Yurbuds and Inspire for Women

Earlier this week I got the chance to bring together 10 fabulous ladies to talk about Inspiration and Yurbuds! Yurbuds are my favorite earbuds and I was super excited to hear that they were launching a new Women's specific fit at Target.  The earbuds that I have are the Ironman version and they are unisex in size so it was great to hear that they had developed a smaller women's specific fit.  They work really well and stay in your ear no matter how sweaty the run is which is something that I love.  Another great feature is that while they provide great sound quality they also allow for ambient sounds so you can be aware of your surroundings.  And with the fun new colors...you can match your outfit!

Matching my Yurbuds to my shirt and Sweaty Bands headband!

I was really excited to share Yurbuds with my friends and talk about running, music, and inspiration. Most of the ladies were new to Yurbuds and I had to demonstrate how to put them in your ear and twist to lock in the fit. It was funny but not as funny as asking the ladies to figure out who had listed Justin Bieber on her running playlist!  I had asked all the ladies to share some of their favorite songs for inspiration since music can make a huge difference in a workout.  

Some of their favorites:
I Got a Feeling - The Blackeyed Peas
Imma Be - The Blackeyed Peas
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
Till I Collapse - Eminem

Yurbuds and BSM Media provided each of my guests with a great gift pack and the first thing we did was check out Ironman champion Mirinda Carfrae's go to music selections!  The gift pack also included a set of Yurbuds Inspire for Women Sport Earphones, a beautiful Yurbuds sweaty band head band, an Inspire sport towel, and a Luna bar.  I added a couple additional things to the gift pack including an Inspiration journal and a Inspire ornament.  Each of the journals was a little different and I used different inspiration words for the ornament. 

About half of our group ran the Des Moines Marathon and Half Marathon last weekend and it was great to hear their stories of race glory and the inspiration that got them through the race.  Two of the ladies are prepping for the New York City Marathon and that inspiration will surely help carry them through the tough spots.  One of my favorite stories from the night was between Kim and Anjeannette.  Both had run in Des Moines with Anjeannette doing the half marathon and Kim the full.  Kim was very touched and inspired when she saw Anjeannette near the finish cheering.  AJ has a knack for selecting a cheer spot that is right where you need it...she tries to find the spot where you just don't really know how close you are to the finish but you are super close and just need a little extra cheer to carry you through to the end. 

The journals were fun to make for the girls and I hope that they fill them with stories like that one as they prep for next year's race goals.  I included some prompts to get the girls started and they can continue to fill them out with other words, pictures, and ideas to provide them with inspiration to accomplish all their fitness goals.  Some of the prompts that I included:

• She had a Big Ol Goal for 2013
• She knew she could harness her past success!
• She gulped...there were weaknesses trying to hold her back.
• Believe
• She was growing with each achievement.
• These races were going to be part of her future.
• Her top-secret goal!

It was a fun party and great to bring the ladies together after a workout.  I'm always inspired by the ladies of the Rush Running crew and it was fun to share Yurbuds with them. 

You can find the new Yurbuds Inspire for Women Sport Earphones at Target in six great colors.  They retail for $29.99 and provide a great comfortable fit.  You can find Yurbuds on Facebook here or on Twitter here.

Disclosure: I was provided the party kits for the guests from Yurbuds and BSM Media.  The opinions expressed are entirely my own based on my experience with the product. 

It's a Shockwave!

This week we got a new toy during our boot camp classes ...the Indo-Row Machine.  This is a rowing machine with a patented water fly wheel to replicate the dynamics of rowing.  The water in the tank provides the resistance and it is variable...just add or remove to increase/decrease resistance.  Each rowing machine includes a small display so that you can review distance and time data. 


Our boot camp instructor recently became certified in the style of circuit class that Equinox developed called Shockwave.  This class involves mixing cardio and strength training circuits specifically with the rower for cardio. 

