Where's the Beach?

Turning to DVDs Last night I managed to get in biceps, shoulders, triceps from Cathe's High Reps DVD . I'm liking doing the DVDs right now because I don't have to really think. However, I'm ready to get back to the heavier weights vs the higher reps. Though, it has been a great shake-up for my muscles changed up to the lower weights, higher reps. It's amazing how sore you can actually get from just changing up the rep patterns repeatedly throughout a set. The big plus with these workouts, however, has been how short they tend to  be even if you do a set a second round (yes I do this). I need to really do some research and find some effective, but also shorter heavy weight workouts. I had gotten in such a rut of the very standard, boring 3x8 sets usually as supersets. They go quickly, but can be really boring and easy to just go through the motions. Of course, that could partially be that I'm working out at home so that can get a little boring sometimes as...

Impromptu Long Run This weekend was a good one. Mostly low-key, but still lots of fun. I ended up getting in my long run on Friday. That wasn't exactly the plan. Jason was out of town, so I was going to run 5 miles then meet up with friends for a drink. Well, the happy hour plans fell through. But the run didn't. I actually ended up running with someone from work. We've chatted via email and talked about trying to run together, but it's just not happened yet. But, it ended up working out for us on Friday. I had worked extra to take off earlier on Friday. So I left work just before 3, went home and changed then ran from my house back down to the office to meet up with "B."  I won't lie, I was a bit nervous. I am always nervous when I run with someone new for the first time. You don't know what their pace might be or what if you have a crappy run. Anyway, it was really hot (70's) and the sunny. But there was a wind that kind of he...

Cross-training and Minestrone  Monday night I ended up running 4.5 miles. It was one of those much much needed runs. Not a matter of should I but I must. I really should have only done 3 miles, but I just kept going and finally just had to stop myself. That meant today I really needed to not run. My plan was 8 miles. But in reality, I knew I needed to give my feet a break. In 3 days I had hit 19.5 miles. Time for some cross-training. I ended up doing legs and shoulders from Cathe's High Reps DVD . I've never tried that one. I really don't normally like high-rep workouts. But, I needed something different, something to keep me on my toes so to speak. And man oh man did it ever. I always forget how high reps can sting big time when it's not the workout you're used to. I followed the workout up with Cathe's MMA Kickboxing DVD . After all that, it was time to get down to the business of dinner. I was starved. The plan was soup for dinner since the temps have ...

Two on Tuesday This morning I manage to get in an early morning run. Even better? It was with Jason. I really have missed running with him. Even if we don't talk much, I enjoy just running together. The humidity was much lower this morning, so it actually felt quite nice out. I got just under 6 miles and it felt great. If I hadn't needed to get myself home and cleaned up for work, I think I would have gone on for another mile (thought Jason may have objected to that one). During lunch, I was able to get in a quick workout for biceps, triceps and abs. I went with supersets (as they're great for time crunched workouts): SS#1 - 3x6 Dumbbell curls Double-arm overhead triceps extension SS#2 3x8 Incline curls Lying triceps extensions SS#3 - 2x8, 1xTF Hammer curls Kickbacks I finished off with abs from Cathe's High Reps DVD . It was actually a pretty good workout; I felt fairly strong today. Love it when that happens. Summer Flavors I had thought about ma...

Hottest Run Ever This morning we were up around 7 am. Guess going to bed by 9:30 will do that to you of course. We had started watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, but just couldn't stay awake. So, up early, Jason decided he wanted to try to get out for a run with me after breakfast. So, we laced up the running shoes (I think it was a little after 8) and headed out for the hottest, most humid, heat index-of-100-degrees run I've ever done. Holy freaking crap. We made it about 4 miles before calling it quits. I will say that it was nice to run up to the top of a bridge and look out over the inter coastal waterways. Now, getting to the top was a bit challenging of course. We also ran through a neighborhood/condo area we've never driven through. So running can be a nice way to really see a city. As long as it's not going to kill you of course. I did hit the elliptical for 5 minutes to sort of ease out my legs then I did abs from Cathe's High Reps DVD. Sun, Sushi ...

Two-a-Day Tuesday This morning I did indeed get out of bed and get in an early morning run. It did help that I had a running date with a friend. Jason was going to bike while our friend Thad and I ran. I finally had a really great outdoor run too. Maybe it was the cooler temps (only about 64 degrees), being completely over the sinus infection, or the good company. Either way, I'll take it. We got in 5.4 miles. We had to turn around just a hair early because part of the path was flooded. I was ready to run, not swim this morning. I have to give major props to my friend Thad. I know he's been worried about going out for a run with me, thinking I'll just run off and leave him. But we were there to run together. I let him pretty much set the pace, and he's much faster than he gives himself credit for. So high 5's Thad!!! Today was another 2-a-day Tuesday. I am trying to fit in all of my weight workouts before we leave for vacation. So I decided to go with bicep...

