Remodel Day 2

The hole in the wall is gone. All of the wall paper is removed and there is tile where the shower is going to be. Major progress today!


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How to Train a Spartan

Crossfit Instructor Shaun McCraryThese series of posts are ending soon. The #spartanrace is quickly upon us now! It's time to taper off and begin to rest and nurse any sore muscles. I was hoping to get more running in this week but it's not working out that way for me. Today my husband joined me! It was nice to actually bring him into my world even if it was for only 45 minutes. He did well considering it was his first time but you KNOW I rocked that work out. Whoot. Let's talk warm up! 200m row, 10 air squats, 10 push ups, 10 ab mats, 5 pull ups (100 lb. assistance) 10 dislocates, 30 second table stretch. That is all done twice!

For time! Here's the work out of the day. 21-15-9 of shoot throughs, plate v-ups (25lbs.) and pull ups (21 with 100 lbs of assistance and 15 & 9 reps were completed with 140 lbs. of assistance). My time 9 minutes and 3 seconds. Heck yes! I'm a huge fan of pull ups after having 140 pounds of assistance. It was like flying I tell you. It's a full body extension with sort of a bungy cord feel to it. It was great to feel like I was accomplishing something like pull ups. I don't care that I had assistance. I was rocking it! Let me see if I can find a clip to show you what some of this looks like. Here are shoot throughs.

Below is a very short clip of using the bands that assist you when doing pull ups.

 

And that is the end of today's Spartan Training! We are down to 3 days until race day. AROO!

Until next time on...How to Train a Spartan

The log program on the 100/200/200 is being squirrely today so I'm going to log my maximums here. This should be interesting after crossfit today. I'm on week 3 of the program. Here's the work out.

Push Ups: Week 3 - Day 2, 3rd column (I'm on my knees!)

set 1			20
set 2			25
set 3			15
set 4			15
set 5			max (at least 25) - My Max "good form" 30

Squats: Week 5 - Day 2, 3rd column

set 1			27
set 2			27
set 3			32
set 4			32
set 5			24

set 6  24

set 7  30
set 8 max (at least 63) - My Max 130

Sit Ups: Week 5 - Day 2, 3rd column

set 1 30 set 2 30 set 3 36 set 4 36 set 5 27 set 6 27 set 7 33 set 8 max (at least 70) - My Max 80

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How to Train a Spartan

E.A. Smith YMCA Boot Camp Instructor   Dexter SmithWarm up! Spider Man push ups. I have to tell you that those are some of the hardest push ups for me to do. Let me see if I can find a clip to show you. Yep, I'm serious check this out. If you can do them then hats off to you!

Then we did some mountain climbers and then ? I can't remember??? squats??? I can't remember. Then we headed outside for sprints. I couldn't do sprints today. I've got some issues with my leg. Dex says the same thing happened to him and it's just conditioning that it should clear up. *sigh* I don't like functioning at 75%. We headed back in for lots of weight lifting. We did windshield wipers with our legs, bench presses, military presses, arm curls, rows and dead lifts. Many rounds of this and then we did the usual trash talk! B Team against B Team. What's up with that? The earliest heat is called the "Elite." Obviously it's for the super awesome athletes. We grouped ourselves up as B Team against B Team. If you are friend of mine on Facebook you will see the team rivalry trash talk going on. We decided we would meet up on Sunday morning to caravan to the race together. Some of the other members of the B Team were talking about taking me out! Can you believe that? rofl... It's on. So since most of us are from the YMCA and work out together 3 times a week, you can just imagine the year long bragging rights for which ever team finishes first! The team that wins will get to hang their shirts or numbers or something! It's gonna be madness. I'm hoping to get a water proof disposable camera. I'm not sure how to get shots during the race. After all we want to beat the other teams time. I'll figure it out though. It's gonna be awesome. I can't wait to write a follow up post after the race. I just want to let you know if all this training helped. I'm sure there are some things you just can't prepare for but I'll be sure to blog that too. There are only 4 days left until race day AROO!!

Until next time on....How to Train a Spartan



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Remodel Day 1

It's hard to get the full picture of the entire bathroom. Maybe I should switch to a vlog for this one. Either way, you sort of get the idea. Everything is gone except the wall paper. That could take a while. There is a ton of wall paper. The bathtub is being framed. That's all I've got for today. It's been nearly 4 weeks without our bathroom. Can't wait to have it back in action.



