Let's Warm Up!

It's COLD today, so a workout that will make you sweat will make you feel better!!!

Make sure you stretch really good!

Warm Up: (Without stopping!)
Jumping Jacks 1:00
Explosions :30
High Knees 1:00
Heisman :30
Butt Kicks 1:00
Switch Kicks :30
Sprint in Place :30
1:00 Break
-----x2-----
Push Ups with Twist x20
Tricep Push Ups x15 (on your knees)
Plank Front Raises 5lbs x20R/x20L
Mountain Climb 1:00
------x2-----
Quick Squats x30
Wall Sit 1:00 (arms out!)
Explosions x30
Squat Pulse 1:00
-----x2-----
Inch Worms with 20 Plank Jacks, x10 (every two inch works, do 20 plank jacks)
Bicep Curls 8lbs, x20
Tricep OH 15lbs, x20
Hammer Curls 8lbs x20
OH Press 8lbs x20
Jumping Jacks with 5lbs weights 1:00
----x2----
Sit Ups x30
Roman Twists with 10 lbs x30
Alternating Toe Touches x30
Alternating Plank Twist x40
Plank Pull Knee In x30
Sit Ups x20
Butt Ups x20
Plank 1:00
DONE!

First Half Down!

Apalachicola Running for the Bay!! Beautiful Run!!!

Mare's Friday Full Body Workout!

15 Push-Ups
:30 Mtn Climb
:30 Plank
X3---
30 quick Squats
30 Explosions
1:00 Wall Sit (while doing rapid fire with 5lbs)
X3---
Swiss ball curls x20
Swiss ball raises x20
Dead lifts with 2 15lb dumbells x20
Butt kick jumps x30
X3----
Bicep Curls x 30 8lbs
Hammer and press 5lbs x20
High knees holding 5lb weights over head 1:00
X3----
Sit ups: as many as you can, at least 75
Straight into low plank 1:00!!

Practice for Appalach

Wasn't fast, but it was nice and the weather was beautiful! 1st half of 12 starts Sunday!!! Race for the Bay-Appalachicola-Florida!!

100 Burpees

Workout today:

100 Burpees in Under 30 Minutes...

GO!!

30 Felt Like a Great Number

HERE WE GO!

STRETCH!
5 minute Run
--------
30 Push Ups
30 Tricep Overhead with a Kettle bell
----x3----
30 Overhead should press 5lbs weights
30 Rapid Fire Punches R/L=1 (technically 60 punches)
----x3----
30 Quick Squats
30 Explosions
----x3----
30 Dead Lifts with 2-15 lb dumbbells
30 Butt Kick Jumps
----x3----
30 Calf Raises
30 Heisman (I apologize for the cheesy link)
----x3----
30 Bicep Curls 8lbs
30 Jumping Jacks with weights 5lbs
----x3----
30 Sit Ups
30 Plank Tuck Jumps
---x3----
30 Roman Twists
30 Plank Jumps (like a jumping jack in plank with stationary hands)
----x3---
Rest!!

Fifty to One... No These Are Not Odds...

50-1 Plyo Day!  You can do this at home, no weights required!

Do all of this as fast as you can with 1:00 breaks in between!  Really push yourself to finish each exercise quickly, but with good form!  Remember, when you squat to keep all the weight in your heels and stick your butt out!  Never let your knees go over your toes!  Same with Lunges!!!
-----
50 Squats (quick!)
40 Explosions
30 Reverse Alternating Lunges (15R/15L)
20 Plyo Lunges
10 Tuck Jumps
1:00 Wall Sit (knees at 90 degrees!)

1:00 Break

50 Mountain Climbers
40 Plank Shoulder Taps
30 Push Ups
20 Plank Tuck Jumps
10 Tricep Push Ups (hands shoulder width apart, push your elbows straight back!
1:00 High Plank

1:00 Break

50 Butt Kick Jumps
40 Bent Knee Glute Lifts (20R/20L) Thigh should start parallel to ground then press your heal up toward the ceiling).
30 Hamstring Lifts
20 Calf Raises
10 Burpees
1:00 Running in Place Butt Kicks

1:00 Break

50 Sit Ups
40 Crunches
30 Alternating Toe Touches
20 Butt Ups
10 Ski Abs (start in plank, jump your knees up to your left elbow, jump back into plank, jump your knees in between your arms, jump back into plank, jump your knees up to your right elbow, jump back in to plank =1)(right, middle, left =1)
1:00 Low Plank

Done!

