A Change of Scenery

I know blog posts have been sporadic at best lately...Well, I have a decent excuse--I've been busy. Real busy!
Cherry Blossoms' runs will soon be experiencing a change in scenery...B. and I are now proud homeowners (or we will be on closing day). I'm super excited about the house and painting and buying new furniture (and getting out what has become a very loud apartment complex). In about a month we'll be moving a few minutes farther west, and with the move comes new running routes to explore. You know how much I love running in the Clayton, Brentwood area. I love the extra wide bike lanes and the lush tree-lined residential streets. I adore Forest Park. And, I will certainly miss my old favorite go-to routes, the ones where I could predict which people I'd pass based on the time of day I went out. But, I'm very excited to map some new routes and explore my new neighborhood on foot!

In the intervening weeks since my last post, yes, I've still been running. I'm getting up early before work and doing 3-5 miles on most days. I love being up early when the sun is just rising and feeling like I've accomplished a ton by the time I sit down at my desk for work. The half marathon was...well, miserable. Because of unseasonably hot humid weather, they ended up calling the marathon off. The heat really affected me, and my time wasn't even as good as last year's. Oh well. You can't control the weather in the Midwest, I suppose. My next up-coming race is a the Zoo fundraiser 5k. If you recall, it was my first ever 5k two years ago. This year I'm running it with my very speedy sisters. I am still trying to regain my speed (if it could ever be called that), but my sisters are hoping to place in their age groups! It's awesome to have a family that you can be active with! Can't wait!

Trying to Get Excited for Race 1 of 2011

I'm scheduled to run the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon again this Sunday. Last year at this time, I was unbelievably excited--it was to be my very first distance race. I couldn't stop planning what I would wear and imagining how the day would go. This year...well, let's just say, if I hadn't already paid (making it a waste of money not to go), I'd stay in bed on Sunday morning. Why aren't I excited about it this year? I wish I knew. Maybe because it was originally supposed to be a marathon, and because my training work ethic was lousy during the winter months, I'm not ready to do 26.2 and downgraded to the half. Maybe it's because it's the exact same boring race course as last year. I mean, really, you couldn't switch it up a little bit? Or, maybe it's because when I run a race of a similar length,  I always want to beat my time (2:18 in this case), and I don't know if that'll happen this time. I'm hoping for a modest 2:15. We'll see.

But, it's not all about me. I might not be excited about my own race, but I'm psyched for a Facebook friend who is doing the half for the first time ever. It's part of her getting healthy and fit journey, and I'm so excited for her to get the chance to prove to herself how far she's come. Good luck, Mel!

In other news, if you'd like to follow me or any of the other racers, you can do it by clicking here. My bib number is: 2591

Review: 6 Week 6 Pack

I've been meaning to post this forever...

I ordered 6 Week 6 Pack from Amazon back in November when it first came out. I was hopeful for a good product but skeptical since Yoga Meltdown was such a flop. I was in luck...

6 Week 6 Pack is awesome!

The dvd contains a Level 1 and Level 2 workout. The idea is you will do the Level 1 workout 4 to 5 times a week for 3 weeks and then move up to Level 2. Have I done this? No. I just can't do the same video that many times a week. Plus, I don't have that many days set aside for strength. So, I haven't gotten my six pack just yet. However, my abs have noticeable definition that they didn't quite have before.

My gripe about most strength training dvds is that they focus mostly on legs and arms with minimal attention to the core. Or, they focus on upper ab and oblique moves and virtually ignore the lower abs and lower back. And, those are the ones I need to strengthen to help with my hip issues. But, 6 Week 6 Pack takes an approach to abs that I haven't seen in many other dvds. There are a variety of standing exercises and ones that start in Plank position in addition to the usual on-your-back stuff. The intermediate and advanced moves frequently use a 3 to 5 pound dumbbell for resistance, which I love. Both Level 1 and 2 have 2 circuits in a 30 minute workout. The warm-up starts much more active than I'm used to...I'll admit I was worried jumping into aerobic movements so quickly, but I haven't experienced any soreness or injuries from it. Jillian is backed up by 2 girls, one doing the advanced version of the moves, and the other the beginner (Jillian demos the intermediate moves). And, let me tell you, the advanced moves are TOUGH! Even  Level 1, which I thought I'd totally have in the bag, left me panting and sweating.

Even though I'm not doing the multi-time per week plan, after I'd done Level 1 a dozen times or so (and didn't feel quite so much like dying at the end), I moved on to Level 2. Holy Ouch! When Jillian says she's kicking it up a notch, she's so not kidding! Ever heard of a Plank Mogul? Neither had I. Picture yourself in a plank...Now picture jumping your feet to the right and landing them as close to your arms as you can get before hopping them back to plank. Then you go to the left. And then the right...over and over.  By the end of the second circuit, I was so glad this workout was only 30 minutes because it felt harder than most of my 45 to 60 minute videos. At one point, Jillian says, "Push--I want you to walk away from this workout visibly smaller." I don't know about "smaller," but I can definitely see the muscle definition popping after I'm done. It makes it just a little easier to pop that dvd in again next time, despite the muscle burning agony.

There's one more thing I love about this dvd compared to other abs-only workouts. The moves combine a LOT of legs and chest/arms. There are moves that use lunges and squats, as well as arm movements with weights (over head, side to side), not to mention all the moves that use some form of plank. I can walk away from the workout feeling like I got some good work in on my whole body, not just the abs. The only thing I wish it had more of would be lower back. Level 1 has two sets of Supermans, but Level 2 doesn't do any targeted lower back work, which is disappointing because a strong lower back is so crucial to a balanced core. Not to mention that's where my extra poundage likes to hang out. 

Overall, a total recommend for this dvd. My ultimate goal is to be able to do both Level 1 and Level 2 back to back. It's also short enough that once your endurance improves, you can throw it on the end of a short run for a really great day's work. It's currently less than $10 on Amazon. Definitely worth taking a chance on!