Running Thoughts

Today is day 75. wow. I jumped my heart out this morning. It was fun...I don't seem to get tired of jumping rope! I plan to do pilates abwork. I've been doing abwork on the exercise ball, so a change of pace will be nice. I also found an old video of Denise Austin's abwork...should be funny. I may do that one today instead. She is so goofy, but her ab workouts can kill a person. Besides, that would honor Ruth and her 80's theme! Big bangs, leotard, leg warmers...ha ha ha! Oh, Ruth, you have to take a picture with leg warmers! ooooh! I almost forgot to thank Sara for introducing me to Bolthouse Farms protein smoothies. WOW! They are the best RTD smoothies ever! I found some in another town...too far away to get more any time soon. I'll haffta order them online! What a yummmmmy treat! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Sort of a blah, but good enough day today... Gracyn started running fever, so she isn't going to adventure camp at all. That's good and bad. She's missing out, but I like having her home! I did squats and plie' squats today as well as rows and backward sit-ups. I didn't do biceps today because I accidentally did them on Monday during upper body and I'm still sore. So, my workout was short and sweet. Tomorrow is the last cardio before free day which is always fun because I always want to push myself a little more on Thursdays! So, think of free day and make cardio count tomorrow!!

Yes, I chose my rope again this morning. It's fun to try to learn and practice the tricky moves from my video between sets. I took it a little easy because my joints and muscles in my legs have been achy since my last jumprope session which was my first back here in the hills after a long sea level trip. Guessing it will just take a little time re-adjusting. Today felt better. I'm not as achy. I'll do abwork later today. Loved Ruth's post. I wish my day had started off as well. Gracyn has been under the weather, and I had to make the decision for her not to go to adventure camp this morning. We'll just meet up with everyone either tonight or tomorrow. She is feeling better, so that's good. I also found out that Braeden's PE and Art classes are too full and he can't attend them after all. I had him all fired up about going too. Another bummer was to find out that the school has decided that they need Kaegan's teacher for part of the time ...

I couldn't remember, so I picked upper body. I didn't get to it until late in the evening because I was up at the school decorating the first grade classroom like a castle. It's way cool looking. Tomorrow is the official first day of school here. Not for our homeschool, though. We always start the day after labor day. It's just the way I do it. The classes the kids take at the school building begin tomorrow, though. Gracyn's class and all of middle school/high school go on a camping trip for the first week of school. She is sick, though, and will have to stay home until she is well. Hopefully, she can catch up to them later in the week. Tomorrow is cardio, and I'm achy like an old lady. I think it is part of readjusting to the altitude. I'll take it a little easy tomorrow. My legs feel like they used to in the beginning of my program (looooong ago), and I think it was the altitude then too. I kept thinking I was over training, but I know that ...

We are back at home, and I enjoyed jumping rope in the nice, cool, dry air this morning! We had a great vacation, and we miss our friends, but it feels good to be back in our little nook we call home. I stayed on program for the first week of our trip, but slacked off for the second. It was fun, and I had no worries because I knew I'd get home and get back on track. So, I am. I'll have to get used to the altitude again after being at sea level for 2 weeks. I felt the 100 jump Hiits this morning more than I did before Texas. Guess what was on my doorstep when I got home??? My present from "Flowerpot"...it is the coooooolest cast-iron grate that used to be for storing firewood. It is now a decorative item for my house, and I've been wandering around looking for the most perfect spot for it! Thanks!! I love it! I've missed my bloggy friends!

Well, I'm doing a "fair" job with the eating part, and am caught up on the workout part too. So, that's good! My folks have a recumbant bike, and I've been using it. I never liked it for BFL before because of the way the BFL intervals are set up, but for Hiits, it's just fine! My lifting isn't as intense as it would be at home, but I'm sore, so I guess I'm doing ok. We have had a slight change in our travel plans. My uncle passed away...he had lung cancer and we knew it was coming soon...praise God for claiming Uncle Floyd's heart first. He was baptized about a month ago! Happy, huh? Better run! I'm helping in the kitchen... I'll check back when I can!

Successfully kept up with eating and working out on my Denver trip! Now, we leave for Texas! I'll be able to blog some while gone, so I'll be "seein'" ya! Jumped rope this morning too! Gotta go travel.....

I'll be back Sat. night. I did 2 B's this morning and will do back later at the hotel! had a shake for breakfast... so far, so good!

Mr. Bear came back for a visit this evening. As you can see, he is not small... This is the reason I had to get the groceries out of the car! He was out patroling. Pretty fella, huh? I jumped rope this morning. Are you surprised? I'll do something else eventually. Right now, I'm having fun with my rope. I'm about to do pilates abwork, but first, I will show you my laundry room just to amaze Sara. She knows what a heap it was. ..

