbbell Press
Incline Dumbbell Rows
Dumbbell Split Squats
SHELC
Lat Pulldowns (underhand)(will probably do pullups since I'm working on those)

All done for 3x8 w/ 60s rest

Friday:
Yoga/Rest

Saturday: 
Run 8 miles (Long Run)


In other news, when I weighed this week, I weighed in at 143. So, a loss of 1 pound since the last weigh in.

I had in my mind all this time that my goal was 139. But as I get close to that, I'm still not really happy with where I am. I'm considering lowering my weight goal to 125. We'll see if this is something I can do and still have a healthy relationship with food. Of course, I could firm up and have the weight not change much- I'm not sure. But I do plan on intensifying my training.


Is it just me, or does anyone find that running is not the most effective way to lose weight? I haven't experienced crazy amazing weight loss, and I know some of that depends on diet... but I'm starting to wonder.

I offer this question to you:


If you knew running would keep you healthy, but would *never* get you the results you want, would you still do it?

Hmmm....

Friday, July 29, 2011

High Five 5 Things Blog Hopping Friday!

Happy Friday! Here's your HIGH FIVE!


It doesn't seem like a whole week has gone by since last Friday... and yet it has.

This has been a rough week in some ways. I made my workout plan on Sunday. I followed it until about noon on Wednesday. But, I'm okay with that. Live and learn, right? I will take all of this into account when I make next week's plan...

I'm participating in my favorite Blog Hops today. Please join in and comment if you're new. Actually, I really just want everyone to comment. This is why I ask you questions :-) We share, we get to know each other. It's a good thing.



Life As I See It [Fitness, Health and Happiness]


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Today's 5 Questions:

I am asking you to list 5 ways that working out has improved your life. And, here are mine:

1. I am a big help when people are moving.
2. I  have the endurance AND strength to carry a screaming 3 year old through the grocery store.
3. I don't freak out when I have to park the car far away from my building at work
4. Whenever I get my blood pressure or cholesterol checked, medical professionals compliment me on how "perfect" my numbers are.
5. That feeling after a good workout, when you feel like you can do anything? Yeah, I love that.

How about you guys?

Oh, and since I'm not above using my children's cuteness to entertain you, here's my son. Both of his parents are musicians. Can you tell?



Now that you've seen that... can you do me a favor? Hop on over to Sarah Fitness and click "Like". We are almost to 400 fans!

Have a great weekend, folks!!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Knowing your limits..

I know my limits. Do you know yours?
Source
Well, most of the time I know my limits. I think stretching your limits is quite healthy, to a point. If you only did what was safe and comfortable all the time, you probably wouldn't get very far.

However, in testing my limits, I recently learned how far I can go before having a little breakdown. I rode The Fail Bike.
Source
Yes, I'm talking about working out. But, more importantly, I'm talking about working out as part of a balanced life.

Here's the deal:

My kids don't want to go to sleep at their bedtime. They want to play. I spend a lot of evenings fighting with them to get them to go to sleep. My inner monologue is the text of this book:

So I watch the clock. I watch as I reach 8 hours until I wake up. Then 7 hours. Then 6. It goes on.

The alarm goes off at 4:30 am. If I want to workout and get to work on time, that is the time I must get my booty out of bed.

Well, after doing that for 3 nights in a row, I had a little physical breakdown on Wednesday. I was exhausted. I did my BBL workout in the morning, but there was no love. I didn't shake my booty with enthusiasm. I made Leandro sad.
"My heart is breaking a little."
I ended up leaving work and just going home to sleep. I was unable to function I was so tired.

This morning, I slept "late". I didn't workout. And, you know what? It's amazing how much better I feel.

Therefore, I'm going to re-evaluate my workout plan. There just isn't enough time to fit everything in. Plus, my children will only be little and cuddly for a short time. One day soon, they won't want to have anything to do with me and I'll be able to sleep as much as I want.

I'm not saying you should never workout. I just think sometimes balance is *really* important.

(BTW, I am planning a lunchtime run later. I am lucky to have that option).

Do you have scheduling obstacles with your workouts? Do you have problems like this? Are you able to make it work? I'd love to hear your stories...

Monday, July 25, 2011

Motivational Monday!

Happy Monday, friends! What better way to get motivated than to watch "The Best Motivation Video"... (it's quite good, I must say)..



"If you've never failed, you've never lived."

