Ragnar

So I found out that I'm running the longest distance of anyone on our 12-person team. Looks like my total mileage is 19.3. Whew! I might as well be doing a marathon again, eh? Well, training is in full force. The hills that I ran today kicked my butt, big time! The legs of the race I'll be doing are 7.3 miles, 5.7 miles, and 6.3 miles. Wahoo! It's going to be freakin' awesome! I'm stoked.

Today was a good day, eating wise. I followed the 'Eating Clean' guidelines for the entire day. Let's see if I can make it two in a row. Good workouts today including a hill run this morning and Turbo Kick this afternoon. My body is tired right now. I need to go to bed. Nighty night.

New Town, New Gym

After the hiatus I've taken from blogging, I think I'm officially committing to start up again. We'll see how that goes.

Well, we're all settled in in Great Falls, Montana. I got hired to work at The Peak Health and Wellness Center. It's a great gym! There are so many things there and it's huge. Last week was my first week teaching and it felt so good to be instructing a class again. I don't think they've really had an instructor like me before. I tend to be a little crazy in the way I teach and the way I dress, but I think they're liking it. Right now I've got two Zumba classes and one Turbo Kick. I'm actually introducing Turbo to The Peak, so hopefully it'll go well. I'm also introducing Hip Hop Hustle to the gym. I got my official certification for Spinning after I send in my test a couple of weeks ago. I'm really going to try and start teaching that too.

Today, I went to the gym and recorded a 3 1/2 minute clip of me promoting Hip Hop Hustle. It'll show on TV soon, and I'll post the clip once I get it. I've never been on TV before, so I'm pretty excited.

Can I get a 'woot, woot' for my new class?!

Yay hooray! I have been given a regular TK class at 24! Wednesdays, 10:30 am, starting in November. I'm super excited! The members at 24 seem to have a great love for TK, or as they call it there, TKB. It's nice to have this opportunity. I can't wait to get started with it!

"Woot, woot!"

Kickin' Butt and Taking Names

So on Tuesday, I worked out...a lot! I taught TK in the morning at church, in the evening at the gym, and then after my TK class, I stayed and did Spin for an hour. The good thing is I burned over 1600 calories the whole day doing all my stuff. Pretty impressive, no? Needless to say, I got home that night and crashed. My body was exhausted!

Last night was a night of HHH and staying after for Zumba. So much fun! I still heart Zumba!

Tomorrow I'm off to 24 Hour Fitness to audition to teach TK there. I'm not nervous about the actual audition, although it will be a little weird. The Group X Manager said, "I'll be the only one in the room, but I want you to pretend like you're teaching to a room of 50!" Well, here goes nothin'.

Busiest Teaching Week Ever!

Holy crap, I taught 5 classes this week! Body Sculpt and HHH on Monday, two TK's on Tuesday, and HHH on Wednesday. I don't think I've ever done that much in one week! It was great though. I was actually having a hard time getting super motivated after teaching on Monday. My muscles were so sore and I just didn't really want to. My TK Cardio Party had on okay turnout, about 14. I was hoping for more so I guess I was kind of bummed out. Then I was really having a hard time getting excited about HHH which kind of surprised me. I've totally been excited to teach it, so I don't know why I was feeling that way. Anyway, when I got to class last night, it was so much fun. About 15 people showed up, including one guy! Everyone was laughing and having a great time. I knew that it was a successful class, just because of the great energy in the room. Then tonight I went to take a Zumba class. Before it started, one of the girls came up to me.

Her: "Are you the one that taught Hip Hop?"

Me: "Yeah, that was me. Were you there?"

H: "Yes, and I just wanted to tell you thank you! That was so fun and almost therapeutic for me. Thank you!"

M: "Oh, you're welcome, I'm so glad you liked it."

I was so happy with her reaction! Then after Zumba class, I approached two girls that also had come last night. I just told them thanks for coming last night. They looked confused until I said Hip Hop. They didn't recognize me without my "street" gear on and with no makeup. They were so over the top with how much they liked it and how they wanted it to be a longer class. It made me feel really good. I'm glad that we had a good response. Hopefully they'll all tell their friends and I'll get even more people next week!

Getting Ready

So I have just over two weeks until I start teaching my classes again. I'm getting so excited and anxious! I can't wait to see my students again! You really get a good friendly relationship with them and I've honestly missed them. Anyway, the good news is that I'm going to be teaching three classes a week starting in June. Not only am I going to be teaching TK, but I'm going to be adding Hip Hop Hustle and a Body Sculpt class. I've never taught anything like Body Sculpt, but I'm excited and up for the challenge. My first TK class back will be my luau themed TK Cardio Party. It's going to be a lot of fun! I just made up my flyers and they are so cool. It's going to feel good to get back in the swing of things with my workouts. I also can't wait to get back into Spinning. Once I feel fully recovered and back in decent shape, I also want to do this program called P90X. It's a 90 day workout that TOTALLY shapes your body and makes you look so amazing! Brandon and I are both going to do it, so I'm anxious to see our results after the three months.

