Birchie, I think that lately, I'm feeling vulnerable to any form of excess precipitation and to freakish storms in general, which is probably why I'm dreading the winter many weeks before it actually arrives. Of course it doesn't snow continuously & hourly for the whole season. It's one of those things I can put off worrying about.

Jay, I've been spoiled by my very nice and not cheap gym, with its towel service, free classes in all kinds of exercise and equipment that rarely goes down for more than a day. I'm beginning to wonder if gyms are one of those "you get what you pay for" things.

So, anyway:

Sept. 21: One hour class, beginner, Kripalu yoga

Sept. 22: 15 minutes cardio warmup
60 minutes arm & shoulders routine
45 minutes on the Stairmaster stepper, playing around with resistance, varying from 2 to 4

Yes and no, in my experience. The last gym I went to, I paid close to $40 a month. They had free classes, trainers for hire, and really crappy equipment--so bad it was rusting. The gym I go to now has no classes, but nicer equipment. Not sure about the trainers, but I have given up on both classes and trainers. This gym costs me $12 a month.

Jay

Saef, there are definitely different levels of gyms, and the features tend to go along with the prices. DH and I belonged to one for a while around here which was mostly focused on group sports (they had an indoor soccer/football field, like 10 basketball courts, etc.). I think they spent most of their money there. They had group classes but they were never reliably scheduled (sometimes the instructor wouldn't show up, or there was only one person attending). The machines were often broken. It was in a sketchy neighborhood. But it was cheap!

Can't remember where I left off.

9/21: 15 min easy bike ride on the stationary bike at work, 5 mins or so back work on the mat (feeling extra lazy yesterday apparently)

9/22:
27:13 1.8mi powerwalk with Carter
possibly another walk this evening

Good idea. Look forward and plan a bit, of course, but live in the here and now. :)

Gymn. Increased time on the TM and bike. Did physio exercises including 10 x 10 second bridge reps. It's from here that I work up to single-legged bridges. I plan to go into the bridge and then, simply, extend a leg into the air towards one of the blethering tellys. Elegantly. I'll let you know.

An effort at the downward dog.

September 22: 50 minutes Zumba (should have been 60 but the instructor couldn't get the music going:()

Totals:
20 days
1391 minutes

Sept. 23:

35 minutes on stationary bike, resistance at six
25 minutes on recumbent bike, resistance at eight


This morning I was trying hard to get used to the stationary bike, with its slipped gears & lack of foot straps. How does one sprint fast on such bikes? I'm used to either foot straps or clipping my bike shoes to the peddles. Finally I gave up, frustrated, near tears. How I missed my spin class, and my friends in that class, the conversations we had during warmup, and the various teachers, each with her own distinctive play list. My iPod stopped cold dead, further demoralizing me. I moved to one of the three stationary bikes, which in this gym, only seem to be used by the Silver Sneakers members. I was between two older ladies & I think I was taking up the bike that one of their friends is used to using, only she showed up really late & didn't get it. So the trio of ladies did not get to chit-chat side by side over their morning newspaper as I have seen them doing in the past. I felt badly, but not too badly. That particular recumbent bike was the only one with foot straps & the only one I felt safe doing sprints on.

I hate the bikes at this gym. They're not an option. I'm calling one of the new fitness clubs a half-hour drive away from here that sent a flyer to the house offering five days of working out for free. I will have to deal with the hard sell to get those days, but I want a break from the village gym. And newer equipment, at least for a couple days. On which I can dream of what I took for granted & lost.

No second walk yesterday, it was raining.

9/23: 32 min powerwalk with two doggies

Saef, have you considered buying an actual bike secondhand? I have never been to upstate NY but I am imagining miles of gorgeous wooded roads with little traffic that would be perfect for biking. At least, until December. :lol:

September 23: 60 minutes elliptical

Totals:
21 days
1451 minutes

Jessica, you mean I'm supposed to, um, actually ride a bike someplace? Instead of just peddling and going nowhere? ;-)

Saturday, Sept. 24:

Ran the usual route, the more difficult uphill side, walked afterward, 4 miles
One hour of Beginner Kripalu yoga

I've got a twinge tonight along the bottom of my left foot, which is my plantar fasciitis reminding me of how much pain it can give me. So for the next few days, my goal is to stay off my feet & use exercise machines like bikes (on which I peddle & peddle & go nowhere) and rowing machines. We'll see what that trial membership at the nice gym a half-hour away gives me access to.

Seriously, I will pay for a second gym membership if this place is decent & if it seems the traffic flow is favorable for me getting there promptly.

Sunday, Sept. 25

20 minutes waiting for staff member of fitness club to meet me for the appointment I'd made two days before to view the facility with a eye toward possibly becoming a member & work out for free. He never showed. I should have known that a twentysomething buff young guy would blow off an appointment at 9 AM on Sunday, the morning after Syracuse University won a football game in a close match.

Walked out of that gym in annoyance, but saw enough to know it was a really nice place & that I would have actually joined it, not just used the free five-day membership.

