Home School PE

Madi and Janelle are still going steady on their new physical fitness routine.  So far we've enjoyed working out with Denise Austin and even Billy Banks, thanks to the Ashland Library's selection of semi-vintage workout videos.

Yesterday it was fun to have Aunt Stacy come out and join in the fitness fun.  Though she may not as credentialed as the first two exercise authorities, it was fun to impress her with our mile long workout at the Ashland High School track!

 

Check out the girls fancy new workout outfits!  It makes them faster!

 

It's fantastic to be one fit family!

Hot Mama

Posted by Stacy

Okay, I'm gonna keep running.  It might be working.  Today while crossing a parking lot a man stopped me and asked me if I was married.  Of course I said YES so he asked me how many kids I had.  "Four." I said.  He raised an eyebrow and said,

"You're one hot mama!"

Admittedly, the guy was in his early 50's but hey, I'll take ANY compliment.  So today when I put on my shoes it was a little easier to run knowing that I'm on my way to looking better to the slightly blind over-50 crowd!  Oh yeah!  Give me a Woot! Woot!

Two Numbers

Posted by Stacy

iMix, iRun

Posted by Stacy

Okay, now that I got that last post/rant out of my system I shall post something a little more encouraging that I read today (nothing new here but I liked it).

"Music is a legal drug," says Dr Costas Karageorghis, professor of psychology at Brunel University in London and musical consultant to the Run To The Beat Half-Marathon. "It reduces the perception of effort by blocking fatigue messages to the brain, and it can elevate positive mood."

...so that is why I get so impatient in between songs while I run.  When the old song stops and you have to wait for the new one, I get totally edgy.  Funny huh?  I'm gonna have to mess with my running mixes so they flow better without the wait.

Here's my latest running playlist that keeps the rhythm going. I need to make it last longer, any suggestions?? Keep in mind, I'm going for beats per minute to keep up my "positive mood"!

Please Don't Leave Me-Pink

La La- Ashlee Simpson

Bhangra Fever- MIDival PundiZ

Fergalicious-Fergie

Switch-Will Smith

Single Ladies-Beyonce

Land of a Million Drums-Outkast
Boom Boom Pow-Black Eyed Peas

Crazy-Gnarls Barkley

Gold Digger-Kanye West & Jamie Foxx

Womanizer-Britney Spears
Pon de Replay-Rihanna

I Got a Feeling-Black Eyed Peas

Hot in Herre-Nelly

U Can't Touch This-MC Hammer

Don't Lie-Black Eyed Peas

Buckin' Bronco!

Posted by Stacy

Was going for a new PR of 10 miles when suddenly, at 8.5 miles my dang treadmill stopped suddenly and bucked me off!  @#!!$#!   Yesterday it bucked me off after reaching 7 miles.

I would have finished my run outside except for the fact that it was pitch black outside, there's a rapist on the loose in town (not kidding), and the wind has been raging at hurricane force for the last several days.  It was so windy that it blew my huge BBQ out onto the lawn TWICE...and the darn thing was BOLTED down!!  Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

My New Best Friend

Posted by Steph

As the Half Marathon continues to creep closer, my miles are unfortunately getting longer.  I, like my sister, do not like running, especially on a treadmill, but during these winter months here in Utah it's either outside and freeze (or slip and fall on the ice), or inside on a horrible machine and try not to poke your eyes out from boredom.  I choose the later, and pray every day that spring will be here soon.

So, today I drank my Slim Fast Shake, put on my boots, and headed to the gym and put on my shoes.  My plan: 7miles.  The first mile is always a wakeup call to my body.  By mile TWO I was feeling pretty good.  Slow and steady is my motto. At mile FOUR I slowed for a drink (my aid station), then picked up the pace again.  I was feeling bored but GREAT!  I thought I could run all day!  That was until mile SEVEN.  It was at mile seven when I started feeling my back and hips starting to ache.  I had reached my goal, but something inside made me want to keep going.  So I did!!  I ended up going 8.5 MILES!!!

The moral of this story?  Premedicate!  Although at first I was feeling really good, the more I push my body the more I am going to feel the little aches and pains.  So next time I am taking a few of my new best friends on my run with me....

Nirvana

posted by Stacy

Yesterday I really really did NOT want to put on my shoes.  I even told Mark I was just tired of pounding the pavement every day because I just don't like it all.  I hate it in fact.  I resent having to work so hard to keep healthy.  BUT I gave my blue bracelet a snap! and put on my shoes anyway.

The wind was whipping sooo hard that it almost blew our BBQ off the porch, and the thing is bolted down!  So I opted for the treadmill.  I spent the first two laps cussing and swearing that if I could just do another two more I just might quit after I'd reached a measly mile.  The next two laps were no better, and I resentfully dabbled in more cussing.

Then something interesting happened.  As I began to get warmed up I slipped out of my jacket and I started to feel okay about the whole thing.  Then suddenly, like a switch had been flipped on, everything began to clear up.  My mind, my aches, my knee, the sox that didn't feel right; everything.  I just went blank and seemed like there was no space or time.  Total oblivion.  Nirvana.

