Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message Bible)

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Does it count?

I wonder, if you take a 56 minute workout and divide it in to 4 equal 14 minute parts separated by 5 minute breaks, does it still count the same?
For example, my workout today is Max Interval Plyo. I'm doing it right now because this is the ONLY time in my day that I can actually fit it in. However, because of that I am forced to do it while I'm hungry and I have a POUNDING headache. I can't eat because I'll puke during the workout. And I can't wait for the headache to go away because...well, I don't have the time. Basically this is due to poor planning on my part. I should have eaten something an hour or two ago so that my stomach wouldn't be empty. I also should have taken some Tylenol ahead of time to get rid of this headache. Lesson learned...but for right now, the only way I can seem to get through this workout is to do about 15 minutes and then take a BIG break. I have 31 minutes remaining (down from 56) and right now my eyeballs feel like they're gonna pop out of my head because of this pressure headache thing. I'm weak and exhausted and SORE from the previous 2 days workouts and pretty much being a major whiny wuss. (which I DESPISE!) I am actually blogging RIGHT in the middle of my Insanity workout because I needed to sit down for a moment and let my heartrate come back into the human range and I honestly wanted to VENT about this but there is no one here so it's going on the blog! ha ha
I know I've been doing a lot of cry-baby-ing lately and I don't like it and I'm gonna try to stop-or at least minimize it...but I also PROMISE to always keep it real...and right now...this is me being REAL.
Okay...I guess it's time to go finish this thing. Maybe I'll get the whole 31 minutes done at once...or maybe I'll be back in here to blog some more in about 14 minutes...!?!? :o)
Seriously though...does anyone know if it hurts anything to hit pause several times during the workout?

Monday, May 24, 2010

Insanity-Day 36

Like I posted on FB earlier, I swear the Insanity Fit Test was trying to KILL me today. Seriously...I was HUR-TING! At least, thank GOODNESS, my numbers improved quite a bit. Not sure if that is because I pushed harder than EVER today...or if I've really gotten that much stronger...!?!
Speaking of the fit test, do those of you who've done it know...are you supposed to count every other switch kick as "1" or each kick individually? I did 60 (if you're counting doubles) or 120 if you're counting singles. Tanya on the video did 110...so SURELY that means she was counting singles, right???
Anyway, after I finished the fit test, I was supposed to do Max Interval Circuit. HA HA HA
I put it in and skipped over the warm up since I was obviously already VERY warmed up (soaked and out of breath!)
I did about 30 minutes of the 59 minute workout before I said ENOUGH! and fast-forwarded to the cool down. I was as close as I've ever been to barfing during a workout...complete with burps and gags and dizzy spells. It was awful. I don't know what was going on either because I had a good, healthy breakfast a few hours earlier and drank my normal cup of coffee and was really feeling very good and ready-to-go before I started. ???
By the time I was about halfway done with the 2nd workout I was really having a battle of the mind. I was HATING it and feeling miserable and I just kept hearing "I can't do it" over and over in my head. Uck. I hate that. It's one thing when my body gives out...but I REFUSE to be controlled or limited by my HEAD. I guess I'm a bit of a weirdo about this sort of thing. I like to "discipline" myself for weakness.
For instance, this weekend I was talking to my niece about getting a tattoo. She said if it weren't for the pain, she would TOTALLY get one but thinking about the pain freaks her out.
I am completely the opposite. I would rather go through the pain (just to see if I can handle it) and NOT have the tattoo! Its not that I enjoy pain..no way jose...it's just that I like proving to myself that I am not a wuss.
Something about doing something that my mind says I can't...but then I do...and it just feels SO good.
I'm not really thrilled about how I did in my last 5K...but one thing I loved is that at the very end when I was literally about ready to just stop and walk because I was SO uncomfortable...hurting, sweating, couldn't breath, etc...I suddenly reached down inside and pulled out this reservoir of energy and I SPRINTED across the finish line. I did NOT know I had that in me. Even as I was doing it, I was thinking "WOW! How am I doing this?"
After wards, I would have jumped at the chance to do that 5K over again right then because I had just proven to myself that even when my mind was saying "it's over..you can't do any more..." my body SHOWED me that I could! I felt GREAT and rejuvenated again!

