Knees okay today (as much as they ever are anyway), but woke up with a headache, so put off the gym a couple of hours. I went and did my WBWO, but the "light" version as the headache was better but not gone. :) I think I need some ibuprofen and a nap to completely get rid of it.

Tomorrow will not be a good day. A very good friend and neighbor died of kidney cancer last week (only 61) and her funeral is in the morning.

I have to go right from that to Anchorage to pick up a librarian friend at the airport. She's in town for the library conference (to which I'm not going :( ) and we're having lunch since she can't make the dinner with the other directors on Friday.

I also hope to get to Best Buy and get my old XP computer some more memory so DH will have it at his desk and stop stealing mine! :) Need a flat screen monitor too as this big old one will dwarf his desk. Oh, and I need a wireless USB device to put on it so he can access the internet, or he'll be wanting mine for that too. :lol:

Pat,
If your XP is 32-bit, even if you have 4 G of RAM it will be able to utilize only 3 G. You would need to step up to 64-bit OS.
Although I have no clue how much you have right now and to what you are planning to upgrade.

Sorry to hear about your friend. Hugs on the way.

Alena

P.S.
I did a Pilates class and a Zumba class. But somehow I didn't enjoy Zumba as much as I usually do. I had to leave 15 minutes before the end because I felt dizzy. We cannot open the window in the studio (that's also a "novelty" - there is now a big bolt on the window) and I just felt like there was no air at all.

Hi all,

I'm back!

Alena: thanks for the concern. I arrived monday, so after the big storm hit but no damage here, fortunately! Just a lot of dead branches & stuff on the ground.

Undoable to react on all the posts I've missed...I enjoyed myself immensly in CA, even tough I did not do any exercise and ate way too much deserts out of plan. I'm still getting over my jetlag and stiffness from the long plane rides. And I came home to see that the next trip is already lined up. I do not usually travel that much, but in 2 weeks I'm leaving for another trip, this time to Singapore! And after that I'm going to stay home for a nice long time.

BTW: I took advantage of the low low prices on jeans in the US (compared to prices in Europe that is). 2 pair of levi's jeans, on sale in macy's...YES these are size 4 hugging my posterior!!! and since they are 5 or 10% elasthan, they feel very comfy and even too big on occasion. Sizing in macy's was funny...in Europe my size ranges from s to l depending on the brand. In macy's my size is s.

:wave: hi to everyone

Have a great day all,
Rabbit

Welcome back, rabbit :wave: Glad you had a good time.

I'm leaving tomorrow morning to ski for 5 days and my knee is sliding sideways and making dreadful clicks! I think I'm getting a neoprene brace!

Rabbit,
Nice to see you back and huge CONGRATS on the size 4 hugging your posterior!!!!
Personally, I shoot for jeans with as little elasthan or lycra or whatever other stretchable stuff as possible. I find that with the higher percentage they tend to stretch out way too much after 2 days, but that's just me. Since I prefer jeans below my waist now I have a pair that after a few days I can take off without undoing the button and the zipper. They are my lowest riding jeans and also it's due to the fact that I more a rectangular shape than hourglass - I don't much in terms of hips/butt.

Mel,
Make sure you also pack some duct tape! You know it fixes pretty much everything. Just in case the neoprene brace is not enough.
Humour aside - I hope your trip will be a blast and you will be zipping down the slopes like a Ferrari!

Shannon,
I wanted to say how much I think you almost every morning. I get quite early, earlier than I really need to (but it's my choice as I feed my dogs 1/3 of their daily food in the morning and I need to allow them a reasonable time to digest it a bit and have several potty breaks before I leave) and usually watch the HGTV channel while having my gallon of coffee. They have this show, it's called My First Place and it seems they show house hunters mostly from Atlanta (although Chicago and Denver [hi Denver :wave:] are also often represented) and I am absolutely drooling over the low prices of houses in Atlanta. Yesterday, a gal got an awesome 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house for $159,000. Here, it would be close to $300,000.
Today was Atlanta again and a chick got a house that was listed for $399,000 (it was stunning). I don't know how much she got it for as I had to get cracking but I was questioning her sanity because she lived alone and although she obviously had a well paying job, she put 0 money down. That, to me, sounded like a recipe for disaster.
Anyway, sorry for the detour. I am totally addicted to all house hunting and similar shows and I swear if humidity was not such an issue for me, I would seriously consider moving to Atlanta (and I would get a membership in Shannon's garage gym). :D

A garage gym membership....LOL. That is entirely possible in this forum. I love it! :lol3:

Well Alena, I'll pack you along in my suitcase this week. There will be some house shopping in Fairfax after my trip next weekend. :dance:

I'm heading out to DC tomorrow night. (What time will you be in the air Mel?) The next morning I will go back to Dulles and fly out to Puerto Rico. :goodvibes: I'm so freakin' excited that I forgot all about how frightened I should be since I'm leaving my comfort zone. (I don't fly well and that's an understatement.)

