Back in the saddle :)

Just biked - and I have MISSED my road bike!! Have been biking on the mountain bike and it just doesn't hold a candle!!! Also with all the spin classes I've done, I was able to clip right into those peddles and fly! I need to find a new route though - I hadn't been on the West Ashley Bikeway post-rain (all the rain we've had brought all kinds of dirt and sediment onto the paved path - and I hated it... For those who don't know what it's like to ride a road bike through dirt/soft sand, it's like driving on ice - you can't brake without falling (or at least I can't), you don't want to turn hard one way or the other or you will fishtail and probably fall and you just sail through it, hoping like hell to make it to the other side of the 'patch.' (I am probably not easing my Mom's nerves who will read this...)

Weeza gave me a book - Lowcountry Bike rides - but they are in the boonies and I'm not familiar with the routes (hence the boonies...). SO - anyone down here want to ride??? Jen? Reg? Anyone?? I haven't been to Sewee Outpost, but have heard they have some good rides/routes... I'll have to investigate this more - I need to train!!!

The Bianci was great, though, and I can't wait to get back on it! It looks like I'll ride Saturday mornings, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings (these are the only time slots that really fit in my schedule). If all goes well, I'll be doing both Taebo and Body Bar on Monday night with Jenelle - back to back... then I guess you either know the rest or you'll hear about it from me.

I will be dropping off the planet (really starting today) to finish up my Internship Report/Thesis - need a rough draft by March 15th (thought I had until 3/26 - AARRGGHH!!!!) - so all I will be doing is sleeping, eating, working and exercising - in fact, I think my time at the gym will be much needed escape and re-formulate-thoughts-time... So if you thought I had dropped off before - to do this challenge - you've seen NOTHING. If you're in charleston this is why I've not emailed/FB'd/called you - but I will maintain the blog :) Til next time...

This morning I ran/walked the bridge, well, I think it's fair to say I walk/lightly jogged the bridge. To walk it is still hard if you have SORE muscles, though! Catherine and Katie S. were our fearless leaders - I was the only one from my team and then there were a couple from Jason's Deli (team) and the rest were Catherine and Katie's teams... I suppose if your trainer is the one leading the morning, there's more of chance that you'll be there :) Sidney - on Catherine's team - is #1 overall for women for most lost in % body fat - quite an achievement!!! Catherine's team is really nice and one of the mentor's Jenny stayed by my side for half of the bridge walk and she was very encouraging. Kudos to that team!

I'm sitting here thinking of all the reasons NOT to ride my bike... I'm tired and could really use a nap... I'm working tonight at T99 and really need the rest, not the exercise... but it's only 4:15 - plenty of time for at least a small ride, right? I spoke with my buddies at the Bike Shoppe (MtP) today and David, my unofficial century ride trainer, told me I should ride 3 times a week, adding 5 miles on each time, giving myself enough time to make it to 50 miles, leaving the week before the race to go out and only do 15-20 mile rides... So I guess in order to do that, I'll need to get on the bike now... So off I go!!!

Better Fitting Clothes!!! :)

My mom and sister gave me a cute top last winter after they had gone outlet shopping somewhere - it's a pretty purple top from AT Loft with a little bow made out of the softest material - I LOVED IT. But I couldn't wear it - which was more than a little frustrating - but more so, it was a little embarrassing - they got me a size L, which I should have been able to fit into. I'm wearing it today :) I like it so much, I might not take it off for a couple of days :) It fits perfectly - NO snug-ness. This means a couple of things - one, my belly is shrinking... and two, my CHEST IS SHRINKING - thank the good Lord. Another indication of shrinking chest: I need a smaller bra, which is very exciting!! :) :) I'm also currently wearing a pair of pants that I really shouldn't wear again until they've been taken in because they are WAY too big - but they are lined pin stripe pants (really nice pants) that I can wear to work - and I don't want to buy new clothes quite yet... so here I am with a perfect fitting top and a pair of pants that I probably should be wearing a belt with - and I am content.

This morning we swam 1/2 a mile = 16 laps. Best things about it: I didn't thing I was going to drown, I took smaller breaks between laps or sets, and I was able to control my breathing better and able to focus more on strokes... after last week, it hurt behind my knees where the muscle attaches to the joint - and we pinpointed this with not kicking correctly. It was then painful (at times) to do spinning - which is clearly NOT the goal. So this morning, I focused on my kick and even used the flippers to help with this concentration and my knees feel much better. I'm super sore - but it's a good sore... I can feel it now - I'm going to go to bed early :)

Spinning and Swimming = my faves, followed closely by Cage Fitness

I'm eating better - I'm getting better workouts - I'm feeling better - I'm seeing the changes (FINALLY) and I feel like a whole person again. Yay. :)

I LOST 2.8 lbs for a TOTAL of 13.0 lbs!!!! YAY!!! I lost what I had gained last week PLUS an 'extra' 0.8 lbs!! More to follow - but I wanted to put that up straight away :)

