25 Days of Strength Advent Calendar #MotivateMe

Happy Monday everyone!  It’s time again for the #MotivateMe Monday linkup with Running Rachel and I where we share our progress, our meal plans and our training schedule.  We’d love it if you linked up at the end of this post too!

This past week was pretty good for me.  I got in my trainining runs and most of my planned strength sessions.  I also got some answers regarding the cough I’ve been complaining about for the past several weeks.  It turns out my coughing fits are from “Reactionary Airway Dysfunction” aka RAD.  My husband has reassured me that he always thought I was dysfunctional and now we have confirmation.  I say that I’ve always been pretty RAD.  

Kidding aside, my early morning runs in the cold have been causing bronchospasm – coughing fits lasting for hours after a run.  I now have two puffers, one to treat the inflammation in my lungs, and the other is a bronialdilator for when I have an attack.  So far they’ve helped to get things under control.  I seriously had no idea how bad my coughing was until taking two puffs of the bronchialdilator could stop it in it’s tracks.

I honestly thought that coughing fits for hours after a run were normal.  

My Doctor and I will be monitoring my progress over the next few weeks to see if further testing needs to be done etc., but for now I’m happy to say that things are WAY better! Yay!!

This week my training consisted of following the FIT CHICKS Fierce in 8 DVD Box Set and continuing with my running and training for Around the Bay ( a 30k race at the end of March).  I ran three mornings this week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with My best running friend, Juliette.  We’ve also added a new speedier running mom to our o’dark thirty club.  Becky is super speedy and doesn’t have to stop at every corner to catch her breath.  I suspect that Around the Bay in March will be a PB if we keep training with Becky.  Isn’t training with friends great?

This week I have something new for you.  Champion Canada and I have teamed up to bring you a three week challenge as we head into the holidays.  They have provided me with this super cute outfit to workout in as I challenge you to 25  24 strength moves between now and Christmas.  

I’ve put it together into a fitness advent calendar:

Most of these are body weight exercises that you can do anywhere,  Almost all of the exercise instructions can be found in this one great post on Greatist.  I did this on purpose to keep things simple.  

You can either do three sets of as many of the day’s exercise as you can, or build up the exercises into a kick butt circuit, ie: Day 1: Three sets of Tuck Jumps, Day 2: Three sets of Tuck Jumps and Pushups with Shoulder Taps, Day 3: Three sets of Tuck Jumps, Pushups with Shoulder Taps and Wall Sits.  However you choose to approach this is up to you.  

[Tweet “Follow @fitcheerldr’s 25 DAYS OF STRENGTH ADVENT CALENDAR to stay active during the holidays #LiveActive #Fitfluential”]

I’ll personally be building this up into a kick butt circuit while wearing the super cut outfit from Champion Canada:

• Champion® Marathon Sports Bra
• Champion® PerforMax Women’s Therma Tight with Champion Vapor Technology
• Champion PerforMax® Women’s 1/4 Zip Pullover

 Here is this week’s training plan:

Monday:  Tabatas with a Twist FIT CHICKS Fierce in 8 workout + swimming with my friend Laura
Tuesday: 2+2 Fierce Fighter Chick FIT CHICKS Fierce in 8 workout + 6k early am run
Wednesday: TRX
Thursday: Dirty Thirty – Perfect Plyos FIT CHICKS Fierce in 8 workout + 8k speed workout: 3 x1 mile @7:58/mile pace with 800m recovery jogs
Friday: Fab & Focused Buff Babes FIT CHICKS Fierce in 8 workout
Saturday: 18k run
Sunday: TRX

 This week I’ll be posting my full review of the FIT CHICKS Fierce in 8 DVD + I’ll also host a giveaway for it so keep an eye out for that.  

Rachel and I would love to read see your training recap and your training plan too, so join Rachel and I by joining the #MotivationMe linkup.  

The rules are very simple:

1. Every Monday share your fitness, nutrition plan etc by linking them up.  All you will need is your post’s URL, and a photo you would like to attach.
2. Posts that aren’t related will be deleted.
3. In your post, please mention that you’re participating in #MotivateMe Monday link up, and link back to the hosts, Janice – Fitness Cheerleader at FitnessCheerleader.com, & Running Rachel at RunningRachel.com. 
4. Read what the other linkers, are sharing.  Visit at least 2 other bloggers’ posts and share some support by commenting and engaging with each other.  The more you support, the more support you will get back.

Have an active and healthy week everyone!!