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Weekly Workout Rundown

photo 0e340d3e-62ba-4e55-9f4a-7258f16cd99a_zps3484b587.jpg

Monday:
  • 30 min AM run, 2.58 miles
Tuesday:
  • 50 min AM arms and legs
  • 30 min moderate walk at lunch
Wednesday:
  • 40 min AM chest and abs
  • 25 min run at lunch
Thursday:
  • 30 min moderate walk at lunch
  • 30 min PM shoulders
  • 35 min PM barefoot run, 2 miles
Friday:
  • Rest
Saturday:
  • 55 min back/delts and legs
Sunday:
  • Rest
Well well well, I made it to Phase 3 of the LiveFit Series. This past week was a little tough in the motivation department, but I think that’s going to go away in Phase 3, because I think Phase 3 is my favorite phase. Monday, I skipped my strength workout in the morning. I couldn’t get up Monday morning and the thought of strength training after work was absolutely not happening. Sometimes, you just have to listen to your body. I made up for it on Tuesday by super-setting Monday’s and Tuesday’s workouts together. Friday, I had another weak day and made up for it on Saturday, the same way, by fusing Friday and Saturday’s workouts together in super sets. However, I didn’t get in my Saturday cardio. I got on the treadmill and my body felt weak and strange, and I didn’t want to push it past the brink. I have the strongest self-motivation and willpower ever, so I knew that it was my body and not my head talking.
On Thursday, I took a barefoot run on my treadmill. I tend to run on the balls of my feet when I’m doing that, but I was still running strong after 2 miles. I never did get the courage to try barefoot running outside this summer. Barefoot running on the treadmill will probably be as close as I get for now. I have to admit, I was a teeny bit motivated to go barefoot running because I didn’t feel like digging out socks and shoes. #TrueConfession
I am so pumped about Phase 3 of the LiveFit Series. I did the first workout this morning and love it. Phase 3 is about pairing up strength and cardio intervals. For example, you’ll follow squats with squat jumps and calf raises with jump roping. I’ve always gotten results from this kind of programming so I’m really loving this. The countdown to the end begins! I’m so glad I made it this far.
What about you? Have you ever felt so completely bone dry during your workouts that you’ve had to throw in the towel?

Tough Mudder Interview

My good friend and workout partner, Sarah Clark, recently participated in a Tough Mudder race that came to our city. While the race is fresh in her mind, I thought I’d pick her brain a little bit for an insider interview. Any of you signing up for Tough Mudders out there, listen up! This interview has some great useful tips in it.



1. So, this was your first race of any kind, which I think is really amazing. What did you think of it?

It was epic! I was so proud of my team, how we encouraged each other throughout the race and didn’t leave anyone behind. It helps to have a strong, supportive team for an event like this. People ask me, “Was it fun?” and I think I’m finally to the stage where I can admit that yes, I did have some fun.

2. Now 5ks might sound like a bit of a cakewalk to you. Do you think you’ll do any more races in the future?

It definitely got me pumped to run another race. . . Maybe a 5K next time, that’s a little easier.

3. Tell me what you did to prepare for the Tough Mudder, including gear and race-day preparations?

On race day, we taped down our laces so our shoes didn’t fall off in the mud. My team wore lightweight, moisture-wicking shirts and compression pants that would dry quickly and not weigh us down. The women wore arm bands to help protect our forearms during the obstacles that involved crawling through the mud. Of the six of us, almost everyone on the team wore gloves, which was a huge help. On my feet, I wore a pair of running shoes that had been broken in but were still in pretty good shape, and it was the best decision ever: no blisters.

4. Would you do anything differently the next time?

I definitely would work a lot more on building up my upper body strength. You need that for getting over the walls. I would also do more long-distance running. I read that to prepare for a race you should be able to run twice the distance of the race. For the Tough Mudder, that would be almost 24 miles.



5. How did you train physically for the race?

I feel like I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I should have been as far as running the distance. I did a lot of 2-3 mile runs, 2-3 days a week, which with my busy schedule, was what I could manage. The Tough Mudder also has Mudder training workouts on their web site that I printed out and powered through 3x a week with a friend (Yours Truly). Those were great workouts.


6. Tell me about some of the toughest obstacles you had to endure?

The Tough Mudder tests not only your physical strength but your mental strength as well. Physically, the climbing obstacles like Blades of Glory, Berlin Wall and Everest would have been the toughest, but the guys on my team boosted, tugged and pulled me through. Funky Monkey I knew I wouldn’t be able to do so I just jumped in the water. Mentally, the Arctic Enema and Walk the Plank were the toughest. I really didn’t think I was going to be able to make myself do them.



