Brains. Beauty. Brawn.

The Great Yard Destruction

2011-10-19T14:22:00.002-05:00

Last week (or was it the week before?) I decided that my back yard needed an overhaul. I don't know where I got the gumption to tackle the back yard - maybe it was the cooler weather or something, but I finally got to it.

Unfortunately, I only have this one lousy before picture for you. I really need to remember to take pictures BEFORE I decided to overhaul something!

The only thing that you can really see here that I removed are the Pyracantha sticking up. Well, right there were three Pyracantha planted behind 2 carpet roses - making it next to impossible to get in behind the roses and trim them properly.

Also near there I identified three vines as Japanese Honeysuckle. It smells divine when it's in bloom, but it grows outrageously fast, reaches out and chokes the life out of anything near it, and it spreads via underground runners - so it pops up in places you didn't even plant it. It is an evil invasive vine and I hate it. I decided to dig it out. Here are a few pictures of the detritus left over from the back yard battle.I tore all of this out of my yard inside of 1 week!

THE CASUALTIES

8 Pyracantha - 2 smallish and 6 medium sized pyracantha got yanked, 3 of which were infested with wooly aphids! They are terribly thorny, bear reddish berries that are a pain in the butt to clean up, and the birds don't even eat them. I've seen several mature pyracantha on campus and they are lovely, but these where all planted in the wrong places and looked sickly. The picture to the right shows where the 3 infested pyracantha used to live.

I plan to amend the soil here and turn the area into a flower bed for perennials. The area gets some morning sun and dappled sun throughout the afternoon. There are already some hydrangeas there - they don't looks so hot either though. I'm not entirely sure what I'll plant just yet, but I'm leaning towards a Virgina Sweetspire back towards the house.

Another 3 pyracantha used to live behind the roses in the picture to the left - one for each trellis. The roses, by the way, are carpet roses. They are supposed to grow 24"-32" tall. In the picture below, some of the stems are over 5' long! Needless to say, they will be cut back severely in January.

The only problem here now is that the pyracantha did provide some privacy from the street. I might need to find something less bulky to go behind the roses to do that job now.

1 large Pyracantha - It's in the picture to the right in front of the air conditioning unit. You can't even tell what it is in this picture. It had been cut back several times and was also infested with wooly aphids. I don't think I could have salvaged it even if I had wanted to.

I need to find something to plant in its place to cover up the AC unit since you can see it from the street now. This spot gets great morning light and afternoon shade, so I'm thinking I might try a clematis here - one with dark purple blooms.

6 Japanese Honeysuckles - 3 large, 3 small - The three that came out of that huge hole in the ground you see to the left had sent runners 12-20 feet into my yard and all along the patio! I HATE this vile vine almost as much as I hate Smilax!

I'm thinking another perennial bed will go here. So many of the perennials that grow well here need full sun though and this spot gets little morning light, some heavy but brief afternoon sun, and dappled sun the rest of the afternoon. Planting suggestions for this spot are welcome.

I've recently installed a bed of Hostas to the left of the picture above, but I haven't taken photos yet. I'll do that soon though.

My awesome new roommate, Saalem, had a soil test run at the Clemson Extension office. The soil is rather acidic, so I need to add some lime before I plant. It's also very low in phosphorous and potassium. If I had a compost pile I'd amend the soil with that, but I don't - at least not yet. In lieu of that, I'm going to add a combination of lime, composted manure, mushroom compost, and traditional fertilizer before I plant anything new.

The plan now is to buy some garden edging and define the bed space. I'd use landscape timbers, but I like the idea of curvy beds. Once that is done, I'll amend the soil and get the beds ready for a spring planting!

Upstairs Hall Makeover

2011-10-19T12:28:00.000-05:00

I finished this ages ago, but just got it together to post about it. Typical. So, this is what the upstairs hall looked like when I moved in this summer.

And this is what it looks like now.

I painted the trim, walls and shelves. For the back of the bookcase I used some subflooring and cut it to the size of the opening. I then pasted a textured wall paper on to that. Here is a close-up of it unfinished.

I painted it light gray (I mixed some white trim paint with a little sample of black paint that I had left over), then used a metallic glaze over that. And because I'm ADD, I spray painted the hardware to match.

I have since then rented out my upstairs so now I don't even get to use it. Typical.

Neglected Blog

2011-10-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to update this forever! I've done tons of work in my yard and around the house and I haven't posted about any of it. I will soon.

I also haven't posted about my workouts. That's because they are virtually nonexistent. My foot is better, more or less. It turns out the the magic cure is a pair of very expensive shoes - the ugliest shoes on the planet - made by MBT.

I told you they are ugly! One month of wearing them though and my plantar fasciitis is almost nonexistent - just like my workouts. I still haven't made it back into the gym on a regular basis. I've been going to yoga on Monday evenings on most weeks. Why is it so hard to get back into once you're out of the habit of going? It used to be so easy to work into my everyday schedule and now...

Watch for new posts in the next week or so.

Geek Life - WinEdt 5.5, Adobe Acrobat 10 Fix

2011-08-09T16:36:00.001-05:00

I recently got a new desktop computer at work which is, in my humble opinion, totally badass. It's running Windows 7 64-bit on an Intel Core i7, the CPU runs at 3.4GHz and it has 8 GB of RAM. Yeah, it's screaming fast.

However, since I have the 64-bit version of Windows 7, some of the features (ones I use naturally) in Adobe Acrobat 7 didn't work. So, I upgraded Acrobat to version 10. While that fixed the previous problems, it caused new ones! Figures. Nothing can ever be easy.

Upgrading to Acrobat 10 caused this warning to appear when converting a dvi to pdf in WinEdt 5.5:

"Cannot open DDE link to:
"C:\....\Acrobat\Acrobat.exe"
Service: acroview
Topic: control
DDEOpen('%$("AcroRead")'," acroview","control",0);

To me, this made NO sense at all because the pdf file would appear as normal. I would then have to OK the warning. Grrrr. And if that wasn't enough, the file Acrobat_OpenDoc.edt would open up in a new WinEdt tab highlighting the line of code causing the warning. This meant that EVERY TIME I converted a dvi to a pdf, a warning would appear that I needed to click on to get rid of and this file would open up and I would have to close it.

Have I mentioned that I convert dvi files to pdf files probably 100+ times a day? Say it takes 10 seconds to get rid of the warning and close the file. That means I'd spend 16+ minutes clicking on warnings and closing useless files every day. Not only is that unbelievably annoying, I have much better ways to spend that 16 minutes, right? I could be writing new blog posts with that time!

The fix? Change one line of the Acrobat_OpenDoc.edt file from this:

DDEOpen('%$("AcroRead")'," acroview","control",0);

to this

DDEOpen('%$("AcroRead")'," acroviewA10","control",0);

A similar warning would appear if I tried to convert a dvi to a pdf while the previous pdf file was open from the previous conversion. The solution is to fix the same line of code in Acrobat_CloseDoc.edt.

A Little Bit O' This, A Little Bit O' That

2011-07-19T12:47:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged. It's true, the projects that I posted today have been done for quite some time and I've simply been too lazy to download the pictures to my computer and do a little writing. But they are up now, here and here. So there.

My left foot, the one with the plantar fasciitis, is still totally screwed. Inspired by my totally hot, tri-athlete boyfriend, I've decided that swimming would be a good idea since it is no-impact and probably all my poor foot can handle. I swam 500 yards yesterday and I don't even want to say how long it took me. As it turns out, if you're a lazy fat-ass like I am, pulling yourself through the water is hard work. I'm just happy that I didn't drown. I think I'll go do it again today.

Hand-Me-Down Mirror Makeover

2011-07-19T12:35:00.001-05:00

The former owners of my house left me this lovely (ugh) mirror.

And this lovely eye sore above my mantle to go with it. I swear these people were the laziest homeowners ever!

I taped off the mirror, primed it (shown below) and painted it "Ivory Brown" - a left over Valspar sample I had from another project .

I followed that up with two coats of a craft paint in a metallic finish called "Champagne" that I picked up on sale for 75 cents. Voila - a glamorous mirror for my glamorous guest bedroom! Best 75 cents I've ever spent.

Hand-Me-Down Dresser Makerover

2011-07-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

Among the massive amount of furniture and whatnot left in my house by the previous owners was this dresser. It's functional, but not really my style at all.

I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I can't. Not long after moving into the house and acquiring this hand-me-down dresser, I read about this dresser makeover and thought I'd give something similar a try. I figured even if I spent $100 making over this dresser to go in my guest bedroom, it's still cheaper than buying a new one and I get a one of a kind, custom piece of furniture out of the deal. So why not?

First, I removed the old knobs and pulls and filled the holes with wood filler.

I then gave the dresser a quick once over with the orbital sander and applied two thick coats of an oil based primer, just like Kate from Centsational Girl said to do. I always wondered how to get a nice clean even surface when painting wood furniture, and this is it. Two coats of an oil based primer followed up with a quick sanding makes the most lovely surface for painting.