Being sick is for the birds!

So today is Thursday. A day that I normally would be teaching two classes. One morning, and one evening. Anyway, Sebastian is miserably sick today, so I had to bite the bullet and call in sick for my am class. I hate doing that because I feel like I'm so dependable, but you do what you have to do. To top that off, I woke up with a sore throat too. I would have taught anyway if it was just up to me, but I guess it worked out for the better that the two of us stay home and rest. I have to save my energy and gear up for tonights class.

5 times the charm?

I am so lucky that this week I have the opportunity to teach aerobics 5 times! Yesterday, I subbed at MVAC for Victor, who normally teaches Latin Impact. Since no one else there teaches that, my manager decided to put Hip Hop in there instead. So, I got to teach HHH last night to a group who originally thought they were going to be Latin Impacting. It went really well. If I do say so myself, I really did look the part and had a great time!

This morning, I taught at church. I did 30 minutes of Turbo 101, and 25 minutes (or so) of HHH. Again, a great time. I got a lot of positive feedback about my teaching and my workout, so that's a plus!

Then of course, I get to teach tonight and twice on Thursday at the gym. Throw a couple of Spin classes on top of that and I've got a great workout week!

I love the Hip Hop Hustle!

Last night during my TK class, I decided to throw in 20-25 minutes of Hip Hop Hustle! Halfway through, I changed the CD, threw on my hoodie and my trucker cap, and we were hustlin'! The class had so much fun. My manager sounds like she's willing to get a Hip Hop class on the schedule soon, so we'll see what happens!

Tired Turbo Girl

Last night at my class, I found myself to be very tired! I hate that feeling. I can only think that one of the reasons was that I hadn't been drinking enough water that day. Dehydration will kick your butt! It's been interesting to notice that my ability to teach well completely depends on how well I'm eating and making sure I drink plenty of water. You really are what you eat. Hopefully Thursday will be better!

I'm on a high...

...a fitness high, that is. Last night, my TK class had 19 people in it!! 19!! That might not seem like a ton, but with the size of the group fitness room that we have, it does seem like a lot. It's amazing how much more energy I feel like I have when there are a lot of people. I had a handful of new students, so hopefully they'll want to come back for more. I've decided that on February 12th, I'm going to have my first ever Turbo Kick Party to bring in a new round. I'll be introducing Round 28. It's a fun one, so I'm really excited. If I had 19 people last night, I'm hoping that the turnout for my party will be huge! I'm going to have a disco light and glow ropes for everyone. I'm also thinking of doing some kind of healthy snack, apples and carrots maybe? I am going to promote my party through signs and flyers, so hopefully people will show!

I went to Heidi's house this morning and weighed in. 144.2. YEAH! The last time I got weighed was at the doctors office a couple of months ago, and I was back at about 151. Being conscious of my eating is going well. I really like the challenge of staying in range of my points. If I could just lose 15-20 more pounds, I would be so happy! I just need to stay consistent with eating well and working out.

Week at a Glance

Now this is definitely the final countdown before the race. I can't believe it's just days away! I ran 3 today. I bumped up the TM to a slightly quicker pace that I'm normally comfortable with, and I really liked it. I think that after this whole race thing is over, I'll continue to run, but maybe work more on getting my comfortable pace to be a little bit faster. If I concentrate on speedwork, maybe I'll be able to shave some time off my half marathon time.

I also practiced my new TK round today. I'm going to be introducing Round 28 not next week, but the week after. I really would like to do a TK party with a disco light (if I can find a cheap one) and maybe glow necklaces. I don't want to spend a fortune, but I want it to be a good time. We'll see what happens.

I'm also anxiously awaiting the day when my boss tells me that they want to give me a Hip Hop class. Maybe it's a good thing that they're still holding out on me. I'm very excited for Powder Blue Productions to come out with some HHH clothes, and I wouldn't want to teach without looking completely the part. More to come on that!

A Great Day for Turbo!

Today was Thursday, the day of teaching two TK classes. This morning was a small class, but it was still a decent workout. But this evening class had about 14 people in it, and overall just had a great energy to it. People were participating in my chants, crazy moves, laughing at my jokes, and seriously kicking some butt. I left class feeling awesome. As I was driving home I was thinking, "You know, I really, really enjoy teaching. This is my calling." Kay, that last part sounds lame, but in all honesty, it is something that I find so rewarding. I'm very proud of myself that I'm doing this. I wanted to make 2008 a great year, full of things that I never have done before. Teaching aerobics is one of those things. Who would have thought that I would be teaching TK 18 months (well a little less) after I had a baby? I love the sense of accomplishment that I have. And I dare say that I noticed this evening how rockin' my kicks are! They're getting higher and higher. I love it!

Great day for a workout!

My 4 miles on the TM today was really good. Slow and steady. Then my TK class tonight went really well. I only had 6 people, but it was a good, high energy class. I didn't feel as tired this time, so that was a good thing. After my run today, I was also able to do some strength training with my hand weights and work on my push ups.