At my own gym

20 minutes recumbent bike, resistance at eight, hill intervals
60 minutes shoulders, chest & triceps workout. This one defeated me utterly last Sunday. I did better this time, partly because I picked up a better place to set up my mat & pushup handles. But it still killed me. I simply cannot do some of the pushup variations, so I just do plain old girly pushups to failure. (Which came sooner & sooner, as the workout progressed.)
45 minutes recumbent bike, Alpine peak, resistance at eight

That sucks Saef! I can't believe someone else couldn't have helped you?!?! At my gym, they are always more than happy to show you around and try to sell a membership.

September 24: 95 minutes Bikram Yoga

September 25: 60 minute walk

Totals:
23 days
1606 minutes

9/24: dog power walk
9/25: double dog power walk, bike ride (~30 mins, ~7 miles)
9/26: double dog power walk

Sept. 26:

60 minutes recumbent bike, steady state resistance at six
60 minutes Kripalu yoga class


It's back again: Crying during the corpse pose, as I did back in 2008, when my father was dying of cancer.

September 26:
60 minutes Body Pump class (arms are sore just typing this!)

Totals:
24 days
1666 minutes

Tuesday, Sept. 27:

20 minutes on recumbent bike, Alpine Pass setting, resistance at six
45 minutes arms & shoulders routine
45 minutes back on bike, same setting, resistance at seven


No one from that gym has called to explain or apologize. And no, Michele, they did not offer to send around a different trainer, maybe because they're sales-oriented and maybe the people are on commission and no one wanted to interfere with someone else's commission. I tried calling the head office in Ohio and explained the problem there. (I didn't want to try leaving a message or complaint with the apathetic and unprofessional local receptionist.) They said they'd look into what happened and get back to me. No word back thus far.

This morning, peddling on the recumbent bike again, near some gentlemen from the senior center across the street from the gym, who peddled and chatted, with the morning paper in front of them & coffee beside their bikes, I thought to myself what a change there's been in my life, from going to 5:45 AM spin class with weight intervals at my former gym.

I want my life back.

:hug: Saef

Well...I'm back - right, wrong or indifferent, lol. I've been purposefully shying away from posting for the last few weeks because I lost my way for a little while. I'm not proud of it but that's the honest truth.

Bad news first: BIL is still dying. Probably won't make it six months. We told my nieces and I cried for three days. No joke. I've come to the conclusion that God is good but life sucks. 'Nuff said. And yeah, I'm still turning 40 in six weeks and I'm no happier about than I was than the last time we chatted. Getting older sucks. There's no getting around it. I feel like I'm being put out to pasture, lol.

What I did about it: What does every woman who's more than a little depressed do to get out of her funk? Get a damn haircut!! ;) I promptly marched into my hair salon and slapped down a photo of Sarah Jessica Parker with a chin-length bob from a few years and asked my hairstylist of 20 years to make me look like that. And you know what? HE DID. Haha Everyone's been commenting on how much younger, vibrant and sassy I look. This wasn't just a haircut, it was soul-cleansing. I'm not kidding. He lopped off a good ten inches and I felt the weight of the world come off my shoulders. I feel a thousand pounds lighter - at least. It doesn't solve every one of my problems but it's a start.

Good news last: Something kind of shifted in me the last three to four weeks. I'm sick and tired of feeling like the victim here. I want to be a strong woman not just fit. I'm tired of being told that I'm tiny and small. NO I'M NOT! :) So, I contacted some trusted people I know in the fitness industry and started inquiring about lifting some serious weight. Not the bull**** pink dumbbells like I'd been doing either. And no, I don't want to be the next female bodybuilder but I do want to add some muscle - in my upper body specifically. They suggested that I start with weights that were 5X the amount I'd been using. I was shocked but for once I didn't argue and just went with it. They also said I should be doing a full-body circuit training routine three times weekly and cut my cardio down to 10 minutes of steady state after the routine. No more hour long sessions. I had to pick what to focus on - building muscle or losing fat. I choose muscle, lol. To reiterate, I'm only working out 3x a week for 45 minutes and I have so much more energy than before!

And then a couple of days ago the most AMAZING thing happened to me: I was brushing my (now-shorter) hair and when my arm was in a bent position and half-flexed, I could see in the mirror a definite bicep!!!!!! Not huge but HUGE FOR ME. :cheer: Holy Batman!!!! I. Have. A. Bicep. My body is actually capable of more than just losing fat. I can actually flex the damn thing any time I want, lol.

But the trade-off is I've never been so darn sore in my life! My abs hurt when I cough and laugh from the deadlifts I've been doing. My arms and shoulders are crying at the end of the sessions. And my legs are on fire from all the squats. I don't care about the scale anymore. I REALLY DON'T. The number doesn't define who I am. The scale has tortured me for years but no more. I just want to feel good about my body and lifting these weights in heavier increments does just that. I thought running was the ultimate high - not by a long shot for me. I fall into bed completely exhausted on the days that I lift but that's what I need right now. And you know? My abs didn't vaporize into thin air b/c I quit running (which was one of my fears). In fact, they are sharper than ever. I added about 300 kcal to my caloric intake on the days that I lift b/c to gain muscle, you've got to eat. Not an easy concept to wrap my head around but I'm doing it. My weight is still the same but everyone tells me that I look great even though the scale hasn't moved. Weird, huh?

