Mamavation Monday: February 18

I seriously don't know what's wrong with me lately. I think I've lost that thing in my head that keeps me organized and on schedule. Every day is different, but only the weekly routine remains somewhat similar. The thought of hiring someone just to tell me what to do when and be where at what time has even crossed my mind. So, here's my exercise check in (or what I plan on doing this week):

Monday: Taught my YogaStretch class & Les Mills Combat, either a class at the gym or at home.
Tuesday: Short am run, and Combat Lower Body Lean Out at home. I might hit an evening class at the gym before my walk group.
Wednesday: Combat 60 LIVE and yoga, then a short run while the Cy-Guy has soccer practice.
Thursday: Combat HIIT Power and Inner Warrior Stretch and walk (actually run intervals) with my neighbor.
Friday: Combat Power Kata and yoga class at a new place I'm trying out with my friend Jessica
Saturday: Combat HIIT Plyo and Core Attack with a short run beforehand.
Sunday: 5+ mile run and Combat 60 LIVE

Let's hope I stay on schedule this week. What's your schedule looking like?

Mamavation Monday: Jury Duty Week

I totally spaced on last week's check in post and this week....JURY DUTY (insert foreboding theme music here). Yes, I got selected to sit on a panel for this entire lovely week, but you're not here to listen to me gripe about jury duty. Wait, one gripe, I can't stand sitting for so long. I've only been gone from my desk job for a month and my body can't stand so much sitting already! I'm pretty bummed I'm missing all my classes this week, but the law calls and I abide.

Anywho...I know I stayed on track last week and even got some mileage in! Here's my Daily Mile link for last week. http://www.dailymile.com/people/sokkamum/training/last_week?s=201301217d4b

Here's my goal for this week...even with 8 hour days in jury duty this week

Monday: Rest Day. I was wiped.

Tuesday: A.M. Workout – Combat Upper Body Blow Out. P.M. Workout - Combat 60: Extreme Cardio Fighter

Wednesday: Combat 60 LIVE and Core Attack. Plus a walk or run in the evening too.

Thursday: Combat Lower Body Lean Out, Inner Warrior, and walk group.

Friday: Combat 45 Power Kata.

Saturday: Combat Upper Body Blow Out and Core Attack and Combat 60 LIVE

Sunday: Sunday morning Buddy Run. I hit 6.88 miles last week, so I'm going to do an even seven this week.

Mamavation Monday. January 15

I guess I pushed myself hard last week. I haven't been feeling too hot this week so far. I am on the mend, so that's a good thing. I'm still pushing hard in my Combat challenge group. I've also been on a Reset diet since January 2, so getting used to foods that are purely fueling and cleansing is something that has been a bit wearing on my body.

Here's my workouts for last week:

Monday: Les Mills Combat Lower Body Lean Out and teach Silver Sneakers Yoga Stretch class (DONE!)

Tuesday: Combat HIIT: Plyo and Inner Warrior (Last Saturday's workout)

Wednesday: Les Mills Combat 60 Ultimate Warrior's Workout. It was really raining, so no run.

Thursday: Combat HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior (Stretch). Then observed (take) a Silver Sneakers MSROM class, and walked with my neighbor.

Friday: Combat 30 LIVE and Core Attack. (That Core Attack is intense.) I also did a 1 mile test run for my knee on the treadmill.

Saturday: Combat HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior

Sunday: 3.14 mile run with my running buddy. It was an awesome run, and my knee felt wonderful!

Here's what's going on this week:

Monday: Combat Power Kata (makeup for Sunday) and Upper Body Blow Out. Taught my SSYoga Stretch class.

Tuesday: Rest day. I totally needed this because I have not been on my A game.

Wednesday: Combat 60: Extreme Cardio Fighter. Scheduled an evening run with running buddy.

Thursday: Combat HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior, MSROM class, and walk group.

Friday: Combat 60. Not sure if I'm going to do Extreme Cardio Fighter again or the Ultimate Warrior's Workout.

