November Fitness Calendar!

Hey Everyone!!

I'm back at this thing just in time to warm you guys up for the holidays.

Personally I've spent the last month resembling something like a potato, okay, that's not entirely true, I've been super busy- just not with working out.

I had jammed my hip forward in it's socket and finally made it to physical therapy to help get things back in line (shout out to my awesome physical therapist for almost completely eliminating my daily pain in one visit!) That means that I'm finally ready to get back into my workout routines.

This last year has been nothing short of crazy, 99% of my physical activity has been from hiking, hula hoops, and dragon staff and frankly I'm ready to get back into a little running and weight training. So those of you out there who are feeling the same, LET'S DO IT!

Since I'm just easing back into this all this month I thought I'd share this simple plan with you. Here's the run down.

4 nights of activity for at least 30 minutes this month.

Sunday - I'm hitting stairs with my hiking pack. I'm going to be spending this winter getting used to carrying a heavy pack while gaining elevation. I went out over the summer and thought I was all jazzy and ready to take on a 22 mile backpacking trip... HA! made it about 6 miles with my pack before my boyfriend and I decided to set up camp. First time is always a good learning experience ;)  I'll share more about this in another post.

Monday- Hello running, I haven't run since probably march, so I'm taking this one slow. Do what you can, do it for a half hour.

Wednesday- Kick butt!!! I will be doing a lot of random circuit things because my boyfriend runs a boot camp and is tackling this months workouts with me. (I'll be sure to share what we end up doing as we go). I gave a sample of something you might try... find whatever you want to do and do it... if you end up not liking something - change it or just push through.

Friday- FLOW! for some of you this might mean yoga, some of you might want to dance, maybe you hula hoop (or maybe you want to learn to hula hoop, comment and I can help get you started). For me the point of flow Friday is to find the freedom in physical expression, to move from the center of my soul and to release whatever garbage or excitement has built up that week. Flow, movement meditation and dance have been a foundation for me this year and I'm not about to push it out of my schedule.


That's it - it's that simple. Do what you can and do it with heart, even with thanksgiving and school and all of life's silly business... We can't forget that one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to move and take care of the body, there should always be time for you.

October 2014 Workout Plan

Okay here it is guys... Sorry it's a little late, I took on a new job and it's kept me on my toes while I get into the swing of my new routine.

Last night was my first night of Hot Yoga at this awesome little studio in Renton. I got one of those living social deals for 1 month unlimited yoga sessions! WOOHOO. This month's plan is designed to use it to the fullest. SOOOO if you're hankering for some Hot Yoga, or regular yoga, or any other class for that matter now is the time to go for it!!! Feel free to edit as you see fit, remember these plans are just MY base, make your workout fit YOU!

Double Throwback - See Jane Run Half Marathon

 Okay I just have to say this was an AWESOME event - except for the fact that it was in the middle of July... can you say hot snot?!

So this was my second half marathon... I had completed the one back in January and set out on my training with the goal of beating my previous time - 2hours and 58 minutes... I was originally shooting to shave 10 minutes off my time. I would really like to finish my half marathons in 2:30-2:45 but the heat was killer and my training had kind of piddled out at the end of it all... I realized I need to adjust training to about 14 weeks instead of 12 or 16... NEXT TIME! Anyway, long story short I set out on one of the hottest days of the summer to run all the way around lake union and I managed to beat my last time by 6 minutes! its not a HUGE improvement but its that much closer to the 2:45 time I'm working toward! My favorite part was these giant chalk boards where people could write what they run for, oh and the awesome champagne glasses - real glass! when you're used to getting a red solo cup of beer after a run, the fancy glass seems like a huge upgrade!

I've taken a break from the distance running to focus on yoga and strength training but this will always be a huge part of my life (as long as my body allows). I never thought I'd be a runner but here I am, two half marathons, a tough mudder, and a handful of 5ks under my belt and I don't see anything stopping me anytime soon.

September Fitness Challenge

it's been SO LONG!!!

I have an unbelievable amount of things to update you on, from the finishing time of my last half maratho and the art show at Neumos, to all of my upcoming adventures! I always feel blessed that life has a way of swooping me up and getting me lost in the hustle and bustle, and then I finally find these moments to sit down and reflect on the wonderful things that have happened. These are all stories for another post though, let me not get distracted.

