PopSugar Fitness 30 Day Challenge Combo

30 Day Challenges have always appealed to me. I don't have to think about them. I wake up, I put on clothes, I look at the list, and GO! Who wouldn't love that?! Squats, push-ups, crunches, planks, cardio... these challenges are everywhere.

I wanted to speed up my fitness progress so I decided to combine a few of my favorites from PopSugar Fitness. This printable covers four areas - push-ups, crunches, squats and planks.

You can find the originals below with instructions on each movement.
Push-Ups
Crunches
Squats

Download the combination chart here!

I found that it's best to start with the planks and then do the other three in the order of your preference. This also makes an AMAZING warm-up to do other exercises. I do this before runs, kettlebell workouts and even yoga. Give it a shot!

Find more inspiration and workouts on my Fitness Pinterest board.

7 Tips for Running a runDisney Race

My goal this year was to run a race.  A real, bonafide race.  And since I love Disney so much, the choice was obvious.  I recently completed the TinkerBell 10k at Disneyland and learned a thing or... seven along the way.  Here are my 7 tips for running a runDisney race.

1.  Hydrate
I know, I know.  You hear this from everyone, but seriously, nothing takes the magic out of the happiest place on earth like dehydration cramps, getting sick or much worse.  Even if it's not hot out, you need to be properly hydrated.  Start daaays before.  Not the day before.  Not two days before.  You should become Flounder that week.

2.  Get into Character
All those people dressed as princesses driving you nuts?  Well, maybe you're too much of a curmudgeon for a Disney run.  Find your inner child, drop the "too cool for school" act and make/buy a costume.  Last minute, I put together my tutu from lightweight fabric and while not a full costume, I'm so glad I looked the part!  Take this opportunity to be silly and fun.  And trust me, if you don't go over the top, your costume won't affect your pace.  Speaking of pace...

3.  Decide: Speed or Experience
When developing your training plan, decide: Are you running for speed or experience?  runDisney races offer a lot - a killer course through the parks, entertainment, a unique experience.  However, you can't PR and stop at every character to take a picture.  Pick one or the other.  Have a game plan.

4.  Arrive Early
The parks are loaded with people.  Give yourself plenty of time to park, walk to the pre-race celebration, use the restroom, stretch, and most importantly, get to your corral.  The corrals are massive and the staff packs people in pretty tightly.  Try to be at the front of your corral.

5.  Outside then Inside
Start the race on the outside of the group, then work your way to the middle.  The beginning of races are usually crowded and slow.  My first mile was over 15 minutes because I couldn't break through the crowd.  If you're running, stick to the outside for the first mile or so until the crowd thins out.  You'll be able to pass the walkers more easily and keep your pace reasonable.  Once you're in stride, move to the middle.  Walkers will (hopefully) stick to the edges, but never to just the left or just the right, so for easier navigation, go right up the middle.

6. Smile!
Disney photographers are everywhere.  Standing at a turn or mile marker.  Sitting on the ground.  Most of the time you won't see them until you see the flash go off - so let those endorphins take over and keep a smile on your face!  ESPECIALLY at the finish line!

7.  Register Early
Sold on doing a race?  Register early.  Sign up for runDisney emails so you're the first to know when registration open.  The TinkerBell 10k filled up in five days after registration opened.  Gotta be quick!

Have you run a race?  What are your tips?

Have fun and good luck!

TinkerBell 10k - aka Wings Earned!

After sixteen weeks of training, race day week finally arrived.  I made the short trip out to California from Arizona and was completely focused on my goal.  I had set a personal goal of completing the 6.2 miles under one hour and fifteen minutes.  That meant I had to run an eleven minute mile.  I was determined to do it.

Two days before the race, I visited the runDisney Expo with my friend to pick up my race packet and explore.  As to be expected, Disney has people moving down to a science.  Picking up my packet was painless and getting through the expo easy.  I couldn't believe the number of people there and the buzz.  Everyone was legitimately excited to be there and run.  Seriously... we're all crazy.

At the expo, I was fortunate to find the missing piece to my race day outfit, which is really what the expo was all about.  I bought this incredibly appropriate shirt for my run.

You can purchase it here, along with many other Disney-themed run apparel (yes, there's Star Wars too!).