7. Were there any obstacles or moments that made you think that you might give up?

I never felt I wanted to give up but I was really close on taking a pass for Walk the Plank. I got up to the top, looked down into the water 30 feet below and started freaking out. I let a few people go ahead of me and looked for a way to climb back down, but the way it’s set up, they don’t make that a viable option. I concluded the only way down was to jump, so I did.



8. What obstacles or parts of the race are you most proud of accomplishing?

I’m really proud of my whole team for everything we did at the race. Before you start each obstacle, you watch the people ahead of you go through it and try to figure out a strategy. When you get through it you look back and think, “I can’t believe I just did that!” As for myself, the most sense of accomplishment was the Arctic Enema and Walk the Plank. If it wasn’t for the team urging me on, it might not have happened.

9. What was the experience of crossing the finish line like for you?

It was really emotional. The last obstacle is Electroshock Therapy and we were told to all link arms and go through it together. We marched right through, taking shocks along the way, knowing the end and a cold beer were waiting for us on the other side. As soon as we finished we screamed, “WE DID IT!” and wrapped our arms around each other. After that, I needed a nap.



10. And how did you feel afterward or several days later? Any lingering effects?

I was relived to discover only minor battle scars. There were definitely some bruises, mostly on my legs from going over the walls. My arms were the most sore, since they were the weakest. But a little bit of pain medication and rest made that dissipate in only a couple of days.

11. Was there anything about the race that was completely unexpected?

There were a lot of hay bales to jump over along the course. I knew there would be smaller obstacles, “Road hazards” I think they were called, but those were tough!

12. What kept you going? Did you repeat any mantras in your head, use any mental tricks, get encouragement from your team, or anything like that? (you mentioned the funny drill sergeants…, did they help?)

About halfway through, my legs started cramping up so I would periodically slow down and do some stretching. It almost felt better to keep running instead of walk. We definitely encouraged each other. And if the rest of the team was starting to get ahead, we’d shout words of encouragement to the stragglers. Some of us had minor injuries and had to slow down at times, but we never left a Mudder teammate behind. Because the course switched back quite a bit, we could usually hear the music playing near the start, which also helped. Some of the obstacles had drill sergeants that would bark funny comments at us to keep our spirits up.

13.  Now I know that Tough Mudders and other similar challenges can ruin your shoes and clothes (and I guess even your body). What were your damages and what did you do about them?

I was really happy about how well my gear held up. We all made sure to wear dark clothes so the mud stains would not show. Most of my team donated their shoes to the big muddy shoe pile for charity at the end of the race, but I just couldn’t let go of my favorite pair. I brought them home, hosed them off in the driveway, along with all of my muddy clothes, hauled it all to the laundromat, added some Oxyclean and detergent and my gear came out like new! The only real casualty was that my shirt got a little ripped where the race number was pinned on, but I consider that par for the course.



14. You are the graphic artist behind your fun team uniform, which I think is really neat. Could you tell me a little bit about the shirts you designed?

I went off the catchphrase “Fear the Beard”, because it sounded tough and my BIL is sporting a pretty huge beard these days. It’s the silhouette of a man with a long pointy beard that also looks like two Mudders helping each other out. My husband also grew a big beard and the ladies painted on goatees for the race. The hair was fireworks, in reference to a little incident we had on the 4th of July this year, and a headband rocked our team name The Clarktastrophe. The back of the shirt listed all of our nicknames.




15. Do you have any advice for other Tough Mudder newbies or anything that you wish you would’ve known beforehand?

Build up your endurance and your upper-body strength. Make sure if you tape your laces, secure the tape and don’t make it too tight. Most of us lost our tape midway through, and the one that I didn’t lose was wrapped so tight it injured the tendons in my foot for a few days. Remember to help out your team and fellow Mudders, and most of all have fun!



Thanks so much Sarah for sharing about your experience and offering some helpful insights. I’m so proud of you–you rocked this! I’ll see you at the gym:)



P.S. I’m so glad you explained your T-shirt design. I totally didn’t see the two Mudders helping each other out in the beard. Way cool!






Tough Mudder Interview

My good friend and workout partner, Sarah Clark, recently participated in a Tough Mudder race that came to our city. While the race is fresh in her mind, I thought I’d pick her brain a little bit for an insider interview. Any of you signing up for Tough Mudders out there, listen up! This interview has some great useful tips in it.



1. So, this was your first race of any kind, which I think is really amazing. What did you think of it?

It was epic! I was so proud of my team, how we encouraged each other throughout the race and didn’t leave anyone behind. It helps to have a strong, supportive team for an event like this. People ask me, “Was it fun?” and I think I’m finally to the stage where I can admit that yes, I did have some fun.

