Weekly Recap: Tapering for the Outer Banks Marathon and the Brooks Heritage Line

Welcome to the final week of October! Can you believe it? This month has been so much fun, but it definitely flew by. 

Let me fill you in on what's happening at the Right Fits in Fitness and Fitness Fashion this past week.

Here's what's happening in fitness:

Monday: 6.75 miles in the morning with my friend Kelly and my dog Matilda. Then, [solidcore] MSP in the evening. I loved [solidcore] MSP so much, but honestly I was sore for three days! It kind of made the rest of the week a challenge for fitness.

Tuesday: I was still sore from [solidcore] MSP but I had a track workout on the schedule. It consisted of about 2 miles to warm-up, then 2 sets of 1600-800-800. There were 30 seconds of recovery between the 800's and one lap (400) between the sets. I did about 1.5 miles to cool-down for 8.5 miles total. This was a tough night for me. I struggled to hit my goal paces for this one. My legs were tired from the 60 mile week the week before and of course from the [solidcore] MSP workout. It's time to really focus on resting now during the taper.

Wednesday: 4 miles easy.

Thursday: 7 miles with 20 minutes of tempo pace, 1 hour kettlebell/strength class with Ericka at Balance Fitness. Great class!

Friday: complete rest day.

Saturday: 15 mile long run. After my long run, I checked out some of the speakers at the Minnesota Blogger's Conference. I learned some useful things, particularly on the technology side, which is not my strong suit. Stay tuned for some big changes on The Right Fits!

Sunday: easy 4 mile run with Matilda

Summary: 2 strength days, 1 rest day, and 6 days of running. My mileage decreased by about 25% from last week's 60 miles. I plan to decrease it another 25% this week to about 35 miles.  

It's definitely taper time now for the Outer Banks Marathon. As often happens during the taper, I caught a cold, which I consider the "curse of the taper." I've been taking it easy trying to fight it off but I'm hoping I'll be back to full strength by November 9th.

For more tips on the taper, check out this post.

Here's what's happening in fitness fashion:

All the real Brooks ambassadors have been blogging about this for months; I'm a little behind the curve.

Though I may not be an official Brooks ambassador, I think I am a Brooks ambassador at heart!
I mean, I have been running in Adrenalines and Ravennas for all 16 of my marathons...

I can't help but get excited about all the cool stuff Brooks is coming out with.

Hold onto your sports bras, ladies, there's some fun stuff coming your way from Brooks!

First of all, they have added shoes to their Nightlife line. These are basically one step down from glowing in the dark, with totally amped up reflectiveness. You might remember the Nightlife line from an event I attended last fall at Marathon Sports running store (read about it HERE).

At that time, the Nightlife line only included apparel. I'm really excited to see that it now includes shoes, especially since it includes my shoe of choice, the Ravennas!

Secondly, Brooks has launched this awesome Heritage Line of sneakers. I think this gold pair of the Brooks Vanguards are my favorites.

I also like the simple blue ones

I am definitely considering ordering a pair of these soon.  I love the throwback style and I have also read that these Heritage shoes each represent a piece of Brooks history. Each shoe has a story that comes with it, including the famous athletes who wore the shoes- so fun! I'm hoping that Brooks adds some apparel (fitness fashion!) to the Heritage line, as I am sure I would love it.

Let me know what you think of these new shoes from Brooks!

I hope you had a great week! Did you try anything new in fitness or fitness fashion? Did you check out the MN Bloggers Conference? What did you think?
Please share!

Weekly Recap: Six Weeks Until Flying Pig and Free Barre Today!

Happy Sunday!

What's happening this week in fitness?
This past week was a pretty good one for running.

Monday: After we finally returned home from our botched-up flight from Turks & Caicos, I headed out for an easy Calhoun/Harriet (about 7.75 miles from my house). I didn't wear my Garmin, but let myself go as slowly as I felt like going. I was tired from the trip, and didn't want to worry about pace.

Tuesday: Kelly joined me at the Calhoun Beach Running Club for 7.75 miles, with four 1-mile repeats. We took about 3 minute breaks between each mile. It started to sleet/snow on us, and it wasn't the most pleasant evening for a run, but I hit my goal pace for those miles, and was pleased with the workout.