The snack I meant to mention

Great snack I had this morning: 1 cup of fage greek yogurt, 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup blueberries, & 2 tsp agave syrup (Which doesn't spike your insulin levels like honey does). It would have been better with cinnamon vs. agave - but I left it at home...). This snack has 3 of the foods I'm supposed to have from the list I posted earlier... Mid-afternoon snack = 1/2 a pear & 1 tbs of almond butter :) (Lunch = 1/2 yellow bell pepper stuffed with quinoa, ground turkey, tomato sauce, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, & olive oil.) Mid morning snack and lunch = inspired by Catherine the Great. And since I've apparently decided to share my foods with you, for dinner I'm having salmon with dill, kake, tomatoes and lentils. I'm fairly certain that completes my food requirements for the list...

Better Snacks = Better Day :)

I've had a good day so far - I worked out with the team this morning, which I had missed. I missed grunting and counting together and intimidating the rest of the people in the cardio room :) I was grumpy this morning - I have too much 'in the balance' with school, work outs, etc. and it's making me mighty cranky - plus, this is the first morning in a while that I have worked out at 6am... that's likely to make anyone cranky, right?

Since I don't have much to tell about myself (I'm keeping my stress bottled up so I don't break down), I'm going to share some more healthy tips that we have learned!

Lessons learned on 2/4/10:

8 foods to eat everyday!
(1) Spinach (1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup chopped) - or kale, bok choy, or romaine lettuce
(2) Yogurt (1 cup/day) = greek, soy, or plain
(3) Tomatoes (8 cherry or 1 cup juice) - or red watermelon, pink grapefruit, papaya, or guava
(4) Carrots (1/2 cup) - or sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, yellow peppers or mango
(5) Blueberries (1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup frozen) - or acai berries, purple grapes, or strawberries
(6) Black beans (1/2 cup/day) - or lentils, pinto, kidney or fava beans
(7) Walnuts = Omega 3's!! (1 oz or 7 nuts) - or almonds, peanuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts
(8) Oats (1 cup/day) - or quinoa (my fave!!), flax seed (grind), or wild rice

Categories I have left to eat today: 1, 3, 6, & 7 - so I'll need to get those in for afternoon snack or dinner... SO doable!!

other fun (or not so fun) facts:
* 1/2 cup pinto beans daily can cut LDL (bad cholesterol) by 8%
* 1 chicken wing = 10g fat (wowsers!)
* Beware of tofu, eggplant, & mushrooms - they soak up olive oil, etc.
* You'll consume 20% fewer calories in your meal if you start with a soup appetizer
* Swiss cheese has 1/3 the sodium of cheddar and 1/4 the sodium of provolone

One last thing to share with you :)
Best blood sugar stabilizer = raspberries
Best colon cancer guard = white & green tea
Best skin saver = carrots
Best heart protector = salmon
Best breast cancer beater = whole grain cereal
Best bone protector = shrimp
Best anti-aging elixir = RED WINE :)
Best vision defender = spinach

Stay tuned to see how I do at tonight's weigh in :)

I just realized that it's Wed and I didn't blog yesterday... Yesterday wasn't that eventful, so I guess it's okay... Tuesday, I ate VERY well - only one small itty bitty thing I shouldn't eat, but I've fixed that tiny situation... Tuesday night I did Cage Fitness taught by Mandy :) and I ate too close to going (seems to be a constant situation for me) and felt ill half way through - but I finished!! And Mandy said that she can really tell a difference in my 'performance' as it were - I am holding out longer and I'm stronger (yay!!)

Today I started my day off right with Catherine's spinning class - Johnny W. and Jane H. (not Horton) were there - they both go to the Cathedral (church) with me. (AND I saw Alonso G. before my workout - it was a regular 'Cathedral' morning :) )

I sweated A LOT in Catherine's class (which she did say at the beginning was going to happen). It was harder than it's been in the past, but I really think that that's because I'm pushing myself more and more in her classes - and I'm still able to do everything that she has the class doing. I then had a great mini consult with her afterwards and had some important questions answered (good NEW ideas for snacks, meals, etc.). I'm sure my old roomie's can attest to this - but I have a hard time eating the same food over and over again. And eventhough I know this about myself, I will often get myself in a pickle and get bored with food and then eat something horrible for me... well, that happened recently - and Catherine gave me some good new ideas for snacks that I'm going to mix in with my current snacks so that there is more variety and less boredom for Julia ;)

The rest of the day has been spent on thesis work - I'm beginning to get really stressed out about deadlines, etc. I'm not entirely sure how it's going to work out - but I'm working hard at trying to finish up everything!!! And in between large chunks of time of writing and making maps, I'm doing these workouts :)

Starting this Saturday (Laura, John & Reg - I PROMISE this will happen) I am going to get out there with my bike and start a routine that will gradually increase every time I get outside to cycle... Saturday, I'm trying for a measly 20 miles... then 25 (on 3/3), 30 (on 3/6), 35 (on 3/10), 40 (0n 3/13), 45 (on 3/17), 50 (on 3/20) - just in time for our 50 mile ride on 3/28. It'll all work out - I'm counting on it!! This Saturday, I will be spinning in the morning and riding in the afternoon - this is all based on good weather - I'm definitely a fair weather cyclist... :)

One of you loyal followers asked me to share some tidbits of info that we are gleaming from this HCC experience - I believe I tried this a couple of weeks ago - but I decided today as I try to revamp my workouts and eating habits, to share some more tidbits and as I type them out, I will remind myself as well :)

What we learned on 1/14/10...

