Weekly Workout Thread 16th Oct - 22nd Oct

[Mara]

lulu i am running into the same issue with the clothes! sure it feels good to drop a few sizes in clothing and get a bit of new shopping in too, but many of my nicer more expensive clothes need to be seriously tailored now. as in like totally redone! i have 4 pairs of pants that i need to take in. one or two pairs look like balloons. luckily a few friends gave me some great recommends on local tailors so i just need to get it done. the funniest part is still that i have only lost 7 actual scale pounds yet have lost 2 clothing sizes. and i was a 10 to begin with which to me is not BIG. so it's all just kind of funny that i end up having to get stuff seriously tailored just for 7 lbs (though i know it's not really just 7 lbs, its probably like 15 lbs of FAT aka CPP!).

 

[lovelylulu]

a good tailor is a great find! i lived so near an excellent one in new orleans, but here in DC, the prices for seemingly simple alterations are steep! it almost seems more economically just to buy new things...

congrats on such great results. and that new job

here''s an article i just came across. it''s targeted at male bachelors, but it might be handy for people looking for some easy, inexpensive weekday meals! hubby and i actually eat like this a fair amount.

10 meals under $50 (probably more expensive if cooking for more than 1)

still researching splenda. came across some information claiming it isn''t healthy, but i''ve forwarded along the inquiry to a couple of my Dr. friends...

 

[Mara]

re splenda lulu..for me personally i cannot have it. it actually does horrible things to my body as in makes me very sick, very tummy bloated (painfully so) and gassy. charming i know. but i have only had it a few times and each time it did that same thing so i know it''s the splenda. the interesting thing for me is that if it is doing that to my body, what is it really made of? i know tons of people love it and swear by it, but obviously my body does not like it. just some food for thought.

i''d much rather have a little natural brown sugar than something like a sugar sub. but that is just me. now that i have cut back on sugar almost completely, i totally don''t even have the taste for it anymore. cokes taste sickeningly sweet to me. it''s really funny how taste buds change. sure i still love a good cookie but i think it''s because mentally that''s DESSERT so it''s supposed to be sweet. but with drinks or foods or whatever, i get turned off by the idea of sugar now.

 

[JCJD]

Mara - thanks for the roundabout words of encouragement RE: the chocolate!

*Sigh* I was good yesterday, until a coworker brought Venezualan (sp??) chocolate to our lab meeting yesterday! After that, I had 2 chocolate-frosted cupcakes too.... Anyone else experience this: If I eat sweets early in the day, I keep craving them all day long.

Anyways, Tuesday night I did do my workout tape. Apparently I am in better shape this year than I was last year. The last time I did this tape was about a year ago, and I could only do half the video. This time my heart rate was pretty low halfway through and I had to really step up the intensity to get my heart pumping. I also measured myself this morning. In addition to 3 pounds lost since August, I have lost almost 3/4 inch off each arm (!!) 1/2 inch off of my waist and hips each, and 1/4 inch from each thigh. I keep a clipped copy of VS''s sizing chart with my measurements for a standard clothing size to gauge my progress by, and now I''m a size 12 in VS clothing, as opposed to a size 14/16 when I first started measuring 2 years ago! My "skinny" jeans are still a bit too small, but they''re getting a lot better!

This evening I will do my Fat-burning for dummies DVD again, and I''m going to try to go to yoga on Friday too. "See" you all tomorrow!

 

[appletini]

JCJD, That is such a great idea to keep track my taking your measurements and having a chart. I might have to start doing that.

 

[galeteia]

Unfortunately, I''ve been too lazy to dig up the actual hard data on Splenda, but what I''ve read about it from the ''natural medicine'' sources was scary. My mother is also in the field of natural health, and she considers it an absolute no-no, right up there with macdonald''s ice cream (which is something like 90% ''edible oil product'' instead of dairy

)

However, if you really need the sweet taste, why not take a page out of the Diabetics'' book, so to speak? Try some of the natural sugar replacements like Stevia which is super sweet-tasting and can be used in baking and in coffee/tea (WARNING: that stuff is POTENT so use very little or you''ll regret it) or use the only Candida-safe sweetener which is Agave syrup, made from catcus plants. Very mild and lovely, and can be used like honey. Especially good in coffee/tea if you use the dark stuff (the light stuff has no taste to speak of) because it has this honey-like taste.

