SPAZ!

That's what I was Wednesday at a first attempt at my circuit training. I hadn't really thought much about what I wanted to do on the circuit but I found 30 minutes in the middle of the day and just got to work before I lost them. It was such a random workout but I was breathing heavy and my legs were tired so I musta done something good. Each time I jumped on the treadmill I thought of what I was going to do next while I ran. Here's what my VERY RANDOM circuit looked like with no rest between stations.


1 mile warm-up @ 8:30 pace

20 jumping squats
20 bicept curls
20 tricept curls
20 straight arm raises
*Do rotation three times*

1/2 mile @ 7:30 pace

1 min. plank
30 ski jumps
20 shoulder press
*Do rotation three times*

1/2 mile @ 7:30 pace

It was a little too spastic for me and since then I've sat down and brainstormed of all applicable exercises I know of and scribbled them down on some paper. Then I googled "plyometrics" and "crossfit" for more ideas. Now I can create a plan and make the most of the next 30 minutes!



A FEW FRIDAY FAV's

• Need a chuckle? Amanda @ RuntotheFinish shares some really helpful advice on "How to Guaratee an Injury." Good for a laugh and if you're not satisfied by her post then check out all the comments.


• A snack that's at the top of my list right now. CORN NUTS! You'de think it would be candy corn or something with pumpkin in it but corn nuts are what I want. At least their basically sugar free so I can justify eating a whole bag right?


• But if you ARE cravin' some pumpkin then check out a cookie recipe by Laura @ MyReasontoRun . It's so simple even I got it right and my family devoured them!


• Jog Tunes is a site I'm diggin' at the moment. I especially like that you can search for songs by bpm.

WATCH OUT FOR THOSE TRICK or TREATER'S. I HEAR THEY BITE!

Takin' a Runbbatical

Lately I've been feeling down and out because I haven't been getting my mileage and when this running Ma doesn't get her miles logged there's a little more anxiety and contention in the home. I need my fix! There's a few main excuses...er..I mean...reason's for the lack of running.

• 1 - It's dark and FREEZING during my usual running hours...and I'm a sissy.
  
• 2 - My treadmill is in my garage since I'm living in a small "special" rental house until our new one is finished being built and in order to get to my garage I have to go through my sleeping kids room.
  
• 3 - I have a hard time doing anything over 5 miles on the tread, and even that's a stretch.
  
• 4 - My left knee hasn't liked me lately. Self diagnosed "Jumper's knee."
  
  So when I saw Marcia's post about her Runbbatical Challenge I quickly jumped on her train! Don't get me wrong, I LUV pounding out the miles but it's not happening lately and it just makes me cranky. As a part of the Runbbatical I've changed my normal training into one that doesn't have as much running. Instead I'm going to pull out the circuit training and have a rotation that includes some plyometrics, weights, and speed work on the treadmill. I was inspired to do the circuit training after attending a CrossFit session with a friend last Saturday and I'm only finally able to walk without a limp today. I think I did more squats that day than I have in the past year. It kicked my can!
  
  I'm looking forward to this new routine. Now that I'm not training for anything big (just a couple 5k/10k's) it'll be nice to take a break so I don't get burned out from hitting the pavement and I'll be more excited for the next running season come spring. I've got to be creative and see what kind of stations I can create in my garage for my circuit and I'm excited to see what I can do with it. I'll let you know what I come up with!
  
  P.S. If you're feelin' the same way as Marcia and I then join her challenge by visiting her blog at Running Off At the Mouth. May we be guilt free together heaven forbid another day goes by without a run!

Yogurt Cube Smoothie

Here's just something I came up with a couple days ago. It might not be original and I may be way behind the band wagon (not the first time) but it tasted good going down so I thought I'd share.

First I grabbed some low fat vanilla yogurt. I used Western Family (because I'm cheap) and it worked out great but go with whatever you like. Then I filled up a couple ice cube trays with the yogurt and let it freeze over night.

Tada! A bowl full of frozen goodness. I just slipped these into a freezer bag and stuck them into my freezer to wait until I felt like cranking up my smoothie machine. a.k.a. My kids aren't paying attention so I can be selfish and drink it all up myself. Hey, they get plenty of snacks...it's the Mama's turn!

So today I grabbed 5 cubes, added 1 cup skim milk and about 1/3 cup blueberries, then cranked away. I did throw in a few ice cubes to keep it slushy. Out came this delicious concoction. Blueberry bliss! My husband would've added some sugar but I thought it was pretty good. If you like it a little sweeter then add whatever sweetener you use.

If you stick with a no-fat yogurt, skim milk, and some frozen fruit, you've got a pretty healthy smoothie to slide down the pipes. ENJOY!

