Popsugar Fitness Two-Week Video Workout Challenge

After taking a brief hiatus from scheduled workouts and enjoying a bunch of family fun, I was ready to get back to regular workouts. I was in the mood for something different, so I challenged myself to follow the Popsugar Fitness 2-Week Video Workout Plan.

For 14 days, I did a variety of 30 minute workouts that mixed cardio, strength, Pilates and yoga. One day a week was dedicated to active rest with stretching and foam rolling.

Here's the plan and my thoughts on each workout:

Day 1: Cardio workout (burned 335 calories). This was a fun video with a blend of cardio and strength circuits to keep things interesting. Each circuit takes about 5 minutes to get through 4 moves and you do each circuit twice. A couple of minutes of stretching is included at the end.

Day 2: Cardio Pilates workout (burned 268 calories) Mix of cardio and Pilates with weights that really worked my abs. After a cardio warm-up, the exercise sequence targets legs, arms, and abs...spending about 20-30 seconds on each move.

Day 3: Power Yoga Flow (burned 154 calories) Perfectly timed full body yoga to stretch things out that were feeling very sore. A typical yoga flow, the workout stretches and tones at the same time.

Day 4: Active Rest with Foam Roller (burned 65 calories) Full disclosure, this was a pretty painful session, but another well timed activity. The must-do foam rolling moves provided probably made this the best foam rolling session I've ever done, especially because I actually timed myself.

Day 5: Tabata Workout (297 calories) I love this form of HIIT that alternates between 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest in four minute rounds. Just when you think you can't go any longer, you get a quick break. Another bonus to this workout was the instructor ---> great energy and super funny!

Day 6: Strong, Toned and Full-body workout (253 calories) Another circuit training session, but this time with weighted moves added in. I like the mix of exercises in circuit workouts.

Day 7: Active Rest with Stretching (95 calories) I did both the 10 minute video and the ultimate stretching guide (see it here) ---> 28 different stretches. My body was grateful for this head to toe love-fest.

Day 8: Cardio Boxing & Core (308 calories) This was my first try at cardio boxing and I didn't love it, but was pleasantly surprised to see the calories I burned. Obviously no experience necessary to get a good workout, even one that feels a little awkward.

Day 9: Pilates workout (196 calories) This should have been called Speed Pilates! The pace was hard to keep up with at times, so I focused on going at my own speed. Some of the moves were killer, but the instructor kept things fun and lively.

Day 10: Feel-Good, Feel-Strong Yoga (186 calories) easy to follow flow that hit all my favorite poses. I liked how the instructor grouped poses together and tossed in a couple challenges ---> like side plank with leg raise!

Day 11: Active Rest with Foam Roller (did not track) This was the same as the previous foam rolling day but it didn't hurt as bad. That's a clear reminder that the more you roll, the happier your muscles are.

Day 12: Cardio and Toning Boot Camp (283 calories) Simple 8 move circuit repeated 3 times. I liked the mix of cardio (jump squats, mountain climbers) and strength, but I loved the combination moves (squat shoulder press, bridge chest press) the best.

Day 13: Total Body Toning (262 calories) This workout had a fun mix of moves that focused on legs, cardio, arms, and abs. Each move was demonstrated in modified version first and then the advanced options were shown.

Day 14: Active Rest with 10 Minute Stretching (74 calories) Easy 10 minute stretching routine that hits all the important areas. It's a nice option to always doing the same stretches from memory and some of the stretching variations were new to me.

So, what did I think?

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen the answer ---> I LOVED following this two week workout plan. It was a great way to get away from repeating the same workouts day after day, which I am known to do. The mix of cardio, strength, yoga, Pilates, and rest days felt really good on my body too.

30 minute workouts really are manageable and effective. It was apparent right away that I was getting good workouts because I was sore! On the days that I missed my morning workout, knowing that it would be 30 minutes made it easier for me to get myself moving to do the workout in the afternoon or evening.

In addition to the 30 minute video workout, many of the days I also walked (usually 2 miles) or swam laps. I LOVED that I could do the video workouts at home, especially since we were having a lot of rainy days during the two weeks, but I also love to get outside.

I would definitely do it again.

PS: To make it easier, I created a playlist of the videos on YouTube here. There is also a direct link to the Popsugar Fitness plan there.

Have you ever followed a free online workout plan?
Do you like workout videos?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

Colorado was Awesome | Weekly Wrap

Our extra long spring trip to the US came to an end and we returned to Hong Kong over the weekend. We spent our last few days in the US enjoying time with middleC and watching him graduate from University of Colorado Boulder. We squeezed in workouts, explored new hiking trails and soaked up as much Boulder springtime as we could. Colorado was awesome to us and it's always hard to say good-bye, even after living out of my suitcase for nearly a month.