It's not the planes...that I just accept I have no control over. It's the airports.

I have this irrational fear that I will get lost going from gates to concourses to baggage especially where trams are involved.

Speaking of outside comfort zones...I did something new today. I increased my backsquat to 135. I KNOW! I should have long past this weight...like a few years ago. I KNOW!

Two things here. First big issue was...I needed a spot. I HATE to ask for a spot from the staff. I know it's their job but I also know they would rather do anything else but spot so I just don't bother anyone.

Two, I knew I was ready for the 45lb plates, I had inched my way up there adding plates each week. It's just that they LOOK so big.

Anyway. I got my spotter, who needed to finish eating his glazed doughnut first, (sigh) and loaded up the plates. I'm in position and he's standing behind me and says, "okay, you know how I have to do this right..." Uhm. yeah. I'm trying not to think about it. lol.

I was able to squat this weight for eight reps in the first set. It was surprisingly light! Why is that? I think I could have easily added another twenty pounds.

I learned a new technique that really makes the squat so much easier and less taxing on the back. Here's the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kawBY...eature=channel

Mel: I'm worried about your knees. OMG. Their sliding! SLIDING?! Please be careful out there! Please. And have a great time! :hug: Out on the slopes, not curled up on the coach nursing an injury. (Sending all good karma vibes to you)

K. LOTS to do. Laundry, packing, homework to collect, emails to wrap up, realtors to contact, nails to bite...

Zoom through post. I'm still a bit jet lagged and swamped in work. On top of that, work issues, and I have to prepare for my next trip, in about 2 weeks, to singapore. I do not see much exercise in the near future. OTOH: I love to travel & this is a great opportunity, so :yoga: and go on, and I'm trying to enjoy every moment of the ride.

Lydia :hug: enjoy your holiday!

Cheryl, Birch how are you guys doing?

:wave: everyone

Rabbit

:wave: hello. First time on a proper computer for ages. Just back from my GP and I'm about to start a course of Antibiotics for the Hard Core. Wish me luck as I am rather fed-up of feeling under par. But, on the other hand, I have lost a stone since around Christmas. That is 14lbs. :cool: I've been working the Beck stuff (cognitive behavioural therapy) and not working out (the nasty virus etc). I am not analysing this stuff but just accepting and absorbing it into my life. :D I'm doing something right so let's just carry on with the party.

Shannon - I can't remember the last time I did any lifting other than day-to-day stuff (logs, bikes, cars, you know). I'm looking forward to it. How is the shoulder now?

Rabbit - you jet-setter! How did the children and the grandparents bear up when you were away?

Alena - we didn't have the big storm here, thankfully. I am on the western seaboard of Britain, about a third of the way up, and sheltered by Ireland.

Oh, how pretty! What colour? Seriously, you be careful out there!

Everyone I've missed :wave:

Birchie,
Congrats on the lost stone! Wow!!! :cp::bravo:
Nice to see you again. BTW, I think you no longer need to work on your posture - it appears that yours is already purr-fect!

I miss lifting as well. I planned to go to the gym last night but did not make it for several reasons so instead I hopped on the treadmill. I did a bit of HIIT, just to test what the foot (and the back) can handle. I am fine today, and quite happy about it. I won't be able to use the treadmill as much as I used to but I should be good for a least one intensive HIIT once a week. We shall see.

Lydia,
I would love to go on the house hunting trip with you and I would also love to go down south with you! Not to mention that I would LOOOVE to go to Singapore with Rabbit! That sounds heavenly. The food there!!!
Well, I would not be able to go clothes shopping there for sure because I am pretty sure no women there need 34" inseam jeans. (Not to mention the boobs). :D

Mel is probably airborne already - bon voyage!

Denver, Shannon, where are you? Are where is Midwife hiding?

Alena

Alena - I'm here, just running around crazy the last two days. I did exercise, though! And come on to Atlanta! Lots of houses in my subdivision are selling right now, actually. Including the one I am in (5BR, 3 bath, currently selling at $185,000) or the cute little split level 3BR, unfinished in law suite downstairs, 3 bath that sold for $160,000. I'll be glad to give you a membership in my garage gym! :dizzy: I love those house shopping shows, too...

