Week 13 = 36 miles

This week inlcudes another loooong run, I plan on running my 18 miles on Saturday from my parents house in rural Ayrshire all the way to Emmetsburg!! AAAHHH, I never imagined that until I was talking with my sister in the car this weekend and I asked her to help me figure out a route for 18 miles.  She says, "You can either run around the section 4 1/2 times or just run from Mom and Dad's to Emmetsburg!"  I drove those 18 miles countless times throughout my high school days, but this weekend I will set out to run it.......

I hope to celebrate this accomplishment with an ice cold beer with my lovely sister as she will be turning 21 this weekend as well! :)  Be sure to wish her a happy birthday on Sunday the 11th.

Today I will be running 4 miles, tomorrow 9 miles, and Thursday is a 5 miler.  Last week was beautiful, I got to run outside on Wednesday around a park that isn't far from us.  5 miles was running to the park, around it 4 times and then back to my apartment.  It was lovely that day; sunny and about 75 when I was out around noontime.

This past weekend I had a 12 miler as sort of a taper weekend between the 16 and 18 miles.  I still haven't defeated the 16 miles, I am only up to about 14.  I experimented with the GU pack on my run on Saturday out on the Fox River Trail in Naperville.  Jamie walked with little Lauren and I journeyed out ahead of them on a run not really knowing where I was going.  Thankfully the trail was marked with mile markers and was clear enough to follow.  I tried swallowing down the GU pack on my turn-around at about 9 miles.  It wasn't so good; the consistency was too thick and it was a little gagging, but I got the whole thing down and it helped a little with my energy levels, but it definitely didn't take away the pain I was feeling in my left knee again.  Did I mention that this entire time it was pouring down rain!  I figured that I needed to get out there rain or shine because who knows what race day is going to bring.  I made it back dripping wet, thinking I can't wait until I get a running partner again because this is really challenging my mental toughness!

It was awesome to get to visit Kyle, Jamie, and Lauren again this weekend for Easter.  Our mission was to get Lauren crawling, but reluctantly she is still not yet there.  She is so good and popping up onto her hands and knees, but she just hasn't figured out the one knee in front of the other yet :)  She did a great job and trying though.  We had some really great food and enjoyed a movie night in on Saturday after a long day of shopping around. 

I can't wait to share my expereinces in my 18 miler this weekend.  I will be carrying a cell phone just in case I don't think I can make it all the way to town.  Water and Jelly Beans will also be in my pack for energy and fuel in this long excursion.  Estimated time to complete will be around 180 minutes or 3 hours!!!!! 

Week 12 = 29 miles

Yesterday I went out for another 15 miler on a trail that was part pavement and part dirt/gravel.  This trail is called the Cedar Valley Trail that starts at Boyson Road in Hiawatha and travels all the way up to Waterloo!  The first 3 miles of this trail is paved and then it turns to gravel.  I only made it about 14 miles yesterday as I was starting to become severely carb depleted and my feet, knees, and hips were all VERY sore and cramped up in the last 1.5 miles.  I dropped a water bottle about 2 miles into the run so I could pick it up on the way back.  This was not soon enough!  It was a beautiful day yesterday, perfect weather and very little breeze.  My mouth was extremely dry by mile 12 when I finally got to that water!  I wanted to run Sunday with Liz and Rachel, but I had offered about 4 weeks ago to sub a Step class Sunday morning at 10am and this is when the girls went; so again I was all my my lonesome out there on the trail.  I was really starting to doubt myself on this run.  What am I getting myself into!  And then I just thought how good it was going to feel when I was done with this run and about all the great support I am getting from my family and friends who will also be there on race day to help me along the journey to 26.2 miles! 

I have been researching these GU packs that are gel like substances you can take along with you on endurance runs/walks/biking when you are going for 2 hours or more.  My run yesterday took me about 2 hours and 20 mins and I was definitely feeling it.  I think I am going to start supplementing these GU pack on my runs to see if they help and go down smoothly.  Some people really have a hard time swallowing them because of their consistency, but they should help restore my carbs during the run quickly as they are made up of pure complex carbohydrates and real fruit.  Here is just one brand of them.  I am going to a local running store today to get some more info about them.

Knees and feet were again very sore and stiff this morning on my way in to teach BodyPump.  I rode the bike for 15 mins before class and that seemed help warm them up and I was fine to teach all the tracks including the Squats and Lunges that I was most worried about.  I have 4 miles tomorrow, 8 miles Thursday, and 5 miles on Friday.  I hope to get a 12 miler in this weekend while in Naperville visiting Kyle, Jamie, and little Lauren Paige :)  Have a great week and Happy Easter!!!!!!!