Next I went about painting the dresser, applying two coats (three where necessary) of Olympic's "Delicate White" paint. I used a semi-gloss because I wanted a high shine surface when I was finished. Also, the insides of the drawers had seen better days, so I measured them and then cut some wallpaper I had lying around from a previous makeover to fit inside the drawers.

I used a glue stick to glue them down, and voila! I like the effect. It's a nice surprise when you open the drawers to find a little sparkle waiting for you.

I finished it off with a couple of coats of Polycrylic to protect the paint job - one coat on the body, two and the drawers, and four (two then sand, then another two!) on the top since it will see the most wear and tear.

Finally, I ordered some lovely glass knobs and pulls from Cool Knobs And Pulls (CKP). This was by far the most expensive part of the makeover. But seriously, after putting in a ton of hours painting this thing, it was worth it to me to splurge a little on the knobs and pulls, which, with shipping and handling, came to not quite $90.

Here it is in it's new home, the upstairs guest bedroom, just waiting for some friends to visit and put it to good use. Until then, it'll will just have to sit around looking pretty.

Listening To The Universe

2011-06-21T20:35:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not religious in the least. I do not believe in God. I believe in religion even less. However, I do believe in “The Force.” That is, I believe in an energy which connects every living thing across time and space. Further, I think that this force speaks to us, guides us and protects us.

It was pointed out to me this evening that I am extraordinarily stubborn. Much to my chagrin, I have to admit that this is a fairly accurate statement. I have been injured in one way or another for quite some time now. At best, I have ignored these injuries and at worst, I have complained about them bitterly. I supposed it’s not surprising then that these injuries, which started out somewhat mild, have progressed to the point where I have to choice but to address them.

I think that the Universe has been trying to tell me to slow down and take care of myself and my body. I think it started out as a whisper and I ignored it. After all, I am pretty stubborn. Now that whisper is more like a bad 80’s hair band playing in my living room. I have no choice but to listen.

So, I’m listening. I am going to start looking at my injuries differently. That is, not as the bane of my existence, but as an opportunity to take care of myself and start healing my body. After my last post, I took 30 minutes to stretch and I’m surprised at how much better it made me feel. Not only did it make my body feel better, but it calmed my mind too. Considering that my stress level has been rising at a break neck speed, as evidenced by what feels like rocks in my back, I need to relax. Big time.

I’m not any good at this. I don’t know how to relax. I don’t know how to slow down. I’ve never been able to meditate and any time I start a stretching or yoga program I do it for a day, two at most, and revert to my old ways. At this point, this kind of behavior is no longer an option. I hurt all over. My left foot, my right ankle, my right knee, my hips, my lower back, my mid back, my upper back, both of my shoulders, and my neck hurt. I can’t live like this.

What, exactly, am I going to do about it? First and foremost I’m going to take better care of my body. I’m going to look for a decent yoga class to go to once, but ideally twice a week. Once upon a time, I did have one I liked to go to, and it did wonders for my body and mind. I’m going to stretch on my own for 60-90 minutes a day. Yes, that’s a long time, but right now I have that kind of time and no excuse not to do it. I will also continue to, or rather be more consistent about icing, massaging, and stretching my left foot. Second, I’m going to clean up my diet. My diet is not all that bad right now, but it could be better. Wheat bloats me to no end and makes me feel puffy and soft. Wheat is out. I often try to avoid it, but have been backsliding a lot lately. Also, my alcohol consumption has been slowly but surely increasing over the course of the last 3 weeks. I tend to drink less when I’m exercising regularly and since I haven’t been doing that I’ve been drinking more. This has got to stop. I make the worst decisions about what to eat when I’ve been drinking. So, I’m going back to my old stand-by rule for alcohol: no more than 2 in a night an no more than 4 in a week. Finally, I haven’t been drinking nearly enough water – back to 2-3 liters a day.

I could probably use to do more, but this is enough for now and a darn good start. I just hope the Universe agrees.

Puddle of Misery

2011-06-21T17:59:00.002-05:00

I haven’t posted in a long time. This is why.

I am working on various projects around the house – all in various stages of completion, but none of them far enough along to post about. I’m hoping that a few of them will come together soon so that I can share what I’ve been working on. Seems like even the smallest projects take forever to complete.

In other news, I’m rather depressed. I missed going to my chiropractor last week because I was in all day workshops in Florence last week. I thought that keeping off of my feet would help the plantar fasciitis, but it is worse this week, even though I wear my new tennis shoes with special insoles religiously. I’m really frustrated with it. I haven’t had a workout in over 3 weeks! I feel like if my stupid foot is going to hurt like this I might as well be high on some exercise endorphins. See, I’ve recently come off of one of the two anti-depressants that I was on, Zoloft. Exercising really helps with the depression and not being able to work out is making me pretty miserable. Not to mention flabby. And as if that wasn’t enough, my right knee is starting to hurt from trying to keep my weight off of my left leg. I feel like my body is just breaking down on me! I’m only 37 years old. WTH?? I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I know that being on my feet working on my house is probably what is making my foot worse, but I can’t just lie around! It would probably be in my best interest to just go into work every day and sit at my desk 10 hours a day. But summer II starts in 2.5 weeks and once that happens I know I won’t have any time to work on the house at all.

So, that’s it. I’m a puddle of misery today. Most days I don’t feel quite so bad, but seems like today I’m having myself a little pity party. It happens to the best of us, right?

Upstairs Bedroom Makeover - Progress

2011-06-07T16:49:00.001-05:00

This is what the upstairs bedroom looked like before I started working on it. None of this furniture is mine, these are photos from when the previous owner still occupied the house.

Yikes, right? Obviously, the mural had to go. The bedroom is medium sized, but has low ceilings and is oddly shaped. I wanted to open it up and at the same time give it some personality and impact. The blue paint, even though it's light, does not open up the room the way you'd hope. And the low, angled ceilings make it look dark and gloomy. Just in case you missed the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling, here is a close up.

Of the two upstairs bedrooms, this one has the least amount of closet space. Since closet space is scarce in this house, I decided that this room should be the guest bedroom. I live near Myrtle Beach, so I expect to (more like would like to) have multiple guests in the future and I thought it would be nice to be able to sleep more than one person in this room. Lucky for me, the previous owners conveniently left two twin beds when they moved out.

In the unlucky column goes the framing around the windows. All three windows are in this condition. It makes me want to rip my hair out. Even though I love fixing this place up, I hate the part where I have to go back and fix all the stupid shit other people have done to it. After much debate, I decide to just leave the molding alone and reframe the windows at a later date, i.e. when I have the money to do it.

Now, for the fun part! Seeing some progress! I agonized over what color to paint this room and finally settled on "Tranquility" by Valspar. I like this color so much, I'm going to use it in the master bedroom, too. I think that it makes the room look like a little jewel box and I love it. I'm really happy about the decision to take the wall color all the way up the angled portion of the ceiling. I think it makes room appear taller and less crowded.

Although you can't see it in these pictures (which is probably a good thing, because it's not done yet, shhhh!), I painted the ceiling in Valspar's "Botanical Bath," which is a very pale green. I've never painted a ceiling before and I really like the effect. I'll post pictures that show the ceiling when I get around to replacing the flush mount light. Until then, you'll just have to trust me that it looks great. The trim color is Olympic's "Delicate White." I used the same color on the dresser and I'm going to use it throughout the entire house. It's slightly shy of pure white - just enough to take the glare off.

The best part is that all of the furniture in this room was free! The beds were left by the previous owners (I just updated the bedding) and the dresser, too. The bedside table was a gift from a friend's move. Both the dresser and bedside table were updated by yours truly. You can read about the Bedside Table Makeover here and the Dresser Project here (I'll put a link in when it's finished).

It's not perfect, but it is definitely progress! Here is what is left on the to do list for this room:

Rip down the old molding around the windows, replace it with new wood and paint it.
Window treatments! I'm thinking roman bamboo shades and airy white curtains.
Trade out the old sockets (they've been painted over!) and light switch for new ones.
Replace the outlet covers with new ones that have a satin nickel finish, which goes really well with the new paint color.
Finish painting the ceiling! I really wanted to get it all done before I moved in the furniture, but things don't always happen the way that you want them to.
Replace the yellow lamp with one that has a glass base and a white shade.
Hang some art or a mirror on the walls. Really, my only big complaint about the room now is that it is a wee bit stark.
Strip the doors of their old paint and repaint them to match the trim. This, actually, is going to be another project all on it's own, which I'll get to (hopefully) before the summer is over.
Replace the ceiling light! I'm thinking of something like this to finish off the jewel box feel I'm going for.

The room is a long way from finished (is anything ever finished?), but I feel like it's come a long way from where it started.

