Running Thoughts

I jumped rope again today. I didn't use my new rope or DVD's yet. I want to do that at a different time so that I can stop and learn new stuff. I don't expect as good of a workout with that until I get the hang of it all. I'm hoping to do that later today, but it may end up being tomorrow... Pilates abwork is planned. On track in the eating department. Breakfast was a roast foldover with sprouted grains bread. coffee water, water, water lunch was half a burger with only part of the bread because I ate a few fries. tea coffee (I'm cold) then water. marathon bar (late) water water dinner will be baked chicken and raw fresh veggies Well, I did pilates abwork, challenging myself, but the exciting news is that I really like my new jumprope dvd's and rope! I'm way excited to learn new jumprope stuff that my kids will think is cool and want to do too! Ruth sent me the link, and the dvd's are on sale 1/2 off and if you order 2 of them, you get a free rope that...

Kaegan woke up early talking...so we all woke up early. I mean way early. So we are tired. Gracyn is doing well at camp. We went out to where she was with the group rock climbing. I had to Zoom my camera as far as it will zoom, but I found her hanging on the face of a huge cliff. Hmmm. I guess it's all ok because she made it down.... I know this because we went to the camp at dinner time bearing cookies. She was alive and happy and wants to stay, but wants me to come back tomorrow... While we were wondering about the small pink dot dangling on the face of the cliff, we threw rocks into the river, and I did lunges and squats holding a huge rock for weight. Tonight, I did bicep curls with my resistence bands and then more bicep curls and then backward sit-ups. Tomorrow is cardio day and I got my new jump rope dvd's today. They came with a jumprope that has removable weights in the handles. Cool. And another thing...can you believe Ruth, who inspires ME, posted that?????

...Done! I did the Gaiam DVD to the end of the series of 5. I'm still sore from the exercise ball. The exercise ball is definitely where I feel abs most. I love Pilates too because it works your whole core. I think it improves my posture. That's a good thing. We delivered G to camp. She had tears in her eyes and looked so small. She really wanted to go, but was completely nervous about it at the same time. She is spending tonight, and I'm going to visit her tomorrow. If she wants to come home, she can. She will most likely want to stay. I know I will want her to come home! LOL She really is small. Everyone else is twice her size. So much more developed, too. She just looked so pitiful with her eyes full of tears. I know she's ok, but it was hard. I guess we all have to grow up at some point, but I'm not ready to grow up just yet. (oh, or for her to either!)

I jumped rope again for cardio. It was fun, but I was sort of "off" today. Kept getting tripped up. Maybe it's because Gracyn leaves for camp today, and I haven't been looking forward to being without her all week... She will have a great time, rafting, hiking, rock climbing, and praising God, so it's a good thing. I'll just be without her... My abs are still sore (so are my shoulders--maybe that could account for the "off" day in rope jumping), but I plan to do pilates later today!

I just finished push-ups and inclined flyes, shoulder press and side-curls, lying tricep extensions and kick-backs. Then, abwork on the exercise ball. With therapeutic puppy-scratching in between. Tomorrow is free and I'm looking forward to the rest. Anyone have big weekend plans?? We don't really unless you count organizing the laundry room. Odell moved a cabinet into the laundry room for me since we stacked our washer and dryer. There's room to spare! Now, if only I were organized-minded... Someone, quick! send me some organization advise!

Well, I started off trying to skiprope in between sets, but hubby saw me out there and decided to jump too. So, I had to share my rope between sets. So, I just made sure that all my sets were 100+ jumps. What is it with men, anyway??? He sits in a chair in front of his computer all day every day. I had to work my way up to 100 jump sets. He gets out there and does 100+ sets straight from his chip-eating, coke-drinking chair! If I didn't love him....I'd be so mad!!! :) Actually, I'm glad he got up! :) taking him to the airport today. rats.

3 B's got cut short by a hail storm. I had to run through the rain and hail into my house so my kiddos wouldn't be freaked out. I did squats with weights and plie' squats with weights; bicep curls and hammer curls; and two armed rows. Didn't manage a second exercise for back as usual, but I'm sore anyway already. I guess I did all right! Tomorrow, I plan to jump rope again. I am going to try bumping it up a little again. I'm excited about that. I'm going to do sets of jumping, skipping in between, then jumping...does that make sense to anyone besides me? I really enjoy pilates abwork, too. It's challenging, and relaxing. I can't find my Gaiam dvd, though, Sara, do you know where it is???

