I also am in a little bit of a broken cycle, after being just a little off center most of the summer. I did a pretty hard 8 week cycle of a FB workout from stumptuous for July & August combined with pretty hard cardio the other days, smacked right into overtrained and worn out at the beginning of September. (This was after a hard April & May that had left me feeling worn in June, too. I just don't learn...) Took a few days off in September, then came back in too hard and couldn't walk or raise my arms over my head for almost a week. Pushed it harder than I should have for two weeks and here I am today on day five of a miserable head cold, so another exercise break. Hopefully going to start easing back in today. I haven't been paying extra attention to the diet during the down times, either, and I can tell... I'm getting back on that the last few days. Sometimes I am afraid to listen to my body telling me to slow down because I imagine that a little slow down will turn into stopped. I'm afraid that everything will fall apart around me and I'll find myself sitting on the couch eating chips and watching tv for hours while my equipment sits unused in the garage. Now rationally I know that won't happen, I've got a pretty solid two years of exercise as a maintainer, and a year of exercise before that. I've come to love the feeling I get from it, I'm not going to just let that go. But that doesn't stop the crazy that sneaks in and says 'you have to do XX more reps or XX more miles or the world will end'.

Midwife - I'm late to the conversation, but I agree with ease in slow.

SB - also trying to embrace the rest, that is the part I always forget, too.

Rhonda - glad you enjoyed your reunion!

Mel - I'm glad 20th celebration was better that 19. He will likely flip flop a little more from surly to responsible before he settles in, but at least he is on the way!

Lydia - I laughed at your comment about forgetting your iPod. I've done that before and it always results in lackluster workout - as I am at home with the workout, when I forget it is often when I go for a run. I just can't do the dead quiet runs, even when I don't pay attention to the music it has to be there.

Good day everyone!

Glad to be of service re rest. My body has an inbuilt conk-out (trsl: stop?) feature when I cannot carry on. I've learnt to pay fairly close attention to it especially since I became a geriatric mother. An excellent side effect is that you have to hone your ability to say 'No' and to delegate. Also to live in less than show home surroundings.

After I put the baby to bed I crawl into my own. (Yeah, he's 10.)

We've had another absolutely fab day taking some old woodwork apart. Rusty nails, heavy tools, the works. Active rest. And I'd been concerned about my triceps. After yesterday's all-day sawing session the R triceps is going to be like iron. Must learn to saw with my L arm.

Ah, I made a small attempt to put the cycle back together today. After 2.5 months of feeling poorly, I went to the gym this morning, for a mild cardio workout. My deal with myself was that I had to finish 15 minutes - speed was not an issue. Tuesday, repeat. I'm debating about adding in the weights right now as I leave for 2 weeks on 10/10, and while the hotel the first week has a "workout room" we all know those are usually mostly carido machines. The second week, I'll be 4 days at someone else's house, and then moving between hotels. I know I'll be able to do cardio the whole time, and that may have to be enough.

Yes, Lydia, of course I flexed my biceps...and my triceps....and my forearms....and bragged about the weight I can do on the leg press. Like I said earlier "if you did it, it ain't bragging"! And, there's nothing wrong with a little brag here and there either!

It's interesting to me to read what you're all writing about rest, DOMS, etc. Educational for me. Thanks.

Sore, sore , sore! Burpee wall balls are EVIL!

It's good for ya.

Besides, good excuse for a little massage from DH right? Or if it's like our house, I've used that excuse far too often and just get one of these.

Off and runnin' Have a great one everyone.

Mel - wall balls & burpees are evil enough on their own, I can't even vision them together...

500 pounds on the leg press yesterday!

Rhonda: Look at you!

Had a great THREE HOUR workout today. You could say I'm makin' up for lost time. No seriously, my thyroid meds are being adjusted. I've been under medicated for a year and a half. Wow. What a difference. My workouts have been hit or miss for at least a year. Today was amazing. I felt like I could just go and go and go....Wish I had a track at this gym.

I took a BodyFlow class at my new gym today during the last hour. Kind of like a cool down for me after lifting and cardio. It seems that the BodyFlow is kind of like Yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi to current music. Kind of cool in concept but the way I found myself brought into poses that were familiar to me was a little concerning. I decided to arrive into the position I knew she was aiming for using my own method. My knees, not hers. Still and interesting experience. I'm thinking I would dig a really good yoga routine well called out to awesome rock music once in a while.

Here's a link of a similar class on Capitol Hill from earlier this month. Our instructor this morning told us about the link and I think she's the one on the end with the ponytail off to the side at the end of the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tWjfDMyilE

Also becoming more focused on lowering bodyfat again. It's remained unchanged and I look fine but I'm ready lean out a little. I really want to see 19% Kind of get me back in touch with the weightloss side of things again too.

Lydia, yes, I jumped around, high-fiving everyone saying "look at me, look at me!!"

Oh, the Body Flow looks like fun. I did 5 years of great yoga with a wonderful teacher, but the neck problems make a number of the poses impossible to do (bridges, head stands, hand stands, etc.). But the flowing part looks good.

Thyroid meds...send me some! I'd kill for 19%, even 30%!