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!