Saturday: Combat HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior

Sunday: Combat 30 and Core Attack as well as a run with the buddy. Hoping for 5 this week.

I'm really excited to see how this last week of the Reset diet will energize my body. I'll make sure to let you know how it turns out.

How's your week turning out so far?

Mamavation Monday: December 31

Christmas and everyone home on break really has thrown me off on everything.

Here's my workouts for last week:

Monday: No workout. Not having class really threw off my schedule.

Tuesday: Christmas. Yea … nada.

Wednesday: Les Mills Combat 45 Power Kata

Thursday: Observed (which means taking) a Silver Sneakers MSROM class. I'm a sub for this class and will be teaching it at another rec center soon.

Friday: Combat 60 Extreme Warrior Fighter

Saturday: Nada … I have no idea why.

Sunday: I was supposed to run with my buddy but then got distracted by baking and purging the kitchen after she needed to reschedule.

Here's the plan for this week (I've got it scheduled on my calendar so I refuse to skip workouts):

Monday: Les Mills Combat Kick Start 30 and teach Silver Sneakers Yoga Stretch class (DONE!)

Tuesday: 3-5 mile run

Wednesday: Start date of my Warrior Combat Challenge Group. Les Mills Combat Kick Start 30

Thursday: Combat HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior (Stretch)

Friday: Combat 30 and Core Attack. Then, teach YogaStretch.

Saturday: Combat HIIT: Plyo and Inner Warrior

Sunday: Run day and Combat 45 Power Kata

I'm sure there will be more running involved. I'm at a crux with my running and really trying to focus on strength and endurance right now. I'm purposely not scheduling runs so I avoid overuse injuries and boredom. I really think my Combat Challenge group will accomplish everything I'm looking to do right now and running will come back to me soon.

Weekly Plan & Mamavation Pledge

I'm thinking some weekly check in posts will help keep me consistent in my personal maintenance.

Here is what I planned to do last week:

Monday: Venus, Week 1, Day 1 & teach YogaStretch class
Tuesday: Short a.m. run, Ab Ripper 2, and walk group
Wednesday: Venus, Week 1, Day 2, foam roll in the evening before teaching my oldest how to make cupcakes.
Thursday: Short a.m. run, Ab Ripper 2
Friday: Venus, Week 1, Day 3
Saturday: Ab Ripper 2
Sunday: 5 mile run

Here's what I actually did:

Monday, Venus: W1, D1 & teach Yoga Stretch class
Tuesday: 2 mile a.m. run & walk group in the evening
Wednesday: Venus: W1, D2
Thursday: P.m. Walk Group
Friday: Venus: W1, D3
Saturday: Nada
Sunday: 4.82 mile run in 95% humidity...yuck.

This is my plan for this week:
Monday: Venus, Week 2, Day 1 & teach YogaStretch class ---->check! + foam rolling
Tuesday: Cardio something, Ab Ripper 2, and walk group
Wednesday: Venus, Week 2, Day 2. My Les Mills Combat program is scheduled to be here this day, so we'll see what else I do!
Thursday: Cardio something, Ab Ripper 2
Friday: Venus, Week 3, Day 3
Saturday: Ab Ripper 2 & P90X2 Yoga
Sunday: 5 mile minimum run. It's supposed to be around my favorite running temps, so it might be up to 7!

Mamavation Pledge

I'm try to get into the Mamavation Sistahood. I always want to inspire others to get healthier through nutrition and fitness, and if the Sistahood allows me the opportunity to inspire one person to make better choices in their own life, then I'd be one happy woman! Plus, I LOVE to meet new people. Some of my closest peeps are bloggers, FB-ers, tweeters, you name it...my virtual posse, so to speak. I believe in surrounding myself with people who think like me, so I think the Sistahood is a great community to have the chance to do that. If I'm allowed in, you'll see my weekly check in posts turn into Mamavation Monday posts, but they'll be the same thing basically. 