If you find a decently large health food store you may find a fair range of snacks made with stevia because it''s Diabetic-safe and therefore wildly popular. (Think splenda sans scary stuff. Tastes sweet but isn''t any form of sugar at all.)

 

[Rod]

Date: 10/19/2006 1:11:22 PM
Author: Mara
re splenda lulu..for me personally i cannot have it. it actually does horrible things to my body as in makes me very sick, very tummy bloated (painfully so) and gassy. charming i know. but i have only had it a few times and each time it did that same thing so i know it''s the splenda. the interesting thing for me is that if it is doing that to my body, what is it really made of? i know tons of people love it and swear by it, but obviously my body does not like it. just some food for thought.

i''d much rather have a little natural brown sugar than something like a sugar sub. but that is just me. now that i have cut back on sugar almost completely, i totally don''t even have the taste for it anymore. cokes taste sickeningly sweet to me. it''s really funny how taste buds change. sure i still love a good cookie but i think it''s because mentally that''s DESSERT so it''s supposed to be sweet. but with drinks or foods or whatever, i get turned off by the idea of sugar now.

I''m completely with Mara on this. Not natural, does not go in my body. I too use the natural brown sugar, which by the way only has 16 calories per teaspoon full. I also agree that one''s taste buds change. I can''t stand anything overly sweet. I haven''t had a coke in more than a year and I don''t miss softdrinks whatsoever.

 

[lovelylulu]

thanks for the splenda info feedback.

rod,re: tastebud changes -- i''ve mentioned before that my sweet tooth has gone through an evolution. while i''ve never cared for soda, i did eat many more sweets and add a fair amount of sugar to my coffee. I''ve basically cut out all superfluous sugar, but i like a cup of coffee in the morning to start my day. i''ve tried no sugar and really don''t like it, same with brown sugar. sugar in the raw is fine, but i thought splenda, with it''s zero calories, was an even better alternative.

i guess it''s back to sugar. though thanks for the alternative galateia

fortunately, it''s only about a tsp. a day...

congratulations on your progress JCJD

 

[Modified Brilliant]

I completely stopped putting sugar in my coffee about 20 years ago and never missed it!
I also stopped my afternoon candy bar routine at about the same time.
Now, my taste buds have changed and I don''t get cravings for sweets that often.
In fact, I keep no sweets at home. SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE, I NEED CHOCOLATE!

just kidding.

 

[lovelylulu]

congrats jeff!

i think it''s great how my own taste buds have adapted, but coffee is just to strong without some milk and sugar. my roommate used to drink his black and we''d refer to it as his "cowboy coffee"

 

[Rod]

Date: 10/19/2006 2:46:36 PM
Author: lovelylulu
thanks for the splenda info feedback.

rod,re: tastebud changes -- i''ve mentioned before that my sweet tooth has gone through an evolution. while i''ve never cared for soda, i did eat many more sweets and add a fair amount of sugar to my coffee. I''ve basically cut out all superfluous sugar, but i like a cup of coffee in the morning to start my day. i''ve tried no sugar and really don''t like it, same with brown sugar. sugar in the raw is fine, but i thought splenda, with it''s zero calories, was an even better alternative.

i guess it''s back to sugar. though thanks for the alternative galateia

fortunately, it''s only about a tsp. a day...

congratulations on your progress JCJD

There are a few treats one can and should allow oneself. And if sugar in your coffee is something you enjoy, you shouldn''t deny yourself the pleasure. I still put half and half and real sugar in my coffee and I''m doing fantastically well with eating healthy and exercising. Some things are just not meant to be sacrificed!

