Fit Family | Workouts & Getting Saturday Strong On!

taking kids to the gym

Flexing as we leave the gym (okay, the boys took a shower and I didn’t — something’s wrong here)!

School’s out and that means I’ve got my kids back into the gym routine – on Saturdays, the whole family heads up to the gym to exercise, stay fit and have some family bonding time. Then it’s out to lunch, but we earned it! This is the third summer that we’ve been able to take the kids with us to the gym (they are now 11, 14 and 17) and I it’s cool to see how much more confident they’ve become in the setting. No longer intimidated by the equipment, my guys know what to do and enjoy the challenge (okay, they do sometimes complain). My husband and I keep adding new skills to their base and teach them how to perform every move safely – oh, and also proper gym etiquette!

gymnastics rings wod

Our gym has all sorts of equipment – my family’s favorite may just be the gymnastic rings. At first the kids were drawn to the rings because they could swing around like monkeys circus stars, but now they know quite a few moves that engage the upper body and / or core – pull ups (the youngest can knock out 8), dips, rows, toes-to-rings and fun tricks like “Skin the Cat.” If you like working out on the rings, this “Ring of Fire” workout I made for CorePower.com will have you burning in a hurts-so-good way. Guys, if the WOD is too easy (ha!) put on a weight vest!

popsugar #musthavebox summer

Look at all the goodies in my Summer POPSUGAR Must Have Box!

In addition to a good workout, I love good mail days – those days when the box is filled up with NO bills, my favorite magazines, event invitations, paychecks and new samples to try. This should be the only kind of mail allowed!  What an unexpected treat to find a POPSUGAR Must Have Box waiting for me at the door yesterday. With the holding-breath kind of anticipation, I opened the package to find my surprise treats – a new novel (perfect for beach reading), citrus body lotion, a beautiful and light beach towel that doubles as a wrap, lemon wet wipes (refreshing!), fancy hair ties (that make really neat bracelets), Hawaiian bbq potato chips (take me away!) and a $15 gift card to an online site peddling geek gadgetry (my boys are fighting over this).

book from popsugar must have box

All items in a POPSUGAR Must Have Box are typically themed (mine was the Summer Box) and include items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness and food that have been hand-selected by editors in the know. If you are interested in, you can save $10 on a 3 month subscription by using the code JUNESELECT10 at checkout (ends June 30, 2014).

POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Kebabs at the Lake & Obstacle Course WOD

 

jennifer beef for kebabs

Ready to make 200+ Beef Kebabs!

Wow, I had a busy weekend – how about you?! Friday and Saturday were spent shopping, prepping and putting on a cooking demonstration for a fundraiser ultimately benefiting the Flatwater Foundation, an important organization providing families with access to mental health support while dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

dtc_board

The final event takes place on June 9th, when a group of stand-up paddlers will complete a 21-mile course during an all-day event called “Tyler’s Dam that Cancer” – every SUP-er raises funds as part of their participation, so I was so happy to help friends with this event so close to their hearts. I’m hoping next year I can join them out on the lake!

Thankful for my hunky hubby who did all the hard work!

Thankful for my hunky hubby who did all the hard work!

The friend who hosted this party had such an awesome backyard on the lake, it was a little hard to keep my mind on the  “lean beef is good for you” message I was giving on behalf of the Texas Beef Council with all the boats and beverages floating around! Usually, I just do the “show and tell,” while a grill-master experienced in feeding a crowd does the heavy cooking – however this time, everyone was booked and it was just me! Wow, putting together over 200 kebabs is a lot harder than I thought and thank goodness I recruited my husband to do all the grilling while I entertained the crowd with my fit foodie antics.

The recipe chosen for this evening is one of my favorites for the grill – Mojo Beef Kebabs.  Check it out, I even have a video.

jennifer fisher_thefitfork_mojo beef kabobs

 

 

searing grillSunday was busy getting the kids ready for a week of end-of-school events – concerts, finals, SATs, field trips and more. Amazingly I did find a bit of time to experiment on another grilling recipe I’ve developed for Hamilton Beach and their really cool Searing Grill. I can’t divulge the recipe now, but stay tuned. The post will run in mid-June and I will also be giving away one of the grills – whoohooo!

All this running around makes me feel like I’m navigating a never-ending obstacle course, I’m sure you’ve felt like this too?! So, to stay in shape for all of life’s crazy ups and downs and detours, try this Obstacle Course Workout I created for Core Power.

