Who hates the treadmill ...

Celebrate! Celebrate! You made it to Friday!
I am a big believer in celebrating accomplishments big and small (it makes life fun - and it is an excuse for champagne), and I try to not always celebrate with food -- so instead I will celebrate with.....

Dreadmill Cardio Workout

I truly hate the treadmill, I find it boring and time slows down when I am on the treadmill, because one mile feels soooo long! But - this past Monday morning I woke up for my usually AM run and there was a horrible thunderstorm. Therefore, I had to move on to plan B - which was running on the treadmill in the little indoor gym at our condo complex. Since I simply cannot run 4-5 miles straight on the treadmill I made up a workout that left me sweaty and tired ... so I thought I would share it with you.

1) Run 1 mile on the Treadmill (with the following pacing)

• 2 minutes at warm up pace (varies for everyone, conversational, easy)
• 2 minutes at race pace (breathing hard but not sprinting - could sustain for a whole race)
• 1 minute sprint 
• Repeat time cycle until you have run a full mile

2) Step off the treadmill and do the following cardio/strength drills (click on the exercise for a demo)

• 1 minute star jumps
• 1 minute up up down down elbow pushups
• 1 minute alternating jumping lunges
• 1 minute tricep dips (30 seconds right leg lifted, 30 second left leg lifted)
• 1 minute forearm plank hold

3) Repeat the mile on the treadmill and the drills (each round will be around 15 minutes depending on your running pace)

• Keep alternating the paced mile and the drills until you reach your desired distance     

** Once you have finished, make sure you leave time to stretch, because this workout is tough on the legs! **
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This workout broke up the monotony of the treadmill running and managed to give me a quick arm workout too! I ran 4 miles total and ended with running, so I did 3 rounds of the drills.

Also, if it is a beautiful day outside and you still want to do a similar workout - you can modify this workout and just run outside. It would be like a running boot camp ... run a mile (or pick a time if you do not have garmin, such as 8 minutes) and then stop and do the drills, and then start running again. 

Since it is Friday, it means it is weekend time! Any fun weekend plans? 
We are in town this weekend and I have multiple random activities planned - such as a tour of the Big House (Michigan's Football Stadium), and possibly going paddle boarding or a long bike ride with B! I have never gone paddle boarding, so I will obviously report back! 

Whose husband is officially a 2nd year resident!

B and I celebrating our 1st Anniversary

This blog is focused on living a healthy and happy life!
A huge part of finding my happy life is my hubby! (I want to do multiple posts on our relationship and wedding at a later date).

But I cannot mention B without discussing orthopedic residency! Also, I think residency and being a resident wife is such an interesting topic - so I know it will pop up a lot on the blog.

I should have posted this last Tuesday (July 1st), because that is when it became official - but B is officially a 2nd year resident! He survived intern year! Only 4 more years of residency left! Break out the champagne!

For those not familiar with the medical world, in a nutshell - B went to 4 years of medical school in Indiana, and in his last year of medical school he went through a "match process" and matched into orthopedic surgery at University of Michigan. After graduating medical school he is officially a doctor, he just cannot do much yet - so on July 1st last year Brandon started a 5 year residency, and at the end he will be an official orthopedic surgeon! (There will probably be a one year fellowship to specialize - but that is getting into the nitty gritty).

Residency is tough and intense, especially surgical residencies! We knew it would be a bumpy road, but even with all of the long days, (I am typing this at 8:30pm on Monday and B is not home yet )... B is doing what he loves and knows he is in the right spot and I am trying to support him along the way! I hear through the grapevine that 2nd year is the toughest ... so wish us luck and give both of us patience and give him some sleep!

Since we survived year one, I wanted to reflect back by answering 4 questions I found on a blog called The Mitten Wife. Meredith is the author of The Mitten Wife and she is a fellow resident wife (just finished year 2!). She has been amazingly helpful to me since I moved to Ann Arbor and started this journey! Hopefully these questions will give you a peek into the medical training world, and I can look back and remember these years and how we made it through together.