 

[Rod]

Date: 10/19/2006 4:22:45 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
I completely stopped putting sugar in my coffee about 20 years ago and never missed it!
I also stopped my afternoon candy bar routine at about the same time.
Now, my taste buds have changed and I don''t get cravings for sweets that often.
In fact, I keep no sweets at home. SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE, I NEED CHOCOLATE!

just kidding.

Jeff.....Chocolate (actually Dark Chocolate) is quite good for you. It''s a heart healthy treat, eaten in moderation. The flavonol''s contained in cacao are good for you, so don''t feel bad about having a little chocolate. We have two pieces of dark chocolate after dinner and it''s a treat I truly look forward to. A Three Musketeer''s bar on the other hand is not so good for you!!

 

[Mara]

a 3 musketeers bar is not necessarily BAD for you....it actually is one of the healthier 'candy bars' if you are going to eat candy. it's low in fat and calories and lower in sugar than many other bars. yes definitely dark chocolate is the best if you want chocolate, but not everyone likes that super bitter dark taste. i love me a good 3M bar sometimes! i ain't picky about my chocolate. hehe.

and i agree about the sugar in the coffee...sometimes you just have to do what feels like you have to and a teaspoon of sugar in coffee per day is not bad. part of the reason why i cut so much of it out of my life is because i was consuming a large amount! like 3 tablespoons in coffee...and then in tea etc. just not good. sometimes on the weekends now i put it in my coffee and it tastes fine but i don't crave it.

oh and i wanted to say, JCJD i think was saying that if you eat sugar in the morning you crave it all day, that's totally it...my body wants more sugar if i have it, totally addicting!!

tonite i am supposed to go to kbox but i feel a little tired and sore in my legs from my workout yesterday...and i worked out m-wed so i thnk i am going to take tonite off. i'm working out tomorrow and sat as well so i feel okay about a night off. also i am kind of trying to scale it back to 5-6x a week rather than 7x anyway, but it's so hard for me to decide to take a night off. i feel like i SHOULD be out there working out.

dinner tonite is fresh burritos from a local mexi place, i typically just get meat, salads, beans and rice and have them add some cheese, maybe i will forgo the cheese tonite since i am not working out. and i will try to not eat too much of the tortilla, that thing by itself is like 400 cals!!

 

[Rod]

Well if I was going to have a candy bar, my bar of choice is Snickers. I love the caramel, chocolate and peanuts. I used to have one for energy, but with the new healthier Rod, I eat almonds or a low fat power bar instead.

I worked out this evening. It''s been a while since I went the gym at night. One of the benefits of unemployment is being able to work out during the day when it''s less crowded. And you get to use the machine you want to use when you want to use it. AND, you get the elliptical you really like. But, I worked out hard as usual, I just had to wait a little longer for the machines I wanted to use. And the elliptical I like was never available when I was. So I wound up using one I don''t like and is really hard and I had to push so much harder to keep the RPM high, which I suppose was actually good for me. But man, are my legs pooped. We usually take Friday''s off, but I may run tomorrow morning just for the fun of it.

I have a phone interview tomorrow afternoon with a company I didn''t apply to and I have no idea why they want to speak with me. It''s called toospoiled.com and is some form of talent agency. They contacted me and said I would make an ideal talent agent. I''ve never been in the entertainment business. When I filled out the application they sent me and they asked why I thought I''d make a good talent agent, I said I never thought I would make a good talent agent, but they did. And still, they want to speak with me tomorrow. I figure it will be a huge waste of time. Or there''s some catch like I have to make an investment or something like that. But I figured, what the Heck, I can at least listen to what they have to say.

Anyway, not much else to report. I hope everyone is looking forward to Friday and the weekend.

 

[Mara]

yeah rod i got the most random people wanting to ''interview'' me when i was looking...like ''we want to interview you for an account manager position at this life insurance company, please come in for an interview tomorrow''..i''m like yanno i''m so not interested. i don''t understand how these companies look at a resume that is TOTALLY unrelated and think oh this person is going to want to work for our lameass company? with how many years of experience in something else? please! i got a bunch of other random things like that...the life insurance was the best of the bunch scarily enough. anyway hope this talent agency thing is not a total waste of time but be wary for sure. keep your spirits up!!