SO here were are... heading into the last few weeks of August (can you believe that?!) and I'm approaching my next birthday. As excited as I am, I can't help but feel this urgency to make and meet new fitness goals. Over the last few weeks I've gotten really interested in Acroyoga. If you have no idea what I'm talking about check out this video! (and then find me an equally amazing man that wants to be my partner). Needless to say I'm no where near confident enough to step into that arena of fitness but I'm not discouraged from working toward it. This September will be the start of my three month push plan.... I'll be designing my workout routine to really push myself toward the areas of fitness I've avoided for whatever reason. I'll be sharing my calendar and workout details at the end of each month so anyone that wants to join me is more than welcomed!

A little bit about the plan - you'll notice September is a bunch of two mile runs.... I struggled with only writing down two miles, but I know that I have a tendency to really push my cardio, I'm a cardio junkie, but that doesn't really line up with my strength training goals... This run+circuit plan will hopefully help me bridge that gap. You'll also notice that I've got a yoga class once a week - I'd encourage everyone to find some group class to hit, try something new kickboxing, hot yoga, crossfit...whatever you want. There's also hoop/dance sessions on my "rest" days... I know not everyone is into hula hooping (But you should be!!!!) Just consider this day to be a day for you to be playfully active. maybe that just means a walk, maybe it means blasting your jam first thing when you get up and having a full blown spazz attack... whatever it is, just have fun and keep moving! Last but not least... each month will have its own little challenge wrapped in: September we will eliminate ALL alcohol consumption and UPPPP the water intake, October we will eliminate processed sugars and make at least one day a week meatless, and in November we are going Gluten Free entirely (this is something I've already cut down to a minimum, alcohol being my major culprit, followed closely by Daves Killer Bread) I'll be putting up recipes during the October and November so you guys will know what I'm eating and I'll even be sharing my GF Thanksgiving plan!!!! WOOOHOO! SO ALL ABOARD! We're gonna finish this year in the best way possible!!!

How to Train for a Half Marathon

Okay guys, here I am for another fitness inspired post.

Let me start off by saying I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL. I am NOT a trainer. I am an average person who figured this weight loss/exercise thing out (with lots of research and common sense) and I only want to share my experience, tips, tricks, and fumbles.

As you may know from prior posts, I ran one other 1/2 marathon and am currently 6 weeks away from my next one, I've run the Tough Mudder and a hand full or of 5ks. Also for the record, I'm not a fast runner... I'm not some super athlete and none of this came easy to me. My persistence and dedication to being healthier is what made me lose over 100lbs and undertake long distance running. A lot of people would be embarrassed about running(jogging? for those who are like "weak") at 5mp but I cant even begin to explain
how proud I feel when I finish a
9 mile run at that pace. When I first started walking/jogging, "wogging" as I called it, I would close myself up in my parents basement, get on the treadmill, turn on Eminem's "lose yourself" and try my hardest to run (at 5mph) for the entire song... it was MONTHS before I could run for the entire 5 minutes... months.... I was so out of shape!  I can now keep that pace for over 2 hours, success, I'd say.  Anyway, there you have it, that's my fitness resume/experience, take my advice at your own risk. :)

My last training plan was a bit of a struggle... I had copied one of those 12 weeks to a half marathon and it was definitely a struggle for me to keep up with, each week the long run increased by a mile, which was 1 pretty hard to do every week and 2. if you miss even ONE long run you feel like you're behind... try missing two? you're either cutting your distance or your tapper and I needed both... This training session is going so much better I had to share.

Tips, Tricks, and Honest Facts for the Average Person Who is Also an Aspiring Long Distance Runner
(you see why the title was "how to train for a half"?)

1. Be able to jog 3 miles... if you're wogging your 5k's....13.1miles is gonna seem like forever - DOABLE but forever...

2. Realize the magnitude of your commitment - You should set aside 4 months for training.... that's right ladies and gentleman... the average joe shmoe over here would recommend FOUR (4)  months to gradually increase your runs, allow for life happenings, and ultimately lower your stress levels (maybe I'm just too high strung?)

3. It is manageable. This is a non-competitive sport; this is something where you just have to consistently show up and put in the work and you WILL be able to finish. No doubt about it. No matter how long it takes you - You are going to finish.

