A Gutsy Girl

Heal your gut. Heal your life.

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Week 1 Bigness Project

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Yesterday marked the end of week 1 Bigness Project, the 14-week hybrid strength training journey I’m on.

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Handstands

I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. You read that correct. It was a 6-day workout, but I’m feeling great!

During this first week, I felt re-inspired for some new things so in addition to sharing the past week of workouts, I thought I’d share these things.

  1. No Marathon. Dangit almighty. I’m already giving up one of my 2017 New Year’s Goals. I’m laughing as I write that. But here’s what happened to help make this final decision. On Saturday, I ran over 12 miles. And it rocked! I might have been running with a frown, but I was super happy, and it showed when I snapped the below picture at the end. Despite getting the female monthly friend just one hour prior to the run, my energy levels felt great (though my quads still fatigue fairly early on). Breathing was easy, and I actually feel like I’m getting back into the “cardio shape” I want to be in. But when the run was done, I had zero desire to keep running for a longer amount of time because there were so many other things I wanted to do with my day. I enjoyed the 2-ish hour “me time,” but really didn’t feel that dedicating more time was worth it, not from a fitness standpoint, personal standpoint, and in general life standpoint. Do you know what it means to train for a marathon? Even if I would continue on a basic 3-day per week training schedule, ultimately, the long runs would need to increase more and more and more. You can’t run a marathon training on a half-marathon schedule. I mean, you could, but not if you want to excel. And at this point in my life and on my fitness journey, doing things “just because” won’t cut it. I’m extremely goal driven, and for me “just because” isn’t really a goal. So here’s the deal, yes, running a marathon could prove me unafraid. But back to the Bigness Project…..so could building muscle. And that leads me to….  Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Jen Sinkler
  2. Tough. Again, dangit almighty. Week 1 of the program showed me that I’m not nearly as strong as I thought I was. Like, at all. By far, the most challenging thing I did were the bodyweight assisted eccentric pull-ups. I’ve always been used to doing pullups with a grip where palms face each other. This pull-up version, though, has palms facing out, and the tempo is a very slow one. There is no cranking out pull-ups “kip-style.” I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I was super frustrated. For a minute there I thought to myself, “No way. This is not for me. I’m not strong enough for this.” But that’s the point of being unafraid. Just because it wasn’t coming naturally to me, doesn’t mean I need to be afraid of it. Clearly, I have a lot of strength to work on, but after I reminded myself that it was OK to start at the beginning, I became excited for all that could be if I stayed consistent.


I still have every intention of running several races this year. I’m still going to run a half marathon at the end of March because I really love the 13-ish-mile distance. Now that I’ve already (almost) hit that distance, I can practice getting faster (which is a huge challenge in and of itself).

Week 1 Bigness Project

Click HERE to join along the journey via Instagram (+ I put a ton on my Instagram Stories, too!)

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Kourtney Thomas

  1. Monday: 5K, paced at 8:08/mile.
  2. Tuesday: Legs, Quad Dominant. I had not done BB Back Squats in quite some time, so it felt great to hit those again.
  3. Wednesday: Chest and Back. In addition to the pull-ups, I will say that my chest and back are, by far, my weakest links. I hate training them, and it shows. But I’m going to work really hard on both to gain some much-needed strength there.
  4. Thursday: Legs, Hamstrings + Sprints. I love leg day, especially when it is hamstring-focused. I have not done Curtsy Lunges and/or BB Hip Thrusts in a very long time, and I’m excited to see how much stronger I’ll get with those exercises over the next several weeks. I did my sprints on our treadmill. All of them were 400’s. The first 6 toggled down to a 7:20 pace, and the last one was a gradual hill climb. This ends up being a fairly long workout when it’s all said and done, but the time spent with and by myself is worth it.
  5. Friday: OFF. Ryan and I took the kids for a long walk that night, though (we tend to do this a few nights a week). 
  6. Saturday: 12.4-mile run, paced at 8:24/mile.
  7. Sunday: Shoulders and Arms. Focusing so much on eccentric training, I had to greatly reduce the weight I’m used to doing for shoulders. But still, they are my favorite body part to work! 

