Tag Archives: health

Love My Abs Challenge, Week 4

Posted on by Run DMT
3

If you’re just hearing about February’s Love My Abs Challenge for the first time, it’s not too late to join in the fun.  Basically, we started with a 100 dally ab exercises and tweeted about our achievements: #lovemyabs.  (This week we move up to 160 exercises.)  Then, each Wednesday, I’ll host a linky party for you to link up and share your recap post or add your Twitter handle.

That’s it.  Now sit-up and take action!  Show your abs some love this February!




To be honest, I am really not happy with this photo, but has nothing to do with results, because clearly my abs are showing.  My disappointment has more to do with bad lighting and PMS.  I must have taken (no lie) 50 photos of my abs but I just couldn’t get the lighting right.

And then, I wore the wrong shorts.  See, my cute little running shorts have a scrunchy elastic waist. So every time I sat at the computer to inspect my photos, I would get these little elastic marks in my abdomen.  Now, you may think, “No big deal. You can’t even see it.” Remember you are dealing with a woman PMSing and there is no rational behind loathing a photo.

Had the lighting or my knowledge on how to use my fancy DSLR camera been better, I think the definition and progress would have been clearer.  Oh well.  One more week to make the magic happen!

I may hate the photo but I love my abs!

 

Day 16

80 crunches

40 bicycle

40 cross-over

25 push-ups

2 – 30 second planks

40 pilate hip rotations

2 x second supermans

 

Day 17

80 crunches

40 bicycle

40 cross-over

 

Day 18

80 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over

1×30 second plank

 

Day 19

80 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over

2 x 30 second planks

2 x 30 supermans

(50 pushups & 40 tricpes dips for fun)

 

Day 20

80 crunches

40 bicycle

40 cross-over

 

Day 21

40 crunches

60 bicycle

60 cross-over

2 x 30 planks

25 pushups

 

Day 22 – Moved up to 180 reps.

60 crunches

60 bicycle

60 cross-over

2 x 30 planks

50 pushups

 

How about you? Are you giving your abs some daily love?

Random Thoughts about a Swelled Head, a Shrinking Waist and a Princess Problem

Posted on by Run DMT
4

Marathon TrainingIn the past few weeks, Run DMT has been spotlighted on several websites and it’s giving me a big head.

Marathon Training Schedule compiled a list of top running blogs and Run DMT is #64.  Then, RN Central.com  shared 50 Inspiring Blogs for Your Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss and Run DMT is #5 on the list.  How exciting is that?!

I’m flattered to be considered an “inspiration” to others for post-partum weight-loss and I hope yours is going better than mine because I’m sill struggling to lose the last of my baby weight 19 months later. What’s that old pregnancy rule of thumb for weight-loss? Nine months up, nineteen months down?  That sounds about right.

Five unflattering pounds are still sticking around from my pre-pregnancy weight but I don’t put a whole heck of a lot of value on the scale since most of my old clothes are fitting me.

So the numbers on the scale are not dropping but I am definitely toning and shrinking inches, thanks to our Love My Abs Challenge.  If you haven’t been following along, you should go over there RIGHT NOW and check it out!  Each week, I’ve been sharing photos and a brief recap of my progress.

Tomorrow, we’re moving onto to Week 4 and 200 reps, but it’s not too late to join in the fun.  Even if you fell off the wagon, you can simply start over at 100 reps at Week 1. It’s not about how many reps or how long, but more about making a commitment to a better you.

Speaking of wagons, I will be catching a carriage ride over to Orlando this weekend for the Disney’s Princess Half Marathon.  I don’t feel prepared at all for this race, but it has nothing to do with training.  I still haven’t figure out what to wear!

Should I be Belle or Tiana? 

Both princesses are equally smart, brave, fearless, beautiful and good role models for my girls (next to their mom, of course).  But…
If I dress as Belle, I’ll wear a yellow running skirt, matching yellow top, a tiara and carry a red rose.

If I dress as a Tiana, I’ll wear a green top, green shorts and a magnolia rhinestone hair clip in my hair.  I wanted to find a green tutu to wear over my shorts, but I haven’t had any luck yet. 

As any stylish, runner (a.k.a stunner ) will tell you, tiaras and tutus are a must for any Disney Princess race.  I think what I wear will be a game time decision, but I would love to hear your vote: Belle or Tiana?