Sexy Back & Shoulders

2011-06-03T10:15:00.001-05:00

Vertical Push/Pull

Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
A1. Parallel Grip Pull Ups: BWx3, -40x5, -25x5, -25x5, -25x5
A2. Seated Dumbbell Presses: 25x5, 30x5, 30x5, 30x5, 30x5

Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Pull Downs: 90x8, 90x7, 80x8
B2. Seated Arnold Presses: 20x8, 20x8, 20x8

Body Rock Style: 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals
C. Side Crunch
Right Side: 14, 14, 14
Left Side: 13, 14, 14

Weight Workouts Are EASY!

2011-06-02T12:26:00.002-05:00

These are the first weight workouts that I've done in over 2 months. I held back a little the first day because I didn't want killer DOMS. Turns out I didn't get sore at all from it. Looks like the Body Rock workouts have kept me in excellent shape for traditional weight lifting workouts.

Tuesday, May 31st - Horizontal Push/Pull

Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 temp, 90 seconds rest
A1. T-Bar Rowns: 30x5, 35x5, 35x5, 35x5, 35x5
A2. Flat Dumb Bell Press: 25x5, 30x5, 30x5, 30x5, 30x5

Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Cable Row: 60x8, 70x8, 80x8
B2. Incline Dumb Bell Press: 20x8, 20x8, 25x8

3 sets, 12 reps, 321 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C. Buso Ball Crunches: 12x12, 12x12, 12x12

Wednesday, June 1st - Light Legs/Arms

Super Set - 3 sets, 10 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
A1. Leg Extensions: 50x8, 70x8, 70x8
A2. Lying Hamstring Curls: 40x8, 45x8, 50x8

Superset - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
B1. Seated Dumbbell Curls: 20x5, 25x5, 25x5, 25x5, 25x5
B2. Dips: BWx5, BWx5, BWx5, BWx5, BWx5

Superset - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C1. EZ-Bar Curls: 26x8, 26x8, 36x8
C2. EZ-Bar Lying Tricep Extensions: 26x8, 26x8, 36x8

My back and chest didn't get sore at all, but my arms are pretty shot from yesterday. These workouts feel super easy after Body Rock. I'll have to push harder next time.

Temporary Training Split

2011-05-30T15:09:00.004-05:00

I cannot, for the life of me, imagine not doing any exercise at all. I understand that Body Rock is off of the table as it requires a ton of jumping around, etc. HIIT and Hills are off the table, too, since they are both rather hard on feet. Thankfully, my job doesn't require me to do a whole lot of running around, so it's not like work is going to get in the way of the healing my Plantar Fasciitis.

Considering that I can, more or less, stay off of my feet, I see no reason why I can't do some traditional strength training, provided that I avoid lower body training that involves being hard on my feet. While normally I would loath being relegated to the University gym, it is summer, which means that the gym is relatively empty, and I can get my workouts done efficiently.

Below you will find my new training split outlined and explained in detail. A couple of notes:

I've chosen some of these exercises specifically because they keep me off my feet, not because I think they provide optimum results.
I only do dumbbell exercises for my shoulders, otherwise they hurt.
Normally, I wouldn't do either of the leg exercises I have in this split, but my choices are pretty limited while I heal the plantar fasciitis.
Normally, I would not do nearly so much direct arm work, but as I can't really train legs, I need to do something to keep myself from going crazy.
There are 6 days of training in this split. 3 days of traditional weight workouts, and 3 days of traditional weight lifting using Body Rock type training intervals. I have NO IDEA if using this type of interval training with weights is going to work for me at all - this split may see major revisions soon.
At this point, I'm not sure how many days it will take me to complete the 6 days of training. To start, I think I might train 3 days in a row, take a day off, and repeat.

Day 1 - Horizontal Push/Pull

Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
A1. T-Bar Row
A2. Flat Dumb Bell Press

Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Cable Row
B2. Incline Dumb Bell Press

3 sets, 12 reps, 321 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C. Weighted Crunches - various types

Day 2 - Light Legs/Arms

Super Set - 3 sets, 10 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
A1. Leg Extensions
A2. Lying Hamstring Curls

Superset - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
B1. Seated Dumbbell Curls
B2. Dips

Superset - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C1. EZ-Bar Curls
C2. EZ-Bar Lying Tricep Extensions

Day 3 - Vertical Push/Pull

Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
A1. Parallel Grip Pull Ups
A2. Seated Dumbbell Presses

Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Pull Downs
B2. Seated Arnold Presses

3 sets, 12 reps, 321 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C. Weighted Crunches - various types

Day 4 - Horizontal Push/Pull

Super Set - 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
A1. T-Bar Row
A2. Flat Dumb Bell Press

Super Set - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
B1. Cable Row
B2. Incline Dumb Bell Press

4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
C. Side Crunch

Day 5 - Light Legs/Arms

Super Set - 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
A1. Leg Extensions
A2. Lying Hamstring Curls

Superset - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
B1. Seated Dumbbell Curls
B2. Dips

Superset - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
C1. EZ-Bar Curls
C2. EZ-Bar Lying Tricep Extensions

Day 6 - Vertical Push/Pull
Super Set - 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
A1. Parallel Grip Pull Ups
A2. Seated Dumbbell Presses

Super Set - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
B1. Pull Downs
B2. Seated Arnold Presses

4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
C. Crunches - various types

Plantar Fasciitis

2011-05-30T13:48:00.002-05:00

Plantar Fasciitis is a condition where the flat band of tissue connecting your heel and toe (ligament) becomes irritated, torn, and inflamed. It is super painful and I have it in my left foot. In particular, the arch of my left foot hurts like, like I don't know what. Aside from tearing the ACL in my right knee, I've never dealt with something quite so painful.

To heal Plantar Fasciitis, you are suppose to stretch it, massage it, ice it, take some NSAIDs, and basically stay the hell off of it. In other words - no killer Body Rock workouts. This is would probably be enough to make me cry if I wasn't already crying in pain. To keep from re-injuring it, you need some shoes (all ugly BTW) with killer arch support and to continue to do stretches to keep it loose and supple.

Here is my plan to treat this stupid thing so that I can get back to Body Rock ASAP.

Stretching - I'm going to do calf stretches on the stairs 3 times a day. I'm going to use my Gym Boss for this (at least I can still use my favorite toy), setting it for 12 rounds of 30:30 intervals. I'll stretch my left calf for 30 seconds and then my right calf for 30 seconds and repeat.

At first I was dubious that calf stretches were going to help the bottom of my foot, but I've already done this once today and it makes my left foot scream in pain.

Icing - After I'm done stretching it out, I'll ice it for 20 minutes using a small frozen water bottle. This is to help bring down inflammation. It also hurts like hell. I also have a cold pack that I'm going to bring to work with me so that I can ice it throughout the day.

Massage - After perusing the Internet for a few hours I've decided that self massage can greatly speed up the healing process. While holding back my toes, I'll rub from the ball of my foot toward my heal. This will help loosen it up and increase blood flow. This is also hella painful, but the more you can take, the better it is and the faster it will heal. I'm thinking 2 times a day for 20 minutes is a good start - once in the morning and once at night.

NSAIDs - I'm going to start taking Aleve 2 times a day to help with the pain and inflammation.

Shoes - New workout shoes are definitely on the menu since I'm holding my old pair at least partially responsible for this debacle. I'm still researching at this point, but my preliminary research says that New Balance makes some pretty great shoes with the kind of arch support and fit that I need. I'm also going to look into getting some sort of orthotic inserts for my regular shoes. I've looked at buying special orthopedic shoes, but they are all so unbelievably ugly, I can't bring myself to do it.

So, obviously, no workout today. Sucks.

300 Rep Fat Burner Workout

2011-05-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

I only did half of the 600 Rep Fat Burner Workout and that was enough for me, thank you very much. The workout outline is below, and we were supposed to do it twice for a total of 600 reps. I did it once through at 20 reps each and then again at 10 reps. Even still, it took me 37 minutes and 29 seconds to complete. I feel like a big wimp too, since I probably spent about 1/3 of that time walking around the house panting and trying to catch my breath. This is definately one of those workouts that I'd like to do again in about 3 months to see what kind of improvement I can make.

30 reps Jump Lunge Kick
30 reps Side Burpee Knee Tuck
30 reps Supergirl Squat
30 reps Diving Knee Tuck
30 reps Jump Jack Tuck
30 reps 3D Push Ups
30 reps One Leg Jump up
30 reps Plank Lift Off
30 reps Sumo Twist Crunch
30 reps Ab Choppers

Game On! 300 Squat Challenge

2011-05-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

The Game On! 300 Squat Chellenge is perfect for me since I don't have my Gym Boss. I'm not even going to bother timing them. I'm just going to do them until my legs burn like hell and then take a break and repeat.

Oh, I'm also planning on doing "The Nice GrASS Workout" today.

