LWL #228 Nov 7 - 13

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  • Happy Monday, LWL

    I spent most of the day Saturday blowing, raking, mowing and bagging leaves with my son. We had the whole yard cleared. This morning there are more leaves down than we got rid of on Saturday Every year I swear I'm going to either cut down all the trees or move It's supposed to be a rainy week, so they'll be really gross by the time I get to them again.

    Sunday we took bikes to PA Dutch country and and did about 20 miles of scenic but crowded backroads. Have to keep an eye out for "road apples", kind of nasty to hit them with a bike! Of course after riding, we loaded the bikes back on the car and hit the outlet shopping in Lancaster where I spent a bundle on clothes and purses Dh was appalled, but I keep telling him I'm just making up for the years when shopping for clothes was a dreaded chore. Now that it's fun, I'm a lot more expensive!.

    Today I have only one client, so will be doing a lot of catch-up work. I need to contact a lot of clients who still have training sessions but for some mysterious reason, have disappeared from the gym

    SB- Your new gym sounds lovely! I think the commute time would be a bit long for me, but enjoy! I'll probably be in Oxford for a bit next summer visiting DD, but I think that's still quite a ways from where you are.

    Rabbit- Hang in there! How did the weekend go?

    2F- Good for you for being able to bake cookies and eat just ONE! You've come a long way

    Ellen- I'm glad you're feeling a bit stronger and getting back to a semblance of "normal". Please don't be a lurker.

    Hello to averyone that I've missed! Tiki, Ilene, Pat, and all you lurkers!


    OK, time to eat...then chest and a spinning class for me today.

    Mel
  • Hello Mel and the gang!

    Had a good weekend. Really improving on the eating out front! Had 1/3 of my pasta dish on Friday and had a salad on Saturday I also tried butternut squash and brocolli in my salad. It was quite yummy! The jury's still out on the brocolli though...

    Feeling a bit crook today so I'm taking a day off exercise.

    We're off to Japan on Friday, I'm quite worried about keeping up the non-binge eating! I figure because we won't know what anything is or won't like many things then we'll be eating in Mac Ds and out of vending machines. Gah! I'm going to try and find a supermarket and get some fresh fruit and things and I'm also taking some protein bars (that I've ordered off the net, so hopefully they'll be here before we go). I just hope we don't end up constantly snacking on junk! Had a sneaky peak at the scales this morning and I'm getting down to the lightest I've ever been and I really really don't want to undo all that hard work!
  • hi LWL,

    2F - Don't worry about binging on food in japan. The japanese stuff like sushi, sahimi and yakitori is both very very good and very healthy eating ! The japanese are very big on the quality of their food...which is why it is enormously expensive. i once remember I saw a box with 9 perfect strawberries in Tokio, for about 29$. Some days later i was in california and i had a waffle with strawberries for breakfast...much more than 9 strawberries, and it was a couple of $$. The only drawback might be that they put seaweed in a lot of stuff and that is not alsways to my taste. But the raw fish and the dsalads and the teppanyaki...all delicious. i would not waste my time at MCDonalds!! Have a lot of fun!.

    Today went okay. Vey tiiring because I first had a meeting with the counsel & doctor at work - went OK, and then I had again a session at the divorce counselor. XH behaved much better, so I'm glad about that. And I made an appointment with the lawyer for the beginning of december, when the time out is over.

    have a great day all,
    rabbit
  • Oh my gosh, 2F- don't go to Japan and eat McD! Experiment! Sushi and sashimi are wonderful and there's no way to eat enough of it to seriously damage your progress. And as Rabbit mentioned, eating there is so expensive that you son't be able to binge! Try the local food...avoid American fast food

    Mel
  • Hi,

    I think I was missing in action. Actually I was just stressed due to the work load as well as due to the fact that I was training for the 8km part of 100km relays, which happened on Nov5th. So here is the report:

