GRACIE

New moms update their Facebook status every 5 minutes to let us know that their baby has rolled over, made a poopie, etc... SO, I figured what kind of mom would I be if I didn't at least blog about my puppy one time??

Gracie is a "Chi Shi" (Chihuahua/Shih-Tzu mix). She will be 4 in October. Gracie is a wonderful dog. For anyone thinking about getting a low-maintenance dog, you should look into buying or adopting a Chi Shi. A little bit about my pup...

I'M A PRETTY GIRL. I GET A HAIRCUT EVERY 6-8 WEEKS.




I LOVE MY MOM.




MY DAD IS COOL TOO. HE FEEDS ME PEOPLE FOOD EVEN THOUGH MOM SAYS NOT TO.




I LOOKED A LOT MORE LIKE A CHIHUAHUA WHEN I WAS A WEE PUP.



I SLEEP IN A REAL BED. TOO COOL FOR A DOG BED.



I'M A GREAT LAP DOG.



I NAP. A LOT. THERE'S A PERMANENT INDENTATION IN THE COUCH CUSHION TO PROVE IT.



YUP, I'M KIND OF A BIG DEAL.


xoxo, Gracie

-e

My Favorite 45 Minute Workout

40:10 “Finisher” Sets
(work for 40 seconds, rest for 10; Do each set 2x before you move on to the next set. Total work time: 40 min.)

Equipment:
GYMBOSS INTERVAL TIMER
DUMBBELLS: 12-15 lbs (2) "DB"
KETTLEBELL: 50+ lbs (1) "KB"
BODY BAR: 18 lbs+ (1)
MINI-BAND: green or blue
JC BAND: orange or yellow
PHYSIO BALL (exercise ball)
BOSU (balance trainer)

*For my local friends: Wareing's Gym has all the equipment you'll need. I like to set up my own little "station" in a corner of the fitness room. Gyms in other cities should have all the equipment listed above as well. If you buy everything on your own for your home, it can get expensive. But keep in mind that all the exercises below can be modified (use dumbbells instead of a kettlebell, for example).

*Modify weight to suit your own needs. Don't use your max weight b/c you'll be doing a bunch of reps in 40 seconds, fast-paced. But it shouldn't be easy either- challenge yourself.

Set 1
Single leg fwd lunge w/ DB Bicep curl (Rt leg)
Single leg fwd lunge w/ DB Bicep curl (Lft leg)
Sumo Squats (w/ heavy KB)
Squat Hold

Set 2
Lateral Raises w/ DBs
Overhead Press w/ DBs
Squat Jumps

Set 3
Walking lateral lunge (Lft leg) *can hold DBs
Walking lateral lunge (Rt leg)
Stick crunches w/ Bar

Set 4
Inner thigh squat (squat, open & close knees, mini-band above knees)
Hot-Colds w/ mini-band above knees
Forearm plank

Set 5
BOSU opposite knee to elbow
BOSU squats (flat side up= more challenging)
JC band sweeps
JC band flies

Set 6
Russian Twists w/ DB
Bent over Rows w/ DBs
Single leg dead lifts w/ DBs (Rt leg)
Single leg dead lifts w/ DBs (Lft leg)

Set 7
JC Rotation (Rt)
JC Rotation (Lft)
Superman
Push ups

Set 8: Triple Threat w/ Physio Ball (not timed)
10 Hamstring Curls
10 Bent leg bridge
10 Straight leg bridge

BONUS
40-10: sprint-rest (2x)

HOPE YOU ENJOY MY WORKOUT!

-e

First 20 Minutes in My FiveFinger Shoes

For those of you who know me personally, you know who I'm referring to when I mention Benny- my butt kickin' trainer (at the gym) & also my sweet husband (only outside of the gym). Ha! Benny has been wearing his Vibram FiveFinger Shoes for a few months now. I refused, at first. Finally, after the initial ugliness died down a bit, I warmed up to them & got my own pair. I was completely annoyed that the new pink ones were sold out in my size, & thus had to settle for gray/green. After all, I wasn't sure if I'd like them, so it was important to me that they at least be cute :) Now that I've tested them out & grown fond of them, the green will do. For now.

