“You gain strength, courage, and confid
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face”. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Uberlibrariana
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Turbofire Review Series: Fire 45
The following is part of series. For an introduction to the series as a whole, please see this post.
Fire 45 Description:
This is quickly turning into one of my favorite and most used Turbofire workouts. It contains 3 Fire Drills: One is kind of early on, and then the last two are back to back repeats of the same one.
Some of the memorable songs include: Boom, I got your boyfriend!(which seems to be everyone’s favorite with this one), Wiggle It (Just a Little Bit) and Proud Mary (Tina Turner version) in the second and third Fire Drill.
Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with any of the other tunes in this workout, but I did enjoy the music quite a bit. Once again, the music and moves go together really well.
Difficulty:
This workout is really not too hard to learn. The choreography is pretty simple, in my opinion.
Intensity (from 1: laying on the couch to 10: I’m about to puke in a bucket):
I have been doing my Turbofire workouts low impact most of the time, since I alternate them with running and feel like I need a little rest. I found that this one is kind of hard to keep intense while still keeping it low impact. There are a lot of jacks, air jacks, and ski/runs. It’s hard to keep the intensity up on ski/runs while just marching. So, I feel like I get a pretty strong, solid, workout, but I don’t feel like it’s as intense. So, I’ll say for low impact modifications, it’s about a 5 -7, and those who go full out can probably edge close to 10 during the Fire Drills.
Other thoughts:
My favorite part (as I’m sure it is for most people) is the Boom I got your boyfriend section. The music and moves go perfectly together, and I find myself singing along. (I do these workouts most of the time with my baby daughter in her exer-saucer in front of me, so I tend to ham it up to keep her entertained!)
Stay tuned for more reviews, and if you have done any of these workouts, please add your thoughts..
To your health,
Sarah
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The Elusive 4-miler…
I know I am capable of running 4 miles. I really am. But, I have had a 4 mile run on my calendar for weeks, and have yet to accomplish it. Let’s review:
Saturday, January 8: It snowed and was very windy. I don’t have any of those fancy winter underwear things, so I was hesitant to run outside. I tried to run on the treadmill, and had a terrible run that only lasted about .5 miles before I gave up.
Saturday, January 15: After a week off due to snow, ice, and coughing, I skipped the run this day because I was still feeling yucky.
Saturday, January 22: I am bitten by a dog after 1.5 miles.
Today I had wanted to do a 4 miler at the track, but I had a hard time. I am tired, my leg is still sore, and I’m generally just not at the top of my game. Plus, I could barely stand the track today…
[Going off track - get it?-here to complain about the track:
I am all for people going to the gym and getting healthy. I love this. Please, go to the gym and do something for yourself. But learn the rules of the track first. 1. Everyone goes in the SAME DIRECTION! 2. Do not walk slowly side by side! 3. The outside lane is for running! 4. When you pass someone, please don't try to cut them off.
At least no one tried to bite me though... okay, back to the post...]
What is the block I have? Why can’t I just run 4 miles? It’s not that long… Good grief…..
So, today I did about 2.5 miles. I decided to save the 4 miler for later in the week. But, it will happen before the end of this month! Preferably outside. Without blood.
And when it happens, you’ll hear it here first. There will be great rejoicing!
The Day a Dog Tried to Derail My Marathon Plans..
Last night, I pretty much made the decision to run the White Rock Marathon in December.
Given my history, I was expecting challenges. I was ready.
I went out today for 4 mile run. It was cold. I had a rough start, but kept going. I planned to go slow to get the distance in.
I had planned to go all the way down the street and back twice- each way was a little over a mile, so the whole thing would be a little over 4 miles. By about 10 minutes in, I felt good. I was proud of what I would accomplish.
So, after turning around I’m running downhill, feeling good, when this little, harmless looking beagle comes out from between some houses. The dog went into another yard, and I thought that may even have been it’s home, so I kept going.
Suddenly, the dog started running after me. I just thought I would run faster, but it caught me and took a big chunk out of my leg. I yelled obscenities starting with “What” and “the”.
For a brief moment, I considered shaking it off. I had to turn and scream at the dog to get it to leave me alone. I looked down and there was blood and a little skin. I figured I’d better limp home.
I called my husband (thank goodness I always have my phone since it’s my music player) and told him what happened and that I was on my way home. He met me at the door and took a picture (I won’t share it- pretty bloody), cleaned it off, and then we loaded the kids in the car and went to look for the dog before going to the ER.
