Rain Rain Go Away

Late post today.  Blogger was having a bad morning (apparently it's catchy) and I couldn't log in.  Just one more annoying thing to test my sanity.

It's been rough times lately and I'm trying to cope.  One step at a time .... and one day at a time.  I will get through this.

We have had so much rain here lately and it's kind of the final straw for me.  I can handle alot of crap in my life.  But I need some sunshine and I need to be outdoors, running, biking ... enjoying the simple things in life.  I don't enjoy that stuff in the rain so lately it feels like my world is collapsing.  I will get through it.

WEEKEND RECAP

Friday - Worked a bit late, had chores I had to do, and was left with just enough time to do a round of the 30 Day Shred and that's it.  This workout is pretty tough and thorough so I don't feel any guilt if this is all I can manage in a day.

Saturday - We actually had a half decent day.  Unfortunately I wasted some of the morning away doing some chores that I should have left another day.  And I made the time to color my long over-due tresses (didn't realize how much gray I have - yikes!).  My daughter wanted to get out somewhere and she knows I'm always up for a walk or something.  We were going to head downtown, but with the hair and all I left it too late.

We ended up going for a trail walk near home.  My son and the dog came along as well.  It doesn't happen often that my teens want to just hang with me for the day.  It was nice.  Though I did have to agree to take my son to the Gelato place before our walk (I didn't partake - yay me!).

It would have been a beautiful day for a bike ride.  But this was very nice.  Came home and decided to soak up as much Vitamin D as I could (somehow that sounds healthier than suntanning, huh?).  However, the clouds came in again later in the day ... back to the crap.

I did head out for a run late in the evening.  Didn't get too far due to more tummy issues (getting kind of sick  of this) AND running skirt issues.  I was determined, even though it really wasn't that warm, that I would wear my Target running skirt.  The undershorts do ride up, so I took the precaution to apply Glide before I headed out.  Maybe I just don't understand Glide ... but it really didn't help me.  I know, from experience, that it does help reduce/prevent chafing.  I use it under my arms on long runs and it works great.  But on my thighs it felt like I'd applied Glue Stick and my thighs felt "grippy".  I was accutely aware with every step that my thighs were rubbing - VERY distracting.  I think I will have to return my Target running skirts to just comfortable casual summer wear and stick to capris for running - or eventually try out a better product.

Sunday - Woke up to it pissing raining AGAIN and I instantly wished I could just have stayed asleep and not seen that.  Felt instantly depressed and I just could not face the thought of meeting up with my running buddies.  I have run in the rain (and COLD rain at that) many, many times.  But Sunday I just could NOT face it.  I had planned a 10 mile run, but my heart was not in it. 

Instead, I moped around all morning, feeling miserable and sorry for myself.  Eventually I got out of my funk and took the kids to town to do a few errands.  In the afternoon I helped my mother in law with a major clean-up project and hauled 20-30 lbs boxes back and forth for a few hours.  By night time I was beat.  I was thinking about squeezing in a short workout before bed when I realized it was 9:30.  I decided that a good night's sleep was much more important than doing an "official" workout for the day.  This is the 30 Days of ACTIVITY and I know that I will have other days that will more than make up for this.


So ... not an amazing weekend.  Not the ton of activity I had wanted, but still some activity. 

June 1 - 5 mile/8K run
June 2 - 30 Day Shred Level 1
June 3 - 4 x 1 mile treadmill intervals and core
June 4 - 30 Day Shred Level 1
June 5 - 2.5 mile walk and 1.5 mile run
June 6 - 3 Hours heavy clean-up

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

That's better

I started doing the Shred again on Saturday ... Sunday morning my muscles were pretty tight, but I managed to pull out an 8.5 mile run.  The run felt pretty good, though I did have some problems afterwards (post to come on this).

Did it again on Monday, except instead of the cardio intervals I did 5-10 min bursts on the treadmill at a pretty fast clip ... Tuesday I was almost crying with every step I took.  I literally had to use my hands to lift my legs climbing out of bed.  If I had to get up after sitting at my desk for a while I would nearly fall down. The worst was my quads - so sore, followed by my chest, abs.....  Went for a 5 mile run with my husband Tuesday night and felt EVERY step along the way.  It was horrid.

Have you ever had that feeling where your muscles FEEL like this - even if they don't LOOK like this:

They feel like they are SO pumped up and must be bursting at the seems, yet in the mirror they are still your regular ol' legs.  That's how I felt on Tuesday.

But .. last night I did the workout again ... and today I feel great good.  I can still feel that I worked my muscles, but I no longer feel like some sort of poison has been injected into my body.  I also ONLY did the Shred, no run, maybe that's why I don't feel so run over. 