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Wordless Wednesday - T-Ball

Take me out to the ball game!

Somebody broke into her brother's baseball bag.

Looks like she's ready to play!

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How to Train a Spartan

 I spent this morning with Hiro Otani in #TaeBo class this morning. The last thing you want to do is miss a week of this class because her ab section is brutal. Mine were burning! Yes, on FIRE I tell you. I was happy to be back and run into my good friend Jackie. We had a great workout. I ran and met a friend for a quick smoothie at Star Bucks, the one with whey protein.


Crossfit Instructor Shaun McCraryThen it was time for crossfit action! Warm up: 10 air squats, 10 push ups, 10 ab mat, 10 GHC back extensions, 10 dead lift stretches and do it all twice. Now for the work out: hang on to your hats this is madness. Minute 1 20 dead lifts with 65lbs. Minute 2 20 push ups (Good form - NO knees) Minute 3 rest (thank you God!) Minute 4 20 dead lifts with 65 lbs. Minute 5 25 push ups (again good form - No knees) Minute 6 rest (control your breathing!) Minute 7 20 dead lifts with 65 lbs. Minute 8 30 push ups (again good form - No knees) Minute 9 rest (one more round! you got this) Minute 10 20 dead lifts with 65lbs. Minute 11 (good form till I hit 17 and then I DROPPED to my knees) finishing out to 35 push ups Minute 12 rest.
Me - I did it, I completed the work out. The penalty for not finishing any one of the goals was 300 single jumps with a jump rope. I could have ended up jumping tons but I didn't. I completed the workout with no penalties and in good form. So since I was such a rock star today I won't get to do any more knee push ups. I'm capable of at least 30 good form. I'm also going to move up in weight that I lift because I was busting out the dead lifts with time to spare. WHAT?????????? Amazing. Then I met up with a member of the B-Team and we hit the trails for an hour walk/run.

Now you know why I don't want to do the 100/200/200 program tonight! I'm tired.

The log program on the 100/200/200 is being squirrely today so I'm going to log my maximums here. This should be interesting after crossfit today. I'm on week 3 of the program. Here's the work out.

Push Ups: Week 3 - Day 1, 3rd column (I'm on my knees!)

set 1			14
set 2			18
set 3			14
set 4			14
set 5			max (at least 20) - My Max "good form" 30

Squats: Week 5 - Day 1, 3rd column

set 1			49
set 2			54
set 3			40
set 4			32
set 5			max (at least 54) - My Max 110

Sit Ups: Week 5 - Day 1, 3rd column

set 1			54
set 2			60
set 3			45
set 4			36
set 5			max (at least 60) - My Max 110

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How to Train a Spartan

Thanks again Matthew Johnson owner of FuryShirts.com for my super cool Spartan race inspired t-shirt. Can't wait till they go on sale in October so I can buy some for the family. My boys think it's so cool. Next week I plan to throw out some scale numbers to the #Mamavation crew. This photo was taken today and yes, I'm still considered medically obese. I'm still training and getting stronger every day. It would make it a lot easier if I wasn't trying to haul so much weight around when I'm trying to run but I'm working on it. Now on with today's training!

My morning was with crossfit trainer Shaun McCrary from Crossfit Unity in Seabrook, Texas. Aroo! Three classes of crossfit and 1.5 inches off of my hips. My hips haven't seen a significant decrease since April. I'm dealing with a whole new set of numbers. Can't even believe it! On to the warm up: 400m run, 10 over head stick squats, 10 push ups, 10 ab mats, 10 GHD back extensions, do it all twice!

Um, I did my warm up and I was waiting on other people to start the work out. Really? me in a crossfit gym waiting on other people to start. Who am I? rofl...

On to the workout: "The Lumber Jack" 55lbs. 5 bar hoists, 10 lever presses (5 on each side), 15 lumber jack squats, 5 over head squats and a 200m run, do it all 4 times! I have to tell you that by the time you get to the run part your legs are like J-E-L-L-O! It was TOUGH. I finished in 10 minutes 44 seconds. There was a woman there today who was having a hard time with her breathing and she was not having a good work out. When I was done she finished her 2nd round. I could have left but I stayed with her and helped her finish it out. I didn't have to but I couldn't help but want her to finish. Most of her problem was not so much her breathing but what she was telling herself.