The girls have the Gasparilla Jr. Race on Saturday. Next year, Liam will be old enough to run the Gasparilla Jr with Emmalynn, but this is Allana’s last year to run it as she’s getting too old for it now.  The thought of it makes me all melancholy, but she’s moving on to bigger distances with her mom.

And who knows maybe she’ll run a Princess race with me someday.  Then she can be Belle and I’ll be Tiana!  There. Problem solved.  Hopefully, by then I would have found a green tutu or made one or bought one of these shnazzy sparkly skirts.  A runner mom can dream, can’t she?  Like a wise mouse once told me, “If you dream it, you can do it.”

And now for my running stats!

I suffered from a stomach bug for two days after the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon, but I think the forced rest helped me run under 30 minutes for the first time in nearly a year.

2/15

3.1 miles

Time 29:35

Ave Pace 9:33

Max Pace 7:31

 

2/16

4 miles

Time 41:09

Ave Pace 10:17

Max Pace 7:59

 

2/18

6 miles

Time 1:13:27

Ave Pace 11:51

Max Pace 8:56

 

2/21

3.1 miles

Time 30:21

Ave Pace 9:48

Max Pace 7:06

 *Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Chicken-Mushroom {and Spinach} Quesadillas

Posted on by Run DMT
8

PhotobucketIt seems that I’m on a bit of a spinach kick.

But after having my wisdom teeth pulled, I was craving greens.  I seriously missed salad, fruit and any other good for you food.

So imagine my foodie thrill when I found this quesadilla recipe in a cookbook I stole…er I mean…borrowed from MIL.

My MIL (a great cook) has stacks upon stacks of cookbooks and every time I visit her, I ask to borrow one.  She’d be happy to know that her cookbooks are being used, loved and becoming very soiled.   I always say a clean cookbook is a wasted cookbook and one that gets donated to the public library.

Stealing the cookbook, So Easy, from my MIL was a true treat as we’ve tried several  easy recipes and they’ve all been delicious and a HUGE hit with every Taylor, from the tiny one to the oldest one and everyone in between.

This quesadilla recipe will be a regular rotating meal on the menu, for sure.  And funny enough, they’ve been so easy to make!

Without going into a big review of the cookbook, I just want to add that I absolutely love the nutritional information listed alongside each recipe.  With trying to eat health and watch my cholesterol, that information is so helpful!

This quesadilla recipe calls for “cooked chicken” and Krieger recommends keeping pre-cooked chicken on hand whether it’s rotisserie chicken or packaged chicken found in the refrigerator section of your grocery store.  For the purpose of this recipe, I pounded out two chicken breasts and sautéed them in a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Also, the original recipe calls for whole wheat tortillas, but my kids won’t eat them.  I used white, but I’m sure any flavor would work well with the filling.

Chicken-Mushroom {and Spinach} Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion chopped

8 ounces white mushrooms, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cooked diced skinless boneless chicken breasts

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

2 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

4 – 10 inch flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over a medium heat.  Add onions and sauté until soft.  Add mushrooms and cook until mushroom water has evaporated and they begin to brown, 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute.  Add chicken and spices and stir until all spices are incorporated.  Add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Lay tortillas on an electric griddle on a low heat (or prepare a large skillet with cooking spray).  Sprinkle half the tortilla with 2 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Using a slotted spoon, top each tortilla with ¼ cup of chicken filling over the cheese.  Then, add sprinkle another Tbsp shredded cheese over the filling.  Fold the tortilla over to make half-moons, pressing down lightly to seal them closed.  After about 2 minutes, flip tortilla and heat other side for about two minutes.

Slice each quesadilla in half.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



*Also shared at*

Inaugural Rock ‘N Roll St Pete Half Marathon Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
13

The temperature for the start of the Inaugural Rock ‘n Roll St Pete Half Marathon had been predicted to hit 42 degrees.  Therefore, I had to rethink my whole outfit which is a big deal to a stunner runner like me, especially since my friends, Chrissy, Faith and I had planned our race outfit months ago.

Layers would be essential.  So, the night before the race I tried on all my old winter gear to make sure everything still fit and wouldn’t rub my unmentionables.  I also had to find a fleece pullover, some gloves and other warm articles of clothing, which would be waiting in baggage check at the end of the race.

After studying the course map for water stations and food stations, I decided against wearing my fuel belt and opted to wear my SPI belt instead to carry my phone and camera, the most important gear next to my shoes.

