What I Use To Work Out At Home

The most expensive piece of fitness equipment I own is a treadmill and my husband has an adjustable weights set. I really have no desire to make our basement a home-gym filled with equipment, so I try to use what I already have at home or buy gear that is multi-purpose. 

Today I'm sharing 5 pieces of fitness equipment for great at home workouts.

Paper Plates - Instead of buying gliders (aka sliders), I use paper plates on the carpet for a variety of exercises. Right now I use them to do reverse lunges.

Step Stool - Another item that I already have around the house, this replaces the typical fitness step up you might find in aerobics class. I've been using it to do weighted step ups as part of my rehab, but in the past it served as the elevated surface for squats and lunges.

Adjustable Weights - Like I said, I lucked out because mrC already had these, but I did look into getting my own and found these at Target. There are so many ways to use these. I also own a 2 pound pair for doing high rep arm workouts like you get at a barre class.

weighted reverse lunges with paper plate sliders

Balance Board - I actually bought this for littleC when she kept spraining her ankles during soccer. It's a great ankle strengthener. Now I use it as part of my knee rehab. It's not as good as a Bosu Ball, but it's a good option.

adjustable height to increase the difficulty

single leg balance exercise

Stability Ball - After using this in SurfnTurf classes and at PT, I decided it would be a good investment because you can do so many things with it. I focus on hamstring curls right now, but you can also use it to increase the difficulty of core work and bridges.

hamstring curls

Dressing for my at-home workouts requires layering as our basement (although finished) is not heated. It's actually perfect for working out. I just shed the layers as I go.

Top layer: Oiselle Spring Funnel Neck and Nike Athletic Pants

Oiselle Distance Shorts

Oiselle Scantron Tank

TGIF!!

Linking up with #FitnFashionable Nicole

and also Fitness Friday Jill and Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar for Friday Five

Pop Sugar Must Have + Target Fit, Fresh, Fun in 2015

My Pop Sugar Must Have Target Fit, Fresh, Fun in 2015 box was delivered last week and I can't wait to show you what was inside.

The Box: Pop Sugar Must Have + Target Fit, Fresh, Fun in 2015
Cost: $65

Brita Sport Bottle 20 oz (value $9) - This is a great bottle for taking to school. We already use the Brita water pitcher but this lets me take the Brita filter on the go. Now I don't have to walk all over the building just to get filtered water.

Laneige Advanced Hydration Trial Kit (value $10) - The trial kit includes: Multi Cleanser (1 oz), Water Bank Serum (.3 oz), Water Bank Moisture Cream (.3 oz), and Water Sleeping Mask (.6 oz). I’ve already tried the cleanser and love how easily it removes my eye makeup. Mascara is usually uncooperative, but this stuff works really well.

Burt's Bees White Tea 10 Count Wipes (value $3) - The last thing I want to do is drive home with a sweaty face after a workout. These are the perfect fix for when you're on the go.

C9 by Champion Non-Slip Headband (value $7) - I'm really picky about my headbands, so I will find the right owner for this one.

Simply Balanced Organic Dark Chocolate Trail Mix (value $7) - A yummy gluten-free blend of nuts, dried fruits, and chocolates that are great tossed into a smoothie. 

Gaiam Icy Marrakesh Yoga Mat 3MM (value $22) - You can never have too many yoga mats, but this one is definitely a standout with the beautiful design. It is also 6P free - free of toxic materials.

Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity & Sleep Wristband (value $100) - Booya! I was excited to see a Fitbit in the box. I love the idea of finding out more about my movements throughout the day and sleep habits through one slim device. I'm finding out that I don't walk at school as much as it feels like I do. I'm just on my feet a lot, I guess!

Target Gift Card (value $20) - Branded by Champion, the card works on anything purchased at Target. I love anything that will help me offset my fitness shopping.

I don't subscribe to the monthly Pop Sugar service, but I got a tip that there were some goodies included in this special limited edition box and couldn't pass up the value.

What do you think of the Pop Sugar Must Have + Target box?
Do you subscribe to any monthly box services? 

A Day in the Life: January Edition

It's time for another round of A Day in the Life posts and I love reading them. I'm a people watcher. My grandmother used to make fun of the way I always chose the seat facing the room, never wanting to miss a thing.

I like reality TV, too: house hunting, being a "real" housewife, searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right, or racing around the world. Glimpses into the worlds of others is fun and sometimes I discover something new.

Today you get to follow me through a typical Tuesday in January.

