30 Day Shred - Day 1

Follow me over here to read about my 30 Day Shred.

I hope everybody's year has gotten off to a great start. New goals! New ideas! Renewed drive!

Run on!

NEW BLOG! NEW ADDY!

Hey everybody! It's been awhile. :D

I just created a new blog and would love for you to follow me! It's still ADVENTURE SEEKER but going to be bigger and better. Here is the new address: http://nikemomof2.wordpress.com/

Hope everybody had a great holiday season and is doing lots of running, swimming, biking, kettlebells and eating healthy.

I'll be updating my links as I go.

Have a GREAT FRIDAY!

Stephanie

Sh*t Happens

My knees. Somewhat comparable to a husband. Can't live with them, can't live without them.

When I wake up, that joint between my thigh and tibia, feels like a huge-a$$ watermelon. Better my knees than my boobs, right? Some might disagree with me, but with watermelons for boobs, well, I can't imagine it would be fun running. With watermelons for knees, well - there's ibuprofen, glucosamine and ice. Yes! Lots of ice and drugs.

I run regardless. Watermelons or not. I'm not "fast for me" anymore. I've become comfortable with the watermelon run over the last couple of weeks. What does that mean? In this case I run for distance, *ahem* not time. {silent waaaaaahhhh}

I'm hoping watermelon season will soon be over and my runs will be, well, !!my runs!! The watermelon runs are preparing me through my watermelon knees for distance, endurance miles, lots of miles. 13.1 more miles to be exact. YES! I want to run a full marathon. I want to run Rock'n Roll Arizona in January and qualify for Boston.

Sh*t happens for a reason. So here's to 26.2 and watermelons!

My Son for a Year: Paul

Paul. A common name around our home since spring when we decided to host a foreign exchange student. Paul is 16 years old, from Germany and very polite. He also likes the outdoors (like me), he likes sports (like me) and I'm going to guess since he signed up to live abroad for a full academic year, that he likes adventure (like me).

Cheers to Paul and his life in America! Cheers to a wonderful, life-changing year for our family as we grow and become a part of his journey in life and he becomes a part of ours.

Zingers DO NOT Help Knee Pain!

Experiencing the full-blown affects of a chocolate zinger does not alleviate any kind of knee pain. You can ice your knee while eating a Zinger, knees still hurt. Try adding in some ibuprofen prior to eating the Zingers while icing down the knees, still no relief. Any questions regarding this mini research study can be directed in the comments section below.

I'm on a Zinger kick for some reason and my knees are hurting me for some reason. A couple months ago I got into a local bootcamp and was also doing some Fusion (kickboxing). The workouts were awesome, but heck on my knees. After about 3 weeks I stopped going. Since then, my running hasn't been the same. I can go knock out some shorter runs and some days are better than others, but today was not one of those days.

Currently, I have arthritis in my right knee, and have experienced some pain due to IT Band Sydrome and Patella Femoral pain. Adding cycling to my exercise routine has helped strengthen my legs and minimize the ickiness I was feeling in my knee. I was having fun with my runs and knocking out some good times.

Now I have extreme pain in my left knee. I cut a 12 mile run today to 6 because I didn't want to make the problem any worse. So, this week, I'm headed to see an orthopedic. Yeah! So we'll see what they say. I want this to be over cause I want to run! run! run!

Have a great week blogger peeps! and go get yourself a Zinger.

It's TIME to get back!

Hello Fellow Runners & Bikers!

It has been soooo long since I've blogged and I missed it sooooo much. Twenty Ten has been a great year so far - minus all that nasty snow and freezing temps. I can't seem to handle any kind of "cold" anymore. That's why I think a move to Arizona or Florida is on order. :D

Things are just starting to "roll" for me as I kick off my first event with the Lincoln Half Marathon on May 2. I not ready in my training to go after a new PR, so I'm going to have fun with this run! Speaking of fun, I need to get on making those glitteriffic tees. [note to self]

I have been outside on my road bike for the past two weeks and am loving it! Even in the winds. I'm looking forward to a great cycling season as well.

The school year is winding down and it's major crunch time is here! Scheduling, job shadows, scholarships, not to mention taking care of my own graduate work - big Autobiography paper due next week. YIKES! I need to get on that - right after my run and bike ride of course. Thank goodness I have a head start on it, but as usual I'm going to hand in it "Just in time". :D

Have a great Thursday people. Today I have a job interview. Send luck my way.

