We all have important things to do on the weekend, but first we go long! The we make time for recover i.e. legs up the wall, rolling, stretching, rehydrating, refueling. I know it’s easy to finish our long run just go straight into other things, but when we skip the steps after our long run, our body suffers.
When we recover properly, with all of the above plus active recovery (staying active and moving instead of laying around ideal), we go into the next week feeling good and ready to continue our training. We we keep our training in mind as we continue our weekend we eat better, sleep better, feel better….and Monday is that much brighter!
If you have to rush on to the next thing (it happens we’re all busy) MAKE time to baby your muscles later in the day. Get out your roller before bed, then stretch out those legs, hips and glutes after you’ve worked the knots out. Make healthy eating choices and don’t spoil all the work you just put in.
If you go long on Saturday, wake up on Sunday with a plan to get moving. Go for a short easy run (yes running the day after a long day is a good thing!) Keep it short and easy though, this is just a recovery not a push for time or distance. Go for a swim, a bike ride, a walk with your hubby or kids. Make a few minutes for some yoga (Yoga for runners options below). Drinks lots of water to replenish what you sweated out!
If you go long on Sunday, take the time to get in a good stretch on Saturday. Start hydrating now and stay active to keep your legs fresh and ready for that Sunday long run!
All of these things will help you feel better going into the next week. You’ll be stronger and ready to tackle not only your upcoming workouts….but also everything else that is thrown at you. Limit your weekday stress by planning ahead for your week so you take some of the pressure off. Being prepared can make all the difference between getting it done…and realizing that “it didn’t happen” at the end of a long day.
Sounds like a lot, but it’s really about thinking ahead and making time for you. You can do it…you deserve it. 🙂
Remember to make it work for you and switch it up if you need to. It all depends on you and your family’s schedule and needs.
So….what are you doing this weekend? Let’s start an activity chain on our pinned daily post. Post your miles and I will add it up on Sunday night to see how many #CoreCrew miles we logged! You can still post separately but I would love to see how many cumulative miles we log as a family. 🙂
When life gets hectic and time is short, that’s when it’s even more important the time find the calm in our chaos.
Exercising to relax sounds weird but the truth is that exercise is a form of physical stress that can help relieve your mental stress. Alexander Pope thought so: “Strength of mind is exercise, not rest.” Plato agreed: “Exercise would cure a guilty conscience.”
Exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart. You may not always want to, but as we get used to regular exercise we begin to enjoy it…even crave it.
Regular aerobic exercise brings remarkable changes to our body, our metabolism, our heart, and our spirits. It has a unique ability to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. It’s a common experience among athletes and is verified to have successfully treated anxiety disorders and clinical depression. If others can derive psychological benefits from exercise, so can you!
This month we are finding the calm in our chaos. We are making the time to exercise our body to find the calm in every day situations that bring up unwanted anxiety and stress. We are going to meet our stress head on with sweat and movement, bringing the calm into our lives with when everything else is going crazy around us.
Ready to find your calm? Let’s do this!
Day 1 Plan:
Quick Morning Workout
Day 1 exercises
Bonus exercises
Quick Before Bed Routine
Post with September Goals
Roll and Stretch to get ready for long runs!
Quick Workout Routines:
#QMW
#QBBW
Day 1 exercises: Arms! 2-3 sets of 10
Front & Side Arm Raises
Upright Rows
Shoulder Press
Renegade Row
Plank – :60 or more!
Bonus: BURPEES! 2-3 sets of 10! – Burpees are tough but even beginners can do them with modifications! Check out this video to see how you can modify this move to make it work for you!
Day 1 “how to videos & images: Most of these exercises should be familiar, but since we have some new Crew members and we haven’t done some of these in a while, check out the “how to” videos or images below as reminders of how to do them correctly.
Front & Side Arm Raises: Simple yet effective. Grab some dumbbells and use your shoulders ad arms to raise them to the front then the side. Repeat 10x each set.