At our boot camp class on Thursday we tried out a similar style of workout.  First we split into teams of 2 with enough stations for each team.  I got started on one of the rowing stations because it's best to get some of the hardest stations out of the way earlier!  The rowers set the pace for the circuit flow. So each rower had a set distance challenge (round 1 was 300m and round 2 was 200m.)  The rest of the class would complete their strength station until all rowers had completed the prescribed distance.  Then everyone would move to the next station.  Some of the stations during our class Thursday were step ups with a bicep curl, sit ups passing the ab ball to your teammate, overhead shoulder press, plank with row, bicep curls on the TRX, etc. 

Rowing is a full body cardio activity.  You engage your legs, core, arms, and back to complete the full range of motion.  It definitely made me feel the burn and it got my heart rate up! It was a fun new cardio challenge and Thursday's boot camp class left me feeling worn out in a good way!

Have you tried rowing yet?  What about Shockwave?  I'm excited to see how the trainers continue to incorporate the rowing machine into our boot camp classes. 

The Back Up Pool

About one month ago I received a very cryptic email at work.  The email went to all employees and simply stated that our corporate gym would be closing early for the day and that all of the fitness facilities would be closed and classes would be cancelled for the evening.  It was all very strange and I messaged one of my friends a cheeky joke "I wonder who pooped in the pool!"

Turns out I wasn't that far off...it was the pool that caused the gym to close but sadly it wasn't a bio hazard closure.  There had been a fire in the maintenance room and the pool heater or filter had caught fire.  Luckily no one was hurt and the gym was evacuated.  Not so lucky was the pool...we are now going on one month in the back up pool.  There have been some challenges with the needed parts to fix the pool and they are also adding a hot tub to that pool that is ADA approved. 

The back up pool is something that we are super lucky and blessed to have but it has definitely presented some challenges.  We went from a 10 lane 25 yard pool to a 6 lane 25 meter pool.  The pool was crowded before and there are times now when it is pretty packed. Everyone is learning how to share lanes!  The pool is also a lot darker - it feels like a cave, the water is kept at a warmer temp and for some reason it is cloudier and it has a different chemical smell/taste to it.  The pool is also really choppy which is really noticeable when multiple people are swimming butterfly!

The back up pool...

The regular pool...oh how I miss her cool waters!

Switching from yards to meters has been challenging.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the times and that little extra bit of distance and have to convert the times back to yards to figure out why the workout was so challenging.  One thing that I have liked has been getting a little extra distance in per day. I aim to swim 1800 whether meters or yards I don't care as long as I get in 1800 for the day! The other challenge for me has been trying to focus on stroke swimming.  The little extra distance to go from yards to meters really makes a difference when swimming fly for sure.  It should feel so much easier when we switch back to the regular pool!

Today's workout was quick and incorporated some of our traditional lunch swim elements.  First up was a warm up.  I did a 400 m free swim followed by 250m of drills.  I swim drills in 75m increments as drill, free, drill by stroke.  The main set began with a 500 m ladder.  The ladder is 25 fly, 50 back, 75 fly/back/breast, 100 IM, 100 free, 75 fly/back/breast, 50 back, 25 fly.  I have to make some changes in order to keep up with my workout buddies so I add some free to some of the distances so that I don't fall too far behind.

We followed up the ladder with a pull interval.  The guys swam 300m pull while I did 250m pull.  Then we moved on to a challenging set of over/unders.  I have talked about these before and they are extra challenging in this pool.  One - there is not a line at the halfway mark to help you gauge distance.  Two - the pool is not as deep and just feels slower! We did 4 repeats...you put on fins, take a giant big breath, and then you swim under water the length of the pool without taking a breath.  Once you hit the wall you swim over water, usually back stroke, for recovery.  I swim with my arms in streamline doing a flutter kick.  Some people swim dolphin kick and some have done underwater breast stroke before too.  You find what works for you and use breath control to cover the distance. 