Alcohol & Weight loss are enemies

- an occasional drink can have a place in a healthy lifestyle

- however, if you are exceeding the one drink/day you're sabotaging your weight loss

- alcohol is metabolized differently - if you are eating WHILE drinking, that food is stored primarily as fat

Workouts should be based on the FITT principle:

F = FREQUENCY = how often you exercise/week

I = INTENSITY = how hard you work; monitor your heart rate

T = TYPE = what type of activity you are doing

T = TIME or duration (want to be doing it for long enough that it is beneficial)

Healthy Snacks: 1/2 pear, 1/2 grapefruit, 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 6 strawberries, 15 blueberries (most fruits like pears, g.fruit, apples, etc. = 2 whole servings, so you have to halve them to make it one serving.... We're only allowed 2 servings of fruit a day because of the sugar levels...)

More healthy snacks: 1/3 cup brown rice & beans, 12 almonds, 12 walnuts, 1 TBSP non fat yogurt, 1 hard boiled egg, 2 hard boiled egg whites

We're encouraged to mix those snacks: walnuts/almonds, 1 TBS yogurt, 15 blue berries; 1/3 chicken breast & peppers; 10 red grapes, 1/4 cup beans and 1/4 cup rice

My hardest part has been putting together these snacks - because snacks to me, are a lot different than what these trainers have in mind... an idea I got today was to wrap a little bit of ground turkey in a leaf of romaine lettuce to make a mini lettuce wrap - if needed, dip in mustard (I did it today - tasty!!) Another thing I tried today was greek yogurt (fage) with strawberries and cinnamon = very tasty!!! Greek yogurt has 15 g protein for one of those cups of yogurt... Catherine suggested adding a little quinoa to the yogurt with blueberries and cinnamon - I'm going to try that tomorrow!

Fun little things to know: Greek yogurt has not only 15 g protein but only 90 calories/ serving (this is clearly going to vary with container sizes...)!! Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory - so loading up = good!! (I just found this out today.) Quinoa = a complete protein in and of itself - and it's a whole grain - it's really amazing and I love it.

I think that's probably enough for today - and it certainly makes up for missing yesterday :)

I've had some people tell me they wanted to comment on my post but haven't wanted to start an acct - I just changed it so that anyone can comment... and I figured out how to change the time stamp.. so hopefully both of these will work in the future!!

I did spinning this morning with Susan at ESAC West Ashley - the class was 5:30-6:45 am and it wasn't as intense as some other classes I have taken... which may have been okay - I got my heart rate up, which is good, but I hurt in some new places - possibly sore from Saturday, possibly new hurts? I don't know - but I've marked them with a sharpie on my legs so that I can better explain it to my PT later...

ESAC isn't as nice as Eco or the Wellness Center, but it is only $30/month, so it's definitely something to consider - but it doesn't have a pool... I've been told to check out St. Andrews ________ - can't remember name (clearly)...

I may have some exciting news later today, so I'm going to keep the post short this morning. I'm off to do thesis work! Hope everyone has a great day!! (and it's only 7:15am - not whatever ungodly time the clock on this blog says...)

I kind of dropped of the planet this weekend - weekend with family - several in town for my Dad's Birthday... I also didn't do so well with calories this week - I thought I could handle a party - which I could - but it's the snacking in between meals that kills it for me - which I only seem to do at my parent's house... and maybe it's because it's a party weekend, but everyone else did it too, which didn't help... but no worries, I'm back on the horse. AND if the general (and important) concerns weren't enough to keep me on track, I certainly feel crummy, so no more crap food...

I went to Catherine's spinning class on Saturday - which I loved - I don't know what it is about her, but I am determined to do all that she requires of the class without flinching (too much). I was worried that I wouldn't be up to it, because it's been a while since I last did spinning, but her energy is contagious :) I'm spinning again tomorrow morning with my friend Susan at her gym, ESAC, West Ashley... I suppose I'm just touring the gyms right now - which isn't a bad idea - it's nice to know what other gyms are like and what their spinning classes are like... I was really worried about paying MUSC's fees of $50/month, but it's a high quality gym with high quality peeps... Eco Fitness = $44/mos - and is also a high quality gym... with a spectacular spin instructor :) but Eco doesn't have a pool, which seems to be a deal breaker... so we'll see what ESAC has to offer. I'm glad my friend Susan asked me to join her tomorrow morning... but here I am up at 10:45 pm again, and I need to be there at 5:30 am, so I'm going to head to bed.

