May Fitness Calendar

I'm running various online bootcamps and I lead a class 2 nights a week at a company in Swansea that when I started brainstorming for your May workout calendar, a "bootcamp" just made sense!

Here's your challenge and I think this one is the hardest yet!

Print it out and put it on your fridge - Printable Calendar


Here's some videos on each of the moves -

Enjoy!  Have a great bootcamp!

Perfecting your running form and tips for running up hills

Let’s talk running form.  Most of us would probably be shocked to see how we truly run, either from behind, front or side.  I have actually been to a running specialist and had myself filmed to see what was causing the pain I was feeling.  I don’t have that amount of time, money or opportunity now, so here’s some quick tips for keeping good form.

1. Keep shoulders loose and away from you ears
2. Chest open so lungs can expand for more air
3. Run tall and relaxed
4. Arms bent at your sides with hands cupped (act like you are holding a butterfly!)
5. Avoid heel striking when possible and land directly under your hips
6. Eyes up and looking forward.  Neck relaxed.
7. Engage your hamstrings and butt.  Our quads take the blunt of our running mostly due to miles over time or improper form.

***A note on running up and down hills:

Uphill

1. Keep your stride short and your knees up when running hills. This will increase your strike frequency and hopefully leg speed. Think - Short choppy steps.
2. Stay on the balls of your feet and bounce off your toes for momentum.
3. Keep your body straight. Avoid leaning forward or hunching over, which can feel like a natural thing to do. Pretend your head is being pulled by a string straight up into the sky.
4. Keep your upper body relaxed. Try not to tense up your muscles.

Downhill

1. Try not to “put on the brakes” when running downhill.
2. Keep your stride similar to running on a flat surface.
3. Continue to stay on the balls of your feet
4. Be conscious of your form and how you feel.  A lot of times we see a hill (either uphill or down) and we mentally change how we run.  Stay the course and let your comfortable stride set in.  

Friday Top 5

It's been a few weeks since I posted my top 5.  Here's what I'm loving this week:

1.  Oatmeal -This is my go-to for races and for cold mornings to get good protein, carbs, and I love that I can add things like chia seeds, flax, almond butter, or almonds to up the nutritional value.  I do quick oats or steel cut.  But once it gets hot, I will switch to "frozen oatmeal" ...here's the recipe and it is delicious - Frozen Oatmeal

2.  Cleaning out my closet - We have 3 closets in our house and I have things in all three of them. 2 of them I would consider "mine".  While I love clothes and shoes, I find myself looking at things going, "I haven't worn that in years.  I'm never going too."  I've been pulling stuff out and listing it on eBay to make a few bucks and it's been paying off!  And I don't miss that stuff.  Nathan even saw a pair of shoes I've had for years and said he's never seen them and I've known him for 8 years.  Wow, clean it out! I'm interested in doing a Time Capsule wardrobe but hesitate to pull the trigger.  Maybe this is a first step.  Here's a link to what a Time Capsule Wardrobe is - Time Capsule Wardrobe
This is a good explanation too - Explanation on Time Capsule Wardrobe

3.  Highlighters - these guys literally save my life.  I have 5 different colors and I use them to track what's going on in schedule.  I have a color for family, church, workouts, school, challenge groups and my personal stuff.  Colors make my daily tasks less daunting haha. 





4. Chicken Salads - I've never been a fan of tuna or chicken salad, until I figured out how to make it palatable. Chunks of chicken, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, grapes, onions, mashed avocado and maybe an apple if you're feeling crazy!  Delicious!  If you're not afraid of bread, put it on ciabatta.

5.  Bootcamps - I've been running around crazy writing workouts for my online bootcampers and for a class at my church this summer.  Demo-ing new moves, timing myself and sweating a lot!  I love it and love having my clients see results.  Try this workout this weekend from my up-coming 4 week EXTREME bootcamp

Setting new goals in running

I wrote this recently for a Running challenge group I helped co-lead.  I think it's worth noting as you prepare to pick up running again or set a new goal for yourself.

Here’s some tips on how to structure your training moving forward:

If you just ran your first race:  Recover and bask in your accomplishment!  Post your picture on social media and your time.  Take a few days off to physically and mentally recover,  but consider signing up for another race soon. It’s good to always have one “in your back pocket.”

