Tuesday, Nov 2nd Workout

It was below FREEZING this morning at boot camp. I had every layer I could think of on and a hat with my hood over it and gloves. I was freezing for the first half of the workout but warmed up to the point that I thought I might need to take my outer layer off.

We did tabata, one of my favorite workouts. This is the workout where you do three of the same sets, back to back, burning out your muscles.

Our sets included:
4 exercises for arms & back

4 exercises for legs

4 exercises for lower abs

4 exercises for chest

4 more exercises for legs

4 more exercises for the core

Love this kind of workout!

Thursday, Oct 28 Workout

We did a circuit training today and I was just having so much difficulty enjoying it becuase it was freezing drizzle the ENTIRE time! I had 3 layers on and came home sopping wet! BRRR...thank goodness for hot showers.

The circuit included:

• pushups
• bicep curls
• full sit ups
• stairs
• rows
• undulations
• more push ups
• tricep dips
• reverse crunches
• forward lunges
• reverse lunges
• sprinting
• hoops

My chest was sore the whole time and I came home and went to bed right after my shower. When I woke up again 3 hours later I had a horrible rattling cough. Guess my workout was trying to work out some sickness!!

I'm going to go tomorrow, I never go on Fridays but I'm feeling gross and need to challenge myself to get back to working out 5-6 times a week instead of 3-4.

Wednesday, Oct. 27th Workout

Today I went for a run. The wind was sooo hard to fight but let me say that it was all that much harder because I haven't done any distance running in quite some time! I really think I want to do the 10K for the Riverbank Run in May but my performance today didn't make it seem like that goal was possible! (I know it is, I'm just being dramatic!)

So, that was today. I look forward to a good boot camp session tomorrow but it'll be hard to wake up at 4:45am since I have a vacation day and COULD sleep in so I invited a friend to join for a test day and that will hold me accountable to showing up! :)

Tuesday, Oct. 26th Workout

It was 70 freakin' degrees at boot camp today and the wind was furious! We did one of my favorite workouts- the 100!

You needed to complete a 100 of these exercises by the time the class was over, going as fast as you could with proper form:

• push ups
• squats with weights
• military presses
• curls
• rows (I accidentally did 120 of these)
• dips
• stairs 
• jumping jacks
• crunches
• reverse crunches

There were a couple of us done with about 4 minutes left in the class so Wendy added a core set including:

• right side crunches
• left side crunches
• back scratchers
• right leg to elbow
• left leg to elbow

My arms are BURNT out today....specifically in my shoulders. Great workout!

Thursday, Oct 21 Workout

The stars and moon were amazingly beautiful at boot camp this morning. Good thing I liked them because during this time of the year they're still out and bright on my drive HOME from boot camp :)

We did a Tabata workout today--- the one where you do as many exercises as you can as quickly as you can.

We did 4 of:

• upper body (back and chest)
• arms

We did 8 sets of:

• legs (they were burning)
• core (I felt really strong on this today and even Rob noticed and complimented-- that felt good :))

In between each set we did cardio pushes to get our heart rate up. These included:

• butt kicks
• high knees
• mountain climbers
• jumping jacks
• squat jumps
• jump shots
• etc. 

It's amazing how good jumping is for you. I think if I create my own workout I will put in the things I hate the most--- including jumping--- because those are obviously the best!

Wednesday, Oct. 20 Workout

Today I did a 15 minute yoga set in the morning to get my day going and to stretch out my muscles from yesterdays intense dead lifts!

Then, after work, I went for a 12 mile bike ride. It was FREEZING! I'm realizing that I have less motivation to get on the saddle now that it's so cold. Hopefully I can save up some money to buy and indoor trainer to use the bike in the winter since I don't have a nice treadmill to get my cardio in on the off-boot camp days.

Tuesday, Oct 19th Workout

Todays boot camp workout was insanity. Seriously, we had zero recovery time in 45 minutes. I couldn't even transition exercises fast enough, Rob would already be calling out the next exercise before I changed positions! (the good part of this was that even though it was 40 degrees I heated up quickly!)

We started with a mile run. I felt good about my mile...not sprinting for a best time or anything, but definitely better than last year this time!
After the mile we got right into it doing as many exercises as we could as quickly as we could, making sure to include jumping wherever possible to keep our heart rate sky high. The jumping things included:

• jumping rope (lots, single leg, double leg, doubles, both feet, sprint jumps, etc)
• high skips
• line jumps (side to side, forward to backward)
• boxing jumps with jabs and hooks
• high knees

We also included running laps to keep the heart rate up.


For strength we started with leg stuff like lunges, sumos, side walks with the resistance bands (nothing gets my outer thighs, hips and butt quite like these!), single leg dead lifts, single leg weighted squats, etc.

Then for upper body we focused on push ups, military press squats and a straight set of just military presses for 2minutes.... I had to take 2 breaks to shake my arms out!.

Wendy finished us with some intense partner work on the core. The bad part was that, by the time we were doing core work my legs were so burnt out that I couldn't swing them up.

PHEW! Now THAT was a workout that pushed me beyond my limit! Proud to have it done :)

Friday, Oct 15th Workout

Today I went for a 10 mile bike ride. I know that's not super long but I enjoyed the colors of the trees while pushing as hard as I could speed wise to ensure a good workout.

I will miss my bike during the winter :(

Thursday, October 14th Workout

We did mostly upper body work at boot camp today since we burned our legs out yesterday.

We did partner work with resistance bands. Our exercises included:

• Pushes
• Pulls
• Tricep Pulls
• Push Ups
• Close hand pushups
• chariot runs
• Shoulders with resistance bands in circles
• Shoulders with resistance bands up and down
• Military Presses with free weights
• 1 arm military presses with resistance bands
• Cross body bicep curls
• Plank
• Crunches
• Reverse Crunches
• Heels to the sky
• and then several different cardio pushes

Wednesday, Oct. 13 Workout

We went around the river today, probably about 1 1/2 miles but it's a good thing that's all we ran because it was a "heavy leg day" which means our legs got worked!

Along the run we did:

• step ups
• wall sits
• forward lunges
• reverse lunges
• side sumo lunges
• leg drops (forward, backward & side) from the top of a step (these work the butt too!)
• calf raises (3 different kinds)
• squat jumps (hate these)
• oblique twist squats to the ground
• jumping jacks
• reverse crunches (my legs were so tired it was hard to lift them to my chest)!

There may have been 1-2 more than I'm missing but you get the idea...legs, legs, legs.

It was easier to run today but I'm still sick. I had to stop to blow my nose on a regular basis. COME ON BODY!!!!!

I'm Back! Tues, Oct 12 Workout

So, I'm still sick (that was why I took a break from the blog the last 1 1/2 weeks) but I've decided to jump back into boot camp because I feel like the gunk in my head is breaking up.

Todays workout was a circuit. I definitely couldn't breathe through my nose which was troublesome. And, it's CRAZY how deconditioned your muscles get when missing 4 workouts.

In todays circuit we did:

• core (4 different kinds of crunches)
• step ups
• pushes
• pulls
• forward lunges
• reverse lunges
• push ups
• tricep dips
• star jumps
• hoops
• agility ladder

It was a good workout and it was good to be back but I was probably only operating at 70% of my capacity. I can't wait to be to 100%

Thursday-Saturday

I was sick with the flu :(. Basically that meant that I've been laying down since my body was so achey and eating soft foods because my throat hurt so much. BOO.