I'm ready to get a good start on the week and eat better (for me) food!!

Phelps? Not yet...

This morning, Jenelle and I were 'trained' by Shawn (the coolest intern EVER). Shawn side note: she is an awesome swimmer, swim coach and friend :) - plus she loves the environment - so she's green (the coolest color ever!!). Shawn put together a list of stuff for us to do - Jenelle did the whole 'program' = 24 laps - I did half of the program, which is still 1/3 of a mile!! All laps were freestyle only... exceptions: kick board and 'pull' (arms only). The exception laps were perfect for practicing my freestyle stroke - which wasn't horrible, but wasn't the best either. I am exhausted after only 12 laps! We did warm up laps, and then we increased our intensity and speed, ending with sprint laps. I was pretty sure I was going to sink this morning, but I did pretty well... but after the leg weights Thursday, I had trouble walking today... I kind of love being sore though - it's affirmation that I'm using my muscles!!

Tomorrow morning, I'm doing spinning with the BEST spin instructor EVER, Catherine (of course :) ) at Eco Fitness in MtP... Catherine said that for the 8:15 class, you have to start calling at 7 to reserve a bike - CRAZY!! So I guess I should go to bed, I can't wait!! (it's actually 10:45 - which is pretty late for me... I'm only letting you know because the time stamps are clearly VERY off!!)

I gained 2 lbs this week - which is clearly not great - but I'm actually not upset about it. Sure, it would have been better to lose, but I honestly think that losing almost 5 lbs last week wasn't normal... And if you think about it (which I am), I lost 2.6 lbs in 2 weeks - which I think is a better way to look at it. I've lost a total of 10.2 lbs and I increased the intensity of my work outs this week!! Tomorrow morning is going to be JUST as intense - so here's to Shawn offering to go swimming with Jenelle and I and here's to my doing more than I ever in the pool tomorrow morning and this week!

Goals for this week: To balance out my calories better (I keep having only 50 calories left - or the reverse, I'll have 600 calories left!) This week I want to get back to basics - review the original principles laid out for us and work on those. This week I'd certainly prefer to lose weight, but instead of concentrating on that, I'm going to concentrate on the intensity of work outs and I really want to make sure that everything I eat is doing something positive for my body - if it's not doing something positive, I want to be able to NOT eat it - that may be difficult this Saturday (Dad's Birthday dinner), but I have been to dinners and parties during this challenge and have stuck to my guns... and considering I want guns, well, let's just say that I have motivation.

Thanks to all who support me - I love you all :) I love the emails, texts and comments that are encouraging and supportive! Y'all are SO great!!

Legs of Jelly :)

Jenelle and I worked out with Sarah this morning - one on one, as it were - and we both got there early enough to catch the team as they were finishing their 6AM workout, which was great because I haven't seen those lovely ladies in over a week!! We both warmed up on the elliptical machines for 5 minutes, and then I did the Nautilus machines - focusing on only legs - while Jenelle did squats all over the room... Sarah had me putting the machines on the heaviest I could stand, knowing that I'd only be doing 10, so I gave it my all, and much to my chagrin, I had to go back through the machines as Jenelle finished her squats... So I did that routine over and over until I couldn't walk...awesome. Then I was put back on to cardio for 5 minutes and then I worked out my arms a little and then we did lots of ab work - really only 3 exercises, but each we did for SEVERAL minutes...
What I have not been able to do today: hold the phone up to my ear... sit down too long at my desk (or my legs cramp), and hold my water bottle up to drink (but I've been doing it anyway!!).

I'm thinking tomorrow I'm not going to be able to walk... keep in mind: these are not complaints (yet)! These are just accounts of how my day is going :) Tomorrow Shawn (intern) is going to coach Jenelle and I while we swim laps...

Stay tuned tonight for my weigh-in news. I'm still nervous about weighing in after all the weight I lost last week... Janis told me to aim for perfection and I know I wasn't perfect this week... But as Louisa said, concentrate on the long-term goal! So that's what I'm working on!
Over and out :)

Sore Arms!!

So today was different. I worked out solo. And because my day was SO hectic, I didn't get to the gym until 6:30ish - I worked out from 6:45 til 7:30 on the elliptical machine and I pushed myself and am quite pleased with myself for getting there.... Even though I know that weigh-in is tomorrow and that I can't let myself or my team down, I really had to force myself to get to the gym.... I must make the effort to go earlier!! I did it - which proves I can do it... but I think if I do evening workouts from now on, it has GOT to be with a buddy! I am much better at independent work outs/training in the earlier part of the day... by night time, I'm ready to be home resting :)