2. Now 5ks might sound like a bit of a cakewalk to you. Do you think you’ll do any more races in the future?

It definitely got me pumped to run another race. . . Maybe a 5K next time, that’s a little easier.

3. Tell me what you did to prepare for the Tough Mudder, including gear and race-day preparations?

On race day, we taped down our laces so our shoes didn’t fall off in the mud. My team wore lightweight, moisture-wicking shirts and compression pants that would dry quickly and not weigh us down. The women wore arm bands to help protect our forearms during the obstacles that involved crawling through the mud. Of the six of us, almost everyone on the team wore gloves, which was a huge help. On my feet, I wore a pair of running shoes that had been broken in but were still in pretty good shape, and it was the best decision ever: no blisters.

4. Would you do anything differently the next time?

I definitely would work a lot more on building up my upper body strength. You need that for getting over the walls. I would also do more long-distance running. I read that to prepare for a race you should be able to run twice the distance of the race. For the Tough Mudder, that would be almost 24 miles.



5. How did you train physically for the race?

I feel like I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I should have been as far as running the distance. I did a lot of 2-3 mile runs, 2-3 days a week, which with my busy schedule, was what I could manage. The Tough Mudder also has Mudder training workouts on their web site that I printed out and powered through 3x a week with a friend (Yours Truly). Those were great workouts.

6. Tell me about some of the toughest obstacles you had to endure?

The Tough Mudder tests not only your physical strength but your mental strength as well. Physically, the climbing obstacles like Blades of Glory, Berlin Wall and Everest would have been the toughest, but the guys on my team boosted, tugged and pulled me through. Funky Monkey I knew I wouldn’t be able to do so I just jumped in the water. Mentally, the Arctic Enema and Walk the Plank were the toughest. I really didn’t think I was going to be able to make myself do them.



7. Were there any obstacles or moments that made you think that you might give up?

I never felt I wanted to give up but I was really close on taking a pass for Walk the Plank. I got up to the top, looked down into the water 30 feet below and started freaking out. I let a few people go ahead of me and looked for a way to climb back down, but the way it’s set up, they don’t make that a viable option. I concluded the only way down was to jump, so I did.



8. What obstacles or parts of the race are you most proud of accomplishing?

I’m really proud of my whole team for everything we did at the race. Before you start each obstacle, you watch the people ahead of you go through it and try to figure out a strategy. When you get through it you look back and think, “I can’t believe I just did that!” As for myself, the most sense of accomplishment was the Arctic Enema and Walk the Plank. If it wasn’t for the team urging me on, it might not have happened.

9. What was the experience of crossing the finish line like for you?

It was really emotional. The last obstacle is Electroshock Therapy and we were told to all link arms and go through it together. We marched right through, taking shocks along the way, knowing the end and a cold beer were waiting for us on the other side. As soon as we finished we screamed, “WE DID IT!” and wrapped our arms around each other. After that, I needed a nap.



10. And how did you feel afterward or several days later? Any lingering effects?

I was relived to discover only minor battle scars. There were definitely some bruises, mostly on my legs from going over the walls. My arms were the most sore, since they were the weakest. But a little bit of pain medication and rest made that dissipate in only a couple of days.

11. Was there anything about the race that was completely unexpected?

There were a lot of hay bales to jump over along the course. I knew there would be smaller obstacles, “Road hazards” I think they were called, but those were tough!

12. What kept you going? Did you repeat any mantras in your head, use any mental tricks, get encouragement from your team, or anything like that? (you mentioned the funny drill sergeants…, did they help?)

About halfway through, my legs started cramping up so I would periodically slow down and do some stretching. It almost felt better to keep running instead of walk. We definitely encouraged each other. And if the rest of the team was starting to get ahead, we’d shout words of encouragement to the stragglers. Some of us had minor injuries and had to slow down at times, but we never left a Mudder teammate behind. Because the course switched back quite a bit, we could usually hear the music playing near the start, which also helped. Some of the obstacles had drill sergeants that would bark funny comments at us to keep our spirits up.

13.  Now I know that Tough Mudders and other similar challenges can ruin your shoes and clothes (and I guess even your body). What were your damages and what did you do about them?

I was really happy about how well my gear held up. We all made sure to wear dark clothes so the mud stains would not show. Most of my team donated their shoes to the big muddy shoe pile for charity at the end of the race, but I just couldn’t let go of my favorite pair. I brought them home, hosed them off in the driveway, along with all of my muddy clothes, hauled it all to the laundromat, added some Oxyclean and detergent and my gear came out like new! The only real casualty was that my shirt got a little ripped where the race number was pinned on, but I consider that par for the course.