We finished up the workout with 4 x 50m of stroke/free intervals.  I swam the intervals as all free and tried to increase my pace on each one.  On the third interval, my lane mate figured out that I was racing him and beat me to the wall just barely.  I was so bummed since I tried super hard to sprint through to the end of the interval.  I know I worked hard since I was still sweating even after showering and getting in the car to head back to the office!

Overall, the back up pool presents new challenges to our workouts.  The biggest disruption is that we are missing out on hot tub time each Sunday.  Overall, though I am really happy that the gym has been able to modify the schedule and maintain lap swimming hours as well as swim lessons and water aerobics.  It's impressive that they were able to combine the activities of two pools into one but I will be excited when the regular pool is back in working order!

In other swimming news, I hit my goal on Friday for the Nike Go the Distance Challenge.  I have completed 150 miles of swimming so far this year! I'm hoping I can make it to 200 miles for the year with the November and December miles. 

Congrats to Jolene!

Vacation kept me from announcing the winner of my Country Outfitter Boot giveaway.  So please join me in wishing a big congratulations to Jolene!



Jolene is a fellow member of Team Tough Chik and is currently in taper mode for the Marine Corps Marathon.  Jolene is constantly inspiring me with the fundraising efforts that she does for Alex's Lemonade Stand to fight childhood cancers.  I totally stole this pic of Jolene off her Facebook page because she is rocking some awesome boots...how perfect!

You can visit Jolene's blog at Journey of a Canuck Mom on the Run.  Word on the street is that she is looking at boots like these from Corral!

You can visit the Country Outfitter Facebook page where they offer frequent giveaways and contests. Here's to some fall style with new boots and good luck to Jolene at Marine Corps!

Ghosts of Posts Gone By

Today Arkansas Women Bloggers has asked me to revisit a post from the past for Blogtober Fest. 

I took a few minutes to go back and look over some of my first posts.  I started my blog in March 2010 and to date have written around 285 posts in total.  My initial writing style didn't include very many pictures and the posts tended to be a little shorter.  Guess I've gotten wordy as time has gone by!

Consistenly when I review my Google Analytics details there is one post that stays near the top for driving traffic to my site.  It is a post for a product that I really did beg my sister to get me for my birthday since she lived near a CVS and I did not.  I had discovered these products through a magazine spread that was on gift items for athletes. 

With out any futher ado...here is my post on CVS Peas Cold Pack.  Rereading the post reminded me how mortified I was to fall that day. 

Frozen peas have always been a recommended method for icing since the peas are small and can adapt around your body much better than a larger ice bag.  It made me think of the movie Bridesmaids!  Did you not laugh when the girl literally open the bag and poured the frozen peas over her infected tattoo instead of placing the bag of peas on the area.  Too funny! 

If you follow the link above to the Arkansas Women Bloggers site then you can see posts on the same topics that I have been writing about from all different perspectives.  Arkansas is rich in creative and diverse bloggers and participating in this challenge has helped me discover so many new blogs to read. 

Thanks for the trip down memory lane and the opportunity to revisit some of my initial posts. 

Blogtober Fest and Fall Traditions

Blogtober Fest with Arkansas Women Bloggers continues today with a chance to rediscover one of my favorite Fall Traditions.

One of the first things that came to my mind was food.  My family has some yummy foods that we only cook at certain times of the year.  One of those things is a super yummy pumpkin cookie that my mom always makes...stay tuned because I'll be sharing that recipe later this week.  There are also some really great pumpkin bars that again we only make in the fall.  But the tradition that I wanted to talk about was a tradition that I always loved in college...the care package!

My parents were really great about sending care packages to me as holidays approached and Halloween was no exception!  Almost every care package included baked treats from my stepmom called 7 Layer Bars.  They were fantastic and she always served them cut into 1 inch squares and they always came wrapped in tin foil. 

Last night I revisited this tradition because I needed some cookies to take to work for Boss's day today. 

