Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of blog post recently. It turns out that being a full time college and training for a marathon takes up a lot of my life that would normally be free. Today's post is just a quick little update and reminder that I'm still alive. I have an Olympic inspired workout heading your way sometime this week.
Speaking of the Olympics, what did everyone think? Personally, the Olympics are my favorite time of year, that is, during the years that they actually happen. I'll go more into that in my next post. For now I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't actually fallen off the face of the earth. Marathon training is going well and is SUPER fun. Today was actually the first run that felt like a chore, but that's probably just because I'm running on stress and a lack of sleep...oops! But hey, that's college for ya.
To everyone who is going the mid-term season right now, keep on hanging on. You can do it! Just think, it's midterms and then you're pretty darn close to spring break. Yippee!! Is anyone doing anything special for spring break? I know it's weird to think about that coming so soon when there's still snow on the ground. Bleh.
Well, until next time, just keep swimming (or ice skating, at this point).
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Back to December
Hello All!
It's that time of year again! Yep, it's December and that means that finals are upon us. Cue the panic. For most, finals entail long nights of studying, writing papers, crying, stress-eating, coffee, and frantically trying to cram in those last assignments you forgot to do or the extra credit you need to bump your grade from a B to an A. There's no question about it, finals are stressful.
For me, this semester's finals means six new papers to write (one of which is 7 pages and another is 8-10 pages), two old papers to revise, lots of forum questions to answer, three actual exams to study for, two movies to watch, and a ton of research to do. Bleh. Needless to say, I've got a busy schedule and a hectic week ahead of me. I've already pulled more all-nighters in the last week than I have in my entire college career. Friday night I worked until 7 am on Saturday, slept for three hours then woke up and did more work until 5:30 this morning. My Sunday wasn't exactly as productive as my last two days (i.e. I veg'd out on the couch and watched football until 3:00 this afternoon before grabbing some Starbucks and working on yet another paper), but all in all I'd say I had a pretty successful weekend, homework wise. It's all about crossing things off the list and making sure everything gets done.
Of course, that doesn't mean we can neglect our health. Like I said in my last post, I tend to eat very little when I'm busy and stressed out, but what I do eat, is never good for me. Because I've been running on hardly any sleep for the last two days, my body has been craving sugary and fatty foods, like muffins and ice-cream, which admittedly I've been giving in to. Although, I did manage to fit in a workout today. This stationary bike routine from Self magazine is so great! I really worked up a sweat and felt so good afterwards. The best part? It only takes a half an hour. That's time anyone can fit in to a busy schedule! ;)
I'm not going to go on a long rant about how to snack healthily when studying or how to fit in a workout or eat well with a super stressful, crazy-busy schedule, but I will say this: for the sake of your own sanity, PLEASE TAKE BRAIN BREAKS! Sitting around for hours and hours doing nothing but homework and studying is just asking for a mental breakdown. So do yourself a favor, and give your brain the occasional break. For every hour that you study, give yourself 5-10 minutes of time to relax. Make yourself a cup o' joe; take a power nap; walk around for a bit; do some burpees. No matter what you do in those 5-10 minutes, DON'T think about finals. Just relax your mind. Anywho, you'll all have to bear with me as posts will be, if existent, sparse and very short until finals are over. Hopefully you guys have better finals schedules than I do!
Good luck to all and remember to just keep swimming! :)
It's that time of year again! Yep, it's December and that means that finals are upon us. Cue the panic. For most, finals entail long nights of studying, writing papers, crying, stress-eating, coffee, and frantically trying to cram in those last assignments you forgot to do or the extra credit you need to bump your grade from a B to an A. There's no question about it, finals are stressful.
For me, this semester's finals means six new papers to write (one of which is 7 pages and another is 8-10 pages), two old papers to revise, lots of forum questions to answer, three actual exams to study for, two movies to watch, and a ton of research to do. Bleh. Needless to say, I've got a busy schedule and a hectic week ahead of me. I've already pulled more all-nighters in the last week than I have in my entire college career. Friday night I worked until 7 am on Saturday, slept for three hours then woke up and did more work until 5:30 this morning. My Sunday wasn't exactly as productive as my last two days (i.e. I veg'd out on the couch and watched football until 3:00 this afternoon before grabbing some Starbucks and working on yet another paper), but all in all I'd say I had a pretty successful weekend, homework wise. It's all about crossing things off the list and making sure everything gets done.
