Hello There!
I am sorry this has taken me so very long! Things have been a mad house in my small little corner of this big wide world! Oddly I have had more conversations about health and goals in the last month than I think have in my whole life! It's crazy and there has been a single common theme....
"I can't do (enter goal here), not like you can/did!"
Well, here's my response? Why not? No, seriously... Why not? You don't need a miracle product and a thin body to be healthy! You need a little determination, a goal (not an end result) and ALOT of peer pressure!
When I started this journey, i was counting my lucky stars in I could run for 2 minutes straight-
without dying. And that was a shuffle pace! I am talking 18 minute miles people! (And I was jiggling so I was running). But I kept going! And here's how....
First, I was determined. How much more whining over my ice cream while watching Biggest Loser could my husband take? Seriously? It was pretty sad and pathetic people! One day- enough was enough! I set out to be a little more determined that i could do this!
Second, set a goal. something that you have to physically be able to do and a timeline. In my humble opinion, a size 2 jean size, isn't a goal. it's an end result. Completing a 5k, is a goal. It is something that is going to set you towards a healthier lifestyle and get you moving! I am a fan of public events- and this is one of the main reasons why... It's a deadline in which i have to be ready by! If I miss a run I cant just shrug it off-- I NEED TO COMPLETE IT! And even more amazing, you will surprise yourself with your goals! After the first one is complete- enjoy the spotlight- and set another! Keep going! Those end results you want, will come, and you wont even be thinking about it! For me, to focus on weight, acceptance, clothes or anything else materialistic in nature- it has always ended in a failure!
Make it public! Come out of hiding and make it known that you are going to complete a 5k in one hour! Who cares if someone does it faster than you- there will always be someone faster than you! But as a wise woman i know once said- "Don't let the act of comparison steal your joy- that is all it's good for!" Post pictures, shout from the mountain tops when you're training, people will hold you accountable- even when you don't want them too!
YOU CAN accomplish any goal you choose- set it up, plan for it and achieve it- but you can. In my opinion it is more a matter of will you. Do you want to? Accept the challenge and get out there! Need a goal? let me know! I have alot you can choose from :)
And here is my final thought... For those of you that don't know yet... I am signed up for the Rugged Maniac obstacle course that will take place in August!
Looking for adventure?
How about a day filled with 25 epic obstacles, rockin’ music and plenty of beer? Rugged Maniac Obstacle Race has you covered! Here’s how it works: Sign up for the race and you’ll get a chance to run our 3-mile course where you’ll climb towers of shipping containers, rocket down a 50′ water slide, bounce on trampolines, crawl through underground tunnels, leap over fire and more!
Let's be honest, they had me at "beer", but aside from that i am super excited! I added my training plan at the end of my rant for this upcoming madness- I am excited to be switching it up from straight cardio! As we all know, that's not my favorite thing to do! I hope it's something you can utilize and I will keep you posted!
Lesssssbihonest..... Some of these workouts are definitely going to be humorous! Especially when the first time I had to jump on a box (very small one) I missed and wiped out- and yes I looked around to see who had witnessed! :)
Can't wait to hear from you and I hope you are working on a goal for yourself!
Much love, sore muscles and peer pressure!
~K
Rugged Maniac Workout Plan
(Or Rugged Madness :))
Endurance Week 1
Run 2 minutes then stop and do:
10 Squats
10 Push-ups
20 Mountain Climbers (10 each side)
10 Lunges (5 each leg)
10 Plank to Push-up
Do 10 rounds total, with little to no rest between
rounds.
Strength Week 1
Do the following exercises for
10 meters each: Skip, Side Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine,
Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking
Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15
push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20 Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 4 rounds of the following
exercises, resting 30 seconds between each (no rest between rounds):
Moderate Height Box Jump (12x)
Renegade Row with Push-up (12x)
DB Step-up (10x each leg)
Pull Down/Pull Up (15x/8x)
Band or Cable Rotation (10x each side)
Endurance Week 2
Run 400 meters 6 times, resting
in between runs for as long as it took you to run the previous 400 meters.