7 Layers of Yum!

I took a few pictures along the way.  I'm sure this recipe has existed for ever and ever but here it is:

7 Layer Bars
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs (1 inner sleeve of the pkg)
1 C coconut flakes
1 C chocolate chips
1 C butterscotch chips
1 C chopped nuts
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in a 13 x 9 pan.  Press graham cracker crumbs into butter to form a crust.  Layer ingredients ending with the sweetened condensed milk.  Bake for 25 minutes.

The cookies were a hit at the office and they reminded me how much I love them! I don't remember the last time I had them...probably one of the last visits from my parents.  The care package tradition is one that I still love!

To carry it forward I participate in bloggy exchanges and have loved getting those care packages in the mail.  In fact, I'm working on a care package for a blogger now as part of a Halloween exchange.  I also am a Birchbox subscriber for the simple joy of receiving a surprise goody box every month.  I love the element of surprise and knowing that someone else has picked out something to brighten your day! 

It's Not So Very Scary

Last week on vacation I took part in a Disney World Halloween Party...the Mickey's Not So Very Scary Halloween Party to be exact.  It was so fun to make Halloween memories with my sister and nephew.  What perfect timing since Blogtober Fest continues today with a focus on Halloween memories.  Halloween has always been a fun holiday to me but it was never something that I went all out for.  Growing up I remember that my mom made a lot of our costumes but beyond a pink clown costume and maybe a cat or bunny costume I don't remember much more about a specific Halloween. 

When we moved to the Midwest, I was very surprised to learn that Trick or Treating didn't happen on Halloween.  Instead, they had Beggar's Night which was a designated night for trick or treating.  I'm not sure of the origin but it was just something that we got used to. 

Getting the party started!

Back to this year, it felt a little weird to be planning out Halloween so early as we got ready for our Disney trip but it was a party that we were all excited to do.  My sister ordered some shirts for her and Gavin from Etsy....her shirt was a cute Snow White shirt and Gavin's was an Iron Man shirt.  I wasn't as creative and simply combined red shorts with a polka dot shirt and mouse ears to be a Minnie Mouse type costume. 

The park was closed to non-party guests at 7PM.  We got there around 5:00 and decided to split up prior to our dinner reservations at 6:30.  This allowed Lindsey and Gavin to play a sorcerers game throughout the park and I got to ride some of the rides that I hadn't gotten to ride yet.  We met up again for dinner and when we finished it was around 7:50.  The big parade started at 8:15 so I staked out a claim for us in front of a vendor cart which meant we wouldn't have to worry about any crowds behind us.  The spot was perfect and very close to the parade start so we were able to move on to rides quickly after the finish.

My favorite part of the parade was the Haunted Mansion section which included grave diggers and the waltzing ghosts that are my favorite part of the ride attraction. 

We took part in most of the trick or treat stops and had lots of fun seeing everyone dressed up in their costumes.  Both adults and kids were dressed up and it was so much fun to see the coordinated family costumes.  One of my favorites was the soda family that was all dressed as a different flavor of soda.  Sadly, I became that Pinterest person when I asked a couple if I could take their picture since her homemade Toy Story costume was so cute that I needed to share it with my sister and Pinterest. Check out my Pinterest page to see it!

The best parts of the party included hardly any lines at most of the rides.  I think the longest wait we had for a ride was around 10 minutes.  It was awesome!!! It was also unique to experience some of the rides in the dark.  Big Thunder Mountain was fun in the dark and Space Mountain was the most lit up that I have ever experienced from the outside lighting.  You could actually see the rollercoaster inside where it is normally pitch dark.  Still lots of fun and even better since you almost walked directly onto the rides!

The fireworks display was amazing too.  We were in Fantasyland during most of the fireworks and it felt as if you were surrounded by fireworks.  The finale was so great and it truly was an awesome fireworks display.  The park was also decked out for Halloween and included green, purple, and orange lighting accents and I loved the creepy voice hosting the party over the loud speakers.  Even Big Thunder Mountain was decked out with a spooky skull on it. 