Core Power Workout

 

corepower summer saleYou know I love my Core Power – it is such a convenient way to take in quality protein after a hard workout at the gym. You don’t want to waste that 30 minute window to refuel with protein and carbs to help muscles recover. Check out the Summer Sale – when you take advantage of  Subscribe & Save for home delivery, you’ll get $5 off  your favorite @CorePower shakes http://bit.ly/CPSaleAmazon.

Answer me this – What did you do this weekend? What is your favorite meat to eat on a stick? Have you ever done an obstacle race and if so, would you do another? 

 

Tomato Strawberry Smoothie & 2014 CrossFit Games Open Recap (Finally)

Yesterday while I was knocking out some burpees, my mind started to wander and I realized that I never gave an “official” update on my experience doing the CrossFit Games Open 2014. But, first let me give you the quick backstory. I’ve been a fairly competitive runner for a long time and my first real experience with CrossFit was back in January 2011, when my good friend Valerie Hunt, a running coach and owner of BVM CrossFit, drug my scrawny runner’s rear up to California to a CrossFit Endurance (CFE) camp being put on by Brain McKenzie.

On top of the world & running from mountain lions at CrossFit Endurance Camp in CA.

On top of the world & running from mountain lions at CrossFit Endurance Camp in CA.

Brian’s CFE program follows the CrossFit model while adding precise training protocols for endurance. It is fair to say I was skeptical of the claims that weaving CrossFit into my fitness routine would make me a better runner. It is also fair to say that despite my high level of cardiovascular fitness, I was pretty darn out of shape. I could only do one pull-up and after running a marathon, the sorest part of my body would be my lower abs and back as I had the core strength of a flea.

Jennifer Valerie deadlift

Valerie and I working on deadlifts for 14.3 – it’s a little easier to lift with a friend!

I took what I learned from camp and with Valerie’s encouragement and advice turned my wimpy self into a much all-around fitter person, if I dare say so myself!  The one measly pull-up turned into 25 unbroken “kipping” style pull-ups and I overcame (most) of my fear of Olympic style lifting – all this “old dog trying new tricks” translated into some great Master’s running PRs. Despite all the improvements, I do need to get over my tendency to just do the parts of a WOD that I like – which tends to be the body weight and endurance stuff. My weaknesses became readily apparent when obligated to perform the CrossFit Games Open 2014 workouts exactly as prescribed – for it to count, there could be no scaling back the weights, substituting or skipping over a move!

Scenes from my experience in CrossFit Games Open 2014.

Scenes from my experience in CrossFit Games Open 2014.

14.1 WOD Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of jump rope double-unders (30 reps) and 55-lb. power snatches (15 reps). Started off the whole Open with a skill I have never done (why jump rope when you can run had been my mindset)! I felt like an uncoordinated kid, but wasn’t going to let it all start and end with first hop. I reminded myself that you have to believe you can do something to actually do it, so I kept my confidence up and at one point actually strung along about 7 rotations.

14.2 WOD Every 3 minutes for as long as possible complete: From 0:00-3:00 2 rounds of 10 overhead squats and 10 chest-to-bar pull-ups; from 3:00-6:00  2 rounds of 12 overhead squats and 12 chest-to-bar pull-ups; from 6:00-9:00 2 rounds of 14 overhead squats and 14 chest-to-bar pull-ups.  I was SO looking forward to doing the chest-to-bar pull ups; this is one of my stronger skills. The only thing standing in my way was the overhead squats with a 65 lb. bar.  Overhead squats are one of the lifting moves that I had always ignored; rationalizing this un-love with the excuse my tight runner’s hips don’t work like that. I practiced all weekend and was having trouble even finishing one with an un-weighted ladies’ 35 lb bar. Well, by some miracle, I made it through the 10 reps (not pretty) and was able to knock out the chest-to-bar  pull-ups with ease. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even get one more squat with quite a bit of time remaining on the clock, so no more pull-ups for me. Sniff.

14.3 WOD Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of: 95-lb. deadlifts (10 reps) and 15 20” box jumps, 135-lb. deadlifts (15 reps) and 15 20” box jumps, 155-lb. deadlifts (20 reps) and 15 20” box jumps, 185-lb. deadlifts (25 reps) and 15 20” box jumps through 205-lb and 225-lb deadlifts same pattern. So this is one of the WODs I was most proud of because I always scale back my deadlifts “to save my legs for running.” So, knowing that I had only lifted 135-lbs for a few reps here and there, I totally surprised myself to get all the way through the 20 reps of 155-lbs! I had about 35 seconds left to go for some 185-lbs, but decided that it wasn’t worth the risk of injury considering I had just run a half marathon the day before!