5:30 am - Wake up to the cold nose of the dog trying to tell me he's hungry. After a quick shower, I follow the dog downstairs to feed us both breakfast, enjoy some coffee, catch up on social media, and watch the morning news. I am especially interested in the weather since today is Run Club Day.

Peanut butter and jelly apple cinnamon rice cakes

6:30 am - Pack up my lunch and make a protein smoothie to-go.  Head back upstairs to pack my gym bag for Run Club and PT this afternoon.

I've been adding a handful of this yummy gluten free trail mix to my smoothies and the hint of chocolate is so good!

7:00 am - Load up the car and leave for work. Nothing special about the drive except that I have a goal to drink a bottle of water before I get to school ✔

7:20 am - Arrive at school. Stop to check my mailbox on the way to my classroom. Take a few minutes to update the class agenda on the white board, read and reply to emails.

7:56 am - Today this is my planning time, so I spend the first 45 minutes meeting with other 10th grade teachers while getting lesson materials ready for the day.

8:45 am - Head down the hall to a 10th grade team meeting.

9:36 am - Teach my first class of the day. Spend most of the class writing notes on the board while the class discusses Lord of the Flies (remember that book?) and then monitor the class while they work on their assignment.

11:01 am - Repeat the same lesson plan to a new class.

12:06 pm - Break for lunch. Walk across the hall to get my lunch and return to my class to eat. I have several students who prefer to bring their lunches to the room to work and talk than sit in the cafe. I check my Fitbit stats and see that I've only walked 3000 steps so far. It feels like much more!

Turkey and cheese roll ups, strawberries, and Chex rice cereal

12:36 pm - Resume teaching class.

1:06 pm - Teach my last class of the day. I'm up and down a lot today with this class. They are independently researching, but I walk around to check in with them periodically. Occasionally I get called to answer a question while they work on the laptops.

2:41 pm - School dismisses. Hurry to the rest room to change into my running clothes.

3:00 pm - Run Club meets in front parking lot. The students head out and I complete my 20 minute post-op run using 2:3 walk/run intervals. Add another 1.68 miles to my Mizunos.

4:00 pm - Arrive at PT.

Today's Strength Workout:

5:45 pm - Arrive home. mrC is on dinner duty and has prepared one of my favorite meals: tacos!

7:00 pm - Blogging time.

8:00 pm - Watch a little NCIS with mrC and then put myself to bed.

Like seeing into the lives of others or want to join the fun? Katie is hosting!

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

#NoExcuses Badasses

One of my favorite parts of the Sweat Pink #NoExcuses Challenge is the inspiration you get from fellow sweaties. Just take a stroll on Instagram or Twitter and you will find hundreds of motivating posts and encouraging stories from fitness lovers of all levels showing how they live #NoExcuses every day.

That's why I am loving this week's blogging challenge:
Nominate two people who LIVE #NoExcuses every day. There are no hard-written rules; they just have to be people who kick butt, in your opinion, and embody #NoExcuses.

Instantly I thought of my two nominees and I know you will agree that they are totally BADASS!

Nancy from Living the Dream

Nothing gets in the way of Nancy's workout. This is one badass mama who can whip up a spectacular DIY themed birthday party for her girls, take care of her husband who recently had ACL surgery and still get in her workouts. She runs, swims, yogas, strength trains…you name it, she does it. Fancy Nancy is a Boston Marathon finisher, collegiate soccer and softball player, and a Feetures! celebrity!

Nicolasa from Shoelaces and Bibs

Nicolasa takes her badass to another level through her commitment to others. She runs with Team in Training to raise money for Leukemia, coaches runners to their first 5Ks, and dedicates her miles to Shaylene, her Run 4 Buddy who she plans to meet this year. While doing all this, Nicolasa is also mommy to an adorable little boy, teaches elementary school, and gets herself to booty barre class before the sun comes up! If that doesn't make her badass, how about running her first marathon?

Who would you nominate for the #NoExcuses Badass award?

Knee Rehab Week 5 - 20 Minutes

Both my PT and orthopedic surgeon have said that I could likely see limitations in my running as a result of all the damage in my knee. The arthritis alone could be painful enough to prevent running altogether. They have both recommended that I consider taking up low impact fitness options (pff, as if!).

I'm not a glutton for punishment, but I love running and I'm ready to test my knee. I'm also smart enough to know that running is not supposed to hurt.

Cautions delivered, my PT gave me my Back to Running Program. I never thought that I would be so excited to see 20 minutes. The program is set for me to use walk/run intervals that increase the running progressively with rest days in between.