I’m heading into Week 2 Bigness Project with the mantra/quote I put up on Instagram Saturday after my run,

If you continuously compete with others, you become better, but if you continuously with yourself you become better.

That quote is super legit.

Up today…..back to the Quad Dominant leg day and increasing to 4 vs. 3 sets. Back squats here we come!

The possibilities are endless.

Xox,
SKH

The Bigness Project

Filed Under: Love, Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

Here is how The Bigness Project went down for me.

Jen Sinkler is an old “friend” from the Midwest (I use the term “friend” lightly because it’s not like we were having weekend brunch together or anything, just coffee once, but I’ve known her for a very long time now), and I think she’s brilliant at what she does in the Fitness realm so when I got her email last week about The Bigness Project, I was intrigued. 

I took it to Twitter.

We went back and forth, Kourtney and I, (and I also checked out her website for validation) until I finally decided to join the project.

The Bigness Project

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14-Week The Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com

According to the program,

The Bigness Project focuses on growth, on Bigness in both muscles and mindset.

In so few words, mindset growth is what I am currently focused on in both my fitness and personal life. 

It’s hard to image “bigness” in muscles combined with running. Honestly, I’m a little unsure about the training and results, too, but when I asked Kourtney how she adds in her training runs, she responded, “Mmmmhmmm. I’m an endurance runner too 🙂 2 higher intensity runs/week (track + tempo), 1 long on the weekend.”

Finally, someone speaking my language because that is exactly how I “scaled back” running these past few weeks (and feeling the runs stronger because of it).

I read through the program user manual and actual 14-week plan, and then I merged it with current running training.

The way I’ll train these next 14 weeks is via Hybrid Training. 

On page 35 of the user manual, it states,

Hybrid Training is a concept refined by Alex Viada, cofounder of fitness company Complete Human Performance. His concept involves stacking your cardiovascular training strategically throughout your training week to maximize recovery time and allow the best possible training effects of any sport or activity you participate in. In this instance, we’re talking about bodybuilding and endurance sports of any kind: running, cycling, swimming, rowing, etc. This way of training allows you to stay cardiovascularly fit while not impeding or killing your gains.

With hybrid training your workouts have a specific purpose, and you spend your time between very low intensity and fairly high-intensity threshold work. Your volume won’t be high, but you’ll maintain your cardiovascular fitness.

There are 2 phases to the Bigness Project, so I’ll lay out for you how my weeks will look, training-wise, for the next 7 weeks (this is a general guideline, not an absolutely because, well…..life):

Monday: Tempo run
Tuesday: Leg – Quads
Wednesday: Chest and Back
Thursday: Leg – Hamstrings + Intervals
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Arms and Shoulders

And that’s what Hybrid Training looks like.

The best parts of this entire program are three-fold:

  1. I looked at The Bigness Project workouts. Not only do they look sane and doable, but they look fun, interesting, and will have me training my muscles in a way I rarely train them (eccentric emphasis).
  2. The program also focuses on mindset. In fact, I heard Jen say that one of the things she enjoyed most about the program was the meditative factor she noticed. I reviewed some notes from my doctor last night, and he told me he really needed me to start meditating. I still have not, and I’m hoping he would count this:)
  3. I can do it all from our home gym! I only had to grab a few misc. things from Amazon for the program because we have everything else. I’ll share what’s in our home (garage) gym this week because I believe that spending the time, energy, and money building this beast out has been and will continue to be a key to my fitness (and sanity) success.

I may share my Bigness Project updates on my blog (I’ll tuck it under running), but for sure I’ll share things here and there via Paleoishmama, so come follow! 

p.s. the project is now closed so I don’t think you can get it again for awhile.

p.s.s. Jen and Kourtney, if you read this, there is an extra bedroom at our house, in case you ever want to come to Northern California for one of your “in person Bigness Project workout stops.” The garage awaits us. 