I pushed my jacket over the top of all the lights and gauges of my treadmill and just enjoyed the moment.  I thought, I'll just run till the pain and hatred comes back.  So I just ran.  It was AMAZING.  I have never run more than 5 miles before and by mile 4 I was still suspended in time so I started thinking I just might pass up 5 make 6 miles!  I did and kept on going.

I set a new PR for distance: 7 miles.  The funny thing is, I could have kept going.  7 miles may not be a record setting milestone for anyone but me...but this is ME were talking about here!  And considering the fact that I hate running AND the fact that I'm a self-proclaimed athletic wimp (unless the sport involves something gas powered), I'm pretty giddy about my achievement.

I realize that every run won't be like yesterday but I'm totally happy to finally experience a little of what so many runners out there claim to achieve from time to time.  A little NIRVANAAAAA.

Inspired by Family

I feel a renewed energy with this family exercising craze! I feel so motivated that this morning I ran in the dark (with a flashlight) while it was raining. The entire time I thought of the motto "put on your shoes" and of Mark's recent wisdom from running in Seattle, "Once you are wet, you are wet! At some point it doesn't matter if the water is coming from the inside or the outside."

 A frightening, drenched version of "Mother" woke the 3 younger kids up for school today. Then I joined Madi & Janelle for an aerobic session sponsored by Denise Austin. We are ALL trying to be a bit healthier.

I was further inspired by Cheyenne's entry and find myself feeling a bond with all of you as we exercise miles apart but for the same purpose of becoming healthier.

Susan Harris once said to me, "Health is like a bank account. Every day you exercise it is like making a deposit into your account. Every deposit means you'll have a longer, healthier life!"

"Woot Woot" for DEPOSITS!

I FINALLY Did It!

posted by Cheyenne

If you look a few posts below mine, the wonderful Stephanie posted a video of the man from "The Biggest Loser" who decided to compete in an Iron Man Triathlon. She said this was her motivation to "put on her shoes." After watching it, it became mine too.

I have been trying to get motivated to get back into the swing of exercising again, but things seem to keep coming up...I was sick last week, I didn't have shoes, it was too cold, blah, blah, blah...thinking about it, only one of these was really a good excuse.

So today, I finally did it. But instead of putting on my shoes, I put on my goggles. I was on a swim team in high school for a season and a half, but haven't swam very actively since then. I decided that it was time for me to "hit the pool swimming." I swam for about 45 minutes, and thought that I was going to die half the time. But I did it. I did the full 45 minutes, and felt so good afterwards. I even gave myself a "Woot Woot!" after getting out of the pool. I can't lift my arms above my shoulders, and I think I got a cramp on the way home, but I feel soooooooo good. I am now motivated and have created a five day exercise schedule that consists of 3 days of running, and 2 days of swimming, and I'm sticking to it. Rain, snow, ice, or whatever other weather Utah has to throw at me, I'm going to get my butt out there! I even see a half marathon in Ogden in the near future......Woot Woot!

Three Sisters

Oh it was soo good to have Steph out for the holidays. My jogging has been sporadic at best since the dreaded Monster Dash on Halloween. It was so GREAT to have Steph out making me run every day. It was even more fun to add Wendy to the mix! She's the amazing Hercules runner who routinely jogs the steep hills on Valley View. I swear that girl only jogs UP. And as for me, the weakest of the bunch, it was just great to try and keep up with them as we jogged over the holidays, including a great run on Christmas day!

Here's an AFTER photo when Mark jogged with/past us...

Good times, despite the looks on our faces!

I am grateful to have two sisters who I could put on my shoes with!  Sure wish we could do it all the time!

Kickin' the Kilos in Gig Harbor

Posted by Mark

Winter in Washington is predictable...rain.  We decided to come visit my sister and brother-in-law here for a few days over the New Year's holiday.  I brought my running gear with me hoping to be able to find enough of a break in the weather to get some running in.  Yesterday morning I got lucky.  I got up early and took advantage of a window and had a beautiful 10K run along the pristine Gig Harbor waterfront.  The conditions were ideal.  Overcast, 45 degrees and no rain.  Almost immediately after returning, however, the weather took a turn for the worse and it poured.  I decided to take my family for a drive along the route I had just finished and to my surprise there were still a lot of joggers out there in the rain.  I thought maybe they had just got caught but guessing by the looks on their faces and the appropriate attire they donned, I think they were prepared for it and even used to doing it that way all the time.

This morning same thing.  I found a window and went for an 8K jog to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.  Again overcast, 45 degrees and not a drop.  Upon returning it began to deluge stranding many runners in the squall.  They too seemed unaffected by it.  If it were me, I'd huddle under the nearest tree until conditions improved.  Around here they just keep going, business as usual.  I guess in Washington if you wait for good weather to get outside and run, you'd never go.   A valuable lesson to take home with me...