HIIT Me Again

2011-05-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

Without my Gym Boss interval timer, I'm lost. This seriously sucks. Since I can't do a Body Rock workout, I'm stuck going to the gym. I never thought I'd see the day when going to the gym placed a distant second to working out at home. Weird.

I've decided to do some HIIT. At least this way I'll get some decent EPOC.

Here is the protocol I have planned for today. It's only slightly different from the previous protocol.

TIME @ RESISTANCE

WARM UP - 5 minutes

60 sec @ 20

120 sec @ 25

120 sec @ 30

INTERVALS - 18 ROUNDS - 18 minutes

20 sec:40 sec @ 30

COOL DOWN - 12 minutes

180 sec @ 25

240 sec @ 20

300 sec @ 15

Right There Workout & My New Sandbag

2011-05-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for my new sandbag, which I got from Rouge Fitness, to come in the mail so that I could do the Right There Workout.

And yes. That is a 10 lb bag of rice you see in there.

Here's the breakdown for today's 20 minute workout. (I know, long, huh?) The workout comes in 2 parts, each of which will be repeated 2 times.

Part 1 - 4 minutes, complete the following exercise combination as many times as possible:

1) 10 Jump Squats
2) 1 Side Step Push Up
3) 2 Diagonal Knee Tucks
4) 1 Side Step Push up

Part 2 - 6 minutes, 9 rounds of 30:10 intervals (changed these to 35:5 intervals for the second set), repeat the following 3 times:

1) Lunge Pulse & Side Kick - left
2) Lunge Pulse & Side Kick - right
3) Diagonal Dead Lift with Sandbag

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am sans my Gym Boss, so I used an on-line interval timer.

Here are my scores for today.
Set 1
Part 1 - 9 reps
Part 2 - 30:10 intervals
   Round 1 - 7, 8, 14
   Round 2 - 8, 9, 15
   Round 3 - 8, 9, 16

Set 2
Part 1 - 8 reps
Part 2 - 35:5 intervals
   Round 1 - 10, 10, 19
   Round 2 - 9, 9, 18
   Round 3 - 8, 9, 18

Bedside Table Makeover

2011-05-24T16:08:00.002-05:00

I don't have a picture of this table before it was painted for the first time, but it was a dark wood with a geometric boarder on the top. It was a hand-me-down from my old roommate when I lived on A Street. I was unhappy with my original paint job. From afar it doesn't look so bad.

But when you get up close? UGLY! Mostly because I'd layered primer and multiple coats of paint on it and it STILL had stains from the wood showing through! Here is a close up of the staining that I'm talking about. I've only attempted to paint wood furniture twice and this was once of those attempts. I'm hoping that this revamp will go better than previously.

Like the trooper I am, I sanded it down to prep it for a re-painting. Have I mentioned how much I hate prep work? Here it is sanded down.

Several cans of white spray paint, days, and coats of polyacrylic later, volia! It's going to go in the guest bedroom, you know, when that gets painted (roll laugh track).

Hills, Hills, & More Hills

2011-05-24T08:54:00.000-05:00

I left my Gym Boss at Matt's house. I'm beyond irritated that I don't have it. There are many workouts I want to do this week that require it. I went to the gym and did Hells instead.

45 minutes, 3.5 mph.

1 min 1% incline
4 min 3% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 4% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 5% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 6% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 7% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 8% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 9% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 10% incline
5 min 2% incline

On the up side, these were much easier than they were last week. Afterward, I decided to see if I can do pull ups again. I did 4 with a parallel grip. I rock.

Hot Body Workout

2011-05-21T13:09:00.001-05:00

The Hot Body Workout is on today's menu. The only major change is the last exercise. I don't have anywhere in the house to do Hanging Leg Raises. Instead, I'm going to do Super Girls since they are an incredible core exercise. Here is the workout breakdown.

15 minutes, 15 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 3 times:

1) Side Lunge Jump
2) Reptile Push Up
3) V-Crunch
4) Prisoner Squat
5) Super Girl

Here are my scores for today. My Reptile Push Ups suck, but considering I couldn't even do more than 1 2 months ago, I'll take it.

Round 1 - 38, 20, 23, 40, 17
Round 2 - 40, 14, 18, 40, 17
Round 3 - 34, 14, 16, 35, 16

Hot Attack Workout

2011-05-20T21:05:00.001-05:00

Today I'm doing the Hot Attack Workout - I'm even going to tackle my fear of the Jump Lunge! I've been worried that my ankle won't hold up to it, but I've been worried about that with other exercises and I've done OK, so we'll see if I can actually do the dreaded Jump Lunge!

This workout comes in 4 parts and it looks B.R.U.T.A.L!

Part 1 - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 2 times:

1) Crab Toe Touch
2) Dive Bombers

Part 2 - 2 minutes, 6 Rounds of 10:10 intervals, NO REST!, repeat the following 6 times:

1) Jump Lunge
2) Mountain Climbers

Part 3- 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 2 times:

1) One Leg Hot Attack (Pistol Squat & One Leg Pike Press Combo, alternating legs)
2) Thigh Shrinker (Sumo Knee Up Right Knee Up Left & Jump Squat Combo)

Part 4 - Repeat Part 2

Don't be surprised if you don't hear back from me - it means I died doing this workout!

Update: OK. I didn't die, but by the 3rd round of burnouts, I couldn't do more than 2 Jump Lunges per 10 second interval and no more than 12 Mountain Climbers! OUCH! I couldn't even really keep track of those to be honest. Maybe if I had someone here to count for me - but I'm kind of glad I didn't considering how pathetic I am, lol. Here are my scores for Parts 1 and 3.

Part 1
Round 1 - 30, 9
Round 2 - 27, 6

Part 3
Round 1 - 6, 8
Round 2 - 5, 8

Sexy Shoulders & Abs Workout

2011-05-20T20:55:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone! So, I'm in my new house and I don't have the internet hooked up yet, which is why I haven't posted in a little while, but I'm still here and I'm still Body Rockin' it!

On Wednesday I didn't do a traditional workout, but I did mow my lawn for an hour and 15 minutes with an a push mower - I'm not talking about a gas push mower, I'm talking about the kind with the blades that spin! I had to go over sections of my yard multiple times and the grass still wasn't cut to my satisfaction! I'm calling it the "Nice GrASS Workout." I'm sure to repeat it at least once a week for the rest of the summer.

So, because I couldn't get on line, I made up my own workout. It's the very first one I've ever put together myself and I'm calling it the Sexy Shoulders & Abs Workout. All but one of the exercises appear in other workouts, so it isn't hard to figure out what the workout looks like. Here it is:

15 minutes, 15 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 3 times:
1) Reverse Lunge & Kick Up (left)
2) Reverse Lunge & Kick UP (right)
3) Dynamic Push Up
4) 25 cm Ball Crunch
5) Pike Press

For exercise number 4, I use the Gold's Gym 25cm Pilates mini-ball. I like it because it allows you to get a greater range of motion than just doing regular crunches.

Here are my scores:
Round 1 - 19, 18, 14, 16, 15
Round 2 - 18, 17, 11, 14, 14
Round 3 - 16, 16, 10, 17, 14

Hills

2011-05-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Hills,affectionately known as "Hells" by anyone who has done them, is an interval training protocol that, while not a high intensity protocol, is an effective alternative to steady state cardio known to bring up V02max quickly. I did these on the treadmill today at 3.5 miles per hour. For my purposes, I'm going to call this endurance training.

45 minutes

1 min 1% incline
4 min 2% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 3% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 4% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 5% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 6% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 7% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 8% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 9% incline
5 min 1% incline

Oh, and I took the dogs for a leisurely 40 min walk this morning. Today was a good day to walk, I guess.

Best Ripped Abs Workout

2011-05-15T11:17:00.001-05:00

On the menu today is the Best Ripped Abs Workout from July 2, 2010. After yesterday's marathon workout (for me anyway) I'm ready for something short and intense and this seems just right.

12 minutes, 12 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following three times:
1) Sumo Squat & Leg Lift
2) 1-2 Reptile Push Up
3) Squat & Side Lunge
4) Seated V-Scissors

My scores for tonight:
Round 1 - 20, 8, 9, 40
Round 2 - 20, 9, 10, 34
Round 3 - 18, 7, 9, 38

600 Rep Sexier Body Workout

2011-05-14T19:06:00.001-05:00

Today I'm going to do the 600 Rep Sexier Body Workout from March 23, 2010. It looks like pure hell.

Time Challenge, 10 Exercises

1. 60 Reps - Half Burpee with Calf Raise
2. 60 Reps - One Leg Push Up (alternating legs)
3. 60 Reps - Lunge Forward and Backward (30 each side)
4. 60 Reps - One Legged Dead Lift (30 each side)
5. 60 Reps - Crunches with Leg Extension
6. 60 Reps - Prisoner Squat & Front Kick (alternating legs)
7. 60 Reps - One Leg Tricep Dip (alternating legs)
8. 60 Reps - Side Jump Lunge
9. 60 Reps - Chest Lift
10. 60 reps - Over Chair Kick (30 each side)

Time: 40:30.

