Our kids AMAZED us, five ways I am STRENGTHENING my hips & Deficiencies!

These two kiddos exceeded our expectations… that is for sure!

Yesterday Andrew wanted to try the Y Trail (it takes you to the big Y on the mountain for BYU) with the kids.  We thought we would get to the first switchback or so and they would be ready to turn around.

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Nope.  PS they wanted sweatshirts around their waists like me;)

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Those four little legs made it all of the way to the Y!  To get to the bottom of the Y (what we did) you go for a mile and climb about 930 ft!  We took water breaks whenever they wanted and let them decide the pace but they made it.  I couldn’t believe it.  Talk about doing hard things… they inspired me (yes, my calves are going to be sore today).

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Looks like we’ve got a summer of hiking with them and I cannot wait.   I seriously think nature is the best medicine… before we went outside I was stressed about a few random things and after this hike I felt like a whole new person:)  Definitely a reason I think we all love running so much, it gives us that reason to get outside more often!

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Suckers afterwards for our proud hikers!

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We were all ready for bed last night after that hike (well, Andrew and I were… for some reason these kids had MORE energy than ever after that hike and we didn’t see that coming).

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THIS MADE MY YEAR.  My brother sent this picture to me from his flight yesterday!  Nicole has been reading this blog over the years, recognized my brother and said hi to him:)  I was jealous I wasn’t there to meet Nicole too.  It meant a whole lot to me!  This is my favorite part about blogging, connecting with so many amazing people.

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I passed my coaching test:)  WAHOO… now just need to do my first aid and CPR and then I am good to go.  I was looking through some things last night and came across these nutrient deficiencies!  Ever had any type of nutrient deficiency?  Ever felt like you haven’t gotten enough of something? Would love to hear about how you helped the deficiency!

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I’ve got five new moves that I’m adding to my routine after a run a few days a week to help strengthen my hips a bit.  Isn’t it crazy how HARD it is to get yourself to add in a few minutes a day for injury prevention but running an extra mile feels more like a reward.  It definitely takes some motivation to get in the injury prevention stuff but it is so so so worth it!

1.  One-legged deadlift!  (Good for SO many different muscle groups and I include it in my hip work)  15 on each leg.  Start standing and then bend forward AT YOUR HIPS (not back.. that is always really hard for me).  I let the weights get close to the ground before returning back to starting position!  This can be done without weights, with one weight or with two weights!

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2.  Donkey Kicks!  15-20 on each leg!   While on all fours, lift one leg at a time and keep the knee bent.  Kick upwards and keep the bottom of your shoe facing the ceiling! Return to the starting position and repeat 15-20 times (or whatever works best for you) before switching to the other leg.

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3.  Clamshell!  15-20 on each side!  You can do this with an exercise band around your legs just a few inches above the knees but I am doing them without the band until I build up some more strength.  Start with your legs together (knees touching and toes touching) and both knees bent, bring up the top knee while keeping the toes together and your back in the same position that you started!  Return your knee back down to touch the knee on the ground and repeat!

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4.  Fire Hydrants!  15-20 on each leg.  Kind of awkward but we as runners are kind of awkward so whatever.  Start on all four and then keep your knee bent and raise your leg out toward the side!  Raise it as high as you can (working on this for sure:).  Try to only move your leg and to keep your body square!

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5.  Leg Raises!  I am doing 45-60 seconds of these on each side!  Start with your legs stacked on top of each other and lift the top leg up to about a 45 degree angle before bringing it back down to your starting position!

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There ya have it!  Join along with me on this and let’s get strong hips:)

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Ever had some sort of nutrient deficiency?  Do you pay attention to what you are taking in each day to avoid any type of deficiency?  

How have you, someone in your family, someone in your life exceeded your expectations?  

Who was the last new person that you met (I’m just pretending I got to meet Nicole:)… where’d you meet?

What is the highlight of your Thursday going to be?

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44 comments

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That’s so fun that your brother met a reader! And WOW – good for Brooke and Knox. That’s amazing.

The highlight of my day today is going to be going out to dinner with my boyfriend for our one-year anniversary at our first date spot last year!

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Thanks for sharing those hip exercises! I need to try them because my hips have been super tight lately.

The highlight of my Thursday is going to be dropping of a little gift one of my friends made for my niece, because it will mean I get to see that sweet little girl (even if just briefly). I haven’t seen her in more than two weeks, and I used to go spend time with her every week, so I’ve missed her like crazy!! (She’s almost 9 months and is the most precious human alive.) :)

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Looks like a beautiful view at the end of that hike.
I used to have an iron deficiency. The pills I had to take were huge – I’m glad I got that figured out and I don’t have to take them anymore!

