Running Around Normal

Hi there!

A couple weeks ago I posted about a run that was a little out of the usual for me. Instead of taking my usual loop or bigger loop around the neighborhood or run an out and back on the trail, I took my adventures elsewhere. I ran the two miles and change to the gym, did a little weight lifting routine, and ran back. It was fun. It was a Friday. Thus, Fun Run Friday was born.

Today’s Fun Run Friday takes us to the trails.

Or a park. Or basically anywhere you can find a bench or an elevated steady surface.

On the trail by my house, there are benches dispersed along the way for people to sit down and take a rest on. Or in this case, add a little strength to your cardio!

For this run, each time I came to a bench, I performed a different strength training exercise.

At the first benchstop, were step ups:

For the step-ups, just make sure you have a stable, elevated surface, and then start with your right leg. With your entire foot on the surface, press down to lift your body up until your left foot brushes against the back of the surface.

The left foot is just along for the ride – the right leg is doing all the work. Repeat with the right leg 10 times and then switch to the left. Do two more sets, then continue on your run/walk/skip/whathaveyou.

Next up, dips!

To make dips easier, move your feet closer to your body. To make them more challenging, move them away.

Remember to keep your hips close to the bench and to keep your shoulders down away from your ears! These can even be done on the ground.

And we’re off!…until a half mile later and it’s time for incline pushups!

These are also great if you struggle with doing ground pushups. Want an ab challenge instead? Just hold youself up with your arms in extended position, breathing easy for 1 minute. Repeat three times.

The last strength training move I did was an inverted pushup. This works your delts. I love this move. You just act like you’re going to do an incline pushup, and then form your body into an inverted V

From there, pull our shoulders back, kind of like how you would if you were doing downward dog in yoga. Look through your arms to your knees, and then lower and raise yourself.

This is where I stopped, but you could also use the bench as your elevated surface for some elevated lunges

Let me know if you try out any of these moves on your next “fun run!”

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Give it away, give it away, give it away nah: Thermos Style!

Remember the super cool (no pun intended, heh) Thermos bottle I reviewed on the blog the other day? It kept my agua supah cool while shopping in 90 degree heat for hours!

Well, the lovely Maggie from Thermos is offering one RAN reader a chance to win one themselves

To enter, just leave a comment saying why you’re supah cool! For example, I’m supah cool because I had a mini photo shoot of me with my booty in the air for an inverted pushup on a crowded public trail Ohh yeeeaaaah

The contest is open to US residents only (sorry:( ) and will be open until Tuesday.

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Hope you guys have an awesome Friday that leads to an even awesomer weekend! I’m off to train some clients and then research vacations – whoop whoop!!