Fitness Friday: McFarland USA

Last week over February vacation, mrC and I had enjoyed date night at the movies. Fortunately for me, mrC is a runner too and likes to see movies about running.

Based on real events, this movie tells the story of a group of boys destined to live a life picking in the fields of California until their teacher convinces them to run cross country. This movie is about more than just running though. It teaches many lessons that we can all take away whether we are runners or not.

1. Believe in yourself. Together they learn that they can achieve so much more than they thought they could. They begin to see a future for themselves once they start to open up and trust each other.

2. Never quit. These boys fight through underdog status and cultural barriers just to run. Even when it's hard and you feel like no one believes in you, you have to keep going.

3. Chase your dreams. The boys were afraid to dream because life was pretty bleak for them. Just because no one before you has done it, doesn't make it impossible. If you want something you have to be willing to go after it.

4. Do what you love. Working hard was never a problem for the boys. They worked hard for their families, but it wasn't what they loved. Once they followed their hearts, happiness followed. You can't put limits on your happiness. Love what you do and you will be happy

5. Stick together.The failures and successes bring the team, the coach, and the community together in ways that can't be broken. So much more can be accomplished together than on your own. Loyalty is so much more valuable than a high paying job or fancy neighborhood.


Have you seen any good movies recently?

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

and Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar for Friday Five

Knee Rehab Week 11: And We're Done!

I passed my final post-op assessment, and just like that, knee rehab has come to an end.

Even though I'm done with PT, I still have strength work to do, so I promptly signed up to take three SurfSet classes over Winter Break. I'm planning to steal ideas from class to do at home to hit those "need work" areas according to my Skulpt Aim measurements.

Runs: 37.3 February miles

Tuesday - 3.15 miles
The plan: run 30 minutes

The cold weather and snow piles are still chasing me inside to the treadmill, but at least I am enjoying the time.

Thursday - 4.3 miles
The plan: run 40 minutes with 20 minute tempo

mrC and I put on our outdoor running gear with plans to run downtown after his appointment, but it was so cold and cloudy that we decided to just go home. Allie over at Running on Peanut Butter blogged about her tempo run, so I decided to give it a try. The tempo speed I selected was a little slower than it's supposed to be, but now I know where to go the next time.

Sunday - 5.08 miles
The plan: MRTT group run - 5 miles

I had to get outside for at least one run, even if it was colder than they said it would be. There's nothing like a few miles and good company to take your mind off the cold though! It was a flat out and back route early enough that the traffic was light.

Weekly Workouts:

Monday: FAB ab day 23 + SurfnTone + final PT assessment

Tuesday: FAB ab day 24 + run + arms

Wednesday: FAB ab day 25 + SurfnTurf

Thursday: FAB ab day 26 + run + arms

Friday: FAB ab day 27 + arms + legs

Saturday: FAB ab day 28 + SurfnTurf

Sunday: MRTT run + arms

Challenges:

I finished up FAB Ab February, one of my favorite 30 day challenges, and am feeling so good that I began MAD Abs March. Give me something to cross off and I'm a happy camper.

Even though the pRana #TakeTheLeap yoga challenge is coming to an end, I'm going to continue to do daily poses and try to limber up! Here are some of my favorites from the week.

What did you finish last week?

High Five Friday: February Edition

Happy Fitness Friday! Today I'm joining my friend Angela at Happy Fit Mama and taking a moment to High Five some of my favorite February moments.

Despite the snow storms and frigid temperatures, so many great fitness things happened this month. I'm sad to see February end because it means my winter vacation is also over, but I'm excited to see what March will bring (including warmer weather, hopefully!).

1. Doing more yoga to improve my stretching routine and focus on the muscles that are clearly too tight.

2. Longer and longer runs plus my first treadmill tempo. It's a work in progress, but I'm looking forward to maybe doing it once a week.

3. Getting back to SurfSet after a two month hiatus from knee surgery. Highly intense strength training is addictive.

4. Joining the Simple Hydration Run Team. Best water bottle. Great group of people.

5. My new favorite recovery tool: the tennis ball. I'm amazed at how much better my TFL feels after digging into my glutes with that thing.

In case you missed it:

1. Thoughts That Every Runner Has During A Run - just a fun read.

2. Always #LikeAGirl - the commercial that got things fired up for female athletes.

3. Meet The Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Who Lost A Leg -- And Then Became A Runner - an amazing story about the journey from that fateful day in 2013 to the finish line in 2015.