Of course, that doesn't mean we can neglect our health. Like I said in my last post, I tend to eat very little when I'm busy and stressed out, but what I do eat, is never good for me. Because I've been running on hardly any sleep for the last two days, my body has been craving sugary and fatty foods, like muffins and ice-cream, which admittedly I've been giving in to. Although, I did manage to fit in a workout today. This stationary bike routine from Self magazine is so great! I really worked up a sweat and felt so good afterwards. The best part? It only takes a half an hour. That's time anyone can fit in to a busy schedule! ;)
I'm not going to go on a long rant about how to snack healthily when studying or how to fit in a workout or eat well with a super stressful, crazy-busy schedule, but I will say this: for the sake of your own sanity, PLEASE TAKE BRAIN BREAKS! Sitting around for hours and hours doing nothing but homework and studying is just asking for a mental breakdown. So do yourself a favor, and give your brain the occasional break. For every hour that you study, give yourself 5-10 minutes of time to relax. Make yourself a cup o' joe; take a power nap; walk around for a bit; do some burpees. No matter what you do in those 5-10 minutes, DON'T think about finals. Just relax your mind. Anywho, you'll all have to bear with me as posts will be, if existent, sparse and very short until finals are over. Hopefully you guys have better finals schedules than I do!
Good luck to all and remember to just keep swimming! :)
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Quad Day Color Run!
Yesterday, my school had a campus wide "Quad Day" complete with inflatable amusements, free food (Cherry Berry FroYo and Chipotle!) and a Color Run 5k! It was so fun! I ran the 5k with one of my suite mates, Amanda. We ran an 8:17 pace. Not bad for someone who usually runs 9:30 on her own. Since it was more of a fun run than an actual we race, we kept it comfortable and ran it easily. Amanda is a varsity cross country/track athlete on campus, so she definitely had to slow it down for me, but I appreciated her company nonetheless.
The Color Run was so much fun! I'd been wanting to do one for so long and I even thought about doing one over the summer, but I never got the chance. So when I heard that my school was going to be hosting their own color run, naturally I jumped on the opportunity. I showed up about a half an hour early so that I could get a free t-shirt. I didn't even have to pay a registration fee! They didn't throw color around during the race, but we were bombarded with colored powder at the finish. After we finished everyone was given a few bags of the color powder and we just attacked each other with it. It was so much fun! I got so many pictures!
My shoes are currently unrecognizable because of all the powder on them. But I Clorox wiped the crap out of them so they're slowly returning to their normal appearance as they dry.
Anyways, even if you don't like running, I would strongly recommend doing some sort of fun run. There are tons of different theme runs, like the Color Run, various mud and obstacle course runs, not mention costume runs. Many of these types of runs have 5 and 10k options. Participating in fun runs makes running more enjoyable, even for people that don't typically take pleasure in it. They also take away any pressure to run super fast or even to run the entire thing. If you need to walk, that's fine because tons of people are probably walking, just like you. Everyone just does these types of events for fun. It's a great and supportive environment. So if you currently hate running but think you might be interested in trying to get into it or if you just want to participate in a fun run, I'd encourage you to sign up for a Color Run! It's super fun and, of course, crazy colorful!
What's the most fun race/event you've ever done?
The Color Run was so much fun! I'd been wanting to do one for so long and I even thought about doing one over the summer, but I never got the chance. So when I heard that my school was going to be hosting their own color run, naturally I jumped on the opportunity. I showed up about a half an hour early so that I could get a free t-shirt. I didn't even have to pay a registration fee! They didn't throw color around during the race, but we were bombarded with colored powder at the finish. After we finished everyone was given a few bags of the color powder and we just attacked each other with it. It was so much fun! I got so many pictures!
My shoes are currently unrecognizable because of all the powder on them. But I Clorox wiped the crap out of them so they're slowly returning to their normal appearance as they dry.
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| Left Shoe = Cleaned Shoe; Right Shoe = Post Color Run |
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| After all the colorful festivities |
What's the most fun race/event you've ever done?
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Eating Healthy in the Cafeteria
Four weeks into the semester and I'm already sick of cafeteria food. Everyday is the same old same old; there's always pizza that's WAY too greasy, pasta with fattening sauce, and, of course, the entrée made of mystery meat and pickles. On occasion, the main food bar in my school's cafeteria serves something worthwhile and delicious (well, delicious by Sodexo standards), but for the most part, the food they serve on campus isn't quite up to par, especially when it comes to eating healthy.