Hard week

This past week we went out of town. We had good intentions of running, but Utah was WAY too cold! We definitely weren't prepared for that. It basically meant that we took a week off from running. I finally got back on the treamill yesterday and had a decent run. Teaching TK on Tuesday was a bit challenging though. I felt very winded. I'm going to run 4 today, so hopefully my TK class will go a little better tonight. Back on track!

Busy, busy!

On Thursday, I ran 6 miles on the TM. About halfway through, my chest started aching. Almost like my heart was literally hurting. I decided to walk for a minute or so. I did and then it totally started feeling better, so I ran again at a slightly slower pace and I was fine. I'm proud of myself because even just a couple of weeks ago, I would have just stopped and decided that it was going to be a short run. But this time, I persevered and kept on going the full 6. Way to go, Me!

Thursday night was TK. I had 8 people show up, which has been about normal. I think that 8 is a good number. Yeah, I'd like to have more, but I've got quite a few regulars that show up. I think that having 8 people is enough to ensure that I keep my classes. I would be heartbroken if either of them got taken away due to attendance.

Last night, Brandon and I went for our 12 mile run. It was awesome!! We were able to drop Sebastian off at Ali and Troy's for a night of baby sitting, so it was an added bonus not to have a stroller. Anyway, it was the type of run where I felt good the entire time. I love runs like that. This run was the first that I have had in a long time where I've completely let my body just take over and do the run. Auto pilot, all the way. Next week we'll be in Utah and we're going to attempt 13. I'm not sure how hard it will be with the altitude, but we'll give it a try.

Week in Review

This week has been a productive one so far with my workouts. Sunday was a well deserved day off. After that 10 miler, I needed a rest. Monday I was back on the TM doing a short run. 3 miles at 6.0 pace. The last lap (1/4 mile) I picked up the pace to 7.5. I find that I always like ending a run with a sprint.

Today is Tuesday. I went to church aerobics this morning and taught Round 29. It is such a fun round, but it's such a challenge to teach without mirrors since that's what I'm so used to. Maybe I need to try and face my class during TK on the easy parts. That way I'll get used to not always facing the mirror to teach.

Tonight I'm off to MVAC to teach Round 29 again. This morning was a good practice for teaching that round, since it is new for my class. I just hope the microphone is working again. It's so hard to teach a new round while I'm trying to yell over the music. I'll make it work, whatever I have to do.

Wednesday will be 5 miles, Thursday will be a 3 miler with speedwork, as well as teaching TK at MVAC. Friday is a rest day (hallelujah!), and Saturday will be a long run with 7. Challenging, but achievable!

Still truckin' along

Running hasn't been going great lately. I haven't been following my training schedule like I need to. I need to recommit myself. Today is supposed to be a ten miler. I still haven't decided if I'm going to go outside or do it on the TM. If we had a working running stroller, Brandon and I could run it together outside, but ours is definitely out of order!

TK is going okay. I introduced a new round on Thursday, but I only had two people in my class. I was very discouraged, but I have some new ideas to stay motivated and pumped up. I just worry that they'll take my class away from me if I'm not having good attendance. Next week should be better...Tuesdays always are a busier!

Fitness week in a nutshell

I ran 3 miles yesterday, and it was a really good run. I usually set the treadmill to an easy 5.5, but I decided I need to start challenging myself more. So I started out on 6.0, and ran my three that way. It was easier than I thought it would be. I've also committed to doing speedwork once a week. Today will be that day. I'm going to start out one lap at 6.0, then bump it to 7.5 for one lap, then down to 5.0 for a lap., then start over at 6.0. We'll see how that goes. It should actually make the time go by faster. I have to do 4 today, 3 tomorrow, then my long run on Saturday is only 5. Fairly easy week. I'm gearing up for 9 next Saturday. Yikes!

This week at my Tuesday TK class, my microphone went kaput right at the beginning of class. Bummer! Class actually turned out to be okay, I just shouted my way through cues. I had a few new students, one guy (who survived the entire class!!), and some really good comments and feedback. I think the members are really starting to dig my class and my teaching. That's a good sign! I'm going to start teaching a new round in November. I've been practicing and I love it so far.

Holy Crap!

Dang...I haven't posted any blogs for a long time. We've had a busy month with lots of visitors. Anyway, my marathon training is in full swing. I'm just finishing up week 2 of my 18 week training schedule. My long run tomorrow will be 7. I'm really getting excited for all of the running that's coming up. I just wish my running stroller wasn't busted, then I could do more runs outside. Oh well. Luckily we have a treadmill. That will work just fine for now.

I'm also now teaching 2 TK classes a week at the athletic club. It's so much fun and I'm really glad that I am doing something that I love doing. I got some new Nike Shox this week that are just for my TK class. Hot stuff! I'm hoping that through my TK classes and my running, I will be a size 6 by the time the marathon comes around. I just got some new jeans. I got a 10, but after bringing them home and wearing them around, they're way too baggy. I'm going to take them back and get an 8. I'm just one step closer to that 6! Wish me luck with training!