French Fry Runner

Motivation and the Movies

Motivation and the Movies: 5 Movies to Motivate and Inspire | FrenchFryRunner.com I’ve always been into sports and played organized sports from elementary school through high school–and a bit in college. Because of this, I’ve always enjoyed sports movies. They motivate me to be better, to come from behind, to go to the Olympics! Okay, so that last one probably will never happen, but maybe I can do one more push-up or drag myself out of bed in the morning to exercise. Or maybe I can pick myself up after faceplanting at yet another attempt at crow pose. I picked out a few of my favorite sports movies that have motivated me, and I hope you like them too.

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Miracle. When Mike Eruzione said that he played for the USA and not his college team, I teared up. At that moment, you knew the team would come together and become champions.
Cool Runnings. Sure, the Jamaican Bobsled Team didn’t win the event, but the fact that they picked up their bobsled and finished the race after it fell apart shows great pride and courage.

Rudy. After years of hard work, Rudy finally made it into a game. What a lesson of perseverance!

Hoosiers. What a classic. Nuff said.

A League of Their Own. I love Dottie Henson. And this scene is one of my favorites. She just has the nonchalant air of someone who knows she’s good but isn’t a snob about it. Haha. I want to be better because of her.

I’m also highly motivated by words and quotes. Here’s one of my favorites:

We have so much untapped potential inside ourselves, and we need to unleash that potential every day. We can do it; I know we can. 🙂

What motivates you? #motivation #fitness Share on X

What’s your favorite movie? Mine’s actually My Fair Lady.

What’s your favorite quote?

This post is linked up with others for The Fit Dish Link-Up. Thanks to Jill Conyers at JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy at TheFitSwitch.org for hosting. Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

I’m also linking up with April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Patty from My No-Guilt Life, and Erika from MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run! Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

Week in Review: February 16-22

This week was crazy! I had stuff going on all week, so it was hard to get some of my workouts in–work, edits for a cookbook I’m coauthor for (more on that soon), etc. How was your week?

Workouts in Review

Here’s the rundown for the week:

Monday: ~30-minute yoga practice with Yoga with Adriene’s 30-Day Challenge (day 2)

Tuesday: 10 minutes StairClimber; 1-hour Pilates; 25-minute treadmill run (intervals); ~25 minute yoga practice with Adriene again (day 3)

Wednesday: 1-hour restorative yoga class, 30-minute treadmill run

Thursday: 1-hour pump class

Friday: Rest (a ton of walking around, running errands, though!)

Saturday: 7.07 miles (Week five of Jeff Galloway’s half marathon training plan. Did an awesome point-to-point route on our local river trail. The plan called for 6.5 miles, so I ran that and then walked the extra half mile home.)

Legs Up the Wall | FrenchFryRunner.com — Legs up the wall after my long run. Love this restorative pose!

Sunday: Rest

Highlight

Saturday’s long run was pretty great. I got a little tired, but my fueling and hydrating were on target. (AND that’s the farthest I’ve run in over a year. Sad but true.)

Things to Work On

My long run took place around 1:00 p.m. because I had to work in the morning, which doesn’t normally happen. So, I need to make sure not to overschedule my workload and get out there earlier. Running in the afternoon is not my favorite.

Thought for the Week Ahead

Be stronger than your excuses.

Let’s be strong and not make excuses this week!

Don’t forget to visit Jesica’s blog and check out her weekly update post and other linked-up posts. I’m also linking up with Tara from Running ‘n’ Reading for her Weekend Update link-up.

How was your long run?

What’s your favorite post-workout snack?

Strike a [Yoga] Pose: Downward-Facing Dog

In honor of my awesome adaptive/gentle/restorative yoga class that I’ll be taking today, I thought I’d shine a spotlight on everyone’s favorite pose, downward-facing dog (Sanskrit: Adho Mukha Svanasana). No matter what type of yoga class you take (or if you practice at home), you will run into this resting posture. Yes, it really is a resting posture, even though at first it seems like the hardest pose ever! Thankfully it does get easier as strength improves.

I really like this pose because you can modify it in several different ways, like deeply bending your knees or placing your knees on the mat for puppy pose, for example. You can also further work on your strength by placing both forearms on the ground for dolphin pose, or raise a leg for one-legged downward-facing dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana).

Strike a Yoga Pose: Downward-Facing Dog | FrenchFryRunner.com — Getting better at the One-Legged Variation

According to Yoga Journal, this asana has quite a few benefits, from being energizing to improving digestion. I have a Kino MacGregor video that shows how to do this foundational pose.

Other Resources about Bridge/Wheel Pose

Which variation of Downward-Facing Dog do you like best? #Yoga via @frenchfryrunner Share on X

Other “Strike a [Yoga] Pose” Posts

Does downward-facing dog make you feel energized?

Do you prefer to modify this pose? How?

This post is linked up for Wild Workout Wednesday with Annmarie at The Fit Foodie Mama, Angelena Marie from Angelena Marie: Happy, Healthy & Balanced, Upala at Pretty in Pink Fitness, and Amber at Bold Fit Mom