Have a great week, folks!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The plan for this week

Source


I liked having a plan last week. I didn't stick to it *completely*, but it just felt more structured. The only deviation from the plan was that I missed my Friday A.M. workout (due to sleep), so I did it on Saturday.

This week I'm tweaking it just a bit. I want to spread out the upper body work a bit more, because I'm always sore for at least 2 days after Chest and Back. I also am giving myself permission to sub another cardio for Cardio Axe if I feel like it...

The upcoming week:
Monday:
AM: P90X Chest and Back
PM: 3 mile run

Tuesday:
AM: Cardio Axe (or another 30 minute cardio), High and Tight (BBL)

Wednesday:
AM: P90XMC2 Shoulders and Arms
PM: 3 mile run

Thursday:
AM: Cardio Axe/High and Tight (BBL)

Friday:
AM: Bum Bum/ Tummy Tuck (BBL)
PM: Run 6 miles

Saturday: Something fun, like Turbofire, Turbokick or Hip Hop Hustle.

Sunday: Yoga

So, we'll see how that goes.

One more thing: Found this this week and love it!
(and now that song's in your head, too)

Friday, July 22, 2011

High Five TGIF 5 Things Friday!

Hooray! It's Friday again! Here's your high five!

I am especially excited about Friday this week. I'm a bit tired from the day-to-day.

I'm doing the usual Fitness Friday hops, so I hope you'll join us! If you're new, WELCOME! If you're not new, WELCOME (again). I love followers... hoping to hit 200 today (tell your friends, wink, wink...)



Life As I See It [Fitness, Health and Happiness]


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So, let's do some listing. Today, instead of me asking you 5 questions, let's list 5 things that are awesome about our lives. Right now. And go...

1. I have amazing, cute, healthy, wonderful children. Yes, my daughter meows, and my son is insane, but they are perfect. (Oh, and I recently started a Twitter for my son, just so I can keep track of the hilarious things he says.)

2. I have a steady job AND a pretty cool extra, fun job (that doesn't feel like work). I am thankful for the regular income, health insurance, and stability that comes from the regular (Librarian) job, and the friends, motivation, personal growth and paychecks that come from the extra, fun job.

3. I am 5 pounds away from my goal/pre-pregnancy weight (and my daughter isn't even a year old yet).

4. I have recently started running really fast (for me). I used to strive to hit a 10:00 mile. Wednesday, I ran 3 miles at an average pace of 9:20 (and that included 2 walk breaks).

5. Starbucks VIA. Yes, I am thankful for a beverage. Seriously, I don't work for Starbucks or sell their stuff, but VIA really is the best instant coffee I've ever had, and it's made my life so much easier.

So, let's hear 5 awesome things about your life today!

And, just because it starts my weekend off right, here's this:

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Weight Training and Me: A Love Story..

My history with weight training goes back a long way.

I was in high school when Terminator 2 came out (I was working at my first job at a movie theatre... still one of my favorite all time jobs). Sarah Connor/Linda Hamilton had really buffed up between the first and second movies. I remember seeing her and thinking, "Wow. I want to be *that*." At the time, however, I wasn't willing to work out, quit smoking or stop eating crap.

She was *such* a bad a$$..
Fast forward a few years. In college, I bought a pair of 5 pound weights and the workout Cindy Crawford: The Next Challenge.

After a few weeks of that, I wondered why I didn't look like Linda Hamilton? Hmm. So, I decided to eat more crap and just wish for my body to change...

Fast forward another few years. I was in my 20s and really didn't want to look back on my 20s as my "fat" period. So, I saw a Firm Video on VHS in Target, and brought it home.

So, the Firm was pretty serious about weight training. The most serious I'd seen, at least. There was an informational segment included with the workout that talked about why you need muscle to burn fat. Wow. What an idea! So, I added a pair of 8 pound weights and a pair of 10 pounders, and my obsession was born.

I saw such great results with my Firm video that I bought more. Back then, The Firm made a claim: "Visible results in 10 workouts". It totally worked for me. Plus, I became addicted to feeling *strong*. I still didn't look like Linda Hamilton, but I was losing weight and feeling healthy.

Fast forward a few *more* years. I got multiple certifications in fitness, and taught group exercise classes. I knew I could lift heavier weight, but I was still afraid to. I was afraid of "split" workouts- doing each body part once a week. I preferred doing a total body workout 2-3 times a week. But, I was never *ripped*. Did I need protein? What was the deal?

