Ab Challenge Part 2

As much as I would love to consider my greatly-enthused cheering from the couch during the Olympics this past week a workout, I realize that well defined abs and strong legs don't develop via osmosis. (How cool would that be though...) So, staying on track with my 30 Day Ab Challenge, I've been dutifully crunching and  planking away these past few weeks.

I shared the P-90X ab ripper workout earlier, but I am one of those goofy workout people who like to mix things up. So instead of doing the same routine day after day, I've been infusing a few other ab workouts into my routine. Here is a killer one from the one and only Cosmopolitan magazine. I like to check out their "Fit in 6 minutes" article each month. The claim is the workout will only take you 6 minutes.... however I have yet to find one that is that quick. They are usually pretty darn hard and I occasionally find myself muttering some words that require #'s and *'s when written in sophisticated writing. Nonetheless, I feel the burn and that's just what I love. So what I'm trying to say is... "try it!" It very well may take more than 6 minutes but it's totally worth the extra time!

The Tummy Toning Trainer

**Do 30 of each of these. For the ones that involve using one leg at a time, do 30 on each leg.**

1. Sit on the edge of your chair with your left leg crossed over your right. Rest your right arm on the back of the chair, and extend your left arm straight up. Life your leg out to the side at hip height with your shoelaces facing out. Lower your left arm to the side (palm facing down) so that you are crunching your obliques. That's one rep, do 30 on each side.

2. Lie on your back, gripping the legs of a chair behind you. Lift your feet 6 inches off the floor. Tighten your abs to pull both legs in, bending your knees and keeping the soles of your feet together. Complete this move 30 times.

3. Lie flat on your back while holding onto a chair and lift your right leg 90 degrees with your knee bent. Keep your left leg straight out in front of you, and raise it 6 inches off the floor. Lift your left leg up to meet your right leg, so your right ankle touches your left. Do 30 and switch legs.

4. Lie flat on your back while holding the legs of a chair behind your head with feet straight out in front of you, six inches off the ground. Lift both legs up to 90 degrees, keeping toes pointed. Lower legs straight back down to the starting position. That's one rep; repeat 30 times.


Enjoy the slow burn your abs feel during this workout! I think the chair really helps to keep your abs engaged throughout this workout. Happy crunching.


***As I'm typing this, I'm enjoying a recap of the day's Olympic events, which included the men's 3000 meter steeplechase. Fun fact: I was a steeplechaser in college... I always enjoyed distance running and my Sophomore year my coach somehow convinced me to give the steeplechase a try. Despite my nearly 5'2" stature, I thought it would be fun to say I did it once. Well, one race led to a whole season of racing. I promise you, I was no star, but definitely had a good time traversing the hurdles and water pit, complete with rubber snakes and an occasional lifeguard (played lovingly by my husband and another guy on our team). I already enjoyed a thrilling 10K earlier this week and am looking forward to being amazed by more track stars this coming week!!

American Galen Rupp and his training partner, Great Britain's  Mo Farah, react after
their silver and gold medal 10K race. Farah won the race after relocating his family to Oregon for
the past year to train. Rupp became the first American to medal in the 10K since 1964. Their finish, celebration
and genuine happiness for each other gave me goosebumps! I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!!

Olympic Fever

There's no doubting I'm obsessed with the Olympics. I started my Olympic Countdown in January, watched the Track and Field Olympic Trials on repeat in June, and have placed the Olympic Event schedule in the "favorites" section of my Internet browser. I unfortunately am not an Olympic athlete which means I have to partake in my "big-girl" job and miss many events, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be catching up with the days' events as soon as I get home.

There is just something so thrilling and inspirational about the Olympic Games. Seeing the country's best athletes give it their all makes me so proud to be an American. But not only that, seeing every single athlete, no matter what country they are from, dig deep and pull out unbelievable performances, makes me proud to merely be human.

