Running Thoughts

Well, just so you know...I'm being a total sloth. I did frog jumps one day, and I might do HIITs on the stationary bike tomorrow...MIGHT. I'm eating on program, though...NOT! I'd forgotten how yummy peanut m&m's are! It's been fun, but I am anxious to get started back when I get home! Christmas was great, and our trip has been great. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday time!

...Blogger won't let me sign in on the home page, but I can sign in to comment and then come straight to my dashboard. So, here I am. I did 5 HIITs on the treadmill yesterday. Never did get to abwork, but will do it today. My shoulders and arms are still sore, so I'm planning to do abwork and pushups and let that be it for today's workout which should have been chest, shoulders, and tris. I will do 3 sets of 10 pushups (pushups are a challenge for me...how many are you doing now, Ruth?) and 50 incline twists and then 3 sets of 12 hip ups. There, now I have to do them! I am leaving on Christmas afternoon to head to west tx for the week between Christmas and New Year's. We will be back on New Year's Eve. I will take part of that totally off and will do HIITs on my mom's recumbant bike for the part where we are at my folks' house. When we get back, we will immediately have company for the first week of January. It will be very hard to stay on program during tha...

Well, today is my B-day, so I have had an eggnogg latte, some sweet things, and haven't paid attention to timing of any meals...tonight, I will go out to eat with fam and McClungs and have my favorite nachos! Did my workout today, though--I didn't take the day off from that...Here is what I did... leg presses--weights are old and worn, so I'm not sure what the weight actually was, but to fatigue frog jumps lat pull-downs roman chair bicep curls hammer curls Hubby sent flowers, lots of calls and emails from friends, haircut, new camera...nice birthday!

I kept thinking I would get to workout today, but was continually needed elsewhere. It didn't happen, and I really missed it. It was a cardio day and I wanted to make it count. Eats were good though. I hope your workout went better than mine. :( In Ruth's footsteps, Here are "then and now" pics of me... First two, are about a year and a half ago. Not bad pictures except for the FAT! Ha! This is a few weeks ago, and the most recent I have. I've lost some weight and gained some muscle since this pic.

This is what I think Santa is doing in preparation for Christmas Eve...all that climbing he will have to do. Today's workout... chest: inclined press push-ups shoulders: press upward row triceps: extensions dips I did it the Sculpting Her Body Perfect style for a change-up. Almost all my Christmas shopping is done! I still need a couple of last minute things I forgot. How goes your shopping?? Your workout??

I swear that I only made it to the gym today because of you. I knew you'd check my blog! I had planned to go at 11:00, actually went at 11:30. Did 7 HIITs on the elyptical, about 2 billion (or close) inclined twists, roman chair, and 30 straight leg lifts. Late with my next meal, but headed that way!! Just wanted to say "I DID IT!" first. I'll be checkin' your blog! something to ponder... The present is a present, the past is history, the future is mystery.

Happy Free day!!! Well, half-way free. I decided to split my free day this time. Yesterday, I was free of the workout. Today is free food. So, I will be doing yesterday's workout today. Here is the plan: legs, squats biceps, inclined curls and hammer curls back, pullovers and backward sit-ups. sweetened coffee, danishes, coke, chocolate,...... You get the picture!

And the winner is.... Ruth, for your hard work, adding "one more" to your workouts and for waiting this long for your reward! Yay for you, Hotmom! Today has been beautiful here. I did 8 HIITs at 9 and 10 mph on the elyptical machine. I haven't done abs yet. Still plan to....I think...might take a day off from abs!!!

I took our friends back to the airport this afternoon. Came home, did chest, tris, and shoulders. Ate supper. Going to bed. Nitey nite! A more interesting post tomorrow....

My Houston friends are here. Hubby is still here for a little longer. No school. Got my workout done. Yesterday was my free day, so today I'm ready to eat right again. :)

Haven't had internet service for the past few days!! I did post that I got my workout finished, but it apparently didn't go through--yet another lost post somewhere out in cyberspace! I DID IT! I finished my workout. I included in the lost post that I most likely wouldn't get my cardio done on Thursday because I had to go pick up guests from the airport and that if I got it done, I would be extra proud of myself, but if I didn't do it, I was just planning to forgive myself. Well, I forgave myself. I knew it wasn't feasible to get it done that day for many reasons that I had no control over. I've eaten a few cheats, but not too bad. I did workout yesterday and this morning too! Even with my buddies from Houston here! I don't have time to post more, but I wanted you to know that I've had withdrawals from my BFL pals these computer-less days! Thanks for checking in on me! (A, frog jumps are beginning in a frog position and jumping as high as you can ...

It is 7:22 pm, and I've done my back workout... I still have biceps and legs. I'm posting this because, as Ruth did with her eats, I think it will help me to feel accountable and go FINISH! It won't take long, after all. Especially since I won't be doing burnouts on my legs...they stay sore from HIITs. Here is the plan: Biceps: inclined curls 12x15 10x17.5 8x 20 6x 22.5 12x17.5 hammer curls 12x15 Legs: 3x12frogjumps That absolutely will not take long at all. phone rings....will I do it?????? YES!