Down, but not OUT! Week 9 = 27 miles

Yes, I have been down, but not out of the game.  At the end of February, that cold I talked about last post turned into bronchitis and walking pneumonia, so I was at home for a whole week unable to exercise or go to work.  AND, my computer has a major virus that I'll probably have to go get fixed for an insane amount of money.  If anyone out there knows anything about computer viruses, LET ME KNOW!  I relaxed at home, drank plenty of fluids and did some light yoga and walked on our treadmill for an hour at a time to keep my mileage up a little.  That was my 12 mile weekend run that I had to miss out on and Ryan and I went snowboarding with his family instead :).  The following week, I got back into it slowly, running 3 miles, 3 times that week and 8.5 on that Sunday, which was supposed to be 13 miles!  Last week, it was on.  I ran 3, 4, and 4 during the week because I was still getting back into teaching my full schedule of classes again, and did 10 miles yesterday outside.  Today I will run 3 miles, tomorrow 7, and Thrusday 4 and finish the weekend off with a 15 miler on Saturday so we can go out and celebrate my birthday that evening!!  AAHHH......15 miles, this is a big one.  We'll see how that goes, there will probably be a few stops on that one, but I just want to get out there and go for it.  I have had some pain behind my left knee, but that is probably due to lack of stretching....I know, I know.  Not too many more weeks of this, its going quickly.  May 16th will be here before I know it. 
I'm so thankful that the weather has been nicer here and I can actually run on the streets and trails.  There is a nice little trail about a half mile from our apartment and it is exctly 1-mile around.  It is really great because I don't have to think about how far I've gone I just have to remember how many laps I have done.  I did 4 around it yesterday before I got bored and needed some new sceenery.  There are also stations for doing sit-ups, climbing, push-ups, tires, arm-ladders, etc.  It will be nice to take clients there this summer for something new!
I haven't chosen a circuit yet this week, I will post at a later date once I have written it up :)  Have a great St.Patrick's week!

Week 7 = 24 miles + Bowl for Kids Sake

Since Thursday, Ryan and I have been battling sore throats and stuffed up heads.  For some reason, I've been dealing with the worst of it.  I got my smaller runs in this week, focusing on pace and trying to maintain a speed between 6.7 and 7.2 mph.  The 3 milers were a little faster as I was finishing under 25 mins and that got a little easier as the week went on.  I usually get more sore in my calves and hip flexors two days after my long runs and Tuesday was definitely a recovery day as I got in my 3 mile run later in the afternoon.  Sunday I did 7 miles on the treadmill since we had gotten some snow Friday evening and there were chances for more yesterday afternoon.  It wasn't bad except I was breathing a little heavier with this stupid cold.  I finished just under 65 mins and really felt sick after.  Sick to my stomach and I couldn't stop coughing from my chest.  I'm home today recovering and trying to hydrate as much as possible to get healthy.  This weeks run consist of 3 Tuesday, 6 Wednesday, and 3 Thursday, followed by a 12 miler on the weekend.  I hope to get this done outside again and hopefully the weather is nice in Eldrige where I will be running this weekend.  Ryan has 3 nephews who are competing in a snowboarding competition near the Quad Cities this weekend and I hope to get in on the action as well.  I'll have some fun picutres to post next time.

Here are some photos of me and some co-workers at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kid's Sake this past Friday.  There were 6 of us bowlers and we raised almost $800!  It was a fun event and Ryan even filled in as one of the team members :)

I've been trying to think of what I want to give up for Lent, and I think I have come to the conclusion of not giving up anything, but being more conscious of what I am eating on the days I am training, the days prior to the long runs, and doing more research to supplement these goals.  From what I already know, those who are exercising regularly should be consuming 60% of their calories in carbs, 20% protein, and <20% fats.  Endurance athletes require more carbohydrate calories due to the extreme calorie burn and energy wasting they endure during training runs.  Also, a low-fat diet will help in keeping me feeling energized and not sluggish on a day-to-day basis.  I will be striving for 1800 total calories which will consist of 65% carbs for energy source, 20% protein for cellular repair of my lean body mass and better recovery, and <15% fats.  I will use my.apex online to help meal plan and to make sure that all of my meals are balanced and nutritious.

Week 6 = 18 miles - Pace and Recovery

This week is all about working on race pace and recovering from the 10-miler.  I have been very nervous about this 10-miler that I did Sunday because I have never endured something like this before.  Each week I have been increasing my distance and trying to run outside to build endurance and run different trails.  I was going to run it on Saturday with Rachel, but after work I got home and made the mistake of falling asleep on the couch so when I got up to go meet her, I was not feeling well enough to go out.  Liz was running Sunday so I thought I could wait til then, but she was in Ames longer than expected and she ran hers alone too.  So there I was Sunday afternoon getting ready to head out to run by myself, getting myself psyched up to run for 100 minutes (about 10min miles).  Another reason I was a little nervous is because I didn't get in any of my short runs last week because I went to Des Moines in the middle of the week and it kind of messed up my work schedule and once again I had too many excuses to skip them.  NEVER SKIPPING THOSE AGAIN!!!  Yikes.........
So in the first mile of my run, I was having troubles with my ear buds staying in my ears while running.  I kept trying to put them back in and ended up just tucking them away and saying 'screw it, I will trying again at my half-way point'.  The trail was patched with snow/ice in some spots, but for the most part it was once again pretty clear.  About miles 3 & 4 I was starting to feel some pain in the outsides of my knees again so I couldn't wait to stop to stretch!  I made it to my half-way destination by the Cedar Lake and stopped to regroup/stretch for 60 seconds and try for the music again.  It gets pretty boring talking to yourself and thinking about how many more miles you have to go!  I was happy to have my music back for miles 6 & 7 because it was helping me to keep my pace and stride even with the beat of the music, until I messed with them again and they wouldn't stay in, GREAT..........2 miles to go and I was really starting to feel the fatigue set into my hips and knees.  A dog jumped out at me and I thought for sure it would hop the fence since it was propped up on a giant snow bank and try running after me, so I sped up and got moving.  Mile 9 had the large uphill over a bridge to Blairs Ferry.  This was exhausting the second time around.  My run was an out-and-back route so the first time over this bridge was up for one block and then down hill for about 3 blocks, coming back it was just the opposite.  I had to stop for traffic before the last mile and that was a killer.  At that point you are on auto pilot just trying to finish the distance and I immediately stiffened up.  The first 500 yards after that point was very painful!  I made it to the finish and had to track through the snow again to get to my car........heavy legs and sore everywhere!  1 hour 35 mins and burned 1,000 calories :).  I was very sore the rest of the evening and was kind of nauceous after eating dinner.  Monday and today I'm feeling great, recovery post-distance is getting better as well, so that is a great sign that my body is handling the distances and recovering much faster!