How are you doing this week? Reaching for some goals, challenging yourself? Share them!

Save Yourself

Before I started running and learning how to positively change my mindset, I constantly wished for a hero. I looked to my husband, my friends, acquaintances, anyone who could rescue me from the life I was living. All I found was pieces of the whole hero package I was looking for so desperately.

Part of it was the depression I had not recognized yet. Part of it was my loss if self-confidence.

Slowly but surely, confidence came back. As I made accomplishments in my running, weight lifting, on the soccer field, etc., I gained part of myself that I had lost; the pieces of the whole package were coming back together.

I write this to you now as someone who has rescued herself. Someone who has changed her life from the downward spiral I thought I was in to the life I want. I am content with how I go through each day. Yes, I still have "relapses" of the mopey, Debbie Downer syndrome, but I remember the life I have built for myself, the ones that I love, and the rescuing I did.

How have you been your own hero lately?

Running Through Pregnancy: Experience Required

**Following is a guest post from Katie Moore, author of Moore from Katie**

The benefits of exercise for expecting moms have long been known to medical researchers. Every pregnancy features weight gain and some amount of fatigue, and both of these conditions can be successfully managed by increasing mom's proportion of lean muscle. Delivery itself is comparable to any intense athletic event, and exercise throughout pregnancy will go a long ways toward ensuring top performance. After delivery, the extra lean muscle will help mom return to her normal weight.

Before starting any exercise or diet program, an expecting mother should always consult her doctor. Working closely with her doctor throughout the entire term is important for mom to be sure that her diet and exercise habits are fostering the best environment for baby to grow in. An expecting mom should also consult her doctor about labor planning and considerations such as pain management, Umbilical cord blood banking and circumcision.

Is Running Appropriate?
Experts agree women should avoid high-impact and competitive sports during pregnancy, but there are many misconceptions about other types of exercise best suited for pregnancy. Fitness professionals have devised a few guidelines to help mom in deciding on the best forms of exercise. The first rule is applicable to every pregnancy. Begin with an exercise program below your tolerance level.

Women with a history of aerobic exercise will likely have little trouble initiating a running or jogging program. Those with no history or a long lapse in exercise should begin with less intense exercises, such as swimming or walking. Over-exertion does not help mom and can put baby at risk by reducing available nutrients and robbing oxygen from the blood. Also, over-exertion increases the risk of exercise injuries. Any injury to muscles or connective tissues will take away from exercise efforts.

The next guideline is to stay hydrated. Especially during warm weather, any physical exertion will remove water from the body due to sweating and flushing out lactic acid produced during muscle contractions. Keep a bottle of water handy at all times. During pregnancy, it is important to always drink enough water to satisfy thirst.

Running Throughout Pregnancy
Physiological changes during pregnancy will require consideration for even the most physically fit moms. Increasing levels of natural fatigue and changes in body weight and proportion will require cutting back on exercise amounts gradually as the due date approaches. There is no need to run a marathon prior to delivery, and many other concerns will likely take precedence in the final weeks.

Pregnancy provides a number of opportunities to learn more about your body. Expecting moms can, and should, take advantage of exercise classes designed specifically for pregnancy. Even seasoned runners can benefit from engaging a in a pre-natal yoga program for total-body stretching. Since more intense workouts, like running, require greater consciousness of safety issues it’s best if you’re not experienced to stick with lower impact workouts.

“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”

P90X Week 10: Results and Recap

This week was not all about P90X. The incredible Texas heat wave broke, and I ended up running outdoors, therefore testing out a bit of my upcoming hybrid training schedule (at least I can say I was testing it out...I just really wanted to run!).

Results: Maintaining. No loss, no gain, and that's fine with me. I feel the difference in my workouts. I'm stronger and my endurance is on the upswing (especially if this humidity stays low). I really can't believe I have two more weeks of the total workouts and then to my last recovery week. After that...it's off to the hybrid schedule I made up for myself (but that's another blog post entirely)! Here's a brief overview of my week through Daily Mile.