14. You are the graphic artist behind your fun team uniform, which I think is really neat. Could you tell me a little bit about the shirts you designed?

I went off the catchphrase “Fear the Beard”, because it sounded tough and my BIL is sporting a pretty huge beard these days. It’s the silhouette of a man with a long pointy beard that also looks like two Mudders helping each other out. My husband also grew a big beard and the ladies painted on goatees for the race. The hair was fireworks, in reference to a little incident we had on the 4th of July this year, and a headband rocked our team name The Clarktastrophe. The back of the shirt listed all of our nicknames.




15. Do you have any advice for other Tough Mudder newbies or anything that you wish you would’ve known beforehand?

Build up your endurance and your upper-body strength. Make sure if you tape your laces, secure the tape and don’t make it too tight. Most of us lost our tape midway through, and the one that I didn’t lose was wrapped so tight it injured the tendons in my foot for a few days. Remember to help out your team and fellow Mudders, and most of all have fun!



Thanks so much Sarah for sharing about your experience and offering some helpful insights. I’m so proud of you–you rocked this! I’ll see you at the gym:)



P.S. I’m so glad you explained your T-shirt design. I totally didn’t see the two Mudders helping each other out in the beard. Way cool!





Weekly Workout Rundown

photo 0e340d3e-62ba-4e55-9f4a-7258f16cd99a_zps3484b587.jpg

Monday:
  • 20 min LiveFit arms in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.58 miles
Tuesday:
  • 30 min moderate walk at lunch
  • 70 min legs and abs in the PM
Wednesday:
  • 25 min chest in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.6 miles
  • 20 min FlashFit workout at lunch
Thursday:
  • 25 min shoulders in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.6 miles
  • 30 min moderate walk at lunch
Friday:
  • 45 min legs in the AM
  • 20 min walk at lunch
Saturday:
  • 35 min shoulders and back
  • 30 min run
Sunday:
  • Rest
Holy man! Looking at that workout schedule, I’m actually quite proud of myself. That is a LOT of hard work that sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing. 
My mom and I have really picked up the pace on our lunchtime walks. She’s in serious training mode now. She even took a bike ride with Peanut on Saturday so I could get some freelance work done. She hasn’t ridden a bike in years, so I’m so stoked for what this personal training experience will do for her. We’re doing “homework” each week along with her personal training, and this week was all about water. I even got her a cute purple water bottle. We measured how many ounces it holds and figured out how many times she needs to refill it during the day. She’s a coffee fiend who constantly has a coffee cup in her hand, so I’m trying to help her fuel with water instead. Next week, we’ll be working on thought transformation. I can’t wait! 
My lunch workout buddy and I have decided to run at lunch instead of strength train or do FlashFit workouts. This will save me some time in the morning that I’ve been slowly losing. Instead of having our lunch workouts just be an “extra” workout for me, now they’ll actually be dedicated to parts of my training plan, which will really help me as long as neither one of us cancels. Plus, there’s just something about running at lunch that makes the rest of the workday seem much easier. You have to break up all that computer time with something active!
I head into Phase 3 of the LiveFit Series next week, and I can’t believe I’ve made it so far! I tend to get really bored or overworked with other plans (the Supreme90Day schedule actually made me sick), but this plan has kept me interested and progressing without the complete burnout. I always have enough self-discipline, just sometimes not the interest or lactic acid-reduction capabilities, ha! I think I may have even thrown in an extra run this week that wasn’t on the plan. I’m feeling so so strong on this plan. I always have a berry protein shake within 30 minutes of completing a workout, and that is definitely helping with my recovery and muscle building capacity.
See you next week, when I enter Phase 3, the final phase, of LiveFit. What did your workouts look like this week?