Resistance Circuits this week include 1 minute intervals of the following:

Weighted Burpees
Seated Cable Row
Single Leg Dead Lift to Overhead Press
Push Ups
Walking Lunges w/ DB Curl
Supermans
Bicycle Crunches

3 times through with 1 minute rest between exercises = 45 mins

I made some cookies from a recipe that Jamie sent me, YUM YUM YUM.  I entered them into my APEX program and for the number of cookies I made there are only 50 calories/cookie!  Oatmeal Raisin/Banana

I will be running 3 miles today trying to keep my pace at about 7.0mph to see how my legs feel.  Tomorrow 5 miles and 3 on Thursday.

Week 5 = 21 miles

This week, 8-14, mileage will total 21 miles as the long distance run increases by 1 mile.  Sunday, Rachel, Liz and I once again ventured outdoors to run.  We decided to find a trail that would be easier to follow and gage distance covered.  We started up on Boyson Road in Hiawatha on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.  We were driving up and could see that the trail was cleared and would be in perfect condition to tackle the 9 mile run.  We parked our car and realized that the start of the trail was completely covered with snow and were curious how long it would be until we would reach the cleared path.  It was a rocky start the first 1/4 mile was running on packed snow, similar to sand, and we all thought it was going to be a loooooong run starting this way.  Soon enough we were on the cleared path and pace was pretty good.  The trail was mostly flat with a few rolling hills and bridges to climb.  We ran south to the Cedar Lake which is located downtown right next to the Quaker Oats factory if you are familiar with the location when traveling on 380 through CR.   Down and back was approximately 9 miles, and it took us 1 hour and 30 mins.  It was cold and snowing lightly, but for the most part it wasn't too bad.  By mile 7, I was feeling very tired and the aches and pains were setting into my right hip flexor and outsides of the knees. 
A little fun fact for you:  The IT-Bands or iliotibial bands that connect from the top of the hip down along the outsides of your thighs and connect on the bump below the kneecap, can become very tight during long duration forward moving or sitting, and can cause pain in the hips and knees depending on where they are they tightest.  SOOOO, if you are a runner, biker, walker, sitter, etc., it is important to stretch these and massage before/after exercise to prevent or relieve pain. :)
SO, I think this is what was causing pain in the outsides of my knees so I have been foam rolling and massaging them before and after I run or get bored at work.
It is two days later and I am feeling pretty good!  Usually the second day is when it hits me, but I think because I taught BootCamp, taught three other classes, and trained 6 clients yesterday, I kept moving enough to prevent from stiffening up!  I have a recovery run of 3 miles today, 5 miles tomorrow, and 3 miles Thursday.  Saturday or Sunday we hope to be outside again for our 10 miler!

Total Body Weight Circuits this week will include the following:

Burpee Push Ups
Single Arm DB Chest Press on Ball
Pull Ups
V-Ups (Toe Touch Crunches)
DB Squat to Overhead Press
Pendulum Lunges
Biceps Curls with Band
OH Triceps Extension
Side Stepping Dip Squats

All exercises performed for 1:00 x 4 Circuits

I will be vacationing to Des Moines this week to see Kyle, Jamie and Lauren and also my best friend from high school is hosting a jewelry party tomorrow night :)  Weather permitting.........I want to get away during the week since I have to work every Saturday anyways, I can rearrange my schedule a little more and some of my clients are very flexible when it comes to the weekends too.  Have a great week!  See ya soon :)

Week 4 = 19 Miles

So, This week is actually week 4.  I forgot that we had to leave week 1 out and get started right away.  Last week was good to have a recovery week since I was so busy teaching other classes and 4 boot camp sessions of kick boxing!  This week I have 19 total miles; today 3, tomorrow 4, Thursday 3, and Saturday 9!  I hope to get outside for that one.  As long as it is close to or above 30 degrees, Rachel and I will definitely run outside this weekend.

