New Found Energy

I have decided to stop being ridiculous and take advantage of the gym that is located at my work, that's right .... I have a gym, a FREE gym ...at my work AND I have been neglecting to use it!  I blame in on the pooches and running home to let them out in the middle of the day, or running home to meet my son during lunch, and I suppose there is a dash of just plain laziness in there as well!  Regardless, I have decided midday is the BEST time for me to get in a workout, anything I do at home on top of that is just icing on my fitness cake :)

We have a great Treadmill (love, love love this treadmill), Elliptical, Weights, Smith Machine and Spin bikes and if I time my workouts right I can have the gym all to myself!  That was my plan today and it worked out perfectly! 


I did my own version of a HIIT.  I likely grouped the wrong exercises together but felt it was a good "mix" and as a result my workout felt great!


 



HIIT
Dreadmill Run 5 min
Push Ups  10-12 reps
Medicine Ball Chops 10-12 each side
Squat/Shoulder Press Combo w/weights 10 reps
Stationary Lunges/Bicep Curl Combo w/weights 10 reps each side
Incline Chest Press/Fly (obviously with weights!) 10-12 reps each exercise
Repeat the circuit 3 times and finish with a 4th Dreadmill run for good measure!  I finished it all off with 5 minutes on the spin bike because my legs really have a long way to go in terms of strength building and they needed to finish with something they were comfortable with!

I need to look into more ideas for exercises incorporating Medicine Balls .... I like the variation and  have only used them once in the past.  So yet again, I have some reading to do!  What are your favourite exercises ... I'm open to suggestions!

Also, super exciting news ... Last night during the #Fitblog Twitter Chat I chatted a bit with @ENERGYbits and they are sending me samples in the mail today!!!  I can't wait to try them.  The benefits of algae are just unreal.  I have only begun to look into this super food, I see a new obsession on the horizon!  Stay tuned :)

Cheers!

Shin Splints Suck ... Just sayin'

What did I say about the dreaded too much, too soon approach?   I write to you from my couch with ice packs lining my shins :(

Don't get me wrong, I kept going with my daily run to maintain my #RWRunStreak but I did cut it short at 2 miles finishing things off with some shoulders, triceps and abs.  I have fears that a mile a day may cause me significant discomfort but I hope it's at least manageable .... I mean it's supposed to be a challenge right?

My plan is to look into running form ... Maybe it's how I run that causes my shin splints?  Perhaps my heel strike?  Seems so silly when we have all been running for what seems like forever,  but then I guess there is a reason that lots of us stop running at one point or another!  Maybe it is form or maybe I just need new shoes.  So many questions, still so much to learn.

I'm hoping it's a case of tough it out and #GetAfterIt.  Regardless, I have some work to do.  Fortunately I am on the bus for two away games this weekend in the GTA with my boy therefore my daily runs will be short and sweet so to not aggravate my shins.

I'm off to google "shin splints" :)

Cheers to Friday!
K.

Roll .... on a piece of Foam???




via Runner's World

 
I've been hearing lots about Foam Rolling lately and have decided that I now need to expand my knowledge base beyond my obvious and somewhat literal interpretation of .... "you want me to roll?  On a piece of foam???"

It makes sense, I have used a tennis ball or a frozen bottle of water to relieve Plantar Fasciitis pain so I suppose a foam roller over other muscle groups would be a logical progression. 

I found a fantastic infographic from the folks over at Greatist that outlines the basics with various ways to introduce Foam Rolling into your workout regime.  Personally I would rather enlist a masseuse but that likely isn't in the budget and I figure I have nothing to lose by investing in a piece of foam that could potentially speed recovery, release muscle tension and prevent injuries! 

I have committed to the Runner's World 2012 Holiday Run Streak and the 5:5:5 Challenge with @FauxRunner so learning the foam rolling basics are now a necessity of my imminent future so this raelly is a rather timely post that clearly identifies my need to learn and diversify as I attempt to tackle this running bugaboo that has always haunted me.

Cheers all ....
K.

