Zumba, what ALL women NEED to learn to do with their hips!

Zumba, been hearing about it for ages, wondered what it was all about, but just hadn’t managed to get to a class. This

What we feel like when we Zumba!

Zumba!

weekend I was in Bellingham for my sister’s 50th Birthday weekend. We had the chance to attend a free Zumba class. It ended up being the five of us plus the instructor, so basically a private birthday party class! This is the first exercise class I have ever been to which uses both hip and rib isolations! Now the funny part was realizing all these different dance methods incorporated into one class and how bad we all were at moving our hips! I think all women should take Zumba to learn how to move their hips! If we do this maybe we will have healthier hips and maybe a better time in the bedroom!

Laughing at myself and loving what I learned this weekend!

My Tough Mudder Training Week #4

Hello again and here we are in week Four of my Tough Mudder Training!

Here is how the week went:

Monday- Kids had the day off so enjoyed relaxing at home!

Tuesday- Did a full round of Belton’s Medicine Ball workout.

Wednesday- Ran 3.5 miles and did set of 10 TRX pushup/mountainclimbers

Thursday- Rand 3.5 miles again and did abs.

Friday- CRAZY DAY, just did Yoga in the evening

Saturday- SO much fun, did Zumba today- that is a whole other post….

Sunday- Ran in Birch Bay, in the SNOW with my sister and sister-in-law, totally struggled today fighting a head cold and not having full lung capacity or enough clothes for running in the snow! Beautiful day though and great chance to run with family!

On to next week.

Will you be remembered?

Do we get second chances? How do you know when you fall asleep you will wake up? Faith? Hope? Foolish assumption? Officer Chapin died this week in his sleep. He, like most of us, will have no idea which day is our last until it happens. The flowers and memories pouring out in this community are moving and powerful. There are not many people who leave that kind of an impact.

What impact will you leave? Will you leave a wake of goodness, or a mere ripple? My mother’s church was full, full of family, friends, and many, many students. She was a good teacher and changed many lives with her gifts. She gave and they received, not always knowing what she gave until much later.

As I drove by and saw the flowers for our local officer I hope he knew how much this community cared about him. I never met him, but often saw his familiar face by the high school, watching, patient and pleasant. His job couldn’t have been easy. High school is not many of our best times, but I am sure, as I see in my own growing son, he saw the beauty and preciousness of his charges.

I learned via Facebook after he died that he once dressed up as Hannah Montana for the fun of it and could enjoy the fun moment in front of the school. That is someone who truly lived his life with a servant’s heart. He touched so many more people than he realized. He has left a wake, which will leave waves crashing on many shores for years to come. I am left wondering, will I leave a wake or a ripple?

Loving Fit Bottom Girls Blog

http://fitbottomedgirls.com/2012/02/she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not-kristen-vs-the-treadmill/

Just got done reading the “she loves me, she loves me not post” by Kristen on Fit Bottom  Girls- great site and blog. Made me smile how many thoughts we had alike on enjoying the treadmill- push a button and it makes you go faster- to people watching. Awesome stuff.

All for tonight- tomorrow on to the gym for 3.5 miles and a set of Belton’s med ball slamfest!

Week #3 of My Tough Mudder Training

So this week was good, and for some reason I seem to not get training done on Thursdays which has been my plan. Anyway- for accountability here we go-

Monday – Crazy day getting ready for kid’s mid-winter break.

Tuesday- Happy Valentine’s Day and ran 3 miles.

Wednesday- Crazy day and family visit so no workout

Thursday- Another family day so no workout

Friday- To the gym and ran 3.5 miles and did 1/2 a round of Belton’s workout. I ran at an 8:30 pace on the treadmill- smoking fast for me.

Saturday- Did one full round of Belton’s workout, except still can’t do the full 10 sets of TRX mountain climbers with a push up- keep dying on the push-up part.

Sunday- Ran 4 miles, it was colder than I expected and came home with numb hands. Ooof.

Overall a good week, weighed in at 154.8 at the gym, good number.

 

Sibling Insanity

My Bro by Parnassus Books in Ketchikan

So Sibling Insanity is what I thought about today at the pool. I took my boys to the pool and there were two other boys there, about the same age difference as mine. The striking difference was the older brother wanted nothing more than to fill my ears with how lousy his little brother was. One of the things I have always stressed with my boys is their relationship is something they choose to build or destroy. They can make it amazing or miserable and it is their CHOICE. I am so proud of them and how good they are to one another. It is amazing to me how few parents remind their kids that when the parents are gone the siblings are what is left. If you don’t take time to build the relationships there won’t be much to stand on.