Anyway, that was kind of a bunny trail...but what I was trying to say is that I can see that this last month of Insanity MAX training is going to be Challenging. Exhausting. Nauseating. Miserable. Intense. Insane. ....and I say...BRING IT ON! :-)

I am very anxious to get back to P90X when this next 30 day is over. My weights (and my biceps) are getting dusty! :o)

My Girl...

Brooklyn and I (with some friends) went out on a "date" Friday night. It was a wonderful time with terrific friends and I just thought I'd post a pic on here for you all to see. I love this girl to pieces!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Insecurity can't have me

That old nuisance, insecurity, has been trying to get to me lately--especially where my physical body and fitness are concerned. I hear all these things in my head about not being good enough, not being a good example, not losing this last 15 pounds like I keep saying I'm going to, not reaching my goal at the 5K, not looking as good for my hubby anymore, etc., etc., etc.
BLAH!
It's so frustrating and overwhelming sometimes to try to balance it all. I could list out "it all" for you right here but I'm sure each of you already knows exactly what I'm talking about. Some days I just realize that I can't have "it all" and do "it all" and that we are just gonna have to live with less than perfection. If I have a hot meal on the table at dinner time and we all sit down and eat it then I am NOT going to beat myself up over the fact that it is a little bit too heavy on the carbs and that we don't have vegetables of every color on our plate. If one day, I have to make a meal of hot-dogs, Kraft mac-n-cheese, Kool-Aid and potato chips, no one is going to fall over dead at the table from such a horrendously unhealthy meal. Sure, we don't wanna do it everyday, but once every 6 months because we either ran out of good food or out of time is not going to kill us.
Furthermore, if I miss a workout one day or even one WEEK, I'm fairly certain that I will continue to live and I probably won't be a pound heavier for it either!

Don't take me wrong, I'm not giving myself or any of you permission to throw in the towel and quit...but I am saying that sometimes we just gotta CUT OURSELVES SOME SLACK!!
Balance is the KEY and imbalance is never a good thing.

Yesterday I had a battle within about why I'm teaching boot camp at the gym and how most of the girls in that class are probably more fit than I am and they probably all wish Shelley was still teaching that class instead of me and blah, blah, blah. What a blessing it was to be reminded that no one expects me to be perfect and that possibly, my imperfection is what makes people like me!!! (no way!??!) :o) Also, I have to remind myself that I am doing this because I think it is what GOD wants me to be doing...not that I myself have chosen it. I'm pretty certain (100%) that He'll equip me for the job He has called me to do, dontcha think!? :o)

Anyway, I just wanted to encourage you that it's never too late. Doesn't matter if you missed a day, a week, a month or the last 10 years...today can be the day you start again fresh. And..even if you start today and do well until dinner and then blow it completely....you get to wake up tomorrow and start again...so no worries! Practice makes perfect improvement! :o)

Love you guys! And for the record...I am just finishing up my Recovery Week (week 5) of Insanity and about to move into the last 4 weeks of MAX training! Eeeek!!!

By the way, I just have to say, that I am FULLY aware that the name "insecurity" is just one of the many cover-ups the devil uses for his lies! Guess what devil? I am healthy, strong, fit, beautiful and a child of GOD!

Monday, May 17, 2010

My 2nd 5K run of the year...

Saturday the kids and I got up (EARLY!) and participated in the Aquarium Run in a town nearby where we live. I did the 5K with my friend Rachel, and her daughter and my kids did the 1 mile Fun Run. It was a great time and even though I hadn't prepared AT ALL for this, I still managed to shave about 2 1/2 minutes off my time from the 5K I did April 17th. Not bad. I'm hoping that on the next one I can take off another 1 or 2 minutes and then I'll be at that 29 minute mark where I really want to be.
For any of you who don't read my other blog, you may not know, but beginning on May 24th, I will be watching Rachel's daughter full time for the summer. Her name is Fallon and she is 9, like Brooklyn. It is going to be SUCH a blessing for Brooklyn to have a friend to play with all summer. The only HUGE negative is that Grant doesn't have anyone. I am going to have to work hard at getting the girls to include him-at least sometimes. Anyway, here are the pics from the race. Thanks SO MUCH to Rachel's husband, David, for taking them all for us!!
Me and the kids before the race. (Yawn!!)
Brooklyn and Fallon--BUDDIES!
Grant is always silly!
The whole group. All I can think of when I look at this picture is how blessed I am to have such wonderful kids and friends!
Me and Rach, before we took off!
Bye!! Here we go!! I always have a big smile on my face. I guess that's better than a sour look--although sometimes I feel kinda "cheesy." Oh well...at least I'M HAPPY! :o)
The kids after they did their 18-minute mile! :o)

Of course, had to get a picture with the Shark since we were at the aquarium!

