Downward Dog

For the past 4 weeks, I've been doing yoga at least once a week.  Sometimes, I even "get" to do it twice a week.  I'm learning to tolerate it and maybe even enjoy it, but I've learned that its WAY better to do yoga with friends.  Or Tim.  Or Kona.
 ,
Except that Kona thinks its really fun to bother me while I'm doing yoga.  I'm guessing its because I'm down on his level.  He licks me and tries to tip me over.  He tries to run under my legs and he has even laid down underneath me when I'm in a plank position.  He's a total clown, and I will admit that he does make me laugh while I'm trying to hold a half moon pose while he's leaning on me.  Anyone ever tried a half moon pose with a 120lb great dane leaning on them?

Anyways, the other night after my yoga workout, Kona decided he needed to lay on the yoga mat.  I should also mention that he does this often.  I guess its cushier than the carpet.  I thought that maybe I could get a picture of him doing "downward dog". 

Apparently, my camera is too slow, but this is what I came up with.

 

 So, if anyone is interested in a good, giant yoga buddy let me know.  I'll let you borrow him.  :)

 

P.S. Yes, Kona is as long as the yoga mat.   

February Workouts

February 1 - KenpoX. 59:00. Burned 376 calories. Max HR 156. Avg HR 118.
CardioX. 41:57. Burned 284 calories. Max HR 155. Avg HR 122.
One of the complaints I have about P90X is that the "cardio" workouts do not burn enough calories, except for Plyometrics.  I would rather go run or cycle because I feel like I get a much better burn, plus I'm doing something that is specific to the sports I enjoy.  Kicking and punching...yeah...its just not something I see myself doing.

February 2 - Treadmill Run. 4.0 miles. 39:24. Burned 466 calories. Max HR 180. Avg HR 163.
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
1 min @ 6.5 mph - I realized I should be going faster so I bumped it up on the next set.
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph - I also realized that I probably should have been recovering at 6.0 mph.
1 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 6.2 mph
1 min @ 6.4 mph
1 min @ 6.6 mph
1 min @ 6.8 mph
I'm feeling really good about my running lately.  I think my speed is definitely improving.  I'm able to go faster without my HR going up.  I'm recovering quickly.  I'm really loving these high intensity workouts.
StretchX. 57:01. Burned 239 calories. Max HR 135. Avg HR 101.

February 3 - Core Synergistics. 57:59 Burned 370 calories. Max HR 159. Avg HR 118.  Used 5, 8, and 10 lb dumbbells.
This was one of those days when I waited for Tim to workout with me and he decided to have a rest day.  I thought about adding another workout to this one, but I also knew that I had a run workout on Saturday, so I just took it as a great core workout.


February 4 - Treadmill Run. 7.0 miles. 1:09:43. Burned 845 calories. Max HR 186. Avg HR 166.
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 6.1 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
4 min @ 6.3 mph
4 min @ 5.7 mph
3 min @ 6.5 mph
3 min @ 5.7 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 6.1 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
4 min @ 6.3 mph
4 min @ 5.7 mph
3 min @ 6.5 mph
3 min @ 5.7 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
45 sec @ 6.0 mph
15 sec @ 6.1 mph
15 sec @ 6.2 mph
15 sec @ 6.3 mph
15 sec @ 6.4 mph
15 sec @ 6.5 mph
This was an AWESOME run!  I can't remember the last time I ran 7 miles and I especially can't remember when I ran 7 miles in under 10 min/mile pace.  I did have to talk myself through this workout.  I didn't want to run but once I got going, I mentally talked through each mile.  There was not a dry spot on my t-shirt when I finished and I have forgotten how my legs feel when I run long and hard, but I feel great.  It's nice to know I still have some speed left in me.

February 5 - Rest.

February 6 - Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. 1:01:52. Burned 327 calories. Max HR 143. Avg HR 109. Used 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, and 20 lb dumbbells.  I'm hoping that I'll like this workout better next week.  I worked hard, but I sometimes think I need to do a workout once or twice before I can really know how hard I need to work.
Trainer Ride. 32:00. Burned 212 calories. Max HR 139. Avg HR 119. Since I signed up for Little Red, I need to get back on Oscar.  Apparently, I have lost my saddle calluses.  That means I need to spend lots more time on the bike before June.

February 7 - Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped 1000. 1:23:46. Burned 744 calories Max HR 188. Avg HR 139. Used 5,8,10 lb dumbbells.
Treadmill Run. 29:32. Burned 311 calories. Max HR 178. Avg HR 160.

February 8 - Back and Biceps. 24:39. Burned 128 calories. Max HR 149. Avg HR 109. Used 10 and 15 lb dumbbells.  Tim and I didn't get to finish this workout, so we finished it the next day.
Ultimate Calorie Blaster. 45:59. Burned 367 calories. Max HR 165. Avg HR 131. Used 8 lb dumbbells.

February 9 - Back and Biceps. 45:35. Burned 237 calories. Max HR 158. Avg HR 108. Used 10 and 15 lb dumbbells.

February 10 - Rest.

February 11 - Treadmill Run. 59:51. 6 miles. Burned 645 calories. Max HR 175. Avg HR 155.
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 6.0 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
4 min @ 6.2 mph
4 min @ 5.7 mph
3 min @ 6.5 mph
3 min @ 5.7 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
1 min @ 5.7 mph
4 min @ 5.8 mph
5 min @ 6.1 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
4 min @ 6.3 mph
4 min @ 5.8 mph
3 min @ 6.5 mph

February 12 - Rest.

February 13 - Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. 57:09. Burned 390 calories. Max HR 148. Avg HR 122. Used 5, 8, 10, 15 lb dumbbells.
Legs and Back. 58:19. Burned 486 calories. Max HR 166. Avg HR 135. Used 10, 15 lb dumbbells.