Comments: Worst. 41 minutes. Ever. Wow. Maybe this wasn't the workout to get back into the swing of things. It kicked my ass up, down and sideways. Maybe it didn't help that I drank a whey shake about 15 minutes prior. I felt like throwing up for a good portion of it. I am so out of shape it's kind of sad. :(

In Love With Laurel

2011-05-14T13:46:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody. The good news is that I'm now officially a homeowner! I moved into my new house yesterday morning. I am SO happy to finally have a home again. And not a moment too soon. I've been carting the dogs around in the car for so long I think that they think that the car is home, lol!

I did a walk through of the house right before closing. When I pulled up and looked in the window I saw a couch, books and rugs still in the family room. I called my agent thinking, "It looks like someone still lives here!" Nope, the previous owners just decided to leave me a bunch of furniture. OK. So, this part is actually pretty cool. They left me antique dressers, rockers, mirrors, a patio set and two twin beds (for the guest room). They left more usable furniture in the house than I own. No joke. They left me a dining room table which is uber cool since I was dreading having to buy one. They also left a lawn mower and tons of around the house tools in the shed. Here's the not so cool part. They left all of their JUNK! They left me knick-knacks, art, wreaths, touch up paint (I'm repainting), multiple old lamps and two old couches, one of which is deadful! So, not only do I have to move my stuff in and organize it all, I also have to get rid of all of the stuff they left that I don't want. I guess you take the good with the bad.

There will be pictures of the house and house projects in the months to come. I've got all sorts of work to do on the place! On my project to do list:
- Paint the front door RED.
- Repaint the downstairs bedroom a soothing blue or green - it's mint colored right now and totally obnoxious.
- Paint the upstairs bedrooms a nice crisp, clean white. Currently there is a beach motif mural in one of the bedrooms - ugh.
- Install a shelving system in the upstairs closet.

Mojo

2011-05-14T13:25:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows me to any degree probably also knows that my Rat Terrier Mojo has had polydipsia (excessive thirst) and polyuria (excessive urination) for some time now. I've had Mojo tested for diabetes and Cushings disease in the last year and both tests have come up negative. I've been told by more than one vet that most likely the problem is either psychosomatic or a problem with his pituitary glad and that in either case, there is nothing I could do about it.

Over the course of the last two years the problem has gotten worse and worse. He used to be really thirsty after I had left him alone all day without water, but in the last year he has starting crying at the top of his little lungs when I get home and then standing over his water bowl shaking and drinking for minutes on end. Finally, one of my vets here referred me to a specialist. And after the news that I got on Monday, I feel horrible for not following up on the referral a long time ago. Mojo is a sick little dog.

On Friday, May 6, I took Mojo to a veterinarian just North of Charleston. Dr. Perry Jameson of Veterinary Medical Care in Mt. Pleasant, SC is an amazing vet! Even though the tech had been in to get Mojo's history, he went over nearly all of it again with me. Then together we decided on two tests. The first was an ultrasound. Even though the ultrasound was expensive, it allowed us to rule out multiple conditions that could be the cause of the polydipsia. Dr. Jameson said that Mojo's liver is small for a dog his size, which indicates that he either has liver disease, or a liver shunt - both of which Dr. Jameson had mentioned prior to the ultrasound as conditions that he was leaning towards given Mojo's history.

A liver shunt is a blood vessel that carries blood around the liver instead of through the liver. Toxins build up in the blood and kidneys in dogs with liver shunts because the liver isn't cleaning the toxins out of the blood properly. The only common symptom that Mojo has had his whole life is a quiet demeanor, which is pretty uncharacteristic of Rat Terriers. Excessive drinking and urination is also a symptom of a liver shunt, but it less common, as it turns out, which explains why my regular vet had trouble making the connection (you'd think the elevated liver values would have tipped them off though).

Mojo had not been fed since the previous day, so Dr. Jameson suggested that we preform a bile acid test. In a bile acid test blood is taken in a fasted state. The dog is fed a fatty meal and then blood is taken again 2 hours later. In a dog with a normally functioning liver, bile acids should return to the levels seen in the fasted state within 2 hours of a meal. Elevated bile acids 2 hours later indicate that the liver isn't removing bile acids from the blood as it should. This points to the possibility of liver disease or a problem with circulation, i.e. a possible shunt!

The next step is an exploratory surgery where they look for a shunt and biopsy his liver. I don't know when or how I will ever be able to afford it.

Power Girl Workout

2011-05-11T11:04:00.000-05:00

As it turns out, being essentially homeless makes keeping up with workouts rather difficult. That and being out of town with friends that you haven't seen in 2+ years. But more on that later. I FINALLY managed to get a workout in on Monday. It's Zuzana's Power Girl Workout from June of 2010.

12 minutes, 12 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following two times:
1) Surfer
2) Beach Scissors - left
3) Beach Scissors - right
4) Fighter Lunge - left
5) Fighter Lunge - right
6) 1-2-3 Push Ups

Here are my (pathetic!) scores.

Round 1 - 6, 12, 15, 18, 17, 11

Round 2 - 5, 11, 12, 18, 15, 10

Slow But Steady Progress

2011-05-03T11:08:00.000-05:00

I think I've been doing Body Rock now for almost 2 months. My scale is packed away and I've only taken one set of measurements a week ago, so I don't have any objective measures of my improvement. Nevertheless, I wanted to note the totally subjective improvements to my health and fitness thus far. In no particular order:
- I'm way more cardiovascularly fit. I can pusher harder for longer periods.
- I don't get nearly as sore from the workouts as I used to.
- 2 months ago I could do about 3 push ups, a month ago I could do 6-7 and now I can do 10-12 in a row.
- My waistline is trimmer and I have some upper ab definition.
- Better definition in my shoulders and arms.
- Belt is on a notch lower.

On one hand, I feel like I've made amazing progress in only two months with my strength and my cardio. But on the other hand, even without my scale I know I haven't taken off any grand amount of weight - this is why I say it's been slow progress. The thing is, I feel leaner and tighter. Right now, I don't really care if my progress is slow. The way I see it, even if I only take off 1 pound a month for the next year, that means in 1 year I'll be 12 pounds trimmer, and in BodyRockin' good shape.

There is this, too. I've been packing my things and totally stressed out for over a month now. Once I settle into my new house, I think I'll be able to give my diet the attention and care it deserves and optimize it for my goals. With my life packed away in boxes, it's been difficult to eat as well as I should. Even so, I think I've done pretty well with it. For example, I've not relied on fast food at all - but I have relied on things like Zone Bars to see me through. Not terrible, but not the best either.

I'm looking forward to a hard core summer of BodyRock!

Fat Fighter Workout

2011-05-02T08:37:00.001-05:00

The Fat Fighter Workout is from June of 2010. It's a short workout, so I have to remember to push as hard as I can.

12 minutes total, 5 exercises in 2 parts

Part 1 - 9 rounds 30:10 intervals
1) Pike Jump/Squat Jump
2) Strong Core Exercise
3) Plank Jump Push Ups

Part 2 - 9 rounds 30:10 intervals
1) Side Lunge Jump & Knee Up (left)
2) Side Lunge Jump & Knee Up (right)
3) Elbow Plank Hops

I loved this workout! It was, as Zuzana likes to say, "super intense."

Part 1
Round 1 - 10, 8, 9
Round 2 - 10, 12, 7
Round 3 - 9, 10, 10

Part 2
Round 1 - 13, 12, 11
Round 2 - 12, 13, 11
Round 3 - 12, 12, 12

Abs Now! Workout

2011-05-02T08:12:00.000-05:00

The Abs Now! Workout is on the menu today, minus all that jumping and hopping.

?? minutes, Time Challenge, 8 exercises, 400 reps total
50 reps Lunge Back & Press Up
50 reps Super Girl Plank
50 reps Sumo Squat
50 reps Reptile Plank
50 reps Side Lunge Jump
50 reps Santana Plank
50 reps Lunge Back & Kick Up
50 reps Mini Squat (burn out)

Update: Somehow one day off stretched into 3 days off. How does that happen? I think it had something to do with my moving my things into storage and generally being out of sorts. Anyway, I did the workout yesterday and later in the day I got in an hour long walk with the dogs.

Time: 15 minutes, 29 seconds. Ouch.

Closer to Closing

2011-04-30T10:18:00.001-05:00

My divorce decree came in the mail yesterday! The last thing I need to do is write a letter explaining why I still have an Indiana drivers license. The truth of the matter is that the picture on my Indiana license is good. Do you know how hard it is to take a good drivers license picture? This is the first good one I've ever had. But I think that the letter I write will say something like I wasn't sure that I was going to make South Carolina my permanent residence until I decided to buy this house and I'm going to get a new license as soon as I close on the house...which is mostly true. I'll e-mail the decree and the letter to my mortgage broker today and they'll submit the loan for final approval to the USDA on Monday or Tuesday. This means I will close in the second week of May. The sooner the better! I can't wait!