Before I knew it, race day was upon me.  With my support crew in tow, we headed to Disneyland at 4:00 am.  I was ready.

I won't give you the mile-by-mile summary but I will tell you, Disney doesn't lie.  Every mile was magical.  The race route was really well planned and there were characters/musicians/supporters at every turn.  It was the most distracted 6.2 miles of my life.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - the race was worth every penny.

And how did I do?  See for yourself!

Not too shabby!  Plus I looked cute and got an AMAZING medal!

I was so happy to complete my first runDisney race.  In fact, I've already agreed to run the January Star Wars Half-Marathon with a friend!  I can't wait!

Earning My Wings :: Training Week 13

Week 13 was spent getting back on the horse, working out like a normal person and not a crazy person.

 I went easy on my knees by doing elliptical and cycling workouts.  I also spent more time toning and doing yoga to strengthen up those important muscle groups.

I know everyone is crazy about kettlebells these days.  Don't get me wrong - I do enjoy them and see the virtue in them.  However.  Howeveeeer.  Nothing is better than good ole dumbbells.  I would encourage anyone who is looking to tone up fast to drop the kettlebells and work with dumbbells.  I have found them to be, legitimately, the more effective tool.

That being said, after a great series of workouts, I took a little break in sunny San Diego for some relaxation.  Not a single work out was completed and I'm okay with that.

 My return to real life also brought on the beginning of Tone It Up's Bikini Series.  This is an annual 8 week moderate-to-intense training schedule to tone up your entire body.  Training Week 14 will be full of more details... including a Before picture.  Oh boy.

 Until then... keep moving forward.

Earning My Wings :: Training Weeks 11 & 12

 and

Leading into Week 11, I made an agreement with someone close to me.  I'll do 5k a day running or 10k a day cycling for 14 days straight.  The agreement was made to ramp up our fitness levels and while, due to circumstances beyond their control, they were unable to complete the challenge.  I, however...was not able to either.

Why?

Allergies.  Stupid springtime.

So how far did I make it?

10 days.  10 workouts in a row doing either a 5k run/elliptical (have to give those knees a break) or 10k cycle.

I'll be real.  It was exhausting.  I had to be sure to change my diet because I was burning so many calories and I was perpetually sore.  But...my body felt great.  I hit a 10:00 mile with great ease and now I really understand why cross training is so important.  I've immediately noticed a change in how running feels.

Unfortunately, Arizona is heating up, which means the pollen is coming out to play.  Ugh!  On day 11, I couldn't walk outside without my eyes watering up and had to take allergies pills, which severely dehydrated me.  Unfortunately, that put a temporary halt to my challenge and I've resumed regular workouts this week.  I'm really glad I did it though!

So what am I most proud of?

Until next week... keep moving forward!

Earning My Wings :: Training Weeks 9 & 10

 and

The past two weeks have flown by!

My training in Week 9 was in preparation for my first 8k - ever!  I was really intimidated by the distance and the heat.  Arizona's "spring" is really an aggressive jolt into summer and the temperature was rising quickly.

I went out to Glendale for the 5th Annual Kiss Me I'm Irish Run.  I couldn't believe how many people were there!  Over 2500 runners - all waiting to get their morning run done in exchange for free green beer.  The route was diverse, though crowded.  I had to take a few walking breaks but I powered through with a pace I was really proud of.

Completing this 8k has really built up my confidence for my 10k in a few weeks.  The distance doesn't seem so scary anymore, although running in the heat does.  I'm focusing on getting more runs outside done as the temperatures increase to condition myself to that environmental challenge.

In Week 10, I focused on toning my body up.  Lots of weight workouts and short distance runs.  I'm trying to be cognizant of varying my workouts and keeping my body agile.

I also participated in a basketball shoot-out competition at work, during which I tanked in fashion.  Doesn't matter how fit I am - I still suck at basketball.

So what am I most proud of?

Weeks 11 and 12 come with an interesting challenge.  I'll probably double up that post intentionally as it will tell a complete story.  Stay tuned... it's ridiculous...

Earning My Wings :: Training Week 8

Well, I'm halfway there.

The past week focused on resetting my eating habits and working out... a lot.  I actually did two workouts a day.  Crazy, right?  The reason why may surprise my friends.

