13.1 and beyond

Howdy, friends!

I ran my second half marathon this weekend! Two friends from college and I ran the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half Marathon this past Saturday, and what an experience it was! Despite the early training runs, late nights when I could think of nothing I'd rather do less than train, and all the aches and pains I developed, I have to say it was all worth it. Crossing the finish line with my two girlfriends was just simply a triumph.

Me, Liz, and Jenny before the race!

Just because I am who I am, one of the things I've been thinking about lately is: OK, you completed your second half marathon...what's next?! If you've been reading this blog, you know that I have been thinking about doing a fitness competition. Now that half marathon training is officially over, I have no more excuses! I'm planning to spend this coming week researching coaches who can guide me through the physical as well as the nutritional part of the process. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to what the next several months have in store for me!

And on that note, I wanted to share a little combination workout with you. I put this together on a whim for a friend who's interested in building strength and guarding against some of the aches and pains whose frequency increases in direct proportion to age (it's such a cruel, cruel trick that nature plays on us!)


I try to incorporate some strength training in every workout that I do, and do at least 3 full-on strength workouts each week. It's my favorite way to break a sweat, and I love the results! I'm going to recommend that my friend complete this workout 2-3 times per week, and that she mix and match the strength-focused parts into her mainstay, steady-state cardio workouts, as well. If you want to try the following, as always, talk to your doc before adding anything new to your fitness regiment, and modify the reps/weight/sets to fit your fitness level. You should see progress in a few weeks time and be able to increase your resistance and reps as a result!

1) Start out a 15-minute cardio warmup, courtesy of a great blog, Fitness and Feta

2) 3 sets of 12-15 reps squat press 1ith 5-10lb dumbbells
3) 3 sets of 12-15 reps bicep curls with 5-10lb dumbbells
4) 3 sets of 12-15 reps trip dips off roman bench
5) 60-second plank
6) Side planks: 15 reps on each side with arm extended straight out towards the ceiling (for a bonus oblique burn, rotate your torso towards the ground, bracing your core to maintain balance, as you loop your extended arm under your body, performing a scooping motion. Return to start and repeat with each rep.)
7) 3 sets of 15 reps reverse lunges (i.e. step back with left leg into lunge, return to start; repeat with the right leg, return to start; that's one rep)
8) HIIT (high intensity interval training) circuits: These are designed with little to no rest in between exercises to raise the heart rate quickly and burn tons of calories. Do 2-3 rounds of the set of 3 exercises, and rest 1 minute between rounds)
          a) Jumping jacks
          b) High knees
          c) Mountain climbers

9) Abs training (2-3 sets): a) Reverse crunch (15 reps) b) Bicycles (20 reps on each side) and c) crunch and hover (15 reps-slooowwwww). Crunch and hover: lie on your mat with your elbows in line with your ears. Breathe in, and pull your knees towards your chest as you lift your shoulders off the ground to crunch. Return to the starting position, but keep your upper and lower body elevated slightly off the ground. Then, return to a crunch. Repeat.)

I hope you enjoy this workout. If you try it, leave a comment and let me know what you thought!

-Hilary