Marathon Training

A few months ago, one my best friends made the comment. "Someday when you write your autobiography, you should call it 'Living Crazy', because that usually sums up what is going on in your life." Haha, so true. But I believe that life is too short to live boring, and crazy generally isn't boring.

Seen on my run

 My latest crazy adventure is marathon training. I signed up for the St. George marathon this year. I persuaded a friend to sign up too, so we can plan some long runs together. It only takes one friend to keep you committed to exercising, then you can't let them down, so you'll do it even when you don't want to. I enjoy running (usually), and I was excited to get back into it. Of course when I signed up I fully intended on taking the summer off from school. I cleared it with my specialty option coordinator and we agreed that a break from school was feasible and well-deserved. Then I talked to the graduate

Piyo Cross Training

adviser. She said that if I took the summer off that it would mean I would be more than a year behind in my classes, and there would be a couple semesters where I wouldn't be able to take classes because they are only offered at certain times and I have to take them in order. So now I'll be working, going to school (just one class), shuttling kids to swim lessons and summer camps and training for a marathon. Yup, living crazy. But taking advantage of the beautiful opportunity to do so. I'm grateful and thrilled that I have such beautiful scenery to train in so close to my house.
 For my marathon training plan I chose a 20 week schedule where I run 4 days a week (last time I ran 5-6 days a week, I'm not such a fan). On my off days I'll cross-train with Piyo to keep my legs and joints flexible and help prevent injuries, or take the occasional rest day. If anyone wants to do the
Piyo workouts with me, the sale was extended this month, so now's a good time to get a discount. I love them, they're fun and just make you feel great. And my plan is to use them to protect my knees!

My Piyo Story- Or How I Recovered from a Hip Injury During Graduate School

Before I talk about how I got into great shape, I need to give the background of how I got out of shape. In Fall 2012, I was in descent shape. I ran the St. George marathon, as well as 7 half marathons that year. In the course of training for the marathon, most of my running buddies injured themselves. One just quit altogether. That left me and one friend who regularly walked and ran together, until she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of 2013. (She is now in remission and doing great.) Without a workout buddy, my running became less regular. In Fall 2013, I started graduate school as a non-degree seeking student. I ran and did yoga occasionally, but not like I had been.
My Hip Injury
I wish that I had some cool or dramatic story about how I injured my hip, but I don't. My husband and I went to Alaska to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in June 2014. After sitting in a small airplane or airplane terminal seat for the better part of 13 hours my left hip started aching. I injured my hip  by sitting for too long, pretty lame story.  I tried to take it easy and it got worse. I tried running on it, and it felt better as long as I kept it under 6 miles, then it would hurt. It wasn't extreme pain, it was just annoying. I tried doing yoga more often and visiting a massage therapist. It helped a small amount, but it was always temporary, and overall it was slowly getting worse.
 In Fall 2014 we moved to Colorado so I could go to graduate school, and I joined the university running club. I was excited to have someone to run with and meet new people. The problem is that everyone in the running club is 8-10 years younger than me and in much better shape. When I started pushing myself hard enough to keep up with them I really screwed up my hip. It was too the point that I was in severe pain all day everyday. It hurt to sit, it hurt to stand, it hurt to walk, it hurt to lay down, it hurt to run. My left hip hurt all the time. I was a mess. I was crippled and frustrated that I couldn't exercise and it effected how I felt overall. I went to see a chiropractor. The x-rays showed that my left hip had been rotated enough that my left leg was 2 inches shorter than my right. And the pain was coming from my muscles being twisted and stretched out of place around the joint. So I went in for regular treatments and adjustments. He told me that I needed to start exercising again to help it, but NO running. That made things hard. I don't like the gym, I like to run.
 Piyo

