Break a Sweat: Motivation

Every once in a while (a lot) I have a hard time motivating myself to get out and exercise. The funny thing is, it’s during those days that I get the best workouts! Why is that?

During my i-just-don’t-feel-like-it days, I often ask myself what my motivation to exercise is. Here are the things that have been motivating me:

1. Time for me. I have to make “me” time a priority, otherwise I end up taking care of everybody and everything - kids, husband, house, callings, kids’ recreational activities, work and so on – and then there is no time to take care of myself. Selfish? Maybe. But I have a hard time being a good and happy mommy and wife when I don’t feel good about myself. And exercise makes me feel good and happy, which bring us to…

2. The way I feel after a workout. I love the endorphin release and the adrenaline rush. It makes me feel happy, relaxed, calm, and less irritable. I was thinking about this just yesterday. I had a really rough day c/o my kiddos. By the end of the day I was pretty grumpy and on the verge of tears. When Scott got home, he packed the kids in the car and we headed to the pool. He watched the kids and let me swim laps and get all my frustration out. When I was done, I was a new person. We were a happy family again. I love him for that, by the way. He knows exactly what I need.

3. It’s fun. I will only do it if it’s fun. I like running, I’ve been really enjoying swimming and biking lately. I like kickboxing. I do a Zumba class every once in a while. I do it because it’s fun and I enjoy it. Exercise should be fun! If you’re not enjoying it, try a different activity.

4. How I’m going to look. Yes, I’m shallow like that. I picture a slimmer, fitter, sexier me and let that visual drive me.

5. Workout buddy. Best motivator ever! I know I’m going to get out of bed bright and early when I know someone is waiting for me. I had a workout buddy in Vegas when I was training for my first half marathon. I loved doing it with a friend. It made it so much more fun and we motivated each other. Mandy, are you reading this? I miss you!

6. Fitness magazines/books. This is kind of a random one. Every once in a while I get a free subscription to a fitness magazine (would never pay money for it) or check out some fitness books from the library. I like reading through them. It makes me want to get out and a break a sweat or try a new workout.

7. A race. I like signing up for races - 5K, 10K, half marathon, triathlon, whatever. Once I’m signed up, there is no backing out of it. It’s a great motivation to train. Then when you are done, that sense of accomplishment will be an even greater motivator. Each accomplishment is followed by greater ability, greater resolve, and greater motivation.

8. Being held accountable. Post it on your blog, tell your family or friends. I don’t know about you, but if people know that I’m doing a race or set a goal for losing weight, I’m pretty determined to see it through. If you have somebody to report to, you’ll make it happen.

What are your motivations?

Go break a sweat now!

Love, D.

Herriman Black Ridge Triathlon

We did it! We did our first triathlon this last Saturday. It was so much fun. I loved it! I have to admit I was so worried about it and was having some major anxiety attacks over it. But in the end it was a lot of fun. I’m happy to report that I did kick Scott’s bum…in the run only… He pretty much creamed me on the bike and the swim. I was so proud of him. He did awesome! Especially considering he hardly had any time to train at all. I liked doing an open water swim, even though most people seemed to hate it. Both Scott and I did it way faster than we ever did in training. The bike course was a hard one with a super long steep hill that just about killed me. I pretty much spent the entire time going up that hill in prayer, begging for help. It was truly a miracle that I made it up. It was brutal. But it was done and I was excited to get off that bike and start running. Running is my thing after all. I was really counting on gaining some ground during my run. Ha! Little did I know how hard it is to run after you’ve already exhausted yourself with swimming and biking. Your legs feel like jello. It took all the will power and mind control I had in me to run those 3 + miles. I just kept chanting to myself “I will not walk, I’m a runner, I can do this, I will not walk”. I just about burst into tears running across that finish line… and straight into Scott’s arms. I just loved doing a race with him. It was the sweetest feeling.

I'm not going to lie, it was hard. But it was worth it. The adrenaline rush of a race is exhilarating. The people are so nice and encouraging, even the ones you are passing. There is a feeling of unity and accomplishment and triumph that is worth every second of pain. You come out a more humble and stronger person. You gain a great appreciation for our amazing bodies that can do hard things.

We got home and started looking up other triathlons in the area that we can do. Next up, Bountiful Labor Day Triathlon.

Anyone want to join us?

Break a Sweat: How to boost your metabolism

Metabolism is often associated with weight loss. We often talk about people with fast and slow metabolisms. But what does it really mean and can we increase our metabolic rate? Metabolism is the name for the process by which the body converts what you eat and drink into the energy needed to power everything you do, from breathing and thinking to moving and growing. In the simplest terms, metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories. So if your metabolic rate is high, you are burning calories even when you aren’t working hard at the gym. A low metabolic rate means that you are burning less calories (and at the slower rate) than you are consuming, which causes you to gain weight.

