Bye Bye July! // Still running!

Happy August 1st! Is it just me, or did July fly by? This will be our last month of summer in 2014 - well, maybe not for us, since we are in southern Arkansas. But I'm hoping for a wonderful Indian summer during September & October for all of us though!
What happened in July? Exercise wise I have started a new challenge. Means: I have started a new running training plan, and this time together with M. Since he applied for the Police academy, he has a fitness goal as well. Let me tell you: Working out with him is pretty awesome! He keeps pushing me, which is really motivating! He quit smoking end of June as well; still uses his Vapor every once in a while though. Nonetheless, I'm super proud of him!

I WANT THEM ALL!!
Left & Middle: via ConstantlyVariedGear on ETSY // Right: via teespring.com

So this new app we started using is called "Learn To Run". As I told you earlier, I have hit a plateau when it comes to running. I was doing alright on my 5k runs, but I wanted to run longer and especially faster. So this app is all about intervals. Walk. Run. Walk. Run.... 

The App comes with 2 training programs:

• Basic: 0 to 60 mins run

• Advanced: 60 to 120 mins run

Since I do 2 mile runs at the fairgrounds and take rest days as well, I finished "Day 15" of the Basic program today:

It's tough, especially when it is super hot and humid outside, but it's pretty effective as well! When I started, I was running the 2 miles in 24:54 minutes. 2 days ago, I achieved one of my goals:

2 miles in 21:06 minutes!!! And I've still had power and energy left, so next time I can try to push harder and go a little faster. Man, I was so happy when I checked my Polar FT7! Next goal will definitely be a 5k in under 31 minutes. My PR so far is 32:50. 

I still have tons of weight to lose. I still have to work on my push-ups and sit-ups. But I will get there! It's tough, but I will make it!

Another app I'm using to track all my workouts is called "Sports Tracker". Are you using it? If so, add me as a friend! My Username is: annischenk. So, while checking the app online today to see how I'm doing so far, I have realized this: 

I'm speechless. And this is just the beginning! :)

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Aaaaaaactive!

Geez, I look funny on this picture!!! 

I am really enjoying my time in Trier! I secretly packed my running gear and went for my first run since the herniated discs happened.  It was FANTASTIC! I am soooo happy to have the "Go!" from my doc. I went down to the Mosel river and started very slow. In the end I ran a little over 5k in 40 minutes. Not a fast pace, but a nice jog. Now I have to keep the good work up. 

But overall I am a pretty active person on my vacation so far!

Now it's Thursday already and I will go back to Bavaria Sunday evening... I'm definitely not ready to get back into the empty apartment yet.

I hope you all had a lovely day?
xoxo

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Workout Questionnaire!

Precious over at "The Coily Bombshell" did this a couple of weeks ago and I thought I'd do it too!

1. Five Fitness Items I Can’t Live Without:
- Jillian Michaels DVDs
- bike
- My "Mizuno Wave Nexus 5" running shoes
- sports bras
- my leopard dumbbells

2. Favorite pre-workout snack/meal:
Banana. Or some Yoghurt.


3. On my fitness bucket list:
- DEFINITELY running the "Bolt to the Q" 5k run!!! Hello? I'm the biggest Chargers fan EVER!
- Running one of the big marathons. Like the one in Boston or NYC.
- Riding my bike across as many states as possible in the US
- Do "Urban Hiking" (= I think I invented that one) and doing sightseeing runs in cities all around the world!
  Just like I recently did in Berlin (Brandenburg Gate was my halfway finish line :oD)

4. Must-have tech tools:
- My "Polar FT7" HRM. Love it!
- "SportsTracker" App (Add me as a friend, if you use it as well! "AnniSchenk")
- Wireless headphones. I need to buy some. Or are there any sponsors out there? ;o)


5. Top exercise gear:
- Definitely my running shoes. I did treadmill analysis and everything to find a pair that suits me and my
  running style perfectly. So they might not look the way I would have designed them, but running in them
  is just wonderful!
- I am recently in love with "Hunkemoeller" workout clothes and sports bras!
- Reebok EasyTones. Shoes and shirts. Perfect for aerobic! I now own 3 pairs of shoes and 2 shirts :oD

6. Motivational mantra:
Jillian Michaels changed my life, so my mantras sure come from her :oD

7. Next big exercise goal:
- Beat my PR at the next 2 races
- Run 10k
- Finish "Ripped in 30", "Extreme Shed & Shred" & "Hard Body"
- Lose more weight

8. Favorite cardio exercise:
Ummmmm... Running! Biking! And HIIT on the elliptical!


9. Favorite strength move:
Squats

10. What would you say is your biggest fitness accomplishment thus far?
- Quit smoking
- Finishing the 30 Day Shred
- Running my first 5k in 32 mins

__________________________________

Pick a question (or all of them) and answer it here!

