NOT. ...more like practically nonexistent.
Sometimes schedules and energies must be on polar opposites to make things happen for me. Schedule is tight but energy high? I FIND a way to make it happen. Schedule wide open but no energy? The guilt of having the time makes it happen. Schedule tight, energy low? Doomed. It's not gonna happen. That's week 33 in a nutshell (and by the looks of week 34, it too).
M - 110 squats, 1:16 plank, 3 yoga challenges
T - 2mi walk, 115 squats, 1:15 plank, 2 yoga challenges
W - off - M's bday
TH - Aerial Tone, 120 squats, 2 yoga challenge poses
F - 125 squats
S - off - Staycation at Resort
S - 4.2 mi run/125 squats, 1:15 plank, 1 yoga challenge
Perhaps a surge of energy will come this week (34) because the schedule is not looking so good with all the back to school activities, doctors appointments and an overwhelming workload (for both of us) to make this a more active week than last. It's not looking so good though...wish me luck!
Hope you have better luck getting out there!
~V
Showing posts with label 30daychallenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 30daychallenge. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
32 weeks - 8 months!
I'm 8 months pregnant. That just blows my mind. I can't believe it's gone by so fast and I can't believe it doesn't feel like it. I miss my non-pregnant body and fitting into all my clothes but for the most part, I feel pretty darn good.
The schedule was a bit out of whack again but I managed to stay active all week. The 30 day challenges admittedly are what keep me on track the most. I don't want to fall behind so they motivate me to squat, plank and pose even in the last hour of the day. And in many cases, they are my only exercise when I can't get a full blown workout in.
This is how the week went down:
M - 75 squats
T - 80 Squats and Yogratitude Yoga challenge pose for Day 6 & Day 5 Challenge pose for the #30dayyogachallenge - Had a late burst of energy and did P90X KenpoX DVD - great workout!
W - 85 squats w weights for arm exercises, 1:15 plank, Days 6 & 7 of 30Day Challange poses and Days 7 & 8 of Yogratitude challenge poses.
Th - Son's birthday dinner - still managed 90 squats and 1:15 plank before bed (and after ice cream!)
F - 95 squats, 1:15 plank, Days 8&9 of 30 day challenge poses and Days 9 & 10 of Yogratitude poses
S - 1600M Masters Swim (had to get at least one swim in!), 100 squats, day 10 30day challenge pose
S - 2mi walk, 105 squats, 1:30 plank and Day 11 Yogratitude and 30Day Challenge yoga pose
I realize that these updates are getting monotonous but they really motivate me to keep moving and stay active. By keeping a running tally of what I do (or don't do), I can easily track my activity levels and compare them to how I feel. The whole reason why I started this blog was to serve as a reminder to myself and to those who always ask, "how did you stay fit while pregnant" or "how did you get back into shape after baby?" It has become more and more apparent to me that people find it very easy to give someone grief for being in shape, however.
Just this Saturday, a fellow female swimmer actually splashed me when she learned I was 33 weeks along. This very same person that I was sharing a lane with the entire time had no idea I was pregnant until I got out of the pool and the coach told her how far along I was. She made a snarky comment about how it must be my first...and when learning that it was actually my fourth, proceeded to splash me and tell me that it wasn't fair. Um. Ok. Granted, I have a longer torso and I'm taller than average so genetically, speaking, pregnancy "fits" me differently than most women. HOWEVER, if you've read this blog for any number of posts, you would also know that I don't sit on my laurels either. I put in the work so that I can reap the rewards. Those rewards to me are feeling strong, building muscle, having energy, being healthy, feeling great about myself and giving me the confidence to know that post pregnancy, I will have the stamina to bounce back and manage both my job and growing family...not to mention that I am also setting a positive, healthy example for my family in making these choices a priority.
It's taken three days to for me to actually publish this post. So many words I've wanted to say but have decided that less is more. Do the right thing and everything rights itself.
Namaste and happy hump day (and birthday to my amazing husband and best friend!)
~V
The schedule was a bit out of whack again but I managed to stay active all week. The 30 day challenges admittedly are what keep me on track the most. I don't want to fall behind so they motivate me to squat, plank and pose even in the last hour of the day. And in many cases, they are my only exercise when I can't get a full blown workout in.
This is how the week went down:
M - 75 squats
T - 80 Squats and Yogratitude Yoga challenge pose for Day 6 & Day 5 Challenge pose for the #30dayyogachallenge - Had a late burst of energy and did P90X KenpoX DVD - great workout!
W - 85 squats w weights for arm exercises, 1:15 plank, Days 6 & 7 of 30Day Challange poses and Days 7 & 8 of Yogratitude challenge poses.
Th - Son's birthday dinner - still managed 90 squats and 1:15 plank before bed (and after ice cream!)
