Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Pros & Cons of an Early Morning Workout

For a month I have been getting up early [5:15am] for a workout. Spin classes are 3 times a week at 5:30am and on the other days I will just go to the gym and do my own thing. I used to be an evening gym rat and I would have trouble sleeping when I would get back home. Going to bed at 2am when you need to get up at 6:30am does not provide enough hours of beauty sleep. 
How did I switch my workout time around? 
Honestly, I committed to getting up for one Spin class and just kept doing it. A month later and I have become an early riser. My internal clock has been adjusted and it's now easy to wake up and be motivated to exercise. Even on Sunday mornings, my body just wakes up and I am motivated to get a run in before Church. But just like with anything else in life, there are some pros and cons to getting up for an early morning workout. 
PROS:
No scheduling conflicts: I can stay consistent because I never have an appointment or have to work at 5:30am.
Workout is done for the day: I can focus on the rest of my day without worrying about when I am going to fit in a workout. It's already done! 
The gym isn't packed: At least mine isn't. There are lots of Grammas & Grandpas at my gym in the morning.
A focused workout: I have about an hour to workout if I get to the gym at 5:30am. I make great use of my time and go hard for 60 minutes. No minute is wasted.
A more productive morning and day: When I get done with a workout the energy that I have spills over into my morning. I find myself working to get things done and doing things that I would normally put off until later.  
More energy throughout the day: This will come after consistency. You will be tired around 2pm for about a week. Push through it.
Use your workout time to focus on God & yourself: I am more peaceful in the morning and would rather listen to a podcast or a book while working out. Encouraging words keep me focused and stay with me throughout the whole day. 
Improved night sleep: Because I am getting up early, I am actually tired when it's time to go to bed. [Lately I have been at Grandma status and going to bed at 9:30pm.] 
More focus on what you are eating throughout the day: Since I got my workout in and am still burning calories, I make a conscious effort to put good clean food into my body. However, I am still breaking bad habits. [popcorn. enough said.]  
Metabolism gets a boost that can sometimes last the whole day: Starting the day with a good burn can last well throughout your day and continue to burn more calories. 
More agua consumption: During a morning workout I can drink down anywhere between 24-48 oz of water. That sets me up for success when it comes to drinking enough water during the day. 
You get to see the sunrise: It's God's, "Good Morning" greeting to you. 
CONS: 
Getting up: Just keeping it real, sometimes it's tough to get up out of your warm cozy bed when the sun hasn't even woken up yet.

Yes, only one downside to working out in the morning. It has really changed my daily routine and I am loving it. I now use my free evenings to spend with family and friends rather than secluding myself at the gym. 

Monday, April 28, 2014

Mt. Pisgah [my saturday morning escape]

Saturday I went to one of my favorite places by Lake Michigan. Mt. Pisgah. It's a dune with 239 steps leading up to one of the most gorgeous views of Lake Michigan, Lake Macatawa, and Big Red [the lighthouse]. The views are amazing but also the steps are a great workout. The last time I went there I went up and down 3 times. I told myself to just do more than that. 
5 times up and down later, the sweat was dripping and my legs were shaking. Excellent workout. Breathtaking views. Time alone with God. Basically the perfect Saturday morning. 
^ 239 steps are totally doable for the gorgeous view. ^
^ Lake Macatawa ^
^ Lake Michigan & Big Red ^ 
[note to self for next time: be sure to stretch out your calves after walking up and down 2,390 steps, they're gonna be sore!]