Wednesday, Sept. 29 Food

Workout:
1/2 Protein Shake
Banana

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast
String Cheese

Lunch:
Mixed salad w/ Italian Dressing
2 Breadsticks
2/3 cup of capellini pomadoro

Snack:
Apple

Dinner:
Ground Turkey
Spanish Rice
Corn

Wednesday, Sept. 29 Workout

For the majority of our time at boot camp this morning we ran did interval training, running cycles of intervals going from a level 5 (speed walk) and progressing up to a level 9 (sprint). We did  4 cycles of this so it was a ton of running. I definitely still feel better about my sprinting than my 7/8 speed. I got my heart rate up to my maximum target heart rate every time. The best part is that my heart rate recovered SUPER quickly which means my heart has been trained.

In addition, we did just a few strength things including:

• military presses
• chest flys
• bicep curls
• tricep extensions
• plank
• donkey kicks
• fire hydrants
• crunches

Tuesday, Sept 28 Food

Workout:
Banana
Protein Shake

Breakfast:
English Muffin
1 Egg
1 sausage
Hashbrowns

Lunch:
1/3 order of Peanut Curry with Chicken & Veggies

1/2 cup of Thai Soup

Snack:
Apple

Dinner:
Chicken Wrap w/ Veggies (only 1/2 of the tortilla)
10 shoestring fries (I DEFINITELY wanted more)

Tuesday, Sept 28 Workout

Oops, I'm a couple days behind... Life is very hectic this week.
Today was my favorite kind of workout at boot camp. Strength and determination combined. You had to really push yourself to reach a goal.

We had to do 100 of the following exercises ins any order that we wanted as long as we completed them.

• Push ups
• crunches
• reverse crunches
• tricep dips
• weighted squats
• military presses
• rows

Then we had to do the following exercises:

• 20 lifts with the 25lb ammo cans
• 10 reverse lunges with slosh tubes in our arms
• 50 undulations with the ropes
• 15 rows on TRX
• 15 curls on TRX

Great workout! My heart rate was sky high and I'm still feeling shaking from the muscles. Love it. 

Saturday, Sept 25 Food

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
1/2 Turkey Sub
Baked Chips

Snack:
Banana

Dinner:
Tuna w/ Whole Wheat Pasta & Peas

Snack:
Kettle Corn

Saturday, Sept 25 Workout

Today I did a bike ride with a couple of friends down and around Art Prize. It was FREEZING so we needed gloves and stuff but it was still good to be outside and moving. It was good practice to be on my bike in and out of traffic and stopping and starting so much...really helped me use the clips and steering well.

Friday, Sept 24 Food

Breakfast:
Fiber 1
Skim Milk

Lunch:
Turkey Sub
Baked Chips

Snack:
1/2 of 3 Musketeers

Dinner:
1/2 Chicken Breast w/ Spinach Artichoke Spread
1/2 cup of red skin potatoes
garden salad
2 rolls

Drinks:
1 beer
2 martinies

Thursday, Sept 23 Workout & Food

We had a great workout at boot camp today. We did Tabata- maximum effort, maximum speed strength training. We did three exercises for 20 seconds each, rested, then did the set again. The sets focused on these main body parts

Set 1- legs
Set 2- shoulders & arms-
Set 3- back and chest
Set 4- legs again
Set 5- core (this one just about killed me)

We did cardio bursts in between. I tried really hard to add jumps where ever I could to get the best heart rate jump.

I love strength training exercises :)

What I ate today:

Workout:
Protein Shake
Banana

Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Toast
Eggs

Snack:
Almonds
Apple

Lunch:
Ham & Cheese Sandwich
Chips
Oatmeal Raisin cookie

Dinner:
Lean Pockets
Kettle Corn

Wednesday, Sept. 22 Workout

Today could have been a fun AND great workout at boot camp but I was mostly aggravated. In two of my past 4 workouts I've had to workout without a trainer. Last week I helped to lead a group so it wasn't bad (yes, that sounds controlling, but I could help control the intensity). Today however, I was with a group of 8 women, none of whom could make decisions.

So what was the workout? We were given a list of exercises and then we went into downtown and whenever we came across an Art Prize piece we were supposed to do 1 of the exercises until we had seen enough art to cross all of our exercises off the list. The girl with the list (while she was nice) could not make a choice so we'd stand around all giving our input about what direction to go or what exercise to do. I think for some of the women, it was a stalling tactic. For others, they just wanted everyone to feel involved in the decision making. I'm sure that there were at least 1-2 times when I frustrated people because I tried to keep us moving but, really, I can promise that I was 5x more frustrated than they were.

The other issue was that, in doing boot camp for so long, I've learned how to mix exercises to keep heart rate up. So, when they would do things like plank, tricep dips, sumo walks right in a row, my heart rate dropped dramatically. I kept asking if there were jumping exercises to get the heart rate up (like jump rope, star jumps, stairs, etc.) but they were avoiding them like the plague. In part, this reality makes me happy because it means that I've learned a lot about working myself out well and getting the most out of my 45 minutes. BUT, I don't want to work myself out, I pay to have  trainer.

So, I'm waiting to see if the group gets smaller next month. I know that Rob and Wendy are doing an awesome job and workouts like yesterdays hard one remind me why I go to boot camp. They are trying to mix it up and I do appreciate that.

Tomorrow is no running, only weights.... I'm looking forward to that :)

Tuesday, Sept. 21 Food

Workout:
Banana
Protein Shake

Snack:
Almonds
String Cheese

Lunch:
Turkey Veggie Chili
Salt & Vinegar Chips

Snack:
1/2 apple
Kettle Corn

Dinner:
Fiber 1 Cereal

Tuesday, Sept. 21 Workout

Today was a great workout at boot camp. We worked on speed and agility and really got our heart rate up. We moved the entire time without recovery breaks since the focus was on cardio.

We did all sorts of speed things across the parking lot like quick feet, jogging, running, high knees, butt kicks, etc. To keep the heart kicking we did several jumping drills. These are always killer!

We also did strength things including different kinds of push ups, curls, squats, military presses, rows, etc.


In between certain sets we ran 2 laps around the parking lot.

We finished with a series of planks for our core and then stretching.

Really, felt great about the workout today. That's always a good thing!

Monday, Sept. 20 Food

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
1/3rd order of Chicken Pad Thai w/ Veggies
1 cup Thai Soup

Snack:
Banana
5 Starburst candies

Dinner:
4oz Seasoned Chicken Breast
1 1/2 cup sweet potato bites
green beans

Dessert:
Kettle Corn

Sunday, Sept. 19 Workout & Food

I did 18 miles on the bike tonight. I did a solo ride and it was really great to get out there and let my mind have some peace and my lungs have some fresh CRISP fall air. I felt like I was pushing myself hard. It helped that TONS of cyclists were out there and when they were going fast I wanted to go fast as well.

Here's the thing...it was GROSS!! I had 38 bugs on ONE ARM after my ride. My other arm was probably the same and my chest was covered. You could hear the bugs hitting my helmet by the dozens. The grossest part was that the bugs didn't die when they hit me, they kind of just stuck there. Loads made it to my mouth and I'd have to fish them out. Sure, they're just the little gnat type ones but it's still SICK SICK SICK. 