Upright Row: The upright row is a weight training exercise performed by holding a grips with the overhand grip and lifting it straight up to the collarbone. This is a compound exercise that involves the trapezius, the deltoids and the biceps.
Shoulder Press: The shoulder press is a compound weight training exercise, meaning it requires movement around more than one joint. In this specific exercise, it is your shoulder and elbow joints that must move to complete the exercise.
Renegade Row: The renegade row is a compound, high performance exercise that attacks a weak core, improves performance, and stimulates muscle growth. It also helps you prevent injury and build a rock-solid physique from head to toe.
Place two dumbbells on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Start in the top position of pushup position with your hands on the weights.
Row one weight up towards the side of your body while balancing on your other hand and feet. Hold for one second at the top and return the weight slowly to the start position to repeat on the other side.
Plank: The plank is a basic bodyweight exercise that strengthens the core as well as the upper and lower body muscle groups. This isometric training exercise builds a full-body foundation while also improving joint stability.
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a annual national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Most people know Labor Day as an extra day off of work. Fewer know the holiday comes from a time when the government was laying off workers.
It all started with a bad recession in the early 1890s that reduced demand for railway cars, prompting Chicago railway magnate George Pullman to lay off workers and reduce wages. Many of his workers went on strike. The sympathetic American Railway Union refused to handle Pullman cars, hampering commerce in many parts of the country.
Pullman workers started their strike in May 1894. The following month, Congress passed legislation making the first Monday of September a day to recognize workers!
You work hard all year long and you deserve a break. But instead of drinking too much, eating too much, and being lazy and adding on pounds, start your day with a fun 5K brought to us by 1st Place Sports and Tropical Smoothie Cafe!
By starting your day with some exercise, you will increase your endorphins, burn some calories and feel good about taking it easy and having a good meal later in the day!
This race starts from 1st Place Sports on Baymeadows Road and winds through pretty neighborhoods with cheering fans and ends back at 1st Place Sports. But crossing the finish line is just the beginning of the Run Jax 5K festivities. When you’re done running or walking 3.1 miles you’ll grab your finisher medal and a bottle of water then stick around for the HUGE post race celebration!
Race Highlights:
Drawings For Prizes
Huge Post-Race Celebration
Technical Shirts to all Participants
Prize Money & Age Group Awards
Custom Designed Finisher Medals
After the party, you might head home to get ready for family Labor Day get togethers, but if you don’t have somewhere to rush off to, stop by Tropical Smoothie Cafe for a delicious, healthy sandwich and a energy restoring smoothie!
Click here for Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations near the event and tons of menu options!
Day 30 Workout of the Day – See below for our “Switch it up” Workout
Speed Work – This should be happening today or tomorrow at the latest if you go long on Saturday or Sunday!
Day 30 Workout of the day: Y’all remember this one right? It’s been a while but it’s a good workout. You can do this!
Speed Work: Click here for Monday’s post and scroll down for this weeks speed work! If you did this one last week, I want to see consistent splits this week! If you’re trying it for the first time, remember that this workout is not meant to be at top speed. You want to pace yourself and FINISH the workout! Keep each 1/2 mile repeat at your consistent 5K pace then take a 2 minute rest in between each set. AND the better the warm up…the better you will feel during your speed work. AND don’t speed your cool down!
We’re wrapping up the month so time to step it up and FINISH STRONG CREW!!!
Day 29 – Squats Push Ups & Sit Ups – 10 rounds of 5 each
Bonus – Another set of 10 rounds – 100 of each exercise!
Speed Work – When do you plan to get your speed work in? Click here for Monday’s post and scroll down for this week’s workout!
This should make today a lot less anxiety inducing for many of you and hopefully inspire you to get up and get moving because…it’s been crickets in here lately.
Don’t quit on us now…only two more days left in August!
Can you believe August is almost over??? Time goes by crazy fast but we have 3 more days in August to BRING IT!!! Don’t let up now…don’t sit down and wait for a new month…don’t let these days go by without building your stamina and strength!