I taught 2-3 cardio classes a day when I was getting ready for my wedding. I was in good shape, and looked great, but I remember being disappointed that I wasn't more muscular. I just looked skinny.

[If any pictures of me in my wedding dress existed online, I would put one here. I guess we didn't have cameras back then. In 2003....]

This is not me, but let's pretend I looked just like this. With my $99 dress. (Source)
Anyway, it wasn't until I started P90X in 2006 (I had it for around a year before I actually did a round of it) that my upper body started to look like I wanted it to. And... hmmm... it was because of more intense weight training. I didn't start taking protein supplements. I didn't really start eating any differently (I didn't even follow the nutrition guide that closely). But something about the combination of doing a 3 day split, adding intense exercises like pullups (assisted) and lat pulldowns, and increasing the weight had an effect. I also was running 3 days a week so I'm sure leaning out a bit helped. But that's what did it.

(Of course, as I came to the end of my first 90 days, I discovered I was pregnant with my first child... in fact, both times I got pregnant I was in the "best shape ever". Isn't that how it works?)

The point is this: For so many years I was afraid of hard core weightlifting. I thought cardio was the way to go. But, you know, it *isn't* the most effective way to lose weight OR sculpt your body.

I would never be able to give up cardio, though, because I love it. I love endorphins. I don't get that *high* from weightlifting (usually. Unless I'm about to pass out).

Do you have any experience with weight training? Have you ever done an old Firm video? What are your thoughts?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Harsh Reality of the Lunchtime Run

I had a great run today on the track. But afterwards, this is what I looked like:
Yes, I take pictures of myself in the bathroom. Don't you?
And they say running isn't glamourous. Hmmph...

Just to get that lovely image out of your mind, here's some awesomeness:

Sesame Street breaks it down from Wonderful Creative on Vimeo.

Setting Goals: "SMART"



I going to talk a little about setting goals today. It's important to know how to do it right, or else you're just setting yourself up for a frustrating life. We don't want that...

There's a fun acronym to help you when setting goals: SMART.

It stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely


So let's talk about each of these:
Specific
You want to be specific when setting a goal. Often you hear someone say, "I want to make more money", or "I want to lose weight", or even, "I want to run faster." Well, that's great, but how will you know when you have reached your goal?

Try being more specific: "I want to make $1000 more per month", "I want to lose 10 pounds", "I want to run a sub 10:00 mile." Which brings me to the next point...

Measurable
When designing your goal you want to be able to measure when it's completed. You'll know you've reached your weight loss goal of 10 pounds when you are 10 pounds lighter. 

Attainable
While I encourage setting high goals, it's also important to choose a goal that you can actually reach. For example, I'm 37 years old, and have had 2 children. I have probably missed out on my chance to be a Victoria's Secret model. If I made that my goal, I would be constantly disappointed because I never attained my goal. Also, I have never in my life been a smaller size than a 4, so if I made my goal to lose weight and become a size 0, it would probably just frustrate me.

Realistic
Being realistic also helps you avoid great frustration. If you are 100 pounds overweight, your long term goal may be to lose 100 pounds, and that's great. It is attainable. However, if you set your goal to lose 100 pounds in 1 month, you're not being very realistic.

Timely
It's always a good idea to include a date by which you'd like to reach this goal. It's easy to say, "I'm going to earn $2,000".... but when? In your lifetime? In a week? Know the *deadline* - it makes a difference. 

So, to put this in practice, I'm going to list a few of my goals:

Goal #1: I want to reach 139 pounds/size 4-6 (depending on brand) by September 1.

S: Is it Specific? Yes
M: Is it measurable? Yes
A: Is it attainable?Yes it is.
R: Is it realistic? Yes, it is.
T: Yes, there is a time set (my daughter's first birthday).

So, does this give you an idea of a "smart" (hee hee) way to set goals? I would love to hear your goals in the comments. Come on, share with us!

(Or you can hop on over to Sarah Fitness on Facebook and chat about your goals while you get some motivation from others!)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Motivational Monday: The Fresh Beat Band edition.

I'm about to lose all street cred... (if I had any).
I'm still not used to the "new" Marina though.


Many of you with small children may, like me, be a frequent watcher of "Nick Jr." If you are, you may be familiar with The Fresh Beat Band.