F - 95 squats, 1:15 plank, Days 8&9 of 30 day challenge poses and Days 9 & 10 of Yogratitude poses
S - 1600M Masters Swim (had to get at least one swim in!), 100 squats, day 10 30day challenge pose
S - 2mi walk, 105 squats, 1:30 plank and Day 11 Yogratitude and 30Day Challenge yoga pose
I realize that these updates are getting monotonous but they really motivate me to keep moving and stay active. By keeping a running tally of what I do (or don't do), I can easily track my activity levels and compare them to how I feel. The whole reason why I started this blog was to serve as a reminder to myself and to those who always ask, "how did you stay fit while pregnant" or "how did you get back into shape after baby?" It has become more and more apparent to me that people find it very easy to give someone grief for being in shape, however.
Just this Saturday, a fellow female swimmer actually splashed me when she learned I was 33 weeks along. This very same person that I was sharing a lane with the entire time had no idea I was pregnant until I got out of the pool and the coach told her how far along I was. She made a snarky comment about how it must be my first...and when learning that it was actually my fourth, proceeded to splash me and tell me that it wasn't fair. Um. Ok. Granted, I have a longer torso and I'm taller than average so genetically, speaking, pregnancy "fits" me differently than most women. HOWEVER, if you've read this blog for any number of posts, you would also know that I don't sit on my laurels either. I put in the work so that I can reap the rewards. Those rewards to me are feeling strong, building muscle, having energy, being healthy, feeling great about myself and giving me the confidence to know that post pregnancy, I will have the stamina to bounce back and manage both my job and growing family...not to mention that I am also setting a positive, healthy example for my family in making these choices a priority.
It's taken three days to for me to actually publish this post. So many words I've wanted to say but have decided that less is more. Do the right thing and everything rights itself.
Namaste and happy hump day (and birthday to my amazing husband and best friend!)
~V
Monday, August 5, 2013
31 Weeks - this is happening a little fast, no?
It was a roller coaster week in pregnantville. My usual happy go lucky self felt at times like Violet in the movie Charlie's Chocolate Factory...ready to POP! I have been pretty nonchalant about what I've been eating because I have never over done it and I felt my portions were a good size. I quickly ruled out food because of that and also because the incredible amount of discomfort and even PAIN I was in. I was absolutely miserable. I couldn't touch my belly and quite frankly, neither could the waistband of my skirts, shorts or pants! My initial thought was that it was just that "late" in the game where I would be big and miserable. But oh my gosh...it was awful! I could barely sit at my desk it was so bad. This is my fourth baby and I don't recall this happening to me before. I don't remember being this miserable at 7.5 months at all. And all this discomfort and pain is after I was already home sick on Monday from what I would self-diagnose as dehydration and exhaustion! Bleh!
I managed to consult Dr. Google after my husband noted that it was probably something that I ate to see if that REALLY can make you hurt the way this was making me. ...and he was right. I learned a lot about how Progesterone sloooooooows down your digestive track and gases can trapped in your body causing incredible pain. Ahh!! What??? NOOOOOOO!!! That was my first reaction. My second reaction was...let's fix this NOW. It took me a few days but I stocked up on all the "right" fuel and things that were not going to slow me down or blow me up for that matter.
My husband, again, skeptical of what all I was throwing in the blender thought I'd be causing myself more harm than good. He always wants me to call the doctor and run and see her (but I'm seeing her on Monday!) Anyway, my research paid off and now I can sit here and type without feeling like I'm going to explode. Or cry. I'm hoping that week is behind me because "ain't got time for that"! Haha!
Here's the wrap up on this yucky week.
T Felt fine but had a social night off with friends and our big kids at a concert. :)
W THIS is the day. It started great. I went to Aerial Tone at lunch and went home to catch up on and practice on days 29, 30 & 31 of the Yogangsters yoga challenge to finalize the month of July. While I was there and warmed up, I got my 50 squats in too. When I got back to work after lunch....that's when all hell broke loose. So glad I got those workouts in BEFORE! By late evening, I decided that since yoga is mentioned so often as being something that helps alleviate my symptoms, I decided to go ahead and stand on my head. Yea, I know. Call me crazy but you know what? It worked so don't knock it til...I managed a few challenge poses and hoped that shaking my body up was what I needed.
Th A better day but was very paranoid about everything I consumed. Swimming and yoga helped. Honest.
1700M swim, 55 squats,1:15 plank, Day 2 Yoga Challenge - #Yogratitude
Had a great break through at swim that I had to share here!
F 60 squats
S 65 squats 1:07 plank swim 1600M
800wu (1st 50 w/o snorkel) HARD! :/
10 x 25 @ 3,5,6
150 25 alt kick/pull
200 free
200 snorkel free!! (baby steps)
S 70 squats 1:30 plank
Yoga Days 1-4 Growsoulbeautiful Challenge
Day 4 Yogratitude and Day 4 30dayyogachallenge
Saw the Day 5 challenge in the evening and it scared me off but I thought I'd try regardless. This is never good because I just don't let up until I at least get close. I did and it's done. Next! :)
All in all, not a bad week all things considered. 32 weeks is here and a check up to see how little muffin is doing is just a few hours away. I just read that I should be gaining a pound a week right about now going straight to the baby and just how much room that guy is going to start taking up causing things like shortness of breath and heartburn. Lovely! No worries, here though. I'll just be sure to pack up my bottle of Tums along with my smoothie and fiber cereal snacks!