Being on a college meal plan doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for pickiness. I try my darnedest to eat healthfully on a regular basis, but I'll admit that I cave to cafeteria pizza and the occasional cone of Froyo. Well, I'm tired of feeling guilty every time I eat in the cafeteria, so today's post is all about to eat healthy on campus.
For starters, when eating in the cafeteria, make sure to look around at ALL the options. I usually go straight to the vegetarian section, but if the vegetarian/vegan entrée doesn't look appetizing, I'll look around at all the other food bars. If all else fails, I'll just have soup (I stay away from the thick, creamy soups) and some hummus with pita bread. That's a pretty safe way to do things. We also have a make-your-own salad and sandwich bar in my school's cafeteria. There's almost always spinach at the salad bar and an abundance of vegetables, dressings (go for a non-fat vinaigrette), and other salad/sandwich toppings, so of course making your own salad or sandwich has the potential to be the healthiest option in the cafeteria.
Most colleges and universities have plenty of dining options outside of the traditional cafeteria. For example, beneath the cafeteria at my school, there's a small restaurant area that has Subway, Starbucks and Chipotle style dining along with an international cuisine line and a separate soup and salad line. So far, I've tried everything except the soup and salad bar. When getting something from a food line that doesn't allow you to serve yourself, it's best to choose an option with a lower fat content and load it up with fruits and/or vegetables and, of course, guacamole and hummus are never bad toppings. :) Of course, you can always choose to stay in and make your own food. When I eat in my dorm, I like to make oatmeal topped with fruit and cinnamon or I'll have some hummus with carrots and wheat thins.
I'll admit that eating on campus or in the dorms, especially when everything is self-serve, makes it harder to control portion sizes. To keep myself in check, I record everything that I eat on Map My Run. That way I'm less likely to eat to crappy foods or even overeat the healthy stuff, because I hate having to own up to three servings of chips or a large bowl of ice cream. I also track my workouts on so I can compare my calorie intake to the amount of calories I burn.
These are just a few tips to eating healthy on campus, most of which I'm sure you already knew. I'll probably have another post on more healthy campus options in the near (or not so near) future.
What healthy options do you have on campus?
Being on a college meal plan doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for pickiness. I try my darnedest to eat healthfully on a regular basis, but I'll admit that I cave to cafeteria pizza and the occasional cone of Froyo. Well, I'm tired of feeling guilty every time I eat in the cafeteria, so today's post is all about to eat healthy on campus.
For starters, when eating in the cafeteria, make sure to look around at ALL the options. I usually go straight to the vegetarian section, but if the vegetarian/vegan entrée doesn't look appetizing, I'll look around at all the other food bars. If all else fails, I'll just have soup (I stay away from the thick, creamy soups) and some hummus with pita bread. That's a pretty safe way to do things. We also have a make-your-own salad and sandwich bar in my school's cafeteria. There's almost always spinach at the salad bar and an abundance of vegetables, dressings (go for a non-fat vinaigrette), and other salad/sandwich toppings, so of course making your own salad or sandwich has the potential to be the healthiest option in the cafeteria.
Most colleges and universities have plenty of dining options outside of the traditional cafeteria. For example, beneath the cafeteria at my school, there's a small restaurant area that has Subway, Starbucks and Chipotle style dining along with an international cuisine line and a separate soup and salad line. So far, I've tried everything except the soup and salad bar. When getting something from a food line that doesn't allow you to serve yourself, it's best to choose an option with a lower fat content and load it up with fruits and/or vegetables and, of course, guacamole and hummus are never bad toppings. :) Of course, you can always choose to stay in and make your own food. When I eat in my dorm, I like to make oatmeal topped with fruit and cinnamon or I'll have some hummus with carrots and wheat thins.
I'll admit that eating on campus or in the dorms, especially when everything is self-serve, makes it harder to control portion sizes. To keep myself in check, I record everything that I eat on Map My Run. That way I'm less likely to eat to crappy foods or even overeat the healthy stuff, because I hate having to own up to three servings of chips or a large bowl of ice cream. I also track my workouts on so I can compare my calorie intake to the amount of calories I burn.
These are just a few tips to eating healthy on campus, most of which I'm sure you already knew. I'll probably have another post on more healthy campus options in the near (or not so near) future.