Xox,
SKH

Running with a Frown

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Perhaps I am running with a frown, but my heart is happy.

Can I just tell you how much I cringe every time I read an article or listen to a podcast by some fitness guru who says, “Ladies, just stop with all the running! I mean, I’m always driving by ladies who are running with a frown. They look so sad because they hate what they are doing.” The conversation then always moves to how “if you don’t enjoy running, then stop it, because it’s not helping you lose weight or get that perfect body.”

Running with a Frown

This condescending tone must stop.

It’s frustrating. It’s annoying, and quite honestly it’s false.

On Saturday morning, I hit the road for an 11+ mile run. It was my best run yet, and during the long run, I listened to two podcasts (Chris Kresser + Fizzle) and random music here and there.  

I smiled just one time during the run, and that was when I ran past another runner who waved to me. This is because I don’t smile when I run, but it’s not because I’m miserable, sad, or pondering thoughts around, “Will this run get me the perfect body?” 

No, it’s because I am focused….on the run, breathing, foot placement, and many other things like my thoughts and a variation of deep meditation. Oftentimes the same is true when I’m walking, lifting, and doing every other type of workouts I enjoy. I’m not one to smile when I workout. I never have been, and I never will be.  

But I am happy. On the inside, I beam. If I wasn’t, I would not be doing it, and would not have the drive to hit the road, consistently these days, for 10+ miles. (Because there was a time when I hated running.)

Running with a Frown sarahkayhoffman.com

Almost three years ago, I wrote this post called, “Never Judge the Face {By a Frown or Frown-Upside-Down}.” It could not ring truer today.

Do you know how many times I (and you, too, likely) smile and it’s fake? Smiling is an act, and not all acts are genuine. I know this from my life’s experiences, all of them. But I also know it because each time I go to Bikram Yoga they say, “….healthy head, open heart, and a smile on your face.” 

I smile in those moments, to appease the teacher and everyone around me. Rarely am I actually happy. I know I should, but I just do not truly enjoy or appreciate yoga. My smile is fake, and only from an outsider’s perspective, am I happy and loving yoga.

The running community is really amazing, and yet for those not in it, I always feel like I’m defending running with a frown because “surely it’s something no one could truly enjoy.”

I don’t run to achieve some sort of body, and I think we need to stop inferring to women that there is a direct correlation between smiling and going after that “perfect body.” 

There isn’t.

That’s not real.

What is real? Keeping to your own lane, not judging another lane, understanding that looks can be deceiving and that running with a frown might be the happiest thing you see all day.

Running with a Frown sarahkayhoffman.com Quote Quotes

p.s. I’ll hopefully share my recent workouts via the Running category soon. I started running less, making them count more, and sprinkling in other things. It’s really paying off, I think!

Xox,
SKH

Bone Broth Chat

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love Tagged With: , , , , ,

If we had bone broth chat today, you’d comment that I’m up early. I’d tell you that even still I got almost 9 hours of sleep, but that I’m up because I’m sooooooo excited.

Bone Broth Chat

So come, sit down, let’s have some bone broth chat.

Today is the day I have been waiting for for a really long time. It’s kind of a combination of #45 (from list 1) meets #11 (from list 2) on my 105 in 1,095 days list. Later this afternoon, I’ll head to Calistoga, California for the weekend to stay at Mayacamas Ranch for a 3.5-day detox and zen retreat with one of my favorite people in California, my soul-healing sister, if you will. According to the “schedule” (which we can do or not do), there is a lot of relaxing, hiking, yoga, meditation, writing, Vision-board making, and reading that’s going to happen. Since it’s so beautiful in that part of California, I’m hoping to get a nice, long run in, too. There will be no blog posts until I come back, but my goal is to find a ton of new inspiration while there.