It's hard
I don't think I can do it.
I can't breath right.
I'm just...negative...negative...negative.
Be like Hiro Otani and Just Do It! Don't think about it, just do it.

I'm a newbie all the way, this is my fourth class. She told me that she has been doing this for 6 months. She wanted some attention today. She wanted a little extra push. Shaun is a trainer. He tells you what to do and you do it. Is it hard? Yes!!!! You know that going in and expect it. If you don't think you can do something, guess what? YOU CAN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!  You can't breath right? You are in control of your own breathing. It's all focus. Although I had Greg Durham holding my hand through breathing techniques. What you tell yourself is what is most important. You have to be your biggest cheerleader. Everyone has an off day and some days you need that "echoing ego" that says "You can do this!" Today I was this woman's "echoing ego" and I stayed with her and lifted, squatted, ran/power walked and breathed with her. She told me she wished I was there every day she went. Honestly, I'm glad I'm not because I can't work out like that. I need to be around people that are stronger, faster and who push me to do better. I don't want to bring any one down being negative. It's hard enough some days getting through a work out. The last thing you want is to have to constantly build someone else up. It must come from within for the most part and the other part, you hope you have good work out buddies to help you get through those days when you aren't feeling it. I'm double dipping today! I'm going to boot camp with Dexter. After all I'm obese and in the Spartan Race. I'll be back to let you know what happens today.

I've returned with not so great news. I was suppose to meet a friend this morning for crossfit. We made the plan last week but she couldn't make it and I didn't get her message until after I got back from the work out. That left me working out twice today. I always go to boot camp because that's where my work out buddies are during the week. This would be the reason for my "double dipping." My team mate Cameo injured her quadricep during our soccer game today. Please send prayers her way that she heals during the week!



E.A. Smith YMCA Boot Camp Instructor   Dexter SmithToday's warm up felt like the dirty thirty! 30 push ups, 30 sit ups and 30 squats? I forget. Then we hit the great outdoors. We ran the soccer field twice. My runs are really not great these days. I feel so sluggish when I run. We did 50 lunges and ran 2 more laps around the soccer field. Then we did 50 broad jumps (mine look more like bunny jumps) and ran 2 more laps around the soccer field. We did more stuff but I can't remember and we split up into teams and played more soccer. That's all I've got for today.

Until next time on...How to Train a Spartan





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A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM

If you read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine

Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my husband  purchased me a week of personal training at the local health club.
Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.
I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Chris, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.
Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Chris waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god-- with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile.  Woo Hoo!!
Chris gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Chris was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!
________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.  Chris made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it!  My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile.  His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!  It's a whole new life for me.
_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it.  I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals.  Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
Chris was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members.  His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Chris put me on the stair monster.  Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators?  Chris told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life.  He said some other s*** too.
_______________________________
THURSDAY:
A**hole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl.  I couldn't help being a half an hour late-- it took me that long to tie my shoes.
He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.  He sent some skinny b**** to find me.
Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine-- which I sank.
_________________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that bastard Chris more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic, little aerobic instructor.  If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.
Chris wanted me to work on my triceps.  I don't have any triceps!  And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher.  Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?
________________________________
SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today.  Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel..
________________________________
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over.  I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun-- like a root canal or a hysterectomy.  I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Send this to a friend who needs to laugh.  We all need a good laugh


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#Mamavation Monday

Bringing on #crossfit #mamaguns #spartanrace - So many challenges and nothing but training over here. BIG congratulations to Joanna of @way2gomom for being the Sista of the Week! This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Pete Cohen and his new nutritional program.

Weekly Mamavation Goals - 

1.  #fruitnveggie challenge. Get 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 
2. Water challenge. Strive to drink more water. Some moms are striving to drink half their body weight in water. For instance if you weigh 180, strive to drink 90 ounces of water per day.