If you're feeling frisky, go through this twice!

Hit the Floor...

Literally may hit the floor:
25 Burpees
20 Push-ups
15 Plank Tuck Jumps
10 Weighted Squats ( holding 2-15lb dumbells)
5 Explosions
--X2--
25 Sit Ups
20 Crunches
15 Alternating Toe Touches (R/L =1)
10 Butt Ups
5 Ski Abs (R, middle, L=1)
---x2---

Have fun!

Workout 9/26

Alrighty.. yesterday it was "500".... today it's "50's"
Each set: both exercises 10 reps 5 times!

Push-Ups (basic, on your hands and toes) x10
Tricep Overhead Extensions with 15lb Kettlebell x10
----x5----
Two Way Raise  (start with hands hanging by your hips, raise them straight out to the sides, come back to neutral,straight out to the front=1)  5lb dumbbell x10
Jumping Jacks with Weights, 5lb dumbbell x10
----x5----
Hammer and Press, 8lb dumbbell x10
Burpees with a push-up x10
----x5----
Bicep Curls 8lb dumbbells x10
Hammer Curls 8lb dumbbells x10
----x5----
Basic Squat Holding a 25lb kettlebell at chest x10
Explosions Holding 25lb kettlebell at chest x10
----x5----
Frog Squat (toes out!) Holding a 25lb kettlebell arms straight down, shoulders back x10
Plyo Lunges x10
----x5----
Sit-Ups x10
Plank Twists (back and forth, right and left =1) x10
----x5----
Crunches x10
Alternating Toe Touches (right and left =1) x10
----x5----
Plank 1:00

Done!

500!

Went to Cross Fit for the first time Monday! WOW I'm so sore! Here's Marion's Monday workout:

*500*
20 push-ups
20 burpees
20 squats
20 explosions
20 sit-ups
---x5---
Take a 1 minute break after each set!

I'll post today's workout later! Good luck!

Gym 9.21

Kickoff to the weekend.... YIKES!

Stretch!
---
Clusters:  5 Pushups, 5 Planks Tuck Jumps, 20 Mountain Climbers = 1,  x5
Reverse Lunge with Kettle-bell Press, Right Leg Back, Right Arm Press 10lb KB x20
Reverse Lunge with Kettle-bell Press, Left Leg Back, Left Arm Press 10lb KB x20
Squat and Press with a Jump (add a jump on the third picture) 5lb Dumbbells, x20
---Repeat Twice---
Clock Lunges, (R-Front, R-Lateral, R-Back, L-Back, L-Lateral, L-Front = 1) 5 total revolutions
Plyo Lunges x20
Frog Squats with 15lb Kettle-bell x20
Tuck Jumps x20
Slow- Basic Squats x20
---Repeat Twice---
Bicep Curls 5lb Dumb bells x30
Monkey Curls (start with hands at sides, heads of weights facing front and back of room, drag your knuckles up your sides as you bend your elbows until your hands are as high as they can go, should be almost touching your armpit,-elbows should be poking straight out right and left- straighten arms back down your sides) 5lb Dumb bells x30
Rapid Fire 5lbs 1:00
---Repeat 3 times going through this as quick as you can---
Side Bends 10lb Dumb Bells x20
Woodchops 10lb Kettle Bell, Left to Right x20
Woodchops 10lb Kettle Bell, Right to Left x20
Squat and Reach 5lb Dumb Bell (Squat with weight in left hand at shoulder, stand and reach to your right) Right x20
Squat and Reach (Squat with weight in right hand at shoulder, stand and reach to your left)Left x20
Ski Abs x20
---Repeat Twice---
Basic Sit-Up x20
Bike, Bike, Hold 3 Seconds =1 x15
---Repeat Twice---
Plank with Right Leg Up :30, Left Leg Up :30, Basic Plank :30 (whole 1:30 without knees dropping)
---DONE!---
Have a good weekend!  :)

Gym 9/19

I wasn't feeling great during this workout, but it isn't too bad!