Weekly Workout Rundown

photo 0e340d3e-62ba-4e55-9f4a-7258f16cd99a_zps3484b587.jpg

Monday:
  • 20 min LiveFit arms in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.58 miles
Tuesday:
  • 30 min moderate walk at lunch
  • 70 min legs and abs in the PM
Wednesday:
  • 25 min chest in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.6 miles
  • 20 min FlashFit workout at lunch
Thursday:
  • 25 min shoulders in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.6 miles
  • 30 min moderate walk at lunch
Friday:
  • 45 min legs in the AM
  • 20 min walk at lunch
Saturday:
  • 35 min shoulders and back
  • 30 min run
Sunday:
  • Rest
Holy man! Looking at that workout schedule, I’m actually quite proud of myself. That is a LOT of hard work that sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing. 
My mom and I have really picked up the pace on our lunchtime walks. She’s in serious training mode now. She even took a bike ride with Peanut on Saturday so I could get some freelance work done. She hasn’t ridden a bike in years, so I’m so stoked for what this personal training experience will do for her. We’re doing “homework” each week along with her personal training, and this week was all about water. I even got her a cute purple water bottle. We measured how many ounces it holds and figured out how many times she needs to refill it during the day. She’s a coffee fiend who constantly has a coffee cup in her hand, so I’m trying to help her fuel with water instead. Next week, we’ll be working on thought transformation. I can’t wait! 
My lunch workout buddy and I have decided to run at lunch instead of strength train or do FlashFit workouts. This will save me some time in the morning that I’ve been slowly losing. Instead of having our lunch workouts just be an “extra” workout for me, now they’ll actually be dedicated to parts of my training plan, which will really help me as long as neither one of us cancels. Plus, there’s just something about running at lunch that makes the rest of the workday seem much easier. You have to break up all that computer time with something active!
I head into Phase 3 of the LiveFit Series next week, and I can’t believe I’ve made it so far! I tend to get really bored or overworked with other plans (the Supreme90Day schedule actually made me sick), but this plan has kept me interested and progressing without the complete burnout. I always have enough self-discipline, just sometimes not the interest or lactic acid-reduction capabilities, ha! I think I may have even thrown in an extra run this week that wasn’t on the plan. I’m feeling so so strong on this plan. I always have a berry protein shake within 30 minutes of completing a workout, and that is definitely helping with my recovery and muscle building capacity.
See you next week, when I enter Phase 3, the final phase, of LiveFit. What did your workouts look like this week?

Oshkosh Sports and Fitness Expo

On Saturday, I loaded my mom and Peanut up for a trip to the Sports and Fitness Expo in our city. I was really excited to go to my first fitness-related expo and already knew of a few booths that I wanted to scout out when I got there.

When we got there, I was a little taken aback by how small the expo really was. Now, don’t take this wrong, because it was still super productive! But compared to something like Deerfest, it seemed pretty small. And unless I missed something, I didn’t see any used sport or fitness equipment being sold, which was advertised. But I suspect that some of this has to do with the difficult website navigation–I had a hard time nailing down what was going on, especially the speaking schedules and such. Before we could even get inside though, we had to stop near the doors so Peanut could draw the camels and llamas, of course.

I had a great time talking to some of the representatives there, even if some of them were trying for a hard sell. I still learned a lot. If I had more disposable income I definitely would’ve hired the nutritionist I talked to, bought a year’s supply of superfoods and vitamins, and signed up for a boot camp or six! I don’t buy into the wraps and spinal scans and things like that. Sorry! But there are some real neat things that I can get behind.

I felt a little hesitant about bringing Peanut along, but Hubster was working and I knew we wouldn’t be there that long. After we got inside though, he did just fine because there was full-face painting, real live animals, disc golf, and massage to keep him occupied. Yes, the masseuse from a local parlor was even gracious enough to give him a tiny bit of a back rub after me, which was the sweetest thing ever. He’s definitely my kid, loving his massages. Peanut even got to ride a camel, because you know, it’s always natural that there should be camel racing at a fitness expo! Ha!

Yes, his painted face is in that chair.

Eli the camel

Spidey showing off his moves

I picked up some single-serving packets of Vemma Bode meal replacement powder to try. It is a brand endorsed by Chris Powell and his wife. And, if you remember, my workout buddy and I did some of his workouts for quite awhile there. This meal replacement protein shake has mangosteen in it, which used to be illegal to import to the US. I always have a protein smoothie in the morning, so I’ll try my regular berries + water + powder concoction with this and see how I like it.

I also picked up some essential oils from Doterra. I’ve been hearing about the brand for quite some time now through my cousin who sells it, but never actually tried it. I was fascinated with hearing about how Lemongrass Oil actually helped one of the consultant’s friends heal her horse’s hoof maladies. Sometimes it pays to go natural and give chemicals the heave-ho.

My tootsies have had a very rough summer since I tend to wear flip-flops and sandals all summer. So, I stopped at the Avon booth for some super hydrating peppermint foot cream that I’ve been pampering my feet with every night since, right after a good pumice scrub. I’ve not been very nice to my feet and it’s definitely something that I could improve on, especially since those are the extremities that keep my runs strong. I now keep a golf ball under my desk too to rub my feet with too. I’ve been doing some reading about Trigger Point Therapy to find out some more of the scientific basis and process behind these awesome foot rubs.

