I really miss running!!! And here's how I know for sure: I keep dreaming about it.
The other night I dreamed I was walking down a country lane. It was springtime and it was dusk. It was one of those really pretty evenings; the sky was so pink that it even made the air look pink. I really wanted to start running but I knew I wasn't supposed to. But finally I couldn't stand it. I looked all around to be sure no one saw me, and I took off! I ran for so long that I got lost and had to call my husband to come pick me up. (Wouldn't it be nice if dreaming about running burned off calories?)
Next Monday I go back to the orthopaedic surgeon so he can take a look at my knee and see if I can try running on it again. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Random Thoughts
Running up and down the stairs at work 878 times in one day counts as cardio, right?
And on the home front, how many calories does folding laundry burn? Because I've done a lot of that this week, too.
Am I the only person in the country who has never heard of the dance called "Swamp Thing"? We learned it at our ballroom dancing class last night and apparently it is all the rage at weddings. Who knew?
How many days until spring? Yes, I'm still counting. The answer is: too many.
And yes, in case you're wondering, Annie the Cat is still having weight issues. But she is also still really cute.
And on the home front, how many calories does folding laundry burn? Because I've done a lot of that this week, too.
Am I the only person in the country who has never heard of the dance called "Swamp Thing"? We learned it at our ballroom dancing class last night and apparently it is all the rage at weddings. Who knew?
How many days until spring? Yes, I'm still counting. The answer is: too many.
And yes, in case you're wondering, Annie the Cat is still having weight issues. But she is also still really cute.
Friday, February 25, 2011
I'd Like to Thank the Academy...
I have seen 9 out of the 10 Oscar nominated movies this year. My goal was to see all 10 but 127 Hours only played in our town for about 15 minutes and I did not make it to the theater in time. But I have never gotten so many of them viewed prior to the awards, so I'm pretty excited to see who wins. If I were a member of the Academy, here is how I would vote (this is not necessarily who I think will win):
Best Picture: Black Swan
Best Director: Black Swan
Best Actor: Colin Firth
Best Actress: (you guessed it) Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo
And now, for your pre-Oscar viewing pleasure, here is an Oscar workout for the weekend.
OSCAR WORKOUT
You have been nominated for the highest honor, the Oscar, for acting like you love every moment of every workout. Choose one winner from each category. Then match that number to the workout number listed. If you want to make it even more like the Oscars, write out the nominees and put them in envelopes for you and your partner to take turns opening.
I. We get our strength to push and pull and lift, not to mention look good in tank tops, from our upper body. The nominees in the category of upper body are:
1. Muscle Beach Party
2. Iron (Wo)Man
3. Pecs and the City
4. Hannah and her Muscles
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
II. It keeps us pumping, helps us love, and keeps the blood flowing. The nominees in the category of cardio are:
1. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
2. The Quick and the Dead
3. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
4. Rush Hour
5. Speed
III. They walk us thousands of miles each year, walk us up the stairs, and generally keep us supported. The nominees in the category of legs are:
1. My Left Foot
2. The Leg and I
3. It’s a Wonderful Leg
4. When Harry Met Sally’s Legs
5. A Few Good Legs
IV. They lift things, grab things, carry things, and if treated right, look good in sleeveless tops. The nominees in the category of arms are:
1. A Farewell to Arms
2. Armed and Dangerous
3. My Big Buff Greek Arms
4. The Sound of Muscles
5. The Whole Nine Arms
V. The most elusive of all prizes, the nominees in the category of tight core muscles are:
1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Abs
2. The Firm
3. Bridget Jones’ Workout Diary
4. Flubber
5. Absolute Power
Now take your nominee from each category and see what exercise you need to do. And be sure to gush and thank the Academy during your acceptance speech.
I. Upper Body Category
1. 25 push-ups and 2 sets of 15 front and lateral raises
2. 3 sets of 12 incline press, reverse incline press and overhead press
3. 3 sets of 10 lat pull down, chest press and overhead press
4. 3 sets of 10 chest press/flyes on bench and seated cable row
5. 2 sets of 15 hay bales, push-ups, and upright row
II. Cardio Category
1. 25 jumping jacks
2. 2 minutes on the stationary bike, PRE 9-10, twice, with a one minute break
3. 1 minute jump rope, three times, with a one minute break between each
4. 2 minutes on the elliptical, PRE 9-10, twice, with a one minute break
5. 2 minutes on the stairstepper, PRE 9-10, twice, with a one minute break
III. Legs Category
1. 2 sets of 15 step-ups and calf press
2. 3 sets of 10 leg press and calf press breakdowns
3. 2 sets of 15 stability ball squats with a thirty second wall sit in between
4. 2 sets of 15 leg curls and leg extensions
5. 20 plie squats, 10 balance moves (per leg), and 10 lunges (per leg)
IV. Arms Category
1. 1 set of triceps pressdown 21’s and 1 set of bicep curl 21’s
2. 2 supersets of 15 push-ups/dips
3. 25 each: triceps extension, dips, alternate curl
s4. 2 sets of 12 skull crunches and 30 second wall sit/bicep curls
5. 2 sets of 15 triceps kickbacks and hammer curls
V. Core Category
1. 100 crunches and a 30 second plank
2. 2 sets of 25 Roman chair
3. 2 sets of 15 reverse crunches
4. 25 bicycle crunches (each side)
5. 2 sets of 25 oblique crunches and 2 sets of 25 crunches
Best Picture: Black Swan
Best Director: Black Swan
Best Actor: Colin Firth
Best Actress: (you guessed it) Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo
And now, for your pre-Oscar viewing pleasure, here is an Oscar workout for the weekend.