    I was supposed to run the last leg - 8.2km to be precise. Since it is the relays, our team (coworkers) had buddy's program - like when you finish, your buddy will wait for you with his car and will drive you back to yours, plus this buddy (who is usually running leg either before you or after) is helping you on the way with water and whatever you need). So three of us (3 last leg runners) buddied up in a very complicated set up and I helped two of them before me with pictures, water, jackets, etc. The rules were - if the runner before last leg does not finish before 3:30, all runners on the last leg get chips to run due to the fact that it is getting late and dark. My team however finished leg 7 (leg before mine) @ 3:29, so I actually got chip from our team captain who was also my buddy. So i started to run and soon enough figured out that it gets windier and windier and wind is my asthma's worst enemy. After about 3 km I was totally out of breath but still running... Then route had a change and we were running with wind coming into our faces. After about 3.5 km I started to dream about my buddies showing up in the vehicle and protecting me by driving slowly beside me so that wind does not actually get into my face like other team buddies did. Fat chance, both buddies were not there. So I started to loose speed and walk thinking that as soon as I make it to the main route, they will be there waiting for me.
    Finally I made to the main route (with about 4.5km left) - I could barely breeze and I was weezing really bad as people who were passing me always offered help (but no wind protection or water, as my buddies said - why do you need water - we will be there for you)... My asthma medication taken into the high doses was making my mouth dry, wind into the face was drying lips and wind was so cold that I could hear my ribs crach from cold! Of course, windbreaker would be nice BUT it was in the car which was supposed to be there but was not! After about 6 km ambulance stopped beside me and offered me some gatorade and I tried to drink but I was already in heavy asthma attack and could only throw it up! They offered to drive me to the finish, but I felt so bad for my team who ran 92km before me that I decided - I will finish, even if I am late! Soon it became dark and I was walking (which seemed like crawling) along the road - some runners when passing me offered me water (thanks! Thanks!thanks!), one female even walked with me for about 1km to make it easier to come back to normal breething but I convinced her to leave me alone and finish for her team as as experienced asthmatic i knew that back to normal will take days, not minutes in the cold and dark! Finally I reached the bridge 250m from the finish where my DD was volunteering for the event by doing marshalling there, she gave me some water and I got onto the finish line and I even ran (he-he) the last 100m! I finished! Only 10 min longer than expected, but I could not even make it to the car, so my buddies - who missed me in the dark and were waiting at the end of the relays - were hoding hot tea and my jacket!

    What a run! I thought 10 times to stop and the heck with the team! However, my DD was so proud of me. As it happened, I was not the last person to finish among the teams, but second to last! Our team in the team events finished 30th out of 36 corporate teams... Not bad - last year we were last but I did not participate...

    When I came home my DH just made it all worse - he said something like: insanity is doing the same thing expecting different result - you are trying to run for 20 years I know you and you expect you will be running better! I cried the whole night but later on I realized that God gave me a valuable lesson - it send this wind to tell me - my breath is weak and I can not run, however my spirit is high and I finished anyways, however I probably should stop running for competitions and just keep it a recreational thing to myself! i can bike with no problems, so next time I will participate in biking event rather than running event. Or I can swim. Or something like that. But not running!

    I have to admit, I am telling my story here but I still ache inside when i think how cold it was and how bad I felt. I was second time I almost froze on the road (first one when I was 18 y.o. and had to country ski for 20km in the snow at -20 degrees celcius and I almost froze there in the field due to the asthma attack). It seemed a dangerous thing to do - to participate in this event, I trained for the whole year, but asthma is not my friend, I ran 10K weekend before the relays with no problems, with no wind however. I am lucky not to get pneumonia, I only ended up with ear infection and sore throat.

    So no running for me. That's it... Sad! I will have some research to do to get my cardio in...

    Hope I my ranting was not boring to read...

    2F - japan - I envy you! I love sushi!!! Yamm!

    Rabbit - hope you are doing better.

    Cheers,
    Sandy.
  • Sandy I wouldda had it out with your team mates!

    I am actually thinking about trying sushi - I was only kidding about McD's (I hope!)

    I was reading Ultra Fit+ (how's that for a dodgy title!?) the other day and some boffin in there reckoned that just doing 1 set to failure was the quickest and most effective way to get results from weight lifting. I am not particularly convinced, but I have heard similar before. So I tried it on Sunday and yesterday and I think it's working me harder than my 3 sets of 5 at heavy weights. I don't know if I was using a heavy enough weight on previous sessions to do much good! My legs are a tiny bit achy today, so I feel like I've worked out harder, although it could just be the high heels I was walking round in last night!