Til next week!
~V
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
30 weeks & another 30 day challenge
My body certainly *seems* ready for baby but my house? My schedule? My BRAIN?? Not so much. Time has just flown by and it doesn't seem like many minutes pass between the "publish" click and the "write a new post" click in these weekly updates.
I've managed to stay on top of my fitness throughout my pregnancy and although I've gained more weight at this point than I would have expected (with still 10 weeks to go!), I feel fantastic and overall I am pretty confident that I will bounce back to my normal self in no time if I stick with it. I don't own a scale and have never obsessed or even thought about the numbers I see there on doctor visits (the only time I know how much I weigh), unless it surprises me. It's really relative though, isn't it? Our image of ourselves is far worse than what anyone sees so really it should be about how you feel, how your clothes fit and how good you feel about yourself. The "number" has a tendency to skew that perspective and normally, for the worse. So why bother with that? I like to see the muscle tone in my quads when I pass a mirror or a slight chisel in my shoulders in random photos rather than what number pops up on the scale.
So having said all that, I realized that I wanted to work on that muscle tone some more. With running and biking coming off of the equation and those two types of exercises being what I depended on most to keep my legs in great shape (especially cycling), I've taken up a new challenge. What the heck.
My friends are doing a squat challenge that seemed absolutely crazy to me (and my knees would concur). The number of daily reps just seemed like a recipe for injury, in my opinion, and one that my body would not respond well to as I know from experience. The one I have started is put together by Rebekah Borucki. I follow her on Instagram (that thing again?) and she is quite the go-getter. She's a mother of 4, wife, business owner and mostly a great motivator to get moving in the right direction with healthy lifestyle habits. She has an awesome website filled with blog posts and videos on meditation, yoga exercises, recipes and basically all things to help get you to a "truly, happy, healthy and fulfilled life" via her "Blissed In Network" Check her out here ---> www.Bexlife.com This is the squat challenge I'm working on now.
I've managed to stay on top of my fitness throughout my pregnancy and although I've gained more weight at this point than I would have expected (with still 10 weeks to go!), I feel fantastic and overall I am pretty confident that I will bounce back to my normal self in no time if I stick with it. I don't own a scale and have never obsessed or even thought about the numbers I see there on doctor visits (the only time I know how much I weigh), unless it surprises me. It's really relative though, isn't it? Our image of ourselves is far worse than what anyone sees so really it should be about how you feel, how your clothes fit and how good you feel about yourself. The "number" has a tendency to skew that perspective and normally, for the worse. So why bother with that? I like to see the muscle tone in my quads when I pass a mirror or a slight chisel in my shoulders in random photos rather than what number pops up on the scale.
So having said all that, I realized that I wanted to work on that muscle tone some more. With running and biking coming off of the equation and those two types of exercises being what I depended on most to keep my legs in great shape (especially cycling), I've taken up a new challenge. What the heck.
My friends are doing a squat challenge that seemed absolutely crazy to me (and my knees would concur). The number of daily reps just seemed like a recipe for injury, in my opinion, and one that my body would not respond well to as I know from experience. The one I have started is put together by Rebekah Borucki. I follow her on Instagram (that thing again?) and she is quite the go-getter. She's a mother of 4, wife, business owner and mostly a great motivator to get moving in the right direction with healthy lifestyle habits. She has an awesome website filled with blog posts and videos on meditation, yoga exercises, recipes and basically all things to help get you to a "truly, happy, healthy and fulfilled life" via her "Blissed In Network" Check her out here ---> www.Bexlife.com This is the squat challenge I'm working on now.
 |
| http://www.bexlife.com/2013/07/30-day-squat-challenge-giveaway-squatwithbex/ |
So here's the update for the week before another week has passed me by...my hubby (and #1 supporter of my fitness regimen) has been pulling a crazy work schedule so it's kept me away from some of my "normal" routine while he travels. My challenges have not been 100% consistent but playing catch up keeps me on track where I end up doubling up or spend extra time practicing.
M - Hubby out - Yoga challenges for Day 22 & 23
T - Hubby out - Off - Math and Reading with big kiddos
W - Aerial Tone at lunch, Day 24 Yoga challenge & Master Swim in the evening.
1500M
WU 800 (same as usual)
400 3,5,6 breath intervals
200 BR
100 EZ free (cut workout short for nephew's going away dinner)
TH - Day squat challenge - 25 + 1.03 plank, Day 25 yoga challenge and practice of Day 26
F - 30 squats, 1:07 plank and day 26 practice
S - 35 squats, 1:03 plank
S - 40 squats, Yoga Challenges Day 26, 27 & 28 (forgot my plank! ah!) - spent the day at water park type resort which kept me walking, climbing stairs and lugging my teletubby body in and out of tubes...THAT was a workout (and a quite a sight!)
