Today was Crossfitmom, a good workout. I'm tired of trying to modify a traditional program and will just go with Crossfitmom.

2009-11-23 "Feran"

Warmup: 2 rounds of: 200m walk @ 4.0mph, 10 PVC squats, 10 PVC good mornings

Workout: 15 minutes of: 250m row, 15 x 25lb overhead presses, 15 x 25lb good mornings (came out to 3 rounds totalling: 750m row, 45 presses, 45 good mornings)

Grand total of 33 minutes (warmup, workout, stretching). It's def a lot less weight than I am used to, but it should do for now!

Howdy! I've been chasing my tail for several days, and need to slow down and catch up.

Weekend was busy, esp as I had to work 1/2 of Sat. We did get to Anchorage yesterday and knocked out quite a bit of the Christmas shopping. Yay. And I made it through my first of a lot of holiday parties/meals. It helped that there was lots of salad, no alcohol, and the turkey was awful - very dried out. DH happily ate my share of desserts.

Ah Silver. I really liked Chester, and would be happy to spend more time there sometime. We spent about 1/2 a day walking the wall, and another good bit in the cathedral, including attending an evensong service. We also acted total tourists in the huge Tesco there.

It's very gray and windy here as well, and the temps are up to 30ish F, that's near zeroC for you celcius gals. That's a change of 40-50 degreesF from last week!

I'll be very happy to see the end of this short week - I need 4 days off!

Rabbit - I find I don't function well if I have less than 7 hours sleep, and I prefer to have 8. Hope you're feeling better.

I didn't get to the gym on Sat having to work longer than I expected in the morning and then another commitment in the afternoon. Tonight I'll do a cardio workout, and move back to weights on Wed (city council meeting tomorrow night). I did go and sign up for a swimming program thats being given for 3 weeks - 4 nights starting the 15th, then the 22, 23, 29 and 30. I think I can make a lot more progress this way than I did last year when it was once a week, and at 8:30 pm - groan. This year it's at 5:15, so I can just zip out of work a few minutes early. The HS (where the pool is) is less than a mile from work.

I'm making a plan for my next two food events: a pie social at church Wed night and the actual holiday meal on Thursday. Then I have a week before the next event.

Hi all,

Rabbit checking in... no go on the power class yesterday, and seeing that I'm just sleeping and feeling tired and sort of doen, I'm calling this as an official rest week. I looked at my signature and I've been doing about 10 weeks of trying to get 7 hours exercise per week, and with the extra work this is too much of a good thing. I'll start again next week.

Sacha - good for you to stick with the lighter program. Your body is changing a lot so it is difficult to judge beforehand what will go and what not...and in the end it is the consistency that pays off.

Pat, Birch, Shannon, Mel, Cheryl
Going to do some streching & meditation to lessen my stress.

Have a great day all,
Rabbit

Sacha- CrossFit is not all about the weight, but total fitness. This was a HARD lesson for me to learn. I'm lifting less weight than I used to, but I think am way more fit, able to eat slightly more, and am leaner without losing ANY muscle mass. I really didn't believe for quite a while, but it does work!

Cardio done, breakfast cooking, last day of work for 5 days

Mel

Good afternoon!

Feeling good here because I went to the gymn and managed to do a bit more (cardio day) than last time. That virus really clobbered me. I can see the ghost of a thin tummy/torso lurking in certain lights so I'm inspired to do more.

Sacha - any exercise is good stuff. Do what you can do. It all counts.

Mel - that's very interesting about Crossfit and its effects on your body.

Rabbit - turn down the heat, any heat, if you're feeling a bit stressed.

Shannon - how long are they going to be working on the new houses? It does not sound very restful!

Pat - you're busy at the moment! And now, REDWALL update. I know your readers are keen on the series. I took DB to Chester Cathedral yesterday because I thought it might be like Redwall Abbey (you know, made of Old Red Sandstone with red walls). We went into the refectory (I expect you ate there if you hung around for a bit) - a huge, high stone room with stained glass windows, a stone pulpit and a massive 17th century tapestry. I had lentil and sweet potato soup but that's another story. DB went very, very still and quiet. He did not want any food. He just sat and looked around and after about 20 minutes told me that this was clearly the inspiration for Brian Jacques' books. There are so many parallels, apparently. Later, we looked at a model of the cathedral grounds and this double-confirmed matters for him. A fantastic discovery for him, and a sheer fluke for me. (And SO told us later that Brian J comes from Liverpool, a few moments down the road ...) And you, Pat, have been there!!