Run #1
The plan - walk 4 minutes, run 1 minute, repeat 4x

Never one to wait, I programmed my watch to the 4:1 intervals and got right out to do my first run on Friday. It was cold and walking doesn't do much for warming up, but I was too excited to care (and a little nervous too). Even though I only ran for 4 minutes…I RAN FOR 4 MINUTES! It felt so good. My knee did not hurt at all, but I did have some swelling after.

Run #2
The plan - walk 3 minutes, run 2 minutes, repeat 4x

My smile is back! mrC even commented that I looked "all happy in my running gear" before I left to meet up with the MRTT group. The group ran a mile out & back while I ran/walked 10 minutes out & back. It worked. We dodged the forecasted rain and enjoyed post-run smoothies at the Bridge Cafe. My smile grew even bigger as once again there was no knee pain and almost no swelling after the run.

group photo by Christine

Weekly Workouts:

Monday - PT in the HS fitness center and 1.5 mile walk

Tuesday - One mile walk after school and PT session

Wednesday - PT in the HS fitness center and 1.6 mile walk

Thursday - One mile walk after school and PT session

Friday - Post Op appointment and run #1

Saturday - PT at home and one mile walk

Sunday - Run #2


Another week of the #SweatPink #NoExcuses challenge began with another round of #SundayZenday. I love seeing all the shares on Instagram and Twitter.

Running clears my mind, but it's also nice to enjoy a little #SundayZenday too. How do you zen? #SweatPink #noexcuses #jointhechallenge

A photo posted by AmyC (@runningescapades) on Jan 18, 2015 at 12:24pm PST

Have you joined the challenge yet (here)??

What I Wear for Winter Walking

Lately it's been seriously cold in New Hampshire! We even had a two hour delay because of wind chills reaching -25 degrees.

The past few years I have been a winter runner, and figured out (for the most part) how to dress for it. Walking in the winter weather is a different story. My body doesn't warm up anywhere near the 10 degrees I get from running.

So dressing for winter walks has been a little more challenging, but I think I have it figured out.

Here's a look at what I've been wearing to survive the bitter cold temperatures while I keep up with my #mileaday Winter Warrior Challenge here in southern New Hampshire.

Puffy Parka (Loft) - Between the hood and the length, this works so well for the bitter cold and windy days.

Therma Fit Pullover (Nike) - I have three of these because they are that good. The fit is snug and the top is super soft. The sleeves also have thumb holes for stretching out that warmth.

Polar Tech Tights (Athleta) - Perfect for winter with fleece on the inside. My legs are NEVER cold.

Neck Warmer (Lululemon) - This thing is amazing. I can wear it down to keep my neck warm and pull it up when it's really cold and windy. It's long enough to pull up and over much like a balaclava.

Thermo Knit Gloves (Mizuno) - Although made for temps between 20-50 degrees, I really like these gloves on even the coldest of days. They are very soft and fit perfectly.

BONUS: Dog Boots (Pet Smart) - we have to protect the paws from the ice and snow.

Linking up with Nicole

and also Fitness Friday Jill and Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar for Friday Five

Workout Wednesday + WIAW - All About Those Hips

The #HolidaySweat challenge ended last week, but we recently received a bonus workout from Suzi at Confessions of a Fitness Instructor. It's so good that I just had to share!

This workout is perfect for me because:

1. I have spent the better part of my life trying to tone my hips (haven't we all?)
2. I love no-equipment needed workouts that I can do anywhere
3. It's a workout that even injured runners can do!!

Speaking of hips, I have been trying to make better food choices to keep the size of mine in check. Here's a glimpse of my eats and drinks from yesterday!

{breakfast} (always coffee) strawberries and a smoothie to go {lunch} turkey and cheese roll-ups, rice cereal and a salad {water} 2 of the 5 bottles of water I drink throughout the day - I really need to get a filtered water bottle {dinner} buffalo chicken quinoa and (not pictured) green beans {fruit} 100% orange juice - still working on my 3 servings each day.

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

Diatta, Sheila, Amanda and Heather

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

I'm MAD passionate for #NoExcuses 2015

It's the first week of the Sweat Pink #NoExcuses challenge and things are already getting insane! Did you seen all the planking on Instagram yesterday? 

Today I'm joining the Sweat Pink team by sharing my fitness story with some Mad Lib fun. 

Want to play along? Just copy the Mad Lib text below, fill in the underlined portions, and share! 