I made myself a chart of all the moves in the video. 

This way I can follow the workout without having to actually watch the DVD.  The only way I can currently have the video in the gym is to snatch my husbands laptop.  Sometimes he needs this for work so I can't rely on it.  Plus, I'd much rather listen to my own music than listen to (and watch) Jillian on a regular basis. 

It's also nice to follow the workout that way as I can take extra time if needed to complete my reps, or add on extra reps where I want them.  I find in the video she doesn't do things equally and that drives me nuts - 15 reps on the left SHOULD equal 15 on the right and in the video it doesn't.

I color coded it so I can easily divide up the different sections (strength, cardio & core).  That way if I want to sub out something (cardio for running) I just refer to the sections I need.  I know, I'm a total geek!

Honestly I did NOT want to workout last night.  We had another torrential downpour last night and that tends to leave me in a funk.  I delayed working out until 9:15 PM.  But I knew I couldn't go to bed without doing some activity towards my challenge.  Having a goal/challenge really does help!  I mean, I couldn't possibly renege on the 2nd day, could I??

June 1 - 5 mile/8K run
June 2 - 30 Day Shred Level 1

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Let the Games Begin

Did you happen to notice that I didn't post a weigh-in yesterday?  Yeah, I didn't think so.  Anyhow, I purposely chose not to post it.  Why?  Because I'm just don't know what's going on.  So it's all really quite useless information.

My weight is fluctuating wildly throughout the week without reason or explanation ...

and not changing over the longer term either.

I am the exact same weight I was 5 weeks ago.  Honestly, I almost don't care to weigh myself right now.  For right now, I'm more interested in being healthy and active.

And on that note ....

Last week I went to my hairdresser.  Back in January she asked me if I had ever tried the 30 Day Shred, which of course I had.  She wanted to give it a go so I lent her my DVD.  She loved it!  I think she lost about 15 lbs in the month.

She loved it so much she went and bought her own DVD (she was afraid she'd wear mine out) and she has done it EVERY SINGLE DAY since January. 

Honestly I don't know how she does the same thing every day, and I don't understand fully how her body hasn't adapted to the workout.  It's the only workout she does.  But ... she is looking so good!  The other day after the appt, she took off her smock and I could really see how small she's gotten. 

I went straight home and pulled out my DVD and it kicked! my! ass! 

Oh my have I ever neglected my muscles.  That first set of push-ups almost had me in tears and I was shocked at how much strength I have lost. 

I have done it a couple times in the last few days and can feel every step I take and my whole body is cursing me.  So, apparently it's working!!!  I kinda love that feeling.

June 1 - 5 mile/8K run

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister!  I think she still reads my blog, though she never comments ;-p   :)

30 Day Shred Results

30 Day RESULTS

Maybe could have been better, but I'm not complaining.  There was some change and it was change in the right direction and that's always good.  I don't see much change in the pictures other than in my abs in the front pictures.  That was nice to see.  Seeing some other little pieces of muscle definition here and there, but had to look pretty hard.  And I was happy to FINALLY see some change in my thigh measurements.

Here's the numbers....
WEIGHT - Day 1...148.00....... Day 10....147.6 .... Day 20 ....149.4 ... Day 30 .... 147.2  (down 2.2 this week)

MEASUREMENTS

Chest - Day 1...38".........Day 10...36.5"......Day 20...36.25"...Day 30...36.25"   (no change this week)

Waist - Day 1...33.75" ...Day 10...33.5"......Day 20...33.25"...Day 30...33"        (down .25" this week) (at bellybutton)
..........- Day 1...30.75"....Day 10 ...30.25"...Day 20...30.5"....Day 30...30.25"   (down .25" this week) (at narrowest)

Hips   - Day 1...38".........Day 10...38".........Day 20...37".......Day 30...37"        (no change)

Thigh - Day 1...22".........Day 10...22" ........Day 20...22"........Day 30...21.75"  (down .25" this week)   (at widest - left thigh)

Arm   - Day 1...12.25"....Day 10...11.75"....Day 20...11.75"...Day 30...11.5" (down .25" this week)  (at widest - just under armpit)

Day 1-10 Change   - Down 2.75" - Down 0.4 lb
Day 11-20 Change   -   Down 1.25" - Up 1.8 lb 
Day 21-30 Change - Down 1.00" - Down 2.2 lb

Overall

Chest -  Down 1.75"

Waist - Down 0.75" (at bellybutton)

..........- Down 0.5" (at narrowest)

Hips   - Down 1"

Thigh - Down .25"   (at widest - left thigh)

Arm   - Down .75"  (at widest - just under armpit)

TOTAL - Down 5" and 0.8 lb

And the pics....