I am already feeling fatigued in some of my running, body aches more than my breathing or cardio endurance.  I want to get outside tomorrow too, hopefully that will help because sometimes it gets pretty boring and discouraging just running inside on the treadmill with nothing to focus on my the pain in my legs! :)

Weight circuits this week consist of a 10x10 workout which is the following:
1. Lunges
2. Lunges + Jump Squats
3. Lunges + Jump Squats + KB Woodchops
4. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows
5. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows + Jumping Jacks
6. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows + Jumping Jacks + Reverse Flyes
7. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows + Jumping Jacks + Reverse Flyes + Dead Lifts
8. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows + Jumping Jakcs + Reverse Flyes + Dead Lifts + Overhead Triceps Extension
9. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows + Jumping Jakcs + Reverse Flyes + Dead Lifts + Overhead Triceps Extension + Push Ups
10. Lunges + Jump Squats + Woodchops + Upright Rows + Jumping Jakcs + Reverse Flyes + Dead Lifts + Overhead Triceps Extension + Push Ups + 1:00 Plank

Each Exercise is 10 reps each and I just keep adding exercises to the first all the way to 10 total!  A lot of fun, gets your heart beating and burns major calories!  I burned 500 calories in 45 mins!

Have a great week!  I'll see ya again soon :)

Week 2 = 16 miles

The most I have ever run continuously is 6 miles on the treadmill....Two weeks ago, a fellow trainer I worked with talked me into training for a marathon with her, one of her clients and another gym member.  I wasn't very reluctant at saying yes because I've always thought about doing one.  Why not start now!  My race date is May 16, 2010 in Green Bay, WI.  The race is the CellCom Marathon and one of the best organized races in the Midwest.  It starts near Lambeau Field and runs the streets of west Green Bay, along the Fox River Trail, through more Green Bay neighborhoods and in the last miles takes us through Lambeau Field to the finish line.

So Liz, Rachel and I started our first distance outdoor run today, 7 miles.  It was about 35 degrees with a western wind of about 10-15 miles per hour.  We left the gym, turned the corner to head west and hit the wall of wind.  It was cold, I wasn't prepared to run outside but thought it would be nice to get some fresh air for a change. 

During the week I run inside when its cold, snowy, rainy, etc.  The weekday runs now have only been 3 miles, easily done on the treadmill in less than 30 mins.  Today's run was adventurous running on snow and ice covered sidewalks and against the wind at times.  When we got back, I was feeling pretty good.  My breathing was keeping up with me, however the pavement was starting to irritate my right foot, up through the knee and into my hip flexor, probably from running on the uneven surfaces mostly on the left side of the road.  It is best to run in the middle of the street on the crown of the surface, but for safety reasons we kept it on the left side.  At the gym, Liz showed me a neat website where you can track your mileage and see how far you went, or before hand map out your route for the proper distance.  Come to find out we actually ran 8 miles today!  What's an extra mile right, I have about 18 to go!

This week I have training runs on Tues, Wed, and Thurs, running 3,4,3, and then only a 5 mile run on the weekend.  If you are a runner or are interested in getting started here are some great websites to help you get there.  Also, the official site for the race I will be running in May.

http://www.runnersworld.com/
http://www.marathonguide.com/
http://www.mapmyrun.com/
http://www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com/

Quiet before the Holidays

We have been up to much since Iowa football finished their regular season against Minnesota.  Trying to save up money on the weekends for the holidays.  Ryan and I took the trip back to Northwest Iowa for Thanksgiving with the Rouse's.  We celebrated Thanksgiving at the Main Street Bar and Grill in Bancroft, Iowa.  A very nice bar and grill for the little tiny town it is in!  We ate our traditional meal in the party room and enjoyed playing pool and foosball (sp?) after dinner.  This weekend we will be traveling back to the Quad Cities for Ryan's family Christmas at Jack and Diana's!  It has been a while since I have been back with him to Eldrige so I am excited to see the young ones, and the old ones!

This last weekend we had some visitors, my best friend from home Andrea and her boyfriend Shawn stayed with us on Saturday night.  We went to the Cedar Rapids Roughrider hockey game against the Waterloo Black Hawks.  Apparently they are huge rivals and it was a very exciting game!  The Riders won in overtime 4-3.  ActivEdge is the official workout facility of the Roughrider's team and so we have access to free ticket vouchers.  Those will come in handy when there isn't much else to do on the weekends and there is hockey in town!  Here are some pictures from this last weekend.  Ryan and I couldn't take a decent picutre........

I promise for one of my New Year's Resolutions, I will be posting weekly workouts.  Not only will I post weight circuits, but I am going to post a weekly training schedule for running a 10K race.  Daryl and I were just talking today about doing this BIX this summer in the Quad Cities, so let me know if you want to join us :)  Your training schedule will be posted here.  Let's get a head start on Jan 1!

Happy Holidays from the two of us !!

