This weeks plan goes like this:

• Sunday – I did a walk/run combo of 2.4 miles followed by a lot of  stretching
• Monday – 15 min. on the elliptical, 3x 30 sec. plank holds, 3x 15 stomach crunches, 3x 12 torso twists in squat with a 10 lb. kettlebell
• Tuesday – 3 mile walk
• Wednesday – Stretching, Kettleworx week #1 cardio, followed by more stretching
• Thursday - Sprint work at the track (thanks to my good friend Lorraine of TrackMom for this great tip) – 8 laps of sprinting the straights and walking the turn
• Friday – 15 min. on the elliptical, 3x 30 sec. plank holds, 3x 15 stomach crunches, 3x 12 torso twists in squat with a 10 lb. kettlebell
• Saturday – off

The other thing I am going to be more conscious of is hydration and muscle recovery based on what I learned a few weeks ago while at the Gatorade Headquarters. I know that days where I am properly fueled before a workout are much more productive and if I can work on getting good protein in to my system within the 30 minutes after my workout, my muscles should recover faster.

What’s your plan for this week? Join us by posting your Workout for the Week! Plan, share, do and you will SUCCEED!

Are you up for it?? The ESPNW.com team posted this workout on their Facebook page today and while I know for a fact there is no way I can make it through this workout today, it certainly gives me something to work on!

And with any luck, I will be back on track and posting my weekly workout plans again next week.

Amazon rocks because I ordered the DVD on Wednesday and it was here Thursday at no additional charge! I was going to work the yoga DVD into next week’s workout plan, but I just couldn’t wait to try it.

My initial reaction to the Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown.

I was worried that a yoga program would move too slowly for me and obviously Jillian Michael’s has the same thought. She incorporates traditional yoga poses and movements with her step it up kind of a style and turns them into dynamic movements with holds at the end to really challenge your muscles. The athletes she has demonstrating show multiple levels of difficulty which means you can easily start at Level 1 and work on it until you have mastered the beginner, intermediate and advanced versions of the routines.

The workout is 30 minutes and incorporates a warm up and a cool down along with a series of mini routines in the middle to challenge your legs, core and arms. Level 1 was a huge challenge for me! Partially because I am not really familiar with the yoga terms yet, and partially because my upper body is pretty weak. I made it through and expect to be a little sore tomorrow.

The one thing I really noticed when doing the workout is just how much flexibility I have lost. Hopefully by doing this workout along with the Kettleworx workout all winter, I will emerge into the spring with a level of fitness and flexibility that is much better making it easier to run outdoors. I am dealing with the effects of an old ankle break and early stages of arthritis so I am trying to do more indoor working out this winter while it is so cold.

Overall, I think I am going to like this type of yoga workout and think it will fit nicely into my workout plan this winter. And if it is a warm sunny day, I should still be able to get in a walk or light jog, because I feel like I worked out, but I don’t feel wiped out.

And my favorite Jillian quote of the DVD was something to the effect of “you need to get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable!” LOVE IT!

Have you tried this workout? What did you think? Got a favorite Yoga DVD you think I should try? Share it in the comments below!

Here are my favorite resources for creating your workout support circle:

TRACK IT

If you walk, run or workout, keeping track of what you have accomplished is so important! Today’s technology makes it so easy to track your activity and then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and such.

Nike+ Sensor – the Nike+ Sensor is the least expensive tool on the market for keeping track of your walking or running. It attaches to your shoe and is activated through any iPod device. Your pace, time, and distance are stored and then logged on NikePlus.com. One of my friends scoffed at her husband when he got her the Nike+ sensor for her birthday, but went ahead and used it none the less. A year later she was really blown away to realize that she had run more than 1000 miles – and that Nike+ had captured everything for her. How empowering!

BodyMedia FIT tracks the calories burned from all your activities and monitors the quality of your sleep. BodyMedia FIT is an armband sensor that you wear 24 hours a day and the program consists of an Armband monitor, online Activity Manager, and optional Display. It automatically tracks the calories burned during your daily activities — from pumping iron to using an iron — and monitors the quality of your sleep, and allows you to track your intake using an interactive food log.

FIND A BUDDY

I hate to workout by myself. I just can’t do it. But give me a friend and I am ready to go! One of my biggest challenges this fall has been finding friends who can workout when I can. If you are looking to run or walk, check out the site called SeeMommyRun.com - it connects you with others in your area based on the type of training you want to do and your schedule.

Tap into your social networks, too. Ask your friends on Facebook, send out an email to all your friends, and get your own group started. Chances are you have friends in your circle who have similar goals and just need a little nudge to get started, too.

HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE

There are so many online resources now that let you track your progress and help you stay motivated. My favorites include:

• NikePlus.com since all my walking/running data is automatically sent there. I love the graphs and the visual indicators as to how I have done.
• At Traineo.com you can get weight loss help and support from over 200,000 members!
• I love DailyMile.com as well. Some of my online friends have created challenges that I have joined into, which just gives me a little more motivation to stick with it!

How do you stay motivated to keep training? Please share your tips in the comments!

Basically the sensor transmits your walking or running information from the sensor to your iPod, keeping track of how far you have gone, how fast you are going, you can chose from a variety of workout styles, pick a power song from your iTunes music selection and more. If you have the iPod Touch, the Nike + iPod app is already installed and you can activate with two to three clicks – in other words, you don’t have to be a techy to make this work.

Nike now sells running shoes with a slot under the insole that fits the Nike + Ipod sensor perfectly, however, if you do not have Nike shoes (or don’t like them, like me), you can get a little case (I have the SwitchEasy Runaway one) for the sensor that clips onto your shoe laces.

When you get ready to go for your walk, clip the sensor to your laces (the closer to your toes the better), open the Nike + app on your iPod and touch Begin Workout. It is that easy.

Another benefit is the Nike Plus online community. You can create an account and sync your iPod to the Nike Plus site for even more benefits. You can find virtual walking or running partners and be part of a community which helps from the accountability and fun aspect!

And one last thing – the Nike + Ipod sensor is not expensive – you can get it for about $20 on Amazon.