Monday, July 15, 2013
Week 28 update and a shift in gears
This week marks the start of the third trimester and as important as exercise and fitness has been thus far in keeping in tip-top shape ready for baby (and after), drinking plenty of water, nutrition and sleep are equally important. I've successfully added plenty of water to my daily intake (thankful for the crushed ice machine at work that makes it so much easier) and this week I experimented for the first time with making smoothies and trying KALE! I've been trying to be more cognizant of what exactly I eat and don't eat and am working on getting a routine on that too. More on that later...
The summer months have always been bittersweet for me. Having the kids out of school and working full time during these short and sometimes long 2.5 months is a difficult thing to balance. I want them to have all the fun in the world but I am limited to certain hours of the day that I can do those things with them. Mainly, in the evening after work. Our bedtimes have been nothing less than midnight as a result and I found that only sleeping 6 hours a night for several weeks straight (when you are use to 7-8) has a way of creeping up on you. That endless amount of energy seems to suddenly tap out and it kind of feels like hitting a brick wall. The Saturday morning Masters class is hard to make when you wake up after it's over! Whoops!
My exercise regimen slowed a little this week not just because I needed to catch up on my Zzzzz's some but also because some of my options have been pulled from play. For starters, my evening Aerial Tone class has been temporarily moved to a night that conflicts with Masters Swim. Secondly, I've cut out running for the time being because it has been so dreadfully hot at the times when I can run. Not to mention that the lack of sleep has made me too tired to have the desire to lace up when it's that miserable outside as well. Thirdly, since I had that flat on my bike, I noticed a few days later that the tire is flat again which means that there must be something still stuck in the tire that I must have missed. To add to that, I had some accident filled visions when I started riding last time...you know, the what if scenarios that run through your head in quick second pictures in you brain (or is that just me?) that cause you to be EXTRA cautious? After warming up though, these thoughts go away and the ride is fine but still, you can't ignore that a bike sitting with a flat in the garage combined with these images is not some sort of sign that long distance solo cycling should come off of the list as things to do at 28 weeks pregnant. I feel perfectly okay while riding in fact I LOVE IT but I am erring on the side of safety for fear of having a freak wreck because my tire gets stuck in a crack or a crazy squirrel runs out in front of me and I lose control. Better safe than sorry.
Having prefaced this update with all that I'll say that I do intend to maybe add treadmill runs (although I hate those), spin classes or even ride on the trainer (hate that too) as well breaking away and getting the Aerial class in during lunch. We'll see how I manage that.
Here is the update for week 28:
M- 1500M Masters Swim:
200 Easy Free
200 Pull
200 Kick
200 1 arm drill
200 Breast (a first for me...awkward but different is good)
400 timed free
2 x 50 25breast 25 free
Yoga challenge Day 8 - Kneeling Crescent (an easy one and a great shoulder, back & quad stretch post swim)
T- Yoga Challenges for Day 9 & 10
Revolved Downward Dog & Head to Knee Forward Bend
These both took a lot of warming up and stretching and I'd say we were doing Yoga for a good hour.
W- 1500M Masters Swim:
200 free
200 pull
200 kick
200 1 arm drill
100 alternating 25s 3, 5
10 x 25 kick 45RI (full class race) Ahh!!!
6 x 25 alternating 4,5 20RI (the rest of the class was at 8x @ 4,5,6,7,8,7,6,5)
200 easy free
Yoga Challenge - Rooster (I thought this was going to be easy...doing it post swim at a late hour I realized just how hard it was. I felt like a pretzel most of the time practicing and am absolutely amazed I was able to get off the ground)
TH- Easy stretching and Day 12 Yoga Challenge - Half Bound Extended Side Angle Pose
F- Did some serious Salsa & Merengue dancing at a birthday party with 4" heels. If you don't think dancing is a workout, I'll tell you my quads were still sore from it the next morning. So yes, it counts!! (plus, waaaaay fun!)
S- Missed Masters Swim but got plenty of sleep. Hooray! Spent a good amount of time working on Day 13 of our Yoga Challenge - Extended Leg Wheel Pose. Wow. What a doozy. I think I will be coming back to this one quite a bit post baby just so that I can compare improvements. I got the leg up but only in a headstand position. I felt like I was pulling a calf muscle so I didn't stay there very long. (This is likely due to that kick race in swim class). I was not happy with my regular wheel so I left it for later.
We also got a bike ride in on the new downtown trails later... no one took the mountain bike off the table, right? :) Side note: I thought this was going to be a leisurely ride but I found that pushing that heavy bike was a heck of a workout especially on my calves (oh, yea...NOW I see a pattern. I didn't realize it at the time, just now as I type it out. Ha!).
Worked on wheel again. Killing my calves here and hammies too. Almost felt them pulling while trying to do this again but finally happy with the result (all things considered). I practiced day 14 momentarily - tucked leg Headstand and realized that I was just not into it. I have zero core control so pushing up and having the wall "save" me was fine by me. I thought I'd try it again on Sunday.