Last Day Of September's Shred

Today is the last day of Syl's September Shred Challenge.  I have one last round to fit in tonight.  (Oh wait, didn't Syl tack on some extra days because I laughed at her for loosing her shorts???)

I was hesitant to join, and it hasn't always been smooth sailing ... but I'm so glad I did it.  If the only thing I got from it was getting to know more wonderful bloggers then I can't ask for anything else.  You guys are all great!

Tomorrow will be the final results and while I don't expect anything earth shattering, I have definitely learned some things:

1) I'm already pretty darn fit.  The Shred is super tough, super challenging and sometimes I wanted to cry.  But in the end I haven't seen huge changes in my body, my cardiovascular fitness, or my strength.  I've seen small changes, but not what I had hoped for.  Would that be because the Shred is ineffective?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  I believe the Shred is highly effective, especially if you are not accustomed to that type of workout.  If you believe you are already doing a great, well rounded workout - I challenge you to test that theory by following the 30 day shred.  You certainly will not loose your fitness level, but you may learn to believe in yourself and your program.

2)  Exercise is not MY demon.  I LOVE to exercise.  Very rarely do I not want to work out.  Even more rare is the day that I do work out and don't enjoy it.  If I'm not loosing weight or changing my body shape I don't believe it is due to lack of (or ineffective) exercise.  Which leads me to ....

3) If I want further changes in my body I'm going to have to be more thorough with my diet.  I'm in the process of analyzing more what's going into my body and trying to make decisions based more upon what it needs rather than just what I want, what is convenient, or basically what's worked in the past. 

4)  Albert Einstein said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".  That's what I've been doing and it's time to change that cycle.  I eat pretty much the same format day in, day out and cycle through similar workouts on a regular basis.  It's great in the aspects of a healthy life and it most certainly got me to the point I'm at today .... but if I want more I'm going to have to take that path unknown.

Tomorrow I'm going to be laying out some goals for the month of October. Stay tuned......

Shred - Level 3 Day 3

Yesterday kind of sucked.  First off it was day 3 of Level 3 and I don't know why but Day 3 has always been the hardest one for me to muster up the motivation to do.  But it did seem a tad easier.  Maybe because it was the only exercise I did yesterday.

Plus, both kids were sick yesterday so they didn't go to their sports - which meant I didn't get out to the track to run.  Sure I could have done it at home, I certainly don't need to "go" somewhere to run.  But I had a bunch of things that really needed to be done at home and I was just feeling burned out.

I'm loving the challenge of the 30 day Shred.  I love setting my mind to something and doing it.  But I think when it's over I'm going to take a couple days to rest and recoupe!

Then I got up this morning to see a 2 lb gain from yesterday morning.  I know that's not possible, and I question my scales accuracy sometimes because my MIL (who ate completely different things from me yesterday) also gained exactly 2 lbs from the morning before.  That just seems strange, so I'm pushing it out of my brain (or to a very back corner).

My tummy feels pouchier than normal and I'm feeling just soft in general - which makes no sense at all.  But I won't quit ... I'll never quit!

My Mommy & Daddy are coming today and spending at least the weekend with me, maybe longer.  We're going to go downtown tomorrow so I may not be around to read others blogs.  I'll get caught up over the weekend.

Carb Crazy

WOW, Yesterday was a day like I haven't had in a long time.  I went absolutely CARB CRAZY!

Sure alot of it was whole grain, but still, it was rather excessive. 

Whole grain cereal for breakfast.  A flaxseed bun, AND whole wheat pasta at lunch.  Another flaxseed bun in the afternoon (they are SOOO good).  All Bran Guardian cereal for dinner (yeah it was one of those days).  Followed by a couple whole grain crackers with cheese.

I easily could have downed a huge bucket of plain air popped popcorn as well, but I was starting to feel like I would burst so I held off.

It's not like I've been severly cutting back on them so I'm not quite sure what prompted that.  I'm one who believes that good, healthy carbs are necessary fuel for hard workouts.  But still, I definitely went overboard and felt like crap.

Today I did some better planning and am including more protein at each meal, plus some in between.  Maybe that's what was missing?

After my day long indulgence I went out for a run.  When I started I thought there was no way I'd manage more than 5 minutes.  My whole body felt like lead and I could feel all that food sinking me into the ground.  I told myself I'd muster through it for 15 min and see how I felt.

Well ... after 15 min my mind just clicked in and I got that wonderful feeling that I could just go on forever.  I found a great little subdivision with all these intermingling paths and it was so pleasant.  It was also HOT - 29°C (aka 84°F) at 6:00 in the evening.  After 50 minutes I definitely was a big sweaty mess afterwards.