On a scale of 1 -10, you should be exerting
yourself at a 6. In other words, you shouldn’t be able to talk because you’re
out of breath.
Strength Week 2
Do the following exercises for
10 meters each: Skip, Side Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine,
Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking
Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15
push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20 Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 30 seconds of each of the
following exercises, resting only 15 seconds between them:
Fast Feet on a box
Inchworm Push-up
Jump Lunge
DB/KB/Band Row
Mountain Climber
Squat Shoulder Press
Speed Skater
Burpee
Do 3 rounds total, resting 2
minutes between rounds.
Endurance Week 3
Run 3 minutes then stop and do:
12 Squat Jumps
12 Push-ups
24 Cross-Body Mountain Climbers (12 each side)
24 Split Jumps (12 each leg)
12 Plank to Push-up
Do 10 rounds total, with little
to no rest between rounds.
Strength Week 3
Do the following exercises for
10 meters each: Skip, Side Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine,
Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking
Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15
push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20 Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 4 rounds of the following
exercises, resting 30 seconds between each:
Broad Jump (12x)
Overhead Stone Throw (4x)
Shotput Stone Throw (3x each arm)
Spiderman Push-up Variation (6x each)
Weighted Explosive Step-up (8x each leg)
Jumping Pull-up and Hold (12x)
Standing Diagonal Chop (10x each side)
Endurance Week 4
Find a hill 50 meters long and run
up and down 6 times, resting 20 seconds at the bottom each time. Exertion Level
7.
Strength Week 4
Do the following exercises for 10 meters each: Skip, Side
Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine, Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge
with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad
Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15 push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20
Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 45 seconds of each of the
following exercises, resting only 15 seconds between them:
Lateral Obstacle Hop
Linear Push-up
T-Drill (shuffle, carioca, sprint)
Box Squat Thrust
Gate/Box Ski Jump
Bear Crawl (on a hill)
Lateral Bound (on a hill)
Do 3 rounds total, resting no longer
than 2 minutes between rounds.
Endurance Week 5
Run 4 minutes then stop and do:
14 Spiderman
Push-ups
14 Squat Thrusts
14 Wide Mountain Climbers
28 Lunge Jumps (14 each leg)
14 Plank Alt Horse
Do 10 rounds total, with little
to no rest between rounds.
Strength Week 5
Do the following exercises for
10 meters each: Skip, Side Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine,
Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking
Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15
push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20 Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 4 rounds of the following
exercises, resting 30 seconds between each:
Body Complex To Sprint [Deadlift
(4x) - Rear Deadlift (4x) - Squat-Push Press (4x) then sprint 20 meters]
Stop Lunge (5x each leg)
Wall Muscle-up (4x)
Narrow Squat to Switch Press (8x)
Inverted Row Variation (15x)
Dip with Hip Flexion Variation (12x)
Endurance Week 6
Run 600 meters 6 times, resting for 30 seconds LESS than
the time it took you to run the previous 600 meters.
Exertion Level 8.
Strength Week 6
Do the following exercises for 10 meters each: Skip, Side
Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine, Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge
with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad
Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15 push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20
Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 60 seconds of each of the following exercises, resting
only 20 seconds between them:
Pendulum Wall
Jump
Reverse Kosak
Move The
Mountain
Weighted Swing
(on a wall)
Lateral
Obstacle Burpee
Hill Jump with
Half Twist
Speed Skater
(on a wall)
Push-up Lateral
Walk (on stairs) or Plyometric Push-ups (on stairs)
Do 4 rounds total, resting no longer than 2 minutes between
rounds.
Endurance Week 7
Run 5 minutes then stop and do:
16 Plyometric
Push-ups 16 Single Leg Burpees (8 each leg)
32 Wide
Half-Push-up Mountain Climbers (16 each side)
28 Lunge Jumps
(14 each leg)
16 Lunge-Squat
Lunge Combos
Do 8 rounds total, with little to no rest between rounds.
