Day 48 4 mile run...at least that was the plan

We all know cardio and running in particular are good for us overall: muscle tone, lung capacity, heart rate. Well, I've been throwing it into my P90X here and there and for some reason it seems to fall on Wednesdays. Today I skipped P90X and went straight for a 4 mile run....except it only ended up being 3.75 miles.

I ran my normal route, with an added loop in the middle. I assumed this added loop would make my route equal approx 4 miles, however, it didn't. I was so very proud of myself for not stopping...I kept a running (slow running) pace the whole time. This has seemed quite hard lately. Again, I didn't map it ahead of time, only assumed...and you know, when you assume you make an ass out of someone, we won't mention names.

With pictures only 12 days away, I should be running more and at a faster pace. The diet part of this scenario is going ok...with the exception of those darn potty treats. I almost blame my wrist pain on them. You see, ginormous bag of M&Ms is on top of the fridge, and when I reach up to grab a handful my wrist is in the exact position that hurts so bad. Therefore, if I lay off the potty treats I will not only continue to slim down, and at a faster rate, but I will also allow my wrist to heal. Well, that's what I'll keep telling myself.

Day 47 Bringing it Kenpo Style

It seems like forever since I did Kenpo last....but then again, I haven't been the best at sticking to the schedule and Kenpo is Day 6 of each week. I enjoyed it today but feel I could have brought it a little harder. I've somehow ended up with a wrist issue and was a leery of how the punches would feel. I survived to talk about it so I guess that's good.

I now have 13 days til pictures and have tried to tighten the reigns on my eating habits. Its tough when you have potty-training going on in your house...potty treats are M & Ms and it seems that everytime Paislee potties Paislee gets 1 treat and Mom gets a handful!! DELISH! Somehow, someway, its got to stop!

I attempted a protein shake today and have felt pretty good besides the tummy rumbles...I like milk with in my protein shakes but milk doesn't like me. So far so good for today and I hope to have another one as a pre-bedtime snack...muscles heal the most during rest and protein helps heal!

Day 46 A Day of Sneaky Lunges

This workout should have been done last Friday; however, when it was time to "bring it" I was horribly bloated and uncomfortable from eating. The rest of the weekend followed suit and I was very unproductive in the way of working out.

Today I attacked Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X. The quote of the day is, "What's up noise-maker?" I love that...said by Tony to one of the others because the move was causing great strain and they were squealing. This is how I always feel and am glad to know that even the pros do this. I can't wait for the soreness to set in, just because you then know that your hard work is making a difference. With any luck I won't be able to walk in the morning.

Ab Ripper X is getting old. I love that it is only 16 minutes long but having to do it after a 50+ minute workout makes the whole workout take too long. I'm more of an hour in and done kinda gal. But, if I save it and do it later...well, we all know that will never happen, so why even mention it.

I'm starting my countdown now...14 days until my 60 day pics...I better straighten up and pull it together. At this point I'm doubting any changes, that's my hope at least. I know I haven't made any progress and I'm praying there's no regressing!!! That will really kill my motivation. I've got 14 days to eat healthy, hit it hard and get somewhat of a tan. Hopefully pudginess and skanky tan lines will no ensue.

~BTW, it tells me that skanky is not a word...hello, for those of you who don't know skanky = trashy, ugly, nasty, distasteful...I could go on and on but I'll just leave it at that for now.

Day 42, phew!

Since today was YogaX day I figured I'd stick to my guns and skip out on it. I considered making up my Plyo from the other day but then decided I'd go for a run. First I thought a hard run, then I decided on a nice enjoyable run. Well, it was hard, but not because I ran hard, and it wasn't enjoyable...at all.

It started ok but quickly began to suck. I ended up walking, for a long time, but finished up running. I really thought the slightly cooler temps would feel great today, but it didn't help. I'm going to blame it on not running regularly and the whole huge back of banana chips I ate throughout the day today. I guess (althought they're good and reasonably healthy) they don't serve the purpose of full nutritional meals...who would have thought? Today is my SIL's birthday and we're eating at Ponderosa. I think I'll opt for a steak and hope that it helps get me thru Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X tomorrow! I'm secretly excited about doing those darn sneaky lunges again...I was sore for 3 days last time and that's such a great feeling...knowing you're working your muscles and making them grow!