4. Pick your season wisely. Remember, this isn't just one race day... this is 4 months of training... 4 months of running outside. Think about your schedule, the weather, do you mind running in the dark? I didn't think about those things... Thankfully we had a beautiful fall but as we got closer to December and the days got shorter and wetter, I would have traded those crunchy leaves under my feet for an 8:00 sunset any day. This Spring training is working well for me... enjoying all the evenings as the sun started staying out... now I find myself waiting a bit longer so its not so hot after work. Anyway - THINK ABOUT IT!

5. It's okay to slow down, its not okay to stop. Don't get discouraged if you have to slow down. It's too easy to let being tired trick you into being done. Of course you're tired, you're rounding out your 8th mile and you still have two to go, and you have a blister, and the sun's too hot, and you forgot your chapstick... but I guarantee you'll regret it more if you don't finish. I bet if that long run was race day you'd finish...(because what kind of person drops out 2 miles from their goal!?)

6. Don't be afraid to be a slow runner... I used to feel like every time I got passed by someone my form was off, I felt like a turtle crawling through molasses, my chest got tight, I'd try to go faster because I should be going faster, right? WRONG. This is you time... this is about FINDing YOUR PACE. The pace that you can run at and forget you're running... It might sound like horse shit but its there... find it!

7. Salt and Water. Let me just say, I'm a sweaty mess when I run... its gross (as it should be) and when you are someone who sweats as much as I do, you are losing a couple important things, water obviously, and sodium (see I'm an average person, not some super athlete so this thought never crossed my mind, and yes I really didn't make the connection between the sodium in sports drinks until this late in life - see previous comment about not being into sports). Simple solution - hydration pack and gummy snacks. For some reason I felt like I would be a dweeb for carrying a hydration pack, yes most people don't race with them "because there are water stations" and they hand out snacks and yada yada yada. but I have control issues, I'm a sweaty, salty mess (gimme snacks now!), and I enjoy the convenience. All of that was enough to make my runs more enjoyable and thus make me say "Screw what everyone else is doing? this works perfect for me". Bottom line - listen to your body, stay hydrated and energized, even if you have to tote around a waterbottle and mini snack pack.

8. Invest in quality gear. Don't skimp yourself. Shoes are most important. Socks are right up there because there's nothing worse than blisters on weird parts of your sweaty feet. I spent a lot of time looking at the tread on my shoes to see where they were wearing down. The Nike's I wore prior to my first pair of Asics showed signs of over pronation (they were worn on the outside of the shoe). After a little research about shoes that would help cater to that and factoring in my weight and distance running I picked up a pair of Asics Kayano 19. I LOVE THEM. I don't have knee pains, my shins don't hurt and they have worn almost perfectly on the ball of the foot which means my form has DRASTICALLY improved. I'm not saying that's the shoe for everyone, I'm saying take time to get to know your feet and your form and cater to that. If you need help they have great running shops that do the work for you.

9. Its a mind game. The only thing that will stop you from not finishing is you thinking you cant. When you don't want to run, put your shoes on and just head out for one mile... during that mile think about all the reasons you enjoy running, the reasons you signed up for the race... Also whenever you reach the halfway point - is there really a reason to not finish? you've finished the hardest part. Or my favorite game - The victory mile - I always find myself struggling to finish the last mile of a long run but sure enough I get my final wind when I remind myself of race day... how that last mile will feel and how it rounds off the journey, how it makes it the end... imagine running 4 laps around a stadium with a crowd cheering... the last mile count as my "victory laps"

10. YOU ARE AN AMAZING MACHINE  - You're body will not give up on you if you work with it, if you cater to it, if you take care of it. Your legs were designed to run, your lungs to breathe. Don't be afraid to push yourself each day to the point you're struggling. YOU CAN DO IT!

Upper Body Workout

Alright - the long awaited upper body workout... Again, thanks to a magnificent and dear friend of mine I have been able to add many wonderful workouts into my routine including this one. Each of these is done as a super set (like the lower body workout) Pick a weight that is comfortable for you,  grab your timer, toss in your favorite core exercises and give it a go!