First of all...the progress in one week is dramatic! Secondly, WOW! What a "bodacious babe!" (80's music plays in the background..."Oh, Ruthie, you're so fine...You're so fine, you blow my mind!") Response to the secrets revealed... I think you are right on target about the mindset! Being negative about anything, even if it is a dissatisfaction with what you have as a way to try to force yourself forward, still is only negative. Creating for yourself (you're the only one who can do it...) a positive mindset that thrusts you forward is the more effective way to go! Think of standing with your back against a wall, wanting to move toward something 5 feet in front of you. What gets you there more easily and quickly???pushing against the wall or moving forward out of your own motivation to get there? As far as the compensation with regard to carbs...also exactly right! It's so easy to eat those few chips as extras, not compensating for them w...

I got up this morning and jumped on the trampoline outside with the kids and then finished up with my jump rope. It was a fun way to involve the kids. (I WILL remember to do abwork today!!!! ) Along Ruth's topic..involving the kids...I want to get my kiddos a good jumprope. It is amazing how much of a difference that makes! I try using their "child" rope, and can't get it really going, but I can jump my weighted rope over 100 times in a row. So, I think we could have some fun jumprope-a-thons. I think it is important to teach them to set a goal and then once reaching it, to try to make it one step more. For example, in jumping rope, I may shoot for a certain number of jumps and then I give myself the option to stop, or to do 10 more. Also, I think that giving yourself the TRUE option to stop is just as important as the goal itself. I woke up this morning thinking, "I'm tired of doing this whole exercise thing." I decided to let myself off the hook if tha...

This is what we did on my Free Day...Gracyn sat on the roof of the "shed" in the back of our house and drew the town from above with colored pencils. I painted Kaegan hanging on the town museum's caboose in oils. You can't tell much about it because of the glare, but we had a great time! Read the next post to find out more about it!

Free Day is officially over! Breakfast this morning was my last free meal for the week. Yesterday, we woke up to all the town being out of electricity, so my plan of having a yummy breakfast from the coffee house was foiled. So, I ate on target for Breakfast so that I could have my yummy bagel this morning. It was delicious! I plan to jump rope a little later today. I got up too late to do it this morning...(yawn...lazy).... We will go up a nature trail to worship with friends, and tonight is Kaegan's birthday hayride a few days late! Yesterday was also "Paint the Town" day. Our little town invites artists to come and paint the town along the main street and then there was a reception/silent auction to raise money for the arts council. I will try to post pics later of our work, but Gracyn and I participated. It was fun. Gracyn won youth 1st place ($25) and I bought her picture in the silent auction. I had to outbid another buyer, but I won! :) So, that was ou...

Just finished with the 3 B's...back, biceps, and bahooky (as Braeden would say...). I did concentrated bicep curls and standing bicep curls; two armed rows and reverse flyes; and squats and plie' squats with weights. Tomorrow is free day which is good, but not as much fun without Sara to help think of yummy things to eat and lazy things to do.... Hey, Sara, I'm wearing my cropped jeans from aeropostale today. Slight muffin top, but cute with the right shirt. Hey, Ruth, you need to post a pic of your buff self. Hey, Flowerpot, how's your knee??? Are you persevering? Great post! Hey, JJ, loved your perseverence post. Did you and Flowerpot collaborate or something??? Loved them both! I've kept those two posts in mind this week...yours and Flowerpot's.

Baked Chicken Parmesan from "Eating For Life" servings:2 Ingredients: 2 egg whites 1/3 c Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs 4 Tbsp reduced-fat parmesan cheese, grated, divided 2 portions chicken breast 2 portions spinach pasta 1 c low-fat pasta sauce 2 c baby spinach leaves Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites with fork until slightly frothy. Then, mix breadcrumbs and 2 Tbsp of reduced fat parmesan cheese in a pie plate. 3. Dip chicken breasts in egg whites and theninto the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides. 4. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts on the baking sheet; bake for approximately 12 minutes, turn over and bake approximately 12 more minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and coating is golden brown. 5. While the chicken is baking, prepare spinach pasta according to its package directions. 6. In a small sauce pan, warm pasta sauce over medium heat. 7. Divide spi...