S- Slept in and ran errands - complete much needed OFF day. Didn't even bother with the Yoga Challenge. But I did come close to cracking my kid's Fruit Ninja score! Haha! This a challenge that they put upon me the day before that I am DETERMINED not only to beat but also to set a new high score for THEM. :p
Stay tuned for week 29 updates as well as the results of my smoothie experimentation. I found some yummy and healthy ingredients and recipes I can't wait to share! Also, stay tuned to find out how this whole Fruit Ninja thing works out. ;)
Happy Monday!
~V
 |
| My first Kale smoothie! |
My exercise regimen slowed a little this week not just because I needed to catch up on my Zzzzz's some but also because some of my options have been pulled from play. For starters, my evening Aerial Tone class has been temporarily moved to a night that conflicts with Masters Swim. Secondly, I've cut out running for the time being because it has been so dreadfully hot at the times when I can run. Not to mention that the lack of sleep has made me too tired to have the desire to lace up when it's that miserable outside as well. Thirdly, since I had that flat on my bike, I noticed a few days later that the tire is flat again which means that there must be something still stuck in the tire that I must have missed. To add to that, I had some accident filled visions when I started riding last time...you know, the what if scenarios that run through your head in quick second pictures in you brain (or is that just me?) that cause you to be EXTRA cautious? After warming up though, these thoughts go away and the ride is fine but still, you can't ignore that a bike sitting with a flat in the garage combined with these images is not some sort of sign that long distance solo cycling should come off of the list as things to do at 28 weeks pregnant. I feel perfectly okay while riding in fact I LOVE IT but I am erring on the side of safety for fear of having a freak wreck because my tire gets stuck in a crack or a crazy squirrel runs out in front of me and I lose control. Better safe than sorry.
Having prefaced this update with all that I'll say that I do intend to maybe add treadmill runs (although I hate those), spin classes or even ride on the trainer (hate that too) as well breaking away and getting the Aerial class in during lunch. We'll see how I manage that.
Here is the update for week 28:
M- 1500M Masters Swim:
200 Easy Free
200 Pull
200 Kick
200 1 arm drill
200 Breast (a first for me...awkward but different is good)
400 timed free
2 x 50 25breast 25 free
Yoga challenge Day 8 - Kneeling Crescent (an easy one and a great shoulder, back & quad stretch post swim)
T- Yoga Challenges for Day 9 & 10
Revolved Downward Dog & Head to Knee Forward Bend
These both took a lot of warming up and stretching and I'd say we were doing Yoga for a good hour.
W- 1500M Masters Swim:
200 free
200 pull
200 kick
200 1 arm drill
100 alternating 25s 3, 5
10 x 25 kick 45RI (full class race) Ahh!!!
6 x 25 alternating 4,5 20RI (the rest of the class was at 8x @ 4,5,6,7,8,7,6,5)
200 easy free
Yoga Challenge - Rooster (I thought this was going to be easy...doing it post swim at a late hour I realized just how hard it was. I felt like a pretzel most of the time practicing and am absolutely amazed I was able to get off the ground)
F- Did some serious Salsa & Merengue dancing at a birthday party with 4" heels. If you don't think dancing is a workout, I'll tell you my quads were still sore from it the next morning. So yes, it counts!! (plus, waaaaay fun!)
S- Missed Masters Swim but got plenty of sleep. Hooray! Spent a good amount of time working on Day 13 of our Yoga Challenge - Extended Leg Wheel Pose. Wow. What a doozy. I think I will be coming back to this one quite a bit post baby just so that I can compare improvements. I got the leg up but only in a headstand position. I felt like I was pulling a calf muscle so I didn't stay there very long. (This is likely due to that kick race in swim class). I was not happy with my regular wheel so I left it for later.
We also got a bike ride in on the new downtown trails later... no one took the mountain bike off the table, right? :) Side note: I thought this was going to be a leisurely ride but I found that pushing that heavy bike was a heck of a workout especially on my calves (oh, yea...NOW I see a pattern. I didn't realize it at the time, just now as I type it out. Ha!).
Worked on wheel again. Killing my calves here and hammies too. Almost felt them pulling while trying to do this again but finally happy with the result (all things considered). I practiced day 14 momentarily - tucked leg Headstand and realized that I was just not into it. I have zero core control so pushing up and having the wall "save" me was fine by me. I thought I'd try it again on Sunday.
 |
| A little "acroyoga" with the babe while working on the extended leg wheel early in the day and finally happy with a regular handstand Wheel post bike ride. |
Stay tuned for week 29 updates as well as the results of my smoothie experimentation. I found some yummy and healthy ingredients and recipes I can't wait to share! Also, stay tuned to find out how this whole Fruit Ninja thing works out. ;)
Happy Monday!
~V
Monday, July 1, 2013
26 week update
Still keeping at it! I feel great for workouts but the shortest of stairs take the wind right out of me. It must be the triple digit heat. ?