OK, better go. I had such a good day yesterday that I'm feeling anything is possible. Lovely feeling.

Good luck, all.

Hello all! Went for a run at the park last night, am a little sore today. As it is was my sixth day on for exercise I'm thinking today is a day off. I'd hoped to save the off day until Thursday, but I might need a little exercise break from the hubbub then more than I need it today!

Birch - they were putting siding on one, a roof on another yesterday. They have one more that they just poured the pad for so are about to have to start from scratch on it. The fourth is almost done I think. I like the fact that they are building again after two years of being surrounded by empty lots, but wow are they loud...

Mel - enjoy your time off!

Rabbit - rest week sounds good. You have been going pretty hard for a while now. Take a little break.

Pat - your swimming program sounds great!

Sacha - sounds like a good workout!

to everyone else! Good day all!

Oh Birch - how interesting! Our kids are definitely into Redwall - and it's fun to see one come up with the first book and then get hooked. We did eat there, though I'm a little hazy on the look of the room. My photos are mostly of the outside, and my memories of the wonderful singing in the service.

I'm coming to the end of my PN program (11/30) and I need to decide what I am going to do next. I can repeat the whole program starting in January, or I can sign up for an alumni program at 1/2 the cost for as long as I want. The advantage of repeating the whole program is the access to the trainers, and the private message board, not to mention the more detailed reporting. The alumni program would have exercise programs, but would lack the daily check-ins and the message board (you'd be expected to post in the general PN members board). I'm leaning toward repeating the program, as while I've made great strides in my lifting and general fitness level, I've not dropped as much weight or inches as I'd like. I have slowed down as winter approaches, and I think that starting in the winter and moving to summer would keep me going better - besides the fact it would keep me motivated through my retirement date, and I'm really hoping that I'll be able to structure my time in retirement to get to the gym in the early mornings - though not the o'dark-thirty I have to do now to get to work on time. Just thinking out loud here, but any comments are welcome. I'll be interested to see who wins the prize in this session for losing the most % of body fat. Not going to be me I'm sure. I don't think the next session has a prize associated....

I survived my first "feasting" event last Friday night. It was actually disappointing as the turkey was overcooked and dry. Wed night is a pie social at church - which DH will love. I seldom make pie, as it's not a favorite of mine in the first place, and I don't need in the second. He loves pie - almost always orders it in a restaurant, so this will keep him very happy. Darn the man anyway - eats whatever he wants, feeds his sweet tooth, and stays 140 without any effort.....

Ugh, I have been on a cooking and cleaning marathon! I did manage to get to a CrossFit strength class yesterday, and 40 minutes on the elliptical today, but other than that, I've been cooking and cleaning. Today was my first "vacation" day and I made 2 pumpkin pies, 1 carrot cake, 1 apple/walnut/cranberry pie, baked sweet potatoes and cooked all the vegies and turkey sausage that will go into the stuffing. Last night we steam cleaned carpets until 11 pm when I picked dd up at the airport.

I just love holidays! I wish I had a few sisters instead of 3 brothers!

Mel

Hey everybody! Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm skipping the feast today, but my son is catching a ride with his aunt, so he can partake. I just know I wouldn't be able to control myself around all the holiday food, and feel like I just got back OP with the food, so I am not ready for a big cheat meal! It's not the meal or the temporary weight gain, it's the week or two after that it takes me to get back on track, that I am avoiding!

I wish the gym was open today! I've got a key, but figure it would probably not be cool to go there on my own for a workout...I can see my trainer giving me the glare, just for thinking it! He's such a mother hen. I seriously need to get a barbell and plate set for home, so I can have more options when the gym is closed or I have to miss due to work conflicts.

Mel, what you said about CF. It's hard to trust in the program, when a workout is sometimes less than 10 minutes long, or you're often using what sounds like a light weight, but it sure delivers amazing results, as is.