OSCAR WORKOUT
You have been nominated for the highest honor, the Oscar, for acting like you love every moment of every workout. Choose one winner from each category. Then match that number to the workout number listed. If you want to make it even more like the Oscars, write out the nominees and put them in envelopes for you and your partner to take turns opening.
I. We get our strength to push and pull and lift, not to mention look good in tank tops, from our upper body. The nominees in the category of upper body are:
1. Muscle Beach Party
2. Iron (Wo)Man
3. Pecs and the City
4. Hannah and her Muscles
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
II. It keeps us pumping, helps us love, and keeps the blood flowing. The nominees in the category of cardio are:
1. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
2. The Quick and the Dead
3. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
4. Rush Hour
5. Speed
III. They walk us thousands of miles each year, walk us up the stairs, and generally keep us supported. The nominees in the category of legs are:
1. My Left Foot
2. The Leg and I
3. It’s a Wonderful Leg
4. When Harry Met Sally’s Legs
5. A Few Good Legs
IV. They lift things, grab things, carry things, and if treated right, look good in sleeveless tops. The nominees in the category of arms are:
1. A Farewell to Arms
2. Armed and Dangerous
3. My Big Buff Greek Arms
4. The Sound of Muscles
5. The Whole Nine Arms
V. The most elusive of all prizes, the nominees in the category of tight core muscles are:
1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Abs
2. The Firm
3. Bridget Jones’ Workout Diary
4. Flubber
5. Absolute Power
Now take your nominee from each category and see what exercise you need to do. And be sure to gush and thank the Academy during your acceptance speech.
I. Upper Body Category
1. 25 push-ups and 2 sets of 15 front and lateral raises
2. 3 sets of 12 incline press, reverse incline press and overhead press
3. 3 sets of 10 lat pull down, chest press and overhead press
4. 3 sets of 10 chest press/flyes on bench and seated cable row
5. 2 sets of 15 hay bales, push-ups, and upright row
II. Cardio Category
1. 25 jumping jacks
2. 2 minutes on the stationary bike, PRE 9-10, twice, with a one minute break
3. 1 minute jump rope, three times, with a one minute break between each
4. 2 minutes on the elliptical, PRE 9-10, twice, with a one minute break
5. 2 minutes on the stairstepper, PRE 9-10, twice, with a one minute break
III. Legs Category
1. 2 sets of 15 step-ups and calf press
2. 3 sets of 10 leg press and calf press breakdowns
3. 2 sets of 15 stability ball squats with a thirty second wall sit in between
4. 2 sets of 15 leg curls and leg extensions
5. 20 plie squats, 10 balance moves (per leg), and 10 lunges (per leg)
IV. Arms Category
1. 1 set of triceps pressdown 21’s and 1 set of bicep curl 21’s
2. 2 supersets of 15 push-ups/dips
3. 25 each: triceps extension, dips, alternate curl
s4. 2 sets of 12 skull crunches and 30 second wall sit/bicep curls
5. 2 sets of 15 triceps kickbacks and hammer curls
V. Core Category
1. 100 crunches and a 30 second plank
2. 2 sets of 25 Roman chair
3. 2 sets of 15 reverse crunches
4. 25 bicycle crunches (each side)
5. 2 sets of 25 oblique crunches and 2 sets of 25 crunches
Thursday, February 24, 2011
I Know I Sound Like a Broken Record but...
I don’t care how long you’ve been doing them. I don’t care if you do them every day, once a week, once a month, or once a year. I don’t care if you 5, 25, or 125. Push-ups never fail to make you sore. Add them to the rest of your workout and it is like you have tweaked everything else you did. I threw in just one set of 25 yesterday with the rest of my lifting and I feel them today all the way from my back to my front and down my arms.
A guy came up to me in the gym one day and said, “I used to be in the Marines, and do you know that your push-up form is what they call perfect?” Well, that was news to me. I couldn’t even do one in high school, and failed my Presidential Physical Fitness test. I remember feeling so dismayed, like the president was actually going to be disappointed in my score.
But when I started working out with Becky and I told her I couldn’t do push-ups, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I said, “I can’t do those,” and she just said, “Sure, you can.” And what do you know? I can.
Start out small. Use a stability ball and roll out only as far as you feel comfortable. I started with my thighs on the ball, then gradually moved out to my knees, and then my ankles before I started doing the “real thing.” And you don’t have to do a whole bunch to feel the results. Try a set of 8. Then when you can do those, bump it up to 10. You may find, as I have, that the number you can do depends on when in the workout you do them. I can do them all day if they are at the beginning of the workout, but throw in a set at the end of the workout and it can be a real struggle. Sometimes for a real challenge we have a push-up contest or do 3 sets of 25; once we even made it to 100 (4 sets of 25). Mix them up, keep at them, and eventually you will grow to love them as much as we do (well, maybe you won’t love them, but you will love what they do for your muscle tone).