Then ... I came home and did Level 3 of the shred.  Man that sure makes my heart rate fly through the roof.  My husband walked in just as I'd finished and found me crumpled on the floor, sweat literally dripping from my face.  Poor guy, I don't imagine it was the most attractive scene.

Shredding Level 3

OK, there is NO doubt that Level 3 is much more enjoyable than Level 2.  I was going to say it's easier ... but it's not that.  If possible, I think I actually had even more sweat dripping off my face.  Either that or it was terribly hot last night (which I don't think it was). 

I think the issue I have with level 2 is all the small muscle shoulder work she does - which is SUPER tough for me. 

Level 3 seems to be your prize for sticking it out with Level 2.  There are some very, VERY hard moves.  Rock star jumps, squat jumps, lunge jumps - my heart felt like it would explode.  And jumping jacks WITH weights???  Actually that move I kind of question the safety of because I can see the high possiblity of injury from flinging around weights like that.  I make sure to have a slight bend in my elbows during that one so as not to overextend the joints. 

There are some moves that I remember being absolutely killer from when I did this DVD before (though not daily, just on an occassional basis).  This time around they actually weren't so bad.  I used to think mountain climbers were the devil, this time they were just good.  Walking push-ups used to be tough ...not now!

At the end I felt like I wanted to collapse.  Though ... after I did Level 3, I did Level 2 - hahaha.  I want to do this a few times in the next 10 days.  I'm a sucker for punishment that way.

Today is just the regular single session of Level 3 and 45 min running.

Oh ... I also tried my first Green Monster yesterday.  I tried a pretty basic one with milk, frozen banana, spinach, flax, almond butter & ice.  I know these are a huge buzz in the blogging world and everyone raves about them so I decided to give it a try.

My verdict ---- Gross!  I can't imagine how anyone could love these things.  To me it just tasted like icy banana with the odd mix of almond butter in there.  I tried it before I put in the almond butter and it wasn't great, but adding it seemed to make it worse.  I don't mind bananas, though they are best when they are ripe but not yet having any brown spots.  And I like them in some baking.  However, I'm not one to put them on a peanut butter banana sandwich, or mix into my oatmeal (gag!).  So maybe the Green Monster is just not for me.

I tried finding a recipe without banana but they are few and far between.  I think I can happily live my life without going down that path again and not feel like I'm missing out on anything.  I'll keep my spinach in my salad, my almond butter on my toast, my milk alone in a glass and my banana as a plain, simple snack!

20 Day Results = plbbbtttttt

20 Day RESULTS

Not so happy with these results.  I see some of the other shredders having amazing inch loss and I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong.  It's disheartening to be working so hard and seeing so little.  But I'm sticking it out and hoping that Level 3 will kick something into gear.

I've taken pics but I'm not posting them until the end.

Here's the changes & goal recaps:

WEIGHT - Day 1...148.00....... Day 10....147.6 .... Day 20 ....149.4 (up 1.8 this week, up 1.4 overall)

MEASUREMENTS

Chest - Day 1...38".........Day 10...36.5"......Day 20...36.25" (down .25" this week, 1.75" overall)

Waist - Day 1...33.75" ...Day 10...33.5"......Day 20...33.25"  (down .25" this week, .5" overall) (at bellybutton)
..........- Day 1...30.75"....Day 10 ...30.25"...Day 20...30.5"   (up .25" this week, down 0.25" overall)   (at narrowest)

Hips   - Day 1...38".........Day 10...38"..........Day 20...37"     (down 1", down 1" overall)

Thigh - Day 1...22".........Day 10...22" ........Day 20...22"      (no change)   (at widest - left thigh)

Arm   - Day 1...12.25"....Day 10...11.75"....Day 20...11.75" (no change this week, down 0.5" overall)   (at widest - just under armpit)

Day 1-10 Change - Down 2.75"
Day 11-20 Change - Down 1.25"
Overall - Down 3" (whoops, thanks Syl) - 4"

GOALS

Day 11-20 Recap

♥ Be 144 or less by Oct 1st - Sep 21st goal 145.6 - not even close

♥ Reduce measurements at bellybutton & thighs - not even close

♥ Shred every day - done

♥ Run 7 out of 10 days - only ran 5 days, but exercised every day

♥ Track my food EVERY SINGLE DAY  - done

Day 21-30 Plan

♥ Be 144 or less by Oct 1st (hmmm, can I lose 5.4 lbs in the next 10 days)

♥ Reduce measurements at bellybutton & thighs

♥ Shred every day AT LEAST ONCE

♥ Run min 395 minutes

♥ Track my food EVERY SINGLE DAY
♥ Reduce sugar even further, increase protein

Shredding without The Shred

First off I want to say thanks everyone for your very sweet comments yesterday.  You all don't know how good it felt to have your support, and also how comforting it is to know that I'm not alone.  I was thinking of that last night while running.  If there are so many of us in this situation ... why? 

