Pushing my limits - tone it up workout

I've been feeling a real need to kick my workouts up a notch or two lately. I really don't want to end up in a running rut they are so hard to break out of. Plus losing the baby weight a little bit faster wouldn't hue either - haha! So I started checking all my go to workout inspiration blogs and hit the jack pot on Sugar Plum Runner where she shares this shredmill Tone It Up workout. Now being a total novice runner I knew I needed to make some adjustments or modifications to make this shredmill workout work for me. First of all I would be running outside pushing both my kiddos in a jogging stroller so I need to work up to the full workout.

Here's the original workout:

• 3 Minute Brisk Walk
• 3 Minutes Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’- as fast as you can
• 60 Second Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’ ~ just as fast as you can run- this speed can vary

~ Chill for 20-30 seconds, breathe, take a couple sips of water (take as much time as you think you need to calm your breathing.)

• 20 Pushups

• 3 Minute Brisk Walk
• 3 Minutes Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’- as fast as you can
• 60 Second Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’ ~ just as fast as you can run- this speed can vary

~ Chill for 20-30 seconds, breathe, take a couple sips of water (take as much time as you think you need to calm your breathing.)

• 20 Squat Jumps

• 3 Minute Brisk Walk
• 3 Minutes Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’- as fast as you can
• 60 Second Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’ ~ just as fast as you can run- this speed can vary

~ Chill for 20-30 seconds, breathe, take a couple sips of water (take as much time as you think you need to calm your breathing.)

• 20 situps

• 3 Minute Brisk Walk
• 3 Minutes Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’- as fast as you can
• 60 Second Jog
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’ ~ just as fast as you can run- this speed can vary

~ Chill for 20-30 seconds, breathe, take a couple sips of water (take as much time as you think you need to calm your breathing.)

• 30 second plank

• 5 minute cool down walk

And here's my modified version:

• 3 Minute Brisk Walk
• 3 Minutes Jog
• 60 Second brisk walk
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’ ~ just as fast as you can run- this speed can vary
• 60 Second brisk walk

~ Chill for 20-30 seconds, breathe, take a couple sips of water (take as much time as you think you need to calm your breathing.)

• 20 Pushups (I did inclined pushups on a park bench with my little princess trying to do them right along with me = great motivation)

• 3 Minute Brisk Walk
• 3 Minutes Jog
• 60 Second brisk walk
• 60 Second ‘Sprint’ ~ just as fast as you can run- this speed can vary
• 60 Second brisk walk

~ Chill for 20-30 seconds, breathe, take a couple sips of water (take as much time as you think you need to calm your breathing.)

• 20 situps

• 5 minute cool down walk (I wanted to do at least one more set but the little princess had been eyeing the playground for 25 minutes at this point and asking so politely to go play so I decided cut things short and work up to adding the last two sets over the next couple weeks)

The little princess had so much fun running around, climbing, and sliding how could I regret ending my workout a little early! Plus we have to soak up as much of this January summer as we can while it lasts!



After some quality time at the park it was back home for one of my favorite post-run snacks - a slice of cheddar cheese for a punch of protein.

What's your favorite post run snack?

Weekly Goals and my latest Accessory Obsessions

A new habit I'm hoping to start is to set weekly health and fitness goals for myself or the week

THIS WEEKS GOALS
1. three (3) training runs - interval runs
2. drink eight (8) glasses of water a day
3. two (2) strength training workouts


Lately I have been trying to focus more on little things that I can add to my outfits on a daily basis that bring a little pop of personality. Sometimes I get stuck in these jeans and teeshirt, no make-up, or accessories, ponytail ruts. Just because I have no plans to leave the house and be seen in public doesn't mean I can't add a little something, something to my everyday look! So here are a couple of my new favorite ways to add a little pop of personality to what I'm already planning on wearing from what I already have in my closet.