On top of being the last few days of the month…it’s Monday and you know how we do it on Monday…We DOMINATE!!
Ready to dominate Monday and kick off the last week of the month with a BANG? I am!
I know our Monday exercises are not your favorite…but this is the last Monday so suck it up and get it done Crew!
In the spirit of Dominating Monday and setting the tone for the week, I wanted to share one of our #CoreCrew running stories. I love the “versions” of herself as she has transitioned through the decades and how running has changed for her over the years. I love how she started and how she has continued and I think this is a great story for us as we remember that we are not runners just for today….we are runners for life!
Becky’s story:
“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.” I like this quote because it encourages me to learn from my experiences (good and bad) and then create the best version of myself that is right for this moment in time. So, here’s my running story:
V 2.0 (my 20s) The Carefree Runner – I started running because I liked a guy who was a runner; I kept on running because I liked the way it made me feel.
V 3.0 (my 30s) The Counter-Culture Runner – I started doing a few 10Ks and half-marathons but resisted following a training plan because it seemed too rigid and took the fun out of running. Eventually, I stumbled upon a Jeff Galloway training plan that suggested running for time, instead of miles, and it finally clicked for me. Instead of running 6 miles, I’d run for 60 minutes which sometimes took me farther than 6 miles and other times less than 6 miles. Using Jeff’s plan, I successfully completed the Big Sur Marathon in 2001. I was firmly hooked on running and training.
V 4.0 (my 40s) The Peaks and Valleys Runner – The Peaks: Running taught me endurance (physical and mental) and sparked a desire to try new things, including a triathlon, summiting Mt. Rainier, biking from Seattle to Portland (206 miles) in one day, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane (tandem skydiving) and other assorted adventures. The Valleys: I didn’t adequately balance my running with strength and flexibility training. I was lackadaisical about warming up before a run. I got injured and didn’t let my body sufficiently heal.
V 5.0 (my 50s) The Thoughtful Runner – I’m taking my injury rehab seriously and staying positive. If I could tell my former self three things, I’d say: 1) Listen to your body, know the difference between hurting and being injured; 2) Find balance in your workouts, training isn’t one size fits all so find a plan that’s right for you but don’t be afraid to mix it up occasionally; 3) You’ll never be perfect, so do the best you can with what you’ve got and you’ll find happiness.
Thank you for sharing your story Becky! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you over the last year and am looking forward to getting to know you more as you work your way through your current health and injury situations. Reading your story helped me remember that it’s not just about what is happening today…it’s about being healthy and strong for life! xoxoxo
Day 28 “how to” videos: In case you are new to the Crew (Michelle Charles 🙂 ) or you need a reminder for these exercises, please click here and scroll down for “how to” videos for each of today’s exercises.
Bonus: Russian Twists with weight – How many? This is one of my favorite exercises and you can do A LOT of them. Throw in a set of 50 for each round of core work today…then do one more round when you’re done for a total of 200 Russian Twists!
Speed Work: 800M repeats – Yes this is the same workout we did last week but it is a good one for all distances and it’s a great idea to do the same workout again and get better at it! Here’s how it and why they work so well…
In the last 800M (1/2 mile) of a 5K, the last mile of a 10K, the last 5K of a half marathon, and the 10k of the marathon, YOU have to show up.
You have to be ready for it to hurt. You have to know how to push through that; you have to REMEMBER a time when you did. You have to watch failure lure you to the dance floor and turn it the F down. If you let fatigue beat you once, it will beat you again. Maybe not in the same way, but it consistently tries. When you feel this again, it will be when it counts, and you have to KNOW that you’re better.
This workout is all about chasing that 800m repeat effect: It’s learning how to fight fatigue and battle the breakdown that will come when you’re pushing yourself hard. When you come around the last curve of your final 800M repeat, knowing you finished what you started, you will understand the reason behind speed work. When you finish that goal race and the jet-power showed up, it will be because YOU called for it.
The endorphins want to be chased, and the effect they reward you with is not to be missed.