A guy came up to me in the gym one day and said, “I used to be in the Marines, and do you know that your push-up form is what they call perfect?” Well, that was news to me. I couldn’t even do one in high school, and failed my Presidential Physical Fitness test. I remember feeling so dismayed, like the president was actually going to be disappointed in my score.
But when I started working out with Becky and I told her I couldn’t do push-ups, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I said, “I can’t do those,” and she just said, “Sure, you can.” And what do you know? I can.
Start out small. Use a stability ball and roll out only as far as you feel comfortable. I started with my thighs on the ball, then gradually moved out to my knees, and then my ankles before I started doing the “real thing.” And you don’t have to do a whole bunch to feel the results. Try a set of 8. Then when you can do those, bump it up to 10. You may find, as I have, that the number you can do depends on when in the workout you do them. I can do them all day if they are at the beginning of the workout, but throw in a set at the end of the workout and it can be a real struggle. Sometimes for a real challenge we have a push-up contest or do 3 sets of 25; once we even made it to 100 (4 sets of 25). Mix them up, keep at them, and eventually you will grow to love them as much as we do (well, maybe you won’t love them, but you will love what they do for your muscle tone).
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
See If You Believe This One
Last night a representative from the U. S. Olympic Swimming Team was at the Y while I was having my lesson. Afterwards he approached me and said that, based on my agility, speed, grace, and perfect form, he would like me to join the team. He is sure that with my participation, we will definitely bring home the gold.
Yeah.
Right.
I'm getting the motions down pat, but I still just can't seem to figure out that old breathing thing! I like to think I am a reasonably intelligent woman; what is so difficult about this? So, based upon what I like to call my will power (i.e., stubbornness), I have signed up for extra lessons. Poor Kaitlyn is going to be stuck with me on Sundays too, until I get this. Lucky for me, she is also trained in life-saving.
Yeah.
Right.
I'm getting the motions down pat, but I still just can't seem to figure out that old breathing thing! I like to think I am a reasonably intelligent woman; what is so difficult about this? So, based upon what I like to call my will power (i.e., stubbornness), I have signed up for extra lessons. Poor Kaitlyn is going to be stuck with me on Sundays too, until I get this. Lucky for me, she is also trained in life-saving.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Fred & Ginger
For fun and fitness, my husband and I are taking a ballroom dancing class. So that now, instead of just looking like complete geeks on the dance floor, we will kind of know some steps while we look like complete geeks on the dance floor.
Friday night was our first class and we learned the first three parts to the jitterbug. As in all things movement-related, I try to overdo. I take huge steps, fling my arms about wildly, and lean back way too far. So I’m trying to work on that. My husband is trying to work on being the one who leads. He’s not used to that, since he usually lets me boss him around a lot.
Our friend Charlie told us that he and his wife took a ballroom dancing class and it was really romantic. But our friend Kathy and her husband took a ballroom dancing class last year and look what romantic led to in that case (see blog from February 12). That wouldn’t be such a good idea for us. But we are having a lot of fun and meeting some nice people, so even if we never learn how to dance like Fred and Ginger, we’re still having a good time.
Friday night was our first class and we learned the first three parts to the jitterbug. As in all things movement-related, I try to overdo. I take huge steps, fling my arms about wildly, and lean back way too far. So I’m trying to work on that. My husband is trying to work on being the one who leads. He’s not used to that, since he usually lets me boss him around a lot.
Our friend Charlie told us that he and his wife took a ballroom dancing class and it was really romantic. But our friend Kathy and her husband took a ballroom dancing class last year and look what romantic led to in that case (see blog from February 12). That wouldn’t be such a good idea for us. But we are having a lot of fun and meeting some nice people, so even if we never learn how to dance like Fred and Ginger, we’re still having a good time.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Mixing It Up
I've been in a bit of a rut with my workout routine lately - free weights and basically the same moves each time because I haven't been feeling creative enough to come up with anything different. But yesterday I was so tired of it that I decided to do my entire workout using machines instead of free weights. I did my legs, chest, back and shoulders all on machines. I went back to free weights for my biceps and triceps, did my knee-strengthening exercises and my regular old crunches.
I want to tell you that today I am sore just about every place on my body! Even my abs, which didn't do anything differently. Just a reminder from myself to myself that sometimes you have to change things up to get results. It made me more interested in the workout and, based on the way I'm feeling today, it was a more effective workout than those I have been getting lately.
So whatever you are doing in your workout routine, try something new today and see if it makes a difference in how you feel tomorrow!
I want to tell you that today I am sore just about every place on my body! Even my abs, which didn't do anything differently. Just a reminder from myself to myself that sometimes you have to change things up to get results. It made me more interested in the workout and, based on the way I'm feeling today, it was a more effective workout than those I have been getting lately.
So whatever you are doing in your workout routine, try something new today and see if it makes a difference in how you feel tomorrow!
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