I fell off the PPB challenge wagon as of Thursday. Between graduation activities, travel and jet lag, I have not been able to keep up. I have a plan to catch up and I will let you know what happens here.

After only a few hours of sleep on Saturday night, the most adventurous thing I did all Sunday was walk to the grocery. It felt good to be out, even though the heat and humidity arrived in Hong Kong while we were gone.

Weekly Wrap (with links ICYMI):

Monday - Elliptical sprints and a big hike on Boulder's beloved mountain

Tuesday - Run sprints and hike

Wednesday - Easy morning hike

Thursday - middleC graduation day at CU

Friday - travel --->  leave Denver 8:30am

Saturday - arrive in Honk Kong 11pm

Sunday - jet lag induced rest day ;)

To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!

As usual I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

It's All About the View | Weekly Wrap

Despite more traveling last week, I hit the unofficial goals that I set for myself and kicked off May on a good note. I brought the strength training back and got in two runs.

The highlight of the week was breaking in our stay in Colorado with a nice 5k run with mrC.

We headed back to Coot Lake because we loved it so much last year when we were here. This time we decided to run some of the trails beyond the lake loop to explore a little more. I love that all the trails are soft.

We used the 4:1 intervals and sort of just kept going left on the trails. This took us away from Coot Lake and toward Boulder Reservoir. Everywhere we looked we could see water and mountains, and beautiful sky. It was amazing.

Lots of things made this a tough run ---> feeling a little of that time-zone hangover that you get after a really late arrival, it's later in the day, 72 degrees and sunny, Boulder's mile high elevation, a very painful side stitch.  But, it was all about the views.

Finishing the run was a relief but we also felt pretty good about it. We might have been slower and it might have a little painful (breathing) at times, but we ran a 5k.

What you don't see in the photos is that the place was actually crawling with people walking, running, biking, letting their dogs swim in the lake. It was a very busy Sunday at Coot Lake.

The rest of the week:

Monday - Sprints (elliptical) 20:40 x 12 + dirty dozen arm workout x2

Tuesday - Sprints (run) 20:40 x 10 (slow run for recovery!) then drive from Delaware to Connecticut

Wednesday - Legs (shred) ---> OMGosh! This made me sore!

Thursday - Treadmill walk and arms (dirty dozen) 2x

Friday - Rest day - Yoga with Adriene video: yoga for sore muscles

Saturday - family visits and travel (Boston to Boulder) - postponed my PPB burpees for Sunday

Sunday - Run and 40 burpees - planned to do my 40 burpees during recovery of my interval run but quickly realized on the run that I needed the recovery. Meant to do them when we got back to the hotel, but I was starving. Doubling up tomorrow.


Did you hit any goals last week (official or unofficial)?
Does elevation affect your runs?

As usual, I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

My New Running Plan | Weekly Wrap

Yesterday started on a very high note ---> 3.68 miles!

It was my first outdoor run in about 7 weeks. I knew I would want to get in a couple of runs while we are in Delaware because the Wellness Trail nearby is pretty flat which makes my knee happy. I just needed the weather to cooperate.

Yesterday started out super foggy and chilly. Since I don't know the area that well, I didn't think it would be a good idea to be wandering around in this. I delayed my run and crossed my fingers that the sun would come out.

I'm so glad I did because it turned out to be a beautiful day for a run. I walked about 5 minutes from the hotel for a warm-up and then followed my 4:1 minute intervals for 8 sets.

This was one of those runs where everything felt right. The weather, the shoes, the music (Grrl Power 2 from Rock My Run) and the route. Maybe that's why it turned out to be my longest run in months.

My Wave Horizon are a year old now, but only have about 100+ miles on them. I wrote about why I like them (here) and I still do. They are a good fit for me and my knee problems.

During my post-run walk and stretching, I got to thinking about my running plan ---> or lack of running plan. I don't have any events lined up until October when I'll be visiting my family in Cincinnati.  I'll be running the Queen Bee 4 Miler along with my mom and BFF who will be walking, maybe running.

So my new running plan is to run at least twice a week (depending on how my knee is feeling). One run will be during the week around 2 miles and a "long" run on weekend. I'll start my long runs at 3 miles and build up to about 4.5 miles.

It's not the same kind of running plan as I used to have when I trained for half marathons (pre-meniscectomy). I would love to run more, but the lack of cartilage limits me now. So, I'm making the most of what I can do and I'm happy to have a plan.