There are a few factors that affect our metabolic rate and we can’t do a darn thing about it, such as gender, age, and genetics. Men generally have faster metabolism simply because they have greater muscle mass. That’s just how it is girls, no reason to fret about it. Let’s move on now. Our metabolism slows down with age, but only so slightly. No using that as an excuse! You can inherit your metabolic rate from previous generations, but it doesn’t mean we are doomed. Although, those factors cannot be changed, lifestyle and fitness level can be altered to speed up your metabolism.

Here we go then…

1. Exercise regularly. This one is a no-brainer. Exercise burns calories. Walking, running, swimming, biking, yoga – anything that gets your heart rate up, really - increases the energy your body requires, which in turn increases your metabolism. Even after you stop exercising, your body will burn calories at a faster rate for several hours afterward.

2. Do strength training. Muscle burns more calories than fat. So a person with greater muscle mass will burn calories at a higher rate that the person with lesser muscle mass. An added bonus, intense exercise like weight lifting (and interval training – last week's topic) burns calories well after you’ve stopped exercising. It is often referred to as the “afterburn” effect, and it can last for up to 24 hours.

3. Eat frequent small meals. Instead of our standard three big meals, eat 5 to 6 smaller, healthy meals a day. DO NOT ever skip breakfast. Eating a healthy snack first thing in the morning is a great metabolism booster. Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day!

A little side note: This is from personal experience. No matter how much or how hard you exercise, if you’re eating like crap, you will not lose weight or will lose very little. In my opinion, proper nutrition (not diets – I hate diets and I don’t believe that they work long term) is the key to your weight loss success. I’m not saying forget exercise. I am saying, don’t neglect your nutrition.

4. Drink water. And plenty of it. This is the one I struggle the most with. I just simply forget to get a drink until I feel thirsty. But by the time our body is telling us it’s thirsty, it’s already dehydrated. Every cell in the digestive system requires water to metabolize food properly. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. One interesting fact I read about a little while back is that when we’re thirsty sometimes we confuse it with being hungry and we reach for something to snack on instead f getting a drink. So drink some water first, and then see if you’re still having that hankering for a snack. More often than not, a drink is all you needed.

Go break a sweat now!

Love, D.

References:
www.MayoClinic.com
www.WebMD.com
www.Livestrong.com
www.Sunwarrior.com

Break a Sweat: Intervals

I’ve been really wanting to start a series about exercise and, maybe, nutrition. I feel like I need to mention that I am no athlete or a nutritionist for that matter. I did learn my share about nutrition at nursing school and I’ve done a lot of research on it. I like to feed my family healthy meals. I’m not always successful but I try anyway. I also like to exercise. Well, if we’re being completely truthful here, I like how I feel after I exercise. Who actually likes to exercise? With that being said, I like to run and I like trying different and new workouts. I thought it would be fun for me to document different workouts I’ve tried or want to try, whether I liked them or not, any results I’ve seen, maybe some healthy recipes that my family enjoys. Mostly, I’m hoping that having to post something every week we’ll keep me motivated to live a healthy lifestyle. And, perhaps, I can inspire someone along the way. We’ll see how it goes. I’m calling the series Break a Sweat. I’ll try posting once a week.

Let’s give it a try this week, ok?

Since I probably know most about running, that’s what we’ll discuss today. In particular, running intervals. When I first started running, the only thing that I cared about was getting my miles in. I worked up to running long distances and I was happy with that…for a little while. Then I started getting bored. I wasn’t improving either at my speed or at losing weight (and I did still have a few pounds to lose). I felt like I’ve hit a plateau (topic for next week?). The outcome? I quit running. But truth be told, I missed running and I couldn’t wait to be able to get back into it again (I was pregnant at the time). When I was finally cleared to exercise, I got on the treadmill, ran 2 miles and decided I’m never quitting running again. It was exhilarating (I have to add that it was probably due to the fact that exercise was one of the main things that got me through losing a child. I attacked it with a vengeance. It made me feel happy when I thought it wasn’t possible. It kept me sane. It was my drug of choice.)

I knew I needed to do something different this time around. One of my goals right now is to improve my speed. So I did some research and what do you know, the best way to improve your speed is incorporating intervals – or periods of intense exertion followed by periods of recovery – into your workout. There are a lot of benefits to doing interval training, some of my favorite are:

1. Running intervals helps alleviate boredom. Score! This was my biggest problem. Doing intervals really does help. You’re changing things around all the time. Plus, pushing your body to its limits requires all your determination and focus. Trust me, boredom will be the last thing on your mind.

2. Running intervals can improve your speed. Score again! Your body becomes conditioned to run faster as you increase your speed for a short distance, then slow down and allow your body to recover, and then run fast again. When you learn to run at high-speeds over short distances, you’re eventually able to sustain a faster pace over long distances.

3. You’ll burn more fat running intervals. There has been many studies done that had proven that incorporating speed intervals into a workout burns three times as much fat as exercising at a steady pace for twice as long. If you’ve reached a plateau in your weight loss effort, and I did even though I was running over 20 miles a week, intervals is a great way to break through that.