Chrissy, Faith, Heather, Jillian and I arrived at Tropicana Field a good hour and half before the start and even in all our layers, we were freezing our Rock ‘n Rolls off. Before the start of the race, the overnight low had dipped to as low as 35 degrees.

Crowds of people huddled around the propane powered halogen lights for warmth.  What’s a few brain cells? Oxygen is so overrated.  It’s a small price to pay for warmth and my friends and I gladly paid it once I stripped off my fleece pullover before the start.

Our bib numbers corresponded to our corrals, which placed me in corral 6.  After a few potty breaks and baggage check, the line into corral 6 spilled past corral 8.  The start time would be delayed approximately two minutes for each corral and I became a bit obsessive with trying to get into corral 6, like a scene from European Vacation, “Look kids! Corral 6! If I could just get over, I could get into corral 6.”

Finally with a little fancy footwork, I managed to find my way into corral 6 and joined the masses to start on time or as close to “on time” for those of us in the back (about 7 minutes after the offical start).

The first mile looped around and led us back to Tropicana Field.  During the first mile, my socks felt a bit strange, like they had slipped down and bunched up in my shoes.  Then, I felt a sensation like pins and needles in my toes and realized my socks were fine.  My feet were defrosting.

I ran that first mile pretty hard, harder than I had intended (~8:30), but I was so bloody cold.  The warmth and pace felt good.

Local bands and DJs entertained us about every mile along the course, which broke up the distance and kept things moving along.

I hit the 5K split at around 30 minutes.  At mile 5, I tossed my gloves because my hands were starting to sweat.  At the 10K split, I appeared to be meeting my 2:15 goal.

And then, we turned the corner and headed towards the bay.  The wind off the bay nearly froze me all over again.  When that first arctic gust hit me, I wished I still had my gloves.  Why didn’t I stuff them in my SPI belt?!

With the wind, blew my chances of finishing around 2:15.  I just couldn’t fight it.  Every time it hit me, I would clench my fists, cringe and shake.  I am such a Florida girl.

But I kept pounding the pavement.  Although technically for this little stretch, it was cobblestone and I began running through neighborhood yards to avoid the cobblestone.  Like I said, it was only for a little stretch, so no yards were harmed in the making of this half marathon post.

For the most part, the course was flat.  There was the occasional bridge and incline, like around mile 7, but I found the wind more of a challenge than the inclines.

Along the Pier around mile 9, I caught up with the 2:15 pace group. After my sad experience with the Space Coast pace group, I vowed to avoid them because they make me feel all insecure and unworthy if I can’t keep up, which wreaks havoc on my self-esteem and breaks my stride.  So I did my best to not focus on the pace group, especially when they seem to be slipping away.  No matter. I was still having fun with or without a super hero pace group.

However, the real super heroes are the entertainment and spectators who fought the frigid temps to cheer us on.

* Stilt men photo captured by Tracey of Suncoast Running*

King Tut danced for us, but the girls holding these signs stole my heart, because they spoke honey badger.

Just after mile 10, a food station offered Gu, but the cold air made it as hard as a rock.  Once I managed to squeeze out the contents, I was disappointed with the flavor.  I should have packed a Cliff Shot.

Once we reached the Vinoy Hotel, my panic over another path of cobblestone took my mind off the after taste of the vanilla Gu.  I opted to run through the grass of Vinoy park to avoid the cobblestone.

As we approached mile 11, we faced another bridge and I began to struggle a bit more.  At this point, my heels started bothering me due to a previous plantar fasciitis injury and I had to walk a little.

We circled around the Vinoy Country Club and mile 12 led us back over the bridge. This was the homestretch now.




Oh how the term “homestretch” never felt truer as this short distance of the race seemed to go on forever!


I could see the finish line, but it felt as though it kept slipping away from me.  A few Suncoast Striders cheered for me as I ran towards the finish line which helped me pick up the pace.  I knew I was almost there.

Yep, I rocked 13.1 miles in the cold.

And I would totally do it again, even if it was cold and windy.  It was that much fun.

Bib# 6465

Overall 4227 out of 7006

 Division 455 out of 822

 Gender 2349 out of 4562

5 Km 31:00

6 Mi 1:01:04

10 Mi 1:43:08

Pace 10:43

Chip Time 02:20:28

Clock Time 02:27:32

Garmin Time 2:20:34

Garmin Ave Pace 10:32

As for Chrissy and Faith’s first half marathon, they finished at 2:45:26 and 2:45:28 respectively.  They wanted to finish under 3 hours, so they were very happy with their times.  We were all proud of them!