My Goals -

• The long term goal 50lbs. by the end of the year.
• The short term goal 4 lbs. per month. 
• January - 4 pounds lost = goal met.
• February - 5 pounds lost = goal met.
• March - +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• April - 2 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• May - 3 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• June - 0 gain/loss = goal NOT met.
• July  - +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• August - 2 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• September- +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• October

My Work Outs - Higher Gear - Spartan Training
Monday -1 HR PM Boot Camp
Tuesday - 1 HR AM Crossfit, 100/200/200 Challenge
Wednesday - 1 HR PM Boot Camp
Thursday - 1HR AM Crossfit, 100/200/200 Challenge
Friday -  1 HR PM Boot Camp, Run
Saturday - 1 HR PM Crossfit, 100/200/200 Challenge
Sunday -30 min PM Walk/Run

Scale Reading -
0 lb. loss. I'm amazed. I was doing nothing but kicking abs and taking names this week. I didn't meet my goal again this month but...on Friday of last week I sent this message to my crossfit trainer on Facebook.

"I'm thinking that I must have been at a plateau or something because today I feel different. I can tell that 2 classes of crossfit did something different to my body. You know I've done boot camp, yoga, running, tae bo, spin, swimming and circuit training. None of that has made this BIG of a difference, I'm shocked actually. My clothes fit different today. It's the first time I can tell there is weight loss. I didn't jump on the scale because I do my weigh ins on Monday but I think I'm going to be very pleased with the results this week. Nicely done Shaun!"

You can imagine my surprise when the numbers on the scale didn't move!!!!!! - So I broke out my measuring and tape and this is what I found.

Measurements -
Chest = +1
Waist  = -.5
Hips = -1.5
Legs = same
Arms = -.5

Whoot! See ya hips....



Stress Level -
It doesn't seem to let up each week. The only way I handle stress is by working out. My house has become the most stressful place to be. There is no peace here. I have to leave to get my head together. It's overwhelming.

The UP side -
I'm starting week 3 of the 8 week MamaGuns challenge! The How to Train a Spartan series is going well with only (BIG, BIG, BIG GULP!) 5 days left to train. The race is on Sunday! I feel good. I feel strong. I'm finally seeing results with my own eyes.

I'm looking forward to reading how the rest of my "sistas" did this week.
And this is a little inspiration for all of us this week!

Would you do this 7 months pregnant?

I'm always hunting workout music which you will find in my DJ Booth at Blip.fm. You can search the #mamavation hashtag or #workouttunes to see my lists. If you have any music suggestions leave them in the comment section!

From RealAge.com

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:





Track my weight loss.


Watch my waist get smaller.


Track my walking.  

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood".

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5 Fingers of Thanks

 

1.) Thankful my husband is back from his travels.

2.) Thankful I get to sleep again.

3.) Thankful that I finally got the courage to try crossfit training.

4.) Thankful that the Spartan Race is finally here next Sunday. The anticipation is killing me.

5.) Thankful that the bathroom remodel should start this week.

If you would like to share in my Sundays of thanks there is a Mr. Linky.

Below is the code for those five little fingers above or feel free to create your own.

<a href="http://pamelamkramer.blogspot.com/search/label/5%20Fingers%20of%20Thanks" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee193/PMKU/5fingersofthanks.jpg" /></a>

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How to Train a Spartan

Hey Keith! While your eating all that food and diving into that yummy looking cake you should know that I was with #crossfit trainer Raul today. You see what he's doing? He's going to help train me to do that. Can you imagine the strength it takes to do that lift?

You know what we did today to prepare for the Spartan Race that's coming in exactly 7 days??? I warmed up with a 200m run, 10 air squats, 10 push ups, 10 ab mats and 5 chin ups, 2x. Yes I had to use the black band of assistance but who cares. I was working it! Then Raul put me on the weight bench and I had to chest press 55 lbs. It was suppose to be my body weight but there was NO way that was going to happen as a beginner. Guess what I did next? Pull ups! That's right pull ups with the help of the black band again. I had to do this for 5 rounds. You wanna know how many I did? 78 reps of bench presses and 28 pull ups. That was one of the toughest work out yet.

