Workout Wednesday + WIAW: New Challenges

In case you didn't already know, I love a challenge. I just finished the Holiday Sweat six week challenge and saw results that I wasn't expecting.

Motivated by my progress, I am ready to push forward. As usual I am using challenges to keep me inspired.

Marathon Sports Winter Warriors challenge -  This is a month long challenge. I have pledged to walk (then run) 1 mile every day OUTSIDE with Team Oiselle! As a team we are hoping to log the most miles, but individually I can earn Bronze status based on my goal. In order to achieve Bronze status, I must walk/run 1 mile EVERY DAY. It is not based on an average. So even in the bitter cold or a blizzard, I must get out and walk/run!

MRTT Miles Club and Run This Year - These are both year long challenges and both let you choose your own mileage goal. My goal for the year is 300, which is considerably less than previous years. Even with all my injuries I was able to log 500+ miles in 2014. This year I am trying to focus on "just running" so my goal is conservative, but I'm secretly hoping to be able to run closer to 500.

FRUIT Challenge: To continue the trend started during the Holiday Sweat challenge, I am challenging myself to eat more fruit. My goal is to eat the daily recommended amount (about 1 1/2 cups according to USDA) of fruit. I figure if I break it into a 1/2 cup per meal, I should be able to do it. Here's a look at I ate yesterday.

{breakfast} wild berry smoothie {lunch) strawberries and {dinner} apple slices

How do you motivate yourself to meet your goals?
Are you a fruit eater?

This post is part of the #WIAW link up hosted by Jen

This post is part of the Workout Wednesday link up hosted by 

Diatta, Sheila, Amanda and Heather

#HolidaySweat Week 6 Final Update

When I joined this challenge I had plans to be fast and furious. Then I had knee surgery during week 3. It slowed me down for a couple of weeks, but I finished better than I started in ways that I wasn't expecting.

My knee rehab took what felt like a giant leap last week. I was so excited to add bridges to my at-home workout, but then Dr. Bri added some lunges and balance work. The first day of lunges were tough and I was only doing 2 sets of (almost) 10. By the end of the week those 2 sets were much easier to do. I can't wait to see what week 3 of rehab will bring.

Although it's not exactly part of my rehab, I did get the ok to do my favorite ninja abs workout. After nearly 4 weeks of limited exercises, this made me feel one step closer to my old self.

In addition to my PT exercises, I continued to walk 1 mile everyday. I think mrC is enjoying the walks as much as the dog.

A surprising outcome has been my awareness and increased consumption of fruit and water. During the first weeks of the challenge, I realized that I eat a lot of veggies, but my fruit and water intake was below acceptable. Using the Plant Nanny app for water reminders has been a huge motivator and my garden is growing.

This challenge reminded me that being healthy is about more than just moving. I'm looking forward to maintaining the positive effects of participating and continuing my adventures in fitness.

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5 Strength Exercises for Runners

Keeping my focus on resolutions that go beyond the one-and-done kind of thing is not easy. This year I'm determined to reach the goals I set for myself that require a long term commitment.

For the past two weeks I have been working on re-building my overall leg strength following the meniscectomy. One thing I have realized is that as a runner, I probably should have taken more time to do these exercises while I was healthy too (see goals here).

Logging long runs obviously causes muscles to fatigue. A problem that I faced last year was when my torn meniscus caused some instability, my muscles started compensating. The over-compensation led to some muscle groups sort of "going to sleep" while others picked up the slack.

Through PT I'm learning to re-activate and wake up those muscles. Here are 5 exercises that runners can do even when healthy to make sure the glutes, hamstrings, and quads are working like they should be.

Wall Squats - This exercise is more for beginners to perfect form or for those rehabbing. The key is to make sure you are engaging those glutes by taking a pause in the squat to squeeze the glutes and then push up through the heels.

Bridge - Looks simple, but the key is to contract the abs and the glutes while maintaining a straight lift. Most of us lift too high which makes this exercise ineffective. Some recommend planting only heels on the ground to ensure you're driving up correctly.

Reverse Lunge - Using sliders (or paper plates) help to make sure you activate glutes and quads while working on stability as you push up through the heel. Place hand on a wall if needed.

Side Lunge - Just sit into it! Be sure to bend at the waist to engage the glutes and push through the heel on the way up.

Balance - Good balance is vital for runners considering we spend most of our miles on one leg. Balancing on a pillow/cushion ups the difficulty, but then try closing your eyes or having someone tap your hips from behind/sides.

What are your go-to strength exercises?
Can you balance on one leg with your eyes closed?

Happy Friday! 

I'm linking up with the Friday Five co-hosts  

Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar

This post is also part of the Fitness Friday link up hosted by Jill.

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Workout Wednesday & WIAW: EMS + Restaurant Holiday Meals

It seemed like such a long wait for vacation to begin and now I'm enjoying every moment. It feels so good to sleep in and ease into the days! This year for Christmas Eve all the kids were home and we tried something new for our dinner celebration.

My morning started with a quick breakfast before I headed out for a PT session. Most of what I do at PT is the same as what I do at home except that I warm up on the bike, get a couple of sets in on the leg press, and finish with some EMS.

The use of EMS during my PT is to help me use as much of my muscle as possible while doing muscle contractions. Without it, I might be using as little as 30% of the muscle. The EMS allows more of the resting fibers to contract and therefore increases overall strength. There's an interesting article here that talks about using EMS for training, recovery, and rehab.

When I got home I chased my workout with a fruit and veggie smoothie with some added protein and amino from GNC PUREDGE. My rebuilding muscles need all the help they can get! For lunch I heated up some leftovers while baking (and test-tasting) some more gluten free cookies!

{breakfast} peanut butter & jelly rice cakes with coffee {snack} protein fruit smoothie {lunch} leftover gluten free chili {snack} gluten free chocolate chip cookie

We took our Christmas Eve family dinner to Fratello's for a very festive meal together. This was a new adventure for all of us and since the girls and I like getting all fancied-up, it was a great excuse to get the boys in on the fun too.

{appetizer} Caprese salad {dinner} Mussels, Bolognese, Prime Rib, Chicken Alfredo, and New York Strip

{dessert} Triple Chocolate cake and Limoncello torte

After dinner we drove around looking at Christmas lights. I love the effort that some people put into the displays. Our favorites included a house showing movies on the garage door, a huge display with music, and finally a synchronized light show to music on the radio!

Would you ever use EMS as part of your training or recovery?
Do you go out to eat on holidays? This was our first time, but we're thinking of making it a tradition.

This post is part of the #WIAW link up hosted by Jen

This post is part of the Workout Wednesday link up hosted by 

Diatta, Sheila, Amanda and Heather

#HolidaySweat Week 5 Update

It's hard to believe that I am already three weeks and a couple of days post-menisectomy. With two more PT sessions under my belt, I have been able to increase my exercises and do more at home with increased confidence.

The bonus point challenge for the week was to walk/run a 5K. My PT did not give me permission to run (haha) or even walk the 5K, but he did give the ok to walking one mile per day (yay). {Friday} my oldest stepdaughter walked with me and the dog {Saturday} I recruited mrC, two kids, and my brother-in-law to take a walk after lunch at my in-laws and {Sunday} after driving 2+ hours back to NH, mrC and I took Booney for a walk to stretch our legs.

Having a smoothie everyday helped me meet the fruit and veggie goal, but the added protein and amino from GNC helped my muscles recover from PT and all the walking I was able to do this week.

My water in-take for the week was another success and I added another plant to my "garden." The only downside to drinking so much water is the number of trips I take to the bathroom. Jeez!

It's time to get started on the final week of the challenge!

What will you be doing this week?