Alright, end of my so-called rant. Hope everyone is doing well and I'll check back soon. :) Thanks for listening to me.

Fitmom-- thanks for the update! Sorry to hear about BIL, but the rest sounds fantastic. Would love to see the before and after of your sassy do!

My weight hasn't changed much but people keep commenting that I look thinner and I think it is the combination of my routines-- weights, cardio, bikram yoga, etc. that has me much more toned than before-- with definite biceps too!

September 27: 60 minutes elliptical

Totals:
25 days
1726 minutes

Wednesday, Sept. 28:

Ran the usual route, the four-miler, the uphill way, and walked afterward, finding it slow going in the humidity. (Though now I've been to the dentist, I think the problem with my tooth must be taking its toll on me, if that tooth really is infected in the roots.)

One hour Kripalu yoga class (planned -- I'm about to leave for it).

FitMom, Shannon, Michele, I think we ought to take flexing photographs. I'll bet we don't appreciate how we've built up our bodies because they're such a work in progress, we always see what could be improved. But others see us as we really are.

I know I'm often still the awkward fat girl in my mind, and that this probably is not what people around me see. (Even if I become her momentarily when I'm in the weights section at the nearby gym, a very masculine zone.)

Totally agree-- I know I still see a fat girl in my mind and can not come to terms with how I really look. I will take some flexing photos. I may even post them here. :carrot:

September 28: 55 minutes boot camp

Totals:
26 days
1781 minutes

Thursday, Sept. 29:

To the gym before heading off for my root canal:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at four, aerobic setting
60 minutes back & biceps routine
45 minutes back on the stepper, resistance at five, aerobic setting. My back felt fine. This thing makes me drip sweat on the front of my shirt.

I wanted to go to yoga today, at a time that I usually can't make because I'm working, but after my root canal we ran errands, and then I had to start dinner, and the time got away from me. I felt pretty wiped out after my session in the dentist's chair but also felt compelled to get groceries.

I will probably miss out on working out over the next two days, as we are going downstate after all, but leaving the very next day. That's a lot of car time and little down time. I am telling myself it won't make a difference.

September 29: 60 minutes zumba class

Totals:
27 days
1841 minutes

Ok...
Gonna post a photo of my biceps and my back (hopefully):

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d6...s/IMG_7305.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d6...s/IMG_0026.jpg

Michele, no wonder people are noticing and giving you compliments. You look look very strong, toned, defined and also lean -- not bulked up, as women so often fear. In fact, if I see someone on another thread fretting over "getting big," I want to send this person to your pictures. That is a female athlete's body. Or what I've begun to think of as "the yoga body," even though I know yoga is just one part of your routine.

My next question is very mundane & practical: Did someone help you with taking the photos? Maybe Dewey took them & has learned to focus the camera. Or did you do it somehow one-handed? I have to learn this trick. I just learned how to use my mother's camera the other day, to take photos for eBay listings, but I have to figure out the choreography for doing this. (Or I could simply ask my mother, and deal with her questions about "What for?")

Thanks for the compliments Saef! My upper body looks much more toned and defined than my lower body. In my youth, I was a swimmer and did gymnastics, hence my thighs and calves are never going to be particularly small.

As for my camera abilities-- I used my iphone. I tried to do it myself, but couldn't get a good shot. My teenage dd has great abilities to take amazing photos of herself but I think it's just practice. I asked Dewey to take them but he was busy chasing Wilbur(the cat), so my dd took them for me.

September 30: 90 minutes Bikram Yoga

Totals:
28 days
1931 minutes for September:carrot::carrot:

Friday, Sept. 30: Nothing. Up at 4:30, out the door by 7:30, arrived at former home by 1:30, walked through ruined rooms, investigated storage bin (still not clean & the crew has left their cleaning supplies inside it). Retrieved porcelain jardinieres from neighbor. Picked up drycleaning. Went to Trader Joe's (which I have sorely missed), then to hairdresser, then back to the complex to pick up jewelry, coat, four antique quilts, rolled-up Aubusson carpet, papier mache table and chair, tilt-top table, sewing stand with the carved base, Art nouveau screen. To grocery store for prepared meals from their deli section. I got broccoli rabe and a lentil salad. Then motel, to eat, watch TV uncomprehendingly & crash. No exercise.

Saturday, Oct. 1

60 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at five, with me grabbing the hand rails occasionally for balance but mostly hands-free. I'd been cooped up in the minivan for much of the day and wanted to move. I can't figure out the foot placement on this machine yet. Should my feet be centered? Should I push with heel? Or ball of foot? On the elliptical, I try to push with my heel, but this is an entirely different movement.

And whoops, I realized it's a new month. This really belonged in an October thread.