1/2 marathon training and whole 30

All things fitness today!  I didn’t mention in my last post that I got a flu bug on the last day of our Lake Powell trip and I’m still not 100%.  It’s a great diet plan since almost nothing sounds good to me and when I do eat, my stomach freaks out.  Anyway, I was hoping to pig out today since tomorrow is AUGUST 1ST and I’m starting an almost WHOLE 30 diet!

I also need to get RUNNING!!  I have 8 weeks until my half marathon.  I’d like to run it in 1:40!!  That’s about a 7:45 minute pace.  I might need to get some new running shoes?  That always makes me feel faster (:  I came up with my own training program for the next 8 weeks.  This is not scientific or doctor approved.  I read that 25-35 miles a week is a good total for an intermediate runner training for a half.  My first few weeks are under that due to my lack of running and sickness.  I love plans and I’ll follow this to a T.  I haven’t decided about my weight training yet.  I’ll for sure train 3 times a week.  I’ll give a full review of this training plan in 8 weeks!

   Yesterday we had a great workout I’d like to post as well.  It’s one of my favorite style workouts.  Two exercises.  Start the first one at 50 reps and the second at 10 and then switch to 40-20, 30-30, etc…until you reach 10-50.  Make sense?  We were going to run bleachers after each set but they were wet so we did a few sprints.  We ran out of time and only completed one round of the last part.  That’s cuz we talk too much.

All my friends texted me about their soreness.  Mission accomplished!

O.K. Back to WHOLE 30.  This is pretty much paleo.  I have a problem with that because I don’t love meat but the more I think about it, I can handle it.  I’ll only have meat at two meals and load up on the veggies for the other meal.  My meat of choice is chicken, seafood, and turkey.  That’ll be all.  Tomorrow I’ll post all things FOOD.  Day 1…again (:  Lots of stuff on the internet to help with this diet.  One thing I did like is that you can’t weigh or measure yourself throughout the 30 days.  That will be an interesting challenge for me!  Gotta go!  Think Yummminess!!

Run faster and burning arms and abs workout

Happy 4th!!  I’ve always loved the 4th of July and remember telling myself as a kid that it was my favorite holiday!!  We are leaving for a few days to go up to the mountains!  We’re going with a couple other families.  I’ll be sure to document!  I’ve been a little tired this week.  Yesterday I was going all day at breakneck speed.  Why?  This Manager job of mine is tough in the summer (: Aside from the kids, I push myself.  As always I need to work on more ZZZZ’s.  However, my nutrition plan is engraven in GOLD this go around!!  I’ll give more details on Monday!  Yesterday was our track workout!  Love it!  It was trash the arms and abs day!

Today I’m talking running!!  This morning a group of the BEST ladies in town ran up MY trail (:  We recruited one husband too!  I say mine because when we got there all these cars were already there AND the high school cross country team.  I said to myself, why are so many people on MY trail today??  Some days are easier than others to run up this mountain.  Today was a hard day for me!  I don’t know why and it bugs me.  I like using the Garmin because next time I’ll tweak a few things and push myself to get to the top faster!

Next, for your running pleasure, I created a page of interesting running statistics and INFO.  I have two events coming up!  August we’re hiking Mount Timpanogos.  I’ve wanted to do this for awhile.  I believe it’s 18 miles of heaven (:  Then, in September I’m running a half marathon in Huntsville.  If I’m where I want to be, this will be my best half ever!  Happy amazing 40th year to me!

Well, I’d better be off!  Last photo to share is from the 4th of July 18 years ago when I was a missionary in SPAIN!  Grateful beyond grateful for the U S of A!!  Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

Upper Body HIIT and I heart LEGS workout!

Hello!!  It’s a beautiful MAY day!!  I have a great workout that I just put together for tomorrow’s early morning class.  This week we killed the legs on Tuesday and tomorrow is kill the arms day!  OH!!  And by the way, today is DAY 19!  I’ve lost 8 lbs.  Yay me!

This time of year is all about the kid’s lives and wrapping up the school year.  Normally, I’m not much of a mushy so sad my kids are growing up Mom, but this week was my youngest child’s last preschool class.  My eyes got a little teary as I watched his little class skip down the driveway holding hands with their teacher.  Geez…I didn’t think the end of my preschool years would get to me.  I’ve loved his teacher and he has loved preschool.  Today he graduated.  He’s been saying all day how proud he is of himself (:

I found another picture I wanted to throw in here from 2007.  My daughter’s birthday is coming up and I was looking for pictures of her.  This is from my first marathon!  I honestly thought I’d only run a marathon once!!  My friends are trying to talk me into running a Fall marathon and then running Boston again.  As much “FUN” as that sounds, I’m stickin’ to halfs for now.  I have a FALL half I want to do and I’m going to work on speed this go around.