Two on Tuesday Today ended up being a two-a-day workout day for me. It's been a really long time since I've done a two-a-day. I used to really enjoy doing a 5-day weight split by doing 30 minutes of weights at lunch then 30 minutes of cardio later in the day (major pick-me-up). But when I started increasing my running distances, this just became too much. It wasn't an hour total, it'd be more like an hour and a half. Time this week, however, is minimal. I have so much going on and may end up having to use Saturday as another rest day rather than a run day. So, I figured a two-a-day today wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I really wanted to get some weights done and to run. It's just way too nice out not to get in a run. But I didn't want to skip out on weights this week either. I know you're probably thinking that I could just do weights Thursday and Friday, and I likely will. But I am splitting up the muscle groups and will do the other split ei...

PuPu Platter Last night I ended up throwing together a pupu platter for dinner as I figured I likely would. I had thawed out some tofu and decided to toss that with BBQ and hot sauces then sprinkle with panko and bake for some crispy Buffalo Tofu Strip s. I made up a sundried tomato and artichoke hummus (looks brown because I added balsamic vinegar), cut up some carrots, and also cut up some almond cheese to go with vegan pepperoni and almond crackers.   It was a fun dinner actually. It can be fun to have snacky style foods for dinner for a change. Oh and here are some pictures from last night that made me smile.     Gray Sunday It sounds like spring has totally run away from almost all of us at this point. Today was gray and 41 degrees. I guess it wasn't raining at least. I did Day 3 of Week 3 of the total body rotation . It called for 3 sets of 15 (yes count 'em 15) reps. I did do some legs, but not 3x15. Weighted triceps dips Flat bench chest flyes Double-ar...

Housewarming Recap Well, to say the Artichoke Hummus was a hit is an understatement. But, I had to remake it unfortunately. The original batch got left at the house. We got to my sister's house and started unloading everything only to realize that container had not made it into the cooler. Oops. Thankfully Sarah had the ingredients on hand to whip up a new batch. Along with that, I made a Black Bean and Corn Salsa . She had some pico de gallo, Jason made a balsamic chicken salad. We had lots of dippers from corn chips to veggies. I didn't get pictures of all of the food, but did want to highlight some things.       My sister is getting the house all set up the way she wants and it's looking so cute. We did help her rearrange a few pieces just before the party (nothing like last-minute furniture arranging). I really opened up the space more. Everyone seemed to have a great time. We got to hang out with a few long-time friends (as in known whole lives basically). Our ...

High Rep Day I really hate the time change. Ok, so hate might be overkill. I love that it stays light later. That part is fantastic. But to lose an hour on the already short weekend? I felt like I was already behind when I got up the morning. Not the best way to start the day. It was sunny at least, for a bit I should say. I got out of bed at 8:30 (feeling late of course). I had my breakfast then piddled a bit before getting to my workout. Today is Day 3 of Week 1 of the total body rotation. It called for 2 sets of 15 reps done as straight sets. Double-arm triceps kickbacks Lateral shoulder raise Pullovers Incline chest press Incline biceps curls Squats Plie Squats Firewalkers - 2x6 Weighted donkey kicks - 2x18 Roll ins and hip lifts on ball for hamstrings Inner thigh squeezes with ball I did the high intensity HiiT segment from Cathe's Intensity workout to hit the legs more then did just 2 combos from MMA Kickboxing (love boxing/kickboxing after upper body weigh...

Early Morning Weights I guess I just have so much on my mind that sleep is just not happening this week. I tossed and turned most of the night, finally getting out of bed just after 5am. I decided to go ahead and get in my chest and shoulder workout. I had thought I would do triceps as well, but my left elbow has been bothering me. When I do chest and triceps at the same time, it makes it worse, so I'm resting the tris. I went with supersets of 3x8 (big surprise) unless noted: Pushups - 24 Shoulder press (warmup) - 10 reps SS#1 Flat bench chest flye Chest press SS#2 DB shoulder press Lateral raises SS#3 Incline bench chest flye Incline bench chest press SS#4 DB upright rows Rear delt flye Staggered press - 12 reps Front raise - 12 reps I did abs from Cathe's High Reps (I seriously love that ab workout) and called it a morning. Fun Facts Friday - The Little Things Since I've been struggling with not letting this whole car situation bring me d...

Working Out So today I ended up ditching my half marathon training plan again. It called for 4 miles. It was a gorgeous, warm day, but really windy (gusting 18 mph). I just couldn't seem to get excited about running. So, I ended up doing chest, legs, boxing, and abs instead. Pushups - 24 Flat bench chest flyes into press - 3x8 Pushups with toes on step - 16 Squats into Plie Squats with low-end pulse - 3x8 Incline bench flyes into press - 3x8 Staggered bench press - 12 Rear leg elevated lunges into deadlifts - 3x8 Firewalkers - 6 Calf raises - 2x16 I did the upper body only from combos 1 and 2 of Cathe's MMA Boxing t hen abs from High Rep s. I did stretch for a bit after the workout before getting cleaned up. Chores & Kitchen Boycott Jason was nice enough to go to the grocery store while I was working out, then he headed out for a bike ride. In the meantime, I did laundry (washed, not folded mind you), made some hummus, and spent about 3 hours in our study/of...

