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By kilax, December 20, 2009 12:16 pm

Day 57 | December 14, 2009: Strength

I did the following routine at the office gym:

Seated Row: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
90 Degree Chest: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 40 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Lat Pulldowns: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Leg Press: 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 80 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Woodchop: 10 each side at 30 lb
Drinking Bird: 10 each leg at 15 lb
V Bar Pushdowns: 3 x15 @ 30 lb

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do leg workouts or not, since my hamstrings and calves were a bit sore (from Level 2 of The 30 Day Shred or running in the snow?)… but I ended up doing them. They’re my favorite machines to use! Do you have a favorite strength workout?

Day 58 | December 15, 2009: 5 m run + cross

I snuck in a 30 minute bike ride during lunch. Yay. I am getting to the point where if I don’t have a lunch date or exercise planned I don’t know what to do with myself.

Cold-weather runner or ninja? YOU’LL NEVER KNOW!

Oh wait, this is a post about running.

I totally rocked my Columbia ski socks and Under Armour Hood (+ the hood on my jacket) during my evening 10°F run. My lower legs and face were super warm. Butt and thighs? Not so much. My leggings were still wet from Sunday so I couldn’t wear them (ew, I know).

Columbia ski sock and cat. I pulled my pant leg down during the run, don’t worry!

I love the Under Armour Hood. My only problem is that I can’t breathe very well through it, so I wear it like shown in the photo below. That also enables me to spit. Yeah, I spit a lot when I run. Are you a spitter?

Check out my awesome negative splits! Yay!

Distance: 5.0 | Time: 47:04 | 1: 10:08 | 2: 9:47 | 3: 9:24 | 4: 9:00 | 5: 8:41
Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 6.05 (Set on “Random Hills”)

Day 59 | December 16, 2009: strength

I wasn’t feeling it, but I did the following workout in the office gym:

Seated Row: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
90 Degree Chest: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 40 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Lat Pulldowns: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Leg Press: 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 80 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Lunges: 10 each side with 5 lb weight each hand
Crunches: 15
Bicycle Crunches: 16
V Bar Pushdowns: 3 x15 @ 30 lb

Day 60 | December 17, 2009: cross

When my alarm went off at 4:00 am Thursday I thought “gym or sleep?” Sleep always sounds better… but I got my butt out of bed and trekked to the office. I had woken up at 4:00 the day before too. I was trying to fit in early workouts since my lunch hour was occupied with holiday parties. It’s nice the gym opens early enough for me to do that, but I don’t plan on making a habit of it!

Bike Time: 1:00:00 | Distance: 11.73 (Set on “Random Hills”)

Day 61 | December 18, 2009: 5 m run

Nothing like a nice, slow 5-miler on a crisp (35°F) day with your husband! It’s too bad a lot of our neighborhood sidewalks are still covered in snow. I’d love to get my hands on some YakTrax! Ha. Until then, I will keep slipping and sliding.

Distance: 5.0 | Time: 51:33 | 1: 10:17 | 2: 10:35 | 3: 10:25 | 4: 10:24 | 5: 9:52

Day 62 | December 19, 2009: cross

I did Level 2 of The 30 Day Shred with 2 pound weights and Level 1 with 5 pound weights. Let’s just say, I am still getting used to Level 2, and my legs were shaking during the Level 1 Squat and Thrusts. That was an intense workout!

Day 63 | December 20, 2009: 7 m run

I ran 7 slow and easy miles on the mostly snow-covered sidewalks of our neighborhood while Steven worked on painting some canvases in our garage (maybe more on that later this week!).

What do you think of my 27° running outfit? Steven said I look like a “Well-Funded Hobo Runner.” HA HA!

I listened to Episode 5 and Episode 6 of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone during my run. What fun podcasts! I am happy Jen at Perfect in our Imperfections posted about them, or I never would have found them!

I really enjoyed the part of Episode 5 about staying healthy during the holidays. I know it is a bit late to post this, but I found it helpful. They came up with the acronym E.A.T. to help stay on track.

• E is for Exercise – make sure to fit in exercise when you can, but not become compulsive and obsessed with it
• A is for Access – access the situation – don’t just eat holiday food because it is there, just indulge in the “special” treats
• T is for Take Time – take time for yourself every day, it will keep you sane

Yeah, those are obvious tips and they explained it much better, but I like them!

Distance: 7.0 | Time: 1:14:18 | 1: 10:57 | 2: 10:56 | 3: 10:52 | 4: 10:46 | 5: 10:43 | 6: 10:15 | 7: 9:43

Week Summary: 17.00 miles

I feel like I’ve been on a roll with my workouts the past two weeks – getting a lot of exercise in, making a lot of progress. I hope I can keep it up! Especially during the craziness that this week will bring…

I saw two interesting articles this week I thought I might share “10 Tips on Running in the Cold” from Runner’s World and this article that Boston Runner wrote about how she overcame shin splints. That is a topic very near and dear to my heart!

Comments (30)

By kilax, December 4, 2009 5:54 am

Would you rather live somewhere where the you see significant changes in the seasons throughout the year, or where it pretty much stays the same? What is your ideal daily temperature?

I’m back and forth on this. And my answer definitely varies depending on during which season you ask me! I enjoy the snow, and don’t mind the colder temperatures, but four+ months of it gets to be a bit too much for me! Ideally, I think I would like some place where each day has a decent amount of daylight, the temperature is usually above 70° (although that’s not ideal for running) and it’s not humid. Maybe we’ll get there someday. It would be great to live somewhere where I could exercise outside everyday of the year.

Ah, snow.