What were some of your expectations before residency? 

I knew residency was going to be tough, so I expected long nights and working a lot of weekends. I also expected a bit of exhaustion for B. It has lived up to its expectations in all of those regards and more! Especially at the beginning, because B had a lot of tough rotations right off the bat, so during those months, I could call a week successful if I managed to get B fed and do a load of laundry.
I also did not think it would consume our lives this much. I knew it would take up a lot of time, but our lives revolve around his residency. It has become part of our identity.

B and I adopting our new team! Go Blue!

What has been the biggest challenge?

I would say there have been 2 big challenges for me and they go hand in hand.  First, B and I moved here last July and I knew absolutely no one. Making friends and finding a community is a lot harder as an adult! B had an instant group of friends with his fellow residents (and he has no real time for fun anyways ...), but I felt like I had to work to make connections. I went on a few friend "dates" which just felt funny and forced. 
I will say that the running community has been a blessing. I found a running group that welcomed me with open arms and many amazing running partners that have become good friends! I am also excited to get more involved in our church and deepen some relationships there too. I am still finding my groove and I still want to find more couple friends - so if there are any takers who want to be our friends ... please reach out =)

A second challenge is figuring out a balance of my time. When we first moved here, I felt like I was just sitting at home waiting for B to come home and I hated (with a capital H) that feeling. I wanted to find my own hobbies, so I dove into the community head first and filled up my plate with becoming a group exercise teacher, Junior League, friend dates, and more. Then, I felt almost too busy because there were times when B was home and I was off doing my own thing. I felt guilty that I was not spending time with B when he had the cherished time off. I still struggle with this, and I get tempted to cancel commitments when I get the chance to see B. I can't complain because wanting to spend more time with my loving husband does not really seem like a problem ... but it is hard to find a balance with finding my own community and path, while also wanting to be there for my husband at the drop of a hat.

What is the best advice you would give someone whose spouse or significant other is just beginning?

A message B left me when he was on nights 

One huge, important word - expectations! Have realistic expectations and make sure your spouse or significant other who is in residency is communicating and setting realistic expectations. 

I bet every significant other of a resident has a similar story - B just started residency and mentioned that he thought he would be home around 6pm. I wanted to be an amazing wife (we are still newlyweds ...), and I made an awesome dinner that included all of his favorite things! I had it all set and ready to go by 6pm.... and no B? And then 7pm rolls around and B is still not home and I have not heard from him ... and then finally 8pm rolls around and he said he will be home in 30 minutes. 
By that point, I am furious at him and all the food is put away (or I ate it all myself ...). He comes home completely exhausted to a mean wife and no dinner.

This scenario can be avoided if realistic expectations are set! It is not B's fault that he got home late, and I have no reason to actually be mad at him ... but since he told me 6pm, I expected him then and was extremely disappointed when things fell through. Avoiding disappointment is the key to residency, so set realistic (or even low) expectations. 

She is always there for me!

B and I try to have a little system. He tries to text me around 5pm or 6pm with a very rough estimation of when he might be home. I take that time with a grain of salt, but it helps with planning, and then he does not text me again until he is walking out of the hospital - that way there is no one that can grab him for "one last thing." Also, I have found that dinners that can be made in 20 minutes are perfect, because then things do not get cold =) 

Also, get a dog or a pet! Yosey has been such a great companion for me and I know B looks forward to her enthusiastic greetings when he gets home from a long work day too!

How do you continue to support your spouse/SO?

I think just keeping an upbeat attitude and being a good listener are the best ways to support your significant other! Residency can beat anyone down, so I try to always have an upbeat attitude when B walks in the door and a listening ear. Even though I usually do not understand everything he says about his day, I want him to feel like he can vent to me or brag about himself to me! 
Also, I always make sure he is fed! He lost some weight when he first started residency, and I try to avoid that by packing his lunches and cooking nutritious dinners. 