Weights on Wednesday I came pretty close to making today a rest day. But I really wanted to get in some weights and abs today and rest completely on Friday. I figured I could do trisets for biceps, shoulders, triceps and top it off with some ab work and it really wouldn't take too long to complete (and it'd give me some energy that I seem to be lacking). I did each as 3 sets of 8 reps. TS#1 Dumbbell curls Dumbbell shoulder press Overhead triceps extension TS#2 Hammer curls Upright rows Lying triceps extensions TS#3 Cross-body curls Lateral raises Double-arm kickbacks I did abs from Cathe's High Reps DVD , stretched for a few minutes, then called it done. I won't say this turned into a super awesome workout. My mind was wandering a bit. But I did feel fairly strong though and actually increased weights on the third triset. This also gave me a bit of an energy boost, always a plus. Tomorrow I have a longish run scheduled that I hope to get up the gumpt...

Heather vs The Crockpot Ok so you remember yesterday that I mentioned starting a crockpot dinner? Well, we ended up having leftover sushi instead. It's not because the crockpot dinner was inedible, it's because it was taking WAY too long. Yes, started it at 10 am and it was still not ready by 7pm. Clearly I need to learn to follow a few crockpot recipes or read up on cooking times before just coming up with recipes off the cuff. I had decided to try to make Vegan Crockpot Red Beans and Rice . I say try because I've never really made it. Jason used to make a red beans and rice dish for us eons ago, but he couldn't remember what he used to do. So, here's my version, with lots of notes on improvement at the end. Vegan Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Ingredients: 1 bag red beans soaked  overnight 1/2 white onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 3 carrots, diced 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 4 cups water** 2 cups no-sodium vegetable broth 1 not-beef bouillon cu...

So So Weights It's funny how a super cold snap bringing wind chills of 2 degrees can change your perspective on what suddenly feels warm. It was about 40 degrees at 9 am and I thought, "Wow, it's warm out there." I was definitely more excited about the training run on a gorgeous, slightly warmer day. Too bad we were only schedule for 4 miles though. I would have preferred that we did the longer run today. But, before I got the run in, I did finally do my chest workout and finished up with abs from High Reps . Today was supposed to be 85% of 1RM doing 4 sets of 7 reps. Flat bench chest press Flat bench chest flyes Incline chest press Incline chest flyes I'll admit that today was HARD. I ended up hitting failure at the 6th rep for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th sets of the presses. I ended up going back to last week's weight for the Incline Chest Press because I just couldn't hold form right and was struggling. Better safe than sorry. Awesome Run Now, the r...

Slow Start Jason and I enjoyed a very low-key New Year's Eve. Since it was Friday, we went with our usual Pizza & Pool Friday theme. After eating, we just lazed on the couch listening to music then trying to watch the ball drop festivities. Not sure why, but this year our local stations didn't show the NY drop live. They stopped it at 10 pm CST and it didn't resume until 11:30! Somehow we managed to stay awake until 12:05 then proceeded to crash. I refused to get out of the bed before 9:00 am this morning - it was actually more like 9:30. No guilt at all. I was up a couple of times in the night with a coughing fit, Maddie woke us again at 6-ish then again at 7:30-ish. I finally decided I should get my lazy rear out of bed and enjoy breakfast at least. I also started a crockpot stew - a Lucky New Year's Stew . I usually don't make it a big point to have black-eyed peas and cabbage/greens. But this was a good excuse to use my crockpot. I had soaked my black-e...

Drug Testing Wow, it was another sub-30 degree morning here. I live in the south, what is up with this???? At least it was sunny, and the heat in my car is now fixed. Two bonuses for the morning. The negative? Got to work, opened email, and had a notice that I had been selected for random drug testing. Good times, good times. When that happens, we MUST go to the testing facility by 4:30 pm that same day. I guess in the grand scheme of things it's not that big of a deal, just very annoying an inconvenient. Weights and More Elliptical At lunch I did a quick biceps workout from STS Meso 2, Disc 18 increasing to 75% of my 1RM. Curls - 12,10,8,TF Seated alternating curls - 12,10,8,TF Concentration curls - 12,10,8,TF I did abs from Cathe's High Reps workout and wore 1# weighted gloves, which added the perfect amount of additional resistance. After work I ended up heading back to the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical. I had thought I might do the MMA Boxing workout (a...

Morning and Noon Workouts This morning I managed to drag my lazy butt out of bed early enough to get in a solid 35 minute workout. I went with MMA Boxing . For whatever reason, it just flew by this morning and I felt super energized. I really do love it when I can get in cardio in the morning, sleep just tends to win out for me. At lunch I finally did triceps from STS Meso 2, Disc 13 . This completes the first week of Meso 2 upper body workouts for me. I hope to be able to do the leg work next week. Flat bench triceps ext - 12, 10, 8, TF Side leaning 1-arm overhead ext on ball - 12, 10, 8 Kickbacks - 12, 10, 8 It was a quick tricep workout that I followed up with abs from one of Cathe's latest DVDs called High Reps . I loved this ab workout. It's short but to the point. I think I will use weighted gloves the next time to add a little more intensity. Fun Facts Friday - Pros/Cons of My Gym Well, since I've been having to hit the gym again. I've noticed some pr...