What healthy options do you have on campus?
Sunday, September 8, 2013
School Year Kickoff
As the regular NFL season begins, so does the academic year. Friday I finished up my second week of my sophomore year of college. Since I've been on campus I've gone on approximately 6 runs, 10 bike rides, 1 swim, and have made several trips to the on campus gym. I have taken only two rest days and I feel better than ever. Thursday, I joined my friends for a bike ride uptown where there was a "Light the Night" event where everyone biked uptown for free bike tune-ups, LED bike lights, live music and free food. The key word in all of that was "free." I love free things! It was a really fun event and the band was great! I should try and find out who they are.
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| As you can see, Kirsten and I were the only ones concerned for our safety. ;) |
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| Live Band at Light the Night |
While the workout scene at school has been pretty dandy, the cafeteria has not been on a winning streak as far as the food goes so I've mainly been eating my own food. That's not for lack of options, though. Over the summer, my school spent over a million dollars renovating the "Underground" (the area underneath the cafeteria) putting in hardwood floors, granite countertops, a soup and salad bar, sub shop and an international cuisine food bar. There's also a Starbucks-esque café, complete with a Freshens frozen yogurt stand (I treated myself to my favorite peanut butter protein shake the other day). Not to mention the Titan bar and grill on the other side of campus that we can eat at.
Aside from the food, though, the first couple of weeks on campus have been pretty good. I love all of my classes so far, though I'm still waiting for a couple of books to arrive. My teacher's aid job has started as well and working with all the little children makes me so happy! I just know that this is going to be a great year!
More pictures, posts, and stuff about health and fitness to come, but for now, I'm going to watch the first regular season Packers' game of the season! Go Pack Go! ;)
Friday, September 6, 2013
Thirsty Thursday IS a Thing.
For all of you who haven't started college yet or for those of you who have but have not yet had the pleasure of living across the street from a frat house, I can tell you that "Thirsty Thursdays" are officially, a real thing. At about midnight last night, raging music started blaring from the Sigma Chi house across the street. People were yelling, or at least talking really loudly, and there were lights shining all over the house. Lucky for me, I was laying in bed, listening, before giving up any hope of sleep and writing this post.
Not to be a cynic or a party pooper or anything, but I've never understood the appeal of "Thirsty Thursday". Don't you have homework to do? Don't you still have another day of classes, and lectures, and paying attention and taking notes? Why would you want to get trashed the night before only to feel hungover and sluggish during your classes the next day? Maybe it's okay on the weekends when you can spend the rest of your time lounging around and sleeping in. I don't know. I'm definitely not judging anyone that partakes in this weekly "holiday." I just don't get it. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. Who says you can't have fun before the weekend? And for those of you who can get through a full day of classes like a pro the day after a night of drinking, I take my hat off to you. I know I definitely couldn't.
I hoping tomorrow's post will be more upbeat, once I've had about twice as much sleep.
Not to be a cynic or a party pooper or anything, but I've never understood the appeal of "Thirsty Thursday". Don't you have homework to do? Don't you still have another day of classes, and lectures, and paying attention and taking notes? Why would you want to get trashed the night before only to feel hungover and sluggish during your classes the next day? Maybe it's okay on the weekends when you can spend the rest of your time lounging around and sleeping in. I don't know. I'm definitely not judging anyone that partakes in this weekly "holiday." I just don't get it. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. Who says you can't have fun before the weekend? And for those of you who can get through a full day of classes like a pro the day after a night of drinking, I take my hat off to you. I know I definitely couldn't.
I hoping tomorrow's post will be more upbeat, once I've had about twice as much sleep.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Home Suite Home
Well, school has officially started now and I am finally completely moved in and readjusted to on campus living. This year I'm living in a suite with seven other girls. There's no kitchenette but there is a nice living area where we all hang out, have [health] food parties ;), girls nights, and watch football on our big screen TV. It's a pretty good arrangement.
Several of the girls living in my suite are varsity student athletes and had to arrive to campus a few weeks early to begin training with their respective sports teams. A couple of other girls are theatre majors and needed to be here a few days early for the semester's auditions. Everyone else moved on the first available move in day for normal students...except for me. I waited until the last possible day to move in because, although I tried to make it otherwise, I was not prepared to head back. The week leading up to move in day was hectic. Just when I thought I had gotten everything packed and bought everything I needed for my new living arrangements, I would remember something else that I had forgotten and still had to get. So naturally, I waited until there could be no more waiting before I shoved all my belongings into the back of my van and headed off for campus.