What I ate today:

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast
Banana


Snack:
1/2 apple
Protein Shake


Lunch:
Veggie Turkey Chili
Whole Wheat Bread


Dinner: 
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast


Snack:
Kettle Corn

Saturday, Sept 18 Food

Workout:
Protein Shake
Banana

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Snack:
Peanut Butter
Whole Wheat Bread

Lunch:
Tomato Soup w/ Veggies
Sweet Potato

Dinner:
Chicken Breast w/ Pesto
Red Skin Potato w/ sour cream
Green Beans

Snack:
Kettle Corn

Saturday, Sept 18 Workout

There was a Saturday session planned for boot camp and since I got rained out of my Thursday session I decided to get my rear end out of bed just after 7am to get a good workout in (also hoping it would help with my poor mood lately!)

So about half way down to the park it started raining. Then, as I waited for the trainer in the park, it started lightening and thundering. In the end, the class ended up being cancelled all together. I was annoyed (not at the trainer-it was a good idea to cancel) but I was annoyed at having woken up when I could have slept in.

I decided to still get a workout in and did a 2 mile jog. I know it's not much, but it's something. If it's nicer out this afternoon Jettie and I are going for a walk too so that'll be some added stuff.

Friday, September 17 Food

Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Bread
Peanut Butter
Blackberry Preserves

Lunch:
1/2 of a whole wheat roll
ham
swiss cheese
baked chips

Snack:
Kettle Corn

Dinner:
Fiber 1 cereal
Skim Milk

Thursday, September 16, 2010 Food

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
Naked Chicken Burrito w/ Veggies
1 tbls of guac with 10 chips

Snack:
Peach

Dinner:
Turkey chili with loads of veggies
apple w/ peanut butter

Wednesday, Sept. 15 Workout

Today was better at boot camp. Rob split us into 3 squads and then we did a circuit around the river. Rob asked Michelle (a fellow veteran boot camper) and myself to lead the "medium paced" squad. I will admit, it was a bit of a shot to the ego at first. I thought "really, I've been doing this for 2 years and I'm still not at the top of the pack??? and these newbies are already better than me???!??!!". But, then I got perspective and realized that I've made it a long way and at least I'm not in the "slow paced" squad. I used this as an opportunity to encourage those in my squad. I shared my story, encouraged them, and pushed them. There's definitely a part of me that could see being a personal trainer. I guess it's not THAT much different than being a pastor, but..... :)

We ran the river route carrying our weights the entire time....10 extra pounds on your body as you run makes it a LOT more difficult. How on earth did I use to run with 50 extra pounds on me??? (right, I need to remember, I DIDN'T run :))

The exercises we did today included:

• jumping jacks
• step ups
• steam engines
• wall sits (with one leg raised)
• calf raises (3 ways)
• back rows
• military presses
• pushups
• tricep dips
• tricep extensions
• bicep curls
• reverse crunches
• partner pushes with hands and arms (for your core...hard to explain)

I got a good workout because I pushed myself to run harder so that I could lead the squad from point to point since many of them don't know the route. I will keep trying to push myself to run harder throughout this months session and see if I can't improve. 

Tuesday, Sept. 14 Food

Breakfast:
Fiber 1 Cereal
Skim Milk

Snack:
String Cheese

Lunch:
Left over Peanut Curry w/ Chicken & Veggies
Apple

Dinner:
Turkey Chili with loads of veggies

Monday, Sept. 13 Food

Workout:
Protein Shake
Banana

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Snack:
Carrot cake made w/ pumpkin

Lunch:
1/4 order of Peanut Curry w/ Chix & Veggies
1 cup of Thai soup

Snack:
1/2 Apple

Dinner:
5oz Chicken Breast
1/2 quesadilla

Monday, Sept. 13, 2010 Workout

I'm not even going to call what we did today at boot camp a workout. There were a million people there so Rob had to do administrative things and then led us through all of the basic exercises for each body part. So, I moved. But not much. YUCK. Oh well, at least I got out there, breathed fresh air and got my blood flowing before the start of the day.

Sunday, September 12, 2010 Workout & Food

Today my friend Janet and I went for a 15 mile bike ride. There were back to back rolling hills so my heart rate would spike and my legs would burn. It was a good workout! It was also soooo beautiful out and being on a quiet bike on the back roads is a great way to experience that beauty .

What I ate today:

Breakfast:
2 Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast
doughnut (nice treat!)

Snack:
Apple

Lunch:
Veggie/Turkey Chili
Whole Wheat Bread
Carrot Cake made with pumpkin

Dinner:
At a potluck gathering
1/2 cup lasagna
1/2 cup of a chicken pasta dish
1 piece of bread

Saturday, September 11, 2010 Food

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
Fiber 1 Cereal

Snack:
String Cheese
Marshmallows (yep, that's an odd snack combo)

Dinner:
1 1/2 Tostadas
10 chips with Guac

Dessert:
Peach Crisp

Friday, September 10, 2010 Workout & Food

Today I went for a 10 mile bike ride in this beautiful weather. Seriously awesome to get out in the sun! I did Reeds lake a couple of times to get some hills in. I don't know why I suck so badly at hills, but I do. My friend Greg told me that our 30 mile Ride for Refuge is quite hilly so I decided I'd better practice!

What I ate today:

Breakfast:
Fiber 1 cereal
Skim Milk

Lunch:
Tuna casserole w/ Whole Wheat Protein Noodles & Peas

Snack:
Homemade carrot cake cupcake made with pumpkin & cake mix only (one of my healthy sweet treats that I love!)

Dinner:
(same Tuna thing as lunch)

Snack:
Chips & Salsa

Thursday, September 9, 2010 Food

Workout:
Protein Shake
Banana

Snack:
String Cheese
Raspberries

Lunch:
2/3 of a Naked Chicken Burrito w/ Veggies

Snack:
1 handful of Mike & Ikes

Dinner:
3/4 of a Turkey Tom sub w/ easy mayo from Jimmy Johns

Thursday, September 9, 2010 Workout

Today we did a full TRX workout. I LOVE TRX. Yep, it's the first time we've done it in awhile and I can tell I've missed it (and my body could tell it wasn't as strong as it used to be when we did TRX more regularly!)

We did exercises for every body part including thighs, hamstrings, calves, obliques, chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and, of course, lots of core.

I was happy to see that my core continues to get stronger.

Next month there are going to be 80 people at the morning session of boot camp so there is absolutely no way we'll be doing TRX for awhile. I may ask Rob if I can borrow one for my house to use on my "off" days. We'll see :)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Food

Workout:
Banana
Protein Shake

Lunch:
1 1/2 cup of chili

Dinner:
1/2 cup chicken byrani
1/2 cup chicken tikka masala
1 cup of basmati rice
1/2 piece of naan bread (hard to only have 1/2 piece!)

Dessert:
1 natural fruit popsicle

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Workout

We ran again today. I started in a full sweatsuit because it was so cold but I warmed up quickly with all of that cardio. We did about a 2 mile loop through town doing things like push ups, up & downs on the wall, tricep dips, moving v-ups, reverse crunches, lunges, different kinds of squats, etc.

At the end, we went back to the park and did some yoga/flexibility stuff. It was nice to feel the breeze and breathe deeply to end a workout. Now, granted, I'm apparently not flexible, but every time I venture into the yoga world, I do like it. I'll have to add that back to my weekend practice!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 Workout & Food

Boot camp was rough for me today because we did strong cardio work. I officially named the workout "hills and stairs" workout. Yep, that's basically all we did....hills and stairs.
We did 3 minute straight up and down stairs. I know, 3 minutes doesn't sound long, but believe me when I say that 3 minutes of STAIRS is long.
We also did the hill at Michigan and then ran over a couple blocks and did that hill too.
Throughout the workout we did some cardio pushes including jumping exercises and sprints.