 

[hlmr]

Date: 10/19/2006 10:16:53 PM
Author: Rod
Well if I was going to have a candy bar, my bar of choice is Snickers. I love the caramel, chocolate and peanuts.

Oh Rod, you know how to make a snicker lovers heart go pitter-patter!

My son saves his halloween snickers just for me because he knows how much I love those little fellows!

I hope things go well for you tomorrow and that you are keeping your spirits up, and feeling positive!

 

[Rod]

Thansk Heather and Mara,

I'm actually staying pretty positive. I can't change what happened and I don't know what the future holds, but I have to believe it holds something pretty good.

Mara: I've gotten so many insurance interview requests. They just pop in my email. They say I've been selected. Or they tell me to be at an interview the next day and where. I mean, give me a break. What on earth in my background gives anyone the idea I would be an insurance salesman? This interview tomorrow is likely a waste of time. But it will last about an hour and then we're off for our Friday evening Sushi dinner and Starbucks. I guess I can give an hour of my time. I'll hang up the second they say there's any investment required of me. And I don't have to leave my house or put on a suit or anything to listen to the call. It should be entertaining if nothing else. I also got one today from an online newspaper saying they've decided I am qualified to be a staff editor. Now that's a hoot. I'm not a writer. I'm not an editor, but here's this online news organization wanting to interview me for an editor job. Since I've like never been unemployed, this is quite an experience.

Good night everyone!!

PS: Mara, have you tried any of the Contessa Frozen dinner in a bag entres? We had Paella tonight. You dump it in a caserole dish and cook it in the microwave. It had shrimp, chicken and scallops and veggies. The seasonings were really good a and while they said it serves 3, it was just the right amount for the two of us. It ended up being about 300 calories and maybe 6 or 7 grams of fat. I thought it was pretty good.

 

[galeteia]

Dinner tonight:

Big salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, snow peas, and crumbled sheep''s cheese. The dressing was the cop-out ''calorie wise'' Balsamic dressing from Kraft.

Desert is... a granadilla. The weirdest freakin'' fruit I have ever eaten, and trust me, I eat a lot of weird fruit. The inside looks like large fish roe in their gelatinous sacs nestled in a sea anemone. This thing looks like something from the deep ocean, and not like flora at all!

I did a bit of research and apparently it''s related to pomegranates and passion fruit.

Freaky. I''m still managing to eat it, but I try not to look at it. Really creepy.



And was that an over all ''thumbs up'' on the elliptical at home instead of the gym?

 

[lovelylulu]

good afternoon:

this morning i had my coffee with one sugar in the raw and thought that it was alright. i figure there is no sense in using splenda and that with my workouts, a bit of sugar is just fine.

yesterday, i did not go to the gym because i had something in the evening for work. it was nice to have a rest day.

today, i''m off from work

and i likely won''t do any cardio other than taking my pup for a few walks

so, i did my advanced pilates video. that workout is intense. it is 40 minutes of ab torture. generally, if i go running or use the elliptical, i try and follow with the 20 minute workout. while i feel my muscles working, that particular video isn''t too strenuous and i actually find it relaxing. i''ve tried the advanced workout before and had a tough time getting through it. but, i''ve gotten stronger and this attempt was much more successful. i figure that i''ll do the advanced session on days when i''m not running.

hubby and i were considering going rafting in w. virgina this weekend, but it''d be about 12 hours of driving in a 24 hour period, so instead we''re going to check out the red bull flugtog that''s taking place in baltimore on saturday. should be highly entertaining.

hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[Tybee]

I''m so sad.
It''s been such a bad work-out week for me~!!!
I''ve been at school for hours and hours every evening for parent teacher conferences.
I haven''t worked out since my sad little gym work out on Monday!
No running makes Tybee very grumpy... well, that and PMS (sorry guys...)
I''m hoping to get back on track (pun.. ha ha) with running this weekend. I''ve got a long
one planned for Sunday. I hope that my off days were a beneficial rest for my muscles,
they''re going to be quite suprised.
And to jump in on the sweetener discussion. I NEVER use artificial sweeteners... just too scary!
I think I''d rather have a few calories, than all of the chemicals.
I too use sugar in the raw (Yum) for my morning home-made fat free lattes.
I agree, there are some things that you just shouldn''t do without.
(One of which is also 3 Muskateers!!!!!!!!)