I think Tamara hit it right on the head when she said ..."I suffer from the feeling that everyone has this amazing social life and tight knit group of friends who they see all the time EXCEPT for me."  I know that thought crosses my mind a million times (insecurity much??) .  I meet someone who I think is pretty cool, but I always stop short of asking them to do something because I assume that they've probably got this great life and a great group of friends and are probably not interested.  Stupid, eh? (how's that for Canadian - hahaa)  I think our society conditions us to project to others how busy and full our lives are .. maybe as a sign that we're successful??  Or maybe it's a buffer we can put up from putting ourselves out there.  I mean, we are stupid, crazy busy ... but are we all really too busy living life to actually be getting some enjoyment out of it. 

Last night was "Shredding Without The Shred".  I did some basic running, sprinted numerous flights of stairs, ran 100M sprints on the track and mixed it all up with a bunch of strength moves (way up top in the bleachers as much out of sight as possible).  I didn't really do much in the way of abs because that concrete is cold and it had been raining.  But I did get in some planks & plank twists.

Tonight I have "off" from any committments.  I have a 10K planned, but I'm going to see how I feel about doing that.  I've done quite a bit of running this week already.  I do plan to do TWO sets of the Shred tonight (maybe Level 2, then 1).

Check-in .... Shred - Day 10

Well .... today is the day!  UGH!  10 days of the 30 Day Shred completed and it's check-in day.  A day I have been anticipating and dreading all at the same time.  The results ...... at the end. :)

10K Run

Last night was an evening with no planned activities so I decided to take advantage and get out for a long run.  I chose a route near my house and mapped it all out.  It was a nice run ... though VERY hilly.  My calves are absolutely KILLING me right now.  I didn't use a stopwatch to time it, just my cellphone ... but I know I finished in under 57 minutes.  So that's at least 2 minutes shaved off of my last race time, and I didn't push it super hard either.  I've VERY happy about that!

Shred Day 10 - Level 2

After my run, and making dinner for the family ... I settled in to do the shred.  Soooo didn't want to, and kind of did it on autopilot.  Still struggling with the v-sits (those are tough!) and those squats with the upper arm pull back thingie in the first set (OUCH!).  However, I'm not sick of it yet and I'm still speaking to Syl - haha.

10 Day RESULTS

My initial reaction was disappointment.  The scale registered a 0.4 loss, which didn't really surprise me as I see others have had little change on the scale.  But then I did the measurements and some I'm not happy with.  Though after thinking about it during my drive to work I let it register a bit and I'm feeling a bit more positive.  I'm actually kind of surprised how much I've lost off my arms.  But I really thought I could feel & see more of a change in my wasit & hips.

Unfortunately a picture didn't happen this morning.  One the first day I took my pic in the main bathroom and I want to do all of them the same for better comparison.  However, having 2 teens and myself and all our stuff in the same bathroom is proving to make alone time in there a little precious.  I could have squeezed in there just before we left, but I made such a stink to my daughter yesterday about leaving the house by a certain time that I didn't want to be a hypcrite and go past that.

I hope to get pics up either later today or tomorrow morning.

Here's the changes from Day 1, goal recap and new goals:

WEIGHT - Day 1...148.00....... Day 10....147.6 (down 0.4)

MEASUREMENTS

Chest - Day 1...38"........... Day 10...36.5"...... (down 1.5")

Waist - Day 1...33.75" ......Day 10...33.5"...... (down 0.25") (at bellybutton)
..........- Day 1...30.75"...... Day 10 ...30.25"... (down 0.5")   (at narrowest)

Hips   - Day 1...38"........... Day 10...38"......... (no change)

Thigh  - Day 1...22"........... Day 10...22" ........ (no change)   (at widest - left thigh)

Arm    - Day 1...12.25"..... Day 10...11.75".... (down 0.5")   (at widest - just under armpit)

Day 10 Change - Down 2.75"

GOALS

Day 1 - 10 Recap

♥ Be 144 or less by Oct 1st - still aiming for this, I believe it will come

♥ Reduce measurements, specifically Chest & Waist - chest = good, waist = hoping for more

♥ Shred or Fitness class every day - missed Shred one day

♥ Run minimum 3-4 times/week - ran 4 times for total 210 minutes in 10 days, a little less than planned

♥ Track my food EVERY SINGLE DAY - DONE!