I mentioned that I got a chair massage, and that is like one of the greatest things in life! In fact, one of the things we discussed in marriage counseling with our pastor prior to getting married was my need for back rubs. I kid you not! The lady that did my quick 5-minute one said I was super tense, which I can definitely feel. Believe it or not, she was using Trigger Point Therapy on me (I asked!) and it felt like heaven! She said I could definitely use at least an hour on the table to loosen up my shoulders, and I couldn’t agree more, whether she was trying to sell to me or not! If I could do an hour on the table every day of my life, I would be one happy little camper. Plus, my shoulders are pretty much chronically tight. I’ve had massages before and they always tell me about my tightness. Some of it can be attributed to the hardcore shoulder work I’ve been doing lately, but my shoulders just seem to be where my body holds most of its tension.

I also did lunges to get this sportpack and played some disc golf inside the building. This was another thing that Peanut really enjoyed trying. We even own some discs, but we still have yet to make it golfing.

I also tried some of these really good Juice Plus gummies that were so so amazing. I’m chewing on the price tag right now, but I think the concept is truly virtuous. They extract all the sugar, water and salt from dozens of fruits and vegetables and condense the fiber and antioxidants down into these little great-tasting chews. They’re great for kids, especially ones that don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their diets, and they’re highly clinically researched. The representative told us that it’s even approved by the Olympic committee, which is a pretty tough line to cross. Always the skeptic, I decided I wanted to give these a little more research myself before handing over my credit card. So far, they seem legit.

Last night, when I got home, I found this beauty in the mail. I won a lift ticket to a ski resort in Michigan! Now, I just need to find a ski partner. I haven’t gone skiing in forever. Any takers? 🙂

When I got home from the expo, I worked with my mom to put together a personal training plan for her. We did the YMCA step test and took her measurements. She’s gracious enough to be my very first guinea pig and she seems like she’s going to be very receptive to the training as she has some very powerful reasons for getting healthier. Of course, wanting what’s best for my mom, I’m excited to give this a shot too. My ultimate vision and goal is to be able to share her success story on here.

Peanut asked if I could train him too, just like I’m training grandma. That kid cracks me up and warms my heart all at the same time. Love him! Even though he’s a bit too young for weight training, it makes me so happy that fitness will be one of those things that just comes naturally for him. He’ll never have to start from scratch, like many of us have had to.

So, what are some of the most phony “health” products you’ve seen out there? How do you avoid them?

Oshkosh Sports and Fitness Expo

On Saturday, I loaded my mom and Peanut up for a trip to the Sports and Fitness Expo in our city. I was really excited to go to my first fitness-related expo and already knew of a few booths that I wanted to scout out when I got there.

When we got there, I was a little taken aback by how small the expo really was. Now, don’t take this wrong, because it was still super productive! But compared to something like Deerfest, it seemed pretty small. And unless I missed something, I didn’t see any used sport or fitness equipment being sold, which was advertised. But I suspect that some of this has to do with the difficult website navigation–I had a hard time nailing down what was going on, especially the speaking schedules and such. Before we could even get inside though, we had to stop near the doors so Peanut could draw the camels and llamas, of course.

I had a great time talking to some of the representatives there, even if some of them were trying for a hard sell. I still learned a lot. If I had more disposable income I definitely would’ve hired the nutritionist I talked to, bought a year’s supply of superfoods and vitamins, and signed up for a boot camp or six! I don’t buy into the wraps and spinal scans and things like that. Sorry! But there are some real neat things that I can get behind.

I felt a little hesitant about bringing Peanut along, but Hubster was working and I knew we wouldn’t be there that long. After we got inside though, he did just fine because there was full-face painting, real live animals, disc golf, and massage to keep him occupied. Yes, the masseuse from a local parlor was even gracious enough to give him a tiny bit of a back rub after me, which was the sweetest thing ever. He’s definitely my kid, loving his massages. Peanut even got to ride a camel, because you know, it’s always natural that there should be camel racing at a fitness expo! Ha!

Yes, his painted face is in that chair.

Eli the camel

Spidey showing off his moves

I picked up some single-serving packets of Vemma Bode meal replacement powder to try. It is a brand endorsed by Chris Powell and his wife. And, if you remember, my workout buddy and I did some of his workouts for quite awhile there. This meal replacement protein shake has mangosteen in it, which used to be illegal to import to the US. I always have a protein smoothie in the morning, so I’ll try my regular berries + water + powder concoction with this and see how I like it.

I also picked up some essential oils from Doterra. I’ve been hearing about the brand for quite some time now through my cousin who sells it, but never actually tried it. I was fascinated with hearing about how Lemongrass Oil actually helped one of the consultant’s friends heal her horse’s hoof maladies. Sometimes it pays to go natural and give chemicals the heave-ho.