Here's a pic of the final #YogainSpace challenge for June. A nice meditative lotus position amongst blue trees.
Here's this week's update straight off my notepad.
Week 26
M - 1350swim
200 free
200 kick
200 pull
200 1 arm
2 x 200 pull
150 free
Yoga challenge - eagle twist
T - plank 1:35
W - AerialTone yogax2 headstand/
forearm handstand/split, plank 1:40
Th - swim 1600
200 free
200 kick
200 pull
200 free
200 1 arm
5 x 100 timed free
100 easy free (hey, that's a mile!)
Yoga challenge - deep lunge
F - bike 13.5m - flat tire at last mile :(
S - yoga - standing split with foot grab (translation: intense ham string stretching & warming up to even attempt this contortionist move) I'm calling this a leg workout considering how sore I still am.
S -yoga - lotus & final day of challenge. We did it!
I feel like I've come so far throughout the month, testing my physical & mental ability in working through these poses.
It's been really fantastic to see that I CAN do it if I just give it a try & work through it. I'm especially grateful for the bonding time between my 11YO daughter & I. She's really enjoying yoga & is pushing herself daily (hourly) to go further. Hence, why we are embarking on continuing with the July challenge as well (#Yogangsters). This should be interesting especially since I'll be between weeks 27 & 31 of the pregnancy!
Stay tuned to see my progress & some, what will sure to be, blooper attempts at these poses later in the month. :)
Happy Monday & cheers to a short week!
Monday, June 24, 2013
What week is this again?
Ah yes, week 25 and back to work and home from vacation. Going to a new job is a funny thing. All those routines we get comfortable in like driving to work on autopilot or parking in the same spot (so you don't lose your car every day) or even being so accustomed to the crappy coffee in the snack bar or walking distance to the copy machine and the bathroom are things we take for granted. All of these new things to get used to makes this week hardly routine. I've been trying a new route each day so when I hop in the car first thing, it requires a plan. The same goes for parking & the route home. Getting workouts in have been an adjustment as well. I've managed to pack a workout bag every day, just in case I can get a workout in at the office gym over lunch (complete with showers, fancy new equipment and a view, thank you very much!) I still haven't quite got the day figured out to even remember to eat lunch much less get some exercise out of the way. Thank goodness for evenings!
That's when all the workouts this week took place. Take a look, I'm feeling pretty accomplished!
M - Masters Swim 1250M - lots of friends were there so it was a total blast. Since we were caught up, we did the Yoga challenge for Tues. I had to find an alternative to the Bow pose with my belly bump so I did Half Bow.
T - 4.5M run - waited until sunset to enjoy a few degree cooler weather. The breeze and colors in the sky made it so enjoyable!
W - Masters Swim 1250M - thanks to my pal for watching baby girl since hubby had a late work night so I can get this one in. Friends there again, hopefully a sign of the summer...I like this!
T - 4.5M run - waited until sunset to enjoy a few degree cooler weather. The breeze and colors in the sky made it so enjoyable!
W - Masters Swim 1250M - thanks to my pal for watching baby girl since hubby had a late work night so I can get this one in. Friends there again, hopefully a sign of the summer...I like this!
Yoga Challenge x 2 to stay on top of it, post-swim.
Day 19 Upward Plank Variation
Day 20 Heron Pose
Th - AerialTone w my big girl - love the full body conditioning in this class. My body was tired & fatigued which made it that much tougher but pushed through. Still managed to do the Yoga Challenge for Friday - Grasshopper! So excited to have done this one...I never dreamed of being capable! :)
F - 16m bike - my new job affords me half days off EVERY Friday. I am so excited about this, I had to make good use of my first. Sidebar - GREAT first full week at work. Happy, happy, happy. Change does a body (and mind, heart & soul) good! :)
S - Off - Mommy & me swim & looooong day watching dodgeball tournament games & hanging by the pool.
Th - AerialTone w my big girl - love the full body conditioning in this class. My body was tired & fatigued which made it that much tougher but pushed through. Still managed to do the Yoga Challenge for Friday - Grasshopper! So excited to have done this one...I never dreamed of being capable! :)
F - 16m bike - my new job affords me half days off EVERY Friday. I am so excited about this, I had to make good use of my first. Sidebar - GREAT first full week at work. Happy, happy, happy. Change does a body (and mind, heart & soul) good! :)
S - Off - Mommy & me swim & looooong day watching dodgeball tournament games & hanging by the pool.
S - 2 days of tough Yoga Challenges to catch up on. Forearm Handstand (Pincha Mayusarana) for Saturday (day 22) & Forearm Backbend variation (Day 23) for Sunday. I have forgotten completely about the ab stuff because those guys are in the hundreds now. I did the plank for 1:30 after the yoga challenges so that's something I can definitely hang my hat on.
