30 day Plank Challenge Starts Tomorrow!

I have issued a 30 day Plank Challenge. Are you asking yourself what is a plank? Plain and simple, an alignment of your body so you are much flat (like a plank of wood) as you can be. There are several different varieties (bent elbow, high plank, side plank, kneeling side plank, incline plank, twisting bent elbow plank, just to name a few). I have issued an bent elbow plank. You can do this off your knees or on your knees (you aren't really on your knees, but that is another conversation).
So, who is in?

Running Shoes

I love to wear out my running shoes. I don't have tennis shoes or cross trainers. I have Running Shoes. And I have more than one pair, more than two pairs, more than three pairs, more than four pairs. Well let's just say that I have a lot of running shoes. (I am not even talking about my backup pairs). I have a pair for treadmill running only, then road running, then trail running. You would think that these shoes would never wear out, you would be wrong. In fact, since I keep stats, I have a general idea when the shoe is starting to break down. I can feel that the shoes has less, give. My knees start hurting, just a bit. As soon as I switch out my shoes, I immediately notice a difference. I  drop them off to my favorite running store which recycles the shoes. Shoes are important. My shoes are not on the expensive side but they are good shoes (I wear Adidas).

Worn out Running Shoes

Still sick...which means still not exercising....

I am officially on week three of this "summer cold". Am I happy about it? BIG NO! I have been on antibiotics which was a joke. I have been on a variety of different cough medicines-and still no change. So, I have started myself on Oil of Oregano. Have you ever tried it? If so, you probably just smirked there reading that, if not. Well I can tell you that the first three seconds of the oil being under your tongue you are thinking to yourself, this is not that bad and then.....BANG! The overwhelming sense of disgust hits you. But I stuck through since someone told me that it was a natural antibiotic and at this point I am willing to try anything. I have also put myself on a healthy dosage of Vitamin C and Zinc. This summer cold is rather ridiculous..... I have not exercised for so long that I am afraid that I will have forgotten how to run!

Being Sick

I hate being sick. I used to love it as a child, miss a few days of school, lay on the coach and watch TV, eat chicken soup-the good life. But as an adult, not so much. I hate laying around, and I hate not exercising. I mean I really hate it. Last week and into this week I have been battling a cough. Kick me in the bladder coughing. I could not even do yoga last Tuesday, so I sat in the back and coughed/talked my way through it. On Thursday, I was a bit better, so I was able to do 3/4 of the class while coughing/teaching. On Saturday, during my 60 minute cycling class I was unable to cycle and teach so I walked around and yet instructions. Lame and boring. So on Sunday I forced myself to get on the treadmill and walk/run 3 miles all while nearly coughing up a lung. Then I got on my road bike on my trainer and rode 30 minutes. Did I feel better? Yep! Was my coughing better, ah no...But since I missed it so much I did it again on Tuesday and today. Is my coughing better? Not yet...but I sure love the sweat! Moments like this make me realize that I should never take my health for granted, and when I start to feel better I will start taking my vitamins again and pray that the sickness fairy stays away!

Buckley to Orting Half Marathon

Last weekend I ran in the beautiful B&O half marathon. It began in Buckley and though was mostly run on paved trails, 1.4 miles was run on dirt trails. Dirt trails=mud, prickly bushes, roots and across four gorgeous bridges. The group that I was running with missed the sharp left hand turn coming off the fourth bridge and kept running. Coming to a dead end caused us to think quickly, bush whack it and found the trail. Not sure how much extra I had run caused me to mentally think that the finish line was much closer than it really was

. Overall I ran nearly .4 miles extra. I had set a goal to try to run under 2 hours, which unfortunately did not happen. Still an Ok time. I placed 36 overall, which sounds great. But to be truthful only 110 runners ran this race. I have my sights set on two more half marathons in the next coming weeks and hope to run under 2 hours.

Life gets in the way......of blogging!

Well how long has it been? A day, a week or a month? Nope-several months! Not since I exercised (I do that everyday) but since I blogged about it. I had promised that I would be better, and well I feel off that wagon. Completely unacceptable.  But in life there are only so many hours in the day. This past year my life has taken a 180 degree turn. Along with my husband, I purchased our chiropractic clinic. Now, you may have a business degree, I don't. So, I have taken lots of webinars, seminars, and tutorials, read lots of books. I am still getting the hang of this thing, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Through this all, I have kept running, doing yoga and teaching cycling. Last week I ran a half marathon. Great weather, but got lost, but what is an extra .4 miles when you are running 13.1 miles. Oh yeah .4 miles. which caused me to go over my running goal. Next time. How has it been with you? Keep strong. I will get this thing blogging thing down.....