I've always been a strong critic of crash diets, slim down plans, "get skinny quick" solutions though I have never actually tried one.  So, deciding not to be a hypocrite and embrace the "Don't knock it until you've rocked it" philosophy, I planned to follow the Tone It Up 5 Day Slim Down.  I chose this specific slim down because I trust Tone It Up and it seemed manageable.

Last Sunday, I did all the prep work, took my measurements and my "Before" picture, and braced myself for the coming week.  Honestly, it seemed really intimidating to completely change the way I eat for a week while adding in an extra workout every day (first thing in the morning).

Here's what I learned...

1.  I really love working out in the morning.  Sure, going to bed at 8:00 PM is difficult, but the benefits of working out first thing in the morning can't be disputed.  I felt more energized, accomplished and after the first two days, it didn't seem optional.  After only two days, it was part of my morning routine.
2.  Eating 5 small meals a day is incredibly manageable.  A little bit of prep work goes a long way.  I'm not talking about cooking all your food on Sunday night and filling up 8,000 tupperware containers.  Really, all you need to do is make a meal plan for the week and get your grocery shopping done.  Half the battle is knowing what you're going to eat first before hunger kicks in and you make poor decisions.  Also helpful - having an alarm to remind you to eat.  I programmed my Jawbone to buzz me when it was time to eat, but you can have your cell phone alert you just as easily.
3.  On the topic of food, you have to really love healthy food to get through a slim down menu.  Like... really love veggies.  Otherwise, you're going to suffer.
4.  Working out twice a day - not nearly as exhausting as you would think!  By the time I was done with work, I was ready to run or do yoga.  Something to shake out the rest of the day.
5. Be very careful with these slim downs!  Tone It Up's plan puts you in the position of a 1000 calorie a day DEFICIT, which is why they don't recommend doing them more than 3 times a year.  By the time Thursday came around, I found that I was slightly impaired.  My thought process was a little fuzzy and my reaction times were way off.  Don't worry - I fixed that with a Snickers.  I'm kidding, of course.  I added more protein than recommended and had just a few carbs to rebalance.

So how did it end up?  You tell me...

Definitely an impact.  I didn't lose a significant amount of weight - which is fine by me.  But I did tone up - losing about an inch off every measurement.  Even better, my eating habits are back on track and I learned a ton about my body.

I'm happy to be back to my normal healthy eating (with some modifications due to lessons learned) and focusing on my running for an 8k on Saturday.

Until next week...

Earning My Wings :: Training Week 7

I spent the majority of the past week at a conference for work.  While my eating habits took a small detour (so much chocolate in those goodie bags), I am proud to say that I remembered to work out doing cardio and toning exercises every day.

Working out at the conference was rough though.  Not because of the early hours or the soreness.  The air quality.  Unfortunately, the fitness center was on the second floor of the hotel, which was open to the attached casino.  The second-hand smoke created quite a challenge while I was ramping up my heart rate on the cardio machines.  I powered through but my muscles didn't feel so great afterwards.  Oh well.

 I was excited to hop back on an elliptical and rowing machine.  I don't utilize my apartment's gym very often so it's been quite a while.  What felt best was doing something other running or HIIT sessions.  Shaking it up really gave me my groove back.

At this work conference, we received some amazing gifts, one of which being a Jawbone UP.  I never thought I would like having a fitness tracker.... and then I got one.  Truly I'm in love.  I like the way it tracks my activities and specifically how easy this one is to use.  It also syncs well with other apps, like RunKeeper, to make tracking easier and less cumbersome.

If you have an UP, add me to your team via my Twitter handle jen_evans_.

Going into this week, I decided to give Tone It Up's 5 Day Slim Down a try to get my nutrition back on track.  You have to purchase their Nutrition Plan to get the details but essentially it creates quite a slice in calories, while upping your workout time and focusing on fuel (not feeding time).  After three days of meetings with a goodie bag filled with candy, my body needed a non-detox detox.  I'm not much for diets, but my body felt gross and felt like it needed a reboot.  I'll let you know how it goes next week.

So what am I most proud of this week?  I'm really proud of myself for completing my workouts despite being at a work conference, which is the adult excuse for being super lazy.  Go me!

Catch you next week!