14.4 WOD Complete as many rounds and repetitions as possible in 14 minutes of: 60-calorie row, 50 toes-to-bars, 40 wall-ball shots, 20 lb. to 10-foot target, 30 cleans with 135 lb. 20 muscle-ups. The rowing was totally tolerable, especially when reflecting on the time I thought it would be a good idea to row 13.1 miles at one sitting.  I had raced a 5k the day before and my glutes were screaming during the wall-ball shots – I never made it to the muscle ups, but definitely some day!

14.5 WOD 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of 65-lb. thrusters and burpees. No surprise to me that the easiest workout for my athletic abilities and also ranked me the highest on the leaderboard – despite having run the Dallas Half Marathon and winning my age division the morning before!

Recovering after a CrossFit WOD with Sun-Rype and Spaulding,

Recovering after a CrossFit WOD with Sun-Rype and Spaulding,

What I learned:

1)      Always start a WOD with an “I can do this” attitude. When I start to self-doubt, I’m not focused on the task at hand, only failure.  Case in point, the double-unders and the overhead squats — decided I “could” do them, and I did!

2)       Road racing and the Open mixed better than I thought. I really wanted to do the CrossFit Open, but also had two half-marathons and a 5k scheduled on three of the five Sundays during the Open – I went for it ALL anyway!  With the WODs being announced on late Thursday night, my hand was forced to compete on Mondays, the last day scores would be accepted. This meant no significant practice prior and often competing with delayed onset muscle fatigue.However, recovering proper after my races with a lot of quality protein (BEEF) helped significantly as did a lot of warming up before the start timer went off.

3)      Pay more attention to my weaknesses and actually put in the work to improve them.  In CrossFit you have to be ready for anything at any time – constantly varied, functional fitness and all that! Until they come up with a “Jennifer WOD,” doing only what I “like” isn’t going to make me very adaptable or competitive.

4)      I didn’t get bulk up like a beast and lose my streamlined runner’s shape doing Crossfit. Many women have the misconception that this type of exercise is going to make them huge and man-like. Your body is genetically programmed to have a certain shape, more or less. So, unless you are from Amazonian stock, you are just going to look like a fitter, leaner, slightly more muscle-y version of normal yourself.

5)      Winning isn’t everything. In running,  I compete to win overall, master’s or AG depending on the race. If I don’t, I can be very hard on myself  However, the CrossFit Open reminded me that showing up and getting it done is something to be proud of. I put in a lot of work, even though I didn’t get any sort of golden ticket. So, how DID I do 0 that IS the burning question, right? Well, according to the online results,  worldwide I ranked 1078 and in the South East region I ranked 70th, I’m assuming this is my age group or the entire Master’s division; I’m having trouble interpreting the leaderboard.  I think there were around 125,000+ competitors in the whole event, so I’m actually quite happy and surprised. I felt like I would be at the bottom when I compare myself to the strength and talents of many others I know.

And, now onto the refueling smoothie of the day! It sounds sort of strange, but tomatoes and strawberries make a really interesting, yummy combo for a fruit smoothie! I mean, a tomato is a fruit — right?! Check out my recipe for a Strawberry Tomato Smoothie.

tomato teaser smoothie

Blend 10 ounces almond milk with 6 frozen grape tomatoes, 6 frozen strawberries and Stevia to taste. Add ice to achieve desired consistency, if needed. Top with chia seeds.

Black Bean, Avocado & Corn Salad + Stability Ball WOD

We had a busy but wonderful family weekend, so I’m going to keep it short and sweet! Saturday we celebrated my oldest son’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor – whew, he made it!

The Family -- Yup, I'm a Boy mom times three!

The Family — Yup, I’m a Boy mom times three!