Long sleeves and shorts - one of my favorite combos!

In case you missed my posts from the week:

Running and Vacation: You Can Do Both

Detours when Exercising on the Road and Friday Faves

Last weeks workouts:

Monday - 40 minute swim. It felt good to be back in the pool, even though it was the typical tiny hotel pool. Thank goodness I had the place to myself. A couple of checks of the time showed me that I could do 4 laps in under two minutes. So for my workout, I did what I'm calling 2 minute sprints with 20 seconds rest. I have no idea how many laps or the distance I swam (my watch doesn't do that), but it felt like a good workout.

Tuesday - treadmill run. After a not-so-good night of sleep, I did a short treadmill run. Using my interval timer again, I ran 4:1 minute intervals for a total of 2.17 miles. My right calf felt tight out of the blue and a little sore, so I spent some extra time stretching afterwards.

Wednesday - rest day yoga. We drove about 5 hours in mostly rainy conditions to Delaware for mrC's work. After picking up some groceries for the week and checking into our room, we refreshed our bodies with Yoga Rinse.

Thursday - 30 minute swim, walk 3.21 miles. Second swim of the week in my second hotel pool.

Friday - 30 minute elliptical + planks. Kept my workout simple: 10 minute WU, 10 minutes sprint session (20 seconds sprint:40 seconds recover), 10 minute CD. 35 minute afternoon yoga flow.

Saturday - RUN! My second run of the week for 3.68 miles.

Sunday - rest day. 1 mile walk on the treadmill while using the hotel laundry facilities and a yoga video.

Total distance:

Run - 5.85 miles
Swim - 900-1000 meters (guessing)

How old are your running shoes?
Are you following a running plan right now?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

Fitting in Fitness | Weekly Wrap

I barely unpacked the suitcase from my awesome Hawaii trip before it was time to pack again. Every spring and fall mrC has work in the US. I tag along and then we add some vacay days to see family.

In the spring, we always go to New England. We fly to Hartford (and stay there when we have extra time, like this trip) and visit with mrC's family in Springfield. Then we head to Delaware for his work.

This time, mrC had a trip that put him in the US way ahead of schedule. So instead of flying back to Hong Kong only to turn around and fly back to the US with me, he stayed and I flew to the US on my own (yes, solo and my first time doing it alone). It was worth it, because we gained an extra week of family time including a weekend with the girls in New Hampshire and it doesn't count toward his vacation days!

Somehow, between all the family time and traveling, I managed to fit in fitness.

Monday - Yoga - I stayed up sooo late (in Hong Kong) watching the Boston Marathon (how about that finish???) I only slept about 5 hours, but had to pack and get organized for my trip. I did some yoga inspired by the outdoor yoga session I went to on Saturday. My goal is to run through the poses to loosen up my tight hips and legs at least three times a week.

Tuesday - Yoga - found a travel yoga video and used it as a pre-flight relaxation session. This helped me tons on my first 15 hour flight, but my body was toast after a delay on my connecting flight caused me to get to Hartford after midnight (22 hours after leaving Hong Kong).

Early morning yoga with Adriene while mrC sleeps using my AirPods 

Wednesday - Hotel room yoga to work out the kinks from a looonngg day of travel and worked through those hip opener poses. Felt pretty good, so I thought I'd do some cardio. The hotel pool is closed for "maintenance" and 2/2 treadmills are broken ---> like missing the buttons to change the speed broken (which made me realize that "maintenance" at this hotel was a euphemism for neglect. I ended up doing an elliptical workout: 10 minute WU, 10 20:40 interval sprints, and 10 minute CD. Plus 2 minutes planking and lots of stretching.

Thursday - Prepared to stride out on the elliptical again, I was totally surprised to find one of the treadmills actually working. This unexpected run put a pretty big smile on my face! Intervals have been working for me

Friday - Rest day. Spent the day traveling to NH, renewing my expired driver's license and meeting up with the girls for some quality catch-up time.

Saturday - Bootcamp. I love working out with the girls and was thrilled that Dev was able to join me as a drop-in at Granite State Fitness ---> a new studio that my SurfSet friends merged with last year. We basically got our butts kicked, but we love that ;)

This 50 minute bootcamp was a lot different from other classes I've taken.

First we warmed up with a fun game of "catch the PVC pipe." We all stood in a circle with one hand behind our backs and the other holding the pipe. When directed we let go of the pipe and moved right or left to catch the pipe of the person next to us. After some practice rounds, it became a friendly competition. If you dropped the pipe, you went to the "loser's" corner to do three burpees and then continue playing the game as others joined you. Dev was in the final three and they all dropped the pipes at the same time! I say she was a winner.