It was a really good week for us this past week, despite the awful colds Samarah and Isaiah got (still have). Ceci got them this play tent for Christmas, and they are constantly playing in it. Even Amiya loves laying among the balls where she can explore (and work on tummy time). She’s almost crawling!

Isaiah is 20-months today (even though I thought yesterday was the 13th, so I had it on Facebook that it was yesterday – bad mama). He is a hunka little boy. He never misses a meal, thinks he’s funny as all get out, loves his sisters (usually) & you’d *never* know he was born a Preemie. Bone Broth Chat sarahkayhoffman.com Isaiah 20 months

Samarah recently started saying to me, “….and when I was a little baby like Maya, I was in your tummy, Mommy.” It took me back the first time she said it. She was laying on me at the time, so I just held her tight, and said, “Yes, baby, you did come from a tummy.” “But,” I added, “….even better because you also came from my heart because I loved you so, so, so much.” I asked Ryan, “Do you think she’s going to be sad someday when she realizes that no, no she did not, in fact, come from my tummy?” We both agreed that when she’s old enough to understand, but not old enough to “understand” that she is likely to feel sad. I pray those feelings are short lived, and that I always have the words to express to her how crazy we have always been about her.

And this past week, Amiya’s social worker called to let us know some good news. The road bumps we ran into awhile back were likely just that, bumps. There is a court date this upcoming week, and we have a feeling it’s going to be a great one in our favor. I hate to even say out loud for fear of jinxing the process, but our hopes and goals include a Gotcha Day this spring or summer. It could really happen!  

I signed up for Care.com after several friends recommended it. Wow! We already have a ton of interest, so now I’m just sifting through everyone’s information, and will be setting up interviews in the next week or so. This is really happening….I am really going back to working more, and I know without a doubt that this is what needs to happen in this season. I was shooting some new things on Tuesday, and I realized that the “balance” of work plus family will make me a much better mother.  Bone Broth Chat sarahkayhoffman.com Food Photography

I have been running a 21-Day Gut Healing Group Program, and it’s been amazing for me to watch the women start their journey off with hope and inspiration. Working with me means that you’ll start thinking about things and digging for answers in places you might never have thought before. Watching ah-ha moments for them is always the highlight of my days. The endless “thank you’s” make me know that running this program once per year is so worth it. Many have emailed asking if I might do another program in 2017, but the answer is, as it was when I released the program, “No.” For the duration of the year, the only way I work with health coaching clients is HERE.

Now that the Hot Chocolate 15K is out of the way, I’ve been focusing on how to train for the next race (end of March, a half marathon). While at the ranch this weekend, I”ll write the official “plan,” but this was such a strong week from a fitness standpoint, that I’m planning to keep the following structure:

  • 1 day of intervals/hills
  • 1 day upper body
  • 1 day mid-length run and/or tempo run
  • 1 day lower body
  • 1 day long run
  • 2 days completely off and/or Bikram Yoga

This week, so far, I’ve done the intervals, upper body, and mid-length run. Today is lower body. We got a treadmill (similar to THIS one), and I’m loving it because it’s allowing me to easily track intervals and hills plus when it’s rainy and cold, I still always have my outlet. If my workouts are interesting to you, I can post them weekly, every other week, or monthly?

We have been eating allllllll the goods this week, mostly in the form of roasted root vegetables (’tis the season). Our local farmers’ market is currently not in season, so every other week, I have a Farm Fresh to You box delivered right to our doorstep. I started this quite some time ago, thinking we’d probably only use it for a couple months, but here I am, still using the service because it’s convenient, 100% organic, and awesome quality. (p.s. If you want to try it, you can use code SARA7874 at checkout and you’ll get $15 off your first order.)

Bone Broth Chat sarahkayhoffman.com Fresh Farm Box to You

This week, I had them bring me some beets, so last night we roasted a big dish of beets, yucca, turnips, and parsnips. I doused it with Nutiva Organic Buttery Coconut Oil, salt, and pepper, and it was a huge hit around our house. 