A Little Adventure to Usher's Ferry Historical Park

The first weekend of November brought us amazing weather and I thought we better go enjoy it because we probably won't see the sunshine and 70 degree weather for another 6 months.  What better to do on a Sunday afternoon than to go to a park and throw the football around and enjoy the fresh air.  Ryan and I drove up to Seminole Valley Park to do just that.  He would have rather sat at home and watched football but I insisted that we enjoy the great outdoors! :)  The club that I work at was involved in a 5K and 10K trail race in late October called the Muddy Monster Race which took place at Seminole Valley park in NW Cedar Rapids.  I got the opportunity to help out with a few of the training run prior to race and go to do some trail running for the first time.  This race took us through a small village called Usher's Ferry where there were many old buildings, homes, and a museum.  I had wanted to go back for a while now to check it out and see what all was in this village. 

I went online to get some history about this village and came to find out that it wasn't the actual small town that was once apart of Cedar Rapids history, but replications of what it would have looked like in the early and mid-1800s.  Native Americans wandered through and often camped here in this part during the winters.  Steamboats and railroads drove through this valley and provided access for Linn Junction setllers way back when.

Here are some fun pictures of Usher's Ferry Historical Village.

This tree was in the middle of the wide open grassy plain and it kind of reminds me of a picture that my mom has in her bedroom.

Fake airplane, the open grassy area resembled a landing strip, possibly could have been used during Civil War.

Sign says:  "This double log cabin of Lafayette Farms stood here before 1900.  The present farm house was built just eas of it around 1902 by Joseph Dostal.

The McDonald Pitless - The McDonald Bros.  Pitless Scale, I'm sure my dad could tell me a thing or two about what this is used for?  :)

I knew Ryan would take an interest in this stuff once we walked the half mile to get here!

Newspaper Press and next to it was the Pharmacy/Grocery Store

Land Office, probably where they negotiatied farm land and other properties

Guaranty Bank 1895- there are still quite a few of these around!  Kind of looks like it was robbed, he front window was boarded up.

Cute Gazebo!  They host weddings, dances, concerts, and summer activities here in the village center.

This is something I had wanted to do for a while.  This summer we didn't get much of a chance to tour some of the great parks and historical sites of Cedar Rapids because we were gone most weekends.  I'm glad we spent this Sunday exploring and it very much reminded me of the exploring in the groves we did as kids growing up on the farm!

Here's Why Insurance Companies SUCK!

So......I'm in need of a little venting.

Since being a personal trainer and fitness instructor doesn't have the perks of having insurance benefits covered, I have to purchase an individual plan for medical and dental.  I'm not going to complain about the premeium I pay, because I am actually getting an AWESOME deal, but I will complain about the customer service. 

In July I purchased an idividual medical plan with a great deductible and premium that I can afford at this time when all the bills are piling up.  I haven't been to the dentist in over a year and I wanted to add so I could get bi-annual cleanings and check-ups because apparently bad teeth run in the family (right Kyle).  So in Septemember I called and wanted to get dental added to my plan for about $30 more a month, no big deal but here is where stuff got confusing.  The lady taking my application told me that I wouldn't start paying my dental premium on top of the medical monthly premium until my anniversary date??? WHAT? WHY?  She didn't have a logical explanation for that so I just assumed that I wouldn't become affective until July 2010 and I wouldn't be able to use my dental insurance until then either.  That just sounds dumb right?  Then in October they sent me my dental card with my policy number, etc on it.  Okay, so can I go to the dentist and use this?  I hadn't seen any money withdrawn from my account, YET..........

I am set up on automatic bill pay and they withdraw on the same date every month, only this month I see that the payment is over $150 more than the previous months I have been paying for medical insurance!  Again, WHAT?!!?  So I called in to complain and get things figured out and this time 'Crystal' informed me that my dental premiums have started kicking in this month and I have been back-billed for the last four months!!  Living paycheck to paycheck is hard enough without this unexpected withdraw from my account........

Is this my own fault or was I truly misinformed?  Please tell me I'm not that stupid.........  Even when she told me that it wouldn't be affective until July 2010, I was confused and asked questions of WHY is that?  I said, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, and she still didn't give me a logical explanation at the time.  I get that they have to back-bill me for the months to add dental after the fact that it happened, but why couldn't the rep tell me that in the first place?!  GRRRR..........

What have we been up to?!

Since my last post, Ryan and I have spent the weekends all over the place.  About two weeks ago now we spent the weekend in Waverly for Wartburg's homecoming.  What a fun filled weekend of seeing all of our friends again in the same places we used to hang out, The Fainting Goat, football tailgating, and of course JOE's Knighthawk.  We went up Friday after work and met some people at the goat, before we knew it the place was packed wall to wall with alumni, current students, friends family and the people of Waverly.  We were up early for some tailgating with current player's families and former player's families as well.  Ryan and I both entered a Bags Tournament on seperate teams, he was with Snook, and I was with Hemi (I won't use real names ;)  Hemi and I were taking out teams left and right after our first and only loss.  We ended up getting skunked in the championship game against a couple nobodys and I don't think Ryan and Snook made it past round three of the tournament.  We won our $5 entry-fee back and giftcards to the Goat for $5, which only bought one drink!  The game was exciting until the last quarter when Wartburg had a few turnovers that cost them the game.  They lost 35-21 :(  but again we got to see a lot of old friends and enjoyed watching from the bleechers.