February 14 - Jari Love - Get Ripped Slim and Lean. 1:06:34. Burned 411 calories. Max HR 159. Avg HR 116. Used 5,8,10, 15 lb dumbbells.

February 15 - Rest.

February 16- Back and Biceps. 53:06. Burned 356 calories. Avg HR 163. Avg HR 121. Used 10,15,20 lb dumbbells.

February 17 - Treadmill Run. 3.1 miles. 30:52. Burned 380 calories. Max HR 181. Avg HR 167.
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
5 min @ 5.9 mph
5 min @ 6.0 mph
2 min @ 6.1 mph
2 min @ 6.2 mph
2 min @ 6.3 mph
2 min @ 6.4 mph
2 min @ 6.5 mph

February 18 - Rest.

February 19 - Rest.

February 20 - Legs and Back. 1:00:48. Burned 511 calories. Max HR 167. Avg HR 136. Used 10, 15 lb dumbbells. I felt so pukey and tired during this workout. 

2012 Races

Earlier this year, I was talking with Tim about how I was missing doing races.  Last year, I think I only did a few events and I realized that I really miss racing and training.  So, because he's such an awesome hubby, he's been encouraging me to sign up for races and making sure that we have the $$$ in the budget so I can race like I like to.

I haven't really come up with my race schedule for the year, but I am registered for 3 big events.  Here they are!

May 19 - Ogden 1/2 Marathon

June 2 - Little Red Riding Hood Century Ride

September 8 - Bear Lake Brawl 1/2 Ironman

Like I said, I haven't decided what else I would like to do, but I'm kind of toying with doing the Top of Utah 1/2 Marathon, but I think it's just a week or two before the 1/2 IM, so that probably won't happen.  However, there are lots of other options.  I'm just excited to get back into racing.

January Workouts

January 1 -  X Stretch - 57 min.  I didn't wear my HR monitor for this workout.  Mostly I just wanted to do something to start the new year off on a good note.  The stretching felt good, although my lower back was SUPER tight when I finished.

January 2 - Treadmill Run. 33:41.  3.2 miles.  Burned 369 calories.  Avg HR 164.  Max HR 184.
5 min @ 5.2 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.5 mph
4 min @ 6 mph
4 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.3 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
I should have done a cooldown after this run, but I figured my cooldown could be my walk home and a strength training workout.  However, my HR was too high and my strength training workout didn't go so great.
Super Body Sculpt. 14:29.  Burned 130 calories.  Avg HR 148. Max HR 159. 5, 8, 10, 15lb dumbbells.

January 3 - Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped 1000. 1:25:57.  Burned 752 calories.  Max HR 178. Avg HR 144.  5, 8, 10 lb dumbbells.  This workout was tough today.  My legs must be tired from my run yesterday.  I'm hoping tomorrow's hill workout will go ok with tired legs.

January 4 - Treadmill Run.  41:13. Burned 487 calories.  Avg HR 171.  Max HR 184.
5 min @ 5.3 mph
5 min @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 5% incline @ 5.5 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph.
30 sec @ 6% incline @ 5.5 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph.
30 sec @ 7% incline @ 5.5 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph.
30 sec @ 6% incline @ 5.3 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.3 mph.
30 sec @ 7% incline @ 5.3 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.3 mph.
30 sec @ 8% incline @ 5.3 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.3 mph.
30 sec @ 7% incline @ 5.3 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.0 mph.
30 sec @ 8% incline @ 5.3 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.0 mph.
30 sec @ 9% incline @ 5.3 mph. 2:30 recovery @ 5.0 mph.
3 min @ 5.5 mph
The fitness room was blazing hot today so I think that's why my HR was SO elevated today.  It was a great run and I even talked myself through the tough parts.  I was going to do a strength training workout, but we have somewhere to be tonight.  Oh and I think I'm catching Tim's cold.  :(

January 5 - Body Sculpt.  51:31. Burned 428 calories.  Avg HR 140. Max HR 168. 5,8,10,15 lb dumbbells.  I talked Tim into working out with me and made him throw up and get dizzy.  Probably I won't win the "best wife ever" award today.

January 6 - Treadmill Run. 42.47.  4.0 miles.  Burned 493 calories.  Avg HR 164.  Max HR 184.
5 min @ 5.2 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.5 mph
4 min @ 6 mph
4 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.3 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
1 min @ 5.3 mph
1 min @ 5.4 mph
1 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 5.6 mph
1 min @ 5.8 mph
2 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 6.5 mph
I have a full blown cold, including loss of voice.  I did get my run done though and Tim even ran on the treadmill next to me.  Once again, not winning the best wife award today because we had to cancel his birthday party...

January 9 - Chest and Back.  56:28. Burned 336 calories.  Max HR 158. Avg HR 120.  Used 10, 15 lb dumbbells.  Day 1 of P90X was hard, but not as hard as I thought.  I think our new pull up machine will definitely be helpful.
Ab Ripper X. 16.09. Burned 89 calories. Max HR 139. Avg HR 116.  I hate this workout.  It's really hard and it kills my hip flexors.  Tim cheered me on though and I did my best to get through it.

January 10 - Treadmill Run.  30:40. 3.01 miles. Burned 355 calories.  Max HR 186. Avg HR. 168.
5 min @ 5.2 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
11 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 6.1mph
1 min @ 6.2 mph
2 min @ 6.3 mph
2 min @ 6.4 mph
2 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 6.0 mph
For P90X we were supposed to do "Plyometrics" but since we're training for the Ogden 1/2 marathon, we're doing running for our cardio.  I may try to add in Plyo next week, but we'll see how it goes.