Jillian finished a few minutes behind me.  I didn’t even know she was behind me!

Due to a bad T-band situation, Heather finished around 2:35.

After the race, Jillian and I heard Flo Rida bellow, “Where them girls at?”  So, these Flo Rida girls found their way over to the stage and the post-race party reunion area.  Flo Rida was the a perfect headliner to keep spirits high.

The weather was cold, but Flo Rida was HOT!  He created a fun party atmosphere.

*Photo of Flo Rida in the crowd by Jillian*

Although we just ran 13.1 miles, we found the energy to bounce with Flo and got low, low, low.  Between a great race and hanging at a jumping post-race party with friends, we really did get a good feeling…yeah.

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogueUnknown Mami

Love My Abs Challenge, Week 3

Posted on by Run DMT
18

If you’re just hearing about February’s Love My Abs Challenge for the first time, it’s not too late to join in the fun.  Basically, we started with a 100 dally ab exercises and tweeted about our achievements.  (This week we move up to 160 exercises.)  Then, each Wednesday, I’ll host a linky party for you to link up and share your recap post or add your Twitter handle.

That’s it.  Now sit-up and take action!  Show your abs some love this February!



Although I raised my reps to 140 this week, I didn’t try any new exercises.  With a half marathon only a few days away and to avoid injuring myself, I wanted to keep things simple and routine.  This week may have been less adventurous as far as ab exercises were concerned, but the results were pretty staggering nonetheless.

I think I see some abs forming there.

Day 9

60 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

Day 10

60 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

Day 11

60 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

Day 12 (Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon)

60 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

On Day 13, I was recovering from the half marathon and suffering from a 24 hour stomach bug, but still managed to squeeze out some crunches.  It was not a pretty sight.

60 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

On Day 14, the Plank Police hunted me down on Twitter and shamed me into doing some long forgotten planks.  It was only fair to show my abs some extra love on Valentine’s Day.

60 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

2 x 30 second planks

Day 15 – I moved up to 160 reps.

80 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

I am so impressed with #lovemyabs progress!  Are you loving your abs too?

Spinach Empanadas

Posted on by Run DMT
13

PhotobucketThree weeks after my wisdom teeth extraction and I’m still on a forced soft foods diet and probably will be for another three weeks since my steenky holes are slow to heal and still pretty sensitive. *sigh*

Besides losing weight, another upside to my soft diet is that it’s forcing Iron Chef Allan and me to think beyond our family favorite menu staples.  During the process, we’ve dusted off some long forgotten cookbooks to find new dishes to try.  This Williams-Sonoma Spinach Empanada recipe was found in one of those dusty old cookbooks, The Best of Taste.  While rediscovering this cookbook, I found a few more recipes I’d like to sink my teeth gums into and if they’re tasty, you’ll find them here on Fridays for my weekly Friday Food Fight.

Although the recipe calls for pastry dough, I opted to use the empanada dough found in the freezer section of my supermarket.

Oh and see those yummy crispy edges?  Um yeah, about that…I couldn’t eat that part but the dough and filling was yummy for my gummy!

Spinach Empanadas

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

½ lb spinach, chopped

¼ cup pine nuts

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped

½ tsp ground nutmeg

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 package of frozen empanada dough (10 count)

Directions

In skillet, heat olive oil over a medium heat.  Cook onion until soft, stirring often.  Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and cook until softened, about five minutes.

Add pine nuts and spinach.

Cook until spinach wilts, about five minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in chopped egg and nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.  Using a slotted spoon, add 1 Tbsp of filling to each round.

Lay on flat surface and fold dough in half.  Pinch edges with fork prongs to seal.

Carefully move filled empanada to baking sheet and brush with olive oil.  Then, repeat steps with remaining empanada rounds.

Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden brown on edges.

Serve plain, with side of aioli or a dash of Tabasco hot sauce. (I served mine with a cup of homemade tomato soup, but I’ll tell you all about that next week.)
‘
Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!


*Also shared at*

Love My Abs Challenge – Week 2

Posted on by Run DMT
13

If you’re just hearing about February’s Love My Abs Challenge for the first time, it’s not too late to join in the fun.  Basically, we started with a 100 dally ab exercises and tweeted about our achievements.  (This week we move up to 120 exercises.)  Then, each Wednesday, I’ll host a linky party for you to link up and share your recap post or add your Twitter handle.