 Then an old friend messaged me and asked if I would like to join her fitness challenge group. I worked with Missy years ago, and she was one of the primary nurses who trained me to be a pediatric nurse. Working nights on pediatrics, you grow to love and trust your co-workers. And I was always impressed that even though she had small kids and worked full-time nights she would still run. At the time I felt to overwhelmed to exercise, but I was impressed that she did.
 While I debated about whether I would do the fitness challenge (because to honest forking out the money is what held me back), I joined one of her clean eating groups. I went the entire month of October without eating any sugar and I lost three pounds. (College life is often not conducive to healthy eating habits.) Then I started the fitness challenge and started doing Piyo workouts. Piyo is like a cross between Pilates and Yoga, with a few other exercises thrown in there. It's a low-impact (read-easy on your joints), full body workout and it was exactly what I needed. It doesn't require any weights or equipment other than a yoga mat. The dvd instruction is led by fitness guru Chalene Johnson. After doing it for a month, I felt so much better! My hip wasn't all the way better, but I could function without pain, and all of my clothes were fitting better. I could sit for hours during my lectures and it was ok! By the end of the month I could run a few miles, but not just that committing to a workout on a regular basis changed me. I had more energy. I found that even though I'm busy with school and three kids and all of the other things in my life, I feel so much better when I schedule time 6 days a weeks for exercise. Piyo really helped me to get in the habit of exercising regularly, without feeling exhausted (like when I trained for my marathon).
 Then I did the workout for another 30 days and I was so pleased with the results. I have never been in this good of shape. My hip is about 90% better (I'm still careful with it, and I do try to avoid sitting for hours at a time). I am stronger and more flexible. There are yoga moves I can do now that I was never able to do before. Doing my workouts gives me the energy and motivation to take on all of  the other things in my life that I need to do. My stomach has not been this flat since jr high. I CAN DO PUSH-UPS! I sleep better! I fit into clothes I never thought I would fit into again after having my kids. And I feel awesome. I loved it so much, I decided to start coaching, because I want to help other people improve their health too. As a nurse, that has always been a goal and motivation anyway, but in many ways as a nurse you can only help people for a short period of time.
 I worked hard, but I wasn't perfect. This was November, December and early January that I did this. (Finals and Holidays) I had a few holiday treats.We went to a few dinner and Christmas parties, and I still enjoyed yummy holidays foods. I still got a little candy in my stocking. Between kids, graduate school and winter illnesses, I missed one workout almost every week. So it doesn't take perfection to improve, but it does take progress and dedication.
 If you are looking to get in shape and want a workout that won't require a lot of equipment and will be easy on your joints. I highly, highly recommend it.
Results
Okay here's the part that I feel kind of nervous about. I'm putting pictures of myself in my sports bra on the internet, so you can see my white flabby mid-driff, stretch marks included.  But I'm sharing so you can compare my results and see that it really works.

13 Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Be Active in the Winter

Recently we moved from southern Utah to the Denver area. It has been quite the climate change. One new challenge for me has been keeping the kids active when it is frigid outside. And I don't just say it's cold because we have become soft desert bunnies. -8 degrees Fahrenheit is still cold, even by Denver standards. Here's some ideas that I have found to be effective.

1. Be an example! It is certainly less hassle for me to exercise when my kids are asleep, but some days I don't get up before them to do my workouts. I want them to see that exercise is an important and regular part of my life. And many times they jump in and do my workouts with me.
2. Bundle up and go outside- There are winter days where this is impractical, but there are times when this is exactly what my kids and I need avoid cabin fever. If there is enough snow, go sledding, build a snow fort or make snow angels.
3. A small indoor trampoline- A friend recommended this and it will be waiting under the tree this Christmas. It doesn't take up a lot of space, can be stored against a wall in the closet and can help them get a fun cardio workout.
4. Dance with your kids It has become a habit in our household that when a Disney movie ends (especially Wreck It Ralph), that the kids and I dance around the living room until the credits end.
5. Limit screen time- The official recommendations are that children should not spend more than 1-2 hours in front of a screen per day. I will be the first to admit that that is really difficult to enforce, especially when I have homework to do. Here are our house rules, before screen time my kids must 1. Have homework done 2. Do one small chore for every 20 minutes of screen time.
6. Visit museums- This can get pricey, but keep an eye out for free museum days and coupons. Another good route is a museum membership. This year our museum membership of choice is the Denver Art Museum. $80 for our family for a year and it was worth every penny. And museum trips involve a lot of walking.
7. Zoos & Aquariums- Same benefits as museums, but it's easy to add in some imaginative

   

   The Lions at the Denver Zoo (late October)

   movements. 'Let's walk like an elephant', or 'Show me how a monkey moves' Even in the winter there are sunny days that permit this with a hat and a jacket. (Denver can get really cold, but we've had several good weather days scattered throughout.)
8. Plan family walks- Even if they are short. Take notice of  how the trees change, or the birds migrating or other wildlife. (Around here, there are tons of bunnies and groundhogs. My kids like to see who can find the most.)
9. Visit the mall- Most have indoor play areas, and if nothing else it can offer an indoor place to walk a few laps.
10. Roller skating- This one is hard for my toddler, even with the trainer and me supporting her. However, it is a favorite activity for my older kids. It's an exercise that builds strength and balance. (For those in the Denver area, there is a Living Social deal for it.)
11. Have contests- My son loves to see how many push-up he can do, and he isn't really competing against anyone other than himself  "I want to see if I can do 25 push-ups this time!" Other indoor ideas include jumping jacks, bending over to pick up toys, touching your toes, knee lifts. You teach your kids to do many simple exercises this way
12. Lessons & Team Sports- Karate, Ballet, Soccer, etc. These can become time-consuming and expensive, but just remember that you are investing in your child's health and well-being. A fantastic low-cost option in this category is Girls on the Run. It's an awesome program for girls 3rd-8th grade that teaches fitness and healthy habits.
13. Take time to play with them- Most young kids love to play with their parents. As parents, most of us are busy, but try to make it priority to spend a few minutes with them. Get on the floor and play with them, or build blanket forts or play tag with them at the park. You are building your relationship(s) with them, you are encouraging their development and you are teaching them that being active is fun.