Here’s a pic I took in the waiting room:
Anyway, after a long day in the ER, I finally made it home (thanks to the help of some good friends), got a tetanus shot, some antibiotics, and we’re putting off the rabies shots until they observe the poor beagle.
We did find the dog’s “home”, and the people there claimed it was a stray they were just feeding. The way they acted towards the dog, it was obvious they didn’t care about it. They even said they were going to take it to the pound to get put down.
It’s a sad situation. I don’t want to be the cause of a dog’s death, but at the same time, what if that had been one of my kids? I don’t want that dog terrorizing our neighborhood.
I thought for a minute it was another obstacle in my running career, and I was highly irritated I didn’t get my 4 miles in today, but I talked myself out of that kind of thinking quickly. I think if I rest for a few days, I can pick back up with the running. And, I’ll probably have to carry some pepper spray….
Here’s the last shot I’ll make you look at. It could have been worse 
A Full Marathon in 2011?
A few days ago, I posted about all the obstacles that have “postponed” my endurance running dreams, and my plan for this year.
One of the activities I listed was that I wanted to run the Dallas White Rock Marathon (FULL) in December.
I realized, though, that right now, it’s just a concept. The Country Music Half Marathon, which is April 30, is a definite. I’m training for that. I’m doing it. No problem. But, I am not sure if I’ve committed to White Rock all together.
It’s a little less than 11 months from now. I think I can train for 26.2 in that time. I’ll do the half in April, then there’s another half in September (Nashville Women’s Half) and October (The Middle Half) and even November (The Nashville Half Marathon)… but there’s not another full marathon until Country Music 2012.
All these other races don’t require much travel, just a short commute. But going to Dallas would mean flying in and spending at least one night there, away from my kids, but with family (since it’s home to me). That’s a big commitment.
So, right now, I’m leaning towards planning for it. I tell myself with 11 months to prepare, I can make it happen.
Plus, as I said before, I’ve wanted to do this race for years. It would definitely be a big accomplishment.
So, I’m asking everyone- should I do it? Should I go for it?
I would love feedback…
To your health!
Sarah
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Whoa. Parenting: A Love Letter for My Children
Today I want to talk a little about being a parent.
Before I had kids, I dreamed of having them for many years. I certified in prenatal yoga and fitness, so I felt totally ready to be pregnant. Whenever I saw a baby, my uterus hurt. I wondered for a few years if I had missed my chance, since I had waited until my 30s.
I had absolutely no idea what it would be like to be a parent.
In January 2007 I found out I was pregnant. I was surprised in a way, because I’d almost given up. In April, I found out I was having a boy, and suddenly it became real. And scary. I had no idea how to be a mom of a boy.
But then, I fell in love with him. And, as he grew, and went through the stages, and really did turn into a crazy boy (he’s 3 now), I loved him more every day, even when he drove me insane. I look at this child sometimes and feel my heart breaking because I love him so much (and I realize that may sound strange).
I had the urge to have more kids, and I wondered if it would happen Again, I thought I may have waited too long. But, at age 35, I found out baby number 2 was on the way. Oh, and this one had all that “Advanced Maternal Age” stigma attached to it. I worried and worried, but had another problem free pregnancy… I found out a girl was on her way, and felt like my dreams had come true.
So here I am, the mother of 2 children, and I feel incredibly blessed, but also incredibly responsible. Some days, I think, “What on earth am I doing with 2 kids? Who decided I deserved that kind of responsibility?”
But (and here’s where I come back to fitness), I am determined to teach them. As a child, I was terrified of exercise. Both my parents smoked, and as a musician, my “sport” was practicing piano. I remember the issues I had as a young girl… self-esteem, eating disorders, body image… and I am determined to do what I have to to keep my children from feeling that way. Well, I know I can’t protect them from everything, but I can give them the tools and the confidence to deal with it.
One of my favorite days so far was when I took my son with me to the Borodash on Thanksgiving 2010. Our family friend was there to watch him while I did the race, and he was at the finish line saying, “Go Mommy!” He still talks about “Mommy, you took me to a race!”. I want both of them to watch Mommy set goals, and achieve them, and know that they are truly capable of anything.
So, I admit that I do these things selfishly. I love races. I love working out. I love losing weight and looking good. But, really, in my heart of hearts, I hope that what I’m doing is teaching my children to strive for more.
So, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.
Kids, Mommy loves you!
Who am I?
Mommy, librarian, fitness fanatic, coach, control freak, spiritual, avocado-fan.
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