January 11 - Shoulders and Arms.  50:52. Burned 346 calories. Max HR 159. Avg HR120. Used 8, 10, 15lb dumbbells.  Apparently, I don't work hard enough during these workouts...although, I feel like I'm working as hard as I can.  I'm always bummed about the calories burned and I feel like I need to do more.  So, maybe I'll start adding in an extra cardio workout on my strength training days.
Ab Ripper X. 16.09. Burned 89 calories. Max HR 139. Avg HR 116.  This workout went better today than on Monday.  I still don't love it, but maybe it will come?

January 12 - YogaX. 90 min.  I didn't wear my HR monitor for this workout because it frustrates me when I don't burn alot of calories, so I skipped it today and just focused on doing my best and getting through the whole 90 min.
Treadmill Run - Tim wanted to run, which surprised me so we went over to the clubhouse to use the treadmills.  I wasn't really feeling much like running until we started running and then I had a fantastic workout. I ended up running 4 miles in 43:17.  I burned 509 calories.  My max HR 12 186 and my avg HR was 170.
10 min @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 6% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 7% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 8% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 7% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 8% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 9% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 8% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 9% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
30 sec @ 10% incline @ 5.5 mph, 2:30 recovery @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 5.6 mph
1 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 5.8 mph
30 sec @ 6.0 mph
30 sec @ 6.2 mph
Finished 4 miles at 6.7 mph


January 13 - Legs and Back. 1:07:02. Burned 515 calories.  Max HR 171.  Avg HR 134.  I used 10 and 15 lb dumbbells.  This is maybe my fav P90X workout.  I think it's because I feel like I really get a great workout.  My legs are trashed...I was feeling them when I was carrying groceries up the stairs.  Tomorrow is a long run (5 miles) so I'm hoping that will go okay with tired legs.

January 14 - Treadmill Run. 52:28. 5.0 miles. Burned 606 calories. Max HR 189. Avg HR 169.  My legs were tired today...probably from the Legs and Back workout yesterday.  I was planning on doing 5 miles today, but around mile 2 I was thinking maybe I should just cut it back to 4.  However, Tim, who was on the treadmill next to me kept saying "Go wifey!" or "Bikini" or "Keep running until I finish my 4 miles."  So, I did 5 miles.  It felt great.
5 min @ 5.3 mph
5 min @ 5.4 mph
5 min @ 5.5 mph
5 min @ 5.6 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
5 min @ 5.9 mph
5 min @ 6.0 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
0.25 miles @ 6.0 mph
0.25 miles @ 6.2 mph
0.25 miles @ 6.5 mph

January 15 - REST.  Tim and I planned on doing StretchX today, but we didn't fit it in before church or after church or before bed, so it turned into a complete rest day.

January 16 - Chest and Back.  52+ min.  Tim and I did this workout this morning.  He wore the HR monitor so I don't have any data for me, but he burned a whopping 716 calories for this workout.  He also killed it...especially compared to last week.  I never burn that many calories for this workout, but I did work hard.
Ab Ripper X.  I'm really not enjoying this ab workout so I may start switching in a different ab workout.  I just feel like my hip flexors get trashed during the workout and my abs are NEVER sore.  I'll see how Wednesday goes.

January 17 - Treadmill Run. 4.0 miles. 40:41. Burned 518 calories. Max HR 184. Avg HR 170.
5 min @ 5.5 mph
5 min @ 6.0 mph
5 min @ 5.5 mph
4 min @ 6.3 mph
4 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.5 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
1 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 5.6 mph
1 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 5.8 mph
30 sec @ 5.9 mph
30 sec @ 6.0 mph
30 sec @ 6.1 mph
30 sec @ 6.2 mph
Tim and I did this workout after YW on Tuesday night.  We watched the tail end of the Biggest Loser and I really pushed myself...not because I was particularly motivated by the fat people weighing in on tv...but mostly because I was feeling super great.

January 18 -  Calorie Killer. 40:26. Burned 323 calories. Max HR 158. Avg HR 132.  I did this workout while I was waiting for Tim to get off work.
Shoulders and Arms.  1:01:51.  Burned 419 calories. Max HR 155. Avg HR 120.  Used 15,10,8lb dumbbells.

January 19 - Plyometrics. 58:40. Burned 590 calories. Max HR 175. Avg HR 149.  Tim and I were planning on running but by the time he got off work, he was done for the day, so I figured I would get this workout done and out of the way.

January 20 - Treadmill Run. 50:55. 5.0 miles. Burned 628 calories. Max HR 184. Avg HR 167.
5 min @ 5.5 mph
5 min @ 5.6 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
5 min @ 5.9 mph
8 min @ 6.0 mph
3 min @ 5.9 mph
3 min @ 5.8 mph
3 min @ 5.7 mph
2:30 min @ 6.0 mph
2:30 min @ 6.1 mph
2:30 min @ 6.2 mph
This was a hard run but mostly because my legs were toasted from Plyometrics last night.  However, I pushed through.  Mostly though I was totally impressed with Tim's mental toughness.  He REALLY didn't want to run today, but he pushed through it. 

January 21 - Legs and Back. 59:51. Burned 446 calories.  Max HR 160. Avg HR 127.  I used 10lb dumbbells.  I had good intentions of adding on YogaX to this workout, but I was done.  I think my legs are just tired and worn out and trashed.  I also didn't get enough sleep last night and was hungry.  So, we'll take it as a lesson and move on.  I think I was missing my workout partner too.  He's snowboarding with the kids today.

January 22 - Rest.

January 23 - Chest and Back. 55:29. Burned 329 calories. Max HR 155. Avg HR 114. I used 10, 15, and 20 lb dumbbells.


January 24 - Treadmill Run. 4.0 miles. 40:33. Burned 479 calories. Max HR 177. Avg HR 161.
5 min @ 5.5 mph
5 min @ 6.0 mph
5 min @ 5.5 mph
4 min @ 6.2 mph
4 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.5 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
2 min @ 6.7 mph
2 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 7.0 mph
1 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 5.6 mph
1 min @ 5.7 mph
30 sec @ 5.8 mph
30 sec @ 5.9 mph
30 sec @ 6.0 mph
30 sec @ 6.2 mph
30 sec @ 6.3 mph
30 sec @ 6.4 mph
30 sec @ 6.5 mph

January 25 - Shoulders and Arms. 1:03:32. Burned 395 calories. Max HR 151. Avg HR 116. I used 8, 10, and 15 lb dumbbells.

