Wednesday Workout Update - Running Update Included!

OK, I think this was the week that Bob and Jillian - er, Brad and Linda were trying to kill us. Monday we did a "split" Filthy Fifty - not only was our group split into two, but the workout, which normally is all done in the weight room was split with half in the cardio room and half in the weight room. My group (Jenny, Kathleen and I) started in the weight room. For those of you lucky enough to not be familiar with the Filthy Fifty, it's ten sets of exercises with 50 reps each. For time. So we wore ourselves out in the weight room doing crazy things like kettlebell halos (hold a 26 lb. kettlebell with both hands and roll it around your head *like a hal0* 50 times), pull ups using a gigantic rubber band, push ups and a whole bunch of other stuff that I've blocked from my memory. THEN we went to the cardio room, where we had to run a half mile on the treadmill, row 50 calories on the rower, do Ab Dolly crunches, ball slams and of course, box jumps. Now you all may remember that just last week I finally was able to DO a box jump - but 50? At the end of a grueling workout?!? Holy moly! Linda liked the determination that showed on my face and grabbed a few shots with her cell phone. Pictures below show that I did do them - I am not fast, as I still have to psych myself up for each one, and I'm not jumping on/off/back on like everyone else in my group...but I knocked those 50 box jumps out!

Step one: Telling myself I can do it. Please note that my arms are not as huge as they look in this picture - they are side-by-side and it's an optical illusion (why yes, I still have some body issues, why do you ask?!?). Please also know that Kathleen has not keeled over - she was merely taking a rest while doing those Ab Dolly crunches!

Step two: Liftoff - flying through the air! Kathleen has now completed her set of Ab Dolly crunches and is slowly regaining her will to live. Please note the PVC pipes in the background, which are not used to beat us with as I first wondered when I started out, but are used when we do the dreaded bottom-to-bottom Tabatas. Also, if you puke during a workout, you get to sign your name and date on one. So far I haven't had to do that!Another view, which is important for a couple of reasons: One, my sweatband has made my hair look like I have a bowl cut - what do you think...can I rock that look or what? Also, you can see Jenny in the background slowly regaining her will to live after running a half-mile on the treadmill. And finally, you can see the clock in the background, which shows it was 9:00 am. We started this workout at 8:00 am. That, my friends, was one loooong hour!

Tuesday's workout was another toughie with a bunch of upper body work - yay, more push ups! And today? After Linda had us do quick (haha) rounds of 60 sets of push ups, lunges, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, high knees and burpees (not me!), along with a one minute plank hold and wall sit, we went to the weight room for ANOTHER Filthy Fifty - only Brad made it a Filthy Forty since we didn't have the entire hour at that point. Hey, guess what? More push ups, box jumps, kettlebell swings...I finished that one in 35 minutes and I am beat down, I'm telling you!!! So looking forward to Thursday and Friday, where all I have to do is go to work - no exercise!!!

And now, on to my running update: My workout friend and running partner, Jeri, met me after I was done with work on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Since my workplace is at the edge of a big park, we started out running from the parking lot to the park, all through it, looping around and eventually ended up back in the parking lot. She carried her iPhone with her that had a running app with time and distance, and guess what? We ran 2.4 miles!!! In about 31 minutes!!! With only a couple of short walking breaks!!! I think we can actually do the 5K in February! Our goal is to run the entire time, so we have to keep up with the practice. Because of that, I went running on Sunday, but it was much harder to get going. I don't know if I was just tired, or the fact that I was alone, but I wanted to quit after about three minutes. I summoned Linda's voice in my head and she "ran" with me the rest of the way - my goal was 20 minutes, and I actually did 22 before I stopped. Probably could have done more but I am a baby when I run by myself, which is something I have got to get over!

Jeri and I have another running date for this Saturday - until then, though, I'm on rest time!

P.S. If you haven't already, click here to enter my giveaway for the book Core Performance Women - it ends Thursday night at 10:00 pm!