I jumped and jumped again today. Gorgeous morning here. I just did pilates abs. Feel good and on track with food. Here are some pics just for kicks...before, after. Oh yeah, and Odell. :)

I'm racing to blog about this before sara gets to! Do you know that she bought new very tiny pants today???? I can't wait for the picture! (I'll leave the details for you, Sara, but I just had to announce it before you...ha ha!) Upper body was good with only one interruption. Not bad. Eats are good. I'd blog them if I could remember that well. I will be eating the other half of my lunch for dinner which was a turkey sandwich with too much bread (ciabatta bread), so that's not the best, but not the worst either. Great, now I'm hungry! :)

...out there all alone... Jumping rope, that is...first day back at it without my workout pal, Sara. I haven't been having much luck posting or commenting or even reading comments, so I'm taking advantage of being able to post this morning! I haven't been able to read comments, but please continue to leave them...I have faith that one day, blogger will mysteriously let me read them again! I started out with jumprope HIITs of 20-25 jumps in a row way back in the beginning of this thing...partly because I wasn't that great at jumping rope and partly because it was the beginning of getting in shape. Quickly, I was able to "up" that to 30-40 jumps. Then, 40-50. Soon, I was jumping 50-60. A couple of weeks ago, I realized I needed to bump it up to 60-70, and the next thing you know, I am doing some 100's! So, progress is good! I also did abwork: plank and plank variations and ab-vacs. I feel it today. I still have plans to answer Ruth's great quest...

We had a fun day going to shops in town and fishing at the lake. We decided to do our upper body workout tomorrow, on free day. And we will continue the fashion show tomorrow too. Too much was happening today! Ate on target, though. We began free day with dinner... Hope all was great in your part of the world!

Here is Sara in her itty bitty size 2 jeans! Isn't she cute? Look on her blog for my fashion show picture number 1. We ran sprints today along the river and did pilates abwork. Tired. Jeeped. Pic-nicked. Had general fun....

Sorry so long since I blogged!  I have been having issues with posting and commenting and even viewing comments.  Very frustrating.  I'm on Sara's computer now to post; I should have thought of that earlier!  (She might like me to mention at this juncture that she has a mac.) Anyway, we have been doin' our BFL thing!  Today, we did lower body...squats with weights, lunges with weights, bicep curls, hammer curls, two arm rows, single arm rows.  Yesterday, we jumped rope and did pilates abwork.  Tomorrow, we plan to get up early and run sprints by the river before we go jeeping.  Today's food... pb half bagel, coffee turkey sandwich, whole wheat bread, a couple of chips marathon bar rosemary-lemon chicken, salad, pasta rosemary-lemon chicken, salad,unsweetened  tea Lots of water. I took pictures to begin our fashion show of new (small) clothes, but haven't managed to download them yet.  Maybe we will get to that tomorrow!

Today was good. Food: shake salmon/rice/tomatoes/banana salmon/rice/banana chicken parmesan made the BFL way with spinach and pasta apple sauce/2 string cheese sticks Workout: chest flyes and press shoulder press and side raises (higher weight..could only do 10 reps the last two sets) tricep extension/lying extension worked hard...arms felt like jello. We had a fun shopping day yesterday, and I bought some cute stuff. Maybe I can talk Sara into sending you a virtual fashion show!

Today is free day!  We are in Grand Junction to do some shopping at an actual mall.  We are beside ourselves with excitement over the tiny mall here.  We are spending the night in a hotel (more excitement) and shopping tomorrow.  So, tomorrow will be somewhat free too.  Yesterday, we were both sick, but did the 3 B's anyway.  Sara even almost copped out, but then did it anyway.   Interviewer:  So, how does it feel to have accomplished your workout yesterday even when you didn't want to? Sara:  I felt better afterwards.  tee hee hee! Interviewer:  Do you have anything else to add? Sara:  I feel a lot better today and as the last thing to go into my body on free day, I picked water!  tee hee hee hee! Interviewer:  Yay, Sara, for influencing Josha in such a positive way!  I'm sure others will be inspired as well! Anyway, we are doing great, and I love having Sara as my workout friend!  We brought our jumpropes, and we may even use them tomorrow....hmmmm?????

Well, yesterday's workout was effective. I feel it all over my body! Today we ran sprints. We also walked and talked and enjoyed the sound of the river and birds. It was nice. It had been a while since I'd run sprints, and I feel that too. I still haven't done abwork, and it will either be short and sweet or not at all. I'll let ya know tomorrow! Happy fourth!

Sara and I did squats, lunges, bicep curls, hammer curls, reverse flyes, and rows. We both really challenged our biceps! I'll let you know tomorrow if I feel it! Tomorrow is Cardio and Abs Day!! I guess that makes today Cardio and Abs Eve. Great job with your bike ride today, Ruth! And thanks for the surprise link to ME! ha ha

Today was anniversary number 18 for Hubby and me! We just got home from a fun date. We went to eat...stayed on program. Then went for a latte. It was on program but not timing wise. Not too bad for a special occasion! We also went to a blue grass concert which I loved. I love stringed instruments. Jumped rope. Didn't do abwork. Could do it now. Nope! Here is a picture of us about to go on our anniversary adventure. And here is the website of the bluegrass group we went to see. http://www.sweetsunnysouth.com/