Next we worked on mobility with lacrosse/softballs. Our instructor showed us how to roll our glutes, TFLs and lats. I was impressed by this part of the class, but also wondering when does the workout actually start?

I got my answer in the final portion of the class. It was circuit time and here's how it went down. Partners work together to bike 180 calories or 21 minutes (whichever comes first). While one rides the upright bike with arms, the other sprints to stations to complete 4 kettlebell swings, 4 wall tosses with medicine ball and 4 sumo squats with kettlebell. Then you switch.

We just made it over 100 calories when the timer ended.

That 21 minute circuit is where we almost died, haha ---> and our workout had been modified because we were drop-ins. The others were doing clean & presses, using heavier wall balls and front squats. I was super impressed that we were not asked to use barbells because the instructor wasn't sure we knew the proper technique. I suppose we could have made a case that we know from Bodypump, but I still think it was a smart move on the part of the gym.

The only thing that surprised me was that we did not cool-down/stretch as a group. Considering how much was put into the beginning of the class I thought for sure we would do this. Plus, every class I've ever taken has included at least 5 minutes of cool-down/stretching.

Sunday - Rest day. Another day of travel back to MA. I guess I could claim a workout from moving a bunch of stuff around in our storage unit, but mrC did most of that. (#ootd details below)

What's the worst hotel fitness room you've ever seen?
Does your fitness class include mobility and/or cool-down stretching?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

Traveling, Workouts and One Boston Day | Weekly Wrap

Traveling back to Hong Kong from the US means I lose two days (one from travel and one from crossing the international date line). Once I was back, I tried to jump right into the week as much as I could, especially since there was a fun event on the schedule.

For some reason my body thought waking up at 3:30am daily was a good idea?!? I don't usually feel jet lagged when we fly west from the US, but this time I am definitely having trouble getting back to my normal sleep routine. I thought working out would help, but so far...no luck.

On top of that, our plans to go to the US for mrC's recurrent training at the end of the month went into fast forward mode. He is already there and I am getting ready to join him tomorrow. Even though it is a little stressful, we are getting extra time in the US to see the girls and visit with my in-laws before his training starts. Then we are heading to middleC's college graduation in Boulder!

Here's what I managed for the week:

Monday - depart O'ahu mid morning

Tuesday - arrive in HK late at night (and lose a day!)

Wednesday - mrC had a trip and I went to the pool for an afternoon swim. I practically had the place to myself and it was awesome! Did 850 meters of intervals and then some recovery time at the outdoor pool. Also did a two mile walk plus some errands.

Thursday - Morning swim and the pool was NOT empty this time. Swim camp lessons were going (it's still spring holiday in Hong Kong, really?) but one lap lane was "open" ---> I use that term loosely because no one seemed concerned about crossing it, leaning on the ropes, or letting noodles float into it. Ugh. Another 850 meters of intervals among chaos and a 2 mile walk.

Friday - Did not want to deal with swim lesson madness again, so I lounged by the pool for a bit. Forgot that there is a lap lane in the outdoor pool area and could've done my swimming there. (Note to self: always pack your swim cap) It was a nice rest day by the pool though. Two mile walk.

Saturday - The North Face hosted a free outdoor yoga session at the fitness center to promote their outdoor training campaign. One of their fitness ambassadors and yoga instructor, Silke Bender, led about 15 of us through a great hip opening sequence. Two mile walk.

Sunday - Keratin treatment on a stormy and rainy day - perfect timing to be sitting at the salon for hours. I passed the time watching all things Boston Marathon (since it was One Boston Day) and thought back on the time I ran the BAA 5K. I watched: the Runner's World documentary Meb Keflezighi: The Home Stretch, the painting of the start line in Hopkinton, MA, this documentary about two women trying to BQ, the story of the Military Relay of 1918, and previewed the US elite team.

This morning my pre-gaming continued and I watched Boston: The Documentary. Again. This could easily become a tradition.

Tonight (for me) is Marathon Monday and I'm excited to watch. I would love to see an American winner this year.

I’m linking up again with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

Which American do you think has the best shot of winning Boston this year?

My Hawaiian Vacation

Aloha!

My weekly wrap is a little late because I just got back from a surprise trip to O'ahu with mrC. I'd been dropping hints all over the place about how fun it would be to getaway and apparently he was listening ---> he's a great husband!

Since mrC is retired military, he was able to get us into the beach cottages on the Marine Corps base. Even when it was cloudy, our own little paradise was pretty amazing. (we got some great shots and video on this trip with our GoPro)

Hanging out on the SUP at Secret Beach - steps from our cottage!

