Good morning! I'm about to rush off to work but wanted to get the thread started. Cardi done, and it's LEG DAY We need a lunging smilie. Don't you all smile as you lunge?????

This is countdown week to Halloween. Candy is everywhere- RESIST!!!!! Resistance is NOT futile!

Also countdown weeks for our brides.

OK, gotta run (and squat, deadlift, lunge, jump, step )

mel

I think an exercise should be named after Mel as well. Some of the crazy things Mel comes up with sound like something that should be named like Mel's squat or what not.

Anyway, I had a decent weekend except I ate a little too much at the bbq on Saturday but it was at a big park and we ended up getting some walking at least.

Sunday, I did one of my Firm DVDs which was an hour long. I love how they make me sweat so much. Then I got ready for my hair appt with the hair stylist that is doing my hair for the day of the wedding. He is really good and we tried a couple things but I think we are pretty set for what we will be doing on the day of the wedding.

Then DF talked me into going onto a hike or actually he told me he wanted to go on a hike and I picked a nice hard one. We actually got lost on the hike (my fault) but we were able to find our way and it was a really nice walk. There were lots of hills and my legs got a good workout.

I have 3 weeks and 6 days until the wedding. Yikes. I'm going to talk DF into doing some things since he has been helpful in his own way but I have been running around getting stuff done and its exhausting! Plus I start physical therapy tomorrow and I need to be able to take time off of work for that stuff.

Good Morning Everyone!

Mel: We DO need a smilie lunger. I do not smile while I'm doing that. Nope it's definetly a grimace. Some would argue that my grimace is my smile.

Nelie: Beware of the hair... It's what made me late to my own wedding. Not my own hair mind you. I'm pretty much a wash and go girl but my bridesmaides. Geeesh. I'm glad you have a good stylist. It takes away the possibility of a "bad hair" day.

Over the weekend my husband and I were able to visit with friends from Bloomington, Ind. They were not here for the game but for a distant relative's funeral. While planning on where to go to dinner the one guest had said that his grandfather grew up in German Village so we decided to give him a tour. We ended up eating lunch there which is so not BFL friendly. So, I threw caution to the wind, had a beer on tap with a yummy brat and kraut sandwich. Wow, I haven't had one of those in YEARS... (am I in trouble now?) Funny thing was I didn't really feel very well about an hour later. I guess it was a shock to my digestive system. I had to focus to walk straight after just one beer and the brat when right through me. It was a great visit with them though.

Went in for my workout this morning. Yep, still only upper body. I was there for an hour and booked out. After about five minutes cycling my leg began to ache like someone was taking a hammer to it. I thought I was "in repair." I guess NOT! Anyway, I'm staying home on the couch for the rest of the week. Called my sports doc for advisement. I already know what he will say, "about those crutches..." He's been threatening me with them since July. It think the time to submit has arrived.

On a happy note, it snowed here today. Pretty little flakes for about an hour. My three year old said they tasted like marshmallows.

Have a great week everyone.

EEK! It snowed in Columbus already? I'll be getting a very unhappy phone call from my dd some time today

Lydia, if your friends had come to see the game, it would have looked like a funeral to them anyway. Sorry it was a sad reason to get together. I LOVE German Village- but I can't eat anything there without the same reaction.

Nelie- Lucky you to have gone hiking this weekend. I had a hike planned, but we started fall lawn cleanup instead-- big mistake! We are pretty much hostage to the yard until the snow falls. I should have ignored it for another week and headed for the AT like I'd planned. This may have been the last nice weekend


OK- i'll try to attach a pic of the latest crazy exercise. Note this is NOT me in the picture, I'm taking the picture. The guy doing this can stay up on those balls for 45-60 seconds. I fall off after about 5 seconds and it's taken me about 3 weeks to learn that! Very,very hard...and no weights involved!

Wow! Looks like a cool gym Mel! Great place to work.

That's hard enough with your feet on the ground....very impressive!

I'm not sure I could even get up on them! I'm sure it's a great exercise though.

I'm miserable with a cold - sore throat, headache, achy - Yuck! I have to go home and meet a repairman in about 20 min. I may just stay there.

WOW! Forget running, I WANNA DO THAT!!!

Mel, can I have your job? Just for one day? Okay, can I just shadow you? That looks like so much fun. Okay. I'm done now. (Can't wait to show my husband that one.) Maybe I'll head off to get some large exercise balls. Wait, I'm supposed to be on the couch. Well, the kids can play with them until I'm ready. I'd probably get the giggle fits and roll right off anyway.

Just over a week to go!

Having a SHOE CRISIS My current shoes catch on the lace of my dress and my bridesmaid says that I should get different shoes.... Why didn't my mother tell me this weeks ago??? Why didn't I figure this out for myself??? GAH! So I am internet shoe-shopping, I have 3 pairs coming and there's 2 pairs that I want to order, both over £100 each!

I've severely busted up my middle finger punching someone!!! It was an old injury, then I punched someone's hand without gloves and I can barely move my finger for it hurting. I've strapped it up for now, needless to say typing is a bust! I have 1 working finger on my right hand! I can't grip anything, so no weights (unless I grit my teeth) just cardio in the gym today! I think I could do some press-ups and some lungey things with bodyweight only, will have to get creative!