Changing It Up

This past week, I took a break from P90X to change things up a bit before I started on Phase 2, a.k.a Days 30-60. I took advantage of some Les Mills classes offered at one of my local recreation centers as well as hitting the road and field.

This is my schedule of last week:

Monday: Les Mills Body Combat (high cardio, alot like KenpoX/kickboxing)

Tuesday: Les Mills Body Pump (cardio/weight mix)

Wednesday: Rest (I tested heavier weights than normal on the Body Pump and could barely move my arms)

Thursday: Les Mills Body Flow (a mix of Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates - I love, love this class!)

Friday: Unintended rest day

Saturday: Early morning run. Short, sweet, slow. 1.64 miles in 22 minutes.

Sunday: Soccer training with P and the boys. Shooting, passing, sprints, one-on-one practice with P as the keeper/coach.

I'm glad I changed up the routine a bit. A little mix up is good for the body, but for me, it's a more mental thing. I get bored easily with workouts, therefore the change up was just what I needed to get excited about starting Phase 2 of P90X.

The Les Mills classes were really fun. That's a surprise coming from me because I don't get into the whole group fitness classes. Yet, I think they were more fun because I've been working out at home. I know I would have made a fool of myself in the Body Combat classes if I had not done the KenpoX. Tripping over my own two feet is not my favorite way to embarrass myself. I was confident though during the class, probably because I did all the self-tripping in the comfort of my own home where no one was watching. The Body Flow class was exactly what I needed that week. Full of calming and centering techniques with strength poses intertwined, I felt stronger and calmer at the end of the 60 minutes. My confidence soared when I hit and held two strength moves (the Crow and Warrior 3) consistently. I could not do that in May. I think I'll definitely be taking the Body Flow classes again. I added pictures of the Crow and Warrior 3 poses for you to see these amazing strength moves.

The Crow and Warrior 3

My run on Saturday was amazing and difficult. I felt free again, and loved the feel of my feet hitting the pavement. Despite the humidity, I felt strong and ran all but 0.10 of the 1.64 miles I tracked. The difficulty of the running was the mental motivation. I have been scared to get running again, even though I felt I could. I did not want to push myself out of excitement or the internal want to do more. I have a tendency to push myself to do more than my body should. After the run, I was glad I got out there and just did it.

Sunday morning, I got P and the kids up to help me with some soccer training for my upcoming season. Why Sundays? My games are on Sundays. Why training? I feel that since my workouts have been indoors and with very minimal running, I need to get out on the field and acclimate myself to the heat, the humidity, the field, and my cleats. I always need work on my long balls and shooting. P makes a great coach. Even though he only played a couple of years when he was younger, he knew enough to push me when I was ready it call it a day. He knew what I needed work on and yelled across the field to keep my mind out of the zone I get in when it comes to soccer and mentally aware of the skills I needed to work. The boys helped me with passing and I also got to do a little coaching of my own with T and teaching him how to kick the ball and the Cy-guy and keeping his dribbling consistent. A perfect morning to get us all up and moving for the day.

Now, Week 5 of P90X starts. I'm ready with a mental excitement and ready to keep moving on this journey to get stronger and healthier. Those are my main goals from this round of P90X. The lost weight and inches are only an added bonus, as well as the look in my boys' eyes when they see my arms while we compare muscles in the evenings.

Revisiting 2010 Goals

Sometimes I dread the end of the year because I have to look back and see what I may or may not have accomplished, according to what I planned at the beginning of the year. This year, I met two of my seven goals. Looking back, they were pretty ambitious, but I was excited. I did run the Warrior Dash, which I am totally doing again at least once in 2011. I did also learn many ways to adjust my nutrition for workouts/games/races and recovery.