8 Seconds of Doom

2011-04-27T13:28:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone! Today I'm going to do a variation of traditional HIIT on a recumbent bike. Here is the protocol that I use:

Warm Up
3 min: moderate pace pedaling

Intervals: 3-15 minutes (9-45 rounds)
8 sec: flat out max effort sprint pedaling
12 sec: moderate pace pedaling

Cool Down
5 min at a moderate pace

If you want to read about the science behind it, my friend MariAnne Anderson wrote about it in her article 8 Seconds of Glory.

If you've ever done this you know that there is nothing glorious about it. If you push yourself hard, it's a gut wrenching, ass-busting, make you wish you'd never tried it cardio blitz. On the bright side, it's only takes 11-23 minutes to complete of which only 3-15 minutes is really awful; it all depends on how much torture you can endure. I'll update later with how many intervals I was able complete today.

Update: 3 minute warm up, 8 minutes of intervals (24 rounds), 9 minute cool down (I was reading a magazine :).

Kiss My Tight Ass Workout

2011-04-26T16:51:00.003-05:00

The Kiss My Tight Ass Workout looks brutal, but I'm going to push myself super hard today and tackle my fear of the One Leg Burpee. The only modification I'm making to the workout is the length of the rest interval. I don't have someone to count my reps, so I changed the rest interval from 5 to 10 seconds so that I can write them down. This makes the workout 20 minutes long, instead of the original 18 minutes.

20 minutes, 24 rounds of 40:10 intervals, repeat the following 3 times:
1) Dynamic Squats
2) Sumo Push Ups
3) One Leg Bridge - left
4) One Leg Bridge - right
5) One Leg Burpee - left
6) One Leg Burpee - right
7) Prisoner Get Up
8) Tricep Leg Lift

Wish me luck! I'll post my scores for all 3 rounds later.

Finished this workout last night. It could have just as easily been called "Kiss My Tight Abs" because my core was on fire by the end of it! One Leg Burpees are so hard on my poor weak right leg! Here are my scores:

Round 1 - 24, 12, 25, 25, 6, 5, 6, 26

Round 2 - 20, 10, 22, 23, 5, 4, 6, 24

Round 3 - 17, 8, 22, 22, 5, 4, 6, 26

I finished off the night with 20 minutes of walking at a moderate pace on the treadmill. Gotta burn off those liberated FFAs before they reestrify back on my tight ass!

My Living Situation

2011-04-26T16:45:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I'm not going to close on the house before the end of the month. If it's not one thing, it's another. I'm waiting on my divorce decree from Colorado Vital records - that should be here sometime this week. Also, something is wrong with the termite bond - like there was previous damage, but it's been repaired and the letter doesn't say that. And then there's the fact that the letter from the contractor sounds like a 3rd grader wrote it. I'm calling a certified structural engineer out to the house to have a look at it. I don't trust these people!

So, I rented a storage today and started filling it with boxes. Wooooopieeeee! I'm going to move all the little stuff this week, rent a truck this weekend, and bribe my students with a weekend review session in exchange for helping me load and unload my stuff. Is that bad? I'd ask my colleagues, but if I close in 2 weeks I'll need to ask them to help then - and I don't want to ask them twice.

Come Sunday, I will officially be homeless. Woot! I figure I can sleep in the back of the car and shower at the gym. I'm joking. I'll rent a hotel room - one of those seedy weekly motels. Who knows, maybe I'll get to meet a modern day Southern Charles Burkowski.

18 Minute S&M Workout

2011-04-25T12:58:00.002-05:00

Get your mind out the gutter! That's the 18 minute Sweat and Muscles Workout. Geesh! This workout is almost a year old (or older). It's all body weigh and it was easy to modify.

18 minutes, 60:30 intervals, 3 rounds of the following:

60 sec Prisoner Squat & Knee Up
30 sec Push Ups
60 sec High Knees
30 sec Burpees with Push Up
60 sec Side Lunge with Touch Down
30 sec Mountain Climbers
60 sec Leg Lift
30 sec Side Lunge Jump

Here are my scores:
Round 1 - 12, 10, 50, 4, 12, 8, 12, 7
Round 2 - 12, 9, 45, 5, 14, 8, 13, 8
Round 3 - 11, 10, 40, 4, 17, 8, 15, 8

Comments - I found it difficult to stay on task and write my scores down. If I had it to do over again - I would have made the intervals 60:40 so that I'd have a built in 10 seconds to write down my scores every two exercises. I'm sure that I could have done more Burpees if I'd had the whole 30 seconds to do them. Now, if you had someone to write down your scores, then it would be fine the way that it is. Also, I only count one rep for anything that is done to both sides. So, for example, squat and right knee up + squat and left knee up = 1 rep. Finally, I can do 10 push ups in a row again! Even 6 weeks ago I could only do 5-6 in a row. Woot!

Tight Cheeks Workout

2011-04-23T12:50:00.005-05:00

Today I'm doing the Tight Cheeks Workout.

18-20 minutes, 4 exercises

Part 1 - 4 minutes, 6 Rounds of 10:30 Intervals, max effort
1) Sandbag Swings (alternating arms)

Part 2 - ?? minutes, (4-6 minutes, I'm guessing)
2) 25 Reps (each leg) One Leg Half-Squats with Balance Ball

Part 3 - 4 minutes, 6 Rounds of 10:30 Intervals, max effort
3) Forward/Backward Lunge (alternating legs)

Part 4 - 6 minutes, 6 Rounds of 5:25 Intervals, max effort
4) Balance Ball Combo for Butt & Core

I'm going to follow up with 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill at a moderate pace. As usual, an update with my scores will follow when I'm done with it.

Done! Here are today's scores:
Round 1 - 15, 15, 15, 14, 13, 14
comments: done with 18lb "core ball"

Round 2 - 2:10 right leg, 1:40 left leg
comments: done with 18 lb "core ball," very hard to balance on my right leg

Round 3 - 6, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4
comments: done with 18 lb "core ball"

Round 4 - 3, 5, 3, 6, 3, 6, 3, 7, 3, 7, 3, 4, 8
comments: 5 sec time interval too short for switching positions, if I had it to do over I would use 10:30 intervals

My Buns Hurt Workout

2011-04-21T13:00:00.004-05:00

I'm tackling my fear of the My Buns Hurt Workout. I'll be modifying it, as usual, because I'm old and need a few replacement parts. I'm kinda scared. We'll see how my ankle holds up to the Rocket Launchers.

?? minutes, 4 exercises

Part 1 - Time Challenge
1) 20 Reps (each side) Sandbag Lunge Press Up & Squat Leg Lift

Part 2 - 4 minutes, 12 Rounds of 5:15 Intervals, max effort
2) Rocket Launchers

Part 3 - Time Challenge
3) 20 Reps Kick Ups

Part 4 - 4 minutes, 12 Rounds of 5:15 Intervals, max effort
4) Mountain Climbers

I'll update later with my scores for parts 1 and 2. No skipping for me afterward - I'll walk the dogs instead.

Done! Here are my scores.
Round 1 - 5:51
comments: 20 lb db for 1st 10, no weight for 2nd 10

Round 2 - 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 5, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4
comments: these were more like mini launchers at the end, lol.

Round 3 - 4:35
comments: no room for the spinning part, so I did a set, waited 4 breaths, did a set, etc.

Round 4 - 13, 10, 7, 5, 9, 9, 6, 8, 8
comments: I only made it though 9 of 12 rounds, my legs just wouldn't move.

Now, where are those dogs?

Good Ole' Fashion HIIT

2011-04-20T08:04:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, HIIT = high intensity interval training. Body Rock sometimes feels like HIIT x 10. The latest Body Rock workout looks like it would feel this way. It also involves a lot of jumping, which is out for me because of my right knee and ankle. Workouts like this I sometime replace with another Body Rock workout, but other times I replace them with HIIT on an elliptical or stationary bike. This lets me keep the the intensity of the Body Rock workouts without hurting myself.

For a great article on the benefits of HIIT, read this article by my good friend and author MariAnne Anderson.

The gym at work has an elliptical I like. It's a CYBEX 750. The resistance has settings from 1-100 (I think) and it has handles so it's a full body workout. A common criticism of doing HIIT more than once or twice a week is that it leads to over training the legs. The CYBEX is still an intense leg workout, but it hits the major upper body muscle groups, too.

Here is what I have planned.

TIME @ RESISTANCE
WARM UP - 5 minutes
60 sec @ 20
120 sec @ 25
120 sec @ 30

INTERVALS - 12 ROUNDS - 18 minutes
30 sec:60 sec @ 30

COOL DOWN - 12 minutes
180 sec @ 25
240 sec @ 20
300 sec @ 15

The reason my cool down is so long is so that I can burn off any pesky free-fatty acids that have been liberated by the HIIT.