What brought me in there today? I was testing a theory actually. Keith and I were having a conversation about Shaun and how we should stick with him because he pushes us all to do our best. Obviously we have all worked with Shaun before so we know his style and we're comfortable with him. So I thought to myself, am I co-dependent on my trainer? They certainly do become like part of the family that is for sure. In the past when I have attended class and the instructor has a sub it throws me off. You have this expectation of seeing the person and feeling the energy they bring to the class.

Honestly, I was pretty nervous to go to a class today. It wasn't because of the soreness or anything like that but how would be to workout with another trainer? After all I'm still very much a newbie when it comes to crossfit. I'm not a fitness expert or trainer I'm just an expert in enthusiasm! When I walked in the door I saw the face but I could remember the name. I knew him from some where ??? the YMCA. Raul use to work behind the desk there and now here he was in the crossfit facility as my trainer. Immediately I breathed a sigh of relief at seeing a familiar face. It's not like he took it easy on me. Did you see that work out? I got to take in 10 breaths before starting a bench press or pull up. He was cracking the whip I tell you. I was being a little chatty out of nervousness but he kept me focused on the work out. That whole chin up/pull up exercise was BRUTAL! It's not like we go around doing those every day. My upper body strength is not what it will be. Before I knew it my 5 rounds were done and that was it. Raul said that he wants to train me so that I can eventually train myself. Trainers are there to give you the tools and get you to a certain point and the rest is up to you. Not sure if that is an exact quote but it's close.

Raul is too new to be on the crossfit unity web site so he was kind enough to let me take this shot of him with my not so super cool cell phone. These guys are really whipping me into shape!

Until next time on....How to Train a Spartan

The log program on the 100/200/200 is being squirrely today so I'm going to log my maximums here. This should be interesting after crossfit today.

Push Ups: Week 2 - Day 3, 2nd column - set 5 Max good form: 20
set 1 16
set 2 17
set 3 14
set 4 14
Just realized I did the wrong freakin column! I did the 3rd instead of the 2nd. No wonder the push ups were so hard.

Squats: Week 4 - Day 3, 2nd column - set 5 Max:100
set 1 31
set 2 38
set 3 31
set 4 31


Sit Ups: Week 4 - Day 3, 3rd column - set 5 Max: 90
set 1 45
set 2 50
set 3 45
set 4 45



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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.



Share the "Retweet" and "Like" love!

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Aloha Friday #232 - If Money Was No Option...

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details.

I was surfing through You Tube and found a bunch of flash mob dance videos and I was thinking how cool that would be. I've also been thinking how cool it would be to have back stage passes to meet U2 before I'm too old. This got me to thinking....

If money was no option, what would you be doing right now?



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How to Train a Spartan

Hey #crossfit trainer Shaun McCrary from Crossfit Unity in Seabrook, Texas! It's me again and this time I brought some friends. Oh yes I did! We Spartans are serious about our training. Are we really prepared? Guess we will find out in 9 days!!!!! I will not freak out, I will not freak out, I've got this. Sorry, regaining my composure. It's my first time to do a race like this so I'm a little scared.

On with the training! Today we warmed up with 100 jumps (using a jump rope), 10 ab mats, 10 push ups and 10 air squats 2x. Then we did 21 wall balls! You take a medicine ball and throw it at the line on the wall and as you come down you squat on the medicine ball below your behind. I can't remember how much the one I used weighed. Next you go to the rings and do 21 ring rows. I did these with my knees bent and a slight angle because I couldn't lift my entire body weight. Then you take the kettlebells and carry them 300m. They are called "Farmer's carry?" The first time I did this with a set of 26 pound kettlebells because I was too slow and that was the lightest set left to carry. When we were done we did it again in a set of 15 and 200m. Lucky for me the 18 pound set of kettlebells were available. The last was a set of 9 reps all the way through and 100m again with the 18 pound set. My finishing time was 12 minutes 25 seconds. I felt sick again. Shaun says it's my fat burning. OK - There is a technical term he used but I can't remember the name. lol - I felt good but a little shaky. We went to Mario's afterward for lunch to refuel. That was a good work out. I took some free cards and flyers to pass out to my friends. Great work out but I know I'm going to be in a great deal of pain tomorrow.


Until next time on...How to Train a Spartan


The log program on the 100/200/200 is being squirrely today so I'm going to log my maximums here. This should be interesting after crossfit today.