OK, so I call it a "Bicep Bud." LOL

Well, to make a long story short, I finally made it to the treadmill sometime after 4 o'clock and ran 5 HIITs. The first one at 8mph and the others at 9mph. I think I may want to change my 40 second goal at 10mph because of all the trouble I had with my sciatic nerve and over training... I will say that as I was running, I reached down to pull up my pants and was reminded of my nerve...Last time I ran, I ran holding up my pants with my left hand, and I think that may be what hurt me. OK, so it's time for new sweat pants. I did inclined twists and leg lifts after I ran. I had two mishievous boys with me so I only did 40 of the twists and two sets of 12 leg lifts. Anyway, I finally got it all done after a chaotic day....Odell took all keys with him to Houston. I had meetings to go to...neighbors loaned me their vehicle...didn't start...had to jump it....Body for LIFE .

Day One of the Christmas Challenge: Chest: presses-go heavier next time! Yay, progress! Flyes-ouch! Yay, more progress! Shoulders: presses-yikes! side raises-yeee-ouch! triceps: extensions-sore tomorrow lying extensions-go heavier next time! HIITs tomorrow...Dashing through the snow!!! Eats: good, except--snuck in one cookie. hmm.

I loved my Body For Life Journal so much that I decided to make a Christmas Challenge Journal. Here is what I liked about the first one that I am incorporating into the second one: I liked crossing off the days, so I am putting a calendar on the inside front cover of a spiral notebook to cross off the days--one half of an "x" is for successfully eating on track, one half of an "x" is for getting my workout in. A line across is for checking in with my on-line pals...you. I liked that I planned ahead what I would eat and then kept track of what I actually did eat, so I am including a column called "Planned Activity" where I record my planned meals and planned workout. Then I have a column called, "Status" where I record what I actually ate and did in my workout. I also have a column along the left margin to record the times so that I can keep up with meal timing. Here is what I am changing about my BFL-style for this challenge: I am including a...

Sorry for the echo(echo) in Cyper-abyss. I forgot to tell you that we had a Son-Rise Teacher coming from the Autism Treatment Center to do a workshop in our home for Thursday and Friday and that I might be "out of pocket." I thought about you, though! I was too (mentally) pooped to pop, and didn't even check email or anything. Also, didn't work out, but had actually decided that would be best because I needed to focus on Kaegan's program. My plan turned into: Begin my actual Christmas challenge on Monday...Yesterday was Christmas in Lake City, which I hadn't realized would be an all-day affair since we weren't here for that last year. And Odell is leaving this afternoon for several days... I want to focus on him today. (We also have some company coming in town on Thursday, and that will be challenging. I will do my best to stay on track! I think they will be fine with me leaving to workout. I'm still having some trouble with my sciatic nerve,...

Did do one set of lunges with no weights. Did do backward sit-ups. Did do concentrated bicep curls. Did do hammer curls. Did reach good high point on biceps. Did eat well today. Did drink one too many cups of coffee..it's cold here! Did eat a few chips. Did double up on water. Did work on cleaning up the upstairs. Didn't do as much leg or back work as I would have liked...trying to take it easy on Mr. Sciatic Nerve. Didn't eat mini marshmallows. Didn't clean the kitchen (yet). Didn't go for a walk. Will walk rather than run tomorrow. It will be cold and snowy, but I will do it anyway, Ruth ! This is not a picture of here, but it looks like this outside...

Well, ever since my run yesterday, my sciatic nerve has been bothering me. I think it has something to do with 18 hours in the car and then another 18 hours back....then running jarred it. Today is leg day, and I think I will take it easy on legs and maybe even skip it just today so that I can walk tomorrow. I will still be doing back and biceps though, and may walk today or do squats. Here is what I found on-line about sciatica and exercise: Active exercise is important for sciatica relief Although it may seem counterintuitive, exercise is usually better for healing sciatic pain than bed rest. Patients may rest for a day or two after their sciatica flares up, but after that time period, inactivity will usually make the pain worse. Without exercise and movement, the back muscles and spinal structures become deconditioned and less able to support the back. The deconditioning and weakening can lead to back injury and strain, which causes additional back pain. Exercise is also important f...

Beginning a new challenge as we move toward Christmas is exciting to me for several reasons. 1. Because I feel better than I have in years because of the challenge I just completed. 2. Because I know I will complete it after just completing 12 weeks of the last challenge. 3. Because I have friends who have stuck it out with me, and will stick it out for another challenge (or more). 4. Because I know from this past experience that you will keep me accountable and encourage me. As you may have noticed, all the reasons to do the next challenge are related to the challenge I just completed. I know now that I will complete what I begin even if I muddle along through parts of it. Missing a workout doesn't end things for me anymore. I am determined and I am strong. I choose to do this, I don't have to do this. So, I will do it and do it well. You may remember my goals at the beginning of Challenge 1 included just being able to keep going even if I get off schedule or mess up...