FiveFinger Shoes come in a few different styles. Check out the Vibram link at the bottom of this post for more info on the different styles. They have a style for everything- yoga, running, hiking, swimming, etc. The shoes pictured in this post are the womens Bikila, size 36. Size 36 is actually too big for my U.S. size 5.5/6 feet. However, size 36 is as small as they come in this particular style. Other styles are sold in smaller sizes- 34 & 35. The Vibram site says that if you curl your toes & they easily pop of of their "finger" slots, then they're too big. Mine are definitely too big, but they still work for me.



So a few weeks ago I took my new shoes for a 20 minute "test drive". I went for a 20 minute jog. And I guess I should preface this by saying that I'm a new runner/jogger & I'm pretty awful at it, actually. I jog slow & I usually don't jog for more than 2 miles or so. So, my husband told me that in the Vibrams you're supposed to run more on the ball of your foot (as opposed to rolling from your heal to the ball of your foot) & that I should also focus on the outside edge of my foot so that I don't pronate & "roll in" towards the inside of my feet. In addition, he told me to start slow to get used to them. Well, I'm always slow, so that wasn't a problem. And I only ran for 20 min, but apparently that WAS too long for a "test drive"... The next day my calves & shins were ROCKED. After a few blocks when I finally got used to the strange new shoes, I started to really like them b/c I could feel my feet & leg muscles really working. However, I was in major pain for pretty much the rest of the week. It's strange though, b/c I didn't have shin splints like I'm sometimes prone to, but my shin muscles were very sore. My calves hurt the worst. So, the key is easing your way into them. I should have jogged for 2-5 min, then walked, then jogged for 3-5 min again & maybe just let that be enough for the 1st day.

Now as far as working out in my Vibram FiveFinger shoes, I've had no problems from the very 1st day I took a class in them or weight trained in them. It's mainly just running/jogging that requires some getting used to. I've found that my balance is much better in the Vibrams. In Total Body class at Wareing's Gym we sometimes warm up with single legs swings or single leg deadlifts. My balance is significantly better when I'm wearing my Vibram shoes. In addition, I feel more "connected" to the ground. In Total Body we sometimes do jumps- fwd & back and side to side. They usually wear me out pretty quickly in regular shoes, but I have more control & really don't get worn out as quickly in my Vibrams. It's pretty cool! Overall, I'm not sure that the Vibrams are going to change the way I workout significantly, but I do really like the following 3 things: improved balance, the way they build strength in my feet & lower leg muscles, & the "connected" feeling to the ground when I'm jogging. Worth $70-$100? I'd have to say that they sure were for Benny & I!

Click HERE to be directed to a list of "5 Reasons to Wear or Train in Vibram FiveFingers".


Click HERE to be directed to the Vibram website for more info.

RIP Buddy the Chinnie

One of my chinchillas, “Baby Buddy”, passed away over the 4th of July weekend. I bought him in Greenville, NC when I was in college. Buddy was approx 8 years old. I have another chinchilla, Grace, who is alive & well. Buddy was the sweeter of the two- more affectionate & friendly. Grace, being a female, is a bit feisty :) Buddy was loved & will be missed by both me & her not-so-close "companion", Grace the chinnie. They had separate cages; Buddy's cage was above Grace's, but I'm sure Grace still knows he's gone... RIP sweet "Baby Buddy"...

Chinchilla Facts:

1. Chinnies can live up to 20 years in captivity! (The avg life span is 10 years.)
2. Chinnies are native to the Andes Mountains of South America.
3. Chinnies bathe by taking a dust "bath". In the wild they bathe by rolling around in volcanic ash to remove oil from their fur. (Chinnies LOVE their dust bath! They happily roll around, flipping head over tail, in their dust bath house.)
4. Chinnie fur is considered the softest in the world and is thirty times softer than human hair.
5. They are agile jumpers and can jump up to five feet above their head.
6. Chinnies are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and come out to play at night.
7. Martha Stewart has 15 pet chinchillas.

Fact Sources: Chinnitude & Chinchilla Planet.

-e