Last night, Jenelle and I (my trusty team mate side kick - or maybe I'm her side kick... we're equal side kicks :) ) did Cardio Power Hour at MUSC and then Cage Fitness at the other place (still can't remember the name... empty hand... empty heart... I don't remember - but for their sake, I hope it's not empty heart...). I didn't really enjoy the Cardio Pwr Hr - it was more like the body bar class (that this instructor also teaches) - there was only about 20 mins of cardio and the rest was core and strength training - which I like - so don't get me wrong about that BUT this class was right before Cage Fitness, which is also core and strength training... so that was slightly suicidal of us. I would have preferred to have had at least 45 mins cardio before going to Cage - now I know (and knowing is half the battle). I will say that that dynamic duo of a workout last night = my not being able to hold anything over my head, including my arms... and it hurts to hold the phone up to my ear - so don't be expecting any calls from me anytime soon ;)

Fun little fact I learned today (which should interest Reggie and Laura... since I haven't really trained for the bike race yet...) but the Wellness Center has about 15 'trainers' that you can hook up to your own bike and ride indoors... AND they encourage it in their evening spin classes... so I can train indoors... that just sounds so much more appealing to me right now...

New Regimen?

SO, Sarah has me doing new stuff this week - and I love it so far! Last night I did Taebo in the evening instead of working out in the morning... In fact, all my workouts will be in the evening this week with Jenelle - I get to sleep in! (Sleeping in from 5AM wake up to 6 or 6:30AM wakeup is pretty stellar.) Tonight Jenelle and I are trying a new class - Cardio Power Hour at the Wellness Ctr - and then Jenelle is coming with me to Cage Fitness :)

I'm not sure what is going to happen Wednesday - but I think I'm going to be doing Taebo again in the evening, and then I'll probably head to the cardio room for 'mindless' time on the elliptical while I clear my head for the next day :) Thursday, I'll probably still work out in the AM - and then back to afternoons on Friday... I'm excited about changing it up for a little while.

I'm still working out the new schedule and I'm trying to fit in spinning twice a week - I think I may go for a long bike ride on Sunday - I'm still training for the century ride!! Laura (one of my faithful blog followers), John, Tara (?), and hopefully Reggie (one of my faithful blog followers) and I are going to do the 50 mile after the bridge run ride on 3/28!

Yay for active friends who support me every step of the way - and who come up with great ideas for moving outside :)

I'm all rested up!!

So, I have been out of sorts for a while - hence the lack of posts, but after sleeping for almost 3 days straight, I am back in the game! (With a bit of residual cough, but no worries - I'll work through it!) I am heading to the gym today with the team to do a Body Bar class at 2:30 - and I really don't know what to expect - so stay tuned for my report! This week, it looks like instead of eating pancakes at shrove Tuesday at the church, I will be grinding it out with Cage Fitness on Tuesday... so if anyone wants to join me (and fight the urge to eat copious amounts of pancakes, sausage and eggs), I'd love for you to come with me!! And I think I'm going to attempt yoga again on Monday and this Saturday, I will be trying to get into Catherine's Saturday spin class at EcoFitness :) Really, if any of my loyal blog fans would like to join me for any of my extra classes, I'd really love for you to be there with me! I, of course, will also be working out with my team M-F 6-7am. I'm glad to be back - and you will hear more from me soon!!!

I LOST 4.6 lbs this week - for a TOTAL of 12.2 lbs in 5 weeks!!!

I was very concerned that this was just because I was sick - but I did make my 1200 calories both today and yesterday - and Janis (head of program) said that if I do everything perfectly this week, that I may not lose, but I shouldn't gain... so my goal this week: PERFECTION. I have a lot of temptations to get through - but I also have A LOT of motivation! So, here we go, Week 6! I am headed to bed - I am wiped! But here's to a great week - and hopefully many more great weeks to come!! Thanks, again, for your support!! I hope everyone has a great Hallmark Day on Sunday ;)

NO STREP THROAT!! Which as Barb pointed out, may not be the best news ever, because Strep Throat is easier to cure... turns out I have a cold with a nasty sore throat - but I already feel better this morning after pumping myself with Vitamin C yesterday and a slew of allergy type meds.... it's been a while since I've had a common cold - normally it's a sinus infection or just allergies acting up... so I didn't really know how to address the whole thing - but I'm fairing okay this morning - wiped out, but better!

Warning signs that Julia's sick (1) I don't want to talk to anyone, I want everyone to leave me alone and I don't want anyone to touch me (which is humorous, because this is clearly not what I'm like on a daily basis...), (2) No Appetite (I normally eat every three hours... I ate twice yesterday and it was forced), (3) I slept the whole day (almost), and then the whole night - without waking up or feeling restless... clearly I needed that sleep...

Okay, that's really all I've got today - I clearly don't have a lot to write about since I haven't done much... I'm just trying to push fluids today, eat citrus, and try and be less cranky. Oh, and trying to make a cold go away...

And just to make Reg feel good about having his name on the interwebs... REGGIE - I really appreciate you :) And Clearly, I appreciate your lovely wife, Barb as well :) Thanks for keeping tabs on me and this blog :)

Thanks for your well wishes, thoughts and prayers! As always, I appreciate you all!!!