Strength Week 7
Do the following exercises for 10 meters each: Skip, Side
Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine, Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge
with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad
Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15 push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20
Band Rows (10 each arm). Do 4 rounds of
the following exercises, resting 30 seconds between each:
Tall Box Jump (8x)
Pistol Squat
with Single-Arm Press (5x each leg)
Suspended
Medicine Ball Push-up (10x)
Squat Jump to
Rocky Pull-up (10x)
Overhead Squat
Variation (8x)
Inverted Row
with Alt Leg Raise (12x)
Endurance
Week 8
Find a hill
50 meters long and run up and down 10 times, resting 30 seconds at the bottom
every other time. Exertion Level 9.
Strength
Week 8
Do the
following exercises for 10 meters each: Skip, Side Shuffle, High-Knee Run,
Buttkicker Run, Grapevine, Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge with Overhead Reach,
Walking Knee-Hug, Walking Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad Stretch and Walking
Foot Lift, then do 15 push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20 Band Rows (10 each
arm). Do 75 seconds of each of the following exercises, resting only 25 seconds
between them:
180 Jump to
Wall
Muscle Dip
to Pike-up
Stability
Squat
Double
Turkish Get-up
Stair
Spiderman
Walking
Wall Push-up
Weighted
Lateral Step Jump
Boulder
Dash (up a hill)
Car Push
Do 4 rounds total, resting no longer than 2 minutes between
rounds.
Week 9 Endurance
Run 4 minutes then stop and do:
10 Squats
10 Push-ups
20 Mountain
Climbers (10 each side)
10 Lunges (5
each leg)
10 Plank to
Push-up
Do 5 rounds total, with little to no rest between rounds.
Strength Week 9
Do the following exercises for 10 meters each: Skip, Side
Shuffle, High-Knee Run, Buttkicker Run, Grapevine, Walking Lunge, Walking Lunge
with Overhead Reach, Walking Knee-Hug, Walking Hamstring Stretch, Walking Quad
Stretch and Walking Foot Lift, then do 15 push-ups, 15 Band Pull-Downs and 20
Band Rows (10 each arm).
Do 3 rounds of the following exercises, resting 30 seconds
between each:
Tall Box Jump
(5x)
Renegade Row to
Press (10x)
Pistol Squat
(8x each leg)
Pull-up (8x)
Standing
Diagonal Chop (8x each side)
Endurance Week 10
Run 200 meters 6 times, resting twice as long as it took
you to run the previous 200 meters. Focus on speed.
Exertion Level 9.
Don’t judge a book by its cover- I know my parents instilled this lesson into my brain over and over-- but it never took.
It was time to head to the class. After my sister kicked me
off the phone so I could go in (I may have been stalling… maybe), I paid the
nice old man at the counter and settled into this huge old gym. It was big
enough for a basketball court and more, with two stories of stairs off to the
side (who needs stairs in a gym??), and plenty of room to move around. While I
was waiting for class to begin, I started to check out the other people
trailing in. Okay, okay, I was judging the other people trailing in. And my
confidence began to build. I was (by far) the youngest person in there. I think
the next youngest in age was in their 60’s, followed by other women in their 80’s.
I got this in the BAG! I mean, I am
a half marathon runner, right??
As our warmup progressed, I was feeling pretty great-
jogging and stretching is no problem! Nice and easy, breathing fine and still
able to hold a conversation. I had a smile on my face and the world was a great
place. Then it happened. My perfect little world began to crumble… 
All that being said, I did it. I survived. I didn’t die and
I am sore, but I am stronger. And I can’t wait to go back! I am excited to see
how boot camp changes my body in the next few months (yes I signed up for more
than one—crazy I know)! Moral of the story... maybe I need to work on my judging skills because in this case the cover was very deceiving! Those old ladies kicked my tail!