***Examples of some of the exercises are linked!  Just click on the names of the exercise!***

Stretch
---ABS:---
Bike-Bike-Butt-Up x15
Ab Twist x15
Sit-Ups x20
Crunches x30
---Repeat Twice---
Deep Squats (tap ankles) x30
Step up on Bench Right Leg x20
Step up on Bench Left Leg x20
Elevated Lunges Right Leg x15
Elevated Lunges Left Leg x15
Explosions x20
----Repeat Twice---
Fire Hydrants Right Leg x20
Fire Hydrants Left Leg x20
Straight Leg Glute Raises Right Leg x20
Straight leg Glute Raises Left Leg x20
Bent Knee Glute Raises Right Leg x20
Bent Knee Glute Raises Left Leg x20
Glute Jumps x20 (keep your hands stationary and jump feet over bench back and forth)
---Repeat Twice---
Burpee with a pushup x15
Bicep Curls 8lbs x20
Tricep Dips x20
Skaters 1:00
--- Repeat Twice---
Swoop Lunges (15lb kettlebell) x15
Kettle Bell swings (15lbs)
Plank 1:00
--Repeat once--

Hitting the gym!

I'm hitting the gym M,W,F in an attempt to help Marion with some weight training.  Essentially, I'm coming up with some workouts, trying them, tweaking them and then sending them on to her.  Here's our schedule:

M:  Weights/Plyos 1 Hour
T:  Cardio 30-45 Minutes
W:  Weights/Plyos 1 Hour
R:  Cardio 30-45 Minutes
F:  Weights/Plyos 1 Hour
S:  Yoga
Su: Break!

I'll post the workouts we do on here so you can check them out!


***Examples of some of the exercises are linked!  Just click on the names of the exercise!***

9.17---
STRETCH!
----
Push up with right hand elevated (on a ball or weight or step or something about 4-6 inches of the ground) x15
Push up with left hand elevated x15
Plank Shoulder Taps (in high plank, tap your right hand to your left shoulder, then your left hand to your right shoulder. Keep your hips parallel to the ground)
Low Plank Hold :30 seconds
Mountain Climb 1:00
Swiss Ball Curls x20 Roll the ball in and out
Swiss Ball Raises x20 feet flat on the ball, bent knee, raise your butt straight up to flatten your hips out and return butt to the ground
---Repeat Set Twice---
Bicep Curls 5lbs x20
Tricep Overhead with 15 lb Kettlebell x15

---Repeat set THREE times---
Squat and Press 5lb weights x30
Jumping Jacks with 5lb weights 1:00
Victory Lunge with 5lb weights x20 (alternating legs)
Jumping Jacks with 5lb weights 1:00
Lateral Lunge holding 15 lb Kettle Bell Right Leg x20
Lateral Lunge "" Left Leg x20
---Repeat Set Twice---
Rapid Fire with 5lb weights 1:00 (punch straight out in front of you)
Burpee's x15
Quick Squats x15
High Knees 1:00
---Repeat Set Twice---
Butt Ups x30
Alternating Toe Touches x30
Turtles x 20
Toe Taps x30
---Repeat Set Twice---
STRETCH!

Me and Mare:

It's a Forfeit..

So I'm writing to let you know that I will not be running this weekend.  I cannot tell you my frustration with this.  First of all I got the dates all mixed up, but that's no big deal I was still going to go... but then this happened:

I was running out of my cousin's house on Monday (in flip flops) and a loose tile on her porch gave way and the edge came crashing down on my foot.  I know it doesn't look bad, but I can't tie my shoelaces tight on top of it. Which in turn means I cannot run.  I know it doesn't look bad in the photo, but truthfully it's painful and I don't know if its fractured/bone bruise. or what, so I'm not going to risk it.

Talledega Half-Marathon in 2013 will be my victory lap for the 12th consecutive half.

I am disappointed that my first half will not be this weekend, but that doesn't mean my journey hasn't already began.  Appalachicola here I come!A little rest and barefoot exercise on the elliptical will get me back to where I need to be until I can tighten my laces!

I will say I have been training my dad for the past few weeks and he's lost 8lbs!  GO DAD!!!

Until next time...