My tootsies have had a very rough summer since I tend to wear flip-flops and sandals all summer. So, I stopped at the Avon booth for some super hydrating peppermint foot cream that I’ve been pampering my feet with every night since, right after a good pumice scrub. I’ve not been very nice to my feet and it’s definitely something that I could improve on, especially since those are the extremities that keep my runs strong. I now keep a golf ball under my desk too to rub my feet with too. I’ve been doing some reading about Trigger Point Therapy to find out some more of the scientific basis and process behind these awesome foot rubs.

I mentioned that I got a chair massage, and that is like one of the greatest things in life! In fact, one of the things we discussed in marriage counseling with our pastor prior to getting married was my need for back rubs. I kid you not! The lady that did my quick 5-minute one said I was super tense, which I can definitely feel. Believe it or not, she was using Trigger Point Therapy on me (I asked!) and it felt like heaven! She said I could definitely use at least an hour on the table to loosen up my shoulders, and I couldn’t agree more, whether she was trying to sell to me or not! If I could do an hour on the table every day of my life, I would be one happy little camper. Plus, my shoulders are pretty much chronically tight. I’ve had massages before and they always tell me about my tightness. Some of it can be attributed to the hardcore shoulder work I’ve been doing lately, but my shoulders just seem to be where my body holds most of its tension.

I also did lunges to get this sportpack and played some disc golf inside the building. This was another thing that Peanut really enjoyed trying. We even own some discs, but we still have yet to make it golfing.

I also tried some of these really good Juice Plus gummies that were so so amazing. I’m chewing on the price tag right now, but I think the concept is truly virtuous. They extract all the sugar, water and salt from dozens of fruits and vegetables and condense the fiber and antioxidants down into these little great-tasting chews. They’re great for kids, especially ones that don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their diets, and they’re highly clinically researched. The representative told us that it’s even approved by the Olympic committee, which is a pretty tough line to cross. Always the skeptic, I decided I wanted to give these a little more research myself before handing over my credit card. So far, they seem legit.

Last night, when I got home, I found this beauty in the mail. I won a lift ticket to a ski resort in Michigan! Now, I just need to find a ski partner. I haven’t gone skiing in forever. Any takers? 🙂

When I got home from the expo, I worked with my mom to put together a personal training plan for her. We did the YMCA step test and took her measurements. She’s gracious enough to be my very first guinea pig and she seems like she’s going to be very receptive to the training as she has some very powerful reasons for getting healthier. Of course, wanting what’s best for my mom, I’m excited to give this a shot too. My ultimate vision and goal is to be able to share her success story on here.

Peanut asked if I could train him too, just like I’m training grandma. That kid cracks me up and warms my heart all at the same time. Love him! Even though he’s a bit too young for weight training, it makes me so happy that fitness will be one of those things that just comes naturally for him. He’ll never have to start from scratch, like many of us have had to.

So, what are some of the most phony “health” products you’ve seen out there? How do you avoid them?

Weekly Workout Rundown

photo 0e340d3e-62ba-4e55-9f4a-7258f16cd99a_zps3484b587.jpg

Monday:
  • 15 min LiveFit back workout in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.44 miles

Tuesday:
  • 20 min LiveFit chest and abs in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.55 miles
  • 25 min walk at lunch with mom
  • 20 min rest of LiveFit from Monday and Tuesday

Wednesday:
  • 45 min LiveFit legs workout in the AM

Thursday:
  • 25 min LiveFit arms and abs in the AM
  • 30 min run, 2.55 miles
  • 30 min bike ride
Friday:
  • 15 min LiveFit shoulders in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.57 miles
  • 15 min FlashFit workout
Saturday:
  • 60 min LiveFit legs and more of Friday’s shoulders
Sunday:
  • Rest

I am past the halfway point of the LiveFit Series, baby! Every day since I got to add cardio back into my routine, I’ve beat my past mileage by at least a smidge. It really helps to have that little personal competition to be ~Better Every Day. 
Today I feel like junk, so I’m not really that talkative. I was thisclose to leaving work early, but slugged my way through the day and actually got some things done. Can’t quite pinpoint what is wrong, but I’m just not feeling up to snuff.
This past weekend, I went to the Sports and Fitness Expo in Oshkosh and had a great time. I’ll share more about that hopefully tomorrow. I also started training my mom, who gets to be my first personal training guinea pig. I’m so excited about doing this! And I really hope she gets some great results, because she deserves to feel good about that. After that, I worked on a writing project while watching a Big Bang Theory marathon. #BigBangBinge I’ve been challenged to put together a 4-5 page document for my church, so I’ve been giving that some of my undivided attention. Well, sort of…
Sunday was just as busy with church, followed by a Donut Date with my Peanut (yes, I am human!) and then a living room screening of the Great Gatsby. That is one of my very favorite books of all time, so I love anything to do with the Great Gatsby. After that was Bible study and bedtime. Now, I’m dreaming of bedtime again. I just want to curl up and have someone sing Soft Kitty to me. Only my fellow Big Bangers will understand what that means:)