On a seperate note, I had really high hopes for spicing up my blog and making it more entertaining. Perhaps I need to take more pictures on a regular basis...I don't know. Either way, I failed miserably with this entry. I read a blog today that made me smile and laugh; unfortunatley for you, it didn't trickle on to my blog. Sorry!

Day 40 SKIP, Day 41 CHECK!

Yesterday I just wasn't feeling Plyo. I had told myself I would wait and attack it in the afternoon as you really need to be awake and ready to go for Plyo. Then I got busy at work and ran out of time...oh well. I decided last night that I wasn't going to make it up and stay behind...instead I skipped it and moved on today.

I tore it up with Back & Biceps and Ab Ripper X. I've gained some size in my arms and have now begun to focus on definition. I was doing 8-10 reps but have moved on to 12-15. By the time I finished with Back & Biceps my arms were throbbing. It was such a nice feeling of soreness and swelling...in a good way! Then I pushed through Ab Ripper X and was able to keep up and not cheat, at all. I really think my sugar-free Red Bull helped prep me.

For those of you following my progress, here's another bicep shot after today's workout. Not that anyone truly cares, though.

Its been a while since I ran. I think tomorrow, pending any rain or 100 degree temps, I'll give it a shot. Who knows, perhaps I'll get up early do part of YogaX and then run tomorrow afternoon?! Wouldn't that be great!

Day 38 & 39 Slow Pitch and Chest, Back & Triceps and Ab Ripper X

Can I just say WOOOO HOOOO!!! I'm finally in Week 6 instead of Week 5. It took me 4 tries to complete Week 5. I don't know why I had such a hard time with it, I just couldn't keep my motivation up. Nontheless, its behind me now and I can move on...and I'm stoked to!

After my manual labor on Saturday (Day 37) I used yesterday as a rest day; however, I still managed a crappy game of softball and a dip in the lake...E. Coli included (the swim beach has been closed but they'll let you swim everywhere else)! Today was Chest, Back & Triceps and Ab Ripper X..and let me tell you, my arms feel like jello. I was pumped all day to get my workout in. I wish I had planned ahead and made time for some cardio, as tomorrow is Plyo and cardio definitely can't happen after Plyo!

I skipped the one-arm push ups. I'm just not ready for them yet. Plus, when trying to do the side push ups my arm nearly gave out twice. I decided it was time to give up instead of losing my front 2 teeth...I happen to like them. I also skipped out on the last 2 ab sets because I was running out of time.

I don't think Plyo will be happening at 4:15am either. It is really one of those workouts that's best done when you're fully awake and ready to "bring it". Perhaps I'll get up early and get a run in before Plyo...that might just be the ticket to getting them both in.

Day 37...Manual Labor

Today I didn't get up early enough to get KenpoX in before heading over to Gallatin...and thank goodness I didn't. The manual labor I performed today was more than a workout.

My grandparents are flipping a house in Gallatin, and today I headed over to help out. My first task was to help my mom empty the junk/trash off the front and back porches and into the back of an old grain truck. While reading this keep in mind that the house has a steep embankment down to the drive and road, where the truck was parked. We got the back porch emptied and I moved on to getting rid of all the old carpet and padding from the front porch. This was an entire body workout:

~Tossing the rolls down off the porch and onto the lawn (arms)
~Picking them up and putting them in the wheelbarrow (arms)
~Hauling the wheelbarrow down one embankment and up another (arms/legs/abs/back)
~Tossing the rolls into the back of the truck (arms)
~Then a storm rolled in and I had to increase my pace...drastically (cardio)

I had help to start but then mom, who just turned 50, tried to push the wheelbarrow up the embankment, without properly stretching first, and somehow strained/stretched/pulled a muscle in her leg...hence me rushing to beat the storm.

Long story short, there was no P90X today, but I still "brought it" and worked my butt off. Let's hope I can move tomorrow...mom probably won't be able to. And, if you know anyone in the Gallatin area looking to buy a house, there's an awesome redone Craftsman that will be hitting the market in the next few months...3 bed 1.5 bath!

Day 36 has been BROUGHT!

