Hi there I'm back from my trip and deeply immersed in next year's budgets for work.

I haven't been to the gym yet, and refuse to weigh for at least another day, as I spent 10 hours on a plane on Monday....

Didn't get to do much lifting while I was away and I'm antsy to get back to it - probably tomorrow morning. At least there are now groceries in my house. I'm not sure what DH ate but there were no veggies and very little fruit.

I'm loving reading about everyone's workouts - sounds like you're all doing great! What I'm not loving is this cyber illness that's going around. I don't want it! I'm scheduled to have a flu shot next week - compliments of the Senior Center (it does help to be old in this instance) and I think I'm scheduled for pneumonia shot as well (they're every 5-6 years) since I have an immuno-compromised DH.

I had a great trip and lots of quality time with my sister as well as DH's brother and wife and a college friend. Weather was fantastic - warm and sunny without being hot. It amazed me though that much of the food I was served at people's home did not include much in the way of fruit/veggies! My college friend was better, and actually I did the best at restaurants! I don't know if this is just my family, or an east coast thing. I did go in a few stores and the produce selection was sooo much better than what I get (never mind that the prices were about 1/2 of mine). Almost - but not quite - enough for me to move back.

Can't possibly catch up with everyone, so I'm just jumping in....

Lydia, I hear you, smartaleck! I was still dragging this morning, during the workout, but I'm sure that's not at all related to that slice of cherry pie I had at the fair. (what's the smiley for me looking innocent?) It was worth it, is all I'm saying!

Rabbit, thanks for the biking info. My ride to the gym would be 7 miles each way, and I must be a wimp, because I'm worried I wouldn't make it home without walking, lol. It's not bad on the way there, but on the way back is a killer long hill. Pretty sure I'd be walking that one for the first few hundred trips. That's cool that you have all those bike paths. Like Elisa, my route to the gym would be a little more daring than that, since there's not really a bike lane, just have to stick to the edge of the road and hope the crazies don't run you down. Bikes are supposed to have use of the road and the same rights as cars, as long as you're not on a freeway or something, but most drivers don't know or respect that here.

ETA: Hey Pat! Glad you enjoyed your trip and are home safe. I missed your post earlier, since I didn't realize there was another page to the thread.

The CF Report follows:
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Today's WOD:
5 Round for time of:
10 Push-ups
15 AbMat Sit-ups
Run 300 meters

That piece of pie really slowed me down. Or it might have been the corndog, but they were the batter dipped ones! 15:38, and after round 2 I just had to do as many "toes" push-ups as possible, then switch to push-ups from my knees, just so I wouldn't be there all freaking day! This is why I don't eat those kinds of carbs, right? I'm all bloaty and tired...bleh!

I did my first night of karate last night. Way too much fun. I'm sore today. I did a little practice this morning but found my shoulders/upper back were a bit too sore to do much.

Silver (and midwife), I wanted to tell you that I love Val McDermid, and was surprised when you said she was only 50!! Totally looks older. I've just spent 2 weeks with my sister who is 19 months younger than me, and had a number of people ask me how much younger I was than her - whoops! Now she used to be a smoker, which certainly ages you, and she was nearly 300 lbs at one time (had a lap band, and then a part of her stomach removed with complications from the LB) and now probably weighs about 185, but is totally not in shape. Anyway, here's me, and when I have my photos downloaded from vacation I'll show you her. Hmmm, I should wait and post us together, but nah.... This is from formal night on my cruise in June/July. Looks off balance because I cropped out the other person in the photo.

I agree, she looks WAY older than 50! I was also surprised when I saw her pictures. This really is the point at which lifestyle choices (and genetics) catch up with people.

Welcome back, Pat!

Nelie- Glad you enjoyed karate! You always find new paths to staying active

CF report:
sumo deadlifts 5,5,3,3 I maxed at 205

WOD:
15 kettle bell wood chops per side
10 plyo box jumps
5 sumo deadlifts at 75% of previous determined max (wish I hadn't tried quite so hard!)

5 rounds for time.

I did respectably, but from now on I'm going to position myself near someone who is as fast or faster/strong than I am. I need the competitive push!

I sore from that previous mentioned &%*$^ Angie!

Have a good one and stay healthy!

Val is 53 or 54 but all the same. Lifestyle choices and genetics, eh? They happen to the best of us! Just have to do the best we can.