[Weight exercise (12 reps) + Plyometrics (1min) + Core (30 reps)] x 3 sets

#1
Side lateral raise & Front Lateral raise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-3JnFrFUOw
(6 side + 6 front is one set)
High Knees

Core

#2
Dumb bell hammer curl Press http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNe0X-yf9gA
Mountain Climbers
Core

#3
Wide Lat pull down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9216fo6nA7A
Skater Jumps  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIcZK3c3g4
Core

#4
Barbell reverse grip curl press http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGrFOIfKsSw 
Butt Kickers
Core

#5
Upright row http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ju6kfBM7g
Single Leg Hops
Core

Also, I'd just like to take a moment to say that I attempted the "daily 110" on saturday and boy did it leave my legs ACHING! Granted, I haven't workout out since I ran the half marathon but I honestly wasn't expecting it to be that bad. Running through it once takes maybe 5 minutes tops, but the burn will last for days! I really recommend doing what you can (even if that means starting at half the reps or dropping the pistol squats and trading them for a different lower body). Its a challenge, but that's what it's meant to be. Despite being rather sore today I pushed through another set of them just to get a good idea of what I'm up against this month. Boy do I love a good challenge! In other exciting, and fitness related, news I ordered the DVD set of the Barre3 classes I did (and fell in love with) this last year. I'm SO stoked to be able to add that as a regular part of my routine and I'll be sure to write a nice review on them when they finally come in!!!

January Fitness Challenge

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen, if you're anything like me this holiday season has gotten a little out of hand. Luckily I'm ready to get into the new year and make it better than the last one, starting of course with a new workout schedule. Some of you might remember the last one, this one is definitely toned back a little and I'm looking forward to it a lot (is that weird?). Drum roll please.............

Now I know this little calendar needs some explaining  - I'm not really ready to jump back into a ton of running so this month I'm only doing short runs and really trying to mix things up (Obviously "hoop jam" has never been featured on my workout schedule and I know not everyone hula hoops - if you want to get into it let me know!!!) Also, I know its really hard to get outside for some people (especially if you live in a place that has real winters) so the biggest thing to know about this schedule is its totally adaptable.  Just notice there are 3 cardio days (mon., wed., fri.) and two strength training days. Saturday is meant to be a fun active day - maybe you do yoga, maybe you go for a walk, maybe you spend all day cleaning (I'm talking scrubbing the tub, mopping the floors, moving the furniture kind of cleaning - don't think laundry counts!) Make it work for you.

Next the Daily 110 is an adaptation of a daily challenge that I actually never completed. This is a reminder to give 110% every day...I'm gonna be shooting to do this in the morning or right before bed - I'm really a fit-it-in-where-I-can kind of person (so maybe that means doing it broken up during work - I dont know, we'll see) This one should be INSANELY manageable. Take a look:

 

Click here for a link to my lower body workout. 

Be on the lookout for my upper body routine coming in the next couple days. 

My First Half Marathon

Okay, so obviously I've been pretty off the radar.... SO much has been going on this year that I've barely had time to breathe but today I crossed a major finish line...

As some of you might know I've been training for a half marathon since september... My first 5k was a mud run back in June and at the time it seemed like a big accomplishment - who would have thought not even a full 6 months later I'd complete the Seattle 1/2... I sure as heck didn't.

This has been a year full of personal challenges... rocky relationships, loss of loved ones, usual stress from work and art AND all of the running I decided to undertake, perhaps needless to say I often felt incredibly swamped and unsure how I would get it all done (or if I wanted to, or if it was worth it). Crossing that finish line after 13.1 miles and what I might call a "hell year" was not just a physical accomplishment... it was proof that I can and will overcome anything I set my mind to.

I guess lets take it from the top... at the beginning of the year I was not a runner - I didn't really like running that much but I loved the results so I did it... A normal "run" for me would be 2-2.75 miles with a mix of walking in there... certainly not a point you'd be at and think "oh I know what to do next, 13 miles!" I started pushing my runs to 3 miles trying to prep for the mass of 5ks I signed up for - again who starts running at the beginning of the year and then decides to run five 5ks in 4 months? - this girl.

