Journey to 100: Day 2 of Path to 10K

So my friend Lateshia & I went out for the 2nd day of my path to 10K.  After a brief debate about whether we needed to run or not today (She reminded me that only I was doing this 10K business, lol.  Gotta love my friend's bluntness!)  but I convinced her to run with me!  Two points for the power of persuasion.  Guess what?  Today's walk/run wasn't nearly as bad as the first!  I think a major contributor was that it was only about 73 degrees when we went out today.  Perfect for outdoor exercise!  We got a great stride going and it seemed to be much easier.  We even ran up a couple of inclines today!  We decided that we are going back at 7 am in the morning!

I felt so good when I got home that I did 60 wall squats and 40 second plank.  Ahh, time to hit the shower now and wind it down for the rest of the evening.

In honor of our getting back on track here is a little theme music for today's walk/run:

Your Health or Your Hair? Working out with Natural Hair

So it's that time of year again. It's the beginning of the year, people have made New Year resolutions, and they have hit the gym to lose weight.  Well, some have. According to a new study published December 17th 40% of African American women avoid working out because of their hair.   Yet, 4 out of 5 African American women in this country are overweight or obese, the highest rate in the country according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.(source)

Being natural doesn't necessarily remedy this concern. No one wants to spend hours on a twist out to see it turn into a drawn up afro due the sweat of a hard workout & in the cold winter months walking out of a gym in the morning with a wet head is a no-no.

Well never fear, I am here to help.

When I work out, I usually wear my hair in 1 of 2 ways,

1. In twists, pulled back into a ponytail (for my morning workouts)

Twists pulled back

2.  Pulled back into a curly puff (for my workouts after work) -
I retwist my hair everynight anyway, so I don't lose any definition.

This isn't before a workout but it's the same look.

 
After my workout in the morning, I just blow dry my roots on a low heat setting, untwist my hair and go.  I recently heard about the Bondi Band from Chescalocs and decided to give them a try.  I bought 2 for me and 2 for my bestie Christina who walks/runs with BlackGirlsRun in the San Fran Bay area.  (Hey girl!)  Her hair is relaxed.  So we'll both report back to let you know how well the wicking qualities of this product is & if it helps maintain our respective hairstyles longer.

Nonetheless, we can no longer sacrifice our health for our "look".  There are things we can do to maintain our hairstyle and take care of our health.

What steps are you taking to maintain your hair while working out?

Exercise Regimen - April 8 - 14

So I just wanted to report out on my personal fitness training since my Billy Blanks' "visitation" two weeks ago.  (LOL!)  If you missed that post, read it here.  Last week, I completed 3 cardio and toning exercises. 

Monday:  This work out combines plyometric "power burst" exercises (def: explosive exercises incorporating jumping, hopping, running), sculpting with weights, and cardio exercises.  It's a very high energy work out that left me dripping sweat even though I was working out under my ceiling fan on high speed.

Tuesday:  Billy and I hit it hard in this workout.  This is a great workout that also incorporates cardio and weights.  A very effective full body workout.

Friday:  Back again with Billy, I did a full hour of cardio exercises.  I've done 10 minute abs before but a full hour!  Wow.   He uses standing abdominal exercises as well as floor routines to really tone your midsection. Trust me you WILL feel this in 1 day.  And it has become a great motivation to reduce my sweets.  I can't really enjoy that cupcake knowing that I'm going to have to burn that off later on the floor when Billy is saying directly to me "Don't you give up on me!" & my abs are burning.  Just not worth it.  I'd rather have an apple.  LOL! 

After working out last week, I felt great!  Full of energy and motivation.  I was more alert and more productive during my day and slept well every night.  My goal is to work out to 5 days of exercising a week.  I've got one in so far this week.  Gotta keep it up!  I still plan to do a measurement post where I give you my measurements on the areas I'm trying to tone.  Note to self: buy that tape measure today!  #teamgetright!

Let's encourage each other!  What have you done to keep your body healthy this week?  Comment below!

Journey to 100 - Kickoff Week - August 20 - 27th

So, my church had a free blood pressure screening last Sunday.  Mine was 130/90.  Not bad, they categorize it as "prehypertensive".  But since I have a genetic predisposition for hypertension, I decided to do my part by starting a cardiovascular workout plan.  When I left church I drove to WalMart and bought 2 DVDs.  Billy Blank's Bootcamp Cardio Sculpt & Dancing with the Stars Latin Cardio Dance (I took salsa lessons for 2 years so I figured this would be a fun way to work out).  I did the Latin Cardio Dance video for an hour on Sunday...check!  Here is the rest of my workout schedule for the week.

Saturday 8/20  -  20 min Arc Climber,  butterfly presses, barbell lifts, triceps pull down, shoulder press, and ab work at gym  - total work out time 1 hour
Sunday 8/21  - Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance DVD  - 1 hr
Monday 8/22 Billy Blank's Bootcamp Cardio Sculpt DVD  - 1 hr (my arms hurt so bad I couldn't lift air afterwards...LOL)
Tuesday  8/23  Donna Richardson's Sweating in the Spirit DVD  cardio portion only 30 mins
Wednesday  - REST
Thursday  8/25  Donna Richardson's Sweating in the Spirit DVD toning portion only 20 mins
Friday 8/26  Billy Blank's Bootcamp Cardio Sculpt DVD  - 1hr (easier b/c I used 3 lb weights but I was still sore in places that I didn't even know I had muscles)
Saturday 8/27  REST

I was very proud of myself!  Even though I have a gym membership, I didn't want the drive from the house to the gym to prevent me from working out so I worked out at home a lot this week.  I will change it up (DVD's, outside exercise, gym) to keep it from getting boring. 

What suggestions do you have for keeping my heart rate up that is creative so I won't give up?  I need continuous encouragement to keep me going ladies!  Any encouraging words are appreciated!