The RIGHT shoes for you.

It's easy for us girls to want the most fashionable shoes on the market to run or "work out" in. If you truly are serious about running you have to put the fashion side of our personalities to the side. I can definitely say I have done this, wanting the most popular shoe at the time. I bought a new pair of Nike Free before ever even walking a few feet in them. Of course when I began running in these I found out the hard way after developing shin splints and one very sore back. For some of you these may be the right shoes for you and you didn't chose them due to the fancy designs or bright colors. I now run and train in Saucony Kinvara 3. This shoe is As light as the Free which is one of my favorite things about them. I loved the flexibility of my old shoes as well, but due to having back problems in the past the Free did not have the support I needed. The amazing people at Greenville Track club actually cut the bottoms of my Kinvara 3's to make them just as flexible. They allowed me to run outside in differebt shoes before I purchased them to make sure they where truly comfortable.
Another factor to play into shoes is how high or low of an arch you have. For me I have an extremely high arch so I have to place inserts in my running shoes to support the gap between the heel and my toes. Others have vey flat feet. Below I have listed recommended type of shoes for arch time.
http://www.asicsamerica.com/shoe-fit-guide/

Did you know how you can also help with running based on the way you tie your shoes? I ran across this amazing blog in Pinterest that determines how shoes souls be tied to best benefit you and your run. Check this running blog out :)

http://katierunsthis.com/2011/10/04/running-shoe-lacing-techniques/

So remember leave the fashionable shoes to our nights out with the girls, date nights, or church. Try lots of different shoes on not just the ones your best friends have or the ones you think are "cute". The better fit you have for your foot the better your performance. Also it helps you to prevent injuries.

Spaghetti squash

Last night Justin and I were craving spaghetti after our long work out. We decided to cut the carbs from the pasta and use a spaghetti squash for the noodles. This meal was amazing. As many of you may know I am not the chef of our little family of 2, my husband is. So the majority of the time when I put recipes up keep in mind that he is the one that cooks them. So here is how the process of making spaghetti squash goes.

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- cut squash in half and remove the seeds from the middle. Place the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes.
-While the squash is cooking it's time to make the sauce :). We added lots of vegetables because I am a vegetarian.
-Cut up green bell peppers, onions, olives, and zucchini.
- lightly sautéed the bell peppers in the onion in a large pot that you will ultimately cook your sauce in.
-Add spaghetti sauce ( try to choose a sauce low in sodium, the more sodium in your diet the more water weight you are going to hold on to) black olives and zucchini.
- cover and simmer sauce stirring occasionally until the spaghetti squash is done.
- Remove the squash, flip over and remove all of the inside product (this Is your noodles).
-Place on plate and add sauce.
- For a little something extra you can add goat cheese on top of the sauce.
-For meat eaters you can add low fat beef (boiled) to the sauce or just add on top of spaghetti squash and then add the sauce.

I've added a few pictures so you can see the cooking process. It was extremely good and not to mention healthy. It's easy to eat healthy when it taste this good :)

Mid week work-outs

Justin ran across a blog for me last night that actually really encouraged me to begin mine. Tonight I started one of her Winter shape up workouts. Many people begin to workout right before bikini season but in reality if we begin now and constantly workout consistently we won't have to work so hard for that "bikini body". This workout was definitely a challenge but wow did I feel amazing when I was done. Try it out:
- 10 minute warm up (cardio)- either outside or on a treadmill. This should not be an all out run remember it is a WARM UP.
- 4 sets on 12-15 forward lunges with 8-12 lb weights. Bicep curls between each leg, bring the back leg to the front knee at this time.
-4 sets of backward lunges with weights ( same as above)
-3 sets of plié squats with upright rows
-4 minute sprints ( this can be on the treadmill or track). Sprint all out for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Will do 8 sprints.
- 3 sets of 12- 15 bent over flys alternating with three sets of 12-15 push-ups.
- 3 sets of seated dips (challenge yourself by keeping your legs straight or doing one leg) alternate with 3 sets of v ups (great for abs).
- 4 minute jump rope. Jump as fast as you can for 20 seconds resting for 10. Do this 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.
- Last lets cool down. Yoga and stretching is great at this time and essential for your workout. Helps stretch those tight muscle so you don't feel it as bad in the morning.

Early today I went for a jog in the mountains which is tough, if you plan to run make sure you give yourself plenty of time between that and a tough workout. Hope that everyone can try this work out. Truly works the whole body and you feel great after :)

Why the name 6:19 Health and Fitness?

I am so excited to start this blog. Many may ask why I chose the name "6:19 health and fitness". The 6:19 is for 1 Corinthians 6:19: "¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." My whole life I have been athletic and playing sports but its easy to become lazy once we get to college or done with college. This verse reminds me to respect my body and to never give up. Our bodies do not belong to us but to God, therefore we need to treat them in a way that is deserving. My blog is going to encourage you to live health through personal experience, tips from trainers, and healthy recipes. I am really excited to see where this leads us. Hope that you enjoy.