I have a feeling our meals are about to get another upgrade, too. I caved, and yesterday ordered an 8 Qt Instant Pot. Do you have one? Tell me what your favorite things are to make in it!

And finally, no bone broth chat would be complete today if I didn’t tell you that it’s only been a little over a week since my hardest goodbye happened. Because of WhatsApp, I feel the burden a little less, but it’s still there. Yesterday someone made the comment to me, “It’s kind of like your oldest has just left for college.” It’s true. We drove past the high school yesterday, and Samarah said, “I want to see Ceci.” Yes, we all do. She sure was a gem.

Okay, I think we’re all caught up, now that we had this awesome bone broth chat together today.

I love our early mornings together, and I hope you have a really wonderful day and a simply beautiful weekend.

Xox,
SKH

Working Out While Healing

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There is nothing easy about finding a balance for working out while healing if you’ve gone your whole life loving intense workouts.

Nonetheless, I have made changes, at least for the temporary, that I hope will see me towards even more healing and health.

I have written about workouts while healing before (HERE and HERE and HERE in particular) and I have also written about the fact that I believe my workouts set me up for this past SIBO relapse.

Working Out While Healing

Ever since, I get so many questions around, “How are you working out now that you have finished the second round of Rifaximin/Neomycin?”

So I’ll share with you.

Working Out While Healing sarahkayhoffman.com park with Samarah adrenal fatigue, SIBO

Workouts My Way

Here’s what I want to tell you I’m doing right now -> 5-6 days a week, intense training, mostly Tabata meets Crossfit and training for a half marathon with a sprinkle of Spartan #2 preparation.

I won’t lie. This style of training and fitness lives in me. Even writing the words makes me feel excited, and I want to immediately stop typing and imminently start training.

In fact, I even tried telling Ryan recently that maybe I could train for a half marathon in Utah this August. The weather is amazing, and nothing could be better for my oxygen mask health right now than the runner’s high I could experience almost daily if I were to enter the race.

I am certain of it.

But at this point on the healing journey, unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of doing workouts my way any longer. I lost those privileges when I spent years not listening to my body and destroying my hormones. Any chance for fitness this way has now been put off limits probably until I can keep myself a full year in SIBO remission, as confirmed by my doctor.

It makes me mad and frustrated because I feel like my passion for fitness is a waste. Most people wish for a fitness passion like this. I have it, but it has to remain locked up for quite some time.

During my doctor’s appointment last week, we discussed things I can do. Dwelling on the negative will never help my healing efforts, so I’m moving forward with a mind shift and positive, inspiring plan for healing while still remaining active.

My Workouts

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Guys, I even canceled my gym membership. There were many reasons for it, but the main reason was the added stress I had in trying to find the time to get there, get a workout in and get home for the babies. I need zero added stress at this point, so I quit.

The days I was going to the gym, I started to stay longer and longer because I knew I might only get there 1 (maybe) 2 times per week. 45-60 minutes of my workouts is far too much for my body to handle. I know this because afterwards, I would stay drained for at least a day, if not 2 or 3 days. (p.s. that is a major sign of adrenal fatigue, ladies, take note!)

So a couple Saturdays ago, I simply just stopped going to the gym. I posted this picture on Facebook, and I mentioned, “The gym really doesn’t work for my schedule anymore, but working out is one of my greatest joys. This morning when it wasn’t open I turned it into an opportunity to enjoy one of my favorite (totally unfinished) rooms in our house, the backyard view, my own music and coffee with a 6 rounds Tabata workout. I’m looking to turn this room + part of the garage into scrappy workout places. We need a squat rack and some other basic things (the 12 lb Dumbbells won’t work for the long haul). Those of you who have scrappy home gyms (crossfit–style-ish)….what are the 3 pieces of equipment you use most?!”