Tabata Training - The fastest way to fitness and fat loss

Information on Tabata training is taken directly from this link: http://www.intervaltraining.net/tabata.html

A new fitness center here in Lincoln is now offering Tabata training so of course I had to check it out! If you have anything you'd like to add or have participated in Tabata I would love to hear your feedback.

Tabata interval training is the single most effective type of high intensity interval training, its also the most intense by far, and surprisingly its the shortest in duration, it only last for four minutes... but those four minutes produce remarkable effects.

Lose Fat, Get Fit in four minutes

Tabata training was discovered by Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.

Dr. Tabata discovered that this kind of interval training burns substantially more fat than aerobic training. On top of this four minutes of Tabata workout builds as much muscular endurance as forty five minutes of normal cardio training. In fact in the study the subjects increased their anaerobic capacity by over a quarter as well a substantial increase in their aerobic fitness. Something to keep in mind was that the the subjects were as fit as race horses before they started the trial, so the improvements were remarkable.

This makes it an very versatile program, you can use tabata for weight loss as well most improving performance in most aerobic and anaerobic sport.

The Tabata Workout

The full Tabata program is four minutes long, it will probably feel like the longest four minutes of your life.

If you are going to try it I would recommend going light with the weights until you find your range, theres a good chance you will underestimate this workout and be begging people around you to help you off the floor.

Tabata intervals follow this structure:

• Push hard for 20 seconds
• Rest for 10 seconds.
• Repeat this eight times.

The secret to making this effective is in your sprint interval. You have to go all out, so do as many reps as you can in the 20 seconds, put it down for 10, then pick it up again and go hell for leather for another 20 seconds.

I would suggest getting some sort of tabata timer like a watch where you can see exactly where you are in the workout, you don't want to have to think too much, all of your concentration will be on the exercise.

Choosing Exercises

You can do Tabata exercise with sprints, but it is far more adaptable than other forms of interval training. You can use exercises such as the front squat or push press if you are in the gym. Kettle bells work exceptionally well. Basically anything that you can put a large load on your biggest muscle groups. Be sure to use your large muscle groupsotherwise you will get very little of the benefit.

(Note - make sure you are doing a front squat and not a standard squat, you will want to put the bar down!)

This is not a daily workout, if you can do this every day you are doing it wrong. Some people try it once a week but most end up doing tabata once or twice a month. None the less, it produces remarkable results for those brave enough to use it.

Toughest 3 Pounds in Weight Loss

Tip of the week: The toughest 3 pounds in weight loss

The toughest 3 pounds when trying to lose weight are likely not what you’re thinking. They are not the first few pounds lost in a program and they are not the last. They are not in your thighs, your gut, or your butt. No, the most difficult 3 pounds to deal with are directly between your ears.

Your brain is the biggest obstacle to overcome in regards to weight loss. In theory, weight loss is incredibly simple, eat a little less and exercise a little more. So what’s the problem? The problem is that our brains are constantly tricking us. Our tendency value instant gratification (fast food, a comfy couch, drugs and alcohol) more than long term rewards. It takes practice to overcome those daily urges and refocus long term. Think about how great you will look 10 pounds lighter or how fun it will be to run around outside with grandkids.

There is no magic involved in weight loss. You have the skill, the knowledge, and the passion to be successful. So stop using words like try, attempt, or do my best. The instant those words enter your vocabulary, you have just set yourself up for failure. Instead, make the commitment and just do it!

One final thought: Why do you still have that junk food in your pantry and why are you still hanging on to those clothes that are two sizes too big for you? That is, if your never going to need them again.

(Taken from UBT's Biggest Loser Contest)

Miss America 2010 delegates with running connections

Miss America 2010 delegates with running connections

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Changing My Mantra

Ok, so I've gone missing for a while. Not too far, but things stack up and you have to prioritize. I just wanted to stop by and see "HI" to all who follow and I want you to know, that I do check in on you all now and then. I haven't done a lot of commenting, but do know what your doing.

I'm in the process of redesigning my blog and will have a new address. I purchased nikemom.com and am excited to get it up and rolling. With the new roll-out I will be posting regularly - mostly about running, biking, family and life's silly things.

I hope everybody's weekend is off to a great start. I taught a 60 min spin class this morning and we are now off to see my kiddos wrestle. Tonight I'm going to sneak in a 5 mile run and then spend some QT with the hubs.

Ciao!