(I've yet to experiment with other flavored yogurt so if you have, let me know what you did!)

Playlist Overhaul

I overhauled my running playlist yesterday and I'm excited to hit the tread today and try out my new songs. Ideally the tunes I run too have a bpm (beats per minute) of 170+ and it's like striking GOLD when I find one that's right on pace. I'm hoping to get lucky with this list. I'll tell you how it goes in a couple days.

• Florida - Club Can't Handle Me
• Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over
• Pitbull - Hey Baby
• Train - If It's Love
• Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are
• The Kills - No Wow
• Plain White T's - Rhythm of Love
• Glee Cast - River Deep, Mountain High
• Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue
• The Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptain

Spreading the Subway Love

Subway is giving away gift cards in honor of their "mascot" Jared training and competing in the 2010 New York City Marathon. Just click on the pic above to be directed to their link if you want it. I did. Hopefully I'll get a few free lunches thrown my way.

Running Diva Mom's Virtual Race

I've never seen so many virtual races going on at one time as I have over 10/10/10. It was great! I've come across many who have signed up for multiple races so here's a big KUDOS to you! I know I've said it before but I think virtual races are SO nice for when you need a little dose of motivation. It was just what I needed to get my head back in the game after some time off. With that said, here's my second race report of the week to document my time for Running Diva Mom's virtual 10k.

There are a few categories for prizes including one for most creative bib. I do much of my running in the dark now since it's easier to get my miles done in the morning before hubby leaves for work so I thought this was pretty fitting.

Plus it goes well with the Halloween holiday too! I think some one should create a night race around Halloween where we all run around with glow sticks and glow in the dark race bibs. Hmmm, ideas are forming for next year! Not only a cool bib but it is practical too as it adds to my visibility in the dark. ;) Although I couldn't figure out a great way to attach it and the scotch tape I had all over my shirt wasn't my favorite.

As for the run. It was another mental race for me as I am still struggling to get my mojo back. This time both my lungs and my legs were burnin' but I was determined to beat my previous virtual 10k time so I pushed through. There were a few moments I felt like I just wanted to slow down to a snails pace for a couple blocks but some times having a hard head pays off and I resisted the temptation.

I ended up covering the 6.2 miles in 44:59. Wahoo! I wish I could say I loved this run as much as I loved my time but it was a painful one. After I ran to get the 6.2 miles I had to walk back to my house about 2 blocks. It really was all I could do to finish. I'm looking forward to my next couple of runs as I'm going to lose Mr. G and run purely for the pleasure and put all training aside. I already know I'm a little behind where I was before my 3 week lay-off and I don't really feel like having Mr. G confirm it so I'm going to allow myself some time to get back with it. When I have Mr. G on my arm I have a hard time resisting looking and comparing my pace and then I end up pushing myself harder than I should and not liking the run. So it's just me and the tunes for the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for putting this race together you Running DIVA!

Jog 4 Joubert Fun Run

I survived! After 3 weeks of non-running due to a bumb knee, a chest cold, some sort of stomach crampiness, and MOVING (which could easily be confused as a week long visit from the devil himself), I finally got out the door to participate in the Jog 4 Joubert Virtual Fun Run. I chose to do the 10k distance in honor of 10/10/10 and it just about did me in! My lungs actually felt better than I anticipated but my leg muscles were so wimpy! It's sad how fast you can lose whatever progress that has taken MONTHS to gain. Now I'm even more determined to fit in some strength training when I'm not able to get out the door and pound some pavement . At least some lunges, squats, wall sits, and a few core exercises.

On with the race report.

Here I am sportin' the bib Laura created us to wear. I get a kick out of running around the neighborhood and having people wonder where the rest of the runners are. What's a race without a bib though?

And the results...

I ended up covering the 6.2 miles in 45:07 minutes. I started WAY too fast and really had to push it just to keep under a 7:30 pace at the end but overall it wasn't as bad as I thought (other than the pukey feeling once I stopped). I wasn't about to go farther than I had too either so I ended up running up and down our street just to get the 6.2 miles since I was a little short of the distance when I reached home the first time. I've really got to get back into my training groove. We are beginning a HUGE new phase in our lives...building a house! I have a feeling that my thoughts will be preoccupied but hopefully I can keep the stress levels at bay. I really did a number on myself during the move and ended up feeling like crap from not eating or sleeping. I had a bunch of people ask me if I was doing okay so I must have looked like crap too. All is well now though so I've just got to get my head in the game again. I won a $15 Itunes giftcard from BusyRunningMama (great BIG thanks!) so maybe a little playlist update will do me some good!