When we got back, our internet was down for one week and so I wasn't able to post anything last week.  That will be my excuse now!  Finally Napoleon, the MediaCom guy, came to the rescue on Friday last week and replaced our modem for now charge :) 

Last weekend we took a little trip over to Omaha to visit Daryl, Melissa, and thier littles ones, Emily and Brody.  We crashed immediately when we go to their house, the kids were asleep and we were exhausted from the 4+ hour drive.  Saturday was up early again to head off to Lincoln for the Nebraska vs. Iowa State game.  Melissa got tickets from a co-worker and all four of us were able to enjoy seats among a very fun Nebraska crowd. 

Tailgating was fun with a live band and RED beer, the air was a little chilly but warmed up once we got into the stadium.  Another exciting game although Nebraska lost due to turnovers, I'm sure most of you saw how the game ended......BOO ISU!  A former Nebraska player was inducted into the Husker Hall of Fame at the game and it just so happened that Melissa's friends new this guy and he ended up coming to the tailgate after the game.  Here is a photo of Ryan with Grant.  I just missed it, but Grant was flipping Ryan off because he had an IOWA coat on but a Nebraska hat. :)

Ryan has been sick lately.  First it was the chills, fever, and cough.  Then he got his virus back on his neck that kind of looks like shingles, and just a few days ago got staph infection in his hand all the way up his arm.  All things are on the regression now, after lots of doctors calls and prescription drungs, hopefully he will be healthy for the IOWA game with Steve this weekend.

I have been working on some new circuits to put up on my blog, so those will be coming shortly.  What I will do is just attach a WORD documents onto the post and you can upload it and print it off that way :)  The holidays are right around the corner.  I will be posting some holiday time tips on cooking, eating and staying away from weight-gain over the holiday season.  I know we all know how to stay away from food!  But, these tips will help make things a little easier as well :)

FUN FITNESS NUGGETS:

 The average American consumes ~12 lbs. of chocolate per year (27,000 calories)

 Coca-Cola sells 1.3 billion drinks a day in 200 countries around the world

 The cooking oil in French fries comprises 30% of the mass after they are fried, only 20% of a french fry is actually potato

This week's circuit

1)  Squat and Shoulder Press -
Step 1   Start in set position with feet slightly wider than hips and weights in hands resting at shoulder height.  Sit back and down into a full range squat keeping your core tight and weight in the heels of your feet.  Hold this squat stance and press the weights overhead in a shoulder press.
Step 2   With weights overhead, stand up out of the squat so the hips are back in line with the shoulders.  Return weights back to shoulder height.  Repeat exercise 15 times.

2)  Push Ups -  15 repetitions


3)  W Shoulder Press with Leg Extension -
Step 1  Stand with your feet a hip-width apart, abs tight, and glutes tucked. Raise your right leg at a 90-degree angle so your thigh is parallel to the ground and your shin is perpendicular to it. Raise the weights to ear level with your palms toward your ears. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle, elbows out to the sides, forearms perpendicular to the floor, and upper arms parallel with it.
Step 2   Exhale, and extend your arms up and out as though you are trying to form the letter W with your arms. Simultaneously extend your right foot so that your entire right leg is straight and parallel to the ground. Hold for a beat. Inhale, slowly lowering the weights and retracting your leg to return to the starting position. Perform a complete set, then switch legs and repeat on the opposite side.  Focus on posture and balance!
Repeat 10 times on each leg.

4)  Pendulum Lunges -

Step 1   Start in set position with feet hip width apart, weights are optional.  Step the right foot forward lunging into a deep stride. 

Step 2   Push off forcefully the right foot swinging it back into a reverse lunge finishing the first rep.

Repeat repetitions 10 times on each leg.

5)  Butt Kicks -  Jog in place but bring your heels up higher and kick your butt!
Perform for 1 minute.

6) Plank Twists -

Step 1   Start in push up/plank position on hands and toes.  Lift up the right hand into side plank position.  Hold for 2 counts and return to start position.

Step 2   Do it on the other side for one rep

Repeat for a total of 10 reps.

7)  Bent Over Row -  You've done this before, pick up some heavier weights for this one! 

Step 1   Hinge forward from the hips keeping your back flat and weights hang down in front of you.

Step 2   Lift the elbows up and back pinching the muscles between your shoulder blades.  Hold for 2 counts and return to start.

Repeat exercise 15 times.

8)  Bicycle Crunch - Complete 40 repetitions.

Enjoy :)

New Circuit 9.21.09

New Circuit this week :)  Incorporates a few more posterior muscle groups to get that backside looking good!  You should be increase your weights in some of these exercises to increase your muscular endurance and to feel the burn a little more.  This is going to help burn the fat around your trouble areas and add cardio for the heart and lungs, ultimately burning more calories in your workout.  Post comments at the end of my blog too if you like/dislike some of the moves, suggestions and questions are always great! :)


1)  Step Ups + Overhead Press - Skip a step and increase the distance in your step!  This will target more glute muscles and get your heartrate up.  Holding the weights at the shoulders with a 90 degree angle in each elbow, press overhead as you step up and back to the 90 degree hold above the shoulders as you come down off the step.  Repeat 10 times with each leg leading.