Since I was the last one to arrive to my new university home, I was bombarded with excited, girly, greetings from all my friends/suite mates. I walked in to find my room already set up nicely (courtesy of Kara, the best roommate ever!), a "welcome home" sign scribbled on the suite whiteboard, and several pieces of my artwork from my May term class hanging in the living room.
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| Reunited...at Cornfest. (I'm not in the picture) |
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| My van was stuffed nearly to the ceiling! |
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| Suite (sweet) friends! |
After my parents and I unloaded the van and got my room somewhat organized, we headed to dinner at Tobin's, a local pizza joint near campus that has been around since the 60's! It still serves it's original pizza and has that old town, close community feel to it. When we finished up, my parents took me to Target to grab a few last minute groceries, then we said our goodbyes and I returned to my suite to relax and finish my unpacking.
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| Dorm room kitchen, complete w/ the Easy Mac essentials. |
I'm really looking forward to this year and the new experiences and healthy inspiration it will bring me. Hopefully I'll be a more consistent blogger, too. I guess only time will tell. For now, though, just keep swimming. :)
Friday, August 16, 2013
What Time is it? School Time!
It's getting to be that time of year again. You know what mean. The time when kids spend as much time as humanly possible out of the house and when you can find frantic moms desperately digging in the one cent notebook and folders bins at Staples. Yup, it's back to school time, and for some of us that means it's time to pack up all of our favorite belongings and move into a small, cramped dorm room. Come next Saturday, I'll be packing my stuff into my minivan and starting my sophomore year of college. Woohoo!
Whether it's your first year at college or you're a returning student, packing up and moving out of your home and into a dorm (or apartment) can be a pretty stressful time. As I'm sure many of us can agree, when our schedules are packed it can get kind of difficult to fit in a workout and grabbing a McDonald's hamburger always seems so much more convenient than making a meal. However, it's still important to make sure that we're fueling our bodies with the proper nutrition and getting in at least 10-15 minutes of exercise a day.
I don't know about you, but I'm definitely a list maker. On a busy day, I like to write down all the things I need to do so that I know what has to get done. That way, I can see exactly what I need to do for the day and check off the things I've already accomplished. And I ALWAYS make sure to include a workout on that list. Even if I don't have to time to go for a run or make a trip to the gym, I know that I can still do my own workouts at home. There are plenty of quick, no equipment workouts that you can do in your home and are available online. I like to find some on Pinterest, but I also like to make up my own. When I only have ten minutes to spare, I give the following workout a quick go and carry on with the rest of my day:
2:00 High Knees
1:30 Plié Squat Jumps
1:00 Alternating Forward Lunges
0:30 Wall Sit
2:00 Jumping Jacks
1:30 Burpees (w/ tricep pushup and jump)
1:00 Plank
0:30 Boat/ V-sit
Even when I'm crunched for time, I still like to make sure that I'm eating properly, so I always keep my cupboards stocked with quick and healthy food options. When you have a full day ahead of you, plan your meals out beforehand. Try a simple menu, something like this:
Breakfast:
1 serving Oatmeal w/ cinnamon and fresh fruit
Glass of water
Lunch:
1 Morning Star Black Bean Burger on whole wheat bun
1 serving hummus w/ carrots and cucumber
Glass of Water
Dinner:
Strawberry Mango Salad
Glass of water
Hopefully your back to school shopping and moving experience won't be too hectic. I sure hope mine won't be! But with a positive attitude (and a nice, stress relieving workout) ;) I think it'll be just fine. Good luck to everyone in the 2013/14 school year!
Whether it's your first year at college or you're a returning student, packing up and moving out of your home and into a dorm (or apartment) can be a pretty stressful time. As I'm sure many of us can agree, when our schedules are packed it can get kind of difficult to fit in a workout and grabbing a McDonald's hamburger always seems so much more convenient than making a meal. However, it's still important to make sure that we're fueling our bodies with the proper nutrition and getting in at least 10-15 minutes of exercise a day.