After the lack of sleep and productive day at work I managed to find 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X. It's been a long time since I've worked legs. Ironically, I really want muscular legs; however, they seem to be one of the weakest parts of my body. Some of those moves are nearly impossible. I tell myself its because I'm tall, but I know that's not true. I just have weak legs. Here's a warning to all of you out there regarding the "Sneaky Lunges"...THEY SUCK!!! They are hard and work your entire body!!!...and they're done really slow, that makes them even worse! Once again I caught myself breathing as if I was giving birth. Thank goodness I workout alone and there's no one around to witness the spectical.

Another happy note on Ab Ripper X...the first few exercises always wear hard on my upper thigh (hip flexors). The leg workout must get them nice and warm because I was expecting the worst but it actually went quite well.

I'm very proud of myself this week. I skipped Monday but have worked hard every other day of the week thus far. I hope to get Kenpo X in tomorrow! I have plans to leave town and am busy on Sunday as well. I'm just happy to have nearly completed week 5...who would have ever thought it would take 3+ weeks to finish 1!!

Day 36...has yet to be conquered

You see, Ms. Paislee, for some reason, woke up crying at 1:30am and didn't want to go back to sleep. This happened a few days ago and resulted in me sleeping in the recliner while she eventually fell asleep on the couch. So this time, instead of rewarding her by getting her up, we let her cry it out and brought Scotland to our bed (b/c they share a room). By the time Scotland made it to our room she was already awake and Paislee continued to scream for over an hour. Craig had given up his side of the bed and moved downstairs to sleep...but Scotland didn't really care to sleep at this point. I was stuck in our bed with Scotland talking and thumping her feet and legs onto the bed while Craig slept away downstairs. This continued until 4:15am when the alarm went off and I had to go get Craig up so he could run to work...and I literally mean run, this was his workout for the day. At this point, Craig's awake, Scotland is still awake, I'm awake. Scotland kept me up until 4:30am at which point I decided she could do what she wanted downstairs and I was going to sleep. She had the tv on and a blanket. I finally got to sleep and woke up sometime in the 5:00am hour and checked on her. She had finally fallen asleep in the recliner and I went back to bed until 6:30am. Needless to say its a coffee kind of day and by this evening I'm going to be exhausted.

My goal is to get my Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X in this afternoon sometime. I have to work off the Blizzard dear Craiger got me last night. It was so good and was the perfect treat after a cold shower. We've been holding off on turning our AC on and yesterday evening was rough. We have an attic fan that makes a huge difference, but when it gets this hot and humid it doesn't make things very pleasant. Last year the heat didn't seem to bother me much; however, this momma was cranky yesterday. Here's hoping today is better!

Day 35 Back & Biceps and Ab Ripper X

For the 3rd day in a row I was up and at 'em at 4:15am, "Pushing Play" and "Bringing It"...and it feels great. I hit it hard yesterday with Plyo in the am and then a 3.5 mile run in the 90+ degree heat. All last evening I was beat. And, let me tell you about that heat and my cravings last night...I guess because I worked so hard yesterday I felt as though I had earned and Double Fudge Cookie Dough Blizzard. I was craving one so bad. I really thought we might get one on the way to the in laws, but we drove right past. Then I thought we'd get one on the way home, but we drove right past again! I was a little perturbed that Craiger wouldn't stop. He stated that it was because the kids were with us and they didn't need ice cream...either way, he stopped me from blowing my hard work all to crap and I appreciate it greatly! Thanks babe!

Today my workout is done, nothing more to come this afternoon. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on what I'm eating. I got some new salad dressing at the store last night and am hoping it helps the taste of my salad at lunch time. I had a protein shake last night and realized how much it helps with the sweets cravings...think I'll take one for my afternoon craving. I've also had quite a bit of soreness the last couple of days and know the protein will help with it...although I love being a little sore!

Its very nice to be up and going so early. It gives me time to get my workout in, eat my breakfast, drink my coffee, and check the daily weather. It looks like we might get some more rain today, who would have thought???!! Glad I have no run scheduled for later this afternoon...all my hard work for the day is done!

Day 34...AGAIN!!

Sorry guys but today I'm a rock star and I just want to make sure everyone knows it...because, who knows, tomorrow I may suck.