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Fiona how did you avoid the pills? I was anemic during pregnancy and now, even though it has been two years, I still don’t feel quite right and I don’t know if it’s iron again? Symptoms are tired (way more than normal) and also really achy joints. Hmmm…..

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I wasn’t able to avoid the iron pills, I had to take them for close to a year in addition to making an effort to get more protein into my diet. Try talking to your doctor – she/he is probably the most qualified to give you advice.

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I was just diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency. Optimal is 50-70 and I was at 19. Yikes! I felt foggy, clumsy, cold, and TIRED. Hopefully, I’m on the road to recovery. Living in the Midwest, I will probably always need a supplement in the winter. Looking forward to summer and soaking up some sunshine!!

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Me too, Sharon!

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OH WOW!! Those side effects must have been so weird! Glad you figured out the problem and how to help:) Enjoy that sunshine coming your way! Thanks Sharon for sharing! Good luck Belinda with getting better too!

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Donkey move is so good! It totally kills me but so worth it! I tend to be low in iron, so I take a supplement every few days. I was born with a low RBC count, so that will always be something I need to be aware of!

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I have to take B-12 every day due to a bariatric surgery, also after moving away from Texas I have low vitamin D so during the fall/winter I take something for that.

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Wow — great job Brooke and Knox! I am going hiking this weekend (hopefully it gets warm!) and I can’t wait!

Thanks for those moves, I definitely want to strengthen my hips/booty, and those hip moves look like they’ll help a lot!

Today’s going to be a pretty good day. I’ve got a massage this morning, followed by a work lunch/celebration to send off our senior students, and then looking forward to a good dinner with the boyfriend and yoga tonight! Happy Thursday!

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Awe that looks like a lot of fun. I actually was diagnosed with having too much vitamin B12 a while ago.

I always enjoy meeting readers and friends. It’s one of my favorite things of blogging!

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My oldest boy is Brooke and Knox’s age and he can hike 5-6 miles! He always says he loves Utah and the mountains. What has helped is we got him a kids magnifying glass, kids binoculars, and my mom got him a camelback backpack. It’s adorable and keeps him motivated to look for bugs, animal poop, and stuff.

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5-6 miles… that is AMAZNG!! Okay, we are going to have to copy you on the gear idea for the kids… they would LOVE that! Thanks Angie and happy hiking:)

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highlight of my thursday will be listening to a podcast and going for a walk later. It’s a beautiful Spring day here in NY and I’m very busy with work so I’ll be appreciating my “lunch break” :)

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Hiking is by far my favorite past time! Love to find a kind friendly one. I take super b complex, mostly because I’m a vegetarian and need to make sure I get vitamins most people from meat!

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I love the Y hike! So fun you got to do it with the kids.

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I have been iron deficient for years. The fatigue is awful when I let it get out of hand. I eat lots of leafy greens and incorporate fish into my diet. I also take an iron supplement. Seems to work for me.

The highlight of my day will be visiting my chiropractor. He’s keeping everything feeling good which is allowing me to run (slowly) and crossfit during my pregnancy!

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Proof we should see you in the mountains this summer!

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I agree big time on this!!!

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How fun that Brooke and Knox are at an age that you can start doing family hikes! I love all of those strength training moves–I’m a personal trainer and I do all of those with my clients! I especially love the donkey kicks and fire hydrants. :) The highlight of my Thursday will be turning in a homework assignment because that means the semester is officially over. :)

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kudos to those kiddos! When I was little my parents always took me hiking. They baiting me along with m&ms – “just make it up to that tree and you get another m&m!”. Of course they’d never ask me to do something that’d be too much for me to handle but it was a great way to build my mental toughness young! Talk about goal setting!

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I think I need to start taking biotin. My nails and hair had been feeling weak lately. The highlight of my Thursday will be a trail run I’ve been wanting to do for so long. Now that I don’t have any classes or school I have all the time to do it without concerns that I need to do stuff done.

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Great job kiddos! Woah I want your brother to fly me, I would definitely trust him. Congrats on passing your test! I was vegan for about a year (overlapping with ED) so I was definitely malnourished / micronutrient deficient. The biggest symptom was that my hair was falling out .. eek!

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I’m technically on the lowest end of normal on iron but I don’t have enough to give blood which is so disappointing! I am terrible at taking supplements so I just try to eat red meat whenever we go out (my husband doesn’t eat red meat) and eat lots of spinach. I’d love to hear what others with low iron are doing. Highlight of my Thursday is holding a garage sale with a friend. Hopefully it’s a success! Congrats on passing your coaching test!

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I am ALL on board with the hip strengtheners. I have been doing them daily for a month or so now, and I already notice a big difference. The clams still feel so awkward though…

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Ooooh, thank you for sharing the hip strengthening moves! I’ve been having knee problems lately and I think it’s due to tight/weak hips. I’m totally doing ALL of those when I get home. It’s so important to take the time for injury prevention, I just really struggle with it!

