This week has been a mostly cardio week for me.  Not only have I been running, but I have been running around a lot it seems. Even if most of it has been in my backyard.  I got in three 3k walks and two 3k runs and only one strength training.  When the weather is this good it is really hard to stay inside to workout.  I think I will try to do some outside routines in this next week.

I was going to share with you the ‘Superman’, but I will save it for next week.

Andrea over at The Fishbowl has brought forward a challenge, complete with prizes.  And I am not one to back down from a challenge that is for sure.  The challenge is to add 15 minutes of focused activity into your day. Since I am already trying to fit in some extra activity into my day, I thought I would take this challenge to add something different that I normally wouldn’t do or wouldn’t consider activity.

Today, I did 15 minutes of focused activity running the circumference of my pool (while in the water).  This is my first Fit-in 15 activity.  We do this occasionally for fun, we run in a circle in the pool, which is 15′, to get a whirlpool effect going.  So , today I got in there and ran and ran and then I changed direction and did it again.  Changing direction is quite difficult because you get the water going pretty fast, then you have to run against the current until the current changes with you.

So, what are you going to do to add 15 minutes of focused activity to your day?

**disclaimer: I am in no way a Doctor or Physical Trainer. I am going to share with you my thoughts and ideas about how to get into shape again. I strongly advise consulting a medical professional prior to starting any workout routine as well as a professional trainer. I am in no way responsible for any injury you may sustain from trying any of my suggestions.

Is it really Wednesday?  If it is then I did very badly this week.  I started off well with a 3k run, but everything else fell to pot with the wedding in Montréal.

First of all, my left hip is killing me.  I am not sure if it is from running on uneven sidewalks or from carrying Apple on my hip for almost 21 months.  Second of all, nobody told me shooting a wedding was going to be a full day workout.

Friday I was hoping to get in some strength training, but by the time I got everyone packed and the house ready for A and his buddies it was time to leave. We did walk around for an hour and a half Friday night.  Then on Saturday, I walked uphill to the Chapel (10 minutes, not bad) but then things started happening.  I had to move furniture that was dirty to make room for the Bride and her gorgeous dress.  I had to do closed knee squats all day because I was also a guest so I was wearing a dress instead of my usual slacks. And well, my camera weighs a ton.  By the time we got in the truck to come home I felt like I had been working out all day long.

Sunday was my day of recovery and rest. It was needed and I felt like I had been hit by a truck, so there was no way I was working out.  Monday all I got in was the walk to and from school, until J decide he needed a racing partner.  That is when I got the idea of sprints.  If I didn’t have the energy to run, power walk or workout, I would get it in while playing outside with the kids.  J started yelling, “ready, set, go!” and we were off.

Our backyard spans two and a half houses, so I am guessing it is at least 100ft wide, it is probably more, but Hubby isn’t here to ask right now.  We sprinted back and forth for a good half hour. It was great.

Now, I did let J win quite a few times.  I also let him tie as well as lose.  There was no way I was going to let him win every single time, if I did that he would be shocked when he got beat by a friend at school.  Either that or he was going to start telling people he ran faster than me.

Tuesday rolled around and J wanted to race again.  So I thought we should add some extra exercises to the mix.  We ran backwards. And we did side shuffles in addition to straight running back and forth.  The races lasted about 45 minutes.

This was my week.  Not the best, but not entirely shot as the sprints really got our hearts pumping and made me break a sweat.

Next time you are outside with the kids wishing you were working out instead, try it.  Kids love foot races and you can easily get in a short workout.

**disclaimer: I am in no way a Doctor or Physical Trainer. I am going to share with you my thoughts and ideas about how to get into shape again. I strongly advise consulting a medical professional prior to starting any workout routine as well as a professional trainer. I am in no way responsible for any injury you may sustain from trying any of my suggestions.