If you just PR’d in a race: You pushed it for speed and you won!  Congrats!  Go over your log book and see what you did right and how this training was different and effective for you.  File that one away to do again sometime.  Make sure you hit the foam roller, ice bath (eek!) and get proper nutrition during the first 5 days.  And rest those muscles.  Then ponder a new goal.  Maybe you PR’d in your 5k or half.  Maybe try an obscure mile course like a 15k or a themed run.

If you just did multiple 5k and 10ks:    Keep going based on what motivates you.  Try doing 2/month and then see if it’s time for a larger race.  Set a goal based on your training that is realistic but pushes you.

If you’re stuck in a running rut: You run the circuit of half marathons in your area, always sign up for the same 5ks and that’s all ok because it’s what you’ve always done.  It’s time to light a fire under you.  Come up with an alternative goal than a PR.  Maybe running 1,000 miles in a year?  Can you make a goal to run with a friend at least 1x a month?  Think out of the box on this one.  Your goal is to remember why you love this sport so much.

If you’ve missed weeks of training:  Get back on the horse...slowly.  Our bodies are amazing machines.  They also have an incredible memory.  Even if you stop running for months, pick it up with a 1-2 miler but take it easy.  Maybe you can’t bust out a 9 minute mile from a year ago, but you’re out there and you’re doing it.  You will get it back.  It may take some time but you will. And maybe you missed due to unforeseen circumstances.  No big deal.  Just adjust your goal.   I missed the entire last week of training due to illness and my half marathon is Sunday.  I ran 3 miles today at a slower pace and my goal now is to just finish!  Be willing to adjust those goals without getting down on yourself.  

I think the #1 takeaway is to lace up, hit the pavement and forget the rest.  Sometimes half the battle is getting out there.  But we always feel better when we do!  Happy running!

Liam's 2nd birthday party - on a budget!

Liam's first birthday was full of tons of family, friends and the house was packed.  It was great for a 1st birthday, but now I'm happy to scale back for the next few years.  But I love themes and had tons of things I could re-create for his 2nd birthday. I pinned a ton of stuff on Pinterest and then tried to figure out what of that I had or could recreate so I didn't have to spend money.  Liam loves trains, trucks, cars, etc so it made sense to use what we already had around the house for the theme and decor.  Here's the details:

Theme - Transportation Party

Invites - I found what I liked on Pinterest then used similar wording on my own invites.  I tried to print on cardstock and use postcard stamps I already had but the paper wouldn't go through my printer, so I used paper and mailed them.  I bought 2 stamps of a car and a truck and used previous stamppads (cost for 2 stamps - approx $8)

Food - I went light because I had fewer people so I did chips, green peppers, dip, Oreos, deli ham and cheese with buns.  I also had tea, water, and cake, of course!  I used transportation like labels for the names of the food.  Chips was gravel.  Meat and cheese was the Pit Stop.  Drinks were Refueling Station.  Green Peppers were Produce Car and Oreos were Spare Tires.  I also had a huge dump truck that fit all the Oreos that worked perfectly. (Food - $20)

Favors - Car and truck cookies in baggies with a tag I made from Pinterest inspiration.  Printed at home.

Cake - I sent a photo of what I like to the lady who made our wedding cake and what I wanted and she did a great job for a great price.  Cake was strawberry with cream cheese frosting.  And she made the cookies as well which were phenomenal.  (Cake and cookies - $37)

Decor - Most of the decor, I made beforehand.  I actually had my student aide's help color and cut most of it.  We found road signs, colored them, and I taped them to dowel rod sticks and placed those in vases around the living room.  For the table, I had tons of black cardstock from our wedding that I cut in half and we used a white colored pencil for road lines.  I taped a "map" on the kitchen table and set up the food in between the roads.  I grabbed a handful of Liam's cars and fire trucks and dump trucks and put them on the road.  Problem was, he saw them and wanted to play with them then!

Outfit - Liam's themed shirt came from Etsy - Gifts by Gita.  This woman was awesome.  She apologized for being a week late on sending his shirt which was still in plenty of time because she got in an accident.  His shirt was embroidered perfectly and she sent a keychain for being "understanding" with an "L" on it.  So sweet and love the extra touch.  (shirt - $24)

It was a great day with family.  Liam felt loved and I was not overwhelmed to get my house super clean.  We had fun and all on a budget.  Enjoy!