We added a few strength exercises like push ups, tricep dips, wall sits, etc. but, really, let's be honest, it was mostly running hills and stairs :).

We finished with a strong core set.


WHAT I ATE TODAY:

Workout:
Protein Shake
Banana

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
2/3 order of Peanut Curry with Chix & Veggies
1 cup of Thai soup

Snack:
String Cheese
Grapes

Dinner:
Fiber 1 Cereal

Brief Pause

Now that the 90 Day Challenge is over. I'm giving myself a week off of blogging. I'll be back up on Tuesday, September 7.

(and, no, this doesn't mean I'm not working out and not watching what I'm eating :))

Monday, August 30, 2010 Workout & Food

Instead of doing a formal workout today, I cleaned for 3 hours. My body was still a bit sore from the Mud Run but I got a sweat in doing the ceilings and floors.

What I ate today:

Breakfast:
Fiber 1 Pancakes
Light Syrup

Lunch:
Lean Pockets
Baked Chips

Dinner:
Chicken
Mixed Veggies
4 tiny red tomatoes

Dessert:
Kettle Corn

Day 90: Food

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast


Snack:
Apple
Almonds

Lunch:
Whopper Junior

Dinner:
Protein Shake
Banana

Day 89: GR MUD RUN!

We did the GR Mud Run today. It was a blast. Seriously intense but one of the best experiences of this past year. I couldn't believe that I could finish a 5K with walls to climb, swamps to get through, mud pits that suck your legs in, mesh to army crawl under and LOADS of hills to climb up and fall down. I was so proud of myself and my team for accomplishing this task!
Here are some pictures from the event:

Day 88: Food

Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Bread
Peanut Butter
Raspberry Preserves

Snack:
Chips & Salsa

Lunch:
1 Apple Chicken Brat
1 Whole Wheat Bun
Kettle Corn

Dinner:
Turkey chili with lots of veggies
Whole Wheat Bread
Real Fruit Popsicle

Day 88: Workout, I think not

Um, workout? I think not! I need to rest my body. Tomorrow I will do the Grand Rapids Mud Run as a proud member of Team Grand Rapids Adventure Boot Camp. I'm altogether stoked and freaked out about this race!

I've done two other 5K's this summer. The first one, the Riverbank Run, was one that I trained for so I felt pretty good throughout the race. Then there was the second race, Reeds Lake, where I ran into all sorts of physical complications but finished anyhow.

Now, the Mud Run...COMPLETELY different. They've been posting the course pics on Twitter and Facebook and it's INTENSE! Seriously, lots of hill climbs (YUCK) and mud to swim in, tunnels to crawl through, etc. I honestly think it's going to be the biggest physical challenge I've had in my entire life.

I'm going to be the slowest on my team but also probably the strongest so I hope that gets me through!

Day 87: Food

Workout:
Banana
Protein Shake

Snack:
String Cheese

Lunch:
less than 1/2 of my peanut curry w/ chicken & veggies
1 cup of thai soup

Snack:
String Cheese

Dinner:
Spinach tortellini with fresh tomatoes

Day 87: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

After going out for a 10 minute run we did a circuit. We were instructed to do the circuit as fast as we could, focusing on speed more than form. I pushed SUPER hard and got through the circuit 2 1/2 times.

It included:

• military presses
• WITYs 
• running and flipping cones
• star jumps
• high skips
• reverse crunches
• forward lunges
• reverse lunges
• shuffling
• sissy squats
• rows
• pushes
• push ups
• tricep dips
• stairs
• and a jog up a slight incline (i'm not going to call it a hill)

Afterward we did another pretty killer core workout (this week has been CORE-CENTRIC!) We did:

• Crunches
• side crunches
• making a circle with your legs out straight
• and partner pushes (where  your partner pushes your legs down and you have to swing them back up)

Great workout. Tomorrow I'll rest in preparation for the GR MUD RUN!

Day 86: Food

Workout:
Banana
Protein Shake

Lunch:
Naked Chix Burrito w/ Veggies from Qdoba

Snack:
Apple w/ Peanut Butter

Dinner:
Chicken Noodle Soup
Roll
1 Beer

Day 86: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

We ran intervals at boot camp today. We did three rounds progressing from level 5-9 (9 being an all out sprint). I felt good about my progress, speed, and recovery rate.

Then we went back to the park and did upper body focusing on shoulders and chest (I did about 5 "male" pushups before I had to go to my knees so I was happy about that progress too).

We ended with a long, intense core session doing 7 different planks and 3 other core exercises on top of that! I have a feeling I'm going to feel that for quite some time tomorrow!

Day 85: Food

Workout:
banana
protein shake

Breakfast:
Eggs
Whole Wheat Toast

Snack:
Apple

Lunch:
Dijon Chicken Breast with mushrooms & Peppers
1 cup potatoes
mixed veggies

Snack:
100 calorie snack pack

Dinner:
6'' Turkey sub w/ lots of veggies from Subway
Chips

1/2 cookie

Day 85: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

We did a "burn out your upper body" workout today at boot camp.
After we warmed up with cardio sets, we did two sets of the following:

• bicep curls 
• push ups
• lateral raises
• front raises
• back rows
• staggered push ups
• straight arm back rows
• tricep extensions
• skull crushers
• bench presses
• overhead presses
• etc (I think there were others)

Between each we did cardio bursts including:

• running laps
• jumping jacks
• football feet
• sprints
• mountain climbers

We ended with some intense core work:

• crunches
• heels to the heavens
• plank
• plank raising legs and arms
• anvils (varying speeds)
• crunches with legs crossed straight in front
• partner pushes where they push your legs down and you swing them up
• etc.

It was a good workout! The only thing I'm concerned about is that I haven't run a long distance in about a week now and I have that 5K Mud Run this coming Saturday. Well, here goes nothin'......

Day 83: Workout & Food

I did a 25 minute sprint on my bike tonight....that's pushing as hard as I can without stopping for 25 minutes... no coasting either! It felt good to get the blood pumping!!!!! (and it helped me not drink alcohol with my friends all evening too so that was a bonus :))

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

Breakfast
1 Egg
English Muffin
1 piece of Ham
Hashbrowns

Snack
Apple w/ Peanut Butter

Lunch
Turkey Sub w/o mayo
Chips

Snack
String Cheese
Peach

Dinner
(at a church gathering)
3 small meatballs
15 chips w/ guacamole
1 small piece of pizza w/ cheese removed
2 bites of someone’s cake (hey, it’s better than putting it on my own plate)

Day 82: Workout & Food

Today I went Kayaking for 4 hours. Definitely didn't work a ton but I did do a couple bouts of padding that burned my shoulders and upper back. It was nice to be outdoors with good friends!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21
Breakfast
½ cup scrambled eggs
1 piece sausage
½ piece of bacon
2 cups potatoes
1 ½ very thing crepe pancake

Lunch
Whole Wheat Bread
Turkey
Baked Chips

Snack
3 cups of kettle corn
1 bite of a cookie
Dinner
Apple & Chicken Brats
Whole Wheat Buns
Baked Chips

Misc:
I had 3 bottle cap candies throughout the day today

Day 81: Food

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20
Breakfast
Eggs
English Muffin
Ham
Potatos

Lunch
(not many healthy options at Buffalo Wild Wings so I just watched my portions….and left hungry ☹)
6 chicken wings with light sauce
6 potato wedges

Snack
Apple
Cheese

Dinner
Apple & Chicken Brats
Whole Wheat Buns
Baked Chips

Day 80: Food

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

Breakfast:
Eggs
ham
½ of a waffle with fresh strawberries
1 ½ cup hashbrowns

Lunch:
Veggie Burger
Mixed Fruit
8 Chips
2 bites of potato salad

Dinner:
(wasn’t feeling well)
Whole Wheat Toast
Peanut Butter

Day 79: Food

Ok, I'll just say immediately, this was not my best day....alcohol definitely won!