I don't know about you, but I'm definitely a list maker. On a busy day, I like to write down all the things I need to do so that I know what has to get done. That way, I can see exactly what I need to do for the day and check off the things I've already accomplished. And I ALWAYS make sure to include a workout on that list. Even if I don't have to time to go for a run or make a trip to the gym, I know that I can still do my own workouts at home. There are plenty of quick, no equipment workouts that you can do in your home and are available online. I like to find some on Pinterest, but I also like to make up my own. When I only have ten minutes to spare, I give the following workout a quick go and carry on with the rest of my day:
2:00 High Knees
1:30 Plié Squat Jumps
1:00 Alternating Forward Lunges
0:30 Wall Sit
2:00 Jumping Jacks
1:30 Burpees (w/ tricep pushup and jump)
1:00 Plank
0:30 Boat/ V-sit
Even when I'm crunched for time, I still like to make sure that I'm eating properly, so I always keep my cupboards stocked with quick and healthy food options. When you have a full day ahead of you, plan your meals out beforehand. Try a simple menu, something like this:
Breakfast:
1 serving Oatmeal w/ cinnamon and fresh fruit
Glass of water
Lunch:
1 Morning Star Black Bean Burger on whole wheat bun
1 serving hummus w/ carrots and cucumber
Glass of Water
Dinner:
Strawberry Mango Salad
Glass of water
Hopefully your back to school shopping and moving experience won't be too hectic. I sure hope mine won't be! But with a positive attitude (and a nice, stress relieving workout) ;) I think it'll be just fine. Good luck to everyone in the 2013/14 school year!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Bootcamp!
Have you ever tried a bootcamp class? If not, then you are really missing out on a fun, difficult, exercise experience that will leave you dripping with sweat and feeling super accomplished. If you have, then you know how difficult and just how fun it is. My school offers free fitness classes for students and community members to attend during the week. Among those classes are yoga, Pilates and bootcamp! Bootcamp is a super duper amazing class!! This week, we did really challenging circuit that we repeated three times and did with a partner. My friend, Selena, and I were partners and by the end of class, we were dying. It was awesome. If you've never tried a bootcamp before, I'd recommend looking into it and going to at least one local class. You won't regret it!
So far my May term workout schedule has been pretty consistent and pretty darn successful. I may not be losing weight right now, but I can definitely feel a difference in my fitness level. I run every morning and always do at least fifteen minutes of strength training after my run. I also took a belay class at a local climbing gym, which landed me a free two week membership so I've also been climbing everyday with my friend Meaghan. Rock climbing is another thing that I would recommend giving a try. It is so fun and rewarding. The more you go, the faster you improve. I started climbing being super out of shape two weeks ago, shaking and struggling my way up a 5.6 (the easiest level wall to climb) and now I'm climbing 5.8s and they don't feel super difficult! It's amazing how much your body can do and how quickly it can adapt. I already feel my arms becoming more toned (again! yay!).
I also laced up a new pair of running shoes and said good-bye to my old sneakers. :( They served me well and I got about 200 miles out of them (so many miles!). But on the bright side, no more shin splints for Kelsey! Yay!
So far my May term workout schedule has been pretty consistent and pretty darn successful. I may not be losing weight right now, but I can definitely feel a difference in my fitness level. I run every morning and always do at least fifteen minutes of strength training after my run. I also took a belay class at a local climbing gym, which landed me a free two week membership so I've also been climbing everyday with my friend Meaghan. Rock climbing is another thing that I would recommend giving a try. It is so fun and rewarding. The more you go, the faster you improve. I started climbing being super out of shape two weeks ago, shaking and struggling my way up a 5.6 (the easiest level wall to climb) and now I'm climbing 5.8s and they don't feel super difficult! It's amazing how much your body can do and how quickly it can adapt. I already feel my arms becoming more toned (again! yay!).
I also laced up a new pair of running shoes and said good-bye to my old sneakers. :( They served me well and I got about 200 miles out of them (so many miles!). But on the bright side, no more shin splints for Kelsey! Yay!
Well, time to go grab my laundry from the wash machines!!
Monday, May 13, 2013
I'm Back!
Hello again! I sincerely apologize for the long silence. As I'm sure you can imagine, trying to keep up with a blog and study for finals is a tad bit difficult. I hate to admit it, but during my hiatus, I skipped a total of seven days of exercise. I'm not proud of it. But, alas, I am back and ready to be committed to my health (and this blog) just in time for summer!!