Push Ups: Week 2 - Day 2, 2nd column - Max good form: 15
Squats: Week 4 - Day 2, 2nd column - Max:85
Sit Ups: Week 4 - Day 2, 3rd column - Max: 85


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How to Train a Spartan

 E.A. Smith YMCA Boot Camp Instructor

  Dexter SmithJust when I thought I was kicking tail and taking names I felt the pain of my #crossfit class today. Dexter told us we were doing legs today but I didn't know what to expect from crossfit. We did a warm up and my squats were not great. I haven't felt this kind of tenderness in a long time. Right now I'm on my exercise ball stretching out my hamstrings. My muscles are super tight and I'm going back for more with friends tomorrow.

We hit the gym this evening to run sprints on the basketball court. We did broad jumps, skipping for height and distance. We did inch worms and bear crawls. There are few other things but I can't remember the names of them. Then we hit the exercise room and trained with some free weights. I'm not sure what the technical name is for them but it's the weights you add to the bar. We did squats, lunges, sit ups, T push ups, lateral raises and I'm sure I'm missing something but it's all I can remember.

Lucky for me the child watch lady came to get me to change a diaper! rofl...I was pretty thankful at the time. I changed the diaper and got back to work. No slacking! After all I have a race to train for and I want to do as well as I can. The lateral raises started making my shoulder pop so I had to adjust the way I was lifting. I'm not about to get injured at this point! 11 days left to train.

 Until next time on...How to Train a Spartan


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Wordless Wednesday - My Turn

He wants a turn.

She won't give him one. Instead she points out where he can take her.

He finally gets his chance but she won't push him. Poor baby! lol - He's so cute when he's mad.

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How to Train a Spartan

Meet #crossfit trainer Shaun McCrary from Crossfit Unity in Seabrook. My work out experience has now come full circle and right back to Shaun. In December of '09 I started really kicking up my work outs at the YMCA and he was my first boot camp instructor. His demonstrations always made me ask, "How does he do that?" He started my path to working harder and changing it up and making me question what else can I do? See what Shaun can do?

My goal is not just weight loss but exercising using time management. Many people think I'm a bit of a work out nut. Let me be clear, I work out when I can. I'm training my body to jump into any class that is offered at the time that I can work it in. I have three kids with three different schedules and a husband whose job has him traveling with only a few days notice. If I can find a spin class that's available when I can make it, I want to be able to jump in and do that class. That is how I have been able to try all these different classes. On Mondays you will see my work out schedule change all the time. I could be doing boot camp, running boot camp, Zumba, Tae Bo, Spin, Yoga or swimming. For me mixing it up keeps me from getting bored too.

I've been wanting to try Crossfit since Shaun left the YMCA but there was no child care there at the time. They have made changes to accommodate parents. There is a local crossfit training facility here Crossfit Deer Park. A gentle man that I attend church with and who also happens to be a local police officer runs it. These guys are always posting videos on facebook about Crossfit. It looks very intimidating! I was nervous about trying it. The only thing that made me comfortable was that I've worked with Shaun before and he was available when I was available.

The warm up: run around the building, lunges, back extensions, push ups, planks and then do it again.
The workout: 18 lb kettlebell Swings, Pushups, Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, and Leg Raises. 2mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 1min. For cardio it was the rowing machine and we had to go 1600 meters which I did in 8min 10seconds. My time was rowing time minus total reps( each rep is a second). I scored 5:04 with the 18lb KB. Shaun says that's pretty good. HAH!!!! I thought it was great. I've come such a long way in nearly a year. I'm in a freakin' CROSSFIT gym. I have never used a kettlebell or a rowing machine. The rowing machine nearly killed me. I felt kind of sick after that. lol - Could have been the heat.

I was told I had an easy work out today and I believe that is true. I know this gets harder. Crossfit is interesting because you know what you are working on. There is a method, something to track, it's pretty cool. However, I wouldn't be in there without the help of Shaun, Dex, Greg, Sara, Kim and Hiro, the awesome people I work out with each week and my awesome Mamavation online sistas that keep me going each week.

Have I mentioned that there are only 12 days left to train?

Until next time on...How to Train a Spartan

The log program on the 100/200/200 is being squirrely today so I'm going to log my maximums here. This should be interesting after crossfit today.