I just finished my 3.5 mile run in the hot, hot sun. I was going to try to add some mileage but that didn't happen. I'm just happy I was able to finish the 3.5 without walking...it got pretty close to happening. Then, after a brief cool down (me standing in front of the fan in the fitness room like a dog with her head out of a car window) I hit the biceps with 3 sets of 21's. Craig says there's no such thing as "spot training" but I can't resist some 21's after a run!!

Tomorrow is Back & Biceps and Ab Ripper X. I'll start mentally preparing to "Bring It" at 4:15am tomorrow morning!

Day 34...later that same morning

Apparently I worked extremely hard this morning. I've been starving all morning. I'm fighting the cravings, after eating a snack size back of Teddy Grahams (so much for no sugar), and trying to hold out for lunch. Today it will be a salad, yuck, and a pb&j sandwich. I'm trying to avoid the protein shakes as they cause bloating and gas...who really needs either of those!!!??? However, I know that protein will help me get the results that I want...the verdict is still out on the final decision.

I still plan on getting a run in this afternoon and depending on how my legs feel, I may try to make it a long one. Its pretty warm out there right now and I can only assume that it will be hotter by the time I get around to running...guess the heat just helps you sweat off more weight! My upper body is quite sore from yesterday and it is such an awesome feeling. When you wake up sore you know you worked hard...I was actually starting to get sore late yesterday afternoon, which is even better.

I feel that I'm really getting back in the groove, even if it has only been 2 days since starting again. I feel that my mind is in the game and I'm up for the challenge. I want to look better naked and I was getting there, until taking the hiatis.

Day 34 Plyo

Wowza, wowza, wowza...I thought that one was going to kill me. Its been awhile since plyo and I had a run...and this time plyo definetly won! Plyo is one of those workouts that really makes you feel as though you weigh a ton. It also reminds you just how out of shape you are. I remember, back in the day, I was light on my feet. I've never had ups, but I could at least land like a cat. Nowadays I land like Shamu making a splash at Sea World. I'm afraid that with every jump my house will shake and the kids will wake up. And, let me add, that is it entirely impossible for me to jump, kick my butt with my heels, and land back on my feet...that floor comes up way too fast. Wow, how depressing!

Again today, I woke up just before the alarm sounded, which was nice...but I was not ready to push play. I was dragging and not totally awake. I feel as though I should have had my coffee before working out...but they warn against eating or drinking an hour before Plyo...that's always a good sign!

I'm hoping to get an afternoon run in this morning. I feel like I've lost a lot of ground in the slimming department over the last 3 attempts at week 5. I haven't done very well with cutting out carbs, so I'm going to have to up the cardio. I feel that is a fair trade...I'd almost run 10 miles a day if I could eat all the carbs I wanted. Carbs make me happy!...Carbs and Bloody Marys...quick note, I mixed a horrible Bloody Mary last night and was sorely disappointed in myself. I'll try harder tonight ;)

Here's to a better today than yesterday. The workout is in and the rest of the day can slide by without incident...ha ha, that's what I'll tell myself!

Who needs an alarm when your mind is set to "Bring It"..

I'd like to point out to everyone that I'm not as corny as I sound...my play on words with all the P90X sayings and slogans is more for comical effect! Please keep that in mind when reading my posts, my husband would appreciate it! He's quite concerned that you all will think I'm cheesier than humanly possible.

So today is Day 33 AGAIN!! I felt a slight urge to workout yesterday but knew the scheduling of it wouldn't be very promising. Instead I tried to keep my head in the game and plan my workout for this morning. I went to bed about 9:30pm but couldn't fall asleep until a little after 10pm. I prayed that I'd be up and ready to go once the alarm sounded at 4:15am.

At 4:07am I woke up on my own and knew this was going to be a good day. Instead of laying there thinking about how nice it would be to sleep in a little longer I went ahead and got up, hit the alarm so that it wouldn't wake up Craig once I got down stairs, and headed to get my workout on! Today's workout was Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, and Ab Ripper X. Check, Check, Check and Check! Lordy, lordy I hate push-ups. This workout starts with slow motion push ups...if you think regular push ups are bad you should try them in slow mo! There are so many push ups in this workout, fast-slow, one-arm (ha!), side-to-side, etc. By the time I had finished I had incurred my first P90X injury. Apparently all this humidity and all those push ups turned my knees softer than peach skin. I am now "proudly" sporting carpet burn on both knees...CLASSY! My shower and shave in a few minutes should feel lovely.