4. Interval training increases endurance. Let’s get a little technical here. We have two energy producing systems: the aerobic and the anaerobic. The aerobic system uses oxygen to create sustained energy fueled by carbohydrates. This is the system that allows you to run long distance. The anaerobic system draws energy from glycogen stored in the muscles, which provides short bursts of activity. It doesn’t require oxygen and results in the production of lactic acid, which is what makes you feel that burn during the workout and soreness after the work out. Well, running intervals works both systems. I don’t know how detailed I need to get here. Basically what happens is lactic acid builds up as you increase the intensity, then the body breaks down the lactic acid and uses it as fuel during your recovery phase. What does it mean for you? You can exercise at a higher intensity for a longer period of time before your muscles get fatigued and you are forced to slow down. In other words, it increases your endurance.

There are more benefits to interval training, but these four are the most valuable ones to me. I haven’t been doing intervals for very long, but I have noticed a difference and improvement in all 4 points mentioned above.

Here’s the interval workout I did today. I hit the gym today, so I did it on a treadmill. I didn’t have a ton of time before I had to take the kiddos to their swimming lessons. It took me 30 minutes but I felt like I got a great workout.

- Warm up: 5 minutes. Start with brisk walking then end at your comfortable pace (mine is at 10min/mile, on the treadmill it’s at a 6 (6 miles/hr)).
- 10 minute speed drill: Add speed 10 times, once every minute. (ex: 6.1 – 7.0)
- 5 minute easy walk or jog (I ran it at my comfortable 10 min/mile)
- 10 minute climb: Start on a 0 and add one level of incline every minute (.5 - 5)
- 5 minute easy walk or jog/cool down (I ran it at my comfortable 10 min/mile, then walked for few minutes and stretched)

Then I was out of time. Ideally, I would repeat the drills again. But it was a great workout anyway (adapted from http://healthymamahappymama.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/10/)

If you don’t have access to a treadmill - no problem. My favorite interval to do when I run outside is to pick a landmark, like that gigantic tree a block away, or the blue trash can, or the bottom of the hill, and sprint for it like my life depends on it, then slow down and recover for 5 minutes or so, until you feel like you’re ready for another all-out sprint.

Give it a try. Incorporate some interval training into your workouts. I guarantee you will feel and see results!

Go break a sweat now,

Love, D.

my race...

I ran the Utah Valley Half Marathon this last Saturday. It was awesome! I kind of got burnt out from training for it and was saying that it will be my last half marathon. But after actually being there bright and early, running that beautiful course, feeling the adrenaline rush, and crossing that finish line feeling strong, convinced me otherwise. There will probably be many more half marathons to come. But for now… Herriman Black Ridge Triathlon here we come! The race is at the end of July and Scott is doing it with me, along with some friends of ours. I’m super excited to do a race with Scott. Well, mostly I’m excited to kick that cute little bum of his on race day. That’s if I can survive the swim…

"Last day of preschool EVER!"

Today was the last day of Benjamin's preschool. He kept telling me all excited, "Mom, today is my last day of preschool EVER". He loved preschool, but he is SO exited for kindergarten. In fact, he keeps complaining of having to have a summer break. Silly boy! It's been fun to think back to two years ago when he was just starting preschool. How much he's grown, how much he's learned. I can't believe I'm going to have a kindergartner. My baby is reading, starting to write, doing additions and subtraction and all sorts of things. What? What happened to my helpless baby boy that needed me all the time. Sheesh, at this rate he'll be driving and moving out before I know it.

During their preschool program Ben was asked what he wants to be when he grows up. This kid cracks me up. He said, "I want to be an alien and an electrical engineer like my daddy. He is not an alien, just an electrical engineer. But I want to be an alien electrical engineer." I bet you could be whatever you set your mind on, kiddo! We're so proud of you!

*A little clarification - he sometimes confuses astronauts with aliens. He really meant to say he wants to be an astronaut electrical engineer.

First day of preschool - 2 years ago

Last day of preschool - today

mother's day

Mother's day was a hard day for me this year. Another post, another day...maybe...
But my sweet boys tried so hard to make it really special for me. And they did. Thank you! Ben gave me a questionnaire that he answered about me in his preschool. It makes me laugh every time I read it.

What is your mother’s name?
Diana Hardy

How old is she?
I don’t know, I think she’s 40.

What is her job?
She always goes to the store, do laundry. She makes us food.

What is her favorite food?
Lettuce

What does she do when you are at preschool?
She goes to store, library, gym.

What makes your mom happy?
When I behave and listen to her.

What is your mom’s favorite thing to do?
Have fun and play with us.

Why do you love your mom?
Because she is cute.


I made sure he knows that I’m 28 and not 40 (you know, in case somebody else asks). I let the lettuce thing go :o)

So just for fun, I asked Andrew all the same questions, and this is what he said…

What is your mother’s name?
Mommy

How old is she?
2

What is her job?
Cleaning dishes

What is her favorite food?
Orange

What does she do when Ben is at preschool?
Go to gym

What makes your mom happy?
When I not hit Benjamin and kids

What is your mom’s favorite thing to do?
Eat shrimps

Why do you love your mom?
Because I love Mommy

Sweet boys. I just love my little peanuts.