Or do an entire post on your blog!

Join in on the fun :)

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Happy RestDay eeeeeh Monday!

Street Art in Fürth/Germany, April 27th 2013

Welcome back! I hope you had a nice weekend? I did!
This is a little list of my weekend (just because I love making lists.):

• Hours on the phone, talking to M.
• Reading half way through the Sookie Stackhouse book #12
• Cleaning, laundry, redecorating
• Spending quality time with my sister and nephew (the pic above I took yesterday)
• A little work I brought home
• Cooking Honey Sesame Chicken and eating almost all of it
• Church!
• Working out!

Today is officially my rest day! Well - workout wise. I'm sure sitting at the office. The "30 Day Shred" is working AWESOME for me so far. Yesterday I finally finished Level 1, so tomorrow is my first Level 2 workout. I'm scared! Anyone out there already doing it? I really didn't even sneek-peek into it on the DVD yet! So it will be a nice surprise tomorrow evening.

I see so many people on Instagram doing the "30 Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels, but only a few of them seem to take a rest day. The DVD doesn't say you have to take a break, but I thought in the getting-fit-world it is common knowledge, that your body DOES need a day of rest. What are your opinions about the rest day?


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Spending some time with Jillian Michaels

Hello and Guten Tag from Germany!

It was a little quiet around here for the last couple of days, but I hope you enjoyed my vacation recaps so far?

Spring finally arrived and it is amazing how much better I feel now that the sun is still up at 7pm. Since I didn't feel really comfortable with my body lately, I went back to working out. So now I spend every evening with my new BFF Jillian Michaels, doing her "30 Day Shred" workout, plus trying to go around 100 kilometers on my bike/week. It's pretty cool how fast my body already changed! Still not feeling good enough to step on the scale, but from the way my pants fit I can totally see a difference!

 

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

So far I'm still on Level 1 of the workout. If you are on Instagram, make sure to follow me, cause that is  where I post my after-workout-pics and tell you about my progress!

Besides my "30 Day Shred" and bike tours, I am back at the gym now as well, doing mostly cardio to burn some extra calories, or working on my legs and arms.
Another big change is, that I am now using an App to track my daily calorie input. Girl, it helps a lot! If you have to write it down, you think twice, and in the end you are not eating that second cookie ;oD!

One of the biggest motivator has been my "Polar FT7" Heart Rate Monitor. It makes my workout definitely more effective!

I really should start stepping on the scale though. My Wii Fit Board might be the best way to track my weight(loss).

Who is with me on the weightloss journey?

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Bruises, Bike, and a Moneybrother concert

Hello and happy Monday!

I'm tired - this weekend was too short! But I really enjoyed it. Saturday I went on my first longer bike trip in 2013 - I spent 2 wonderful hours around Nuremberg.

I LOVE my POLAR FT7!
Makes burning calories even more fun :)

Well there were a few seconds in these 2 hours, that weren't wonderful. At one point when you take the bikeway from Nuremberg to Fürth, you have to move over onto the street for a little bit. That's when it happened: A huge truck didn't pay attention while driving next to me and moved over to the righ aka the bike path. Towards: Me! I tried to move even further to the right, but there was the curbside. So I fell really really hard... It hurt. So now I have a couple of bruises. And some smaller parts on my bike broke. But I had a guardian angel watching me! I'm happy nothing bad happened! I'm still in pain, but I know it will go away soon.

So this was pretty much my Saturday. The best part of the weekend was my Sunday though! I slept in, had tons of coffee, watched "Army Wives", went to church and after that straight to a "Moneybrother" concert! It was amazing!! I was a little scared cause body-wise I wasn't really in the "shape" to dance and stand for a couple of hours. But I already had my ticket, so I went. Girl, I was so lucky! It was a club concert! Seated! So I went to the bar, got a Gin Tonic, sat down in the first row and had a wonderful time!

The opening act, Franz Nicolay from Brooklyn, was wonderful as well! Check him out!

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