Race Week- Talladega

I know I haven't been posting lately but I do have some funny stories to catch you up on later! I ran 3 yesterday, 5 today. Plan on running 7 Wednesday, 9 Thursday, 3 Friday and walk 2 Saturday. 13.1 Sunday!!!

Some Time to Think..

Lately, I have had a lot going on.  Some would describe it as a lot of "moving parts".  I recently have decided to move back home to Florida.  That entails quitting my job that I LOVED and milling over my next opportunity, packing up my stuff here and finding a new place, leaving friends here and reconnecting with friends there.  I haven't figured out what or where my next form of employment will entail, but I have found a new place to live and have been having an amazing time at home with great friends and my parents.

Either way, with moving there comes stress and right now it is in high gear.  So I woke up this morning, back in Alabama, after being in rainy Florida for a week and decided today was a day for a long run.  It was time to collect my thoughts.  I wasn't worried about how fast I was going and to be honest I really wasn't worried where I was going.  I didn't plan how far I'd run or if I'd even run the whole way, but after an hour I returned home.  I enjoyed every single step of my run today and to be honest I really needed that.

I cannot say that I solved all my problems but I do know I feel better!!  The weather here is nice, not cool, but not stifling.  Hopefully I'll have a great run tomorrow and then off to Colorado on Wednesday.  Can't wait!!!!

No More Excuses.

Today, I woke up at 4:00 to go deep sea fishing... Got to the dock at 4:50 to find out that the trip had been cancelled.  Not really a huge deal, considering I came right back home and proceeded to go back to sleep.  Bummed that the fishing trip didn't work out, but we can try again at a later date.

The weather on the Gulf Coast has really been unpleasant this week.  It keeps trying to lock me inside, and it's doing a pretty good job.  Today, I decided that I wasn't going to let the rain stop me from running.

At least the treadmill I was using provided this view, rainy or not.

The USA Men's Volleyball Match kept me interested as a trekked 3 miles on the hamster wheel.  I ran at 6.5 for 3 miles, which really I think this treadmill needs to be re-calibrated, but I'll take it. It really was not as bad as I expected!

My mom and I's gym trip was postponed due to the fishing trip, which was also postponed.  Maybe I can get here in there tomorrow!!  Hopefully the weather will also cooperate for me to be able to fit in a nice long run.  Either way, I'll see her at the gym on Friday.

Weak Weekend..

I had some friends in town this past weekend so my exercise regiment was put on the back burner.  It isn't an excuse but it's what happened.

We had a blast this weekend, danced, sang, overindulged, repeat.  We did go for a good walk on the beach on Sunday morning but that really was about it!

Monday I made up for it!  I went and attempted to play tennis with Jason.  He's a good sport, I'm terrible and we didn't really 'play'... I hit the ball in the net, he'd pick them up and hit them back to me.  One day maybe we'll be able to rally back and forth... one day.

After an hour and a half of tennis I went and met my mom at the gym.  I'm so proud of my mom and we've decided to go together M-W-F.  Here's what we covered:

Walk/Run/Warm-up 10 Minutes (I fit in a mile)

21's (Bicep Curls, 7 bottom to half way up, 7 half way up-to the top, 7 bottom to top)
Hammer and Press x20
Tricep Overhead x20
Jumping Jacks with weights x20
(x2)
----
Overhead Side Bends x20
Tricep Kickbacks x20 R/L
Stationary Lunge with hammer x20 R/L
(x2)
---
Swiss Ball Curls x20
Swiss Ball Raises x20
Dead Lifts x20
(x2)
---
Swiss Ball Lower Ab Lifts x20
Turtles x20
Butt-Ups x20
Toe Taps x20
Plank Pull Leg In x20
Plank 1:30
---

We focused on Biceps, Triceps and Hamstrings Monday.  I must say my hamstrings are a touch sore today!  Waiting to hear how my mom is feeling this morning!

It's raining today but I may go to the gym to run on the treadmill even though I HATE running on a treadmill.  We'll see if the weather clears up!  :)

Trying New Things

I should preface this post by telling you that I am trying to learn how to play tennis.  It is a horrible disaster.  I used to be a volleyball player and having that mentality does not mesh well with the game of tennis.  Let's just say "finesse" is not my thing.