Workout: 800 meter repeats (1/2 mile repeats) – The # of repeats you do will depend on the race distance you are training for.
5K – 800M x 4
10K – 800M x 5
Half Marathon – 800M x 6
Marathon 800M x 8
Start with your warm up of 1-2 miles. This also depends on you. I prefer a nice long easy warm up and always shoot for 2 miles. In reality, I would love a 3-4 mile warm up because that’s when I really start to feel good!
Take a few minutes to stretch and do some warm up drills like hip hurdles, butt kicks, lunges, slow skips, side skips, bounding, etc…
Go into your workout – take a 2 minute rest in between each 800 meters (1/2 mile). Do NOT take longer than 2 minutes. Force yourself to keep going without letting your heart rate come all the way back to resting.
Finish your full workout.
End with a nice easy 1-2 mile cool down.
Speed work is not for the faint of heart….but you are a runner. There is nothing that you cannot do when you set your mind to it! Chase those endorphins and feel the amazing effects when you finish what you started!
Contest Winner: So last but certainly not least….our tank winner from Thursday! Great job to everyone who got their workout in on Thursday and posted an extra plank and wall sit photo. Our drawing included: Annette, Wendy, Mellisa, Gwen, Rose, Jan, Meghan, Brigid, Julie, Jennifer Stoner, Carla, Jessica Clark, Jennie, Kristy, Valeryia, Jennifer Ortiz, Marci, Pam, Jeanette, Sharon & Martin
I used a random name generator to pull our winner… and the winner is….
Congratulations Kristy! I will get your new tank in the mail to you ASAP. 🙂
That’s all for now Crew. Remember….it’s time to DOMINATE MONDAY!!!
Lots of core this month and very little arms…so I thought we’d switch things up today and focus on a little arm action!
Super simple workout that we’ve done many times before, just grab your weights and get moving!
Day 25 Plan:
Fruity Friday! – Been slacking on reminding you about our food challenge some this month but kudos to many of you are following right along anyway. Today is fruity Friday so eat a serving of fruit at every meal!
Day 25 exercises – Switch it up for #SEXYARMSWORKOUT
Bonus: Roll! This should be something you start adding several times a week if not more but today we’re making it your bonus. Take a few extra minutes to roll out those legs and get ready for long runs this weekend!
Day 25 Exercises: 1 round of this routine will have your arms feeling stronger. 2 round means #BEASTMODE! If you’re not sure of an exercise let me know and I will get you a “how to” video for it or show you how to do it myself. 🙂
Hey Crew, it’s time for a contest! I received an extra pink #CoreCrew tank just like the one our lovely Lisa Marie is modeling here for us (size medium with no name on back) and I wanted to give it away so here’s the deal.
Everyone who finishes today’s workout and posts a picture of their wall sit AND a bonus plank will be entered to win the pink #CoreCrew tank. Easy peasy. Day 24 exercises + wall sit and plank. Who’s in? I will choose a random winner using a app made just for contests so anyone who completes today’s exercises and posts has a chance to win.
Since there are so many of us and sometimes I miss posts, PLEASE tag me in your post so I don’t miss it.
I’ve gotten a few stories and they are AWESOME!! Keep them coming…they will ALL be used! 🙂
Another thought…Jennifer Stoner, where is our “We’re in this together” tank? We need to keep that moving so we can get it around the work to all our Crew members!
Bonus: :60 Plank – take a picture of your plank and one wall sit and share in Strong to the Core for your chance to win a pink #CoreCrew tank!
Day 24 “how to” videos: Click here and scroll down if you need how to videos for these exercises.
The end of the month is getting close. Keep pushing Crew! I am working on September and we are going back to basics but don’t give up on August just yet!
Time for hourly squats and push ups Crew! Remember to start early and do what you can 10-20 squats and 10-20 push ups per hour. If you miss hours, that’s ok. Pick it back up as soon as you can and just keep moving forward.