Working Out While Healing sarahkayhoffman.com at home workouts sibo adrenal fatigue

Ever since, I’ve been working out in this room, about 2-3 days per week, for about 30 minutes (tops). We don’t have a bunch of heavy weights or the equipment I want yet, so I’ve mostly been doing bodyweight and light weight exercises. We are working on building something in the garage, at which point I’ll still only workout a max of 30 minutes, but then I’ll be able to do heavier lifts with more rest time. (Updated in April, 2017: We finished our home gym, and you can read all about it HERE!)

When it comes to weights and training like this, 3-4 days per week at 20-ish minutes would be 100% ideal. That is what I am working towards.

Beyond that, I am

  • Walking. I aim to reach 10,000 steps a day, but I usually fall anywhere between 7,000-11,000 steps per day.
  • Playing. Most days I take the kids to the park. We walk there (Samarah in stroller, Isaiah in Ergo), and then Samarah and I run around doing various things while Isaiah crawls in the grass and on me. p.s. Double-bonus: Vitamin D!
  • Swimming. Soon! I’ll be ready to start swimming when our pool opens in May.
  • Zen. I am about to take up a form of meditating (per my doctor, who also gave me apps for it, is that an oxymoron?!) and (still) desiring to go back to Bikram.

Working Out While Healing sarahkayhoffman.com Adrenal Fatigue, SIBO

I am not a beast, but if I’m to be completely honest with you, I really wish I could train like one. I want to do all the things, feel all the feels and be uber-super-awesomely fit.

But then I sit back and I think, “But why? For what? For who?”

I have 2 children and a husband who not only need me but adore me for who I am. I can’t be useful to them, to myself or to anyone else if I am not well.

I know there are women who will sacrifice their hormones, take medication forever and feel drained day-in, day-out so that they can act out all the things I am desiring.

But I can’t any longer.

What I can do is be thankful that I understand and know exactly what it takes to heal and to do the things for achieving that each day and each moment I can.

Xox,
SKH

Tabata Workouts

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These days I train with Tabata workouts because they are much less than I have ever done before.

They are hybrid because the way in which I create them is sort of CrossFit meets Tabata. According to my severe adrenal fatigue I should probably not be working out at all, but given that I have been learning how to re-live my life in so many ways these past couple of years, I simply am not willing to give it up for good. In fact, I’d argue that by giving up these minimal things which make me happy, thereby reducing stress, I might suffer even more.

I’m not here to justify my Tabata workouts. Today I’m here to share the new ones I created for January.

In December, I shared with you three x 29-minute workouts. I like to change up my workouts every 4-6’ish weeks, so it was time for a new set to begin.

The workouts I’m currently doing (as opposed to these awful workouts of the past) leave me feeling empowered, strong and simply healthy all around (even though the adrenal test didn’t show it). Furthermore, I have gone from this:

Tabata Workouts Bloated sarahkayhoffman.com

To this….

Tabata Workouts sarahkayhoffman.com

(Funny thing is that in the first picture I think I was technically 5 pounds lighter than I am now.)

I have no idea, though, because I have completely given up the scale.

What I know for sure is that these workouts make me feel alive, and I am (literally) moving only 28 minutes, 3 days a week (except for the daily activity mentioned HERE plus maybe, maybe, maybe one extra day of 12-16 minutes).

Exhaustion is not a badge of honor.

Healing is.

And with that, grab my workouts if you’d like to join along.

Tabata Workouts

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Tabata Workouts www.sarahkayhoffman.com

Tabata Workout 1

Note: For the cardio sprints, we have usually been running.

Tabata Workouts Tabata Workout 1 sarahkayhoffman.com

Tabata Workout 2

Tabata Workouts Tabata Workout 2 sarahkayhoffman.com

Tabata Workout 3

Tabata Workouts Tabata Workout 3 sarahkayhoffman.com

Like these workouts? Click HERE to pin this post to your Pinterest to have on-the-go for your next workout.

Xox,
SKH