Donut date after-church tradition

Weekly Workout Rundown

photo 0e340d3e-62ba-4e55-9f4a-7258f16cd99a_zps3484b587.jpg

Monday:
  • 15 min LiveFit back workout in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.44 miles

Tuesday:
  • 20 min LiveFit chest and abs in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.55 miles
  • 25 min walk at lunch with mom
  • 20 min rest of LiveFit from Monday and Tuesday

Wednesday:
  • 45 min LiveFit legs workout in the AM

Thursday:
  • 25 min LiveFit arms and abs in the AM
  • 30 min run, 2.55 miles
  • 30 min bike ride
Friday:
  • 15 min LiveFit shoulders in the AM
  • 30 min AM run, 2.57 miles
  • 15 min FlashFit workout
Saturday:
  • 60 min LiveFit legs and more of Friday’s shoulders
Sunday:
  • Rest

I am past the halfway point of the LiveFit Series, baby! Every day since I got to add cardio back into my routine, I’ve beat my past mileage by at least a smidge. It really helps to have that little personal competition to be ~Better Every Day. 
Today I feel like junk, so I’m not really that talkative. I was thisclose to leaving work early, but slugged my way through the day and actually got some things done. Can’t quite pinpoint what is wrong, but I’m just not feeling up to snuff.
This past weekend, I went to the Sports and Fitness Expo in Oshkosh and had a great time. I’ll share more about that hopefully tomorrow. I also started training my mom, who gets to be my first personal training guinea pig. I’m so excited about doing this! And I really hope she gets some great results, because she deserves to feel good about that. After that, I worked on a writing project while watching a Big Bang Theory marathon. #BigBangBinge I’ve been challenged to put together a 4-5 page document for my church, so I’ve been giving that some of my undivided attention. Well, sort of…
Sunday was just as busy with church, followed by a Donut Date with my Peanut (yes, I am human!) and then a living room screening of the Great Gatsby. That is one of my very favorite books of all time, so I love anything to do with the Great Gatsby. After that was Bible study and bedtime. Now, I’m dreaming of bedtime again. I just want to curl up and have someone sing Soft Kitty to me. Only my fellow Big Bangers will understand what that means:)

Donut date after-church tradition

Better Than Gold

Last night, as I pulled into the driveway, Hubster was pushing our bikes through the gate to go get air in the tires. He didn’t tell me where we were going, he just loaded our bikes into the truck and whisked us away.

Hey, who am I to argue with a man who suddenly wants to do something active and spend some family time together doing it? Not me! I just kept wishing I knew where we were going. All those to-do lists I was talking about were bubbling around in my brain. Not that I didn’t want to go…I just wanted to know where and for how long…Ok, I admit, I just wanted to be in control a little bit.

We pulled into one of Hubster’s local hunting haunts and unloaded the bikes. The pretty nature trail leading out of the driveway was gravel. The sky was a threatening gray. But what an amazing ride! In the first stretch, we were greeted by dozens of frogs jumping across the trail. I even saw a snake slither into the marshy grass at one point!

A little farther down, we rode out onto a breaker wall. I didn’t realize that the wall was even there, let alone that it did a huge loop through the lake and ended back at the parking lot. Amazing! We took a bike ride along this fabulous breaker wall, watching the sea gulls, ducks and carp do their thang. We even stopped at the pass-through gate for boats and watched the fish for awhile.

Once we got back to the truck, it finally started raining. As we were leaving, Peanut said “there’s a deer!” He was pointing at a statue in someone’s front yard. In the very next yard, I shouted out “no, there’s a deer!” A real deer! One that was moving! We had a good little chuckle at that little coincidence.

I just marvel sometimes at how a simple little trip like this could turn into a full memorable event. We took one simple weeknight, a night that we easily could have dedicated to vegging in front of the tube or cleaning yet another mess and we tried something different. And it didn’t cost anything. And it was so perfect.

I mean, we saw dozens of frogs, a snake, hundreds of ducks and other birds, jumping fish, wild turkeys and a deer. And we biked through the middle of a lake. All in one little weeknight. Wow!

Seriously, some things really are better than gold.


Beautiful views

And learning opportunities. We went on a little bone hunt
and talked about what animals they might be from.
Obvs this one is from a crawfish

A little island. Hubster says it holds an aviary hatchery.

Make me a promise, and do something a little bit different tonight.
What are your favorite on-a-whim memories?