Push Ups: Week 2 - Day 1, 2nd column - Max good form: 11
Squats: Week 4 - Day 1, 2nd column - Max: 60 interrupted by 2 yo going back and forth through my legs.
Sit Ups: Week 4 - Day 1, 3rd column - Max: 70

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Photo Card Creations - $50 Give Away!

Photo Card Creations has teamed up with me to offer my readers a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to spend in their online store! Photo Card Creations is a leading online retailer of premium custom photo cards, announcements & invitations. When they asked me to give their site a try I jumped at the chance. After all, we had our Kramer birthday bash coming up and I needed to figure out birthday party invitations fast. Their cards are designed using current trends by talented graphic artists who will work with each customer to customize their cards to reflect their own personal style. I chose the Square Quad Jigsaw card.

Because we were throwing one party for all three children I wanted something that would help reflect each child as individuals as well as when they come together. Sharing photos has always been a passion of mine and this design allowed me to do just that.

They offer hundreds of Card Designs & a variety of Paper Types to choose from, many of which are hard to find elsewhere. Their cards are printed on the highest quality paper using leading edge printing technologies & they offer a more personal shopping experience than most other card companies on the web.  I knew that with this design and paper quality my family and friends would be able to keep the invitation as more of a keep sake. The feedback from our family and friends was so positive. They loved the invitations with all their photos.

Ordering was simple! Their new & improved website makes it easy for customers to complete their order and Photo Card Creations can help make your special occasion even more special!

Now for your chance to win. The holidays are approaching quickly. Maybe you are having a Halloween party or need some Christmas cards. It could be your have a wedding or birthday coming up and now is the perfect time to give Photo Card Creations a try!

How can you win a $50 shopping spree at Photo Card Creations? Simple! Just give them your feedback.

Step 1: Visit their site Photo Card Creations
Step 2: While browsing think about what you would use the $50 on!
Step 3: Leave a comment here on this blog telling Photo Card Creations which design you would use your win on.
Step 4: Be sure to leave contact info so I can contact you if you are the winner.

This contest is limited to the US only. Entries will be excepted until 11:59pm cst October 5th and the winner will be announced here on this post October 6th. Thank you for entering and good luck!

And the winner is....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

14 

Timestamp: 2010-10-06 12:31:39 UTC

- Marybeth I. on October 3, 2010 10:15 AM

Complimentary invitations were received in order to provide feedback from my personal experience. No cash payment was received for this review. Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

#Mamavation Monday

BIG congratulations to me @pamelamkramer for being the Sista of the Week! Insert Happy Dance -->here<--. This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by SUBWAY. (Look for subwayfreshbuzz.com) SUBWAY is now the newest official sponsor of the Mamavation campaign.

Weekly Mamavation Goals - 

1.  #fruitnveggie challenge. Get 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 
2. Water challenge. Strive to drink more water. Some moms are striving to drink half their body weight in water. For instance if you weigh 180, strive to drink 90 ounces of water per day.

My Goals -

• The long term goal 50lbs. by the end of the year.
• The short term goal 4 lbs. per month. 
• January - 4 pounds lost = goal met.
• February - 5 pounds lost = goal met.
• March - +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• April - 2 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• May - 3 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• June - 0 gain/loss = goal NOT met.
• July  - +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• August - 2 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• September

My Work Outs - High Gear - Spartan Training
Monday -1 HR PM Boot Camp, Run
Tuesday - 1 HR AM Tae Bo, Run, 100/200/200 Challenge
Wednesday - 1 HR PM Boot Camp, Run
Thursday - 1HR AM Tae Bo, 1 HR PM Tae Bo, Run, 100/200/200 Challenge
Friday -  1 HR PM Boot Camp, Run
Saturday - Kramer Birthday Bash
Sunday - Rest

Measurements -
Chest = same
Waist  = same
Hips = -.5
Legs = -.5
Arms = +.5


Scale Reading -
1 lb. loss. I'm amazed that there is a loss because of the birthday bash = birthday cake and my husband being out of town this past week and our bathroom is still gutted.