Wednesday: No running, just a 1 hour kettlebell class at Balance Fitness. We did old school sit-ups with a weighted ball, jump ropes, lunges, bicep curls, shoulder raises, burpees, kettlebell swings, shoulder presses, thrusters, kettlebell snatches, triceps pushdowns...I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember it all. It was a good class, with a lot of upper body work, which I liked.

Thursday: 8.5 miles in the morning with Kelly, with 5 miles at my GMP (goal marathon pace). We ended up doing most of these GMP miles at 15-20 seconds faster than my GMP, so it was definitely tougher than it should have been!

Friday: Complete rest.

Saturday: 19 mile run. I was not very happy to see that the temperature was in the single digits when we started. The "feels like" temperature was -8! I really hope that was our LAST cold run. Even though it was cold, I was pretty happy with how it felt. We had company for the first 5 miles, but then it was just Kelly and me for the last 14. We held a good pace (for me). Maybe Flying Pig won't be so bad afterall!

Sunday: In just a short while, Dustin and I will be heading to St. Paul to run the Irish Run 8k..I shared some information in this post about this race, here it is again:

The Calhoun Beach Running Club has a USATF racing team now. For each race in the circuit, only our team's top 5 fastest times for men and for women will count, so my time will never actually count towards the team. However, signing up for a USATF membership does have some other perks- discounts on races, guaranteed entry to the TC 10 mile, etc. The first race of the season is the Irish Run in St. Paul on Sunday, March 23^rd. This race has been going on since 1973. There is a 5k, 8k, and youth run.

2

This race is a little unique as it doesn’t start until the middle of the day (the 8k starts at 1:20 PM). Apparently, this late start is to allow the 50 churches on or near Summit Avenue to complete their services without traffic disruption. The late start also allows the temperature to rise to the high for the day, which could be significantly warmer than an early morning race. The race starts and finished at Ramsey Jr High School. This race attracts a lot of local elite runners, and nearly every Minnesota 8k record has been set here. 

After the 8k, I will be heading to the The Barre in Edina for a free class they are hosting with lucy activewear. 

I normally wouldn't do this much on a Sunday...in fact, they are often rest days for me, but I can't pass up a free class! I am meeting several girlfriends there, some of whom will be taking barre for the first time. Looking forward to this event! 

If you're interested, there still might be room, go HERE to sign up online.

What's happening this week in fitness fashion?

Just another reminder of the big lululemon sale next weekend- details HERE!

What's happening in fashion?

I purchased a new app called "StyleBook." Read all about it HERE. You can use it to create outfits, track what you wear, plan what to pack for vacations, and more! 

"Stylebook is designed to help you carefully curate your wardrobe so you can look effortlessly chic everyday. We want you to get the most out of what you already have in your closet and to choose new pieces that will integrate well into your wardrobe as a whole. A little organization can go a long way when it comes to getting dressed. Mixing and matching what you own, comparing new purchases to what have in your closet, planning the outfits you'll wear on vacation, and saving all your favorite style inspirations in one place will all help you develop your personal style. This was the basic idea behind the original version of Stylebook, which has now evolved to include over 90 features." 

I'm really excited to start using Stylebook. However, first I have to take pictures of all the items in my closet, which seems kind of daunting. I think I'll start building up the app by taking pictures each day as I wear something, and maybe do a bigger photo shoot when I have a full day to clean out my closet.  I'm really hoping this app will help me figure out ways to mix and match things that I already own! 

Weekly Recap: Last Week of February and a Snow Bunny Bachelorette Party!

The week I was in Utah didn't deserve its own weekly recap, as my workouts were minimal (except snowboarding of course). I'll consider it a "cutback" week, and not stress too much about it.

However, by Monday, I was ready to delve into my Flying Pig Marathon training. Unfortunately, Minnesota weather wasn't on board will this idea. We received a foot of snow while we were in Park City, and the temperatures were still crazy low, so the trails (and roads for that matter) were still extremely icy. 

Icy trails and extremely cold temps meant that this week turned out to be a whole lot of treadmill time...