The biggest point I want you to leave with is that I am incredibly proud of my husband for finding what he loves to do and for helping people (and as corny as it sounds - saving lives!).  Sometimes this residency thing sucks and sometimes I struggle with my own path and identity - but it is a journey and we are together! 

 Anyone out there have any experience or comments about residency or the medical community? 

Who tried 2 new fitness classes ...

Before we get to our regularly scheduled blogging, I wanted to update you on the future schedule of the blog. I think quality is more important than quantity for this blog, so I am going to be blogging on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am hoping to have some guest bloggers pop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays too! The easiest way to get the newest posts is to sign up on the right to get emails =)
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It was definitely hard to get up and get ready for work this morning! Mondays after a holiday weekend are just cruel!

But, after my work trip to Boston, I have a lot of follow up to do, so hopefully today goes by quickly and is productive.

Speaking of my work trip to Boston, I wanted to share some highlights with you. When I travel for work my days are filled with meetings, but sometimes my meetings are in cool locations. For example, I got to go down to Mystic, Connecticut (about 2 hours south of Boston) to meet an alum for lunch.

The area was gorgeous  - right on the Long Island Sound with sailboats everywhere. I love the smell of salt water and that sticky feeling you get near the ocean. Mystic is known for having the largest maritime museum too (I did not have time to go through it).

Beside touring Connecticut, I also made time for TWO new workouts while I was in  Boston. On Tuesday evening I went to a cute, local boutique gym called Btone  to take a class called Tone & Blast. The first 20 minutes of the class were on a machine called a Megaformer, which is described on their website as, "representing a significant evolution of the traditional Pilates reformer. It is designed to cater to both upper and lower body muscles, using a system of springs and pulleys to accomodate the resisteance and counter-resistance elements of the workout." 

Everything was new to me, but I feel like I caught on quickly and got a great workout on the machine. You had to use your core to balance you a lot which I loved! The last 30 minutes of the class were at the barre - but it was very different than a typical barre class... I was SWEATY! It was a lot of cardio and quick moves. I liked it because it was a great contrast to the slow, deliberate moves on the megaformer. 

The second workout I squeezed in on Wednesday morning, I woke up early to check out the November Project . It was probably one of the coolest workout experiences ever - and I think it will be hard for me to describe. Their website states it well - "November Project™ is a grassroots FREE fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months. Now present in multiple cities in across four time zones in North America, the movement is using a simple sense of accountability to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving."

The group meets 3 mornings a week in Boston, and each morning the group meets at a different location and does a different workout. On Wednesday mornings they meet at Harvard Stadium and do stairs. I consider myself to be in shape, but this workout kicked my butt! You run up the big stairs and come down the little stairs, and let me tell you the big stairs were HUGE!  As a newbie, we started at section 37 and went to section 19 ... does sound too bad, but my legs were shaking sooooo bad by the end! Veterans went all the way to Section 14 AND back ... cannot imagine.

The whole group that was there for the morning workout! See me??

So the workout was tough, but what made it such an amazing experience were the people. The November Project was started by 2 guys -Bojan and Brogan - and they have SO much energy -  it is contagious. They really stress that the movement is about creating a sense of community. As a newbie, I had to introduce myself to people and also give 3 people big bear hugs. Sounds silly, but it was so much fun.

Lastly,  I knew there would be a lot of people there - but there were at least a 100... but it did not feel cramped because everyone went at their own pace and spread out. 

If you imagine doing a really tough workout with over 100 people encouraging each other ... that is what November Project is all about, and it is such a cool idea! Look to see if there is a branch in your city by going to their website!

It was a pretty busy trip, but also pretty amazing! 

Have you tried any new workouts recently? And how was your 4th of July?

Who wishes you Happy 4th of July!

I want to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July! 

