Thursday, May 16, 2013

not a #runday

I have been feeling down since I have not been able to run. So today I decided to go to the school and do a little workout. Well no one was there, so I conned the maintenance men into letting me in. I did "Farmer in the Dell".


At the school I use a 25 lb kettlebell but I only have a 10 lb at home.

Kettlebell swings: Use your hips and keep the kettle bell under control. Do not let it swing too far between your legs. 

Rack (thats on the left): Point your elbow to the ground and rest the kettle bell on your arm. Try not lean to one side. Switch the kettlebell from one side to the other. 

15 minutes is a long time! You can pause if you need to my not when it is in the rack position. Once you rack it you have to go! It sounds easy, but its hard.

Give it a try! 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I am a commuter!

For the past two years I have been driving 45 minutes to work everyday. It is about 35 miles. I live on the Outer Banks and work in mainland Currituck County. I enjoy my decompression time in the afternoons and I catch up on podcasts in the mornings. 


At least there is not a lot of traffic! 


#commuterproblems! One of the biggest problems I have is that I have to pack for a whole day when I leave for work in the morning. Usually that means school work, workout stuff, lunch, and purse! You can call me the bag lady if you want. Above is a light packing day. I also make enough coffee to get me to work and I have my water bottle to drink on my way home. 

I have read a lot about commuters and the one thing I hate the worst is that commuters are more likely to be overweight. I hate excuses and that is not going to happen! I make sure of that by bringing my running/ workout clothes and working out or running while I am still in Barco (That is where my office is). I work on this really neat community campus with parks and rec, the senior center, aviation school, airport and the YMCA. They have not completely finished construction so I run the roads and then cut through the woods. This gets me a little over 2 miles. When the sidewalks are finished it will be a longer run and I will not have to cut through the swapy woods or jump the ditches to get back on the road. 

To make sure that I get to work on time I have a very specific schedule.
My Morning routine: 
5:00 Bob Marley wakes me up with Kaya 
5:05 Coffee is being made! 
5:05 - 5:25 Morning Yoga 
5:25 - 6:00 Breakfast and Full House
6:00 - 7:00 Getting ready! Packing for the day , laundry and/or dishes 
7:00 - 7:15 Take the dog out 
7:16 Out the door! 
7:30 News update on the radio 
7:35 Podcast 

See I have got it down! I even subscribe to my favorite podcasts so I am always ready! I love love love stuff mom never told you. I think women keep far to many secrets from one another so this is a great way to explore the mysterious womanhood.  Freakonomics is cool mainly because it was my freshman reading in college and Stephen Dubner is an Appalachian Alumni as am I! He also spoke at convocation my Freshman year! 



Saturday, May 11, 2013

#runday "Houston we have a problem!"

Disclaimer: This is super gross! 


Thursday I was teaching a Re-Think Your Drink seminar in Corolla so I had a little time to kill in the morning. I ran my usually first street path. I even ate some oatmeal made with coconut milk. (really good!) So I knew this was going to be a great run. I mean look at how pretty my run trail is through the national park. 


 Because I know I can trick my brain by thinking about something else while I am running I try to keep my mind on something new each run. This way I do not think about how far I have been or have to go. I think it helps me get through the run. My boyfriend (running coach) told me I need to learn what each pace feels like. I have been trying to keep a close eye on it. I cannot tell between the 8 minute pace and an 11 minute pace so I was working on that durning this run. I noticed when I was running that I was landing on the outside of my feet. So I corrected myself and just kept running.  



When I got home I took off my shoes, this is what I found....



Day two it is looking a little better! But I think my toe nail is going to fall off just in time for summer. Yay! And I am disappointed that I will not be able to run for a while.  I was in such as great routine and this really throws a kink in the workout plan. I know how hard it is to get back on track when you get off track because of an injury. I also wanted to run in the Shore Break 5K which is in two weeks. 




I have never had this problem before so I think these shoes might not be for my feet. The good news is I can return them and try some different ones. It does stick that I had this happen but at least I am not out the $80.00 I paid for the shoes. Maybe in a few days I can do a barefoot beach run?! We will have to see.
-Liv 


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

#runday May 8th

Today was a run day! 

For the longest time I have not been able to improve my fitness. I do not think my body cannot handle it, but the coolest thing about our bodies is that they are made fore this! So it is my brain that is always getting in the way. I tell myself I am getting tired. I can not go any further or fast, but I really can. I am trying hard to break through my mental roadblocks and believe in myself. Today I told myself "You can do it!" over and over again. Then I started thinking about Adam Sandler and Waterboy (that is what I call runner ADHD). Before I knew it I was home! 


I did a 3 mile run on a pack of nabs and a cup of coffee! So why can't I run further and better when I have a good lunch? It is all in my head! The first step to breaking down those mental roadblocks is believing in yourself.

We have a great place to run in my neighborhood called "The First Street Path"! It runs along West First Street, up by the Wright Memorial and then to the school, library and government center in Kill Devil Hills. Love this path! 


I am still doing the 30day ab challenge
Today:
  • 36 sit-ups
  • 29 crunches
  • 30sec plank
  • 19 pushups (I have been doing man pushups! They are killer)
I also did a great plank workout from Badass Fitness  she is a beast! I hope to be like her one day! 





Monday, May 6, 2013

What is in your gym bag?

My workout schedule: 
   Monday #weighttraining   Usually I do some type of quick circuit training. We are lucky to be able to go to the high school and use their equipment. The gym teacher their provides us with new workouts to try each week. 
   Tuesday #runday
   Wednesday #runday
   Thursday #weighttraining 
   Friday #restday
   Saturday #runday
   Sunday #restday


  1. Merrell bag
  2. Make up remover wipes I like the clean and clear ones too! These I picked up at TJ Maxx. It is important to make sure you clean your face before you work out
  3. Barefoot shoes!  I am trying the new barefoot shoe thing and I love it! I have tried the New Balance kind too. My only complain is that they stick... really stick! 
  4. Nike+ watch w/ shoe sensor  check out my Nike+ profile 
  5. Razor 
  6. Sweaty Band I love my sweaty bands!
  7. Headphones
  8. Deodorant 
  9. Lotion I like something that smells good when I'm working out
  10. Tons of hair ties
  11. Victoria Secret sports bra My favorite sports bra yet!
  12. Protein shake and blender bottle 
  13. Pre-wrap  (to use as a headband)
  14. 4-H t-shirt
  15. Shorts
I usually pack a few outfits because I never know what I am going to feel like come 4:00, nor do I know what the weather is going to be like.