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

10k Training Progress

81 more days until I cross off something from my 2014 To-Do List! I am training to run the Fifth Third River Bank 10k. A couple years ago I was planning on running this same race and was fully prepared but then I got injured. It's tough to gain those miles back after an injury and then a foot surgery. I am really proud of my training progress so far and thought I would share with you what I am doing.
Now granted, I am more of a distance runner. Meaning, I would rather go a further distance at a comfortable pace than shorter distance while sprinting. [I'm not the best sprinter.]
 Since it's super cold and the roads are still full of snow and ice I have been training on a treadmill. I did one run outside because I was feeling adventurous and could've broken something because it was so slippery. Not doing that again until I can see pavement. 
^gym essentials= clean/dry shoes [brooks purecadence 2], fully charged ipod, water [blender bottle], and gum [extra 'smooth mint'].  
^how the week typically gets broken down. *subject to change on how busy my schedule is for each week.^
^Running on the treadmill can get very boring. In order to mentally get through a long hour run I will use netflix on my phone [currently working on The Office season 5], listen to a podcast, or create a long run playlist to keep me motivated.^
^This is my current playlist. It's a mix between Jesus & Broadway with a couple of my go-to favorites thrown in too. ^ 

Friday, July 19, 2013

I'm Back Baby!

After 5 weeks of icing and elevating I strapped on my running shoes this morning and took the street. I missed running so much! It's weird to me that when I have the time and the capability to run, I choose not to run. However when I am physically unable to run than I really want to run. 
I woke up with determination to get a mile done in my pre-surgery mile time. 
Which really is nothing to brag about what-so-ever. Pounding the pavement again felt amazing! 
It's going to take a while to build up the strength in my legs again 
but change doesn't happen over night. 
(is it just me or does my left leg (surgery leg) look a little on the wimpy side?) 

Friday, June 28, 2013

How many yoga pants is too many yoga pants?

After re-folding and re-organzing my closet I have come to the realization that I was wrong. 
You CAN have too many yoga pants.
I always thought, "I can always use another pair of yogas." However while cleaning my closet I came across a target bag that I thought was something I forgot to take to goodwill. Nope. It was 2 brand new pairs of yoga pants that were bought... I don't even know when. 
I think that's when you know you might have a problem. 
"Hi, my name is Bee and I now have 2 shelves of yoga pants." 
Since I have discovered my yoga hoarding habit I thought I would share my top 3 favorite yoga pants! Why not, right? 

Friday, May 24, 2013

#50MilesInMay: Last Week!

One more week left in May! I have 18 miles left to get in before June 1. I think that is doable. I have increased my milage (up to 4.6 miles) to make up for the days that I am super busy and can't get a moment to run. I have been reminded this week how running can be more mental than physical. I went for a run last night and it was a bit colder. My lungs did not like it. I finally just said, "relax and breathe." Once I took my mind off the thing that was bugging me, in this case my breathing, I was able to run longer. It's all about putting one foot in front of the other. 
Current Favorite Running Jams: 
David Guetta: "Titanium"
We The Kings: "Just Keep Breathing" 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

#50MilesInMay: week one

One week of May is gone already. Can you believe it?!? How is the #50MilesInMay challenge going for you? I have successfully knocked off 10 miles! I did two 3 miles runs and a 4 mile run. The 4 mile run happened on accident. I kept trying to avoid running against the wind and ended up adding a mile to my distance. Whoops. 
I plan to knock out 15 miles during this second week!
(Shadows are never flattering.) 
Three songs that I have been loving while I run are: 
1. Today by Kirk Franklin
2. Still Into You by Paramore
3. Free From it All by Lecrae

#50MilesInMay

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

#50MilesInMay

Since a new month has started I thought it would be fun to challenge myself for the month of May. I want this to challenge you too! I think everyone is looking for a way to get their bodies moving and to just be healthier. And with the weather being warmer I think we all want to find an excuse to get outside more too. 
So here is the challenge! 
#50MilesInMay is just that... 50 miles of walking, running, biking, longboarding, skipping, etc during the month of May. 
31 days is plenty of time to log in 50 miles of something. Here comes the fun part.
Documenting!
Instagram your miles each day!
Tweet them! 
Facebook it!
Use: #50MilesInMay so I can find your pictures and re-post some on the blog! 
Spread the word! Lets get everyone moving more during May!