Monday: 7 miles on the treadmill, wall sits and planks

Tuesday: 8 miles on the treadmill with three 10-minute tempo intervals

Wednesday: 5 miles on the treadmill and kettlebells class at Balance Fitness <-- great class!

Thursday: 9 miles on the treadmill with "simulated" hills. I cranked up the incline for 4 minutes, then 4 minutes at zero incline, repeating this about 6 times. It felt pretty similar to our hill workouts with the club.

Friday: Rest.

Saturday: 16 miles on the treadmill. I broke it up into sets of 4 miles. It didn't seem as daunting if every time I got on the treadmill, I only had to run 4 miles (instead of thinking about the 16 total.) After each 4 mile set, I would take a water/Gatorade/GU break, stretch, maybe even switch treadmills, and then get back on for another 4 miles. Now, I could have run outside, but the temperature was about -5, and the trails were still so icy! Plus, I knew that none of my regular running buddies would be at the club yesterday, so the treadmill was where it was at for me. I really hope that was the only time I have to do my long run on it! 

Sunday: Another rest day.

Total: About 45 miles, 2 rest days, 1 strength day, and no yoga.

After Saturday's long treadmill run, I hurried home to shower, eat, and pack to hit the road to Anandale for my run club friend's bachelorette party! 

Her maids of honor had planned such a fun weekend at a beautiful cabin on the lake. (If you recall, another friend's summer bachelorette party was also in Anandale- read about that one HERE) This party was a little different since it was the middle of the winter, so there was a snow bunny theme! We were encouraged to bring ice skates, cross country skis, snowshoes, sleds, or any other outdoor winter activities. We arrived a little too late to participate in all of the outdoor activities, but we were all on board with our snow bunny attire!

There was a penguin, a snow bunny, some bunny ears...I wore a faux fur Marmot vest that I purchased after seeing my little sister's similar vest in Park City (find it HERE). I wouldn't normally wear the vest without anything underneath, but we were all having a great time celebrating and bonding at the cabin- there was no need to go out on the town! Instead, we stayed inside where it was warm and cozy, where a faux fur lined vest without a shirt underneath is perfectly appropriate!

We played a few fun games, and there might have been a little imbibing in the spirits...even some moonshine soaked berries! Those were a bit strong...

I had such a great time celebrating with this wonderful group of friends (and some new friends too!) and I can't wait for the bachelorette's big day this summer.

FYI- I found the gray/pink/white sweater I'm wearing on "Life with Emily"'s blog. I just loved the way she styled it, so I ordered the same one for me! Check out that post here.

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday afternoon. Are you prepping for some Oscar watching? I've added it to my TiVo, but I'll be honest, I'll probably fast forward a lot of it. 

Tell me- what's the longest you have run on a treadmill? I think 16 might have been my maximum...

What are you most looking forward to at the Oscars? The dresses!

Weekly Recap and Prepping for Park City!

By Jess in Minneapolis

I hope you enjoyed your weekend!  Mine was a nice long one, as I had Monday off for the MLK holiday. Having that extra day was such a treat!

I'm back to check in with a weekly recap of January 13-19th.

In fitness fashion this week, I reviewed my pair of capris from Splits59 (read about them HERE)

In fashion, I have been trying to figure out what to wear to my friend's bachelorette party this weekend. It's going to be such a fabulous day! We are starting out with a half marathon (the Securian Winter Run- read my review of last year's race HERE), then getting mani/pedis at Phresh, then a little happy hour/cocktail party before dinner at Pazzaluna, and then perhaps a little dancing? Who knows where the night will take us!

Anyways, I wanted to find something to wear that was a little warmer due to the cold temperatures hitting Minneapolis (again- boo).  I was so pumped to find this Bellini Lace shift dress on the sale rack at Anthropologie. I got such a great deal on it- a price that definitely fit the bill, at only $50, and I am sure I will wear it again. It must have been a return, because it is an online exclusive, but it was on the sale rack at my local Anthro. Score!

I plan to pair it with tights and ankle boots....its cold in Minneapolis! Yet I think I'll be able to style it differently in the spring, and maybe even summer to make it a truly functional fit!

