My Testimony

Hello Beautiful people,

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday! Today I wanted to take some time and discuss how I came to my faith. In high school my friends would always share their testimony on how they found Jesus. I was always too scared because I felt like my testimony was not “profound” enough.  I finally learned that as long as you found Jesus that is profound enough. Well here is my testimony and I hope you enjoy it!

Have a blessed weekend!

Jamie

You Are What You Eat Pt. 2

Happy Thursday!

The week is almost over, and Thanksgiving is fast approaching. In my last post I discussed foods to eat before a workout.   So in this post I will be sharing my wisdom on items to eat after a workout:

·      Drink chocolate milk: I never understood why the chocolate was important but my coaches would always encourage us to drink it after practice. Milk contains nutrients and proteins that help prevent and heal sore muscles.  Chocolate just makes it taste better. J

·      Protein: Protein is always smart to eat after a workout. Eating protein allows the body to restore muscles and helps it to heal and become stronger. My favorite proteins to eat after a workout include steak, scrambled eggs, chicken and any other red meats.

·      Water: Drinking water after a workout is as important as drinking water before a workout. After working out, your body loses a lot of water due to sweating. In order to replenish the lost water your body needs water. Don’t chug water after a workout because it could make you sick. Sips are better. I usually take eight sips and then take breaks in between and repeat as necessary.

One idea that my coaches always taught me was the “two hour, 20 minute rule”. This rule basically states that in less than two hours you should have a sustainable meal in your stomach and in less than 20 minutes water should be in your system. This rule is formulated to allow your body to recover and be ready for the next day.

Going back to the blessing of the food idea, another verse that my family would say during meals was 1 Corinthians 11:24-27: “And when he had given thanks, he broke [it], and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus gave everything for us to be reborn with our sins. While living in Kansas, it is hard to see that most of us live a very blessed life.  We sometimes forget that not everyone is as blessed as we are. I still encourage you to pray before you eat but also to just thank Jesus for everything you have been blessed with.

Enjoy your Thursday,

Jamie

My Addiction

Hello beautiful people,

I hope you guys are enjoying your beautiful Tuesday! I know before I discussed some of my favorite running brands and apparel but I never showed them! This is a short slide show of a fraction ( I have a running apparel addiction) of my running wardrobe! Enjoy!

Have a wonderful rest of your day!

Jamie

Cross Training

Greetings,

            I hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful week. I was thinking about workouts today and how sometimes running gets old. If you are ever bored or injured it is a good idea to “cross train”. Cross training is just doing some alternative exercises that work other muscles while at the same time keeping muscles in shape.

There are many things that you can do to cross train. My top two favorite cross training activities are biking and swimming.

Biking is my favorite cross training activity. Biking can be done two ways.  You can either ride on a real bike on a beautiful trail or go to the gym and use a stationary bike.

If you want to go on an actual bike ride, plan do about double your usual running distance or more to get a good workout. You can experiment with hills, speed, and trail conditions and even just a new environment.

If you want to do a workout on a stationary bike, the options are endless. You can experiment with resistance, time and speed. The possibilities are endless. Just remember to keep your heart rate up and get a good workout.

If you cross training by swimming, your workout depends on your comfort level in the water. When I swim for cross training, I usually start by swimming three laps down and back in the pool. Then I take a few quick breather and “run” down and back four times. I then repeat this workout and end it with a casual swim to cool down. This workout may seem short but trust me it takes effort.

Sometimes working out makes you sore and want to quit. Just remember that the more you work out the more you will love it and crave it. Just like Jesus. Keep Jesus in your life. Even if it is just a few minutes a day, take a few minutes and thank him for everything. Psalm 106:1,“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

Have a wonderful week,

Jamie

The Winning Stretch

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! I was recently thinking about being sore after a workout. I am a college student; I admit that I don’t work out every day like I should. Once I do workout I am usually sore the next day. There is only one way to effectively prevent soreness: stretching.

I have a lot of favorite stretches, but these are my favorites:

1.     Figure-Four: This stretch is probably one of the most well-known running stretches. To do this stretch sit on the ground and extend one leg out forward and bend the other one leg in towards the groin.

It should essentially look like a four. Next slowly try to grab your ankle. The common misconception is to grab your foot, but grabbing your ankle reduces the pulling and straining of muscles. This stretch stretches your calf muscles and just feels great.

Repeat with the other side.

2.     Calf Stretch: This is a very easy stretch to do.  Basically all you need is a wall. What you need to do is face the wall and put the bottom of your foot against the wall. Your foot and leg should form a “V” with your ankle being the vertex. This again stretches your calf muscles.

Repeat with the other foot.

3.     Hip Swings: This stretch should be done both before and after a run. What you need to do is find a pole, wall or anything that you can keep your balance on. Stand facing the pole, shoulder length apart and simply swing your leg back and forth. You can face the wall for some or standing perpendicular to the wall. This stretch loosens up your hips and gets you ready for a great workout! For a more detailed description on hip swings see the video http://bit.ly/1ab7fq0.

Repeat with the other side.

4.     ABC’s: This is my absolute favorite stretches. Since I have previously had ankle problems, these saved my life. This stretch just requires you to sit on the ground with one leg out and the other bent held up against the chest. Then with the leg up against the chest, use that ankle and simply “write” all of the letters of the alphabet with your foot. This loosens up your ankle and again reduces injury.

As before, repeat with the other side.

Many people overlook stretching and feel like they don’t have enough time or they are strong enough to go without it. This is surprisingly very similar to Jesus. People believe that they don’t need any help and can do it well all by themselves. It may work for a while but sooner or later it will leave them broken. Just remember Psalm 32:8, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Have a great week.

Jamie