Now, you may think I have lost my ever-loving mind... but let me argue with you some of the positive traits of The Fresh Beat Band for us grown-ups:

- No one is ever mean to anyone else in Fresh Beat Land.
- If you have a problem, you sing a song about working it out ("There's no problem we can't solve if we put our heads together and get involved...") and it's all good.
- They all wake up every morning excited about their day and what's ahead.
- At the end of the day, they sing a song about how great it was ("We had a great day...")

So, I present to you the song I sing to my son when he's not really excited about getting out of bed. I think it's applicable to all of us who think "Oh no, it's Monday. Again. Yawn."



If that didn't get you motivated, I have a few quotes here to get you going with a smile today:

"If you want to change the way people respond to you, change the way you respond to people." ~Timothy Leary

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know." ~ William Saroyan

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." ~Leo Tolstoy

"I don't know if the optimists or the pessimists are right. But the optimists are going to get something done." ~Craig Venter

So I hope these thoughts will help get you in the mood to go out there and make today a *great day*...

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The plan for this week...

Warning: This will be dull and boring. It's basically me thinking on paper (or computer,  to be more accurate).
Add caption


I'm taking it a week at a time. I decided to plan again, and this time I may actually stick to it.

I want to incorporate 3 things:
- Running
- Brazil Butt Lift workouts
- Upper Body work, including Pullups.

So, I'm starting with the Brazil Butt Lift Basic plan, and tweaking it a little to fit all this in:

Monday:
AM Workout:
- BBL Bum Bum (35 minutes)
- BBL Tummy Tuck (30 minutes)
PM Workout:
- Run 3 miles

Tuesday:
AM Workout:
- Cardio Axe (30 minutes)
- High and Tight (35 minutes)

Wednesday:
AM Workout:
- P90X Chest and Back
PM Workout:
- Run 3 miles

Thursday:
AM Workout:
- Bum Bum
- Tummy Tuck

Friday:
AM Workout:
- P90X MC2 Shoulders and Arms
PM Workout:

- Run 5-6 miles (LSR)

Saturday:
Cardio Axe
High and Tight

Sunday:
Rest and Yoga

See? I told you it would be

Friday, July 15, 2011

High Five Harry Potter Fever Friday!

Happy Friday! Here's your high five!
I am so proud to be a giant nerd.
So, as you may have read, I haz the Harry Potter fever.

In fact, I even found one more Harry Potter-themed pic:
Instead of the normal "Five Question Friday", you know I have to stick with this theme until everyone goes completely insane...

1. Are you seeing Harry Potter this weekend, or have you seen it by now?
My husband and I are hoping to find a sitter and go see it tomorrow. We've done this with every Harry Potter movie. Well, we used to go to midnight showings, then we became grown ups.

2. Has a Harry Potter book release ever interfered with an important event in your life?
Why, yes. Yes, it has.

The fifth book was released on June 21, 2003. This also happened to be the day I got married.

[If I could find any wedding pictures, they would go here].

I stood in line at midnight after the rehearsal, and got my copy. I went back to the hotel room I was staying in and did my best to read as much as I could. But, darn it, I was tired.

That next day I tried to read but was just too busy :-)

However, our car broke down in the desert on our honeymoon, which would normally be tragic, but I was so glad it *finally* gave me a chance to read...

3. Okay, I won't ask any more Harry Potter questions. Let's talk fitness. What was your last workout?
This morning, I did "High and Tight" from Brazil Butt Lift. OMG. It was like all the floorwork I loved so much in the old Firms. I am going to hurt tomorrow, and I love it. Running later, at the track, so hopefully I'll have a fun story about Rudey McRude tonight...

4. What are your plans for the weekend?
Well, I am doing the usual: Making a large to-do list to catch up on housework, then doing about half of it before deciding a nap would be more fun. And, as mentioned before, we are *really* hoping to go see a certain film..

5. Tell me something cool about yourself.
Since I constantly talk about myself, this is no problem for me. I do it all the time, so I won't be participating. But, I really want to hear about *you*. Brag a little!

Also, I'm participating in my favorite Friday Blog Hop today:

Life As I See It [Fitness, Health and Happiness]


So, if you're new, WELCOME! Please leave a comment!

Have a wonderful weekend, folks!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Complete Random Babbling...