• Hey 2015, it’s me AmyC (nickname, spirit animal, real name, blog name)
• This year I would like to build my overall strength, volunteer at another race, and go on more group runs with family and friends.
• It would also be super duper awesome if I also did a race-cation somewhere exotic and warm this year. It’s not a resolution, though, just a reminder to myself to try and have the best year yet because I can!
• The thing I am looking forward to most this year is spending time with family and friends on the Cape and logging lots of miles together.
• I’ll use the one thing that truly gets me out of bed in the morning which is a fun workout to help me get up, get sweaty (verb) and get after my #NoExcuses 2015.
• Speaking of excuses (ahem), my very favorite excuse is that I don't need to and I have used it to get out of doing stretching and strength on more than a thousand (number) occasions.
• I vow to move my body and be more healthy this year even if it means I have to face my fear and do things I don't like to do.
• Even if my alarm clock gets eaten by the dog in the middle of the night, I'll still find time to be active every day.
• I will stop blaming the kids [ex: kids, dog, husband] for eating the rest of the YPPs when everyone knows it was really me.
• My knee injury [job, hair, car, husband, kids] is not the reason I make excuses. I will show my knee injury [same as before] who's boss this year and get my long run [type of sweaty activity] on.
• I know that slow running [type of workout] is better than quitting. [noun]
• I will reward myself by picking out some awesome new fitness gear.
• No Excuses 2015 has just begun and already I am imagining myself a winner. I can’t wait to rock a hoodie (article of clothing) from Augusta Active. I can’t wait till my sweaty friends are jealous of how fresh, clean and refreshed (adj) I am between workouts with help from ShowerPill body wipes. I can see myself rocking warrior [yoga pose / workout move] in new Own the Draft top [article of clothing] from Actio926 and looking fit and fly while doing it. And of course, I’ll be taking my workouts to the next level and improving my muscle tone [noun] with my new ActivMotion Bar to help me train for my next  half marathon [distance] race with Sasquatch Racing.
• Oh, and let’s not forget how amazing my racer backs [article of clothing] will smell in my / during my summer runs [favorite type of workout] after washing with some WIN Detergent. And lastly, I’ll keep rocking my 2015 with clean eats and nutrition from Beaming with Health!

• Tag, Tweet, shout-out, call, text, fax or email 3 friends to take this survey and share how they will have a #NoExcuses 2015. Remind your friends to simply fill in the underlined parts!
• Use the #NoExcuses hashtag and post to win prizes from Augusta Active, ShowerPill, ActivMotion Bar, WIN Detergent, Actio926, Beaming with Health, and Sasquatch Racing.

Tagging:
Nancy @ Living the Dream
Michelle @ Running with Attitude
Nicolasa @ Shoelaces and Bibs


Did you share your own Mad Lib fitness story? Leave a link in the comments so I can check it out!

Knee Rehab Week 4 - #NoExcuses

Prior to having my meniscectomy, I was told that rehab would be approximately 4-6weeks. 4-6 weeks until I should be back to my previous athletic state. Week 4 of my knee rehab has come and gone...and I'm still not running.

Not that I think I should be. I just want to be.

And, not that I haven't made progress. I have.

My PTs have been increasing the difficulty of my exercises.  I'm up to 50 pounds on the single leg press and now holding 10 pound weights when I do my step ups. I've also been given the go-ahead to use the fitness center at school on days that I don't have physical therapy sessions scheduled. This lets me use the leg press every day during the week. Since I don't have a bike at home, I'm now walking backwards for my warmup with the incline at the highest setting.

And everyday I've been walking my mile and enjoying the views. Even on the bitter cold days, I've bundled up my #winterwarrior self and gone for it.

Honestly, it's getting harder to not be running. The progress feels awesome, but it also makes me feel like I can do more.

Deep down I know that I need to be patient and focus on building my strength. So I've been looking for motivation to help me appreciate what I CAN do right now.

I can't run, but I can be strong. I can still sweat.

Challenge info below!

When I'm strong enough, I will start running again. I will be training for the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon in September. Every month ZOOMA releases a ZOOMAlife podcast hosted by Brae and Brooke, founders of ZOOMA, and discuss all things running. It's a great place to find inspiration.

ZOOMA registration discount code on my sidebar!

For $5, you can join the No Excuses Sweat Pink Challenge (here).

On Sundays, you’ll receive an email with weekly prompts including workouts and healthy snack ideas. All you have to do is share what you’re doing across social media with the hashtags, #NoExcuses and #SweatPink, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win all sorts of weekly prizes! 

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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