Sometime in March (maybe?) was when I stumbled onto a zozi deal for the Seattle Half Marathon in December...It's kind of funny because I had swore up and down to my ex that I would NEVER run that far - it wasn't possible and I wasn't interested.... I guess in some sort of weird rebellion I paid for the deal and said "screw it, I can do anything" Let me just throw this out there... March is a pretty long time before December, I don't know how many of you have looked at a calendar lately but there are a lot of months to lose motivation and faith in yourself (but not if you are already committed to 5ks!) so I made a plan... My 5k's would act as buffer training before I actually needed to tack on a ton of miles.... I gotta say, it worked.... Every mud run, every color run, I was more confident in my ability to complete the distance, I watched my time improve, and I even got so cocky that I did the Tough Mudder in October. THE TOUGH MUDDER!? who is this girl? Who decides to tackle 12 miles of the most amazing bullshit, the weekend after a 5k mud run, on a day her run was supposed to max at 6miles? oh thats right - THIS GIRL! The tough mudder really sealed the deal for me... I had no doubt that I would cross the finish line of the Half Marathon no matter how long it took me and thats where the race against myself began....It had finally clicked in  me that I was a runner... me... right then, right there I was a runner because running isn't about how fast you're going - its the fact that you're going... what makes you a runner is the want inside of you to run... its walking down a beautiful trail and thinking "this would make a great run" its the eagerness your feet start to feel to move you faster, to let you cover more ground, and to let yourself experience the world in a way that we often fly by it....That was the point when my urge to run really took flight and I wasn't sure that my goal of just finishing was good enough.

My first time goal was 3 hours... If I could just make it in under 3 hours I would be happy. I would encourage others to just celebrate finishing the first one completely regardless of time but in case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of an overachiever.  Training during the month of October was AMAZING! I felt so good about my progress and I was really cutting my mile time down and even thought I'd maybe finish around 2:45 but things came to a bit of a halt when my dear friend's cervical cancer took a turn for the worst. I dropped a lot of what I was doing for a few weeks and focused on making "battle mode" t-shirts and visiting her in the hospital. It was a really emotional time that rocked me pretty hard and on top of that I was going back and forth with my doctor about my own health problems. By the end of the month all of the stress and sickness had put me nearly 3 weeks behind on my training schedule and the half was only 4 weeks away (2 of which I was supposed to use for tapering)... I tried to get caught up and altered the layout of my schedule a bit to accommodate the loss of time but nothing was really making me feel prepared. Mid November M passed away. Its still a fresh wound that brings tears to my eyes and became a focal point of my thoughts during my runs... the days I didn't want to get up and go outside, I went for her...

Race day came up fast - it was 2 days after thanksgiving (who does that?!) and I'm SO SO thankful that my roommate signed up with me. We made it to the start and I told her that I'd be lucky to make it to the finish in under 3 hours (you cant imagine how disheartened I was at the thought) but I was hopeful that the new medicine I'm on would help... Armed with my camelbak, gummy snacks, and headphones I was ready to finish this - crawling across the finish if I had to because quitting was never an option. Despite having horrible stomach cramps that started at mile 2 and hit me off and on throughout the run, I kept going steady for the first 6.5 miles.... I thought about M frequently and there was even one point when I passed a spectator holding a sign that said "life is short, running makes it seem longer" and as tears swelled in my eyes a bit, I eased into my run and enjoyed the scenery, enjoyed breathing, enjoyed the distance I was going... The last 3 miles were the hardest on me... I was tired, I was 99% positive I wouldnt make it back in under 3 hours and I was just struggling to push myself to the end... As I approached the stadium I picked up the pace for the final jaunt; I ran passed the bleachers and onto the field where I could finally see the finish line and above it in huge numbers 2:57:45... I took off at a sprint, realizing I was just a couple hundred feet away from my goal of "under 3". I crossed the finish line at 2:58:07 and they placed a teal medal around my neck (for those who dont know teal is the ribbon color for ovarian and cervical cancer) and I could have burst into tears... I didn't though! My dad was there waiting for me with a hug (since my mom and sisters were in Australia at the time my only cheerleaders were my dad and a friend) and the rest is history.

So why did I give you all this information? Its my plea to you to do that things you think you can't; to do the things you don't think you're strong enough to accomplish. Its my encouragement to reach beyond whats right in front of you, to work hard against the odds, to fight back and to never give up on something. The world is full of plenty of people who will give up, quit, tap out, or not even try to begin with, and maybe its just fear of failure or maybe its something else, but don't let that person be you. Don't be a person that lets fear keep you from doing something crazy - something unimaginable - something unbelievable because this is it... this is your opportunity to shine and there are no excuses because people have the opportunity to shine brightest in the dark; you just have to choose it.