I hope everyone gets to celebrate America and our freedoms with family and friends today! I will be celebrating with my whole family (5 nieces and nephews!) and eating some good BBQ food =)

Who learns a lot from her puppy ...

Happy Thursday everyone ... but because this is 4 day week ... HAPPY FRIDAY!! WhooooHooo - Love holidays and 3 day weekends! 

I just got back from Boston and plan to do a little recap of my trip next week (I can't wait to tell you about 2 new fitness classes I tried)! Today, I am catching up on work and then packing up and making food for a family 4th of July weekend in Louisville with my whole family. It is awesome that B has the weekend off and can come too!!

So - this is a health/fitness themed blog, but I also want to give peeks into my everyday life and let you get to know my family too! One important part of our little family is our puppy, Yosey! 

Yosey is wise beyond her years (even her dog life years), and I want to share her wisdom with you guys ... therefore, I decided I am going to do occasional posts called "Lessons from Yosey." They will be somewhat related to health and fitness and hopefully they will make you smile and also make an impact =)

Lessons from Yosey

#1) To live a happy and balanced life, it is essentially to let loose and splurge every once in a while by enjoying a drink (especially microbrews!) or your favorite dessert! 

Do not worry - we do not let our puppy drink ...

BUT - Make sure you live in moderation and don't go overboard!

#2) Always make staying active a priority - even in the dead of winter!

BUT - there are some days that you just want to chill and relax, and that is ok too! You always need rest days!

#3) It is important to study and work hard to achieve your dreams (such as growing up to be a doctor like your Daddy!).

Yosey knows best!

Who can be crafty (sometimes)...

I will begin this post by saying that this blog will not become a craft blog, because I am not really a crafty person. I like to be creative every once in a while - but it is rare. The below project is a perfect example - I got an idea, I went and bought the supplies and was all excited and crafty ... and then it took B and I about a year to actually complete the project --- craftiness comes in waves!

Saying all of that - I am pretty proud of our head board project!

B and I moved to Ann Arbor about a year ago.

This is our house in boxes...I get anxiety just looking at that picture! I hate moving, but I was very excited to start our life together and make our new place a HOME!

One of the first things I wanted to do was make a headboard for our bed. I am not sure what prompted me to want to make it, instead of buying one ... it was probably Pinterest (love/hate relationship with Pinterest).

I saw a few quilted headboards that looked amazing and easy (they always fool ya) - so I just marched to Lowes (by myself?) and got some supplies. After much trial and error and procrastination - here is our finished product.

In the right corner you will see the curtains that my very talented and very crafty mother-in-law made that matches the headboard!

Here are some of the basic, simple steps we used for the headboard in case you want to conquer your own headboard project! (I borrowed some of the pictures because when we were doing it back in the winter and I did not have a blog =)

Quilted Headboard

Cotton batting about to wrap around the board

The fabric wrapped around the batting and plywood piece

1. Get thin, cheap plywood wood from a Lowe's and have them cut it into squares for you. I asked for 4 X 4 squares, and I knew I wanted 12, but the sheet of plywood made 16 - so I had extras! I do not remember the exact cost, but it was cheap!
2. Go to a craft or quilt store and get something called batting. It is what they use in quilts to give it oomph (technical term). It looks like cotton balls in a big sheet. I got about the thickest batting and I got enough to be able to cover each square.
3. I picked out about 8 different fabrics because I wanted some solids to have repeat throughout to make it less busy. I made sure I had about 5 X 5 of the fabric so that it could wrap around the plywood and batting.
4. First, lay the batting down and wrap it around a plywood sheet and use a staple gun to secure it. 
5. Then lay the fabric down and carefully wrap it around the plywood and batting and staple it down. It is important to pay attention to the corners and make sure they look good before you staple.
6. Once you have all the squares prepared, it is time to put them up on the wall! We used velcro strips because it gave us wiggle room to get everything straight and tight. We just attached them to the wall square by square with the velcro. It will probably rip the paint off ... but we are ignoring that factor. 