Free weights vs. Machines

I have been working out regularly for about 10 years in and out of the gym.  I've worked out using my own bodyweight, free weights, and machines.  I think each of them have their place in training, so here is my honest look at all three and what they offer:

Bodyweight Training:  No equipment needed.  Using your own body for resistance and training

• Less stressful on your joints - loading up with heavy weights can stress a bone or muscle to fatigue as cause pain and rest. Using your own body in a fluid motion can be less stressful
• Helps with muscular endurance - bodyweight training usually involves fast movements (sometimes explosive) with high reps and a short recovery.  This teaches are muscles how to adapt and endure versus lifting 1 heavy weight slowly for 6-8 reps.
• Convenient - You can literally workout in a small hallway, hotel room, outdoors.  If you have yourself, you have a workout!
• Variety - you can switch up the moves daily.  Try a standard push-up, then throw in a 1 legged push-up or diamond push-up.  Continue to switch up the moves to challenge yourself
• Multiple muscle groups used - When you perform bodyweight moves, you are using your "bodyweight".  Duh?!  Your entire body is firing at muscles to work and adapt versus sitting or lying at a machine with 1 motion.  Take squats.  You are using glutes, quads, hamstrings, gastrocnemius (calf), core (abs and erector spinae) to stabilize.  This will help you throughout your day perform daily activities like picking up groceries, or leaning down to get a laundry basket

Free weights: Using equipment that is not connected to an apparatus or machine.  Dummbells or barbells, kettlebells or med balls used for resistance training.  Can be used at a gym or in the home.

• Greater resistance - sometimes I will combine my bodyweight moves with a dumbbell for added resistance.  For example, squat jumps holding a 10-20lb weight at my chest can really help you feel the burn in your legs
• Good for developing coordination and control - free weights help you to maintain balance and stamina has you move with an added weight.  They can work the main muscle you are working and cause surrounding muscles to stabilize in support of the working muscle.
• Great for at-home gyms - if you have the space, they are cheap and don't take up much room.  I'd go for a heavy kettlebell to start because you can use it to swing or hold to stabilize.  
• Form is key - make sure you use a mirror when exercising or perform exercises slowly so as to avoid injury.  And never lift a heavy weight by yourself without a spotter.

Machines - equipment that generally uses a pulley system to provide varied levels of resistance from a fixed range of motion.

• Great for rehab - because there is a fixed range of motion and a weight you can set yourself, this can be helpful to someone with limited mobility or someone just starting out in a fitness program.
• Isolation - If you are training for a specific event or competition, certain machines can isolate a muscle or muscle group at one time.
• Expensive and bulky - they are pricey if you are trying to build a home gym and you will need a large space for them.  
• Does not recruit stabilizing muscles as much - certain machines will target a muscle group and won't require the use of any stabilizers.  This is great for targeting as said earlier, but does not mimic real life movements of lifting, hauling, pushing, pickup up, etc.

I have used each of these when training, but time and time again, I go back to bodyweight with free weight training.  For me, it's all about convenience and moving my entire body.  That said, I am currently working on my bench and squat on a bench/rack at the gym 2 days a week.  But overall, bodyweight is where it's at.  I heard this said once and it makes perfect sense - I can only bench about 80lbs (3 sets of 8 reps) but when I do a push-up, I can lift 130 lbs (myself!). I know the weight isn't exactly like that, but it is something to think about.  I can't throw 130lbs into the air but I can do a burpee 30x times in a row and jump my 130lb body into the air.

Which do you prefer and why?

3 Basic Moves

I'm toying around with and starting to upload workout moves to my YouTube channel.  They are simple, basic moves to get you started or just to clarify how to perform.  They're in my husband's studio or our living room.  And Liam might be in them occasionally =)  I want to show you that these things can be done anywhere and with anyone around!  We already know kids mimic everything we do, so wouldn't it be great if they saw us exercising?!

Try it out!  Let me know how you do! 

Perform:
10 chair dips
5 burpees
20 lower leg lifts
Repeat 5x


Here is a link to my first video:
3 basic moves



STAY TUNED for bigger and better moves coming up!