Workout:
Banana
Protein Shake

Lunch:
Natural Chix & Veggie Burrito from Chipotle (no sour cream or cheese)
5 chips w/ guacamole

Snack:
1/2 Apple

Dinner:
6 chips with Spinach & Artichoke Dip
8 pitas with Hummus

Drinks:
3 mixed drinks
2 shots


All in all I DEFINITELY didn't give my body what it needed today.

I wish I never drank. I wasn't "drunk" and I wasn't "hungover" like sick or anything but my body just feels crappy and I slept HORRIBLY! Yes, it was fun while it was happening, but I'm not so sure it's worth it.

Day 79: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

Today we did a Tabata workout at boot camp....yeay, I love strength workouts!

We did the following super sets:

1.
Military Presses
Lateral raises
Front raises
Tricep Extensions

2.
Back Rows
Front lifts
Bicep Curls
Hammer Curls

3.
Crunches
Bicycles
Obliques (both sides)

4.
One leg lunges (both sides)
Chair Sit
Skater Lunges

5.
One leg Squats (both sides)
Static Squat
something else I can't remember?

6. (this one was DEFINITELY the hardest for me)
Reverse Crunches
Flutter Kicks
V-Sits
Heels to the heavens

I think there was another super set but I can't remember. We did cardio between each set including:
jumping jacks
mountain climbers
running
butt kicks
etc.

Great workout today> I feel like I pushed hard and I know I'll be able to feel it throughout the day!

Day 78: Food

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17

Workout

Banana
Protein Shake

Breakfast

Egg

Whole Wheat Toast

Ham           

Snack

Banana

2 crackers with cheese

Lunch

Peanut Curry w/ Chix & Veggies

1 cup thai soup

Snack

Apple

1 bite of a chocolate chip cookie

Dinner

Natural Chix Burrito w/ Veggies from Chipotle

Day 78: Workout

What a difference in weather this morning! I even contemplated bringing a long sleeve to start but then decided that as soon as I got moving I'd be plenty warm and sweaty and wouldn't want a long sleeve at all.
Today at boot camp we did a circuit and I clocked 2.3miles all together.

The circuit included:

• WITYs 
• Tricep Extensions
• Military Presses
• Stairs
• Pushes
• Oblique Twists
• Sprint
• Push Ups
• Tricep Dips
• Forward Lunges
• Reverse Lunges
• Shuffling & flipping cones
• Bicycles
• Star Jumps
• Jumping through hoops
• Bear Crawl. 
• Etc? 

It was a good workout today. I felt like I was able to push my running quite a bit so that made me happy! 

Day 76: Workout & Food

Mel and I went for a 2mile walk today. We were supposed to do a TRX workout with my trainer but not enough people could come so it was canceled...boo! At least we still moved our bodies!

MONDAY, AUGUST 16
Breakfast:
Peanut Butter
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
Pizza (for a staff meeting)
Small scoop of ice cream

Snack:
Apple
Peanut Butter
String Cheese

Dinner:
Naked Chix Burrito w/ veggies

Day 75: Food

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15

Breakfast

Eggs

Whole Wheat Toast

Ham

Snack

Apple

Chex Mix

Lunch

Qdoba Naked Chix Buritto w/veggies and no cheese or sour cream

Snack

Mixed Nuts

Dinner

Salmon

1/3 of a sweet potato

Asparagus

Corn on the cob

Days 72-74

I was up north at Crystal Lake with some friends so I didn't have access to my blog but I thought I'd update it now that I'm home.

Workout wise, we stayed pretty active. In the past three days I've cycled about 40 miles and we also went sailing...which I learned is not as relaxing as boating on a motor boat because you're moving all the time....but I loved it!


 As for food... I packed my own snacks (apples, cheese, and almonds) so I was safe there. When we went out to eat, I made good choices except at one meal when I had french fries....mmm, they were good :).
I would say that the most challenging thing was dealing with alcohol. I knew that we were going to a brewery that I'd been wanting to go to for years so I reserved my alcohol for that night (only had 15oz). But, I wanted more. And, my friends were drinking about 2-3 other times and I wanted to drink those times too but I passed. I really think that was WAY more challenging than the food part.

Overall, the weekend was great....definitely not relaxing (probably more tired than before I went!) but it was fun and active so that's good!

MUD RUN?!?!?

A team of four of us boot campers have signed up to do the Grand Rapids Mud Run. This should be a riot!!! Mostly I'm thinking about how much fun it will be and what a memory. I'll be doing it with fellow boot campers Wendy, Missy & Catherine. We're trying to talk Rob, the trainer, into running it with us.....but when we brought it up he said "well you guys would have to push hard because I'm not coming in last!". That was his competitive side coming out... too bad us girls signed up for fun and fitness and NOT competition!! :)

Then I think about what a hard workout it'll be! A 5K is hard enough for me as it is and I normally don't need to go through 6 mud obstacle courses and run the race covered in mud and being weighed down by muddy shoes... this will be a challenge for sure...But I guess I'm up for it!!

Sort of a good way to end the summer of fitness and to round out my events with  3 5K races for the first time in my life.

Check out the race's website for more info at www.grandrapidsmudrun.com

Day 71: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

Wow, I woke up sore from TRX this morning...it was evident that we hadn't done that workout in a couple of weeks! (it's a good thing!) The not so good thing was that my mind and body couldn't make a connection this morning--- sooo frustrating!
We did our normal 8 minute solo run and then came back to do circuit training including:

•  military presses
• shoulder raises (front and side)
• bicep curls
• pushups 
• quick feet in hoops
• lunges
• reverse lunges
• shuffling
• sissy squats
• pushes
• pulls
• stairs 
• tricep dips

We also did:

• donkey kicks
• fire hydrants
• planks with leg lifts
• back scratchers
• crunches
• reverse crunches
• crunches with legs straight up
• oh, and more push ups :)

Only 9 more boot camp workouts in the 90 Day Challenge (of course those are just my boot camp days...I'll still do my workouts/cycling on the "off" days leading up to the finale)

Day 70: Food

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10

Workout

Apple
Protein Shake

Breakfast

Egg

Whole Wheat Toast

Ham           

Snack

String Cheese

Almonds

Lunch

Small Hamburger (the one at Red Robin, not high calorie)

Small order of fries

Snack

Pear

Dinner

Mixed salad with veggies

Capellini with broccoli mushrooms and fresh crushed tomatoes

Breadsticks (should have passed on this)

Day 70: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

We did a full body TRX workout today. We started by going out with an 8 minute run and my legs were definitely feeling the intervals from last night! Then, we jumped right into the strength training.