Either way, I woke up this morning and reserved a ball machine at the tennis courts.  I got through 4 1/2 baskets.  Only hitting one ball out of my court, (which is a HUGE improvement) before I hit a ball right back into the feeder and stopped the machine.  This really is my luck.  I then decided to try to serve. Well, let's just say that if hitting them into the net scored points, I'd be a champion.  Turned out to be a great workout though.. finished up on the courts after an hour of embarrassment then met my mom at the gym.

Today, I started training my mom. I'm moving back to my home town and so now her and I can work out together.   She's dedicated to getting in the gym and I am so proud of her.  We may have to start out slow, but getting in the gym is the hardest part!  Below is a rundown of what we accomplished:

Warm-up on Treadmill for 10 minutes.  I ran a mile.

15 Modified Tricep Pushups on Bosu Ball
15 Modified Pushups on Bosu Ball
20 2-Way Shoulder Raises with Bands
20 Squat and Horizontal Press with 10 lb Core Balls
Pulsing Squat 20 seconds
(x2)
----
Mountain Climb on Bosu Ball 1:00
----
20 Reverse Lunge with Kick Right Leg
20 Reverse Lunge with Kick Left Leg
20, 1-2-3 Hold Lateral Lunges
20 Frog Squats with 10 lb Core Ball
10 Quick Squats - 10 Toe Taps on Bosu (repeat exercise 4 times)
(x1)
----
20 Sit-ups on Bosu Ball
30 Crunches on Bosu Ball
12 Swoop Lunges Right
12 Swoop Lunges Left
(x1)

So today we covered Tri-ceps, Shoulders, Quads, Inner Thighs, and Core.  Next time we go we'll cover, Biceps, Back, Hamstrings, Calves and Core.

Felt good after working out today.  Going to fit a good run in tomorrow!

Training Day 10

You would think running next to the beach would be inspiring.... It was the hardest run I've taken on to date.. I covered 5 miles but only ran 4 of them. I'm disappointed but it was a good reminder that taking breaks from running doesn't make the next one easier.. Definitely running tomorrow!

Rain Delay!

The weather in the Southeast has really put a damper on my running this week.  It stormed all morning yesterday and then I had to hit the road and travel to Florida.

I woke up this morning with full intentions of running 5 miles and it was storming here also.  We are under a heat advisory here and it's now a humid 102 degrees so I think I will postpone the run and see if the temperature lets down a little bit later this afternoon.  If not it's going to be an early morning tomorrow to beat the heat!!

Exchanged a Run for a Workout!

Friday, I got rained out.. I started to go for a run.. and ended up turning around.  Didn't even make it a mile.  Danced the night away Friday, so I feel like I made up for it!

Saturday, I had some girl friends (Frankie and Marion) come to the gym with me to workout.. this is a rundown of what we did:

1/2 Mile Jog
--- (we went through all of this twice)
Walking Lunges with Kettle Bell Press
30 Plyometric Lunges
1 Suicide
---
5 Clusters : (5 Push ups, 5 Plank Jacks, 1 Explosion)
20 Plank Bow and Arrows R/L 8lbs
20 Plank Side Raises R/L 5lbs
Mountain Climb 1:00
---
20 Step Ups R/L
20 Elevated Lunges R/L
Quick Squats 1:00
Pulsing Squats :15
30 Explosions
---
12 Swoop Lunges with 15lbs R/L
30 Sit Ups
30 Crunchs
20 Plank Twists
Plank 1:00
---
1/4 Mile Jog

This took us about an hour, but we got through it!

Here's proof we survived:

Training Day 9

Tried to run... Rained out :(

Training Day 8

Woke up early and ran 4 this morning. It was a nice run! My Nike+ app messed up but I know the route so I know it was 4 miles. It was great to feel good running! Feel like I'm getting back in the groove!

Training Day 7

I tried to run as fast as I could on Wednesday.. Had to make lunch and a movie! It turned out to backfire on me because my first 2 miles were nice and fast and my last 1.35 miles were miserable and slow. Just glad it's over!

Training Day 6

Today was HOT. I ran with my friend Paige and running at 12:30 in July proved to be rough!!!

Training Day 5

Goodness it was humid today!! Had to run later because of the rain.. 4 miles down.

Training Day 4

Nice hot 5k in Florida today! Had to take yesterday off due to rain! 4 miles tomorrow.