Surprisingly, I was not bothered at the fact that I did not meet most of my goals. The overachiever in me kept her mouth shut. Ha. The only one I was bummed about was my "10 races in 2010" goal. I ran two, but I told myself since I took a good six weeks off during my actual racing "season" to work on family issues, I still did pretty good. Two is better than none, right?

I realized, though, the reason I'm not bothered by meeting all my goals. I kicked ass this year. I ran every chance I got and could make myself get out there to hit the pavement. I ran my heart out during a very dark and hard year for me. I tried new things, such as new races and running with new people. I ran, and that is all that matters.

I'm proud of myself for this past year, even though I know I'm not the best runner out there. The better runners make me want to be a better runner and inspire me to keep getting out there. The better runners help me not to give up and rely on that inner strength that is getting stronger each and every day.

In my book...I totally rocked 2010.

Running the Hard One

Today I ran the hardest run I've ever probably run thus far. Harder than fighting varying temps in Texas, harder than running injured, harder than that first run when I started running. Today was my tribute run for my step brother, J.J. Savage. It's been two years since he was killed in Iraq, and I felt that a longer run in the midst of my own personal roller coaster would be the only appropriate way to honor him today. I had planned out a 5 mile run for today on a new extended route bringing me into unfamiliar territory of both environment and endurance.

I started out just fine; glad of my decision to run today. My mind cleared as always and about mile 2, the emotions took over. I fought tears for a tenth of a mile and then crumbled, literally, on the side of the road. The feelings of loss and sadness for our family overtook me to a point to where I could not take yet another step. After wiping tears away and sitting in the sun, the wind whispered to me..."Get up. Get up and run."

And I did. I got up, took one step and another. I realized that with every step I ran, I embodied our family surviving, moving on despite the loss, despite the sadness. In a sense, this run was not just a tribute to him, his service, his courage. It was also a run to our family and every single person who knew and loved him that keep living life, just as he would want.

Why I Love Running

In the midst of taking a break from running in order to focus on some personal issues, all I can think about is running and when I can get back to it. As I gear back up to get some running time in my schedule, I appreciate why I fell in love with running.

1. Free Therapy. Most runners I know will agree, especially the mothers. Running gives me the chance to work through things, especially things I may not be ready to talk about with anyone.

2. Natural anti-depressant. This is true with most forms of exercise, but I have found running produces the best results for me. Running balances me, lifts my mood, calms my temper...oye, I could go on for hours.

3. My "Alone" time. As an instinctive hermit, I probably need more alone time than most people. Although with my family and schedule, it is usually more of a dream and not quiet a reality. Even a quick run can clear my mind and provide me with "quiet" and solitude my spirit needs. I get to a point in my runs where my mind just opens and all I zone in on are my feet connecting with the pavement or trail or even the treadmill, one by one, step after step, while notes and tunes fill my ears and push me to step a little bit faster.

4. Constant Improvement. Running is something someone can always improve at. Lest it be time, form, weight loss, you name it...improvement is made. When a person takes the chance and utilizes something to improve his or her personal being, great things will happen.

5. True Self. When I run, I am Carin, just me. I am not Mommy, partner, employee, student, writer, crafter, friend, daughter, giver, cleaner, Ms. Fix-it, etc., etc. I am just a woman running, striding along a path where the world seems to stand still.

Months of Running

I haven't posted in about 2 months. I have been busy...running, playing soccer, trying to balance the working mother, do-it-all, would rather be running syndrome, you know, normal daily activities. Hahaha. I have been running though. That's the important thing. I've maintained my lowest weight for 7 weeks, ran at least 3 days a week (4 if you include my soccer games), and have averaged a good 10-15 miles a week. I have been horrible about logging my mileage, but I'm getting back into the groove again. I also like seeing my numbers add up over the course of the week. Oh, and I have been racing. Pics and separate posts on both of those coming later this evening, but I ran the Kilometers for Kodi, a fundraising 5K, on April 24th, and the Warrior Dash yesterday, May 2nd. Stay posted!!!! More stories to come!