And finally, here's how the week turned out with fitness:
Monday: Easy morning run
Tuesday: Easy (though very snowy) morning run and C2 (vinyasa) class with instructor Nikki at Corepower Yoga. She is so awesome- great class!
Wednesday: Treadmill run: warmup for about 2.5 miles, then two 7-minute tempo intervals, then cool down of about 2.5 miles. I actually really liked doing the tempo intervals on the treadmill, because I could lock in my goal pace and hold on (as long as I could at least!)
Thursday: Kettlebells at Balance Fitness
Friday: Hot Power Fusion at Corepower Yoga
Saturday: Long run- just over 14 miles
Sunday: hour long barre class at The Barre- really tough class! The instructor did all the tough moves, like water-skiers, etc. Felt great!

Then in the afternoon, we headed to Welch Village to ski/snowboard. 

Dustin and I are heading to Park City, Utah at the end of February with my younger sister (you might remember LL from the blog!) and her husband, and three other friends (two of them pictured above!) The Minneapolis people met up at Welch to warm up a bit for Utah. It was a nice warm-"ish" day, and I feel a lot more confident going into Utah now with a little practice under my belt this year.

Have you ever been skiing in Utah? Any recommendations? Please share!

I ended up with about 40 miles for the week, with only a handful of them at a hard effort; two yoga classes, 1 barre, 1 kettle bell (strength), and 1 snowboarding day (cross-training?) I think it was a  pretty balanced week!

How was YOUR week in fitness, fashion, or fitness fashion? Please share in the comments! I'd like to get to know YOU- my readers! So start commenting- let me know if you tried out something new in fitness, fashion, or fitness fashion lately!

Weekly Recap and a Beer Mile.

By Jess in Minneapolis

Time for another weekly recap already!

Here's how the week panned out in Fitness:
Monday: Ran 7 miles in the AM, Hot Power Fusion at Corepower Yoga in the PM
Tuesday: Ran 4 miles with Matilda
Wednesday: Ran 7 miles in the AM
Thursday: Ran 7 miles in the AM, Kettlebells at Balance Fitness in the PM
Friday: BarreAmped at Balanced Barre in the AM
Saturday: 10 miles with the CBRC
Sunday: Hot Power Fusion at Corepower Yoga

Total: 35 miles, 1 strength, 1 barre, 2 yoga

The highlight this week in fitness was definitely the kettlebell class at Balance. I went last week, so it wasn't a lack of consistency that made this week's class so hard, but my, oh, my, my legs were so sore after this class! It must have been all of the thruster squats and swings between each upper body exercise, but the class was definitely a doozy, and it led me to cut back on my running on Saturday (10 rather than 12 miles) and not run at all on Sunday to let my legs fully recover. I love being that sore though! (I just have to be sure not to take that class before a race).

And here's what happened last week in Fitness Fashion:
Nothing much was new last week in Fitness Fashion, so I thought I'd share something I'm currently throwing a fit for at lululemon. It's their "fluff off vest". This vest is pretty similar to the downalicioius vest that I am also throwing a fit for at Athleta. Ideas for my Christmas wish list? I think both options would be a perfect winter running essential for the frigid temps that are surely on their way in Minneapolis. Priced at $128 for the fluff off vest at lululemon and $138 for Athleta's version, I am hoping that Santa reads the Right Fits.

And of course, here's an update on the week in Fashion:
My girlfriends and I have discussed that we frequently buy cocktail dresses for weddings, galas, etc, and we only wear them once or twice, before letting them gather dust in the far corners of the closet. Personally, I am a big offender of this wasteful act. I even have a few dresses that I have never worn! With that said, I figured a cocktail dress swap would be a creative way to expand the wardrobe for a price that fits the bill. We all have a few weddings coming up this spring and summer, so this was an opportunity to find a "new-to-me" dress for those special occasions.

This past Wednesday, about eight girlfriends came over for some wine and appetizers. They brought over all kinds of awesome dresses....like all of these lovely gowns:

We took turns trying on dresses that appealed to our personal style, and I think several of us found some great "borrows" for future weddings and events!

Between this and the Fashion Swaps that I have hosted, I obviously like to swap clothes. I think it's due to growing up with four sisters and borrowing (stealing?) clothes from their closets that left me always planning this type of event (read about past fashion swaps HERE and HERE)

Beer Mile?