Birch - I got some good strength work done on Tuesday. My weight capacity has gone down in the last month, though... i had just moved up to 20lb DBs for some exercises before the injury. (Which now that I think about it might have been part of the problem, too.. ) and Tuesday I was right back at 12lb. My left arm has always been weaker than my right, and this didn't help. Shoulder feels good today, though every other muscle in my body aches... :dizzy: Hope you start feeling better soon!

Rabbit - welcome home! Glad you had a good trip!

Pat - sorry about your friend. :hug:

Mel - be careful with that knee. The sound of that makes me nervous.

Lydia - airports freak me out a little, too. And high five on the back squat! I would be somewhat hesitant to ask for a spotter, too...

So does anyone have a link to a video or picture of the YWLT exercise sequence? I saw one before, but can't find it no matter how much googling I do...

Workouts:
__________________________________________________ ________
Tuesday 3/2:
Warmup:
-1 min jump rope
-10 ROM PVC pass throughs
-10 PVC OH squat
-PVC scapula stretches
-WH Belly Off Workout warmup (10 y squat, 10 pushup, 10 'stickup', 10 mountain climber per side, 10 forward lunge per side, 10 'waiter bow', 10 spiderman crawl per side)
Workout:
WH "Power Duos" - Four cards, two exercises per card, do one card at a time. 10 second break between each side, 30-45 seconds between each set, 3 sets of each card before moving to the next. I only made two sets of card #4, had to adjust weight down as I went on. 30 days of minimal UB work...
#1: a) swiss ball pike w/ pushup: 5/5/4
b) deadlift & bent over row combo: 10x15lb per/8x20lb per/8x20lb per
(10 shrugs with 20 lb DB per hand after this card)
#2: a) pushup row with core hold: 8x15lb per/8x12lb per/8x12lb per
b) thruster: 3x15lb per then 8x12lb per/8x12lb per/8x12lb per
#3: a) sumo squat and curl: 8x12lb per/8x12lb per/8x12lb per
b) row and back extension: 8x12lb per/8x12lb per/8x12lb per
(15 ball crunches after this card)
#4: a) swiss ball DB press and core roll: 10x12lb per/8x12lb per
b) step up and single arm press: 10x12lb per/8x12lb per
Elliptical: 20 mins, 1.35 miles

Wednesday 3/3:
5.28 really hard miles at the park in the cold and wind. :)

Hello all!

Silver, your sense of humor is very refreshing! You made me smile today - thank you! Hope you feel better soon.

Alena, I'm here, I'm here! Just hanging on. But I'm here. Hope you are feeling better. My injury is the L5 & SI joint. It's not fun, I can't recommend it. ;-) How are you feeling?

Mel, there are some cool sculptures up in the mountains if they haven't melted yet! Breckenridge has the snow sculptures, and Lawrence Argent (he did the famous Blue Bear sculpture) has an ice sculpture in Vail. Until it melts.
Take good care of your knee & your family and have a blast!

Shannon, do listen to your body and don't injure yourself again. You rock for staying with the routine!

I only have a few minutes but wanted to say hello to all! It's almost Friday! :carrot:

I think my bronchitis might finally be going away!

I have been lurking because I've been sick. I went to karate the past 2 nights and did fairly well although I wouldn't have gone on Tuesday except our belt test is coming up and need the practice/criticism.

Anyway, I am thinking about buying adjustable dumbbells and I like bowflex but I've read some reviews that seem to indicate that there is a possibility that the plates can come loose and fall on you.

So I was looking at power blocks and I wanted their "sport" which means 2.5 lb increments. I only used the power blocks at physical therapy and only for squats so I don't have much experience in them.

I really want 2.5 increments overall because sometimes a 5 lb jump seems too much. I also can only find regular dumbbells in 5 lb increments now which is one reason I was thinking of going adjustable.

Any body have any suggestions? ideas?

Nelie - I like the power block idea, too. I like the 2.5 lb intervals. I have been able to find dumbbells in the 3 pound interval at play it again sports sometimes. I saw that review about the bowflex plates slipping loose. Power blocks get good reviews as best as I can tell. Glad you are on the mend!

Denver - thanks for the encouragement! I didn't do as good of a job of staying on program as I would have liked, but I'm getting back in the groove. :)

Guys,
What do you do when you have a bad headache? Do you exercise through it?
Out of nowhere, a splitting headache possessed my head (I usually don’t have too many headaches with the exception of TOM) – I was planning to try a kickboxing class (from what I have seen I think it’s a mishmash of everything rather than true kickboxing but it looked like fun) and I am thinking I may have to nix that plan. I already had strong coffee and 2 Advils and it’s not letting up.