That’s it.  Now sit-up and take action!  Show your abs some love this February!


A week into the challenge and I’m already seeing a difference in my waist.  Although I didn’t measure myself with a tape measure at the start of the challenge, I would estimate that I have lost about an inch around my waist.  The real measure is the reduction of spillage over the top of my pants.  My muffin top is deflating.

No real ab muscles popping up yet, but I know there in there somewhere.  I’ll just keep at it.

Here’s a photo of my abs after one week and a rundown of the ab exercise I did this week.  I also learned about the #plankaday challenge via @runningmom2boys and @Amanda_Mowry,  so I’m plugging along with planks in that challenge too.

Day 2

(Unplanned resistance training thanks to Little Lion Man pulling my hair with every crunch.)

40 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

1 minute planks

50 pushups

Day 3

40 crunches

40 bicycles

40 cross-over crunches

20 reps of pilates

50 pushups

Day 4

2 x :30 planks

60 crunches

60 cross-over crunches

50 pushups

Day 5

60 crunches

60 cross-over crunches

2 x 30 second planks

Day 6

60 crunches

60 cross-over crunches

2 x 30 second planks

25 push-ups

Day 7

60 crunches

60 cross-over crunches

50 push-ups

Day 8

40 crunches

40 bicycles

60 cros-over crunches

Like I said, I’m already seeing results.  How about you?

Random Thoughts about Getting Physical and Rocking ‘n Rolling

Posted on by Run DMT
2

In the last two days, I’ve been inside three doctors’ offices.  First, I had a 6 month follow-up for Little Lion Man’s hip dysplasia.  According to the nurse practitioner, “Everything looks great”.  His hips are developing normally (excellently) and now our visits will occur once a year.   Honestly, as fast as little man has been running and climbing these days, I knew everything with his hips would be fine and I didn’t have any worries.

Then, today I had my annual physical.  My cholesterol is high again (240), but I think that might be related to my soft foods diet as I have been eating a lot of eggs.  Also, my vitamin D was low, which is so weird to me living in sunny Florida and all.

Apparently, a vitamin D deficiency is a typical diagnosis as people age, especially for someone with darker skin or someone who consumes a vegetarian diet.  I don’t eat enough fish or beef liver, but I’m sure it’s a combination of everything.  I have been prescribed a vitamin D supplement once a week but I prefer ten minutes in the sun as a prescription.

I also had a follow-up with my oral surgeon today for my wisdom teeth extraction.  When I mentioned to him that I am still have some pain, he said that’s to be expected for up to SIX WEEKS!   Oi vey.  At least I’m healing well and he seemed pleased about that, but I still need to stay on soft foods for a little while longer.   Ugh.  I really miss almonds and tortilla chips with salsa.

Speaking of my soft foods diet, I lost another 3 pounds for a total of 7.5 pounds.  I’m happy about the weight loss, because my clothes are fitting a bit better, but I’m not too thrilled about the way I’m losing weight.  Oh well.  At least I’m only 10 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight.

On a related note about my weight, my general practitioner said, “You don’t look like you weigh 135 pounds.” Um…thanks?  I’m all muscle, baby. Yeah, I hide my weight well since most of it is tucked away in my juiceful butt.

This Sunday is the St. Pete Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon and I feel pretty good about it.  Even though I haven’t really trained as much as I had hoped, I think I’ll do all right, especially since I threw in some resistance training last week.  Yes, every once in a while, I run with a stroller to remind myself how much I hate running with a stroller.

Last Sunday, I ran 10 miles and it felt good.

10 miles

Time 1:47:55

Ave Pace 10:48

Max Pace 8:07

 

Here are the rest of my runs:

2/2/12

4 miles

Time 41:04

Ave Pace 10:16

Max Pace 7:36

 

2/3/12 (stroller run)

3.1 miles

Time 34:07

Ave Pace 10:58

Max Pace 8:26

 

2/07/12

3.1 miles

Time 31:37

Ave Pace 10:12

Max Pace 8:05

 
And in case you haven’t heard…for the month of February, I’ve committed to showing my abs some love with my #lovemyabs challenge.  Every Wednesday, I’m hosting a linky party.  So, stop by tomorrow to link up and see everyone’s progress.  I’ve already noticed a difference, but I’ll fill y’all in tomorrow.