And, Sunday, we got together with my mom (and dad) to revel in Mother’s Day. While you might think your mother is “best,” mine really takes the cake – and the corn salad! And, with that corniness out of the way, I’m excited to be sharing her family-famous Black Bean, Avocado & Corn Salad recipe. Yeah, yeah – your mom makes something like this . . . but my mom makes it better!

southwestern black bean salad

Black Bean, Avocado & Corn Salad Recipe

  • 2 cups frozen sweet corn
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 to 2 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded
  • 2 (15.5-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 large avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped*
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Place frozen corn on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir to coat and then spread out in single layer. Roast under broiler for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring once, until starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

In large bowl, place beans, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, quartered grape tomatoes, minced jalapeno, chopped avocado, chopped cilantro and cooled corn. Add remaining olive oil (1/4 cup), lime juice, vinegar, chile powder and cumin; stir until all ingredients are coated.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Use as a side dish, topping on salad or relish for chips and tacos. Serves 12.

*Recipe can be made ahead, even overnight. However, for best results, do not peel and chop and mix in avocado until ready to serve.

Stablity Ball Workout

 

If you need a quick workout for this Monday morning, check out the Stability Ball WOD I created for CorePower.com.  I often use the stability ball to make basic exercises like push-ups, crunches, and squats exponentially more challenging. Because the ball is never completely still, I have to work my muscles much harder to find the balance. If you need further instructions for each specific move above, head over to Core Power to read my blow by blow.

Medicine Ball Mash Up & Saturday Shoutouts

Well, I’m on my way to the “Big D” to run in the Rock & Roll Dallas Half Marathon Sunday morning.  I heard that Deena Kastor is in the field, so I’m really going to have to step up my game (insert hysterical laughing here). The past bronze-medal winning Olympian and American record holder in the marathon (London 2006 in 2:19:36) and half-marathon (Berlin 2006 in 1:07:34) is proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop competing. Even though these records were set eight years back, this weekend the 41-year runner will be trying to make half-marathon history again by breaking as many as three or four American Masters Records, according to Competitor Magazine. If Kastor can run between a 5:25 and 5:30 pace per mile (as opposed to my exact 1 minute per mile slower 6:25 – 6:30 pace), she just may capture records at the splits in four distances — 15K (9.3 miles), 10 Miles, 20K (12.4 miles), and the full half marathon. She estimates her finish time to be 1:11 to 1:12.  Why isn’t she trying break a record in the 5k too?  Just kidding; I learned that lesson the hard way – years ago I PR’d at the 10k inside of a marathon; finishing the remaining 20 miles was brutal.  Run Deena, run, I’ll be chasing you from 13 minutes behind!

jennifer fisher med ball mash up core power

If you’re not running this weekend, I have a fun little workout you can do. All you need is a medicine ball and some space with a hard-surfaced floor. It’s amazing how much you can get worm out with just one piece of gym equipment – a tame-looking medicine ball.  By the way, I whipped up this Medicine Ball Mash Up workout for CorePower. The company makes a great high protein shake to nourish taxed muscles after a hard WOD or run.  Pick up a case for the most delicious workout recovery ever — Chocolate Light is my favorite flavor with 150 calories and 20 grams of protein.

I was also recently sent a sampler pack of Ratio Protein Bars through a campaign for Fitfluential.com (By the way, if you haven’t joined Fitfluential, you really should. It’s free and a great community of instant fitness friends, plus there are lots of perks.  Tell them Jennifer Fisher at TheFitFork.com sent you in the referral line). Anyway, back to the Ratio Bars —  I am a total nutrition bar addict and am very particular about which ones I eat. As you can tell from the picture, I don’t like to give a review without actually trying the product – every one of these Ratio Bars was gobbled up by yours truly. What I like about the bars is the high protein content; I always choose a bar with at least 20 grams of protein (these all have 24 grams) and under 250 calories. Plus, these bars advertise no gluten, no soy products, no hormones, no artificial ingredients and no GMOs.  Hard to say which of the six yummy flavors I liked best, but I think Cookie Crunch and Cake Batter were the front runners.

whey protein bars by Ratio

As part of my ambassadorship with the Zooma Women’s Race Series and their relationship with Ultimate Direction, I was sent some useful running gear to try out. This company has been around since 1985 and is the initial mastermind behind the hydration pack; in fact, they invented the first waist pack designed to carry water bottles – today they have introduced even more options to make hydration easier, from handhelds to vests and more.   I’m excited to try out a couple of products from the Jenny Collection including the “Meow” waist belt and “Handy 10” water bottle. At first I thought maybe they named this cute, comfortable gear after ME, but found out that the designed-for-women-by-women product line is actually named after the athlete-designer, Jenny Jurek (wife of renowned ultra runner, Scott Jurek).  Cool, check them out and stay hydrated this spring!

jenny_handy10_zoom

ultimate direction meow