Sacha, I know it's hard to scale back, but just keep it where it feels safe. The movement is so much more a key part of the program than the weight that you are using.

Rabbit, sounds like perfect timing for a rest week! I definitely felt 100% better after taking some days off.

Pat, I think you're right to go for the full program. I'd take all the trainer support I could get!

Everybody else, and a !! I've got to get off here...I get so wordy and take all day to write a post. Must get off my rear and do something useful!

I need to start packing on some lb's. I'm still 125lbs and should be up to around 130lbs by now. Time for some eatin'! I also have to lay off the Frank's hot sauce because it's giving me stomach cramps (I'm a hot sauce, spice freak)

Warmup: Stretches & 5 min treadmill hike

November 26 2009

Front Squats
bw x 2 x 10
45lbs x 2 x 5
60lbs x 3 x 8

Back Squats
bw x 2 x 10
45lbs x 2 x 5
60lbs x 4 x 6

Clean Deadlift
60lbs x 2 x 5
66lbs x 5 x 1
89lbs x 5 x 1
110lbs x 5 x 1

Strange #'s but we just got our new Turkish plates and they are all in kilos. I'm Canadian but still having trouble figuring it out! We don't use kg's up here for anything but food.

Sacha - kilos! Great! That's what we use for weights here and so I have trouble with the pounds you N Americans use.

I walked into a bollard in the gymn car park yesterday & have a *huge* bruise on my thigh. The pain as my quads spasmed was bad. Question: can I work out this am? I'll let you know.

Cheryl - your TG decision sounds wise. Hope you had a good day. I had a peanut butter sandwich for Christmas dinner one year & a walk in the mountains. One of my best Christmases ever.

Birch, thanks, I did have a good day. My ds went to the feast and had a good time. I stayed home and ate on plan, and enjoyed that. I didn't get a lot done, mostly enjoyed the quiet afternoon and read some of the 3rd book in the Twilight saga, but that's okay for a holiday, right?

I got a good home workout Weds night, then did nothing yesterday for exercise. Was due for a heavy lifting day, but didn't have enough weights at home to do anything like that (grumble), so I just called it a rest day and decided not to feel guilty about it. One more home workout needed today, some sort of bodyweight torture, I suppose, then the gym will be open tomorrow.

We're going to the bridge lighting ceremony tonight, to meet up with some friends form the gym, and kick off the Christmas season. I've never been, but it sounds like it's popular, so we'll check it out. Next weekend there's a Christmas concert which I'm hoping to go to, but it's up in Seattle, a bit of a trek and parking nightmare, so we'll probably only go if we can carpool with my sister and BIL, which somehow makes it more worthwhile in my mind.

Today I need to try and knock out some of the outdoor "to do" list, since it's oddly sunny and the wind isn't even blowing. I need one of these, though.

Cheryl - smilies don't work for me so KICK! BOOT!

(And good night! I'm tucked up with Runner's World.)

Cheryl - hope you got your 'to do' list done today! Glad you enjoyed turkey day on your own terms, too!

Birch - a sandwich and a walk in the mountains sounds like a fabulous idea for a holiday. I feel like the holidays are nothing but non-stop driving, rushing and stressing these days anyway... How is your leg today?

Sacha - I just got a new home gym with squat cage and barbell myself. Luckily the weights are in pounds...

Wednesday I did a total body workout, a big smoosh of some of the exercises I've learned from Pat & some others from Women's Health. Thursday was a no workout day, or at least nothing traditional... Lots of running and cooking and cleaning, the some personal time with DH after everyone went home. Today was a 6 mile run at the park, and am thinking seriously about an UB workout. DH & a buddy are listening to some records so I have some time... It is either the UB workout or a bath... Hm... As I ate an estimated 1000 calories of pie yesterday the UB workout might be wiser...

to everyone I missed, have a great weekend everyone!

I need to go to the gym (and the grocery store) but it's snowing - a lot! DH has been out to the ice arena, and is now off to the landfill (I hope it's open, their website is down). I haven't been out of the house since I got home Wed night except to walk next door for dinner yesterday. We will be out of food, or at least produce, if I don't go though. Sigh.

to all of you, and happy start of the Christmas season.