I love the underdog stories, like Johnny Orozko from the Bronx, who battled financial difficulties, injuries, and family illness, to make it to the London Olympics. Then there's the record breaking performances, like the snapping of a 12 year medal drought in synchronized diving by both men AND women. Kelci Bryant and Abby Johnston won silver in the women's competition while the men's team made up of Nick McCrory and David Boudia followed up with a bronze! Skeet shooter Kim Rhodes made history by winning gold after hitting 99 out of 100 clay targets. Yep, you read that right. She missed one, ONE target out of 100!! I don't know much about skeet shooting but I'm pretty sure that's insane. Oh yeah, it's a world record too. She not only was nearly perfect, she became the first American to win individual medals in five straight Olympic games (her first being in 1996 when she was 16). Her response to her performance, "maybe next year I'll go for all 100." No big deal.

Kim Rhodes celebrates after winning gold

And then there are the youthful phenoms. 15 year old Ruta Meilutyte from Lithuania won gold in the 100 meter breaststroke (which is super hard by the way, my husband and I tried this stroke out at his parents' pool the other day.... we failed miserably. I'll stick to my doggy-paddle/freestyle combo). And of course, the American sweetheart, 17 year old Missy Franklin who won gold in the 100 meter backstroke. Not only is she an unbelievably good swimmer, she is humble, always smiling, and looks like she is having so much fun!

Missy Franklin is all smiles after receiving her medal

Since I don't think I will be making a run at an Olympic medal anytime soon (or ever, I mean, let's be serious), I will continue to live vicariously through all these people. I will rejoice when they rejoice, cry when they cry (which has been a lot, Kleenex can be sure they will stay in business thanks to me), and let them inspire me to get my butt off the couch and go do something..... once the games are over, though, I don't want to miss a single cheer-worthy moment!

30 Day Ab Challenge

So dear friends, I have a little challenge for you. Can you match the faces to the abs?  (You're shocked, I know, to discover I am brave enough to post a picture of my stomach for the world to see. Please be kind!)

 A.                                                                    B.                                                                    C.

1.                                                                     2.                                                                   3.

How did you do? The answers are as follows:
A (Jessica Alba) ...3
B (Yours truly!) ...1
C (Kerri Walsh) ...2


So those celebrities and olympic athletes have killer bodies. We all have seen the pictures on magazines, tv, the internet, you name it. Sometimes they're airbrushed, sometimes they aren't.  Regardless, our society is programmed to compare ourselves to the rich and famous, and quite frankly it can be depressing. I know my stomach is lacking the definition and tone that we find so desirable, thanks to my love of ice cream and all things peanut butter. And you know what?  That's ok.


While I try not to obsess over my one pack, I always feel better with a little tone to the ab region. Which leads me to the important part of this post. My embarkation on a 30 day ab challenge. 

My plan isn't crazy. I found a few good ab workouts on pinterest and in magazines and have been doing one of them every day (in addition to my normal 30-45 minute runs). I'm currently on day 10 and, while I haven't lost "multiple inches and pounds" like the posts claim, I have managed to lose a few pounds. But most importantly, I feel awesome. So bring it on days 11-30!

Details of my first ab workout .......
http://kayciesantics.blogspot.com/2012/03/300-ultimate-ab-and-core-challenge_22.html

Basically, this is the Ab Ripper (Courtesy of P90X)

1. In-N-Outs (25)
2. Bicycles (25)
3. Reverse Bicycles (25)
4. Crunchy Frogs (25)
5. Cross/Wide Leg Sit-ups (25)
6. Scissors (25)
7. Hip Butt Ups (25)
8. Heels to Heaven (25)
9. Roll-Up V-Ups (25)
10. Leg Climbers (12 each side)
11. Kayakers (50)

I had to modify some of these at first (do less reps, take breaks, curse under my breath, you know, normal exercise activites.) but this week I have been able to do all the reps with less breaks. My plan is to continue to modify the workouts as needed. Maybe add more reps, do the sequence twice, wear a fifty pound weighted vest while I do it... no big deal!