Motivation Monday

It's the start of another week and we are that much closer to the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  I always find myself muttering the Monday Blah's but luckily they are generally over before my first cup of coffee :)

Today I am trying to come up with new ways to motivate myself.  Running and maintaining a running program is my main goal right now but I know myself and can admit that I have to diversify in order to stay motivated and interested!  I am thinking of adding in some TRX workouts to the mix, at this point I need to find what's the best balance and not do the dreaded too much, too soon routine!  So now it comes down to the question of high reps/quick transitions to get through a whole body workout or concentrate on different body parts each day?  I have always been a lover of each workout being dedicated to specific body parts, I don't know why but I tend to think it helps me focus.  Regardless, adding in some different elements to my workouts will certainly help keep me motivated!

I am thinking of committing to the Runner's World 2012 Holiday Running Streak .... you pledge to run 1 mile (minimum) per day between Thanksgiving (American of course) and New Year's Day.  Probably more ambitious then I should be committing to but why not give it a whirl?  I need to learn how to set goals instead of being afraid of not reaching them.  Starting this Thursday I will run at least 1 mile a day .... there I said it.  I will keep up with the running program suggested by J and then on rest days squeeze in a quick 1mile (and by quick I mean "my quick"!)

Feeling motivated already, Happy Monday!

Cheers,
K.

Back on the Mill

Hit the Dreadmill tonight for a run ... First one in a week :(

I'm sad because I had been hoping to have a full week's worth of planned runs under my belt but my cold resurfaced and set me back yet again.  Today's plan was 3miles doing 3&1 ... With a 5min warm up and a 5min cool down.  At my slow speed that ends up being 1/4mile warm up and 1/4mile cool down leaving me an even 2.5miles to run 3&1 .... Normally my rest periods have been longer so this was an adjustment for me but it still felt great!

A friend of mine has graciously agreed to coach me on this running journey, his suggestion was to start back at square one with 3&1 until I was comfortable, even if that takes two weeks of running at these intervals to get there.  I am determined to do this but definitely need suggestions and tips along the way to succeed and am thankful for J's input and encouragement.  And I even finished my workout with a little TRX to spice things up a bit!

Dinner tonight was .... you guessed it, Kale!  With quinoa, bell peppers and puréed tomatoes with garlic.  DeeLish!!! And the hubs even enjoyed it too :)

All in all, a good day!  I just really need to make an effort at breakfast time, coffee seems to be all I can squeeze into my schedule in the morning which is horrible habit, I am doing zero favours for my metabolism! New goal ... Eat brekkie, everyday!

Cheers,
K.

WordLESS Wednesday

Me, excited to run .... Really?

Well after a week of a nasty chest cold and congestion I am on the mend and heading for a #dreadmill run (I love that term) tonight at the gym.
Some words of wisdom from runners on Twitter will be keeping my ego in check under instructions to not go too hard to fast.  Likely a good idea since I can't take REALLY deep breaths yet anyway.
Mentally I am all in! We will see how the physical and cardiovascular side of me agrees once I hit the 'mill!

Curious about KALE

Curiosity has gotten the better of me and I decided to jump on the Kale band wagon to see what all the fuss was about and you know what??? ....  I love it!!!  I have always been a a fan of cabbage and frequently munch on it instead of crackers or chips when I crave a crunch so when I read that Kale was from the Brassica oleracea family and was a cousin of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower I knew I would likely become a follower.

I have heard a lot about Kale Chips and have even purchased some super yummy versions at our local Farm Boy store, they come in various flavours but my first try was with Rythm Superfoods Zesty Nacho rendition and they were fabulous.  I shared them with a coworker but he wasn't nearly as excited as I was but then I guess if you are expecting nachos you might be a little disappointed!  They had lots of flavour, some crunch and you can't beat the health benefits associated to Kale.  That was a few weeks ago, this past weekend I picked up a bunch of Kale and decided to experiment on my own!