In between all the fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion, Dustin and I attended the CBRC Beer Mile event on Saturday night. We both opted to be spectators, as I just don't have the stomach to down four beers while running a mile...Yep, you read that right.  In fact, apparently, this is a popular event for running clubs, but I had never heard of it.

The official rules of this "event" are as follows:

1. Teams consist of two competitors.



2. Each competitor drinks four cans of beer and runs four laps of the 1/4 mile route. Teammates alternate the ‘beer then run’ process (beer/lap/tag). Finish the lap by tagging your partner. Your teammate will then drink a beer and run a ¼ mile and this will continue until each team has run 8 laps and consumed 8 beers (4 per person).



3. The timer will start with the opening of the first beer from the first runner of each team. The timer will stop when the second runner from each team crosses the finish line after his/her fourth lap. The first team to cross the finish line after drinking 8 beers and running 8 laps is the winner.



4. After the first lap, beers cannot be opened until tagged by a partner finishing a lap.



5. Competitors must drink canned beer and the cans must not be less than 355ml or 12oz. No bottles will be allowed on the course for safety reasons. No Solo cups in the interest of consistency for those drinking from cans.



6. Beer cans must not be tampered with in any manner. I.e. No shot gunning or puncturing of the can except for opening the can by the tab at the top. No straws, bongs or other aids are allowed in order to increase the speed of pouring / drinking. Wide mouth cans, e.g. Coors Light, are acceptable.



7. Beer must be a minimum of 4.2% alcohol by volume. That means no 3.2% gas station beer. Hard ciders and lemonades will also not suffice. The beer must be a fermented alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and flavored with hops. Acceptable beers: Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, Hamm’s, Heineken, Michelob Golden Draft, Miller Lite, PBR, Keystone Light, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Genuine Draft Lite, Old Milwaukee, Yuengling (if you can find it). Others may be allowed at the discretion of the Race Director. 

8. Common beers that do not meet the minimum alcohol threshold: Amstel Light, Busch Light, Hamm’s Light, Heineken Light, Michelob Golden Draft Light, Michelob Ultra, O’douls (obviously)



9. Spilling is high discouraged. The name of the game is beer mile, not ‘pour it down your shirt mile.’ Mild spillage while drinking may result in a one shot penalty at the discretion of the drinking judge. Heavy spillage while drinking may result in a two shot penalty at the discretion of the drinking judge.



10. Upon drinking a beer, each competitor must turn his or her can completely upside down before running a lap. An unreasonable amount of beer/foam poured from the can will result in either a one or two shot penalty at the discretion of the drinking judge.

A handful of people joined Dustin and me as "spectators." Needless to say, the shenanigans were quite entertaining for the non-participators.

spectators

Runners and beer....it seems that they go hand-in-hand!

Here's a YouTube video of the fastest beer mile on record: 
(The CBRC version was not on a track, but was otherwise the same.)

It was a fun event, and I was impressed by how quickly some people could still run (and drink?) Probably not the healthiest event in the world, but it was all in good fun.

How was your week? Any fresh, new fits in Fitness, Fashion, or Fitness Fashion? Please share!

Fits Do Fitness Class Reviews: Kettlebell Workout at Balance Fitness

By Cool J in Minneapolis

I have been taking a kettlebells class about once a week for a few months now. Actually, I think I've been attending pretty consistently since October (right after the Steamtown marathon).  Yet even though I'm a regular, I realized that I have only posted about kettlebells once, which was after the first time I did it. (You can read that post HERE). But now that I am a regular, I would like to dedicate a new post to this class, and share all the reasons why I would recommend it.

A few of my marathon friends actually swear by this class; they say that taking this class consistently was a huge factor in their recent marathon PR's.

And after Steamtown, I was eager for advice on how to get faster. I sought advice from all my speedy friends as to what exactly they did to get faster.  I value my friend's testimonies, so if they say "do kettlebells", well, I will do kettlebells!

My consistency is also reinforced by the fact that the D-man also enjoys this class, so it has become a bit of a "fitness date night" for us. Remember our 4 year wedding anniversary (here)? Our celebration started with kettlebells! 