Very frustrating evening... Had to take Odell to the airport, first not-so-good thing. Got home, ran inside to put my purse down. Ran back out to bring in groceries, all the doors on the jeep are locked. We got a new jeep. Braeden tried out the buttons. Keys are in it. Both sets. Groceries too. Bears like groceries. I called and got a guy to come help me try to open the doors. No dice. We are triple A members. They guarantee that someone will be here in 90 minutes or less. The tow truck service AAA uses calls to say they will send someone in the morning. I say, "there are groceries in the jeep...jeep outside...bears outside." They are sending someone tonight. It's raining with huge lightening and thunder. Whoever is coming all the way here is not going to be happy. They'll get here around 11. I'll be bringing in groceries around midnight. This is a lesson that getting your workout done in the morning is a good idea. I did do some push-ups. Oh ye...

I forgot to update yesterday that I did killer abwork on my exercise ball. Began free day last night. Today has been free, but tomorrow is upper body! Here is my plan for Upper body in case it helps you, Sara. Maybe Ruth will have time to post hers so you can combine our workouts! Push-ups, 3 sets of 12, military style flyes as burnouts. You can use canned veggies from the pantry. You can use the cans to do side raises for shoulders. Then, upward rows. I'll be doing it the opposite...upward rows and then shoulders with weights. triceps...dips and extensions. You can find something fairly heavy (candle stick, big book, non-breakable vase...) that you can grip easily to lift up over your head and lower behind you and straighten your arms back up over head...remember those? You said you did them in a gym class. Anyway, happy lifting! Also, I wanted to mention a yummy snack...Laughing Cow light spreadable swiss cheese on whole grain bread. The cheese doesn't have enough protein, s...

Yep, you guessed it. I jumped rope again today. Tomorrow will be my free day this week. I probably shouldn't take one at all, knowing that we are about to do some traveling... The kids and I leave Wednesday afternoon to go to an autism conference. We come back on Saturday evening, and then leave again the next day (whole family) to go for 2 weeks to visit family and friends in TX. It will be a big challenge. Ruth is doing it, though...so that means that I can do it too! :) And Sara's life is travel right now...she is doing it. I can do this!!! :) :) Abwork later.

I haven't done biceps or back YET, but here is my workout so far today: Heel raises on the exercise ball stationary back lunges with resistence bands squats with resistence bands Breakfast: mini bagel with pb, water, coffee, water Lunch will be a cookout when we go to get Gracyn (yay!!!) Snack will be marathon bar and water dinner will be hamburgers (I think) Snack is usually string cheese either with or without applesauce ***********Good stuff************* Check out these top ten ways to involve your children in fitness! http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3030485 Late with afternoon snack...but otherwise, on target. I did a challenging bicep and back workout. I will probably work out tomorrow morning, and begin free day tomorrow night to last through Sunday. Odell gets home tomorrow night, and leaves on Monday. short time home....rats.

I used my new jump rope this morning, and I really do like it better than my other one...I feel like I'm cheating on jumprope number one or something! ;) anyway, here is what to look for in a jump rope: You want it to be adjustable in length, and when you hold each handle up (like ski poles), you want the rope to make a perfect or near-perfect "U" shape at the floor. If you put one foot in the "U" on the floor, you want to adjust the length of the rope so that the handles come up to mid-chest, not the armpits. My new rope has three .5 pound weights to put inside the handles, so that I can adjust the weight up to 1.5 pounds per handle. It also is one that is "beaded"...with about half-inch plastic beads along the rope so that it doesn't twist, ever. And, you want the handles to have a swivel bearing so that the rope turns smoothly at the base of the handle. My new rope also has the option of removing the beaded rope and replacing it with a plastic, ...

Already sore. chest flyes and press (30 pounds in each hand-a high for me at 8 reps) upward rows and shoulder press lying extensions (12.5 pounds in each hand-another high for me at 15 reps, 3 sets) and kick-backs. So now I am kicked back admiring my organized laundry room . :) :) :) And my dust-mopped floor . :) :) :) And I am getting good at my first jumprope trick which is a resting move. Interesting name for something that gets my heart-rate up so much! It is for between sets of jumps, Sara, an active rest time like our walking in between, but much more energetic! A great next step! I'm planning to bake brownies- (mmmmm, but I won't have any...free day is coming and I have big plans for an amazing brownie from the organic sandwich shop) -and we will take them to the little campers, aka, Gracyn and crew! I'd better get busy!