I won't lie, these two were the most terrifying of poses thus far. The bottom half of my body is way heavier than my top so the idea of lifting that into the air, sight unseen, is scary. My daughter was doubtful of her ability as well which gave me a little comfort. That is until..."mom, I was testing the poses out, THEY ARE EASY!!" Uh oh. Her friend was over and the three of us all joined around to watch her, take her picture and then give me a pep talk about doing it. Ugh.
Nik Walenda was in the process of crossing the Grand Canyon on a tight rope and my nerves couldn't stand to watch that wholeheartedly. I decided to warm up, stretch and practice while I listened a few feet away. The baby finds yoga practice time to be hilarious. She loves climbing all over me like a jungle gym and actually getting "in" to the poses proves difficult at times without her getting upset. (someone has to peel her off me and hold her) After playing with her some, and getting the girls to help/watch/snap pics during commercial breaks, I went for the handstand first. Ooof. I got real close to a door because the idea of flipping all the way back and landing ON my back was not at all pleasant.
It was hardly perfect but I got those heavy legs up in the air and was able to hold the position long enough for a picture. The practice in this usually comes after the fact, however. Reviewing the photo and realizing something is out of alignment or there's a weird angle or gasp! it's blurry!! The redo has always proved to be better which also proves...practice makes perfect! I did the handstand a few times, my fear easing up with each push up of the legs. The more I did it, the less heavy they felt. The second pose, which starts off in a wheel position I thought was going to be easier. Ha! I guess in my head, I knew that I wasn't going to fully put my legs on the wall so all I *really had to accomplish was wheel. I've done that million times...how hard could it be? Well...um. My shoulders and back are SO tight that I could barely come down from the wheel pose onto my forearms. In fact, I kept thinking..."how in the world does this work? My arms can't move in that direction!" The swimming and arm work from Aerial has had me sore (which I didn't notice) until I had to push my shoulders way back. It was incredibly tight which made staying in that position really hard. BUT! While I was there, I was willing to give the leg up a shot. I put one leg up and when I came out of the pose I was glad I could just check the box that it was DONE.
I literally broke a sweat and was out of breath...I rested and looked at the pictures while Mr. Walenda continued his historic walk. That's when I REALLY saw how bad my arms looked. Ugh. "That's all wrong!...we have to do it again!" I showed my daughter and her friend what I meant by examining the instruction photo and my lame-o one. She agreed to go back with her ol mom and redo the whole thing. Here we go again...climbing baby and all, starting over with a mental picture of what I wanted.
I tried it again but those shoulders didn't loosen up enough over a commercial break. I managed to pull up some and tighten the core enough to get BOTH feet up!! I was so excited to see the picture and that it looked better than it felt. I will have to try this again when I am not so tight and see if I can pull those arms back. In the mean time, that sucker is done!! Woohoo!! (and my daughter's friend decided to try it and totally nailed it!...I am so proud of her!)
I won't lie, these two were the most terrifying of poses thus far. The bottom half of my body is way heavier than my top so the idea of lifting that into the air, sight unseen, is scary. My daughter was doubtful of her ability as well which gave me a little comfort. That is until..."mom, I was testing the poses out, THEY ARE EASY!!" Uh oh. Her friend was over and the three of us all joined around to watch her, take her picture and then give me a pep talk about doing it. Ugh.
Nik Walenda was in the process of crossing the Grand Canyon on a tight rope and my nerves couldn't stand to watch that wholeheartedly. I decided to warm up, stretch and practice while I listened a few feet away. The baby finds yoga practice time to be hilarious. She loves climbing all over me like a jungle gym and actually getting "in" to the poses proves difficult at times without her getting upset. (someone has to peel her off me and hold her) After playing with her some, and getting the girls to help/watch/snap pics during commercial breaks, I went for the handstand first. Ooof. I got real close to a door because the idea of flipping all the way back and landing ON my back was not at all pleasant.
It was hardly perfect but I got those heavy legs up in the air and was able to hold the position long enough for a picture. The practice in this usually comes after the fact, however. Reviewing the photo and realizing something is out of alignment or there's a weird angle or gasp! it's blurry!! The redo has always proved to be better which also proves...practice makes perfect! I did the handstand a few times, my fear easing up with each push up of the legs. The more I did it, the less heavy they felt. The second pose, which starts off in a wheel position I thought was going to be easier. Ha! I guess in my head, I knew that I wasn't going to fully put my legs on the wall so all I *really had to accomplish was wheel. I've done that million times...how hard could it be? Well...um. My shoulders and back are SO tight that I could barely come down from the wheel pose onto my forearms. In fact, I kept thinking..."how in the world does this work? My arms can't move in that direction!" The swimming and arm work from Aerial has had me sore (which I didn't notice) until I had to push my shoulders way back. It was incredibly tight which made staying in that position really hard. BUT! While I was there, I was willing to give the leg up a shot. I put one leg up and when I came out of the pose I was glad I could just check the box that it was DONE.