Day 11-20 Plan

♥ Be 144 or less by Oct 1st - Sep 21st goal 145.6

♥ Reduce measurements at bellybutton & thighs

♥ Shred every day

♥ Run 7 out of 10 days 

♥ Track my food EVERY SINGLE DAY

Shred - Day 9

First off, I must apologize to all those fellow shredders that I scared yesterday.  HAHAHAAA  Embrace your fear!

Second .... I did level 2 again last night and it actually wasn't nearly as bad.  Maybe because I knew what to expect.  I dunno.  It's still a major kick ass workout and there are some moves where I have to take a moments break, or put down the weights for the last few reps.    But overall I think I love it!  At the end I'm a big sweaty mess and I literally want to collapse after I'm done.  But that's a great workout ... right????

Last night my son had his first soccer game of the season (they tied a team that's playing a level above them - wooohooo - this is a good start since the last two years they lost nearly every game).  We arrived a bit early and then while they were warming up I ran the track and up and down a bazillion sets of stairs.  45 minutes of high intensity interval cardio - LOVE IT!

I'm feeling very strong today.  At the end of level 2 she does these plank twists that really target your obliques and pretty much all the ab muscles.  I can feel those working and it feels good.

Yesterday I was dealt some pretty scary news, but I'm feeling really optimistic about it.  I just have that feeling that things aren't going to be that bad ... a positive vibe.  Let's hope I'm right!

So tomorrow morning will be the next weigh-in, measurements & pictures.  Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us!

Shred - Day 8 - LEVEL TWO!

Holy crapoli ....... moved up to Level 2 last night.  Boy, oh boy, that was what the doctor ordered.  I see another member of our little challenge, Lori, also moved up yesterday and felt about the same way.

I had so much sweat dripping off me at one point I thought I'd stop and take a quick pic.  The beads of sweat don't seem to show up, but I promise you, they are there.  Running down my through my eyes.  There was a few times I wondered if it was still sweat or if it had turned to tears (OK, maybe not quite ... but it sounds dramatic, doesn't it???)

I look thoroughly impressed, don't I?

For me, Level 2 is a major shoulder workout.  She really targets those little muscles that I typically avoid disturbing at all cost.  I'm still using my 5lb weights, but there are parts where I had to put them down.  I refuse to stop, but definitely wanted to.  And there is one cardio move ... ummm, plank jumps or something ... those are HARD!

Unfortunately that is all I got done.  My plan was to also do a fitness class or run.  However I had to register my daughter for dance class, which I assumed would just take a few minutes.  Boy was I wrong!  Over an hour waiting in line!!  Grrrrr :(  Plus the drive into town and back.  Hopefully as soon as we get back into a schedule of some sort I'll find it easier to fit in my extra workouts.  I feel all off kilter right now with all the uncertainties.

Tonight my son has a soccer game and it's at a great location that has a ton of stairs.  While they're warming up I'm going to run the track and the stairs.  There is nothing like climbing a big grandstand to get your heart begging to be let out of your chest!

~♥~ Heidi ~♥~

Still Shredding

I took a little break from blogland this long weekend and did some much needed housecleaning and organizing.  Somehow that helps me regroup and I don't feel so scattered. 

Of course, I felt like doing what little Miss Tia did all weekend .....

We had rain on/off all weekend and I'm sad to see the summer going.  Even George didn't want to leave his 3 story house that my niece built him.  It's made out of cardboard and is starting to fall apart, but he seems to like it and he doesn't sleep up in our attic as much - so we'll have to build him a solid one.

I think I was a bit bummed this weekend.  Maybe it was the rain??  I skipped my group run (there's a story there but I'm not quite ready to share my thoughts) and on Sunday I did not Shred (ohhhh, the shame.......).  Plus on Saturday I baked about 6 dozen muffins and tried 4 of them.  Made me feel so gross!

But Monday I got right back on the train and today I'm moving on to Level 2.  I find myself sleeping through Level 1.  The push-ups are still tough, but I'm getting through the rest of it fine with 5lb weights and some is getting too easy.

My little girl went off to high school today (Grade 8s only) and tomorrow my son will start Grade 10.  I can't believe both my kids are in high school now.  WOW!

3 more days to weigh-in and measurements.  Getting a bit nervous and hoping there will be some change.  I'm fighting the urge to pull out the tape now.

Shred - Day 4

Shred - Day 4 =  Complete ... that's it

Day 4 was one of those days where I really, really didn't want to do it.  I had a pretty busy day and also had an upset stomach for most of the afternoon and evening.  But around 8:00 I was feeling a bit better so decided to get my Shred on :).

My daughter seems to have the uncanny ability to walk in on me either during the Upright Rows or the Cardio Punches - and she seems to find both those moves quite hilarious.  She's done it every time so far and it makes her laugh every time.  Honestly, those are probably two of the goofiest "looking" moves in this set.

I was saying yesterday that I feel like I'm ready to move on to the next level, but I got thinking about that last night.  I'm still struggling with the anterior raises with a side lunge.  I'm doing them, but they're hard and I'm probably loosing form a bit.  So I've decided to stay with level 1 until those are not a challenge (or until the 10th when I will move on no matter what).

I did manage to do ALL THE PUSH-UPS last night in big girl position - yay me!  Except I did less total push-ups in the 2nd set than I normally do, so not sure if that really counts.  Normally I do 20 in the 1st set and 16 in the 2nd - last night I did 20, then 14.  Though after I was done the whole thing, I went back and watched that part over and I counted how many they do in the video.  Hmmmmm .... I'm doing more than they do in each set - hahahhaa.

Shred - Day 3

Shred - Day 3 = Not so bad!

Last night was day 3 of The Shred video.  It actually wasn't quite so bad.  I got a few more big girl push-ups in this time.  The shoulder presses weren't so bad.  Those front raises are still tough.  There's a few moves where I think I'll move up to 8lb weights to get a bit more of a work out.

Has anyone else noticed that on the front lunges Natalie stops lunging for a few times and only does the bicep curls?  I thought I noticed it on Day 2 then I watched for it last night.  Kind of funny. :)

I'm starting to think I might switch to level 2 a bit earlier than the 10 days.  Some of you have said you're feeling quite sore and so far the only place I'm really feeling it is in my shoulders, and it's barely noticeable.  I am however feeling a little "tighter" already .. but it may just be wishful thinking.  I've vowed to stay OFF the scale until Sep 10th for the next measurement/weight day.  That's really tough for me.

Running

I also got a good 70 minutes of running done during soccer practice last night.  It felt great!  I had 2 little stops to talk to some people, but otherwise I just zoned out and ran. 

Food

So far September is proving to be pretty good.  I've been right on target with points, eating a little extra for the exercise.  However, I'm running out of fresh veggies and need to hit up the stand today.


Just a short post today.  Lots to get done and little time to do it in.  Also this being the last weekend before the kids go back to school I have some extra stuff to get done.  Hope everyone has a great day!!

Shred - Day 2

Shred - Day 2 = Uninterrupted Success    YAY!!!

Hmmmm, Day 2 seemed easier.  Maybe it's because I didn't run BEFORE shredding this time.  That would make sense ... DUH!  Still drenched in sweat, still muttering during certain moves (push-ups, squats with presses, and mostly during those side lunge front raise things ... grunt).  But I managed to do the whole first set and two-thirds of the 2nd set of push-ups in big-girl position before dropping to my knees.  My next mini-goal is to do both sets all the way up.

I'm surprised how excited I get before I do the video.  I'm literally SKIPPING down the hallway.  Though I'm sure that won't last - hahhaa.  It's just like I feel that I'm doing something big and positive and I can't wait for the results.

Running

I had a group run planned for today but after I got home from work I just wasn't into driving all the way back into town again.  It sure would be convenient if their run time was a little closer to my after work time.  I'd have to waste about 2 hours in town waiting to avoid the extra drive.  It's a good 20 min drive each way and with my fuel tank on the lower side (as well as my bank account) I figured I could just run from home tonight.

But .... as plans will go, that didn't happen.  After I did the shred, I made dinner, cleaned up, and then I was just done.  I was in bed just after 9:00.  I never go to bed that early.  Good thing I did because we got an INSANE rain storm last night, seriously I thought the house was going to float away.  It kept me up for a good hour or so in the middle of the night. 

Here's the new recipe I made last night.....

BLACK BEAN SOUP

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 small-medium carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (not condensed)
• 1 can corn
• 3 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• pepper, to taste 
• 1 handful of cilantro, chopped fine
• hot sauce - optional

1. Saute onion, garlic, carrot & celery in oil for about 5 minutes until onion is softened.  Add ground cumin and chili powder, stir through. 
2. Add lime juice, broth, 1 can ONLY black beans, corn, and pepper.  Stir and bring to a low boil.
3. Puree remaining two cans of black beans and tomatoes.  Add to pot, stir.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until carrots are tender.  Add hot sauce if desired.

Makes 16 cups

Nutrition per cup:   114 calories, 0.8g fat, 4.8g fibre

Shred - Day 1

First off, awww you guys are sweet!

First day of Shred = success!!

My day was a bit crazy yesterday. I had work all day, had to pick up rent cheques from my tenants, had the farrier come to trim the horses feet, had to make dinner early, my son had soccer practice and somewhere in there I also squeezed in a 35 min run (during practice) and the shred at about 9:00. But I did it!

Got into an argument with my husband about it though. With everything going on, I didn't get going on the shred until almost 9:00. I was half way through when my son's soccer coach called me to discuss something. When I was just about done the call, my husband came in the room and crawled into bed (my DVD player is in my bedroom). My daughter had already come in the room twice to giggle at me, saying I looked funny. All I needed at that point was my husband to laugh at me, or to bring up the fact how annoyingly cheesy Jillian is (think she's great, but she's pretty cheesy in this video). So I asked him to leave for a few minutes so I could finish up. He thought I was joking and laughed. Then I begged him to leave ... he covered his head with the blanket and said he'd hide. But I still begged him to leave - well maybe beyond beg ... I may have begun to demand and get downright annoying.

So he up and left, and I finished the video. When I came out he'd settled himself on the couch with a blanket and a pillow and he wasn't too happy with me. He thought I was being ridiculous.

Anyhow, we worked it out and he came back. But he thinks that if I feel so silly doing the video then maybe I shouldn't be doing it. He doesn't understand why I'd feel so uncomfortable with "him" watching me. Which is true, he's my husband I shouldn't feel insecure.

Really I need to aim get it done earlier in the day anyway. Yesterday was a bit more hectic than normal.

As for the Shred ...... WOW, it's a bit tougher than I remember. Well, some moves anyway. Some things were super, duper easy and I feel I need more of a challenge, but others one's (weaker areas such as shoulders) left me wanting to "phone it in" hahhahaa. I can tell that it won't be long before I'm muting the TV and putting on some background music (like others have suggested).

I'm also SUPER excited about something I found out yesterday. My son is going to be having one of his weekly soccer practices at a facility that has a running track and a wicked grandstand with lots of stairs to run. YAY!!!! Is it sick that I find that exciting???? That means that I will have at least 90 minutes per week where I have no excuse to not get an awesome, grueling workout - with no where else that I have to be. Most parents drop their kids off and either go shopping or go home, or some sit in their car and read a book, while their kids practice. I like to take that time as an opportunity to get in a workout. Plus, I like to peek in on what they're doing from time to time. WOOHOOOO, this is going to be great.

Where they practiced last year I still got out, but I had to go for about 1/2 mile down a very dark road in a pretty bad area of town in order to get to an area that I could feel safe again. I did it, but I always felt nervous. Now I won't have to worry about that. Lots of lights, lots of people, and a ton of stairs. I love it!!!

Moment of Truth

Today kicks of the 30 Day Shred Challenge which includes all that wonderful starting information.

I took all my pictures and measurements this morning. Got them all ready to go ... then made the fatal mistake of checking out some of the other challengers blogs before I posted.

It's true, there was a small debate going on within my mind as to whether or not I should actually post the information. Insecurity is a tough thing and comparing yourself to others is plain brutal.

But ... I'm sucking it up because I know that putting myself out there will make me stronger. If I don't put it out there then it's that much easier to back out.

30 Day Shred - Beginning Photos & Stats

Weight - 148.0

Measurements

Chest - 38"

Waist - 33.75" (at bellybutton) - 30.75 (at narrowest)

Hips - 38"

Thigh - 22" (at widest - left thigh)

Arm - 12.25" (at widest - just under armpit)

GOALS

♥ Be 144 or less. I know many of you have goals to lose alot more than that, but this works for me

♥ Reduce measurements, specifically Chest & Waist.

♥ Shred or Fitness class every day

♥ Run minimum 3-4 times/week

♥ Track my food EVERY SINGLE DAY

Bye Bye August....

Tomorrow is the kick-off to Syl's 30 day Shred Challenge. I'll admit I'm a bit scared and not yet fully believing that I can pull it off. I'm going to need fellow challengers, and any other wonderful, supportive bloggers, friends & family to help me to stick to my plan.

In the morning I will post my beginning picture & measurements. Then in 10 days (per Syl's "instructions") I will take them again.

I'm adding a list on my blog of my weekly "plan". Mostly it will be the shred and as much running as I can. My son starts back with soccer this week so I'm going to have a couple nights per week where I will get out for a run while he's at practice.

I've been contemplating how much things have changed with my running. When I first started, running was soley for the purpose to assist my weight loss. Now, running is it's own animal. I love it, I crave it, I can't imagine life without it. I finally believe I AM a runner! Before running was just something I did to lose weight, now it's something I do because I enjoy it.

I'll end with a little poster I made myself to reflect some thoughts I've been having lately (maybe to come in a future blog ... or not....)