Overall, it was so worth it to stay out late in the park and participate in the Halloween Party.  If you get a chance to visit Disney World in late September or October, check the schedule to see if the Halloween Party is available.  It's only on select nights and requires an additional ticket purchase but I think you'll find it to be fun and worth the ticket price!

Fall Fashion - It's all about the skirts!

I'm participating in Blogtoberfest sponsored by Arkansas Women Bloggers.  For the next week, I will be blogging on topics that the AWB team suggests as a way to expand beyond just writing workout recaps!

First up is Fall Fashion and Decorating.  I wanted to share with you a couple recent fashion purchases...One thing that I am excited about this fall is skirts.  Skirts are great for transitional weather when the temp can swing 20-30 degrees from when I leave for work in the morning and come home.  Over the last few months, I was really sad to see a lot of my skirts get too big as I lost some weight and getting ready in the mornings has been tough lately.  It's a great problem to have but I had to fix it and buy some new skirts. 

One thing that I love about skirts is that they show off the legs that I work so hard to have through all my exercise and running.  While on vacation last week I took a free afternoon to visit the outlet mall in Orlando.  I wasn't looking for new skirts specifically because my true reason to go to the outlets was to visit the Lululemon outlet.  Sadly nothing at Lulu was cute enough on me to warrant the higher prices.  I was excited that everything I tried on fit but either the fit wasn't flattering or the color wasn't ideal and I just couldn't warrant paying so much for something that I didn't love.  While Lulu was a big bust I did have some great shopping luck at a few other stores and at the end of the day there was a definite trend to my purchases...skirts and cardigans.

First up was Ann Taylor.  I have always loved the classic pieces that Ann Taylor offers.  My style sense is more traditional than trendy but I do try to incorporate trends via accessories like fun jewelry.

I saw this skirt immediately as I walked into the store and was drawn to it.  The print is a classic houndstooth and is bold which I thought would pair well with a black sweater.  I wore the skirt today...my first day back to work after vacation and I felt great in it.  As it gets colder it will look cute with some opaque black tights too. 

Another store where I had great luck was Banana Republic where I picked up some new cardigans...a solid orange, a brown with thin orange stripe, and a deep burgundy.  How can you not love a cardigan!

My final stop was Ann Taylor Loft where I combined my previous luck with both a new skirt and a new cardigan! 

The skirt is a little shorter than the other pencil skirt so it is something that I will definitely wear with tights.  The cardigan is a nice soft brown color that I think will be fun to wear with the bold blue skirt.  The skirt will look great with black or brown but I think I could easily combine it with a bold color like the orange sweater I bought at Banana Republic too. 

For me, the best fashion is what I feel comfortable in.  I think it is important to know your style and know your body type and work to incorporate trends in a way that you are comfortable with.  For example, I'm incorporating bold colors and prints in pieces that are simple and classic.  I'm going to pair the more trendy type colors with basic colors to stay close to my comfort zone and add jewelry to take things up a notch when I'm feeling more bold.  I'll continue to add one or two pieces like this into my wardrobe and will definitely make sure to move outdated items and items that no longer fit into the donation pile!

Leave a comment with the fashion trends that you are excited about!

Embrace the Insanity!

Every year as Fall rolls around the amount of daylight after work slowly starts to diminish.  This has a huge impact on my fitness since it means outdoor bike rides become virtually non-existent.  I also get a little more laid back in my running since I tend to run more cautiously in the dark.  One thing that I did last year to combat this and maintain fitness during the off season was incorporate more cross training into my fitness diet. 

I have found that exploring some different fitness trends via classes and workout videos helps build my strength and reinvigorate my workouts during what could otherwise be a boring off season.  It's the perfect time to build your fitness and try out new things.  Beach Body is a popular source for home workout videos.  This fall they are releasing some new titles which look like they are pretty tough!