We worked all body parts listed below, doing 2-3 exercises for each:

• legs- definitely my weakest spot today
• back
• chest
• shoulders
• arms, biceps & triceps
• core (always a challenge on TRX but I really felt stronger in this area today!)

I still love TRX....even when it's 100% humidity with no breeze :)

Day 69: Food

Workout:
Peach
1/2 Protein Shake

Breakfast:
Eggs
Ham
Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
Peanut Curry w/ Chicken & Veggies

Snack:
Apple
Peanut Butter

Dinner:
Pork Chop
Spinach w/ Italian Dressing
3 tbls of Mac n Cheese

Day 69: Workout #2

I worked out with the Zeeland ladies tonight. We did interval runs for about 22 minutes and then ended with a rotation of push ups and core doing 4 different kind.

It was good to get some extra cardio in tonight!!

Day 69: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

It was hot again today at boot camp but it was pretty fun to watch the storm blow in (and the breeze that came with it felt great!).

We went into town for about 1.6miles, doing strength stuff along the way...including....

• wall sits with over head extensions
• bicep curls
• military presses
• stairs (twice, sprinting up)
• lots of lunges
• shufflings
• gallops
• skipping
• sprinting
• tricep dips- twice
• hip dips
• leg lifts (inner thigh and outer thigh)
• donkey kicks
• fire hydrants
• etc.
•  
•  
• When we got back we did core....
• crunches
• knees up crunches
• front plank
• Um, I know we did more, I just can't remember

Day 67: Workout

Today I biked about 15 miles. I had every intention of doing about 27 but by the end of the 15 I was spent. I think the bike ride beat me this time. My mind was especially done.... I was so annoyed of the cars and I couldn't mentally get over my tired knees. I've never even had tired knees before! Oh well, at least I got the ride in :)

Day 64: Workout

I think the only real reason I can't wait for it to be fall is that it won't be so freakin' hott at boot camp! Seriously, the humidity was crazy today and there was practically no wind.

We did a mile loop but our stops along the way involved quite a few ploymetic/jumping activities so my heart was pounding pretty much the entire time. We definitely focused on legs.

These are the activities I can remember:

• Wall Sits (2 45second ones)
• Squats
• One leg up Squats
• Squat Jumps
• Knee to chest jumps
• push ups
• wide push ups
• rear leg lifts for the tush :)
• sprint uphill
• Wide squats
• calf raises (three different kind)
• etc. 

Then we ended with just 2 minutes of core (easy!)

Day 63: Food

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3

Workout

Banana- 70
Shake- 60

Breakfast

Egg- 140

Whole Wheat Toast- 80

Ham- 40           

Snack

Kettle Corn- 120

Lunch

Turkey Tom Sub w/o Cheese or Mayo- 400

Chips- 250

Snack

½ Muffin- 140

Dinner

Homemade veggie pizza w/o cheese- 400

TOTAL: 1600

Day 63: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

This is the first week of a new session which meant there were a lot of new people...which equals beginners. Even if the beginners are "in shape" or something, they still need to get familiar with the pattern and with the different exercises...which means my workout isn't as good. But, I guess that's ok, I've been thinking I need some recovery so hopefully this week gives me a little bit of that.
We did a circuit. I was partnered with one of the newbies and definitely one who isn't used to working out, lifting anything heavy, or basically having coordination at all. But, she was nice :)

The circuit included:

• Military Presses
• Bicep Curls
• Quick Feet Through Hoops
• Shuffling
• Star Jumps
• Reverse Crunches
• Forward Lunges
• Backward Lunges
• Push Ups
• Tricep Dips
• Shuffling again
• Sissy Squats
• Pushes
• Pulls

We ended with about four different core exercises. My plank felt tight and steady today so I was happy about that!

Day 62: Workout

I was way too tired from this weekends physical activities to go to boot camp but I did lead my friends in a workout after work. I probably did about 70% of what I would do at boot camp because I was helping them get the hang out certain exercises and timing the exercises, etc. but it was still a workout and I was still moving (probably should have taken a full recovery day but oh well!)

It was great to work out with my actual friends and I hope we can do it more! My one friend mentioned how happy I seemed when she saw me before hand and I told her it really was because I knew I was going to do a fun workout. Glad it has that effect on me :)

Day 62: Food

MONDAY, AUGUST 2
Breakfast
Whole Wheat Toast- 160
Peanut Butter- 250

Snack
Plum
Almonds- 170

Lunch
Club sandwich, minus the cheese and mayo- 400
Root Chips
Pickle
Snack
String Cheese- 120
Dinner
Salad
Chicken- 160
Feta- 60
Dressing- 50

TOTAL: 1370

Day 61: Food

SUNDAY, August 1st
Breakfast
Eggs- 140
Ham- 40
Whole Wheat Toast- 80
Snack
Cheese & Crackers- 220
Apple
Lunch
Chicken+Apple Brat- 180
Whole Wheat Bun- 100
Chips- 100

Snack
Kettle Corn- 120
Dinner
Chicken+Apple Brat- 180
Whole Wheat Bun- 100
Chips- 100
Veggie Soup- 50

Dessert: about ¼ cup of a watermelon slushi

TOTAL: 1410

Day 61: Workout

Today Jettie and I rode 20 miles. We went to downtown Rockford and back on the White Pine Trail....what a beautiful trail! I was absolutely joyous the entire time (although my saddle was a bit painful and at about mile 15 it got really bad!) We stopped in downtown Rockford for a treat and then headed back.

Perfection.

Day 60: Food

SATURDAY, JULY 31

(Note: I was backpacking this day so I didn’t have access to much cold food or fresh food at all for the first part of the day)

Breakfast

Clif Protein Bar

Apple w/ Peanut Butter

Snack

Beef Jerky (110 cals worth)

Pretzels

Lunch

Whole Wheat Bread w/ Cheese

Chips

Dinner

Whole Wheat Buns

Chicken & Apple Brats

Kettle Corn

Day: 60 Workout

We left our camping trip today because we got rained out. So, we broke down camp and loaded up our packs again to hike back 45 minutes along the rolling trail. Even though it was dark and cloudy and sprinkling as we hiked, it was still good to move and breathe the fresh air.

Now that I'm home and showered I can tell that walking those sandy dunes for a total of 1 1/2 hours really gave my butt a good work out :)

Day 59: Workout

We hiked out about 45 minutes with our heavy packs on. The trail was sandy, which made it difficult, but it was also hilly, so that added challenges the entire time. It was good to get to our site but, I did enjoy every minute of the beautiful scenery.

Later that day, we went for a walk along the beach.

Day 59: Food

FRIDAY, JULY 30
(Note: I was backpacking this day so I didn’t have access to much cold food or fresh food at all)

Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Bread
Peanut Butter

Snack:
Apple

Lunch:
Ravioli out of the can

Snack:
2 crackers with cheese

Dinner:
Whole Wheat Buns
Chicken & Apple Brats
2/3 cup Baked Beans

Day 58: Workout #2

It was waaaay too beautiful to not go for a bike ride tonight so I cycled through East GR and then around Reeds Lake....SOOOO gorgeous and stress relieving. I did about 9 miles in 34 minutes...so, not my fastest time but definitely not slacking at all either! My friend Kurt encouraged me to "enjoy" the scenery more while I bike instead of being so overly concerned with going as fast as I can. If I keep a good speed and a consistent cadence, I get a good workout...I don't need to win the Tour de France!