January 26 - Treadmill Run. 3.0 miles. 30:57. Burned 361 calories. Max HR 180. Avg HR 162.
5 min @ 5.5 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
30 sec @ 6% @ 5.7 mph
2:30 recovery @ 5.7 mph
30 sec @ 7% @ 5.7 mph
2:30 recovery @ 5.7 mph 
30 sec @ 8% @ 5.7 mph
2:30 recovery @ 5.7 mph 
30 sec @ 7% @ 5.7 mph
2:30 recovery @ 5.7 mph 
30 sec @ 8% @ 5.7 mph
2:30 recovery @ 5.7 mph 
30 sec @ 9% @ 5.7 mph
2:30 recovery @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 5.8 mph
1 min @ 5.9 mph
1 min @ 6.0 mph
0.25 miles @ 7.0 mph
This workout got cut short due to people waiting on the treadmill.
YogaX. 75 min. I've decided this workout is super painful to do alone.

January 27 - KenpoX. 55:35. Burned 399 calories. Max HR 160. Avg HR 125. I wanted to get in an extra cardio workout today since we have our Biggest Loser weigh-in tomorrow morning.
Legs and Back. 1:07:18. burned 502 calories. Max HR 165. Avg HR 127. I used 10 and 15 lb dumbbells for this workout.

January 28 - Treadmill Run. 6 miles. 1:02:34.  Burned 766 calories. Max HR 183. Avg HR 166.
5 min @ 5.5 mph
5 min @ 5.6 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.3 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.0 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.0 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.0 mph
3 min @ 5.5 mph
3 min @ 6.0 mph
2 min @ 5.5 mph
1 min @ 5.6 mph
1 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 5.8 mph
1 min @ 5.9 mph
1 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 5.9 mph
1 min @ 5.8 mph
1 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 6.1 mph
1 min @ 6.2 mph

January 29 - Rest

January 30 - Rest

January 31 - Treadmill Run. 4.0 miles. 39:06. Burned 454 calories. Max HR 179. Avg HR 162.
5 min @ 5.7 mph
5 min @ 6.2 mph
5 min @ 5.7 mph
4 min @ 6.5 mph
4 min @ 5.7 mph
3 min @ 6.7 mph
3 min @ 5.7 mph
2 min @ 7.0 mph
2 min @ 5.7 mph
1 min @ 7.5 mph
1 min @ 6.0 mph
1 min @ 6.1 mph
1 min @ 6.2 mph
1 min @ 6.3 mph
1 min @ 6.4 mph
This was a phenomenal run for me.  I decided to challenge myself and bump up my speeds for the "treading" workout.  It worked and I felt great.  Apparently, I need to keep going at these speeds for February.
Core Synergistics. 58:16. Burned 458 calories. Max HR 164. Avg HR 130. I used 5 and 8 lb dumbbells.

Week 1 of P90X

On Saturday, we had our weigh in for the Biggest Loser: Hansen edition.  I've lost 6+ lbs since January 1.  I'll take it!  :)  Now, I just need to keep that going for the next few months.  Tim and I also finished our first week of modified P90X.  We did all of the strength workouts last week, including YogaX.  Tim pushed himself through the workouts.  We also ran 3 times last week (in place of Plyometrics and Kenpo) so our 1/2 marathon training is going great as well. 

Week 2 started today and we pressed play and brought it.  Tomorrow is a running day, but I may try to add in Plyometrics. 

Day 1 of P90X

Last Friday, our pull up bar arrived and we put it together on Saturday afternoon.  It was only missing one part, which was easily remedied by a quick trip to the hardware store.  Last night, we practiced pull ups using the weight bench for help.  I've never been able to do a pull up in my whole life, but maybe in 3 months I'll be able to? 


Today was day 1 of P90X.  I woke Tim up around 8:20am and we headed downstairs for our workout.  It was the "Chest and Back" dvd, as well as the Ab Ripper X workout. Tim and I alternated the exercises, so while I was doing push ups, he was doing pull ups and vice versa.  It was a tough workout, but we finished...although I'm not sure we were smiling.  I think we're going to be sore tomorrow, but I also think we get to have hot tub time tonight, so I'll take it.

Tomorrow is "Plyometrics", but since we're training for the 1/2 marathon in May, we're going to run instead, although I may try to fit in another workout, just to get some extra calories burned since we have a weigh in coming up on Saturday morning.

December Goals and Workouts

In an effort to be more accountable to myself, I've decided to post my fitness goals for the month of December.  I'm also planning on posting all of my workouts.  Now, this will be oh so NOT exciting to read, but it's just a way for me to keep track of myself and my goals.  Feel free to check back in and see how I'm doing.

Goals

1.  Journal ALL food, EVERY day!

2.  Workout EVERY day...I should qualify that by saying I've planned Sundays as my rest day, but I'm also planning to stretch and go for a walk on those days...just to stay on my streak.

3.  Focus on the positive.  Lately, it's been SO discouraging to get on the scale and see nothing happening.  I weighed and measured this morning and the scale will disappear until January 1, 2012.  In the meantime, I'm hoping to enjoy my workouts and pay attention to my eating and also to just enjoy the Holiday Season.  I'm also secretly hoping to see the scale go down, but I'm not going to worry about that until January 1.

So, those are my goals.  I'll be adding to this post throughout the month with all of my workouts, as well as a yes, I journaled my food today.  Here's hoping this works!