Abode on Laurel

2011-04-20T07:29:00.000-05:00

I heard from my real estate agent yesterday and the seller is fixing just about everything that is wrong with the house this week. I'll close the first week of May. The seller is spending about $3300 on repairs. This includes: replacing the galvanized pipe with new PVC piping, fixing a leak over the carport, laying down a moisture barrier under the house, installing additional vents to air out the crawl space, installing a fan in the crawl space to keep it dry, and reinforcing the piers on the left side of the house to prevent any further sinking. What a relief!

<\begin drama>

2011-04-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in this post, I didn't do my workout over the weekend as planned. I'm chalking it up to one heck of a bad week. A (not so) brief summary of my personal drama.

Monday - Lose my phone.

Tuesday - House inspection is done.

Wednesday - Get into a hair-grabbing, weave-snatching fight with the ex-boyfriend. Not literally, of course, he has no weave...but if he did.

Thursday - Inspection report comes in. There is too much moisture under the house and it looks like the left side piers are sinking. Other than that, pretty minor stuff. It dawns on me that I might be homeless at the end of the month instead of in my new house. =( I also file an insurance claim on the phone. The good news is that they are overnighting it!

Friday - I have a 3pm appointment with the chiropractor - I'm storing ALL of my stress in my upper back and I eat, drink and breathe stress these days. I leave work at 2pm, so that I can swing by home for my new phone. I get home and find that UPS has not left my phone; I must sign for it. I go back to work to call UPS (cause that's the only phone I have) to ask if I can pick it up that evening. NO. The sender didn't make the option available. What? Since when can't you just go pick a package up if you aren't home when it's delievered? Call T-mobile, they say. There's a T-mobile across the street, maybe they can do it faster than I can, automated call centers being what they are. I drive over to T-mobile. Nope, they can't change the delivery options. I must call customer care. It's about 2:30pm by now and the chiropractor's office is a solid 30 minutes away. Total breakdown ensues.

I just remember standing there thinking - I can't go all weekend without a phone! I'd been without a phone all - and a crappy one at that - week and I've had no one to talk to about it! Tears flooded my face. A very kind lady at T-mobile, Donna, bless her heart, called T-mobile for me, then got the insurance company on the line, and stayed on the phone with them to get the pick-up option changed while I left for my 3pm appointment, for which I was 30 minutes late.

I spent the entire drive to my appointment crying. I think, I'm supposed to close on the house by the end of the month and now that's not going to happen. I'm sitting in the car, stuck in traffic, thinking of how sucky my current living situation is. How I can't stay even one day past the end of the month. How I must get out no matter what the cost. How I'm going to be homeless at the end of the month because my perfect little house isn't perfect after all. I think, 'ef it, I'll pack my things in a moving truck and live out of it. I think 'ef it, I'll quit my job, pack my things in a moving truck and leave SC. And I cry and I cry and I cry.

I show up to my appointment red faced, eyes swollen, still crying.

<\end drama>

I realize now that everything is going to be OK, but I did spend the weekend obsessing about it - instead of working out (which would have helped with the stress, I know). I did, thanks to Donna, get to pick up my phone that evening. Even if I can't move into my house at the end of the month, I have a friend with a warehouse who said I could store my things in it until I do close on a house. My current living situation will be rectified by the end of the month. Even if it means I have to go live in a seedy weekly rate motel for a few weeks - at least then I'll get to sleep in a bed every night. The current owners of the house had a contractor out on Monday to look at the problems with the foundation and I should hear back from them by tomorrow. If they really want to sell the house, they are going to have to fix whatever is wrong with it one way or another, so they may just do it now - it just means I might have to wait a little longer to close.

It's times like this that I just need to remind myself that things, as craptastic as they seem now, have, in fact, been worse. I have lived through worse than this and come out stronger and better for it.

It's Hot In Here Workout (updated)

2011-04-16T13:51:00.004-05:00

I went to see Dr. Mike yesterday, my chiropractor, and there is no workout after a Dr. Mike visit. Too sore from all the soft tissue work. But I'm back at it today, with Zuzana's workout from yesterday: It's Hot In Here Workout

?? minutes, Full Body Workout, 3 Exercises

Part 1 - Time Challenge
1) 20 Reps Sandbag Step Up Combo (without sandbag)

Part 2 - 3 minutes, 6 Rounds, 30:10 intervals, max
1) Pike Jump & Push Up

Part 3 - Time Challenge
1) 50 Crab Toe Touches

So, I didn't get to this workout last weekend as planned. More on that in another post though.

I was going to do this workout this afternoon, but none of the chairs in the house are sturdy enough for Part 1 - so I'm going to do it tonight at work when no one else is there.

Instead, I took the dogs for a walk this afternoon. Mojo has a bit more pep in his step - hopefully his doggy T3/T4 meds are starting to kick in. I feel bad for him towards the end though - black fur in the Carolina Sun and heat. I wet him down to cool him off, but it doesn't seem to help all that much.

I did the workout, finally!
Round 1 - 6:46
Round 2 - 4, 3, 2, 0, 3, 2
Round 3 - 3:34

There will most definitely be more Body Rockin' tomorrow.

Body Rock, Body Rock, Body Rock

2011-04-14T11:12:00.003-05:00

Can you tell I'm really into this?

I don't know exactly when my first Body Rock workout was, but I can narrow it down to 5 weeks ago, March 7 - March 11. I used to write my workouts on little scraps of paper and not keep track of anything. Just this month I bought a journal and starting keeping careful track of my progress. I wish I had mapped my progress from that first week, because I know that in 5 short weeks, I've come a long way. I only weigh myself once, maybe twice a week at most. Honestly, my weight hasn't changed much since I started, but I feel better, stronger and leaner already. My clothes are slowly but surely starting to loosen up a bit.

I love that Zuzana says to not go by the scale alone; it doesn't tell the whole story. Go by how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how you look in the mirror, too. However, I think it's easy to lose sight of where you've been and where you're going when the changes are daily and so incremental. So, I've decided to start taking progress pics . I'm still deciding if I'm going to do this weekly, or every two weeks, but I'm going do it. Again, it's one of the changes I'm making to my life when I move into the new house. I'd start taking pictures now, but I want to take them in the same spot with the same lighting each week. As soon as I have 4 pics, I'm going to start posting them here. This way, I'll have my journal to see how much stronger and faster I'm getting, and the pics to see myself lean out over time. No making fun of the pasty!

Fat Destroyer Workout

2011-04-14T10:55:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed that I modify nearly all of Zuzana's workouts and that I don't do them in the order that she posts them. Often I have to modify the workouts to work around my injuries, that's just a fact of life. Other times it's because I don't have the equipment. Some of my first purchases when I move into the new digs will be a dip station, pull up bar, and sandbag. I'd order them now, but then I'd have to move it all.

Today I am doing my version of the Fat Destroyer Workout.

20 minutes, 5 exercises, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals

1) Squat & Twisted Knee Up
2) Tricep Push Up & Leg Lift (alternating legs)
3) One Leg Get Up & Knee Up (left leg)
4) One Leg Get Up & Knee Up (right leg)
5) Burpee Knee Raises (using chairs!)

Here are my scores for today:
1) 17, 13, 14, 13
2) 10, 9, 7, 9 (some off knees for the last round)
3) 16, 16, 14, 11
4) 13, 16, 13, 10
5) 4, 5, 5, 4

Microscope Up The Arse

2011-04-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

Apparently, if you've filed for bankruptcy and you're getting a government loan on your house, this gives the feds permission to look up your arse with a microscope. I turned in my loan application and the underwriter came back with a list of 13 things I needed to provide them. 13!

This list included things such as: a signed letter explaining why I pay Toyota $500 a month and not $310 like my credit report says. Um, I want to pay it down early. That's legal, right?

And things such as: explain the $930 deposit to your bank account on March 25th. Um, that was my tax return from the federal government less the $40 in fees I paid to the company that filed it. You know, it says right next to it on the statement "FED." Well, now I need a receipt for filing my taxes. To prove that the $40 was paid to the tax company. Really? You can't just look at my federal return which says $970 and take my word for it?

Hard Bodies Getting Harder Workout

2011-04-13T16:28:00.003-05:00

Today's workout is a modification of the Hard Bodies Getting Harder Workout. I can't do the Ninja Jumps (cause of my lard-butt or something, lol) and One Legged Burpees are out of the question because of my ankle. So, here is my modified version for the older, weaker, and fatter. :)

Time Challenge, ?? minutes, 5 exercises, 5 rounds of:

10 Sumo Squat with Leg Lift
20 Elevated Bridge Leg Lift (10 each side)
5 Dynamic Push Ups
20 One Arm One Leg Bridge (alternating sides)
10 Burpees

I'll update later with my time. Wish me luck!