4. But You Don't Look Like A Runner - runners come in all shapes and sizes, duh!

5. Oiselle Plans Flagship Retail Store in Seattle - I'm really hoping they consider opening another one on the east coast next…like maybe Boston?!?


What do you want to High Five today?

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

Friday Favorites at Housewife Glamour, 

and  Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar for Friday Five

Skulpt Aim: Getting Started

I was selected to use and review Skulpt Aim, a fitness tracker that measures body fat and muscle quality instead of activities, through my affiliation with Raynforest.

The Skulpt Aim is a device that replaces the pinching tool used to measure body fat by sending a small electrical signal through your skin. The current changes speed as it moves through skin, fat, and muscle.

What's in the box:

The Skulpt Aim comes with a base charger, usb cord, small water bottle, and convenient storage bag.

Getting started:

After charging the device for a couple of hours and downloading the Skulpt app on my iPhone, it was time to take measurements. The device, app, and website all provide thorough instructions (with video) for how to take measurements. You can go step-by-step through all of your muscles or you can opt to focus on just the ones you want.

I would recommend getting someone to help you take the measurements. Doing it on your own like I did can be a little awkward. It's hard to reach your backside without creating tension. Also, the sensors must be sprayed after each reading, so I stood on a bath towel, but you could also spray over a sink.

My Results: the Before

Skulpt Aim rates your muscles according to five categories which are also color coded:

red = needs work
orange = average
yellow = fit
green = athletic
white = skulpted

My overall total body fat is 27.2% putting me in the needs work category (eek!). I took a screen shot of the individual muscle numbers.

My actual results from Skulpt Aim app

My plan:

Basically I am going to work on every area that is red! Seriously. I will be continuing the PT leg exercises that Dr. Bri gave me with added weight and adding an arm workout to my running days. Something like this:

found on Pinterest

My goals:

Every week, I will attempt to take new measurements and hopefully see improvements in my muscles. I don't have a lot of meat on my bones, but what I do have isn't exactly filet mignon, you know? While I don't want to become a body builder, I would like to tone up and fall into the fit range.


Do you track your body fat and/or muscle quality?

This post is part of the Workout Wednesday link up 

hosted by Diatta, Sheila, Amanda and Heather

and Wild Workout Wednesday!

Disclosure: I was sent a Skulpt Aim for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are my own.

Knee Rehab Week 10: Pushing Boundaries

My PT pushed me around during my one session. Instead of focusing solely on strength, he has been testing my balance and landings with lots of single leg and hopping exercises. I'm not that great at hopping backwards on my non-dominate leg, shocker!

I've been slowly increasing my run time and hit another milestone this week. My "long" run also included a change of scenery and elevation.

Following yoga poses for 12 days challenged my body in ways that it hasn't been in a long time.

Tuesday - 3.22 miles
The plan: run 30 minutes

With the nearly 80 inches of snow piled into snow banks lining the roads, there's really no safe place to run outside. Spent 30 minutes on the treadmill and it was the best run I've had in months. My knee is still feeling mazing, but the tight TFL I've been dealing with didn't give me any problems at all.

Thursday - 4.21 miles
The plan: run 40 minutes

One thing I  haven't gotten used to living in NH is the dry, winter heat. My day started with a killer headache that just didn't want to go away. A good run on the treadmill was just the medicine I needed!

Saturday - 5.19 miles
The plan: run with Winter Warriors at Runner's Alley

I joined some fellow MRTT-ers at the Saucony event at our local running store. After sharing why we #WantToRun, we bundled up for a very cold 5 mile run. It was my longest and hilliest run since surgery, and I'm happy with how it went.

Weekly Workouts:

Monday: FAB ab day 16 + PT

Tuesday: run + FAB ab day 17

Wednesday: FAB ab day 18 + PT exercises

Thursday: FAB ab day 19 + run

Friday: FAB ab day 20 + PT exercises

Saturday: Run + FAB ab day 21

Sunday: FAB ab day 22 + PT exercises

#BringingYogaBack Prana Challenge
For the past 12 days, I've pushed myself to try poses that I never thought I could do. I learned a lot about my body's strength and flexibility. Check out the pRana goodies and use this discount code leapnpinks15 - for 15% off - valid through 2/28!

What boundaries are you pushing?