I literally broke a sweat and was out of breath...I rested and looked at the pictures while Mr. Walenda continued his historic walk. That's when I REALLY saw how bad my arms looked. Ugh. "That's all wrong!...we have to do it again!" I showed my daughter and her friend what I meant by examining the instruction photo and my lame-o one. She agreed to go back with her ol mom and redo the whole thing. Here we go again...climbing baby and all, starting over with a mental picture of what I wanted.
I tried it again but those shoulders didn't loosen up enough over a commercial break. I managed to pull up some and tighten the core enough to get BOTH feet up!! I was so excited to see the picture and that it looked better than it felt. I will have to try this again when I am not so tight and see if I can pull those arms back. In the mean time, that sucker is done!! Woohoo!! (and my daughter's friend decided to try it and totally nailed it!...I am so proud of her!)
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Playing catch up on week 22
As promised, I took my transition week and made sure to get back on the wagon. More changes are coming up next week which will put the program on a "see how it goes" basis.
I managed to kick the week off strong by getting a workout in on a holiday. No easy feat I assure you, but so well worth it. Here's a snapshot of how my week went:
Monday - Memorial Day! A full day at the club...bowling, dodgeball, pool fun in the sun, hanging out with friends and then...my desperate plea..."can ya'll keep watch of the baby while I go swim?" Ooooh, what a party pooper mom I was! Haha. I managed a decent 1250M with only 2 interruptions of "how many more laps mom?...we are ready to go" D'oh! Talk about turning an already difficult swim into a sprint. Rush, rush, rush.
Tuesday - A free day? What to do? Oh, not one to sit idle, I ran errands, had lunch with family, got some pampering mani/pedi time and then...I loaded up Blu and went out for a ride. How could I not?! It was such a fantastic opportunity! I went a little over 22 miles in honor of baby boy V and his 22 weeks of baking. It was a great ride and half way through I got caught in a rain shower that was absolutely exhilarating and refreshing! After such a great ride, I was ready to sit back and watch my 5th grader perform in the year end program.
Wednesday - Another free day with more TexMex serving up at lunch so I thought I'd head out for a run in the morning. It was a tough one. I procrastinated and got about 4 loads of laundry done before heading out (I must have known how hard it was going to be). It was hot and humid and after such a long break since my last run, it was just hard to catch my breath. None the less, I got over 5 miles in...followed by chips n salsa, and a fajita taco and barely enough energy for my nephew's graduation and dinner. Pooped is an understatement for hump day.
Thursday - My "baby" girl turned 11!! Another fantastic "free day" complete with a hair cut (lost about 5 lbs of hair!) and lunch at school with both my girl, my boy AND my hubby! A family affair over Subway and cake pops can't be beat. An early dinner at the restaurant of baby girl's choice meant no Aerial class. :( (two weeks without and I'm having some serious withdrawals)
Friday - Volunteering for the 5th grade class at their graduating event should be workout enough right? A fun filled day at the University of Houston Recreation Center proved exhausting but I managed to get the kids to the club after school for some fun in the sun and with the intent that I could squeeze in another swim. A swim meet at the lap pool and live music and drinks at the adult pool kept me from my workout and I'm actually ok with it. I didn't leave the club feeling guilty or mad even that I didn't make it work somehow but rather...relaxed. It's pure joy to just sit and watch the kids play in the pool. Having the hubby and baby join later was icing. That kid is a water baby, I think. She dives in, holding her breath in anticipation of the cool water that will come over her head. She comes out with with her big eyes drenched and long lashes flattened against her face. I'm thinking she will be a challenge this summer since she appears to be fearless. I'll have to try to capture this on video or pictures, it is just too cute.
Saturday - Off - too many errands to break away for a long workout but did start 2 different 30 day challenges. The first is an Ab challenge that a big group of friends are all doing. It starts off easy enough but the coming weeks look...well, let's just say that I may pull the "I'm pregnant" card and modify it. ;) The other is a Yoga challenge on Instagram. My daughter and I follow a group of yogi's on IG that have a monthly challenge with different poses. We attempt them from time to time but we've never tried doing (and photographing) every single day. We'll see just how far we get (it'll depend on how complex and crazy some of the poses are!)
Sunday - Swimming was in sight as well as a family bike ride but more errands to run before a hectic week left me thinking that the Ab and Yoga challenge were all I was going to get in. It was late in the day when a window opened up and I laced up for a quick neighborhood run. I ran 3.5 miles and honestly, I was dreading it because the run earlier in the week was awful...the heat, humidity and the allergies I'm fighting make it so difficult to breathe that I just want to STOP. This is usually ok except it makes a quick run into a looooong drawn out one. Thankfully, this one went a whole lot better but it was still both hot and humid (and shorter too).
All in all, I lost a little steam mid week but I think closing it off with a run makes me feel *a little* better. It's a big week around the household complete with new jobs, travel, graduation and the last week of school. I'm not sure how the workouts will pan out but I've got my fingers crossed that I can get creative enough to make something happen. At the very least, I have those 30 day challenges that will keep me honest and on my toes.
Until next week,
~V
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)