Well, it’s almost time for the onslaught of children.  I think we’ll go to Orange Leaf to celebrate my cutie boy’s graduation!  Have a wonderful sunny day!  Get outside!

 

 

 

It’s all about the WEIGHTS

Hello hello!!!  I have a few things to be happy about today.  #1-I’m on DAY 6 of my new healthy lifestyle.  That sounds funny because most people think I’m already healthy.  I should say healthier (:  It’s going well!  I had a weird thing happen today.  I was making my daughter a tuna fish sandwich for lunch.  I’m adding a little bit of mayo and some chopped up dill pickles to my bowl of tuna and I start thinking this looks really good.  I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet so I decided to eat the bowl of tuna!  I’ve reached a new level of cool fitness status.  I’m not just eating, I’m fueling my body (:  Laugh. Laugh.  I ate a cup of honey dew too.  #2 happy news is that I got my old piano teacher back for my kids!!!!  I have slacked off big time in the piano world.  I miss not hearing the piano.  Starting in June, three of my kids will be in lessons.  YAY!  #3 happy news is I taught my first (very weak) Zumba SONG today.  I told my morning clients that we’d do a Zumba song for our warm up.  I had the ipad all set to go and then it decided to NOT play any youtube videos.  Oh sadness, BUT I decided to give it a go anyway and taught them all I could remember.  I’m so proud of myself!  I’m going to have my cute cute Zumba friend video a few simple routines for me so I can learn more and do them with my clients.  I’m for sure not confident to EVER teach a Zumba class.  Only with my BESTY clients (:  #4 great day event was my workout of course!  After my clients left I had time to whip out an UPPER BODY BLAST workout.  Easy easy to do at home.  This is one of my favorite Jen Jewell workouts.  Next week I’ll be back on Jamie Eason for another 5 weeks!

Workout 2: Upper-Body Blast

CIRCUIT: 4 SETS

Jump Roping-200

Plank-1 minute

Mountain Climber-1 minute

Standing Military Press-12 reps

Barbell Curl-12 reps

Burpees-12 reps

CIRCUIT: 4 SETS

Lying Triceps Press-12 reps

Decline Push Up-12 reps

Incline Dumbbell Curl-12 reps

Burpees-12 reps

Side Lateral Raise-12 reps

This leads me into my short blurb about lifting heavy weights.  You will never achieve the results you want without lifting heavy weights consistently!  You can do all the cardio in the world for the rest of your life and you’ll still wonder where the hot bod is?  Lift Heavy, Eat Protein, Drink Water, and do a lot of other stuff and you’ll be a lean sexy machine!  And now for my last contradictory Happy event #5 my friends and I are running (what? cardio?) our favorite trail run tomorrow morn!  I don’t think we’ve been up the mountain yet this year.  I noticed today we still have SNOW.  We’ll see!!  We’ve had a little rain too.  Trail shoes and mud.  I’m also going to try this ISAGENIX energy shot before the run.

I’ve heard a few interesting things about it so I’ll have to report!  Oh, I almost forgot!  I have one more exercise workout to post.   This is a GREAT AB workout on the stability ball. I said to do 20 reps of everything 3 times. Try that! It is pretty intense. 12-15 reps would be fine too.

Doesn’t this look so professional.  My 5 year old photographer is the best!  Well!  I have lots of happy things in my life but I’ll end because I have one unhappy event I need to get ready for.  Junior High band concert.  Have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend.  MOMS ROCK!!!  I have to share this photo of a few awesome WORKOUT MOMS I know.  We all showed up to class on the official wear BLACK to the gym day.  Which is most days!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a little bit o’ fashion for FRIDAY!!  Kick it up a GEAR!

To Failure Workout

Weights will change your body!

When I first did this workout the phrase “To failure” came to mind.  It is mostly an upper body workout.  My arms were definitely spent after this.  Make sure you warm up with squats, pushups, lunge stretches, and running in place for 5 minutes.  Also, you’ll do a lot of reps.  8-12 lb. weights for women is recommended.  5 lb. weights for beginners.  Here it is:

100 walking lunges

SHOULDERS:    

Upright rows (1 minute)

Lateral raises (1 minute)

Overhead Press (1 minute)

30 second rest.  3 SETS

100 jumping lunges

BICEPS:    

Full bicep curl (1 minute)

Top half bicep (45 sec.)

Bottom half bicep (45 sec.)

30 sec. rest.  3 SETS

100 walking lunges

TRICEPS:    

15 Tricep pushups

Head bangers (1 minute)

Tricep overhead extension (1 minute)

30 sec. rest.  3 SETS

100 Jumping Lunges

ABS:    

20 full sit ups

20 ab lifts right side

20 ab lifts left side

30 sec. rest. 3 SETS

That’s all.  Work hard and have fun!