Let me introduce you to my new friend the STATEMENT NECKLACE yes I realize that these babies have been big for a while but I've never had the courage to actually wear them (even though I have been building my stash for a couple years.) I love that I can add complimenting pops of color to any outfit by simply throwing on a nice chunky necklace! Plus major bonus in my book this one's pretty sturdy so it's practically baby proof!

Necklace: H&M (old) | Sweater: Old Navy

 Ok now let me tell you about my love affair with SHOES! I love having a different pair of shoes for every occasion! Unfortunately, my feet decided to grow a half size when I was pregnant with the little prince so most of my shoes got recycled to my sister's closet, as they no longer fit me. Bummer for me but major bonus for her. So needless to say it's going to take a while to get my shoe collection back up to where I would love it to be. However, the fun part is finding new and exciting shoes I was never brave enough to buy before because I already had a perfectly good pair of something or other in my closet that would do the same job! Which brings me to my newest (and for the moment favorite) pair of shoes, I love that I can wear these shoes with just about anything skirts, jeans, shorts, you name it and it goes!

Jeans: Old Navy | Shoes: Madden Girl (DSW)

Hiking with friends is like free therapy

Saturday

Workout - 1 hr hike with a great friend

I'm never sure what my workouts are going to look like on Saturdays because often the hubby has to go into the office for a few hours (he's a really hard worker and great provider for our family). So a lot of morning I find myself carrying on business as usual with the kiddos while he's at the office so we can have a fun family day together just the 4 of us after lunch and naps. But on the occasion that he is lucky enough to stay home for the morning I get to either go on a solo run (a rare treat right now - but I don't really mind I actually like to run with my kiddos) or I get to go hiking with my good friends.  

Lucky for us we live right next to a wilderness park so trails for great hiking are basically in our backyard. So today I was lucky enough to get to tag along with my good friend Kathleen on her saturday morning hike. It was great! Let me tell ya getting to be outdoors in a beautiful location with your friends, chatting and working' up a sweat getting moving is basically free therapy. We talked about anything and everything (our kiddos are similar ages and spacing) and we talked about a lot of nothing too. It's great to spend time as just the girls.  I felt so rejuvenated when I got home ready to conquer the weekend's busy schedule! 

Hard run and some sun

Thursday 

Workout - 2.76 mile interval run pushing my babes in the jogging stroller

Alright today's run was just plain hard but I got through it. Some may with 2.67 mile interval run no biggie and before the little prince came on the scene I would have agreed with you but getting back into running is hard work! I don't mind hard work but every once in a while there's a run that just seems to kick my booty, but like I said I get through it. I have the cutest cheerleading section in the stroller in front of me to keep going (even if one of them sleeps through the whole thing) so I keep on keeping on.  I'm currently training for my first 10k ever and second race ever so I'm using the 10k for pink free app by zen labs to coach me through my intervals. I've found that the trick is to not look at the time counting down and it makes it easier for me to push through to the next walking interval.

After getting home from a hard run I decided that the kiddos and I needed some fun so I loaded them up in the car right after lunch with some yummy snacks, a blanket to sit on and plenty of water and high tailed it to the beach! Yep that's right people beach days in January doesn't get much better than that - we love our January summer weather here in CA.

How do you like to reward yourself after a hard workout?

My Journey Begins

Hello! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Ashley of XoXo-Ash. I'm the mom of a crazy, high energy, camera ham, show off, sunshiney (yes I make up my own words) beautiful, sweet, generous but bossy 2 1/2 year old princess; and a kissable, handsome, cheerful, sweet, silly 4 1/2 month old prince. I'm starting XoXo-Ash to have a place to document my journey to regain myself after having my little prince. So I guess you could call this blog one Momma of two's quest to be a healthy, happy, confident woman. And I want to share it with anyone who cares to follow along. My plan is to share my adventure in fitness to lose the baby weight and get my energy back - we're talking total health here people; as well as some of my mommy style.