Do you like a challenge?

Seems both physical and mental challenges have been popping up on my radar screen lately.  :)  I have been working on the push up/pull up/squat circuit still and am moving this week up to 8 sets of each.  I can really notice the difference in my cardio ability from changing it up.  Just when I was starting to feel a little comfortable, the Combine360 challenge pops up from a trainer at our local XSport.  The guys and the girls do the same challenge on camera and get scored based on their time and doing the circuit correctly.  My husband did it on Saturday and now is egging me on to try it this weekend.  OYE!  Of course he is saying that b/c he had not tried it before and killed it with a 4 minute time and was able to place among the men.  Check out his video.  

I am proud of him! Mike, the Under Armour trainer at the gym, is has dangled the carrot of winning Under Armour clothing as my incentive to get out there and try it.... what do you think?  10 minutes of a near death experience for a workout outfit.  OK maybe a little dramatic but the butterflies in my stomach are just what I remember when I tried my first half marathon.  I have the TRX up in the basement now so I did try to the very end of 25 rows and I see that as being the hard part being at the end AND when you are dead tired.  

I started my running this week.  And I would be going right now if it would stop raining in the Chicago area.  The other part of the BIG challenge for this week is to get my mileage WAY up.  I want to get comfortable doing the 5 mile distance.  I found some girlfriends to help hold me accountable and drag me out there.  Today marks less than 9 weeks until the next half marathon so I need to do something different to get a new result.  One thing I have ALWAYS been bad at is following the schedule and getting my weekly mileage not to fall below 15.  

All these challenges kicking off this week!  I love the adrenaline of a new challenge but man this not knowing how I am going to do... I could do without that :)  Wish me luck stepping up to the plate this week!

Back to the Drawing Board

Blog today had a little bit of everything in the video today.  I pushed out my pushup/pullup deadline to August and incorporate some running in again.  Also released some of the strictness to the Paleo diet and it seems I am choosing to eat still pretty clean on 50% of my meals.  I must say I did feel “lighter” without the breads but emotionally, I am not ready to let go of them 100% :)

I say I didn’t QUIT Paleo or the Challenge just adjusted.  Is that like saying I bought a pair of shoes because they are on sale?  Hmmm....

I extended out my crossfit challenge and updated my run training into August and kicking off race season.  I am running Rock and Roll Chicago on August 14th and I am hoping to take 10 minutes off my time!!  (WHOA did I just put that in print???)  I am excited as I learned some AWESOME things at Fitbloggin from Holly Perkins.  I am ready to devour some information on HIIT and Interval training and how that relates to cortisol in your body.  

So much new news on some fun things I saw at the conference that are must have so I will share on that later in the week!!  

Pay it forward

Posting from my iPhone is challenging so I'll be brief. This weeks post is starting to celebrate my one year start of running with some fun books for friends on me! Listen and let me know how you are kicking up your running training with spring right around the corner!

Ready for RockNRoll VEGAS style!

That is Bret waiting for me at the finish line this weekend in Vegas :D  He has been coaching me on how to keep my cool with pre-race jitters and then he is going to sing me Every Rose Has It's Thorn :D

Wow I blinked my eyes and November is gone.  I lost my grandfather the Monday before Thanksgiving to cancer and that made for a whirlwind week.  And it took 1 day of excess (Thanksgiving) into 4.  I am writing on a plane while kicking off a 9 day travel mess of 4 cities and a half marathon.  The PRO is I will not focus on not feeling “ready” to give my best performance in Vegas …while the CON is that I will not have any time to log some miles to get my legs to remember that they need to run 13 miles in just a short 6 days.  

I have kept up well on my cross training.  Mostly with kettle bells and a couple days with Insanity videos.  But for the most part I think out of my 12 weeks of training mapped out for the half marathon, I stuck to 5.  Hmmm lesson learned that next time I am going to start 4-6 months out so I can have a couple false starts and get back on track ;) NAH… that would be planning to fail and I DON’T do that.  I am going to plan how I am going to incorporate running for FUN into the next quarter.  I believe I am going to get more 3-5 miles enjoyment runs in vs. the I have to do INSERT PLAN HERE.  

My video talks about how I am ready to rock and roll this weekend and how I worked through my pre-race anxiety this week.  Also includes a cameo from TJ on what he did for the key points on guiding me through race prep.    

Let me know what you have been doing to kick it lately!  I love getting motivated from you all too!