2)  Bent Over Row - Standing tall with weights in hands, hinge forward from the hips and keep your knees softly bent.  Palms of your hands are turned in and neck in nuetral position.  Begin to lift your elbows up and back keeping them close to your body.  With elbows all the back, you should finish by pinching your shoulder blades together incorporating the mid-back area.  Hold for 2 counts and lower back to start slowly.

Repeat this 20 times.

3) One-Leg Squat (Sit/Stand) - Make sure you have a chair/bench/couch close.  With hands out in front of you stand on one leg.  Slowly sink you hips down to the chair until you are completely sitting, then pop right back up only using the one leg.  To increase intensity, stand back up immediately when your thighs/butt touches the chair, or not completely sitting.  Repeat 10 times on each leg.
Here are two versions depending on what equipment you have.

4)  Biceps Curl - Holding weights in both hands, keep your palms facing in toward the body.  Curl the weight all the way up in full range, and slowly release all the way back down toward the thigh.  Perform reps until failure.  If you can do more than 20 each time, you need to up the weight!!!  Stand on one foot to incorporate abs and balance with this simple exercise.

Here's Ryan performing the exercise......;)

5)  Dead Lift - USE YOUR BUTT, NOT YOUR LOWER BACK!  Standing with weights in hands, keep your back flat and your knees soft.  Hinge foward from your hips reaching the weights down the legs as far as you can feel a good stretch of the hamstrings and keeping your shoulders back and back flat.  Slowly being to come back up SQEEZING YOUR BUTT CHEAKS together and finishing with hips under the shoulders.  Repeat 10-12 times.  (Add a bent over row for an extra bonus move if you want...JUST DO IT)

6)  Reverse Crunch - Start by lying on your back and hands at your sides.  Begin to curl your knees into your chest engaging the abdominals.  Now lift your hips up off the floor and SLOWLY set them back down.  The eccentric (release) phase of this exercise is important in strengthening the abdominals so be in control of your hips.  Repeat 10-15 times. 

7) Jump Rope -  If you don't have a jump rope, pretend that you do and go through the motions.  Jump Rope fast for 1 full minute.

Beware, next week we are adding more exercises to this circuit.  Three times through and challenge yourself!

Kernels Game and More FOOTBALL

Thursday night I decided we needed to go to the Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball game since I hadn't seen any baseball all year. I've been so lucky to visit many different MLB stadiums through the years including many TWINs games at the Metro Dome, CUBS, White SOX, Anehiem Angels, YANKEES at the old stadium, and the ROCKIES last summer in Denver. I love baseball games but Ryan gets pretty bored with them. The Kernels are in Division AA for baseball and are affiliated with the Angels. This was the first playoff game for the Kernels and they had fireworks after the game! It was a beautiful night and it was something Ryan and I could do for his birthday since I worked late Wednesday night. It was a really exciting game as the Kernels won it in the bottom of the 9th inning. Peoria replaced their pitcher who really blew it! LOL He walked the first two batters throwing 8 straight balls, the third batter got a hit to load the bases, the fourth batter was walked putting a run in, and the final batter was hit by pitch to end the game! It was pretty funny. Here are some fun pictures from the game.

This guy was running around the stands screaming and dancing, kind of like a seconds mascot.

This is the Kernels actual mascot.  I was kind of wondering why he doesn't have more corn kernels showing?

Ryan LOVES baseball!!!!

Saturday's Iowa/ISU game was also an exciting game.  Ryan and I went up to a local sports bar called Bushwoods and watched the game with Rachel, another trainer I work with.  GO IOWA!!  We were the first people at the bar around 10 am and were worried it was kind of going to be lame.  Surely enough more people crowded in for the game and the Black and Gold dominated the bar.  It was exciting to sit and cheer on the Hawks with a bar full of other fans who love to watch them play. 

Around 6:00 that night we were still debating whether or not to go up to Waverly for the Wartburg game.... we made it there shortly after kickoff :)  It was a fun time and we are both glad we went!  Wartburg also won and it was another exciting game to watch.  Ryan doesn't have any fingernails left after both football games yesterday! LOL 

Each weekend is going to be another football game and I will try to get some more pictures of each place we go.  Wartburg, Iowa, Nebraska, and mabye some local high school games.  It is going to be a long fall.......

New Circuit 9.9.09

This Week’s Circuit

1) Burpees! - Start in standing position and squat down placing hands on the floor/bench/chair/couch/etc. Kick feet back so that you are in push up/plank position. Jump the feet back in toward the hands contracting from your abdominals andstand all the way back up. This is a full body movement and it will work cardio. Repeat this 15 times!



2) Chest Press with Feet Elevated - This will help incorporate the abdominal muscles as you start in the chest press position, weights above the chest and feet straight up in the air. You can choose to keep your feet directly 90 degrees or for more intensity, lower down to 45 degrees. Perform the chest press exercise 15 times.







3) Sumo Squat w/ Triceps Extension - Start with feet in a wide stance and toes turned out (do you look like a Sumo Wrestler?) Now take one weight above your head with both hands. As you sink down into a squat, the weight should follow behind the head for a triceps extension. As you stand back up to starting position, your weight should come back up directly overhead. Remember to stay tall in the upper body and try not to lean forward, ABS ARE BRACED! Perform this exercise 15 times.




