And I have to say, I'm a little sad about it. It has been my favorite Beachbody workout, bar none. I love Chalene Johnson, she's my idol. I think I might be a groupie. I love the music on TurboFire and I love the moves.
When I finished TurboFire last week, I found myself with a little gap though and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Historically, in the summer, when I'm not officially doing a full-on scheduled BB routine, like not following anything, I don't do well. I need structure. I'm like a preschooler that way. Except without the nap. But I would like the nap if anyone could please make that happen.
Anyway, I knew I had missed a few workouts here and there when I was sick or when I didn't want to do one of the yoga workouts during the weight loss challenge because I wanted to crank on the cardio routine to burn more calories. Plus, I'd shuffled some things around when we traveled. I made those up, but there were "blue spots" in my WOWY schedule and I could see exactly what I had/hadn't done.
I admit I've become freakishly obsessive about the WOWY calendar. I love making the whole month green, which means completed workouts, except for the rest days. Obviously, I can't go back and fix those specific days, so I constructed a schedule of all of those "blue spots" and it was exactly 12 days--the amount of time before we left for Ohio.
Pefect. Except that I realized about three of the days were HIIT (high intensity interval training) days. Ick. I thought I was done with those. But I'm doing it.
And an interesting aside: Eamonn is doing Insanity. And get this: he can actually do it. Unlike me when I did Insanity and spent most of my time just standing there watching in horror.
It does create a bit of a logjam in the basement in the mornings, but since the weather has been so great, I do a walk while Eamonn is Insane and then when he's finished I do my TurboFire schtick.
So far, so good.
And in further news, on Friday, I hit my revised weight loss goal. Very exciting! Then, because Friday was my cheat day, I ate guacamole and chips in wretched excess and that number bounced back up. It will be back, I know it. It was fun to see it for a fleeting moment though.
Happy Fourth of July!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Happy Feet
Several months before we moved from Ohio to Colorado, I purchased two identical pairs of workout shoes. They were Nike and I really liked them a lot. They were good cross trainers so I used them for my aerobic workouts in the basement and for walking outside.
They lasted a long time--probably longer than they should have. I never wear the aerobic ones outside--I'm really strict about that. Indoor shoes are indoor, outdoor shoes are outdoor. Nerd.
Anyway, last May or June, when I was starting Insanity (that's a workout program, not a description of my general state of mind. Maybe.) my Beachbody pals who had done Insanity before me said, "Get new shoes." I didn't do it. My shoes were fine.
Except that they weren't. It took me about two high intensity workouts to figure that out. So I went and bought new shoes and I was happy with them at the time. And they've been OK, but not great. It stinks to be stuck with not great shoes, by the way, especially if you figure you'll be wearing them for five years, like I did the last two pairs. This is also a good lesson to spend a little more and buy from someone who actually knows what they're talking about. I just pulled mine off the shelf at Famous Footwear. I should have spent more and talked to someone who knows about sports and exercise, not fashion. Ah well, lesson learned.
Anyway, over the course of this last year, I kept using the unsatisfactory shoes. I finished Insanity, did most of P90X again, and then started TurboFire in January. A few weeks ago, I could really start feeling in my joints that my shoes were starting to break down. So now they just weren't sort of unsatisfactory, they were really unsatisfactory. In addition, even my shoes that I was using for walking, the Ohio Nikes, weren't feeling so great. I had worn out the soles on the outdoor pair and so a year ago I had moved the aerobic ones to outdoor since I had the unsatisfactory ones.
Are you following all of this?
A few weeks ago, I went into a sports store and they were having a sale. AND I had a $20 discount coupon. A very nice man talked to me about my workouts and goals and recommended several pairs of shoes.
I tried two different ones on. And it was then that I realized I must no longer have any cushioning at all left in both of my old pairs of shoes because it felt like I was wearing stilettos. I bought the lower pair becuase the more padded ones felt like I was going to fall off of them.
Here is what I bought:
These are Asics Phoenix. They were on sale for $59.99 and I had the $20 off coupon. Very exciting. I also purchased "athletic" insoles for $20 (so essentially I got the insoles free, I guess) and that made another huge difference. I think I'll buy insoles for all of my workout shoes from now on.
So that's what I started using for my high impact aerobic workouts. But really, I needed to replace my walking shoes, too. I am considering the Couch to 5K program and while I am not a runner, I do know that if you try to run in inappropriate shoes, it's misery. Plus, the Ohio Nikes weren't cutting for walking anymore.
The sports store's sale was still going on. I went back. I had another coupon. I bought these:
I think they're the Asics Cumulus 12. Think. And guess which ones they are? The ones that felt like stilettos. Turns out, they only feel like stilettos when you have nerve damage from having shoes with no padding for so long.
Bottom line: the shoes have made a huge difference. My calf soreness is gone, my knees aren't hurting and I can consistently do the high impact moves (before I could only do them sometimes without feeling soreness).
Now I'm trying to decide which ones I want to use indoors and which ones I want to use outdoors. I've done high impact in both and walked outside in the Phoenix pair. Clearly, I'll have to wash the soles if I decide on the other ones for outside.
This is a very big decision.
They lasted a long time--probably longer than they should have. I never wear the aerobic ones outside--I'm really strict about that. Indoor shoes are indoor, outdoor shoes are outdoor. Nerd.
Anyway, last May or June, when I was starting Insanity (that's a workout program, not a description of my general state of mind. Maybe.) my Beachbody pals who had done Insanity before me said, "Get new shoes." I didn't do it. My shoes were fine.
