Weekly Workout

I have had a few people asking what my workout schedule consists of, so here is a rough outline of what I do:

 Like I said, this is just a rough outline. Some days might be mixed up and some days I might replace cardio with yoga when I need a little extra stretch. Some days I might dump yoga and choose some extra long cardio when I have some extra piss and vinegar in me. My husband says I'm a lot nicer when I get my runs in....it's not mean when it's true, ha!
   By cardio I mean I run or cycle for 30 minutes to an hour. If I'm feeling extra grumpy that day, I might go a little longer until I am so exhausted that I have no energy for mean.  When I'm training for a race, I stick to my training schedule and just plug my training runs in as cardio.  I Love Hal Higdon's site for training and have used his schedules for the last 6 years. He has training at all levels and for all types of races...and it's free.
   Some days I don't feel like running or cycling, but I still want to get that cardio in, so I make up my own little 'boot camp'. The one I used for Tuesday is just an example. I like to change it up often. Channel Maze runs a local boot camp and I love getting ideas from her blog.
    Strength training is the one thing I never skimp on. It is so important for me to be strong....not so much for the way strong looks (but that's a definite plus), but for the way strong feels. Strong allows me to be more independent...my husband works hard and I can't always wait for him to move furniture or lift things for me. Strong makes me a lot more fun when playing with my kids. Strong helps get me through my long runs. Strong helps me in my photography business (have you seen the size of some of those lenses). Strength training also helps with bone density, joint pain, and increases your metabolism. For strength training I get a lot of inspiration and ideas from Jamie Eason.
For yoga I like Bikram  because of the heat and predictability. 
My favorite yoga is Vinyasa.  I love the challenge of the complex poses, inversions, and balance poses. It pushes me, it hurts, and I always feel like I have accomplished something in the end.
     So, there it is. My nutshell's worth of training. I try to stick to a format somewhat like this, but it's not always possible. Everyday, when I wake up, I have to convince myself to get out the door and do this. Everyday I have to bat away the bazillion excuses that my brain makes up to convince me not to go. Everyday that I choose to go, I feel a lot better. Getting out the door is the hardest part.
     When I miss a day or two, I don't beat myself up over it. I shrug my shoulders and know I will be back at it again. Life happens, kids happen, work happens, sick happens,  monthly periods worthy of a spot on CSI Miami happen so sometimes workouts can't happen. Just know that it's NOT forever and you WILL get back to your schedule soon.

See you tomorrow when I will post workouts I do when I can't get to the gym:)

A Running Start...well, kind of

I hear so many of my friends talking about how discouraged they are when they start to workout. Those who don't know me well will sometimes comment on how "lucky" I am that it comes so "easy" for me. Ha!!! Easy. That makes me giggle a little bit. Let me tell you about the first time I decided to try getting back in shape after my 3rd child was born....
     My friend, neighbor, and elite soccer star Annie had also just had a baby. One morning we were sitting around, nursing babies, changing diapers, and sipping our cold coffee and Annie cheerfully announced "We should start running!"
     My eyes bulged out of my head a little bit and I had to put the baby down so I could cough up the 5 hour old coffee I started choking on. I laughed out loud.  Yeah, *SHE* could run.  *SHE* was a runner.  *SHE* was a brilliant and talented soccer star! *I*, on the other hand, was just a flabby and exhausted mom who couldn't run 100 yards if Mike Meyers was chasing me with a knife.  Well, okay, maybe if he was chasing me with a knife, but for no other reason.
      Annie finally convinced me to do it. I did not buy new running shoes or a jogging stroller because I knew I would hate it.  And you know what? I DID hate it....at first. I made it about 100 yards before I was panting and my lungs were on fire. I told Annie I had to stop and walk.  She was so patient and understanding. We continued this way for 3 miles: run a little bit, walk a little bit, run a little, walk a little. Annie carried on the conversation the entire time because I could not speak, run, and breathe at the same time.  Her patience, encouragement, and hilarious conversation carried me through my first runs.
       I decided I did like this running thing a little bit. Well, maybe not the running part, but the part where I got to speak with another adult....alone....without 3 little people hanging off of me. I LOVE my children with all of my heart, but a person needs a little breathing room. Running gifted me that.  Eventually I started buying running gear...new shoes, running shorts, jogging bras (more on those in a later post) and eventually I even found a double jogging stroller at a consignment shop for $25!!! I would love to say that I was just able to go right out and run 3 whole miles, but that would be lying.  I set tiny goals for myself: "Today I will just run to the stop sign" or "Today I will just run past 2 fire hydrants". I usually ran further than my goal, but I gave myself permission to walk if I needed to. That first time I ran 3 miles pushing 2 babies in a jogging stroller felt so good!!!! I was so proud of myself, but also so humbled by how much work it was. It took a lot of mind games to talk myself through a run.  I'll share some of those in another post.
     I set a goal for myself to run a 5K that year.  That was it.  I was determined to meet that goal.  Well, because of support from my friends and my husband, I ran a 5 k, a 10k, and a half marathon within 8 months of that very first run with Annie. Because of the support I got from amazing people around me, fitness is now a regular, normal part of my life...like brushing my teeth.
     I encourage you to find that support system. I found it helpful to surround myself with people who were 1) more fit than me so that they could encourage and coach me, 2) people who were just like me and struggling to get fit, and eventually 3) people who are just starting out that I could encourage and feel proud of when they met their goals.
    The people you surround yourself with make a big difference in  your health. I hope you can find those positive people in your life to cheer you on....you've already got me:)