This morning, while I was getting ready to leave, Steven sleepily asked if it snowed. I looked outside and sure enough, it had! Good thing he asked me – I would have been pressed for time if I hadn’t known about the snow. I asked him how he knew it was going to snow (he usually doesn’t keep track of the weather) and he said he could “sense evil.” Ha ha.

So I went outside and found this

which meant I had to wear these

and do this.

Yes, I could live without snow. And also, without the hidden layer of ice underneath the snow. Very tricky, mother nature.

My car has a “snow” switch (and AWD) which I think splits the power between the front and rear of the car (Steven, help)? I turned it on for shits and giggles this morning. I only slipped once on my way to the train station. Hooray! Snow!

Comments (11)

By kilax, September 29, 2009 7:01 pm

… I just want to go to bed.

I’m not sure if I am ready for another dark and cold season. Each year I try to come up with a new way to deal with it, but I always feel a little crummy overall. I suppose last year’s method of keeping myself purposefully busy helped somewhat. I’ll try that again.

Comments (18)

By kilax, February 16, 2009 6:35 pm

The Denver trip was a success – I know because I have a bad case of the “I wish I was still on vacation” blues!

On Friday we drove to Estes Park and into Rocky Mountain National Park. We saw some elk up close, which I thought was pretty exciting! Their antlers are HUGE!!!

The Elk at Rocky Mountain National Park

I was amazed by the beauty of the park. I would love to go back when it is a bit warmer and do some hiking or camping there.

We started skiing on Saturday at Keystone. Steven and I took a one-day beginner’s course while our friends, Eric and Abbie, skied on their own. We learned the basics, like how to put our equipment on and take it off (good to know!), how to form the “wedge,” how to walk uphill, and how to turn. I thought the course was VERY helpful and necessary, but I was feeling a bit anxious to get out on my own. I was disappointed that I wasn’t all sweaty and sore that night when we got back!

Yes, I realize I look like a dork! I was afraid we were going to slide down the hill backwards so I grabbed onto Steven!

On Sunday, we started out by warming up on the very mild practice slopes. Eric and Abbie were SUPER patient with us and stuck by the whole day! They gave us very helpful advice that we didn’t cover in class. It was like we had our own personal ski instructors! I was very thankful that Abbie taught me how to get up when I fell over, and that Eric taught me how to form a big enough wedge that I could stand at the top of a large decline and not immediately start sliding down.

A super cute photo of our free personal instructors friends Eric and Abbie.

One of the mild slopes we warmed up on.

We did A LOT of crashing on Sunday. Maybe one of us a bit more than the other… no, not me, for once! Steven had epic wipe outs – tumbling and turning, skis and poles in all directions – a few times I thought he seriously injured himself! He has huge bruises on his legs from his wipe outs. I only have tiny little bruises, so I guess I wasn’t crashing hard enough!

After we went down this hill, Steven said, “Turn around and take a photo of how steep that slope is!” Can you tell?

We spent our day on the green (easy) slopes. Even though the Saturday class was necessary, I had so much more fun on Sunday, actually spending time going down the slopes. The view of the mountains and forest is just spectacular. And it is constantly changing as you make your way down the slope. Every view feels unique and different.

Even riding the chair lift was fun… if not a bit scary.

A view of Breckenridge.

Us inside of a gondola, riding to the North Peak.

It took me a bit of time to get into the hang of things on Sunday. But once I did, I was hooked. I am a bit of a reckless/fearless/”adrenaline rush seeking” person, so I think that helped a bit. You can’t really let the slopes intimidate you, or you’ll be thinking more about that and not be able to let your body do its thing. On Saturday, I realized I was over thinking what the instructors were teaching us during class, and that was limiting me. But when I got out there, and just followed the instinct of my body, it went a lot smoother.

I wish we could have had ONE more day on the slopes. I would have liked to try a more challenging (!) slope or even just take longer runs. We did a lot of skiing and stopping on the green slopes, which I definitely think we needed, but once I started going, my body wanted to keep going. Except for my quads, which were burning like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I definitely got the workout in that I was missing on Saturday – I can still feel the burn in my calves, quads and hips a bit today!

I hope this becomes an annual trip. We had such a wonderful time skiing and sight-seeing (aka, gawking at the local beauty that is Colorado), but also hanging out with Eric and Abbie and Eric’s parents. I felt like staying with Eric’s parents was staying at a five-star hotel. Steven and I had our own little guest house over the garage (complete with welcome sign!). Every night, Eric’s parents cooked wonderful meals for us, and had snacks out waiting for us when we got home from skiing (they hand-dipped strawberries in chocolate for us on Valentine’s Day!). They were just incredibly accommodating and made me feel so welcome! I feel as comfortable around Eric’s parents as I do around my own (enough that his mom jokingly said, “I don’t remember Kim being such a smart aleck!”). We had wonderful conversations with them. Eric’s family is into health and fitness, and Eric and Abbie just signed up for the Disney Half Marathon, so I was able to blab and blab about our running without feeling stupid (of course, as I ate enough food for 10 people… oops). I can’t wait to see them all again.

Interesting story – on our way to economy parking at O’Hare today, I kept seeing a police helicopter hovering over the lot. I was trying to figure out what was going on, and then, as we drove out, Steven said, “Is Obama here this weekend?” Right after he said that, I looked out the car window and saw Air Force One!  We saw the plane sitting on the runway, then take off. After that, we noticed all the security and police vehicles on our way out. Apparently he was on his way to Denver. We just missed him!

Please bear with me this week as I get back into the swing of things with blogging, blog-reading, and emails. That will be me, leaving comments on your day old posts, because I’ve been away from the internet since Thursday!