Oh 2FRU it sounds like you are really having a trying day. Bummer. Well enjoy the cardio. Get that finger back in order so we can continue to read your prewedding updates.

Speaking of which, good luck with the shoe hunt. It's just one of those things...

Good luck frus! I hope your finger heals well. I had my shoe crisis a couple months ago because it is so hard to find off white shoes in my size and I didn't want to buy white shoes then try to dye them. I finally found a pair that were simple and they won't be seen much anyway for 30 dollars. I think they were the 3rd pair I had ordered.

DF and I decided that we won't be doing any speeches during the ceremony. We thought about doing something corny like "statements of love" but I know I'm going to be crying already. I think if I tried to talk about something personal during the ceremony that it would turn into a total crying fest.

I got a flu shot yesterday and I wasn't feeling so well last night. This morning, the alarm went off but I almost slept through it. Poor DF, he was tired too so he was probably thinking why don't I put the alarm off when he is trying to sleep. Anyway, I didn't get up to exercise this morning but I do have physical therapy today so we'll see what type of exercises I'll do then. I may also exercise after work.

Good morning gals! I had some excellent cardio this morning, so am riding that endorphin high!

The scale inched down a bit again, so I was pleased to see that. I have really got to get a new scale - this one never reads the same number twice, so I have to either always just go with the first measurement, and just look at the trend... Anyone have one they really like? I'm convinced that I'm one of those people who needs to weigh daily, or every other day, just to keep me on track - otherwise it's easy for denial to set in, and before you know it, you've gained!

2frus - sorry you're having last minute shoe stress. But, shoe stress is better than other stress! And sorry about your finger - hope it's better soon!

Mel - that's just crazy! Good for you for being able to get up on them - I don't think I ever could!

Pat - hope your cold is better soon - I've been fighting off the one DF had for the past 2 weeks - felt iffy yesterday, but luckily better today.

Have a great day everyone!
Cindy

10/24

Chest, Shoulders, Triceps & Abs

I was able to increase the weight on the bench press from 20lb dumbbells to 25lbs . My chest was burning by rep 12 but I finished all 3 sets.

On the incline press I am still stuck at 20lbs.

Dang Girl! 25 is impressive in my book.

I'm doing 20lbs and have been for months. Reps are higher, I'm doing 15 to 20. I know, I know, it's time for me to move up too. I do know better. I just feel so comfy with my form at 20lbs now I really dread moving up. hmmmm. Maybe I should at least start even if I can only crank out five to six of them.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Moving mode is in full swing, it’s actually happening!

2Fru- You must be giddy with anticipation! Hope your finger and shoes get sorted out ASAP.

Bfl_Cat – I am with you on the daily weigh-in, denial had me in its grips there for a while. During my injury sabbatical/reveling in all things Wisconsin (= beer + cheese) I gained about 5 to 6 lbs in just over a month. My first major backslide. I am back on track now but only really saw the scale spike in the last couple weeks since I’ve been back on track at the gym. Just like it takes a while for losses to show up on the scale gains are probably slow to show up too. I know if I keep it up it will swing back the way it’s supposed to go.

Pat – Feel better.

Mel – I grew up in northern WI and went to college in Madison, so I know full well what I’m getting myself into. I won’t lie, I will miss the ocean and mild climate, but I love Madison so I will just suck it up and deal. Also, Good to know that my aversion to barbells is not unfounded! I much prefer the dumbbells for just about everything. That stability ball trick it super cool. Maybe someday I'll try that. Right now it’s all I can do to keep my feet from rolling off the ball when I try to do push-ups with my toes on the ball.

Meg – Thank you so much for all that shoulder info! I’m pretty sure my injury is just inflammation and not a tear, but it’s good to know I should skip the upright rows and a better way to do raises. I’ll be sure to envision holding beer cans when I do them in the future. I think I’ll give those check presses a try when I lift tonight. I’ve been doing the “Arnold press” http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...noldPress.html and I like that one but am always interested in switching things up a bit. Probably good for your coordination to do that.

I never knew you could sustain such serious shoudler injuries from overtraining. Not like I’ve been in danger of that recently but something I’ll definitely keep in mind for the future. Y’all are tough gals to come back from that and keep on training.

After 5 weeks of no upper body lifting (felt like an eternity) I finally got back to business last week and had two very good sessions. I was a little worried about the shoulder but it seems like the more I move and work it the better it’s feeling, and I’m definitely feeling better being back in routine. I had a really interesting shoulder workout last Saturday, I went trapezeing! (that is probably not a word, but it should be) A good friend of mine has been studying trapeze and aerial tissue for about the last year or so and the place she goes to was having an open house where anyone who wanted to could sign their life away and give it a try. It was not as difficult as I thought it might be, pretty fun actually. Add it to your list of things to try before you die if you have one. I figure if I could do that and my shoulder didn’t feel any worse than before I must be well on the road to recovery.

I’m on week 5 of c25k, which is a little different from the first 4 weeks because there are different intervals for each of the 3 runs, the last one being a 20 minute straight run with no walking! Seems a bit quick to get rid of the walking breaks but I’ll be interested to see if I can do it.