Cage Fitness (yay!) & more hurdles (boo!)

CAGE FITNESS was GREAT! I really liked it - and I already know what my goals will be for the next one... I was really wiped before the class (and now I know why... but will get to that later), but regardless of how I was feeling - I could tell that it was a great class! They break 30 minutes into 5 sets of 5 minutes - during each set, you do 5-6 different activities... mountain climbs, heismans (sp?), cross punches, cross kicks, planks, block the pass (?), etc. and you either do them for 30 or 45 sec intervals... between each set you have a 1 minute break for water, rest, etc. At the very end you cool down. The instructor makes sure that you are doing exercises in such a way that doesn't hurt your back. And Mandy (my instructor last night - but also a friend of mine :) ) definitely had to correct a lot of what I was doing in terms of form and maybe kicking higher or whatever. I really liked it - and I was really impressed by both Mandy and Hope (both friends - Hope was taking the class) who were such Pro's!! Thanks, gals (and Elizabeth), for encouraging me to take the class - I will be back - probably next Tuesday night!! :)

So I woke up this morning feeling awful and didn't go to spin class :( - which is probably the least of my worries... the doctor said I either have a cold/allergies or strep throat - and I'm (clearly) really hoping for the first one!! I can't swallow, which is the big concern, but I've been given a regimen for today because the Dr. isn't it, and if I still feel the same way tomorrow, I will be seen and tested for strep - YUCK! Talk about a hurdle to the healthy portion of this challenge!! I tried to convince my trainer that I could go to the gym tomorrow morning but she told me to relax and get some rest - which is all well and good - but I don't want to lose my great progress!! She assures me that as long as I eat well while at home today that I won't fall behind... and I DID exercise twice yesterday... ;) I will keep you posted - and if you want to reach me - I will be near the computer all day today, so email or call me! Now I'm going to go get some rest (grudgingly).

Monday & Tuesday combo :)

Sorry about not blogging yesterday - I went to bed early :) Yesterday (Monday) was another round of cardio - I like our schedule for Mondays; it's easy to get into the swing of things for the week if we're "just" doing cardio. Yesterday, we had individualized workouts - Sarah had me doing interval training (of sorts) - I did 5 minutes on the treadmill and then 5 minutes on the bike - and I continued that from 6-7am and then did the elliptical for 15 minutes, then stretched and went on my merry way to my P.T.

P.T. Report = focus on what I can do: elliptical machine, cardio bike, spinning, and swimming - but not to do breast stroke (frog kick) until my hamstring has healed... and before each spinnning class, do a warm up on a non-spin bike or elliptical - and after EVERY workout, stretch (which I have been doing) and ice knee at the gym (I'm not to wait until I get home). I had a pretty large bruise on my knee that I didn't really see until he pointed it out to me - mainly because I had been so focused on the hamstring catastrophe - oops ;) Also, if I still have shin splints on Saturday, I'm not to do the bridge... I think that's it... So it turns out the machines/exercises I can do, are the ones I love anyway - or at least I don't hate them with a fiery passion, so that worked out :)

Also I'd like to report that today (Tuesday), I spoke with my trainer and I no longer harbor any resentment or bad feelings towards her. We talked it out and all is golden :) And I no longer have probs with my team mates - I have no idea if they have probs with me, but I'm less concerned about that - if problems are there and if they want them resolved, I suppose I'll find out eventually. But as of now - after a GREAT conversation with my trainer - all is good.

This morning, I did the ellitical and the cardio bike and in between intervals of those two, I did some nautilus machines (hamstring curls & abducter/adducter) and some free weights, with some abs mixed in - I believe, if I understand correctly, that this will be my regimen for Tues/Thurs... but I also know that nothing has been constant, and I'm okay with that, too!

Tonight I'm doing a Cage Fitness class - one of my friends, Mandy, teaches it tonight - and Elizabeth and Hope (2 other great friends) also teach it - so we'll see how tonight goes - I'll let you all know (clearly) and hopefully I will be taking classes from all of my great CF friends :)

Also shout out to Hope who yesterday gave me a ride to get my car, and of course, shout out to Liz who gave me a ride Friday - loved that y'all were able to do that for me!! Thank you soo much!!
Stay tuned to see how Cage Fitness goes tonight... :)

Kaye, one of the mentors, and one of my good friends, has offered to sponsor me in the bridge run, which is really great in some ways... (I kind of liked having the excuse of not doing a 6.2 run/walk since I am definitely doing the 50-mile bike ride the next day - and the bike ride plan has been in the works a lot longer than the HCC...) but I don't have to run the bridge - I can 'leisurely' walk it in the back to get my muscles warmed up for the ride - AND it was very nice for Kaye and her husband to want to sponsor me :)

We did the bridge yesterday - and what that included for most was an 'indian run' up to the first span, an abs, arms, and leg work out at the first span, and then an indian run down. No, Aunt Lynn, the indian run doesn't have me singing indian chants while I run (though that idea was clever, and I may incorporate it next time), but it is the type of run where we all run single file and the last person sprints to the front while we are all still running. I was there plenty early to start with the others, but I chose to wait on some peeps and we walked up the bridge, completely unaware that an indian run was in the works and then made it to jump in and do abs work outs, etc.