Update: It turns out that One Arm One Leg Bridges are a lot harder than Zuzana makes them look! I did 4 and quickly found them to be too hard. I was falling all over the place, lol. As a result, I modified the rest of that round and the next, doing 10 One Arm Bridges (alternating arms) and 10 One Leg Bridges (alternating legs). By the end of the 2nd round I knew that the One Leg Bridges were harder for me, so I did the last 3 rounds as One Leg Bridges.

My total time for this workout was 20:15. Whew!

Dive Bomber Exercise Challenge

2011-04-11T10:23:00.002-05:00

I'm really taxed from yesterday's Survivor Workout. My legs and glutes are really sore, but it's a good sore. Pistol Squats (One Legged Squats) are a killer! I don't know how Zuzana does it free standing; I have to do it in a doorway to help keep my balance and help myself up. Ultimately though, this is one of the things I love about Body Rock - you can adjust the exercises to your fitness level very easily. That, and since I do the workouts at home, I never feel self conscious about my own fitness level.

So, because my legs are so wiped out from yesterday's workout out, I'm doing an upper body focused exercise challenge today. Here is the link: Dive Bombers

10 minutes, 1 Exercise, Max Effort
Dive Bomber Push Ups - 20 from my toes, 32 from my knees.

I'll also take the dogs for a 2.25 mile walk later today. It takes around 45-50 minutes, depending on how slow Mojo is!

The House

2011-04-11T06:58:00.002-05:00

This is totally going to be my little (2300 square foot) sanctuary and I can't wait to close on it, move in, and start making it mine. I might even close on it before the end of the month.

Here is a shot from the curb. The roof looks blue, but it's not, it's black and only 1 year old. Honestly, this picture doesn't do it justice at all. When I got the bank's appraisal back and looked at the comps - well, all I have to say is that this house has so much more curb appeal. I can wait to start planting flowers and making it even better.

Here is a shot of the living room and fireplace. If you can believe it, there is a second fireplace right off the dining room and kitchen, but it's not gas. I don't know if it works, but I hope so. I miss the smell of wood burning fireplaces from when I lived in Denver and Boulder.

This is the downstairs bedroom. I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it this color or not. It's kind of growing on me though. I've always wanted a Moroccan inspired bedroom, but that kind of theme doesn't fit the personality of this house at all. I've never been a big fan of cottage style, but that's really what this house is.

I think the cottage styling of the house becomes even more apparent when you look at the kitchen. The kitchen and the bathrooms are what need an update more than anything. I think the best part of having 2.5 bathrooms is that I'll be able to tear one apart and redo it and still have another to use in the meantime!

The inspection is tomorrow afternoon and I'll be taking some of my own pictures then, so there will more to come.

Survivor Workout - Take Two

2011-04-10T13:46:00.004-05:00

This is the workout that I have planned for today and it also happens to be the very first Body Rock workout that I ever attempted. I made it through Round 1 of this workout the first time and that was it. I lied down on the floor, sweat dripping off of me, gasping for air, thinking "This B***H is CRAZY." Over a month later, I'm attempting it again. Here is the workout break down. Wish me luck!

Total workout time: 15 minutes

Part 1 - 5 minutes, 5 rounds of 50:10 intervals
1) Backward Lunge Kick Up (left leg)
2) Backward Lunge Kick Up (right leg)
3) One Arm Press Up (alternating arms)
4) 2 Kick Ups & Breakdance Push Up
5) Pike Jump & Squat

Part 2 - 5 minutes, countdown
1) Pistol Squats (alternating legs)

Part 3 - 5 minutes, repeat Part 1

This workout has been modified from the original to work around my injuries. If you are interested, you can find the original workout at Zuzana's site: Survivor Workout

I did it, I did it! It made me feel like I might die, but I did it. Here are my scores.
Round 1: 18, 18, 8, 5, 10
Round 2: 34
Round 3: 15, 16, 7, 4, 8

The Body Rocker's Creed

2011-04-10T13:36:00.005-05:00

This is my body. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My body is my best friend. It s my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My body, without me, is useless. Without my body, I am useless. I must move my body true. I must run faster and be stronger than my enemy that is trying to overcome me. I must conquer it before it conquers me. I will...My body and myself know that what counts in this life is not the size of our clothes, the shape of our figure, nor societies standard of beauty. We know that it is the experiences that count. We will live...My body is living, as a part of me, and through it I experience life. Thus, I will learn it as a friend. I will learn its weaknesses, it's strengths, its parts, its movements, and its possibilities. I will ever guard it against the ravages of judgment and damage as I will ever guard my heart against damage. I will keep my body clean and ready. I will accept it as it is and as a part of me. I will...Before the world, I swear this creed. My body and I are the defenders of my life. We are the masters of our obstacles. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is mine and there are no regrets, but a life well lived

- Zuzana, Body Rock

Body Rock

2011-04-10T13:29:00.004-05:00

About a month after I quit smoking, a friend from work introduced me to this web site: Body Rock. I perused the web site and thought "No way am I ever going to do something like this." It goes against everything I've been taught about getting in shape and it looks like hell. A month and a half after my first (hellish) Body Rock workout, I'm hooked. I will never go back to traditional weight lifting. Here's why:
- I don't need a gym membership to Body Rock. Which means I don't have to spend $600 a year on a gym membership.
- The equipment you need to do all of the Body Rock workouts is minimal, costs less than a $600, and you'll have it for the rest of your life.
- Body Rock workouts are almost exclusively body weight exercises.
- Most Body Rock workouts take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to complete. Maybe once a week they take longer than that. When I was lifting, even if the workout was only 45 minutes, I had to drive to the gym, warm up, lift, wait for equipment, cool down, and drive home. Almost without fail this would eat up 1.5-2 hours of my day no matter how efficient I was in the gym. Now it takes me less than an hour to warm up, workout, and cool down. And I don't have to waste gas in car to do it, so it's better for the environment, too!
- Body Rock workouts make me sore, but not to the point of feeling like I've injured myself.
- In the little over a month I've been doing Body Rock, I've seen better results than I did after months of lifting. No joke.
- The workouts are constantly changing. This means that I'm never bored and better yet, neither is my body.
- Zuzana (from the Body Rock site) is adorable and such huge inspiration. I love her attitude, her no nonsense commitment to getting and staying in shape, and her sane approach to eating for the best you.

More posts to follow and Body Rock, including the Body Rocker's creed and my workouts.

Starting Anew

2011-04-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in the dedication that this year is proving to be a year of renewal for me. I want to list the ways in which I feel like my life has and is improving significantly this year.

- I quit smoking! I don't even know what my quit date was, but it was over 2 months ago now. I feel like this is the first time that I have ever quit for me and I'm thrilled. I no longer cough myself awake at night. I love that my mouth still feels clean when I wake up in the morning. I love that I don't smell like smoke any longer.

- I'm leaving an unhealthy relationship - and I don't have another man waiting in the wings.

- I've started a new exercise program! I've lifted weights on and off for years. At the beginning of the semester, I started back in the gym again, but it just didn't feel right any longer. It's hard to explain. Maybe it's getting older or something, but when I went back this time, I didn't feel like a was doing my body good - I felt like I was damaging it. About the same time, a colleague of mine introduced me to a new way of doing things. It took me awhile to get my head around it, but now I'm hooked. I'll put up a post soon on my new way of looking at exercise - it deserves it's own post!

- I've started to look differently at how I eat. Anyone who knows me also knows that I've struggled with an bulimia for a long time. As a result, I can't diet - at least not in the traditional sense. As soon as I try to tell myself that this or that food is forbidden, I want it. It took me years to realize that feeling hungry isn't a problem for me, but feeling deprived is. At any rate, along with my new exercise regimen, I have a new outlook on food as well and I can't wait to tell you about it.

- I'm buying my first house! I'm so excited to finally have a place to call my own. I close sometime toward the end of the month and I can't wait to post pictures and tell you about all the projects I have planned.

- I've been doing more research at work and it feels great. I was so burnt out on it when I first took my position that I couldn't bring myself to do it. Most of the research involves undergraduates - which is a huge paradigm shift for me, but I'm loving it more and more.

So often I have caught myself thinking that I'm too old to start anew - that all those opportunities have passed by in my youth. I'm just discovering that it is never to late to start fresh and remake your mind, body and soul.

Blog Dedication

2011-04-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

I realize that most people start with this kind of thing at the beginning of the new year, but I figure there is no time like the present to start anew. So many things have already happened to make this a year of renewal and I wanted a forum to share it with my friends and family.

Formally this blog served as a gym log, a place for me to vent about my struggles with bulimia, my relationships, etc. Previous instantiations were so narrow that I often gave up on it.

I'm dedicating this blog to the whole me and to all the women out there who are more than the sum of their parts, to the brainy, beautiful, and brawny women out there who inspire me to live a life well lived.

Cheers!