Still here but builders are wearing me down. How are you doing, Mel? Yours must have finished.

Got to the gymn 5 out of 5 last week. Am 4 out of 4 this week. As they say over in the Beck thread, CREDIT moi. (May have to borrow that.)

Food not very good. I'm tearing about too much.

to all. Shannon, have been sending you virtual hot whiskys and hot water bottles. You've got a nasty dose of something.

Must stumble off now to choose an outside light. Calorie-free, of course.

Have a good day, all.

Birch, ditto on the running around and the less than stellar food. I'm feeling a bit rough around the edges, since I didn't get my Sunday off, either, and this coming weekend is looking like more of the same. I need to take control of my schedule, apparently, and stop jumping for everybody's emergencies. Well, at least it's paying jobs I'm jumping for!

Mel, I think you're right on that. I notice that I get my best times when I'm chasing people that are faster than I am, or going with somebody who is about even with me...from the ones that are way faster than me, I learn that I can move as fast as they can, I just can't keep it up for the whole workout like they can. That gives me hope, though, that I can eventually catch them, or at least improve greatly, when I build up some endurance.

Speaking of, I'd better get dogs taken care of and head to the gym.

ETA: scratch the gym. I called my trainer, to see if either today or tomorrow morning would be a good day to miss, just so I could have a few hours at home to catch up on this disaster, and he said today would be best. They're just running 2 miles today, and I can do that either some time today, or save it and use it in my warm-up tomorrow morning. I'm thinking tomorrow morning, just because then I'm sure to be running the same distance as everybody else, since everything we do is timed. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'm setting a bunch of fence posts today, so I don't think I'll be hurting for exercise.

Hi ladies,

Birch, cheryl - I'm there on the less than stellar choices. nonetherless...credit moi, as birch says, since I went mto the gym and put in my hour of the day.

Cheryl - putting in fenceposts would count as a workout for me

I'll have to go back and look at that picture of Val mcdermick...

have a great day,
rabbit

Hi all...
No exercise so far this week... I planned to try yesterday, but by the time I got home I was exhausted and fell asleep for two hours. After that my head and ears were stopped up and the coughing bug came back, so I tabled it. Don't think today will be any better. Argh. I just want to be well again... DSS tonight so not likely to exercise, and not likely to sleep much.

Cheryl - putting in fence posts is definitely a workout...

Birch - thanks for the virtual hot whiskeys! If only I had a real one here at work I might be more productive! Are your builders almost finished? It sure seems like you have had stuff going on forever!

Mel - how goes the closet? I think following someone who is a little faster is a good motivation on things like CF... I would be the one following you and Cheryl... if I ever get better.

Pat - great pic! Glad you are back!

Nelie - ooo... karate. Sounds like fun.

Rabbit - I would love to be able to bike around here more, but there is no way... I don't even feel comfortable running on the sidewalks, I always go to the park. I have a friend in London who bikes to work and back every day rain or shine. Sounds lovely.

Lydia - how is the painting going?

Elisa - I have a bottle of hand sanitizer on my desk, for all the good it did me... and clorox wipes, and lysol spray...

On the upside, my weight is holding well with the sickness. I carried a lot of water last week from the meds and the junk food but I'm pretty much back to normal the last few days.

Good day everyone!

Birch, builders are still here, too. We are doing a complete renovation of the master bath and the closet just had to be emptied out because it would get full of dust and a linen closet was being incorporated into the main closet. It's really getting to me, too. My clothes are in 3 different rooms, and this weekend my dd is visiting with her bf, so we'll all be sharing the hall bath and I'll be darting in and out of her room to find my clothes. Luckily, I think it's just mostly my work clothes that are in her room. My new shower is going to be HUGE! All the drywall and wonderboard went up today. The spackling starts tomorrow. Oh joy, looking forward to dust. Actually, they are doing a stellar job of keeping it all sealed up, but drywall dust seems to find it's way everywhere no matter how careful you are.

Tonight's CF was again brutal. I really like to lift heavy stuff, but this was another endurance-agility fest.

As many rounds as possible in 30 minutes:
10 medicine ball cleans
10 push ups
in-out W's on an agility ladder
in out laterally on an agility ladder
5 lateral jumps to the left over paralettes
5 lateral jumps to the right over paralettes
bear crawl about 30 feet
10 sit ups

and do it again...and again...and again!