Today is one of those days. The kids won last night. At 10:30 PM, I was literally begging and pleading with them to GO TO SLEEP. Perhaps I should consider using this:
[Anyone involved with CPS, please note I am joking... mostly].
So, I overslept a little this morning. Plus, I woke up with sore hip flexors and lower back. I decided in my current state that I needed a workout that was more of an emotional pick me up than a "workout until you puke" kind of workout. I decided to try "Cardio Axe" from Brazil Butt Lift. It was just what I needed.

This beautiful man had absolutely nothing to do with my improved mood. Really.
I really would like to be a better dancer. It's fun. I'm getting certified to teach Hip Hop Hustle in August, and I'd really like to do Zumba too. This workout gave me a chance to see if I could really shake my hips...

So, I got going a little late, finally got my coffee at my desk, and have had a relatively decent day filled with cataloging and organizing things. See, the fun part about being a mommy and a librarian is that I at least have some control over my world in library-land. Some.

In other news, I'm currently suffering from a terrible case of Harry Potter fever. Since I am a full-time working mother of 2, I'm thinking the midnight showing tonight would be completely wrong and irresponsible... so I'm wondering when I'll get to see it...

In the meantime, I'm loving all this:

(I found all these through The Blog Entourage, who have had a great Harry Potter themed week).
Accio Coffee! Just seeing if that would work...

And one more, because I love it:
(Please note there are spoilers if you haven't read all the books)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Today's Workout, with special guest Rudey McRude..

Ahhh.. remember Full House?


So, remember how I made a whole blog post about my workout plan for this week? Yeah, I kind of threw it out the window when Brazil Butt Lift arrived yesterday...

I did the workout Bum Bum this morning which was surprisingly challenging (mainly due to the fact that there were NO BREAKS. No breaks. NOOOOOO BREAKS.) (However, there *is* a pause button.)

Anyway, I went for my lunchtime run today at the indoor track. Since it's consistently above 100 degrees here, and the heat index is so high, they don't have "Bike Day" anymore at my son's daycare, the track has gotten kind of crowded.

Also, since I've been going at a pretty consistent time of day for a few weeks, I'm starting to see a few of the same people.

There is this one guy who I have nicknamed "Rudey McRude". Although, he does run every day with a shirt that says "Umpire" on the back... I still like "Rudey McRude" better than "Umpire".

Wait, I should back up...

The track at the University Rec Center is on the second floor, and circles around a big area. The area below contains the basketball courts. So, whenever there is any kind of event (which is often in the summer), it can get kind of loud. Also, sometimes people on the track who aren't completely focused can sometimes stop running/walking or whatever, and just stand and stare at the game. That's not inconvenient at all...

And the track is 3 lanes. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, you go in one direction. Every other day, you go in the other direction. There is a sign that says "Runners only outside lane". To me that means:

- Pass on the outside lane.
- Walk on the inside lane.

But back to Rudey McRude, because he's my main problem right now.

He is in good shape, and is one of those runners who is *obviously* so awesome that running fast is SUPER EASY for him, so he passes me a lot. That's fine. I'm secure enough with myself to not worry about people passing me.

I often run in the middle lane, unless there is a walker there, in which case I pass them on the outside lane. Before going back to the middle lane, I allow several steps to make sure there is room, look over my shoulder, then go back to the middle lane.

However, Rudey McRude often passes me on the outside lane, but while passing me *cuts me off*. It's like he's just the most important person on the track, so there can't possibly be anyone else in that lane, right?

Today, there was a particularly large group of walkers in a cluster, which is cool. They were aware of us runners, and made sure the outside lane was free.

Rudey McRude was coming up behind me and I was faced with the choice of either passing the walkers *quickly*, or slow down behind the walkers. I decided to go for it, and I passed the walkers.

I waited my 4 or 5 steps to make sure I wasn't cutting off any walkers, and looked over my shoulder to go back to the middle lane, because I wanted to be courteous to Rudey McRude.

Well, Rudey McRude was way ahead of me. He slid past the walkers and passed me on the inside, almost knocking me over. The walkers even noticed it and kind of gasped. But Rudey McRude just kept running, because he's such a fabulous and amazing person he probably didn't even see me.

I even yelled, "Dude! Really?" But I guess headphones make it possible to ignore that.

So, I spent the rest of that run cursing along with Jay Z (and saying all of the really *bad* words especially loud) and at 2 miles, went to stretch and have some water. I felt wounded.