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Make sure you’re not over-rotating to open your hips up in the clamshell. Point is to just use the outside hip muscles, and once you open the pelvis, you engage inner muscles. I got yelled at for this ALL THE TIME when I did rehab after having impingement surgery on my hip. Keep it up!

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THANK YOU BRIE!!!!!! I appreciate that big time. Ummm impingement surgery, that doesn’t sound fun!

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Hi! I was just wondering why you are focusing on your hips right now. I’ve been sidelined with hip bursitis and I see my doctor next week. I wonder if your exercises would help me.

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Hi Becca! That is a great question and ask your doc if these will help with your hip bursitis (ps I AM SO SO sorry about your injury… they are the worst). My right hip has not been cooperating during speed work so I’m adding strengthening activities to help! Good luck!

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I love the pics of the exercises. The fire hydrant is just funny looking but such a good stretch.
I had to renew my CPR license a couple weeks ago too – I need it for my volunteer position at church

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My daughter has been exceeding my expectations with softball this season. She has really been improving with her skills and learning from her coach. This may not have been the best season for her team as far as winning games goes but it has been an amazing season of growth for her!

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Congrats on passing your coaching test! That’s so exciting. I hope you do something fun to celebrate :).

I am all-in on those hip stretches and do them everyday because my hips will tighten up immediately if I don’t pay them extra attention!

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I have a 13 year old son who is a very typical, lazy teenager. If he had his way he would never leave his room and video games other than to come downstairs and eat since he’s not allowed to eat in his room. I’ve been trying to get him to workout for years now and he’ll do it sometimes, but only with me and very rarely. He’s worked out 3 times so far this week…by himself! He does his workout when he gets home and sends me a sweaty selfie for proof. I’m so proud of him and he’s definitely exceeding my expectations!

My highlight of my Thursday so far was my run this morning – it was 25 minutes at 10K race pace, which for me is 8:14. I had so many moments of doubt during the run because it was pretty hard for me to maintain, but I did it!

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Oh, and I’m definitely going to add these moves to my leg routine – I have terribly weak hips. Thank you!

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AWESOME JOB JAMIE on your run this morning! You are rocking it! YAY for your son… I love it!! He’s got an amazing example as a mom:)

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It’s my 15 year anniversary!!! My husband surprised me with a huge floral arrangement of my wedding flowers and now my whole house smells like heaven!
I battled iron deficiency for decades. I started drinking a spinach smoothie everyday and that has made a huge difference. But if for some reason I have to skip it I’m super paranoid.

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Happy 15 years Elizabeth! Oh I bet that arrangement is gorgeous! I hope you two have an amazing day together and I’m so happy for you!

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The kids did great on that hike!!! Love the green necklace, too.

I have a Vit. D deficiency that I treat with a once a week 20,000IU supplement from October-May. In addition, I have a B12 deficiency that is tricky for me to work on. I do take supplements for it when I remember! Note to self, a Vit B12 can be the cause of muscle edema. So if any vegans out there are having edema, check your Vit B12!!

Hip strengthening exercises are so awkward! hilarious.

Happy Thursday!! our school held a ” May the fourth be with you ” dance for the 4th-6th grade. Super FUn!!!!

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My pt had me do fire hydrants and clams with a band so I still do them that way. It’s a love/hate relationship, similar to the one I have with the foam roller.

Iron deficiency and if I don’t supplement in the winter, Vitamin D. I take less D in the summer since I am outdoors often. Iron I supplement and add in iron rich foods. I am not a big meat eater but I eat a lot of beans, greens, pumpkin seeds, and I add blackstrap molasses to my oatmeal. I add tofu to my smoothies when I get ready to donate blood. For whatever reason, tofu seems to work best at getting my levels up.

My highlight was calming a man down at the gym who was nervous over his upcoming half-marathon. I have run it previously and it was nice to be able to help ease his concerns.

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Just found out I have low ferritin. It was 6. I’m taking supplements, but it’s only been a month, so I’m not feeling any better. I wish I would’ve gone to a doctor that works with runners, because they didn’t give me any advice. I’ve been eating high iron foods as much as I can. Hoping something changes soon, I really don’t want to stop running, but I will if that’s what I have to do to get my levels up. If anyone has any advice or has gone through this, let me know!!! I don’t know when is a reasonable time to retest or if I even should continue running until my level is up to normal.

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Your kids are impressive (and adorable)!
I need to add those exercises for my hips. I have had too many nagging hip injuries and have fallen out of my regular PT habit.
Best part of today will be seeing my parents. They’re coming to visit for the weekend and I’m pumped :)

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Totally need to try those hip exercises, they are so my weak point!

Highlight of my Thursday was an awesome stretchy yoga class!

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