Training Schedule

This is the schedule I am using to train, I am not following it directly, but will run at least the allotted amount of miles scheduled per week!  (Hopefully more)!

10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
1	3	Rest	3	3	Rest	4	Rest	13
2	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	5	Rest	15
3	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	6	Rest	16
4	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	8	Rest	19
5	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	10	Rest	21
6	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	11	Rest	24
7	4	Rest	6	4	Rest	12	Rest	26
8	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	9	Rest	22
9	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	8	Rest	18
10	3	Rest	3	Walk 2	Rest	13.1	Rest	21.1

I got this schedule from Marathon Rookie.  So far so good!

Training Day 3

Fastest per mile yet! Ran 3 miles in Florida today!! Feeling great!!!

Training Day 2

I ran again with my friend Leigh today. We ran a SLOW 4 miles. We were struggling but pushed through!!

Tried our best to play tennis after.. Sad truth is we're awful at it... Better stick to running! Rest day tomorrow!!

Training Day 1

3 miles this morning. Tough after my 7 yesterday but made it! 4 miles tomorrow.

Talking with some people about doing a Warrior Run in October. It's a 5k. Looking into it!

Motivation..

So, I realized last night as I was thinking about all of the running I would be partaking in the next year, that I needed a jump start.  My first race would be 3 1/2 months from today and I feel like that is too long to wait.  I need some motivation!  I can train for a half in 9 weeks, so I am going to run my first one in just that...

So now, my first race will be the Talladega Half Marathon on September 16th!  I'll get to run around Talladega Speedway so I'm pretty excited about that!

Today, to start my training, I will run 3 miles.  It's beautiful today, hot, but I should be able to knock these three miles out soon!

Tentative Dates for Races:

October 21st:  Appalachicola, FL
November: TBA
December 1st:  Panama City, FL
January 19th:  Pensacola, FL
February 3rd and 24th: Tallahassee, FL and New Orleans, LA
March 17th: Atlanta, GA
April 27th:  Nashville, TN
May: TBA
June 22: Seattle, WA
July-Decemeber: TBA

Pre-Training

Today, my friend Leigh and I ran 7 miles through Mountain Brook Village.  We went at 7:30 and it was already pretty hot out!! We may not have ran fast, but we had a great time!  Leigh is training for the Lululemon Half Marathon in Vancouver next month!


Followed by a delicious breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe... can't beat it!

My Goal

My life used to consist of making commitments and goals to reach when it came to my physical health. Running was an integral part of my lifestyle and being physically fit consumed my life.  I will say that my dedication to my personal fitness a few years back was borderline crazy.  It did allow me to achieve a level of fitness that I, at the time, thought was what I wanted.  I was running 6 to 7 days a week and training with a personal trainer 3 to 4 days a week and attending a boxing bootcamp 2 days a week.  Plus throw in 3 Half Marathons.  Like I said, I was training a lot, but it cut into my personal life, which at the time I didn't think mattered.


After all of my training, plus a few changes of location (4 to be exact) my fitness lifestyle declined and I ultimately got burned out.  There is no reason to go over the ups and downs of the past two years, but I am now in a place that fitness and my personal health is back on the top of my list.  Just this time, I will not put it above friends and family!  


So with all of this said, I am going to try to run 12 Half Marathons over a 12 month span.  I want to try to run one a month, but with dates of marathons, and my schedule, I may have to run 2 a month and skip a month here and there.  The ultimate goal is to feel good, look better, and have fun!


In the past I have run 2 Country Music Half Marathons in Nashville and the Under Armor Half Marathon in Baltimore.  Below is a photo of some friends (Frankie and Morgan) and I running our first half-marathon in Nashville.  (I'm the one waving.)

I hope to have this much fun participating in my next Half Marathons.  On my journey, I hope to share my training progress, photos of fun runs, and my obstacles and achievements.  I'm working on my calendar of races to run.  As life goes, I know some of the races I choose to run will end up falling on dates I  may not be able to make, so inevitably new races will have to be chosen to make up for the ones I may have to miss!


At least I know where I am going to start:  Appalachicola Running for the Bay Half Marathon!  It will be held on October 21st in Appalachicola, Florida.  


I look forward to posting about training for my first race in the 12 month series!