some of my favorite workouts

I woke up this morning feeling so incredibly refreshed!  That extra hour of sleep helped I'm sure.  I love Daylight Savings Time! You get an extra hour of sleep and the sunshine streams in through the blinds helping to wake you up.  Poor Justin is not as much a fan of this added daylight - but he'll just have to get on board because it'll last for, oh you know, a couple of weeks =].

So, last night I bought us a blender after my run with all the hopes in the world of making us healthy smoothies for breakfast and snacks.  This, until I realized that I need to go grocery shopping for said healthy ingredients.  Insert my laziness here.  I'll get to the store on Tuesday.  I promise.  But I did have an Odwalla Superfood juice (absolute delicious fav), an english muffin, a banana, and a bottle of water for breakfast this morning.  And wouldn't you know it?  I felt great today during my hot yoga class.  Maybe there is something to this clean, healthy eating thing after all.  To be fair, I feel so hungry I could eat a cow right now...

It'll take me a while to completely convert to this type of thinking.  But at least I'm starting!

Today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite workouts in hopes of giving you some ideas to add to your workout routine.

Running
You can do this workout on a track or a treadmill.  Walk 1 lap. Run 5 laps (1.25mi).  Walk 1 lap.  Run 4 laps (1mi).  Walk 1 lap.  Run 3 laps (.75mi). (are you picking up the pattern yet?) Walk 1 lap. Run 2 laps (.5mi).  Walk 1 lap.  Run 1 lap (.25mi).  The key to this workout is interval training though.  The 5 laps can be moderate pace: for me that's about 9:40min/mile pace.  The 4 laps should be a bit harder: I bump it up to 9:20min/mile pace.  The 3 laps should be moving: 9:00min/mile pace.  The 2 laps you're going for it: 8:30min/mile pace. And the 1 lap should be a sprint: 8:00min/mile pace.  The walks in between each interval should keep your heart rate up but also give your legs a chance to rest.  I love this workout - I hope you try it!

Yoga
I recommend any type of hot yoga - but I am completely in love with what my studio calls Sculpt.  It's basically a toning class with weights in the hot room.  The music is loud and high energy.  The instructors are very encouraging.  I love it.  So go take a hot yoga class.  Don't think about it - just do it.

I have many more great running workouts and swimming workouts that I'll share in the future but I hope these give you some ideas.

What I'm thankful for today:

• November 3, 2013. I am so incredibly thankful for my husband.  Seriously! What a guy!  Being a newlywed isn't easy.  And being a newlywed to me?!  Well, wow.  Justin is just a saint.  He supports me and all my crazy ideas (like making him run a half-marathon with barely any training) and he just keeps on loving me.  I'm so blessed that Heavenly Father brought us together.  Our 1 year anniversary is 27 days away - and here's to many more.  Love you babe!      

Here we are with our niece Morgan on her birthday!

starting over

I ran 4 miles today.

I haven't ran 4 miles since June of this year so please excuse me for being proud of myself. With those 4 miles I'm starting over, I'm rebuilding, and I'm getting healthy.  Daily I judge myself for my poor diet, lack of exercise, laziness, and a plethora of other utterly negatives thoughts that don't do anything for my mind, body, or spirit.  Occasionally I will congratulate myself for my small victories, but I don't do it enough to get healthy.  And I am COMMITTED to getting healthy.

This blog is my journal toward health. Writing is as cathartic as running and praying.  As I learn about nursing, marriage, yoga, running, our Heavenly Father, nutrition, microbiology, whatever! - as I learn about everything I will share it here.

Great book (and movie!) by the way!  I highly recommend it. 

Since I'm starting this blog in November I will also share what I am thankful for this month. (I know I should be doing that all the time, but November gives me a really good excuse to start the habit).

• November 2, 2013 I am thankful for waking up this morning.  I know I'm not the only one who gets caught in the stresses of daily life and sometimes perspective is needed.  Not everyone that woke up yesterday was afforded that privlidge today.  I work at a hospital.  I can confirm this fact. But I woke up today - and I'm thankful that I did.