Stress Level -
My husband is leaving again this week so I will be on solo kid duty again. *sigh* One of these days I will have an all expenses paid trip for several consecutive days without my husband or kids or dogs. Oh yes, one day. It would be nice for there to be some serious wife and mother appreciation upon my return. I can dream.

The UP side -
I'm starting week 2 of the 8 week MamaGuns challenge! The How to Train a Spartan series is going well with only (BIG, BIG GULP!) 13 days left to train. Did you see our team shirts? You have to let me know what you think!!!!  I was caught on video at the Fallen Heroes 5K so now I have my 2 seconds of fame. lol

I'm looking forward to reading how the rest of my "sistas" did this week.
And this is a little inspiration for all of us this week!

I'm always hunting workout music which you will find in my DJ Booth at Blip.fm. You can search the #mamavation hashtag or #workouttunes to see my lists. If you have any music suggestions leave them in the comment section!

From RealAge.com

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:






Track my weight loss.


Watch my waist get smaller.


Track my walking.  

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood".

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com and before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

5 Fingers of Thanks

 

1.) Thankful the party is over!

2.) Thankful to Karen and Gracee for helping with the party.

3.) Thankful for being Sista of The Week! Whoot

4.) Thankful that Keith found footage of the Fallen Heroes 5K to prove that we were there! Whoot.

5.) Thankful for all the wonderful people that helped us celebrate the birth of our children.

If you would like to share in my Sundays of thanks there is a Mr. Linky.

Below is the code for those five little fingers above or feel free to create your own.

<a href="http://pamelamkramer.blogspot.com/search/label/5%20Fingers%20of%20Thanks" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee193/PMKU/5fingersofthanks.jpg" /></a>

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Kramer Birthday Bash 2010

 As much as I hate to send you to another page it's just not possible to post all the photos here. We had a great time. If you would like to see how the Kramer's party! Please click here for Suzzalaa or here for Facebook.


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How to Train a Spartan

 E.A. Smith YMCA Boot Camp Instructor

  Dexter SmithHe broke out the bar on us today! He mixed up a little cross fit training in our work out today. 1st rule, 20 pound minimum! Ugh. We did military presses, standing lunges, drop dead lifts, spider man push ups on the bar and something else that I can't remember. It was a fast but effective work out. Honestly, I think he showed us a little mercy today but I'm not sure why! I'm not questioning it.

Earlier today I did some interval training with Motion Traxx.com. This was a 30/30 work out for 30 minutes. I chose it because of time constraints. I under estimated this interval because of the 30 second walk, 30 second run. It didn't seem like I would get that good of a work out but I was sooooooooooo wrong! Wish me luck because there are only 15 more days to train.

Until next time on....How to Train a Spartan


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Spartan Inspired - Matthew Johnson Does It Again!

When I was thinking about competing in the #Spartan Race I had to share my enthusiasm with graphic designer and owner of Seventhfury Studios, Matthew Johnson. He and I have worked together on various projects over the last three years. After watching that promo video clip (which you can view in the upper right hand side of my blog) Matthew got caught up in the Spartan spirit! I told him about our team and asked him if he would create a shirt for my team to wear the day of the race. As an added incentive I sent him a link to the "Spartan gear" that's offered on the web site. Nothing against those designers but because I know Matthew's talents I was confident he could create something with more edge to it. He sent me the proofs of his designs and then put them on facebook to get some feedback. Everyone gave him rave reviews! My team loves them. The folks that are in charge of this race should contact Matthew and make this an official design. Don't you think?

We chose this one to wear on race day!

How tough are we going to be in this t-shirt? We chose the lighter color because we are in Texas and it's still pretty hot here. I'm so excited and I can't wait to get my hands on my race t-shirt. I'm gonna get it muddy, sweaty and possibly a little bloody depending on that barbed wire crawl. Team: Get us to The Greek will wear it proudly. My team is honored to get first dibs on this new design! Matthew is going to add his Spartan inspired line to his shop soon at FuryShirts.com. Sign up for his newsletter so you can find out when they're available for sale! He's going to have different colors and inks so stay tuned to see how they look. Click on this link and in the upper right hand you will see "Subscribe to the Newsletter and save 10%." Click on that box and enter your email address and click Subscribe! --->Insert Happy Dance Here<---


Until next time on....How to Train a Spartan

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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.




Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.