Workouts

December 1 ~

Complete Aerobics and Weight Training - burned 489 calories...used 5,8, 10, 15, 20 lb dumbbells

Endurance Core Beginner Core Circuit - burned 30 calories

I was planning on running today, but with everything we've got going on today and this weekend, I decided to take advantage of some time at home and get a workout done.  Hopefully, I'll have time to run tomorrow. I did journal my food today...even the peanut butter bar from Great Harvest.


December 2 ~
Jari Love Get Ripped Slim and Lean - burned 416 calories...used 5, 8, 10 lb dumbbells.
Ab Sculpt - burned 90 calories
Because Tim took the kids to school this morning, I had the house to myself, so I decided to do a lifting workout instead of running because I can run tomorrow morning while everyone is sleeping.  If you've ever done a Jari Love workout, you know that she does about a million reps for every exercise, so I can't lift as heavy was I would otherwise.  Since I'm trying to burn 500 calories per day, i added the ab workout on, just to make up the difference.  I journaled all of my food today, but did not drink enough water.


December 3 ~
Treadmill run - I ran 5 miles in 52:14 this morning on the treadmill.  I burned 652 calories.  My max HR was 182 and my average HR was 165.  This is what the workout looked like.
5 min warmup @ 11:30 min/mile
5 min @ 10:30 min/mile
5 min @ 11:30 min/mile
4 min @ 10 min/mile
4 min @ 11:30 min/mile
3 min @ 9:30 min/mile
3 min @ 11:30 min/mile
2 min @ 9 min/mile
2 min @ 11:30 min/mile
1 min @ 8 min/mile
1 min @ dry heaving off the side of the treadmill
2 min @ 11:30 min/mile
1 min @ 11:20 min/mile
1 min @ 11:07 min/mile
1 min @ 10:55 min/mile
1 min @ 10:43 min/mile
1 min @ 10:32 min/mile
1 min @ 10:21 min/mile
1 min @ 10:11 min/mile
1 min @ 10:00 min/mile
1 min @ 9:50 min/mile
1 min @ 9:41 min/mile
1 min @ 9:31 min/mile
2 min @ 10 min/mile
1 min @ 9:31 min/mile

This workout was killer, but I loved it!  I used lots of positive self-talk for the last 10 minutes.  In my head, I was saying, "Be tough," "You can do this," "Never ever give up," "You an do anything for 1 minute."  That definitely helped me get through and while I was dripping with sweat at the end of the workout, I felt phenomenal!  I love HARD workouts! Journaled all of my food today...but definitely didn't drink enough water.


December 4 ~ Performance Stretch - Recovery.  I didn't wear my HR monitor for this workout and Tim stretched with me.  It was a good 15 minute full body stretch.  I wrote down everything I ate and I avoided my favorite cinnamon santas at my parents house.

December 5 ~ Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn.  I used 8 lb dumbbells and burned 501 calories.  I always forget that this is a challenging workout.  I also did 15 minutes of Upper Body Sculpt.  I used 8 and 15 lb dumbbells and a 9 lb sculpting stick. I recorded all of my food.


December 6 ~ Get Ripped 100. I used an 8 lb dumbbell and burned 80 calories for the 12 min I worked out.  I was feeling like I was going to hurl, so I changed dvds and switched to Fat Blasting Cardio.  I made it through that one for 17 min and I burned 174 calories.  I'm never eating at Golden Corral before a workout again.  I ate way too much and its just sitting there waiting to come up.  I've definitely learned my lesson. I wrote down everything I ate (I think).


December 7 ~ Get Extremely Ripped Body Rock.  I have a POUNDING sinus headache, so I wasn't feeling much like working out.  I decided to do this workout because it's not too hard, but I did burn 537 calories, so I'll take it.  I used 10, 8, and 3lb dumbbells. Food wasn't pretty, but it was written down.

December 8 ~ Apparently, I'm getting a cold or sinus infection because my nose was running all day.  I did get my workout done though.  I did Hi Def Sculpt and used 10 lb dumbbells.  I only burned 328 calories so I added another workout to the plan.   I was hoping to do a 30 minute workout on Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped 1000 but after several interruptions, I only made it through 20 minutes.  I did burn 184 calories so at least I hit my 500 calories per day goal.  The food is journaled. 

December 9 ~ Hard Core Fusion. I burned 454 calories and used 5, 10, and 15 lb dumbbells.  I'm super sore from this workout.  I did write down all of my food.

December 10 ~ Today was tricky.  I woke up this morning a little later than I wanted to, so I ended up doing Cardio Dance Slimdown.  I only burned 271 calories and it definitely wasn't the workout I wanted to do today.  I also wrote down all of my food.


December 11 ~ Today was my rest day so I did 15 minutes of stretching.  I also journaled my food.


December 12 ~ Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Interval 2.  I wasn't sure if a workout was going to happen today, but it did.  I burned 514 calories.  This is one of my favorite workouts.  I did write down my food today, but I'm guessing I will miss something since I did eat some of the neighbor treats.

December 13 ~ Jari Love Get Ripped to the Core.  I burned 558 calories and had a great workout.  I used heavier weights (5,8,10,15 lb dumbbells) and I'm sure I will pay for it tomorrow, but I feel good.  The food I ate was written down and I even skipped the cookies at the YW Christmas party. 


December 14 ~ Jari Love Body Rock.  I burned 513 calories and used 3,5,8,10 lb dumbbells.  I probably should use 15s next time I do this workout.  I also journaled my food.

December 15 ~ I'm not even sure I get to count a workout today.  I got dressed and had the dvd on and was working out, but Kona wouldn't stay off the step.  It's totally difficult to do step aerobics around a 120lb great dane.  Plus, Tim called and needed Christmas gift ideas for Kyra and then I needed to be done and showered to pick up Kyra from track practice.  So, I made it through the workout a whopping 8 minutes.  Yep...not sure if it counts.  Today has also been a crappy food choice day.  :(  Maybe I can fit in a short workout tonight before bed. 