Start off by tearing up Kale into large pieces (they shrink as they bake so don't make them too small) and toss them in a bowl of water to thoroughly clean them.  Be sure to dry the pieces off well to reduce the amount of moisture that needs to bake away.  In a large bowl toss the Kale pieces and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and dig in with your hands!  Really massage the Kale ensuring that easy piece has some EVOO on it.  Fight the urge to add more oil, just more to cook off and potentially burn, remember .... less is more!  On a parchment lined baking sheet place the Kale in a single layer .... if you double up the process will just take longer or not work at all.   I sprinkled my Kale with some Garlic Powder (not garlic salt! Salt of any kind will draw the moisture and leave your chips chewy ... not good!) and Paprika that I had mixed up in a shaker.  This was straight flavour without the sodium content and really perked these babies up!  Experiment with different spices and if you feel you must use salt, save it for the end and sprinkle it on your chips once they have crisped up :)

Place your baking sheet in a pre-heated 275 degree oven for roughly 20 minutes.  I checked on them after 15 minutes and did some flipping and rearranging to ensure they were all getting equal baking time.  I also pulled a few out early, if you let them go too long they will brown up and get too bitter.

Remember how I said these little babies shrink up?  Hard to believe what a huge bunch of Kale can be reduced to in less then an hour eh?
I left them on the baking sheet for quite a while to be sure they were "dry", store them in a container and much away!!!


Because I couldn't stand to part with the tasty stalks and a few leaves that I had left over I decided to try "steaming" them .... I chopped up the stalks getting rid of the thicker, woodier ends and added a crushed clove of garlic and some water to a non-stick frying pan and sauteed them until the stalks were tender.  Texture wise they reminded me of asparagus, taste wise more like broccoli!  I'm glad I didn't throw them into the compost bin!!!

I'm not sure that the kids would go for Kale Chips or Kale on their dinner plate but I will definitely be having it much more frequently.  High in Calcium, Vitamin C, Potassium and a show stopper on the Vitamin K front (the cancer fighter) I feel foolish for not jumping on this band wagon sooner!

Soups On!

I just found out we are having another United Way fundraiser at work next week .... last week was Chilifest, next week is the Soup Kitchen!!!  Now the dilemma of which soup to make???  I have a tendency to always make recipes that include beer ... not healthy I know, but you can sell anything if you tell people there is beer in it, honestly!

One of my favs would have to be Great Canadian Chowder ... Beer, Bacon and Cheese.  A great trifecta when you are trying to appeal to the masses, not so great on the waistline but for these fundraisers I like to go for the wow factor.  I suppose I could make two soups, my other fav is my mother in law's recipe for Carrot Garlic Soup still has lots of flavour and certainly isn't your run of the mill chicken noodle soup.  Thank goodness the temperature has dropped in K-Town, should help with the soup sales!

Cheers!
K.

Halloween Hoopla

Halloween has come and gone for another year and the kids were into just as much as ever!  It's funny how sometimes you have too many choices, what candy to eat first, what costume to choose but somehow on our hockey-free night we managed to get ourselves together for some Halloween Hoopla.

My son Zac was all set to hit the trick or treating gig "Gangnam Style" when he found out some hockey buddies were going out in morph suits and he couldn't pass up the chance to be like the green men at the Canucks games!  I made him pose with his "bucket" on just to prove it was him but when they hit the streets they were just a mass of faceless skittle coloured kids hunting for candy!

In the middle of all the preparations I had to get into makeup mode, my step-son Matt was going as a Vampire.  He was such a good boy but I was quickly reminded how boys (& men) do not understand or appreciate the fun of makeup!  He stuck it out and the final result was awesome but I am not certain he will be picking a costume with makeup for next year!

Of course we had to dress up the dog as well ... he had LOTS of choices, we went with the Skeleton but I must admit the Knight, Dany Zuko and Garden Gnome were all a close second!



When they came back with their loot each had their favourite candy that was simply unshareable (can you say caramilk???) and then there were others (like the poor tootsie rolls) that got thrown back in the bowl to hand out to the late comers!  It got me to thinking about what I always passed on as a kid but I couldn't come up with anything that was dreadfully awful ... until this morning.  Remember Thrills Gum?  Looked like Chicklits .... tasted like soap!?!  They were horrid and made choosing my favs easy way back when I was a kid sorting out my Halloween candy.  Hope you and your's had a fun night and didn't get hung up all the choices!