Sliding Workouts

Have you ever tried a towel or skateboard workout? Boy, are they intense! If you have done these before, you know that it is a massive ab and glute workout. If you have not, I would highly recommend trying it! Skateboard workouts are my personal favorite, but if you do not have a skateboard available, towel workouts are fantastic as well! For either of these workouts, the goal is to use your leg, abdominal, and arm strength while any other portion of you is sliding around on the floor. This takes lots of balance, coordination, and strength- and because of that, is a great whole body workout!

Although skateboard workouts are not as big of a hit yet, there are still a few YouTube videos out there with them. I may just need to do a workout with the skateboard on the blog soon, because there are simply not enough good resources for a full workout.

As for towel workouts, there are PLENTY! These are a few of my favorite towel and skateboard workouts. I have also heard of using paper plates and added a Cassey Ho workout where she does just that! Let me know which is your favorite!

A Full [and Intense] Skateboard Workout

Pumps and Iron Towel Workout

This workout is very quick and VERY effective. My favorite part is that Nicole goes over proper posture. Towel workouts can be much more intense than a regular workout, and for that reason, can be a lot easier to get something wrong and get hurt from. Back strain is a big part of that. The goal is to have other parts of your body making up for the lack of resistance and support the towel gives. If you are feeling lower back pain, take a minute to readjust, something is not right.

Cassey Ho Plate Workout for Abs

How to RunDisney

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Congratulations to anyone out there who completed the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World this past weekend! It looked like this year was just as fantastic as all the rest, and even a bit warmer than one or two ;) And goodness, be happy that you are not running today since Florida has decided to do a complete 180 and be hot and muggy. Yuck. 

Have you got the running bug and thinking of running a Disney Race? Disney races are kind of know for being super fun, super lavish, super expensive, and getting a super awesome finisher's medallion at the end- and all you need is a 16 minute/mile pace or faster! 

Now that I have a team of friends and family running the Wine and Dine with me, I have been looking up massive tips, running advice, and articles on what to expect from my first long Disney run. Turns out, there are entire blogs dedicated to running Disney races. I love it! My current favorite is A Healthy Dose of Pixie Dust, hands down. If you are planning on running a Disney race in the near future, or you just want to see what you should expect should you make the leap, this is a great site to check out. A Few of my favorite articles are listed below. 

Disney Running 101 that just has links to lots of other Disney running articles

From the above article, a few of my favorites include The Day Before the Big Race, The Week Leading Up to The Race, and The Packing List. Both were so helpful on what to expect! 

The Wine and Dine Race Recap is pretty high on my favorites list as well, go figure ;)

The Expo has some wonderful info for anyone wondering if it is worth checking out.

Aaahh, it is 8 months away and I simply cannot wait!! What race training have you used in the past? I have heard great things about Jeff Galloway and am considering using his run walk training for my first race. 

Valentines Day Gifts for The Runner

Running has gotten a bit popular over the past decade- perhaps you have heard it talked of once or twice, or, maybe that running bug has bitten you as well. It sure has got me and, chances are, it has gotten you significant other as well.

If you are in that group of the running elite known as marathoners, half marathoners (I will be soon!!), ultra marathoners, triathletes, and the like, you know there are a few products that life can simply not go on without. Of course, some of those have made it to our Valentines Day list, but some of these are also great gifts that your runner will squeal for joy over, but may not necessarily buy for themselves.

Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS Watch

This is a bit like the 405, if the 405 went on a bit of a diet and got way better at understanding where you are- even in tree cover. I will be getting one of these quite soon and would recommend every other runner or newbie outdoor runner do the same. It has better reviews than any Tom Tom, a large display, and shows you your pace compared to your goal. Too bad it does not come with the HRM strap, that is the only downside. Of course, you could always go a little crazy and buy this one instead :)

Runner's Rule Book

Every runner enjoys reading about other runner's running experiences, right? Well then, your runner will enjoy knowing all those running do's and dont's. Because, no one wants to be a rude runner.

Run The Extra Mile

It is artwork and it is encouraging. This is sure to tick two of the many boxes of the things your runner enjoys! It is also so cute and chalk-like, I just love it and would like one now to put in my office. Yes, that would be perfect.

Compression Leggings

It may not seem romantic, but this says you care about them on a logical level. Compression leggings, sicks, and the like help reduce water retention, muscle soreness by reducing lactic acid build-up, and could actually help you finish that race a little faster!

Dry Shampoo- God's Gift to Women Who Sweat

That is a fact. After he rested a bit on Sunday, he woke up Monday and created this. The. Best. Thing. Ever. Get it for your running buddy, significant other, hot yoga neighbor/instructor, or anyone else because everyone will love this.

Running Chronicles Bib Holder

How cute is this, right?! It holds all your bibs so you can look back and think of all those race memories. I simply love this idea and think it is perfect for any scrap booker or insane memory maker out there.

Chocolate Truffles

Last, but certainly not least is the needed chocolate truffles. I got these for a treat at a recent volunteer meeting and they were a hit! And yes, you do need the giant, 36-count box. Also, chocolate is great for increasing race times, stopping all joint and muscle pain, improving running complexion, and making everything not hurt. Science.

Housekeeping

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Today's post is going to be all about housekeeping on the blog because I feel like I owe it to you. First off, I am sorry for the embarrassingly low 3-4 posts per week. There has been so much going on in the new year and, sometimes, writing just slips. That does not mean that we will keep on going like this, but it may continue until February is over.

Since February is such a busy month, my thinking is to do four posts per week with a possible surprise weekend post when I can. Post days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with Friday or Monday being possible skip days. Really though, I have no idea which Monday or Friday will be the skip day, it will just depend on how the week goes. And hopefully, I will be able to start doing those weekly workout sum-ups again for the Sunday surprise posts!

Then, we will get back to the regular beat in March with lots of spring time posts, Disney posts, and workout posts!

This week, there are some pretty great recipes coming your way (kale and tortellini, anyone?), Valentines day gifts and things to do, and a good workout or two!!

For now though, I will leave you with this. My good friend and I decided to do this yesterday. Goodness, I had dreams about it last night and cannot wait to start training! If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!!