 

[Curls]

Thursday we bought an exercise bike. I was really wanting an elliptical because I love working out on them. But unfortunately, the ones I could afford were really cheap and looked like they''d fall apart quickly. Before I even mentioned that, the sales associate said, don''t buy that. So we bought a recumbent stationary bike. Hopefully, my bf will be able to use it with his injured back and SI joint. I just want to use it on the rainy days and the really cold or hot days, because I enjoy being outside. I bought it just in time too because it was rainy all Thursday and today was the coldest I think it''s been so far this year.

I''ve been eating well, not having problems sticking to my plan, but the cravings are starting to surface. The motivation was overwelming before so the thought of anything sweet didn''t phase me. But now, after just reading all the posts about sugar in coffee or sweets this or that...I''m wanting a piece of chocolate.

Can''t wait for that taste bud change to kick in. I know it can happen because when I was in high school I was a health nut and convinced myself I didn''t like bacon and sausage and a lot of fatty meats. Never changed my view on sweets unfortunately. I also made myself hate the taste of veal once I found out what it was, so I know it''s possible. I know it won''t be a complete change, but I''m hoping it helps the sweet tooth a little and comes sooner than later.

 

[galeteia]

Date: 10/20/2006 9:41:40 PM
Author: Curls
Thursday we bought an exercise bike. I was really wanting an elliptical because I love working out on them. But unfortunately, the ones I could afford were really cheap and looked like they''d fall apart quickly. Before I even mentioned that, the sales associate said, don''t buy that. So we bought a recumbent stationary bike.

Ooh? What was the price range of ''too cheap to be worth it'' ellipticals, if I can ask? Were you shopping new or used?

 

[Mara]

Ok I''ve been a bit out of it the last few days...work is getting a bit busier...and today I had to rush from work to gym to home to train to dinner so it was pretty hectic...anyway! Everyone sounds like they are doing great, yay!!

I went to the gym today after work. I only had an hour so I had to make it count. I actually did 57 hard minutes on the treadmill and like 2 minutes of warmdown since I had to rush home. But I burned 600 calories!! That''s the most I have done so far. The mileage was like 3.75 I think. Anyway I was jazzed. I kept it on 11 incline for 2/3 of the workout and 9-10 for the other most of it. So pretty good!! I also loaded some new stuff onto my iPod so it helped me to have new music big time.

I didn''t work out yesterday so I wanted to make it count today AND our director took me and the other new gal out to lunch today so we gorged...french fries and mussels and asparagus soup and then fondue for dessert (though i just had a few bites of that). I was SOO full after. And then tonite we went to dinner with some friends, it was at least a ''healthy'' kind of mexican place with fresh cilantro rice, chopped mango kinda thing. I had a yummy garlic butter grilled shrimp dish. But then after we walked to this yummy cafe where they have live music and we got coffees (mine is actually called a mexican mocha made with CREAM and it''s DIVINE...so bad) and all shared a blueberry cheesecake. So I am STUFFED and feeling a bit green since today was definitely ''eating day''...but at least I burned 600 cals! hhee. And then tomorrow we have an engagement party in the afternoon so more eating then. I am doing kboxing in the morning at least.

But man this week was long!! Getting back into the corporate grind is mentally taxing definitely. Last nite I was exhausted and did little else but lay on the couch and consume a large burrito. hahaa. So I''m glad I have at least been working out continuously so that I can combat this eating-gasm! Hopefully after tomorrow afternoon we can do something healthy tomorrow night and then eat well on Sunday as well to get back on track. But it was fun to splurge for sure. And I don''t want to lose more weight anyway, just maintain.

Anyway hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend and any workouts go really well!! Yay. Bedtime.