With finals done and May term (three weeks focusing on one, daily, three-hour class of your choice) just beginning, my stress has diminished and my fitness is slowly increasing. For May term this year, I am taking a portrait photography class and a jogging class (to get a P.E. credit out of the way). It is really great because my exercise time is already built into my day, I have to do it, it's fun and is very independent. After my run on Friday morning, I stayed in the athletic center after class to do this killer workout. My legs are still sore from it!!! Give it a try!
Set your timer for fifteen minutes and see how many times you can through the circuit in that time.
1. Bosu Ball Squats: Stand on a Bosu ball so that your feet are on the flat part and the ball part is on the floor. Find your balance and go into a deep squat, making sure the flat part of the ball does not tilt to the floor. Return to start. Do twenty reps. To make it harder, do one-legged squats on the Bosu ball. Do ten on each leg. To make it easier just balance on the ball for thirty seconds.
2. Mountain Climbers: Get in push up position, making sure that your back is flat and your body is in a straight line. Push your right knee up to meet your right elbow. Quickly push your right knee back and bring your left knee to meet your left elbow. That's one rep. Repeat thirty times. To make it easier hold a plank for thirty seconds to a minute. To make it harder cross opposite knee to opposite elbow.
3. Hexagon Lunges: Stand with feet hip width apart. Lunge forward with your left leg until your knee is at 90 degrees and your right knee is an inch from the ground. Return to start. Lunge to the left, bending your left knee to 90 degrees and pushing your hips back to keep your knee from going over your toes. Return to start. Lunge backwards with your left leg until your knee is an inch from the floor. Return to start. Repeat each lunge with the right leg and do the entire set five times. To make this set easier just do ten regular lunges on each leg and repeat five times. To make it harder add a jump after each lunge.
4. Moving Burpees: Stand on a line, with feet hip width apart. Go into a deep squat, making sure your hips are back, your legs are at 90 and your knees don't go over your toes. Jump forward and quickly push your feet back and place your hands on the ground, under your shoulders so that you are in push up position. Do a push up. Jump your knees in between your arms and jump back to start. Repeat ten times. To make it harder, jump vertically immediately after the push up, before jumping backwards to start. To make it easier take out the push up or do it on your knees.
5. Plié Squat Jumps: Stand with feet wider than hip width apart, toes pointing out. Squat down so that your knees are at 90. Squeeze your butt and jump straight up, pointing your toes down towards the ground. Return to start. Repeat twenty times. If these squats are too hard just do regular squats. If these are too easy try doing them with dumbbells.
In other news, my portrait photography class is really interesting. I'm learning so much from it. We're not using the greatest of cameras but I learned how to develop film and make prints in a dark room. It was such a cool experience. I plan on spending many hours in the dark room and making tons of interesting prints. Maybe I'll have a nice portfolio put together by the end of the class. We shall see.
Happy swimming!!
Kelsey
With finals done and May term (three weeks focusing on one, daily, three-hour class of your choice) just beginning, my stress has diminished and my fitness is slowly increasing. For May term this year, I am taking a portrait photography class and a jogging class (to get a P.E. credit out of the way). It is really great because my exercise time is already built into my day, I have to do it, it's fun and is very independent. After my run on Friday morning, I stayed in the athletic center after class to do this killer workout. My legs are still sore from it!!! Give it a try!
Set your timer for fifteen minutes and see how many times you can through the circuit in that time.
1. Bosu Ball Squats: Stand on a Bosu ball so that your feet are on the flat part and the ball part is on the floor. Find your balance and go into a deep squat, making sure the flat part of the ball does not tilt to the floor. Return to start. Do twenty reps. To make it harder, do one-legged squats on the Bosu ball. Do ten on each leg. To make it easier just balance on the ball for thirty seconds.
2. Mountain Climbers: Get in push up position, making sure that your back is flat and your body is in a straight line. Push your right knee up to meet your right elbow. Quickly push your right knee back and bring your left knee to meet your left elbow. That's one rep. Repeat thirty times. To make it easier hold a plank for thirty seconds to a minute. To make it harder cross opposite knee to opposite elbow.
3. Hexagon Lunges: Stand with feet hip width apart. Lunge forward with your left leg until your knee is at 90 degrees and your right knee is an inch from the ground. Return to start. Lunge to the left, bending your left knee to 90 degrees and pushing your hips back to keep your knee from going over your toes. Return to start. Lunge backwards with your left leg until your knee is an inch from the floor. Return to start. Repeat each lunge with the right leg and do the entire set five times. To make this set easier just do ten regular lunges on each leg and repeat five times. To make it harder add a jump after each lunge.