Watching them and thinking about this got me thinking about my brother. My brother and I are closer in age than my boys and we went through a lot together. While we still occasionally drive one another crazy he is one person I trust completely and am thankful for every day. He was always right there beside me through many travel adventures and some scary ones too. His steadfastness and loyalty have always made me proud. Whether it was riding a ferry in Alaska through a storm where most of the adults were puking and the postcard racks just kept crashing over to navigating the challenges of college to being the one brave enough to pray for and be thankful for mercy sitting at our dying mother’s bedside I got lucky with my brother, he is truly amazing and a blessing to this world. Thank you for it all.

Tough Mudder Training Week #2

So, a little late getting this one done but here goes.

(Oh, special note and shoutout to runningthriver’s blog post about Tough Mudder people adding too much running- THANKS for that- realize my training plan has way more running than needed. However- please note if you are following my blog my SECONDARY goal for this year is to run my first marathon, so putting in the miles is building to a marathon in September in Bellingham, WA)

Last week was tough, I am finding I must constantly re-balance my week to maintain my training schedule. A good exercise and the week got sorted, so here goes.

Monday- Did one set of Belton’s Routine all the way through. AWESOME total body workout- thanks B.

Tuesday- Ran 3 miles

Wednesday- Nothing!

Thursday- was supposed to workout on this day but ended up with an insane day so pushed to Friday- also read PMS+wine= feeling more sane

Friday- Ran 3.1 miles and did half of Belton’s workout

Saturday- Ran in my underwear in Seattle for 1.5 miles and felt FAST. It was awesome, perhaps the lack of clothing helped the speed a bit!

Sunday- Ran 3.75 miles and did half of Belton’s routine after. Ooof.

Here is Belton’s workout again.

Belton Workout #2

Med Ball Burpee Complex

–  Slam once, Burpee once     Slam twice Burpee twice then 3x etc. go to 10

Barbell Complex

–  Adjust weight.  One exercise movement flows to the next

–  Barbell Clean

–  Barbell Front Squat

–  Barbell Push PRess

–  Barbell Bent Over Row

–  2 Cleans, 2 BB Front Squat, 2 BB Push Press, 2 Bent Over rows,

–  3 etc and on to 5 and then BACK DOWN to 1

2 sets of Mountain Climber / Pushup Combo WITH the TRX cables

–  10 mountain Climbers and then One Pushup

–  Repeat ten times.  Total of 100 mountain climbers and 10 Pushups

Abs

–  Choose 3 ab exercises and repeat those three 3 sets 20 reps each.

Today I ran in my underwear…

So, today I ran in my underwear. It was Cupid’s Undie Run in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood- one of the few which would not have protests regarding a bunch of people running around in their underwear! It was hilarous and so much fun!

Running in your underwear, cold, humbling and hilarious

What I learned today:

1    Fashion Tape can make any decent underwire bra work as a decent jog bra for a SHORT run.

2     Underwear runs are much more popular with 20-year-olds interested in drinking BEFORE they run

(not that this was a surprise mind you- just fun to watch)

3     I was not too old to run fast, not so worried about my self image to care if I looked perfect in my silly outfit, and knew enough to come with friends!

4     Regular nylon stockings keep you pretty warm and might be a good idea for a longer, cold run I want to wear shorts, but am concerned about being cold!

5     It felt good to go run for a cause and have a good laugh while we were at it!

And finally, this was training of a different sort, you see I know there will be moments in the Tough Mudder where I will feel VERY humble, this was an excellent training exercise in humility!

The Starting Line

Top 5 Quotes to get you through your NEXT workout…

1 Taken from runningthriver on the 12th….

The Starting Line

The image in my head when I start a run, any run

       Train like your Stronger, Fitter, Evil-Twin is plotting to KILL You!     http://runningthriver.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/photo-6.jpg

2  For those of you know know me this is SO good- train harder = good!

 If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat. ~Hershel Walker –
and Belton Lubas’ Gym Wall!
3 For the races I am aiming to win, I keep the people in the mascot suits in mind to beat!
Show me a guy who’s afraid to look bad and I’ll show you a guy you can beat every time. C. Brock
(Damn those guys in mascot suits can run fast sometimes!)
4  For all those runs you think about skipping-
Success is following through when the moment of inspiration has left you. Rita Davenport
5 For the days you need to feel humble and grateful-
Every cancer patient you have ever heard of or known,
would give almost anything,
to be you,
healthy, strong and able to go work out. TC