4) Pull Over – This exercise works both the chest and the lats if done correctly. Start by lying down (floor/bench/chair/stability ball) with one weight straight above the chest. Keeping the arms slightly bent, slowly lower the weight over head going no lower than the top of your head. As you start to pull that weight back up, contract your abdominals, chest, and lat muscles to pull the weight back over your head to starting position. Perform this exercise 15 times.










5) Side Lunges - Works glutes, inner thighs, hamstrings, and quads and can be done w/ or w/out weight. Start in standing upright position, step you right leg out to the side bending your knee and keeping your left leg straight. Biggest thing to think about here is to keep your hips back, chest up, and toes facing forward on both feet. Push forcefully off your right foot back to starting position. Start with a short range of motion and work your way deeper into this lunge as your flexibility increases. Repeat 10 times on each side.





6) Straight Leg Oblique V-Ups – Your gonna love this one! There are two ways to complete this exercise and you better try both  Start by lying down on one side, bottom are directly out front of you and top arm above your head. Lift top leg up straight and crunch from your obliques reaching your hand up toward the toes. Hold for a count and return to start. Repeat 10 times on each leg. ROUND 2 – This time you are going to lift both legs in the air, reaching your top hand up to touch the toes. It helps to shift your weight back on the hip so you can get a full flexion of the obliques. See picture below, Repeat 10 times. (Start with the single leg first)




Be sure to get a proper cool down and stretch in after EVERY workout!

What A WEEKEND! :)

What an exciting weekend! This is going to be a long post.....
Thursday morning of last week, we got the call that baby Rouse was on the way! After scurrying around all morning to find subs for my classes and reschedule sessions with clients, the soon-to-be grandparents came through CR and we headed out to Naperville, IL. We got news that Jamie's labor was going slow and it would probably be the middle of the night when the baby finally arrived. We decided to get a hotel and sleep in on Friday morning so that the new parents, especially Jamie could rest before we barged in with excitement.
Lauren Paige was born on Friday September 4th, 2009 at 3:42am, 6lbs. 15oz and 20.5 inches long. She is SOOOO beautiful :) She's our new little angel. This is a special baby because she was born on my Grandma Jo's birthday and she is named after the friend that introduced Kyle and Jamie for the first time. How neat!



Saturday morning was a long drive back to Iowa City for the IOWA vs UNI game. Quite a few of Ryan and I's friends were going to be back in IC for the game so I drove back early to meet everyone for tailgating before. It was Gold-Out for the first game of the season, so all IOWA fans were wearing gold shirts, very cool to see in a packed stadium! Jenni and I headed off to the game while Ryan and three of his friends headed off to their seats. Ours were actually a lot better ;) As you all know, it was an exciting game and nonetheless, Ryan lost his voice from screaming so much and actually left the game after the first blocked FG because he couldn't stay to see IOWA get beat by UNI. He should have stayed though since they actually pulled it off.

Sunday was golfing with some other friends from Wartburg. It was the most fun 9 holes I've ever golfed! We were all terrible and it was just funny to see Dan H. struggling to hit the ball several times :) That's alright, can't be awesome at everything! I ended up getting third out of five people, so that's not bad! Ryan did very well; we need to get him a new driver for his b-day, that seemed to help his game!

Monday, Labor Day, was a lazy day. Ryan and I got laundry done early, grocery shopping and walked to Dairy Queen for a late night snack! It was nice to have that third day in the weekend, can't we have one of those every week!?

It's back to work today and I wanted to leave you with an interesting article from TIMES Magazine. This is totally against what I do as my profession and I just think it is saddening that a world-renown magazine would publish this! It is an article stating that Exercise is actually making this nation fatter!? WHAT!???? What about the gigantic portions that every restaurant is serving, fast food, sedentary lifestyles, technology, I could go on and on and on!! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS ARTICLE. Follow the link and see for yourself.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0%2C8599%2C1914857%2C00.html
(you might have to copy paste)

As an ACSM-CPT (American College of Sports Medicine - Certified Personal Trainer), and with a BA in Fitness Management, I know what exercise does for us and that these benefits far outweigh anything this guy is trying to tell us. Yes, it takes a combination of diet AND exercise to reach our weight-loss goals, but how are you going to burn calories w/out exercising more? I could go on and on. Here are the highlights from an ACSM email I got.

While an ACSM member and expert was consulted for the story, he agrees that his research and opinions were selectively reported. Among its numerous claims, the story would have us believe that:

-Losing weight matters more than being aerobically fit in preventing heart disease
-One can’t lose weight from exercise because exercise makes you hungrier – and willpower can’t conquer the hunger enough to make good food choices
-Exercising 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week in order to lose weight (a recommendation from an ACSM Position Stand) is unrealistic
-Leisure-time physical activity – just moving around more during the day – is more effective for weight loss than dedicated exercise
-Vigorous exercise depletes energy resources so much that it leads to overeating – i.e., weight gain

Think about it! Food for thought....
Enjoy the rest of your day :)