December 19 ~ Complete Body Sculpting 46:42.  I burned 499 calories.  My max HR was 175 and my avg HR was 152.  I used 15 and 10 lb dumbbells.  Core Solutions Standing Abs 10:04.  I burned 107 calories.  My max HR was 165 and my avg HR was 152.  I used 8 lb weights.

December 28 ~ Jari Love Get Ripped 1000 1:02:38.  I burned 626 calories.  My max HR was 181 and my avg HR was 146.  I used 20, 15, 10, 8 lb dumbbells.  Oh and I got Rylan to do this workout with me.


Looking back on my goals for December...I did great until the middle of the month and then things got crazy busy and I didn't make my goals a personal priority.  I didn't lose any weight, but I also didn't gain any weight either.  I did lose inches in my hips, waist and thighs so I will take it.  Oh and I did try to stay positive and not beat myself up too much about missing workouts.  Now we'll have to see how January goes...

Awesome Killer Dreadmill Workout

The other day, I came across some new dreadmill workouts from Triathlete magazine, so today, I finally got motivated to try one of them.  Of course, I modified it because while I was running, I realized I needed to be successful and not discouraged.  So, this is what I did.

5 min warmup
5 min @ 10K pace
5 min @ 5K pace
2 min @ 5% incline
3 min recovery
2 min @ 6% incline
3 min recovery
2 min @ 7% incline
3 min recovery *At this point, I was supposed to start the incline at 6%...I stayed at 5%.
2 min @ 5% incline
3 min recovery
2 min @ 6% incline
3 min recovery
2 min @ 7% incline
3 min recovery
10 min @ increasing speed each min
5 min cooldown *Except I did some strides and finished with 2 min of sprinting.

I finished 5.25 miles.  My average heart rate was 169 and I maxed out at 182.  Definitely a great workout.  I've decided that dreadmills are much more bearable when I do intervals.

Oh and the picture...LOVE IT!  I'm pretty sure this is me...in the form of a hippo!  :)

Motivation...

I have been struggling with motivation lately...especially in my workouts.  I don't know what the deal is.  It seems like a constant struggle to talk myself into working out.  Usually I feel pretty good after a workout, but lately, I've just felt more tired.  I can TOTALLY relate to this comic.

This morning, while I was lying in bed, catching up on Facebook, I found some motivation.  I'm "friends" with Siri Lindley, who is a phenomenal triathlete coach.  I've never met Siri Lindley, but I have read alot about her and have been totally impressed by her coaching abilities.  I love the athletes she coaches and I love the positive energy she sends out.  Each morning, she posts some inspirational quotes.  When I come across one that I like, I write it down. 

However, this morning, her quote got me out of bed and into my workout clothes and I even got a workout done.  Here's the quote:

"Don't wait until everything is just right. 

It will never be perfect.  

There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions.  

So what.  

Get started now.  

With each step you take, 

you will grow stronger and stronger, 

more and more skilled, 

more and more self-confident, 

and more and more successful." 

~Mark Victor Hansen

How could this statement not motivate you?!

I often find myself waiting until all of the stars are aligned and everything is perfect with no distractions and everything going my way before I start working towards my goals.  It's not that I don't want to, I just want "stuff" to be in place so that I can be successful.  But, this quote reminded me of something I already know.  Life will NEVER be perfect. I need to just get my butt in gear and start kicking it.

Now, if I can just remember this tomorrow morning...

Reunited...And It Feels So Good?!

Oscar and the trainer have been reunited.  I guess that's one of the joys of living in a place that has an actual winter...with snow and super cold temperatures.  Plus, I'm a total fairweather rider, so I've spent many a winters day and sometimes a spring and fall and even summer day on the trainer.

Today, I felt like riding, but I also wanted a serious leg-burner, so here's what I came up with.

5 min warm-up  -  easy spinning
5 min weights - 1 min each of squats, alternating lunges, dead lifts with 15lb dumbbells, side squats and plie squats
5 min pedaling hard in my big ring
5 min weights - same as above
5 min pedaling hard in my big ring
5 min weights - same as above
5 min pedaling harder in my big ring
5 min weights - same as above
5 min pedaling harder in my big ring
5 min weights - same as above
5 min pedaling in my big ring and smallest rear ring - hardest work
5 min cooldown with one-legged pedaling drills

My legs are toast.  In fact, I had a HARD time walking up the stairs after the workout was over.  However, it was an awesome workout.  I burned 694 calories and my average heart rate was 158.  I maxed out at 174.  I may have to try this workout again.

"Treading" #2

Since I had such a great run doing the "treading" workout, I decided I would hit the treadmill and see how today went.  I also thought maybe I should write down these workouts to see if I have any improvements.  Here's how the "treading" went down today.

5 min @ 11:32 min/mile
5 min @ 10:31 min/mile
5 min @ 11:32 min/mile
4 min @10:00 min/mile
4 min @ 11:32 min/mile
3 min @ 9:27 min/mile
3 min @ 11:32 min/mile
2 min @ 0\8:57 min/mile
2 min @ 11:32 min/mile
30 sec @ 8:31 min/mile
30 sec @ 8:00 min/mile
1 min standing on the edge of the treadmill taking deep breaths and keeping the puke down
2 min @ 12:00 min/mile (trying super hard to stop dry heaving)
1 min @ 11:32 min/mile
1 min @ 11:00 min/mile
1 min @ 12:00 min/mile

I ran for 40 min.  I burned 490 calories.  My average heartrate was 164 bpm. I ran 3.?? miles on the treadmill.  Darn it...why can't I remember. So, how does that compare to last time?  My warmup and cooldown and recovery times were at 11:32 pace instead of 12:00 pace. I'm pretty sure that my distance was longer this time.  My last interval and first intervals were not as fast.  I'm wondering if that's a difference from a first thing in the morning run to an early evening run. 