Up first is Insanity: The Asylum 2 with Shawn T.  The premise of this workout series is Maximum Interval Training where you will perform longer intervals at your max effort with short recovery periods.  The workouts include a lot of plyometric style drills which combine fitness and high intensity cardio to burn calories and strengthen your core.  The Asylum 2 brings more sport specific workouts and drills to the video and promises the same exercises that pro athletes use.  In an exclusive preview, Beachbody shared a sample of the Insanity Asylum 2 workout and let me say it looks intense.  There are lots of activities involving the agility ladder which I know from my boot camp workouts is tough.  I think you can expect to be dripping sweat during this workout. 

Visit the Insanity page here to sign up for updates on the release of the program and watch a sample of the workout.  Some friends that have tried Insanity commented that they liked that the workout didn't require any weights and that it's up to you to control your intensity. 

The next program that is being released this fall is Les Mills Combat.  I have tried Les Mills classes before including Body Pump and this workout promises a similar experience with a focus on mixed martial arts and high intensity training. 

This video gives you a good idea of what you can expect from this workout.  I haven't done much kick-boxing since the initial Taebo craze during my college years but from then I remember how powerful I felt after doing a kickboxing workout.  There's something about a workout like this that is very empowering.  This video will release in December just in time for your Christmas wish list and New Year's resolutions! You can pre-order now at BeachBody. The explosive moves are sure to be a fat-burner and will kickstart your fitness!

The last new workout from BeachBody is the Brazil Butt Lift Master Series.  This workout is all about working the three major muscles of your butt to sculpt a strong and sexy booty.  The new video will incorporate the stability ball to better isolate and engage the muscles of your core while working the gluteus muscles.  As a runner, I know how important it is to have a working booty.  You can derive a lot of power by actively utilizing and firing your glutes.  If your glutes aren't firing it's likely that your running form will suffer and you could notice injuries developing.  This workout video will provide you with workouts of different intensities so that you can select the workout that meets your goals and needs.  Check it out here. 

Disclosure:  Beach Body contacted me about their new video products and asked that I share information with my readers.  I was not compensated for this post and the opinions are my own. 

My Month as a Runnerd

Candice at I Have Run hosted a photo challenge for the month of September called the RunnerdPhotoaDay challenge.  I have never participated in a photo challenge before so I wasn't sure if I would stay interested in the project for a full month.  I got started though and managed to stay on track for all but two days.  I still posted photos for those days just posted a day late instead of on time.  Here's my photo summary for the month... I did have to use some pictures that were from earlier in the summer but some were real time to the task.  Sadly I did manage to use one photo twice but in my defense I really loved the pics in it!!!

Take a look at what I was up to in September.  And remember you can follow me on Twitter @runningwhit. 

September 1 - time - my trusty time keeper nicks and all...I love my Garmin!

September 2 - sweat - sweet sweat shot from earlier this summer!

September 3 - up - A little post-10K jump UP for #runnerdphotoaday it was hilly hot and humid race!

September 4 - inspire - @ihaverun asked for what inspires me for #runnerdphotoaday. For me, it's race bling! I love getting a great medal!

 

September 5 - kitchen - Oh Lordy, @ihaverun asked for a kitchen pic today. Mine is a mess but dishes are done!

September 6 - fun - At a bachelorette with running friends and it is a bride-athalon!

September 7 - reflection - @ihaverun asked for reflection for #runnerdphotoaday and I use my blog to reflect on races and training.

September 8 - show - Perfect for #runnerdphotoaday theme of show-awkward discovery that I was showing crazy sweat marks postrace!

 

September 9 - ready - This #runnerd was ready for the hot tub but had to do my swim workout first :(

September 10 - strong - My coach Mike Rush has a strong rush which he shared as he passed me on the track tonight.

September 11 - watch - I love to WATCH the sun rise on my morning commute. Would be more fun on a run, though.

September 12 - food - Got out of work late tonight so I'm thankful for leftovers. Yummy food!

 

September 13 - logo - I race in my favorite LOGO @rushrunning and it's never awkward when my friends and I match!