Though my team mates may have been frustrated with me, this was actually better for me, because I am not supposed to run yet! Get mad at me, sure, whatever, but I have amped it up in every other aspect and am trying my best to protect my knee before I have a huge injury on my hands... I am a little frustrated with some of my team members and with my trainer - but I have struggled on whether I share that on this blog - I would much rather talk with people than type it out - sure, I've journaled about it - but this is different, because you are all reading my journal. So I just request thoughts and prayers this week as I try to work through this seemingly difficult time... I'm inclined to believe that this sort of drama is bound to happen with 8 women who are with each other all the time in a competition of sorts - I should know - I DID go to a Women's University.... (and I HATE drama!!! But you all probably know that anyway...)

Great Losses :)

I LOST 1.0 LBS this week - for a GRAND TOTAL OF 7.6 lbs in 4 weeks!!!! YAY!!!! More from me later - but I swam this morning with Jenelle (the rest of the team did water aerobics) and I swam for 45 minutes straight - which was exhausting - but amazing, because I haven't swam that much for that long in a very long time. Afterwards, Jenelle and I hit the steam room, which I love - so it rounded out my Friday morning nicely! I'm going to see my P.T. about my knee/hamstring combo on Monday, so I'm feeling good about that as well... Now to work on the thesis... :)

The Clean 15

So I just read an article I'd like to share with y'all... Most of you know how important it is to me to buy local - both local boutiques and produce. So, I'm a member of a CSA with Ambrose Farms on Johns Island (with friend Sarah H. and my parents). Well, on the off-season (January-March) when there is no CSA or farmer's market, it is harder to buy local, unless you head to some of the local markets on Johns Island (Stono Market & Rosebank Farms). Most of the CSAs are organic, our's is.

I just read an article about fruits/veggies and what it's okay to buy organic and not organic (since we can't all afford organic). If you choose to buy conventional produce, stick to the fruits and veggies with the lowest amounts of pesticide residue. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has dubbed this group "the Clean 15" and they are: onions, avocados, corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi fruits, cabbages, eggplants, papayas, watermelons, brocoli, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. The EWG has also compiled a list of the 12 fruits and veggies with the most pesticide residue, which they've dubbed, 'the dirty dozen,' which = peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale (sad), lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, and pears (sad).

So, as I look at healthier choices for me, I thought you would also like this info :)

And if you must falter, be wise...

Yep, I took my 'title' from a song that is stuck in my head... it's my elliptical machine song... I'll give points to who answers what song it's from... no hints, except that it's a typical running song that I wouldn't listen to in my day to day life. But, about faltering, I was late AGAIN this morning! It turns out that I should take into account how tired I am after the significant change from working out once a day to twice a day - and maybe, I should also set BOTH of my alarm clocks - I do have 2 for a reason...

So I got 'punished' for being late... I did little of what the others did (Sarah had the team in pairs and they were doing cardio for 5 minutes and then weights for 5 mins - but I'm having knee trouble, so no dice for me, at least for the lunges). Sarah had me on the old spin bikes and every 2 minutes, I did a standing run for 1 minute - which is harder than it is in spin class, because these bikes don't have the resistence knobs, so it's just me controlling how fast/slow I go... my knee and me were NOT happy! Lots of icing after the workout this morning.

More sad news = I can't do Catherine's spinning class, unless I do it in addition to the 6am spinning class :( - which I'm pretty sure I shouldn't do right now with the knee/hamstring probs - just so you get the big picture, when Sarah told me this, I stuck my bottom lip out - and left it there to make my point :( (My Grandaddy told me when I do this, he can hang his clothes on my lip... I don't care - bottom lip out for the day.) I will say that I understand the importance of working out with the group, I do - but I work out with the group on EVERY day - what's one day without? AND I'm not asking to sit on my butt that day, I'm requesting a class with someone who pushes me to do my best... is that too much to ask??? But I'm going to get Catherine's schedule for spin classes in the area (other gyms) and see how I fare with those. It's not the absolute end of the world - I'm not trying to be a cry baby, it was just a disappointment, and apparently I decided to blog a whole paragraph on it :)

So, stay tuned for my blog either later tonight or tomorrow morning when I find out my results for the week - loss, gain, neutral? We will see. I feel really good about this week with the 2-a-day workouts and better food choices, but we will see.... ;)

Double workout!! :)