I hope you enjoy, feel the burn, and are inspired to work it!

Homemade Granola

Warning: This granola has the potential to become addicting.

Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. I stumbled upon this recipe a few months ago on the Granola Chronicles (see link below) and haven't bought store brand granola since. There are so many reasons to try out this recipe yourself.

1. There's only 7 ingredients.

2. It's easy! 

3. You don't have to preheat the oven

4. It's DELICIOUS!!  (Truly, that's the only reason you need, right?)

Fresh baked granola. It's so good right out of the oven when it's warm and soft,
I have to really practice self control so I have some left for my yogurt.

With all the amazing, fresh fruit in season right now, homemade granola is the perfect topping for a big bowl of Greek yogurt and chunks of fresh fruit. It's the perfect, crunchy topping to complete a bowl of breakfast sunshine. Check out the recipe below and enjoy!

My picture perfect breakfast. Greek yogurt, strawberries, peaches, blueberries and granola.

Homemade Granola

                     3 T Honey                      2 ½ C Old Fashioned Oats

                    3 T Maple Syrup              1 tsp cinnamon

                    2 T Olive Oil                   Dash Salt

                    1 T Vanilla

Combine the honey, syrup, olive oil, and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix oats, cinnamon and salt in a larger bowl. Pour liquid mixture over oats and stir to coat. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet and bake in 300 degree oven (without pre-heating) for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and store in airtight container. (If you manage not to eat it all first!!)

**Add other ingredients as you please (coconut, raisins, sunflower seeds, craisins, etc). I usually add ¼ c raisins after combining the oats and liquid mixture.**

Nutrition info: 51 calories per tablespoon

Check out this and more recipes for different kinds of homemade granola at (http://www.thegranolachronicles.com/2011/02/rainbow-granola.html)

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Field Trip to the Farmer's Market

I grew up in the small town of Belleville in Central Pennsylvania. It had its stereotypical small town features like the "everyone knows everyone" thing, community parades and festivals with tractors pulling spinning tubs as the featured entertainment for kids. There are probably more cows than people in Belleville. And I loved every bit of it. One of my favorite memories growing up was walking to the "Sale Barn" (the proper name, as declared by any Bellevillian, for the farmer's market and auction) on Wednesday morning. They had animals to look at, food, craft vendors, and of course, my favorite, Snookie's Ice Cream Truck.

I have since moved to another small town with my husband located in Lancaster County. Of course, Lancaster has an abundance of farmer's markets and our own town of Marietta has a small market open on Sunday mornings. Unfortunately, our schedules have not allowed us to scope out any of them. Finally, this past Tuesday, I was able to take a trip to Root's Market in Manheim and it was like I stepped back in time to when the Sale Barn was booming.



One of the many produce stands at Root's Market

Apparently, Root's started off as a poultry auction in 1925 and has since become a rather large indoor/outdoor market with stands and stands of produce, baked goods, deli meats, flowers, crafts, and lots of other treats. As I walked into the market I was so excited to just look around. I scoured the stands outside first and then found my way into a big indoor facility with stands upon stands of produce, snacks, baked goods, and even ethnic food. By the time I finished, I managed to buy all the fruits and vegetables I was planning to get at the store for dirt cheap (ironic, these foods do come from the ground.)

My bounty of produce from the farmer's market. I love how colorful it is!

                                           

Since it was close to 100 degrees out and my bag of goodies was becoming quite heavy, I decided I would have to come back another time and scope out more treasures. Between a few of my produce stops, I treated myself to a few snacks to try. I had been really craving almonds and found a stand selling cinnamon coated almonds along with lots of other nuts. I quickly scooped up those and had a few while walking around. Delicious! Then I wondered past the Greek food stand and couldn't pass trying something there. After much debate between baklava and spanakopita, I decided on the baklava which I would share with my husband when I got home. I definitely made a good choice and enjoyed a few bites of that later in the day.

My cinnamon coated almonds and baklava. Both were very sweet, so a few bites
was all I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth!