Kettlebell swings (or snatches- i.e. one handed swings) are always a big part of the workout, but every week it's a new and different workout. Sometimes the workouts involve more cardio (jumping rope, burpees) and other times the workouts are more strength based with less cardio.

 {The D-man at the top of a kettlebell swing}

The fun part is that you never know what to expect, but the workout is always a butt-kicker. Some weeks are definitely harder than others, but the instructor switches things up enough that you never get bored. The hour usually flies right by.

The details:
The class is held at Balance Fitness, which is a non-descript warehouse located by Fujiya in uptown. (2902 Garfield Avenue South Minneapolis) There's usually free parking behind the building, but if not, you can always find street parking.

The class is run by Sarah of "Real Fitness Solutions."
Webiste: http://www.realfitnesssolutions.com
You can like her page on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/RealFitnessSolutions?fref=ts

Sarah, like most of the instructors at Balance, rents the space there. She also does personal training and offers other types of classes as well.

The kettlebells class is currently offered Wednesday and Thursday nights at 6 pm. It's an hour long. You can try it out for free the first time. (In fact, let me know if you're interested- if I bring a newbie, it's free for both of us- what a deal!)

After your first class, you can be added to an email distribution in which Sarah sends a reminder each week, with a link to sign up online. I usually buy a package of 6 class which I think is about $20/class. The D-man and I share a package and "take turns" buying the classes.

So what is a typical workout like?
Well, I'll use last week as an example. We did a circuit that included pushups, kettlebell swings, lateral pulldowns, double snatches, and goblet squats. We started with 20 of each, then 18, then 16, and worked our way down to just 2 (with the kettlebells swings doubled- i.e. 40, 36, 32, etc).

{Kettlebell swings}

{Double snatches}

{Goblet squat}

The kettlebell swings and snatches are actually a cardio workout.  During those sets, my heart rate was elevated pretty high. The pushups, lat pulldowns, and goblet squats are more strength exercises.

The workout may not sound too complicated, but it was tough and it took the whole hour to complete.

I haven't noticed a difference in my running so far; hopefully I will see a difference on June 1 in Newport, Oregon!  Either way, I think this is an intense strength training class that can be an effective way to lose weight and gain muscle strength. When beginners try out the class, Sarah takes the time to show them the correct form for swings, and she helps them determine what weight to use. She will push you though; she doesn't let us slack, and the workouts seem to be getting harder. I would never lift weights and do this type of strength training on my own.

I definitely recommend giving this class a try!

From Sarah's website, here are 5 good reasons to try kettlebells:

1. A kettlebell workout is an efficient workout and a calorie incinerator. Pavel Tsatsouline, the man who introduced kettlebells to America, has been known to say that “kettlebells melt fat without the dishonor of dieting or aerobics.”  Different studies will tell you different numbers, but what it comes down to is roughly equivalent to running a 6-minute mile, or cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace. That’s about 20 calories per minute. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I’m doing a 20 minute run, I can’t keep up a 6-minute-mile pace the whole time; and I’m not a skiier, but I bet I wouldn’t enjoy climbing a hill for 20 minutes at the fastest pace I can handle. So you can stick with your regular strength training or low-intensity cardio if you want, but it’ll take you an hour to burn the same 400 calories I’ll burn in 20 minutes with kettlebells. How’s that for a time-saver?
2. Kettlebells are the closest thing I’ve found to a “silver bullet” in fitness. Everyone wants to know: “What’s the one thing I need to do to get the body I want?” I hate this question, because there is no such thing as a silver bullet. There is no single move, or single muscle group, or single type of exercise that will do everything. But kettlebells come awfully close. They are aerobic (cardio/calorie burning), high intensity/power training, endurance training, core training, strength training, and flexibility all in one. If I could only pick one exercise to do for the rest of my life, kettlebells would be it. It's the only type of exercise I've found that delivers the body shape, the strength, and the endurance I want.  Kettlebells do it all, and they do it fast.
3. Kettlebells work for different fitness goals. Because of the flexible nature of kettlebell workouts (see #2), you can use kettlebells whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle mass, or just tone up. They simply “fix” your body composition, whichever way it needs fixing.
4. Kettlebells will give you the strongest core you’ve ever had. I’m a huge advocate of making sure your core muscles (abs, upper and lower back, glutes, shoulders) are involved in almost every movement. In the past I’ve used Pilates techniques and exercises to teach my clients how to engage their core muscles, but I’ve always found Pilates, well...boring. Why lay on a mat and barely move when I could be throwing heavy things around, getting my heart rate up, and using my core muscles? Pilates is incredibly useful, but kettlebells are just more fun.
5. Kettlebells require the use of your entire body.  While free weights are great (I have no disrespect for dumbbells), most free weight exercises don’t require the use of more than a few muscle groups. Even Olympic lifts like the clean-and-jerk are more challenging with kettlebells than free weights. Kettlebells are also much more functional; the movements are great practice for real-world activities, like shoveling snow or moving your air conditioner from the basement for the summer.  You can make huge gains in strength and coordination, without having to practice specific drills.