And here is your finished product! 

What have you done "crafty" recently?"

Who takes a survey ...

Good Morning Good Morning!

Since this is a new blog, I want to share a bit more about myself so we can get to know each other.  I thought filling out a fun little survey would be an easy way to share! I also LOVE reading when other bloggers post and respond to surveys.

I saw a survey that Julie from Pbfingers posted called "This or That" and I thought I would tackle it!

Here we go ...

This or That?!?

* Run or Work out in the heat/humidity or the freezing cold?

 That is frost on my face!!

Freezing cold for sure! We moved up to Michigan last June and this winter (while training for Boston) was the coldest, and snowiest winter in Michigan's history --- it was brutal, but I learned, with some yak traxs and the right layers, zero degrees (feels like -14) is doable, and actually not too bad! I just always have to worry about my hands getting cold - but I have these tiger striped HUGE mittens that I use =) Mittens are a secret to warmth because your body heat helps keep the fingers warm. 

Also, some of my spring marathons in 80+ weather are the WORST!

* Have Washboard abs or Flat abs?
Umm... Kind of a weird question, but I would not mind washboard abs I guess!

* Cardio or Strength workouts?

Loving cardio!

I am addicted to cardio (running, HIIT, bootcamps...), but I know you need strength training too and I have to admit, I love seeing the results of strength .... but if I have to choose, always cardio!

* Cravings: Protein or Carbs?
Carbs! No questions asked ... I love carbs - I am not a huge pasta eater, but I like a good homemade loaf of bread (I have a great banana bread recipe!), and sweet taters!

* Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper?
I would have to say Jillian Michael - I liked to be pushed and I think she could definitely push me!

* Frozen yogurt or Ice cream?
I LOVE both of them and I would say they are both the things I like to splurge on every once in a while. If I had to choose I would say frozen yogurt because I love adding the toppings, and you can have a little bit more because it is yogurt =)

My favorite yogurt place in Indianapolis!

* Strength training upper body or Lower body?
Upper body for sure - I love working my arms! I think it is because I feel like I work my legs when I run, and I love seeing results in my arms

* Protein powder or Food with Protein?

Food with protein - I have never really used protein powder. Also, people do not need as much protein as we sometimes think, so I think we can get what we need from food.

Enjoying sweets at my bachelorette
party!

* Sweet or Salty?
 BOTH! I love things that are salty and sweet --- trail mix, pretzel and jello dessert ...
If I had to choose, sweet!

*Workout Attire: Cute or Comfy?
I am all about comfy and utility when it comes to workout attire - but I love bright, fun colors too! There are some great places to find cute, comfy workout clothes for a good prices and that is the perfect combo. I love Old Navy, Marshall's and TJ Maxx for workout clothes!

* Body Pump or Heavy lifting?
Body pump! The gym I work at does not have Body pump, but my old gym in Indy did have it and I always left the classes feeling so accomplished and sore! Heavy lifting is a bit intimating for me. 

* Running: Treadmill or Outdoors?

YOU HAVE to try them!

Outdoors! I HATE the treadmill, and avoid it at all cost.

* Whole Foods or Trader Joe's?
Trader Joe's - I go there for a small number of specific things - cheap wine, dried mango (seriously you have to try it - no additives, and so sweet!), pizza dough (the whole wheat dough is so good!), pizza sauce, guacamole made with greek yogurt that is so tasty and less calories, and dark chocolate covered marshmallows (girls gotta have her chocolate!).

* Summer or Winter Olympics?
Summer Olympics, I love the swimming and running. 

* Exercise classes or Exercise video?
I teach exercise classes - so I have to say exercise classes =) And I do love them!

* Steamed veggies or roasted veggies?

Roasted green beans from B's
 garden

Roasted veggies all the way! 

Now your turn:

Would you rather work out in the heat/humidty or in the freezing cold?

And Sweet or Salty?