    Anyone have any opinion on working to failure in 1 set, rather than doing 3 sets? Thanks!
  • Hi LWL,

    Sandy - What an awfull race this has been for you! Especially that you needed your buddies and they were not there! However, you DID finish your commitment, and I think that IS a valuable lesson, that you have got what it takes. As my doctor said on my holding on in the present crisis: it does not matter that you do what you have to do while you are crying; the point is that you do it.

    This said, why give up running as cardio altogether? You said you enjoyed it the week before when you did not have an astmatic attack and there was no wind blowing, so why not run when the circumstances are Ok for you? I do not think this running or not running should be such an all -or-nothing kind of thing, if you enjoy it and the circumstances are Ok, I would just do it. And maybe the negative comment from your partner was just his way to show his concern for you. men are strange beings after all.


    Today is finally a well needed day of comparative rest. Went to work this morning, and then had lunch with my X-parents in law. They are amazed as well at what is happening with XH. NOw for an afternoon of rest and relaxation. I actually got the CDs from the stress clinic in an saturday and I have started with the anti-stress program. I did CD1 on saturday and sunday & half of it yesterday but I already have the impression that it helps. When stressed I can think back at the restfull moment when doing the CD, and I remember to concentrate on my breathing, and I think it helps.

    Oh Sandy, how are things working out with your mother ?

    Have a nice day all,
    rabbit
  • Rabbit,

    I did not mean that I am not going to run. What I meant is that I will not compete with other runners...
    however I know that since I am not really into running, without the goal to compete I probably will find thousands of reasons why not to run!

    thanks for the support...

    I did upper body workput today inspite of my gym buddy bailing out and pouring rain outside... Very proud of myself

    Sandy.
  • I had a practice run for "eating intuitively" today. We were out in the car ALL day! I took apples, carrots and sugar free lemonade and I bought chocolate raisins for my friend but I only had about 40!

    We called at a fast food joint for lunch (not at all what I was wanting) and I had a chicken burger with no mayo AND THAT WAS IT! No fries, no fast-food triggered bingeing on chocolate raisins later in the car, no other junk bought because I'd "blown it for the day" Then I entered everything into fitday when I came home and it's about 1800 kcals, which is fine by me! A little higher than a good day, but by no means a shocker!

    Did my weights when I got home too! Also packing for Japan. I'm really looking forward to it now! GIVE ME SUSHI!
  • I had a good weights session last night Did both upper and lower because I had the time and legs had been getting short shrift lately. I was able to up the weight on a couple of exercises, and had some entertainment watching the super-macho trainer flirting with his client who was clueless to it!

    I've been having a discussion (by email) with a friend regarding squats. I'd really like to do squats, lunges, etc. rather than the leg machines, but have always been leary of hurting my knees further. I was diagnosed with chondromalacia more than 10 years ago, and did a lot of PT at that time. I have isometric exercises to do to keep my quads strong, or at least strong enough to hold my patella in place. I even do them much of the time. On Krista's website she recommends squats for strengthening a lot of leg muscles, including those that support the knee. Her instructions for doing them is good, and I've been using them. My friend is a doctor's wife, and a friend of an orthopod. He, the orthopod, claims that squats are responsible for many knee injuries. I know many of you do them, and with a fair amount of weight. I guess I'm just trying to gather opinions. I've been very careful of my form with my body-weight only squats, and so far have no adverse effects on my knees.
  • Pat, when I first started lifting heavy I used to wrap my knees in ace bandages to keep my patella tracking correctly. After about a year of heavy work, both hams and quads, I tried squats without wrapping. No problem! Even the "crunchiness" has gone. All the little supporting muscles and the tendons become stronger, as well as your quads.

    One of my clients wears neoprene knee braces on both knees when we work quads- she's over sixty and has had numerous knee problems, but has no problem doing moderately heavy squats with the braces.