It really was a very cool day! They fed us a barbecue lunch immediately after the race..which is quite funny! At 8 am we were eating burgers, chili, hotdogs, chips, brownies, etc.!!! But crazy enough, we were actually hungry because we'd been up since 5:30 am!

My official chip time was 31:01 and Rachel was 31:03. The ONLY reason she was even 2 seconds behind me is because at that last little stretch I suddenly got a SURGE of energy and SPRINTED through the finish line. It reminds me of when I'm playing Mario Kart and I get the "bullet"! ha ha

Monday, May 10, 2010

Pressing through...

It's a lazy, rainy day and I'm still in my jammies. I've been cleaning house and doing work on the computer all day and nothing sounds better right now than a little cat nap on the couch before I have to pick the kids up from school...BUT....Insanity is calling my name. Plyometric Cardio Circuit to be exact. Hmmm...(big sigh)....those Beachbody programs sure are pushy! They want my attention every.single.day. Oh ya, I do have them to thank for this body though!
Okay okay, off to work I go. :-)

Monday, May 3, 2010

#10's momma

Tonight was Grant's first baseball game of the season! It was SO cute! It's amazing how vast the size difference is between 5-year-olds though! Some of those boys looked like they were about 3 and others looked like they were about 7. Grant is right about in the middle. Anyway, I was mighty proud of him tonight out there doing his best! They definitely don't know exactly what to do just yet (read:they catch the ball and then have no idea what to do with it/hit the ball and then just stand there while we all scream RUNNN!!!).
Brooklyn is just about to finish up her softball season and I'm SO PROUD of her! She has improved IMMENSELY! They have only 4 games left...all away games. Tomorrow night both of the kids play in different towns...so we'll have to split up. (boo!!!-I can't STAND to miss either of their games!) I never knew I had it in me but I am like a cheerleader-momma! I seriously get WAYYY into it (esp. Brook's games)! It's fun though! It's so endearing to hear all the people (who I don't even know) hollering "C'mon Brook, you can do it!!" when she's up to bat. Makes me want to cheer on all the girls (even if they're not on our team! ha ha--Hey I'm still proud that they get good hits no matter who they play for! They're only 9 for crying out loud!)

Both of the kids are #10 this year because I made them be because they wanted to be. :o)

Anyway, here are a few pics from Grant's game tonight and Brooklyn's game a couple of weeks ago.

My hair is messing up my workout!

I've decided that I would work out a whole lot more if it wasn't for my HAIR!

It takes me a good 10 minutes to dry my hair and another 15-20 to flat-iron it. Add to that a good 5-10 minutes to do a little make-up and there is a grand total of about 30-40 minutes worth of WORK just to be presentable each day. Even on the "quick! throw-it-in-a-pony-tail" days...I still have to dry it and do make up, so at LEAST 20 minutes.

I can't tell you how many times this whole little process has interfered with my workout. I either don't get "ready" till WAYYY late in the day because I'm holding off until after my workout
OR
I take a shower and get ready first thing in the morning and then I REALLY REALLY don't want to work out that day because I would ruin everything and have to start ALL OVER again.

Yesterday after church Matt wanted to do a workout together and I refused. Even though I wanted to workout and I had plenty of energy and NEEDED to workout...I had gotten up before church and taken lots of time to really do my hair up cute and my make up and I knew I had to be at the kids school first thing Monday morning and I wanted it to last. If we'd worked out, I would have had to do allll that work again-twice in one day. Ugh!

I know, it's a lousy, lame excuse but it's the truth and I bet I'm not the only one who feels this way?!!!?

You might say...well, just workout first thing in the morning every day and then the problem is solved. Yes, well, I do have other things I have to do and a lot of times that means I can't get my workout in until I drop Grant off at Kindergarten at 12:30 pm.

Anyway, there is no good answer for this, I don't think. I'm just on here whining and wondered if any of you ever have this same problem?

