No Soda 14 Days

Abs 9 Days


I did my ab work during half time of the football game DH and I were watching today. Then I did my workout for the day this evening. This week I have a bunch of longer workouts scheduled on the rotation, today was the longest one though, 65 minutes.

I can't believe it's been two weeks with no diet coke, today I didn't even miss it!

Back to work tomorrow, luckily kids only come three days this week. I have to work all 5, but Thurs. and Friday should be really easy days.

Day 10 done. I don't know why, but I'm having trouble remebering what day I'm on. I think I'll start my next challenge on Dec 1st just so I can remember. It would help to post everyday, I guess.
I had to pause again on Thanksgiving. I've actually been doing great on the no eating after dinner part, but I usually do my wimpy weights and sit-ups before I go to bed and if I'm really tired I'll just plain forget!!
I loke your semi pause idea, carla. I'll have to remember that one....

Here I come.
Just did 7 crunches, so Day 3 of the crunch challenge is a wrap. It was not as tough as the first two days, but still, the seventh one was a killer!

Running challenge didn't go too great today - I did not have enough time (Monday is Yoga day!), so I could not go to my usual spot, and the only other part of the road which is mostly flat is extremely WINDY. So it was quite hard to run.

Here is what I did on Day 12:
run 2'00", walk 1'25", run 2'08", walk 2'7", run 2'37", total time 10 min 18 sec, total time ran is just 6 minutes 45 seconds

I'll probaby have to take my second free day next Monday - I'm working late, so I'll be going straight to Yoga, and not coming home till almost 9 pm. It's going to be dark by then. Unless I manage to get up 30-40 minutes earlier... or even earlier, since I'm hoping to be able to do more than 15 minutes by then!

Good night everyone

No, no, sorry carla, Apple the semi-pause is NOT an official part of the challenge! Why do you complicate life so?!?! Of course, I can't stop you deviant types, but please do NOT corrupt the innocent others.... The whole idea of adding factors to a challenge is to up the difficulty. If you feel that is too difficult then pretend it is two challenges. This is really why it is better to keep things simple, I suppose. Naughty you. Spank, spank!

I, by the way, have been under a mountain of work and was just about to come back out and and back in here when I could breathe a bit. The last thing I was able to do these past days was think about "challenges" other than the work ones that faced me and still face me. Ah, to live a life of leisure....how simple everything would be...then again, of course, it would be horribly boring too....

I am going to make a new simple challenge, as the old one went out the window and I am either going to have to go simple or quit all together....now, since I see the thread gets along nicely without me and carla is even making up new rules on her own..maybe I should just give up the ghost....

What???!!! Don't you dare!!!! Give up the ghost - good grief woman. Hang on to the ghosts. We all need them in our lives. Carla already thinks I love to inflict pain on my friends. She is probably right, but I don't have to admit it.

We missed you Red, but we know how busy you have been but just so you don't have to give us up too, just pop in every once in a while. We all get the blah's but must never ever give up.

Remember this? :

Thanks, Shad...

Red, I do like my semi-pause idea, but will bow to your wisdom. (I rather enjoyed the spanking, I must say... ) Appropriately chastised, I'll go off to my Toronto conference (and dinner) well aware that a mere drop of the grape will send me back to Day1. Sniff. But as you say, that's why they call it a CHALLENGE. I'm already looking for ways to avoid the seemingly inevitable, like suggesting we go to a craft fair tomorrow night instead of doing a night on the town. I'm sure the client will be quite happy the next day to not be paying for the dubious talents of two sad and sorry members of the morning-after club.

So your challenge evaporated while you were away. Rats! I thought we were both going to succeed this time. But as you say, maybe you should go simple this time. (Mental image of Red as village idiot "It's not her fault folks, she's a little simple".) Did this flurry of work help the financial situation a little ? Was it all drudgery, or did you have fun socializing with the rest of those drunken writers? What kind of challenge are you planning? Are you starting right away or following Apple's idea of picking Dec 1 as a start date for easily remembering what day you're on? Does this mean a new thread (hallelujah!) or does that only happen when you actually complete a challenge? Red, please don't leave us!

Shad(not-enfreude), I love your cartoon. Life feels like that all too often. And you deserve a too, for doing such a good job of covering for our absent Red. Now you've got us trained so we can't manage without you either, sort of a double addiction.

Apple, you'll have noticed that popped in and shut us down on the semi-pause idea. Bummer, eh! I think I might join you starting the next one on the first. (I'll have either completed or failed this one by then. Hmmm - today is Day 17, so it finishes on Friday, and I guess there'll be a one-day overlap.) Is it hot in Sacramento? We're having freezing rain here this morning...

Sushi, you really need an inexpensive sports watch with a timer in it. I don't know how you remember the exact times you start and stop running... (the last time I was that concentrated on my time as I ran I tripped, did a nasty face plant, and ended up in ER having gravel picked out of my forehead.) If you could get any kind of little timer that repeats, you could set it for 1 minute and run three, walk one, or whatever sequence you choose. In fact, if you PM me your address I promise to send you one for Christmas.

Gotta go!