I think I've written before that I feel like boot camp is stress relieve as well, but I also feel like it's soooo hard so it's a huge mental challenge. While I cycle though, it's different. I mean strength training stuff at boot camp is such a physical challenge that it takes a lot of MIND energy. Biking is still a physical challenge but I can turn my mind off more. It's the same motion over and over and it's almost as though the rhythm is soothing to my soul.

I don't know, probably sounds like crazy to to someone else reading it, but I'm glad that I feel these things and that it's allowing me a hobby that I really enjoy while giving me some stress relief Annie time.

Day 58: Food

THURSDAY, JULY 29

Workout

Banana- 90
Shake- 65

Breakfast

Egg- 140

Whole Wheat Toast- 80

Ham- 40

Snack

String Cheese- 60

Almonds- 150

Lunch

Homemade veggie chili- 300

Chips- 200

Snack

Apple

Dinner

Eggs- 210

Whole Wheat Bread- 120

Cheerios- 200

Skim Milk- 50

TOTAL: 1610

New Measurements!

I got measured today. The measurements from the last time, in Feb.,  are in Blue and the measurements from today, July, are in Green. The difference is in Red.

Shoulders   47   45.25   1.75inch loss   that's a total of almost 6inches off my shoulders since starting BC
Chest   40   38.5   1.5inch loss   that's a total of 3.5inches off my chest since starting BC
Waist   41   37.5   3.5inch loss   that's a total of 5.5inches off my waist since starting BC
Abs   43.5   42.5   1 inch loss   that's a total of 4inches off my abs since starting BC
Hips   48.5   46.5   2 inch loss   that's a total of 5inches off my hips since starting BC
Bicep   14   14   no loss   that's a total of 1.5 inches off my biceps since starting BC
Thigh   30   27.5   2.5 inch loss  that's a total loss of 5inches of my thighs since starting BC
Calf   18   14   4inch loss   that's a total loss of 4.5inches in my calf since starting BC

THAT'S A TOTAL LOSS OF 35 INCHES SINCE I STARTED BOOT CAMP!!!

Day 58: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

Today the weather was MUCH nicer! 68 with a cool-ish breeze....PRAISE GOD!

It was all about pushing yourself today. After running for 8 minutes along the river, there was a regular circuit with:

• high skips
• star jumps
• tricep dips
• forward lunges
• reverse lunges
• push ups
• rows
• side lunges

But then there were also a list of mega sets (50-100) of these exercises that we had to complete at our own pace whenever we wanted through the circuit.

• bicep curls- 100
• tricep extensions- 100
• star jumps- 50 (that's crazy!)
• pushups- 50- (don't forget the 40 push ups I did in the circuit!)
• crunches- 100
• reverse crunches- 100
• military presses- 50

It was a good workout that kept my heart rate up and I appreciated that, in the end, my watch only read 1.54 miles..... that's just about the amount of running I can still enjoy :). 

Day 57: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

The thermostat in my car read 86 degrees when I was leaving boot camp this morning....that would explain why my skin felt like it was going to burn off. Seriously, when I got done with the workout I dumped some water over my face and neck and it was like someone was sticking a million tiny tiny needles into my skin. It was burning!!!

We did a 2.5 mile run with strength training in between, including:

• wall sits with overhead lifts
• lunges up a grass hill
• running backward up a grass hill (3x)
• pushes
• pulls
• tricep extensions
• tricep dips
• reverse crunches
• v-sits
• bicep curls
• pushups 
• wide pushups
• step ups on HIGH steps
• etc. 

It was a good workout, we were all exhausted--- probably because of the heat and everything!

Day 56: Food

TUESDAY, JULY 27

Workout

Banana- 90
Shake- 130

Breakfast

Egg- 140

Whole Wheat Toast- 80

Ham- 40           

Snack

String Cheese- 120

Lunch

Whole Wheat Bread- 200

Ham-100

Baked Chips- 130

Snack

Apple

Dinner

Homemade veggie chili- 300

Chips- 140

TOTAL: 1470

Day 56: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

Stephanie trained us today so it was a little bit different....still good, just different.
We started with running (total we did 1.5 miles of running today) and then did a huge aerobic set (across the parking lot for each) of:

• skipping
• a-skips
• a-skips and then to the side
• straight leg kicks
• inner thigh kicks
• butt kicks
• high skips
• knees up
• etc. 
• Some of these things were new to me so I can't remember what they were all called. All I know is that I went back and forth across that parking lot numerous times!

Then we moved into strength training, hitting multiple body parts at once with things like:

• squats with weights straight out
• squats with weights at your side
• lunges with bicep curls
• single leg dead lifts
• like 4 core exercises holding our weights
• military presses
• multiple shoulder exercises
• straight up rows
• Spider Mans
• Weighted crunches
• Weighted side crunches
• planks
• side planks while bicycling the top leg--- um, death!
• 2 sets of push sups
• etc. 
• again, some of these things were new, so I can't remember all of them...and I just felt like we did SOOOO many!

It was a good workout, kind of nice to mix it up. 

Day 55: Food

Monday, JULY 26

Workout
Banana- 90
Shake- 130
Breakfast
Egg- 140
Whole Wheat Toast- 80
Ham- 40

Snack
Apple

Lunch
Peanut Curry w/ Chix & Veggies- 550
Thai Soup- 100
Snack
String Cheese- 60
Dinner
Naked Chicken Burrito- 580

TOTAL: 1770

Day 55: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

After a just-under-1-mile running warm-up, we did a full body TRX (www.fitnessanywhere.com) workout today. I love TRX. I don't know what it is. I'm thinking it's a combo of pure strength training matched with the fact that I can push myself as hard as I want.
My blood was pumping, sweat was dripping off my face and I was loving it.

We did legs, back, chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders and core. The core workout on TRX is unlike any other core thing I've ever tried. I burn out every time and have to give every thing I've got to get the last 2 reps out.

Yesterday I wrote that I was concerned about my legs being too weak after my bike ride but really, it was my hands and shoulders that were the most sore this morning. I will have to ask my bike friends if that's normal or if I'm holding myself wrong while cycling. Either way, it's evident that biking works out a lot more than your legs!

Day 54: Food

SUNDAY, JULY 25

Breakfast

Egg, ham & cheese on an English muffin- 300

Potatoes- 150

Snack

Pretzels- 150

Apple

Lunch

Whole Grain Pasta- 250
Pesto w/ mushrooms- 100

Pre-Workout

Banana- 80

½ Shake- 65

Dinner

Enchilada
6 chips with Guac
½ apple

Day 54: Workout

I did an 10.9 mile solo bike ride today. I did it in 32 minutes!!! My legs were burning and I had to catch my breath when I pulled into my destination but it was a great workout.
I feel completely comfortable going in and out of the clips now but what I didn't know is that wearing shoes with clips equaled working DIFFERENT muscles than I'm used to. The tops of my thighs are burning and I don't remember a boot camp workout that didn't include thigh work so tomorrow should be interesting!

My next goal is to research cycling training schedules online to start to improve now that I'm comfortable.

Day 53: Food

SATURDAY, JULY 24

Breakfast

Multigrain Cheerios- 200

Skim Milk- 50

Lunch

Chipotle Chicken & Veggie Burrito- 630

Snack

Baked Chips- 130

Dinner

Whole Wheat Protein Pasta- 250

Pesto w/ Mushrooms- 100

TOTAL: 1390

Day 53: Workout

I went for a ride today after spending 2 1/2 hours at the bike shop learning how to use the new pedals. I do notice a difference and I think keeping the heel down is giving my leg and overall better workout which is great. I'm scarred to death on these clips though. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it on our long ride tomorrow!

