Slacking

For the past two days, I've really slacked on my diet. I was doing so well early this week, and I was just starting to feel like it was working. But then Thursday was payday, so I treated myself at lunchtime to Raising Cane's chicken fingers. I was planning to eat light at dinner, but then Lisa wanted to go out to dinner, and even though it was my turn to pick where we eat, she vetoed my "lighter" choice (Subway) and we settled on Wendy's. I tried to stick to a lighter dinner at Wendy's (well, lighter than what I normally eat there anyway), but things happened that were beyond my control (willpower). They were really short staffed at Wendy's, and obviously stressed about it, even though we were practically the only customers. We had to wait probably twenty minutes for our food, and then when it did arrive, there was somehow an extra patty on my burger. I didn't want to complain and stress out the staff even more, so I just ate it. And for our patience, the manager offered us a free dessert. How could I say no to the chocolate chip cookie dough Frostee?

And today, I just couldn't get back on track either. Although I did better than yesterday.

I haven't been too good about exercising this week either. The bitter cold has kept me from walking to work, and I missed Body Pump Wednesday night because of an upset stomach. I realized that I really miss ellipticizing, either at home or at the gym. So this weekend, I'm going to pick up where I left off on my diet, and do something active. At least the weather is supposed to be nicer, so maybe I'll go for a long walk.

Working Out is Hard To Do!

I have gotten back into my regular workout schedule, though it hasn't been easy. Evidently, taking a week off for vacation (though really it's more like three, since I didn't do much in the couple weeks leading up to my vacation either) has turned me into a wuss again. I was slightly stiff and sore after BodyCombat on Monday, and then I totally overdid it in BodyPump on Tuesday by increasing my weight for the squat track to a large and two smalls. That's the heaviest weight I've ever done, and I don't know what possessed me to attempt it after such a long break. My legs have been sore since then, almost as sore as they were after my first BodyPump class. Then I met Karrie at the gym Wednesday morning for a good cardio workout. And tonight I went to BodyPump again. It was tough because I'm still sore from Tuesday, but I didn't want to back off too much, so I just did a large and one small for the squats and increased to a large on the back track. I know I was doing the back track with a large at some point before I left, but it certainly wasn't easy tonight. By the end of the class, my legs were pretty wobbly. All in all, though, I'm glad to be back, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get back to where I was before vacation quickly (including dropping those four pounds!).

Something that one of the instructors from Group Power in Washington mentioned was that when doing biceps, you should keep a grip on the bar with all your fingers. When you release the bar, you lose tension in the bicep and therefore you're not really working as much. I had been doing this because Mary the instructor does this all the time. But the past couple times I've really focused on not doing it. I had gone up in the bicep track on Tuesday to a medium, and tonight I just did two smalls, and it definitely felt almost easy--emphasis on almost.

I also think I've solved the problem with my shoulder. It had been popping on the chest track and, though it wasn't really hurting yet, I know it was headed that way. But I discovered that if I keep my hands just slightly closer together (another tip from the Group Power instructor) and don't let my arms go any lower than brushing the mat on my bench, my shoulder doesn't pop. This means that I have a shorter range of motion and it's more of a challenge because I can't rest the bar on my chest for a little break. But I have been able to increase my weight back up to a medium for this track. So this means that I've probably been doing this exercise wrong all these months, and now I'm finally doing it correctly.

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I seriously need to start paying more attention to the weather forecast. This afternoon was lovely, and when I got home at one point, I left the window down in my truck so it wouldn't be so hot when I drove to the gym tonight. Well, I convinced Alana to go to BodyPump tonight with me, so she drove instead. Since it was still sunny, I didn't think to put my window up. But in the hour that we were in BodyPump there was a huge rainstorm, and my truck seat got soaking wet, for the second time in a week. Yep. I left my window down Saturday night, and it got a thorough soaking in the deluge on Sunday morning. So I suppose the real lesson is this should be: never leave your car windows down!

Anyway. I will leave you with a couple pictures of the fun I had with my nephew this morning. He loves to come play with the hose at Auntie's house and he soaked me pretty good this morning, my whole backside was wet. He's just so darn adorable though, I can't even get mad.

Look at that innocent face. He'd never do anything naughty!

He loves these "poppers"!

An important summer skill: learning to drink from the hose!