Anyways, that run is in the books.  Now, I just need to convince some of my running buddies that this is a fantastic workout!

"Treading"

This morning, as I was lying in bed, I was sort of feeling like I wanted to go for a run...but I was coming up with a long list of excuses. Excuses like, I'm tired...Its cold outside...I don't want to run by myself...I don't want to be out in the middle of the neighborhood and feel all poopy...Yes, excuses like that.

Suddenly, I was inspired. I thought about Time Out for Women and a talk by Laurel Christensen. For her "Choose to Become" journey, she decided that she wanted to become a runner. She also wanted to lose some weight, so she headed down to the Biggest Loser Ranch in southern Utah. She explained a workout called "treading". When I was listening to the talk, I thought, "I totally need to do that workout." So, since that popped into my head, I decided to head over to the Clubhouse and hit the treadmill. And I had the BEST RUN IVE HAD IN MONTHS!

Here's what my workout looked like.

5 min warmup @ 12:00 min/mile

5 min HARD @ 10:30 min/mile (I actually sped it up to 10:00 min/mile for the last 2:30)

5 min recovery 4 min HARD @ 10:00 min/mile

4 min recovery

3 min HARD @ 9:30 min/mile

3 min recovery 2 min HARD @ 8:57 min/mile (This was puke pace.)

2 min recovery

1 min HARD @ 8:01 min/mile (This was definitely puke pace)

1 min recovery (This involved standing on the edge of the treadmill trying super hard not to dry heave.)

5 min cooldown @ 12:00 min/mile

This was not a fast workout. I think I only ran 3.75 miles. I will say this, I felt super strong and tough and I loved the challenge and I especially loved puke pace. I'm sort of thinking I may need to turn this into a once a week workout!

Choose to Become

In September, I had the opportunity to attend Time Out for Women here in Logan. For those of you who aren't familiar with this amazing awesome weekend, check out this website. It's basically an evening and a day of inspirational music and speakers for women only. I've gone 4 times and plan on continuing to go whenever I have the opportunity.

This year, the theme was "CHOOSE TO BECOME" which I LOVE! This is something I've spent alot of time thinking about and I think I'm finally ready to write about my goals. During the opening remarks, we were encouraged to DISCOVER ALL OF OUR POSSIBILITIES. We were encouraged to make a list of things that come to mind and we were reminded of the scripture in Mark, that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Here is the list of things that I wrote down.

Writing a book
Becoming a strong cyclist
Setting a PR at the 70.3 triathlon distance
Taking voice lessons
Completing an iron-distance triathlon

As I sat down and pondered (yes, I've actually been giving this quite a bit of thought), I noticed that, of course, 3 of my goals involve triathlon and training. Since I got engaged, I've let my training and racing goals slide quite a bit. No excuses for that...except getting married, getting a puppy, having 2 part time teenagers, moving to a new state, etc etc etc. I also feel like I've had to sort of figure out who this "new" AJ is and what she looks like. That probably sounds funny, but it's sort of hard to explain.

So, in an effort to establish my goals and start moving forward, I'm posting my CHOOSE TO BECOME goal.

I'm CHOOSING TO BECOME A TRIATHLETE...AGAIN...specifically an long distance triathlete.

In order for this to happen, there are several things that need to take place. Things like losing weight, getting back into the "training" habit, finding a place to swim that's not 20 minutes away and only open from 5-6:30am, etc.

I've sort of put together a rough draft of a timeline for this happening...hopefully, it will play out this way, but I also know that life is tricky sometimes, so... we'll see what happens.

October 2011-January 2012 - Work on losing weight and regaining strength and fitness. Work on cleaner eating.

February 2012 - Start training for Boise Ironman 70.3

May 2012 - Run the Ogden 1/2 Marathon (one of my favorites) with my hubby, Kyra (my step-daughter) and my friend, Andrea.

June 2012 - Boise Ironman 70.3

September 2012 - Bear Lake Brawl 1/2 Ironman and hopefully (it's a lottery) LOTOJA with my Dad.

At some point, I would like to sign up for an Iron-distance triathlon. I'm sort of thinking Ironman St George, Ironman Arizona, or maybe Ironman Coeur D'Alene, but we'll see. I know that in order to train for an IM I absolutely need my whole team (ie. hubby, kids, dog, etc) on board.

So, that's it...that's my CHOOSE TO BECOME goal. I've already cut out the candy from my diet, started focusing on eating lots more fruits and veggies, journaling my food, and most importantly, working out 6 days a week. Now, I just need the scale to start dropping, and my fitness level going back up. I'm hoping that the blog will be a good way to keep myself honest and up front about how this whole journey is going.

Oh, and I need to remember that

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM (or her) WHO BELIEVETH!

Kona's First Training Run

This morning, when Tim woke up, he asked Kona if he would like to go running. Apparently, our workout today was going to be a run. Kona has never gone running with us before, so this was a new experience for all of us. Because he's a great dane, we have to be careful with how much impact he has on his joints, especially since he's still a puppy and still has alot of growing and developing to do. We've got approval from the vet for him to start running, but the weather has been sort of iffy and we didn't want a filthy, muddy dog. So, today was the day!

As you can tell from the picture, Kona was ready to go! We didn't take the camera on the run, so no "running" pics, but Kona had a great time. He did pretty well and stayed fairly close to me or Tim for most of the run. He did start pulling on the leash on the way home. I think he was ready for his breakfast. Oh, and while we were on our run, we saw 7 deer. There were 3 bucks and 4 does. They were gorgeous!

After the run, Kona had breakfast and then wandered around the house, watching us clean. He's opposed to the vacuum, unless we're vacuuming him off, so he usually just paces around in whatever room we're not cleaning in. After things quieted down, and he got vacuumed off, he crashed. You can tell how wiped out he is in this picture.