    Deep powerlifting squats (different form) cause all sorts of problems. As long as you work up gradually and give your muscles, tendons and ligaments time to strengthen before you go for the 300 pounders, I think you'd be fine.

    I did shoulders and 45 minutes of stepmill torture today. Managed to forget to take food back to the gym for my 4 pm meal. I couldn't stomach the idea of another bar, so I went to the grocery store next to the gym and got a container of sugarfree rice pudding (no, it wasn't brown rice ) and a tub of cottage cheese. Mixed a portion in a styrofoam cup, and it was delicious! Not the healthiest of carbs, but a nice treat for 190 calories total.

    2F- Good for you on your "intuitive eating" day. Those chocolate raisins would have been calling to me

    Mel
  • Thanks, Mel. Good idea on the neoprene braces. I had one for my elbow when I hurt it years ago. I'll look for them (add another thing to my list for Anchorage on Friday). I've had troubles with my knees for at least 15 years, probably more. . . Nothing short of surgery is going to smooth out the back of my knee, but stronger muscles will keep it in place and hopefully let me use it more easily. Of course, getting back to or near my goal weight would help immensely too!
  • Hi LWL,

    Pat, Mel - your discussions onn the strenghtening of the stuff around the knee in order to protect the knee ties in with a lot of ideas I have about tweightlifting. i really believe my knees and other joints have profited from the little lifting that i do. Now to get myself to get back to it again! I will leave that as a target for when i have my life in order again.

    Sofar things are OK. I look back at the past month and I find that both myself and the children have coped really well the past month. XH is out of the house, and we put in some new routines that work out well, especially in the early morning hassle. I am very tired after working this morning and talking to my therapist, but as my working week is over now, at least I can get some rest now and play my meditation CD from the "full catastrophe living" series. Someone asked me on the forum to give feedback on if this works: I have done this CD now for a couple of days and Yes, for me it works.

    To celebrate that we are surviving that daddy took off with the new love of his life I have bookes a table for me and my kids for tomorrow evening. We are going to celebrate that we CAN live without him and we WILL eventually be happy, even if now is a hard time.

    2F - Good for you on the food isue!! Maybe after all those back-kicks you are finally the master of those chocolate covered raisins!!

    Have a great day all,
    rabbit
  • Hello laydees!

    Double kickboxing for me tonight! Yahoooooo! I am getting a medicine ball so I can do those sit-ups where you throw the ball to a partner I'm really psyched about it today! I can see improvements and that makes me want to keep going and keep practising so I can get even better!
  • 2F – Lucky you, I’ve put a medicine ball on my Christmas List, that along with some 1 lb magnet weights and a bosu ball. . I’m even printing websites and marking magazines so I DD & DH know just where to find them and EXACTLY what I want. I particularly like using the medicine ball sitting on the exercise ball and twisting from side to side holding the medicine ball. It has really helped limber up and strengthen my lower back. I was having a heck of a time with my lower back and my PT started having me do these twists and it almost instantly improved my back

    Pat – My knees are definitely benefiting from the squats. I thought for years I couldn’t/shouldn’t do them. My last visit to the orthopedic surgeon confirmed moderate arthritis. He said that I would eventually need to replace my knees but he wanted to keep them going for as long as possible. He said loosing weight would help and it was to bad I couldn’t walk anymore because it was good exercise. Well currently I’m walking over 3 miles a day for my cardio and as long as I warm up good my legs actually feel better after a good workout utilizing squats or lunges and best of all I don’t need to use a cane anymore. Just listen to your body and stop if it really hurts from pain and not just from having not done it before.

    Rabbit – I was thinking about you today during my walk (probably because your situation puts me so in mind of mine a few years ago), I was listening to a country music station and a song came on I had never heard before. It was about a man you was worried about how his leaving was going to affect his wife of many years. In his song, as he predicted, she “let herself go” after their breakup but to his surprise she let herself go on a cruise, go on a trip to Hawaii, go on a trip to Vegas, go on her first blind date, go to the spa and came back looking beautiful. I remember so well when I turned that corner after my breakup with my X, I think I was as surprised to start enjoying life again as I was at the news that he was leaving.

    TTFN,