September 14 - looking down - Looking down and this #runnerd is in need of a pedicure!

September 15 - book - My #runnerd book that I take with me everywhere I go...fitness calendar book. Accountability!

September 16 - friend - Good #runnerd friends text you at 5AM to make sure you are up and ready for the long run!

 

September 17 - run - No run tonight, getting ready to host committee meeting tomorrow. Cupcakes are on the menu!

September 18 - how you feel - How I feel during hill repeats in this pic...it's worth it for the confidence I feel in races!

September 19 - in - @ihaverun asked for IN today so here are the INgredients for homemade date bars that are yummy!

September 20 - technology - Technology connects me with my virtual teammates on @toughchik.

 

September 21 - circle - One circle I'm proud to be a part of @arwomenbloggers and I love my social media necklace.

September 22 - first - My running coach's First time as a minister yesterday for a couple of our running buddies!

September 23 - grow - The magic of Disney will never Grow old...me in purple vest my first time there over 25 years ago.

September 24 - new - Hot summer = tanks only so this shirt felt brand NEW tonight, I rebroke it in with lots of sweat!

 

September 25 - word - This salad was amazing...Word! Remember back in the day when we all said word!

September 26 - red - One of my biggest race accomplishments...last year's RedMan 1/2 Ironman!

September 27 - favorite - Yesterday was my favorite day of the month!

September 28 - song - One of my go to running songs...Till I Collapse. Plus a peek at my random music tastes!

September 29 - personality - Lots of personality in post race photo booth pics!

September 30 - runnerd - As a #runnerd I've got all colors covered & running clothes make up most of laundry each wk!

Naming Workouts

Every so often a workout deserves or gets the distinct honor of being named after someone. There are the Yasso 800's named after Bart Yasso.  Almost everyone that does a marathon at some time or other does Yasso 800's during their training.  The Pre 30 / 40 workout named after Steve Prefontaine is one that we've done before and that is fun.  It involves doing 200m repeats continuously alternating between paces.  Pre did his in 30 seconds and 40 seconds but us mortals have to adapt it to our paces. 

 In my workouts, there are the Hannah 150's which I have written about before.  They are 150's that we do in our swim workouts named after a girl named Hannah.  This workout involves swimming 150 yd repeats with 50 yds of stroke in the middle of the interval.  I have met Hannah but have never swam with her yet even I call these intervals Hannah 150's. 

Another swimming partner has a 500 Ladder that is named in his honor.  It's his go to swim workout and usually part of our Thursday swim routine. 

I have been given the dubious honor of having a plyometric drill named after me called the Whitney skip.  When I first learned this skip from my track coach in Washington DC it was actually called Gum Check.  When I shared it with the Rush team it got named after me.  It's hard to describe but involves bringing the opposite hand to opposite foot. 

Check out my video demonstration.  This is a skipping drill but for the video I did it standing in place.  (Side note...I should definitely do my hair next time I want to do a video post! In my defense, I did at least change out of my pjs!)

Today, my friend Lori said that the swim workout we did could be named the Whitney 1K.  I'm working on doing more stroke swimming and devised this workout as I was walking into the gym today.  I wanted variety in the distances and also wanted to build up to longer sections of swimming each stroke.  The workout was 4 sets of 250m of each stroke however each 250m interval was actually three smaller intervals.  First was a 125m interval...the first 50m was always stroke then 75m of free.  Next was a 75m interval...with the middle 25m as stroke.  Last was a 50m interval that we swam as stroke/free.  We did the 250m sets in IM order so butterfly, back, breast, free.  It was a little confusing to one of my swim partners but once we got going he settled into it and seemed to enjoy the distance variety.  We'll have to see if it makes into the rotation for future swim workouts!

None of these are nearly as classic as the Yasso 800's or Pre's 30/40s but still kind of fun to honor your friends and training partners with naming a workout after them and even though it's a little embarrassing it is fun to have something named after you too!