The highlights:

Hiking Diamond Head

This was an easy hike with a series of switch backs most of the way up to the 761 foot summit. The path was a little slippery from the passing morning showers, but with good shoes it was no problem for us. The "hard" part was near the top - 99 steps, a spiral staircase and a few more steps to reach the summit. It was pretty crowded and some clouds rolled in right as we reached the top, but it was still amazing to cross this off our Hawaii bucket list.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay

mrC introduced me to snorkeling when we were on Kaua'i almost 10 years ago and knows how much I love it (even though I don't really like deep water), so he took me to one of the most popular snorkel spots on O'ahu. We swam around spotting fish and avoiding coral (it was low tide) and even got to see a monk seal that was sunning on the beach that day.

View of Hanauma Bay from above

I made this little video of our snorkeling

SUP at Secret Beach

We rented a SUP board from the MWR office and used it while we were staying in the cottage. The water was shallow and full of coral, but so flat. Perfect for SUP (my new bikini top was perfect for all my water activities!).

Swimming at Pyramid Rock Beach

A great spot for swimming and sunbathing was right down the road from the cottage. Named for the pyramid shaped rock on the coast, Pyramid Rock Beach had powder white sand and was surrounded by tropical plants. It was a lot harder to swim there than the pool at the fitness center, but way more fun!

Visiting Pearl Harbor

When we arrived on Tuesday, we stopped at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. We lucked out and got the last two free tickets to take the 75 minute USS Arizona Memorial Tour. We watched a short documentary about the attack on Pearl Harbor took a shuttle boat to the USS Arizona Memorial. To see this place in person is quite powerful and moving. I found myself fighting back tears many times.

mrC's friend gave us a private tour around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. He drove us past the submarines, aircraft (no photography allowed for obvious reasons) and even the beach cottages where the movie Aloha was partially filmed. We stopped at The Lanai on the Mamala Bay side of the base for some Hawaiian fish and chips...and some daiquiris. We had a great view of the main beach on base which is literally right next to the runways. I would have loved to SUP in this bay!

Sailing at Mamala Bay

mrC's friend took us out on the bay in his sailboat so that we could see Oahu from another perspective and so mrC could get some sailing in. Surprise, I got to take the helm, too! Oahu is such a beautiful place. I loved seeing Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach from the water.

Sightseeing

Taking the advice printed on my GAP tee, whenever we felt like stopping to see something, we did. It was fun to strike a pose on lava rock, enjoy the views from various lookouts (never got tired of this) and see mrC's old stomping grounds. We even stopped to watch the various planes and helicopters at work on base and around the island.

Nu'uana Pali Lookout and Marine Corps Base Hawaii in the far background

Kaupo Bay and Rabbit Island in the background 

Amelia Earhart's Marker - first person to fly from Hawaii to Mainland.

Halona Blowhole Lookout (at low tide :( so no spray)

Kanehoe Bay Lookout on our way to dinner 

mrC's old neighborhood - Kailua

mrC's helicopter

We had to cross this runway on base to get to the cottages

Waikiki Beach

We spent our last day at the Marine Corps hotel, Hale Koa, downtown and on Waikiki Beach. This place was amazing! The grounds were so beautiful. We were steps away from the pool, restaurants, shopping and the beach. We spent some time on the beach and then explored along DeRussy Boardwalk. 

View from our balcony

Friends

We got to spend time with mrC's friend who he hasn't seen in many many years and we met a family from California staying in the cottage next to ours who were very nice, but these "cottage cats" were the cutest friends we made in Oahu! 

Food

It's always good to be back in the USA and enjoy our favorite things, but it was fun to experience new places too. mrC's friend took us to Haleiwa Joe's for an awesome seafood dinner and then The Lanai for a delicious lunch. Our Cali friends recommended Goofy's Cafe where we had the BEST acai bowl. We stopped at the highly recommended Happy's Snack Bar on the beach for a little happy hour.

If you are still reading (THANK YOU) and here are my workouts for the week:

Monday - Yoga and swam (new personal best!)

Tuesday - Travel and walk around Pearl Harbor

Wednesday - Morning yoga on the deck and SUP

Thursday - Hike Diamond Head, SUP and swim in the ocean

Friday - snorkel

Saturday - rest day...on a boat ;)

Sunday - Walk the beach

And that's a wrap! This unexpected vacay was the perfect mix of fitness and pleasure. 

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

Have you ever been to Hawaii? Which island?

What workouts do you do when on vacation?

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