I was pacing a 17 year old who was flying and managed to keep up (Cheryl- it really does work!) but she had to leave at the 20 minute mark and even though I tried not to, I slowed down with no one to pace.

Shannon- have you been to a doc yet? Sounds like you are getting sicker!

Elisa! How are you doing?

I still think Val looks old for her age. I was 55 last week and I admit the hair dye helps, and maybe I'm delusional, but I think she looks at least 10 years older than me. OK, I'm delusional for sure But she's a better writer.

Mel

Hi ladies,

ow are you all? Shannon, I hope you are feeling better !

I'm sitting on the couch, feeling woozy. I went to get bloodwork done this morning, and I'm feeling the loss of the blood samples. My weight has gone up fast in the past months, and I'm tired and itching all over...time for a checkup. On the one hand I hope it's nothing, on the other hand I would love something that made me feel better. We'll see how the bloodwork turns out.

Silverbirch, Pat, Mel - I checked out the pictures of ValMcdermick. Incredible that she is only 4 years my senior. I agree with Mel that the hairdye helps a lot, but I think dress also has a lot to do with it. I still do not consider myself old enough to go for the classic middle age look, and I hate it that I do not fit into the clothes I inherited from my 13 yr old niece anymore.

Makers me all the more aware of the importance of taking good care of myself.

Have a great day all,
rabbit

Cheryl
Exactly. Couldn't have put it better myself. I fell asleep in the library yesterday (we'd gone there after school because the house is being rewired - new legislation means this has to happen in cronky old houses if electrical work is being undertaken). But paying jobs - that is Good News. I am very much in favour of paying jobs!

Shannon - feeling a bit better today? The builders have been with us for a month. They are more than on schedule but we only have a small house ... Re hand sanitiser, etc: could you have been too clean??

Mel - good luck with it all. Wonderboard and spackling! Have I ever told you that one of my main reasons for joining 3FC was to learn American from Americans? I'll go off and see if I can find a translation. OK. Wonderboard is a backing for ceramic tiles. Spackling - sort of Polyfilla (we use that as a generic word here). Thank you!

Rabbit - so nice to see you. You feel so close in the Netherlands compared with way across the Atlantic and the world! I did a lot of biking when I was at Cambridge (which, as you know, is practically in the Low Countries).

Nelie - gosh, karate!

Hullo Elisa and Lydia!

Pat - nice picture!

Here's a pic of me taken at a waterfall down the road about 10 days ago. Not quite a fountain of youth but lovely all the same. I am pretending not to be able to hear.

Birch - NO WAY can you be the same age as valmcdermick!!!! You look ages better!!!Agree on the amzing american language, thanks for the subtitles! and what do you mean by the low countries? I'm in the south! We are a full 6 m above sealevel here! I guess from the picture that there is more than 6 m height difference just in that waterfall down the road in Wales.

Rabbit

Thank you, rabbit!

6 metres, eh? That's pretty good going! We do have a few hills & mountains a bit higher
than that here, I suppose. Now I think about it. But you can do a lot of damage with 6 metres, if you know how!!

Silver and Rabbit, you guys are funny! DH and I had a good time figuring stuff out when we were in the UK. Spent a couple of hours in a huge Tesco in Chester gawking at all the different foods that we don't have. Then we had some serious cheese envy.... Some locals pegged us as tourists (not hard) and grilled us about places in the US they were scheduled to visit. One thing that has always amazed me is the difference in what Brits call flapjacks and what Americans do. Yours are like bars and ours are pancakes!

Loved the photo Silver - it's nice to have a face to go with the "voice"

Yesterday's "exercise" was getting the majority of the leaves off the lawn. It's a nasty job, but I'll be happy in the spring when I don't have mats of wet leaves covering my grass. DH did the first pass while I was away, and this was the second. THere's still a lot of leaves on the trees so I suspect we'll do it at least once more. Tonight we'll be back square dancing after a 3 week hiatus.

Tomorrow I hope to be at the gym early in the morning, and I'm not sure what will happen on Sunday. Church is at 10:30 and then I have tickets to see a local produduction of Carousel at 2, and that won't be over til after 5 pm. It'll have to be something at home as the gym isn't open that late on Sundays.

Have a great Friday.