I could tell my abs weren't ready for their workout...Ab Ripper X was pretty tough. I found my self huffing, puffing and grunting to get it done. At little note to anyone doing this program, I cheat and take off my shoes for Ab Ripper X. Those darn in and outs, bicycles and crunchy frog are so tough and the added weight of shoes makes them worse. I've convinced myself that its slightly easier sans shoes.

I'm so happy that I was able to get up and get my workout in first thing this morning. I plan to stick to this schedule as it makes the rest of the day go easier...and Lord knows I need that right now. I'm wrapping up one job in the next month and starting a new one. Although I'm very excited to start the knew one, there will be many adjustments to be made. Getting the workout done before work will help tremendously. Plus, I'm all of a sudden having a head time keeping my head in the game while wrapping up my current position. There is a ton to train and pass on and it's been a long time coming. The transition period has proven to be challenging! 4:15am workouts are about the only thing that makes it better. So, here's to a wonderful Tuesday! I hope your day is as fantastic as I expect mine to be!

How was my run, you ask..

It started off rough. There's a cycle I always seem to go through when running: First there's the energetic, pumped-up start...Then there's the "Oh my Lord I started too fast" feeling...Finally things start to even out and get easier...Just in time to push and finish hard! I don't know why but it seems the first 3 minutes are the hardest. After that I seem to find my stride, breathe deeper and feel better.

Yesterday, just as I was out of safe distance from the YMCA I noticed that the pavement ahead of me seemed to be steaming. Hmmm, surely its just steam from humidity and not rain...WRONG! I got wet. There was no way I was going to beat it back to the Y...so a nice, wet run is what I had.

I ran about 3.5 miles in about 32 minutes. I didn't push it, I didn't want to. I was simply going for distance. I didn't stop and walk; however, at my turn around point I stretched out my Achilles tendons a bit. For some reason I could feel my left one tightening...my right one is the one I had trouble with before. I made it back to the YMCA save and sound, hot and sweaty, and feeling accomplished! Now that I know 3.5 miles isn't over doing it on the tendons I'll push for 4 and then so on. Hopefully I can continue to steadily increase the mileage in time for the Kirksville Stars and Stripes Half Marathon on July 3rd. We'll see

Here I come running...

Day 31 was quite productive in the way of physical exercise, but Day 32 lacked quite a bit. You see, it was Paislee Grace's 2nd birthday and instead of exercising I ate pizza and cake! Oh well, a good time was had by all.

Today I've caught the running bug. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the weather, all the talk of running going on around me, my Runner's World mag infront of me, or the fact that the last time I ran (Day 31) my body, minus my lungs, felt really great. Today I have my sights set of 3-5 miles. I'll have to feel it out and see what the ankle feels up to. The last time I ran 5 miles was the onset of my tendonitis.

Did I tell you my hubby is running the Kirksville Stars and Stripes Half Marathon in July? Wow, I know, right! He ran 7+ miles the other day and I was so proud of him. I'm excited that he's now running and hope we can find time to run together sometime!

I'll post again after my run to let you all know how it went, distance and time!

Week 5 Start Over...for the 3rd time!

Ok folks, today is Day 31, instead of Day 50. Although I've been eating somewhat healthier than I was prior to Day 1, I'm starting week 5 (workout wise) over for the 3rd time and I'm going to turn back my days as well. This means there will not be any pics in the next 10 days, as there was originally supposed to.

It seems as though ever time I lose track and start over it is with an arm day...and today was no different. I started my workout with 1 lap around the KV School Campus, which is somewhere between 1.5 and 1.75 miles. I'm pretty happy with that, as I ran the entire loop instead of doing teh 10 min run 3 min walk thing. Apparently the humidity was just right because even though my legs felt good my lungs were suffering. I was sucking air worse than a lady in labor. There were huge breaths in and squealing blows out...really, it was horrible and thank goodness no one was running with me to witness it all.