Speed Work – If planned for Tuesday – Click here and scroll down for this week’s workout
Your Voice Your Story – Don’t forget to send me those stories! – PM me a file here or email to Amy@MagdaleinMedia.com
Day 22 Exercises:
10-20 Squats per hour (or as many hours as you can from wake up to bedtime!)
10-20 Push ups per hour (or as many hour as you can from wake up to bedtime!)
If you just can’t wrap your hear around doing squats at work, check out last Tuesday’s post for some great, discreet exercises to do at your desk.
Bonus: Modern Mom’s Hips – We’ve neglected our hips a bit this month so let’s throw in this quick burn to strength and tone our hips and glutes!
It’s already the 22nd of August…time flies when we’re having fun! I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas about our September challenge. Exercises requests, areas you want to work on, challenge ideas you’d like to see us throw in….this is your challenge so help me make it great for you!
Not too much to think about today….so time to get to work! Make healthy, small portion choices and let’s make our way to Squat City!
Aristotle taught us that, “You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” His words aptly apply to fitness.
A little story of one woman’s journey…
Sandy started her fat loss journey with 56 pounds to lose, though if you saw her now you’d never believe that she was once overweight. Today the lean and attractive mother of two walks confidently with a spring in her step and a smile on her face.
Given her amazing transformation, it’s easy to see why she’s so confident and happy.
Before her transformation, Sandy was fed up and constantly stressing about her weight. She was sick and tired of feeling unattractive, embarrassed and discouraged. None of the diets or exercise plans that she tried ever worked. She felt hopeless about ever regaining the attractive body that she once had.
Sandy’s story was very typical, she speaks of the way her body changed after her pregnancies, how the weight continued to add up over the course of a few years, and how each pound rendered her more frustrated and hopeless.
Sandy decided the first step towards regaining a body that she felt excited about again was to change one simple habit. For Sandy, dropping 56 pounds and becoming a stronger more confident version of herself was not the result of an act, but of a habit.
The simple habit that she adopted was to place her gym clothes on her nightstand before going to sleep each night.
That’s. It.
Every morning the first thing that she would see was the tidy stack of clean gym clothes. So her first act of the day was to put them on.
Naturally, now that her gym clothes were on, Sandy would then go directly to her workout. By starting her day in such a positive, fitness-oriented way, Sandy was then able to continue making healthy choices throughout the day, ending it by putting the next day’s gym clothes on her nightstand before bed.
Did she have any hiccups along the way? Certainly. There were days that would start out great, but then she’d get off track sometime after lunch. Discouraging as the occasional setback was, she kept on putting her gym clothes out each night.
By starting her day out with such a positive fitness experience, Sandy was able to make a habit out of fitness. As a result she lost 56 pounds and regained her confidence and sunny disposition.
The One Habit….
What about you? What habit could you adopt that would keep you on track with your fitness goal?
It shouldn’t be complicated.
Maybe you will start putting your gym clothes out each night, like Sandy. Maybe you will make the recipe below for Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken each week to pack with some veggies in mini meals to eat throughout your day.
Pick one simple, fitness habit and add it to your daily routine.
Don’t wait –start a new habit today!
Daily Quota and Big Goals
Big Goals give us a purpose. The way to reach your Big Goal is to put daily quotas in place. These are the little steps that add up to the achievement of your Big Goal.
In writing a book, the daily quota is typing a minimum number of words per day. In fitness, your daily quota is your workout and clean eating.
Put your own daily quotas in place, and each day you’ll be closer to the achieving your BIG GOAL!
Go get ‘em Crew!
Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
Having healthy prepared protein on hand for the on-the-go meals is a must when it comes to packing healthy meals to eat throughout your day. Put 4 to 6 ounces of protein (like this amazing pulled chicken!), a handful of cooked veggies and a handful of fresh arugula in a little Tupperware and drizzle on a bit of homemade balsamic dressing for a simple, quick, get-lean meal.
Eating small meals every few hours consisting of protein and veggies is the most reliable way that I know of to drop body fat and maintain a steady flow of energy throughout the day. It’s pretty darn tasty too, when you make the meals yourself!
Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry. Season with the salt and pepper on all sides.
In a slow cooker, whisk the chicken broth, tomato paste, paprika and garlic. Add the seasoned chicken breast and the bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, flipping the chicken after 1 hour.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let cool for 20 minutes. Strain the broth. Use two forks to gently shred the chicken, discarding skin, fat, cartilage and bones. Store the chicken and broth separately in the fridge to use for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Nutritional Analysis
One serving equals: 191 calories, 5g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g sugar, 960mg sodium, 0g fiber, and 34g protein.
I hope you will find one simple habit to change today. It can be whatever you think will make a difference in your fitness and health. One simple thing you can do each day to help you reach your goals.
When you post today, tell us what your one simple habit will be and start it this week. This one simple habit could be a game changer for you!
Speed Work – Plan ahead for when you will get it done this week
Bonus – One Simple Habit – Pick your one simple habit and share it
Day 21 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10
Goblet Squat
Dumbbell Swing
Helicopter
Suitcase Carry
Forearm Plank (3x :30 or more)
Speed Work: In the last 800M (1/2 mile) of a 5K, the last mile of a 10K, the last 5K of a half marathon, and the 10k of the marathon, YOU have to show up.
You have to be ready for it to hurt. You have to know how to push through that; you have to REMEMBER a time when you did. You have to watch failure lure you to the dance floor and turn it the F down. If you let fatigue beat you once, it will beat you again. Maybe not in the same way, but it consistently tries. When you feel this again, it will be when it counts, and you have to KNOW that you’re better.
This workout is all about chasing that 800m repeat effect: It’s learning how to fight fatigue and battle the breakdown that will come when you’re pushing yourself hard. When you come around the last curve of your final 800M repeat, knowing you finished what you started, you will understand the reason behind speed work. When you finish that goal race and the jet-power showed up, it will be because YOU called for it.
The endorphins want to be chased, and the effect they reward you with is not to be missed.
Workout: 800 meter repeats (1/2 mile repeats) – The # of repeats you do will depend on the race distance you are training for.
5K – 800M x 4
10K – 800M x 5
Half Marathon – 800M x 6
Marathon 800M x 8
Start with your warm up of 1-2 miles. This also depends on you. I prefer a nice long easy warm up and always shoot for 2 miles. In reality, I would love a 3-4 mile warm up because that’s when I really start to feel good!
Take a few minutes to stretch and do some warm up drills like hip hurdles, butt kicks, lunges, slow skips, side skips, bounding, etc…
Go into your workout – take a 2 minute rest in between each 800 meters (1/2 mile). Do NOT take longer than 2 minutes. Force yourself to keep going without letting your heart rate come all the way back to resting.
Finish your full workout.
End with a nice easy 1-2 mile cool down.
Speed work is not for the faint of heart….but you are a runner. There is nothing that you cannot do when you set your mind to it! Chase those endorphins and feel the amazing effects when you finish what you started!
Day 21 “how to videos”:
Goblet Squat: The goblet squat is a lower-body exercise that increases strength throughout the legs. Due to the position of the weight, the exercise also strengthens the shoulders and core while improving posture and hip mobility.
Dumbbell Swing: This emphasis of this exercise is on core & arm strength, endurance and balance. The exercise also targets your hamstrings and glutes, but you also use your back, quadriceps and shoulders. If strength improvement is your focus, try a lower rep count and heavier weight.
Helicopter: What this video to learn how to swing both legs in unison for a deep stretch and to obtain greater core strength. This is a long video, but the main portion of the move is shown in the first minute or so. We want to keep a strong core while focusing on the leg movement.
Suitcase Carry: This is a core strength move. Brace your core as if expecting a punch don’t compensate to one side as you are walking.
Forearm Plank: Build strength in your core, lower back, arms and glutes by doing the plank core exercise on the forearms.
When life gets hectic and time is short, that’s when it’s even more important the time find the calm in our chaos.
Strong to the Core 