I stretched. I decided to run one more quick mile. And I did. It was quick (for me). 9:05 is quick. Those of you who run a mile in 6:30 may not think so, but it's all relative.

All together, I was happy with my run. I wish I had run 3 miles STRAIGHT at a 9:05 pace.. but whatever. I don't think I can blame that on Rudey McRude.

Anyone have any feedback on track etiquette? Do I have this all wrong?

More tomorrow, when I will probably do a completely different workout than what I claimed I would do earlier this week...

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

When I get discouraged...

... that my abs *don't* currently look like this:



I remember that, less than a year ago, they looked like this:




And then I remember this:




And I realize it's totally worth it...



What's the plan, Stan?

I actually don't know anyone named "Stan", but it just sounds so much cooler than "What's the plan, Sarah?"

After discovering that I'm not superhuman enough to complete the hardest workout series ever put on DVD while training for a half marathon, working full time AND part time, and parenting ALL THE TIME.... I've decided I need to come up with a new plan.

I have Brazil Butt Lift coming to me. Now, this is a workout that I have avoided for a long time, primarily because I thought the name was silly. Also, in the infomercial they call Leandro the "Buttmaster" and I just couldn't think about that without snickering.

However, a couple of things have changed my mind:
1. Leandro is so darn cute. I met him at Summit and he was super nice.
2. Apparently, these workouts are actually quite challenging.
3. Hey, I'm kind of unhappy with my butt. There, I said it.

Plus, it's a lower body workout with light resistance, so I think it will go nice with running.

Since that program is not here yet, I'm doing kind of a "Recovery/Running week this week". Here's the plan for Monday - Friday:

Monday: 
- 30 minutes yoga
- 3 mile run

Tuesday:
- 30 minutes yoga
- Upper Body Something

Wednesday:
- 30 minutes yoga
- 3 mile run

Thursday:
- 30 minutes yoga
- Upper Body Something

Friday:
- 30 minutes yoga
- 4 mile run

So, that's the plan, and that's as far as I'm wanting to plan ahead :-)

I'll come up with a new plan that includes running, BBL, and some upper body work, once I get into the program.

So there.

(P.S. Next week I'll return to reviewing workouts. I'll be reviewing the Brazil Butt Lift workouts in the next few weeks!)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Motivational Monday! Go, go, GO!

Good Monday Morning!

There's just something about a Monday!

Well, actually, it may be madness where you are, and that's okay! You can still have a great day!
So true.

I've got some quotes to help get you going this morning:
"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'"
~Author Unknown
"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on".  ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream".  ~Author Unknown


"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday".  ~Author Unknown
"Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer".  ~AndrĂ© A. Jackson



"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go".  ~William Feather
"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts".  ~John Locke (no, not this guy)

And finally:


Friday, July 8, 2011

Blog Hoppin High Five Friday!

Hey all,
Happy Friday! Here's your high (middle) five!



I'm participating in this blog hop today:

Fitness Friday Blog Hop
So, if you're new, let me know and I'll be SOOOO happy to follow you back!

I got a little tired this week, and took two days off from working out due to illness... so I have no questions for you today.

But I'll be glad to answer any of yours...

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Taking a break from the Insanity... Asylum..

I've been thinking a lot about priorities. More specifically, whether my current priorities are reflected in my daily activity.

So, when I wake up in the morning and feel like I need to stay home because I don't feel well, it gives me a chance to reevaluate my priorities and activities.

Today, I decided to stay home. I just wasn't feeling right.

And I've decided that I'm going to stop doing Insanity: The Asylum, at least the 30 day program... for the moment.

I think it's a great program, but right now, my priorities are:
- Running
- Losing the last 10 pounds
- Toning up

I'm finding that I'm too tired to run on the days I do Asylum workouts. I'm finding that I desperately dread the 2 workouts, Speed and Agility and Vertical Plyo. I feel like I'm not getting enough strength work.

So I'm going to do something different, with the primary goal being to run a good half marathon on September 24.

More to come...

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 8/30... with makeup on

I just have no idea how to rotate this..

Insanity, The Asylum: Strength



This is becoming one of my favorite workouts.

Part of the Insanity: Asylum series, this workout is the "Strength" workout. Oh, but don't worry, you still get your heartrate up.