 *Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

February Challenge: Love My Abs {Launch & Linky Party}

Posted on by Run DMT
17

Runners know the importance of adding ab exercises to training but fitting it in is the real chore of core training.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you may have seen me occasionally use the hashtags #sixpksabs or #100pushups.  See, my Twitter running tweeps (@ForrestGump49er  @RunningRealtor1 @tryn2bfit @runningmom2boys) and I often try to encourage each other with these small challenges.

So, to keep up the motivation and support, I had an idea for a new challenge starting February 1.  It’s a challenge to work our core, called #lovemyabs.

Basically, during the month of February, each participant attempts 100 daily ab exercises.  Do all 100 reps at once or break it up throughout the day.  It’s entirely up to you and what fits best into your lifestyle.

Then, each week slowly increase by adding another set of 20 reps.  In other words, the first week you do 100 reps.  Then week two, you attempt 120 reps. By week three, you go for 140 and by week four, you should be close to 160 reps.

The plan would look something like this:

Week 1: 2/1-2/7 = 100 reps

Week 2: 2/8-2/14 = 120 reps

Week 3: 2/15-2/21 = 140 reps

Week 4: 2/22- 2/29 = 160 reps

This is just a guideline.  If you can do more reps, then go for it!  If it’s too much, then try a set of 10 reps ten times throughout the day.  Remember the important thing is to show your abs some daily love.

Also, this isn’t just about doing 100 crunches every day, although you could totally do that if you want.  There are so many great ab exercises out there, so mix it up and have fun!

And by the end of the challenge, you’ll have over 3000 ab exercises under your belt.  Now, you gotta love that!

If you want to join the #lovemyabs challenge, grab the button, link back to Run DMT and sign the linky below. By joining the linky party, others can visit your blog to show support and offer encouragement.

Blog about your #lovemyabs experience daily or write a weekly recap because we want to see your progress.

Then, swing back here every Wednesday to link up and share your #lovemyabs post.

If you’re not a blogger, you can still participate.  Simply add your Twitter ID/profile homepage to the linky party and tweet about the challenge using the hashtag #lovemyabs.  Talk it up on Facebook and Google+, too.  Encourage your friends to show their abs some love too.

<a href=”http://deniseisrundmt.com/2012/02/01/february-challenge-love-my-abs-launch-linky-party/”><img src=”http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k224/DeniseMOTG/Run%20DMT/Feb_LoveMyAbs_Challlenge.png” border=”0″ alt=”Photobucket”></a>

So who will love their abs this February?


Random Thoughts for the Last Day of the Janathon and a New Challenge

Posted on by Run DMT
4

PhotobucketLast week, I moaned and complained about my forced soft food diet.  I mostly complained about all the boring foods I’ve been eating and not losing weight.  Well surprise, surprise!  I lost 3.5 pounds.  Who would have guessed?!

For the last day of the Janathon, I had to get blood work for my annual physical, which meant I would have to refrain from exercise beforehand or in other words, running before the blood draw.

This morning when I woke up, my jaw hurt, so I was kind of glad that I couldn’t run.  However, it also meant that I couldn’t take any ibuprofen to relieve the pain, because I also had to refrain from eating or drinking anything before the blood draw.

I had mentioned to my friend, Kelly that I wouldn’t be able to run before the blood work and I asked if I could tag along to her Zumba class. She’s always raving about her Zumba class and how much fun it is, so I thought I would give it try.

Besides, I couldn’t let the last day of Janathon slip by without doing something.  Stupid jaw and blood draw.

Although I kept tripping over myself with every salsa and samba move, the class was a lot of fun and I loved the music.  Between the pelvic thrusts and the hip gyrating, Zumba gave me an opportunity to work some a different muscle group and incorporate some core training, too

But I felt like I needed more core work, so I did 50 push-ups and 100 crunches when I got home.

Speaking of core training, my running tweeps from Twitter and I are starting an ab challenge tomorrow, Wednesday February 1 called #lovemyabs.  The goal is to do 100 ab exercise every day in February while increasing each week by 20. Trust me.  It’s totally doable!

If you’re game, stop by tomorrow for the details and the official linky party kick-off.  In the meantime, commit to the challenge by adding the #lovemyabs button to your blog and link back to Run DMT.

Don’t you just love the bloggy button I made for the abs challenge?  Isn’t it so cute?

 *Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy