Ch... Ch... ch... ch... Changes!

On Friday I turned 34.  It was an amazing birthday and I feel like it's a new beginning and the continuation of a journey that started on my 29th birthday.  

I spent a quiet birthday with most of the people I love the most in this world.  We rented a cabin and went camping for my birthday.  

While sitting there, enjoying dinner, I looked around and the only sadness I felt was that my older sister and brother were not there to participate.  Other than that, I am just so grateful.   Each day I experience things that are new.  They are the same old things, but they are made new because the life I have now is so vastly different from the life I led before.  I have gone through an amazing amount of change in such a short.  

On my 29th birthday, I was trying to make the most of my life -- living in a situation I hated, but trying my best to love it and be grateful.  

One month later, I was packing half of everything I owned, loading my children up, and moving away from my house and the life I'd created, but moving closer to my home and the life I was meant for.  I was moving closer to people who loved me unconditionally and who would help me through some of the darkest times I'd ever faced. 

I didn't have a "5 year plan" or anything, but if I had, it would have included things like "be happy, be in love, find joy in life again, be thinner, etc. etc. etc.  So as I look at this life I have now, 5 Years later.  I couldn't have asked for a better plan.  

 

I'm amazed

Last night I started a new class called NextLevel.  Basically, it's a class that is supposed to take you to whatever the next fitness level is for you.  If you are a beginner (which I still feel like) then the next level is a step above that.  If you are way advanced, then your nextlevel is advanced+.

So last night we took a fitness test to determine our starting point.  Maybe it's because i'm going to start my period or maybe it's just that i'm tired, but last night I felt like I did the first day I started training 9 weeks ago.  The run was really difficult and I felt like after doing personal training this long, I should be better.  

So this morning I went into my session feeling really down about it.  Today was the next 30 day testing.  we did the physical fitness part of the test, but I have to wait until next week to take measurements so I'll post those next time.

In the mean time check this out:

This is me July 2011

This is Sept 26th - after 3 weeks of Personal training:

This is October after 5 weeks: (crappy pic, i know)

And this is me today after 9 weeks:

It doesn't seem like much but to me this is so huge! I shaved almost 2 minutes off my mile and a half run time today (after the last 30 day test).

The first time I did push-ups, I did 20 push-ups on my knees.  today I did 35 regular push-up in a minute.

I did 19 sit-ups the first day, today I did 44 in a minute.

I have to remind myself that even though I may not be where I want, I have come so far.    

Techie Tuesday - BodyMedia Fit

This is my new favorite gadget: http://www.bodymedia.com/

It is a really cool way to keep track of calories in vs. calories out.  You wear your armband, and it monitors various things like your heart rate, how many calories you burn, how much sleep you actually get (if you wear it while sleeping).

then, at the end of your day, you plug it into your computer via USB (or they have the new Bluetooth model that you can sync wirelessly with your phone or PC) and it stores it in an activity tracker (they have a scaled down version of it in app form for you phone that talks to the web version too so you can always know where you are at in your calory intake or you can add your calories via your phone while you are out to eat.

Here is what the web aplication looks like:

Overview of your day:

Then you can expand sections to see more details like your calories consumed (this is from Saturday):

or your activity for the day:  (this was on Saturday when I took a Zumba class from 9-10AM)

I love this thing.

TT - Richard

I am thankful for Richard.  I have a partner who is kind and helpful and over the course of the weekend will have a new address. :)  He officially moves all in this weekend.  Yesterday was a perfect example of why I am grateful.  we had three activities and I worked a little late.  Jacinta had volleyball, my brother had a family dinner, and Olivia had soccer.  The ball started rolling at 2:30 when I got a call from Olivia's coach saying yesterday was "picture day" during practice for soccer.  Olivia was going home with her good friend (and soccer team mate) from school and they would go to practice together and then I would pick her up from practice.  She's packed her soccer bag, and I was going to drop it off to her after school when I went to pick up Jacinta.  So to get a call  25 minutes before i was supposed to be at school was a little unnerving.  I ran upstairs grabbed her jersey, shorts,bow, and purple uniform socks and shoved them into the bag. Then, 4:30 - Richard stopped off to get a birthday gift on his way home from work. He then took Jacinta to practice at 6:30 while I left to stop by Walgreens and then meet Olivia at practice to fix her hair before pictures. Meanwhile, volleyball practice finishes and Richard and Jacinta go to the restaurant (I'd emailed my mom our orders) to meet for my brother's birthday.  Pictures finish and Olivia and I leave soccer about 15 minutes early to meet them.   By this time it's 8PM.  We finish dinner and are home by 9 and get the girls to bed.

Our days are usually not this hectic, but I am grateful I have someone to tag-team with that I trust when they are.  My family is amazing -- and has always been there when I needed them. For so long, they have been a huge help, but it's nice to have a partner in crime :)  I'm looking forward to this new adventure.

WL Wednesday - The next 30 days

Today we did legs.  It was really really hard and my legs are jelly.  

we also set new goals.  I set mine and then he gave me his goal to be able to achieve mine.

New goals for the next 30 days:

1. Mine: Fit in and prioritize all my fitness activity (thats an hour circuit 4X a week, with 30 mins of cardio 3X/week)

His: Create a schedule and stick to game plan.  Be consistent. No excuses 

2. Mine: Lose at least 2lbs/week ove the next four weeks

His: keep food log and stay within 1200-1400 cals each day.  Drink 96 oz. water each day

3. Mine: jog the 1.5 miles in 17 minutes or less without stopping (30 day fitness test was 19.17 minutes & I stopped twice)

His: 15 minutes before session or class do sprint1/walk1/sprint1  (6.0 or greater on sprints, 2.0 walk) as warm-up (4 times a week)

4. Mine: lose another 1-1.5 inches in waist and hips, and .25 in arms and thighs

His: 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups daily -- (5 sets of 20) -- when 20 becomes too easy, bump up in increments of 5

I'll let you know how it goes 30 days from now.

Me Monday - my garage flooded

A series of events contributed to this

As you can see, my driveway slopes downward towards the house. (that big pile of mud just before the house is usually not there)



1. In the spring we decided we were going to make major yard improvements so we did the whole grass seed, top soil thing and the grass started to look kind of better.

2. The water restriction hit and our weekly activities kept me from hand watering every night so the grass eventually died.  the summer was super dry with no rain and the yard looked really dead. (So basically all we had was new topsoil.

3. It has not rained significantly for quite a long time and the ground underneath all that new soil is hard, and therefore didn't absorb water quickly.

4. The awesome storm and rain was really fierce.  The water and crazy winds washed all that new top soil into my downward sloping driveway.

5. Because all that dirt and mud were there, the water could not puddle there where it usually does when it rains like this, and slid right into the garage.  All the way to the back of the garage.  Luckily nothing permanently damaged except a box of books that are now scattered all over the living room in various places drying out.

Because Richard is moving in, my garage is full and so it was a mad dash to get things up off the ground that would ruin if wet.  Today is the day we go get shelving and start to dry-out and organize the garage. -- And shovel all the mud out of the driveway.

30 days

i know it's Friday -- but i'm too excited to wait for "workout Wednesday"!!!

========Fitness Test 30 days ago========

1.  20 minutes on the treadmill to see how far i could go: 1.3 miles ( I mostly jogged small intervals between 4.5 and 4.0, stopping to walk 6 or 7 times) -- Not even on the chart -- below very poor

2 . 1 minute timed test (sit-ups): 19 - "fair" on the chart

3.  1 minute timed test (modified pushups): 20 - poor

4.  max i can leg press once: 240lbs - poor

5.  Max I can bench press once: 105lbs - poor

6.  % body fat: 39.9% - very poor

3 goals I set for the month:

• lose inches all around but especially in neck and waist
• feel more energy and healthier
• jog 1.5 miles only stopping at the very least twice. 

==========30 days later========

Fitness Test Today

weight: -14 pounds

1.  1.5 miles: 19.17 minutes (between a 5.5 and 5.0 jog, slowing down to a slow 4.0 jog twice for 30 seconds)

2 . 1 minute timed test (sit-ups): 37 - "Excellent" on the chart - 18 more than last time

3a.  1 minute timed test (modified pushups): 45 - "Superior"  - 25 more than last time
3b. 1 minute timed test (regular "guy" push-ups): 25 - "excellent" --25 more than last time

4.  max i can leg press once: 260lbs - "good" (20 pounds more)

5.  Max I can bench press once: 115lbs - "fair" (10 pounds more)

6.  % body fat: 33% - "poor" (-6%)

7. Chest measurement: (-2 inches)

8. waist measurement: (-1.25 inches)

9. Hips measurement:  (-1.25 inches)

10. Arm measurement: (-.25 inches)

11. Thigh measurement: (-1.5 inches)

we set our new goals on Wednesday.  I'm ridiculously excited and proud of myself!  

Thankful Thursdays - My music

Thankful Thursday -- I'm thankful for music that inspires me and lightens my mood.  My workout playlist is getting longer each day, but here is a small glimpse into what makes my workouts happy - (yes, some of them are embarrassing)

• Enrique Iglesias/Pitbull - I like it
• Enrique Iglesias - Tonight
• Pitbull - The Anthem
• Color Me Bad - All for Love
• Ace of base - The Sign
• PM Dawn - Set a drift on Memory
• All American Rejects - Move Along
• Fanny Lu - No te Pide Flores
• Mana - Mar Y Arena
• Juan Luis Guerra - Bilirubina
• Celia Cruz - Rie, llora
• The Decemberists - The Sporting Life
• Don Omar - Danza Kuduro
• K'naan - Remix of wavin' Flag (the world cup theme)
• Adell - Remix of rollin in the deep
• some black eyed peas
• some carlos vives
• I have some madona, some britney, some emenem, some JT ...
• some more salsa music (can you tell latin dance music is awesome work-out music for me? ) lol
• i can't remember what else off the top of my head but it's 90's skating rink hip-hop, latin dance, some current hip-hop.  

I really need to re-do my playlist.  I need some new (to me) music on there.  But i'm grateful that what I do have keeps me movin'

Workout Wednesdays (week 3)

Today was agility training.  I'm not very coordinated.  it was a lot of jumping over stuff, stepping up onto stuff, throwing stuff while jumping and squatting.  It was really hard but each time, I get better and better.  After our mini-vacation this past weekend (which I only went over my calories by 25 points on one day and 60 on the other -- so I managed to stay under 1460 on my worst day of vacation -- small victory) I've been back on track this week.

I have found that tapping on the acupressure points while walking and taking deep breaths re-sets me.  so for example, in one circuit, I had to step up for 30 second (round 1 was 24 steps), do 10 burpies, and then do 15 full sit-ups while tossing a 9 pound medicine ball to him at the top of the sit-up.  Then I walked once around the gym to get my heart rate back down to do the next set.  While doing that, I tapped (eft) on this -- even though this is hard and I feel like i'm going to die ..." and i just did the top of my head, next to my eye, under my nose, my chin, and then on the karate chop points over and over while I walked for like 1 minute.  When I came back, I improved my time significantly on all of it (round two of the steps was 35 in 30 seconds).   it seems weird, I know -- but it works for me.  The last thing i did was sprints on the treadmill.  those need work but they're better than the first day.  I look back and already I'm doing stuff I never thought I would (or could).  It inspires me to keep going!

Techie Tuesday -- Cozi

I have become an avid Cozi fan. (Cozi.com)

This is an amazing tool.  I LOVE lists.  I make lists for everything.  to-Do lists, shopping lists, christmas lists, packing lists, chore lists for the kids, I'm a list-a-holic.  And with the girls getting more and more into activities we have to have a way that we ALL know whats  going on.

When is Faith Formation (CCD) class?  Soccer practice? Volleyball? when are Richard's days off?  When are the games? What weekends are the girls at their dads?

Cozi solves this all for us.  It's an online calendar that only people you give access to can access it.  It has a mobil component that gives you a way to add and see stuff on your calendar and lists from your phone.  It will send you text reminders, and email reminders.

Each Sunday, the girls, Richard, and I get an email with our weekly calendar.  For the important stuff, like our dentist appointments today, i set it up to send text reminders.  It can synch with your outlook and google calendars too.  it's a lifesaver.    You should try it.