Equipment needed:

Dumbbells or Bands
Pull Up Bar (optional)

There are two options for this workout. You can watch the regular workout, which includes 2 people using the bands, or you can watch a special "Bands" edition which includes a split screen with Shaun T. using the bands along with the original workout.

You also have the option, during back work, to use either dumbbells or a pull up bar. Shaun T. shows both moves.

Basic Breakdown (50 minutes):

Warm Up:
- Halo Dead Lift: Using one weight, you squat down, then pass the weight over your head keeping your core tight (this is shown in the video above).
- Skull crusher press
- Knee drive curl
- Squat row
- Shoulder tap push ups (these are also in the video above).
Then do it all again.

Brief Stretch

Each section has a series of moves that are repeated 3 times, but with fun new variations added each time.

Section I: Biceps/Shoulders, etc.
- Progressive Dumbbell Rotation: Let's just say, this involves a curl, burpees, push ups, and adds more each time.
- Shoulder Press: This also is different each of the 3 times
- Rotational jumps: Holding one dumbbell, squat then jump while turning. Again- more complicated each time.

Section II: Back/Core/Etc
- Hip Flys: Leaning over with a flat back, bring the dumbbells behind you, like a fly. I find that I have to lower the weights here. (These are the same every time).
- Back/Core move (either with dumbbells or pull up bar).

Section III: Chest (and stuff)
- Variations of Chest flys with a Core move
- Something standing. The last one is particularly challenging, and is why I looked like this at the end:

Very short cool down.

Shaun T. quotes:
"You're like, 'Dang, Shaun! This is the warm up!' I'll say it again. I am *not* playing with you today!"
"In about 30 seconds you're gonna feel the burn, but that's just a touch of what's about to happen to your life..."
"I laugh at pain!"

Love this workout.

If you want to try Asylum, you can order it through my site. I would love to share the pain with you.

Monday, July 4, 2011

July 4th Music City 5K (Insanity Asylum Day 7b)

Took a break in between week 1 and week 2 of Insanity: Asylum, to run a 5K.

I had originally signed up for the 10K, but the 5K turned out to be plenty.

Sunday night, my husband and I tried to stay up and watch a movie, which already put us behind. It took us about 2 hours to watch the first hour of "The Social Network", due to vomiting child (not really sure what that was about) and another child who repeatedly needed "another glass of water". The cat even got in on the neediness.

So, I knew going into it I'd rather try to just run the whole 5K rather than do a run/walk 10K.

The whole family went to the race. This is a first- my family has never seen me race.
My kids were obviously way too excited to be there.

No, this was *not* the line for the bathroom, although it was just as long.





I wanted to capture the excitement I was feeling about the upcoming hills!





I even met up with a Coach friend!
 As for the race, I did this particular one 2 years ago, and remembered it being ridiculously hard. It was hilly. Very hilly. But, after the Country Music Half I figured it wasn't so scary.

I did better this time, just had to take a couple of walk breaks up some hills. I still ended up with a good time.

My official time was 32:29, which works out to a 10:29 mile. I'll take that on this course. I was also #19 in my age group :-)
I'm spending the rest of the holiday being ridiculously lazy, and will get back to the Asylum on Tuesday.

Happy Fourth!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 7/30: I cry a little

Ugh.


When I woke up this morning, I decided I didn't want to get out of bed and work out. So, I snoozed until it was too late. I figured I'd do it later.

I contemplated skipping it. I just didn't have any energy. But, I knew I was committed to do it. (It didn't help that today's workout was Speed and Agility. I could have jumped out of bed no problem for Turbokick or Turbofire).

My daughter was taking a nap, but my son was awake. He was watching TV, but as soon as he saw the Agility Ladder, he couldn't stay away..

I explain it all here...



So, we'll see what happens with the 5K/10K. Basically, the 10K is just the 5K twice. So I may just decide to run it once and be a little more successful.

This is a hard program. I knew it was a hard program. I do my best to be super positive most of the time. I mean, I have a lot of awesome things going on. I'm healthy, I have healthy, wonderful kids, a full time job and a successful, rewarding business, and my husband is great. But I have a hard time taking "downtime" (because there's ALWAYS something that needs to be done when you're that busy), so when I crash, I crash BIG.

Anyway, have a great holiday. Sarah Fitness hit 351 followers this weekend, which was great, but then it went down to 349... I hope you'll stop by and click "like" to make up for those 2 people who "unliked" :-)

Remember, we're in this together.