4. Moving Burpees: Stand on a line, with feet hip width apart. Go into a deep squat, making sure your hips are back, your legs are at 90 and your knees don't go over your toes. Jump forward and quickly push your feet back and place your hands on the ground, under your shoulders so that you are in push up position. Do a push up. Jump your knees in between your arms and jump back to start. Repeat ten times. To make it harder, jump vertically immediately after the push up, before jumping backwards to start. To make it easier take out the push up or do it on your knees.
5. Plié Squat Jumps: Stand with feet wider than hip width apart, toes pointing out. Squat down so that your knees are at 90. Squeeze your butt and jump straight up, pointing your toes down towards the ground. Return to start. Repeat twenty times. If these squats are too hard just do regular squats. If these are too easy try doing them with dumbbells.
In other news, my portrait photography class is really interesting. I'm learning so much from it. We're not using the greatest of cameras but I learned how to develop film and make prints in a dark room. It was such a cool experience. I plan on spending many hours in the dark room and making tons of interesting prints. Maybe I'll have a nice portfolio put together by the end of the class. We shall see.
Happy swimming!!
Kelsey
Monday, April 22, 2013
TOMS!! (and other news)
This weekend I received my very first pair of TOMS shoes. It
was the most exciting package I have ever opened. Ok, it’s the most exciting
package I’ve opened since arriving back at school. I ordered the classic white
pair so that my friend can decorate them for me. I’d decorate them myself if I
had the artistic ability, but unfortunately I don’t, so I’ll be leaving my TOMS
and acrylic paint in the care of my dear friend, Meaghan.
I got a tad excited
for my new shoes.
With my new TOMS comes finals. Ew! I’ll be studying my butt
off all week for them and crossing my fingers for good grades. With all the
studying and stressing, there’s going to be limited time for exercise, but I’ll
be allotting myself at least an hour each day to squeeze in a workout and allow
myself to de-stress.
Speaking of de-stressing, this past weekend, I went downtown
with a couple of my friends on Saturday afternoon and we discovered a bunch of
cute little stores that we love. There’s a small grocery co-op that has all
this great healthy food. I bought organic applesauce, whose only ingredient is
apple! No added sugar or artificial flavors and purely delicious! Now, there’s
a snack I can be guilt free about!
Kirsten, Danielle, and I downtown!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Out of the Chair and Into the Rain
So today ended my four day streak of not working out. I finally pulled my butt off of my desk chair, laced up my Asics, and headed into the rain for a four mile run with my friend and running partner, Rachel. She's a great person to run with because we're both about the same speed and she's willing to talk to me during the run. I feel that talking, even if it's difficult, during your runs makes them so much more enjoyable.
Anyways, because it is April in the midwest, it was raining during our run. It was a light, cooling rain for most of the run, but there were a few parts of it when it started to pour. By the time Rachel and I got back to the dorm we were soaked, head to foot. It felt good, though. Rain runs are truly the best! Here's what what we ran in:
In other news, I had a wonderful weekend. I went out for the first time this entire semester. It was a good time. My friends and I danced like crazy fools. I mean, they danced and I mostly bobbed and watched. I'm not really the going out type, although, I must admit that Saturday was more fun than I would have otherwise guessed. The theme of the party was "sundresses and slacks" so the girls and I dressed in our summer best (ok, not really, but we put on sundresses) and headed out into the cold for a fun night out.
Anyways, because it is April in the midwest, it was raining during our run. It was a light, cooling rain for most of the run, but there were a few parts of it when it started to pour. By the time Rachel and I got back to the dorm we were soaked, head to foot. It felt good, though. Rain runs are truly the best! Here's what what we ran in:
Spring Weather in the Midwest
In other news, I had a wonderful weekend. I went out for the first time this entire semester. It was a good time. My friends and I danced like crazy fools. I mean, they danced and I mostly bobbed and watched. I'm not really the going out type, although, I must admit that Saturday was more fun than I would have otherwise guessed. The theme of the party was "sundresses and slacks" so the girls and I dressed in our summer best (ok, not really, but we put on sundresses) and headed out into the cold for a fun night out.
The Girls and I in our Sundresses!! :)
And now that I've gotten my partying done for the semester, time to study for finals! Yuck!
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