 

[Lorelei]

Just checking in quickly, I have been up to my eyeballs in soot and floorboards!

All this work hasn''t stopped me working out ay least and I am keeping up with it. Thinking of what you are saying Mara, I have a polo shirt I use to work out in and it fitted last year and it is now huge...I don''t think I have lost that much weight to make it so loose, but it must be not only the weight loss but the toning effect of the exercising. But I like it as it makes me feel tiny and reminds me of what I have achieved!

Great job everyone and Jeff, I have heard dark chocolate is really good for you due to bioflavinoids or something so you can go ahead and have some!

 

[NYCsparkle]

Well I was doing well until last night when I shoveled in 2 large slices of pizza. It was sooo good!!

I thought about baking brownies to go with the vanilla ice cream in the freezer, but I used will power and kept myself busy and out of the kitchen. lol. Anyways I have gone power walking and eaten healthy (until last night) all week. When I walked with the carriage I made sure to go up the incline blocks so I worked my arms out by pushing the carriage. I haven''t done the pilates dvd yet, but I plan on it tomorrow.
Halloween is fast approaching.....what do you do to keep from over eating junk at this time of year? Everywhere and anyones house I go to seems to be full of little chocolate bars calling my name.

And I can''t eat just one.

 

[Curls]

Galateia: I looked at new ones from Academy and Dick''s. The "too cheap" ones were $150, $200 (which literally was falling apart), and $300. The next price they had available in the stores that looked much, much better was $500, and I would have probably purchased it if I had more money. But those puppies can go all the way up to almost $2000. I don''t think one that pricey would be neccessary, unless you need the Mercedes of ellipticals. I did not look at used ones, wish I would have. But I didn''t really know where to look and I wanted something asap. I also noticed (no surprise) that those stores have a much larger selection online as compared to the store. So maybe you can find a great deal somewhere online after you''ve gone and looked at them in store and see what you want.

Oh, by the way, I live in the south, so I''m not sure how much more you''d have to pay in store if you live on the east coast or California area. The cost of living down here is way less.

 

[Curls]

Date: 10/21/2006 10:02:28 AM
Author: NYCsparkle

That''s tough. If I know I''m going somewhere that is going to tempt me, I make sure that I eat before I go. It helps alot, but may not complety deter snacking. But if you just absolutely crave it, try to eat the best choices of the sweets. Like Rice Cripsy Treats aren''t as bad as brownies or 3 Muskateers are better than a lot of other candy bars. Oh and carmel/candied apples....hey, atleast you''re getting a fruit in. And don''t beat yourself up if you do give in a couple of times. People do it all the time and still maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 

[Rod]

Hey All......just a quick checkin. Yesterday was our normal day off. I had planned to run, but it was in the 90''s and I just wasn''t up to the heat. We had sushi for dinner and I was very healthy foodwise the entire day. I was on a bizarre conference call with a company called toospoiled.com about becoming a talent manager or something. It was just too bizarre and they sucker you into identifying what type of health insurance you''d need online if they hired you so you get a zillion calls from all these hungry insurance agents. Man, it''s a tough world being unemployed and looking for appropriate work.

Mara: Welcome back to the corporate ladder. It''s really tough to ballance work, home, fitness in the corporate world. I''m sure your schedule will settle down and you''ll be able to continue your fitness routines.

Today, we had a hearty breakfast as we have our training session on Saturday mornings at the gym. Our trainer is simply fantastic and little by little he''s been pushing us to new levels. Today, was the toughest session yet. He called it a ''full body breakdown'' and he warned us there would be no resting sessions between routines. So, thank goodness we had eaten a hearty breakfast and I remembered to be hydrated. He had us start outside and run up 5 flighst of stairs as fast as we could, then sprint across the roof top level and down another set of stairs, then across the street to the parking garage where we had to run up the inclines of all 5 parking levels, down the stairs again and back to the gym. The good part was I wasn''t winded in the least, but our trainer was!! I think all the aerobic activities I''ve done and the running had prepared me well for this morning''s little warmup. The rest of the session though, was a killer. He had us doing weighted lunges with 50 pounds on our shoulders and we had to hold the lunge for a full 5 seconds before moving into the next leg. Everything required 3 full sets of 15. He had us running all over the gym, using free weights, then alternating with machines and cable machines. And he was true to his promise, there were no resting sessions allowed. All in all, we were so tired at the end of the session that my arms were shaking and I could barely walk straight. But, it was really really good and he seemed so pleased with our progress that we were able to keep up and not poop out for the entire hour. He kept commenting how we had evolved to new levels in our fitness capabilities and that there weren''t many men in their 50''s who could possibly keep up with us. It felt good to know we had improved so much over the months of working out with him.