Hello ladies Whew! I made it through Thanksgiving. I did use two of my three pause days though, so now I have to be good. There is nothing dangerous on my calendar until the 10th and my firm's holiday party. Yesterday was day 12 of ACE though!

Stagemom - DH will sometimes watch me work out, but i usually banish him to the basement. This weekend I was doing a yoga video while he was in the living room - there is this part where you go into a side plank and I managed to hold the position most of the way through on each side. As I started the next move, DH is all, wow, that looked really hard, I can't believe you can do all that!

SushiPenguin - you are kicking butt with your running! Keep it up. I have never found a good cure for side stitches. Try Carla's recommendations (poking the stitch with your fingers; sharp exhalation every other stride). Sometimes you can run through them, but sometimes you just have to stop.

All right, no semi pauses. It's true, a challenge is a challenge. That spanking was good for me too.
Red, please don't go!!!! We all are tremendously motivated by your posts!!And we love you!!! I have to admit I get really frustrated sometimes too. I've been using this web site for quite sometime and I'm still struggling with the same 10 pounds..... So I often find myself wondering "why bother"....Like Shad said, at least pop in sometimes!
Carla, this time of year in Sac is quite chilly and rainy. Almost Seattle like with the rain, although November has been unusually dry. We are in Northern Cal, after all. As we get into winter, we can get down to freezing at night. It is raining today, and about 50 degrees. My Dec 1 challenge is going to be walking everyday for at least 30 min, but I forgot about the rain factor. I don't mind the rain at all, but if I have to bring the baby, well, I don't think he'll like it much. DH should be home most of the time, but he will be out of town for at least 4 days in Dec...I'll think of a back up, like the dreaded step video for rainy days...
Sushi, great job with the running...have you read the Penguin chronicles? The fellow writes a column for Runners World, he's really funny and inspirational too...Waddle on!!
Fish, I can't believe you counted calories on Thanksgiving. Wow..I think if I tried to add it all up it wouldn't seem so bad. I avoided the appetizers anyway.... I am finding myself 2 pounds heavier this morning but those lbs are usually gone quickly in a few days, as long as I behave.
By the way, day 11 done...

Here is a quote from one of John Bingham's articles (The Penguin Chronicles) "Jonesy" is a marathon runner who also speaks at running seminars.....

It's hard for me to imagine the courage it takes to pursue such a dream. Yet, having stood next to Jonesy, I believe the rest of us just aren't asking enough of ourselves. We are limited most by our imaginations--or more precisely, our lack of imagination. We tend to see ourselves only as we are, not as we might be.
Most of us will never be the world's best anything. But we could all be better at something if we had the drive to push beyond our comfort zone, whether it be a 30-minute 5-K or a step up the corporate ladder. If Jonesy taught me anything at those seminars, it's that we're all capable of seemingly unattainable goals.

I like the part about pushing beyond our comfort zone....it also reminds me of the Twain quote Shad uses.....

Aaah yes the Twain quote. I'm a big believer in pushing the boundaries. Just got to see where it goes, how it gets there, how much I can do, how much I can get away with etc.etc. It wasn't always that way believe me. I was a quiet, polite, almost shy, sly secretive person in my youth. If there is one thing I have to thank Australia for, it is finding the ability to be myself, stand up for myself, be accountable. Mind you the passing of the older generation and a broken marriage is also partly to blame.

There are times tho' where you have to be gentle or humble or go sideways instead of forward to reach the dream or goal. And this is good too, because if you seek out the new opportunities then you often find something which you had never thought of in the first place and it is something new to put in your world. There are times for us all when weight loss is not happening, when things 'get' in the way of loss or change, when we feel lost, friendless and alone. The trick is to stand still and work on it, not go backwards but explore the avenues to get around the perceived obstacle. Red Balloon seems to have come to one of those times. I'm sure she won't let it beat her, but for the time being we simply have to respect her space and wait. I have learned that there is five areas of life which we must get into balance in order to achieve: -
Physical
Emotional
Financial
Spiritual
Mental - this is not the right word - but I have lost the word.

Once these are in sync, you can achieve greatness.

Day 18 has gone - didn't get back to report last night. Was busy ironing, cleaning, getting ready for the early gym start.
Food -
Water -
Exercise -
Abs/Crunches - red hot. Should have a six pack in about 40 years time.

So it is on to day 19. Not too far to go now for my second challenge. I'll have to start chalking them up like Curly does.

Apple - I like those chronicles. That bloke speaks a lot of sense. I should get to and have a look for them on the web.

Fish - way to go on ACE. You're doing so well.

Carla - spare my blushes. I'm sure you could all manage well without me however someone has to keep you in line. The Craft Market sounds a wonderful idea for you and the friend. Exercise too! Whoops there is a horrible word!!!

Times a-wastin' as they say. Adieu mes amies

No Soda 15 Days

Abs 10 Days

Well I'm on double digits for both my challenges now. I'm really starting to feel a difference in my abs.

Today was a very busy "Monday" back at work. Hopefully things will have settled down tomorrow.

Well, I whipped out 10 sets of 20 of those crunches, Shad. I guessed that was a good place to start.....

yesterday would have been day 17 for me.. but i used a pause day.. to spend some time with my grandmother who will be leaving for FL today and wont b back till Easter time..