What Goes Forth, Must Come Back

Okay, I realize that really isn't a law of physics, but it certainly applies to biking. Yesterday evening I went for my first bike ride in nearly ten years! At first I was a bit wobbly, but after a few minutes, it all seemed to come back. I went with my two roommates and we had a really nice ride. The weather was nearly perfect: warm but not hot, with a (sometimes gusty) breeze. We just followed the bike trail that is just a few blocks from my house all the way to Bethany Park and then decided to bike up to Bethany Library, just up the street. All together our ride was about seven miles round trip and took us about an hour and a half (that's with a couple of short stops along the way and a longish break when we got to the library). It was challenging, but fun. My legs aren't nearly as sore as I thought they would be (thanks, BodyPump!). Maybe I'll start riding my bike to work on the days I'm at Bethany, especially now that gas is so expensive and won't be getting cheaper anytime soon. I really should ride my bike to the gym for BodyPump and kill two birds with one stone!

The bike trails in Lincoln are really nice and well-maintained. Though I have nothing to compare them to, since I've really only ever ridden my bike in small towns. There were quite a few people out yesterday. Lincoln often has that small-town feel, in that you always run into someone you know. I actually saw several families that I know from work and I saw a fellow library employee who lives in the neighborhood. I like the fact that the trails run behind people's houses, like alleys. You get a little glimpse into the lives of the residents. Lots of houses had really nice, big backyards and gardens, which I'm sure will look beautiful later this spring and summer.

Fun in the Sun

Last time I posted I implied that I would be posting more regularly. And obviously that hasn't happened. Maybe I'll be better this week.

I have had a pretty good week. I got my taxes done, which was a huge relief, and I'm getting a refund, which is an added bonus. I made it to three BodyPump classes this week, spread out more evenly throughout the week, as opposed to crammed into three consecutive days like last week. I didn't do as much cardio as I should have though. I stayed after BodyPump for a half an hour on the treadmill with Karrie on Thursday, and I went for a long walk with the dog, and yesterday Karrie, Jennifer and I played tennis outside for an hour, enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

I squeezed my weigh in yesterday into a couple minutes late afternoon between playing tennis and going to dinner. I was a half a pound heavier than I was a week ago. I really need to pay more attention to what I eat and I really need to step up my cardio exercising. My original goal was to do a half an hour every day, and obviously I haven't done anything near that. So that will be my focus this week. Starting today.

This afternoon I hope to get out and enjoy this warmth some more, despite the wind. I hope to get the tires on my bike fixed so I can actually ride it. I think they both need to be completely replaced. There are a ton of other things I should be doing, but spring fever has really gotten the best of me, and I just want to feel that sun on my face.

Ta ta for now, I'm headed out into that glorious sunshine!

Good Old Fashioned Outdoor Fun

I gave my nephew a t-ball set for Easter. He's definitely a natural-born athlete with almost boundless energy, and loves nothing more than to be outside in the sun (or rain or snow or any weather really). Sunday was a mild, almost warm, early-spring day, and we spent almost three hours outdoors on Sunday batting around, digging with tractors, and chasing a soccer ball (and sometimes just each other). Although I have no real way to measure, I feel like that afternoon was as much of a workout as an hour on the elliptical machine or treadmill. And it was way more fun!

In several conversations that I've had lately with different people, a similar theme has come up. It has to do with spending time outside, and frequently a specific book is mentioned, namely, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. The main idea is that kids need to spend more time outside in unstructured playtime, but I'd like to expand that idea to include adults, or at least, myself. I've never really considered myself an "outdoor" girl; as a child I would have said my favorite activity was reading (inside). But looking back, most of my childhood memories involved playing outside. We didn't have a television or computer, so there wasn't much to do in the house. My siblings and I and our friends ran all over our sprawling apartment complex and then later all over our small hometown. We built forts in the neighbor's backyard, dug snow tunnels, and had mud fights in the alley.

Sometimes I think I am too obsessed with counting minutes or calories burned in my workouts. I feel like they're too structured and I that's why I don't enjoy them much and therefore have less motivation. As an adult there are so many more demands on my time, so I try to squeeze things in, and I feel like I have to "make every minute count." It's so much more efficient to burn 300 calories in 30 minutes on the elliptical machine rather than a hour walking outside. But is the most efficient way always the best way?

The seasons are changing, the weather is getting warmer, and daylight saving time has made the evenings lighter longer. After being cooped up all winter, I'm really looking forward to being able to spend time outside again. And this year, I want to really spend time outside--go for bike rides, play tennis at the park, go for long walks, play soccer/baseball/frisbee/whatever with my nephew. I want to workout, without feeling like I'm working out. Mostly I just want to have more fun.

Does any of this make any sense? It's late and I'm just rambling now. The picture is of N with his new t-ball set. Isn't he cute! He calls the tee a "skeeter." I have no idea where he got that; he just said it when he opened the box and it stuck. He's got a pretty good arm and can really send that ball flying. He just needs to work on the concept of aiming. I'm not very athletic or coordinated, but it's fun playing with a three-year-old because at least I'm a little more so than he is. Is that wrong to say?