This morning I had spinning with Catherine - whom I love - and I'm sure you all get tired of me talking about this wonderful lady - but I really do enjoy her classes!! I want to take all of my spin classes with her - which may not be possible as of yet, but we will see... I'm going to somehow acquire her Charleston schedule - she teaches spin classes at a lot of gyms in the area :) What I love about her classes: (1) she takes the time to make sure those who are new are adjusted properly to the bike, (2) she goes over everything in the class as we're doing it - explaining what muscles we're working, how to do the different 'stuff' (jumps, sprints, etc.) and making sure we are all on the same page as we go through the motions, (3) she takes the time between each exercise to let us recover on a 'flat road' before we jump into the next exercise, and (4) her music selection, her attitude in class, and her kindness rocks my face off :)

This evening, I did a water aerobics class that Leslie taught. It was great to do after spinning this morning, because it loosened up my shoulders (which I tend to keep tense during spinning class - which is common, but you're supposed to avoid) and my hamstrings. My hamstring on my right leg is still tight from pulling it last week and it still hurts to touch it (huge bruise - which is now in the shape of the water bottle cage - crazy!). The only thing I didn't care for about tonight's class had less to do with the class itself and more to do with the fact that in order to not hurt my hamstring further, I put a lot of stress on my ankles, which hurt a little bit - this really is a balancing act, isn't it??? I think I need to swim laps vs. doing water aerobics - just for the time being...

Sarah has us on a new schedule, we can add to it our own exercises and work outs, but we need to do the ones she has scheduled together. Mon = cardio (and for me, an extra work-out in eve); Tues = 15-20 mins cardio, then abs workout with Sarah; Wed = spinning (plus extra workout for me in evening); Thurs = 15-20 mins cardio, then weights (?); Friday = water aerobics in a.m. (plus extra work out in evening); Sat = bridge training; Sun = required afternoon work out with all of HCC.

Okay, I need to go to bed, so I'm going to sign out - but thanks again EVERYONE for their continued support and love!!!

Looks like I'm behind again... Tuesday was great - or at least it ended great... Tuesday morning I was running late and got to the gym 10 minutes into everyone else's cardio - Sarah put me on the bike and wanted me to treat it like spin class and do jumps every minute - which wasn't really possible with this bike and that was frustrating - so I got moved to the stair master thingy (which STINKS) I definitely thought that I was going to fall off this thing at least 3 times in a 5 minute time period... but I didn't stay on this long either because my knee flared up almost immediately... then I was moved to the treadmill for a 3 min cool down - I think it's safe to say that I didn't get a great cardio warm-up.

Sarah then took us to the main studio where we did core training - lots of abs work with the big balls, along with squats and an arm workout. We have yet to do actual weights, I feel like - or maybe I have missed this when they have done it - but I personally want to amp it up with 2-3 weight sessions/week...

Tuesday was the first day that I went straight from the gym - showered, got ready, etc - to work... which I know a lot of people do, but I had grown to love my eggs florentine at the house - with extra veggies, goat cheese and a side of toast with coffee... I packed an after-workout snack that left a lot to be desired.

Tuesday wasn't a bad day per se, but I had a couple of rough starts, if you know what I mean... but THEN, my friends Barb & Reg had me over for dinner and they made a tasty meal!!! Lentil soup with brown rice and kale - yummy yummy kale :) They have been regularly following the blog and calling to see how I'm doing (as a bunch of my friends have), but I was really touched by the gesture to make dinner for me and to make sure it was something I could fully eat (which isn't neccesarily hard, but takes a little forethought). Anyway, shout out to Reg & Barb!! I love you both!! And shout out to Louisa for being a good supportive sister (that was random).

Someone's got a case of the Mondays?

This morning I did 45 minutes of elliptical in the cardio room - we were spread out this morning - apparently we were all in the cardio room, but we came in at different times and I didn't see everyone. I felt a little out of it this morning - maybe because it was early after a weekend of sleeping in, or maybe it's because I didn't work out yesterday, or maybe it's because I have a case of the Monday's - there's no telling!

So, I've decided to do '2-a-day' workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to balance out my week better - and maybe on Saturdays, too (a ride or 2?). Tonight I did Nia at MUSC - and I didn't feel well, which affected how much I wanted to participate, so I'd like to give it another chance, but I really liked Spirit Moves Nia better... that Saturday class is always rocking there... but this was interesting - tonight's Nia = Tai Chi, Yoga, and some martial arts 'dancing.' I really liked the leader - Amy? She was really nice - she really tried to engage the class, but everyone seemed as quiet & contemplative as I was.

I think with doing workouts twice a day, I'm going to need some more exercise clothes!!! And apparently I need a new pair of shoes - mine are too old - but the shoes, heart monitor, and pedometer all go on the list to buy when I have some 'free' cash post bills - ahhhh, the life of a grad student - I am ready to have this chapter behind me (the grad school life of no $). Today I felt a little aloof all day - not really fitting within my own body or skin - I still feel a little aloof - notice the scattered blog... or maybe this is a typical Monday on the HCC plan - I don't know, but I'm hoping for a better fit tomorrow :)