Except that they weren't. It took me about two high intensity workouts to figure that out. So I went and bought new shoes and I was happy with them at the time. And they've been OK, but not great. It stinks to be stuck with not great shoes, by the way, especially if you figure you'll be wearing them for five years, like I did the last two pairs. This is also a good lesson to spend a little more and buy from someone who actually knows what they're talking about. I just pulled mine off the shelf at Famous Footwear. I should have spent more and talked to someone who knows about sports and exercise, not fashion. Ah well, lesson learned.
Anyway, over the course of this last year, I kept using the unsatisfactory shoes. I finished Insanity, did most of P90X again, and then started TurboFire in January. A few weeks ago, I could really start feeling in my joints that my shoes were starting to break down. So now they just weren't sort of unsatisfactory, they were really unsatisfactory. In addition, even my shoes that I was using for walking, the Ohio Nikes, weren't feeling so great. I had worn out the soles on the outdoor pair and so a year ago I had moved the aerobic ones to outdoor since I had the unsatisfactory ones.
Are you following all of this?
A few weeks ago, I went into a sports store and they were having a sale. AND I had a $20 discount coupon. A very nice man talked to me about my workouts and goals and recommended several pairs of shoes.
I tried two different ones on. And it was then that I realized I must no longer have any cushioning at all left in both of my old pairs of shoes because it felt like I was wearing stilettos. I bought the lower pair becuase the more padded ones felt like I was going to fall off of them.
Here is what I bought:
These are Asics Phoenix. They were on sale for $59.99 and I had the $20 off coupon. Very exciting. I also purchased "athletic" insoles for $20 (so essentially I got the insoles free, I guess) and that made another huge difference. I think I'll buy insoles for all of my workout shoes from now on.
So that's what I started using for my high impact aerobic workouts. But really, I needed to replace my walking shoes, too. I am considering the Couch to 5K program and while I am not a runner, I do know that if you try to run in inappropriate shoes, it's misery. Plus, the Ohio Nikes weren't cutting for walking anymore.
The sports store's sale was still going on. I went back. I had another coupon. I bought these:
I think they're the Asics Cumulus 12. Think. And guess which ones they are? The ones that felt like stilettos. Turns out, they only feel like stilettos when you have nerve damage from having shoes with no padding for so long.
Bottom line: the shoes have made a huge difference. My calf soreness is gone, my knees aren't hurting and I can consistently do the high impact moves (before I could only do them sometimes without feeling soreness).
Now I'm trying to decide which ones I want to use indoors and which ones I want to use outdoors. I've done high impact in both and walked outside in the Phoenix pair. Clearly, I'll have to wash the soles if I decide on the other ones for outside.
This is a very big decision.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Well, Now What?
So I've had this goal/deadline in my head for over a year now--get to my goal weight for my 25th high school reunion this summer.
A few funny things happened on the way to the reunion.
First, I met my goal and went past it.
Then I set another goal in my head. And now I'm sort of sitting there. I've hovered really close to it for about two months now, but I'm not really putting in the Big Push that I know I need to do to wipe away those last 4.2 pounds that would put me at this next number.
The second thing that happened: the reunion was cancelled.
GAH!
I got an e-mail about it today. I immediately ate four chocolate chip cookies. Something tells me that won't help me get any closer to my mark, but I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.
I have been kicking ass on my workouts, even with the kids home for the summer. I'm still not back to my super-early workout time, I think I'll be rallying here shortly (when I have PMS I get super tired and I'm just passing through that lovely phase). My eating has been lackluster though and that's what I need to ramp up to really succeed. I know this intellectually, but I definitely go in cycles where I can be super strict for awhile, but I also know when I need to lighten up so that I don't go nuts. That's where I am right now: in this nether world of about to clamp back down, but suddenly finding myself without my key motivation--the reunion--to push me through the homestretch.
If anyone has any big ideas, let me know. It has to come from within, I know, but if you've got any wise words or threats, now is the time to throw them at me!
On a more fun note, I got a SECOND pair of new workout shoes. Crazy! I know! It's all very exciting. My next post will be about the shoes because believe it or not, those new shoes are motivating me to hop out of bed and get to my workouts in the morning.
A few funny things happened on the way to the reunion.
First, I met my goal and went past it.
Then I set another goal in my head. And now I'm sort of sitting there. I've hovered really close to it for about two months now, but I'm not really putting in the Big Push that I know I need to do to wipe away those last 4.2 pounds that would put me at this next number.
The second thing that happened: the reunion was cancelled.
GAH!
I got an e-mail about it today. I immediately ate four chocolate chip cookies. Something tells me that won't help me get any closer to my mark, but I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.
I have been kicking ass on my workouts, even with the kids home for the summer. I'm still not back to my super-early workout time, I think I'll be rallying here shortly (when I have PMS I get super tired and I'm just passing through that lovely phase). My eating has been lackluster though and that's what I need to ramp up to really succeed. I know this intellectually, but I definitely go in cycles where I can be super strict for awhile, but I also know when I need to lighten up so that I don't go nuts. That's where I am right now: in this nether world of about to clamp back down, but suddenly finding myself without my key motivation--the reunion--to push me through the homestretch.
If anyone has any big ideas, let me know. It has to come from within, I know, but if you've got any wise words or threats, now is the time to throw them at me!
On a more fun note, I got a SECOND pair of new workout shoes. Crazy! I know! It's all very exciting. My next post will be about the shoes because believe it or not, those new shoes are motivating me to hop out of bed and get to my workouts in the morning.
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