I finally made my way back to the car, breaking a major sweat and patting myself on the back for getting good deals AND a good workout! And then I saw it, the sign that truly completed my farmer's market experience. HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM. Well, I couldn't leave without trying some of that! (Ice cream is truly my weakness, I wish it really counted as a serving of dairy, or at least a healthy serving of dairy even when consumed in large quantities). As I finished every last drop of my melting treat, complete with fresh chunks of peaches, I had resolved to come back and hopefully bring my husband or friends. I consider my field trip a success!

 

HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM!

Getting Started

Welcome to the Nocturnal RunNurse! I'm no expert blogger and am quite technology illiterate to say the least (it is true, I still have a dumb phone) so my goal is to use this site as a creative outlet for myself and a place for nurses and non-nurses alike to share their ideas about the medical world, fitness, nutrition, and overall well being.

I have always been an active girl, I started playing soccer at the ripe old age of 5. At that age, the only way to truly play the game is to run around in droves and kick the ball off of your teammates' and opponents' shins until it escapes the pack and someone can teeter down the field to clumsily tap it past a never-prepared goalie. By the time I was in high school, my teammates and I had figured out the art of passing and defending. Although we didn't rack up a lot of wins, we still had a great time playing the game!

I tried my hand at multiple other sports growing up (softball, basketball, field hockey) and ended up running track in high school. I had never ran without chasing a ball down before, but found myself loving that feeling you get after finishing a long run. I continued running in college and even ran for my school's division III track team. Once again, we were no track powerhouse, but still had a blast at practices and at meets. Some of my best friends in college were my teammates.

On top of running track in college, I quickly got involved in our school's intramural program. By senior year our Co-Ed soccer team (Go Blue Barracudas!) was a force to be reckonned with. Not only were intramural sports and track a great way for me to stay fit those four years in college when ice cream and late night snacking is an almost daily occurence, I ended up meeting my husband through both our soccer and track team. Nothing like a little sweat to attract a guy, ladies! 

Of course, college wasn't all about sports and having fun. I squeezed in a good deal of study time while working towards my bachelor's degree in Nursing. Let's just say I spent a LOT of time in the library with my nose in an Anatomy and Physiology book. (I could dedicate a whole post later to "You know you're a nursing student when...") Juggling nursing school with a social life was quite a feat, but I managed to experience a little of both. (It was more of an 80% school, 20% social life sort of deal, but hey, you can't have it all.)

One of my proudest accomplishments would have to be training for and completing a marathon with my friend Brittany during our last semester senior year. I don't know how this girl talked me into running 26.2 miles but I'm sure glad she did! We trained from November to March and finished in 3 hours and 56 minutes. Not bad for squeezing in 20 mile runs between studying for exams and snow squalls.

I have since then graduated from college, passed the dreaded NClex, and managed to land a job in a Medical Intensive Care Unit. Within the same year I moved, completed a graduate nurse residency program, and got married to my college sweetheart on October 1st of 2011. It's hard to believe we have been married for almost a year now and I'm proud to report we are still a happy and in love couple. :)

Tomorrow will mark one year from the day I started my nursing job and I'm happy to say I still love it! Of course, there are days when I feel a little in over my head but I hear that happens to everyone. Luckily, the nurses on my unit are amazing and are somehow standing at your door offering to help the second you find yourself wound up like a spool in IV and ventilator tubing, thinking a third hand should certainly be the next medical breakthrough in body enhancements. I have learned so much this past year and can't wait to see what the next year holds.

Working as a night shift nurse has alerted me to some problems I never would have encountered during the day. (Like sleeping through an 8 hour mowing session right below my bedroom window.)  I plan to dedicate some posts to these issues and others (like healthy recipes and fitness ideas) that anyone can use. Check back for some more focused posts about a delicious homemade granola recipe I'm slightly obsessed with and a potential 30 day ab challenge I stumbled upon a few days ago! Thanks for checking out the Nocturnal RunNurse!