After finishing my run I decided it was a Back and Bicep day...Ab Ripper X will follow tonight. I enjoy getting the entire workout done at once and know that Ab Ripper X will do more good when my heart rate is already up; however, for some reason, when I am already pretty tired I really strain my neck and end up with a headache that lasts the rest of the evening. So, sometime after supper and before bed I will get my Ab Ripper X in, and it will have to be scheduled around the Women's College World Series!!! I love watching those games!...at this point I don't even care who wins, as long as I get to watch.

So, long story short, I ran and worked my back and arms. My biceps are exhausted and I love the feeling. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and hope it carries me through the rest of the week. Tomorrow's workout should really be done at 4:15am as it is Paislee Grace's 2nd birthday!!! We will undoubtedly be busy tomorrow night, so no excuses for skipping. 4:15am it is!

Day 46...I'm hanging in there

Wow was is it a hot one out there. Today I just focused on jogging...it would have been much nicer if I had remembered my iPod. Running sucks as it is, not to mention the dreaded heat and lack of musical stimulation. I did my 10 min run 3 min walk times 3. That got me approximately 3.4 miles! I'm pretty happy with that. My ankle is still feeling really good, no soreness or tightening...so no complaints.

After my run I was able to keep myself motivated enough to BRING IT for Ab Ripper X. It wasn't much fun, as it had been a while since the last time I had done it. I figured I had might as well get it done while my heart rate was still up...and, I knew I'd feel a lot better afterwards.

I'm still sticking to coffee, yogurt and a whole wheat bagel for b-fast, a salad for lunch, something to snack on in the afternoon and then pretty much whatever I want for supper (within reason, of course). I can't wait to see what the hubs has fixed for tonight. He's a pretty good cook and always beats me home!!

Day 44 & 45

Hi everyone, it's time for me to make a "come to Jesus" post...to myself (and a slight plea to my hubby) I've lost all motivation towards my P90X program. I don't know why. I want to want to do it. I want the results that I've started to see on myself and the results I've seen on all the program graduates. I'm in a rut! This week was supposed to be a repeat of week 5...now, next week will be a three-peat of week 5. Hopefully one of these days I'll stick to it and move on to week 6!

I still have motivation, some, to work out (run)...I just don't have it towards dvds. And,I think that is exactly it. I dvd workouts themselves are fabulous...they keep your heart rate up, they work your muscles, and you can feel the progress the next day...however, they're just that...a dvd. I have lost interest in working out to the tv. If only I could have a partner. If only my life partner and husband, Craig, would do them with me. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!

You see, he's more of the meat-head type. He wants huge, massive muscle and isn't concerned with the amount of leanness he has going on. He's not fat by any means but I think he would have tremendous results from this program. We could be the hottest couple in the world!!!! ha ha

So, here's to scraping by this week and attempting to start over next week and hit it hard with week 5, once again. For all of you who are doing the program also, keep up the good work. Try your hardest to stick with it. I truly believe in the program. These issues are purely my own that I must work through and conquer.

Day 42 (nothing) & 43 Back & Biceps

Ya, so...I went ahead and enjoyed the holiday on Monday and spent it in our back yard with the kiddies...oh, and I might have had a small Dairy Queen Double Fudge Cookie Dough Blizzard. No workout was completed. However, today I stepped up to the plate and the road for 30 minutes in the hot, 3:30pm sun and then pushed play for Back and Biceps. I ran out of time and didn't get Ab Ripper X done, and frankly, I don't feel like doing it now that I'm home watching the Cards.

How about that summer heat? It really sucks to run in. I hadn't run for quite a while and could really tell. Between the humid hotness and aches in my legs and lungs, I was really sucking butt by the time I got back to the YMCA. The run was a really nice warm up before my Back and Bicep workout. I LOVE working arms!



Check out my gun!

By the time I was done I could really tell that my biceps were swollen and sore. Again, I'm not one of those gals who just want to be skinny. Yes, skinny is ok, but I want more muscle. I want to be one of those chicks you see and think to yourself, "Damn!"...so, biceps are a lot of fun. I believe tomorrow calls for YogaX...think I'll be hitting up KenpoX. It seems like its been forever since I did that dvd last.