Interested yet?  Check out her class schedule. If you're interested in trying out a class, simply sign up to receive a weekly email invite. Due to limitations on class size, she runs classes on an RSVP basis--so if you want to be invited to the class, you have to get on the mailing list.

While kettlebells provide an opportunity for amazing achievment, they also present the possibility of major injury. Because of the dynamic movements you’ll do with kettlebells and the stress on the core, you want to be absolutely certain that you are doing the exercises correctly. DO NOT just pick up a kettlebell and start swinging. Your first session or two, at the very least, should be in the presence of a certified kettlebell instructor. This warning goes double for anyone who has preexisting back, shoulder, or wrist problems. Kettlebells can help strengthen these areas and may even solve these problems, but you must be supervised by someone who can teach you to stabilize these areas first.

Failed Fit: The Sleeping Bag Jacket

By Cool J in Minneapolis

This week was pretty mild here in Minneapolis, and I took advantage of it with a lot of running mixed with a variety of classes. It felt like a well balanced week that mixed in different types of activities.

Sunday: Orange Theory Fitness class and Moksha yoga class
Monday: AM run
Tuesday: AM run, Orange Theory Fitness class
Wednesday: Kettlebells at Balance Fitness
Thursday: AM run
Friday: Long run after work!
Saturday: Barre class at Align Pilates, Moksha yoga 90 minutes class

Yes, I did my long run (about 13 miles) yesterday after work. It was nearly 40 degrees yesterday, but the temperature was set to drop overnight. So my running buddy Abby and I switched things up a bit and did our long run on a Friday night. I was very, very glad that we did, as the wind was brutal this morning. The temperature had dropped to about 15 degrees, and all the melted snow and rain from the warm week had frozen overnight into treacherous conditions.

But Friday night was great. We had warm temperatures, and could take advantage of a local community center that was open on our route. We passed it twice and were able to use it as our water spot! With the city fountains turned off for the winter, it's nice to have a little hydration for a longer run.

{Thanks Minneapolis Park & Rec!}

The trails were mostly clear of any ice, and other than some wet shoes from a few puddles, it was a lovely run. Thanks Abby!

So this morning, I didn't have to get up and face the brutal temps. Instead, I got in my daily sweat via barre and yoga.

After barre and yoga, Matilda, Dusters, and I headed to a dog park for some more running around, but it didn't last long. That melted snow that froze overnight turned Tilda's favorite dogpark into a dirty ice skating rink. Though Tilda still sprinted around like it was no big deal, I worried that she might break one of her long deer legs.

{picture from the cabin on Christmas}

And it was at this dirty ice skating rink that I committed a personal failed fit.

The sleeping bag jacket.

My version isn't quite as much a true sleeping bag jacket like the above. But close enough!.

I don't think the sleeping bag jacket is  flattering on anyone. Boxy. Puffy. An instant 10 pound weight gain.

The sleeping bag jacket is not the right fit for someone like me with broad shoulders and an athletic build.

I mean, it could be anyone in there.

Male, female..who knows?

It might not even be human!

The sleeping bag jacket. 

Failed Fit for sure...

But in Minnesota in January, it was the functional fit that I needed.