Day 52: Food

Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Bread- 200
Peanut Butter- 200

Lunch:
6'' Turkey sub with lots of veggies from subway- 280
Chips- 150

Snack:
Banana- 70
Pretzels- 120

Dinner:
6 chips with guac
1 chicken empanada
1 veggie tostada
Drinks: 2 1/2 glasses of red wine & 2 oz of whiskey

Something Missing?

You may have noticed that I didn't record food this week Tues-Thurs. I was at a staff retreat and decided to not stress about getting my food logged and onto the blog. I'll start back up tomorrow!!

Day 51: Workout

I'm at the staff retreat in Grand Haven and Laura and I just biked about 15 miles. The weather was perfect and my body definitely needed to move after so much laying out on the beach or sitting on the deck reading.

The ride was great. I took LT to some of my old stopping grounds and showed her around.

I still am enjoying the cycling but I can definitely say my legs got a workout tonight....they're tired! But that's a good thing :)

Day 50: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

Today's workout was a lot better than yesterdays....my body actually behaved.

After a 3/4 mile run, we did "luck of the draw".....the workout where you choose a playing card and the playing card is attached to an exercise that you have to do. You keep drawing cards and doing exercises until the time is up.

Todays exercises included:

• Weighted ball crunches
• pushes
• pulls
• undulations with the rope
• pushups (I did 120 today!!!)
• star jumps
• mountain climbers
• jumping jacks
• squat jumps
• chariot runs

At the end we did core:

• crunches
• legs up crunches
• front planks
• side planks (2)
• super man planks
• another front plank
• reverse plank 

That's all!

Day 49: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

For some reason, this was a rough workout for me at boot camp. I didn't feel winded or like my muscles were burnt out but I was soooo dizzy! I could tell right away that I was but then we did these things where we stepped up onto a high step, raising our opposite leg.... I didn't have the balance that it took today and I felt like I was going to topple over. I took a break on the bench and Rob talked me through it. He asked me about the foods I had eaten and what I'd been up to. I told him I did a bike ride on last night and he thought maybe I just did too much. I don't know? I doubt that 10.9 miles on the bike= too much! It was nice of him to give me a break though and to understand that I wasn't 100%.

Then, we kept going on our run and we got to stairs, going down the stairs I was fine but then when we were coming up we were supposed to do double feet and it was like 1 stair looked like 5 stairs in my vision. YUCK! So Rob had me come to the top and do steam engines while everyone ran the stairs.

Overall it's not like it was a bad workout or anything, it was good. Lots of strength training stuff with resistance bands. On a good note, I also felt like my running was decent (maybe because I was spared the stairs???)

Tomorrow's a new day!

Day 48: Food

SUNDAY, JULY 18

Breakfast
Multigrain Cheerios- 200
Skim Milk- 50

Snack
String Cheese- 60
Apple

Lunch
Whole Wheat Bread- 200
Ham-40
Cheese- 45
18 Chips- 130

Preworkout
½ shake- 65
banana- 70

Dinner
5 meatballs
1 cup potatoes
mixed salad with 2tbls of tahini dressing
cherries

Day 48: Workout

Today I rode 10.9miles from Hudsonville to Zeeland with my friends Mike and Janet. The weather ended up being perfect and the scenery was beautiful!

I look forward to my first 15mile trip now!

Day 47: Food

SATURDAY, JULY 17

Breakfast

Whole Grain Bread- 200

Peanut Butter- 150

Jam- 50

Snack

Pretzels- 150

Apple

Lunch

Lean Pockets- 480

Snack

Kettle Corn- 150

Dinner

I was at a wedding reception with an upset stomach. I had about 2tbls of soft serve vanilla ice cream in a cone- 130 (probably high estimate)

TOTAL: 1310

Day 47: Workout (90 Day Challenge)

So I made it up and out of bed by 6:45 this morning to go to a special Saturday workout for the 90 Day Challenge.

It was already completely sunny and hot by the time I pulled up to the park at 7:30. There was a slight breeze but, I swear, by the time we started running, the breeze disappeared and didn't come back again until we were stretching at the end (which was an awesome gift of God because I felt like my body was cooking from the inside and from the outside I was so hot!)

We did a 2 mile run today, burning our legs out along the way. We kept our cardio going with:

• a million lunges- ok, not a million, but a ton
• butt kicks
• karaokes 
• high kicks
• knees up
• etc

But the hardest (ha, I almost wrote "worst") part of our workout was this stupid high, steep, grass hill over by the ice rink. My gosh, it seemed like it went on forever. We ran to the top and back down four times (taking a break between each...I really honestly can't say I could have done two times without stopping). My legs AND lungs were burning.

We also did:

• tricep dips (x2)
• bicep curls
• rows
• pushes
• oblique twists
• pushups 
• diamond push ups
• elevated crunches
• elevated side crunches
• reverse plank
• plank
• etc. 

This was one of the most challenging workouts I've ever had at boot camp. All around something that pushed my limits in both cardio and strength. My heart pounded the entire time, never coming back down to a resting heart rate. Hope the cardio burn was worth it!!

Day 46: Food

FRIDAY, JULY 16

Breakfast
Banana- 70
Multigrain Cheerios- 200
Skim Milk- 50

Snack
Apple
Pretzels- 150

Lunch
Ham- 30
Cheese- 45
Whole Wheat Bread- 200
18 Chips- 150 cals

Snack
Kettle Corn- 200

Dinner
Chicken- 200
Potato- 200

TOTAL: 1495

Day 46: Workout

I went out on the bike for 5 miles. I know that's not long but that's all my butt could take. The bruising from the past couple days is intense! I know that I need to keep getting on the saddle to get used to it....everyone promises me that the pain will go away....we'll see!
TOTALLY EMBARRASSING MOMENT THOUGH!!!!!! I fell, yep, I fell. Thankfully I was stopping and not going full speed but still, it was embarrassing! I was pulling up to my house and a guy was coming at me on his bike and I think I was trying to be all cool so I totally forgot that my peddle has a nylon cage that I stick my shoe in so I tried to just get off the bike like I would a normal bike. Doesn't work that way, your feet don't move when they're strapped in!!! So, I went down with the bike. It didn't hurt much but i was definitely embarrassed. Hopefully I learned my lesson and won't do that again any time soon!

Tomorrow is Saturday boot camp.... here's to hoping I can get my toosh out of bed early on a Saturday!

Random Thought

I've probably been to the beach 6 times now this summer. I sit between the parking lot and the water so that I'm not around masses of people and can enjoy the quiet and the wind, etc. Most people sit near the water, understandably, so they all walk past my spot.

When they walk past....I realize America is the most unhealthy place in the world! I would say 9 out of 10 groups complain about how far it is to walk in the sand and I hear many conversations where people are arguing about just wanting to stop midway instead of walk the rest of the way. They get in fights about who's carrying more. They yell at their 2-year-old children for whining and not keeping up but they don't want to carry them because they're too out of shape and it'd be too hard. People take countless breaks after just a short walk.

It's sad really.

This probably sounds arrogant but I'm so glad that I'm not one of those people anymore. I actually enjoy my 1-2 time trek to the bathrooms, getting the blood flowing and feeling the sand shift under my feet.