Anyway, just wanted to chime in and let you know I''m OK and still working out as usual. I hope everyone''s having a really good weekend.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi Everyone.

Just got back from doing an "antique roadshow" style appraisal event at an old New England church that''s
raising money for a new steeple. Today was fall in New England at its best with beautiful foliage and crisp 50 degree
weather.

Thanks to Rod and Mara''s suggestions..I am now snacking on fresh fruit and a few bites of dark chocolate a day.
That''s a plan that''s not hard to follow. I''ve never been a big fruit eater but that''s going to change.

Had a late Saturday afternoon session at the gym. It''s going well and I can see and feel results.

Keep on TRACKin

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Date: 10/21/2006 3:35:21 PM
Author: Rod
Hey All......just a quick checkin. Yesterday was our normal day off. I had planned to run, but it was in the 90''s and I just wasn''t up to the heat. We had sushi for dinner and I was very healthy foodwise the entire day. I was on a bizarre conference call with a company called toospoiled.com about becoming a talent manager or something. It was just too bizarre and they sucker you into identifying what type of health insurance you''d need online if they hired you so you get a zillion calls from all these hungry insurance agents. Man, it''s a tough world being unemployed and looking for appropriate work.

Mara: Welcome back to the corporate ladder. It''s really tough to ballance work, home, fitness in the corporate world. I''m sure your schedule will settle down and you''ll be able to continue your fitness routines.

Today, we had a hearty breakfast as we have our training session on Saturday mornings at the gym. Our trainer is simply fantastic and little by little he''s been pushing us to new levels. Today, was the toughest session yet. He called it a ''full body breakdown'' and he warned us there would be no resting sessions between routines. So, thank goodness we had eaten a hearty breakfast and I remembered to be hydrated. He had us start outside and run up 5 flighst of stairs as fast as we could, then sprint across the roof top level and down another set of stairs, then across the street to the parking garage where we had to run up the inclines of all 5 parking levels, down the stairs again and back to the gym. The good part was I wasn''t winded in the least, but our trainer was!! I think all the aerobic activities I''ve done and the running had prepared me well for this morning''s little warmup. The rest of the session though, was a killer. He had us doing weighted lunges with 50 pounds on our shoulders and we had to hold the lunge for a full 5 seconds before moving into the next leg. Everything required 3 full sets of 15. He had us running all over the gym, using free weights, then alternating with machines and cable machines. And he was true to his promise, there were no resting sessions allowed. All in all, we were so tired at the end of the session that my arms were shaking and I could barely walk straight. But, it was really really good and he seemed so pleased with our progress that we were able to keep up and not poop out for the entire hour. He kept commenting how we had evolved to new levels in our fitness capabilities and that there weren''t many men in their 50''s who could possibly keep up with us. It felt good to know we had improved so much over the months of working out with him.

Anyway, just wanted to chime in and let you know I''m OK and still working out as usual. I hope everyone''s having a really good weekend.

Hey Rod,
I feel your pain

My private Jujitsu instructor pushes me to the max. His new torture has me wearing a body harness and running as hard as I can while he holds the rope.

It looks ridiculous but it''s a great part of warming up and it gets me going every time.
The good part is that he lets me do the jujitsu holds on him and use him as a boxing partner. I guess that''s why they charge a good hourly rate.
It''s a nice change of pace alternating martial arts with a weight regime.
It sounds like you''re doing great. Congrats!