21 Days to Form a New Habit

   Written August 28th...published September 5th...(so much to do that I got a little behind on publishing this one)

I am 21 days into my tweaked lifestyle. From what I looked up 21 days seems to be the magic number. I am not counting the days, because I want it to be over with. I am counting because it gives me motivation to keep on going.  This week work started, the kids started school, and the fall activities for our kids also began. Another words it is a shock to my system.  I really had to mentally tackle that "what if's." It seems easy to do, because maybe it looks everyone is doing something extraordinary. No, it's not easy so what did I resort to???  I really could have downed 6 cups of coffee, reached for peanut butter, slept in, and enjoyed a piece of cake on my birthday. Instead, I have
* stuck to my plan for training (setting the alarm clock across from me)
* took a power nap
*drank my teavana green tea
* enjoyed a green salad on my birthday (which my hubby brought home for me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers)

Most importantly during the trip to the library with my kids I checked out a Joyce Meyer play away.  My strength comes from the Lord. Pretty powerful when you stop to think about it. I have been listening to it during my long slow cardio sessions of walking on the treadmill and my drive to school.  It really makes that time more meaningful.  Don't get me wrong I still need my club thumbing music on some days of double workouts.

I hope that you celebrate your achievements along the way.

Pray, train, eat, sleep,

Kima

DREAM

The summer is over and it’s back to teaching.  I am in my 12th year of teaching elementary Physical Education.  Each school year I feel like it’s a chance for a new beginning.  I was asked today to select one word. That word is suppose to drive me.  I can be  a person that takes forever to make a decision.  I pondered on that single word...this is what came to me: 

DREAM 

      Why this word? It’s for me personally and to remind myself that the people I come in contact with have dreams. That dream might be something small or it might be SO big it  seems so out of this world that it seems like it will only be a dream.  Regardless, I want to do anything I can to help someone either believe in their dream or to help them reach it.  People come into your life for a reason, you just have to be centered to see the reason why.  So, this school year my one word is “DREAM.”  

Take a way treasures....

1. What is your “one word?” 
2. What will you do to live that word? 
3. Take a look at the website where this came from. 

http://getoneword.com/

Scheduling Musts For a Person on the Go

Take a listen on Sound Cloud
A 3 minute audioblog on scheduling

Pray, train, eat, sleep,
Kima

My First Week of Turbo Fire

My shoulders are so sore, but that good sore that means they have been worked. As of now I have completed 4 dvd’s in the Turbo Fire schedule and Push Circuit 1 from ChaLean Extreme. This has really helped me stay on track with my training and to feel amazing. I know that running makes me feel that “high” that I am always longing for when I train, so I was afraid to try something new. It seemed like the right time because I am desiring a change in my workout routine. Well, I got it alright.

To start off with I just watched the Fire 30 to see what I was in for. I figured I can run thirty minutes so this should be good. The combinations were broken down. I won’t lie even if you can follow 8 counts you might find it challenging at first. I was able to keep up, but watching it first was a BIG help. My three year old daughter loved the dvd and she even tried to join on by actively watching it. Take a look at her smile during this.

Tuesday morning I almost jumped up out of bed with so much excitement to try Fire 30. I have been watching the informercials for the past year, just waiting to try it. I put on my heart rate monitor and pressed play. I was in my fat burning zone and enjoying the crosses and uppers. Smiling thinking to myself that this is going to be great for something new. Until I heard the “fire drill.” You find yourself in this high intensity stage for 1 minute. Then you come back to your lower range of the fat burning zone. Chalene finds the way to motivate you and takes you through ANOTHER drill! At this time I am really smiling because my heart monitor is reading in the high 160’s and I am sweating! This is what I long for everyday!!!

The HIIT 20 and Fire EZ 55 are new moves with new music that really do get you fired up. I will say that I did need to do the 10 minute stretch and my off day was much needed. I am continuing on with the schedule and I feel a sense of accomplishment each time the dvd ends and I circle the workout as completed. Along with the Team Beach Body videos you can log into the “WOWY” gym and keep track of your workouts. I am getting used to this and taking more time to research all the tools on the website. I have the free membership and I have found it useful so far. You can learn more about heart rate zones and rate of perceived exertion at their website.

On my light day I did a 20 minute Zumba express, which I will post in the next few days.

"Exercise A.D.D."

“Exercise A.D.D.”

Last week my workouts were at a very moderate level, just enough to de-stress myself. Now, I am back in the groove and when I wake up I am not as achy. I really listened to my body post- marathon to help reduce over-training or injury. I have found myself back into what I call “exercise a.d.d.” One day I want to do Zumba, next is yoga, then I am lifting heavy back, and swimming. I need to focus and have a goal for fitness. This is how I operate the best in all aspects of my life. My goal now is to see how many different ways can I get into my target heart rate zone and sweat! I still get to have my “exercise a.d.d.’,” but now it is focused. Isn’t that an oxymoron???

I will blog the next month about all the different ways I am training my heart. Truth be known I am as analytical as they come about numbers pertaining to working out. I need my pace, my heart rate, minutes, distance and measuring cups for food! I wish I could be more like my husband who is what I call a “Zen” exerciser. As I would define as one who does not need numbers for motivation. That is one of the reasons why we make the perfect couple. We balance each other out.

Why am I so focused on my heart rate? Well, I am preparing for the winter and my miles per week decrease immensely. When I run I calculate every mile and my pace. It makes me feel like I am accomplishing my goal. Now, I will change that focus into the beats per minute (bpm). Also, condition wise (a.k.a. weight -wise) the colder weather usually brings some additional weight gain. There is a vast amount of information that the beats per minutes provides. I can theoretically calculate if I am in my “fat - burning zone,” (133 bpm) or if I am nearing my true high intensity range (160 bpm). Hence, I know what my body is using for energy. This allows me to remain cardiovascularly fit in the colder weather. Once, again this all just helps me to come back to my passion of running.

There is no other heart rate monitor like Polar. I am a huge advocate for Polar heart rate monitors. I say that because I have tried others and none compare to the user friendliness and reliability of their products. Polar is always at the Physical Education conventions and they are very honest about their products. Check out their link to for more information. NO, I am not endorsed by Polar, but that would be AWESOME! It really is just how I feel.

I am beginning my quest to find how many different ways I can make cardio fun and stay in my zones, like running does for me. What makes it fun for me is if:

1. It makes me sweat.
2. At some point in time I get that “ultra- happy” feeling. The “ultra-happy: feeling is described as the “I can take on anything today!” One knows being a mom, a career woman, and in your thirties can bring on some interesting daily obstacles.
3. It has rockin’ music involved!

On the horizon I have Turbo Fire, Zumba, P.O.W.E.R. Punch Gloves and Spin. I have access to these forms because the equipment or dvd’s are at my house. I REALLY desire to have Turbofire and in order to get it I need to cancel my gym membership. Note in all caps “REALLY,’ so if my husband reads this he can inform the North Pole. It is all about budgeting to stay healthy without going broke. Which that will be a future topic,also.