And while I'm on the topic of hair....Oh My Goodness my hair is growing at warp speed! I just got it trimmed about 1 1/2 in. a couple of weeks ago but it is so long that it is like a whip when I exercise. Once it gets sweaty (which is in the first 5 minutes if I'm doing Insanity) then it SMACK-SMACK-SMACK's me in the back with every jump and hop.
I've tried hats, braids, high pony-tails and low pony-tails, even side pony-tails. I can't figure out what to do with it. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I don't want to cut it. I really like it being long except for during workouts.

I can just hear Matt right now if he were reading this "do you want some cheese to go with that whine?" :o)
wow...I said "workout" a LOT in this post! (and that sort of stuff really bugs me) sorry!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Here is the KEY, the ANSWER, the SECRET!

This is an exerpt from another excellent blog but I had to re-post it here for you to all read. Of course, I give ALL credit to the author, Trainer Momma! (btw: you have to click on the picture to see the whole thing)

THE TREE

I finally came up with an analogy that I think works when it comes to fitness. Here’s my best shot. Be kind:

Imagine a young tree that has just been planted. Its main source of strength to hold it up comes from the trunk. It is doing OK on its own, but it is a bit weak and with a good wind can blow from side to side. Without a bit of help and support from some extra stakes and cord, it just might not make it on its own.

The tree is fitness. The main key to success is nutrition. However, that said, a lot can be done to help you reach your goals and maintain your success by adding in two supportive little friends: cardio and lifting weights. If you take away one of the supports, the tree may stand for a while on its own, but eventually falter and bend. And of course, if you take away the trunk – proper nutrition – it is game over. There will be no tree, there will be no fitness.

From Tree analogy


Fitness has many factors, but can be slimmed down to 3 components:

1. Nutrition

2. Cardio

3. Weight Lifting

Let’s pull an M.C. Hammer, and “break it down”:

1. Nutrition – This will make or break you. I believe nutrition makes up 80% of your fitness success. When I have a client who I see is working their tail off, but is seeing no progress, my first question is:
WHAT ARE YOU EATING?

When I was heavy, I had a gym membership (but was lacking an arm, since that’s what I used to finance that purchase when I was a wee newlywed – long story). I also had a regular exercise partner who I met up with most mornings of the week and we walked/jogged around the well lit mall parking lot at 5:30 AM. I did all this, and I was fat. Why, oh, why? Because I ate like crap. My nutrition was wwwaaaaayyyy off, however, if asked at the time, I would have sworn up and down that I ate well, but I was just big boned. Bogus. I ate nonstop carbs, I might as well have had an IV with liquid graham crackers running into my veins. I don't think I knew what food had protein in them. I hated vegetables and never ate them (that was my mother’s food, gross) and I was a sugar addict. I couldn’t even eat breakfast without finishing it off with a Yoplait yogurt (with a whopping 27 grams of sugar! AH!). Yes, I would have sworn I was a healthy eater. It wasn’t until I went to my first personal trainer that I learned how to eat, I mean really eat right. And, eleven years later I’m still a believer. Nutrition is paramount in this journey to the land of fitness.

2. Cardio – Cardio, or cardiorespiratory exercise, is also essential for fitness success. This is any activity that raises your heart rate, makes you sweat, and keeps that heart healthy! Muy importante! This said, however, I have known many a marathon runner who trained and ran the darned 26.2 miles and didn’t lose a stinkin’ pound. WHAT?!? All that and nada? I’m telling you, in order to lose weight and keep it off you need all three components to fitness.

3. Weight Lifting – For many women, this is the mysterious one. How often? How heavy? How many reps? What is a set? What is that machine used for? I don’t want to bulk up! But, I only want to tone my arms/lift my rear/get the cottage cheese off my thighs. I’ve heard it all and understand. Muscle building is essential to change the shape of your body. I like to think we are sculpting our own bodies, yes – we are works of art! There’s much more to it as well… Lifting weights is not only essential for how you look, but it helps tremendously in how your body performs and lasts throughout the years. Skin and bones are OUT, ladies. Goodbye Victoria Beckham! Muscle is IN! I’m not talking spray painting your body with bronze paint, bleaching your hair to a dry, blonde crisp, and parading in front of judges in a string bikini for a body building competition. Ugh. I’m just talking health, strong and feminine. There is a way to be all those things.

So, where ever you may be on in your health and fitness endeavors, remember the tree. Ask yourself how you are doing in all three areas. Now let's get to work!