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!

Happy Hump Day Humor!

I had to go make sure Kelly could move after our bootcamp on Saturday.  She was SORE!!  That ended in this random hilarious blog of her and I and I was awarded the Wednesday WOOT Factor on her blog :)  HOW AWESOME!!  Been blogging less than a month and have the opportunity to meet more of her great friends!

Check out the answers to my questions about fitness at www.kellyolexa.com

One of the things a great friend told me on blogging was that readers love fridge tours.  So I thought I would be nosy and see what was in Kelly's fridge and take a pic for everyone with the phone.  I gasped when I opened the fridge and Kelly quickly ran to her defense and said that she doesn't drink the coke anymore.  But can you see what I was gasping at??  :)

I was actually laughing at the motivation sitting in her fridge.  Yep her favorite orange bikini! What tricks do you guys use to making you pause before making a questionable food or drink choice?  Feel free to send me a pic of your fridge if you have a hint in there ;)

I am off for a easy run this morning and then a TRX class tonight.  And yes I am sleeping like 8-9 hours a night so I can recover from the kick butt workouts lately.  More funny Amy/Kelly randomness to come this week.  

Make it a great one! CHEERS!

Happy Monday - Fall is here BRRR!

I woke up this morning and it was 64 degrees in the house--BRRR!  Time to throw on the heat.  This is going to be another non-video post.  I will spare you the short long rant on why but suffice it to say - I will not be shopping at Best Buy any more.  #CustomerServiceFail. 

So onward.  I had a GREAT training weekend.  I took Friday off but the did a kick butt bootcamp on Saturday and encouraged some friends to go so I was sure to get out of bed.  Kelly of course went with me - she was her usual comic relief self but still got her BUTT kicked ;)  She was very excited to be so sore yesterday but sadly we didn't get together to vlog because she needed the rest. 

Yesterday I was suppose to do a 6 mile run and I so didn't want to get off the couch.  I tried for 6 but only got in 4 and mostly with the run/walk.  I tried compression socks for the run because my ankles and calves were so tight from bootcamp.  I felt like that really helped get me moving and to the warm up stage.  I think I will definitely use them again.  I am trying to get use to running in the fall weather but yesterday my ears were giving me a brain freeze.  I need to find some ear thing that isn't winter wear.  (yes I am constantly looking for running clothes and accessories.  It's a sickness)  

I started Friday taking 5mg of Glutamine every day (Thanks Chelle!).  I need to do whatever I can to decrease my recovery time.  Doing both TRX and the bootcamps means I eventually am going to have to put a short run on the same day as one of them.  I'm also thinking of a the recovery compression pants to help my legs stop throbbing in the middle of the night.  :) I won't tell you how long it has been since I have even thought of a two a day.  

I watched the DVR'd versions of Biggest Loser last night.  Wow.  It really got me excited to continue to build a community in real life and online to keep each other moving!  I think I'll save the rest of the thoughts on that for tomorrow's post.

Make it a GREAT week!

Amy

Getting back on TRACK!

I STILL do not have a video camera that works and I can see my posting frequency AND the comments going down without the video.  HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE: I will have one by this weekend!  So in the mean time I am sharing a pic of me in my new Under Armour gear with my son behind me flexing (just for you Mr. Flo).  

I LOVE Under Armour.  I am going to be a tough B#!%! #%@%! chick in that gear.  Gotta say this new hat is just fabulous and fits to my head perfectly.  I am going to do the TRX workout in it tonight and see how it breathes.  My excuse for the shopping spree.... I need cold weather running gear.  (Yeah don't be like my husband and ask why then I had a short sleeve T shirt in the mix).  :)

OH SNAP has it been a bad week of food and drink and lack of moving the body!  We all fall off the wagon right!?! It is being announced right now that I am moving on to a new opportunity at the day job and that has me running ragged and on non-stop calls.  I am so excited but you know how moving on can always be bitter sweet.  I have only been doing 1/3 of the water I normally do and I am feeling YUCKY.

Running went great last week.  I ran the target schedule and posting on the Daily Mile is helping alot!  I love that people are seeing the distance, frequency, and time.  I struggled hard on the 5 mile run.  I know I am training my breathing and attention span more than my legs.  It helps so much that the hubby ran ahead of me so I couldn't slow down.  BUDDY UP on line and in real life - they are both pushing me.

What do you do to get back on track?  I am starting tonight with TRX but I am also contemplating a juice fast.  Anyone have an experience on kicking off healthy eating with that?  Would love to hear!

Have a kick butt week and Happy Hump Day!!!

"Official" Half Marathon Training Start ;)

No video camera that works yet but trying to convince my hubby that I need one stat!  I figured out that I probably need HD to keep up with my talking ;)  You can imagine what comments he had for that ;)  Oh but I did finally get the About Me Section done of the blog so if you don't know much about me - feel free to click on over there.

It’s been an exciting training week as I kick off the days to Rock n Roll Las Vegas so I couldn't wait to share my training plan.  

I planned out my running for the next 11 weeks so I can be ready for Vegas.  I am going to need to get my fall Under Armour shopping spree planned :)  I am especially excited about the Hot Chocolate 15k as what a BRILLIANT idea to combine running with chocolate goodies ;)  I am pushing myself to the Hal Higdon Intermediate plan as I want to increase my time.  I haven’t done intervals or speed training before so I will be learning that in the process.  This week is already a 5 mile long run so I must start the training off without missing it!  I am still doing the run/walk thing so I tried this week to run to mediation music to stay more “slow and steady” but haven’t found my zone yet.  

TRX Cross Training.  This is me on the picture up top.  I have done 2 days of TRX training.  Once I get the new camera I will set up the tripod and you can watch us in our class.  It is really fun and the trainer is giving us cardio blasts in between our strength exercises o get our heart rate up there.  Only two classes and I already feel some arms toning up AND the fat burning working!!  If you have any TRX questions - post them as a comment and I will post a blog on it and try to even tape the girl who got them to run these classes in her home.

Last component of my training is doing Hot Yoga once a week.  I am doing it at Bikram studio that is 105 degrees.  Man have I been sweating my butt of in there.  But what I enjoy the most is it really stretches out my legs from the runs and keeps me from getting really tight.  

More to come later but let me know how your training is going this week.  Did you put a goal out there?

CHEERS!