Weekly Workouts

February 21 ~ 60 min on the trainer. I warmed up for 10 minutes and then did 2 min intervals with 3 min recovery for 45 min. I cooled down with one legged pedaling drills for 5 min. I also did Jiggle Free Arms, an upper body workout for 33 min.

February 22 ~ I did a 45 min dvd called Cardio Overdrive. I had intentions of lifting as well, but I'm tired so I stuck with a hard cardio workout instead. I burned 444 calories so I'll take it.

Weekly Workouts

February 17 ~ 45 minute trainer ride...I did a 5 min warm-up and then intervals of hard spinning and I also did a 15 min ab workout.

February 18 ~ 31 min of cardio + 48 min of Hi Def Sculpt (used 10lb dumbbells).

Weekly Workouts

1/24/2011 ~ 43 minutes of yoga. I was definitely sore in my arms and core after this workout. Yikes!

1/26/2011 ~ Today, I wasn't really feeling like working out, but I decided to just start a workout and see how it went. I did Hi-Def Sculpt and burned 405 calories. Then I decided to play Just Dance 2 for a few minutes which turned into an hour and I burned 520 calories. I'll take it...especially since I felt so crappy yesterday.

Weekly Workouts

1/17/2011 ~ I had a hard time getting motivated to do my workout today. I ended up doing Body Sculpt and lifted super heavy for my legs. I also played Just Dance 2 for an hour.

1/18/2011 ~ I didn't get started on my workout until 7:20pm...long day. I did Hard Core Fusion and burned 540 calories and then I played Just Dance 2 for 20 minutes and burned 198 calories.

1/19/2011 ~ I struggled with motivation again today. I'm not feeling great and am also feeling super tired. I started a workout (Maximum Calorie Burn Bootcamp) and got about 30 min into it and just couldn't work up the strength to do it. So, I thought, hey, I'll do Just Dance and that didn't work either. It didn't help that the dog needed to go out every 15 minutes. Oh well...at least I worked out.

1/20/2011 ~ I don't know what the deal is but I'm super tired which has definitely impacted my motivation this week. Tim and I rode our bikes today...on the trainer and we did some ab work with the medicine ball. I also did some dead lifts and squats. Definitely not a super hard workout, but it was a workout. I'll take it.

1/21/2011 ~ Still no motivation. I'm wondering if I'm fighting off a cold or something. I did 15 minutes of yoga while Tim was on the trainer. I just couldn't really work up the energy.

Weekly Workouts

1/10/2011 ~ This afternoon after cleaning the house, I did Jiggle Free Buns and Jiggle Free Arms. I burned 663 calories, which felt good. I'm considering doing some serious stretching during the football game tonight.

1/11/2011 ~ I just finished Ultimate Calorie Blaster. I burned 444 calories in 45 minutes. I had planned to add on another 30 minutes of cardio, but I'm dragging today so I'll settle for some stretching and abs while we watch The Biggest Loser tonight.

1/12/2011 ~ All done with Get Ripped to the Core. I only burned 486 calories, so I decided to do a few songs from Just Dance 2 and I burned 142 calories...and I scored over 10000 points on my last song. Oh yeah...who knew I was such a great dancer!


1/13/2011 ~ I had a change of workout plans this morning. We have the kids for the next few days so we were up at 6am to get them ready and out the door. I was planning on working out after they went to school, but I guess we're going to Idaho to buy a couple of Hudsons...seriously. So, I did a quick workout...Cardio Dance SlimDown and burned 334 calories. Now, it's off to Idaho.

1/14/2011~I haven't been feeling sore, so I decided to lift "heavy" today. I did Get Ripped and I'm kinda feeling like maybe I should have lifted heavier. I burned 316 calories in 55 minutes. I wanted to stretch out my muscles a little bit so I did 3 songs on Just Dance 2 and burned 96 calories. Not sure what workout I'll do tomorrow or when I'll fit it in.


1/15/2011 ~ Today we had family workout time playing Just Dance. I didn't wear my HR monitor but we did play for about 45 minutes and I worked hard. I found a really good ab workout. I do have a yoga mat in my bedroom so I may try to do a 30 min workout tonight after we get everything done today. Off to dog school with Kona.

Weekly Workouts

1/3/2011 ~ I started the day off with a great workout. I did Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped Body Rock. It was my first time doing that workout and I really enjoyed it. I did all 65 minutes and burned 552 calories. I will admit that I did slack sometimes...Oh the joy of being out of shape. I'm off to eat my oatmeal with blueberries and bananas.

1/4/2011 ~ I got up again this morning for a workout. I did Cardio Party and burned 388 calories and then did 4 songs from Just Dance 2 and burned another 156 calories. Tim and I are planning to get the bikes up on the trainers tonight while we watch the Biggest Loser...or football...


1/5/2011 ~ I got a great strength training workout done this morning. It included upper and lower body as well as abs. I'm actually considering doing a swim this afternoon to see if I can work some of this soreness out of my body.

1/6/2011 ~ Because today is Tim's birthday, I didn't get my workout done until tonight. I did a 22 min Jillian Michaels workout and burned 196 calories and then I decided to play Just Dance 2 on the Wii. I thought, hey, I'll just do a few songs... 59 minutes later and 596 calories burned I was done. Now it's time to get ready for dinner with Tim at La Nonne.

1/7/2011 ~ I had a killer workout this morning. I did Get Extremely Ripped 1000 and burned 559 calories in 58 minutes. I'm sure I'll be paying for this tomorrow.

1/8/2011 ~ Workout is done for the day. I did Complete Body Sculpting and burned 402 calories. I would really like to do some stretching and maybe a short yoga workout this afternoon. Or maybe I'll even hit the pool. Oh and hey...I did 6 workouts this week. I don't remember the last time I did that.