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Larry Platt

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Triple Bypass 2010

I'm in with two of my other friends I ride with. It was a harrowing 45 minutes getting us registered, I was shaking like a leaf. I was registering a 4th person when the race capped out. [Sorry Jerad]

Registration reached capacity in 45 minutes. Amazing! 3500 riders in only 45 minutes. Unbelieveable. Last year it took two days. See you at the top!

Review of The O2 Diet, a.k.a. the Antioxidant Diet | Diets in Review Blog

Review of The O2 Diet, a.k.a. the Antioxidant Diet | Diets in Review Blog

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Vegas Results 2009

Vegas Races Results

1:56:10 Chip Time

8:49 mile pace

2605 out of 17827 1/2 marathon finishers (Top 15%)

828 out of 11322 female 1/2 marathon finishers (Top 7%)

130 out of 1663 in my divisions F40-44 (Top 8%)

There was no PR as I had set my goal to be several months ago. At that time, I wanted to pull of a 8:25/mile. My training slacked a bit after Market to Market with busy-ness. I hate to admit it, but it's true. I let myself slide a bit. YIKES! With all of us going in different directions each day about 30 miles apart, I spend a lot of time in my vehicle so I coordinated with my son's wrestling practice to run at the track while they were practicing. I also added a new venture to my life, EIRO, and through all the excitement of building my team, (which is going well by the way) I skipped a few runs. I don't skip runs. Only when I was sick did I skip a run and I don't get sick. So, needless to say, I have no excuses for slacking - I just did. :)

I still enjoyed the race, it was my first trip to Vegas, and I think I still did well otherwise. I'm not totally sure I liked Vegas, but it sounds like we'll be going back to run it again next year. WOOP! And again in March, my cousin is getting married out there. Now that will be a good time!

We stayed at the Flamingo (ahem, I say this lightly - I wouldn't recommend it). They told us we had a walk-in shower - sounded cool - it was a handicap bathroom. The hotel smelled like cheap cherry car air freshener covering up loads of smoke - just like the taxi's. :D This smell did not set well with me - I suffer from major motion sickness - flying out was a little rough on me - and the car ride to the hotel started off with, yes, cheap cherry car air freshener covering up loads of smoke. :D

I have never traveled this extensively and done a race before so I am going to rethink my lofty goals for 2010. We did a lot of walking around, which was not good for my legs prior to a race, but we did have a lot of fun. We did the casino thing, went to a great seafood buffet at the Rio with friends, which I recommend, did some sight-seeing and visited the premier outlet malls.

Here's a few pictures at the Flamingo hotel:

At the Vegas expo:

Before race: I look like a total dork! heehee

With my friend Ryan from Nebraska:

Getting ready to cross the finish line:

And I'm done!

I recommend Vegas - it was an experience! Hope you all have a great Wednesday. We are off of school - snow day - could be a day to stir up some trouble!

Win a Pair of Whooga ugg Boots

I received this email from Sarah at sarah@whoogaboots.co.uk regarding winning a pair of Whooga ugg Boots.

So here goes:

Enter and you have a chance at winning a pair of Whooga ugg Boots. Heres the link to enter.

Setting Goals for 2010

I've always been a goal setter. In fact, I have a folder I've created listing my goals; some short term, some long term. When I accomplish a goal, I write the date and location next to my goal. 2009 has been a great year for me. I've accomplished and participated in a number of events this year and feel darn good about it.

With 2009 coming to an end, I've decided it's time to start plotting events for 2010. Things may change as the year goes by according to my kiddos events and family events that may pop up, but here goes:

Entire Rock-n-Roll Marathon Series (1/2 marathon) {I already have some conflicts, so all 13 might not happen}

• Arizona ~ Jan 17
• New Orleans ~ Feb 28
• Dallas ~ March 14 {conflict with cousins wedding in Las Vegas}
• New York 1/2 marathon
• Nashville ~ April 24
• San Diego ~ June 6
• Seattle ~ June 26
• Chicago ~ Aug 1 {conflict with RAGBRAI}
• Virginia Beach ~ Sept 5
• Philadelphia ~ Sept 19
• San Jose ~ Oct 3
• Los Angeles ~ Oct 24
• San Antonio ~ Nov 14
• Las Vegas
• Lincoln 1/2 Marathon ~ May 2
• Council Bluffs 1/2 Marathon ~ May 23
• 5 Days/500 Miles Bike Ride
• Triple Bypass ~ July 10
• RAGBRAI ~ July 25-31
• Hotter'n Hell
• Omaha Marathon ~ September
• Market to Market Relay

So there it is folks. Events will probably change as time goes, but I'm looking forward to even better things to come!

Inspiring Video